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.

BC Beer Baron #233 – Fernie Slow Drift Witbier

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

Although the Sip Advisor most recently enjoyed this Fernie Brewing drink under its previous name (at St. Augustine’s in Vancouver), the flavour and spice is still just as nice.

The recipe of the Slow Drift Witbier is unchanged from its predecessor. Seville oranges and coriander are added during the brew’s kettle boil, giving the beverage the traditional flavours of the beer type. The Belgian-style Witbier comes with stats of 5% ABV and 10 IBUs and it is recommended you garnish a serving with an orange slice.

Fernie Slow Drift Witbier

Available in bomber-sized bottles, this year-round release first debuted in 2008 and was formerly known as the Ol’ Willy Wit. Despite being a popular core brand, Fernie wanted a moniker that better represented the “light and spicy citrus flavours of this refreshing beer”.

The brewery settled on the new name after holding a contest with the winner receiving a $250 credit with the company, a one-night stay for two people in Fernie, and the opportunity to brew a batch of the newly-renamed beer.

For more BC Beer Baron articles, please visit our main page…

BC Beer Baron #232 – Russell White Rabbit Hoppy Hefeweizen

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

If, like the Sip Advisor, you appreciate both hoppy ales/IPAs, as well as delicious hefeweizens/wheats, has Russell Brewing ever got the perfect hybrid for you.

The White Rabbit Hoppy Hefeweizen has become a favourite of the Sip Advisor. The beer is perfect for hanging around Ma and Pa Sip’s pool, enjoying the summer sun with ice cold brew in hand. This 6% ABV, 65 IBUs beverage is not your typical hef. Sure, the flavours are reminiscent, but the potency and bite are game changers.

Russell White Rabbit Hoppy Hefeweizen

Borrowing from the White Rabbit character from the classic Alice in Wonderland story, Russell writes of the beer: “Brighten up your summer season with a White Rabbit! Let our White Rabbit lead you to golden wheat fields where the hops burst with flavour.”

This year’s version includes new packaging for the brew available in 650ml bomber-sized bottles. Although best enjoyed in summer (in my opinion), the beer is now available year round and can be found primarily at private liquor stores.

For more BC Beer Baron articles, please visit our main page…

BC Beer Baron #231 – Howe Sound King Heffy

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

Always on the lookout for new and interesting hefeweizens/wheat beers (after all, they are not only among my favourite, but I can score serious points with Mrs. Sip when unearthing a new option), when I first came across this massive offering from Howe Sound Brewing, angels rejoiced and a heavenly light shined upon me.

The King Heffy is an Unfiltered Imperial Hefeweizen, featuring flavours of banana, clove and vanilla. This summer seasonal is strong (7.7% ABV) and flavourful, but also easy drinking at only 20 IBUs.

Howe Sound King Heffy

This beer is named for the King of Hefeweizens and best of all, for those summer days when you worry about running low on suds, the King Heffy comes in Howe Sound’s trademark one-litre bottles. Given its size and girth, King Heffy is a name that is well-earned.

The King Heffy has been honoured with medals from both the North American Brewing Awards (gold and silver), as well as the Canadian Brewing Awards (bronze). Sticking with wheat beers, Howe Sound also has the You’re My Boy Blue Blueberry Wheat Ale and Whitecap Wheat Ale, among their wares.

For more BC Beer Baron articles, please visit our main page…

BC Beer Baron #230 – Steel & Oak Smoked Hefeweizen

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

Conveniently located just minutes away from Mrs. Sip’s office and the second best reason for travelling to New West (Mrs. Sip being the first!), Steel & Oak Brewing has quickly become one of our favourite spots.

The Smoked Hefeweizen is the first beer I ever tried from the brewery, as we visited soon after the brewery launched. Good thing too, cause based on word of mouth and a spectacular opening line-up, it wasn’t long before Steel & Oak had to temporarily close their doors, as they had run out of sweet suds!

Steel & Oak Smoked Hefeweizen

I love my smoky beers and Steel & Oak seems to specialize in this area. Along with their flagship Smoked Hefeweizen (5.2% ABV, 15 IBUs), they also have special releases including a Smoked Dunkelweizen and Smoked Lager.

Mrs. Sip and I have often brought this beer with us when camping and it’s perfect to enjoy around a roaring fire, out in the fresh air and wilderness. With another trip coming up this weekend, we better get around to stocking up.

For more BC Beer Baron articles, please visit our main page…

BC Beer Baron #229 – Granville Island Hey Day Hefeweizen

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

The Sip Advisor has spent many a summer afternoon with this Granville Island Brewing beverage in his hand. As the brewery writes, the beer is “Great with brunch, patios, and bright dispositions. Let it shine.”

The Hey Day Hefeweizen – formerly known as the Robson Street Hefeweizen, thanks to Granville Island’s penchant for naming beers after Vancouver landmarks – the product was rebranded and moved from GIB’s core brands lineup to their Under the Bridge Series, which was launched to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary. At 5% ABV and 15 IBUs, the beer is light, but is packed with flavours of clove and banana.

Granville Island Hey Day Hefeweizen

The brew is available in bottled six-packs, 473ml tall cans, and as part of the company’s bottled Summer Mingler case (also including the English Bay Pale Ale, Two Tides ISA, and False Creek Raspberry Ale). The Hefeweizen, under its former moniker, received a silver medal at the 2012 World Beer Championships.

Some suggested recipes to pair with the beer, include orange and clove génoise, pan-roasted chicken breast with mango chutney, and ricotta and minted pea crostini. This is on top of Granville Island classifying the Hey Day as a perfect breakfast/brunch beer, to be combined with poached eggs or Weisswurst.

For more BC Beer Baron articles, please visit our main page…

BC Beer Baron #228 – Driftwood White Bark Witbier

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

When discussing the best wheat beers and hefeweizens this province has to offer, no conversation would be complete without mentioning this Driftwood Brewing release.

The White Bark Witbier has become a staple of restaurants menus around the Lower Mainland, as most establishments try to cater to craft beer drinkers, in some manner. The unfiltered 5% ABV beverage is constructed using freshly-ground coriander and Curacao orange peel.

Driftwood White Bark Witbier

One of Driftwood’s Core Brands, the beverage is available year round. Of note, it can be found in bomber-sized bottles for a very reasonable price ($5.19 before taxes and deposit) at BC Liquor Stores.

Suggested food pairings include duck, goose and pork for the carnivores and sweet potatoes, carrots, ginger and bell peppers for the vegetarians. Thai and Indian curries are also said to combine will with the brew.

For more BC Beer Baron articles, please visit our main page…

BC Beer Baron #227 – Moon Under Water This Is Hefeweizen

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

I’m so glad Mrs. Sip and I went a little out of our way – and got lost – to search out the Moon Under Water brewpub on a visit to Victoria a few years back.

Ever since, This Is Hefeweizen has become one of our favourites beers in the province. The 5.5% ABV hef is perfect on a hot summer’s day, sitting poolside at Ma and Pa Sip’s home. Using 70% weizen and Bavarian hefe, the quality of this beer reminds us of the great beverages we enjoyed while previously travelling Belgium, Germany, and other beer loving countries.

Moon Under Water This is Hefeweizen

The folks at Moon Under Water are very proud of this brew, going so far as to challenge their competitor’s “hefeweizen” releases. They write: “Unlike every other beer we’ve brewed, this one follows some style guidelines. Why? Because in a land where big breweries produce bland, boring blonde ales and pass them off as Hefeweizens, something traditional needed to be done.”

This is one of the beers (joined by Moon Under Water’s Creepy Uncle Dunkel, among others) Mrs. Sip and I packed up to bring to Germany to share with family over there, as part of a hosting gift tasting experience. I distinctly remember both Moon Under Water brews going over well among the German crowd and they know their beers.

For more BC Beer Baron articles, please visit our main page…

BC Beer Baron #226 – Whistler Grapefruit Ale

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While attending a recent Vancouver Canadians game at Nat Bailey Stadium, Mrs. Sip and I took advantage of the ballpark’s Craft Corner. There, we each picked up a serving of this Whistler Brewing beverage.

The Grapefruit Ale is light and refreshing, everything one would want in a beer enjoyed under the hot summer sun. The grapefruit comes across in the finish of the brew, giving drinkers a nice sweet and sour mix. The Sip Advisor even detected some caramel notes and a light spice.

Whistler Grapefruit Ale

I did think the 5% ABV, 14 IBUs beer was better at its peak of coldness and my enjoyment decreased when it grew warmer. This can be said of almost all drinks, though, with the only difference being how noticeable the gap was here.

Formerly known as the Paradise Valley Grapefruit Ale, this summer seasonal is available in six-packs at BC Liquor Stores. The BCL description suggests pairing the brew (which debuted in 2011) with pancakes or a light dessert.

For more BC Beer Baron articles, please visit our main page…

BC Beer Baron #225 – Lighthouse Broadside Northwest Ale

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While I appreciate whatever a company brings to a tasting event, when they provide an opportunity to sample something new or unique, that is optimal. Such was the case with Lighthouse Brewing at Tip N’ Taste in Langley.

The Broadside Northwest Ale is the brewery’s newest release. At 4.3% ABV, it won’t knock your socks off, but there is some strong hop flavour in this refreshing beverage. The product is available in six-packs.

Lighthouse Broadside Northwest Ale

The brew is part of Lighthouse’s Explorers Series, which is aimed at “adventurous craft beer lovers looking to discover more flavour, more complex nuances, and more unique characteristics in their beer”.

I appreciate the brewery’s nautical naming scheme and this beer is no different. Broadside refers to the side of a ship where all the cannons are situated. Broadside is also a measurement of a ship’s maximum simultaneous firepower.

For more BC Beer Baron articles, please visit our main page…

Sip Trips #71: Ça S’arrose!

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With a friend’s wedding on the docket in Charlottetown, PEI, Mrs. Sip and I set out east with a pioneer’s spirit and a thirst for Quebec craft beers… well, more the latter. After a brief layover in Toronto, we were off to St. Adele, Quebec, to spend a handful of nights at the family cottage of another friend.

Over time spent swimming, canoeing, rock hopping, and most importantly relaxing, Mrs. Sip and I enjoyed a number of brewery products. Our first case was from Les Brasseurs RJ and included their Robe Noire Stout, Death Valley IPA, Cheval Blanc Double Blanche, D’Achouffe Blonde, Sainte Paix (grapefruit and orange ale), and Coup de Grisou (spicy buckwheat ale). We also snagged a six-pack of the Blanche du Paradis (spiced wheat ale) from Brasserie Dieu du Ciel.

Once that was consumed, we wrapped the cottage stay with a 15-piece case from Belle Gueule. The set included the brewery’s Originale, Blonde, Pilsner, Rousse (red ale), Houblon (hop beer), and Hefeweizen products. Quebec beer prices are way cheaper than BC and even Ontario, so it was easy to try a bunch of new stuff and not ruin our budget for the remainder of the holiday.

Summer Vacation Money

Sandwiched between all the time spent on the water, we journeyed to Mont Tremblant, the highest peak of the Laurentian Mountain range. There, in a village that was incredibly reminiscent of Whistler, BC, we had a meal and a couple drinks at La Diable Microbrasserie. I ordered their Blizzard Blanche Wheat Ale, while Mrs. Sip tried the Extreme Onction Trappist Style Strong Ale. Our quartet also split a pitcher of La Diable’s seasonal raspberry beer.

On our way back to the cottage, we also popped into Saint Arnould Microbrasserie. Mrs. Sip and I sampled eight of their available brews and our group grabbed a few 500ml bottles for the road, highlighted by the company’s Marie Framboise. Clearly we were really into the raspberry ales.

After departing the cottage, Mrs. Sip and I rented a car in Montreal and made the trek to Quebec City. There, we enjoyed a self-guided craft beer crawl, hitting three stops along the route. First up, was Le Projet Microbrasserie, where we split a serving of poutine (after all, the Canadian specialty was invented in the province) with a hef for Mrs. Sip and an IPA for the Sip Advisor.

Poutine Drinking

Next, we were off on a short walk to La Korrigane, where our orders were very similar. I had the Kraken IPA, while Mrs. Sip enjoyed the Mary Morgan Blanche Belge Witbier. After scanning their brew lineup, we decided we also had to try the Korrigane Pale Ale Rousse, so we asked for a six-ounce serving to split.

Our little expedition finished with a visit to La Barberie, one of Quebec’s oldest brewing establishments. They have a really neat eight-beer carousel, which included a Lime and Raspberry Pale Ale, Porter, Blackberry Blanche, Apricot Berliner Weisse, Blonde, English Red, Farmhouse Ale and India Pale Lager.

Finally, we arrived in Charlottetown… or at least the Sip Advisor did, while Mrs. Sip – who often flies standby – had some difficulties and showed up hours after. To kill time before I was able to check into our hotel, I spent some time at Gahan House, enjoying a couple beers: the Reanimator Dopplebock (an 8.1% seasonal) and Harvest Gold Pale Ale (only available at the brewpub).

Beer Snob

The next day, with Mrs. Sip now in tow, we returned for lunch. She had a pint of Sir John A’s Honey Wheat Ale (named after Canada’s first Prime Minister), while I went with a flight of Gahan’s Island Red Amber Ale, Sydney Street Premium Stout, 1772 IPA, and Blueberry Ale. Blueberry beers/spirits seem to be big out east, as Mrs. Sip had one in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Prior to heading to the wedding, a group of us met at Upstreet Brewing, but Mrs. Sip and I were running late, so didn’t have time to order anything. Thankfully, one of our cohorts had a full serving he didn’t want to get through, so I was the lucky recipient of a White Noize White IPA. I never got around to trying their Rhuby Social Strawberry Rhubarb Witbier, though.

The fine folks of PEI seem to be very seasoned drinkers, making Mrs. Sip and I look like lightweights in comparison, even if we were part of a crew that shut down two places the first night and were among the last to leave the wedding the next day. On that first night, I had a delicious Scotch Ale from New Brunswick’s Pump House Brewing, that may have been my favourite of the entire journey. Now, Mrs. Sip and I are home for a rest… we were gone for a week, drunk since we left!