Tag Archives: Gifts

Love & Hate – Mistletoe Moments

Posted on by
Reply

I originally began working on a Love & Hate article for the winter season, but really, all people care about from this time of year is Christmas, so let’s cut to the chase, give people what they want and discuss the pros and cons of the holidays. Here are the reasons to revel in the term:

Getting Lit Up

Christmas lights still fascinate me, especially if it’s a really well done display. It has to be one of Boy Sip’s favourite elements of the season too. Light walks/drives have always been a treasured memory of my Christmases past.

Giving and Getting

The Sip Advisor likes getting gifts… but he LOVES giving treats. Sure, the pursuit of the perfect parcel can be challenging, but it’s all worth it in the end when you see the recipient’s face light up with joy.

Gift Giving

Friends and Family Discount

All the gatherings of Christmas, whether they be with family, friends or some hybrid, typically mean drinks are flowing and feasts of food are being served. The holidays can also provide opportunities to visit with folks you haven’t seen for some time, perhaps since last Christmas.

Family Fondness

Aside from scheduled gatherings, Christmas also provides an increased amount of time with Mrs. Sip and the Sipplings. Part of that is because of the break from school, along with all activities also being on pause. This offers the chance to do cookie kits, gingerbread houses, watch movies and TV, play games, and so much more.

Christmas Cheat

The winter is a perfect time to hibernate and enjoy all of the snacks the season provides. Ma Sip is a baking legend and keeps us all well-stocked with treats. I’m just thankful that the days of trying to preserve a decent body are long behind me.

Christmas Baking

Mistletoe Media

Nothing gets me in a festive mood more than watching Christmas movies and TV shows. I don’t care if I’ve seen the film or episode countless times, I’ll still enjoy it again. Introducing the Sipplings to many of my holiday favourites has always been fun, as well.

Yuletide Traditions

Christmas is the season that inspires the most family and friend traditions. The extended Sip Family has many of them, each bringing their own joys to the countdown to the big day.

As much as I love the Christmas season and agree it is the most wonderful time of the year, it does come with a few drawbacks. Here are the issues that plague the period:

Decorating

While I like seeing holiday displays, I abhor putting them together myself. For example, I went to set up Christmas lights for the first time in our new home. Problems began immediately, when I learned there was no electrical outlet on the balcony. Once I figured out a solution to that, I learned our lights from the previous year (after untangling them, of course) no longer worked. Then, I tried another set we have, but it was too small to stretch across the entire balcony rail, so more lights need to be purchased now…

Christmas Lights

Secret Santa

I hate these gift exchanges, where you almost always walk away with crap you never wanted or needed. I also dislike the whole concept of stealing presents and the chaos that causes. Mrs. Sip’s office Secret Santa can take hours to execute and I just want to wrap the meal and get back home. Bah humbug!

Busy Malls, Stores, Roads, etc.

We’ve all been there. You desperately need to make a run to pick up one last present or food item and the dread that washes over you when you realize how busy the roads and stores will be is intense. Regardless of panic, these trips have to be completed and hopefully you return with your sanity still in check.

Black Friday

First, there was Black Friday, one day of shopping deals prior to the Christmas rush. Now, there’s Black Friday weekends/weeks. Heck, the deals keep popping up earlier and earlier, it might as well be called Black Friday Month.

Black Friday

Starts in Summer

Similarly, Christmas seems to start earlier each year. It’s alarming when kids aren’t even back in the school from summer break, but ads for Christmas are already running.

Too Many Activities/Options

In most years, Mrs. Sip has had a tendency to overbook herself and the family. While it’s fun to take advantage of some of the holiday-themed events in your area, doing too much can cause irritation and exhaustion. Even on off years, when we’ve made an effort to do less, it still seems like there’s not enough hours in the day to get everything done.

Christmas Crap

While many Christmas songs are classics, some just spill my drink every time I hear them. Do They Know It’s Christmas has to be one of the most inane, insensitive tunes ever recorded, yet it gets constant air time during the holiday season. Even creator Bob Geldof called it one of the “worst songs in history”. And there are many others that ruin the season.

Christmas Music

Unexpected Gifts

I’ll never forget my first Christmas with Mrs. Sip. Many new people were added to my gift list and I was careful to get good presents for each, hoping to ingratiate myself with the folks who were closest with my love. For some reason, though, I wasn’t expecting something from Mrs. Sip’s grandma – given to me on Christmas Eve – and had to scramble on Christmas morning to find any store that was open, so I could have something prepared for her by Christmas dinner. Other times, you get something from a friend who you don’t typically exchange gifts with and are at a loss. This is why some folks keep a collection of generic gifts on hand, but I’m not sure that’s the best remedy.

$$$

The holidays can be incredibly expensive, from gifts to gatherings to events, you really do bleed money during the December sprint. You tell yourself that things will be lighter and tighter in January, but who are we kidding, things never really slow down.

Love & Hate: Mistletoe Moments

Mistletoe Moments

  • 1.5 oz Empress Gin
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Dash of Cranberry Sauce
  • Dash of Simple Syrup
  • Dash of Aromatic Bitters
  • Garnish with a Lemon Peel

What are elements you love and hate about Christmas and the season that surrounds it? I hope everyone out there has a safe and fun holiday season, full of time with all the things you love and not the things you hate!

Sip Trips #229: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Posted on by
Reply

The end of 2023 was as busy as the rest of the calendar, even with Mrs. Sip not booking us up as fervently as she usually does. Still, we got out to a bunch of places and met up with a number of our people. Here’s how we closed the year:

The month began with news that our Beer Box program was coming to an end after two years “due to challenges within the marketplace.” I’ve enjoyed the subscription service, as it saved me from going to the liquor store and provided a greater variety of beers. Some cons were breweries sending out non-unique offerings or duplicates and sometimes dealing with receiving/scheduling a delivery was frustrating. That said, I will miss this program.

Beer

As for activities, December opened with Mrs. Sip’s office Christmas party at Stefanos Restaurant. The Greek eatery offered guests appetizer platters, a main (I chose the Chicken Souvlaki) and dessert. For drinks, I had a Long Island Iced Tea, Caesar and Okanagan Springs Pale Ale. My only complaint with the meal was that much more tzatziki needed to be provided from the get go, as we kept having to ask for more.

The next night, the Sip Family attended an Abbotsford Canucks game, which featured their annual Teddy Bear Toss. Tickets through my work union were only $25 each and included a $15 concessions voucher per person. We used our combined $60 in vouchers to feast on chicken strips, fries, pizza, beer, ice cream, and gummy bears. To say the Sipplings were pleased would be an understatement. Girl Sip even won the union raffle prize of a stick signed by the entire team. Even after the game, the team offered hot chocolate and popcorn to fans.

After a Christmas train outing at Bear Creek Park, we had dinner at the Central City Boston Pizza. I ate the Grilled Chicken Clubhouse, paired with a Boston-sized Blue Moon. This was the first use of the Sippling’s newest Kid’s Meal cards, which offer five meals each for only $5.

Kids Meals

On a shopping excursion to the U.S., Mrs. Sip and I, along with Girl Sip, stopped for dinner at the Birch Bay Bob’s Burgers. I tried the Bacon Burger with Warm Potato Salad as my selected side. I also munched on Mrs. Sip’s Coleslaw and Girl Sip’s JoJos wedge fries. To wash it all down, I went with the Kulshan Bastard Kat IPA.

Next up, was our Vancouver Canucks Road Game Viewing Party, hosted by SportsBar Live at Rogers Arena. This is a perk of our ticket membership, offering members and their guests two appetizers and a meal and beverage each. We split the Honey Garlic Wings and 1/2 Nachos, while I selected the Cheeseburger for my main. To drink, I started with a pint of Super Flux Colour and Shape IPA, followed by a SportsBar Caesar. Of course, Canucks alumni and the team mascot, Fin, were on hand signing autographs and chatting with those in attendance. The event was capped with our family keeping up our good luck of late, as Girl Sip won a $25 gift card and Mrs. Sip took home a signed Thatcher Demko jersey.

Prior to watching a performance of Elf: The Musical at The Stanley Theatre, Mrs. Sip and I had dinner at the nearby Cactus Club. I ordered my typical Chicken Tenders with Fries and Ugly Wheat Ale. Mrs. Sip got a Mistletoe Mojito that had really neat popping cranberry pearls which we both enjoyed consuming.

Prizes

Just prior to Christmas, we met up with visiting friends at 3 Dogs Brewing in White Rock. Over the course of our evening out, I had servings of the Lava Dog Red Ale and Good Boy Hazy Pale Ale. I also helped Mrs. Sip a little with her Feliz Navidog Porter.

As for the big day, Christmas was very generous to me, as usual, both in gifts and time spent with family. Some notable booze-related items I received included a bottle of Don Papa Rum, along with a World Traveler Cocktail Gift Set, with pre-mixed bottles to make some of the globe’s most interesting cocktails, simply by adding alcohol.

For Christmas dinner, I produced my annual cocktail menu, featuring five original recipes: Miracle on 34th Street (Spiced Rum, Peach Schnapps, Grapefruit Soda), The Greatest Gift (Vodka, Mountain Dew: Fruitquake, Orange Bitters), Skipping Christmas (Mango Chamoy Tequila, Cran-Tropical Juice, Club Soda), The Polar Express (Chocolate Whiskey, Cream Soda, Chocolate Bitters), and A Christmas Memory (Gin, Lemonade, Lingonberry Juice).

Christmas

Our final outing of the year was to a Vancouver Canucks game. Prior to puck drop, we had a meal at the Earl’s Test Kitchen. I really enjoyed Mrs. Sip’s appetizer selection of the Yuzu Calimari, while my spread of the Pulled Chicken Clubhouse with Caesar Salad was quite tasty. The banquet was completed with a pint of Rhino Hazy Pale Ale.

I hope everyone else was able to enjoy the holiday season in whatever way you prefer to do so. 2024 promises to be another great year, with our January already being highlighted by Mrs. Sip’s 40th birthday and a family escape to Disneyland!

Sip Trips #217: Christmas Craziness

Posted on by
Reply

December was the jam-packed month I’ve come to expect, especially since having kids. Christmas events, Vancouver Canucks games and many meals kept us out and about. Let’s see what the Sip Family got up to, as we bid adieu to 2022:

Early in the month, Mrs. Sip and I had a Canucks game to attend, so prior to the contest, we had dinner at The Keg in Yaletown, where I took full advantaged of their happy hour, ordering the Keg Burger & Fries, along with a pair of Gin Basil Lemonade cocktails. The feast was very good, but we still had time to kill before puck drop, so we walked over to Elisa, where we split a trio of drinks, including the Charring the Cosmos (Gin, Grilled Pineapple Agave Syrup, Lime, Soda, Lem-Marrakech Bitters), Earl Grey Martini (Gin, Amaretto, Earl Grey, Lavender Syrup, Egg White) and Roxanne (Scotch, Malbec, Lemon, Red Dragon Chai Syrup). We hope to return to Elisa another time for the full meal experience.

A few days later, we took Girl Sip out for a movie night, eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory beforehand. I selected the Chicken Parmagiana with Caesar Salad, which was good. It had been a while since I’d eaten at Old Spaghetti Factory and it was fun to try it again with Girl Sip, who is a passionate pasta fanatic.

Pasta

Later that week, Mrs. Sip and I needed to pick up a package at our mailbox in the U.S., so while across the line, we had a quick bite to eat at Gateway Taphouse & Grill in Blaine, Washington. To drink, I went with the Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale, while Mrs. Sip drank a pint of Beach Cat Meowy Christmas Winter Ale. For food, I took advantage of their $10 Burger Night, which included a burger and seasoned fries, which were a wedge/curly fry hybrid that I really liked.

In the middle of the month, Mrs. Sip and I received our winter VCBW Beer Boxes. I have to give a shout out to the breweries that continue to provide unique beers to this project, particularly Old Yale and Russell, which provided two beers this time. The Wild Eye Dark N Stormy cocktail-inspired beer was neat too.

Prior to another Canucks game, this time with the Sipplings in tow, we ate at Boston Pizza. I had the Boston-Sized Burger, which was very filling, paired with a couple pints of Rickard’s Red. The place was packed on this night and this caused service to be a little chaotic, which was the only downfall of a fun evening out.

Baby Sitting

Perhaps the dating highlight of the month was when Mrs. Sip and I were able to visit the Tinseltown Bar, being run out of the Vancouver Alpen Club. Tickets were $19 each and included a welcome drink (Mulled Wine, Hot Cider or Hot Chocolate with liquor of your choice). I went with a Hot Chocolate with Spiced Rum, which I enjoyed. As we played a few games and listened to various Christmas tunes, we also ordered four of the seven cocktails offered by the pop-up bar. This included the Jingle All the Way (Gin, Lime Juice, Cranberry Juice, Simple Syrup, Egg Whites), White Christmas (White Rum, Lime Juice, Mint, Simple Syrup, Club Soda, Candy Cane garnish), Holly Jolly (Vodka, Elderflower, Orange Juice, Ginger Beer, Mint garnish) and Sugar Plum Fairy (Chambord, Gin, Soda, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Sugar Rim, Mint garnish). Each drink was $10-$12 and all we tried were tasty.

For Christmas, I received a couple beers, a BC Liquor Store gift card and edible cocktail glitters from Mrs. Sip. The Sip-in-Laws provided me a bottle of Hennessy Cognac and Ma and Pa Sip gave me the Monin Holiday Cheer Collection syrup collection (Macadamia Nut, Peppermint, Dark Chocolate, Gingerbread, Toasted Marshmallow), as far as liquor-related presents went.

For Christmas dinner, I presented another cocktail menu for the family. It was my last chance to serve the 38th Birthday recipes I had been working on for most of the year, after Mrs. Sip and Cousin Sip’s joint birthday in January was vetoed due to a Covid lockdown. The menu was comprised of the Hold On Loosely (Southern Comfort, Cola, Orange Soda); stRontiUM (Bacardi Dragonfruit Rum, Sprite Winter Cranberry Soda, Maraschino Cherry Syrup); The Parallel (Grapefruit Soju, Peach Schnapps, Lemon Juice); Place Your Bets (Tito’s Vodka, Watermelon-Lime Club Soda, Raspberries and Blackberries); and Top of the Table (Tanqueray Rangpur Gin, Tonic Water, Raspberry-Lemonade). Each drink was connected to the number 38, as Hold On Loosely is a song by the rock group 38 Special, stRontiUM has an atomic number of 38, the 38th parallel separates North and South Korea, Place Your Bets is a reference to the 38 slots on a roulette wheel, and Top of the Table is connected to the 38 matches played by each team in a Premier League season.

Cocktail Menu

Following our last Canucks game of 2022, Mrs. Sip and I had a late night meal at Devil’s Elbow Ale and Smokehouse. As we shared their Pulled Pork Plate (our two sides were the Mac N’ Cheese Cornbread and Tater Tots), I had servings of the Main Street Naked Fox IPA and Moon Under Water Puft Daddy Marshmallow White Stout, while Mrs. Sip tried the Faculty 241 Minzeweizen and Container Dark Arts Belgian Quadrupel. It was a very nice end to a busy Christmas week.

But we were ready to wrap the month just yet. After taking the Sipplings to Science World (or as Boy Sip calls it: Science Circle), we had a late lunch/early dinner at R&B Ale & Pizza House. Mrs. Sip and I both took advantage of their Pizza and Beer deal for $20. She had the Mushroom Bianca pizza with Auld Nick Winter Ale, while I went with a delicious BBQ Brisket and Pineapple pizza with Hipster Haze Hazy IPA. The Sipplings were quite content with their Pretzel, followed by a sundae at Earnest Ice Cream.

Ice Cream

For New Year’s Eve, I picked up a 1.14-litre bottle of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum and immediately put it to good use. Adding it all up, my New Year’s consumption included seven mixed drinks, five vodka sodas, two beers, a couple shots, and a partridge in a pear tree! Our group stayed up way too late and this was following a 40th birthday celebration the night before. Suffice to say, Mrs. Sip and I are still tired and trying to get back on a good sleep pattern.

2023 is already shaping up to be a busy year. I wish everyone out there reading this a Happy New Year and hope you’ll continue to follow along with the shenanigans of the Sip Family!

Sip Trips #204: December Dynamics

Posted on by
Reply

Well, the merriest month of the year has come and gone and as we settle into the melancholy that January can often bring, it’s time to look back on how the Sip Family enjoyed December. There’s a fair bit to cover, so let’s get right to it:

We began the month with a trip to ride the Stanley Park Christmas Train. En route, we dropped into Storm Brewing, as I had wanted to pick up their Christmas themed tall can four-pack, including one can each of Christmas Orange Ale, Eggnog Latte Stout, Turkey Dinner IPA and Xmas Tree Pilsner. While there, Mrs. Sip and I shared a series of samples, comprised of the brewery’s Pineapple Paradise Pilsner, Strawberry Shortcake Ale, Chocolate Strawberry Stout and Mrs. Claus Pilsner (brewed with winter spices). It was an enjoyable stop, highlighted by the most unique beers the local scene has to offer.

beer-christmas

Prior to our train ride, we had dinner at the Stanley Park Brewpub. There, I enjoyed a Red Rye Session IPA and Master Chicken Sandwich. We had great service for our large group and the food and drink were very good.

The next week, for a Christmas party with friends, I picked up the Red Racer Dozen Donuts Mix Pack, composed of three each of Honey Crueller Lager, Chocolate Dip Stout, Raspberry Jelly Sour and Boston Cream Ale. Among the set, my favourites were the Stout and Cream Ale.

Although we had a couple Canucks games scheduled for the month, only one contest ended up going ahead (thanks a bunch, COVID!). Prior to the match, we met with friends at the Hotel Georgia 1927 Lobby Lounge, where I had a liquid dinner of their Hotel Georgia cocktail (Botanist Gin, orgeat, lemon, orange blossom water, egg white and nutmeg dust). It was a very nice drink, but I found the lounge to generally be more expensive than I was planning for.

Expensive

At the game, I enjoyed servings of Hoyne Dark Matter, Parkside Dreamboat Hazy IPA and Stanley Park 1897 Amber Ale. This was the Canucks game where they were down 3-0 early, before storming back and scoring the winning goal with minutes left in the game, coming away with a 4-3 victory. If COVID keeps scuttling games for us, that memory will last a while.

A couple nights later, Mrs. Sip and I took the kids to the Surrey Holiday Lights display. The free event was very well done and offered some drink options for adults. While Mrs. Sip had a spiked hot chocolate and a glass of wine, I went with a can of the Stanley Park Shadow Play Dark Ale. Afterwards, we went for dinner at the nearby Boston Pizza, where I sipped a double Spiced Rum and Coke, along with the Sriracha Garlic Chicken Pizza. It was a good meal and even came with a free Toblerone bar, as it was part of the special seasonal menu.

Next up, was Mrs. Sip’s office Christmas party, hosted at El Santo. Among a very filling set menu dinner, I ordered a number of cocktails, including the El Antijito (pulparindo-infused Cazadores blanco, Aperol, green apple, lime, guava, house-made chamoy and tajin rim); Grito de Delores (estancia raicilla, Cointreau, Green Chartreuse, verdita); El Bosque Nuboso (Avua cachaca, Bacardi 8, Sombra mezcal, Campari, pineapple, lime, passionfruit, Narrative fortified); and the El Padrino (Charred corn husk infused mezcal, Sons of Vancouver amaretto, house mole bitters) for dessert. I also had sips of Mrs. Sip’s Tepache Spritz (house-made tepache, cava, pineapple, cinnamon, soda).

Chips

Unfortunately, our Canucks vs. Leafs game (the reason we select the quarter season package we do) was cancelled due to Omicron concerns. To take advantage of the break in our schedule, Mrs. Sip and I decided to tackle our Christmas shopping, decorating and wrapping. To console ourselves, we began the day of errands with lunch at Milestones. My 1989 Burger was very good and I loved that the server suggested I do half fries and half Caesar Salad, when I struggled to decide on my side dish. More places should offer this option. To drink, I had a pint of the Twin Sails Dat Juice Pale Ale.

After our shopping was done, we dropped into Steel & Oak Brewing, where we shared a flight including B-Jamz Cherry Apricot Pale Ale, Nightcap Cranberry Orange Belgian Ale, Baltic Porter and Phonograph Maple Smoked Porter. Mrs. Sip also grabbed bottles of their Woodland Dark Lager and Velvet Thunder Barrel-Aged Wild Ale, before we returned home for a night of drinks, snacks and Home Alone movies, while wrapping gifts and doing some decorating.

Our last event prior to Christmas was Lumagica in Cloverdale. The weather was really windy, but we enjoyed the light displays and walk. The kids absolutely loved the outing, which is really what the season is about. As we traversed the route, I enjoyed a 2 Pals Cuffing Season Winter Ale.

Lights

Our Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing Day were all fun, if not hectic, but that’s par for the course. Liquor-related gifts I received included bottles of Wayward Distilleries Krupnik Spiced Honey Liqueur and Raspberry Gin Liqueur, as well as Havana Club Cuban Smoky Rum. I also got a BC Liquor Stores gift card for future adventures and The Unofficial Disney Parks Drink Recipe book for inspiration for those adventures.

Some notable boozy gifts I had for Mrs. Sip, included some neat new beers: tall can four-packs of Granville Island Cheeky Monkey Chocolate and Vanilla Hefeweizen, Russell Cinnamon Bun Brown Ale and Twin Sails These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty Stout (Chocolate, Peanut, Pretzel, Marshmallow). Also, single tall cans of Granville Island Prometheus Belgian-Style Golden Strong and Seawall Saison. We spent some of Boxing Day trying a few of these offerings.

For Christmas dinner, hosted at Ma and Pa Sip’s abode, I finally got to serve the Christmas cocktail menu I created for last year’s festivities. My theme was cocktails from around the world, with names that translated to Merry Christmas, featuring ingredients from those places. This resulted in the Mele Kalikimaka (Toasted Coconut Rum, Macadamia Nut Liqueur, Mango-Pineapple Juice, Lime Juice), Feliz Navidad (Cinnamon Tequila, Kahlua Vanilla, Milk/Soda Water), Joyeux Noel (Grey Goose Le Melon Vodka, Elderflower Liqueur, Lemon-Lime Soda) and Buon Natale (Limoncello, Amaretto, Ginger Beer).

Gifts

Our last outing of December was to Patina Brewing. Mrs. Sip and I shared their Smoked Meat Bunwich (pulled pork in Memphis BBQ sauce) with fries and coleslaw, Pulled Pork Tacos and Southern Cornbread. Our beverages included an excellent Horchata Cream Ale (also bought a tall can four-pack) and Blueberry Wheat Ale. I loved seeing horchata used in a cream ale, as I typically only see it used in dark, heavier beers, such as stouts.

That’s a wrap for the month and the year. I hope to get my Best of 2021 out there soon. As for no mention of New Year’s on this article, it’s because the night was a dud, inspiring a future article on the best and worst holidays. Lots to look forward to as we begin 2022!

Sip Trips #181: Tidings of Joy

Posted on by
Reply

The last few weeks of December have been filled with a bunch of events, usually geared around Christmas and family time together. Here’s what we’ve been up to during the marathon holiday season:

Earlier this month, Mrs. Sip and I attended the Vancouver Canucks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs contest, which may be the closest I ever come to a playoff atmosphere live. I had also circled this game on the calendar, as the perfect opportunity to use my member gift card, of which I used nearly all of the $50 total on two tasty 24oz Postmark Juicy Pale Ales and a BLT from the Bacon food stand, which really hit the spot. Sadly, this is the first time we’ve attended this rivalry meeting where the Canucks lost, but the night was still fun.

TML

A couple nights later, we were out at Glow: Abbotsford, which had the same food menu as the Vancouver location, but a better selection of beers. I went with a Parallel 49 Filthy Dirty IPA to pair with my Buffalo Chicken Fries and half Philly Cheesesteak (split with Ma Sip). The fries were a little too spicy for my liking, but the meal overall was good. We finished off with a bucket of Mini Donuts to compliment everything. My Fried Chicken Burger, enjoyed when we revisited Glow: Vancouver later in the month was tremendous.

That weekend, while in the area to do the Vancouver Aquarium and Stanley Park Christmas Train, Mrs. Sip and I visited Stanley Park Brewing. My Fried Chicken and Waffles was perhaps the best serving I’ve ever had of this favoured dish. Meanwhile, my Big Jan IPA paired very well with the meal. Following the train, we enjoyed our annual family dinner at White Spot, where I enjoyed a few glasses of Granville Island Lions Winter Ale from a pitcher ordered for the table.

Christmas Day brought a number of liquor-themed gifts, including Cocktail Balls, Orgeat Syrup, a bomber of Steamworks Salted Chocolate Porter and mini bottle of Ole Smokey Moonshine Butter Pecan from Mrs. Sip. From the Sip-in-Laws, I also received a $50 gift card to Liquor Depot, which I can’t wait to use and look forward to a different selection than that of BC Liquor Stores, which I’ve become accustomed to.

TP.jpg

For our family’s Christmas dinner, I concocted a handful of cocktails to serve. These included the Jingle Juice (Gin, Club Soda, Cranberry-Lemonade Juice, Lemon Juice); Mele Kalikimaka (Captain Morgan Gingerbread Spiced Rum, Pineapple Juice, Lime Juice); Yule Mule (Candy Cane Vodka, Ginger Beer, Lime Juice); Snowflake (Tarantula Azul Tequila, Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry, Coconut Flakes); and Winter Comfort Shooter (Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack and Southern Comfort Gingerbread). Once again, the cocktails went over really well with the crew.

On Boxing Day, we met up with friends for a beer at the newly-opened Five Roads Brewing. I ordered the Christmas Staycation Red IPA (collab with Farm Country and Camp), to go along with a Margherita Pizza shared with Mrs. Sip. This was Baby Sip’s 80th brewery visited, a stat which I’m very proud of!

What a way to end the year and the decade, as well. Our New Year’s Eve will be spent with a quiet night in and we greatly look forward to what 2020 has to offer including a calendar that is quickly filling up and a baby boy on the way!