Tag Archives: Food

Love & Hate – Glass Slipper

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[Over 2025, the Sip Family will use their Magic Key year passes to attend the Disneyland Resort frequently. Therefore, I think a lot of my content will be Disney based, while also presenting a Disney-themed cocktail recipe.]

To be clear, Disneyland is my happy place and when I’m there, I feel like I’m in my most comfortable tourist bubble. That said, the happiest place on earth isn’t perfect and it does have flaws. After countless trips to my mecca, here are the elements I love and hate about the resort, starting with those I appreciate:

Rides and Attractions

At the root of visiting these parks is experiencing the rides and attractions that are world famous. It’s always hard to select my favourite ride, as there are too many contenders. Sometimes, it’s a case of my favourite ride being whatever one I’m currently on! Among my preferred experiences are the Matterhorn, Space Mountain and Radiator Springs Racers.

Themed Lands

No company in the world does theming better than Disney. When you walk through Cars Land, for example, you feel as if you’ve stepped into Radiator Springs and the Cars movie universe. Even lands I’m not thrilled about, such as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, truly immerse you in the fictional universes you’ve come to love (or sometimes hate!).

Characters

While I’m no longer seeking autographs and pictures like I did as a kid, it can still be exciting to see various characters around the park. It’s fun to watch the Sipplings meet and interact with today’s breadth of costumed creatures, whether they be from Disney classics or newer properties, such as the superheroes of Marvel. Particularly entertaining are the likes of the Cruella DeVille, the Mad Hatter and Gaston.

Food and Treats

As I’ve often said, the resort has really upped its food and beverage game since I was younger. Prior to each trip now, I go through all the options available around the park and make a wish list of what I’d like to try or experience again. There’s so many options now that the Sipplings have enjoyed treat marathons, where we try as many goodies as we can over our stay.

Cast Members

Most of these folks work very hard to keep guests happy. It can’t be the easiest job, so kudos to those that go the extra mile to enhance the Disney experience.

Beers and Cocktails

I am still floored with how different Disney World and Disneyland are with ideas around booze. Disney World seems flush with drinking establishments, while at Disneyland only one of the two parks offer a variety of beverages, while the other only has beer, wine and cocktails at their sit-down dining options. Still, lineups are much more tolerable with a drink in hand and roaming the park with a beverage is now commonplace.

Family Time

Walt Disney created Disneyland to provide a place for people, particularly families, to enjoy together. Our trips to the resort with the Sipplings provide focused time with each other, minus the typical distractions you find at home. We get to experience the thrills, chills and spills of the park as a unit and build up core memories that we’ll all appreciate for the rest of our lives.

Getting Away From Life

When I’m at Disneyland, no matter how briefly, my outside world challenges melt away. Work concerns, bills that are due, etc., are all pushed to a space in my mind that is locked for the duration of our stay. Sure, those adult problems come back in a hurry, but it’s nice to silence them for a short period of time.

Being a Kid Again

Disneyland provides me the opportunity to feel like a kid again… but this time I have my own money to enjoy the parks as I see fit. You can be goofy and carefree and throw around cash like you’re Scrooge McDuck!

It feels almost sacrilegious to talk about the negatives of a place that has brought me so much joy over the years, but here we go:

Reservation System

Before you even get into the park nowadays, there are many annoyances. Tops among them, is the reservation system, which limits visitors to four reservations at a time. This means, if you plan to be in the area for longer than four days, you have to add more days as you go along. That can be stressful, as you never know if things will work out as you hope. Also annoying – and seemingly unfair – is the fact Disney World has removed their reservation system, while it remains at Disneyland.

Crowds

The resort is never not busy. Sure, some days and times of the day can be lighter, but there is always a mass of humanity strolling through the park gates. It’s certainly not a place to be if you hate larger gatherings. I can get uncomfortable in these situations, but for whatever reason, I’m able to largely put that aside for the sake of being at Disneyland.

Lineups

These crowds I speak of can create long lines, meaning you spend the bulk of your day snaking through extensive queues. Thankfully, Mrs. Sip and I know the park so well that we can tell whether a lineup is worth doing or if it’s better to head somewhere else.

Strollers

Nothing spills my drink more than when I’m trying to get to a certain place and I have a double-wide stroller slowing my progress. And don’t get me started on electric carts, especially those being operated by people who seem to have no malady whatsoever. Another thing to hate about the mass of strollers in the park is the designated stroller parking areas, which take up what used to be real estate that was dedicated to walking lanes, congesting the park even further.

Slow Walkers

In a similar vein to strollers, I hate slow walkers or walk-blockers as I’ve tried to coin as a phrase. I can let it pass for an elderly folk, but if the person is younger and seems fit, why the hell are you walking at a snail’s pace?

Genie Plus/Lightning Lane

I was a huge fan of the FastPass system the parks used to use. It was free to all and allowed you to get on a couple rides each day with minimal lines. Today, after you’ve already drained your life savings to visit the resort, the only way you can get some front of the line action, is to shell out another wad of cash and buy the Genie Plus passes, giving you access to Lightning Lane queues. If it was a modestly-priced add-on, I’d get it, but you have to pay another $30-$40 (per person!) on top of your exorbitant park passes.

Ride Breakdowns

I’m shocked with how many and how frequently rides seem to breakdown around the parks nowadays. I don’t remember things being like this in my younger days. I’m not sure if it’s because standards are higher now or, as Mrs. Sip theorizes, they don’t have the maintenance crew they once had, but you can often look at your park map on your phone and see multiple attractions closed at a time. It almost seems like the rides are on a rotating breakdown schedule with how frequently they occur these days.

Ride Refurbishments

It sucks when one of the rides you enjoy or were looking forward to going on is closed for refurbishments. If it leads to updates or something new with the ride, I’m all for that, but improvements/advancements don’t seem to happen as quickly as they should and rides coming off a refurbishment seem to breakdown just as frequently as others.

Walking and Sore Feet

At the end of each very long day, you’re bound to be physically and mentally exhausted. Sure, you feel a sense of accomplishment with your day and falling asleep – as well as sleeping soundly – is helped by all that you’ve endured, but when your alarm goes off the next morning, you kind of wish it wasn’t another day in the parks.

Expensive Items

Disneyland is not cheap. You know you’re signing up for a costly vacation when you book it, but some elements of the vacation are ridiculously overpriced now. Most beers will set you back $16. For Canadians like us, that’s like $20. I know what you’re saying: “Just don’t drink.” But come on, it’s a vacation. There will be time to worry about the bills later.

Lack of Express Lines

Aside from cost, one other complaint I have for the Disneyland drinking game is that there are no express lines for drink orders at certain food stalls. I was recently in a 30-plus minute lineup to get cocktails for Mrs. Sip and myself because they were only sold at a location that had a massive line for food orders. A streamlined process for those who only want to grab a quickly filled cocktail would be appreciated.

Security Lineups

In the before times, pre 9/11, there was no such thing as going through security to access the parks. Today, you can experience an immense lineup before even queuing for your first ride of the day. One fix I recently though of – though I’m sure I’m not the only one – was to have a couple lines for folks without bags or anything that needs to be checked more thoroughly. A couple express lanes would help, I believe. People with strollers should also have their own dedicated lanes, so they’re not holding everyone else up as Mr. Security has to go through every pocket of a diaper bag.

Expensive Hotels

There was a time when Mrs. Sip and I could get a hotel on South Harbor Boulevard, right outside the park, for $100 per night. And this wasn’t that long ago. Today, you’re looking at $300 per night easy and that’s if you can even get a room. We’ve tried some other areas because of this and are still working to find the perfect balance of location and price.

WAY Too Much Star Wars

I know some people love the Star Wars additions, even Mrs. Sip. This has made me more disappointed in her than I ever thought possible. I’ve never been much of a sci-fi fan and didn’t grow up watching the movies, so I always find it hard to get jazzed up to enter the Galaxy’s Edge area. If just that existed, I could make peace with things, but the fact there’s another large dose of Star Wars in Tomorrowland is just excessive.

Love & Hate: Glass Slipper

  • 2.25 oz Gin
  • 1 oz Blue Curacao
  • Garnish with Edible Glitter

For all that can be frustrating with the resort, I still treasure every moment I have within its walls. I hope to live to the day where I’m strolling the park in an electric cart, annoying the younger folk with slow speeds and dangerous maneuvers!

Sip Trips #244: Theme Park Therapy

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March was very busy, with half the month taken up by our road trip to Southern California, including visits to the Disneyland and Legoland resorts. There’s much to cover, so let’s get right to it:

Our first activity of March was a date night offered by the visiting Ma and Pa Sip. Mrs. Sip desired doing a local pub trivia, so we found ourselves at Hops for the occasion. We really enjoyed the trivia here, presented by Vancouver Trivia Party. It was challenging, but not to a ridiculous level. Over the course of the event, I enjoyed two pints of Granville Island Lions Winter Ale. One other trivia note, I would love to see a trivia that divides team scores by the number of players on the team. I feel Mrs. Sip and I would win a lot of the events we attend as a duo if that was the case.

As the middle of the month approached, we were on the road, SoCal bound. Along the way, we stopped in places like Springfield, Oregon and Sacramento, California, completing the journey to Anaheim in just three days. Along the way, I picked up drinking supplies such as Kirkland Dark Rum and Hard Seltzers (Black Cherry, Lime, Mango, Raspberry). Later in the vacation, we would restock our supplies with a case of Truly Unruly Hard Seltzer (Tropical Twist, Berry Blast, Citrus Crush, Strawberry Smash) and bottles of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and 1800 Pineapple Ultimate Margarita.

Finally at our first destination, we met up with Cousin Sip and her brood for a day visiting nearby Irvine. While the kids played in bouncy castles and rode the carousel at Great Park, the adults took advantage of the onsite beer garden. Next up was a trip to Left Coast Brewing, where I tried both the 949 Heff American-Style Hefeweizen and Bacon on Shift Bacon Porter. To eat, Mrs. Sip and I split the Slider Combo – Smoked Brisket and Tri Tip were our choices – while the Sipplings snacked on the Chicken Popper Plate, which was like a kid’s dream charcuterie platter, complete with popcorn chicken, fries and potato chips. Ah, who am I kidding, that’s my dream charcuterie platter!

Our time at Disneyland, which included eight days over two separate stints, was largely spent enjoying all the offerings of the California Food & Wine Festival. And by “all the offerings”, I really mean that. We tried almost every item available, using our Sip and Savor passes.

Food we tried, included (with my ranking in brackets): Mini LA Street Dog (5), Birria Mac & Cheese (4), Sirloin Gruyere Mac & Cheese (4.5), Smoked Hawaiian Pizza (4.25), Chicken Taquitos Ahogados (3.75), Loaded Carnitas Pretzel Bites (4.5), Musubi Fried Rice (5), AsaDOS (3.5), Shrimp Papas Locas (4.25), Salsa Verde Chicharron Tacos (4), Burrata Toast (4), Mickey Snickers Macaron (4.5), Café De Olla Tres Leches Cake (1.5), Lemon Pepper Wings (3.75), and Corn Chip Chili Pie with Impossible Beef (3.5).

Our favourites, by far, were the Mini LA Street Dog and Musubi Fried Rice, with both being enjoyed multiple times. The Café De Olla Tres Leches Cake was rated so low because despite looking great, Mrs. Sip and I aren’t fans of coffee, so didn’t fully appreciate this dessert. About the only item that was on my list that I didn’t get my hands on was the Thai-inspired Burrito. I noted to Mrs. Sip that our next Disneyland adventure will be interesting food wise, as with our last two treks featuring the Lunar New Year and Food & Wine Festivals, we haven’t really been able to focus on our traditional edible favourites.

We also drank our way through the park, enjoying beverages such as the Cantarito-style Paloma, Watermelon Cucumber Mojito, 4 Sons CocoNutorious Coconut Amber Ale, Latitude 33 Honey Hips Honey Ale, Endless Summer Cherry Cola Hard Seltzer, Seaborn Lavender Lemonade, Hamilton Family Tow Mango Double IPA, Stereo Perfect Day IPA, Cocktail Flight (Lychee Melon, California Wine, Strawberry and Cola), Pickle Whiskey Sour, Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Strawberry Horchata with Rum, Bottle Logic Paloma Hard Seltzer, Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Hazy Imperial IPA, Brewery X Baja Breeze, Tarantula Hazy Liquid Candy IPA, Topa Topa Chief Peak IPA, Karl Strauss Boat Shoes Hazy IPA, and Guava Lychee Cocktail.

Some notes here, I can’t believe how much beers cost in the park now. When Mrs. Sip and I first started drinking at Disneyland, you could fetch a brew for about $8. Now, the price has doubled, which is so much worse for our Canadian currency conversion. I’ve begun looking for the best ‘bang for your buck’ deals around the park, typically finding it with hard seltzers and cocktails that offer a higher alcohol content with surprisingly lower prices. For example, the Paloma Hard Seltzer is the best deal in the park, at 12% ABV for only $12. Similarly, the Brewery X Baja Breeze comes in at 10% ABV for $13.50. I should also mention how much I enjoyed the Cantarito-style Paloma and Pickle Whiskey Sour, both limited edition items as part of the Food & Wine Festival. The 4 Sons CocoNutorious Coconut Amber Ale was also very good, presented as part of the Festival’s Beer Garden.

Among our escapades in the park was sitting down at the Magic Key Terrace. We used to frequent this oasis among the chaos long before it was exclusive to annual pass holders, so it was interesting to return. Neither the food nor drink menu really impressed me, but I did try the one cocktail I had highlighted in my research for the trip, the Shipwreck (White Rum, Passion Fruit Liqueur, Orgeat, Coconut Milk, Lime Juice, Dark Rum Float, Aromatic Bitters), despite not enjoying coconut milk or cocktails that contain milky substances. While not a bad drink, I should have stuck to my preferences. Mrs. Sip ordered the Drop In… If You Dare (Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Maraschino Cherry Mix) and Nutmeg secret menu cocktail (Dark Rum, Frangelico, Irish Crème, Apricot Liqueur).

Outside the park, we had one lunch at Ballast Point in the Downtown Disney area of the resort. I had the Poke Bowl, which I had previously enjoyed last year. To drink, I went with the Aloha Sculpin IPA, which paired nicely with my meal.

In between our two stints at Disneyland, we spent a weekend at Legoland, including staying at the resort’s Castle Hotel. Over the course of our stay, we ate at the Knights Smokehouse Barbecue inside the park, which has some of the best Chicken Strips I’ve ever eaten. Mrs. Sip and I combined our food with servings of the Latitude 33 Blood Orange IPA and Stone Delicious Hazy IPA. We also had a meal at the restaurant in our hotel, the Dragon’s Den. I ordered the Castle Burger with House Salad (about some of the only greens I had over our two-week expedition), with a pint of Thorn Hopster Hop Hazy IPA.

On our voyage home, we had one dinner at Red Lobster. I had been craving the Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl for some time and of course ate it on this occasion. We had stumbled upon the restaurant’s happy hour when we sat down, so it was very easy to order a pint of Blue Moon with my main course. Our meal was completed with sharing the Brownie Overboard dessert.

That puts a bow on a wild and frenetic March. April has a lot to live up to, but maybe it’s a good thing to have a quieter month every once in a while. Other than Easter, which will have its fair share of extracurriculars, I can’t think of much else of note on the horizon.

Sip Trips #242: Disneyland Dreams

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We weren’t super busy in January, save for the final week, which was spent in the happiest place on earth, Disneyland! Here’s what the Sip Family got up to in the first month of 2025:

Although we continue to develop our new townhouse, it was time to welcome friends into the space with a housewarming party. For the occasion, I developed a cocktail, dubbed Home Sweet Home, to serve to guests. It was comprised of Southern Comfort, Spiced Rum, Pomegranate Juice, Lemonade, and Club Soda. I also had a number of different garnishes on hand, including using pomegranate seeds for the first time ever, which resulted in our kitchen looking like a crime scene, while my poorly-chosen white shirt offered blood splatter evidence.

The following weekend, Mrs. Sip and I were able to have a date night out to celebrate her birthday. We began our evening with dinner at Glowbal. I was disappointed when we first arrived at the restaurant, as it’s pretty rare nowadays that a place doesn’t have some kind of burger on the menu, an item I was craving. That said, what we did order was delicious. We had a feast of shared plates, including Albacore Tuna, Waygu Steak Tartare, Foie Gras Pate and Black Truffle Fries. To drink, I ordered glasses of Parallel 49 Filthy Dirty IPA and Glowbal Amber Lager. The service at Glowbal was top notch, including a dessert treat for Mrs. Sip on the house.

The next part of our date night was a Vancouver Canucks game, where we slipped away during the first intermission to The Sportsbar for some beverages. While hitting The Sportsbar can provide some difficulty in getting served by the busy bar staff, drinks are noticeably cheaper. I went with a Double Rum & Coke for the visit and cheered the home team on to a big win over the dastardly Edmonton Oilers.

We wrapped the month with our first voyage to Disneyland with the Magic Keys we purchased in early 2024. We had one year to activate these year passes and saved them for when the Lunar New Year Festival would be going on, as we were teased by the food and drink that would be available when we visited in January 2024, but returned home before that version of the festival began.

For the festival, Mrs. Sip and I each bought a Sip and Savor Pass, which allowed us to pick six different eligible menu options from around the California Adventure park, for $45 (thanks to a small discount for Magic Key holders). A few culinary items below fell outside of the Sip and Savor Pass, as well as any alcoholic drinks.

Food we tried included the Red Panda Bao, Mini Char Siu Pork Shanks, Quesabirra Eggroll, Fried Lemongrass Chicken Dumplings, Pho Dip, Fire Chicken Wings, Bulgogi Pizza Slice, Spicy Gochujang Chicken Taco, Shrimp Lo Mein, and Scallion Pancake Tostada. I’d say nothing disappointed and it was hard to pick favourites.

We also tried some of the desserts available, such as the Toasted Sesame and Red Bean Churro, Sweet Taro Bun and Chocolate Firecracker. I wasn’t super big into any of these items, but we got them mostly for the Sipplings, who love desserts. Lastly, cocktails we tried included the Strawberry-Lychee, Dragon Fruit (I really liked the Chinese five-spice syrup in this one) and Guava Lemongrass.

Even outside of the festival parameters, we ate and drank like kings and queens, princes and princesses… or witch, as Girl Sip preferred to be identified as. Over our six days at the resort, Mrs. Sip and I shared a number of beers and cocktails. The long list was comprised of the Hamilton Family Tow Mango Double IPA, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Ale, La Bodega Hazmatt Double Hazy IPA, Bottle Logic Fuzzy Logic Hazy Peach IPA, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Hazy Imperial IPA, Elysian Space Dust IPA, Breckenridge Christmas Ale, Karl Strauss Peanut Butter Cup Porter (a little too roasted for my tastes), SLO Brew Cali-Squesze Blood Orange Hefeweizen, Topa Topa Chief Peak IPA, Beer Mimosa (with Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing Wheat Ale), Karl Strauss Aurora Hoppyalis IPA, Karl Strauss Boat Shoes Hazy IPA, Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Bottle Logic Paloma Hard Seltzer, Brewery X Baja Breeze, Seaborn Spicy Cucumber Margarita, and Seaborn Lavender Lemonade. SO.MANY.DRINKS!

Some notable food items we enjoyed were the California Roll Sandwich, Cheeseburger Flatbread, Snack-Size Mardi Gras Monte Cristo and Quantum Pretzel. We also made a point to try a number of desserts throughout the resort, which the Sipplings were totally up for. These yummy treats included a Cinnamon Bun Pretzel, Mickey Mouse Cookie, Toffee Pretzel, Pineapple-Strawberry Dole Whip Swirl, Jack-Jack Cookie Num Num, and Raspberry Peanut Butter Bar.

Within and outside the parks, we had a couple notable meals. After one long day, we visited the Denny’s near our hotel, which the kids loved for the Birthday Cake Pancakes. I also greatly enjoyed my Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich. In future, we need to go on Tuesdays between 4-10pm, as kids eat for free with every adult entrée purchased.

Another quick meal was had at the Carthay Circle Lounge in California Adventure. I tried the Bootlegger’s Old World Hefeweizen, while Mrs. Sip and I shared the Baked Brie Cheese Palmiers and the Sipplings devoured the Mickey Hazelnut Crunch Ice Cream Pop.

We also made time to sit down in the Sip Advisor’s favourite outside-the-park restaurant, Tony Roma’s. Here, I shared the Chicken Tenderloin Platter with Boy Sip, while sipping on a large serving of Firestone Mind Haze Hazy IPA. Another hack we’ll have to capitalize on in the future, is kids eat for $2.99 on Mondays, with each adult entrée ordered.

Finally back home, we just need to avoid looking at our Visa bill for a while, as that currency conversion shock will no doubt cause some stress. February is dotted with some interesting events, such as a whiskey tasting and Girl Sip getting to play with her ringette team at the intermission of a Vancouver Giants game!

Sip Trips #241: Comfort and Joy

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December offered all the typical craziness of years past, with the added twist of still moving into our new place to add an extra level of insanity to the holiday season. As usual, we survived and thrived, getting up to a few shenanigans here and there. Here’s how the month played out:

My work Christmas lunch this year took place at Joey Shipyards. There, I had the very good Ahi Tuna Club. Although we were allowed to order adult beverages, providing we pay for them ourselves, a scan of the two tables showed no one else was willing to make this bold move, so I declined as well.

Office Christmas

Days later, we were off to Grand Mound, Washington, for a three-night stay at Great Wolf Lodge (GWL). En route, we stopped at Red Lobster in Olympia for a meal to celebrate Ma Sip’s birthday. I had my usual Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl and Blue Moon Belgian White combo, which just hits the spot. I wish there was a closer Red Lobster than two-plus hours away, so I could enjoy the meal more regularly.

Also before arriving at GWL, we stopped at Costco and Walmart to do some provision shopping. I decided to try the Kirkland Hard Seltzer (with flavours of lime, grapefruit, mango and black cherry) as you just couldn’t beat the price. It was $10 cheaper than the similar White Claw offering, although that pack has six different flavours. I also grabbed some Spiced Rum and Dr. Pepper (Costco offers a 30-can case – excess at its finest!).

We had one sit down meal at GWL, dining at Fireside. There, I tried the Chili-Lime Chicken Bowl, paired with a pint of Talking Cedar Juicy IPA. While I wouldn’t rank this Mexican-inspired bowl up with the Asian ones I typically enjoy, it was not a disappointment either.

Red Lobster

Later in the month, we attended Mrs. Sip’s office Christmas party at The Boathouse. My drinks over the course of the evening included the Herb’N Soda and Smoke & Bourbon. As for my meal picks, from the set menu, I went with a Caesar Salad, the Grilled Salmon and the Mocha Ice Cream Pie for dessert. Everything tasted great, but the salmon could have used some sort of glaze or sauce.

The next night, Mrs. Sip and I were out again, offered a date night by the visiting Ma and Pa Sip. I surprised Mrs. Sip with a visit to the PoMo Express, a festively decorated heritage train at the Port Moody Museum. The event was only being run on a few selected nights in December, complete with food a drink offerings. Our food selections included the Beef and Pork Polpette, Arancini and Albacore Tuna Crudo. For drinks, we tried a couple of their select cocktails, while I also ordered a Parkside Humans IPA.

Following our train experience, we decided to travel some of the nearby Brewer’s Row. Our first stop was at Moody Ales, where we shared a flight, consisting of their Gingerbread Ale, O Christmas Tree IPA, Holiday Party Punch Sour and Hazelnut Honey Brown Ale. While the Christmas-themed beers were good, it was a prime example of my issue with flight costs. We shelled out $14 for four five-ounce servings (totalling 20 ounces of suds), while for only $8.50, we could have had a 20-ounce pint of any of those beers. Colour me confused…

Christmas Party

Next, we dropped into Parkside Brewing, where I tried the Orange You Glad Orange Cream Ale, while Mrs. Sip went with the cask offering Hot Frosty Pale Ale. We completed our evening out at Twin Sails Brewing, sharing a pint of the Frozen Banana Double Dipped Chocolate Banana Stout.

Right before Christmas, we met with friends we hadn’t seen in a long while at Steel & Oak Brewing. After trying samples of both the Sunglow Hefeweizen and You Party? Blackcurrant and Cherry Pale Ale, I went with the hef, but also enjoyed the pale ale.

Christmas Day finally arrived and a gift of note I received from Mrs. Sip was the Mixology & Murder book, combining two of my greatest loves: drinking and true crime.

Christmas Drunk

Christmas dinner brought my annual Christmas cocktail menu to life, with this year’s theme being holiday music. The drink recipes included: Fairytale of New York (Jameson Orange Irish Whiskey, Apple Juice, Club Soda), Do They Know It’s Christmas (Amarula Gold, Pomegranate Juice, Lemon-Lime Soda), Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (Southern Comfort, Raspberry Iced Tea, Lemonade) and Little Drummer Boy (Bacardi Dragonberry Rum, Raspberry-Lemon Ginger Ale, Orange Bitters).

Following Christmas, I met with a group of guys for a night out. We began with beers at both Hops and Kelly O’Bryans, followed by a great dinner at El Santo. My meal consisted of Pastor and Barbacoa Tacos – after trading with a friend, so we could get a greater variety – along with drinks of the Magdalena cocktail (pisco, vanilla and mandarin syrup, lemon, egg whites, cinnamon) and Steel & Oak Festbier.

With New Year’s Eve plans falling through on the day of, we decided to have a quiet, relaxed night. It was a great way to wrap a wild 2024 and start thinking ahead to what will hopefully be a calmer 2025!

Sip Trips #240: Home Sweet Home

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November was a very eventful month, as the Sip Family moved from condo to townhouse and began the long process of settling into our new home. Mixed with the pain of such a progression was a few nights of pleasure here and there. Here’s what the Sip Advisor got up to on rare breaks:

Early in the month, Mrs. Sip and I were offered a date night by Ma and Pa Sip. Well, it was sort of a working date night, as we also capitalized on the child-free time by visiting a number of furniture stores, looking for new pieces to fill our palatial mansion (there’s so much more space to fill than we are accustomed to). The fun part of our date night – because who actually enjoys furniture shopping? – was spent enjoying happy hour at Milestones. While I went with the impressively discounted 1989 Burger and a serving of Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale, many other viable options were considered from the restaurant’s fantastic happy hour menu for both food and drinks. Seriously, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such an impressive amount of options on a happy hour menu before. This certainly wasn’t the typical offering of a couple lame appies and house beers and wines.

Beer Dinner

We spent much of the Remembrance Day long weekend moving stuff from our storage unit and condo into the townhouse. Our reward at the end of the weekend was the Sip Family attending a Vancouver Canucks game. Prior to the on-ice action, we had dinner at the Boston Pizza near Rogers Arena. There, I had the Chicken Strips in Sweet Thai Honey Garlic sauce, along with a Caesar Salad. The meal was quite good and I love when places offer sauces for their chicken dishes.

Two days later, I was back in Vancouver for another Canucks game, this time attending with a friend. After our first two choices to meet up at were too busy, we ended up at Original Joe’s. I’ve had a number of good visits here, but this trip had some issues. First, we waited 20 minutes to be seated, as there was no host and servers didn’t even acknowledge new customers that had walked in. After about 10 minutes, I felt like I waited long enough and was committed to staying, plus I’d lost out on spots at other eateries in the meantime. We were also warned food would take a while to come out, but we were just happy to be seated and had time before the game. I drank two OJ’s Red Ales and ate the Chicken Club Wrap with Fries and Coleslaw. I will say that the food was good and I love that burgers and handhelds come with two sides.

This past week, we had to pick up some orders from our U.S. mail service, so treated the Sipplings to a visit to PlayDate at Bellis Fair Mall. While the kiddos played and Mrs. Sip shopped, I enjoyed a pint of Ten Pin Snake Eye Stout, which was very good.

Soft Play

I ended the month with a weekend of contrasting events. First, the Sip Family attended the annual Disney on Ice travelling spectacle. The show was very entertaining and it was so much fun watching the kids react to the characters and action. Beforehand, we rushed through a dinner at White Spot, as we saw how bad traffic from New West to the Pacific Coliseum was shaping up to be. I ordered my usual Legendary Burger with Caesar Salad, which always hits the spot.

The next night was quite epic, as the Sip Advisor and some buddies attended WWE Survivor Series: War Games 2024. Our day began with meeting up at Devil’s Elbow for lunch. My Duck Bacon BLT was delicious, paired with pints of Steel & Oak Smoked Honey Doppelbock and Superflux Colour & Shape Hazy IPA.

At the show, which was amazing to be in attendance for, I had multiple drinks over the course of the afternoon, including a Spiced Rum and Coke, Coors Pineapple and Cherry Seltzers, Nude Lime Vodka Soda, and Simply Spiked Lemonade.

Disney on Ice

We must have enjoyed Devil’s Elbow so much earlier, because that’s where we ended up again following the show. On my second tour of duty, I tried the Faculty London Fog Ale, followed by the Backcountry Cherry Cola Sour.

That wraps an eventful month in the lives of the Sip Family. December looks to be restful and without much fanfare. Ah, who am I kidding, the Christmas season is packed to the brim with fun and fancy, including a getaway to Great Wolf Lodge!

Sip Trips #239: Wild Times

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October flew by and was busy as heck… but not so much from an outing perspective. Mrs. Sip and I got some more clarity on our attempts to upsize from a condo to a townhouse and that caused a flurry of unexpected action. Here’s what the crew got up to last month:

At the end of the Thanksgiving long weekend, the Sip Family visited the Great Canadian Brewhouse in Richmond. We were out that way, as Mrs. Sip was returning from her last minute flight to California to get some funding for our home purchase. At the restaurant, I had a tankard of Stanley Park The Captain Hazy IPA to go along with a very good Rocky Mountain Chicken Club. We also used their app for a free order of Golden Garlic Fingers. To complete the feast, we tried the Caramel Chocolate Dessert Poutine, which was decadent.

Canadian-Thanksgiving

The following week, Girl Sip got to pick where we ate following her ringette practice. She selected Boston Pizza, where I devoured the new Maple Bacon Burger, enjoying the flavours going on with the handheld. For dessert, Mrs. Sip and I split the Salted Caramel Panookie, which was a nice sweet treat.

Up next was riding the Stanley Park Halloween Train. Prior to our boarding time, we had dinner at Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub. To begin our meal, we shared the Warm Pretzel Bites, or at least tried to, as our pretzel-loving kids promptly gobbled up the dish. For my main, I had a delicious Shanghai Noodle Bowl, which paired quite well with my Parklandia Hazy IPA.

In the lead up to Halloween, we had to do an emergency drive across the border to pick up an ordered costume for Girl Sip. While in the States, we had a wonderful meal at Bob’s Burgers & Brew in Birch Bay. There, I combined a 24oz District Duke Hazy IPA with the Hot Honey Crispy Chicken Burger, a seasonal addition to the menu. Best of all, our server let me select a number of different sauces to go with my Jo Jos side dish. I may have also helped Mrs. Sip a bit with her Kulshan Amber Ale, among my favourite beers from that area.

Costumes

My final activity of the month was meeting up with a friend to attend a Vancouver Canucks game. The contest was a total blowout, not in our favour, making our time at Browns Socialhouse prior to the hockey the highlight of the evening. At Browns, I went with my usual Sesame Ginger Gyoza, washing it down with a pair of Social Lagers.

November will also be a wild month, as we gradually move into our new townhouse and begin the next chapter of our lives!

Sip Trips #238: Birthday Bashing

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September was busy, filled with birthdays and other activities – a fair portion of the month spent out and about, as open houses were run on our condo. Let’s see what the Sip Family got up to over the course of the month:

Our first outing took us to Locality Brewing in Langley. There, I had the Strawberry Milkshake Ale, which I’ve enjoyed before, but was a substitute when my original choice was no longer available on tap. Mrs. Sip and I also shared an order of the food truck’s Bison Poutine, as we did on our inaugural expedition to the brewery.

To celebrate the Sipplings return to school, we took them out to Red Robin for dinner. It had been some time since I’d visited the restaurant and I really enjoyed my Bacon Cheeseburger with Yukon Chips (a bottomless side dish, which I had to get another round of). To wash it all down, I went with the Stanley Park 1897 Amber Ale, another secondary choice when my first selection was tapped out.

back-to-school

Over the course of the month, I picked up a couple different vodka soda cases, including the Truly Hard Seltzer Berry Mix Pack (Black Cherry, Field Berry, Blueberry & Acai, Raspberry Lime) and White Claw Variety 30 Pack, which features five different flavours (Lemon, Lime, Blackberry, Tangerine, and Black Cherry).

Afforded some time to myself, I ended up at a Browns Socialhouse, electing to have their Tiki Tuna Poke Bowl, paired with a Social IPA. I’m not very good with free time on my own, so I ate at a decent pace, settled my tab and returned to my life of misery! 😊

The next weekend, Mrs. Sip and I were in Vancouver to watch the musical Come From Away. Prior to our show, we had another meal at Browns Socialhouse, where I had the Sesame Ginger Gyoza this time, along with another Social IPA. As for the fantastic performance, which is about the many travellers who ended up in Newfoundland, Canada, following the grounding of all planes on 9/11, I tried the Dillon’s Tangerine, Lemon and Mint Gin Cocktail.

Alone

For a guy’s night out, in recognition of my birthday, us lads had an epic dinner and drinks session at The Barley Merchant in Langley. Over the course of six hours spent at the eatery, I consumed the Beva Goombah Milkshake IPA, Barley Merchant x Slackwater Chinwag IPA, two Four Winds Monocle IPAs, a pair of Black Bear Spiced Honey Rum & Cokes, as well as three Pickleback shots.

The birthday festivities continued that weekend with a party for Girl Sip and a side serving of the Sip Advisor. At that gathering, a friend gifted me a one-liter bottle of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, which we worked our way completely through, mixing it mostly with our preferred Dr. Pepper, but also with the limited edition Coca-Cola: Oreo.

The next day, my actual birthday, we ventured out to Barnside Brewing for some family time. There, I had their Home Field Hazy IPA, while the Sip Family shared a couple Beer Baked Pretzels. We also visited Kelly O’Bryans for my free birthday dinner. This promotion allowed me to get an entrée, up to $30, on the house. I went with the O’Bryans Bowl, which is basically a tuna poke bowl, while also picking at Mrs. Sip’s Chicken Lips N’ Lattice Fries. I washed it all down with a pair of Whistler Grapefruit Ales and for dessert, we all shared the decadent King O’ Mud Pie.

Birthday Coupons

Other boozy birthday gifts I received for my birthday, included six 750ml crowlers (Krisp Dry Hopped Lager, Bright El Dorado Pale Ale, Idabro IPA, Heff Hefeweizen, Strawberry Heff Strawberry Hefeweizen, and Key Lime Pie Tart Ale w/ Lime and Vanilla) from Bright Eye Brewing, courtesy of Ma and Pa Sip, as well as a $50 gift card to BC Liquor Stores via Mrs. Sip and the Sipplings.

For Girl Sip’s actual birthday, the day after mine, we had dinner at Boston Pizza. Here, I went with a glass of Blue Moon, while trying their Appy Hour Burger with Caesar Salad. I really liked the burger and will likely order it again in the future. Mrs. Sip and I also used the free birthday dessert I received in the BP app to share the Chocolate Explosion.

For the Reconciliation Day long weekend, I travelled to Tobiano with the Sipplings in tow. This is the location of Ma and Pa Sip’s new abode, located 15 minutes outside of Kamloops. This new off-site headquarters will allow me to explore the Kamloops beer and bar scene over future visits. On this trip, we managed to check out Bright Eye Brewing for their Hoppy Hour. I tried the Smedium Tank Top Hazy IPA and Throwback Burger with Fries, which were both nicely discounted for happy hour.

New House

We also stopped at Iron Road Brewing, where I ordered the Red Bridge Pale Ale. One last local journey we made was to Privato Vineyard. While the kids enjoyed the chance to play and check out the place’s pumpkin patch, I was reminded of how much I HATE WINERIES.

That puts a bow on September. October has already filled up with activities, largely focused on Halloween celebrations. It’ll be interesting to see how we survive the ghoulish month!

Sip Trips #237: The NeverEnding Month

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August was a wild month that felt like a few months combined. Like, seriously, shouldn’t it be December already!? Anyway, here’s what we got up to in wrapping up our summer break:

The month began with the last portion of our European vacation, spent in one our of favourite metropolises, London. En route to the UK, we stopped in Brussels, Belgium, hitting up the Hard Rock Cafe there. As young travelers, Mrs. Sip and I popped into a number of Hard Rock locations throughout Europe, so this was a bit of a callback to that for us. At the Hard Rock in Grand-Place square, I ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with Fries, paired with a large serving of Grimbergen Blonde. We all enjoyed our meals, before touring the city and returning to the train station.

Hard Rock Cafe

Once in London, I bought a few cans of Red Leg Spiced Rum and Cola (infused with vanilla and ginger), which were good. Finding packs of beer or other ready-to-drink products proved difficult, as most items came in single servings and were not cheap. Bottles of liquor was also a non-starting point, as they were incredibly expensive, even before factoring in exchange rates.

On our first tourist day, we boarded the Peppa Pig Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. Mrs. Sip and I received free glasses of prosecco (as well as backpacks for the kids) when our original booking was cancelled and we were bumped to a later bus. Mrs. Sip had also pre-ordered a glass of bubbly, so when they brought hers, they offered me some too. Then, the server said they had to get rid of the rest of the bottle, so he poured it for us in a travel cup to take home. The experience could be described and the best kind of chaos. Between the food and drink, bumpy roads, trying to enjoy London landmarks passed on the tour, the Peppa Pig animated segments, and the host playing games with the kids, there was a lot of stimuli to take in. I must give extra kudos to the staff on these buses, who have to do their jobs while the vehicle is moving, including pouring hot beverages and flutes of prosecco.

The next day, after visiting Tower Bridge, we had a late lunch/early dinner at the nearby Pizza Express location. This chain came onto my radar upon learning that kids eat free with each adult order. I selected the BBQ Burnt Ends Pizza, which was delicious. To drink, I went with the tasty Rhubarb & Raspberry G&T because you have to have at least one G&T while in London.

G&T

As we returned to our accommodation, I picked up a Brewdog Hazy Jane four pack for Mrs. Sip and I to consume as the sipplings burned some energy at a playground. This was one of the few drink packs I found that was reasonably priced.

Our final major activity of the vacation was checking out the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter. We spent four hours at this place and probably missed some portions of the massive exhibit. I’m not a Potter die hard fan, but can appreciate what went into making the movies, as well as this studio experience. Sadly, no alcoholic beverages were enjoyed during the duration, but I did manage to get a sip of butter beer in between the rest of the family draining the drink.

On our long journey home, we ate dinner at The Firkin & Flyer at Halifax Airport. Mrs. Sip and I split the Lobster Roll with Kettle Chips, while I tried the Burnside Toller Gold Lager. I still don’t understand our flights home, as it took almost as long to fly to Halifax, as it sometimes does going direct from London to Vancouver. Then, we still had to fly across the country home. The expedition took twice the time it really should have.

Chips

After a few days off to allow our body clocks to reacclimatize to being home, we were at it again, taking the kids out for an afternoon along Brewer’s Row in Port Moody. We began our day with Twin Sails Brewing, where I enjoyed the Two Straws Creamsicle Milkshake IPA. That was followed by dropping into Rewind Brewing for a pint of their Knight Rider Black IPA. We also had a scrumptious order of their Garlic Cheese Stix (with ranch dip), having always wanted to try their Detroit-style pizzas.

The next weekend, after viewing a number of townhouses on the market, we sat down at Taqueria Playa Tropical in New West. I wasn’t feeling very hungry, having drank quite a bit the night before, as we said goodbye to Ma and Pa Sip’s home (where I grew up from the age of 10 and where 31 amazing years were spent) with one last big party. I was still thirsty, though, so tried the Jamaican Hibiscus Margarita.

Our home hunting set off a chain of events that saw us have an accepted offer on a place and then needing to move stuff out of two homes at once (Ma and Pa Sip’s, where we have always had a set-up, as well as our own to get it ready for sale). I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy! With our 12th wedding anniversary occurring during all the anarchy, we managed to step out to the Cineplex VIP Theatre to see Deadpool & Wolverine. While there, I had their Classic Burger, combined with a pint of Granville Island Kitsilano Juicy IPA.

Marriage

Aside from my liquor adventures last month, I also tried a few limited edition items in the food world. This included the Firecracker McCrispy and Big Arch at McDonald’s, along with the Dr. Pepper donut at Krispy Kreme. Both burgers tasted good, but the prices nowadays for fast food eats are outrageous. The donut was okay, but if you’re not a Dr. Pepper fan, it’s probably not for you.

Finally, I should note that this site in going on a bit of a hiatus, as the Sip Family traverses the process of potentially moving to a new abode. This has led to a large portion of my liquor collection being put into storage, making it difficult to make drinks for all you little sippers. I will still post my monthly Sip Trips, as well as (hopefully) the occasional article. We will be back at some point, stronger and drunker than ever!

Sip Trips #236: European Reunion

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July was a very busy month, featuring my first foray to Europe since 2019 and many of the other events that typically fill our summer calendar. Let’s get right to it and see what the Sip Family was up to:

The month began with the Sipplings going on a mini road trip with Ma and Pa Sip, leaving Mrs. Sip and I to take full advantage of some kid-free time. Our first outing started with hitting the Howe Sound Taphouse & Kitchen in New West for happy hour. There, I had a pint of the King Heffy Imperial Hefeweizen, followed by a Pickleback shot. Mrs. Sip ordered their Chips, Salsa & Queso offering, which was a good little snack.

Next, we walked the short distance to Georgie’s Local Kitchen & Bar for Trivia Mania. I ate the Cheeseburger + Fries from their daily specials menu, while we split a pitcher of Blue Moon. The trivia here was very difficult and not as much fun as other places we’ve played before. The questions seemed very niche and it was also hard to hear the host in our section of the place.

Kids Away

The next day, we attended a wedding in Chilliwack, grabbing a quick drink upon arrival at the ceremony. The reception was hosted at HubCo Brewing in Mission. There, I had a number of beers and cocktails as the evening progressed. These selections included the Burton Ale and Citra Pale Ale, as well as both cocktails on tap, the Gin & Grapefruit and Peach, Orange & Vodka. Top appies offered were the Pulled Pork Tacos and BBQ Chicken Flatbread.

On our last day of freedom, we met up with friends to try Gordon Ramsay Burger at the Great Canadian Casino Vancouver (actually in Coquitlam, but whatevs). I ordered the Stout Burger, which I was very happy to see had finally made the menu. I’d had the burger before at the Las Vegas BurGR, but when the restaurant first arrived up north, it wasn’t part of the opening menu. To drink, I had a pint of Four Winds Pale Ale. Among the differences I noted between the Vegas and “Vancouver” locations were that fries actually come with your burger, with upgrade options also available, the drinks were obviously cheaper than the Vegas strip offers and the food prices were the same, but being in Canadian currency helps.

With a number of hangouts and get togethers over the middle of the month, I picked up a few different vodka soda cases. First up was the Remix Vol. 2 Vodka Soda pack (Blood Orange/Tangerine, Blackberry/Mango, Grapefruit/Lime, Peach/Nectarine). This was followed by the Verve Vodka Soda 24 Variety Pack, with new flavours including Lemon-Yuzu Sour and Black Cherry, joining the core Wild Strawberry-Lemon, Peach-Blackberry, Watermelon-Raspberry and Grapefruit-Elderflower. I also bought a bottle of the limited edition Bombay Sapphire Sunset Gin, featuring flavours of golden turmeric, Indian white cardamon and Spanish mandarin.

Vodka Soda

Our long-awaited European vacation (my first time crossing the pond post-pandemic) finally commenced, with us landing in Cologne, Germany. Our train from Frankfurt to Cologne was incredibly delayed, cancelling out our chance to hit a brauhaus. We instead settled for a quick pizza meal to satisfy the kids and hitting a grocery store for ice cream bars and tall can German brews.

The next day, we hit the one attraction we hoped to in the city, the Lindt Schokoladen (Chocolate) Museum, where we enjoyed numerous pieces of chocolate. After a quick McDonald’s meal, we were back onto the trains for our travel to Belgium.

The bulk of our trip was spent at the Center Parcs location in Les Ardennes. Here, we would spend a week at what I can best describe as a mix between an all-inclusive resort and glamping. We had a “half board” package, which meant all our breakfasts and dinners were included. At dinner, there was a self-service beer tap, offering Jupiler Pilsner. I drank so many glasses of this beer over our stay it was practically coursing through my veins by the end. As for food, I thought most of what I ate across the trip was very good.

Camping

The resort also had a small market, where we purchased supplies for our cottgae. This included a series of Belgian beers: La Tharee Amber; Belgium Peak Blonde, Brune, IPA and Tripel; Leffe Tripel; and La Vieille Salme Blonde. During one of our walks through the nearby town, we also grabbed a bottle of La Myrtille d’Amelie Blueberry Beer. I must note, it has been a while since I drank beers out of a bottle, as the local industry has vastly moved towards tall cans. I also snagged bottles of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and Pepsi at the Spar grocery store close to our resort because daddy needed his medicine!

One of our days was spent offsite, journeying to the small town of Coo to check out their Wild Park. This was followed by visiting Aywaille, which has the Grottes de Remouchamps, the longest underground river in Europe.

As the calendar turned from July to August, we left Belgium for London, England, the last stop of our European expedition. That will be covered in the next Sip Trips, along with all the other adventures we get up to over the month.

Sip Trips #235: Birthday Bonanza

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June was fairly busy, as we welcomed warmer weather and celebrated a couple friend’s birthdays. Let’s see what the Sip Advisor and company got up to:

Our first outing of the month was attending a birthday at Legends Pub & Restaurant in Richmond. Over the course of the evening, the Sip Advisor indulged in a half dozen Phillips Glitterbomb Hazy Pale Ales. Each guy also took a turn buying a round of shots, with the selections including Tequila, Burt Reynolds, Kamikaze and Lemon Drop. As for food, I kind of forgot to eat anything, despite being curious about a few menu items during my pre-game research.

The following week presented my Father’s Day free day. Mrs. Sip and I have gifted these off days to each other for Mother’s and Father’s Day for a few years now. My day featured a Subway sandwich for lunch, sushi for dinner and chips, drinks and cookies in between and after meals.

Father's Day

Another week later, we were in Langley for another friend’s surprise 40th birthday. Mrs. Sip and I were part of the surprise set up, so while Mrs. Sip took the birthday girl out for afternoon tea, the Sip Advisor and the birthday girl’s husband did what we do best and hit up the Murrayville Town Pub for drinks and appies. While there, we split two styles of wings, the Cajun Dry Rub and Frank & Teri flavours, while I also knocked back a quartet of Steamworks Pale Ales. To complete the visit, we ordered a round of Pickleback shots.

As for the surprise birthday, we gathered at Chaberton Winery and their Bacchus Bistro for a feast. I was pleased to see beforehand that the place would offer Brookswood Brewing products and I ordered the Hazy Pale Ale and Cream Ale varieties. To eat, I went with the French Onion Soup as a starter, followed by a hearty Beef Bourguignon main.

The next day was Father’s Day. For drinking at the gathering hosted by Ma and Pa Sip, I picked up the Black Fly Cocktail Mixer Pack (Rum Mojito, Gin Greyhound, Long Island Iced Tea, Tequila Margarita). My favourite of this set is the Gin Greyhound. For Father’s Day gifts, I received a bottle of Crown Royal Blackberry Mure, complete with BC Liquor Stores gift card, as well as a collection of yummy snacks.

Father's Day Gift

Later that week, after taking the Sipplings to a splash park in the Queensborough Landing area, we dropped into Frankie G’s Pub, which was hosting IQ2000 Trivia. I tried the Cantonese Style Chicken + Shrimp Chow Mein, paired with a pint of Parallel 49 Trash Panda IPA. For dessert, we tried a plate of their Fried Oreos.

That weekend, as a Mother’s Day gift, I treated Ma Sip to a day out in Vancouver. We are both true crime fans, so I booked us spots on The Hidden History and Sweet Treats Tour (through Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours). Tickets were $69 for adults ($5 off for seniors), which I thought was a fair price. Our sweet treats included a Kouign Amann from Beaucoup Bakery, Macaron from Faubourg and Mermaid’s Choice Chocolate Bar from Mink: A Chocolate Café. The Kouign Amann, a croissant on steroids, was particularly spectacular. Our guide Rob was also amazing with his knowledge and presentation.

Following the tour, we sat down to lunch at Mahony & Sons. There, we shared appy orders of the Crispy Chicken Sliders (with extra slider added to even up the plate) and Parmesan Truffle Fries. My drink choice was the Strange Fellows Talisman Pale Ale. Next up was a happy hour beverage at Rogue Wet Bar, where I had the Steamworks John Oliver IPA.

Kouign Amann

The next day, we stopped for a meal at Brogan’s Diner in Langley. There, I had the Chicken Club, which I enjoyed. In a rare showing of restraint by the Sip Advisor, no drinks were ordered at this establishment.

To celebrate the end of Girl Sip’s school year, we had dinner at Boston Pizza. I combined the Fan Fave Diamond Ale (brewed by Carlsberg Canada for the restaurant’s 60th anniversary) with the Kick’n Memphis Chicken Sandwich, which made for a good combo.

Our last outing of the month was an inaugural visit to Locality Brewing in Langley. The kids loved playing at the farm-based brewery, while we enjoyed a trio of beers, including the Strawberry Milkshake Ale, Rhuberry Wheat Ale and Hazy Pale Ale. We also shared an order of Bison Poutine from the Stampede Burger food truck on site.

Barn Beer

Following the brewery, we decided to stay over at a friend’s place, which meant a stop at a nearby liquor store was in order to gather supplies. I picked up the Pyur Burst Mixer Pack, which I had never seen before. These drinks clock in at a whopping 7 per cent each, with flavours such as Lemonade, Pineapple, Blackberry and Strawberry-Rhubarb.

I also wanted to note that I’ve tried two of the four McDonald’s Shaker Fries flavours to be released recently. Shaker Fries was one my favourite promotions the company ever ran and brings back a great deal of nostalgia for me. I found the Masala to be disappointing, while the Ramen was wonderful. The Churro sold out before I was able to sample and I’m still hoping to give Tzatziki a go before it disappears. I’ve also tried two of the three Chicken McNuggets retro sauces the chain brought back recently. I really enjoyed the Szechuan and thought the Creamy Garlic Parmesan was also decent. Admittedly, I’m not interested in the Jalapeno Cheddar.

That puts a bow on an lively June. July is already packed full of activities, as we gear up for our European odyssey at the end of the month!