BC Beer Baron #87 – Lighthouse Shipwreck IPA

Posted on March 27, 2016 by Daniel Wilson

Getting together with friends recently at Library Square to watch the Vancouver Whitecaps game, I was impressed by the pubs line-up of craft beers, which included this tasty gem from Lighthouse Brewing.

The Shipwreck IPA is a Pacific Northwest version of an India Pale Ale and that’s just the way the Sip Advisor likes ‘em. At perfectly corresponding numbers of 6.5% ABV and 65 IBUs, this IPA comes right into my wheelhouse, no pun intended.

Lighthouse Shipwreck IPA

Part of Lighthouse’s Explorer Series, the IPA is available in six-packs of bottles and cans. The name of the beer was originally Switchback IPA, but had to be changed due to legal action from the Okanagan Crush Pad winery, which had trademarked their Summerland location “Switchback Organic Vineyard”.

In the past, I’ve greatly enjoyed Lighthouse products when I’ve come across them at festivals (my MVP of the Galiano Wine & Beer Festival last year) and have picked up their Bounty mixed case a couple times. Next time I journey to Esquimalt, I’ll have to stop by their location and experience things right from the source.

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BC Beer Baron #86 – Bomber Park Life Passion Fruit Ale

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Daniel Wilson

With spring and summer rapidly approaching, Bomber Brewing has brought back this seasonal release, perfect for the time of year.

The Park Life Passion Fruit Ale is light (only 4.5% ABV) and refreshing with a powerful punch of passion fruit flavour. Although I’m only recently getting more into sour beers, the tart finish here was quite enjoyable and did not detract from the rest of the drinking experience.

Bomber Park Life Passion Fruit Ale

The American Blonde Ale is available in canned six-packs, which makes it easy to pack along for camping or otherwise hanging out in the great outdoors. Plus, with it being so light, you can throw back a whole bunch of them with relative ease.

On our recent journey to Yeast Van, we had to stop into Bomber Brewing, where Cousin Sip’s husband is a diehard fan of their Marzen amber lager. I’m only happy to oblige another destination being added to our itinerary and more beers being enjoyed.

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BC Beer Baron #85 – Off the Rail Raj Mahal India Ale

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Daniel Wilson

Since the first time Mrs. Sip and I stepped foot into Off the Rail Brewing (chancing upon the location for its grand opening), this has been my favourite beverage among their ever-expanding lineup.

When we popped into the East Vancouver tasting room recently and I ordered a glass of the Raj Mahal India Ale, I had the chance to confirm that’s still the case. The brew is an interesting blend, using lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, for a very refreshing experience.

Off the Rail Raj Mahal India Ale

The 5% ABV, 38 IBUs beer can be found in bomber-sized bottles at private liquor stores. It should be noted that this is not an IPA, but rather a India Ale and therefore drinkers who aren’t into IPAs might still enjoy the Raj Mahal.

Off the Rail is located across the street from Bomber Brewing. The two will soon be joined by Luppolo Brewing and together, the Adanac Street companies comprise part of the Yeast Van brewery district. With spring arriving soon, it’s time to dust off the bike and prep for regular trips out that way.

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BC Beer Baron #84 – Storm Raspberry Vanilla Ale

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Daniel Wilson

Any visit to Storm Brewing is a joyous occasion, with so many wonderful and unique beers to sample, in Yeast Van’s most eclectic of locations.

New to the brewery’s taps on our most recent visit was their Raspberry Vanilla Ale, which is a scrumptious brew. Actually, it wasn’t even on their ‘Brainstorms’ board yet (which is updated daily and can be viewed on Storm’s website), but Mrs. Sip was able to get us a taste and follow that with a growler fill of the 5% ABV beverage.

The beer hits you with raspberry first and then settles into a nice vanilla finish. It was among stiff competition for the Sip Advisor when picking his favourite of the night (so many great options to choose from), but won out because of the great blending of flavours.

We were at the brewery for their Storm Social, which may have taken place a day after St. Patrick’s Day, but featured ice cream beer floats, so all is forgiven. Mrs. Sip and I paired chocolate ice cream with a couple of their flavoured stouts, resulting in some delicious treats.

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Sip Trips #61: Irish You Well

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Daniel Wilson

The week that was, was quite busy, so let’s get right down to the nitty gritty!

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the Sip Advisor met with some friends at Jimmy’s Taphouse. I’ve never really been into the green beer thing, but when in Rome, do as the drunkards do. Well, after only one jade beverage, Jimmy’s ran out of their green dye. Keep in mind, this “tragedy” occurred at only 6:30pm, leaving the Sip Advisor wondering why a) they hadn’t planned to have enough dye for even close to the majority of the night and b) why they couldn’t travel to the other end of the block, where there’s a Marketplace grocery store and pick up some more? The dye gaffe aside, Jimmy’s still possesses, in my opinion, one of the best poutine dishes in the city and it’s especially noteworthy when during happy hour, the price is cut in half!

I think we can all agree that St. Patrick’s Day is best spent enjoying beer or Irish whiskey and so why not keep the celebration going. That’s what Storm Brewing figured when they scheduled their latest Storm Social the day after the March 17 holiday, luring guests in with ice cream beer floats. Mrs. Sip and I both went with combining chocolate ice cream with one of their stouts, while Cousin Sip paired yet a third stout with London fog ice cream. We also stuck around to try most of the brewery’s ‘Brainstorms’ board and filled a couple growlers.

The good times just kept rolling all through the weekend, with Yaletown Brewery hosting one of their famous Caskival events. This time, Irish stouts and porters were on the menu, featuring entries from Whistler Brewhouse, Big Ridge, Moody Ales, R&B, Real Cask, Steamworks, Main Street, Dogwood, Persephone, Postmark, and of course Yaletown. A 12-beer punch card could be had for $20… an amazing deal, if you ask the Sip Advisor. I like the Caskivals that feature more variety in products available, but there were some good beers here, with my favourite being the Moody Ales/Ridge Brewing 1880 Export Stout collaborative effort.

After a brief respite back at home, the Sip Advisor was out and about again, joining friends at Library Square Public House for the Vancouver Whitecaps game. I had never been to this Donnelly Group location and it had been some time since I’d checked out any of their collection of restaurants and bars. That will change, though, as I was quite impressed with the line-up of craft beers on their menu. It wasn’t a massive menu, but there was good variety and what was there was top notch stuff. I also had my first Hand Grenade shot experience here. You place two shot glasses (each filled with a different alcohol) at the top of a larger glass filled with a little energy drink. Then, you remove one of the shot glasses (ie. pulling the pin on the grenade) and allowing the other shot glass to drop into the beverage below. Then, you shoot the entire concoction. I thought it was all very creative and wondered how it had taken this long to come onto my radar.

With the Easter weekend upon us, things really ramp up and we return to Portland to attend the city’s Spring Beer and Wine Fest for the third year in a row. I can’t wait to report back to all you little sippers about this year’s mayhem. Safe travels and sip well, my friends!

BC Beer Baron #83 – Yaletown Yaletown Ale

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Daniel Wilson

After a game in which we didn’t fair so well on the ball hockey floor, our team needed some liquid therapy. For this, we visited The Distillery, a sister restaurant of the Yaletown Brewery.

There, I ordered the Yaletown Ale to drown my athletic sorrows. I really enjoyed the strong caramel flavour of this pale ale, which became more pronounced as the beer warmed up. It was a lighter beverage (4.8% ABV) and not as hoppy (only 21 IBUs) as I typically like with my pale ales, but it was a satisfying drink, nonetheless.

Yaletown Brewery

I’m a fan of Yaletown Brewery’s motto: “Dream big. Work hard. Have a beer.” That seems to be the definition of the true Canadian dream and they should really put that slogan on some merchandise.

The Distillery is a great place to go for weekend brunch ($10 breakfast menu and $10 bottomless mimosas), as well as for their Sunday pasta deal. Pa Sip is also a big fan of the restaurant’s unlimited lasagna special, which I believe runs on Tuesdays.

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BC Beer Baron #81 – Phillips Blue Buck Ale

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Daniel Wilson

Phillips Brewing is one of the bigger players in BC’s craft beer scene and so it comes as no surprise that many of their products are viewed in high regard by the general community.

With that in mind, it would not be a stretch to name Blue Buck Ale the most popular and accessible craft beer in BC. This English-style pale ale turns up all the time for the Sip Advisor and I have enjoyed the brew on countless occasions. Plain and simple, it’s just good drinking! No wonder then, that the beer has won a number of awards, most notably gold and silver medals at the 2007 and 2012 Canadian Brewing Awards, respectively, in the North American Style Amber category.

Phillips Blue Buck Ale

Originally known as Blue Truck Ale (in honour of the blue 1965 Chevy delivery truck employed by the company during their earlier years), the name change was forced upon Phillips through legal action from Red Truck Brewing, in 2007. Phillips ran with the new name (selected from an online contest), though, eliciting thoughts of a mythological character, which the company writes of: “The Blue Buck is a legendary beast known to grant those that see him good fortune and safe travels! Certainly seeing the Blue Buck on bottle grants the drinker a great experience!”

Food pairing suggestions include: chicken, burgers, and mild to medium cheeses. Some recipes Phillips has come up with, which incorporate the ale, include: Bucked Up Pulled Pork and Buckin’ Good Chili. Blue Buck is available in everything from six packs to tall boy cans and at countless restaurants and bars across the province. It’s popularity has resulted in the beer being available as far east as Ontario.

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BC Beer Baron #80 – Granville Island West Coast Pale Ale

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Daniel Wilson

A couple weeks back, Mrs. Sip and I made a pilgrimage to one of BC’s craft beer meccas, Granville Island Brewing. Okay, so we only had to each take short bus rides to meet there, but it can’t be denied that Granville Island is one of the originators of the industry, in this part of the world.

While Mrs. Sip sampled their North German Pilsner, I chose one of their other small batch releases, the West Coast Pale Ale (not to be confused with GIB’s English Bay Pale Ale). While I’ve had better from Granville Island, this was a decent beer, with a fair amount of hops to add a little punch to the beverage.

Granville Island Brewing

I’m always happy (and prefer) to drink west coast products – it is the best coast, after all – and am proud to hail from this side of the content. Nothing against the east, which holds its own treasures, but the way of life out west just can’t be topped.

Popping into Granville Island’s tasting room has always been a good experience. It brings back memories of my earliest days of craft beer enjoyment, when a much younger Sip Advisor was just learning of the wonders the world holds and is capable of sharing with its inhabitants.

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BC Beer Baron #79 – Stag and Pheasant Imperial Stout

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Daniel Wilson

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. Since March features St. Patrick’s Day and many of us largely associate the celebration with Guinness beer, the Sip Advisor thought it would be a prime month to highlight some of B.C.’s best stout beers.

In late January, the Sip Syndicate descended upon Main Street Brewing for some drinks and before we knew it, each of us was a couple beers deep before Mrs. Sip even arrived. When she did, I insisted she order this brew and get caught up to the rest of us.

The Stag and Pheasant Imperial Stout is definitely of the winter warmer variety. You do feel the 9% ABV, but I was surprised to see it come in at 65 IBU’s, as the hoppiness is nicely hidden. Tastes of chocolate, coffee and what the brewery calls “a touch of pine” are present with a “hint of smoke” on the back end.

Main Street Stag & Pheasant Imperial Stout.png

The stout is named after the Stag & Pheasant saloon, which existed in Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood in the late 1800’s. The establishment was owned by Charles Doering, who sold the business in 1888, in order to enter the brewing game. Doering would go on to co-found the Vancouver Brewery which all these years later has been converted into the home of Main Street’s Brewery Creek location.

Originally released in 2014, I look forward to future engagements with this beer, as well as returns to Main Street Brewing and its historical site.

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