June started off a little slow, but built up as the month progressed, thanks in part to the FIFA World Cup arriving in Vancouver and on screens across the world. Here’s what the Sip Family got up to:

Our first outing saw us having lunch at Kelly O’Bryans for Mrs. Sip’s mom’s birthday. While I should venture to order other things off the extensive menu, their Chicken Lips N’ Fries are so god damn good, it’s hard to stray from a classic. To drink, I went with a pair of Whistler Grapefruit Ales, which were on happy hour pricing. I love Kelly O’Bryans so much, I drove over three hours home from Nicola Lake, B.C., to make the meal!

To watch Canada’s opening game of the World Cup, while also meeting up with visiting friends from Calgary, we landed at Quayside Tiki Bar for the first time. While I was a little disappointed that the eatery’s lunch menu and dinner menu are different and their website doesn’t make that clear, I thoroughly enjoyed my Chicken Burger, paired with servings of Steel & Oak Shiny Things Hazy IPA and Bridge Bourbon Blood Orange Wheat Ale. It will be interesting to see how the location develops, as it is still bridging the gap between being a tiki establishment and a sports bar.

With the World Cup in full swing and Mrs. Sip and I offered a date night by Ma and Pa Sip, we decided to travel to Downtown Vancouver to check out the footy vibes. I originally booked a reservation at another spot, but once we learned the Pourhouse Restaurant was running a 48 cocktails – one for each World Cup country – drink menu, we altered course and started our journey is Gastown. I went with the Japan entry of whiskey, houjicha liqueur, lemon and soda, while Mrs. Sip tried the Morocco offering of rum, mint tea and turbinado. Both drinks were good and as the World Cup progresses and countries are eliminated, their representative cocktail will disappear from the menu. I also had a $10 Smash Burger for happy hour, which was tasty and hit the spot.

We then went for a long walk through the downtown core, checking out various viewing areas, including drinks at the Junction Public Market, which is an open-air container zone we had no clue existed.

In need of a restroom, our final stop of the evening was at Victor at The Park (Parq Casino), where I had a delicious cocktail, the Club 43, comprised of rye, Licor 43, peach, thyme, lemon, honey, and vegan foamer. In particular, the peach and lemon made for a nice flavour combo.

Father’s Day didn’t feature any outings, but I was gifted tickets to Letterkenny Live next March, as well as some Dr. Pepper gear in the form of socks and pajama pants. Also, Mrs. Sip got my precious watch fixed, which had been in much need of repairs since late 2025.

One final note on Father’s Day, I thought Boston Pizza had a neat high tea promotion running at some locations, where beer would be served out of tea pots and a fair bit of food would comprise a nibbly tower all for $99. Hopefully, they run this again in future years and I can give it a try.

If you’ve been following along with the Sip Advisor’s adventures, you’ll know that I’m a fan of Verve and their various ready-to-drink products. Well, add another set to those I’ve tried, as I picked up the Verve Vodka Soda Sour Mix Pack, enticed by the interesting flavours (Passionfruit Pomegranate, Cucumber Lime, Plum Yuzu, White Grapefruit Watermelon) and 7% ABV content. My worry that the beverages may be too sour was quelled as the tartness is at just the right level.

We finished the month with a quick jaunt over to Victoria, as Mrs. Sip had work there. The only Sip Trips-related item that occurred on the island was trying cans of Phillips Solaris Citrus Wheat Ale, which is the kind of beer you can enjoy multiple servings of on a hot summer day and not get too messed up while doing so.

July promises to be a busy month, as the Sip Family travels to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and back over the first couple weeks of summer break. That should all make for a wild future Sip Trips!