A local map maker and Coquitlam Search and Rescue volunteer is putting his skills to a new kind of recreational guidance system: a Lower Mainland craft brewery map.
Steve Chapman, who recently created a Tri-Cities trail map, was commissioned by James Thom of Classic Media Inc to create the map of local breweries so that hopsters could have an easy way of touring beer districts in the Lower Mainland. It will also highlight some of the surrounding restaurants and other amenities surrounding the breweries.
"It will become like an entertainment kind of map that's focused on having fun, maybe going out for a meal," Chapman said of the map, which will likely be printed in two editions per year. "There's things like this on the internet but they're not organized very well. This will be the first time it's been done in this kind of format so I'm pretty excited about that."
Initially, Chapman was going to make a map of all the breweries in B.C. but later decided to focus on Metro Vancouver to provide better detail.
One side of the map will show the locations of about 55 microbreweries; those that want to pay a fee will be tagged with a "badge" showing their address, website, phone number and the types of beer they sell. The other side will show in closer detail brewery clusters, including Port Moody's beer district (which is set to grow to four locations once Parkside Brewery opens in 2016), east Vancouver, Granville Island, Main Street and North Vancouver.
And while Chapman has done a fair share of "research," he said visiting all the locations would likely put him in need of a liver transplant.
"I've certainly been to a few of them… when we were trying to get people on board," Chapman said. "As it continues, there's certain to be some more.
"It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it."
Chapman expects the map to be available next spring at craft breweries.
spayne@tricitynews.com
@spayneTC
