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 #163 – Parallel 49/Fernie Spirit in the Sky Havana Club Stout

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For the second consecutive year, Parallel 49 Brewing has joined forces with 12 different BC craft breweries to release a package of unique beers, dubbed Brews Brothers Volume 2. The Sip Advisor figured spending the first chunk of June reviewing these releases would be a great idea. So, let’s get on with things.

The fine folks at Fernie Brewing (how’s that for alliteration – although I’m sure they are actually fine folks!) travelled a fair distance to make this collaboration with P49 work and their efforts definitely paid off with a delicious beverage.

Parallel 49 & Fernie Spirit in the Sky Havana Club Stout

The Spirit in the Sky Havana Club Stout combines two of my favourite things in this world: Havana Club Rum and stout beers. Using oak spirals that have been aged in seven-year-old Havana Club Rum, this stout is potent (6.5% ABV), but also enjoys the traditional attributes of a smooth, mellow, flavourful stout.

Each beer is named after a classic rock song and the Havana Club Stout meets its match with Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky. An interesting note about Mr. Greenbaum, was that at one time, he was a member of the psychedelic jug band Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band. I don’t know why, but that has me incredibly intrigued… and a little scared!

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

BC Beer Baron #162 – Parallel 49/Moody Ales Purple Haze Black Currant Sour

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For the second consecutive year, Parallel 49 Brewing has joined forces with 12 different BC craft breweries to release a package of unique beers, dubbed Brews Brothers Volume 2. The Sip Advisor figured spending the first chunk of June reviewing these releases would be a great idea. So, let’s get on with things.

Moody Ales is a strong collaborator on a number of different releases that I’ve had the pleasure of drinking (1880 Export Stout with Ridge Brewing, Tam O’Shanter Scotch Ale with Bomber Brewing, etc.), so it’s no surprise they would be a contributor on this project.

Parallel 49 & Moody Ales Purple Haze Black Currant Sour

The Purple Haze Black Currant Sour is strong and tart, yet easy drinking. It’s like downing juice that is super awesome amazing. Somehow, I managed to put the two sour beers in this pack back-to-back on my schedule, but that was good in proving to me that sour beers are right up my alley… so long as they are strong on the booze content, as this 8% ABV bevvy is. I was hoping the beer would come in a ‘purple haze’ hue and I wasn’t disappointed.

Each beer is named after a classic rock song and they don’t come more classic than a Jimi Hendrix musical epic, such as Purple Haze. I experimented with the nickname ‘The Experience’ in my younger days, but sadly it never caught on… I suppose it was better left to another legend!

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

BC Beer Baron #161 – Parallel 49/Four Winds The Boys Are Back in Town Nectar-Face

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For the second consecutive year, Parallel 49 Brewing has joined forces with 12 different BC craft breweries to release a package of unique beers, dubbed Brews Brothers Volume 2. The Sip Advisor figured spending the first chunk of June reviewing these releases would be a great idea. So, let’s get on with things.

Four Winds Brewing is enjoying quite the run, taking home Brewery of the Year at the 2015 Canadian Brewing Awards and Beer of the Year at this year’s event. Why not raise their profile even more by combining efforts with P49 for this collaborative release?

Parallel 49 & Four Winds The Boys Are Back in Town Nectar-Face

The Boys Are Back in Town Nectar-Face has been called the “love-child” of Parallel 49’s Jerkface 9000 and Four Winds’ Nectarous (the brew that earned the Delta-based operation Beer of the Year), both of which have large followings. This easy-to-drink sour has me thinking I could get more and more into the style of beer, which is perfect during the summer. I can definitely get down with the beverage when it comes in at 6% ABV.

Each beer is named after a classic rock song and the Nectar-Face got paired with Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back in Town. This single from the Irish rockers narrowly cracked Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (at #499) in 2004. When updated in 2010, the track dropped off the list, but it’s still a great anthem for a guys’ night out!

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

Sip Trips #65: Cowtown Capers

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Despite only being back from a month-long vacation in Asia for a week and a half, last weekend found us in Calgary, Alberta for a friend’s wedding. And you better believe Mrs. Sip and I got our craft beer on!

My first impression of the Calgary craft beer scene was that I was amazed by how much BC craft beer has infiltrated the province and comprises their industry. Half of the selection at restaurants, bars, and beer and wine stores are BC beers. This is partly due to taxes being lessened for BC and Saskatchewan products. Sadly, taxes were raised drastically for wares from outside western Canada, which some worry will kill the import of products from the rest of Canada, the US, and abroad.

Cursing Taxes

Our weekend began with a late Friday night arrival in Calgary and we immediately hit the streets to check things out. It didn’t take long for us to get the fun started, as we stopped into the 5 Vines beer and wine store, where we had a great chat with their purchaser. He provided us with samples of the Fahr Fahr Away Hefeweizen and the Dandy Chatty Chappy English Mild, both of which were quite good.

Next up, was dinner and drinks at Bottlescrew Bill’s Pub (also housing Buzzards Restaurant & Bar). Here, we delved into more Calgary based brews, including Wild Rose Electric Avenue, Buzzard Breath Ale (brewed by Wild Rose as the restaurant and pub’s house beer), Tool Shed Flat Cap Stout, and Village Wit. Bottlescrew Bill’s has a really neat beer passport idea where you have one year to complete an 80-beer international challenge, with prizes up for grabs for those who are successful.

The next day, we made our way to one of Calgary’s National Beerhall locations, where we greatly enjoyed hanging out on their Rooftop Beer Garden and throwing back a number of solid beers. Among them, were the Village Squeeze Lemon Berry Helles, Wild Rose Velvet Fog Wheat Ale and Wraspberry Ale, and Big Rock Lucky 13 Femme Wave Red Ale. Our server even offered to get us set up with a game of bowling in their basement, but we had friends to meet, prior to the wedding.

Bowling Ideal Sport

The next pre-wedding stop was Last Best Brewery, where Mrs. Sip and I shared a flight of tasters. On our board was the Dirty Bird Black Lager, Hefeweizen, Caramel Latte Beer, IPA#2 – The Contender, Mandarina Kolsch, and Dunkelweizen. My favourites among the bunch were the Caramel Latte Beer and the IPA #2 – The Contender.

The day after the wedding, we met the newlyweds for lunch at Native Tongues Taqueria, where I paired a mezcal-based margarita with some delicious legit tacos (chicken, pork, and beef). We also shared the restaurant’s salsa sampler, which had some very interesting tortilla chip enhancers.

With a few hours to kill before flying back to Vancouver, Mrs. Sip and I conducted our own crawl of the downtown core. Our first stop was Wurst, which is a haven for drinkers of European beer, as they watch football matches from the continent. We took advantage of happy hour, which offered $5 domestic and import draught. Our bevvy of choice was the Erdinder Weisbier, a favourite of both mine and Mrs. Sip.

happy-hour first responder

Next up, was Ship & Anchor, where legend has it one day the bar got fed up with macro breweries competing with each other and decided to banish them entirely from their menu. Here, Mrs. Sip tried their house beer, the Ship & Anchor Barnacle Pilsner, while I went for the Village Blacksmith, which was a very nice India Black Ale.

We wrapped things up with a stop at Briggs Kitchen + Bar for some food and drinks, having heard good things about the location from our fellow out-of-town friends. While splitting a delicious serving of Newf’s Poutine (that would be lobster, of course), we tried a couple of their interesting cocktails, including the Pepper & Tonic (Beefeater Gin, lemon, simple syrup, jalapeno and pineapple jelly) and The Finch (Jamesons Whiskey, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur, cucumber, simple syrup, lemon). Topping the meal off with the eatery’s Warm Chocolate Pot was the icing on the cake for this wonderful weekend away.

Given this was my first visit to Calgary in 15 years (and the first one of legal drinking age), as well as Mrs. Sip’s inaugural foray into the city, we only hope it doesn’t take such a long time to get back to Cowtown!

BC Beer Baron #160 – Parallel 49/Hearthstone Sympathy for the Devil Black IPA

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For the second consecutive year, Parallel 49 Brewing has joined forces with 12 different BC craft breweries to release a package of unique beers, dubbed Brews Brothers Volume 2. The Sip Advisor figured spending the first chunk of June reviewing these releases would be a great idea. So, let’s get on with things.

Once again, we get an East-North connection, as North Vancouver’s Hearthstone Brewing joins the collaboration fray. I should take this opportunity to point out that Hearthstone’s long-awaited taproom is due to open sometime this month and will feature pizzas from a wood fired oven.

Parallel 49 & Hearthstone Sympathy for the Devil Black IPA

The Sympathy for the Devil Black IPA was a spectacular beer… one that I would even bestow a rare 5-out-of-5 on the Sip-O-Meter! The beverage tastes strong – although comes in at a not overbearing (they call it restrained) 6.5% ABV – and is cut just right by its citrus notes. If you only try one beer from the pack, this might be it.

Each beer is named after a classic rock song and once again we go to the Rolling Stones for this brew, with their Sympathy for the Devil tune. Like I said previously, I find the work of the Stones to be hit and miss. In this case, I enjoy the lyrics of the track, but not the music that accompanies it. That may sound a little weird, but whateves.

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

BC Beer Baron #159 – Parallel 49/Bridge Bat Outta Hell Dark Helles Bock

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For the second consecutive year, Parallel 49 Brewing has joined forces with 12 different BC craft breweries to release a package of unique beers, dubbed Brews Brothers Volume 2. The Sip Advisor figured spending the first chunk of June reviewing these releases would be a great idea. So, let’s get on with things.

An East-North connection brings us this beverage, as Bridge Brewing partners with P49. Both breweries dabble in a number of different styles and aren’t shy about playing around with intriguing combinations, so I was looking forward to their collaborative strength coming together.

Parallel 49 & Bridge Bat Outta Hell Dark Helles Bock

The Bat Outta Hell Dark Helles Bock uses Hallertau Blanc hops, which provide the brew with a gooseberry aroma, as well as black malt to darken the beer’s colour. While I can’t rank the 6.5% ABV drink among my favourites from this awesome pack, it was a solid effort.

Each beer is named after a classic rock song and today we get some good ol’ Meatloaf (or as I’ve always called him ‘The Loaf’) and his Bat Out of Hell. I like how they took the song title and combined it with the popular Helles Bock beer style, resulting in a very catchy brew name.

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

Sip Trips #64: Asian Antics (Part 2)

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With our cruise over, Mrs. Sip and I, along with her sister were on our way to Japan for two weeks of riding the rails, sightseeing and taking in the country’s fascinating culture.

I learned quickly that there were some craft beer options in Japan and picked up bottles and cans whenever the opportunity arose. Some of our favourites included releases from Cuedo Brewing (hefeweizen, IPL, pilsner, and a very interesting imperial sweet potato amber); Suntory (stout, IPA, weizen, amber ale, etc.); and what we can only call “frog beers” (saison and American wheat).

Japan Ready for War

Switching gears to the macro side of things, we were lucky to tour the Kirin Brewery outside Kobe, Japan. The shuttle that takes visitors from train station to factory is designed to look like a beer can, so things get off to a great start and only get better from there with a free tour and samples. Sure, you have to go through a tour that is only done in Japanese, but the sacrifice is well worth it!

In Osaka, we explored the Dotonbori area, known for its vibrant nightlife. Some research led us to the Space Station Video Game Bar, where drinkers can enjoy a beverage and a vintage video game. As expected, the drinks and shots available are themed after video games and popular characters. I had the Gin & Sonic (a G&T with Blue Curacao added to emulate the classic Sega speedster), followed by a Triforce shooter of Legend of Zelda fame. The owner made sure to get us set up with a great game called Ibb and Obb, while the bartender was very helpful with describing their extensive menu.

Our Air BnB in Tokyo was located just minutes away from the Golden Gai area of the city. Here, there are an estimated 300 little bars, some of which you would struggle to get more than a handful of people into. Some of these spots only welcome locals, while others may be open to tourists, providing they pay a cover charge. We tried to stick to bars that allowed foreigners (or gaijin as they are known) and didn’t have cover. We worked our way into four very unique settings, including one honouring classic movies; one where karaoke filled the venue; Death Match in Hell, which was a tribute to death metal and horror movies; and 5 Gallons, which was just straight up fun.

Japan Weird

The next night, we enjoyed a two-hour all-inclusive drinking experience on the 41st floor of the Park Hyatt, in their Peak Bar. Dubbed the Top of Tokyo, my strategy was to challenge the bartender to make her best cocktail with [insert liquor here]. It yielded some great results, such as a Cherry Blossom. This was joined by copious other beverages, including manhattans, mojitos, daiquiris and whiskey sours.

We wrapped up our Asian journey with a few days at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Drinks could be had in the Disney Sea park, which meant we spent a fair bit of time there. Mrs. Sip dared me to try their “Frozen” Kirin Draft, which translated into chilled foam at the top of the beer that kept it cooler, longer, but tasted as bad as you’d expect the head of beer to taste.

Japan Signs

We also enjoyed some quiet time in both of the park’s lounges: the Teddy Roosevelt Lounge and Magellan’s Lounge. At Magellan’s, Mrs. Sip and I enjoyed their wine tasting flight, which included a white, red, and port pour, along with meat and cheese nibblies.

Much like most of our journeys, I can’t say enough good things about the sites we saw, the people we met and the activities we experienced. I wouldn’t trade the trip for anything and urge all you little sippers out there to try it for yourselves.

BC Beer Baron #158 – Parallel 49/Cannery Gimme Shelter Apple IPA

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For the second consecutive year, Parallel 49 Brewing has joined forces with 12 different BC craft breweries to release a package of unique beers, dubbed Brews Brothers Volume 2. The Sip Advisor figured spending the first chunk of June reviewing these releases would be a great idea. So, let’s get on with things.

I’m a fan of the work Penticton’s Cannery Brewing is doing (also love visiting their tasting room, whenever Mrs. Sip and I are lucky enough to be in the area) and when I first saw the label to this beer, I was ready and raring to get it into a glass.

Parallel 49 & Cannery Gimme Shelter Apple IPA

The Gimme Shelter Apple IPA is a really well-crafted, complex offering. The mix of a strong (7% ABV) IPA, with notes of sour green apples makes for a very enjoyable drinking experience. The beer was constructed by combining a witbier base with saison yeast. Add two hop variations and you have the complete package.

Each beer is named after a classic rock song, with this track coming from the legendary Rolling Stones. I will admit that I find the Rolling Stones long archive of releases to be hit and miss, as far as my music appreciation goes, but I do like Gimme Shelter, especially its use in the opening scenes of The Departed, starring Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and so many other great talents.

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

BC Beer Baron #157 – Parallel 49/Category 12 Comfortably Numb Rye Old Ale

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For the second consecutive year, Parallel 49 Brewing has joined forces with 12 different BC craft breweries to release a package of unique beers, dubbed Brews Brothers Volume 2. The Sip Advisor figured spending the first chunk of June reviewing these releases would be a great idea. So, let’s get on with things.

Victoria’s Category 12 Brewing has been a bit of a revelation for the Sip Advisor this year and I was happy to see them participating in this project. It figures that a brewery owned and operated by a doctor of microbiology and biochemistry would be up for some experimentation.

Parallel 49 & Category 12 Comfortably Numb Rye Old Ale

The Comfortably Numb Rye Old Ale features a very nice hit of booze with each sip. It might not be the best beer to start your drinking night, but after a few warmup brews, you should be good to go. At 8.9% ABV, one could certainly numb their pain with a few of these bad boys. There’s even a spicy cherry note to the beverage.

Each beer is named after a classic rock song, with Pink Floyd’s iconic Comfortably Numb getting some feature time here. The original version of this tune is amazing, but you have to check out this live performance the group put on at the Live 8 concert in London’s Hyde Park in 2005. It’s simply chilling how good the music is!

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

BC Beer Baron #156 – Parallel 49/Doan’s Thunderstruck Sticke Alt

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For the second consecutive year, Parallel 49 Brewing has joined forces with 12 different BC craft breweries to release a package of unique beers, dubbed Brews Brothers Volume 2. The Sip Advisor figured spending the first chunk of June reviewing these releases would be a great idea. So, let’s get on with things.

Next up is Doan’s Brewing’s turn at the collaboration collection. Earlier this year, I was really impressed by Doan’s Rye Stout and that gave me great hopes for the two East Van breweries coming together for this effort.

Parallel 49 & Doan's Thunderstruck Sticke Alt

The Thunderstruck Sticke Alt was a pretty good beer, but I found it to be a slight drop off from the first few beers I’d sampled from the pack. The only mark I could really give against it, however, was that it had a slightly bitter finish that turned me off from an otherwise decent brew. The 6% ABV pilsner features notes of chocolate malt.

Each beer is named after a classic rock song and today we get to one of my all-time favourite pump-up jams, AC/DC’s Thunderstruck. I can still remember being a young hockey player and doing pre-game warmups with this song thundering (no pun intended) over the arena sound system. It made a little guy feel like a pro, if only for a few minutes!

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