Tag Archives: Craft Beer

Beer of the Week #45 – Dogwood London Fog

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On one of my many “research” jaunts to the liquor store, I came across this Dogwood Brewing release that instantly jumped out at me as unique. Upon checking out the product more thoroughly, I knew I had to at least try it.

The London Fog (the nickname of an Earl Grey Latte) is of the session ale variety. This seasonal/specialty brew is made with organic Earl Grey tea and French vanilla. When tasting it, my mind expected a chocolate finish to follow the flavours and was tricked when a beer aftertaste came instead.

Dogwood London Fog

My only complaint with the beer – other than the trickery it played with my mind – is its low alcohol content, but that’s merely a personal preference. As Mrs. Sip points out, the 4% ABV (15 IBUs) translates to less calories (approx. 120), which can be a big deal for some drinkers.

The beer is only available at select locations. Thankfully, Dogwood has provided a list of those spots on their website. I went straight to their tasting room for mine, my first visit to the South Vancouver location.

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Sip Trips #118: Pucks and Parties

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This week has been a busy one as the Christmas season ramps up and Mrs. Sip and I have three Vancouver Canucks games on the schedule to attend. Thank god for our grandparent babysitters! Let’s get right to the action:

Late last week, with Ma and Pa Sip over, we grabbed dinner at the new Johnny Rockets location in Downtown Vancouver. I had their Original burger, which was pretty good. What I liked best was their half fries/half rings, allowing eaters to enjoy both side dishes. More restaurants need to adopt this concept. While we didn’t order them, the chain also offers a number of tasty milkshake options. It’s always good to have a reason to go back.

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On Friday, Mrs. Sip and I had our first Christmas party of the season, through her office. The meal took place at Piva Modern Italian Restaurant, where we tried a number of great menu items. For appies, I particularly liked the Polenta Fries, while my main course of Duck & Fig Pizza was terrific. The meal provided a perfect balance of sweet and savoury and while Mrs. Sip’s Prosciutto Pizza was good, we were both raving about my selection.  For beverages, I enjoyed the Terra Saison and Red Pilsner, both from Steel & Oak Brewing, and for dessert, I tried the Bagpipes in my Ferrari (Glenmorangie, Disaronno, smoke and oak bitters), which was a solid nightcap.

The next day, we had our first Canucks game of the week and this is one we’ve had circled for some time. With the dastardly Toronto Maple Leafs in town, I swapped some of our other half-season tickets in order to attend this game. With a 2-1 victory for the home side, Mrs. Sip and I enjoyed servings of Shock Top Wheat Ale and Goose Island Honkers Ale throughout the game, which helped with the intensity and anxiety of the matchup.

The weekend wrapped with our annual family visit to the Bright Nights in Stanley Park and Christmas Train. This was Baby Sip’s first time riding the Christmas Train, although we did take her on the Halloween Train when she was only just over a month old. As is tradition, we followed the park visit with dinner at the nearby White Spot location. Here, Cousin Sip, her husband, Sis-in-Law Sip and I split a couple pitchers of Granville Island Winter Ale, while I ordered my usual Legendary Burger. The two pair quite nicely with each other and made for a delicious meal.

Man Sized Mug

Lastly, on Tuesday, we celebrate Ma Sip’s birthday at The Keg. I, once again, selected the Prime Rib Sliders with side of fries for my meal, which was very good. Unfortunately, Mrs. Sip and I had to eat fast to get to another Canucks game, as food took a while to be served thanks to the kitchen being backed up by a private party. My Sliders were only $13 during happy hour, down from their usual $18 price tag. For dessert, Ma Sip saved her slice of wonderful Billy Miner Pie for Mrs. Sip and I, which we consumed in quick order following yet another Canucks triumph.

The weekend is full of scheduled activities and doesn’t let up at all. ‘Tis the season, after all!

Beer of the Week #44 – Steel & Oak Terra Saison

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At Piva Modern Italian Restaurant in New Westminster to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s work Christmas party, I selected this Steel & Oak Brewing beverage from their menu. It paired quite well with my delicious Duck & Fig Pizza.

The Terra Saison was very tasty and just what I was hoping for with my first drink of the night. The 5.8% ABV brew is made with turmeric, ginger root, white peppercorns and star anise and comes in a 500ml bottle, good for two healthy servings of suds.

Steel & Oak Terra Saison

The Terra can be found at private liquor stores around Greater Vancouver. The release was the first of Steel & Oak’s Brewers Series. Next up is the Secretariat, a guava-conditioned saison, hitting store shelves and the brewery’s tasting room in 2018.

With Piva located in Steel & Oak’s neck of the woods (where the brewery is the only one New West has to offer), it was only natural their beers would show up on the menu. I also had the Red Pilsner during dinner.

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Beer of the Week #43 – Parallel 49 Trash Panda Hazy IPA

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Looking for a beer to feature for this week’s article, I popped into a nearby BC Liquor Stores location to do some research. There, this Parallel 49 Brewing product caught my attention and was an easy choice for profiling.

The Trash Panda Hazy IPA is a northeast style IPA that is a definite hit with the Sip Advisor. Drinkers can expect flavours of melon, tropical fruit and pear from the 5.5% ABV, 55 IBUs beverage. The IPA is more juice-based and less bitter than it’s brethren.

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A trash panda, of course, is better known as a racoon. Parallel 49 has some of the best label art in the province and that tradition continues here with a great illustration of racoon rifling through garbage cans for whatever it can scavenge.

Available in canned six-packs at various liquor stores, this newest addition to Parallel 49’s year round lineup will delight like a racoon tipping over someone’s trash bins to find a bevy cornucopia of discarded leftovers.

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Beer of the Week #42 – Dageraad Entropy No. 5

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Recently, Mrs. Sip and I – with Baby Sip in tow – finally made the trek out to Burnaby to visit Dageraad Brewing’s tasting room. There, after a flight of their Belgian-themed beers, I purchased a bottle of this unique release.

The Entropy No. 5 is a Gin Barrel-Aged Blonde IPA and was totally worth the $12 investment. At 8% ABV, this beverage is on the imperial/stronger side, but given it’s rarity and popularity, I was very lucky to get my hands on the very limited edition.

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This beer is the fifth entry in the Entropy Series, which features barrel-aged brews of varying styles. Their Smoke & Wood-Aged Beer won a gold medal at the 2016 BC Beer Awards and earned an honourable mention at the 2017 event.

Mrs. Sip and I were under the impression that I snagged one of the few remaining bottles of this brew (only 19 cases were produced). I’m not sure if little sippers will be able to find the 750ml serving, but it’s worth a look.

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Mixer Mania #42 – Advent Amazement

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Mrs. Sip has long been a tea drinker. The last couple years, she received tea advent calendars, which previously I didn’t know existed. With Christmas right around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to look at other advent calendars that differ from your typical chocolate ones:

Make-Up/Beauty

There are numerous cosmetic advent calendars on the market. Every company you can think of seems to have put a collection together, with varying prices. Some focus on nails, others on the face. Beauty has never really been a concern for the Sip Advisor, as you can’t improve on perfection.

Cheese

The world’s first cheese advent calendar hit store shelves this year, after a blogger created her own in 2016 and the concept went viral. For only 8-pounds, fromage-aholics can find this product at ASDA stores across the UK. Not sure if similar products can be found in other countries.

Cheese Emergency

Jewellery/Charm Bracelet

Ma Sip loves her charm bracelets. So, when I came across an advent calendar version, which gave you the bracelet and then 24 holiday-themed charms over the Christmas season, I was thrilled… and Ma Sip was even more so.

Fly Fishing

A tackle box already kind of looks like an advent calendar, so why not release one for the Christmas season, with a lure for each day. One issue here, is that you’re not likely to head out each day of the calendar for a fishing expedition and to try your new treat.

Cookbook

While I like the concept of this advent calendar, you’re basically saying to the person you give this to: “Hey, why don’t you make me something different every day, through on of the busiest times of the year?” I don’t see that flying at the Sip Advisor headquarters.

Toys

For kids and kidults alike, come advent calendars from Play-Doh, Lego and Playmobil. Parents will just have to be vigilant that the toys aren’t consumed like traditional chocolates.

Eating Play-Doh

Craft Beer

While craft beer advent calendars can be found in most liquor stores, I’ll never forget Mrs. Sip personally making me one, comprised of 24 bomber bottles. Pulling it all together at the last minute – as she’s prone to do – the poor girl had to carry heavy boxes all around Vancouver. Her efforts paid off nicely, though!

Wine/Liquors

Similar to craft beer, there are wine, bubbly a liquor sets out there, typically featuring 24 mini bottles of the preferred subject matter. One particular Scotch advent calendar features rare whiskeys from around the world, setting buyers back 10,000-pounds.

Potato Chips

God bless Pringles. The potato chip company has released their own advent calendar, containing 12 tubes of various flavours. Apparently, the calendar is quite popular and has already sold out, with the products popping up on eBay for double the original retail price.

For Pets

Don’t have any kids or spouses you can spoil with an advent calendar? If you have pets, you can still get into the Christmas spirit with sets that provide toys and treats to your fur baby. The gift of giving is one of the best!

Mixer Mania #42: Irish Tea Party

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  • Absinthe Rinse
  • 1.5 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
  • Top with Green Tea
  • Garnish with Lime Wheel

The lead up to Christmas is my favourite part of the season, so sometimes I think advent calendars should just replace Christmas gifts… but they’re probably in a good place as a holiday enhancer, rather than as a main event player.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (1 Sip out of 5):
I was totally disappointed by this drink. The ingredients intrigued me, but the end result was a watery, flavourless cocktail. Mrs. Sip wants me to try it again with a different Green Tea – and I will – but it must be pointed out that round one of the beverage was a dud.

Beer of the Week #41 – Twa Dogs Drouthy Neibor IPA

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My favourite part about the changing of the seasons is new seasonal beers and even better, fall and winter mixed cases. A new discovery for the Sip Advisor this autumn was the Twa Dogs Brewing Dog Pack case, featuring this beer.

The Drouthy Neibor IPA (aka Thirsty Neighbour) is a tasty, flavourful brew. At 7% ABV and 60 IBUs, the beverage is a hefty one, just the way the Sip Advisor likes ‘em. With that in mind, the product encourages drinkers to be part of their community and a good neighbour.

Twa Dogs Drouthy Neibor IPA

Each Twa Dogs release, as well as the brewery’s name, has a Robbie Burns theme to it. The IPA, inspired by Burns’ Tam O’ Shanter poem is named to “encourage you to ‘catch the moments’ and share your greatest tales with your own Drouthy Neibors.”

Also included in the Dog Pack is the Mistress of My Soul Saison, Keekin’ Glass Pilsner, and Jolly Beggar’s Pale Ale… and no, there are no spelling mistakes with any of the beer names. Twa Dog products can be found at BC Liquor Stores.

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Beer of the Week #40 –Doan’s Oktoberfest

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While recently at Tap & Barrel in North Vancouver to meet with out-of-town friends, I ordered a pint of this Doan’s Brewing release. I’m so glad I did, as it was perfect for the type of grayish fall day we were experiencing.

The Oktoberfest had a nice blend of malt and hop flavours. At 6.5% ABV and 28 IBUs, the beverage falls right within the Sip Advisor’s preferred number ranges. This style has grown on lately, inspired by Cousin Sip’s husband’s love of the variety.

Doan's Oktoberfest.jpg

This beer is a Tap & Barrel exclusive and can also be found at the Doan’s tasting room in East Vancouver (aka Yeast Van). It’s been a while since I visited their location and with the new baby, I’m not sure when a crawl in the area will happen.

While I’ve never been able to get to Germany for the real Oktoberfest, I’m happy BC breweries can give me a little taste of the experience. Having been to German beer halls before, I can only imagine the party it would be.

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Beer of the Week #39 – Hoyne Voltage Espresso Stout

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In need of a stout beer for a recent Mixer Mania cocktail, I picked up this release from Hoyne Brewing. Surprisingly, I had never tried this offering, despite the brew being on the market seasonally for a handful of years.

The Voltage Espresso Stout is a fantastic beer, full of the rich flavours you’d expect. Although I’m not a coffee and definitely not at espresso drinker, I do like the flavour in my ales and this 5.6% ABV beverage did not disappoint.

Hoyne Voltage Espresso Stout.jpg

Described by the brewery as a rich and electrifying breakfast beer, the stout is available in bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores. Amongst other options, I went with Hoyne because they make some spectacular products.

The story behind this beer is that some of the Hoyne crew would alternate between stouts and espressos at beer events. So, they decided to combine the two into one magnificent concoction and Voltage was born.

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Beer of the Week #38 – Central City India Session Ale

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As Mrs. Sip and I settle into nesting mode following the birth of our daughter, I’ve been doing a lot more drinking at home, rather than out and about. One notable beverage I enjoyed was this Central City Brewing product.

The India Session Ale (aka ISA) has quite a delicious Mosaic hops flavour, yet remains light. The 4% ABV, 40 IBUs beverage is one of a few of the ISA style to resonate with me recently and open my eyes to how good the variety can be.

Central City India Session Ale

I discovered the beer available in the Central City Reign of Hops Mixer Pack. It can also be found in both regular and tall-can formats. Suggested food pairings, according to Central City, include salads, pasta and pizza.

This style of beer seems to be perfect for summertime drinking. It can also provide a nice remembrance of the sunny season when you drink the brews during the fall and winter. Put your shades on and reminisce!

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