April was a fairly laid back month, at least in comparison with our typical breakneck speed. Still, there’s a fair bit to cover, so let’s get right to it:

We spent the Easter extra long weekend at a cabin in Manning Park. On the way there, we popped into Sidekick Brewing, which has a selection of amazing deep dish pizzas to go along with their beers. We ordered the Classic Pepperoni and Smokey Hawaiian pizzas to eat, while I drank the Barb Caramel Cookie Brown Ale, followed by sharing the Sister Mary Patrick Belgian Dubbel with Mrs. Sip, who also tried a flight comprised of the Forgivable Roomie Rhonda Hazy Pale Ale, Aspiring Mixologist Toby Cranberry Lime Sour, First Mate Nate Tropical Stout and Lucas Dark Lager with Cacao Nibs.

For our cabin stay, amongst a horde of other beverage options, we purchased the new Nutrl Tropical Mixed Pack, with three each of pineapple, mango, watermelon, peach, and grapefruit flavours. I find myself leaning towards vodka sodas more and more in my drinking habits, especially when Mrs. Sip is doing keto dieting.

On our way home from the Manning Park, we popped into Old Abbey Ales. Mrs. Sip and I each put together a flight of their eclectic options. My set included the Beerzer Tomato Basil Kolsch, Hipsters Paradise Spinach + Kale Sour, Dirty Blonde Cardamom Blonde Ale and Juicy Caboosey White IPA, while Mrs. Sip selected the Sippy Chai Aye Chai Tea Lager, Wee Peachy Peach Cobbler Wheat Ale, Orange You Glad I’m Beer and Razzle Dazzle Raspberry Sour. We also bought a four-pack of the Old Abbey and Storm Brewing collab Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ale.

That week, prior to taking Girl Sip to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, we had dinner at the Cactus Club in Coquitlam. Girl Sip and I shared an order of the Mini Burgers, paired with some Truffle Fries. I also had a pair of Ugly Wheat Ales, reminding me of how much I like that beer.

A few days later, I had time to kill as my vehicle was in for servicing, so I grabbed lunch at the Willowbrook White Spot. Sitting at the bar, watching a muted NHL playoff game, I had a very good meal of their Legendary Burger with Caesar Salad and a Camp Cucumber Kolsch, which was refreshing and tasty.

Towards the end of the month, Girl Sip had a school Pro D Day, so we took the Sipplings to Science World for a few hours of exploration and play. Following that, we walked over to Brewhall for a meal. The Sip Family shared some Chicken Strips and a Cheeseburger, both with Curly Fries. I also had two Hall Pass IPAs on Happy Hour pricing. To wrap the meal, we ordered the decadent Oreo Ice Cream Cake, which all four of us were fighting for bites over.

A few days later, we closed out April with a bang, returning to Science World for their annual Science of Cocktails charity event. General admission tickets were $185 each (VIP tix were $289), offering 30 bar stations and a host of food tastings. Companies involved included: Jack Daniels, Appleton, Beefeater, Tito’s, Flor de Cana, Campari, and many more. My favourite cocktails of the night included Petrichor Daiquiri, Smoked Old Fashioned and Clarified Smoky Paloma. I even walked away with a pack of Ms. Better’s Bitters. Afterwards, Mrs. Sip asked me if I thought the price was worth it and I’m still grappling with my answer. Yes, it’s very expensive, but you have all-inclusive access to some amazing specialty cocktails and nibbles. Given we wouldn’t go every year because of price, though, I’d have to say it’s an amazing event that is a touch overpriced. When we last went in 2016, we paid $145 each, which feels like a good rate by 2023 standards.

May is already filling up, highlighted by the Sip Family’s debut at Great Wolf Lodge, as well as Cinco De Mayo and Mother’s Day celebrations. Looks like it will be another busy month!