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Sip Trips #252: Sinful Secrets

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Amongst all the chaos of September, Mrs. Sip and I managed to squeeze in a trip to Las Vegas, celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday. Here’s what we got up to in Sin City:

Our trek began with a delayed flight out of Vancouver, which allowed us to enjoy a drink and snack at Romer’s Kitchen & Bar. I ordered the Steamworks Flagship IPA, while Mrs. Sip and I split some Truffle Fries.

Finally arriving in Vegas late at night and after enduring a long check in process at our Resorts World Hilton accommodation, we journeyed to the nearby Peppermill & Fireside Lounge. By the time we got there, the late night (11pm-2am) happy hour was in effect, so we shared the Nachos Nachos Nachos with Al Pastor, which we liked as there wasn’t nacho cheese sauce on the dish, making the nachos soggy. To drink, we had the Atomic Duck IPA and Mango Drop Mango Wheat Ale, both from Able Baker Brewing. We liked this funky place, sitting on the Fireside Lounge side, heckling the 70s and 80s music videos that were playing.

The next day was our food tour, through Secret Food Tours. We paid $96 US each, after taking advantage of the company’s 20% discount offer during the summer. I opted for the Downtown tour over Strip tour, as more tastings were offered for a cheaper rate. One upside of the Strip tour is they go to a couple celebrity chef locations, if that’s your thing. The Downtown tour focuses on hidden gems and favourites of locals.

Our guide Katrina was fantastic and we lucked out with a private tour, as no one else booked for that day. To begin, we were taken inside the California Hotel and Casino, which despite its name has many Hawaiian-themed elements and offers travel packages to Hawaii residents. As a result, the Aloha Specialties Restaurant is a favourite of visitors and locals alike, and where we dined on Teriyaki Chicken and Spam Musubi. Both dishes were very good, with the teriyaki sauce being a highlight. I wanted to hook it to me veins!

Up next was some chocolates (Red Velvet Truffle, Almond Butter Krisp, milk and dark chocolates) from Ethel M. Chocolates. Due to an issue our guide was having with paying for items due to Aloha Specialties system being down, a stop at Lappert’s Ice Cream was added to the itinerary. There, we had large scoops of Hawaiian Salted Caramel and Coconut Pineapple ice cream.

We then travelled to the Circa Resort & Casino, where we visited Saginaw’s Deli for a shrimp cocktail. Shrimp cocktails are a Vegas staple, particularly in the long history of the Downtown area, so it was neat to try this version.

From there, we continued to walk through Fremont Street and ended up at Dirt Dog. Here, we tried the Elote Dog, which was loaded with Mexican ingredients, such as corn and cotija cheese. We also grabbed our first beverage of the day, with Mrs. Sip wanting to try their Get Trashed cocktail, complete with tequila soda, watermelon Red Bull, soju and a chamoy rim.

Up next was Evel Pie, an Evel Knievel-themed pizza joint. I’ve always been fascinated with the stuntman, so visiting the eatery was a cool experience. Our Hog Heaven pizza slice was delicious and I loved checking out all the memorabilia that adorned the walls.

The Container Park then summoned us, as we popped into Bin 702 for their Lobster Crudito sandwich. With happy hour on the horizon, we got servings of the restaurant’s Bin 702 Blonde Ale and North 5th IPA.

The final stop of the tour was Sorry Not Sorry Creamery, where we put some icing on the cake with bowls of Blackberry Basque Cake and Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll ice cream. I’d say my only complaint of the tour was that two servings of ice cream was a lot, although we appreciated that the one earlier was a add on.

With our friends now arrived, we were off to Area 15 for an evening of entertainment. Unfortunately, our late start meant that many of the attractions we wanted to see with our Level 3B pass (two day passes for $135 each) were already booked up, while others were closed for private events/maintenance. As a result, we’d have to return the next day. Our main event on this night was checking out Universal Horror Unleashed, the closest thing Mrs. Sip was going to get to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios parks. We enjoyed the four-house exhibit, getting spooked a few times along the routes.

Following the walkthrough, we went over to the main Area 15 building for some food and drinks at The Beast. Mrs. Sip and I split the Bavarian Pretzel, while I enjoyed the Firestone Hazy IPA. We also nibbled on our friends serving of nachos, as all dishes are so much larger than we get at home.

Back to Area 15 the next day, we started at the John Wick Experience, which is a cool escape room type activity, where some stellar actors lead you through getting out of The Continental assassin safe zone. We really enjoyed our pre- and post-event cocktails here, trying the Fortune Favors the Bold (mezcal, peach liqueur, lemon juice, honey, firewater bitters) and The Mother F*cking King (bourbon, peach puree, Thai chili syrup, thyme).

Prior to heading back into the main Area 15 building to experience Dopeameme, Wink and VR games, we grabbed some grub at The Beast food truck. Mrs. Sip and I shared a trio of Queso Tacos, one each of beef, chicken and pork, along with a tall-can of Able Baker Signal Mango Wheat Ale. Then a wild windstorm picked up and we ran for refuge inside.

Our main event this evening was two-fold. We began with a spectacular feast at Herbs & Rye, an old school steakhouse off strip. I loved how their cocktail menu was broken up over different eras, with my selections being the Lion’s Tail (bourbon, all spice dram, bar syrup, lime, bitters) and Weekend at the Waldorf (rum, orange curacao, lime, strawberries). To eat, I went with the Filet Mignon with Mushrooms, while we got a flight of various sauces to go with the meats. Best of all, the restaurant offers happy hour pricing on all their steaks throughout the day, so it was very reasonably priced. My friend and I both celebrating September birthdays were given complimentary desserts of chocolate chip cookies skillets, completing our absolutely amazing meal. That was followed by a trip to the Sphere to watch some DJs our friends were interested in. While not my type of music, per se, I appreciated the unique experience and was happy to finally see what all the hype is about when folks talk about the venue.

Day three offered us a chance to check out the Strip and we took full advantage. We began with lunch at Ole Red, after striking out at both Beer Park (long wait for seats) and Bottled Blonde (no servers approached out table, so we left after 10 minutes). At Ole Red, Mrs. Sip and I split the Triple Decker Club, paired with Loaded Tots and a side of Cornbread. My beverage of choice was the Elysian Space Dust.

From there, we walked to the nearby Fuel Bar, a favourite spot of mine and Mrs. Sip, for a pair of Lynchburg Lemonades to enjoy as we continued walking. Speaking of walking bevvies, a couple others I particularly enjoyed on this vacation were the Smirnoff Ice Red, White & Berry and Clubtails Long Island Iced Tea. In our travels, I also picked up a unique Twix Snickerdoodle chocolate bar that was very tasty.

Our walk led us to the Arte Museum, where we checked out the immersive exhibits for a bit. We also made a point of visiting the Chef Food Truck (from the movie Chef), splitting a very good The Chef Cubano between our group.

We then started making our way back to our resort, with stops at The Chandelier (Cosmopolitan) for their rare Verbena Cocktail and Yard House (LINQ) for the Firestone Cali Squeeze Blood Orange, which one of our group really wanted to get their hands on.

Still on our trek back, we popped into a pair of speakeasy locations. First up, was The Count Room at The Flamingo, where I enjoyed the Revision Vegas As F*ck IPA. That was followed by Here Kitty Kitty at Resorts World, where we used our $100 food and beverage credit for staying at the hotel. My drink of choice was the Walk of Shame (mezcal, lemon juice, ginger syrup, coconut water).

The next morning, Mrs. Sip and I sadly had to check out, but luckily our friends were staying another night, so we were able to store our stuff in their room. We made our way back downtown, beginning with brunch at Broken Yolk Café. There, I had the Pucker Up Lemonade, combined with the Biscuits and Gravy.

One more speakeasy was on our friend’s must visit list and that was The Underground at The Mob Museum. This was an awesome place, feeling as close to a real speakeasy as you could find, complete with a password that changes each day. The memorabilia found around the room of this place, documenting the prohibition era, was fascinating. To drink, I had the Moonshine Mayhem (moonshine, pineapple, tea, cardamom), while Mrs. Sip – at my suggestion – went with the Banana Anna (cachaça, banana rum, pineapple, lime, walnut bitters, egg whites). Once a QR code for a secret menu was found, Mrs. Sip had to get the Bath Fizz (basically a Sloe Gin Fizz), served out of a mini bathtub.

Continuing on, we got a ride over to Beer Zombies, where Mrs. Sip and I got pints of the Punktoberfest and Silence of the Haze Imperial IPA. Another ride took us to The Stray Pirate, which was an amazingly themed bar, making you think you were sailing the seas. I ordered the Robbing the Gulf (tequila, watermelon, lime, jalapeño, italicus, tajin), which hit the spot.

Retuning to our resort, we had a parting drink at Allē Lounge on 66, which provided a spectacular view of the Strip. I drank the Chuckie (whiskey, apricot liqueur, pecan bitters, lemon juice, ginger beer), while we reminisced about all the wonderful experiences we’d shared.

The only thing we didn’t get to do, was travel the strip in one of the driverless vehicles now offered. The wait to take one was just too long and Mrs. Sip and I needed to get to the airport. While waiting and hoping our vehicle would arrive, I did grab a serving of College Street Big Blue Van Blueberry Wheat Ale from one of the nearby bars. This brew was yummy and a good way to end the debauchery.

As we waited for our flight to board, I purchased a bottle of Bacardi Caribbean Spiced at the Duty Free (aka Dufry, as if shortening the name by three letters and a space was necessary). The rum blends Caribbean spices with pineapple and coconut, which I’m looking forward to trying in the future.

That ends another very successful trip to Las Vegas. The city always changes and we’re happy to embrace those variances. On this occasion, we spent more time off Strip than on, which was different than most of our sojourns there. October will be an interesting month and you’ll hear all about it here – same Sip time, same Sip channel!

Sip Trips #251: Birthday Bluster

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September was its usual slice of crazy, with a calendar full of birthdays and other commitments, exacerbated by the Siplings return to school and activities. It was so busy, I’m splitting the month into two Sip Trips, one for the bulk of September and the other for our voyage to Las Vegas. Here’s what we got up to for the first three quarters:

To celebrate Boy Sip’s first day of kindergarten, we had dinner at Boston Pizza, taking advantage of their kid’s eat for free all month. I had the Maple Bacon Burger, which has become my favourite item from the eatery’s extensive menu, along with The Quick Spike, which was basically a Spiced Rum and Pepsi.

In preparation for all the birthday celebrations on the horizon, I picked up the Nutrl7 Berry Mixed Pack. This case contained some interesting flavours (Blackberry, Raspberry Lemon, Strawberry Lime, Blueberry Lemon), with each can coming in at 7% ABV, but I found the beverages to be not as good as other vodka sodas I’ve had previously. I think I like them a little sweeter, but when Mrs. Sip is doing her keto diet, these are the types of sodas she can join me in enjoying.

In the middle of the month, we had our long-awaited Great Outdoor Comedy Festival experience. I had bought tickets to the Saturday show (featuring Mike Birbiglia, Fred Armisen, Nick Kroll, John Mulaney) all the way back in November 2024 – the first day they went on sale – as I’m a fan of both Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, in particular. Days before the festival, I also won tickets to the Friday night show (including Derrick Stroup, Whitney Cummings, Bert Kreischer), which was a nice little treat… or so I thought.

Let me be clear from the start, the comedy at these shows was very good, with Bert Kreischer being the best set of our two visits, going for 90 hilarious minutes and finishing with his infamous The Machine routine. However, Stanley Park, the setting of the festival, is a logistical nightmare for getting to and from. Other venues, particularly ones along or closer to Skytrain stops, would be better, although I understand they don’t have the same prestige and scenery of Stanley Park.

Our trip in on the Friday wasn’t that bad, catching the bus from the Skytrain station right away, but even when you got dropped off at the Stanley Park bus loop, you had a 10-15 minute walk to the actual venue, while carrying camping chairs. We managed the massive general admission line to get into the venue and found a decent spot to set up camp (although I dislike the general admission concept and hate putting my chairs down around people that have staked their claim before me). I appreciated that you could bring in your own snacks, within reason. We also grabbed a Salmon Bowl from the Aloha Poke food truck to split for dinner, which paired well with my Okanagan Springs Munich Wheat Ale.

On the downside, both shows began an hour after the advertised start time, with a musician coming on first and the host doing stupid sponsor-related activities instead. We also found that some fellow attendees didn’t shut up during performances and felt this behaviour would be different with a show in a club/theater.

Then, things got worse. At the conclusion of the show, most folks have no other choice than to walk out of the park, carrying all their gear. Mrs. Sip and I walked for 40 minutes until we neared the Westin hotel and found a decent rideshare rate home. We even had another couple join us, as they were heading in the same general direction.

Getting to the Saturday show was a total mess. Two buses passed us, noting that the vessel was already full, so we decided to hop into a rideshare. BIG MISTAKE! Due to the rush of traffic trying to get into the park, it took over an hour to go a short distance and caused a $50 surcharge. By the time we got to the venue, I was in no mood to be entertained, although my stance softened as the performers hit the stage and I downed servings of Canadian Club & Ginger Ale, Double Spiced Rum and Coke and another Okanagan Springs Munich Wheat Ale, while Mrs. Sip gathered a Beef Birria Grilled Cheese. For the duration of the show, it pops into your head from time to time that you still have another long walk to endure when the comedy is over.

Should these shows remain at Stanley Park, I won’t be attending again, no matter what the lineup ends up being. One suggestion Mrs. Sip did offer, was for the organizers to offer a shuttle from one of the nearby Skytrain stations. We would have paid extra, had this been an option.

The next morning, we were back at it, bidding farewell to ABC Brewing, our closest brewery. The place opened in 2019, shortly after our move to New West, and Mrs. Sip and I were original patrons of the company. Over their years in operation, we attended a number of events they hosted, even celebrating one of my birthdays there. We closed out the brewery with servings of their Trail of Hops Pale Ale (collab with Parallel 49), You’ve Changed Hazy Pale Ale – my favourite brew they ever produced – and walked away with a four-pack of their So Long & Thanks for All the Brews DIPA (collab with Changing Colours Brewing Project), which Mrs. Sip had ordered during our visit. It was a fitting end to the brewery’s unfortunate demise.

The following week, I tried a couple items off KFC’s pickle menu. The burger was very good, thanks to the breading being dusted with dill pickle seasoning and the addition of fried pickle chips, while the Pepsi with pickle brine was interesting, inspiring me to create the combo on my own at home.

Next up was the always fun, albeit hectic, back-to-back birthdays for myself and Girl Sip. Some of the generous gifts I accrued this year included Canerock Spiced Rum from Ma and Pa Sip (as well as an uber comfortable Dr. Pepper hoodie), Adictivo Extra Anejo Tequila and Arancello Blood Orange Liqueur from the Sip-in-Laws, along with a neat personalized sign for my bar from Aunt Sip. It’s as if people know what to get for me!

To celebrate my big day, we had lunch at Kelly O’Bryans, where I took advantage of their free birthday meal. My selections included the Chicken Lips N’ Lattice Fries, joined by a pint of Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale. Mrs. Sip and I then played a game of disc golf, which was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

That’s it for the first three weeks of September. The next Sip Trips will delve into our four-night stay in Las Vegas, flush with activities and copious eating and drinking!

Sip Trips #250: Disney Discoveries

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For this special 250th edition of Sip Trips, I’ll taking a look at the Sip Family’s expedition to the Disneyland Resort at the end of August. Here’s what we got up to over a fun, albeit expensive visit:

First of all, Mrs. Sip did a fantastic job researching our flight and hotel deals for this foray. Somehow, the more days she added to our trip, the cheaper our rate became. Therefore, we ended up spending eight nights at The Anaheim Hotel, which is among our favourite places to reside outside the resort.

Upon arriving and settling into our room, we were all in need of a bite to eat. So, we made the short journey to Tony Roma’s. There, I got my usual Chicken Tenderloin Platter, which comes with six delicious chicken tendies, accompanied by fries and coleslaw. My beverage of choice was the Offshoot Relax Hazy IPA. On our next trip, we will have to take advantage of the restaurant’s ‘kids eat for $2.99’ on Mondays deal.

Next up was procuring our supplies for the stay. I can’t believe how much better the pricing was for our items at Walgreens versus CVS. Among the provisions gathered over our vacation were the Truly Berry Mixed Pack (Blueberry, Wildberry, Cherry, Strawberry Lime) and Vizzy Vibrantly Tropic Mixed Pack (Pineapple Mango, Papaya Passionfruit, Strawberry Kiwi, Blueberry Pomegranate). I have to say I enjoyed the Truly case better than the Vizzy one. I was also able to finally try Dr. Pepper Blackberry, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I first saw the product on our Spring Break journey, but never got my hands on it.

On our first day in the parks, Mrs. Sip and I shared a selection of beers, including the Two Coast Hefeweizen, Unsung Carina Hazy Double IPA and Karl Strauss
Oktoberfest and Windandsea Wheat. The latter two were relished while splitting some excellent Quesabirria Tacos on the Sanfransokyo Wharf. In need of some dessert – as well as a treat for the Siplings – we grabbed a Choco Smash Bar from Pym’s Test Kitchen, while adding another brew, the Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing, to our tummies.

One of the reasons for the timing of this trip was to celebrate my and Mrs. Sip’s 13th wedding anniversary, with the day spent visiting some of the resort’s most decadent dining options. First, looking for a morning beverage, we got a walk-up spot at the Magic Key Terrace. There, Mrs. Sip ordered the Black Pearl (a Long Island Iced Tea spinoff, with Chambord added to the concoction and Sprite subbed in for Coke) off the park’s secret cocktail menu. I went with the Harland Hazy IPA, which was quite refreshing as the temperature began to rise.

Next up was lunch at the Blue Bayou. This visit evoked memories of the first time Mrs. Sip and I ate there in 2004, two years into our relationship. Back then, we were students on a budget and split an order of crab cakes as our meal. This time around, we feasted, Mrs. Sip enjoying a pair of glasses of wine, while I finally tried the Karl Strauss 70th Anniversary IPA. My meal was the delicious Monte Cristo Sandwich, among my favourite dishes at the resort, complete with truffle potato chips and a yummy roasted fruit salad. To complete the meal, we ordered the Doberge Cake (“layers of pumpkin spice sponge, chocolate whipped ganache and salted caramel buttercream”), which was scrumptious.

For dinner, we popped into the Lamplight Lounge, where Mrs. Sip got us a table so we could enjoy the early World of Color show. I enjoyed my Cobra Hiss cocktail (Mezcal, Cointreau, cucumber syrup, lemon juice, agave nectar), prior to joining Mrs. Sip on the bottle of Les Jamelles Chardonnay she ordered. Not super hungry after our earlier lunch banquet, we shared the Charbroiled Cheddar Burger, while the whole Sip Family got in on the Bananas Foster Donuts for dessert.

The next day, our drinks included the SLO Brew Cali-Squeeze (while munching on a family favourite Quantum Pretzel), as well as the Rincon Reservation Road Rez Dog Hefeweizen, Haunted Horchata Cocktail and 21st Amendment Citrus Wheat Ale. That night, we took advantage of Denny’s ‘kids eat free’ on Tuesdays deal, with the Sip Advisor having the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich.

While we hadn’t planned to visit Oga’s Cantina, trading off Boy Sip for rides Girl Sip refuses to do saw us end up at the Star Wars-themed hotspot. Best of all, we were both able to simply walk up and be taken inside within minutes. We even ended up next to each other at the bar, despite entering at different times. Our server on this occasion, Anthony, was tremendous. Had it not been for a two-drink maximum and the price of those drinks, I could have stayed in the place for hours. Over our break, I had the Gamorrean Ale (Red Ale) and Coruscant Cooler (a delicious Manhattan variation), while sampling Mrs. Sip’s Bad Motivator IPA and Jet Fuel cocktail (Bourbon, Chile Liqueur, Pomegranate Liqueur, White Grape Juice, Lemon Juice). I really love the Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur in that drink and have to get my hands on a bottle sometime, despite it not being available in Canada.

The next day, we executed my Drink Around California Adventure itinerary. Given we had largely drank beers in the park up to that point, I decided we should share a cocktail as we traversed each land of the park. Here’s how we spent the day boozing it up:

  • Grizzly Peak – Green Apple Lemonade Cocktail (vodka, green apple lemonade, cherry-flavored popping spheres, raspberry sauce drizzle)
  • Hollywood Land – Celebration Cocktail (tequila, rum, vodka, glittery blue raspberry lemonade, Sprite)
  • Avengers Campus – Molecular Mule (Seaborn Cucumber Ginger Mule)
  • Cars Land – Strawberry Paloma (tequila, strawberry syrup)
  • Terraces – Craftwell Peach Mojito
  • Sanfransokyo Wharf – Jamaica Tequila Cocktail (tequila, hibiscus tea, lime juice, agave syrup)
  • Pixar Pier – Spiced Sangria Seltzer
  • Buena Vista Street – Scotch Mist

Our route was completed at the Carthay Lounge, where I had what was noted as Walt Disney’s favourite drink. Even if that claim is bullshit, I had to do it, enjoying my serving of Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch on the rocks. We also orders the Carthay Sopes with duck, which were very good. One other excellent meal we had during our drink challenge was the Sanfransokyo Clam Chowder, which Mrs. Sip insisted on and I’m so glad she did!

Following the indulgent drink circuit, the only drink left on the board I wanted to try was the Blood Orange Paloma Seltzer. I tried to make good on that the next day, but a long line and pre-order wait time blocked me from trying the beverage.

We tried to visit Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel, but there was a three-hour wait to get a seat on the air conditioned inside. As a result, we travelled back into the Downtown Disney district and got a table very quickly at Ballast Point. Mrs. Sip and I ordered the Pumpkin Cream Ale from Mother Earth Brew Co. and Prince of Bavaria Festbier from Black Plague Brewing, respectively. To eat, I tried the Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich, which I loved, thanks to all the flavours, particularly the interesting black truffle coleslaw.

Back in the park, we had servings of the Karl Strauss Aurora Hoppyalis for me and Enegren Oktoberfest for Mrs. Sip. These bevvies made the very long line for Grizzly River Rapids much more tolerable, while also numbing us to the deluge of water we were about to experience.

The Disneyland Halloween Treats menu was released right before we arrived. While I feel it’s way too early for that season, I was definitely going to take advantage of some of the eats and drinks. In particular, we worked our way through a number of the seasonal churros, including: Halloween Town Mayor (smores-like), Celestial Chocolate (Dubai chocolate), Straw-batty (strawberry filled chocolate) and Fluffernutter (marshmallow and peanut butter). The Fluffernutter was the best of the bunch for me, restoring my faith in churros, which I’d come to find to generally be mid at best. We had most of these treats for breakfast because… you know, parents of the year and all!

We also tried the Pumpkin Cookies with cream cheese icing, which were good, but not worth the hour-long lineup to get them, as well as the Monster Funnel Cake, which was another fantastic way to start a day!

For our final meal of the trip, we went to a local Red Lobster, where I had my typical Sesame Soy Salmon Bowl and Blue Moon Wheat Ale. This was sandwiched between letting the kids do some Magic Quest time at the nearby Great Wolf Lodge.

That wraps our Disneyland expedition. September will be full of activity, including all the birthdays our family has throughout the month, along with a getaway for Mrs. Sip and I to Las Vegas to celebrate a friend’s 40th!

Sip Trips #249: Wicked Weekends

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Well, August was pretty wild and flew by at break-neck speed. Was it fun? Sure. Was it a little overwhelming? Two things can be true at the same time. Here’s what the Sip Family got up to during most of the month, with our week in Disneyland at the end saved for another Sip Trips update:

With the Siplings still away with Ma and Pa Sip, Mrs. Sip and I took off to Peachland for the August long weekend. On our drive there, we stopped for dinner at Stallones Kitchen & Bar in Hope. I went full Stallone/Rambo, ordering the Stallones Burger and Mountainview First Blood Orange Wheat Ale. We had fantastic food and service at this restaurant, while the live music was very good. A great find by Mrs. Sip as we approached the town and were in need of sustenance.

Our time in Peachland was largely spent visiting a friend whose family has a beautiful place there. We did squeeze in a visit to the amazingly-themed Crown & Thieves Winery. Their tasting room is so cool it has to be experienced in person. Best of all, our $15 tasting fees were waived with a bottle purchase each, which wasn’t hard to do given the great wines available. We received excellent service from our scoundrel (aka server) and will definitely return, hoping to one day check out their onsite speakeasy basement bar.

The following weekend, reunited with the Siplings, we were off to Vancouver Island. Once arriving via ferry, we made our way to Rusted Rake Brewing in Nanoose Bay. This was another very cool setting, offering farm-to-table brews and food. To drink, I enjoyed a pint of The Wandering Scotsman’s Spruce Tip IPA. To eat, Mrs. Sip and I shared the Cornbread, Burnt Ends and Chicken & Pickles. We also tried tasters of their It’s Farming Saison and Willem Wets His Whistle Belgian Witbier.

The next day, we had lunch at Fern + Cedar Brewing in Qualicum Beach. Between games of cornhole with Boy Sip and Mrs. Sip, I managed to have the Green Mountain State NEIPA, along with a yummy Teriyaki Salmon dish.

Not content to leave the other brewery in the area off our visit list, we travelled over to Love Shack Libations, ordering two flights to cover their entire available lineup. My favourite drink here was the Juice Bigalow Hazy Mango Pineapple Ale.

Back on the mainland, our next weekend was spent staying at a friend’s place, as mutual friends from the U.K. visited. While out in the Langley area, we had a meal at The Barley Merchant. Over the course of the feast, I had servings of the North Point Strawberry Blonde Ale and Category 12 Fuzzy Peach IPA. My main dish of the Karai Ahi Noodle Salad was good, but I felt the meal didn’t know if it wanted to be a salad or a noodle bowl, incorporating ingredients of each. I guess it came as advertised as a “noodle salad”.

Later that weekend, we hit up Locality Brewing, letting all the kids run wild at the farm location. While there, I drank the Rhuberry Wheat Ale, Lean on Me DIPA and Black Tea Lager, all of which were tasty in their own way. Mrs. Sip and I split the Bison Poutine from Stampede Burger food truck and will have to go back sometime when they have their expanded catering menu, featuring Po’Boy sandwiches and other interesting items.

Our last outing while our friends were in town was to the PNE. I tried a California Sushi Taco from one of the many food trucks onsite, pairing the dish with a glass of Parallel 49 Trash Panda Hazy IPA, which made for a good combo.

That wraps most of August, a month where we didn’t spend a single weekend at home. The next Sip Trips, my 250th entry in the series, will be a special one as I dissect our week-long voyage to the Disneyland Resort!

Sip Trips #248: Festivals and Frivolities

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Summer has gotten off to a good start. The Sip Advisor survived a couple single-parent stints, with the reward being a magical 12 days kid-free. Let’s see what the family got up to over the previous month:

As the calendar turned to July, we took the Siplings out for a night of trivia at Frankie G’s Pub. I was craving a sandwich and the pub delivered with their Turkey Clubhouse, which I paired with two Parallel 49 Trash Panda Hazy IPAs. As for the trivia, hosted by IQ2000, we did okay, but struggled with the music round, confirming once again that pub trivia should not include music rounds. I should also note that the manager of Frankie G’s was very attentive to all the guests.

One of Mrs. Sip’s work trips took her to the Kootenay region of B.C. While there, she visited Fernie Distillers, rounding up a trio of bottles to bring back home. Those libations included the Cinder Liqueur, Fernie Fog and Indigo Inversion Gin. Sometimes it pays to have Mrs. Sip on the road.

To celebrate a friend’s birthday in the middle of the month, we had dinner at The Keg. Given they were offering their Lobster Summer menu, I had to try the Lobster Roll, which was pretty good. My drinks over the course of the evening included an Old Fashioned, Gin Basil Lemonade and a pair of Yellow Dog High 5 Hazy IPA.

The following week, we celebrated the end of Boy Sip’s preschool days with dinner and a movie. Our meal took place at Boston Pizza, where Mrs. Sip and I both took advantage of the Everyday Favourites menu, each selecting a Rickards Red Boston Pint, which are $2 off. To eat, I enjoyed the Maple Bacon Burger, which is highlighted by a tasty maple barbecue sauce.

The next day, the kids were on the road with Ma and Pa Sip. A couple days prior, I had won tickets to the Punchbowl Festival on the PNE Fairgrounds, so the timing seemed perfect. Given our entry was free, saving us anywhere from $30-$50 each, you felt a little better about the money you now had to spend on tokens. We bought $50 worth of tokens to split, with ready-to-drink beverage samples costing two tokens each, while cocktail and liquor samples cost three to four tokens on average. We had a good variety of vodka sodas, tequila-based drinks, soju offerings, hard iced teas, and other options. I was also able to finally try the Redhead Macadamia Nut Rum that had been on my “to drink” list for some time, although tracking down a full bottle remains a challenge. We also tried the wares from two different taco trucks while at the event, with our favourite being the Golden Taco (Quesabirria) menu item from Taqueria Jalisco. All in all, we had a good time at Punchbowl, but without free tickets, I’m not sure I’d go again.

That evening, some friends joined us for pizza and board games at Pizzeria Ludica. Mrs. Sip and I split the Pineapple Pulled Pork Pizza and Two-Cheese Garlic Breadsticks, both of which were yummy. Our table split a pair of pitchers in the Fuggles & Warlock Last Mango and Steel & Oak Shiny Things Hazy IPA.

A few nights later, Mrs. Sip and I attended Kelly O’Bryan’s for Vancouver Trivia Party’s quiz night. We didn’t fare as well at this trivia as our Frankie G’s outing. For whatever reason, both of us were a little off for this challenge. To eat during the contest, I had the Tuna Poke Bowl and a couple Steel & Oak Red Pilsners.

We put a bow on the month by enjoying a night at The Outdoor Experience for one of their Sip ‘n Dip nights. Entry was $25 with two drink tickets each. We ended up adding two more drink tickets each, for an average of one drink per half hour over the two-hour event. As for what I drank, I had three Dead Frog Canada Proud Lagers, along with a Peach Lemonade Sour from the company. I went with beers over the various vodka and gin sodas, as the beers were larger servings at 473ml versus your standard 355ml cans for the ready-to-drink cocktails. We had a very fun time at the pool, with my only complaint being how most folks hoarded the floats, carrying them around to other parts of the park, instead of letting others use them.

Not content to end our night after the swimming, we travelled to the Fox & Hounds Pub and Restaurant. There, I took advantage of the half price Chicken Wings deal, opting for the Hotiyaki flavour, which they call Fire & Ice. We also split a pitcher for the table and even added a Lemon Drop shot for good measure.

August is already quite packed with various events, including excursions to Peachland and Qualicum Beach, as well as our summer voyage to the Disneyland Resort, where we got a sweet deal of eight nights for less than it would have cost to do six!

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.