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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!

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!