Photos: Luppolo Brewing Company opens tasting room in East Vancouver

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      One of Vancouver’s busiest cycling routes just got a little boozier thanks to the opening of Luppolo Brewing Company at 1123 Venables Street.

      Located a short walk away from the Adanac bike path, as well as Bomber, Off the Rail, and Strange Fellows, the brewery is the product of two beer-crazed husband-and-wife teams: Ryan Parfitt and Eleanor Stewart, and Federico Stucchi and Anique Ross.

      It officially welcomes guests into its tasting room tonight (October 28) as part of a soft opening.

      Speaking to the Straight during a tour of Luppolo, Ross explains that Parfitt’s and Stucchi’s Italian backgrounds helped influence the menu and feel of the space. (Luppolo means hops in the European tongue.)

      The idea to open the brewery came after Ross and Stucchi’s return to Canada following a 15-month stay in Milan, where they frequented an old-school microbrewery.

      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau

      “I think Italian culture just really values quality and craftsmanship and community, and excellent food and drink,” she says. “And that’s kind of what we want to infuse the space with.”

      Parfitt, an avid homebrewer who has volunteered with Moody Ales and Steel Toad Brewery, serves as brewmaster. He’s concocted eight beers for Luppolo, now available on tap: a fresh hop Belgian IPA, a dunkelweizen, an IPA, a saison, a New World sour, a mild, and a West Coast farmhouse ale.

      Growler fills, as well as the occasional small-batch cask, will also be available. “We have some ideas about other Italian flavours we want to bring in, but that’s a secret for now,” shares Ross.

      Food options include Italian-style charcuterie boards, antipastos, and piadina, traditional Italian flatbreads. Beer flights will be served on triangular boards—a theme that is carried through the 850-square-foot space dreamed up by architects One SEED and Ron Hart.

      A floor-to-ceiling mosaic of triangular tiles stretches across the bar’s back wall in a palette of blue, orange, grey, and yellow. Classic side chairs, alternating in the same hues, are paired with rustic wood tabletops, while square bar stools stand opposite.

      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau

      Ross’s childhood piano sits by the front door, now repurposed as a growler display case.

      The group has also given significant thought to the sound distribution in the space. Parfitt has outfitted one wall with felt-lined acoustic panels, which help trap noise for more pleasant conversation.

      “I just find that it’s often something that’s really overlooked…and it’s a shame sometimes because you end up screaming at the person across from you all night,” explains Ross. “So we’ve just tried to mitigate that to ensure that it’s as comfortable as possible.”

      Luppolo Brewing will be open from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. A grand opening is planned for sometime within the next month and Ross hopes to eventually open for lunch service, too.

      “We all just love hosting and entertaining,” she says. “So having the opportunity to do that on a bigger scale—and to meet new people who we can share our concept and beer with—is kind of amazing.”

      Peep the photos below for a preview of Luppolo before you check it out IRL.

      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau
      Lucy Lau
      Follow Lucy Lau on Twitter @lucylau.

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