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.

Another week later, we were in Langley for another friend’s surprise 40^th 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.

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.

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 60^th 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.

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!