The end of 2023 was as busy as the rest of the calendar, even with Mrs. Sip not booking us up as fervently as she usually does. Still, we got out to a bunch of places and met up with a number of our people. Here’s how we closed the year:

The month began with news that our Beer Box program was coming to an end after two years “due to challenges within the marketplace.” I’ve enjoyed the subscription service, as it saved me from going to the liquor store and provided a greater variety of beers. Some cons were breweries sending out non-unique offerings or duplicates and sometimes dealing with receiving/scheduling a delivery was frustrating. That said, I will miss this program.

As for activities, December opened with Mrs. Sip’s office Christmas party at Stefanos Restaurant. The Greek eatery offered guests appetizer platters, a main (I chose the Chicken Souvlaki) and dessert. For drinks, I had a Long Island Iced Tea, Caesar and Okanagan Springs Pale Ale. My only complaint with the meal was that much more tzatziki needed to be provided from the get go, as we kept having to ask for more.

The next night, the Sip Family attended an Abbotsford Canucks game, which featured their annual Teddy Bear Toss. Tickets through my work union were only $25 each and included a $15 concessions voucher per person. We used our combined $60 in vouchers to feast on chicken strips, fries, pizza, beer, ice cream, and gummy bears. To say the Sipplings were pleased would be an understatement. Girl Sip even won the union raffle prize of a stick signed by the entire team. Even after the game, the team offered hot chocolate and popcorn to fans.

After a Christmas train outing at Bear Creek Park, we had dinner at the Central City Boston Pizza. I ate the Grilled Chicken Clubhouse, paired with a Boston-sized Blue Moon. This was the first use of the Sippling’s newest Kid’s Meal cards, which offer five meals each for only $5.

On a shopping excursion to the U.S., Mrs. Sip and I, along with Girl Sip, stopped for dinner at the Birch Bay Bob’s Burgers. I tried the Bacon Burger with Warm Potato Salad as my selected side. I also munched on Mrs. Sip’s Coleslaw and Girl Sip’s JoJos wedge fries. To wash it all down, I went with the Kulshan Bastard Kat IPA.

Next up, was our Vancouver Canucks Road Game Viewing Party, hosted by SportsBar Live at Rogers Arena. This is a perk of our ticket membership, offering members and their guests two appetizers and a meal and beverage each. We split the Honey Garlic Wings and 1/2 Nachos, while I selected the Cheeseburger for my main. To drink, I started with a pint of Super Flux Colour and Shape IPA, followed by a SportsBar Caesar. Of course, Canucks alumni and the team mascot, Fin, were on hand signing autographs and chatting with those in attendance. The event was capped with our family keeping up our good luck of late, as Girl Sip won a $25 gift card and Mrs. Sip took home a signed Thatcher Demko jersey.

Prior to watching a performance of Elf: The Musical at The Stanley Theatre, Mrs. Sip and I had dinner at the nearby Cactus Club. I ordered my typical Chicken Tenders with Fries and Ugly Wheat Ale. Mrs. Sip got a Mistletoe Mojito that had really neat popping cranberry pearls which we both enjoyed consuming.

Just prior to Christmas, we met up with visiting friends at 3 Dogs Brewing in White Rock. Over the course of our evening out, I had servings of the Lava Dog Red Ale and Good Boy Hazy Pale Ale. I also helped Mrs. Sip a little with her Feliz Navidog Porter.

As for the big day, Christmas was very generous to me, as usual, both in gifts and time spent with family. Some notable booze-related items I received included a bottle of Don Papa Rum, along with a World Traveler Cocktail Gift Set, with pre-mixed bottles to make some of the globe’s most interesting cocktails, simply by adding alcohol.

For Christmas dinner, I produced my annual cocktail menu, featuring five original recipes: Miracle on 34th Street (Spiced Rum, Peach Schnapps, Grapefruit Soda), The Greatest Gift (Vodka, Mountain Dew: Fruitquake, Orange Bitters), Skipping Christmas (Mango Chamoy Tequila, Cran-Tropical Juice, Club Soda), The Polar Express (Chocolate Whiskey, Cream Soda, Chocolate Bitters), and A Christmas Memory (Gin, Lemonade, Lingonberry Juice).

Our final outing of the year was to a Vancouver Canucks game. Prior to puck drop, we had a meal at the Earl’s Test Kitchen. I really enjoyed Mrs. Sip’s appetizer selection of the Yuzu Calimari, while my spread of the Pulled Chicken Clubhouse with Caesar Salad was quite tasty. The banquet was completed with a pint of Rhino Hazy Pale Ale.

I hope everyone else was able to enjoy the holiday season in whatever way you prefer to do so. 2024 promises to be another great year, with our January already being highlighted by Mrs. Sip’s 40^th birthday and a family escape to Disneyland!