Tag Archives: Food Pairings

BC Beer Baron #359 – Driftwood Blackstone Porter

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Through winter, there’s nothing better than cuddling up in front of a roaring fire with Mrs. Sip and throwing on a classic Christmas movie. Add in a dark beer, such as this Driftwood Brewing selection and the picture is complete.

The Blackstone Porter is highlighted by flavours of cocoa, coffee and chocolate. The 6% ABV beverage may be on the heavy side, but the flavours are totally worth it. Hired Guns Creative once again knock the beer’s label out of the park.

driftwood-blackstone-porter

This seasonal release is available from fall, through to early spring, in bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores and private retailers. The brewery suggests that this is “A drinkable platform to explore dark malt!” I couldn’t’ agree more.

Driftwood has suggested a myriad of food pairings for the beer. These include oysters, smoked foods, barbecue, mushrooms, onions, rosemary, thyme, cheeses such as Stilton, Caerphilly or aged Cheddar, chocolate, or pecans.

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BC Beer Baron #352 – Dead Frog Winter Beeracle Winter Ale

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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. Already the best time of the year, the fact it’s Winter Ale season makes it that much better.

At this time of year, everyone is hoping for a miracle and that can be found in liquid form thanks to the folks at Dead Frog Brewing. Despite being a holiday tradition since 2012, this was the first time the Sip Advisor tried the product.

That’s okay, though, as the Winter Beeracle Winter Ale’s recipe changes each time it’s manufactured, creating a new drinking experience every year. The 2016 version features flavours of chocolate and orange to go along with stats of 7.5% ABV and 24 IBUs.

dead-frog-winter-beeracle-winter-ale

“A celebration of all the good things winter brings. Complex beers, warm fires, close family, and good friends.” Suggested food pairings include shortbread cookies, Nanaimo bars and turkey dinners with all the sides. Does it get much more festive than that!?

The seasonal single batch release is available in bomber-sized bottles from BC Liquor Stores and can be located annually, starting in November. Dead Frog even has a Museum of Labeology, where previous labels for the beer can be viewed.

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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 #183 – Dageraad Amber Ale

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I honestly can’t explain why it’s taken so long (we’re halfway through this 366-day BC craft beer project) to throw some coverage Dageraad Brewing’s way. I’ve liked most everything I’ve ever had from the company, but the opportunity in 2016 just hasn’t come up.

That was, until recently, when visiting friends and being offered some of the brewery’s Amber Ale. This beer is incredibly good, with notes of sweet malts to go along with a refreshing, crisp finish. The 6% ABV is an homage to and coming together of complex Belgian and drinkable British ales.

Dageraad Amber Ale

The unfiltered brew is available in bomber sized bottles. Suggested food pairings include Indian and Malaysian curries, braised meats, barbecue, and general pub dishes. The folks at Dageraad argue the Amber Ale is a perfect pairing beer, given its flavour, complexity and higher level of carbonation to cleanse the palate.

Dageraad remains one of the few Lower Mainland breweries that we have yet to visit in-person. We just don’t head out in that direction very often, but should make a point of dropping in. Mrs. Sip would love the place, as their line is heavily made up of Belgian-style releases.

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BC Beer Baron #177 – Dead Frog Tropic Vice Tropical Fruit Ale

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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. Fruit beers may have some traditionalists up in arms, but if they only them a chance, they would see how good the beverages can be. In putting together this feature week, I tried to incorporate as many different fruits as possible, so let’s see what BC has to offer in this realm.

While I picked up the Vancouver Island Pod Pack on my most recent jaunt to the liquor store, Dead Frog Brewing’s Mixer Pack was also in serious contention, highlighted by this new addition to their lineup.

The Tropic Vice Tropical Fruit Ale is infused with mango and passion fruit. With each sip, you get a burst of flavour from the spring seasonal. At only 5% ABV, the brew is light and refreshing and should be a hit at with drinkers of all creeds.

Dead Frog Tropic Vice Tropical Fruit Ale

The beer has been racking up accolades since its release, voted the People’s Choice Best Beer and Judge’s Choice Best Fruit Beer at the 2016 Okanagan Fest of Ale in Penticton, BC. As a result, Dead Frog is calling this brew ‘The Beer of Summer’. Along with its inclusion in the company’s Mixer Pack, it can also be found in bottled six packs.

The beverage is said to pair well with burgers, pizza, Cajun chicken, and nachos. That makes it the perfect accessory for summer barbecues, days spent lounging in the sun and even around the campfire at night.

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BC Beer Baron #175 – Stanley Park SunSetter Summer Ale

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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. Fruit beers may have some traditionalists up in arms, but if they only them a chance, they would see how good the beverages can be. In putting together this feature week, I tried to incorporate as many different fruits as possible, so let’s see what BC has to offer in this realm.

Mrs. Sip and I recently attended a talk and tasting opportunity, titled: From Barley to Beer, with Kwantlen Polytechnic University Brewing Program instructor Alek Egi. At that event, the Sip Advisor was able to reacquaint himself with an old friend from Stanley Park Brewing.

The SunSetter Summer Ale is an unfiltered wheat beer, which features a nice peach flavour that is not overwhelming. This results in a refreshing beverage that as the name should suggest, is ideal during the summer months. The seasonal release carries stats of 4.8% ABV and 16 IBUs and is available in a number of ways, including Stanley Park’s Summer Edition mixed 12-pack.

Stanley Park SunSetter Summer Ale

I first enjoyed this beer while on vacation last year in Penticton, BC. It was suggested to me by Cousin Sip, who’s a big fan of the product, picking up cases whenever she finds the summer seasonal during the long and lonely winter. Suggested pairings include Caprese salad, steamed clams and grilled pork tenderloin. The SunSetter won a gold medal at the 2015 World Beer Championships in the Flavored Wheat Beer category.

While chatting with the Stanley Park representative, we learned that plans are coming together for the brewery to finally open a tasting room. It was also revealed that Stanley Park will be releasing an India Brown Ale in the fall, which has my interest piqued, as I don’t believe I’ve ever tried that style of suds before.

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BC Beer Baron #142 – Moody Ales Smouldering Smoked Porter

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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. I used to be hesitant about drinking porters, believing them to mostly be coffee-based in the flavour department. Once I realized that was only half true, a whole new world was opened to me and that’s a world I want to share with others.

I’ve found Moody Ales selections to me a little hit and miss in regards to my tastes and preferences, but this product was an absolute home run and will have me changing my tune towards the brewery.

The Smouldering Smoked Porter is smokier than most “smoked” brews and that’s just the way I likes them! The beer’s 6.9% ABV seems just perfect for all the malty smokiness going on. Moody Ales asks: “Ever wanted to drink the char marks on a steak? Now you can!” They go on to write that the porter is perfect year round, whether enjoyed over summer barbecues or nestled near the fireplace in the winter.

Moody Ales Smouldering Smoked Porter

Suggested pairings include grilled meat and vegetables, red meat, rich stews, meat pies, and bacon. It sounds like this is a man’s man beverage, but I know a number of ladies who also appreciate the brew, even one newbie to the whole beer game.

Mrs. Sip and I have yet to visit Moody Ales at their home base in Port Moody, but with plans to do a bit of a brewery crawl in that neck of the woods, we will surely get there soon.

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BC Beer Baron #140 – Mt. Begbie Cold Smoke Smoked Porter

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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. I used to be hesitant about drinking porters, believing them to mostly be coffee-based in the flavour department. Once I realized that was only half true, a whole new world was opened to me and that’s a world I want to share with others.

This may be the first Mt. Begbie Brewing product I’ve ever tried. If that is the case, this is a wonderful introduction and I apologize for not trying any sooner.

The Cold Smoke Smoked Porter features Beechwood smoke to go along with the maltiness one would expect from this style of brew. At 6.5% ABV and 20 IBUs, you have yourself a strong, yet smooth drinking beverage.

Mt. Begbie Cold Smoke Smoked Porter

The beer is named after “dry powder snow hanging in the air”, otherwise known as ‘Cold Smoke’. Suggested food pairings for this seasonal release include roasted and barbecue foods, soft cheeses and dark chocolate. That sounds like quite the feast to the Sip Advisor!

If you’re asking where Mt. Begbie is located, I don’t really blame you. Up until working on this article, I was also in the dark on that subject. Mt. Begbie can be found in Revelstoke, BC, which is home to great winter sports and activities. Fun fact about the brewery: Brewmaster Bart Larson has a degree in nuclear physics, but “prefers to make beer not war”!

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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 #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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