Tag Archives: Craft Beer

BC Beer Baron #229 – Granville Island Hey Day Hefeweizen

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

The Sip Advisor has spent many a summer afternoon with this Granville Island Brewing beverage in his hand. As the brewery writes, the beer is “Great with brunch, patios, and bright dispositions. Let it shine.”

The Hey Day Hefeweizen – formerly known as the Robson Street Hefeweizen, thanks to Granville Island’s penchant for naming beers after Vancouver landmarks – the product was rebranded and moved from GIB’s core brands lineup to their Under the Bridge Series, which was launched to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary. At 5% ABV and 15 IBUs, the beer is light, but is packed with flavours of clove and banana.

Granville Island Hey Day Hefeweizen

The brew is available in bottled six-packs, 473ml tall cans, and as part of the company’s bottled Summer Mingler case (also including the English Bay Pale Ale, Two Tides ISA, and False Creek Raspberry Ale). The Hefeweizen, under its former moniker, received a silver medal at the 2012 World Beer Championships.

Some suggested recipes to pair with the beer, include orange and clove génoise, pan-roasted chicken breast with mango chutney, and ricotta and minted pea crostini. This is on top of Granville Island classifying the Hey Day as a perfect breakfast/brunch beer, to be combined with poached eggs or Weisswurst.

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BC Beer Baron #228 – Driftwood White Bark Witbier

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

When discussing the best wheat beers and hefeweizens this province has to offer, no conversation would be complete without mentioning this Driftwood Brewing release.

The White Bark Witbier has become a staple of restaurants menus around the Lower Mainland, as most establishments try to cater to craft beer drinkers, in some manner. The unfiltered 5% ABV beverage is constructed using freshly-ground coriander and Curacao orange peel.

Driftwood White Bark Witbier

One of Driftwood’s Core Brands, the beverage is available year round. Of note, it can be found in bomber-sized bottles for a very reasonable price ($5.19 before taxes and deposit) at BC Liquor Stores.

Suggested food pairings include duck, goose and pork for the carnivores and sweet potatoes, carrots, ginger and bell peppers for the vegetarians. Thai and Indian curries are also said to combine will with the brew.

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BC Beer Baron #227 – Moon Under Water This Is Hefeweizen

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Mrs. Sip and I are huge fans of hefeweizens and witbiers. I mean, is there a better summer beer style? Let’s take a look at what BC has to offer in the field.

I’m so glad Mrs. Sip and I went a little out of our way – and got lost – to search out the Moon Under Water brewpub on a visit to Victoria a few years back.

Ever since, This Is Hefeweizen has become one of our favourites beers in the province. The 5.5% ABV hef is perfect on a hot summer’s day, sitting poolside at Ma and Pa Sip’s home. Using 70% weizen and Bavarian hefe, the quality of this beer reminds us of the great beverages we enjoyed while previously travelling Belgium, Germany, and other beer loving countries.

Moon Under Water This is Hefeweizen

The folks at Moon Under Water are very proud of this brew, going so far as to challenge their competitor’s “hefeweizen” releases. They write: “Unlike every other beer we’ve brewed, this one follows some style guidelines. Why? Because in a land where big breweries produce bland, boring blonde ales and pass them off as Hefeweizens, something traditional needed to be done.”

This is one of the beers (joined by Moon Under Water’s Creepy Uncle Dunkel, among others) Mrs. Sip and I packed up to bring to Germany to share with family over there, as part of a hosting gift tasting experience. I distinctly remember both Moon Under Water brews going over well among the German crowd and they know their beers.

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BC Beer Baron #226 – Whistler Grapefruit Ale

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While attending a recent Vancouver Canadians game at Nat Bailey Stadium, Mrs. Sip and I took advantage of the ballpark’s Craft Corner. There, we each picked up a serving of this Whistler Brewing beverage.

The Grapefruit Ale is light and refreshing, everything one would want in a beer enjoyed under the hot summer sun. The grapefruit comes across in the finish of the brew, giving drinkers a nice sweet and sour mix. The Sip Advisor even detected some caramel notes and a light spice.

Whistler Grapefruit Ale

I did think the 5% ABV, 14 IBUs beer was better at its peak of coldness and my enjoyment decreased when it grew warmer. This can be said of almost all drinks, though, with the only difference being how noticeable the gap was here.

Formerly known as the Paradise Valley Grapefruit Ale, this summer seasonal is available in six-packs at BC Liquor Stores. The BCL description suggests pairing the brew (which debuted in 2011) with pancakes or a light dessert.

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BC Beer Baron #225 – Lighthouse Broadside Northwest Ale

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While I appreciate whatever a company brings to a tasting event, when they provide an opportunity to sample something new or unique, that is optimal. Such was the case with Lighthouse Brewing at Tip N’ Taste in Langley.

The Broadside Northwest Ale is the brewery’s newest release. At 4.3% ABV, it won’t knock your socks off, but there is some strong hop flavour in this refreshing beverage. The product is available in six-packs.

Lighthouse Broadside Northwest Ale

The brew is part of Lighthouse’s Explorers Series, which is aimed at “adventurous craft beer lovers looking to discover more flavour, more complex nuances, and more unique characteristics in their beer”.

I appreciate the brewery’s nautical naming scheme and this beer is no different. Broadside refers to the side of a ship where all the cannons are situated. Broadside is also a measurement of a ship’s maximum simultaneous firepower.

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BC Beer Baron #224 – Bad Tattoo Waes Hael Spiced Seasonal Ale

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This Bad Tattoo Brewing beverage was another recent pick-up in the Okanagan of a winter seasonal release that I had yet to come across until summer rolled around.

The Waes Hael Spiced Seasonal Ale is a fantastic brew. There’s a lot going on in this drink, with ingredients that are inspired by wassailing, an ancient tradition of visiting homes to participate in yuletide celebrations around Christmas. Recipe elements include cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, all spice, ginger root, and even roasted apples.

Bad Tattoo Waes Hael Spiced Seasonal Ale

The beer holds up well in summer weather, despite being a ‘winter warmer’. Waes Hael means “Be You Healthy” and that is certainly achieved by the 6% ABV Winter Ale.

Bad Tattoo suggests enjoying the beer at a warmer temperature than other products. It is available in bomber-sized bottles from select liquor stores, although you may have trouble tracking a serving down until the next winter season.

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BC Beer Baron #223 – Persephone Dry Stout

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Meeting up with fellow CAMRA members at The Main on Main, prior to a night of Vancouver Canadians baseball, the Sip Advisor selected this beer from Persephone Brewing, for his pre-game beverage.

The Dry Stout features the flavours you would typically expect from the beer style, highlighted by notes of coffee and roasted malts. The 4.5% ABV, 30 IBUs brew is lightly carbonated, whereas the Sip Advisor prefers beers with more carbonation. That said, the drink was smooth and tasty, compensating for my desire for more bubbles.

Persephone Dry Stout

The brew has been quite successful for Persephone, pulling in back-to-back first place finishes at the 2013 and 2014 BC Beer Awards, in the Stout category. Rave reviews seem to also follow this product around, which makes it surprising that it’s only available on tap and not in bottles or cans.

Persephone, which is based on an 11-acre farm in Gibsons, is currently allowing prospective partners to invest in the enterprise. The minimum investment is $250 with a total of 12% equity in the brewery up for grabs.

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BC Beer Baron #222 – Stanley Park Curiosity Lager

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Full disclosure: The Sip Advisor purchased a can of this Stanley Park Brewing/lululemon athletica collaboration beer last summer and there it sat in my fridge “cellaring” for the past 12 months. My intention was to do a photoshoot with myself in ridiculous yoga poses, while sipping the beverage. That never materialized and I finally cracked the can open just the other day.

I have to say, although the Curiosity Lager was, oh let’s say aged, it still tasted pretty good. Granted, it’s your typical lager and there’s not a whole lot going on, but I enjoyed the experience. The 4.6 ABV, 18 IBUs beer is light and easy drinking with a refreshing finish.

Stanley Park Curiosity Lager

The limited edition release (only brewed once) came in 500ml tall cans and was created to be the beverage of choice for lululemon’s SeaWheeze Half Marathon after party. Suggested food pairings for the lager included barbecue meats, rich seafood dishes, and spicy Vietnamese or Thai meals.

I remember when the beer first debuted, there was a lot of negativity that came along with it. Many questioned why lululemon would bother getting involved in the craft brew game. The companies also received some flak for the label design, which included a cartoon totem pole that some thought was insensitive.

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BC Beer Baron #221 – Mt. Begbie Brave Liver Scotch Ale

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Even within the province of BC, the Sip Advisor loves going to liquor stores while travelling because I often discover products that don’t seem to get shelf space at stores in the Lower Mainland. Such was the case with this release from Mt. Begbie Brewing.

The Brave Liver Scotch Ale is very tasty, with flavours of roasted malts and caramel. At 6.5% ABV and 22 IBUs, this is a fitting ‘Wee Heavy’ Scottish Pale Ale, but the peat flavour that is often included in this style of brews was missing.

Mt. Begbie Brave Liver Scotch Ale

Although the beer is described as a winter seasonal, I came across it for the very first time this summer and don’t recall ever seeing it before. Apparently, the beer was bottled for the first time in November 2015, so I should consider myself lucky that a few bombers still existed come the summer.

I love the name of this brew and I honestly believe that my liver is one of the bravest in the land. Suggested food pairings include roast beef, lamb, game meats, smoked salmon, aged cheeses, toffee pudding, and chocolate desserts.

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BC Beer Baron #220 – Foamers’ Folly Hot Box IPA Nitro

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While recently visiting another brewery, I was able to try a guest tap from Foamers’ Folly Brewing. Based out of Pitt Meadows, it is the city’s first craft beer establishment.

The Hot Box IPA Nitro was just fine, but I’ve found that I’m just not a fan of nitro brews. I know this style of beer – nitro refers to the type of gas used in the carbonation process – is preferred by many, but every time I’ve had one, it just hasn’t agreed with me. The 6.6% ABV, 80 IBUs beverage is clearly on the stronger side (a result of the nitro practice), so some drinkers may want to proceed with extreme caution.

Foamers' Folly Brewing

This was my first experience with Foamers’ Folly and I’ve always been curious about the company’s name. Apparently a ‘foamer’ is someone who is a train nut. That said, the folks at Foamers’ are obsessed with the craft beer, instead. As for the ‘folly’ part of the name? Well, as the brewery writes, “that’s where things get interesting”, as the three-brewer team is big on experimentation.

Next time the Sip Alliance is touring the Fraser Valley, we’ll have to pop into the brewery and try more of their products. I’m particularly curious about their Railspike Black IPA, Blacksnake Porter, Bandit Brown Ale, and Heat Kink Saison.

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