White Sails Brewing Story
White Sails Brewing was founded with the goal of developing an inclusive, community-centric gathering space that married our passion for quality craft beer with the passions of our supporting community.
We like to operate White Sails as a “Window into Nanaimo”, highlighting our love for our hometown through our beers, locally sourced food menu, and our Taproom events and programming.
The Vision
White Sails is all about bringing our community together through craft.
We are passionate about creating and fostering an inclusive, accessible gathering space and invite our community to relax, meet with friends, celebrate an event or milestone and enjoy fresh craft beers while connecting with the community around them.
The Sails
The White Sails name was inspired by the large white masts that welcome visitors into our community from the North and South and is a tribute to Nanaimo’s heritage, environment and community.
The sails represent an intimate connection to the environment around us.
The Knot
The Carrick Bend, a sailing knot used for connecting two lines without jamming or failure, represents the strong bonds that join and hold our community together.
The History
White Sails sits on the site of an interesting piece of Nanaimo history.
Our Taproom sits on the site of the old Newcastle Hotel, which burned down in the early 1990’s. The ‘Newkie’ was not only an iconic Nanaimo drinking establishment, but it had ties to the early Nanaimo brewing scene.
The Newcastle Hotel was built in the late 1800’s by the owner of Union Brewing, one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest breweries at the time.