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.

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.

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.

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!