On Dunsmuir Avenue in Cumberland, the beer is still meant to be drunk close to where it was made. Cumberland Brewing Company calls itself a community brewery: ideas, the owners write, are judged by whether they contribute positively to the village. For years that meant no distribution outside Cumberland, and no bottles or cans. “If you want our beer, come here,” they still say, even after a small change in 2024.
The story starts with a pizza shop. In October 2011, Michael and Caroline Tymchuk opened Riders Pizza in the village. Michael had spent more than thirty years in food and brewing, including an early stretch at Spinnakers in Victoria, which the brewery’s story describes as Canada’s first in-house brewpub. In early 2013, Darren Adam and Michelle Forslund met the Tymchuks over that pizza; Darren, the story says, eventually convinced them to partner on a brewery for Cumberland. The brewery opened beside Riders in 2014. At first a hole was cut in the wall so customers could order pizza; the pizza shop later moved across the street, and on February 2, 2016, the brewery opened its own kitchen, which is still running.
In June 2024, after nine years of saying they would never can their beer, the brewery began packing its five core beers in cans. Growler fills continue, and the cans, for now, are sold only at the brewery. “Yes, we will always fill growlers and we thank our customers for using this environmentally sustainable option,” the story page says, with a wink that anyone curious about the change can ask Darren in person.
The taproom is at 2732 Dunsmuir Avenue, 250-400-2739, hello@cumberlandbrewing.com. Hours listed on the site are Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 10 p.m., closed Monday. The homepage is cheerfully plain: bikes can be parked, a full 20-ounce pint is on offer, and kids are welcome. The business is also in our Comox Valley directory.
Good to know
- Address: 2732 Dunsmuir Avenue, Cumberland. Closed Mondays. Confirm hours at cumberlandbrewing.com.
- Core beers in cans, since June 2024, are sold only at the brewery; growler fills continue.
- Phone: 250-400-2739 (250-400-BREW).
Image: Screenshot of the Cumberland Brewing Company Our Story page.
Photo: Cumberland Brewing Company, Screenshot of official source page, via source.
