Sip Trips #257: Disney Daze

Posted on by
Reply

The highlight of January was the Sip Family’s final trip to the Disneyland Resort on our Magic Key annual passes. Let’s see what we got up to on our swan song to the happiest place on earth:

Just prior to leaving for California, I took advantage of the BC Liquor Stores flash sale, picking up the Nutrl Tropical pack (pineapple, watermelon, peach, mango, grapefruit), which was $10 cheaper than usual. That said, I’m not sure I like Nutrl products, compared to sweeter, fizzier offerings from other companies. One pro to them is Mrs. Sip can enjoy them even when she’s on the keto diet.

After landing in Anaheim, we settled into our hotel and crossed the street for lunch at Mimi’s Café. I ordered a pair of Firestone 805 Blonde Ale from their very limited selection of draft beers, to go along with the Mike’s Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich. While I appreciated the plethora of pickles on the sando, I found it didn’t have much sauce/flavour to it.

We then used the bus service to go to Target to pick up room drinks and snacks for the duration of our stay. I grabbed the White Claw Variety 24 Pack (blackberry, tangerine, black cherry, green apple, mango, peach), as I was particularly curious about and wanted to try the Green Apple variant. While I enjoyed that drink, it sadly replaced Watermelon in this set, which is among my preferred flavours. I didn’t pick up any hard liquor at this point, not wanting to buy too much to drink, but would later grab a bottle of Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime Rum and mixers from Walgreens.

We went into this trip knowing it would be our last for some time. Therefore, we wanted to enjoy all the food and drink we previously hadn’t, while also retuning to a few memorable favourites. On our first day, we tried the Cheesy Garlic Brat, which was very satisfying with good mix of flavours going on and the Beef Birria Toasted Cheese, another good meal, where I especially enjoyed the consommé.

Hopping over to the California Adventure park, we set the Siplings up with a Quantum Pretzel, a longtime family favourite often eaten by them as myself/Mrs. Sip ride Guardians of the Galaxy. We also grabbed beers in the form of the Ommegang Neon Rainbows IPA and SLO Brew Cali-Squeeze.

Our second park day was dedicated to celebrating Mrs. Sip’s birthday. To begin the occasion on the right foot, we did a walk up reservation for Oga’s Cantina. The bar was set to close after this day, so it was good to get the experience in while we could. To eat, we shared the Garlic-Cheese Five Blossom Bread with Spicy Cheese Sauce. To drink, Mrs. Sip and I ordered the Yub Nub (pineapple rum, spiced rum, citrus juices, passionfruit) and Fuzzy Tauntaun (peach vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, pure cane sugar, tingling foam), followed by a pair of brews in the Jogan Blossom Hazy IPA and Bad Motivator IPA.

After letting the Siplings build a droid to take home, which Mrs. Sip attributes to her early buzz, we were off to our lunch reservation at Lamplight Lounge. Mrs. Sip and I shared a bottle of Les Jamelles Chardonnay, along with the Sea Monster Smash (rye whiskey, blueberry syrup, mint, lemon juice, passionfruit syrup, blueberries). For food, I went with the Chef’s Special (Mongolian Steak dish with noodles), which was very good. I was happy it was available prior to other Lunar New Year releases, having read about its existence and hoping it would already be on the menu. The glaze/sauce and smattering of green onions on the steak were delicious, while the $34 price tag seemed pretty reasonable. I shared this dish with Mrs. Sip, who ordered the Charbroiled Cheddar Burger to round out our meal.

Later that evening, the Sip Family shared the Cookie Butter Churro Sundae from the Golden Horseshoe, which provided a decadent dessert to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s birthday!

The next day, we were craving lunch on the San Fransokyo Wharf. I went with the Karaage-inspired Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Brewery X Tokyo Tea Hard Seltzer from Lucky Fortune Cookery, while Mrs. Sip picked up the San Fransokyo Clam Chowder and Pizza Port Coastin’ Tropical IPA from Aunt Cass Café. I was allowed to steal a bite and sip of each. When my meal originally came out incorrect, the stall gave me a free order of Pot Stickers for the minimal delay, which was a nice touch.

We spent the rest of the day grabbing beverages around the park, as the Siplings played at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. These drinks included:

  • Green Cheek West Coast IPA – great value at $14.25 for a 7.2% ABV brew
  • Crown & Hops The Dopest Hazy IPA – a nice hazy that I wanted to try
  • Study Break Strawburst Hard Seltzer – tasted like a strawberry Starburst candy, but I was disappointed it didn’t come with any ice
  • Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade – love this beverage with it’s $15 price tag and 10% ABV

As I tried to get us one more drink while we were relaxing in the Animation Building, I was refused service after presenting Canadian ID because I didn’t have a passport on me. This was the first time that had happened for years to me, which was always a bullshit policy. Like, I just handed you government-issued ID that would be accepted anywhere else in the world that shows not only am I of your country’s ridiculous legal drinking age, but I’m double it. This had me considering not spending another cent further in the parks. A tough task, given we had 3.5 days left.

My boycott didn’t last long, as we hit the Carthay Circle Lounge the next day upon its opening. Here we had a fantastic little meal, consisting of the Carthay Sopes (red mole braised duck, pepitas, cilantro crema) for Mrs. Sip and Soy Glazed Salmon with soba noodles and cashew cucumber salsa for me. I paired my tremendous dish with a serving of Stone Delicious IPA. Mrs. Sip was between two wines, so they let her try both, which earned the server bonus points. We wrapped the meal, rewarding the Siplings for good behaviour, with the scrumptious S’mores Sundae.

Later in the day, we purchased servings of Brewery X Green Melon Hard Seltzer and Gin Lavender Lemonade Cocktail. Also, looking for a mid-afternoon snack, Mrs. Sip ordered the Chili Cone Queso, which has inspired me to make Frito Pie at home. While in the Cozy Cones area, we also picked up the Tarantula Hill Salt & Lime Mango Soju Michelada to wash the food down.

That night, with Girl Sip requesting some fruit, I grabbed the Pineapple Parfait from the Galactic Grill. Despite getting the item for Girl Sip, I enjoyed it too and ended up eating a fair portion of the treat.

We had great weather for most of our vacation, but it did rain periodically one of the days. Thankfully, Mrs. Sip had secured a reservation at the Magic Key Terrace, so we hunkered down there for a couple hours to wait out the wet stuff. Mrs. Sip and I split the Arancini and Fonduta appies, while I enjoyed servings of the Amalfi Sunset Paloma (tequila, watermelon juice, agave, lemon juice) and Harland Hazy IPA.

Having only a light lunch, I finally tried the Filipino Feast Burrito, which I had failed to purchase on our December visit. I liked the pork belly and sweet chili sauce of this dish. Pairing it with a glass of Particle Fizz (blue raspberry lemonade hard seltzer) completed the impromptu meal.

We also finally got our hands on the Chocolate Croissant Cookie that had eluded us due to long lines. How did we like it? I mean, where can you go wrong with this combo!?

The resorts Lunar New Year Festival kicked off on our last park day, so we had mere hours to enjoy the food and drink offerings. We ripped through an entire Sip and Savor pass, trying as many items as possible amongst all the folks who fancy themselves influencers. Here’s what we ate and drank along the way:

  • Five Spice Popcorn Chicken
  • Mickey-shaped Hot Dog Bun
  • Japchae Noodles with Braised Short Ribs
  • Kung Pao Bao with Impossible Chicken
  • Quesabirria Eggroll
  • Spicy Chicken Wings
  • Guava Dragon Fruit Vodka Cocktail (vodka, Lemonade, mineral water, guava and dragon fruit syrups)
  • Red Envelope Margarita (tequila, orange juice, sweet and sour, raspberry purée, blood orange syrup, gold shimmer)
  • Yuja-Melon Cocktail (gin, Lillet Blanc, yuja purée, rock melon syrup)
  • Honeydew Colada (rum, melon liqueur, honeydew cream, coconut cream, sweet and sour, topped with pineapple Dole Whip slushy)
  • Soju Cocktail Flight – Peach Yogurt Soju Cocktail (soju, Sprite, white peach syrup, yogurt), Mango Soju Cocktail (soju, Sprite, mango purée, sweet and sour), Green Apple Soju Cocktail (soju, grapefruit liqueur, green apple syrup, sweet and sour)

Everything was pretty good and I wish we had more time to enjoy the festival features. Items we hoped to get, but missed out on were the Korean Pork Belly Pizza and Bulgogi Fries.

To reward and feed the kids we bought them a final Quantum Pretzel, while Mrs. Sip and I shared the Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing. I’ll have to find a local place that makes giant pretzels, so we can recreate the memories at home. Not sure how I’ll recreate Avengers Campus, though.

That put a massive bow on our year with Magic Key annual passes. It was a fantastic run of five trips to Anaheim and a total of 32 park days! One day, we’ll be able to tell our grandkids that we spent a whole month of the year in Disneyland!

Mrs. Sip’s Last Meal

Posted on by
Reply

After publishing what would be included in my last meal (if I were so lucky as to get to make such choices), I thought it might be fun to try and prepare a similar feast for Mrs. Sip. My muse had no input prior to when I asked for her involvement, where she will mark my work in each section. Let the fun begin:

Mains (3):

Quesabirria Tacos – Mrs. Sip and I first had quesabirria at a craft brewery in Boston and it blew our minds. It has since become a favourite dish of Mrs. Sip, typically consumed at amusement parks and drinking events.

Lobster… completely deshelled by anyone else! – Mrs. Sip is a lobster connoisseur, so long as she doesn’t have to do the dirty work. Perhaps she can use the meat to compile another preferred meal of hers, a lobster roll.

Eggs Benny with bacon instead of ham – Mrs. Sip is such a fan of brunch, I believe it’s her favourite meal of the day. While she doesn’t typically stray too far from the traditional serving of the dish, she always subs bacon for ham where possible.

It was fairly easy to put together Mrs. Sip’s main courses. While other contenders were considered, such as a plain cheeseburger from McDonald’s, the only fast food Mrs. Sip likes; pepperoni pizza, with stuffed crust and light on the sauce; and an Indian dish like butter chicken or palak paneer, complete with garlic naan; the three items I chose are above and beyond preferences of hers.

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 4.75 – Very well done! I would only add melted butter and a glass of dry white are lobster meal necessities. Aaannnnd Ma Sip’s cornflake breaded chicken and cheesy hash browns would be a serious contender (you should definitely learn to make it!). I had to deduct 0.25 for not mentioning how the Quesabirria Tacos should be fried in crispy cheese for maximum delciousness!

Sides (4):

Charcuterie Platter with LOTS OF CHEESE!!! – Cheese and crackers… you’re basically describing Mrs. Sip’s teenage diet. Add some other nibblies, such as some cured meats, as well as dark chocolate and nuts to mix things up, and she has everything she needs to pair with one of her preferred beverage choices below.

Seven-Layer Dip with Chips – Mrs. Sip loves her some tortilla chips and her preferred dip to dunk those chips into has seven layers of goodness. I recently made the mistake of picking up what I thought was a seven-layer dip, but was merely a ‘Fiesta Dip’. I paid dearly for those missing couple of layers.

Seafood Chowder – In our many travels around the world, Mrs. Sip has enjoyed a number of chowders. This includes visits to Dublin, San Francisco, Boston, Disneyland, Halifax, etc.

Caprese Salad – Providing the ingredients are fresh, such as they are in Europe, this is Mrs. Sip’s favourite salad.

This was perhaps the most challenging segment of this exercise, with many dishes worthy of consideration. I wanted to use one slot simply for bread, as Mrs. Sip loves that being included prior to meals, however I felt the four appies I chose better reflected a meal worthy of consumption. Other notable sides that were left off, included Chicken McNuggets with sweet and sour sauce, a baked potato with all the fixings, nachos, cornbread, and cheesy bread.

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 4.0 – This is pretty well done and would likely change on any given day. I think I would sub out charcuterie for a really good garlic cheese bread, but this is dependent on just how much good wine is on hand. Also, is there truffle burrata and red wine cheddar on the board? Hmmm, hard choice!  Burrata for the caprese and a breadbowl for the chowder, and those sides sound just about right! However, I would take the appie-sized butternut squash ravioli from Cactus Club as my number one side!

Snacks (2):

Popcorn – A childhood favourite treat for Mrs. Sip (which she passed onto the Siplings) has remained a preferred snack during movies, sporting events and amusement park visits.

Beef Jerky/Pepperoni Sticks – Another ingredient of her younger years, Mrs. Sip will often pick up one of these products from the impulse buy area of store checkouts.

Another easy section to compile for the lady of the house!

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 4.75 – Don’t forget the popcorn needs to be drowning in real butter!!!

Desserts (3):

Ice Cream Cake – Mrs. Sip loves ice cream cake, with Dairy Queen novelties regularly being served for her birthdays and other milestones. Another version she enjoys is the Billy Miner Pie offered by The Keg restaurant chain. She even likes this indulgent dessert, despite its coffee flavour.

Crème Brûlée – I have watched Mrs. Sip eat many servings of crème brûlée, as it is not among my own likes. Perhaps that’s why she orders it, eliminating the need to share. Either way, Mrs. Sip especially enjoys the burnt top of this meal finisher.

Cookie Dough – Sometimes, the cookies don’t even get baked, as Mrs. Sip (not unlike other females) has been known to consume the dough straight from whatever device it has been cased in. Warning labels be damned, sometimes stuff is better raw.

This was another difficult section to fill out, as Mrs. Sip likes a number of sweet treats. I almost included a Nanaimo Bar to completely troll my love, who as a youngster once feasted on too many at a family party and ended up getting sick. She hasn’t touched one since. Notable omissions, included scones with clotted cream and jam, as well as chocolate fondue.

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 4.95 – I think this is pretty accurate. I may replace Creme Brûlée with salted chocolate caramels from Purdy’s, but I’m really not sure myself when it comes down to it.

Beverages (2):

White Wine – Regardless of grape (chardonnay, pinot grigio/gris or even bubbly), Mrs. Sip loves her wine, preferably sipped in a beautiful vineyard.

London Fog Chai Tea Latte – This is practically a daily treat for Mrs. Sip. I’ve picked up so many for her or driven her to get one over our many years together that I have second-hand London Fog issues.

Another fairly easy category to curate for Mrs. Sip. Narrowly missing the cut here were drinks such as Horchata and a Mai Tai cocktail.

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 2.75 – 0.25 deducted for calling a London Fog a CHAI tea latte. Tsk, tsk. Chai lattes are good, London Fogs are better. I would also just accept a cup of Double Cream of Earl Grey (with a splash of milk). HOWEVER -2.0 for “regardless of grape!?” Sir, you did NOT!!! Now I’m not deducting full points as I assume the slip was omitting the word “dry”. Then you would be correct, as I like any good dry white wine varietal. But if someone had brought me a Moscato or Gertz for my last meal, I would probably have just cried into my cup. Make those corrections and this was 5/5.

Rusty Rail

  • 1 oz Scotch
  • 1 oz Fernie Fog Liqueur
  • Garnish with Dark Chocolate

For this article’s beverage, I wanted to incorporate the Fernie Fog Liqueur Mrs. Sip bought me, as the flavours replicate an Earl Grey Tea taste. I also made sure to use the bottle of Scoth Mrs. Sip one at a whiskey tasting a few years back. Top it off with a chunk of dark chocolate, a callback to the charcuterie board mentioned above and you have a cocktail made for a queen!

Best of 2025

Posted on by
Reply

2025 was a fun year. The Sip Family made four journeys to the Disneyland Resort, each during a different season and to celebrate different occasions. We also enjoyed our first full year in our new home, being able to entertain friends and family again, while exploring parts of our province on weekend road trips. On average, I’d say we get up to something significant about once a month, so here’s 12 highlights from 2025:

Home, Sweet Home

New year, new home. We kicked off 2025 with a bang, inviting friends to check out our new abode. For the occasion, I served a Sip Advisor original cocktail, offering the Home, Sweet Home (Southern Comfort, spiced rum, pomegranate juice, lemonade, club soda) to guests. The party provided a great launch pad for the year to come.

Year of the Snake

Our first of four trips to Disneyland under our Magic Key year passes occurred at the end of January. While at the resort, we took advantage of the Lunar New Year Festival celebrations, trying a number of Asian treats, both savoury and sweet. We feasted throughout the visit, trying many dishes and drinks inside and out of the park.

Whiskey Business

Always a highlight of the years I’m able to make the event, I enjoyed the 2025 edition of the Regiment Whiskey Tasting. Pa Sip joined for the first time and got into the whiskeys served, despite traditionally sticking to other libations. We have tickets to the 2026 event already lined up, so looking forward to a repeat performance from the crew.

SoCal Bound

For the second straight year, we spent spring break on the road, once again making our way to Southern California. We spent eight days at Disneyland, broken up by a quick expedition to the Legoland Resort for a couple nights. Cousin Sip and her brood were with us for some of the vacation, providing a different experience for the Siplings.

Crawl to Order

At the end of the Easter long weekend, Mrs. Sip was due in Kelowna for work and with some time off days to spare, I decided to join her. When her work ended earlier than anticipated, we got to do a bit of a crawl around the downtown area, hitting a number of craft breweries, eateries and bars. We even won trivia on our arrival night.

Read Between the Wines

For the May long weekend, we found ourselves in Osoyoos, staying at the Spirit Ridge resort. There, we dragged the kids around on a full-day winery tour, which they behaved pretty good on. Their reward: taking advantage of the resort’s facilities, including letting the kids play in the pool while enjoying beverages from the sidelines.

While the Kids Are Away…

For two glorious weeks in the summer, Ma and Pa Sip took the Siplings on a tour throughout the province to visit distant family. This offered Mrs. Sip and I some time to ourselves without worrying about childcare and we took full advantage, attending a number of events, while also getting away for the August long weekend in Peachland.

Island Hopping

Once the kids were back with us, there was little time to rest and relax. The next day we were off to Vancouver Island for the communion of a friend’s two children. We stayed in Qualicum Beach, visiting both breweries the small town offers, while also giving the kids ample opportunity to swim and ride the waterslides of our accommodation.

Halloween Already?

At the end of August, we were off to Disneyland again, where the resort was already celebrating the Halloween season. Aside from using our year passes another time, this trips focus was to celebrate my and Mrs. Sip’s 13th wedding anniversary and we did so in style, with meals at both the Blue Bayou and Lamplight Lounge.

Speakeasies and Sinners

To celebrate a friend’s 40th birthday, we took off to Las Vegas for the first time since 2023. The birthday boy put together an amazing itinerary that took us to numerous speakeasies, restaurants and entertainment attractions. We were so busy, we never even made it to the pool, which was a reason we booked the hotel we did.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas is a magical time and particularly at the Disney parks, which go all out with lighting, decorations, food and drink to fill the season with merriment. We also celebrated Ma Sip’s birthday on this getaway and Mrs. Sip and I explored the City Center of Anaheim for the first time, learning about a new to us amazing area.

Christmastime is Here

Christmas at home is amazing too. We spent the season cramming many festive activities into our busy schedule. Best of all, I had time off from work from Christmas Day until early January, which offered a wonderful mix of doing things and doing nothing at all, seeing friends and spending quality time with the Sip Family.

2026 has a lot to live up to. I’m optimistic it can be another fantastic year, full of good times with great people. Don’t let me down 2026!

Sip Trips #256 – Making Spirits Bright

Posted on by
Reply

After returning from Disneyland early in the month, the rest of December was spent splitting free time with family and friends. Here’s what we got up to over the merriest time of the year:

Just days after returning to our regular lives, we checked out the Glow light festival in Langley. On this rainy night, I was impressed that umbrellas were available to all brave enough to head outside to view the displays. The kids also had a great time checking out the indoor festivities, while Mrs. Sip and I enjoyed some Dirty Fries with Bulgogi Beef from one of the food trucks. I was sad that only non-alcoholic drink options were available, fondly remembering the days when you could get a local craft beer or festive cocktail.

For our annual Christmas dinner with some friends, I put together an ambitious menu of drinks, with a total of 10 cocktails and two mocktails. My theme this year was Christmas characters and there are so many deserving options. The recipes included (last two were the mocktails, since they involved child characters!):

  • Bah Humbug! (Ebenezer Scrooge): Rhubarb & Ginger Gin, Red Wine, Sweet & Sour Mix
  • Yippee Ki-Yay (John McClane): Scotch, Coffee Liqueur, Club Soda
  • You Better be Good! (Krampus): Jagermeister Spice, Maraschino Liqueur, Fanta Orange
  • You’re a Mean One (Grinch): Lemon Gin, Melon Liqueur, Sprite Chill, Maraschino Cherry
  • What’s This? (Jack Skellington): Pumpkin Blast Rum, Candy Cane Vodka, Coconut Cream
  • Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins (Buddy the Elf): Maple Syrup/M&M Rim, Maple Moonshine, Raspberry Iced Tea, Marshmallows
  • The Clause (Scott Calvin): Cookie Dough Whiskey, Creme de Cacao, Egg Whites
  • F*ck Me, Santa (Willy T. Stokes): Vodka, Cranberry-Black Cherry Juice, Tonic Water
  • You Want the Moon? (George Bailey): Banana Bourbon, Orange Juice, Ginger Beer
  • Sh!tter’s Full (Cousin Eddie): Eggnog, Stout
  • Ya Filthy Animal (Kevin McCallister): Pepsi, Ice Cream, Whip Cream, Sprinkles
  • Only I Didn’t Say ‘Fudge’ (Ralphie Parker): Chocolate Milk, Root Beer

From the drinks, the most popular was The Clause, while my preferred beverage was the You Want the Moon? Honourable mentions go to What’s This? and You Better be Good! for being surprisingly tasty.

Later that week, we met up at Me-n-Ed’s Pizza Parlor with some of Boy Sip’s soccer team for a holiday wind up dinner. Mrs. Sip and I shared a pitcher of Hoyne Dark Matter, while I tried the mini-sized Me-n-Ed’s Combo. The wrong pizza was made for Mrs. Sip, so the server gave it to us for free, while her actual order was prepared.

A couple days later, we gathered for Mrs. Sip’s office Christmas party at The Boathouse in New West. My entry for the White Elephant gift exchange was a Delirium Tremens gift pack with four beers and a beautiful glass. I walked away with a Boston Pizza gift card, which will come in handy given our frequency of visiting the chain.

As for our meal out, it was really good. Every item on the starter Pupu Platter (Coconut Shrimp, Ahi Tuna Tacos and Vegetable Spring Roll) was yummy, providing me with ideas for future visits to the restaurant. For my three-course meal, I selected the Caesar Salad, Sake Glazed Salmon and Cheesecake with Berry Compote. Of course, multiple cocktails and a beer with dinner were enjoyed as the evening progressed.

For the big day itself, I received a number of liquor-related Christmas gifts, including a cocktail smoker, Crown Royal Chocolate and a four-pack of Jak’s Verdita Margarita (cucumber, pineapple, jalapeno and mint) from Mrs. Sip. I was also gifted a bottle of Diplomatico Reserva Rum from in-laws. As for the giving, I picked up Mrs. Sip a tall can four-pack of Dead Frog Murchie’s London Fog Winter Ale.

That wraps another busy month for the Sip Family. January will see the crew make our final trip to Disneyland on our expiring Magic Key passes!

Sip Trips #255: Disneyland Desires

Posted on by
Reply

To begin the month, the Sip Family set off for another trip to Disneyland, looking to enjoy all the festive decorations, treats and even drinks the resort offers during the Christmas season. Here’s what we got up to over our weeklong stay in Anaheim:

Upon arriving, we did a quick shopping stop at Target, procuring supplies for our stay. I grabbed the White Claw Surge Variety Pack, featuring Lime, Blood Orange, Cranberry and Blackberry flavours, all at a whopping 8% ABV per can. I also picked up a bottle of Mr. Pibb, looking to try the competitor of my precious Dr. Pepper.

With Ma and Pa Sip taking the Sipplings out for a Christmas train experience, Mrs. Sip and I were afforded a date night. I decided to take us to the City Center of Anaheim, which presented an abundance of neat options. We started our crawl with dinner at Craft by Smoke & Fire, which I had often seen recommendations for on Disneyland Facebook groups. There, I had the Mile High Loaded Fries with Baldwin Burger (smash burger) toppings, paired with a Villains Hazy IPA.

While searching for my next hopeful stop, we stumbled upon The Packing House, which is a really cool food hall venue, filled with great places to eat and drink. While my intention was to check out The Blind Rabbit speakeasy, we weren’t able to get in. Instead, we had a cocktail at the BXCR Underground Bar, which looks like a train boxcar. I tried the C-League, containing mezcal, cucumber and cilantro. Mrs. Sip, looking for a caffeine pick-me-up, went with an Espresso Martini.

Across the street was Unsung Hero Brewing, where we shared a trio of beers in the Propeller Head Amber Ale with Coffee, Chocolate Snowball Imperial Blonde Ale and St. Nick R. Doodle Imperial Blonde Ale. I liked seeing all the old action figures that made up the façade of this location.

On our way to what was supposed to be our next stop, we came across the Broken Spirits Distillery, where Mrs. Sip had the delicious Ghost Host (mezcal, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur, hibiscus, lime juice) and I had the Ella Baila Sola (tequila, curacao, lime juice, tamarind-infused agave, chile de arbol tincture, tajin rim). The theming at this place was so cool, with all the Haunted Mansion-esque elements.

Our final stop was Villains Brewing next door. Here, we shared a pint of We Will Never Financially Recover from This Red Ale as we walked around the sprawling facility, enjoying all the art and decorations that highlighted the movie villain motif.

Throughout our days in Disneyland, we used our Festival of Holidays pass to try a number of savoury servings. These included: Braised Pork Belly Adobo, Beef Brisket Slider, Chorizo Queso Fundido, Holiday Pizza (not available on the pass), The Holiday Duet (Al Pastor and Savory Kugel Mac & Cheeses), and Spicy Cajun Loaded Fries.

We also dove head first into as many sweet treats as we could possibly handle. Among them: Cinnamon Bun Pretzel, …Don’t forget the Milk & Cookies, Fluffernutter Churro, Red Velvet Mickey Waffles, Elf Mickey Shake, Ookie Wookie Cookie, Holiday M&M’s Éclair, and Cookie Dough Yule Log. The final two items were available on the food pass.

For this trip’s Drink Around DCA: The Revenge, we had to hit as many locations throughout the park, rather than one in each land for one day. Here’s what we achieved over our stay:

  • Award Wieners – Seaborn Blood Orange Cinnamon Margarita
  • Hollywood Lounge – Spiced Pomegranate Cocktail, Seaborn CranMerry Lime Margarita, Keg Craft Berry Sangria, Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale
  • Pym Tasting Lab/Kitchen – Slo-Brew Cali Squeeze, Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing
  • Cozy Cones – Second Chance Brewing Frosty the Hazeman IPA
  • Flo’s Diner – Noble Ale Works Pink Lemonade Seltzer, Brewery X Fender Bender IPA
  • Sanfransokyo Cervezia – Karl Strauss Golden Stout
  • Magic Key Terrace – Sea Witch, Mystical Magical
  • Sonoma Terrace – Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Craftwell Prickly Pear Margarita
  • Mendocino Terrace – Red Wine for Mrs. Sip
  • Bayside Brews – Brewery X Spiced Sangria Seltzer, Rincon Reservation Road Rez Dog Hefeweizen
  • Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta – Brewery X Huckleberry Seltzer
  • Lamplight Lounge – GameCraft Red Ale, bottle of bubbly for Ma and Mrs. Sip
  • Smokejumpers Grill – Berry Pomegranate Paloma
  • Festival of Holidays – Study Break Peppermint Mocha Hard Seltzer, Salted Caramel Brownie White Russian, Kern River Winter IPA, Cranberry Christmas Mule

Almost each day of our visit, we had a notable dining experience on the schedule. First up, was the Magic Key Terrace. I went with the Sea Witch (Raspberry Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Blue Curacao, cranberry juice, Sprite) cocktail on secret menu. To eat, we all did the Prix Fix menu, in order to get preferred seating to that night’s World of Color show. My feast consisted of the House Caesar Salad and Roasted Half Chicken, both of which were good and plentiful. The kids’ meals, on the other hand, were disappointing. Miniscule servings throughout despite a $44 price tag. Only two orange wedges and a tiny cup of yogurt for starters and a small plate of pasta for mains, as well as no toppings for vanilla ice cream desserts. We did have very good service from Quiana, who tried her best to remedy our disappointment in the kids’ servings.

Next up, was a surprise reservation opening up for Storyteller’s Café and the Mickey’s Christmas Carol Feast Dinner. It was very cool getting to have a Scrooge McDuck character experience, as he has long been among my favourite Disney characters. The buffet included a very diverse lineup, with the Sip Advisor filling his plate with broccoli crunch salad, chicken strips, beef tenderloin, homemade potato chips, and teriyaki chicken, while my beverage of choice was the Stereo Brewing IPA. My only disappointment here was the dessert options. Nothing really spoke to me, aside from the chocolate chip cookies, but by the time I took both kids to the bathroom, the plate was gone, only to be replaced with gingerbread and lemon options. The ice cream selection was also odd, with mango and passionfruit sorbet being available, rather than good ol’ vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

A couple days later, we were at Lamplight Lounge. My combo included the GameCraft Red Ale and Charbroiled Cheddar Burger with Bacon. I really loved the garlic parmesan fries that accompanied my meal and we all enjoyed being out in the California sun, watching the happenings of the park going on around us.

On our last park day, to celebrate Ma Sip’s birthday, we feasted at the Blue Bayou. I repeated my meal from my and Mrs. Sip’s wedding anniversary lunch in August, once again enjoying the Karl Strauss 70th Anniversary IPA and Monte Cristo sandwich. Our seats this time weren’t as good as the last, but the ambiance was still enjoyed by the group.

One other note from our vacation, this was the first of our trips where we struggled to get a reservation day we wanted. I maintain it’s messed up we pay so much for our passes and can only get four days at a time. There should be a cap, but four seems too little. It was also odd that we were able to book eight days over spring break and six days at the end of August with no issue, but a Tuesday in early December was trouble, while every single day around it – including the Friday – came up as available while we tried for the elusive Tuesday. You had to wonder if it was some kind of glitch. As we were leaving the park after closing, Mrs. Sip finally landed the reservation, so all ended well, but we basically spent a good chunk of the day each constantly refreshing the page, hoping to get our booking in.

That wraps another very eventful stay at the Disneyland Resort, where you feel a vacation is needed as you return from one. It was awesome family time together and worth every early morning to late night stay!

Sip Trips #254: Avengers Assemble

Posted on by
Reply

Despite the Sip Advisor’s return to drinking, November was a fairly tame month. Here’s what we got up to as my fans chanted “Welcome back, welcome back!”:

Early in the month, we had friends from Oklahoma stay with us, as they looked into whether our neck of the woods was a good spot for relocation. As a thanks for putting them up, they gifted us a selection of beers from Oklahoma, all of which have been very good.

While they visited, we took them to a few local restaurants, including Ki Sushi, where I enjoyed a feast including Miso Soup, Goma-ae, California Roll, Dynamite Roll, Golden Roll (deep fried Cali roll), and New West Roll. Another stop that we take all out-of-town visitors to is White Spot, an iconic B.C. eatery, where I had my usual combo of Legendary Burger with Caesar Salad, along with a Granville Island Lions Winter Ale.

When I learned our guests were both gin fans and that a new product had hit BC Liquor Stores shelves, I picked up the Beefeater Peach & Raspberry Gin, using a gift card I received for my birthday. That card had been burning a hole in my pocket for some time, thanks to the fine folks that keep those stores running going on strike. It’s fantastic to have them back at work.

The middle of the month had us out in Richmond for one of Girl Sip’s ringette games. En route, we popped into Barnside Brewing for a quick meal. I tried and enjoyed their Smoked Hot Chicken Sandwich, pairing it with a pint of Five for Fighting Hazy Pale Ale, a brew meant to inspire men to work on their mental health.

Later that week, I got around to sampling McDonald’s new Triple Pickle McCrispy. The burger was good, but was lacking in the crispy pickles department. Yes, I could have used even more pickles than what was being offered.

We wrapped up the month with our long-awaited Avengers/Marvel weekend, which the Sipplings earned by gaining points through successful school days, participation in sports practices and games, as well as general good behaviour around the homestead. Any weekend that starts with video games at The Rec Room and ends with laser tag has to be a good one.

In between, we watched a number of Marvel movies, while I made a selection of cocktails based on the characters. My recipes included: I am Iron Man for Iron Man (Arrack, Goldschlager, Lemon-Lime Soda, Maraschino Cherry); Hulk Smash for The Hulk (Whiskey, Pisang Ambon, Egg Whites, Mint Leaves); The First Avenger for Captain America (Jack Daniel’s Apple Whiskey Punch, Blue Curacao, Club Soda, Apple Slices); The Hammer for Thor (Spiced Honey Liqueur, Cloudberry Liqueur, Lager); Agent of SHIELD for Black Widow (Black Tea Vodka, Milk, Chocolate Syrup); Queen of Chaos for Scarlet Witch (Vodka, Raspberry-Pomegranate-Hibiscus Juice, Lime Juice, Raspberries); and Wakanada Forever for Black Panther (Chocolate Whiskey, Amarula Gold, Vanilla Coke). I thought the menu was pretty good and will likely serve these bevvies up again.

December is upon us and that begins with our family vacation in Disneyland to celebrate Ma Sip’s birthday and check out all the Christmas stuff going on at the resort!

Sip Trips #253: Sober October

Posted on by
Reply

Well, the Sip Advisor spent this month not drinking. After a friend stated they planned to do the same, I wondered if it was even possible for me to pull off the feat. I kept it quiet as a bit of a social experiment, trying to see how long I could go before someone figured it out. If I was ever going to have a dry month, this was the time to do it. No travels, no big events, etc., while having to do a fair bit of driving for the functions we were attending. Here’s how the Sip Advisor survived the month:

October began with me taking the Siplings to a Vancouver Canucks pre-season game. I chose to drive for the occasion, rather than take transit. Our trio enjoyed dinner at White Spot prior to the contest, with me ordering the Legendary Burger with Caesar Salad… and a water.

The next day, I was tasked with driving Mrs. Sip and three other ladies to their one-day cruise from Seattle to Vancouver. Mrs. Sip offered many suggestions about where I could eat after dropping the crew off, but craft breweries were sadly out, as well as restaurants where I’d want to pair a beer with my meal. I ended up back close to home and trying Firehouse Subs for the first time, selecting the Club on a Sub, which was very good.

The next night, we were at Bozzini’s for a birthday dinner. Mrs. Sip and I split their tasty Butter Chicken Pizza. Our table ordered a pitcher of beer to split and it was tough turning down a glass, as I didn’t really have a reason not to have any at all. I could have just thrown out the whole idea of Dry October, especially since it was so early in the month, but I pressed on and once the first occasion was in the rearview mirror, I was rolling.

Our previously planned trip to Victoria for Mrs. Sip’s work that next week was greatly altered, with Mrs. Sip just travelling to Vancouver Island for a day. It would have been tough not to visit any breweries or have hotel drinks. This vacation disappearing probably helped me keep my cover longer, as Mrs. Sip would have surely busted me.

Thanksgiving dinner at Cousin Sip’s was also a challenge. Thankfully, we weren’t set to sleepover and I was on tap to be the designated driver. I mean, if there’s any group you want to drink around the most, it’s extended family! For the feast, I brought along two non-alcoholic beers that were sitting in our fridge from a previous visitor to fill the void and keep my story up. Let me be clear: non-alcoholic beer should be called non-good beer. Cousin Sip also offered me a taste of a new cream liqueur she had and I almost went for it, prior to remembering my mission. Luckily, I had the excuse that I really don’t like cream liqueurs, so the sample would be wasted on me.

The next day, while out doing family activities, Mrs. Sip suggested going to a brewpub for dinner. I had to research alternatives and in the end, we returned home with takeout pizza. That night, Mrs. Sip suggested we have drinks while building Ikea furniture, so I grabbed the last non-alcoholic beer in our fridge and faked a rum and cola. It was all cola and no rum.

The long weekend overall was slightly difficult. I did many things that are drink-inducing (shopping at Costco, building furniture) and this had me wanting to relax with a beverage. Nevertheless, I stuck to my guns and walked the straight edge path. It’s enough to make a man shudder!

The following weekend, we attended a Vancouver Whitecaps game. While meeting with friends before the game was supposed to be neutralized by me chaperoning Girl Sip at a birthday party, when we got downtown, Mrs. Sip and Boy Sip were still at Chambar, which has good selection of European beers. After not having a drink there, as well as at the game itself, Mrs. Sip finally put the pieces together and called me out on the dry spell. It was day 18 of the experiment.

She was incredulous that I hadn’t drank since our last day in Vegas at the end of September. Had I only faked taking a sip of the beer she wanted me to try, I could have kept the façade up, but maybe I was ready to be caught. The next day, I spilled the beans to Cousin Sip, who was meeting with Mrs. Sip at Township 7 Vineyards.

The rest of the month wasn’t too difficult to get through. I watched a couple Toronto Blue Jays playoff games, rooting for whoever their opponent was. There’s a sport that needs alcohol to make it even remotely watchable!

We also attended a trio of Halloween parties, but all were family-friendly and since I was driving, it was easy to not drink. I will say, I noticed myself being a little withdrawn at these gatherings, not as comfortable without a drink in my hand.

Another big drinking night for me is typically Halloween. That said, it was just as easy not to drink at all and simply enjoy taking the kids around the neighbourhood to collect treats. At least without the beverages, I wasn’t in need of a bathroom.

One of my “concerns” with this experiment was if I’d learn about some great improvement that would make me hesitant to return to drinking. Mrs. Sip pointed out that my skin was doing much better than recent times, particularly my face. She isn’t wrong, but who knows how much that has to do with going dry. Sadly, there was no noticeable drop in weight, as I didn’t alter my eating habits.

So, that was my Sober October. It will be torrential downpours going forward!

Sip Trips #252: Sinful Secrets

Posted on by
Reply

Amongst all the chaos of September, Mrs. Sip and I managed to squeeze in a trip to Las Vegas, celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday. Here’s what we got up to in Sin City:

Our trek began with a delayed flight out of Vancouver, which allowed us to enjoy a drink and snack at Romer’s Kitchen & Bar. I ordered the Steamworks Flagship IPA, while Mrs. Sip and I split some Truffle Fries.

Finally arriving in Vegas late at night and after enduring a long check in process at our Resorts World Hilton accommodation, we journeyed to the nearby Peppermill & Fireside Lounge. By the time we got there, the late night (11pm-2am) happy hour was in effect, so we shared the Nachos Nachos Nachos with Al Pastor, which we liked as there wasn’t nacho cheese sauce on the dish, making the nachos soggy. To drink, we had the Atomic Duck IPA and Mango Drop Mango Wheat Ale, both from Able Baker Brewing. We liked this funky place, sitting on the Fireside Lounge side, heckling the 70s and 80s music videos that were playing.

The next day was our food tour, through Secret Food Tours. We paid $96 US each, after taking advantage of the company’s 20% discount offer during the summer. I opted for the Downtown tour over Strip tour, as more tastings were offered for a cheaper rate. One upside of the Strip tour is they go to a couple celebrity chef locations, if that’s your thing. The Downtown tour focuses on hidden gems and favourites of locals.

Our guide Katrina was fantastic and we lucked out with a private tour, as no one else booked for that day. To begin, we were taken inside the California Hotel and Casino, which despite its name has many Hawaiian-themed elements and offers travel packages to Hawaii residents. As a result, the Aloha Specialties Restaurant is a favourite of visitors and locals alike, and where we dined on Teriyaki Chicken and Spam Musubi. Both dishes were very good, with the teriyaki sauce being a highlight. I wanted to hook it to me veins!

Up next was some chocolates (Red Velvet Truffle, Almond Butter Krisp, milk and dark chocolates) from Ethel M. Chocolates. Due to an issue our guide was having with paying for items due to Aloha Specialties system being down, a stop at Lappert’s Ice Cream was added to the itinerary. There, we had large scoops of Hawaiian Salted Caramel and Coconut Pineapple ice cream.

We then travelled to the Circa Resort & Casino, where we visited Saginaw’s Deli for a shrimp cocktail. Shrimp cocktails are a Vegas staple, particularly in the long history of the Downtown area, so it was neat to try this version.

From there, we continued to walk through Fremont Street and ended up at Dirt Dog. Here, we tried the Elote Dog, which was loaded with Mexican ingredients, such as corn and cotija cheese. We also grabbed our first beverage of the day, with Mrs. Sip wanting to try their Get Trashed cocktail, complete with tequila soda, watermelon Red Bull, soju and a chamoy rim.

Up next was Evel Pie, an Evel Knievel-themed pizza joint. I’ve always been fascinated with the stuntman, so visiting the eatery was a cool experience. Our Hog Heaven pizza slice was delicious and I loved checking out all the memorabilia that adorned the walls.

The Container Park then summoned us, as we popped into Bin 702 for their Lobster Crudito sandwich. With happy hour on the horizon, we got servings of the restaurant’s Bin 702 Blonde Ale and North 5th IPA.

The final stop of the tour was Sorry Not Sorry Creamery, where we put some icing on the cake with bowls of Blackberry Basque Cake and Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll ice cream. I’d say my only complaint of the tour was that two servings of ice cream was a lot, although we appreciated that the one earlier was a add on.

With our friends now arrived, we were off to Area 15 for an evening of entertainment. Unfortunately, our late start meant that many of the attractions we wanted to see with our Level 3B pass (two day passes for $135 each) were already booked up, while others were closed for private events/maintenance. As a result, we’d have to return the next day. Our main event on this night was checking out Universal Horror Unleashed, the closest thing Mrs. Sip was going to get to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios parks. We enjoyed the four-house exhibit, getting spooked a few times along the routes.

Following the walkthrough, we went over to the main Area 15 building for some food and drinks at The Beast. Mrs. Sip and I split the Bavarian Pretzel, while I enjoyed the Firestone Hazy IPA. We also nibbled on our friends serving of nachos, as all dishes are so much larger than we get at home.

Back to Area 15 the next day, we started at the John Wick Experience, which is a cool escape room type activity, where some stellar actors lead you through getting out of The Continental assassin safe zone. We really enjoyed our pre- and post-event cocktails here, trying the Fortune Favors the Bold (mezcal, peach liqueur, lemon juice, honey, firewater bitters) and The Mother F*cking King (bourbon, peach puree, Thai chili syrup, thyme).

Prior to heading back into the main Area 15 building to experience Dopeameme, Wink and VR games, we grabbed some grub at The Beast food truck. Mrs. Sip and I shared a trio of Queso Tacos, one each of beef, chicken and pork, along with a tall-can of Able Baker Signal Mango Wheat Ale. Then a wild windstorm picked up and we ran for refuge inside.

Our main event this evening was two-fold. We began with a spectacular feast at Herbs & Rye, an old school steakhouse off strip. I loved how their cocktail menu was broken up over different eras, with my selections being the Lion’s Tail (bourbon, all spice dram, bar syrup, lime, bitters) and Weekend at the Waldorf (rum, orange curacao, lime, strawberries). To eat, I went with the Filet Mignon with Mushrooms, while we got a flight of various sauces to go with the meats. Best of all, the restaurant offers happy hour pricing on all their steaks throughout the day, so it was very reasonably priced. My friend and I both celebrating September birthdays were given complimentary desserts of chocolate chip cookies skillets, completing our absolutely amazing meal. That was followed by a trip to the Sphere to watch some DJs our friends were interested in. While not my type of music, per se, I appreciated the unique experience and was happy to finally see what all the hype is about when folks talk about the venue.

Day three offered us a chance to check out the Strip and we took full advantage. We began with lunch at Ole Red, after striking out at both Beer Park (long wait for seats) and Bottled Blonde (no servers approached out table, so we left after 10 minutes). At Ole Red, Mrs. Sip and I split the Triple Decker Club, paired with Loaded Tots and a side of Cornbread. My beverage of choice was the Elysian Space Dust.

From there, we walked to the nearby Fuel Bar, a favourite spot of mine and Mrs. Sip, for a pair of Lynchburg Lemonades to enjoy as we continued walking. Speaking of walking bevvies, a couple others I particularly enjoyed on this vacation were the Smirnoff Ice Red, White & Berry and Clubtails Long Island Iced Tea. In our travels, I also picked up a unique Twix Snickerdoodle chocolate bar that was very tasty.

Our walk led us to the Arte Museum, where we checked out the immersive exhibits for a bit. We also made a point of visiting the Chef Food Truck (from the movie Chef), splitting a very good The Chef Cubano between our group.

We then started making our way back to our resort, with stops at The Chandelier (Cosmopolitan) for their rare Verbena Cocktail and Yard House (LINQ) for the Firestone Cali Squeeze Blood Orange, which one of our group really wanted to get their hands on.

Still on our trek back, we popped into a pair of speakeasy locations. First up, was The Count Room at The Flamingo, where I enjoyed the Revision Vegas As F*ck IPA. That was followed by Here Kitty Kitty at Resorts World, where we used our $100 food and beverage credit for staying at the hotel. My drink of choice was the Walk of Shame (mezcal, lemon juice, ginger syrup, coconut water).

The next morning, Mrs. Sip and I sadly had to check out, but luckily our friends were staying another night, so we were able to store our stuff in their room. We made our way back downtown, beginning with brunch at Broken Yolk Café. There, I had the Pucker Up Lemonade, combined with the Biscuits and Gravy.

One more speakeasy was on our friend’s must visit list and that was The Underground at The Mob Museum. This was an awesome place, feeling as close to a real speakeasy as you could find, complete with a password that changes each day. The memorabilia found around the room of this place, documenting the prohibition era, was fascinating. To drink, I had the Moonshine Mayhem (moonshine, pineapple, tea, cardamom), while Mrs. Sip – at my suggestion – went with the Banana Anna (cachaça, banana rum, pineapple, lime, walnut bitters, egg whites). Once a QR code for a secret menu was found, Mrs. Sip had to get the Bath Fizz (basically a Sloe Gin Fizz), served out of a mini bathtub.

Continuing on, we got a ride over to Beer Zombies, where Mrs. Sip and I got pints of the Punktoberfest and Silence of the Haze Imperial IPA. Another ride took us to The Stray Pirate, which was an amazingly themed bar, making you think you were sailing the seas. I ordered the Robbing the Gulf (tequila, watermelon, lime, jalapeño, italicus, tajin), which hit the spot.

Retuning to our resort, we had a parting drink at Allē Lounge on 66, which provided a spectacular view of the Strip. I drank the Chuckie (whiskey, apricot liqueur, pecan bitters, lemon juice, ginger beer), while we reminisced about all the wonderful experiences we’d shared.

The only thing we didn’t get to do, was travel the strip in one of the driverless vehicles now offered. The wait to take one was just too long and Mrs. Sip and I needed to get to the airport. While waiting and hoping our vehicle would arrive, I did grab a serving of College Street Big Blue Van Blueberry Wheat Ale from one of the nearby bars. This brew was yummy and a good way to end the debauchery.

As we waited for our flight to board, I purchased a bottle of Bacardi Caribbean Spiced at the Duty Free (aka Dufry, as if shortening the name by three letters and a space was necessary). The rum blends Caribbean spices with pineapple and coconut, which I’m looking forward to trying in the future.

That ends another very successful trip to Las Vegas. The city always changes and we’re happy to embrace those variances. On this occasion, we spent more time off Strip than on, which was different than most of our sojourns there. October will be an interesting month and you’ll hear all about it here – same Sip time, same Sip channel!

Sip Trips #251: Birthday Bluster

Posted on by
Reply

September was its usual slice of crazy, with a calendar full of birthdays and other commitments, exacerbated by the Siplings return to school and activities. It was so busy, I’m splitting the month into two Sip Trips, one for the bulk of September and the other for our voyage to Las Vegas. Here’s what we got up to for the first three quarters:

To celebrate Boy Sip’s first day of kindergarten, we had dinner at Boston Pizza, taking advantage of their kid’s eat for free all month. I had the Maple Bacon Burger, which has become my favourite item from the eatery’s extensive menu, along with The Quick Spike, which was basically a Spiced Rum and Pepsi.

In preparation for all the birthday celebrations on the horizon, I picked up the Nutrl7 Berry Mixed Pack. This case contained some interesting flavours (Blackberry, Raspberry Lemon, Strawberry Lime, Blueberry Lemon), with each can coming in at 7% ABV, but I found the beverages to be not as good as other vodka sodas I’ve had previously. I think I like them a little sweeter, but when Mrs. Sip is doing her keto diet, these are the types of sodas she can join me in enjoying.

In the middle of the month, we had our long-awaited Great Outdoor Comedy Festival experience. I had bought tickets to the Saturday show (featuring Mike Birbiglia, Fred Armisen, Nick Kroll, John Mulaney) all the way back in November 2024 – the first day they went on sale – as I’m a fan of both Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, in particular. Days before the festival, I also won tickets to the Friday night show (including Derrick Stroup, Whitney Cummings, Bert Kreischer), which was a nice little treat… or so I thought.

Let me be clear from the start, the comedy at these shows was very good, with Bert Kreischer being the best set of our two visits, going for 90 hilarious minutes and finishing with his infamous The Machine routine. However, Stanley Park, the setting of the festival, is a logistical nightmare for getting to and from. Other venues, particularly ones along or closer to Skytrain stops, would be better, although I understand they don’t have the same prestige and scenery of Stanley Park.

Our trip in on the Friday wasn’t that bad, catching the bus from the Skytrain station right away, but even when you got dropped off at the Stanley Park bus loop, you had a 10-15 minute walk to the actual venue, while carrying camping chairs. We managed the massive general admission line to get into the venue and found a decent spot to set up camp (although I dislike the general admission concept and hate putting my chairs down around people that have staked their claim before me). I appreciated that you could bring in your own snacks, within reason. We also grabbed a Salmon Bowl from the Aloha Poke food truck to split for dinner, which paired well with my Okanagan Springs Munich Wheat Ale.

On the downside, both shows began an hour after the advertised start time, with a musician coming on first and the host doing stupid sponsor-related activities instead. We also found that some fellow attendees didn’t shut up during performances and felt this behaviour would be different with a show in a club/theater.

Then, things got worse. At the conclusion of the show, most folks have no other choice than to walk out of the park, carrying all their gear. Mrs. Sip and I walked for 40 minutes until we neared the Westin hotel and found a decent rideshare rate home. We even had another couple join us, as they were heading in the same general direction.

Getting to the Saturday show was a total mess. Two buses passed us, noting that the vessel was already full, so we decided to hop into a rideshare. BIG MISTAKE! Due to the rush of traffic trying to get into the park, it took over an hour to go a short distance and caused a $50 surcharge. By the time we got to the venue, I was in no mood to be entertained, although my stance softened as the performers hit the stage and I downed servings of Canadian Club & Ginger Ale, Double Spiced Rum and Coke and another Okanagan Springs Munich Wheat Ale, while Mrs. Sip gathered a Beef Birria Grilled Cheese. For the duration of the show, it pops into your head from time to time that you still have another long walk to endure when the comedy is over.

Should these shows remain at Stanley Park, I won’t be attending again, no matter what the lineup ends up being. One suggestion Mrs. Sip did offer, was for the organizers to offer a shuttle from one of the nearby Skytrain stations. We would have paid extra, had this been an option.

The next morning, we were back at it, bidding farewell to ABC Brewing, our closest brewery. The place opened in 2019, shortly after our move to New West, and Mrs. Sip and I were original patrons of the company. Over their years in operation, we attended a number of events they hosted, even celebrating one of my birthdays there. We closed out the brewery with servings of their Trail of Hops Pale Ale (collab with Parallel 49), You’ve Changed Hazy Pale Ale – my favourite brew they ever produced – and walked away with a four-pack of their So Long & Thanks for All the Brews DIPA (collab with Changing Colours Brewing Project), which Mrs. Sip had ordered during our visit. It was a fitting end to the brewery’s unfortunate demise.

The following week, I tried a couple items off KFC’s pickle menu. The burger was very good, thanks to the breading being dusted with dill pickle seasoning and the addition of fried pickle chips, while the Pepsi with pickle brine was interesting, inspiring me to create the combo on my own at home.

Next up was the always fun, albeit hectic, back-to-back birthdays for myself and Girl Sip. Some of the generous gifts I accrued this year included Canerock Spiced Rum from Ma and Pa Sip (as well as an uber comfortable Dr. Pepper hoodie), Adictivo Extra Anejo Tequila and Arancello Blood Orange Liqueur from the Sip-in-Laws, along with a neat personalized sign for my bar from Aunt Sip. It’s as if people know what to get for me!

To celebrate my big day, we had lunch at Kelly O’Bryans, where I took advantage of their free birthday meal. My selections included the Chicken Lips N’ Lattice Fries, joined by a pint of Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale. Mrs. Sip and I then played a game of disc golf, which was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

That’s it for the first three weeks of September. The next Sip Trips will delve into our four-night stay in Las Vegas, flush with activities and copious eating and drinking!

Sip Trips #250: Disney Discoveries

Posted on by
Reply

For this special 250th edition of Sip Trips, I’ll taking a look at the Sip Family’s expedition to the Disneyland Resort at the end of August. Here’s what we got up to over a fun, albeit expensive visit:

First of all, Mrs. Sip did a fantastic job researching our flight and hotel deals for this foray. Somehow, the more days she added to our trip, the cheaper our rate became. Therefore, we ended up spending eight nights at The Anaheim Hotel, which is among our favourite places to reside outside the resort.

Upon arriving and settling into our room, we were all in need of a bite to eat. So, we made the short journey to Tony Roma’s. There, I got my usual Chicken Tenderloin Platter, which comes with six delicious chicken tendies, accompanied by fries and coleslaw. My beverage of choice was the Offshoot Relax Hazy IPA. On our next trip, we will have to take advantage of the restaurant’s ‘kids eat for $2.99’ on Mondays deal.

Next up was procuring our supplies for the stay. I can’t believe how much better the pricing was for our items at Walgreens versus CVS. Among the provisions gathered over our vacation were the Truly Berry Mixed Pack (Blueberry, Wildberry, Cherry, Strawberry Lime) and Vizzy Vibrantly Tropic Mixed Pack (Pineapple Mango, Papaya Passionfruit, Strawberry Kiwi, Blueberry Pomegranate). I have to say I enjoyed the Truly case better than the Vizzy one. I was also able to finally try Dr. Pepper Blackberry, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I first saw the product on our Spring Break journey, but never got my hands on it.

On our first day in the parks, Mrs. Sip and I shared a selection of beers, including the Two Coast Hefeweizen, Unsung Carina Hazy Double IPA and Karl Strauss
Oktoberfest and Windandsea Wheat. The latter two were relished while splitting some excellent Quesabirria Tacos on the Sanfransokyo Wharf. In need of some dessert – as well as a treat for the Siplings – we grabbed a Choco Smash Bar from Pym’s Test Kitchen, while adding another brew, the Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing, to our tummies.

One of the reasons for the timing of this trip was to celebrate my and Mrs. Sip’s 13th wedding anniversary, with the day spent visiting some of the resort’s most decadent dining options. First, looking for a morning beverage, we got a walk-up spot at the Magic Key Terrace. There, Mrs. Sip ordered the Black Pearl (a Long Island Iced Tea spinoff, with Chambord added to the concoction and Sprite subbed in for Coke) off the park’s secret cocktail menu. I went with the Harland Hazy IPA, which was quite refreshing as the temperature began to rise.

Next up was lunch at the Blue Bayou. This visit evoked memories of the first time Mrs. Sip and I ate there in 2004, two years into our relationship. Back then, we were students on a budget and split an order of crab cakes as our meal. This time around, we feasted, Mrs. Sip enjoying a pair of glasses of wine, while I finally tried the Karl Strauss 70th Anniversary IPA. My meal was the delicious Monte Cristo Sandwich, among my favourite dishes at the resort, complete with truffle potato chips and a yummy roasted fruit salad. To complete the meal, we ordered the Doberge Cake (“layers of pumpkin spice sponge, chocolate whipped ganache and salted caramel buttercream”), which was scrumptious.

For dinner, we popped into the Lamplight Lounge, where Mrs. Sip got us a table so we could enjoy the early World of Color show. I enjoyed my Cobra Hiss cocktail (Mezcal, Cointreau, cucumber syrup, lemon juice, agave nectar), prior to joining Mrs. Sip on the bottle of Les Jamelles Chardonnay she ordered. Not super hungry after our earlier lunch banquet, we shared the Charbroiled Cheddar Burger, while the whole Sip Family got in on the Bananas Foster Donuts for dessert.

The next day, our drinks included the SLO Brew Cali-Squeeze (while munching on a family favourite Quantum Pretzel), as well as the Rincon Reservation Road Rez Dog Hefeweizen, Haunted Horchata Cocktail and 21st Amendment Citrus Wheat Ale. That night, we took advantage of Denny’s ‘kids eat free’ on Tuesdays deal, with the Sip Advisor having the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich.

While we hadn’t planned to visit Oga’s Cantina, trading off Boy Sip for rides Girl Sip refuses to do saw us end up at the Star Wars-themed hotspot. Best of all, we were both able to simply walk up and be taken inside within minutes. We even ended up next to each other at the bar, despite entering at different times. Our server on this occasion, Anthony, was tremendous. Had it not been for a two-drink maximum and the price of those drinks, I could have stayed in the place for hours. Over our break, I had the Gamorrean Ale (Red Ale) and Coruscant Cooler (a delicious Manhattan variation), while sampling Mrs. Sip’s Bad Motivator IPA and Jet Fuel cocktail (Bourbon, Chile Liqueur, Pomegranate Liqueur, White Grape Juice, Lemon Juice). I really love the Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur in that drink and have to get my hands on a bottle sometime, despite it not being available in Canada.

The next day, we executed my Drink Around California Adventure itinerary. Given we had largely drank beers in the park up to that point, I decided we should share a cocktail as we traversed each land of the park. Here’s how we spent the day boozing it up:

  • Grizzly Peak – Green Apple Lemonade Cocktail (vodka, green apple lemonade, cherry-flavored popping spheres, raspberry sauce drizzle)
  • Hollywood Land – Celebration Cocktail (tequila, rum, vodka, glittery blue raspberry lemonade, Sprite)
  • Avengers Campus – Molecular Mule (Seaborn Cucumber Ginger Mule)
  • Cars Land – Strawberry Paloma (tequila, strawberry syrup)
  • Terraces – Craftwell Peach Mojito
  • Sanfransokyo Wharf – Jamaica Tequila Cocktail (tequila, hibiscus tea, lime juice, agave syrup)
  • Pixar Pier – Spiced Sangria Seltzer
  • Buena Vista Street – Scotch Mist

Our route was completed at the Carthay Lounge, where I had what was noted as Walt Disney’s favourite drink. Even if that claim is bullshit, I had to do it, enjoying my serving of Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch on the rocks. We also orders the Carthay Sopes with duck, which were very good. One other excellent meal we had during our drink challenge was the Sanfransokyo Clam Chowder, which Mrs. Sip insisted on and I’m so glad she did!

Following the indulgent drink circuit, the only drink left on the board I wanted to try was the Blood Orange Paloma Seltzer. I tried to make good on that the next day, but a long line and pre-order wait time blocked me from trying the beverage.

We tried to visit Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel, but there was a three-hour wait to get a seat on the air conditioned inside. As a result, we travelled back into the Downtown Disney district and got a table very quickly at Ballast Point. Mrs. Sip and I ordered the Pumpkin Cream Ale from Mother Earth Brew Co. and Prince of Bavaria Festbier from Black Plague Brewing, respectively. To eat, I tried the Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich, which I loved, thanks to all the flavours, particularly the interesting black truffle coleslaw.

Back in the park, we had servings of the Karl Strauss Aurora Hoppyalis for me and Enegren Oktoberfest for Mrs. Sip. These bevvies made the very long line for Grizzly River Rapids much more tolerable, while also numbing us to the deluge of water we were about to experience.

The Disneyland Halloween Treats menu was released right before we arrived. While I feel it’s way too early for that season, I was definitely going to take advantage of some of the eats and drinks. In particular, we worked our way through a number of the seasonal churros, including: Halloween Town Mayor (smores-like), Celestial Chocolate (Dubai chocolate), Straw-batty (strawberry filled chocolate) and Fluffernutter (marshmallow and peanut butter). The Fluffernutter was the best of the bunch for me, restoring my faith in churros, which I’d come to find to generally be mid at best. We had most of these treats for breakfast because… you know, parents of the year and all!

We also tried the Pumpkin Cookies with cream cheese icing, which were good, but not worth the hour-long lineup to get them, as well as the Monster Funnel Cake, which was another fantastic way to start a day!

For our final meal of the trip, we went to a local Red Lobster, where I had my typical Sesame Soy Salmon Bowl and Blue Moon Wheat Ale. This was sandwiched between letting the kids do some Magic Quest time at the nearby Great Wolf Lodge.

That wraps our Disneyland expedition. September will be full of activity, including all the birthdays our family has throughout the month, along with a getaway for Mrs. Sip and I to Las Vegas to celebrate a friend’s 40th!