Tag Archives: Cocktails

Sip Trips #247: Limited Edition Love

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With Mrs. Sip away for a chunk of the month, I didn’t get up to a whole lot in her absence. That said, June still had a lot going on, as we wound down the school year and entered the summer season. Here’s what we got up to:

To begin the month, the Sip Family found themselves at Ma and Pa Sip’s new home in Tobiano for a visit. As Mrs. Sip wrapped day one of her trial, we convened at Bright Eye Brewing for happy hour. While the adults took advantage of food and drink deals, the Siplings enjoyed the breweries arcade games, which are free to play on Mondays. My meal consisted of the Secrets Krush Hazy IPA and Throwback Burger, while I also couldn’t help steal a number of Mrs. Sip’s Crispy Brussels Sprouts. Bright Eye has quickly become a favourite stop for all of us.

On our return journey home, we dropped into the Mr. Mikes Steakhouse in Chilliwack for dinner. I hadn’t been to a Mr. Mikes in some time and found many contenders to choose from amongst their menu. On this occasion, I went with the Chinatown Stir Fry, along with an Antler Ale. Once again, I could keep my fork to myself and picked away at Mrs. Sip’s Crackling Sirloin Bites.

To celebrate Father’s Day with Pa Sip, I treated him to a Vancouver Canadians baseball game. During the afternoon match, I had a hotdog, PBR Strong Iced Tea and Phillips Blue Buck Ale. In future, I’ll have to try the ballpark’s yard-long hotdog, which can be split up into as many servings as requested. Following the game, Pa Sip wanted to try the nearby Chaise on Main, where I drank a pint of Steamworks Flagship IPA.

The following week, with Ma and Pa Sip kindly taking the Siplings off my hands for the weekend, a buddy and me met for dinner at Kelly O’Bryans. This has become my go-to place in New Westminster and this visit did not disappoint. I really enjoyed my Tuna Poke Bowl, consumed with a trio of Molson Canadians.

Mrs. Sip’s return home from her tour of Turkey brought a number of new additions to the liquor collection. Joining the family were bottles of Jagermeister Orange, Mermaid Spiced Rum and Twin Fin Coconut & Lychee Rum.

To celebrate Girl Sip’s last day of school, we went for dinner at Boston Pizza. I tried the Cherry Cola Beef Sliders off their summer menu and really enjoyed them. To drink, I had a pair of Blue Moons, completing the yummy meal.

Lastly, I finished the month with some more limited edition items in the Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza (complete with pickles) from Pizza Hut, as well as the Teriyaki Chicken Burger off the International Heist menu from McDonald’s. Both were excellent and I will be sad to see each disappear. Mrs. Sip added the McPizza Bites and Biscoff McFlurry to our feast, so we’ve worked our way through a good chunk of the International Heist options.

That wraps an eventful June. July promises to be busy, as we delve into as much fun as possible during the warmer months. Mrs. Sip and I also have a couple weeks of kid-free on the horizon, so that should provide ample opportunity to get out and about!

If I Had $500

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For Mother’s Day, Mrs. Sip treated herself to a luxury item. I joked that maybe I should get to do the same for Father’s Day. While I won’t, I thought it would be a fun exercise to come up with some ideas if I did. So, in the vein of ‘If I Had a Million Dollars’ by the Barenaked Ladies, here’s the Sip Advisor’s ‘If I Had $500’:

Get Something for the Sipplings

Mrs. Sip and I are always looking to give the kids the best childhood possible. Therefore, an item like the new Nintendo Switch 2 does pique my curiosity. That said, this list is about treating myself and not others. Sure, I would likely play various games with the Sipplings, but I doubt I’d be able to dedicate much time to any video game system to justify buying one primarily for myself.

Do Something Practical

Our vehicle needs new tires, we are still making some upgrades and settling into our new place, investing/saving is always a good idea, etc. None of these are very much fun and I’m disappointed in myself that I even brought them up.

Cocktail Maker/Soda Machine

While one of these machines would be neat to have, I actually prefer building a cocktail from scratch myself and I’m not sure how much use I’d get out of a soda system.

Beer Fridge

Among the items on my long list of future acquisitions for our home is a second, smaller fridge, set up either outside or in our rec room, saving us time from having to go inside/upstairs to get beverages and snacks. Right now, though, a second fridge is lower on the totem pole than other necessities, so there it shall remain.

Air Hockey/Pinball Machine/Arcade Unit/Pool Table

I like these ideas, but space is limited in our place, at least until the kids grow up and share a similar interest in such items. One day, we will have a movie/games room, but today is not that day. Also, it would be hard to settle on just one of these games and an entire games collection would likely be necessary.

Driving Lessons for Mrs. Sip

Do you know what Mrs. Sip and I fight about more than any other element of our relationship? That’s right, her lack of driving ability. I’m basically Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Sip – minus any racism. It is my dream to one day attend a friend’s party and be the one who doesn’t have to limit myself to one or two beverages. It is my dream to one day not have to pack up the whole household to run errands Mrs. Sip needs done. It is my dream… I think you get the point.

Sauce Shopping Spree

In the Barenaked Ladies song I referenced above, they joke about getting fancy sauces for all the Kraft Dinner (macaroni and cheese) the band would buy. Whenever I go down a condiments aisle at grocery stores, I marvel at all the different options. Some can be a little pricey, so picking a few options – or at least what I can fit in our fridge – is actually a legit contender for how I’d spend my money.

Fancy Potato Chips

Similarly, I could see myself wasting a small fortune on obscure potato chips. We’re talking unique flavours from around the world, as well as expensive releases found domestically. Then I’d throw them all into a small pool and pull off a sweet Scrooge McDuckian dive into the snacks below.

Expensive Cocktails

An epic night could be spent trying some of the best mixology I can access. I already have a few locations in mind, should I do such a crafty crawl. Let’s put this idea in the maybe pile.

Exercise Equipment

Lol, nope!

A Pet

Part of my reasoning to get a pet would be to prank Mrs. Sip. That said, there’s only one pet I would ever consider bringing into our home and that’s a honey badger. Seriously, it would be a cat and given I’d probably end up doing most of the work, a pet doesn’t seem like much of a treat at all.

A Kayak

The one weekend I went kayaking, I really enjoyed it. More than a decade later, I have yet to sit my ass down in one of those weird looking watercrafts again. Let’s be honest, the device would simply be a garage filler and rarely used, so why bother.

Second Air Fryer

My theory is one air fryer is a godsend, so two air fryers would be… two godsends!? Sometimes, particularly when guests are over, I curse the fact I only have one of these amazing machines. Given they can be found for reasonable prices, I could have a whole army of air fryers at my disposal!

Clothing Essentials

The Sip Advisor hates shopping, so I often put off buying even the most basic of clothing items. Sure, I have a list of items I need/desire, but that doesn’t mean I’m actually going to go out and achieve said shopping.

Meal Kit Subscription

We’ve all seen the memes about not realizing adulthood meant figuring out what to eat for the rest of your life. I’m chief cook at the Sip Advisor headquarters and it can be exhausting planning and preparing dinner in perpetuity. A meal kit helps, but you still have to pick your dishes and then make them.

Tickets to an Event

Despite the logistical headaches (travel, finding babysitters, etc.) that going to events nowadays holds, I still enjoy the occasional night out. Sporting events, concerts, evening on the town all sound like a great way to blow this windfall, but it would have to be just the right event to do so.

Tattoo

The Sip Advisor has long had a tattoo in mind, but I’ve just never got around to actually getting the ink done. Cost is definitely a bit of a deterrent for me, but now I have five hundy in hand!

Charity

The only charitable organization I’m willing to donate to is the Church of Sip. Then I’ll embezzle those funds for my own enjoyment!

The Maestro

  • 1.5 oz Patron Tequila
  • 1 oz Lillet Blanc
  • Dash of Angostura Bitters
  • Garnish with Edible Glitter

The most expensive cocktail in the world today is The Maestro, created by iconic mixologist Salvatore Calabrese at the Dubai cocktail bar Nahaté. Using rare bottles and even rarer glassware, the drink comes in at whopping $41,160 US. My version uses similar, but more common ingredients, so I’d probably sell it for 0.0001% of the price.

So, what should the Sip Advisor spend his theoretical fun money on? In all likelihood, I’ll probably just treat myself to some bottles of booze that fall well below what Mrs. Sip spent. Happy Father’s Day, y’all!

Sip Trips #246: Wine and Recreation

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May wasn’t crazy compared to our usual levels of activity. Sure, we still got out and about, but it wasn’t the type of month where you can’t keep track of everything you did. Let’s see what the Sip Family got up to:

Offered a date night early in May by the visiting Ma and Pa Sip, Mrs. Sip and I decided to finally use the Rec Room gift card I got her for Mother’s Day 2023. Prior to our game playing, we had dinner at The Amazing Brentwood Tap & Barrel location, requesting a table on their rooftop patio. My meal was comprised of the Russell Angry Scotch Ale and Korean Fried Chicken Bowl, which provided a great start to the evening.

We quickly used up the Rec Room gift card on one of their gaming packages and our first round of beverages. My drink choices while we played were the Twin Sails Dat Juice Pale Ale and Parallel 49 Trash Panda IPA. I enjoyed Rec Room and am glad we have something similar to Dave & Busters in the area, but felt there was something lacking compared to our many visits to D&B locations. We’ll have to return to use the rest of our gaming credits and perhaps also eat at the location. Mrs. Sip really wanted to take advantage of the date night and catch the recently released Thunderbolts at the adjacent VIP theatre. There, I enjoyed a Double Spiced Rum & Coke with the film.

Our major outing of the month, was going to Osoyoos over the May long weekend. On our way to the town, we stopped at the Bear’s Den Pub in Manning Park for lunch. Here, I ordered the Grilled Chicken Clubhouse, along with a pint of Old Yale Amber Ale.

Once we arrived at the Spirit Ridge resort, we had to rush to our dinner reservation at The Bear, The Fish, The Root & The Berry. This restaurant features a menu of Indigenous cuisine. Our group shared a number of items, including Bannock (along with various spreads), Cornbread, Empanadas, Roasted Bone Marrow, and my contribution to the meal, Five Spice Maple Brazed Pork Belly. To drink with our feast, I had a pair of Firehall Stop, Hop & Roll IPAs.

Full disclosure, I’m not into wine much nowadays and don’t love winery weekends. This is largely because the girls get to drink and the fellas have to drive and look after the kids throughout the unnecessarily long days. Well, wineries is pretty much all the Osoyoos region has going on, so I found myself on an all-day wine tour. We paid about $150 per person for the full day, which included a combo of sites we picked and ones the tour suggested.

Our stops included Over the Fence, Night Bird, Kismet and Rust, with a stop for lunch at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards’ Miradoro restaurant. There, I had the Beef & Pork Meatball Sandwich and a serving of Cannery Muse Pale Ale, to cleanse the palette, of course. Throughout the tour, I was really digging rosés and syrahs. By the end of the afternoon out, though, I was definitely done with wine and ready to switch back to my traditional loves of spirits, beer and vodka sodas.

On our return home, we stopped at Rocko’s Diner, as Mrs. Sip was craving breakfast items and a milkshake, so decided a diner setting was best to accomplish both. I went with a really tasty Eh-1 Burger, which featured crispy chicken, bacon, poutine, maple mayo, lettuce, and tomato. The maple mayo was the star of the burger.

Later that week, prior to checking out the new live-action Lilo & Stitch movie, we dined at Browns Socialhouse. I drank a glass of Social IPA, while trying the Teriyaki Salmon Bowl. The bowl was good, but doesn’t top my Red Lobster favourite, which gets the nod thanks to the inclusion of Brussels sprouts.

To wrap the month, we visited Boston Pizza for dinner, a treat earned by the Sipplings for taking a round of vaccinations so well. At the eatery, I tried the Wing-Man Pizza, featuring chicken bites in your choice of sauce (I went with Sweet Thai Honey Garlic), from their limited time menu. I also downed a Boston Pint of Molson Canadian, as it was on special during NHL playoff games.

While May was lighter than usual, things look to be building up again in June, as the weather improves and we move into the summer season. Mrs. Sip will be away for a couple weeks, so we’ll have to see what trouble the ol’ Sip Advisor can get up to!

Sip Trips #245: Easy Easter

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April was busy, despite my declaration last month that it’s okay to have a slow month every once in a while. Let’s see what the Sip Family got up to with another jam-packed calendar:

Early on, when visiting friends to see their new home, I picked up the Verve Tequila Soda Mix Pack (Pineapple Piquante, Grapefruit Blanco, Mango Tropicale, Salted Lime), which I really enjoyed. Amusingly, I had originally wanted the get the Verve Tropical Vodka Soda Mix Pack (Coconut Lychee, Mango Lime, Pineapple Lemon Basil, Passionfruit Orange Guava), but they were sold out and when I finally did get my hands on the case, I did not like it. This was the first time I’ve felt disappointed by a Verve product.

That night, we ordered in from Cactus Club and I tried the Feenie Burger for the first time. This burger was very good and you can’t go wrong with the restaurant’s Sea Salted Fries, which I’d rank among some of the best fries from chain eateries.

Our Easter weekend started with a trip to Abbotsford to visit Taves Family Farm. Prior to that, we had lunch at Loudmouth Brewing, which has always been a go-to stop for food for me over their beers. To eat, I had the yummy Single Cheese Burger, while Mrs. Sip and I shared some Waffle Fries with a delicious Truffle Aioli dip. We tried a few of their beers as well, in the Hurt Feelings IPA, North East IPA and Nevada Cascade Pale Ale. Despite arriving as the place opened, we had a long wait for food, getting in our order last amongst all the others who beat us to the punch.

For our Easter family meal, I created the Easter & Chill cocktail, which was comprised of Vodka, Honey-Yuzu Lemonade, Sprite Chill (new cherry-lime flavoured edition of the soda) and Egg Whites. The drink was very good, one of the best I’ve ever created, and when garnished with a Peep marshmallow, was perfect for Easter consumption.

As the Easter long weekend came to an end, I wasn’t ready to return to work just yet. With Mrs. Sip heading to Kelowna for work, I played chauffeur and tagged along for the journey. On our way there, we stopped at Old Vines, the Quails’ Gate Winery restaurant for happy hour. We put together quite the feast of appies, including the Caramelized Buffalo Milk Brie Cheese, Yarrow Meadow Duck Wings, Truffle Parmesan Fries and Ahi Tuna Carpaccio. Each was tasty, with the tuna perhaps being my favourite. To drink, I began with the Sweet Basil Heat (Tequila, Limoncello, Basil, Hot Sauce, Lime Juice) cocktail, followed by a glass of what the server called a Chestnut Winter Ale. She didn’t seem to have much knowledge about the beers offered, saying it was from Neighbourhood Brewing, although the only chestnut beer I could find in my searches was the well-established release from Whistler Brewing.

After settling into our room at The Royal Kelowna, we were off to The Hatching Post Brewery and Smokery, which was offering a trivia night, hosted by Tremendous Trivia. We really enjoyed this trivia – it helped that we placed first – as well as the location, which makes you feel like you’ve walked into a saloon. Having stuffed ourselves earlier at Quails’ Gate, we just split the Smoked Queso with Corn Chips, as well as a slice of Cornbread. Over our stay, I drank the Ghost Pony Hazy Pale Ale and a pair of The Saint Winter Ale, which we learned was only $5 for a pint for clearance purposes. Our reward for winning trivia was a tall can four-pack of their Parlour Tricks Hazy IPA. Also of note, this was the Sip Advisor’s 250th brewery visited, an achievement I’m very proud of!

The next day, Mrs. Sip and I went for lunch at Cantina del Centro, which had amazing food and even better cocktails. My An Avocado, Thanks! (Mezcal, Tequila, Avocado Cordial, Tomatillo-Cilantro Syrup, Lime) was interesting and paired well with our meal of Quesabirria Tacos, along with Mushroom, Al Pastor and Camaron Tacos. Being the only ones in the restaurant, we received top notch service from Nicole and we hope to return to try other feature menus in the future.

Continuing our crawl of sorts, we next found ourselves at Rustic Reel Brewing for happy hour. Despite a cool vibe to the place, I didn’t love that beer pours were only 10 ounces for $5, although it did come with a tiny serving of popcorn. I went with the Amber Ale, but was happy to move on after one drink.

The Office Brewing was our second stop, where I was served The Receptionist Blonde Ale, although I’d ordered the Second Draft Hazy IPA. I didn’t realize my brew wasn’t hazy at all until I’d drank a few sips. Mrs. Sip went with the Orange You Glad It’s Friday Cran Orange Hefeweizen. To finish, we shared a Cocktail Flight (Blood Orange Margarita, Mango Mimosa, Salted Caramel Shaft, Broken Down Side-by-Side), which looked amazing and was fun to try.

Wanting to enjoy our hotel more, we ordered takeout from the nearby Cactus Club. I enjoyed my Tuna Poke Bowl, but felt it may have been better to eat in house. Speaking of the hotel, it was cool that they not only allowed you to have drinks at their rooftop pool and hot tub, but seemed to encourage it with plastic glassware available and even an ice machine.

Before heading home, we had to stop at Born to Shake when it opened the next morning. This amazing cocktail bar offers numerous syrups, salts, cocktail kits and more, while also serving up their lineup of scrumptious drinks. I tried the Take Me Away (Anejo Tequila, Cherry Bomb Syrup [cherry and warming spices], Lime, Spicy Ginger Beer), which was spectacular. Mrs. Sip tried both the Clover Club and Carrot Cake Old Fashioned, not having to worry about driving.

Our next adventure was hosting a murder mystery dinner, where I decided to make a cocktail for each character of our Saloon Stand-Off game. I’d say one of the drinks was a total hit, fours others were good and one was a slight miss. The best of the bunch was comprised of Spiced Rum, Root Beer Schnapps, Honey-Yuzu Lemonade and Lemon-Lime Soda.

Our last event of the month was attending the Banksy Exhibit. Prior to the eclectic art experience, Mrs. Sip and I had dinner at Arcana, which is an occult-themed speakeasy in Gastown. Part of the draw of eating and drinking here – as if we needed any more inspiration – was their witching hour, which runs from 5-7pm every day. My meal consisted of the Beelzeburger, which was so delectable, paired with a glass of Parkside Dreamboat Hazy IPA. After eating, I spun the Wheel of Fortune to figure out my next potion for the evening. Here, daring drinkers spin once to find out the spirit that will be used in their beverage and another time to learn the style/flavour of the cocktail. I ended up with Gin and Savoury, which resulted in a strong drink made with Absinthe, Green Chartreuse and Crème de Violette. Other cocktails tried by myself and Mrs. Sip included the Empress (gin, cranberry, rose and tonic, chilled with dry ice and decorated with edible glitter), Lovers (mezcal, crème de cassis, crème de violette, rhubarb liqueur, amaro, lime, and apple foam, garnished with boozy gummy bears) and Magician (rum, pineapple, lime, banana-coconut foam, electrodust). To sum up, this place was so cool and I can see us returning for more beverages (each themed after a tarot card) in the future.

Following the Banksy Exhibit, Mrs. Sip wanted some cheese and another drink, so we ended up at Water St. Café. There, I selected the Saturn cocktail (Gin, Lemon, Passionfruit Puree, Falernum) and the Mini Duck Springrolls for a bite to eat. Both items were quite good for our little nightcap.

And that wraps our quiet April! Who needs busy months when our “quiet” ones are filled to the brim. I won’t even bother saying May will be easy and breezy, as we already have events dotting the calendar.

Sip Trips #244: Theme Park Therapy

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March was very busy, with half the month taken up by our road trip to Southern California, including visits to the Disneyland and Legoland resorts. There’s much to cover, so let’s get right to it:

Our first activity of March was a date night offered by the visiting Ma and Pa Sip. Mrs. Sip desired doing a local pub trivia, so we found ourselves at Hops for the occasion. We really enjoyed the trivia here, presented by Vancouver Trivia Party. It was challenging, but not to a ridiculous level. Over the course of the event, I enjoyed two pints of Granville Island Lions Winter Ale. One other trivia note, I would love to see a trivia that divides team scores by the number of players on the team. I feel Mrs. Sip and I would win a lot of the events we attend as a duo if that was the case.

As the middle of the month approached, we were on the road, SoCal bound. Along the way, we stopped in places like Springfield, Oregon and Sacramento, California, completing the journey to Anaheim in just three days. Along the way, I picked up drinking supplies such as Kirkland Dark Rum and Hard Seltzers (Black Cherry, Lime, Mango, Raspberry). Later in the vacation, we would restock our supplies with a case of Truly Unruly Hard Seltzer (Tropical Twist, Berry Blast, Citrus Crush, Strawberry Smash) and bottles of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and 1800 Pineapple Ultimate Margarita.

Finally at our first destination, we met up with Cousin Sip and her brood for a day visiting nearby Irvine. While the kids played in bouncy castles and rode the carousel at Great Park, the adults took advantage of the onsite beer garden. Next up was a trip to Left Coast Brewing, where I tried both the 949 Heff American-Style Hefeweizen and Bacon on Shift Bacon Porter. To eat, Mrs. Sip and I split the Slider Combo – Smoked Brisket and Tri Tip were our choices – while the Sipplings snacked on the Chicken Popper Plate, which was like a kid’s dream charcuterie platter, complete with popcorn chicken, fries and potato chips. Ah, who am I kidding, that’s my dream charcuterie platter!

Our time at Disneyland, which included eight days over two separate stints, was largely spent enjoying all the offerings of the California Food & Wine Festival. And by “all the offerings”, I really mean that. We tried almost every item available, using our Sip and Savor passes.

Food we tried, included (with my ranking in brackets): Mini LA Street Dog (5), Birria Mac & Cheese (4), Sirloin Gruyere Mac & Cheese (4.5), Smoked Hawaiian Pizza (4.25), Chicken Taquitos Ahogados (3.75), Loaded Carnitas Pretzel Bites (4.5), Musubi Fried Rice (5), AsaDOS (3.5), Shrimp Papas Locas (4.25), Salsa Verde Chicharron Tacos (4), Burrata Toast (4), Mickey Snickers Macaron (4.5), Café De Olla Tres Leches Cake (1.5), Lemon Pepper Wings (3.75), and Corn Chip Chili Pie with Impossible Beef (3.5).

Our favourites, by far, were the Mini LA Street Dog and Musubi Fried Rice, with both being enjoyed multiple times. The Café De Olla Tres Leches Cake was rated so low because despite looking great, Mrs. Sip and I aren’t fans of coffee, so didn’t fully appreciate this dessert. About the only item that was on my list that I didn’t get my hands on was the Thai-inspired Burrito. I noted to Mrs. Sip that our next Disneyland adventure will be interesting food wise, as with our last two treks featuring the Lunar New Year and Food & Wine Festivals, we haven’t really been able to focus on our traditional edible favourites.

We also drank our way through the park, enjoying beverages such as the Cantarito-style Paloma, Watermelon Cucumber Mojito, 4 Sons CocoNutorious Coconut Amber Ale, Latitude 33 Honey Hips Honey Ale, Endless Summer Cherry Cola Hard Seltzer, Seaborn Lavender Lemonade, Hamilton Family Tow Mango Double IPA, Stereo Perfect Day IPA, Cocktail Flight (Lychee Melon, California Wine, Strawberry and Cola), Pickle Whiskey Sour, Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Strawberry Horchata with Rum, Bottle Logic Paloma Hard Seltzer, Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Hazy Imperial IPA, Brewery X Baja Breeze, Tarantula Hazy Liquid Candy IPA, Topa Topa Chief Peak IPA, Karl Strauss Boat Shoes Hazy IPA, and Guava Lychee Cocktail.

Some notes here, I can’t believe how much beers cost in the park now. When Mrs. Sip and I first started drinking at Disneyland, you could fetch a brew for about $8. Now, the price has doubled, which is so much worse for our Canadian currency conversion. I’ve begun looking for the best ‘bang for your buck’ deals around the park, typically finding it with hard seltzers and cocktails that offer a higher alcohol content with surprisingly lower prices. For example, the Paloma Hard Seltzer is the best deal in the park, at 12% ABV for only $12. Similarly, the Brewery X Baja Breeze comes in at 10% ABV for $13.50. I should also mention how much I enjoyed the Cantarito-style Paloma and Pickle Whiskey Sour, both limited edition items as part of the Food & Wine Festival. The 4 Sons CocoNutorious Coconut Amber Ale was also very good, presented as part of the Festival’s Beer Garden.

Among our escapades in the park was sitting down at the Magic Key Terrace. We used to frequent this oasis among the chaos long before it was exclusive to annual pass holders, so it was interesting to return. Neither the food nor drink menu really impressed me, but I did try the one cocktail I had highlighted in my research for the trip, the Shipwreck (White Rum, Passion Fruit Liqueur, Orgeat, Coconut Milk, Lime Juice, Dark Rum Float, Aromatic Bitters), despite not enjoying coconut milk or cocktails that contain milky substances. While not a bad drink, I should have stuck to my preferences. Mrs. Sip ordered the Drop In… If You Dare (Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Maraschino Cherry Mix) and Nutmeg secret menu cocktail (Dark Rum, Frangelico, Irish Crème, Apricot Liqueur).

Outside the park, we had one lunch at Ballast Point in the Downtown Disney area of the resort. I had the Poke Bowl, which I had previously enjoyed last year. To drink, I went with the Aloha Sculpin IPA, which paired nicely with my meal.

In between our two stints at Disneyland, we spent a weekend at Legoland, including staying at the resort’s Castle Hotel. Over the course of our stay, we ate at the Knights Smokehouse Barbecue inside the park, which has some of the best Chicken Strips I’ve ever eaten. Mrs. Sip and I combined our food with servings of the Latitude 33 Blood Orange IPA and Stone Delicious Hazy IPA. We also had a meal at the restaurant in our hotel, the Dragon’s Den. I ordered the Castle Burger with House Salad (about some of the only greens I had over our two-week expedition), with a pint of Thorn Hopster Hop Hazy IPA.

On our voyage home, we had one dinner at Red Lobster. I had been craving the Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl for some time and of course ate it on this occasion. We had stumbled upon the restaurant’s happy hour when we sat down, so it was very easy to order a pint of Blue Moon with my main course. Our meal was completed with sharing the Brownie Overboard dessert.

That puts a bow on a wild and frenetic March. April has a lot to live up to, but maybe it’s a good thing to have a quieter month every once in a while. Other than Easter, which will have its fair share of extracurriculars, I can’t think of much else of note on the horizon.

Sip Trips #242: Disneyland Dreams

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We weren’t super busy in January, save for the final week, which was spent in the happiest place on earth, Disneyland! Here’s what the Sip Family got up to in the first month of 2025:

Although we continue to develop our new townhouse, it was time to welcome friends into the space with a housewarming party. For the occasion, I developed a cocktail, dubbed Home Sweet Home, to serve to guests. It was comprised of Southern Comfort, Spiced Rum, Pomegranate Juice, Lemonade, and Club Soda. I also had a number of different garnishes on hand, including using pomegranate seeds for the first time ever, which resulted in our kitchen looking like a crime scene, while my poorly-chosen white shirt offered blood splatter evidence.

The following weekend, Mrs. Sip and I were able to have a date night out to celebrate her birthday. We began our evening with dinner at Glowbal. I was disappointed when we first arrived at the restaurant, as it’s pretty rare nowadays that a place doesn’t have some kind of burger on the menu, an item I was craving. That said, what we did order was delicious. We had a feast of shared plates, including Albacore Tuna, Waygu Steak Tartare, Foie Gras Pate and Black Truffle Fries. To drink, I ordered glasses of Parallel 49 Filthy Dirty IPA and Glowbal Amber Lager. The service at Glowbal was top notch, including a dessert treat for Mrs. Sip on the house.

The next part of our date night was a Vancouver Canucks game, where we slipped away during the first intermission to The Sportsbar for some beverages. While hitting The Sportsbar can provide some difficulty in getting served by the busy bar staff, drinks are noticeably cheaper. I went with a Double Rum & Coke for the visit and cheered the home team on to a big win over the dastardly Edmonton Oilers.

We wrapped the month with our first voyage to Disneyland with the Magic Keys we purchased in early 2024. We had one year to activate these year passes and saved them for when the Lunar New Year Festival would be going on, as we were teased by the food and drink that would be available when we visited in January 2024, but returned home before that version of the festival began.

For the festival, Mrs. Sip and I each bought a Sip and Savor Pass, which allowed us to pick six different eligible menu options from around the California Adventure park, for $45 (thanks to a small discount for Magic Key holders). A few culinary items below fell outside of the Sip and Savor Pass, as well as any alcoholic drinks.

Food we tried included the Red Panda Bao, Mini Char Siu Pork Shanks, Quesabirra Eggroll, Fried Lemongrass Chicken Dumplings, Pho Dip, Fire Chicken Wings, Bulgogi Pizza Slice, Spicy Gochujang Chicken Taco, Shrimp Lo Mein, and Scallion Pancake Tostada. I’d say nothing disappointed and it was hard to pick favourites.

We also tried some of the desserts available, such as the Toasted Sesame and Red Bean Churro, Sweet Taro Bun and Chocolate Firecracker. I wasn’t super big into any of these items, but we got them mostly for the Sipplings, who love desserts. Lastly, cocktails we tried included the Strawberry-Lychee, Dragon Fruit (I really liked the Chinese five-spice syrup in this one) and Guava Lemongrass.

Even outside of the festival parameters, we ate and drank like kings and queens, princes and princesses… or witch, as Girl Sip preferred to be identified as. Over our six days at the resort, Mrs. Sip and I shared a number of beers and cocktails. The long list was comprised of the Hamilton Family Tow Mango Double IPA, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Ale, La Bodega Hazmatt Double Hazy IPA, Bottle Logic Fuzzy Logic Hazy Peach IPA, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Hazy Imperial IPA, Elysian Space Dust IPA, Breckenridge Christmas Ale, Karl Strauss Peanut Butter Cup Porter (a little too roasted for my tastes), SLO Brew Cali-Squesze Blood Orange Hefeweizen, Topa Topa Chief Peak IPA, Beer Mimosa (with Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing Wheat Ale), Karl Strauss Aurora Hoppyalis IPA, Karl Strauss Boat Shoes Hazy IPA, Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Bottle Logic Paloma Hard Seltzer, Brewery X Baja Breeze, Seaborn Spicy Cucumber Margarita, and Seaborn Lavender Lemonade. SO.MANY.DRINKS!

Some notable food items we enjoyed were the California Roll Sandwich, Cheeseburger Flatbread, Snack-Size Mardi Gras Monte Cristo and Quantum Pretzel. We also made a point to try a number of desserts throughout the resort, which the Sipplings were totally up for. These yummy treats included a Cinnamon Bun Pretzel, Mickey Mouse Cookie, Toffee Pretzel, Pineapple-Strawberry Dole Whip Swirl, Jack-Jack Cookie Num Num, and Raspberry Peanut Butter Bar.

Within and outside the parks, we had a couple notable meals. After one long day, we visited the Denny’s near our hotel, which the kids loved for the Birthday Cake Pancakes. I also greatly enjoyed my Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich. In future, we need to go on Tuesdays between 4-10pm, as kids eat for free with every adult entrée purchased.

Another quick meal was had at the Carthay Circle Lounge in California Adventure. I tried the Bootlegger’s Old World Hefeweizen, while Mrs. Sip and I shared the Baked Brie Cheese Palmiers and the Sipplings devoured the Mickey Hazelnut Crunch Ice Cream Pop.

We also made time to sit down in the Sip Advisor’s favourite outside-the-park restaurant, Tony Roma’s. Here, I shared the Chicken Tenderloin Platter with Boy Sip, while sipping on a large serving of Firestone Mind Haze Hazy IPA. Another hack we’ll have to capitalize on in the future, is kids eat for $2.99 on Mondays, with each adult entrée ordered.

Finally back home, we just need to avoid looking at our Visa bill for a while, as that currency conversion shock will no doubt cause some stress. February is dotted with some interesting events, such as a whiskey tasting and Girl Sip getting to play with her ringette team at the intermission of a Vancouver Giants game!

Sip Trips #241: Comfort and Joy

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December offered all the typical craziness of years past, with the added twist of still moving into our new place to add an extra level of insanity to the holiday season. As usual, we survived and thrived, getting up to a few shenanigans here and there. Here’s how the month played out:

My work Christmas lunch this year took place at Joey Shipyards. There, I had the very good Ahi Tuna Club. Although we were allowed to order adult beverages, providing we pay for them ourselves, a scan of the two tables showed no one else was willing to make this bold move, so I declined as well.

Office Christmas

Days later, we were off to Grand Mound, Washington, for a three-night stay at Great Wolf Lodge (GWL). En route, we stopped at Red Lobster in Olympia for a meal to celebrate Ma Sip’s birthday. I had my usual Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl and Blue Moon Belgian White combo, which just hits the spot. I wish there was a closer Red Lobster than two-plus hours away, so I could enjoy the meal more regularly.

Also before arriving at GWL, we stopped at Costco and Walmart to do some provision shopping. I decided to try the Kirkland Hard Seltzer (with flavours of lime, grapefruit, mango and black cherry) as you just couldn’t beat the price. It was $10 cheaper than the similar White Claw offering, although that pack has six different flavours. I also grabbed some Spiced Rum and Dr. Pepper (Costco offers a 30-can case – excess at its finest!).

We had one sit down meal at GWL, dining at Fireside. There, I tried the Chili-Lime Chicken Bowl, paired with a pint of Talking Cedar Juicy IPA. While I wouldn’t rank this Mexican-inspired bowl up with the Asian ones I typically enjoy, it was not a disappointment either.

Red Lobster

Later in the month, we attended Mrs. Sip’s office Christmas party at The Boathouse. My drinks over the course of the evening included the Herb’N Soda and Smoke & Bourbon. As for my meal picks, from the set menu, I went with a Caesar Salad, the Grilled Salmon and the Mocha Ice Cream Pie for dessert. Everything tasted great, but the salmon could have used some sort of glaze or sauce.

The next night, Mrs. Sip and I were out again, offered a date night by the visiting Ma and Pa Sip. I surprised Mrs. Sip with a visit to the PoMo Express, a festively decorated heritage train at the Port Moody Museum. The event was only being run on a few selected nights in December, complete with food a drink offerings. Our food selections included the Beef and Pork Polpette, Arancini and Albacore Tuna Crudo. For drinks, we tried a couple of their select cocktails, while I also ordered a Parkside Humans IPA.

Following our train experience, we decided to travel some of the nearby Brewer’s Row. Our first stop was at Moody Ales, where we shared a flight, consisting of their Gingerbread Ale, O Christmas Tree IPA, Holiday Party Punch Sour and Hazelnut Honey Brown Ale. While the Christmas-themed beers were good, it was a prime example of my issue with flight costs. We shelled out $14 for four five-ounce servings (totalling 20 ounces of suds), while for only $8.50, we could have had a 20-ounce pint of any of those beers. Colour me confused…

Christmas Party

Next, we dropped into Parkside Brewing, where I tried the Orange You Glad Orange Cream Ale, while Mrs. Sip went with the cask offering Hot Frosty Pale Ale. We completed our evening out at Twin Sails Brewing, sharing a pint of the Frozen Banana Double Dipped Chocolate Banana Stout.

Right before Christmas, we met with friends we hadn’t seen in a long while at Steel & Oak Brewing. After trying samples of both the Sunglow Hefeweizen and You Party? Blackcurrant and Cherry Pale Ale, I went with the hef, but also enjoyed the pale ale.

Christmas Day finally arrived and a gift of note I received from Mrs. Sip was the Mixology & Murder book, combining two of my greatest loves: drinking and true crime.

Christmas Drunk

Christmas dinner brought my annual Christmas cocktail menu to life, with this year’s theme being holiday music. The drink recipes included: Fairytale of New York (Jameson Orange Irish Whiskey, Apple Juice, Club Soda), Do They Know It’s Christmas (Amarula Gold, Pomegranate Juice, Lemon-Lime Soda), Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (Southern Comfort, Raspberry Iced Tea, Lemonade) and Little Drummer Boy (Bacardi Dragonberry Rum, Raspberry-Lemon Ginger Ale, Orange Bitters).

Following Christmas, I met with a group of guys for a night out. We began with beers at both Hops and Kelly O’Bryans, followed by a great dinner at El Santo. My meal consisted of Pastor and Barbacoa Tacos – after trading with a friend, so we could get a greater variety – along with drinks of the Magdalena cocktail (pisco, vanilla and mandarin syrup, lemon, egg whites, cinnamon) and Steel & Oak Festbier.

With New Year’s Eve plans falling through on the day of, we decided to have a quiet, relaxed night. It was a great way to wrap a wild 2024 and start thinking ahead to what will hopefully be a calmer 2025!

Sip Trips #240: Home Sweet Home

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November was a very eventful month, as the Sip Family moved from condo to townhouse and began the long process of settling into our new home. Mixed with the pain of such a progression was a few nights of pleasure here and there. Here’s what the Sip Advisor got up to on rare breaks:

Early in the month, Mrs. Sip and I were offered a date night by Ma and Pa Sip. Well, it was sort of a working date night, as we also capitalized on the child-free time by visiting a number of furniture stores, looking for new pieces to fill our palatial mansion (there’s so much more space to fill than we are accustomed to). The fun part of our date night – because who actually enjoys furniture shopping? – was spent enjoying happy hour at Milestones. While I went with the impressively discounted 1989 Burger and a serving of Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale, many other viable options were considered from the restaurant’s fantastic happy hour menu for both food and drinks. Seriously, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such an impressive amount of options on a happy hour menu before. This certainly wasn’t the typical offering of a couple lame appies and house beers and wines.

Beer Dinner

We spent much of the Remembrance Day long weekend moving stuff from our storage unit and condo into the townhouse. Our reward at the end of the weekend was the Sip Family attending a Vancouver Canucks game. Prior to the on-ice action, we had dinner at the Boston Pizza near Rogers Arena. There, I had the Chicken Strips in Sweet Thai Honey Garlic sauce, along with a Caesar Salad. The meal was quite good and I love when places offer sauces for their chicken dishes.

Two days later, I was back in Vancouver for another Canucks game, this time attending with a friend. After our first two choices to meet up at were too busy, we ended up at Original Joe’s. I’ve had a number of good visits here, but this trip had some issues. First, we waited 20 minutes to be seated, as there was no host and servers didn’t even acknowledge new customers that had walked in. After about 10 minutes, I felt like I waited long enough and was committed to staying, plus I’d lost out on spots at other eateries in the meantime. We were also warned food would take a while to come out, but we were just happy to be seated and had time before the game. I drank two OJ’s Red Ales and ate the Chicken Club Wrap with Fries and Coleslaw. I will say that the food was good and I love that burgers and handhelds come with two sides.

This past week, we had to pick up some orders from our U.S. mail service, so treated the Sipplings to a visit to PlayDate at Bellis Fair Mall. While the kiddos played and Mrs. Sip shopped, I enjoyed a pint of Ten Pin Snake Eye Stout, which was very good.

Soft Play

I ended the month with a weekend of contrasting events. First, the Sip Family attended the annual Disney on Ice travelling spectacle. The show was very entertaining and it was so much fun watching the kids react to the characters and action. Beforehand, we rushed through a dinner at White Spot, as we saw how bad traffic from New West to the Pacific Coliseum was shaping up to be. I ordered my usual Legendary Burger with Caesar Salad, which always hits the spot.

The next night was quite epic, as the Sip Advisor and some buddies attended WWE Survivor Series: War Games 2024. Our day began with meeting up at Devil’s Elbow for lunch. My Duck Bacon BLT was delicious, paired with pints of Steel & Oak Smoked Honey Doppelbock and Superflux Colour & Shape Hazy IPA.

At the show, which was amazing to be in attendance for, I had multiple drinks over the course of the afternoon, including a Spiced Rum and Coke, Coors Pineapple and Cherry Seltzers, Nude Lime Vodka Soda, and Simply Spiked Lemonade.

Disney on Ice

We must have enjoyed Devil’s Elbow so much earlier, because that’s where we ended up again following the show. On my second tour of duty, I tried the Faculty London Fog Ale, followed by the Backcountry Cherry Cola Sour.

That wraps an eventful month in the lives of the Sip Family. December looks to be restful and without much fanfare. Ah, who am I kidding, the Christmas season is packed to the brim with fun and fancy, including a getaway to Great Wolf Lodge!

Sip Trips #239: Wild Times

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October flew by and was busy as heck… but not so much from an outing perspective. Mrs. Sip and I got some more clarity on our attempts to upsize from a condo to a townhouse and that caused a flurry of unexpected action. Here’s what the crew got up to last month:

At the end of the Thanksgiving long weekend, the Sip Family visited the Great Canadian Brewhouse in Richmond. We were out that way, as Mrs. Sip was returning from her last minute flight to California to get some funding for our home purchase. At the restaurant, I had a tankard of Stanley Park The Captain Hazy IPA to go along with a very good Rocky Mountain Chicken Club. We also used their app for a free order of Golden Garlic Fingers. To complete the feast, we tried the Caramel Chocolate Dessert Poutine, which was decadent.

Canadian-Thanksgiving

The following week, Girl Sip got to pick where we ate following her ringette practice. She selected Boston Pizza, where I devoured the new Maple Bacon Burger, enjoying the flavours going on with the handheld. For dessert, Mrs. Sip and I split the Salted Caramel Panookie, which was a nice sweet treat.

Up next was riding the Stanley Park Halloween Train. Prior to our boarding time, we had dinner at Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub. To begin our meal, we shared the Warm Pretzel Bites, or at least tried to, as our pretzel-loving kids promptly gobbled up the dish. For my main, I had a delicious Shanghai Noodle Bowl, which paired quite well with my Parklandia Hazy IPA.

In the lead up to Halloween, we had to do an emergency drive across the border to pick up an ordered costume for Girl Sip. While in the States, we had a wonderful meal at Bob’s Burgers & Brew in Birch Bay. There, I combined a 24oz District Duke Hazy IPA with the Hot Honey Crispy Chicken Burger, a seasonal addition to the menu. Best of all, our server let me select a number of different sauces to go with my Jo Jos side dish. I may have also helped Mrs. Sip a bit with her Kulshan Amber Ale, among my favourite beers from that area.

Costumes

My final activity of the month was meeting up with a friend to attend a Vancouver Canucks game. The contest was a total blowout, not in our favour, making our time at Browns Socialhouse prior to the hockey the highlight of the evening. At Browns, I went with my usual Sesame Ginger Gyoza, washing it down with a pair of Social Lagers.

November will also be a wild month, as we gradually move into our new townhouse and begin the next chapter of our lives!

Sip Trips #238: Birthday Bashing

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September was busy, filled with birthdays and other activities – a fair portion of the month spent out and about, as open houses were run on our condo. Let’s see what the Sip Family got up to over the course of the month:

Our first outing took us to Locality Brewing in Langley. There, I had the Strawberry Milkshake Ale, which I’ve enjoyed before, but was a substitute when my original choice was no longer available on tap. Mrs. Sip and I also shared an order of the food truck’s Bison Poutine, as we did on our inaugural expedition to the brewery.

To celebrate the Sipplings return to school, we took them out to Red Robin for dinner. It had been some time since I’d visited the restaurant and I really enjoyed my Bacon Cheeseburger with Yukon Chips (a bottomless side dish, which I had to get another round of). To wash it all down, I went with the Stanley Park 1897 Amber Ale, another secondary choice when my first selection was tapped out.

back-to-school

Over the course of the month, I picked up a couple different vodka soda cases, including the Truly Hard Seltzer Berry Mix Pack (Black Cherry, Field Berry, Blueberry & Acai, Raspberry Lime) and White Claw Variety 30 Pack, which features five different flavours (Lemon, Lime, Blackberry, Tangerine, and Black Cherry).

Afforded some time to myself, I ended up at a Browns Socialhouse, electing to have their Tiki Tuna Poke Bowl, paired with a Social IPA. I’m not very good with free time on my own, so I ate at a decent pace, settled my tab and returned to my life of misery! 😊

The next weekend, Mrs. Sip and I were in Vancouver to watch the musical Come From Away. Prior to our show, we had another meal at Browns Socialhouse, where I had the Sesame Ginger Gyoza this time, along with another Social IPA. As for the fantastic performance, which is about the many travellers who ended up in Newfoundland, Canada, following the grounding of all planes on 9/11, I tried the Dillon’s Tangerine, Lemon and Mint Gin Cocktail.

Alone

For a guy’s night out, in recognition of my birthday, us lads had an epic dinner and drinks session at The Barley Merchant in Langley. Over the course of six hours spent at the eatery, I consumed the Beva Goombah Milkshake IPA, Barley Merchant x Slackwater Chinwag IPA, two Four Winds Monocle IPAs, a pair of Black Bear Spiced Honey Rum & Cokes, as well as three Pickleback shots.

The birthday festivities continued that weekend with a party for Girl Sip and a side serving of the Sip Advisor. At that gathering, a friend gifted me a one-liter bottle of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, which we worked our way completely through, mixing it mostly with our preferred Dr. Pepper, but also with the limited edition Coca-Cola: Oreo.

The next day, my actual birthday, we ventured out to Barnside Brewing for some family time. There, I had their Home Field Hazy IPA, while the Sip Family shared a couple Beer Baked Pretzels. We also visited Kelly O’Bryans for my free birthday dinner. This promotion allowed me to get an entrée, up to $30, on the house. I went with the O’Bryans Bowl, which is basically a tuna poke bowl, while also picking at Mrs. Sip’s Chicken Lips N’ Lattice Fries. I washed it all down with a pair of Whistler Grapefruit Ales and for dessert, we all shared the decadent King O’ Mud Pie.

Birthday Coupons

Other boozy birthday gifts I received for my birthday, included six 750ml crowlers (Krisp Dry Hopped Lager, Bright El Dorado Pale Ale, Idabro IPA, Heff Hefeweizen, Strawberry Heff Strawberry Hefeweizen, and Key Lime Pie Tart Ale w/ Lime and Vanilla) from Bright Eye Brewing, courtesy of Ma and Pa Sip, as well as a $50 gift card to BC Liquor Stores via Mrs. Sip and the Sipplings.

For Girl Sip’s actual birthday, the day after mine, we had dinner at Boston Pizza. Here, I went with a glass of Blue Moon, while trying their Appy Hour Burger with Caesar Salad. I really liked the burger and will likely order it again in the future. Mrs. Sip and I also used the free birthday dessert I received in the BP app to share the Chocolate Explosion.

For the Reconciliation Day long weekend, I travelled to Tobiano with the Sipplings in tow. This is the location of Ma and Pa Sip’s new abode, located 15 minutes outside of Kamloops. This new off-site headquarters will allow me to explore the Kamloops beer and bar scene over future visits. On this trip, we managed to check out Bright Eye Brewing for their Hoppy Hour. I tried the Smedium Tank Top Hazy IPA and Throwback Burger with Fries, which were both nicely discounted for happy hour.

New House

We also stopped at Iron Road Brewing, where I ordered the Red Bridge Pale Ale. One last local journey we made was to Privato Vineyard. While the kids enjoyed the chance to play and check out the place’s pumpkin patch, I was reminded of how much I HATE WINERIES.

That puts a bow on September. October has already filled up with activities, largely focused on Halloween celebrations. It’ll be interesting to see how we survive the ghoulish month!