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Sip Trips #250: Disney Discoveries

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For this special 250th edition of Sip Trips, I’ll taking a look at the Sip Family’s expedition to the Disneyland Resort at the end of August. Here’s what we got up to over a fun, albeit expensive visit:

First of all, Mrs. Sip did a fantastic job researching our flight and hotel deals for this foray. Somehow, the more days she added to our trip, the cheaper our rate became. Therefore, we ended up spending eight nights at The Anaheim Hotel, which is among our favourite places to reside outside the resort.

Upon arriving and settling into our room, we were all in need of a bite to eat. So, we made the short journey to Tony Roma’s. There, I got my usual Chicken Tenderloin Platter, which comes with six delicious chicken tendies, accompanied by fries and coleslaw. My beverage of choice was the Offshoot Relax Hazy IPA. On our next trip, we will have to take advantage of the restaurant’s ‘kids eat for $2.99’ on Mondays deal.

Next up was procuring our supplies for the stay. I can’t believe how much better the pricing was for our items at Walgreens versus CVS. Among the provisions gathered over our vacation were the Truly Berry Mixed Pack (Blueberry, Wildberry, Cherry, Strawberry Lime) and Vizzy Vibrantly Tropic Mixed Pack (Pineapple Mango, Papaya Passionfruit, Strawberry Kiwi, Blueberry Pomegranate). I have to say I enjoyed the Truly case better than the Vizzy one. I was also able to finally try Dr. Pepper Blackberry, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I first saw the product on our Spring Break journey, but never got my hands on it.

On our first day in the parks, Mrs. Sip and I shared a selection of beers, including the Two Coast Hefeweizen, Unsung Carina Hazy Double IPA and Karl Strauss
Oktoberfest and Windandsea Wheat. The latter two were relished while splitting some excellent Quesabirria Tacos on the Sanfransokyo Wharf. In need of some dessert – as well as a treat for the Siplings – we grabbed a Choco Smash Bar from Pym’s Test Kitchen, while adding another brew, the Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing, to our tummies.

One of the reasons for the timing of this trip was to celebrate my and Mrs. Sip’s 13th wedding anniversary, with the day spent visiting some of the resort’s most decadent dining options. First, looking for a morning beverage, we got a walk-up spot at the Magic Key Terrace. There, Mrs. Sip ordered the Black Pearl (a Long Island Iced Tea spinoff, with Chambord added to the concoction and Sprite subbed in for Coke) off the park’s secret cocktail menu. I went with the Harland Hazy IPA, which was quite refreshing as the temperature began to rise.

Next up was lunch at the Blue Bayou. This visit evoked memories of the first time Mrs. Sip and I ate there in 2004, two years into our relationship. Back then, we were students on a budget and split an order of crab cakes as our meal. This time around, we feasted, Mrs. Sip enjoying a pair of glasses of wine, while I finally tried the Karl Strauss 70th Anniversary IPA. My meal was the delicious Monte Cristo Sandwich, among my favourite dishes at the resort, complete with truffle potato chips and a yummy roasted fruit salad. To complete the meal, we ordered the Doberge Cake (“layers of pumpkin spice sponge, chocolate whipped ganache and salted caramel buttercream”), which was scrumptious.

For dinner, we popped into the Lamplight Lounge, where Mrs. Sip got us a table so we could enjoy the early World of Color show. I enjoyed my Cobra Hiss cocktail (Mezcal, Cointreau, cucumber syrup, lemon juice, agave nectar), prior to joining Mrs. Sip on the bottle of Les Jamelles Chardonnay she ordered. Not super hungry after our earlier lunch banquet, we shared the Charbroiled Cheddar Burger, while the whole Sip Family got in on the Bananas Foster Donuts for dessert.

The next day, our drinks included the SLO Brew Cali-Squeeze (while munching on a family favourite Quantum Pretzel), as well as the Rincon Reservation Road Rez Dog Hefeweizen, Haunted Horchata Cocktail and 21st Amendment Citrus Wheat Ale. That night, we took advantage of Denny’s ‘kids eat free’ on Tuesdays deal, with the Sip Advisor having the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich.

While we hadn’t planned to visit Oga’s Cantina, trading off Boy Sip for rides Girl Sip refuses to do saw us end up at the Star Wars-themed hotspot. Best of all, we were both able to simply walk up and be taken inside within minutes. We even ended up next to each other at the bar, despite entering at different times. Our server on this occasion, Anthony, was tremendous. Had it not been for a two-drink maximum and the price of those drinks, I could have stayed in the place for hours. Over our break, I had the Gamorrean Ale (Red Ale) and Coruscant Cooler (a delicious Manhattan variation), while sampling Mrs. Sip’s Bad Motivator IPA and Jet Fuel cocktail (Bourbon, Chile Liqueur, Pomegranate Liqueur, White Grape Juice, Lemon Juice). I really love the Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur in that drink and have to get my hands on a bottle sometime, despite it not being available in Canada.

The next day, we executed my Drink Around California Adventure itinerary. Given we had largely drank beers in the park up to that point, I decided we should share a cocktail as we traversed each land of the park. Here’s how we spent the day boozing it up:

  • Grizzly Peak – Green Apple Lemonade Cocktail (vodka, green apple lemonade, cherry-flavored popping spheres, raspberry sauce drizzle)
  • Hollywood Land – Celebration Cocktail (tequila, rum, vodka, glittery blue raspberry lemonade, Sprite)
  • Avengers Campus – Molecular Mule (Seaborn Cucumber Ginger Mule)
  • Cars Land – Strawberry Paloma (tequila, strawberry syrup)
  • Terraces – Craftwell Peach Mojito
  • Sanfransokyo Wharf – Jamaica Tequila Cocktail (tequila, hibiscus tea, lime juice, agave syrup)
  • Pixar Pier – Spiced Sangria Seltzer
  • Buena Vista Street – Scotch Mist

Our route was completed at the Carthay Lounge, where I had what was noted as Walt Disney’s favourite drink. Even if that claim is bullshit, I had to do it, enjoying my serving of Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch on the rocks. We also orders the Carthay Sopes with duck, which were very good. One other excellent meal we had during our drink challenge was the Sanfransokyo Clam Chowder, which Mrs. Sip insisted on and I’m so glad she did!

Following the indulgent drink circuit, the only drink left on the board I wanted to try was the Blood Orange Paloma Seltzer. I tried to make good on that the next day, but a long line and pre-order wait time blocked me from trying the beverage.

We tried to visit Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel, but there was a three-hour wait to get a seat on the air conditioned inside. As a result, we travelled back into the Downtown Disney district and got a table very quickly at Ballast Point. Mrs. Sip and I ordered the Pumpkin Cream Ale from Mother Earth Brew Co. and Prince of Bavaria Festbier from Black Plague Brewing, respectively. To eat, I tried the Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich, which I loved, thanks to all the flavours, particularly the interesting black truffle coleslaw.

Back in the park, we had servings of the Karl Strauss Aurora Hoppyalis for me and Enegren Oktoberfest for Mrs. Sip. These bevvies made the very long line for Grizzly River Rapids much more tolerable, while also numbing us to the deluge of water we were about to experience.

The Disneyland Halloween Treats menu was released right before we arrived. While I feel it’s way too early for that season, I was definitely going to take advantage of some of the eats and drinks. In particular, we worked our way through a number of the seasonal churros, including: Halloween Town Mayor (smores-like), Celestial Chocolate (Dubai chocolate), Straw-batty (strawberry filled chocolate) and Fluffernutter (marshmallow and peanut butter). The Fluffernutter was the best of the bunch for me, restoring my faith in churros, which I’d come to find to generally be mid at best. We had most of these treats for breakfast because… you know, parents of the year and all!

We also tried the Pumpkin Cookies with cream cheese icing, which were good, but not worth the hour-long lineup to get them, as well as the Monster Funnel Cake, which was another fantastic way to start a day!

For our final meal of the trip, we went to a local Red Lobster, where I had my typical Sesame Soy Salmon Bowl and Blue Moon Wheat Ale. This was sandwiched between letting the kids do some Magic Quest time at the nearby Great Wolf Lodge.

That wraps our Disneyland expedition. September will be full of activity, including all the birthdays our family has throughout the month, along with a getaway for Mrs. Sip and I to Las Vegas to celebrate a friend’s 40th!

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 #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 #232: Escondido Escape

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The bulk of March was spent travelling to and staying in Escondido, California. Here’s what we got up to on our road trip to the Golden State, as well as the lead up to the Spring Break getaway:

Early in the month, following one of Girl Sip’s ringette games, the Sip Family had dinner at White Spot. I had the Legendary Burger with Caesar Salad, paired with the beverage version of a Caesar, which is typically a Sunday special in these parts.

A couple days later, my work treated us to lunch at Catch 122 in North Vancouver. I ordered the Bulgogi Steak N Egg, which was a fantastic dish. Unfortunately, given it was a work function, only water was consumed during the meal.

Work

That weekend, with our vehicle in for servicing, Mrs. Sip and I had lunch at Milestones in Langley. I tried the Steak Sandwich with Cajun Fries, combined with a pint of Blue Moon. I loved the flavours going on with the sandwich, but the steak was really chewy. The fries were also quite good.

That night, Mrs. Sip and I had a Canucks game to attend and discovered that you can get cheaper drinks in the SportsBar Live! portion of the arena and even ask for them to be put in to-go cups. We plan to utilize this more often in the future.

Next up, we hit the road for my first ever long distance driving trip (ie. multiple stops to get to our destination) behind the wheel. We left early in the morning and got a really good start, finally making our first stop of the journey in Salem, Oregon, at For Tomorrow We Die Brewing. There, I had the Hootenanny Herb & Spice Beer, while Mrs. Sip ordered the Kiss the Girl Amber Ale. To share, we had the BBQ Pork Sliders and Samosas, which made for a good feast.

Road Trip

Another hour of driving and we were at stay one of the trek in Springfield, Oregon. For dinner, we met up with Ma and Pa Sip – who were also driving to Escondido – at Hop Valley Brewing. Mrs. Sip and I shared again, going with the BLTA with Tater Tots as our side. The sandwich was absolutely loaded with bacon, which I appreciated. To drink, I enjoyed the Stash Panda IPA.

Our next stay was in Dickson, California, so we could visit the nearby Jelly Belly Tour and Museum the next morning. The experience was very good, especially for the Sipplings. My only complaint was I wish their café offered beers and other beverages, which would have been nice to enjoy as Pa Sip and I got the kids set up with lunch, while Mrs. Sip and Ma Sip did Wine and Chocolate Tasting offered.

Stay three was spent in Kettleman City, California. We had dinner at Wild Jack’s Tex Mex BBQ, which allowed the kids to run around and play as we ate, drank and all enjoyed time outside the vehicle. Our meal included the Brisket Sandwich, Beer Battered Cheese Curds and some other sides ordered by Ma and Pa Sip. My beverage of choice was a bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Driving

On our final day of driving, I made a point of visiting the Rainforest Café in Ontario, California, so the Sipplings could experience the restaurant. My Modelo Especiale came in a souvenir glass, which I didn’t really need, but there didn’t seem to be any glassware option. Mrs. Sip got the Mongoose Mai Tai, also in a souvenir glass. To eat, we split the Tuki’s Turkey Club.

Finally, we arrived in Escondido and it was time to kick back a little… after a thorough supply shopping excursion, of course. For drinks, I picked up the White Claw Variety 24 Pack, which I greatly enjoyed, given it had a fantastic variety of flavours (Watermelon, Blackberry, Black Cherry, Mango, Peach, Tangerine). I also snagged the Lagunitas VarietI-PAck (IPA, Hazy Wonder IPA, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Wheat IPA, Island Beats Tropical IPA) and a bottle of Trader Joe’s Rum of the God’s Amber.

The next day was Boy Sip’s fourth birthday, so we spent the occasion at Legoland. For lunch, we dropped into the Knights Smokehouse BBQ, where I had the Tarantula Hill Cali Day IPA. The Sip Family shared the delicious Smoked Haven Platter (Brisket, Pulled Pork, Ribs), along with sides of Fries, Potato Salad and Cornbread. We also got some Chicken Strips for the table, which were so good I went back for them on our next visit (the Sip Family bought year passes, given they had a buy three, get one free deal going on). Best of all, a side of Chicken Strips were only $5. The eatery’s Smoky BBQ Sauce was also tremendous.

Lego

After a few days off to enjoy the Welk Resort we were staying at, we visited the nearby Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum. There, as most of our group enjoyed some of the vineyard’s wares, I sat down to a can of Mother Earth Cali Creamin’ Vanilla Cream Ale, reminding me how good this beer is.

Looking to restock some of our supplies, Cousin Sip and I did some more shopping at a Vons grocery store. There, I picked up a 1.75-litre bottle of Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum (for only $20!!!), along with the Mother Earth Cali Combo Mixed 12-Pack (Peaches & Cream, Vanilla Cream Ale, Orange Creamsicle) and Ashland Hard Seltzer case (Raspberry Lemonade, Watermelon, Mango Strawberry, Tropical Cherry).

On the last day for some of our group, we travelled to Temecula to hit up some of the breweries there. Boy Sip and I played a number of games at Black Market Brewing, as I enjoyed an Enemy Within Dragonfruit IPA. We also stopped at 8-Bit Brewing, where I had The Oregon Pale Hazy Pale Ale. We had tried to go to Garage Brewing, but minors weren’t allowed because they don’t have a food menu. This was too bad, as we had a couple good trips to their previous location in 2018, when they offered a great pizza menu.

Drinks

One other brewery stop we made was to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, which is a massive facility. This was Boy Sip’s 100th brewery, so celebrations were in order as I loved my Wagyu Luxe Burger, paired with a Space Bar Friends Altbier. The bistro has an interesting online ordering system, which practically eliminates the need for a server.

A few days later, we returned to Temecula, this time to the Old Town area, so we could enjoy some Mexican fare. Mrs. Sip selected Landeros Mexican Grill + Cantina for our lunch, where I had the Tacos de Queso Birria and a pint of Pizza Port Chronic Ale.

Sadly, it was time to pack up and make the haul back home, starting on Easter Sunday. Along our way home, we had dinner at Pea Soup Andersen’s in Santa Nella, California (also our stopping point for the night), where I ate the “Rich Boy” Triple Decker Club with Potato Salad. This is another place I would have loved to enjoy an adult beverage, but that wasn’t an option in the dining area.

Returning Home

Our last stay was spent in Eugene, Oregon, where we went for a meal at Red Lobster so Mrs. Sip could partake in Lobsterfest. I really enjoyed what’s become my usual order at the chain, the Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl, along with a pint of Blue Moon.

That wraps a pretty epic March. April doesn’t have nearly the same content on the calendar, but I’m sure we’ll find a way to have fun, as we always do!

Sip Trips #227: Halloween Haze

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October was busy, with many Halloween events on the calendar. That said, there wasn’t a whole lot of going to places (compared to other months, at least) for drinks and meals. Let’s see what the Sip Family got up to in a mixed bag month:

For the (Canadian) Thanksgiving long weekend, we surprised the Sipplings with another voyage to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington. Our journey began with an overnight stay in nearby Olympia, where we once again had a nice dinner at Red Lobster. Enjoying the Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl so much last time, I ordered the entrée again, paired with a Blue Moon Wheat Ale.

Thanksgiving

For this trip, we only stayed at the Lodge for two nights (our first expedition was for four nights) and we’ve come to the conclusion that three nights is the perfect stay duration. Mrs. Sip purchased the Sip & Savor Pass again, which offered an appetizer at the Wood Fired Grill, $40 arcade game card, two tiki drinks at Grizzly Robs, a wine/beer package (we selected the ‘Kids Snoring, More Pinot Noir-ing’ truffles and Pinot Noir option), and two Mimosas or Bloody Marys at Loose Moose.

Upon arriving at the resort, we needed some lunch, so visited the Wood Fired Grill, using our free appy on the Jumbo Chicken Wings (Korean and Hickory BBQ flavours). While I enjoyed a Great Wolf LIT (Long Island Iced Tea), Mrs. Sip drank a Lodge Mojito. For dinner the following night, we tried The Cantina. I had a very filling Carnitas Burrito, washed down by a Sam Adams Summer Ale.

On our way home, we returned to Olympia to visit the Well 80 Brewhouse. I had very good L.A. Street Truck Style Drive-In Fries, while sharing the Mahalo Chicken Bites with Mrs. Sip. I later combined leftovers of the two for another good meal. To drink at the brewery, we had servings of the Muffin Man’s Thai Farm Saison and Volle Pulle! Hefeweizen.

Fries

The following weekend, I joined some friends for a guy’s night out, beginning with dinner at The Story Café in Richmond. The eatery had an odd $65 minimum per person policy, but it wasn’t hard to get to that amount, with drinks, appies, mains and dessert for some. My beers for the evening included the Strange Fellows Jongleur Wit, East Van Humble Hive Honey Brown and Hoyne Dark Matter (my dessert). To eat, I went with Garlic Escargot and a very tasty Great Canadian Burger.

After our feast, we walked over to the River Rock Casino, which was full of interesting clientele (folks getting kicked out as we arrived, another getting sick outside later in the night) and had a bizarre liquor serving rule, where you had to wait an hour for your next serving, after ordering a shot or double drink. The shots we ordered were necessary after one of the guys in our group put $20 into a slot machine on a whim and it turned into $1,200, following a 100 free games win. The drinks I did have while we were at the casino were a trio of their featured cocktails.

That wraps the month. I’m not sure yet if November will see a return to our normal level of activity or not. Already schedule is a guy’s weekend away and the Sip Family spending a week at a Mexican all-inclusive. There will also be a soft lean into Christmas, so I’m betting it’ll be busy!

September 6 – Wonderful Night

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Time of Your Life

“Mr. Sip Advisor, this is your life!”… that’s how the show detailing some of my greatest triumphs would start. Every day is amazing for me, but some reach a level of infamy that leave it permanently burned into my brain. Good thing, too, cause with all the alcohol… wait, what were we talking about? You may quickly notice a trend in that my relationship with Mrs. Sip factors into a lot of these tales, but that shouldn’t be a surprise to any of you little sippers. Here are a few of the greatest days of my life:

Wedding Day – August 25, 2012

Well, this one was an obvious choice. I’m not one to hog attention or anything like that, but on your wedding day, everyone is there for YOU. Thankfully, the bride gets more attention than the groom (which allows the groom to more easily sneak out and enjoy some beers in the parking lot with his groomsmen). Our wedding was amazing, complete with wonderful weather, touching speeches, amazing food, a wonderful candy buffet, a rocking live band (Vancouver’s Bobcats), and fantastic drinks to boot. You plan so diligently for one day and then it’s gone. Happily, everything went according to plan and I wouldn’t change a thing.

wedding-cost

Engagement – December 25, 2010

Backtracking a little, as we approached Christmas Day 2010, Mrs. Sip had no clue what was about to happen to her life. Perhaps if she did know, we wouldn’t have both got sick and spent Christmas Eve bundled up and passing out to Neo-Citron servings, all while watching the god-awful Babes in Toyland. It was our first Christmas living together and I wanted to make it especially memorable. I’d had the ring since September and was able to keep the whole thing a secret from everyone except my future father-in-law. Christmas Day finally arrived and I popped the question. Thankfully, Mrs. Sip didn’t hesitate in saying yes. That day, we were able to announce to both our families that we were now engaged… well, I had to do all that work, as Mrs. Sip completely lost her voice in all the excitement!

Christopher Titus Show – April 12, 2013

Taking a brief break from relationship milestones, we have this wonderful day in Sip history, which I have this site to thank for the entire experience, as I checked Titus’ tour schedule while researching an article and discovered he would be in Tacoma, WA at the Tacoma Comedy Club. Mrs. Sip, always up for a wild time, instantly said yes to going and we booked our tickets. Dinner at Red Lobster and my first BevMo visit were precursors to a fantastic night of comedy. Titus did over an hour of work, followed by a half-hour long encore, and even met with audience members afterwards. Following the show, still buzzing from what a great night it had been (and the great drinks that the Club makes), Mrs. Sip and I cracked a bottle of wine at 2:30 am. I was up until 4am thinking about everything good in life before finishing the last drops and finally getting some rest.

First Bungee Jump – December 2, 2008

Any day that starts with McDonald’s is a good one in my books, but all the things that followed made it truly amazing! After a lunch that included a treasure childhood treat in shaker fries, Mrs. Sip and I made our way to the Taupo Bungy location. I was a little nervous the entire walk there, but there was no way I was going to back out. I’d wanted to do this for years. After signing away my life, I was strapped into the jumping gear and led out onto a platform high above the water below. Looking down, I couldn’t believe I was about to leap into thin air and before I knew it, I was hurdling through the sky. All that excitement was followed by a trip to a hot spring with beers in hand, as we drank the night away!

Asking Mrs. Sip Out – March 22, 2002

Of course, anytime in Disneyland – the happiest place on earth, you know – is special, but the energy level is heightened even more when you’re pursuing a lovely girl, with the hopes of busting out of your shy shell and asking her out on a date. Cousin Sip was playing matchmaker and things were going well in the couple evenings we were able to all hang out together. I had long thought about the perfect way of completing my task, but I never figured things would come together as perfectly as they did.There we stood, in front of the famous Cinderella Castle, the nightly firework show illuminating the sky and I turned to her and popped the question. She said yes… how could she not at least give me a chance with this scenario playing out!? The asking was done. Now I just needed to win her heart.

Asking Out

First Date with Mrs. Sip – March 30, 2002

One week after asking the gorgeous and talented future Mrs. Sip out, we went on our first true date. We had had a couple really good phone conversations in the days leading up to our rendezvous and I think we were both hoping it would go as well as our non-face-to-face meetings. The night started with me picking Mrs. Sip up and heading to the local theatre where we watched Panic Room. Following that, it was time to satiate the ol’ sweet tooth (and I don’t mean on Mrs. Sip), so we were off to find dessert. We shared a hot fudge brownie and talked until they closed the restaurant. I knew things were going well when she agreed to come back to my place to continue talking. I finally dropped her off at home around 2am with plans to reconvene in a couple days… she was mine!

Drink #249: Wonderful Night

Wonderful Night Drink

  • 0.3 oz Peppermint Schnapps
  • 0.3 oz Gin
  • 0.3 oz Vodka
  • 0.3 oz Galliano
  • 0.3 oz Blue Curacao
  • Top with Apple-Lime Juice
  • Garnish with an Apple Pick and Lime Wheel

I think everyone should do an exercise like this to truly help you feel special. It’s been said so many times that it starts to lose meaning, but we really need to embrace each day we have and make the best of our lives. I like to think, thanks to the evidence above, that I’ve done exactly that!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (5 Sips out of 5):
Perhaps this cocktail benefits from low expectations, thus resulting in its high score, but it is delicious. Mrs. Sip didn’t agree with my assessment, but that’s why she’s only Mrs. Sip and not the Sip Advisor. The Peppermint Schnapps is actually really nice with all the other spirits playing their own role. Definitely give this one a whirl!