Tag Archives: BC Craft Beer

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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BC Beer Baron #106 – Steamworks Jasmine 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.

As part of the Sip Advisor’s recent St. Patrick’s Day celebrations (how is this not a worldwide observed national holiday yet?), I shared a bomber bottle of this Steamworks Brewing release with Cousin Sip and it was a highlight of my drinking experiences that day.

It had been a little while since I had tried the Jasmine IPA and I couldn’t remember my previous opinion of it. I’m happy to report that the beer wowed me and I wish I hadn’t gone so long between servings. The jasmine flower notes are mild, but do provide the beer with a nice aroma and taste. I don’t think you’d want the participation of the jasmine to be too overwhelming and that’s achieved here.

Steamworks Jasmine IPA

Steamworks label designs have always been interesting and it’s no different with this product. The artwork features Chinese influences, such as what we’ve all come to know as the ornate entrances to major city’s Chinatowns, as well as animal gatekeepers, in this case the dragon/lion mythological creature.

The 6.4% ABV, 60 IBUs beverage is available year round on tap at Steamworks brewery and brew pub. It can also be located at BC Liquor Stores and other fine retailers in 650ml bottles. I urge you all to get down with your bad dragon/lion self, while enjoying this beer!

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BC Beer Baron #105 – Hoyne Devil’s Dream 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.

As we continue IPA Week, we travel to Victoria’s Hoyne Brewing for this devilish treat.

The Devil’s Dream IPA is a perfect example of a fine BC IPA. The 6% ABV offering is made with three different types of hops and is a bold, flavourful drinking ecperience.

Hoyne Devil's Dream IPA

I absolutely love the name of this beer, which includes a label that features a faceless (possibly horned) entity darkly playing a violin. The beer’s description completes the chilling experience: “Here’s to Daniel Lapp, Oliver Schroer, ELH, and all great fiddlers. Libation and music, like the tumultuous marriage of malt and hops, stand waiting with us at the crossroads. And look: here comes the Devil, whistling past the graveyard, singing in the midnight choir, bottle in one hand, a fiddle in the other, and that crazy smile…”. That statement gives me goosebumps and makes me want to down that beer even more… if only to calm the nerves!

I first had this brew at The Flying Beaver in Richmond. I figured I’d give it a try since I was so enamoured with Hoyne’s Dark Matter release. I’m very glad I gave it a shot and I looked quite the drinker with my 650ml bomber bottle, while others had mere sleeves in front of them!

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