Author Archives: Daniel Wilson

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About Daniel Wilson

I love making drinks for my friends and family, and, of course, sampling my concoctions myself! Finding and playing around with recipes is a favourite past time of mine and I hope to share that passion with all my readers.

Mixer Mania #12 – Until We Meet Again

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Today’s mixer of choice is the Mountain Berry Blast flavour of Powerade. Drinking the concoction brings back memories of a childhood treat, the similarly flavoured Screamin’ Saucers. While I’ve come to peace with this product no longer being available to the public, there are other items I still crave and will never be able to eat or drink again:

President’s Choice Mustard Mesquite Barbecue Peanuts

These peanuts were so tasty that I even got Ma and Pa Sip hooked on them. And then, without any warning, they were gone from store shelves. They are still listed on the President’s Choice website, but without any price and stating that “product availability may vary in store”. Other peanuts in the line remain, but for some reason this variety has disappeared.

President_s Choice Mustard Mesquite Barbecue Peanuts

Keg Prime Rib Burger

What happens when you take a delicious, succulent burger and replace it with a bland, uninspired counterpart? The Sip Advisor boycotts your chain, that’s what! I’ve even spoken to servers before about the change in quality from the Prime Rib Burger to the beef blend Keg Burger and you know things are bad when they agree with me.

Payday Avalanche

On a holiday trip to Leavenworth, Washington about a decade ago, Mrs. Sip and I stumbled upon this treat in our hotel vending machine. So rare was the chocolate bar that Mrs. Sip and I started to wonder if it ever existed at all… despite the fact we both remember enjoying it together. We can find pictures of it online, but have yet to come across it ever again.

McDonald’s Big X-tra/Tasty

Every list similar to this contains at least one McDonald’s item, so here’s my pick. When I learned that McDonald’s outlets inside Walmart locations still served the Big X-tra (Big Tasty in the U.S.), I went out of my way to get the burger of my desire, sometimes even passing a full scale McDonald’s in the process. Sadly, the Walmart McDonald’s soon followed suit and killed the Big X-tra for good.

McDonald's Big Xtra.png

Nesquik Cereal

Moving to the cereal aisle, I’m not alone in saying that one of my favourite beverages growing up was chocolate milk. Oddly, there was something very satisfying about mixing milk with Nesquik chocolate syrup. Even better, was being able to have your morning meal and then drink the remaining chocolate milk. Then Nestle had to go and ruin things by abruptly discontinuing the product.

Cookies &

I was recently reminded of these cookie bars and as a self-professed cookie aficionado, you can bet I was a fan of these. The bars, released by Mars Inc., combined a crisp cookie crunch with some of the company’s most famous chocolate bars as toppings. These included Twix, M&Ms, Snickers and Milky Way, but the line was discontinued due to poor sales.

Mixer Mania #12: Flashback

Flashback

  • 2 oz Vodka
  • Top with Powerade
  • Splash of Ginger Ale
  • Garnish with an Orange Twist

What products do you miss and wish you could try once again? Everybody has items they miss from the past and it’s always fun discussing the nostalgia behind them.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (2.75 Sips out of 5):
The recipe I found for this cocktail said to fill the remainder of the glass with Ginger Ale, but I wanted to feature the Powerade, so only used a splash of the pop. The best part of this cocktail was the appropriate name, given this article’s topic. Unfortunately, the drink was light on flavour and not very notable.

Snack Time #11: Reese’s Nutrageous Bar/Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cups

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This week, we get a double shot of products from the amazing Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups line. Anyone who isn’t a Reese’s fan either has a nut allergy (a reasonable excuse) or has some serious mental issues. There, I said it!

The Nutrageous Bar reminds me of a Peanut Butter Oh Henry, which is a very tasty treat in its own right. I really enjoyed the Nutrageous, which Ma Sip found in snack size, while in the US and I’m not sure if they’ve crossed the border into Canada yet… my guess would be not likely.

Reese's Nutrageous BarReese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cups.jpg

As for the Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cups, as soon as I saw these treats being advertised, I had to get my hands on them. We ended up having the King Cups variation, which I thought were a little overpriced at $2.19 for a pack, but the Reese’s Pieces add a nice crunch to the experience.

In conclusion, I commend the Reese’s research and development team and implore them to keep the new releases coming. Did you know H.B. Reese (the Reese behind the company) invented the treat in 1928, while fathering 16 children!

For more Snack Time articles, please visit our main page…

Sip Trips #94: Hard-Hitting Action

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This past weekend, Mrs. Sip and I joined some friends at the World Rugby Sevens Series tour at BC Place, which is basically one non-stop party with some intense rugby action as a side attraction. We were lucky to get tickets, having to wait for when organizers released a second batch, but given we missed last year’s inaugural run of the event, we were just happy to be in attendance.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, teams have seven members on each side and play two seven-minute halves, with a very brief one-minute break in between. Once one contest is done, the next immediately begins and the day is full of boozing, costumes and other shenanigans.

The Thirsty Pigeon at BC Place

I was impressed with BC Place stepping up their craft beer game, but stadium pricing for drinks is completely out of whack. When the best deal is $16-plus for a 24-ounce pour, something needs to be changed. Although, judging by the inebriation of my fellow spectators, the pricing scheme was tolerable, if not ignorable.

I also have to commend the staff at BC Place, who had to turn this event around and clean up the stadium between day one and two of the event. You should have seen the accumulation of food and drink waste in each aisle, which builds a lot more given the event’s near 12-hour runtime, compared to your standard sporting occasion, which might last for a third of that time.

As for security, which one might expect would have been busy throughout the day, I didn’t see a single incident of fans having to be escorted out of the stadium or any issues between spectators. All in all, I think Vancouver put on a pretty good show for the weekend. Hopefully, that’s enough to earn a return engagement in 2018!

Beer of the Week #11 – Postmark Sevens IPA

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When selecting a beer to feature for this week’s article, one option jumped straight to the top of the list, given I had a handful of them at the World Rugby Sevens Series at BC Place on Saturday. That honour (and my drinking dollar) went to Postmark Brewing.

The Sevens IPA was brewed specifically for the World Rugby Sevens Series coming to Vancouver in 2016. I really enjoyed the product, going so far as to walk an extra distance to purchase it and returning multiple times over this year’s day-long event.

Postmark Sevens IPA

The 6% ABV, 52 IBUs beverage was hoppy and dry with a tasty bouquet of tropical fruit flavour. Available in both canned form and bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores and other private retailers, you don’t have to be a rugby spectator to enjoy it.

Providing the rugby tournament with its feature beer had to have been a huge score for Postmark. I like their East Vancouver tasting room, but didn’t get to feature them much in last year’s BC Beer Baron project. Hopefully, I’m making amends now.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Mixer Mania #11 – Like a Fine Wine

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Often, when I think of grape mixers, I think of controversial hockey commentator Don Cherry, whose nickname is ‘Grapes’ (thought to be a reference to sour grapes). As the pundit turned 83 last month, let’s take a look at others who are getting older, but still rocking it:

Betty White

White has been a fixture of the entertainment industry since the late 1930s. At 95 years old, she has been enjoying a renaissance of sorts the last few years, even hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live, thanks to a Facebook fan movement. Best remembered for her role as Rose on The Golden Girls, this lady is the grandma everyone wishes they had.

betty-white

Stan Lee

Even those who don’t know much about Lee’s massive contributions to the comic book industry have come to appreciate the icon thanks to his cameo appearances in Marvel movies. The 94-year-old refuses to slow down and will make two more cameos this year, although rumours often persist that each appearance will be his last.

Clint Eastwood

The venerable tough guy is still an imposing figure – and still directing films – despite his advanced age of 86. My favourite Eastwood story involves George Clooney wanting a basketball court put in on the Warner Brothers Studio lot and imploring Eastwood to help with the effort. When asked if he even liked the game, Eastwood, in his understated growl, responded: “I guess I do.”

Adam West

While most of the 88-year-old West’s recent roles have come in the form of voiceover work, he’s still knocking it out of the park and gaining a whole new generation of fans while doing so. I absolutely love West’s lampooning of himself as the Mayor of Quahog on Family Guy, where his appearances are some of the best parts of the long-running series.

adam-west-real-batman

Hugh Hefner

At the age of 90, the Hef is married to a former Playboy Playmate of the Month that is 60 years his junior. Enough said! You also have to remember that into his late 80’s, Hefner was in an open relationship with three young models that each could have been his own granddaughter.

Rolling Stones

The band’s current lineup consists of Mick Jagger (73), Keith Richards (73), Charlie Watts (75), and Ronnie Wood (69), who are still rocking around the clock. Despite numerous retirement tours, the quartet continue to come back year after year with new music and worldwide tours.

Paul McCartney

Sticking with the British Invasion, Paul McCartney of The Beatles is still a prominent figure in the music world, even at 74 years old. Ironically, the artist once wrote and sang about still being needed “When I’m Sixty-Four”. Apparently, he never had anything to fear and he’s still adored around the globe, by fans young and old.

paul-mccartney

William Shatner

The soon-to-be 86-year-old Shatner has put together a fine career over numerous decades. Most recently, the former Captain Kirk was joined by fellow old timers Henry Winkler, Terry Bradshaw and George Foreman for the reality TV mini-series Better Late Than Never, which saw the foursome travel to parts of Asia together.

Queen Elizabeth II

Regardless of what you think about the monarchy, the fact her majesty is still such a prominent figure as she celebrates her Sapphire Jubilee is impressive. The Queen will turn 91 in April and although she has kin in place to take over her responsibilities, she has no plans to abdicate the thrown.

Mixer Mania #11: Wrath of Grapes

Wrath of Grapes.JPG

  • 1.5 oz Dark Rum
  • Top with Grape Juice
  • Splash of Sweet and Sour Mix
  • Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

Some honourable mentions include James Earl Jones (86) and Bob Newhart (87), who have guest starred on The Big Bang Theory in recent years. Dick Van Dyke (91) and Angela Lansbury (91) also deserve credit, as although their work schedules have decreased greatly in recent years, they are both set to make appearances in Mary Poppins Returns, due out in December 2018.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
I really haven’t done much with Grape Juice before and I figured I had better like it, given the size of the container I had to buy. This drink is pretty good and I can see myself making it again, perhaps adding some Club Soda for a fizzier cocktail.

Snack Time #10: Fairfields Farm Crisps Smoky Bacon & Sunday Roast Potato Chips

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The Sip Advisor is always on the lookout for new potato chip flavours. Typically, this occurs through the usual suspects (Lays, Pringles, Ruffles, etc.), so it’s always a bit refreshing when a completely unknown company provides the snack.

The Fairfields Farm Crisps Smoky Bacon & Sunday Roast Potato Chips were delicious, with the taste of bacon being most prominent, but not overwhelming. The price of $2.99 for a medium-sized bag may seem steep, but it’s worth it for the flavour and crunch.

Fairfields Farm Crisps Smoky Bacon & Sunday Roast Potato Chips.jpg

Fairfileds Farm Crisps, a British company, has an extensive lineup of snack goods. Some I would love to try include their Chorizo & Tomato, Turkey with Sage & Onion, and Parsnip with Honey & Black Pepper Crisps, as well as Jalapeno & Lime Tortilla Chips.

Ma Sip picked up this product to share with me (a certified chippy monster) at her local HomeSense store. HomeSense has some other intriguing flavours at their impulse buy checkout area and those will certainly be reviewed soon.

For more Snack Time articles, please visit our main page…

Sip Trips #93: Brews Brothers Volume 3

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As the Sip Advisor has mentioned before, I’m not the biggest Twitter follower, but I seem to check my feed at just the right times… at the expense of Mrs. Sip’s hard-earned savings! That occurred again last weekend, as I learned of this new release and having enjoyed the last incarnation, I immediately made a trip to get my hands on the goods.

For the past two years, Parallel 49 Brewing has collaborated with 12 breweries throughout British Columbia to create their Brews Brothers cases. This year, they’re going international and working with some of the United States’ best beer companies for a four-bomber (650ml bottles) set. As in previous versions, the beers included feature a song-inspired name, with this year’s theme being old school West Coast hip hop. Each beverage is a limited edition entry, so let’s see what makes up the contents of the package:

Gettin’ It Farmhouse of the North (with 49th State Brewing from Anchorage, Alaska)

This farmhouse ale/saison is nicely spiced. Gettin’ It is a song by rapper Too $hort, which I had never heard before, showing my affinity for this musical genre.

Baby Got Back Hoppy Hefe (with Scuttlebutt Brewing from Everett Washington)

Using the classic Sir Mix-A-Lot track as their muse, this hopped-up hef has a little something on the back end and why not, given the tune was inspired by Jennifer Lopez’s booty.

Parallel 49 Brews Brothers Volume 3.JPG

Blazing Arrow Tawny IPA (with Gigantic Brewing from Portland, Oregon)

And we’re back to unfamiliar songs and artists with Blazing Arrow by Blackalicious. As for the brew, this was Cousin Sip’s pick of the litter from the case.

What’s Golden East Meets West IPA (with Green Flash Brewing from San Diego, California)

My favourite beer of the bunch and we finish with yet another ditty (What’s Golden) and group (Jurassic 5) I can’t say I know. I suppose I have to do some serious studying of the era.

Hitting store shelves late last month, the product can be found at BC Liquor Stores and private retailers, throughout the province. Coming in at about $30 after taxes and deposit, this release may seem a little pricy, but it’s comparatively equivalent to picking up four random bomber-sized bottles.

“As far apart as the breweries are from each other, it was neat to see how much we had in common,” said Graham With, Parallel 49’s head brewer. “The process of coming up with recipes with each brewery from the United States was surprisingly smooth. Collaborating with these breweries shed light on our similarities and allowed us to get ideas from other perspectives.”

The whole experience has the Sip Advisor already looking forward to Brews Brothers Volume 4. That arrival can’t come soon enough!

Beer of the Week #10 – Russell Root Beer Milk Stout

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With my trusty BC Liquor Stores gift card in hand (thanks again Ma and Pa Sip) I recently grabbed this Russell Brewing new release. Always a root beer fan, since I was a wee little sipper, how could I pass the opportunity up?

The Root Beer Milk Stout instantly caught my eye as a unique and must-try beverage. I was not to be disappointed, as the drink has just the right level of root beer (sassafras) flavour, mixed with the chocolate taste you’d expect from a milk stout.

Russell Root Beer Milk Stout

With the recent explosion of hard root beer drinks, why shouldn’t the brewing game get in on the action? The 6.5% ABV, 30 IBUs beverage is available in bomber-sized bottles at the aforementioned BC Liquor Stores, for a decent price.

Russell believes this product is perfect to “Celebrate the winter months… with the best, feet-up-by-the-fire-job-well-done feeling a brewer could dream up.” I tested that theory while we were recently away and they nailed it!

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Mixer Mania #10 – Eye of the Beholder

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In the TV series Seinfeld, there’s an infamous scene where George Costanza gets sprayed in the eye with juice from a grapefruit. This causes him to wink his eye at unfortunate times, resulting in typical episodic mayhem. Here are a few other items you wouldn’t want to get in your eyes:

Hot Sauce

Peppery flavour enhancers can burn the most hardened of mouths, so I can only imagine the excruciating pain a dollop to the eyes would cause. Somehow, this has become a viral dare for those brave stupid enough to try. It’s scary that millennials hold the future of our world in their hands and this is what they’re doing in their free time.

Spider Webs

Nothing causes some people to panic more than when they walk through a spider web. Typically formed inconveniently at face level, the victim begins flailing about and trying to get the sticky substance off their face. Then, those horrible thoughts creep in: Was it more than just a web? Could there be a spider on me? Commence full hysterical breakdown!

spider-web-dance

Shampoo

It amazes me that a substance that is used so close to the eyes has not been adapted to make it safer and painless. Sure, there Johnson & Johnson No Tears Shampoo for babies, but why hasn’t that secret ingredient been placed into the recipe of every other shampoo since!?

Finger

An errant finger to the eyes may have partly made the careers of the Three Stooges, but it’s not very fun if you’re on the receiving end of one of these attacks (accidental or not). The ol’ finger poke is still used by villainous professional wrestlers to this day and the tactic is as dastardly as ever.

Eyelash

While this is a natural occurrence, it’s one that drives the Sip Advisor absolutely insane. It is such a predicament that there are numerous step-by-step guides online with instructions on how to remove the troublemaker.

eyelashes

Tree Debris

When the Sip Advisor was still in his formative, chocolate milk days, he was once climbing tree and ended up with bristles directly in the eye. I was forced to wear an eyepatch for the next couple days, while my eye flushed the trespasser out. Still, I remember managing to still score a couple soccer goals at recess, despite the handicap.

Pepper Spray

I am loathe to put myself in any situation where one might be pepper sprayed, as the substance has been deadly or contributed to death in rare cases. Much like hot sauce, there are some idiots who view pepper spray as a challenge and I consider this a form of Darwinism.

chuck-norris-pepper-spray

Venom/Acid

The deadly spitting cobra, as well as some vipers, are known to first blind their prey by expelling venom into the victims eyes. There has also been documented stories of folks having acid thrown in their face, often by jilted lovers or competition for a companion.

Sand

It’s a widely known fact that the Sip Advisor hates sand and any place that is comprised of it: beaches, the desert, sandboxes! One of the reasons is I always seem to get some of the gritty stuff in my eye, thanks to a gust of wind. I’ll stick to my concrete jungle, thank you very much!

Mixer Mania #10: Panty Remover

Panty Remover

  • 2 oz Gin
  • 1 oz Vodka
  • Top with Grapefruit Soda
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Garnish with Grapefruit Wedge

After doing research for this article, there are some insane things people have got splashed or caught in their eyes. Stay safe out there, my little sippers!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (2.5 Sips out of 5):
Okay, so I wasn’t a big fan of this cocktail, but my faith in Grapefruit Soda was restored when I used the remainder of my can of Squirt to make a Paloma with Tanteo Jalapeno Tequila!

Snack Time #9: Mrs. Fields Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

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To the Sip Advisor, there’s nothing like capping a meal with a cookie. Thanks to the Mrs. Fields company and their eight-pack box of treats, that is easily achieved without having to do much for a fresh-out-of-the-oven experience.

My flavour preference comes in the form of the Milk Chocolate Chip variety. Other releases in the lineup include White Chunk Macadamia, Oatmeal Raisin, and Dark Chocolate Chip, of which I have tried the latter two options.

mrs-fields-milk-chocolate-chip-cookies

What I really like about these cookies is that they are individually wrapped, making them perfect for packing for work lunches. It also stops you from eating a ton of them and makes it easier to move on after one serving.

Although the price on these boxes is $4.49 at Shoppers Drug Mart locations, I can often find the product on sale. Most recently, the cookies were available for only $1.99, which make them an astonishing 25-cents per cookie.

For more Snack Time articles, please visit our main page…