Tag Archives: Family Day

Sip Trips #258: Family Frenzy

Posted on by
Reply

February was a busy month, even with largely sticking close to home. A lot of fun was had, with highlights including the Family Day long weekend, Valentine’s Day and Vancouver Warriors and Canucks games to attend. Here’s what we got up to:

Prior to the annual Regimental Whiskey Tasting at the Beatty Street Drill Hall, our crew convened at the nearby Browns Socialhouse for some pre-game beverages and a small bite to eat. I enjoyed a pair of Stanley Park Parklandia Hazy IPAs, to go with my typical order of Sesame Ginger Gyoza.

As for the whiskey tasting, a favourite event of mine each year I’m able to attend, the five bottles served to us included Kilkerran 12, Lum Reek 21, Reservoir Wheat Whiskey, Aberlour 18, and Laphroaig The Cask Lore. My favourite of the bunch was the Kilkerran 12. Aside from the whiskeys, the rest of the night was filled with a host of various beers and yummy Costco sandwiches to soak up the alcohol.

The next week, we had tickets to see the Vancouver Warriors lacrosse game. A couple months back, Girl Sip participated in a drill while some Warriors representatives were visiting her school, receiving a coupon for two free tickets to a future game. Using another two-for-one pass we had, the Sip Family ended up at the game for one paid admission. And what a night to go, as we chose Wrestling Night, which included some wrestling skits amongst the usual lacrosse chaos. This game was the wildest sporting event I’ve ever been to, with rock bands, wrestling matches, goals and even a fight during the pre-game ceremony/warm up with kids on the floor. The Siplings loved the experience!

Prior to the game, we ate at the nearby Boston Pizza, using gift cards received at Christmas. Over the course of the meal, I had a Fat Tug IPA, Maple Bacon Burger and we finished with the Chocolate Explosion dessert.

Some Valentine’s Day gifts I received included the Spectrum Box of Chocolates Mix Pack (White Chocolate Stout, Milk Chocolate Ale, Mint Chocolate Ale, Orange Chocolate Ale) from Ma and Pa Sip, as well as a collection of beers from Mrs. Sip: Storm Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ale, Storm Pineapple Paradise Pilsner and Silly Pink Killer (pink grapefruit brew from Belgium). I also picked up the Black Fly Classic Cocktail Mixer Pack (Tequila Margarita, Gin Greyhound, Rum Mojito, Long Island Iced Tea) for the Family Day long weekend.

During that weekend, a large portion of time was spent at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre for Girl Sip’s annual ringette tournament. On our day there with two games and a break in between, I hit the concession for some food and drink, enjoying a Crispy Chicken Burger and PoCo Brothers Amber Ale combo.

To wrap the Family Day long weekend, Mrs. Sip and I went to Big Way Hot Pot for a little Lunar New Year meal. It was interesting to try this place, but think I prefer non-broth Asian dishes. We will likely visit again, but I’ll not fill my bowl with so many ingredients, as you are charged based on weight. I also wish the eatery offered adult beverages.

We wrapped the month with a Vancouver Canucks game for the whole family, once again dining at Boston Pizza beforehand. You just can’t beat free kid’s meals that include main, side, drink and dessert! Looking to switch up my order from the month’s previous visit, I went with the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, which was good. I also really like BP fries, going with them over a Caesar Salad, which has often become a substitution for me.

The puts a bow on February. March is filled with activities, highlighted by our spring break getaway to Vancouver Island, where we’ll visit Victoria, Nanaimo, Tofino and other locales we don’t get to see very often.

Sip Trips #219: No Winter Blues Here

Posted on by
Reply

February wasn’t full of events, but what did occur was some quality good times. The shortest month of the year did not disappoint, as we managed to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style and had a short getaway to the Sunshine Coast. Here’s what we got up to in February:

With some shopping to do for Boy Sip’s upcoming third birthday party, Mrs. Sip and I spent an evening in Bellingham, Washington. On our way back home, we popped into Bob’s Burgers & Brew for dinner. There, I had the Bacon Cheeseburger Wrap with Potato Salad, while also stealing Mrs. Sip’s side dish of their Jo Jos. All my food was really good, especially when paired with a District Hazy Duke IPA.

Bacon Cheeseburger

For our Valentine’s Day celebrations, we did the Love is Blind Wine Tasting at Township 7 Vineyards. There was a plate of snacks and desserts for each couple and I tried to guess the white wines, while Mrs. Sip tasted the reds. I didn’t get any right, as my guesses were IPA, Stout, Lager and Hefeweizen… clearly I didn’t understand the assignment! Mrs. Sip got one right of her four, so not too shabby.

Our early V-Day events continued that night, with The Love Voyage dinner by Cocktail Connoisseur, at what used to be Wildebeest. This fantastic feast included a five-course meal of shared dishes with cocktail pairings, taking guests through five love hubs of the world. The evening began with a welcome drink and the pairings were as follows:

  • Barcelona: Croquetas de Jamon and Amantes (Lovers) – Tequila, Blackberries, Hibiscus, Jalapeno, Smoke
  • Kyoto: Tuna Tartare and Angel of Kyoto – Choya Plum, Choya Yuzu, Dry Sake, Flowers
  • Venice: Scallop Risotto and Lovers on the Canal – Tequila, Passionfruit, Mango, Lime, Dry Ice, Sea Salt Tuile
  • Paris: Duck Breast and Midnight in Paris – Vodka, Grapefruit, Yuzu, Bergamot
  • New York: Cheesecake and On Top of the World – Vodka, Butterfly Pea Flower, Lavender, Lemon, Honey

There were also very cool projection effects on the tables during meals and interludes. All of this for only $129 per person, including gratuities. The company hopes to host future dinners like this and we will certainly be there, if they do.

Valentine's Day

The following weekend, Mrs. Sip and I were back in Downtown Vancouver. We began our evening by meeting friends for dinner at Elisa Steakhouse. My meal began with a Caesar Salad, followed by a main dish of the Sablefish, which was done in a very tasty sesame-soy and horseradish sauce. To drink I had a pair of cocktails, comprised of In Fair Jalisco (tequila, cognac, strega, lemon, orange and rosemary syrup, orange bitters) and The Diplomat and The Mule (rum, amaro montenegro, passionfruit puree, lime, simple syrup, ginger beer).

After dinner, we were off to the BCR Regimental Whiskey Tasting at the Beatty Street Drill Hall. This was the first time this event (one of my favourites each year) had been done since just before the pandemic, so it was great to be back in familiar territory. The bottles served, included Tobermory 17, Glengoyne 21, A Commune of Delights 8 (have to be a member of the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society to purchase bottles), Benriach 10, and Laphroaig 10 Batch 13. Mrs. Sip, joining me at the tasting for the first time, bought raffle tickets and won a bottle of Glenfiddich 18 small batch! To celebrate, we stayed out way past our bedtimes, finally returning home close to 2am.

Towards the end of the month, Mrs. Sip had work in Sechelt, so the whole Sip Family packed their bags for a few nights on the Sunshine Coast. After arriving, we had a late lunch at the Gumboot Restaurant. I had a Brisket Burger with Fries and a pint of Tapworks Storm Rider Hazy IPA, which was enough of a meal that I only snacked later in the evening.

business-travel

We also visited the Lighthouse Pub/Buccaneers, where I tried a pint of their Lighthouse Pilsner (brewed by Foamers’ Follies), along with the Ultimate Piledriver Burger with Fries. This place has a terrific view. We were hit with a surprise snowfall during our stay, so it was neat to see the area blanketed in the white stuff.

On our way back to the ferry, we enjoyed a beverage at Persephone Brewing in Gibsons. Mrs. Sip had the Peach Hef, while I went with the Sunbather Witbier. Both were good and the kids got to let off some steam in the brewery’s playroom, featuring games, puzzles and other activities. The Sipplings particularly liked trying Crocodile Dentist.

That’s it for a February that flew by. March is a month we’re been looking forward to for sometime, as our two-week Hawaiian cruise finally sets sail. Mrs. Sip just scored a sweet balcony upgrade for us, so you better believe there will be much fun to come!

Sip Trips #157: Puerto Vallarta Paradise

Posted on by
Reply

The Sip Family is back from our week-long all-inclusive vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We’re well-rested, slightly tanned and ready to hit the ground running at home. Before we can do that, though, it’s time to put a bow on this getaway. Here’s what we got up to in what I like to call “Yarta”:

We stayed at the Crown Paradise Club, which was a very nice resort, full of friendly and helpful staff, lots of stuff for kids to do and good food and drinks for the adults. We enjoyed each of the resort’s three restaurants, featuring French, Italian and Asian food, as well as the four bars scattered across the property. My go-to drinks included Cuba Libres, Palomas, servings of Dos Equis Ambar, and Johnnie Walker Red nightcaps.

drinks for everyone

In the middle of our trip, we ventured into town to visit the two craft breweries I had researched. Starting at Monzon Brewing, we enjoyed a flight of Peachy Gringo American Wheat with Peach, Verano Sin Fin Saison, Animo American Amber, Hermanita Session IPA, and A-Sacala Azacca Hopped IPA, paired with happy hour food specials Cheesy Garlic Bread and Chicken and Chorizo Tacos. Their happy hour goes from 3-5pm, setting patrons up perfectly for nearby Los Muertos Brewing, who run their 35-Peso per beer happy hour from 4-6pm. At Los Muertos, we ordered pints of the Anillo De Fuego Chili Ale for me, El Jefeweizen Summer Wheat for Mrs. Sip and Agave Maria Amber Ale to split. The place also had some intriguing food deals, such as 30-Peso slices of pizza.

The next day, we walked to the nearby Walmart to grab some pool toys for Baby Sip. There, I grabbed some unique canned products in Kraken & Cola and Jose Cuervo Paloma. The drinks were quite tasty and perfectly refreshing for walks in the hot sun.

Returning to town on our last day of vacation, we stopped for lunch at Señor Frog’s, trying to balance my desire for McDonald’s and Mrs. Sip’s want for something more local, with something familiar, but also not available at home for us. We both ordered one of their famous beverages, with Mrs. Sip opting for the Frog’s Buster (vodka, rum, gin, triple sec, cranberry juice, simple syrup, lime) and myself choosing the Big Watermelons (tequila, watermelon and strawberry liqueur, lime juice, guava, grenadine). For food, we shared the Queso Dip and some Pork Tacos, which were both delicious meals and very filling.

senor frogs queen

Right before leaving the resort, we wrapped things up with the time-tested tradition of tequila, salt and lime! We will definitely be back, as we found Puerto Vallarta to be a very clean, manageable and friendly destination. Cab rides were reasonable, the sights were beautiful and the temperatures were ideal.

Upon returning to cold, snowy Canada, we spent Family Day walking the Quayside Boardwalk in New West, eventually landing at Steel & Oak Brewing. There, we split three flights, comprised of each of the 12 beers they had on tap. My favourites from the collection were the Roselle Wheat Ale and Kataja Juniper Ale.

Next up, we’re hosting an Oscars viewing party, where I’ve selected and adapted some interesting cocktail recipes. We also have a few highly-anticipated Vancouver Canucks events to attend on the horizon, such as our SportsBar Live! viewing party and contest versus the hated Toronto Maple Leafs!