Tag Archives: Central City Brewing

BC Beer Baron #259 – Central City Peared Up Saison

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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. Saisons have quickly become a favourite style of the Sip Advisor. I’ve even gone so far as to call the summer of 2016 my ‘Summer of Saison’. Let’s see what BC has to offer.

One of my favourite things to do, in preparation for a weekend away, is pop into a liquor store for some travel treats. On a recent trip, looking for wares for a camping weekend, I found this Central City Brewing special release.

The Peared Up Saison is single-hopped and uses real pear juice. The 5% ABV, 25 IBUs fruit-infused Farmhouse Ale also features the traditional flavours one would expect from a saison, including banana and citrus spice.

central-city-peared-up-saison

Brewed in collaboration with Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewing, its brewmaster, Mike Lackey, said: “Our goal was to brew a refreshing, seasonal beer that can be equally enjoyable on the Ontario lakes in cottage country, or on the North Shore mountains after a grinding hike.”

A limited edition product, the beer is available for westerners in bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores. Central City has dabbled in the saison game before with their Detective Saison, part of the character-based Central City series.

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BC Beer Baron #213 – Central City Red Racer Imperial IPA

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One of Central City Brewing’s most popular products and one that has introduced many to the company is the Red Racer IPA. It seems the company is looking to take that classic recipe up a notch with one of their most recent new releases.

The Red Racer Imperial IPA takes their traditional 6.5% ABV, 80 IBUs recipe and ups those stats to 9% ABV and 90 IBUs. Other alterations include dropping from three different malts to just one (UK Maris Otter) and completely starting anew on the hops end with Yakima Valley, as opposed to the four different styles used in the original brew.

Central City Red Racer Imperial IPA

The beer is available on tap and in bomber-sized bottles. South of the border, the Imperial IPA can be found under the Red Betty brand name. This was the result of Bear Republic Brewing filing a lawsuit against Central City and their Red Racer name, which they viewed as too similar to their Racer 5 IPA and Red Rocket Ale trademarks.

I came across this beer at Central City’s Surrey brewery, tasting room and store. Although I was at the location hunting for something else, I just had to try this supersized version of an old favourite.

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BC Beer Baron #173 – Central City Dark Cherry Stout

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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. Fruit beers may have some traditionalists up in arms, but if they only them a chance, they would see how good the beverages can be. In putting together this feature week, I tried to incorporate as many different fruits as possible, so let’s see what BC has to offer in this realm.

On one of our many trips to the Central City Brew Pub in Vancouver a couple months back, this tap menu item from their own brewery instantly caught my eye and I quickly ordered a serving.

The Dark Cherry Stout combined a few of my favourite things: cherries, chocolate and beer. This 6% ABV, 30 IBUs offering was fairly good. There was a reasonable amount of cherry flavour to the recipe, although I always like more when it comes to my beverages. In most cases, I want to know that taste is there, not just get a hint of it.

Central City Brewing

I’m not sure how easy it would be to find this stout, as it wasn’t even listed on the brewery’s website, at the time the Sip Advisor experienced it. I would assume it was available at Central City’s tasting room, as well as at their Surrey brew pub, but I can’t be certain of that.

As far as Central City stouts go, I’ve also tried their Habanero Stout, which I found to be quite enjoyable. If the Dark Cherry Stout has disappeared with the end of the winter season, I would urge all you little sippers to be on the lookout for it next year.

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BC Beer Baron #151 – Central City Scotch Ale

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On our most recent trip to Central City’s Brew Pub in Downtown Vancouver, Cousin Sip’s husband ordered this brew, but didn’t expect how smoky it would be. Always hunting for smoky beverages, I agreed (out of the kindness of my heart) to swap him my drink – ironically, a light on the smoke Smoked Porter – so he could enjoy his experience.

My reward was this Scotch Ale, which surprised me with how flavourful it was. Already rocking the prerequisite notes of caramel/toffee, the smoky finish wrapped the beer up in a nice, neat package.

Central City Brewing

The 6.1% ABV, 34 IBUs ale takes much of its composition from peated malts, an ingredient the Scottish seem to have specialized in and perfected. Scotch Ales have been growing on me lately, thanks to the Sip Advisor coming across the paths of a number of good ones, in recent times.

On this venture to the Central City Brew Pub, we had trouble getting many of the beers we wanted, as we visited at a time when the restaurant was changing a number of kegs and menu items over with the spring season in mind. Still, with a large list of prospective brews, we were still able to stumble across diamonds in the rough, such as the Scotch Ale… we just had to have our choices narrowed down for us.

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BC Beer Baron #78 – Central City Habanero Stout

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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. 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.

If there’s anything the Sip Advisor likes more than a smoky beverage, it’s a spicy one and Central City Brewing has the answer to my wishes with this seasonal release.

The Habanero Stout is roasty, smoky and spicy – the triple threat! At 8.5% ABV, they aren’t messing around here. Despite the high alcohol content, it’s not noticeable. There’s also a nice balance between the overall sweetness of the stout and the chili spice of the habaneros.

Central City Habanero Stout

To go with the beer’s heat, the classic Central City Red Racer logo of a girl riding a bike has been adapted to being a she-devil (still on the bike), clad in red and complete with tail and pitchfork. You gotta love the company slightly altering their label to give the beer a little more shelf appeal.

I’ve always enjoyed popping into Central City’s Surrey brewery, tasting room and store, but on this visit I was completely blown away by the pricing of some of their available beers. I’m not sure if they were simply clearing stock, but I was able to pick up bombers of today’s feature beer for only $2 each. You just can’t beat that!

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BC Beer Baron #30 – Central City Red Racer 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. For the opening month of this project, I wanted to look at some of the flagship and original offerings from breweries around the province.

The Red Racer IPA from Central City Brewing may have been my first introduction to IPAs. Back at a time when I wasn’t into IPAs, I’m not sure I fully appreciated the 6.5% ABV, 80 IBU beverage. Thankfully, that has changed, as my tastes have evolved and I’ve become an IPA fan.

Central City Red Racer IPA

Central City started as a brew pub operation in 2003, before moving into canning their products and finally opening a brewery and tasting room location just a few years back. The company boasts that their Red Racer IPA can be found in 156 BC Government Liquor stores, as well as many private locations. The brew can also be found in 230 LCBO stores in Ontario. Heck, Red Racer products can also be found across the line in the U.S., under the Red Betty brand, thanks to legal action from California’s Bear Republic Brewing.

I’ve enjoyed a few trips to Central City’s Surrey hub (a perfect place to go when Mrs. Sip tells me she’s going to be late leaving work, as I’m already waiting at the Scott Road SkyTrain Station… and trust me, it’s happened a lot), as well as their brew pubs at both the Surrey Central Mall and in Downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver location is conveniently close to the Sip Advisor offices.

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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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Sip Trips #37: Home Stretch

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You would think that with a big trip approaching for Mrs. Sip and myself that this week would be calm on the drinking front and more focused on last-minute errands and packing. But you don’t know Mrs. Sip and I. No, instead, we tried to balance both ideas, visiting with friends and family and celebrating a couple birthdays along the way.

The week began with a trip to Bin 941, which specializes in shared “tapatizers”. Cousin Sip had grabbed a Groupon for the meal, which included eight beers or two bottles of wine, with the selection of six different appetizers. We decided to go the beer route and I picked one round of Mad & Noisy IPA, followed by Granville Island ISA. I’d never heard of Mad & Noisy before, but apparently they are an offshoot of the Molson Brewery. Among our appies were their mountain of truffle fries, crab cakes, fried octopus, lamb skewers, and bread and dips. Some of the dishes were smaller than I would have hoped for, especially with sharing amongst a group of four, but everything tasted pretty damn good.

relationship with food

The next night, we were back at the Central City Brewpub on Beatty Street (wow, we’ve been there a lot lately). This time, it was to celebrate Sis-in-Law Sip’s birthday with the restaurant’s monthly feature Bacon Tasting Menu. This was comprised of a salad (with beer bacon lardon), main (double smoked deep fried bacon steak), and finished with dessert (maple bacon blondie). Each dish was paired with one of the brewery’s beers, while there was a choice for the salad between a Wheat Ale or Bacon Seraph Caesar. Mrs. Sip and I went with the Caesar, which was good, but should have gone with the beer. The main was combined with an IPA and dessert was joined by a Red Ale.

The Sip Advisor’s birthday is later this month, but we will be away for it and therefore, Mrs. Sip threw yours truly a little birthday bash with friends over the weekend. For this, we attended the BC Derby at Hastings Racecourse. The afternoon was highlighted by many beers (Parallel 49 Gypsy Tears and Granville Island Hefeweizen) gifted to me by friends, incredibly tight and exciting races, and some decent food cart snacks. Mrs. Sip and I broke even with our wagers and wins, although she did better than I did. My two big wins netted 40 and 90 cents, respectively!

horse racing drinking hats

For dinner, we went to Steamworks Brewpub in Gastown, where I ordered a flight consisting of Kanadische Kolsch, Sisu Salmiakki Gose, Smokey Scotch Ale, and Oatmeal Stout. Of the bunch, the Smokey Scotch Ale was my favourite. I also ordered a pint of the Empress IPA, following dinner. The restaurant does something with the IPA that I have never seen before, combining it with Bellini mix. Usually I see this done (if at all) with a lager or lighter brew. I tasted Cousin Sip’s serving of the drink and the two opposites work together, with tastes of bitter and sweet battling it out.

With Mrs. Sip and I heading to South Africa for the next month, Sip Trips will go on a brief hiatus, but we’ll be back with a vengeance upon our return. Keep sipping, my friends!

Sip Trips #31: Bomber Blast

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The Sip Advisor always aims to start the Sip Trips week with a bang and all I can say is mission accomplished for the past seven days!

Prior to meeting a larger group for dinner, I met a friend at PHAT Sports Bar in Yaletown, which serves up $3 sleeves and $5 pints all day, every day. While their selection is limited, as far as craft beer goes, there’s always something on the menu that is worth ordering. This time, it was the Whistler Grapefruit Ale.

Nearing the end of our beers, we found out we were supposed to meet our wives and the rest of the crew in the Olympic Village, not downtown, so we were on the road.

Taxi Dignity

Dinner was at The Flying Pig, which Mrs. Sip and I have been meaning to visit for some time and finally had the opportunity. To drink, I ordered the eatery’s Bacon Bourbon Caesar, which looked fantastic with lemon, lime, and celery garnishes, accompanying a bacon bit rim. The Caesar was a little different taste wise, thanks to the use of bourbon, over vodka, but the spices were pretty bang on, so the whole meal in a glass was enjoyable.

With the long weekend came two liquor store shopping trips and double the chances of finding the right beers for poolside sampling at Ma and Pa Sip’s abode. Here are the brews I picked up and how they rated on my crack ranking system:

Whistler Pineapple Express Wheat Ale – I’ve enjoyed a pineapple wheat/hef beer before, but couldn’t remember if it was the Whistler offering or not, so why not take another crack at it. This was a good one to have in the afternoon heat, as it was cloudy, refreshing and everything I want in a summer brew.

Pineapple Things

Hoyne Devil’s Dream IPA – Based off of my appreciation of Hoyne’s Dark Matter, I decided to give their IPA a shot and was rewarded with a tasty beer, with an even better name. Hoyne is quickly becoming a favourite brewer of mine and I hope that relationship only continues to prosper.

Old Yale Vanishing Monk Belgian Witbier – This was another fine choice for the great outdoors and much like the beer’s name, it vanished quickly!

Spinnakers You Otter Have Another Nut Brown Ale – In the evenings, I like moving to dark beers, which provide more of a dessert taste. These are the beers that are perfect to watch day turn into night with and relax in your favourite lounger, with You Otter Have Another really hitting the spot.

significant otters

Central City Detective Saison – I hope Central City makes more character-based beers (this is Detective Sarah Saison), such as Professor Peter Porter, Senator Samuel Stout, and others, leading to a Clue-style mystery game, where Mr. Nobody is murdered in the tasting room with the keg tap and players have to drink their way to the killer’s identity! If Central City wants to partner with me in this endeavour, I’d totally welcome it.

Lululemon Curiosity Lager – This Lululemon-Stanley Park Brewing collaboration has been met with much derision, but I figure you can’t rip something until you’ve tried it. I’m saving it for Mrs. Sip’s return from Las Vegas and will have a special Sip Trips post about my experience with the lager in the very near future. Hint: it will involve spandex and a yoga mat!

Spinnakers Hollie Wood Oyster Stout – Yet another brew that I haven’t tapped, hoping to share it with Mrs. Sip. There’s something about a beer that is advertised as having gone through “three additions of prime fresh oysters,” that makes me a little apprehensive. Then again, oysters are supposed to be an aphrodisiac, so maybe we can get our buzz on in more ways than one!

oysters shellfish

Granville Island Brass Knuckles American Brown Ale – Having enjoyed my Nut Brown Ale from the day before, I was looking for another nightcap-style beer and grabbed this GIB offering to fill that role. I didn’t get around to drinking it, however, but that just leaves me extra prepared for the next night of imbibing!

I also finally got to try the Dancing Pines Distillery Brulee liqueur, Ma and Pa Sip picked up in Colorado a couple months back. Good thing, too, as I got the last pour of the bottle. I expected more of a caramel taste, but the spirit was incredibly smooth and enjoyable.

This next week looks incredibly busy for the Sip Advisor, with a beer and wine fest on Galiano Island, a Vancouver Canadians baseball game with my fellow CAMRA members, a night out at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club, and a boat booze cruise, and that just covers the first half!

Sip Trips #23: Cannon Ball

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Vancouver Craft Beer Week has come and gone, wrapping up with a two-day festival on the PNE grounds. Mrs. Sip and I originally had plans to attend this event, featuring over 100 breweries, but decided, in the end, that sitting poolside on the gorgeous weekend and hosting our own beer bash with friends was more ideal.

pass-me-a-beer

From years past, I had heard of the festival being too crowded, with long lines and companies running out of their supplies. That said, everyone I have talked to this year, enjoyed it. Personally, I’m still hesitant to pay $35-$40 for any of these festivals where you get minimal to zero tasting tickets or tokens (in fact, the VCBW event gave you only admission and a taster glass… hell, I already have a full set of those from other activities during the week) and you still have to buy all of your samples on top of the entry fee.

In preparation for our pool time, Mrs. Sip and I hit the Central City Brewery in Surrey. There, we filled up a growler of their India Style Red Ale and grabbed some other bombers, including the Maple Bacon Ale and a Belgian Tripel, which was part of the brewery’s Hobbit series of releases. I also just learned that the company will be opening up a new brew pub, mere blocks away from the Sip Advisor’s home in downtown Vancouver, proving good things come to those that wait!

All of our friends who visited over Friday and Saturday brought their A-game and my parents’ fridges were crammed full of awesome beers and other treats. I particularly enjoyed the 33 Acres of Sunshine French Blanche that was left behind. The whole weekend has me thinking that a poolside beer festival is something I should coordinate for the future, becoming a legend and icon in the industry. All I need to do is make sure I have plenty of lifeguards on hand!

lifeguard on beer break

On Sunday, we ventured into the bush (translation: the suburbs of Vancouver) for some local winery visits. The tour was put together to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s mother’s birthday, and included stops at Backyard Vineyards (where Mrs. Sip is a member and had her spring shipment of wines to pick up) and Township 7 Winery. It was a relaxing and fun afternoon, even with your faithful Sip Advisor playing the rare role of designated driver. Sometimes, you just draw the short stick!

Following work on Monday, Mrs. Sip and I were off to Victoria (aka Vancouver Island) for her sister’s university graduation the next day. Upon arriving, we quickly made a jaunt to the Moon Under Water Brewpub to fill a couple growlers of their delicious beer. We ordered the This is Hefeweizen and Creepy Uncle Dunkel, which paired well with our late night snack and relaxing. I only wish we had more time to enjoy all of Victoria’s fantastic breweries.

graduation thanks

To celebrate Sis-in-Law Sip’s big achievement, we made reservations for Afternoon Tea at the infamous Empress Hotel. While the occasion offered a different kind of sipping than the Sip Advisor is accustomed to, the experience deserves mention in this week’s post. The finger sandwiches, scones, desserts, and even tea, were all exquisite and the bucket list-level event is something we will each remember for years to come.

Back on the mainland, we wrapped the week up with a visit to Craft Beer Market to meet a friend. The visit was fruitful in that we got to try the Steamworks Killer Cucumber Ale that vaulted to the top of my “to try” list, as well as the Yellow Dog Stick Toss Cranberry Saison and Phillips Electric Unicorn White IPA. All three were good, with the Killer Cucumber being my pick of the night, thanks to a subtle and refreshing cucumber flavour. Talk about taking advantage of the joint’s $5 B.C. beer special!