Pulling pints as fast as it’s pulling in customers, the Drake Eatery and Craft Beer Parlour has created a niche for itself in downtown Victoria. Owners Mike and Lee Spence drew upon their experience in running restaurants to move into the pub game in 2014 and haven’t looked back. Now the real-life couple’s focus on offering local craft beer, spirits, cocktails and formidable food crafted from fresh local ingredients has created a thriving venue in Market Square. “Mike and Lee travelled up and down the west coast of America and saw some places that really inspired them; classic pub styles with everything counter service and a constantly rotating tap list,” said co-manager Dilan Rhodes. “Our regulars come in often expecting to try something new, but knowing it’s going to be good and a high-quality product.” The Drake sources its beer locally, from the likes of Whistle Buoy, Herald St Brewery (also owned by the Spences) and Driftwood, plus a range from the Lower Mainland, including Four Winds, Brassneck and Camp Beer. “People are always coming up with new and interesting things – and Mike’s on top of that,” said Rhodes. “He’s got his finger on the pulse and has been building those relationships for years.” The Drake runs 29 taps, with 27 allotted for craft beer, while it also serves cider, mead, cocktails, wine and spirits. “We find that roughly 30 beers is a good number to offer lots of variety but still keep things moving. It’s a good balance,” said Rhodes. The Drake’s mission as a pub is to provide beer and food that highlights independent producers; a blend of local and farther afield for beer and local for food. “We want to support local with our beer, but also want to feature great breweries not on the Island. We aim to offer a unique kind of West Coast experience for the customers and encourage them to be adventurous. “We rotate our food seasonally, and sometimes more than that. We have some staples, but also want to keep it flexible. We’re more inspired globally with our dishes.” I sampled several beers at the Drake, including the Driftwood Blackstone on Nitro, with dark coffee flavours and a similar creaminess to Guinness; the Lionheart from Bomber Brewing, a London porter; Flannel Pyjamas from Camp Beer out of Langley, which won gold for best American porter or stout at this year’s B.C. Beer Awards (while the brewery won B.C. Brewery of the Year); and Hail Santa from the Spences’ Herald Street Brewery, a spruce tip red rye pale ale. I also tried the Half Tone, a blueberry muffin lager from Twin City in Port Alberni; the Belgian Amber Ale from Dageraad, a Belgian-style brewery from Burnaby; and the Trans Atlantic – from Spinnaker’s and a collaboration with Fuller’s in London, using Fuller’s yeast and brewed in the style of a classic English IPA, an anniversary brew in honour of Spinnaker’s original brewer John Mitchell. The Drake also recently held a showcase where it hosted Camp Beer and had 10 of their beers on tap, plus food specials and live music. “It was a lot of fun and the first time Camp Beer products have been served on the Island,” added Rhodes. “We make sure we’ve got lots of good pale ales in, plus three or four porters or stouts on tap year-round. We also usually offer some other specialty styles, such as Belgians or sours, which are becoming more popular.” On the food front, the Drake serves popular staples such as grilled cheese with housemade kimchi, featuring locally sourced vegetables which change from season to season. It’s well-known for a great sandwich selection. Tacos are also always on the menu, and currently featured is a roasted delicata squash version with lots of fall and winter vegetables and flavours. Seasonally changing hummus is another fan favourite, currently crafted from winter squash and served with housemade focaccia bread, while the tasty roasted parsnip soup has patrons clamouring at the door during winter. I was fortunate to sample all of the above and can attest that the Drake rightly has a reputation for delicious, hearty, wholesome food made from a robust range of locally sourced ingredients. “All of it can be shared, for sure, and we often encourage people to order a bunch of different things as a group and share, family-style,” said Rhodes. When it comes to entrees, the Drake’s kitchen offers a kielbasa bowl, featuring a Ukrainian spiced sausage, sauerkraut and potatoes, plus a standout lentils and hominy (corn) bowl and a couple of great salad options – both of which are customizable. Rhodes co-manages the Drake with Ben Isaacs, and has been at the pub for four years, after upping sticks from Edmonton. “We share some duties and have our own individual duties as well… I stumbled upon this place, but it’s right up my alley and just the sort of spot I want to go with my friends.” The decor at the Drake’s historic Market Square location is inspired by the Spences’ West Coast trips and memorabilia and aims to create a nice, warm vibe that’s “casual, inviting and comfortable.” Local sign artist Chris Dobell did several of the Drake’s logos, plus the standout ghost sign on the memorable brick wall part of its interior, saying ‘Cascade’ and ‘Vancouver Brewing Limited’. There’s also lots of beer memorabilia, helping to present a pub vibe rich in beer history, while music is generally played at a low volume, so people can hear themselves speak. In addition, the Drake is unique in that it doesn’t have any TVs, giving people the chance to connect more through conversation. The Market Square pub is spacious inside, seating around 100 people, while it also offers a year-round patio with heaters that can accommodate 50 folks, including dog-loving patrons. Into 2026 and beyond, the Drake wants to stay true to itself, fresh and reliable, and keeping its doors open noon to midnight seven days a week. It’s aiming to continue doing a couple of events a month showcasing different breweries, while also hosting kitchen takeovers. Successful collaborations have included a fundraiser with the Mustard Seed, plus takeovers with the award-winning fine dining restaurant the Courtney Room, and Hide & Seek from Sooke. Meanwhile, it will focus on its big annual festival, Thirsty Chef, close to its anniversary on the last weekend of July. “Usually 25-30 breweries come, plus around a dozen chefs, and we hold it down on the square here,” said Rhodes. “It’s great beer and food, plus live music — and a great way to support a local organization, such as Cool Aid, who are helping better our community. “We’re also well-known for our wild and sour events, where we’ll focus on wild fermented and sour flavours and beers. We’ll do those periodically, often a couple of times a year. “In addition, we’re working on a dark beer festival based on what we produce, tentatively scheduled for the first Saturday in January (the 3rd). “We did a fresh hoppapalooza (in November), featuring freshly hopped beers. They’re brewed in the fall and used the same day as the harvest. So they’re loaded with flavour and the compounds are as intense as they’ll ever be.” After mainly focusing on beer for many years, the Drake added spirits and cocktails to its menu a couple of years ago. It also often has a gluten-free beer on tap and a brace of non-alcoholic beers. “We wanted to be more inclusive and ensure everyone’s got an option,” said Rhodes. “So now you can bring a party of people with different tastes and dietary requirements, and we’ve got them all covered.” To learn more about the Drake, visit: https://www.drakeeatery.com.
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