BC Beer Baron #116 – Black Kettle Kentucky Common

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When the Sip Alliance visited Black Kettle Brewing in February, we weren’t sure what to expect, but they had a new and unique beer on tap that quickly caught my eye.

The Kentucky Common is a darker, stronger (6.5% ABV) brew, with a slight sweetness. It goes down easy though and is a very enjoyable beverage. As far as I know, the beer is only available on tap at Black Kettle’s home of operations.

Black Kettle Brewing

So, what is a Kentucky Common and how did it end up in BC? Well, it’s an ale (also going by the names Dark Cream Common Beer, Cream Beer, or Common Beer) that was popular pre-prohibition in Louisville, Kentucky. Apparently, it’s rare to find nowadays, so I’m feeling a little lucky that I had the chance to have a serving.

For those that haven’t yet checked out Black Kettle Brewing at their North Vancouver tasting room or elsewhere, I urge you to do so. Through early 2016, they have been my MVP of both a beer festival event and a brewery crawl. Here’s hoping they keep up the great work!

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BC Beer Baron #115 – Dead Frog Cold Brew Red Ale

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Mrs. Sip is a tea drinker by nature, while beer is the beverage of choice for the Sip Advisor. With this Dead Frog Brewing release, we were able to satisfy both of our preferences at the same time.

The Cold Brew Red Ale is infused with cold brewed vanilla bourbon tea, handmade by North Vancouver’s The Tea Guy. When I first saw the term cold brewed, I assumed we’d be getting something with a coffee flavour, but instead was pleasantly surprised by the notes of vanilla that coated my palatte. There was also some chocolate taste, thanks to the malts used in the beer’s creation.

Dead Frog Cold Brew Red Ale

Suggested food pairings with this beer include barbecue ribs and chicken wings, as well as corned beef. The product is available in six-packs and Dead Frog’s Winter Mixer case (if you can still find it at this time of year).

We enjoyed this beer on our recent tour of the breweries that make up the Fraser Valley region of BC. Dead Frog was stop number one of seven different locations we visited that trip, with more beer goodness to come in the following days.

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BC Beer Baron #114 – Ridge Black Mamba Milk Stout

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The final stop of our recent Fraser Valley brewery crawl brought us to Ridge Brewing, where we had a very enjoyable visit, chatting with the staff and owner of the operation.

Among the samples I tried while there, was the Black Mamba Milk Stout. Normally, I’m not a fan of snakes, but history has shown that I will let that trepidation slide when beer is on the line!

Ridge Black Mamba Milk Stout

This 5% ABV, 27 IBUs offering is light and easy to drink, with hints of the flavours (chocolate/coffee) one would typically expect from a stout.

Ridge’s newest release is the Ay Caramba! Jalapeno IPA, which I can’t wait to try. Perhaps I can have my agents out that way assist me in pursuing this product.

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BC Beer Baron #113 – Maple Meadows Honey Brown Ale

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Since the Sip Advisor’s first visit to Maple Meadows Brewing, this is definitely the beer of theirs that I’ve drank the most, with a friend from the area occasionally filling up a growler with it for parties.

The Honey Brown Ale is 5.7% ABV of brewing goodness, with a touch of sweet to compliment rich malts. The brew is really solid and a good one to share with larger groups and varying tastes.

Maple Meadows Brewing

It seems the brewery likes to use this beer as the base for various experimental releases, such as a Smoked Chipotle and Vanilla Bean-infused version… if only I could fire up the ol’ WABAC Machine!

Maple Meadows just recently celebrated their first anniversary and I’ve always loved its origin story of ending up in Maple Ridge because other nearby cities were reluctant towards craft beer operations. That is simply their loss and a huge gain for Maple Ridge.

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BC Beer Baron #112 – Mission Springs Lemon Ginger Radler

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I’m not much of a fan of light beers, but I can still appreciate a good one, such as this release from Mission Springs Brewing.

The Lemon Ginger Radler comes in at a minute 3% ABV, but all the flavours are nice and complement each other. The recipe takes the brewery’s Trailblazer Pilsner and adds California lemons and ginger root infusion to the mix. This results in a refreshing, well-balanced beverage, featuring a ginger bite on the finish.

Mission Springs Lemon Ginger Radler

For those unfamiliar with the Radler style of brewing, it’s basically a beer-lemonade hybrid. Mission Springs suggests serving the drink over ice and as they say, what else should you do when “When Life gives you lemons…”

We stopped at the Mission Springs Brew Pub for some nourishment along our recent Fraser Valley brewery crawl. I thought the bar had a cozy feel to it and would love to return to try other items on their menu.

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BC Beer Baron #111 – Field House Salted Black Porter

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One of the highlights of our recent run through the Fraser Valley brewing region, was stopping at Field House Brewing. Despite only recently opening, the place was packed and better yet, the beers were good.

Among those, was the Salted Black Porter, which had a fair bit going on with it. There was some sweetness, some spiciness and, of course, some saltiness. The salt wasn’t overwhelming, though, if that is a concern to any folks out there.

Field House Brewing Logo

The 7% ABV, 25 IBUs beverage gets its feature flavour from salted black licorice drops, which complete this easy-to-drink porter of the Baltic variety.

Abbotsford has a burgeoning craft beer industry, with Field House joining the already established Old Abbey Ales and Ravens Brewing. If beer isn’t your thing, Field House also offers vino from Mt. Lehman Wineries.

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BC Beer Baron #110 – Ravens Farmers Ale

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While the Sip Advisor will never be a fan of birds of any type, I can make peace with those companies that choose to use fowl in their name/logo… especially when they put out great beers. Such is the case with Ravens Brewing.

The Farmers Ale is a solid and complex beer, highlighted for me by the spicy notes the beverage holds. In their first year of operation, Ravens and their Farmers Ale took home a third place finish at the BC Beer Awards in the Belgian/French Farmhouse class.

Ravens Farmers Ale

Just recently, Ravens announced that the 5.75% ABV, 27 IBUs Farmers Ale (as well as their West Coast Pale Ale) will now be available in four-packs of 473ml cans. The Farmers Ale could already be found in bomber-size bottles, at the brewery’s Abbotsford location.

Like other operations, Ravens is proud to brew based on “European inspiration and West Coast innovation.” They describe their beers as ‘ground to glass’, thanks to ingredient partnerships with their neighbours throughout the Fraser Valley.

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BC Beer Baron #109 – Old Abbey Ales Hazelnut Vanilla Coffee Blonde

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One look at this Old Abbey Ales beer’s name and you would think you’re at some fancy coffee joint ordering a morning pick-me-up.

The Hazelnut Vanilla Coffee Blonde is pure brewing goodness, though. With so many different flavours competing for attention, you’d think something would get lost in the shuffle, but with each sip, I could distinctly taste hazelnut, vanilla and coffee. The smell of the beverage was also quite inviting.

Old Abbey Ales

That said, I’m under the impression that experiences with this beer may vary depending on the batch. All I can say is that I enjoyed my serving, going so far as to suggest it to someone from our group that joined the fray late. To be fair, they didn’t enjoy it as much as I did and they’re a coffee drinker, whereas I loathe the stuff.

This was the second stop of our recent jaunt through the Fraser Valley’s brewing region. Old Abbey Ales has a very impressive line-up of experimental beers and one could definitely spend a fair bit of time at their Abbotsford facility trying each and every tap.

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BC Beer Baron #108 – International Women’s Collaboration Brew Kettle Sour Gose

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While it’s becoming more and more common to see two breweries combine their collective talents for a beer release, you don’t often see five different entities (Dogwood Brewing, Bomber Brewing, Moody Ales, R&B Brewing, and Big Ridge Brewing) coming together to support women in beer.

That’s what happened with the release of the Kettle Sour Gose at Central City’s Vancouver Brew Pub. Full disclosure: The Sip Advisor isn’t the biggest fan of light sour brews, but I thought this 3.5% ABV, 10 IBUs beverage was actually pretty solid.

International Womens Collaboration Brew Kettle Sour Gose

The recipe for this year’s beer was shared around the world and includes organic coriander, sea salt, and Goldings and Magnum hops, resulting in a tart, yet refreshing beverage. $1 from every glass sold will go to the Pink Boots Society, which is working to help women achieve success in the brewing industry, across the globe.

Up until now, I was unfamiliar with this movement, but as long as good beers keep getting put out, all the power to it. My thanks and appreciation goes out to all the ladies out there who play a role in something that I enjoy so much in my life.

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BC Beer Baron #107 – Moon Under Water Tranquility IPA

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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. It may have taken some time, but IPA’s now rank among my favourite styles of beer. Let’s take a look at some of the best BC has to offer, among this acquired taste.

Blending European tradition and west coast creativity, the Moon Under Water Brew Pub is a preferred stopping point for Mrs. Sip and I whenever we are over on the island.

Their Tranquility IPA takes its roots from California IPAs brewed during craft beer’s infancy in the early 1990’s, rather than from its original ancestry line from England. Sadly, the 6.5% ABV and 70 IBUs beverage is now apparently retired, so I’m glad I was able to enjoy a final serving recently.

Moon Under Water Tranquility IPA

With a hippie-themed label re-design, the brewery advocates “Peace, love, and hoppiness” with this offering and that’s a message the Sip Advisor is happy to get behind.

For those wondering, the brewery’s name is a reference to a George Orwell (writer of the dystopian classic 1984) essay, in which the author describes his perfect bar, fictitiously named Moon Under Water. Among Orwell’s 10 must-haves for a pub: quiet enough to talk, with no radio or piano; sells tobacco, cigarettes, aspirins and stamps; uses appropriate of glassware; and features a garden so the whole family can enjoy the visit. Not surprisingly, the name has been adopted by the Wetherspoon chain for 15 of its locations throughout the United Kingdom.

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