In the works since 2021, Four Winds Beach House & Brewery is finally set to open doors to their 8,600-square-foot modern brew hall at 6350 Market Avenue in Tsawwassen.
What is slated to become the Four Winds Brewing Co. flagship destination is split between a 2,600-square-foot brewery and a 6,000-square-foot restaurant, lounge and retail space. How does one tackle bringing a project of such scale to life? It all starts with a solid core team. At Four Winds, that team is comprised of Co-Founders Adam Mills (G.M.), Brent Mills (Director of Brewing Operations), and Brooke Mills (Director of Finance and Admin), along with Blake Burns (Director of Restaurant Operations / Executive Chef), Melissa Mills (Brand Experience Manager), Eduard Cruciat (G.M.), and Joanne Middlemass (CDC). Add to that an incredible amount of outside support: Century Group provided a stunning base building; Ste. Marie Studio helped realize the design; Pacific Solutions Contracting handled the build; and Gillian Gonzalez-Risso, of Feast Consulting, was crucial in bringing the administrative and organizational side of Four Winds’ ‘dream project’ into focus.
‘Dream project’, for sure. Although the interior was still under construction at the time of my tour a few weeks ago, enough of the pieces were in place to give me the confidence to say that this will be a stunner of a building – both inside and out. The design’s warm, simple and natural materials, combined with big windows, maintain a sense of connection to the surrounding neighbourhood, farmland and ocean, making the West-Coast-contemporary-meets-traditional-European beer hall feel both artful and naturally integrated with its environment.
When I asked Adam Mills about the significance of this project’s location, he explained, “Tsawwassen is the town where we [the ownership team] were raised, and it is the town where we are now raising our families. We have a deep connection to the community and feel very grateful for the opportunity to contribute in this way. The Southlands Tsawwassen development is quite unique, as it is an ‘agri-hood’ spanning about 530 acres, with roughly 80% dedicated to active farmland, greenways, and outdoor community space, while the remaining area is a thoughtfully planned neighbourhood with shops, a cafe, and our soon-to-be home. Additionally, this lovely development is just steps away from one of the Lower Mainland’s most beautiful beaches, making it a multifaceted destination worth exploring.”
I concur. Though I seldom venture to Tsawwassen (beyond the ferry terminal) myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the excuse of making my way there for my Beach House site visit. As I followed the gently curved road out to meet the Four Winds crew, the sun was shining and there was a slight breeze coming off the ocean, dissipating and blowing off all of the frustration of the city traffic, as if by design…
The Space
Guests entering through the main entrance can detour to the left into the retail alcove, which features coolers, merch and some food, along with a full view of the operating brewery through its glass walls. Alternatively, turn right from the entry and you’ll enter a narrow corridor leading to a lounge area with raised bench seating and a bar, backed by a row of garage doors opening to the patio in the summertime, creating an inside/outside bar experience.
Beyond the bar and lounge area, the room opens up to the main dining area – an airy space, with Western Red Cedar clad vaulted ceiling and polished concrete floors in a subtle earthy tone. A mix of banquettes and tables runs along the room’s perimeter, while a partially partitioned (second) lounge area, separated by a hip-height wall and centred around a showpiece freestanding gas fireplace, occupies the heart of the room. Most of the walls in this area are lined with windows, but a prominent space at its far end is reserved for a custom painting by Andy Dixon. (Fun fact: Dixon actually did the original branding for Four Winds.)
When all is said and done, the space will accommodate 120 seats on the floor, and 24 bar seats (12 inside and 12 outside), plus 60 seats on the patio.
Food & Drink
When Executive Chef Blake Burns and Joanne Middlemass say that they have created a menu focussed on local ingredients, they really mean it: there are several farms and orchards nearby which Four Winds intends to source their produce directly from (including greens, cider apples, pears, sour cherries, and quince). Besides fresh-from-the-farm fruits and vegetables, the Beach House restaurant’s menu will also feature mussels, oysters, steaks, burgers, and a variety of snacks – all dishes designed to pair perfectly with a nice, cold pint.
Which brings us to the most salient part of the entire equation: the beer. Overall, the brewery will showcase a diverse selection of traditional and modern lagers and ales, all crafted under the direction of Brent Mills, who has a penchant for Czech and German-style lagers. However, while Four Winds plan to maximize the output of their (wildly popular) pre-existing beers by continuing operations at their original Delta brewery, the second, smaller Tsawwassen facility will be dedicated solely to small-batch and experimental beers – and some cider. A smile swept across Brent’s face while showing me the new open-ferment tanks; and although he didn’t expressly say it, it was obvious that this part of project is particularly exciting for him. This genuine enthusiasm should also play out nicely for the rest of us. (For those non-beer-drinkers drawn in for the experience nevertheless, take note that the drink menu will also include wine and co*cktails, as well as a variety of non-alcoholic options.)
Timing
If all goes well, you too can make the journey out to the Tsawwassen Four Winds Beach House beginning in August – a worthwhile trek even if every one of its 204 seats are taken, since Centennial Beach (just down the road) has recently been specially designated as an outdoor space where alcohol consumption is allowed. Which means that picking up food AND some cold cans of beer, then taking a short hike over to the beach for a sunset picnic, is a totally acceptable option. Yahoo!
When doors do open, hours will be from Sunday to Thursday, 11am-11pm; Friday and Saturday, 11am-Midnight. Stay tuned here and to the Four Winds Beach House & Brewery Instagram page for updates as they roll in.
