July flew by, in part because we embarked on a family road trip for the first few weeks, travelling to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and back. This included a number of craft brewery visits and other shenanigans, so let’s get right to checking out how the journey played out:
After a couple nights at Ma and Pa Sip’s place in Tobiano, the next leg of our trek took us to Prince George, where we squeezed two breweries in upon arrival and before checking out Minions & Monsters at the Raceway Fun Park drive-in theatre. We began with Deadfall Brewing, where Mrs. Sip and I ordered the Basal Brown Ale and Hefeweizen.
This was followed by dinner at CrossRoads Tap & Kitchen, where I enjoyed their Tuna Poke Bowl, paired with a serving of CrossRoads Fast Lane IPA. We also tried to go to Trench Brewing & Distilling the following day, but they were unexpectedly closed, so we missed out on completing the PG trifecta.
Our next port of call was Dawson Creek. After checking into our hotel, we ventured to Post & Row Taphouse & Eatery for dinner. To eat, I went with a Single Smash Burger, taking advantage of the All Day Happy Hour on Mondays, complete with delicious crispy fries. Over the course of our meal, Mrs. Sip and I tried the King of the North IPA, Archer’s Red Ale, Hundo (100th Batch) and Haugen’s Hallow Apricot Orange Blonde Ale. We also added some Brussels Sprouts to our feast.
With Mrs. Sip working the next day in nearby Fort St. John, I had an entire day to figure out what to do with the Siplings there. After a morning of playgrounds, we reconvened for lunch together at Hungry Bear, a hidden gem that the locals love. This eatery has an interesting menu, combining Asian dishes with other comfort food options. Our order consisted of Popcorn Shrimp as a starter, followed by the Crispy FSJ Roll and HB California Roll.
Following an afternoon at a McDonald’s PlayPlace – apparently, the largest one in Canada – we wrapped our day in Fort. St. John by dropping into Beard’s Brewing. I drank the Red Beard, while Mrs. Sip selected the Honey Brown Beard. A second brewery in the city, Mighty Peace Brewing, is unfortunately closed on Tuesdays, so we missed out on that.
Back in Dawson Creek the next day, with Mrs. Sip working again, I took the Siplings to the Walter Wright Pioneer Village. Both kids are very into heritage museums and love seeing how people lived in the past. Girl Sip is particularly fond of typewriters, while Boy Sip always wants to be warned of creepy dolls… and there’s always creepy dolls! Meeting up with Mrs. Sip for lunch, we tried Stuie’s Diner, where I had their Clubhouse, my go to diner order.
For dinner that night, we met with members of Mrs. Sip’s family at Boston Pizza. I appreciate that BP, more than most other restaurants, changes their seasonal menu, offering up new pizzas, sandwiches, appies, drinks, and other items. On this occasion, I ordered the Smash Burger Pizza, which I hope makes its way onto their permanent menu.
As we crossed the border into Alberta, we picked up some Albertan beers, including: Brewsters 52nd Street Peach Ale, a collection of Peace River Brewing offerings (Don’t Worry be Heffy, Foxtail Amber, Tastes Pink IPA, Bangin’ Belgian), Lil Buzz Honey Lemon Lager, and Letterkenny Puppers Lager. Our dinner in High Level that night took place at Stardust Restaurant & Lounge, where I was fiending for some greens and I went with the Chicken Caesar Salad, which featured really good grilled chicken and more than I expected from the $18 price tag.
The next day, after a long drive, we finally reached Yellowknife, where we took it easy for our first night. Our first destination of the stay was, of course, NWT Brewing and The Woodyard restaurant. Since we weren’t using the vehicle, I could truly enjoy the beers, with Mrs. Sip and I ordering the Kicksled Cream Ale, Ragged Pine Pale Ale, London Fog Hazy IPA and Water Squatter Belgian Hazy IPA over our stay. It was a good thing we went on Saturday and not Sunday, as the place was closed that day. I’ll never understand Sunday closures of breweries. Monday and perhaps Tuesday, go right ahead, but why would you close on a weekend day during tourist season?
Next up, was some fish and chips at the famous Bullocks Bistro. We shared a large serving of Great Slave Cod and Chips, along with a tall can of NWT Honey Bucket Nut Brown. With the fish, I got to try their Teriyaki and Herb & Garlic Dressing sauces, both of which were good.
Looking to complete our Yellowknife foodie tour, we next walked to Wildcat Café, the oldest restaurant in the city. This was a meal of hits and misses, as our Butter Birch Walnut Ice Cream was surprisingly good, but the Hunters Pie (braised bison, local spruce gremolata) and Bannock and Jam were disappointing. The experience was completed with a can of NWT Turbid Wit Witbier.
The next day, we explored Yellowknife more, finishing our day with dinner at the Bluebell Eatery, where Mrs. Sip and I shared the Butter Chicken Platter and a NWT Bug Repellent IPA. The kids even got into things, dipping garlic naan into the curry.
Leaving Yellowknife, our longest drive of the journey was a 10.5-hour voyage to Hinton, Alberta. Upon arriving, we went to Folding Mountain Brewing Taproom & Kitchen for dinner. There, Mrs. Sip and I had pints of the Moraine West Coast IPA and Mount Solomon Session Hazy IPA. My meal for the occasion was the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich.
To return to B.C., we travelled through Jasper National Park, stopping in the resort town for lunch. We originally intend to explore the area a little more, but upon lucking out with one of the last seats available at Jasper Brewing, with the England vs. Argentina World Cup semifinal playing, we altered course and watched most of the game before hitting the road again. At the brewpub, we tried servings of the Hazy Does It IPA, Blueberry Vanilla Ale, Raspberry Peach Sour and Pump Track Wheat Ale. All the food here was very good, including my Tuna Poke Bowl.
Back at Ma and Pa Sip’s abode in Tobiano, we got a babysitter for the Siplings one night, so all us older folks could have dinner at Jess’ Tobiano, the nearby golf course restaurant. My meal combined the Iron Road Loop Line IPA and GreenTee Smashed Burger. We also managed to get out to Monte Creek Winery, where we enjoyed a free tasting as Ma Sip is a member. My preferred wine from the experience was their Cabernet Franc.
On our return to Tobiano, I popped into an Angry Otter Liquor store and grabbed the Nude Vodka Water pack, enticed by flavours like Blackberry Lime, Raspberry Lemon, Strawberry Grapefruit and Cranberry Orange. I didn’t realize vodka water meant non-carbonated, so that was a huge mistake on my part. The case was also more expensive than my usual purchases, but I wanted to give the set a try.
Back at home, the Sip Family attended a New Westminster Salmonbellies lacrosse game, thanks to receiving six free tickets. Mrs. Sip and I took advantage of the Steel & Oak beers being sold inside Queens Park Arena, each getting a Bellies Pale Ale. Mrs. Sip also grabbed me an Original Burger from the Triple Os food truck outside, all making for a fun night out.
We wrapped the busy month with a member pickup party at Township 7, enjoying a tasting on their patio. August will be just as busy as July, with the Siplings on vacation with Ma and Pa Sip for the first half of the month and Mrs. Sip and I travelling to Calgary to visit friends!
Sip Advisor 