Tag Archives: Craft Beer

BC Beer Baron #120 – Green Leaf Pie Hole Pale Ale

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Our recent jaunt to North Vancouver to tour their burgeoning craft beer region began with a visit to Green Leaf Brewing at the Lonsdale Quay.

There, we sampled the Pie Hole Pale Ale, which at 5.8% ABV and 40 IBUs, has near perfect stats (according to the Sip Advisor) for a concrete, enjoyable beer. The pale ale is one of only two year round products on Green Leaf’s menu and was the brewery’s original release.

Green Leaf Pie Hole Pale Ale

Of the beer, the company writes: “We decided to start things off at Green Leaf Brewing with a beer we’d like to drink every day. Something hoppy, but not overly bitter, refreshing but not too dry, familiar yet unique. A beer that reminds us of good times with friends, or beautiful weather […] what we get to serve to you is our idea of what a glass full of sunshine tastes like.”

Suggested food pairings include burgers, steaks, pizza, fried foods, and a long list of cheeses, from soft to hard. In the end, I think almost anything might work well with this beer, available on tap and in bomber-sized bottles.

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BC Beer Baron #119 – Deep Cove Luminescent Chocolate Coconut Porter

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The final stop of our recent North Vancouver brewery crawl brought us to Deep Cove Brewing, where it was hard to choose favourites, as much of their line-up was quite good.

The Luminescent Chocolate Coconut Porter features complimentary flavours of chocolate and coconut, which as any fan of an Almond Joy, Bounty or Mounds chocolate bar can tell you, come together very well when paired. The brew is well-balanced (5.8% ABV), allowing for the tastes to be showcased and not hidden beneath strong alcohol content or heavy malts.

Deep Cove Luminescent Chocolate Coconut Porter

With a logo that features a jellyfish, the company writes of the beer: “The bio-luminescent jellyfish of Deep Cove are well known for unexpectedly lighting up the dark waters with a phosphorescent glow. This porter has the power to do the same for beer drinkers who are looking for a flash of the unexpected that won’t soon be forgotten.”

This seems to be the perfect beer for Mrs. Sip. Like most women, she is also a fan of chocolate and coconut. Where the product takes a huge leap forward is with its association to jellyfish. Anytime we’re in an aquarium – and especially if Mrs. Sip has enjoyed a bevvy or two – she becomes entranced by the hypnotic swimming of jellyfish and has to be pulled away from their tanks with great force… or the promise of another drink!

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BC Beer Baron #118 – Bridge Wunderbar Kolsch

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Our recent exploration of North Vancouver’s craft beer scene was driven by the redemption of a Groupon at Bridge Brewing. This deal allowed the Sip Alliance to try every beer the brewery had available.

Among those brews was the Wunderbar Kolsch, which was light and refreshing, but far from boring, featuring a complexity that took the product to a different level. This is the brewery’s take on a traditional German Kolsch, perfect for the spring and summer seasons, enjoyed outdoors on a patio, or preferably near a cool body of water.

BRB15-019_Generic Awards Label.indd

Sure, the first thing I hoped for was that the beer would taste like a Cadbury Wunderbar (one of the best chocolate bars in existence), but then it probably would have identified as a stout, rather than a kolsch. I was far from dissatisfied with the experience, though.

Apparently, I’m not alone, as the Wunderbar Kolsch picked up a silver medal at the 2015 Vancouver International Craft Beer Awards, in the Hybrid category. It can be found in bomber-sized bottles, as well as in six-packs. Prost, to all my little sippers out there!

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BC Beer Baron #117 – Hearthstone Chocolate Milk Stout

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While they weren’t part of our North Vancouver brewery crawl a couple months back, I was able to recently sample a few Hearthstone Brewing products at Legacy Liquor Store in the Olympic Village.

While sampling, I really enjoyed the brewery’s Chocolate Milk Stout, which has a bold chocolate taste from the cocoa nibs from East Van Roasting Company, used in its recipe. The 5.5% ABV, 19 IBUs is “perfect to cuddle up next to a ­fire with,” according to the beer’s description.

Hearthstone Chocolate Milk Stout

It sounds like the stout is quite versatile and can be combined with two other Hearthstone products for unique beertails. First, it can be mixed with the previously reviewed Graham Cracker Ale to manufacture a s’more flavoured beverage and second it can be paired with the Wyld Raspberry Berliner Weisse for a chocolate-berry treat.

As for an update on Hearthstone’s tasting room, it should be open soon and will feature woodfire pizzas, straight from ovens imported from Italy. Mrs. Sip and I can’t wait for our maiden voyage there!

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BC Beer Baron #116 – Black Kettle Kentucky Common

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When the Sip Alliance visited Black Kettle Brewing in February, we weren’t sure what to expect, but they had a new and unique beer on tap that quickly caught my eye.

The Kentucky Common is a darker, stronger (6.5% ABV) brew, with a slight sweetness. It goes down easy though and is a very enjoyable beverage. As far as I know, the beer is only available on tap at Black Kettle’s home of operations.

Black Kettle Brewing

So, what is a Kentucky Common and how did it end up in BC? Well, it’s an ale (also going by the names Dark Cream Common Beer, Cream Beer, or Common Beer) that was popular pre-prohibition in Louisville, Kentucky. Apparently, it’s rare to find nowadays, so I’m feeling a little lucky that I had the chance to have a serving.

For those that haven’t yet checked out Black Kettle Brewing at their North Vancouver tasting room or elsewhere, I urge you to do so. Through early 2016, they have been my MVP of both a beer festival event and a brewery crawl. Here’s hoping they keep up the great work!

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BC Beer Baron #115 – Dead Frog Cold Brew Red Ale

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Mrs. Sip is a tea drinker by nature, while beer is the beverage of choice for the Sip Advisor. With this Dead Frog Brewing release, we were able to satisfy both of our preferences at the same time.

The Cold Brew Red Ale is infused with cold brewed vanilla bourbon tea, handmade by North Vancouver’s The Tea Guy. When I first saw the term cold brewed, I assumed we’d be getting something with a coffee flavour, but instead was pleasantly surprised by the notes of vanilla that coated my palatte. There was also some chocolate taste, thanks to the malts used in the beer’s creation.

Dead Frog Cold Brew Red Ale

Suggested food pairings with this beer include barbecue ribs and chicken wings, as well as corned beef. The product is available in six-packs and Dead Frog’s Winter Mixer case (if you can still find it at this time of year).

We enjoyed this beer on our recent tour of the breweries that make up the Fraser Valley region of BC. Dead Frog was stop number one of seven different locations we visited that trip, with more beer goodness to come in the following days.

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BC Beer Baron #114 – Ridge Black Mamba Milk Stout

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The final stop of our recent Fraser Valley brewery crawl brought us to Ridge Brewing, where we had a very enjoyable visit, chatting with the staff and owner of the operation.

Among the samples I tried while there, was the Black Mamba Milk Stout. Normally, I’m not a fan of snakes, but history has shown that I will let that trepidation slide when beer is on the line!

Ridge Black Mamba Milk Stout

This 5% ABV, 27 IBUs offering is light and easy to drink, with hints of the flavours (chocolate/coffee) one would typically expect from a stout.

Ridge’s newest release is the Ay Caramba! Jalapeno IPA, which I can’t wait to try. Perhaps I can have my agents out that way assist me in pursuing this product.

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BC Beer Baron #113 – Maple Meadows Honey Brown Ale

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Since the Sip Advisor’s first visit to Maple Meadows Brewing, this is definitely the beer of theirs that I’ve drank the most, with a friend from the area occasionally filling up a growler with it for parties.

The Honey Brown Ale is 5.7% ABV of brewing goodness, with a touch of sweet to compliment rich malts. The brew is really solid and a good one to share with larger groups and varying tastes.

Maple Meadows Brewing

It seems the brewery likes to use this beer as the base for various experimental releases, such as a Smoked Chipotle and Vanilla Bean-infused version… if only I could fire up the ol’ WABAC Machine!

Maple Meadows just recently celebrated their first anniversary and I’ve always loved its origin story of ending up in Maple Ridge because other nearby cities were reluctant towards craft beer operations. That is simply their loss and a huge gain for Maple Ridge.

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BC Beer Baron #112 – Mission Springs Lemon Ginger Radler

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I’m not much of a fan of light beers, but I can still appreciate a good one, such as this release from Mission Springs Brewing.

The Lemon Ginger Radler comes in at a minute 3% ABV, but all the flavours are nice and complement each other. The recipe takes the brewery’s Trailblazer Pilsner and adds California lemons and ginger root infusion to the mix. This results in a refreshing, well-balanced beverage, featuring a ginger bite on the finish.

Mission Springs Lemon Ginger Radler

For those unfamiliar with the Radler style of brewing, it’s basically a beer-lemonade hybrid. Mission Springs suggests serving the drink over ice and as they say, what else should you do when “When Life gives you lemons…”

We stopped at the Mission Springs Brew Pub for some nourishment along our recent Fraser Valley brewery crawl. I thought the bar had a cozy feel to it and would love to return to try other items on their menu.

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BC Beer Baron #111 – Field House Salted Black Porter

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One of the highlights of our recent run through the Fraser Valley brewing region, was stopping at Field House Brewing. Despite only recently opening, the place was packed and better yet, the beers were good.

Among those, was the Salted Black Porter, which had a fair bit going on with it. There was some sweetness, some spiciness and, of course, some saltiness. The salt wasn’t overwhelming, though, if that is a concern to any folks out there.

Field House Brewing Logo

The 7% ABV, 25 IBUs beverage gets its feature flavour from salted black licorice drops, which complete this easy-to-drink porter of the Baltic variety.

Abbotsford has a burgeoning craft beer industry, with Field House joining the already established Old Abbey Ales and Ravens Brewing. If beer isn’t your thing, Field House also offers vino from Mt. Lehman Wineries.

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