Plans for a new lounge are brewing on Dollarton Highway.
Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers' plan to turn their tasting room into a lounge and to serve growlers on the patio won an endorsement from District of North Vancouver council June 23.
If the plan gets the province's stamp of approval, the brewery will be serving drinks and sandwiches until 1 a.m. in the lounge and 10 p.m. on the patio.
The move would allow ale aficionados to sip a variety of the brewery's beers and spirits, according to founder Shae De Jaray.
"Distillery licensing limits us to serving a very, very small amount of spirits. It's about a quarter of an ounce and we're also not allowed to mix that into a cocktail, which, to a lot of people, isn't a very appetizing way to be served the product," he said.
Manufacturing beers and spirits would continue to be their main focus, according to De Jaray.
"We're not here to cause a party or a ruckus," he said.
Council discussed letting the patio stay open until 11 p.m. before deciding to give the new setup a one-year trial period.
"I still think 11 p.m. is a more than appropriate time to close the patio, 10 p.m. seems to be Mom's telling me to go to bed," said Coun. Roger Bassam.
Bassam pondered the impact the new brewery model might have on community pubs.
"I guess to a certain extent we should probably just let the free market figure that out," he said.
After noting the brewery makes "amongst the best vodka I've ever tasted,"
Coun. Alan Nixon said he was supportive of the new business model.
The district sent out 111 notices concerning the brewery's new approach to area homeowners and received one response, which favoured the change.
