Tag Archives: BC Craft Beer

BC Beer Baron #12 – Driftwood Crooked Coast Altbier

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I have previously enjoyed Driftwood Brewing beers, such as their White Bark Witbier and Fat Tug IPA, so giving this beverage a shot wasn’t a difficult choice. For those unfamiliar, the alt style of beer comes from Dusseldorf, Germany and means “old beer”.

The Crooked Coast Altbier was good. While the brewery suggests pairings, including vegetables (celery, fennel and parsnips) and bratwurst and other pork products, I enjoyed it with a spaghetti dinner (complete with garlic bread and Caesar salad) prepared by Ma Sip, as we listened to some David Bowie tunes, in honour of his life.

Driftwood Crooked Coast Altbier

This Driftwood beer seems to have a story or legend attached to it: “On a misshapen island away from the eyes of the world, the inhabitants have twisted together German noble hops and Munich malt, an unholy Amber Ale brewed to trick the tongue. Do not speak its name. A crooked gesture will suffice.”

The saga depicted above had me intrigued and got me thinking that perhaps this was the perfect beer to toast Mr. Bowie, a master of creativity, innovation and character construction. Sometimes things just line up like this.

Mrs. Sip’s Take:

The beer had a bitter finish that I couldn’t get over, so the drink was better left in the hands of the Sip Advisor. I did love the artwork on the bottle, though, and wish credit to the artist had been available.

The lovely and adventurous Mrs. Sip and I have tossed around the idea of heading to Victoria on the upcoming Family Day long weekend to visit friends and make new ones at the many breweries located on Vancouver Island. Driftwood’s tasting room would definitely be on our route, if the mini vacation goes ahead.

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BC Beer Baron #11 – Yaletown Golden Buddha IPA

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Despite its proximity, it had been a while since we’d stopped into the Yaletown Brewery for a beer, so while Mrs. Sip collected her steps for the day (damn you Fitbit!), I suggested we make a trip out of our extended walk and see what they had on tap.

We came in on the perfect day. All the restaurant’s beers, from mainstays to limited releases were only $4.50, a deal I believe they run every Sunday to go with their range of pizzas, which are also discounted. While Mrs. Sip ordered a beer that will be discussed here at a later date, I asked for a serving of their Golden Buddha IPA.

Yaletown Brewery

I really enjoyed this beer and Mrs. Sip and I remarked at how this once apprehensive towards hoppy beers guy, now loves them. I’m not sure if it’s because the style grew on me, or my tastes evolved, but either way, I’m happy for the development.

Mrs. Sip’s Take:

Given the high alcohol (8.3%) and decent IBU (65), it was a very smooth IPA. The bitter aftertaste wasn’t too much of a problem and the beer was easier to drink than I would expect.

As we live within Yaletown’s borders, we’ll have to keep the nearby brewery in mind… especially when I’m forced to go on more “romantic” walks!

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BC Beer Baron #10 – Tree Hop Head IPA

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A member of the Sip Syndicate recently brought a six-pack of these Tree Brewing beers over to Ma and Pa Sip’s place and left a few behind. Then, like a vulture, I swooped in and took one for my own enjoyment. Of course, I didn’t tear into the beer as Mrs. Sip and I had witnessed the scavenger birds do to a fallen donkey on our tour of Southern Africa (no, I have a little class!), but I did crack one open for myself.

The Hop Head IPA is intense, but nothing that can’t be handled. The beer has been around since 1999 and the brewery boasts that it was “the first ‘serious’ IPA to be crafted for wide consumption by a Canadian Brewery.” It is meant for ‘Hop Heads’… you know, those serious lovers of IPAs and hoppy brews

Tree Hop Head IPA

Tree suggests pairing the beer with everything from curry and lamb to blue cheese and sweet desserts. That’s a wide array of edibles to tackle for the beer that won bronze and silver medals at the 2007 and 2008 Canadian Brewing Awards, respectively.

I like Tree’s slogan of “Drink real ale cause bud is just for smoking!” It’s a good line to appeal to BC beer drinkers and marijuana smokers, while taking a shot at brewing giant Budweiser, all at the same time.

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BC Beer Baron #9: Storm Vanilla Whiskey Stout

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Cousin Sip had one of Storm Brewing’s new refillable bomber bottles and because she’s going through a month of trying not to drink (what an odd concept!), she was practically forced to give the amazing brew to me, before the beer went bad. In my travels, I’ve never seen refillable bombers (growlers and Bostons seem to be the norm), so I hope this is a new trend that will spread across the land.

The Vanilla Whiskey Stout is pretty easy to sum up: it’s spectacular. The beer is strong and flavourful, with a blend of vanilla and whiskey tastes. The smell is also very inviting and we all marvelled over how good it smelled after being trapped in its bottle for as long as it had.

Storm Brewing

For those that have yet to visit Storm Brewing, it should be on every local beer aficionado’s bucket list. When you first enter, though, you might think the brewery has no interest in their customer’s experience. I urge you to push on, my little sippers, and you will meet one of the best staffs in the game. Aside from the people, the beers are amazing and ever-changing, with a list of “Brainstorms” that is updated regularly. I promise you will fall in love with the brewery that features a rat as their mascot.

You won’t find Storm beers at any liquor store, but some selections can be located at bars around BC’s Lower Mainland. The Vanilla Whiskey Stout has quickly become one of my favourites and it’s totally worth the effort of searching high and low for a serving… or convincing you cousin to share the joy!

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BC Beer Baron #8 – Parallel 49 Old Boy Brown Ale

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In recent times, I’ve grown quite fond of brown ales, but sadly, the Parallel 49 Old Boy Brown Ale was not one to make my favourites list. The brew just didn’t hit the spot.

I was served the beer at The Hub, in New Westminster, as part of a tasting flight. Perhaps it was overshadowed by my enjoyment of fellow samples, Ninkasi Vanilla Oatis Stout and Fuggles and Warlock Destiny IPA.

Parallel 49 Old Boy

I will say that it’s an easy drinking beer, which might be right up someone else’s alley. The Old Boy is inspired by traditional English brown ales and if provided with another opportunity to try the ale, I probably would.

I have to commend Parallel 49 for their label work on this beer and most others in their portfolio. There isn’t much that beats the image of a proud pint, complete with monocle, cane, moustache and top hat. It’s like a boozier version of Mr. Peanut!

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BC Beer Baron #7 – Howe Sound Gathering Storm Dark Ale

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With a recent visit to The Devil’s Elbow Ale and Smokehouse, Mrs. Sip and I (along with some friends) were able to try some beers from Howe Sound Brewing’s extensive menu. The restaurant and pub acts as a tasting room for Howe Sound, while also carrying some other craft beer products.

My choice of beverage for the occasion was the Gathering Storm Dark Ale, which is a limited release brown ale, bursting with flavour, thanks to six types of barley malts and three different Pacific Northwest hops varieties.

Howe Sound Gathering Storm Dark Ale

While my serving was merely a pint, if you track down a bottle of this brew, you will be rewarded with three full glasses, thanks to Howe Sound’s distinctive one-litre bottle offerings.

I have still yet to visit Howe Sound’s actual brewery or brew pub in Squamish, B.C., but would love to make the journey there sooner, rather than later. You can even stay at the Howe Sound Inn and really make a trip out of it!

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BC Beer Baron #6 – Powell Street Old Jalopy Pale Ale

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The Central City Brew Pub on Beatty Street has a very unique item on their tap menu: a mystery pour. Always game for trying something adventurous, Mrs. Sip ordered it and waited anxiously for the results.

When the beverage arrived, we got to play the guessing game of “What’s in my Glass” and the answer was Powell Street’s Old Jalopy Pale Ale. The beer is quite good, having been named the Canadian Beer of the Year at the 2013 Canadian Brewing Awards.

powell street old jalopy

On our last visit to Powell Street Brewing, during the summer, I ranked it as one my favourite stops of our day, which included popping into eight different locations around Vancouver. We will certainly be back again soon.

Mrs. Sip’s Take:

It may not have been our favourite brew of the night, but you can’t beat paying $3 for a full serving of an award-winning beer at a restaurant. Much thanks to the server who encouraged us to give it a shot.

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BC Beer Baron #5: Four Winds Tiger Style Ale

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Another beer Mrs. Sip and I enjoyed on our recent trip to Central City’s downtown brew pub was the Four Winds Tiger Style Ale. The brew is designed to replicate Tiger Stripe ice cream, with flavours of dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, licorice, and orange.

four-winds-brewing

I’m not sure how close the beer actually comes to the ice cream, having not had a serving of the dessert for many years (do they even still make it?), but I can vouch for the beer being delicious. I like Four Winds penchant for experimenting with different ingredients and combinations and this was another success, in the Sip Advisor’s book.

Mrs. Sip’s Take:

Mrs. Sip really enjoyed this beer, but wasn’t overly familiar with its ice cream inspiration. I think we should both try and track down a scoop before trying the beer again and see just how close it actually comes.

The Tiger Style Ale was originally only available in Four Winds Delta-based tasting room, so I think Mrs. Sip and I were particularly lucky to come across it on the Central City Brew Pub seasonal beer menu. More on the another brew pub selection with tomorrow’s article!

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BC Beer Baron #4: Central City Super Sonic IPA

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To celebrate Cousin Sip’s birthday, the gang went to Central City’s downtown brew pub yesterday for burgers and beer (and wine for some) and while mulling over my beverage options, the server suggested I try the Central City Super Sonic IPA, as according to him, it’s only available at that location and could disappear from the menu at any time.

Central City Super Sonic IPA

That sounded like a good pick to the Sip Advisor, especially if the brew couldn’t be located at liquor stores or even Central City’s other brew pub or brewery and tasting room in Surrey. The beer is described as “Out of this world!” and while it didn’t send me into orbit, it was a solid beer, which paired quite nicely with my Crispy Crunch Burger.

Mrs. Sip’s Take:

A lighter, smoother IPA and she’s totally right. The IPA came in at 68 IBU, which isn’t very hoppy, especially compared to the same brewery’s Imperial IPA, which jumps up to 90 IBU.

In the coming weeks, I’ll have more from our visit to Central City, including Mrs. Sip’s daring choice of ordering the mystery tap beer, as well as trying a beer modeled after a childhood memory for many of us.

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BC Beer Baron #3: Fuggles and Warlock Destiny IPA

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From the brewery that boasts, “Keeping Beer Weird,” I must admit that I don’t have a ton of experience with Fuggles and Warlock products, but what I’ve tried (such as their Shiva White IPA), I’ve enjoyed.

Featuring seven different styles of hops, I really liked the Destiny IPA, enjoyed at The Hub in New West, as part of a taster flight. The brewer’s dare drinkers to “Pour yourself a glass… Discover your destiny.”

Fuggles and Warlock Destiny IPA

Their tasting room in Richmond, B.C. opens in February and Mrs. Sip and I are hoping to visit early on in its existence.

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