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 #5 – Simply Cran-tastic

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When making a drink that involves cranberry juice, the Irish rock band The Cranberries often pop into my head. With that in mind, here are some of Ireland’s greatest musical acts:

U2

One of the most successful bands on the planet, U2 has been releasing hit after hit since 1983. Although the unit formed in 1976, it took some time before they achieved commercial success, with the album War, which featured the track Sunday Bloody Sunday. The rest is history.

probono-u2

Van Morrison

Morrison’s song Brown Eyed Girl always makes me think of Mrs. Sip and the artist is also known for hits such as Moondance and Into the Mystic. In 2016, Morrison was knighted for his musical career, as well as tourism and philanthropic achievements in his native Northern Ireland.

Enya

The new age singer is Ireland’s best-selling singles artist, despite never going out on a concert tour. Along with four Grammy Awards, Enya was also nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for her song May It Be, which was featured in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Sinead O’Connor

Most famous for her guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, where she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II – and in effect ruined her career – O’Connor is credited with hits such as Nothing Compares 2 U, which is still in steady rotation on soft rock radio stations around the world.

sinead-oconnor-bright-future

Thin Lizzy

Known primarily for their The Boys Are Back in Town hit, the rockers came together in 1969. Sadly, founding member and band leader Phil Lynott passed away in 1986 after years of drug and alcohol abuse. Some members of the group now perform as the Black Star Riders.

The Cranberries

We wrap up where we began. With songs such as Zombie and Linger to their credit, the group is still making music together, with the release of an acoustic album due out in April. The band’s members did take a six-year hiatus during the mid to late 2000’s to recharge the batteries.

Mixer Mania #5: Cape Codder

Cape Codder.JPG

  • 1.5 oz Vodka
  • Top with Cranberry Juice
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Garnish with a Lemon Wedge

Some other acts that deserve mentioning are folk bands The Dubliners, The Chieftains and The Irish Rovers, whose ‘trad’ music can be found in nearly every tourist attraction gift shop on the Emerald Isle.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I was looking for some spice with this cocktail, so I used my UV Sriracha Vodka, which made for a solid drink. On the downside, I like using Cranberry-Lemonade as a mixer, but had to settle for plain old Cranberry Cocktail. Them’s the breaks.

Snack Time #4: Purdy’s Nutty Mac White

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The Nutty Mac White is one of Mrs. Sip’s favourite chocolate delicacies of all-time. So, with her birthday recently occurring, I was sure to gift her a couple packs of the delight, to help celebrate the occasion with sweetness.

Personally, I love all the different flavours that combine to make the Nutty Mac White experience. The sweetness of the caramel and white chocolate is balanced by salty roasted Macadamia nuts, for a blend that is sure to tickle your taste buds.

purdys-nutty-mac-white

The chocolatier also carries the similar Sweet Georgia Browns, which come in dark and milk chocolate formats, as well as in miniature form. Mrs. Sip prefers the Macadamia nuts of the Nutty Mac White, over the pecans of the Sweet Georgia Browns.

Available in two-packs, the treats retail for $5 per package, or $13.50 for three. Purdy’s is a BC-based company, which has expanded to Alberta and Ontario. Their wares can also be found online, for those with a sweet tooth.

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

Sip Trips #89: Birthday Bonanza

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Mrs. Sip’s birthday weekend was full of events, including an Irish pub dinner, beer tasting, whiskey tasting and all-you-can-eat sushi lunch. By the end of it all, I was totally ready for a day-long water tasting festival!

On Thursday, Mrs. Sip turned 33. We had the opening game of our Urban Rec season to attend, so we gathered with our team members at the Dublin Crossing Irish Pub for dinner and drinks. There, I enjoyed their Spicy Chicken Burger (available on the eatery’s daily specials menu), along with pints of Bomber Pale Ale, Granville Island Lions Winter Ale, and Hearthstone Hazelnut Porter. The meal was a lot of fun and much better than playing the ridiculous sport of handball… or as I like to call it ‘can’t do anything ball’.

irish-pub-kegs

The next night, I surprised Mrs. Sip with tickets to the Tapped Vancouver event at the Yaletown Roundhouse. The Groupon deal put the price of two tickets at $40 – an improvement on the original cost of $25 per person – making the festival much more palatable. While we definitely enjoyed ourselves, the 15 advertised vendors was far from that, as by my count, there was six breweries, one cidery and one wine vendor, carrying three different wineries products. Even the most generous mathematician could only credit the event with a maximum of 10 vendors attending.

Of those who were there, I was most impressed with Howe Sound and Fuggles & Warlock, who each brought with them a varied collection of beverages. Driftwood also arrived with multiple options, but very quickly were reduced to only having their Fat Tug IPA left to serve. Other breweries in attendance were Goose Island, Whistler, and Steamworks, as well as Lone Tree Cider.

Hard Cider Morning Apple Juice.jpg

The next night, I was invited to a private whiskey tasting, with the theme being that the products couldn’t be aged more than 10 years. While accompanied by pints of Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale to cleanse the palate, I really enjoyed the Lagavulin 8 Year, followed by the Ledaig 10 Year. I’ve always been a fan of smoky, peaty whiskeys, and these two hit the mark. The evening also provided my first opportunity to eat haggis and I have to say it wasn’t bad.

The rest of the week has been spent resting up from our warrior weekend, but we’ll be right back at it soon enough!

Beer of the Week #4 – Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale

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While attending a whiskey tasting event over the weekend, I made a few trips to the bar for palate cleansers. There, my order of choice was this Granville Island Brewing product, which impressed over the night of hard boozing.

The English Bay Pale Ale was light, refreshing and full of flavour. The 5% ABV, 18 IBUs beverage featured flavours of caramel malt and balanced nicely with my whiskey servings. Suggest food pairings include burgers, kebabs and tenderloin.

granville-island-english-bay-pale-ale

Named for the inlet that is home to Vancouver’s annual Celebration of Light fireworks, the core brand release is available in a number of formats. This includes canned and bottled six-packs, as well as a place in GIB’s Summer Mingler pack.

Some recipes the folks at Granville Island have concocted, using the Pale Ale, include instructions for a Cheddar Ale & Apple Soup, Malt Crème Brûlée and Stilton Soufflé. Perhaps some cooking is in order to try the dishes out.

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

Mixer Mania #4 – Jack of All Trades

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Upon further research, it seems that Club Soda is a pretty versatile product. Yes, it can be used for more than getting drunk, while limiting calorie intake! Here are some other uses for the drink:

Stain Remover – Unfortunately, it can’t remove some of the human stains that exist out there (your Donald Trump’s and the like), but perhaps if those folks drank enough of the pop, it might make them disappear.

Fluff Food – Sorry, I was laughing too hard when I thought of food needing to be fluffed, in the same manner that the term is used in the adult film industry.

Remove Rust – I wonder if it would also work on the Sip Advisor’s joints after winter hibernation. Those first few trips back to the gym are not very fun.

Water Plants – Hmmm, water is free and soda costs money… I think I’ll stick to the water. Better yet, just get rid of all your plants and eliminate the dilemma entirely.

watering-plants

Soothe Your Belly – Given the pop in mixed drinks often leads to “gut rot” for some, I’m skeptical about this solution.

Restore Hair Color – This tactic is to be used after swimming, but won’t you damage your hair to a similar degree if you first have to wash it with Club Soda and then wash it again to wash out the Club Soda? I mean, those dyes are only good for so many washes.

Shuck Oysters – I would still think this process would eliminate some of the natural flavours oysters are supposed to provide… you know, the aphrodisiac qualities.

Preserve Newspaper Clippings – What lunatic still does this!?

Clean Surfaces – If you ever spill some Club Soda, you can simply tell your wife/girlfriend/mother, etc. that you were simply trying to clean the place, like they’ve been asking you to do for weeks.

spring-cleaning-tip

Windshield Cleaning – I bet there are some car guys out there that have always dreamed of having a drink with their vehicle.

Clean Gems – Then have sticky fingers for the rest of your life.

Rid Pots and Pans of Stuck-On Food – So much for leftovers.

Remove Bird Droppings – If only it could remove birds, as well.

Deodorize Pet Accident Areas – I wonder if it would also work to eliminate the odor of those who like to use alleys as toilets. If so, I think we’re going to need a lot more of it.

Mixer Mania #4: Gin Rickey

Gin Rickey.JPG

  • 1.5 oz Gin
  • Top with Club Soda
  • Splash of Lime Juice
  • Dash of Simple Syrup
  • Garnish with a Lime Wedge

It seems Club Soda’s best attribute is being able to remove unsightly and gross things. And yet we’re throwing all caution to the wind and still drinking the stuff. Well, bottom’s up!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
Yet another classic cocktail that the Sip Advisor has yet to profile. This is the ultimate scurvy remedy, but I would have loved a little more complexity to the recipe.

Snack Time #3: Trader Joe’s Extraordinary Bark

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Mrs. Sip and I picked up this little treat prior to the Christmas season, thinking it would serve as a good hosting gift or even to put out ourselves when friends stopped by for a drink and visit. Somehow, it managed to survive into January, where we devoured it this week.

The Trader Joe’s Extraordinary Bark is comprised of a dark chocolate bark with layers of mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups, pretzels, caramel popcorn and crushed almonds. The Sip Advisor would have loved for it to be all milk chocolate, but that’s a personal preference.

trader-joes-extraordinary-bark

The bar was good to feed four people for dessert and like many items at Trader Joe’s, was not very expensive at all. My favourite part of the confection was the salty pretzel pieces, which always work so nicely with any type of chocolate. The peanut butter cups were also solid.

The Extraordinary Bark is only available during the holiday season, so if you come across it, give it a whirl before it disappears. Fear not, though, as Trader Joe’s also carries a Springtide Bark, featuring dark chocolate bark, milk chocolate gems and a white chocolate drizzle.

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

Sip Trips #88: Taste Test

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On Saturday, Mrs. Sip and I hosted the Sip Syndicate at our place. Earlier that day, I had ventured out to grab some beers for the evening and lucked upon some individual bottles from broken up from the Central City–Parallel 49 Seasons Greetings advent calendar. I think this is a great idea, as it gives people who didn’t buy the advent calendar a chance to see how diverse the lineup is, as well as try some of the products for themselves.

I grabbed six bottles, comprised of: Central City’s Southern Cross Kiwi Kettle Sour and Three Peaks Belgian Tripel, along with Parallel 49’s Anger Management Angry IPA, Gong Show Belgian Spiced Quad, Salty Scot Maple Scotch Ale, and Beerserker Scandinavian Strong Ale. We then presented the six in a tasting-style event with our friends. My favourite from the bunch was probably the Gong Show.

drink-every-night

After our mini tasting, we were off to the VIP theatre at Marine Gateway to catch the new Star Wars: Rogue One. I’m not a Star Wars or sci-fi devotee, but I thought the movie was good. My meal of a pulled pork sandwich and fries was even better, which was a nice surprise, given some of the theatre food is only okay. Add a pitcher of Shocktop, split between Mrs. Sip and I, and the evening was well-rounded.

Following the film, we popped into the Dublin Crossing Irish Pub, below the theatre for another beverage. Here, I ordered a pint of Hearthstone McCools Hazelnut Porter, which was profiled in my Beer of the Week feature yesterday. It looks like we’ll be dining there again tonight, to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s birthday with a group of friends from our sports team.

The results of that meal, as well as the other festivities currently planned for Mrs. Sip’s big day will all be brought to you next week in another edition of Sip Trips!

Beer of the Week #3 – Hearthstone McCools Hazelnut Porter

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After catching a movie at the VIP theatre at the Marine Gateway complex in Vancouver, we made our way to the Dublin Crossing Irish Pub below to grab a nightcap. There, I ordered a pint of this delicious Hearthstone Brewing release.

The McCools Hazelnut Porter was perfect to enjoy in an Irish Pub, with live music blasting and our table conveniently placed near a roaring fire. The 5% ABV, 18 IBUs beverage had great flavours of coffee, roasted malts, and, of course, hazelnut on the finish.

Hearthstone McCools Hazelnut Porter.png

The core brand beer is available in four-pack tall cans at private liquor stores. The brewery states the drink is “perfect for that bright yet blustery fall afternoon.” I thought it was also ideal for freezing cold winter nights when you wish you were bundled up at home.

Cousin Sip and I have remarked that we need to visit Hearthstone’s new facility in North Vancouver. Last time we toured the region, their Tap & Forno tasting room and eatery wasn’t open yet, so I think a return trip is in order.

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

Mixer Mania #3 – It Does a Body Good

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Got milk? The slogan became a pop culture phenomenon in the late 90s and early 2000s, thanks to the line of ‘milk mustache’ ads, featuring a who’s who list of celebrities during the time. Here’s a look at some of the best posters from the campaign (or at least the ones I felt like lampooning):

Kermit the Frog

Why a Muppet would need milk, I’ll never figure out… aren’t they more energy drink folk? Kermit does look quite dapper in this ad, which also included the tagline: “Milk isn’t just for tadpoles.”

got-milk-kermit

Austin Powers

Capitalizing on the popularity of Mike Myers’ secret agent character, the ad featured the spectacled one lounging on a couch, decked out in a silk blue robe (likely post-shag) with hairy chest that simply can’t be contained. Oh yeah, and martini glass of milk in hand wraps things up.

Steven Tyler

Typically the only white substance under the Aerosmith frontman’s nose is cocaine (aka booger sugar). Tyler’s mouth is iconic, while the caption “Make your bones rock hard” could certainly be misconstrued.

Garfield

The ad featured everyone’s favourite wisecracking cat with plate of lasagna. I don’t know about you, but I prefer my pasta with a nice glass of wine.

got-milk-garfield

Lindsay Lohan

I find it ironic that Lohan’s poster featured the tagline “The height of fame,” especially given the fall from grace her career and life would suffer in the years that followed.

Alex Trebek

The Jeopardy quiz master has one of the most iconic mustaches to ever exist – with or without milk. Add in the caption “Your bones may be in jeopardy” and that is one clever, if not intimidating ad.

Mixer Mania #3: The Sombrero

The Sombrero.JPG

  • 1.5 oz Kahlua Chili Chocolate
  • Top with Milk
  • Garnish with a Chocolate

Mrs. Sip actually collected these posters and magazine ads for a time and had her bedroom adorned with them. It was fun to have them in one place and see all the stars who had participated in the campaign.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I prefer to use recipes that are a little more complex than this, but it provided the perfect opportunity to open my new Kahlua Chili Chocolate bottle. That liqueur packs a punch and I’m happy to say it comes as advertised. I wish I had thicker milk for this cocktail, but Skim is what Mrs. Sip prefers and it worked decently here, helping to cool the spicy Kahlua.

Snack Time #2: Burts Guinness Toasted Cheddar Potato Chips

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The Sip Advisor is a big fan of Burts Guinness potato chips, loving their original and Rich Chilli-flavoured variations. So, when the Sip Syndicate was in Ireland and visited the Guinness Storehouse, I just had to grab a bag of the Toasted Cheddar style.

I can find cheese-flavoured snacks to be hit and miss, given my love-hate relationship with cheese, in general. In this case, I enjoyed the chips, but found the flavour to be more cheese and onion with some Guinness stout seasoning, rather than toasted cheddar.

guinness-toasted-cheddar-potato-chips

This is the third variation of Guinness chips offered by Burts, and I would rank it as my third favourite. Burts originated in New York all the way back in 1853, before crossing the pond, where they were renamed crisps since the term ‘chips’ already belonged to fries.

Although I’m a self-described chippy monster, this product has managed to survive a few months, prior to me finally tearing the bag open. For those interested in trying them for yourself, you might be able to track down the crisps at a British import store.

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