Looking back at a chaotic past few weeks, the craziest things about the COVID-19 pandemic was how quickly things seemed to go from mild concern to full-blown panic.

One minute, Vancouver craft-beer fans were sitting on patios and lounging in tasting rooms, ready to ring in the spring while the rest of Canada was still shovelling snow-covered walkways. The next, everything went FUBAR.

Think about it­: on March 11, COVID-19 had yet to truly roar across North America, and West Coasters were still optimistically packing their suitcases for spring break. Six days later, the entire city was on lockdown, with social isolation and working from home a new reality.

That lightning-quick shift hit Vancouver’s booming craft-beer community hard.

Andrés Amaya of East Van’s Andina Brewing Company notes that his industrial-funky spot was theoretically well-positioned to make the best of the shutdown. Andina has used SkipTheDishes and Uber Eats to get innovative offerings like its Jalea Guava Saison and Pálida Hazy Pale Ale to customers. That’s been augmented by its online store, where there’s a 10-percent discount for pickups.

Still, Amaya acknowledges that running a business where people go to congregate and socialize is a challenge when public gatherings are off the table.

“We have lost approximately 80 to 85 percent of our business since we had to close our doors on March 17,” he tells the Straight. “It has been very difficult for all of us, but harder for the staff, which we had to lay off due to the closure.”

That’s echoed by other craft breweries in town. Nigel Pike of Main Street Brewing notes that a federal-government COVID-19 wage subsidy has allowed him to bring back staff that initially had been laid off. Still, even with delivery via SkipTheDishes and Uber Eats, as well as a curbside delivery option at the brewery, sales are down dramatically, despite strong demand for best-sellers like Naked Fox IPA, Blackberry Sour Fruit Bomb, and Peach Fruit Bomb.

“We have lost approximately 75 percent of our sales­—this is mostly made up of our tasting room and draught accounts,” Pike says. “This also includes our own restaurants that help support the brewery. We were forced to lay off 24 staff, in order to make sure our business survived. In the first three weeks, that left us with two salaried staff on payroll.”

Stanley Park Brewing had to figure out a quick way to pivot its operation once Vancouver was directed to stay at home. It’s now delivering favourites like Wandering Rye Pilsner, Hollow Tree Lager, and Captain Hazy IPA to those living in the West End. Others looking to escape the condo or apartment for a half-hour per day can also pick up orders in person.

“We did everything we could to get home delivery up and running as quickly as possible, and we are now doing a reasonable, steady business from our brewpub,” says Stanley Park Brewing general manager Doug Devlin. “We saw home delivery as a positive way to help our neighbours follow the guidelines from health authorities on social distancing and the need to stay home. That’s why we launched it as quickly as we did.”

Strange Fellows on Clark Drive has also embraced home delivery as away to get product to its customers. 

"Much like our Fellow Vancouver brewers we've had to change and get creative to make a living," says co-owner and brewmaster Iain Hill. "Adding home delivery is one way we've changed. Support has been good but it is not inexpensive to run and there is the cost of delivery over a big part of the city. The best part about it is that it has allowed us to bring a couple of employees back that had been laid off and give them a much appreciated job. We have also found customers to be very happy and appreciative to receive their Strange Fellows beer and that keeps us going."

Red Truck Beer vice-president of operations Jim Dodds notes that he was getting ready to go on vacation when COVID-19 suddenly changed everything. Even before the government stepped in with strong recommendations about self-isolating, Red Truck made the decision to close its Truck Stop Diner, which serves as both a tasting room and a Brewery Creek neighbourhood dining spot.

“Looking at our people and thinking of everybody’s well-being was first and foremost,” Dodds says.

A food truck on the edge of the brewery’s parking lot remains open, as does the on-site store where people can pop in for offerings like Red Truck’s Baja Bound Mexican Lager and Seas the Day Pineapple Hefeweizen.

Still, Red Truck is facing challenges, just like others in Vancouver.

“When it comes to the on-premise side of the business, all of our customers are shut down, and that means there’s been a big hit to our revenues,” Dodds says. “Taking that out of the mix has been really tough. But we have seen a big increase in package sales in private and B.C. liquor stores. But we do have to look at the volume that we’re selling and the revenues we have coming in. We obviously need to make sure that we’re paying our bills, and we’re not sure where that’s all going to fall out at this particular time.”

And despite what lies ahead for Red Truck, he suggests that now is the time not only to think local, but to be supportive of everyone connected to the beer industry.

“My heart goes out to all the employees in all the establishments,” Dodds says. “Not just where we do business and not just in Vancouver, but in the entire province of British Columbia and everywhere else around the world. A lot of people are out of work, and it’s a very, very trying situation for everyone. It’s important to think of everyone’s well-being, and to hope that everything will be okay for them.”

Back at Andina, Andrés Amaya gratefully notes that, just as he’s thinking of his patrons stuck at home, those patrons are also thinking of Andina.

“We have had much support from customers and friends making large purchases of beer and food, but the lack of cash flow certainly is very worrisome,” he says. “We were lucky that we already had SkipTheDishes, Uber Eats, and the online store up and running, so we just had to advertise more on social media to spread the word out to the community. Like I said before, the community has been very supportive, and, of course, we want to make sure we have beer ready for our regular customers. Both are equally important.”