By Jacey Gibb, Editor-in-chief
For as long as there have been two or more bars within walking distance of each other, there have been pub walks.
It’s essentially what it sounds like. Similar to a pub crawl, a pub walk takes place entirely on foot as participants travel from establishment to establishment, ordering a drink in each and enjoying the companionship that follows. But while pub crawls usually lack any form of endgame—other than the obvious one of last call—a new breed has emerged to give direction and an objective: Golden Miles.
The term, popularized by the 2013 British film The World’s End, refers to a pub walk consisting of 12 pints consumed at 12 different bars over the span of a single night. While the film’s Golden Mile was wrought with conflict and end-of-the-world drama, yours doesn’t have to be. You can plan your very own Golden Mile, complete with booze, friends, witty banter, and all the bathroom trips your bladder can handle.
While any restaurant/bar-heavy sector of the city will suffice, we’ll be focussing on the general vicinity of Gastown for scope’s sake. Ignoring for a moment that Gastown seems like it was specifically designed with pub walking in mind, it also contains some of the city’s finest wateringholes—plus a lot of them serve grub that puts normal bar food to shame. It’s also a nice middle ground in case you want to veer off to places on Granville Street or end up on Main Street. It’s easy to play favourites with which bars you include, but remember that travel time is where things really start to add up. The closer the bars are together, the better. I’ve included 18 candidates here but you’ll only need 12—or fewer, if you decide to add some of your own.
For the typical Monday to Friday working class, Golden Miles present another problem: if you attempt one on the weekend, a lot of places will start charging cover later in the evening. You also run the risk of running into a lot of lineups, because it’s the freakin’ weekend, you dolt. If you can swing it, Thursday is the perfect day for undertaking a Golden Mile. Some bars are closed immediately following the weekend, so later in the week is best.
The last thing to take into consideration is who to include in your Golden Mile glory. Seasoned beer drinkers is the obvious answer—you don’t want someone puking by the third bar, nor do you want someone who’s just tagging along to take embarrassing videos of you hammered. It’s up to you whether you want to invite people you know don’t stand a chance at finishing; whatever your strategy, a roster of four to five is a solid base.
*While the Other Press wishes you luck on your Golden Mile and hopes you enjoy yourself, we by no means encourage people to drink beyond their limits or to a point of discomfort. This guide is meant to help you plan your own Golden Mile but should not be undertaken by anyone underage, or seen as a serious guideline. Have fun, be safe, and let us know how it works out for you and your crew.
Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar
Enjoy the ambience
Oms: $$$
Tips: Damn those inviting atmospheres! While you may be tempted to linger, chances are you’ll be starting from a SkyTrain and Rogue will be one of the first stops. Grab a seat at the community table, down a pint, and get movin’.
Thursday hours: Open until midnight
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 1 a.m.
Steamworks Brewing Company
Enjoy the ambience
Oms: $$$
Tips: Same as with Rogue, it’s probably too early to take it easy. The food’s damn good but you can get something cheaper later on that’ll probably be quicker too.
Thursday hours: Open until 11 p.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 11 p.m.
Pourhouse Restaurant
In-and-out
Oms: $$$$
Tips: The food here is amazing but it comes with a steeper price tag. Save your appetite for later; there’s beer to be drank.
Thursday hours: Open until 1 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
The Black Frog Eatery
Replenish your stomachs
Oms: $$
Tips: Save time and just sit at the bar. If you’re starting to get the grumblies, Black Frog is probably the first place I’d recommend getting food from—and it’s early enough that you won’t over-order to compensate for your beer-fueled hunger.
Thursday hours: Open until 1 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
La Casita
Enjoy the ambience
Oms: $$
Tips: Don’t overlook La Casita as a viable stop on your Golden Mile. While you might see it more as a restaurant instead of a bar, all of their pints are $4 on Thursdays.
Thursday hours: Open until midnight
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
The Cambie Pub
In-and-out
Oms: $
Tips: Not sure what I can say about the Cambie that you wouldn’t already know. The beer is cheap and tastes relatively awful while the food is just as cheap and tastes relatively alright. Keep in mind that weekend lineups can often run up to an hour.
Thursday hours: Open until 1 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
Pub 340
In-and-out
Oms: $
Tips: There’s karaoke on Thursdays starting at 9 p.m. but don’t let your need to ruin Hall & Oates distract you from the task at hand. Their pinball machines could provide a nice breather though, if you’re looking to take a break.
Thursday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 3 a.m.
The Metropole Pub
In-and-out
Oms: $
Tips: Beer is less than $4 on Fridays, though it can get packed during the weekend.
Thursday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 3 a.m.
The Pint
Enjoy the ambience
Oms: $$
Tips: There’s a whole other room located at the very back of the bar that is usually less crowded. And if you’re feeling daring, order their signature Gin Mountain cocktail along with your mandatory pint. It’s a refreshing fruit/gin combination that goes down dangerously easy.
Thursday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
Vera’s Burger Shack
Replenish your stomachs
Oms: $$
Tips: Kind of stating the obvious here, but it’s a burger place. Fill up while you get a pint, but make sure you get here early since it closes before most of the other bars on the list.
Thursday hours: Open until 10 p.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until midnight
No. 5 Orange
In-and-out
Oms: Really?
Tips: As much fun as it is to have a strip club stop on your Golden Mile, try to remember your mission statement here. Don’t get lost in the oasis of flesh.
Thursday hours: Open until 1 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 1 a.m.
Lamplighter
Enjoy the ambience
Oms: $$$
Tips: You’ll probably be at least a few pints deep by this point, so maybe take a breather and waste some time on the arcade machines.
Thursday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 3 a.m.
Guilt & Co.
In-and-out
Oms: $$
Tips: Unless there was a zombie holocaust during your Golden Mile that wiped out most of the Earth’s population, there will be a lineup waiting for you. Drunk Jenga can wait while glory cannot.
Thursday hours: Open until “late”
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until “late”
The Chill Winston
Enjoy the ambience
Oms: $$$
Tips: The perfect backup plan for when you decide to go to Guilt & Co. and there’s a 30-minute wait. Slide on up to the bar or take in one of the best patios in Gastown.
Thursday hours: Open until 1 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 1 a.m.
Portside Pub
In-and-out
Oms: $$
Tips: With plenty of bar space to cuddle up to, Portside’s an ideal in-and-out. Hopefully someone in your party is drunk enough by this point to overpay for one of their novelty sailor hats.
Thursday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 3 a.m.
Alibi Room
Enjoy the ambience
Oms: $$
Tips: You’re in good company when the bar you’re at has more beers on tap than they do different food items. The downside to greatness is this place is usually packed and it’s relatively out of the way in relation to everything else. Might be worth passing on this one, unless you’re really craving a certain beer.
Thursday hours: Open until 11:30 p.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 12:30 a.m.
The Irish Feather
In-and-out
Oms: $$$
Tips: Borders towards being more of a restaurant, but a bar’s a bar.
Thursday hours: Open until 12 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
Blarney Stone
In-and-out
Oms: $$
Tips: They have a fun countdown on their website that lets you know just how long until last call. Kind of note-worthy, until you realize that their hours are basically the same as 80 per cent of bars in Vancouver.
Thursday hours: Open until 2 a.m.
Friday/Saturday hours: Open until 3 a.m.
