Sip Trips #18: Gluttony Games

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Bacchanalia traditionally refers to a Roman festival celebrating the god of the grape harvest, Bacchus (also known as Dionysus). Today, the term is usually applied to “drunken revelry”… and that’s my favourite style of reveling! Each year, countless wineries get together at the Penticton Lakeside Resort for an event of epic proportions and this year, Mrs. Sip and I were in attendance. Let’s see how things shook out for us in the Okanagan region!

Following our trek to Penticton, we settled in with a meal at the resort’s Hooded Merganser restaurant. While the ladies enjoyed cocktails, followed by wine, I got to try the Stanley Park seasonal beer, SunSetter (summer wheat ale), which was so good, I ordered a second.

After dinner, we were off to Bad Tattoo Brewing for a beer flight nightcap. The five selections we were offered were each good and I particularly liked their Los Muertos Cerveza Negra (which you don’t see too often around these parts) and their Full Sleeve Strong Stout (which I grabbed a bomber of for the road). They also do something neat with their Berliner Weise, where they combine it with a squirt of a flavoured syrup of your choice, including green apple, peach, and raspberry. We, of course, tried all three!

The next morning, we hit the town’s farmer’s market, which shuts down a number of streets to allow for stalls selling fruits, vegetables, crafts, plants, and most importantly, beer and wine. We grabbed a few bottles of vino as we perused the bazaar and also stopped at the Tin Whistle Brewing tent for a tasting. Here, I bought bottles of their Scorpion Double IPA, Peach Cream Ale, and Chocolate Cherry Porter, before we were off in search of wineries.

Our afternoon included stops for tasting at Misconduct, Pentage, and Perseus Wineries, where the beautiful landscapes were matched by the delicious red, white, and rose wines we were getting to enjoy. The collection of bottles kept growing, but that’s just a sign that you’re having a great time!

The main event of the weekend was of course Bacchanalia 2015, which featured countless wineries, surrounding a feast of nibblies. I have to admit that by this point, I was suffering from some wine palette fatigue and a lot of stuff I was sampling was starting to taste the same. The food at the event was good, but I also seemed to tire of eating and noticed that many items would quickly run out while others were hard to find, sometimes located at one of the serving areas, but not all. A constant loop of the food tables sometimes unearthed hidden gems like sausage rolls and meatballs.

Following Bacchanalia, most of our group was still up for hitting The Barking Parrot Bar in our hotel, to wrap up the evening. Here, I enjoyed the Naramata Nut Brown beer, by Cannery Brewing, which was a welcome change from wine and a very fine beverage.

On Sunday, we packed up and hit the road, making a pit stop at 8^th Generation Winery, where Mrs. Sip became a member. She, along with other members of the Sip Family, are big fans of their wines and bubblies, so why not get shipped a few cases each year for glorious consumption.

Out last stop before making the long journey home was to the BC Wine Studio, where Cousin Sip had secured us a personal invite at the farmer’s market the day before. Here, we were treated to an intimate experience of tasting new wines fresh from the barrel, learning about their production process, and even getting to provide notes on grape mixes and products that have yet to hit the market.

The end result of the weekend was 15 bottles of wine, four bombers of beer, and a host of new experiences and memories. All was well with the world, until we arrived home and found our condo had suffered a sink flood while we were away. This has put the Sip Advisor a little out of commission, as my booze collection had to be packed up temporarily. We will forge forward, though and do our best to bring you the best liquor coverage possible.

Sip Trips #17: All Around Town

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

With weekends as busy as the ones Mrs. Sip and I have, we almost need the work week to catch up on rest… but that time is even crazier. Clearly, there is no rest for the wicked, so let’s get this recap started:

The weekend began with Fuse at the Vancouver Art Gallery. This event – run four times per year – allows adults to peruse the exhibits in a more sophisticated setting. Translation: no kids running around! I have to admit that I am not an art lover and have found this event frustrating in the past, partly due to set-up and execution and partly due to my fellow attendees. Add on top of that, the fact that you can’t even have a drink with you as you explore and you have one grouchy Sip Advisor. If you want to enjoy a beverage, you are confined to the cafeteria or lounge. Even worse, friends of ours bought a couple drink tickets they couldn’t use, as the lounge was shutdown early, due to capacity issues.

On Saturday, we took our new bikes out for their first spin, journeying to Legacy Liquor Store in the Olympic Village. There, we stopped for their tasting event, featuring Les Trois Mousquetaires (The Three Musketeers) Brewing from Quebec. Two of their beers were available for sampling, including the Dopplebock and Baltic Porter. Both brews were strong, but delicious and complex. Apparently, they come in and out of the B.C. market, so keep your eyes peeled for them.

After returning our bikes back home, we walked over to Long Table Distillery, which we had heard good things about from a number of folks, before finally getting the opportunity to visit. Saturday is their Cocktail Hour, which means they’re making wonderful drinks from 3-9pm and we took full advantage of this occasion. Our selections included the Anthos , Winds of Arakkis, and their daily unnamed special. The bartenders were very attentive and I think their most interesting ingredients are their infused syrups.

Sunday provided an opportunity to do an East Vancouver craft crawl, with Mrs. Sip’s little sister in tow. The area was formerly known as Cedar Cove, but now goes by the name East Village and features a plethora of stops for beer and cocktail enthusiasts. We started with Powell Street Brewing (the lone location on our route that we had no prior experience with) and I have to say that all their beers were good. I particularly liked their Hopdemonium IPA and Seasonal Stout. The atmosphere of the place was also great and very relaxed.

Up next, was Odd Society Spirits. After previously writing about the distillery in another Sip Trips article, Mrs. Sip and I were invited back to do a tasting of their liquors. This included their Vodka, Gin, Oaked Gin, Crème de Cassis, and Bittersweet Vermouth. I loved how each alcohol had its own glassware. We also purchased a selection of their cocktails, with each more delicious than the last.

Afterwards, it was back to beers, with Parallel 49 Brewing. This company has a wide selection of beers, so figuring out what we had ordered (one of everything), with no guide provided by the bartender, was both fun and frustrating at the same time. I understand that they were pretty busy, but it would have been nice to have some kind of labelling. We figured things out with a little trial and error, but it caused Mrs. Sip and I to fondly reminisce about some of the places we had been to recently in Portland, where the customer writes out their own flight selections and then there is no mystery. My favourite beer here was the smoky Kellerbier, a collaboration between Parallel 49 and Steel & Oak.

We wrapped things up with Storm Brewing, which has some of the most unique beers you will find anywhere, let alone the Vancouver scene. For a donation, you can try up to six of their creations. The three of us sampled about 10 brews total, including flavoured stouts, IPAs, and sour beers. The place is constantly changing their menu, so every visit is a completely different experience.

I have to caution anyone looking to replicate out trip, as parts of the area can be sketchy. Mrs. Sip thinks at one point on our walk home, that a rough-looking woman was being advised by a man to steal her and her sister’s purses. There are routes that allow you to avoid much of the dodgier sections of East Van, so make sure you stick to them.

This weekend, we are off to B.C.’s Okanagan region for the Bacchanalia Food & Wine Festival. This all-inclusive evening promises to be an extraordinary experience, so guess what all you little sippers will be hearing about next week!

Sip Trips #16: Patio Play

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Well, patio weather has officially returned to the city (ironically, the wet stuff is falling as I post this) and the Sip Advisor couldn’t be happier. There’s just something about drinking in the great outdoors, breathing in fresh air, which is so rewarding. May patio season be as kind to you and yours as I hope it will be to me and mine!

To unwind after the long work week, last Friday, Mrs. Sip and I split the Crème Brulee Stout she recently picked up. It was a little sweet, but certainly tasty; a perfect dessert beer. I’ve been finding myself really getting into stouts, porters, and darker ales of late. Perhaps they will one day give wheat beers a run for their money.

On Sunday, we joined friends for brunch at The Boathouse in White Rock, providing a wicked view of Semiahmoo Bay. To pair with our food, Mrs. Sip ordered a Strawberry-Watermelon Mojito, while I enjoyed the Crown Smash (combining whiskey, ginger liqueur, muddled oranges, and mint). My cocktail wasn’t bad, but I think Mrs. Sip’s was better.

From there, we were off to return home and meet friends for patio drinks at Romer’s Burger Bar. This was our former trivia home, thanks to a great grand prize ($50 gift card) and a bit of a winning streak. Sadly, they stopped their trivia nights, but it’s still a good place to go, with daily $5 drink specials and a menu of $4 cocktails, available every day of the week. I ordered the Mason Jar Caesar (complete with pickle and pepper garnishes), followed by a pint of the Hoyne Dark Matter beer, which has to be my favourite dark brew right now.

The main event of the week was a visit to Prohibition Bar, at the Hotel Georgia. This is one of the places I had thought to hit for my and Mrs. Sip’s dating anniversary last month, as it’s supposed to be a swingin’ experience (like stepping back in time to the days of speakeasy joints) with amazing drinks and funky music. While we didn’t end up at the lounge then, we were keen to get there sooner, rather than later.

We enjoyed a few drinks over the course of the evening. I started with the Forbidden Sip (a potent mezcal and tequila-based libation), which the server warned me was smoky and earthy, prompting an emphatic response of “Bring it on!” Mrs. Sip meanwhile tried the Hotel Georgia Cocktail, a great pick on her behalf, with its gin portion nicely hidden behind flavours such as orgeat, orange, and nutmeg.

My next drink was the L’Air de Panache, which grew on me with each sip. The ladies at our table particularly liked its apple taste. Speaking of our table, my favourite cocktail of the night wasn’t even ordered by me. The Tennessee Highball provided a nice mix of bourbon and ginger beer and just the right bite I like from my beverages. I finished with the Breakside Wanderlust IPA, which was quite nice and flavourful. At 6.6% it was also strong enough to make for a good last call. I’m becoming a fan of Breakside beers, having previously tried their Tropicalia offering.

To sum up, I’ve found over time, that you know you’re in a good cocktail bar when half the ingredients they serve are unfamiliar to you, despite your knowledge in the realm. Everything about the place screams high class… and that includes drink prices. That said, if you want a beautifully crafted cocktail around Vancouver, you’ll be paying at least $12 and at least at Prohibition, they deliver the goods.

Lastly, the big news of the week was that we finally grabbed the bicycles we had promised to gift to each other for Christmas. This will allow us to organize bike and brew tours across Vancouver, as well as other adventures that may have previously eluded us, due to distance. Our first Sip Trip will likely happen this weekend (weather permitting), as we break in our new rides!

Sip Trips #15: Back to Basics

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

This last week wasn’t as jam-packed full of events as the last month or so has been, which has allowed for some rest and rejuvenation, as well as a chance to catch up on some recent developments. This may be a briefer than usual Out and About than most, but that doesn’t mean the quality won’t be there!

Our big trip of the week was to visit the Big Rock Urban Brewery and Eatery location, which is finally open. We first heard about this project last July at the Langley Tip N’ Taste event and it has at last come to fruition. Although the place had been opened a couple weeks already, this was to be the “grand opening” weekend, but there wasn’t a whole lot of action going on. Even the live music that was supposed to be playing that night never started up.

That said, Mrs. Sip and I each found beers we really enjoyed. I liked the smoky flavour of the Rauchbier, while Mrs. Sip enjoyed the richness of the Chocolate Malt Stout. We also tried a couple of the eatery’s appetizers and generally had a good time at the place. I can see the potential for the Urban location, as a great hangout and place to enjoy live music, and hopefully another visit will provide these additional elements.

The Out and About week ended with splitting a couple pitchers of Russell Pale Ale, while scarfing down a feast of smoked meat and other goodies at Dunn’s Famous, along with Ma and Pa Sip and Cousin Sip. Sadly, my Vancouver Canucks lost their opening playoff game in the dying seconds of the third period, but there is much more hockey to be played in the coming days.

Onto some news items, late last week, the schedule of events for the Vancouver Craft Beer Week in late May-early July was released and there were so many great options to choose from. Mrs. Sip and I were quick to grab tickets to the “What the Hop?” Beer Trivia, This Sandwich That Beer Throwdown (pairing sandwiches and beers together), and the Beer Cocktail Competition. We may make even more plans, but tickets to some events have sold out already, so we’ll have to be quick on the uptake.

Observant booze shoppers have likely noticed recently that BC Liquor Stores are touting their new extended hours and, for many, being open on Sundays. These are wonderful changes and one can only wonder why it took so long for the government-operated stores to catch up with the times. I mean, who wants to live in a world where alcohol is harder to locate on one of the few days most of us don’t have to drag our asses to work!?

Speaking of the weekend, this one looks a little crazier than the last one, so look forward to next week’s more robust Out and About. Maybe we`ll even pick up some Sunday liquor, just for the heck of it!

Sip Trips #14: City of Roses

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

As if Easter weekend and its four days off from work weren’t good enough, the holidays bring with it one of the Sip Advisor’s favourite drinking events of the year: the Portland Spring Beer and Wine Fest. The 2015 edition did not fail to live up to expectations, so let’s look back at all the fun we had!

The journey began with a breakfast pit stop, en route to Portland, at the Train Wreck Bar, in Burlington, Washington. Ma Sip has wanted to split their Bloody Mary breakfast platter, which combines a number of appetizers growing out of a Bloody Mary beverage, for a while. Despite being more of a Caesar man – and it being very early in the day – I was game for this challenge. We went with Absolut Peppar Vodka in our cocktail, as I wasn’t sure my stomach was ready for Sriracha Vodka in the wee hours of the morning.

We arrived in Portland in the afternoon and checked into our accommodation. One of the benefits of staying at an Embassy Suites is the daily happy hour, which allows guests to enjoy some snacks and drinks, on behalf of the hotel. And enjoy, we certainly did, with beer, wine, and cocktails flowing on each of the days of our stay. As for the appies, one odd combo was peanut butter that you could add Nerds candies to, which gave it a sour jelly flavour and made for an intriguing dip for pretzels and Goldfish crackers.

Our first meal in Portland was at Der Rheinlander German Restaurant, which provided me and Mrs. Sip the opportunity to each try and share samplers of German beers while enjoying a schnitzel club sandwich and cheese fondue. We put together a nice mix of wheat and dark beers, which complimented our meal quite fantastically.

Saturday was the big day of the Beer and Wine Fest. Mrs. Sip and I were proudly rocking our CAMRA BC t-shirts (where the province’s outline is depicted as a mug of beer) and received numerous compliments on them, as we made our way around the convention floor. Of all the products I sampled, my favourites included Calapooia Brewing Chili Beer (which I went back for seconds and thirds!), Wild Ride Brewing Maple Brown, and Ambacht Brewing Ginger Farmhouse.

Has the province of British Columbia ever looked better!?

We also love the festival for all of the other things going on, such as the information and tasting sessions. Our favourite involves the combination of chocolate truffles, paired with various spirits. It’s also a pleasure to meet our fellow enthusiasts, from volunteers, to wine makers, to brewmasters, and the general public, who love beer, wine and spirits.

On Sunday, we traversed Portland’s downtown core, taking advantage of a nice day, for a mini pub crawl. Our stops included Rogue Distillery and Public House, Henry’s Tavern, and Fat Head’s Brewery. This was my second time going to Rogue and everything is great there, from the staff, to the beers and spirits, to the food. Henry’s Tavern had a neat Portland beer taster pack, which went well with some massive bar pretzels. Finally, we learned of Fat Head’s the day before, at the festival, where we were told that great beer could be combined with the best fried pickles in existence. Mrs. Sip and I specifically enjoyed the process of writing in our beer sampler choices, rather than reading them out to the server.

A highlight of any trip across the border is the chance to do some serious liquor shopping. On this occasion, we grabbed bottles of Ardbeg Scotch, Viniq Shimmery Liqueur (which may be the most fascinating alcohol concept I’ve seen in some time), Wild Roots Apple-Cinnamon Vodka, Southern Tier Brewing Crème Brulee Stout, and the Shock Top Winter Mixer pack, I previously mentioned wanting to track down. I also nabbed a couple odd sodas for future mixing, including Peanut Butter & Jelly and Bacon flavours.

We wrapped up the vacation with a visit to The Yardhouse in Seattle. With 110 beers on tap, making menu decisions isn’t easy, but I quickly gravitated towards the Avery White Rascal, which was a very good decision, if I don’t say so myself.

After a weekend that featured so many new and delicious brews, you would think that we’re all beer’d out, but another week brings a whole new set of opportunities, such as the opening of Big Rock’s Vancouver location and perhaps a little rest!

Sip Trips #13: And Many More

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

While Mrs. Sip and I have only been married for two and a half years, this week, we celebrated our 13^th dating anniversary. Why bother celebrating a dating anniversary when you’re already married, you might be asking? Why not, is my reply! Life should be full of merriment, so why swap one occasion for another? I’ll get back to the anniversary events later, but let’s look at the weekend that was first.

Thursday night, following our Urban Rec sports, we visited Milltown Bar, which is great looking building in a beautiful location. The food and drink was pretty good and the service was wonderful. Mrs. Sip and I each enjoyed a Dark N’ Stormy cocktail, as I was really in the mood for some ginger beer.

On Friday, we visited Backyard Winery, where Mrs. Sip is a member. Musician Andrew Christopher was doing a one-man show of various covers, which provided the perfect entertainment to enjoy some rose wine and bubbly and welcome the weekend.

Saturday saw us head to Maple Ridge for a friend’s housewarming party. As true Suburban Commando’s, we made the point of visiting Maple Meadows Brewing, one of the regions newest beer outlets. The place had just opened the weekend before and only had two beers on tap, but both (a Blonde Ale and Amber Ale) were good. Carlo, a former home-brewer who owns, operates, and is a general jack of all trades at the facility said that two more selections, an IPA and Honey Brown Ale, will be available this weekend.

Onto the main event of the week, our big lucky number 13 anniversary! We started the day with lunch at Big Ridge Brewing, where we enjoyed a flight of their beers. I liked each of the Red Ale, IPA, ESB, and Imperial IPA, but wasn’t thrilled with the Lager. Hey, four out of five ain’t bad.

From there, we were off to Castle Fun Park for some mini golf. Each game was incredibly close and we ended up playing each of the place’s three courses, thanks to both Mrs. Sip and me each winning a free game by sinking a hole-in-one on the final hole of the previous course. We’ve had a number of great moments and earlier dates together at Castle Fun Park, so it was nice to return and let our kid-side come out and play for a little bit.

In the evening, we finally checked out Blackbird Public House, which I’ve wanted to try for a little while now. Mrs. Sip ordered their Standing Stonefruit cocktail, while I asked for their And Everything Nice drink. The two of us ended up swapping libations and I loved the peaty aroma and taste coming from my beverage, provided by the Ardbeg 10-year-old Scotch in it.

We ended the evening in search of food and decided on Hidden Bar and Lounge at the Westin Grand Vancouver Hotel. Mrs. Sip ordered a glass of wine, while I grabbed a pint of beer and we gorged ourselves on their Breads and Dips appy, before dishes of Lobster Poutine and their Hidden Burger for me. Our server, Jude, was fantastic in helping us decide what to order and keeping us well-served throughout the meal. All in all, that makes for one hell of a dating anniversary!

In booze news, government liquor stores in B.C. have recently – as of April 1 – changed their pricing practices, where instead of listing the price of a product, including taxes, they are now listing the price before adding tax. Some private liquor stores have followed suit, as well. I suppose it doesn’t make a huge difference, but I liked knowing exactly what I’d be paying for something, before approaching the cash register. Getting the final total after the fact can be a shitty experience.

Aside from that little note, it’s been an awesome week of visiting new places and returning to old favourites; a wonderful mix of celebrating where we’ve come from and where we’re going. There’s no rest for the wicked, though, as Easter weekend sees us heading to Portland (the mecca of craft beer) for a series of boozy adventures!

Sip Trips #12: Ales of March

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

You’d think that with St. Patrick’s Day in the rear-view mirror, the partying would come to a stop, or at least a gradual slowdown. Not so with the Sip Advisor! Last weekend was just as busy, if not more so than the one before and that’s not a bad thing… that’s a good thing!

The weekend got started off on the right note with friends coming over for some drinks and games. I picked up a pack of the St. Ambroise variety collection, as my contribution for guests. This set contained two each of the company’s IPA, Double IPA, Scotch Ale, Blonde Ale, and Oatmeal Stout. I’m still working my way through the case, but have enjoyed the offerings thus far. The Scottish Ale is particularly good and will knock your socks off with its bold flavour.

On the same shopping trip that I picked up the beer, I finally grabbed the UV Sriracha Vodka I’ve had my eyes on (to be featured in an upcoming Flavour Revolution post). I really like this spirit and have invented a great Cosmopolitan variation, using it and mixing with Cranberry-Lemonade juice. Based on Sriracha’s nickname of Cock Sauce – due to the rooster logo on the bottle, of course – I call my creation the Cock Buster! It was a hit with my guests/customers all weekend.

The booze highlight of the week was Yaletown Brewery’s Ales of March Caskival, which offered samples of 11 different beers for only $22. At the event were breweries from around B.C.’s Lower Mainland region, including Dead Frog, Strange Fellows, Red Truck, Big Ridge, Persephone, Powell Street, Moody Ales, Bridge, and, of course, Yaletown. This Caskival was far less populated than February’s IPA showcase, but that is not a complaint, as we were able to move much more freely and even snagged a table this time around. Mrs. Sip wonders if the Ciderwise event (featuring ciders and gluten-free beers) going on at the same time caused the split audience.

Not content to let Sunday be a day of rest, we went for a leisurely drive out to Port Moody, to visit Yellow Dog Brewing. The place was packed when we arrived, but we managed to get Mrs. Sip a seat at the front bar, while sharing a taster set that included their Play Dead IPA, Chase My Tail Pale Ale, Lightly Smoked Pilsner, Shake a Paw Smoked Porter, and Tripel Dog Dare Belgian Tripel. As you can see, Yellow Dog has some of the most creative brew names I’ve come across on the scene. We enjoyed each of the beers, with my personal favourite probably being the Pale Ale. That’s saying something because I usually don’t gravitate towards this type of suds.

Our mid-week break (who am I kidding, we’re always having fun!) featured a stop at The Winking Judge Pub, where Mrs. Sip and I got to sample some of East Van Brewing’s beer options. I ordered their Wheel Bite IPA, which was a really good drink. Best of all, some proceeds from my purchase went to charity… now that’s the kind of philanthropy I can get down with!

Who knows what this coming weekend has in store, but it certainly has a lot to live up to. With a winery event, housewarming party, WWE WrestleMania, and my and Mrs. Sip’s 13^th dating anniversary on the horizon, I can say with some certainty that there will be much to discuss!

Sip Trips #11: Luck of the Irish

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

The greatest drinking holiday of the year has come and gone and you know the Sip Advisor celebrated in style! We started the weekend off by attending an early St. Patrick’s Day party at the Jericho Garrison. Both Monster Energy Drink and Red Truck Beer were at the event, along with live music and other entertainment. It didn’t take long for the beer pong to get started up and the Sip Advisor made his usual strong contributions to his teams.

On Sunday, with a touch of bad weather hitting the ‘Wet Coast,’ we decided to make a jaunt across the border to Bellingham, Washington, for a little shopping and a visit to the Boundary Bay Brewery. Mrs. Sip and I shared a sampler of their beers, which included six varieties to try. Our consensus favourite among the collection was the Oatmeal Stout, further expanding my burgeoning love for darker beers. It also comes in at a whopping 9.6%, so you’ll feel it soon enough!

It was also at Boundary Bay Brewery that the Sip Advisor finally joined the Instagram world. Feel free to follow me and my adventures in boozing… so long as I can find a wireless signal to get attached to. No data plan for this guy, I’m a free internet man!

Tuesday, of course, was St. Patrick’s Day… a national holiday for some and what should be for others, such as the Sip Advisor! The occasion brings up a lot of the same questions you hear around New Year’s Eve: Who will you celebrate with? More importantly, where will you take your partying ways? We decided, in that case, to repeat our New Year’s Eve plans, by celebrating at Craft Beer Market.

Decked out in our best emerald ensembles – or for some of us, the only green clothing option we have hidden away – we did what the Irish do best and drank our faces off! Mrs. Sip tried the just tapped Stanley Park Brewery Irish Stout Cask, while we also ordered one rack of Craft’s Around the World Sampler, which featured a grouping of wheat beers, followed by the Local Sampler, comprised of stouts and porters.

The sampler menus don’t always hit home for me, but these two sets looked good, with the Around the World containing four of six beers that I’ve tried before and are among my favourites, while the Local had some dark beer options that go perfectly with St. Patrick’s Day. Us guys topped the evening off with a shot of chilled Jameson Irish Whiskey, which was the perfect nightcap!

The fun didn’t stop with St. Patrick’s Day ending, as Mrs. Sip and her ladies met at their usual Joey’s Restaurant stop prior to a theatre evening and somehow, the Sip Advisor got invited along for a drink and a snack. Joey’s has the best skinny fries this side of McDonald’s and a bunch of their other eats are pretty good. Their happy hour specials are a highlight, although we’ve found that the deals vary depending on which location you’re at.

In liquor news, a lot of hullabaloo was made recently about how much water craft breweries are using. This is an absolutely ridiculous attack on the industry. Does Starbucks get any guff for how much H2O they’re pilfering for their disgusting beverages? And what about macro breweries which, by the nature of their name, have to be using more water than smaller operations?

As Ma Sip pointed out, the craft breweries are responsible for creating a ton of new jobs (from brewery staff, to servers at their tasting rooms) and you also have to consider Mrs. Sip’s arguments about increased tourism and all the benefits that can have on an area. Just look at how well Portland is doing, as well as other communities that are growing the industry.

Lastly, there’s one local product the Sip Advisor was made aware of this week: a collaboration brew between Persephone Brewing and Yellow Dog Beer. This Lightly Smoked Pilsner has me salivating for a taste and I’ll have to be vigilant in tracking it down!

Sip Trips #10 – Creative Control

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

The last couple weeks, Mrs. Sip has been quite busy and out of town on both weekends. This weekend, we made a point of not having too many plans, allowing us some freedom to do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. Here’s how that all turned out:

Friday night, we enjoyed a late night dinner at EXP Restaurant and Bar, which is one of my favourite places in downtown Vancouver. This haven for video game fans of all ages has a spectacular menu, with great food (I have yet to leave disappointed, after trying numerous items) and drinks, all themed after gaming franchises. I recently discovered their Classic Cheese Burger of Experience – complete with deep fried pickles – which I would throw on my Top 5 Vancouver burgers list. It’s also advertised to give the consumer +25% XP, so you have that going for you, too!

While at EXP, Mrs. Sip and I grabbed a pitcher of Granville Island Winter Ale, which we were told by one of the owners/managers was the last keg of the seasonal beer the brewery had. It’s a brew that I’ve enjoyed for a number of years and it is fantastic fresh from the tap. With winter giving way to spring, this will likely be the last time I get to enjoy it until next fall and we enjoyed it in style!

On Saturday, we joined Ma and Pa Sip for dinner at Frankie’s Italian Kitchen. Mrs. Sip and I have celebrated a couple occasions here before and we really enjoy their food and cocktails. Another good meal was spoiled, though, as we were finishing up and minutes away from leaving, one of the staff (perhaps a manager) asked us, without any touch of courtesy, to wrap up quickly, so they could seat another group. We had put down some good money on this meal – appies, mains, and bottle of wine included – and to be asked to hurry up so another group can sit, was rude.

I don’t like to dwell on bad, though ,so let’s get back to the good. The weather in our neck of the woods has been amazing the last couple weeks, so Mrs. Sip and I decided to take full advantage with a long walk to Craft Beer Market and its neighbour, Legacy Liquor Store.

At Craft, we had great service from a bartender who was more than happy to let us sample some of the many beers they have on tap. We particularly liked the collaboration beer produced by the brewmasters of Craft and Granville Island Brewing, which was an Imperial Gingerbread Porter.

We then popped over to Legacy for their free tasting, which included Belhaven Scottish Stout and Crabbie’s Orange Ginger Beer. Thanks to my weekly Legacy newsletter, I was made aware of Breakside Brewery’s Tropicalia, a beer which combines lychee and yellow chilies. It was a very nice brew – paired later with nachos – with just enough of a singe on the taste buds, exactly the way I like it!

We wrapped up the week that was with a very unique experience: the combination of an Irish pub experience with the performance of an Irish ghost story play… or at least that’s the way it was supposed to be. The venue just recently changed its name and look from Cieli’s, an Irish watering hole, to The Roadhouse, a hole! I kid, as not much has changed aesthetically yet, but it’s a little tragic that the whole theme was swapped just prior to this engagement and St. Patrick’s Day.

During the show (called The Weir), I made a point of enjoying a couple pints of Guinness, although I’m not the biggest fan of stouts. After all, if you’re going to watch an Irish show in a formerly Irish pub, you might as well drink Irish too!

Speaking of Guinness, a couple weeks back, Ma and Pa Sip stopped at a British product store and picked up a bag of Guinness potato chips for me. Now, I’m a huge chippy monster, but (as previously mentioned) have never been too crazy into Guinness as a beer option. All that said, these chips are amazing, with a wonderful flavour and good crunch. My only regret is that I didn’t have a bigger bag to enjoy, but at least I’ve now been introduced to this delicious stout-infused snack.

Sip Trips #9 – Home Cooking

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

With Mrs. Sip out of town again this weekend – I know, I really have to rein that girl in! – the Sip Advisor spent his time out in the ‘burbs with the fam. While this article may not be as wild as a summary of Mrs. Sip’s trip to Las Vegas with the gals, I still made sure to get up to some fun!

It may not be booze related, per se, but I finally got around to trying the new McDonald’s CBO (Chicken, Bacon, Onion) on Friday and I have to say that I was impressed with the sandwich. I’ve really been into crispy onions – whether in ring or straw form – lately, and you can’t go wrong with bacon and chicken. I fully endorse the burger and advise anyone out there interested, to try this item before it’s gone.

Saturday saw the Sip Advisor help Pa Sip with his construction of a new pool shed. My role was mixing the concrete and my experience behind the bar came in handy. We were basically throwing together one part concrete mix, with three parts navijack, topping with water, and garnishing with a trowel!

To reward me for my assistance, Ma Sip picked me up a pack of the Four Winds IPA, which was a nice treat for all my hard work. I also took the opportunity to open up my parent’s bottle of Rhubarb Tea Liqueur, for a future Flavour Revolution post.

On Sunday, we made our way to the Dublin Crossing Irish Pub in Cloverdale for a family event. Given the legend that I am, I decided to take advantage of their Sunday Caesar special (a double, of course!), as well as picking up a pint of their Hop City Barking Squirrel Lager. Dinner is always better with a few new friends!

Next up, Ma and Pa Sip decided to visit yours truly during the week, and we took our appetites to Jimmy’s Taphouse, which has long been one of the Sip Advisor’s favourite local watering holes. The poutine here is to die for and with great happy hour specials; it can be had for half price, every day of the week.

Over the course of dinner, I enjoyed both a pint of Phillip’s Blue Buck Ale and Hoyne’s Dark Matter. Talk about some serious great contributions from Victoria! Blue Buck is a solid beer, while the Dark Matter is a great starting point if you’re interested in getting into dark beers.

With Mrs. Sip’s return home, came the return of some duty free alcohol – like Christmas in… what month is it? Anyhoo, Mrs. Sip grabbed me bottles of Hendrick’s Gin and Appleton Rum, both of which are favourites in the Sip Advisor’s bar cabinet and were running low. Isn’t she so awesome!

Sip Advisor

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Category Archives: Out and About-Sip Trips