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 #56 – Deep Cove Scout Rye IPA

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The final stop of our recent North Vancouver brewery crawl brought us to Deep Cove Brewing, where despite the lateness in the day and still having to make the trek back home, we made sure to enjoy our brief layover.

The Scout Rye IPA was my favourite beer amongst all the Deep Cove options we tried (one of everything is usually how we try to roll). I’m an IPA fan, though, so other drinkers – including the rest of my own crew – would likely not agree with the Sip Advisor. At 7% ABV and 82 IBUs, this brew (formerly known as the Star Struck Rye IPA) is not for lightweights. I’m finding more and more that I enjoy an element of rye, whiskey or bourbon in my beers, as an experience enhancer.

Deep Cove Scout Rye IPA

The beer’s can design features a logo used by hikers to mark routes through the North Shore Rainforest. The brewery writes, “Whether pinned to a tree or on the front of a can you can be sure it will lead you to a bold epic adventure.”

Deep Cove is one of the most active breweries I’ve come across, as far as planned events go. Live music is a regular fixture and they seem to be more involved in the community than many of their fellow operations. Deep Cove also distills their own vodka and gin, with both spirits being available in their North Vancouver tasting room.

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BC Beer Baron #55 – Bridge Lonsdale Lager

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For our recent tour of North Vancouver craft breweries, Bridge Brewing was marked with permanent ink, as we had plans to redeem a Groupon Cousin Sip had picked up, allowing for tasting flights and souvenir glasses for the four of us.

In picking a particular beer to profile from the North Vancouver brewery, I settled on the Lonsdale Lager, as sometimes that style of beer doesn’t get the love and attention it deserves, overshadowed by many of its ale cousins. That said, I was surprised to learn that the lager is a seasonal release for Bridge, rather than part of their year round line-up. The beer is only available in draught form and for growler fills, so don’t expect to stumble across six-packs or bombers out there in the marketplace.

Bridge Lonsdale Lager

For its part, the Lonsdale Lager is a solid beer (5.2% ABV and 17 IBUs) of the Helles variety. I don’t think it will blow drinker’s minds, but they won’t want to send it back, either. It’s a perfect beer (and one every craft brewery needs) to have as an option for that one person in your group who can’t stand anything hoppy or experimental and just wants something “normal”.

Our recent visit to Bridge was our first to their new location, having previously stopped at their former home a couple years back, as part of a Vancouver Brewery Tours route. I have to say that the move was a good one and their new tasting room is much more visitor friendly.

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BC Beer Baron #54 – Black Kettle Tropic Thunder Saison

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A true highlight of our recent self-guided North Vancouver brewery tour was popping into Black Kettle Brewing, a place I had wanted to visit since picking them as my MVP of the Tapped Vancouver event we attended in late January.

Their Tropic Thunder Saison was every bit as good as the movie that inspired it and made me go back and watch the film again. This saison was hoppier than most beers of this breed, but I think that is what I liked most about it. At 5.5% ABV, this experimental brew was a hit amongst our entire group and I think we’re lucky it was on tap when we happened to be there.

Black Kettle Brewing

On this visit to Black Kettle, we had a fantastic time with Philip (one of the founders of the brewery), who gave me the impression that he could very well be the Seth Rogen of BC’s craft beer scene. What was supposed to be just a drink each, turned into a much longer stay (trying everything they had on tap) and we only left because we had two other destinations on our itinerary with daylight running out.

For those also hoping to stop into Black Kettle’s tasting room, it should be noted that Google’s walking directions might not be very helpful, as they try to lead you through a marina with no exit; railway tracks that are technically private property and illegal to be traversing on foot; and Native reserve land, which in this case was maze-like. Don’t go chasing waterfalls, my little sippers, please stick to the main roads that you’re used to!

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BC Beer Baron #53 – Green Leaf Burning Rock Ale

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On the Sip Alliance’s recent jaunt to explore North Vancouver’s brewery scene, our first stop of the day was Green Leaf Brewing, which is located right as you get off the Seabus, after crossing over from Downtown Vancouver.

The Burning Rock Ale was among the brewery’s rotating taps when we stopped in and it was my favourite of the layover. The beer provides a nice mix of malts and hops with a caramel finish to boot.

Green Leaf Burning Rock Ale

The ale is inspired by fire and rock, or as Green Leaf puts it: “When red-hot granite meets beer wort that sears itself into the beer and then into the imagination. The taste of this beer is all about malt and the unique range of caramelized flavors that come from this most unusual process.” To check out that process in action, Green Leaf has posted a video to their page about the Burning Rock Ale’s production.

This was my first visit to Green Leaf’s Lonsdale Quay location, despite working in the area for the last half year. Now that I’ve finally been, I should make more of a point of popping into the tasting room and grabbing a treat for the road after a hard day’s work!

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BC Beer Baron #52 – Ridge Hairy Donut Irish Amber Ale

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What was supposed to be the last stop of our Fraser Valley craft brewery crawl, Ridge Brewing, turned into one more respite on the way home, thanks to all the fun we had at the Maple Ridge tasting room.

There, we tried a bit of everything the brewery had available, including the Hairy Donut Irish Amber Ale. The Hairy Donut was a decent beer and the kind that drinkers of all types can get into and appreciate. It’s perfect for those that just want a solid beer and nothing too crazy.

Ridge Hairy Donut Irish Amber Ale

While I enjoyed some of Ridge’s beers (Green Eyes White IPA, Black Mamba Milk Stout and Café Morena English Brown Ale) more than today’s entry, there’s a great story to go along with the Hairy Donut. For those unfamiliar with the term, it basically describes a man’s furry belly button region… or, at least that’s the PG version and the one Ridge was able to sell to the group that approves beer names. As for the R-rated version, I’ll let your imagination run wild and do the work on that. It should be noted, the name is also a tribute to the owner’s late brother… or so the story goes!

We had a great time at Ridge Brewing (not to be confused with Big Ridge Brewing in Surrey), chatting with our server Duncan and the brewery’s owner Carlos (not to be confused with Maple Meadows owner Carlo). Ridge even offers customers specially designed growlers, with sayings such as ‘Corporate Beer Sucks’, ‘Cerveza Por Favor’, ‘Magical Drinking Juice Inside’, and ‘I Like Hairy Donut’.

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BC Beer Baron #51 – Maple Meadows Vanilla Porter

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On our recent Fraser Valley craft brewery crawl, we made sure to stop into Maple Meadows Brewing to sample their wares.

Among the tasters I tried, the Vanilla Porter was my favourite and would rank highly when compared to all 86 different beers I sampled over the Family Day long weekend. The porter was smooth and not too complex, letting the vanilla aroma and essence shine.

Maple Meadows Brewing

I’m finding that I really like the flavour of vanilla in my dark beers and thankfully, this is a common ingredient in stouts, porters and other varieties. I look forward to exploring this new passion in the future.

This was our second visit to Maple Meadows and the brewery has grown substantially since our last stop, back when the operation had only been open for a few weeks and was in its infancy stage. Maple Meadows is owned and operated by Carlo Baroccio, who originally comes from Mexico and decided to set up shop in Maple Ridge after other cities turned down his application to set up shop in their area.

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Sip Trips #58: Chocolate for My Love

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Over Valentine’s Day weekend, Mrs. Sip and I were able to attend two separate events in Langley, one pairing chocolate with wine and the other pairing chocolate with beer. Is there any better way to celebrate the holiday!?

Valentine's Day Romantic Gesture

First, on Saturday, we visited Township 7 Winery, where $15 got guests six generous samples of wine, four of which were paired with a chocolate treat from the White Rock Chocolate Company. Among the pairings were:

  • Sauvignon Blanc with Sea Salt & Lime Chocolate
  • Chardonnay with Brown Butter Caramel Chocolate
  • Merlot with choice of Cinnamon Chocolate or Chili Chocolate
  • NBO Blend with Black Cherry Silk Chocolate

The Sip Advisor’s favourite combo was the Merlot with the Chili Chocolate, as the spice of the chocolate was switched into overdrive with each sip of the wine. That said, the best chocolate overall was the Brown Butter Caramel Chocolate.

Next up, on Sunday, Mrs. Sip and I ventured out to Trading Post Brewing, which had just opened the day before to massive line-ups, as enthusiasts wanted to check out Langley’s first true craft brewery (Dead Frog Brewing is technically located in the neighbouring community of Aldergrove). Mrs. Sip and I had originally hoped to be one of the first guests of the new operation, but long waits and other commitments kiboshed that idea. Trading Post did offer a great incentive upon opening: the first 50 visitors to bring a bottle or can of macro-brewed beer, could exchange that for a free growler from the upstart brewery.

Valentine's Day Lent

The extra day’s wait was worth it, as we were able to partake in Trading Post’s Valentine’s Day chocolate and beer pairing. While we were able to sample each of the six beers available at launch (another two are in the works), each brew was paired with a chocolate from Abbotsford’s ChocolaTas. The pairings included:

  • 1827 Helles Lager with Grapefruit Ganache Chocolate
  • Derby Hop Session Lager with Pistachio Mousse Chocolate
  • Owyhee Tropical Wheat Ale with Green Curry and Ginger Chocolate
  • Capt. Coopers Cranberry Ale with Basil Tomato & Raspberry Chocolate
  • What Cheer Brett IPA with Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate
  • Three Bears Breakfast Stout with Dark Chocolate Ganache Chocolate

Our mutual favourite combo was probably the Brett IPA and Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate. As for beers, I also enjoyed the Derby Hop Session Lager and Tropical Wheat Ale, while I found myself really getting into the Green Curry and Ginger Chocolate. Some of the ChocolaTas creations are quite unique, but I can only imagine they taste as good as all of these selections did.

The entire weekend proved that you really can’t go wrong with chocolate!

BC Beer Baron #50 – Hoyne Dark Matter

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I figured for my 50th post of this 366-day BC craft beer project, I should share with all you little sippers one of my favourite brews on the local landscape, this excellent selection from Hoyne Brewing.

The Dark Matter has been described as both a brown ale and a porter and perhaps it’s a hybrid of the two styles. It is mild on hops, but high in roasted malts, so if that’s your thing, this beer will be right up your alley.

Hoyne Dark Matter

While the company’s description for the delicious dark brew has nothing to do with beer, it’s worth reading any: “Deep inside the Hadron Collider physicists hurtle sub-atomic particles with lightning speed on a collision course with each other. They do so in the pursuit of pure science, in the hope of one day being able to unlock the mystery of the elusive unseen fabric upon which our universe is embroidered: Dark Matter.”

If that doesn’t get you jazzed and make you want to crack this beauty open, not much will. Admittedly, this is one of my favourite beers on the market and I’ve advocated for it with friends and strangers alike. This is a perfect introductory beer to the darker side of the industry and those that stick to lighter lagers and ales should at least give this beverage a go.

The one time Mrs. Sip and I were able to get to Hoyne’s tiny tasting room, we hadn’t fallen in love with this beer yet and I don’t remember much from the experience other than the size of the place and Sis-in-Law Sip buying a bomber or two. Since it has gone on to become one of my breweries, I believe another visit is in order.

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BC Beer Baron #49 – Field House Sour Wheat Gose

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Despite being only three weeks old, when the Sip Alliance visited Field House Brewing on our recent beer journey through the Fraser Valley, the place was packed and it wouldn’t take long for our crew to figure out why.

Typically, the Sip Advisor isn’t the biggest fan of sour beers, but the Sour Wheat Gose was my favourite among our four-sample taster flight. As is the case with most sours, this brew was light at only 3.8% ABV, but you don’t always need to have your socks knocked off. Perhaps I’ve opened a new door for myself, in regards to beer enjoyment.

Field House Brewing

The brewery prides themselves on “community, family and old school values,” which sounds like the definition of a true craft brewery. The company’s website states: “Let’s take care of each other and build something great that we can share together.” You can even join the brewery as an original founder, kind of like a crowdsourcing initiative.

Overall, I was impressed with Field House’s intimate cabin-style tasting room, complete with roaring fireplace. Their taster flight price was higher ($9 for four samples) than I’ve seen elsewhere, but the drinks were worth it. While most breweries might open with more traditional beer options, I thought the Field House line-up was very unique and experimental, also including a Dutch Pale Ale, Eastern IPA, and Salted Black Porter. This can only mean good things for their future!

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BC Beer Baron #48 – Old Abbey Ales Belgian Tripel

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Over the Family Day long weekend, the Sip Alliance traversed the BC Lower Mainland, hitting a number of breweries we had yet to visit previously. Among those stops was Old Abbey Ales in Abbotsford.

One of the brewery’s flagships is their Belgian Tripel, which although we didn’t select a taster of, Mrs. Sip had to grab a bomber for the road, being a huge fan of the style. Old Abbey Ales actually focuses on the Belgian style, with their logo featuring a Belgian lion, complete with chalice and wheat sheaf. Their dedication showed, with this strong (9% ABV), complex and flavourful release.

Old Abbey Ales Belgian Tripel

The Belgian Tripel is at optimum serving temperature between 8-12 degrees Celsius. Suggested food pairings include Cajun dishes, game meat, pork and roast, and curries, while blue, gorgonzola, triple crème, goat and light feta comprise cheese accompaniments for the brew.

I didn’t know what to expect as the Sip Alliance pulled up to Old Abbey Ales. The Growler BC beer guide listed only two of the company’s beers and even their own website only contains info on a half dozen brews. Once we got inside though, I was blown away. They had 25 different beers on tap, which is helped by the fact they’re one of the few breweries Mrs. Sip and I have seen outside of Portland to adopt a fill-out-your-own tasting form system. We came for the beer, but stuck around for the free popcorn, peanuts and pretzels and will return soon!

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