The month of March started like any other, but there was this coronavirus thing hovering over the world like a very dark cloud. Soon enough, even we in Vancouver, Canada, saw everything shutdown around us. Here’s what the Sip Advisor was doing before shit hit the fan and how the Sip Family has been coping since:

Prior to the isolation orders, we had made a trip to Blaine, Washington, to pick up a package for our soon-to-be-born baby. While there, we had lunch at the Paso Del Norte Mexican Restaurant. My meal of Carnitas De Pollo paired very well with a Kulshan Amber Ale and I also got to try a taco off of Mrs. Sip’s platter. Almost foreshadowing what was to come, as we ate, reports played over the restaurant TVs that the first case of coronavirus in Washington State had been discovered.

The next day, we met friends visiting from Calgary for lunch at Brewhall. I ordered my usual Korean Chicken Burger with Curly Fries and again, very much enjoyed the meal. My drinks on this visit were the Field House and Wildeye Sabro Hazy IPA, as well as the Superflux Craft Beer is Dead IPA.

The next weekend, we had Toddler Sip’s final Tumbling Tots class and followed that with lunch at Dead Frog Brewery. Ma Sip and I ordered the Turkey Sandwich and Chicken Club and split them. Both were tasty and it was nice to have the variety. I added a pint of Purple Haze Hazy IPA to complete the feast.

Only a few days later and with fear rising about the pandemic, Mrs. Sip went into labour and we spent St. Patrick’s Day in an eerie, empty hospital setting, with the birth of Baby Sip coming early on March 18^th. We left the hospital the same day and stopped at the Signature BC Liquor Store on our way home, picking up a case of Unibroue, since my top drinking partner could finally join me again. The scene inside that location reminded me of an old-fashioned run on the banks, as people filled buggies with enough supplies to last a lifetime, amid fears the liquor stores would be shuttered.

So, how has the noble Sip Advisor survived this unprecedented event? We’ve stopped at a few breweries to pick up supplies, including new releases from Another Brewing Company (Cream Ale), Steel & Oak (Savasana Lager) and Dead Frog Brewing, which was operating a drive-thru set up and offering free popcorn with purchases. We grabbed the new Amazing Stone Fruit Brut IPA and Pineapple Midnight Trooical Porter, which was released last year. Friends also dropped off a number of beers from Moody Ales for us, to help keep us sane during the early days of two children and unique circumstances.

This weekend, I plan to pickup the Granville Island Brewer’s Choice Summer 2020 Tall Can case, featuring new releases Watermelon Lager and Island Cerveza. Aside from that, I wonder when I will next be able to attend a beer event and put together more Sip Trips articles. More importantly, I wonder when our son will finally get to meet our family and friends in-person and not over online chats. Hopefully sooner than later. Stay safe out there, my little sippers.