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 #47 – Dead Frog Super Fearless Imperial IPA

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Our recent tour of BC’s Fraser Valley beer region got started off on the right note as we popped into Dead Frog Brewing for some tasters and other mischief.

The Super Fearless IPA is a direct, super-amped (“on steroids”) descendent of the brewery’s Fearless IPA. As an IPA fan, I can be a little picky about what I like from the family of beers and this product did not disappoint.

Dead Frog Super Fearless IPA

The brew’s description warns: “Prepare for a glorious hop bomb of epic proportions!” With four different styles of malts and the same amount of diverse hops, they ain’t lying. The specialty beer is released every July and comes in at a whopping 9% ABV and 93 IBU. That will blow your beak off like Elmer Fudd did to Daffy Duck!

This was our first visit to Dead Frog’s Aldergrove brewery and tasting room, despite the fact it has been around since 2006. Dead Frog was one of the first craft beers I ever tried and Ma and Pa Sip’s beer fridge was often filled with their summer mixed pack during the early days of the Sip Advisor’s craft beer enlightenment.

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

BC Beer Baron #46 – Trading Post What Cheer Brett IPA

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Trading Post Brewing is BC’s newest craft beer operation, having just opened on Saturday. While Mrs. Sip and I tried to visit then, the out-the-door line-up prevented that, but we returned the next day and were able to partake in the brewery’s beer and chocolate pairing for Valentine’s Day.

One of our mutual favourites, among the company’s six-beer opening line-up was the What Cheer Brett IPA. This style of beer combines two of the most popular brewing families: sours and IPAs. Even Mrs. Sip was a fan, despite not loving either variety. I have suspicions that the salted caramel chocolate (from ChocolaTas in Abbotsford) pairing may have helped in her newfound appreciation!

Trading Post Brewing

The Brett IPA has a 6.6% ABV, with 56 IBUs. The refreshing brew was made with flavours of mango, guava and orange, while incorporating four different styles of hops.

To say Trading Post had a very successful opening weekend would be a huge understatement. While we were there, the company’s brewmaster was taking the time to chat with visitors about his creations and he was thrilled with the response so far from the craft beer community. Great for them, not-so-great for Mrs. Sip and I, but we’re happy for the new addition to the network.

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

BC Beer Baron #45 – Barkerville Promise to Sophia Valentine Ale

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For Valentine’s Day, featuring a love-themed beer as part of this 366-day BC craft beer project seemed like the perfect idea. My research, however, proved that there weren’t too many obvious options to choose from. That was, until I stumbled across the press release for this Barkerville Brewing product.

This is the second year that Promise to Sophia has hit the market before Valentine’s Day. It is a strong (6.9% ABV) and dark milk stout, flavoured with vanilla and anise. As the brewery writes, “Smooth and slightly sweet, this winter warmer is sure to inspire everlasting devotion.”

Barkerville Promise to Sophia

Promise to Sophia is the only Valentine Ale the Sip Advisor knows about and it has a hell of a story behind it. During the Cariboo Gold Rush of the 1860’s, John and Sophia Cameron staked their claim to riches, but sadly Sophia didn’t survive their first brutal winter, succumbing to typhoid fever.

On her death bed, Sophia asked her husband to return her body to their native Ontario. Three caskets, four funerals, and two burials later, John lived up to that promise and got Sophia to her final resting place. Now that is true love and dedication!

Barkerville, BC was the epicenter of the Cariboo Gold Rush and most of the brewing company’s beers are named with this is mind. There’s the 18 Karat Ale, Paydirt Cascadian Dark Ale, and White Gold Witbier, for example. Even when you pop a Barkerville Brewing bottle cap, you will be greeted with a message stating: “No Gold – Keep Digging!”

Only available at select private liquor stores, this beer wasn’t easy to track down and I have to give a special thanks to the Brewery Creek Liquor Store for having it in stock. When I succeeded in my mission of finding the Valentine Ale yesterday morning, there was only two left in stock. That’s another story of true love that will one day be told to future generations!

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

BC Beer Baron #44 – Phillip’s Longboat Chocolate Porter

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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. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, this month’s feature week will look at beers of a chocolate nature, perfect to celebrate the occasion.

Phillips Brewing is popular amongst craft beer aficionados both on Vancouver Island and the mainland and they have another winner on their hands here.

The Longboat Chocolate Porter is smooth and flavourful. The beer hits you with chocolate first and then finishes with the traditional coffee aftertaste that porters are known for.

Phillips Longboat Chocolate Porter

The brewery believes (and the Sip Advisor agrees) that one of the world’s classic historical pairings is that of chocolate and beer. Phillips goes so far as to associate their beer with the duos of “Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, Super Dave Osborne and Mr. Fuji, cheddar cheese and pickles, Bob and Doug McKenzie, Mork and Mindy, [and] Bonnie and Clyde!”

The smallest size the Longboat comes in is as a bomber because “341 mL just isn’t enough!” Suggested pairings for the brew are with vanilla ice cream and chocolate. Phillips also provides a few recipes using the Longboat Chocolate Porter, which customers can try. These include, Funky Gingerbread Cakes and Hammer Brownies.

I’ve managed to get over to Phillips on a couple occasions for growler fills (in fact, the Sip Advisor’s first growler ever was from Phillips – a nice souvenir from a weekend jaunt to Victoria) and tastings. Sadly, our most recent visits to the island have been too short to fit in a stop, but we honour the brewery from home, when we can.

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

BC Beer Baron #43 – Mission Springs Spirit Bear Spiced Chocolate Imperial Stout

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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. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, this month’s feature week will look at beers of a chocolate nature, perfect to celebrate the occasion.

On our recent beer travels around BC’s Lower Mainland for the Family Day long weekend, we stopped in at the Mission Springs Pub for a snack and to try some of their brews.

Over a platter of pulled pork nachos, we ordered a couple tasting flights. My favourite beverage among my samples was the Spirit Bear Spiced Chocolate Imperial Stout. The beer has a nice spice aroma and taste to go along with the always enjoyable chocolate flavour. At 8% ABV, the Spirit Bear is on the stronger side, as implied with its ‘Imperial Stout’ moniker.

SpiritBearStout_Sticker

Spirit Bears (also known as Kermode Bears, named after former Royal BC Museum director Francis Kermode) can be found in parts of BC and are even the official provincial mammal. The white or cream-coloured bears feature heavily in the stories of BC’s native population.

I liked the Mission Springs Pub and could see why it’s a popular local watering hole. Brewpubs are my favourite places to go for food and drink and when I venture out this way in the future, I’ll make sure to pop in for another round.

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

Sip Trips #57: In the Name of Science

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After taking a week off from Sip Trips articles, I’m back with a vengeance. Mrs. Sip and I shelled out the big bucks to attend the Science of Cocktails charity event at Science World and had a fantastic night, albeit a fuzzy one for myself.

Tickets were $145 each (and no, that wasn’t even VIP pricing… those tickets went for $250 a pop), which had Mrs. Sip and I approaching with caution while friends of ours instantly balked at the price. We decided that if tickets were still available in late January, after our credit card rolled over to a new bill cycle, we’d commit. That is sound financial planning, my little sippers!

managing finances

What initially got me excited about the event was the list of alcohol sponsors, including Jack Daniel’s, Chambord, Ardbeg, El Jimador, Hennessy, Ciroc, Tanqueray, Remy Martin, Belvedere, and so many others. Just looking at the list again has me licking my chops. Even Parallel 49 Brewing was there, but this was a rare night in 2016 where beer took a backseat for the Sip Advisor.

Featuring some of the city’s top bartenders, working 25 beverage stations, Science World was transformed into a booze lovers paradise… all in the name of science. Each of the booths set up provided a lesson in molecular mixology, from smoking Ardbeg Scotch fumes to the three different way to consume a Mai Tai, including smoking, eating (jellybeans) and drinking.

The food on hand was pretty good, but some of it ran out very early into the evening. I enjoyed the sushi and poutine booths, while Mrs. Sip feasted at the meat and cheese table. The sushi was too popular, though, and was gone by 10pm, despite the event ending at midnight.

adult lunchables

We didn’t get to check out any of the presentations going on throughout the night, as the general game plan was comprised of receiving a drink at one station and enjoying it while lined up at the next one. My goal of hitting each and every station was moderately successful. We thought we’d hit them all, until referencing the map we were given at the start of the night and realizing we missed a couple of the more hidden booths. We’ll just have to do better next year.

Proceeds from the gala will go to help fund school field trips to Science World, which hosts thousands of students each year. I personally remember attending as a high-schooler and having a really good time, so I’m happy to pay the experience forward.

For the Family Day weekend, the Sip Alliance hit the road for a two-day, 12-brewery expedition, which was a wonderful way to spend a long weekend, while staying local. Our experiences on this journey will largely be documented in upcoming BC Beer Baron articles (tried 86 different beers over the span), but if anyone out there wants itinerary ideas for their own excursions, feel free to hit me up for our routes.

BC Beer Baron #42 – Ravens Hot Chocolate Porter

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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. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, this month’s feature week will look at beers of a chocolate nature, perfect to celebrate the occasion.

On our recent beer travels around BC’s Lower Mainland for the Family Day long weekend, one of our stops was at Ravens Brewing in Abbotsford.

There, the highlight of the visit was tasting their Hot Chocolate Porter. You know the chocolate taste you get with the remaining liquefied powder at the end of a glass of hot cocoa? That’s exactly what this brew tasted like and the Sip Advisor loved it.

Ravens Hot Chocolate Porter

Unfortunately, the beer isn’t even listed on their website at this time, but they do have it available for sampling, growler fills and bottle purchase. Mrs. Sip and I made sure to take a bomber home with us, so we could recreate a snuggly night in front of a roaring fire (or as roaring as a gas fireplace gets), complete with cold-brewed cocoa to enhance the experience.

The theming at this brewery would thrill Sis-in-Law Sip and any other bird fans. The set-up at Ravens was charming and comfortable and they have some seasonal beers I’d love to go back and try, such as their White IPA, which is highlighted by elderflower. While I’m not a bird fan, I do love their slogan: “Grab life by the wings!”

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

BC Beer Baron #41 – R&B Raven Cream Ale

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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. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, this month’s feature week will look at beers of a chocolate nature, perfect to celebrate the occasion.

Last week, the Sip Family congregated for a meal at Dunn’s Famous BC, where among their menu of smoked meat sandwiches and poutine, are a few R&B Brewing products.

As we waited for our entire group to arrive, we started the feast off with a couple pitchers of brewski. Among those was the Raven Cream Ale, which was perfect for a larger ensemble. It’s always hard balancing everyone’s different tastes when picking a pitcher beverage, but I think this selection worked for everyone involved.

R&B Raven Cream Ale

The dark, chocolate and nutty brew was strong where it needed to be, but was generally light overall. I’m not surprised the beer has received numerous accolades, including winning a gold medal at the 2011 BC Beer Awards.

The brewery’s staff must be comprised of cheese nuts, as they’ve even provided cheese pairings for each of their brews. For the Raven Cream Ale, suggested fromage includes Monterrey Jack, Brick, or nuttier varieties. Among regular food pairings are chicken, salads, bratwurst, salmon and apricot or citrus cakes/tarts for dessert.

Mrs. Sip and I have yet to visit R&B’s new Brewery Creek tasting room. The brewery was launched in 1997 by longtime friends Rick Dellow and Barry Benson, who combined have 60 years of brewing experience.

Back to the Raven Cream Ale, the Sip Advisor is not a fan of birds, but if I keep having good beers named after fowl, I may have to change my tune!

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

BC Beer Baron #40 – Old Yale Sasquatch Stout

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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. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, this month’s feature week will look at beers of a chocolate nature, perfect to celebrate the occasion.

On a recent trip to the liquor store and with Chocolate Week fast approaching, the Sip Advisor grabbed a bomber of this Old Yale Brewing beer. I had previously sampled the brew at Tip N’ Taste last summer and was amped to do a full serving.

The Sasquatch Stout comes exactly as advertised: “Coffee, chocolate & mystery”. I’m not sure what the “mystery” ingredient might be, but I can verify that the beer is damn good!

Old Yale Sasquatch Stout

I’m not alone; however, in my appreciation of the brew, as it received a gold medal in the stout category, as well as being named ‘Beer of the Year’ (aka ‘Best Beer in Canada’) at the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards.

Suggested food pairings include steak, smoked brisket, pulled pork sandwich, oysters, French onion soup, chocolate cake, and Tiramisu, all of which seem truly decadent. I particularly love to try the Sasquatch Stout with a pulled pork sandwich and a side cup of French onion soup.

For those unfamiliar with sasquatches (otherwise known as Bigfoot), they are mythological beasts that most have concluded don’t exist, while a small network of believers continue to search for the truth. The region near Old Yale Brewing is a hub for sasquatch sightings, thus the beer’s name and that wonderful description.

The Sip Advisor would love to make a trip out to Old Yale Brewing’s facilities in Chilliwack, B.C., but since they are without a tasting room and only have growler fills and bottle purchases available, I’m a little less inclined to make the long journey.

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

BC Beer Baron #39 – Bomber Choqlette Porter

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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. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, this month’s feature week will look at beers of a chocolate nature, perfect to celebrate the occasion.

Today’s selection comes from Bomber Brewing, which adds chocolate three separate times to the brewing of this recipe, resulting in the Choqlette Porter. As the brewery puts it, this beer is a perfect blend of “chaos and balance” and given its stats of 5.5% ABV and only 18 IBU, I can kind of see what they’re getting at. Bomber even goes so far as to say the beverage is “London and Paris at home in one drink.”

Bomber Choqlette Porter

I first had the Choqlette Porter at last year’s Toast to the Coast at the Vancouver Aquarium. I think I went back to their booth on four separate occasions for a refill. I guess you could conclude that I liked it! I had it again a couple weeks back during the Tapped Vancouver event at the Yaletown Roundhouse. It was just as I remembered it and this time I was able to share the experience and advocate for the beer with Mrs. Sip and other members of the Sip Alliance.

Bomber has a nice, intimate little home in ‘Yeast Van’, located across the street from Off the Rails Brewing and soon to be joined in the neighbourhood by Luppolo Brewing. It’s a fun place to visit, but unfortunately, the Choqlette Porter may have run its seasonal course and might not be seen again until the fall. If that’s the case, at least we have the memories!

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