Sip Trips #44: California Dreamin’ (Part 2)

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Part one of this week’s Sip Trips looked at our time aboard the Star Princess, travelling from Vancouver to Los Angeles. Part two sees us arrive at our final destination, Escondido, California, for a few days of R&R at the Lawrence Welk Resort.

Shortly after arriving in San Diego, we were off in search of some of the city’s craft beer to enjoy during our stay. I picked up Stone Brewing’s variety pack, which included their Cali-Belgique IPA, Pale Ale 2.0, Coffee Milk Stout, and Ruination Double IPA 2.0 (including the slogan “A liquid poem to the glory of the hop”). My favourite of the lot was the stout and the entire collection made for some good drinking, while relaxing and catching up on TV viewing.

Our Lawrence Welk Resort also had a couple of their own craft beers, brewed by Iron Fist. This included the Renegade Blonde and Stout. The beers were decent, but expensive, coming in at $10 and $14, respectively. That said, they did come in 750ml bottles, so we were open to experimenting.

The weather during our stay was a mix of warm, sunny days and chilly nights (it even rained one day), so we managed to get a little pool time in. While soaking up some sun at one of the resort’s pools, we ordered a couple drinks from the pool bar. Mrs. Sip got a Mai Tai, while I enjoyed a Cucumber-Jalapeno Margarita. The cool of the cucumbers provided a nice balance to the heat of the jalapenos and it was a good tanning beverage.

That same day, we toweled off and made our way to the Temecula Valley Wine Country, a beautiful region chock full of wineries. We randomly selected Bel Vino Winery to start our journey and were shocked by the very expensive tastings prices ($17 each for 6 one oz pours), which are not waived with bottle purchase. I’m not sure if other California wine regions operate similarly, but you have to understand that Mrs. Sip and I are accustomed to paying $5 for a tasting, which is typically waived with the purchase of a bottle.

Hell, for the $17 tasting, I could just buy a bottle and call it a day. Mrs. Sip and I found this business tactic to not be very conducive in encouraging guests to buy wine. After sharing our first tasting, I didn’t even bother participating at our next stop, Leoness Cellars, which was suggested by someone we talked to at Bel Vino, and also operated under a similar pricing structure, with tastings costing $18.

The wineries we visited and drove by we all packed with people – some very, very intoxicated – so perhaps doing a tour bus would be the better way of hitting the region and saving money with whatever package you pay for. Joining the winery’s respective clubs is also an option and includes perks that make the prices more tolerable. All in all, I was pretty disappointed with how the Wine Country operated and their business practices.

We travelled back to Temecula a couple days later to visit Garage Brewing, but sadly, they are closed on Mondays. I had looked them up after returning from our wine afternoon and they had some interesting brews on tap. It just wasn’t meant to be, but another time will hopefully provide more success.

While we were visiting, San Diego was enjoying their annual Craft Beer Week, but being located outside the city, we didn’t get to attend any of the festivities. We made up for it on our journey to the airport by stopping at a few locations, starting with Lost Abbey and Port Brewing. There, we tried some samples of their Red Barn Saison, Witch’s Wit, Serpent’s Stout, and Mongo IPA. I thought each beer was quite good, with the Saison perhaps edging out the others as my favourite, thanks to its ginger bite on the back end.

Our final stop was to Stone Brewing, which has a new beautiful facility, although signage is hard to find, save for the gargoyle mascot that represents the company on bottles and other products. We sat down and had some drinks and snacks in the brewery’s restaurant, testing out beers such as Xocoveza for the Holidays, Sawyer’s Triple, Smoked Porter, and Go to IPA w/ Lemon Peel and Vanilla Bean. The Xocoveza winter ale and IPA were my favourite of the bunch. As we were leaving, we splurged on a bottle of Locoveza (produced in wine and tequila barrels) to bring home. At close to $20 for the brew, we’re saving it for a special occasion.

The return to the real world is always harsh, but next week’s Sip Trips will be full of goodies (they always are!), as Vancouver’s Hopscotch Festival has been ongoing and Mrs. Sip and I have been busy attending a number of the event’s proceedings!

Sip Trips #43: California Dreamin’ (Part 1)

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

With many of our family and friends asking, “Do they ever work?”, Mrs. Sip and I were out of town again the past week and a half, enjoying a coastal cruise aboard the Star Princess, followed by a few days with her parents at a resort in Escondido, California. Here’s part one of all the fun we got up to:

One of the first things we do after boarding our ship is search out potential drinks deals and get a lay of the land. One of these deals came to us, as our steward dropped off two complimentary drink tickets upon meeting us. We used these later to grab a couple of their cocktails. While Mrs. Sip ordered an Ultimate Mai Tai – her favourite Princess beverage – I tried The Isaac, designed for Princess Cruises 50th anniversary, by the man who played the bartender on The Love Boat. The drink combined Bacardi Rum with lime and pomegranate juices and it was fun to have a drink made by the fictional liquor slinger.

Mrs. Sip and I are platinum members with the cruise line and therefore have access to their Elite Lounge from 5-7pm each day of the voyage. This includes feature drinks and appies. While there used to just be one drink on the menu priced at $5, they now feature a line of about a half dozen cocktails that are discounted. We worked our way through the list over our four-day cruise, which included the Chairman of the Board; Rob Roy; Mojito; Japanese Slipper; Brezza Marina; and Cosmopolitan. I like that they picked strong drinks for the lounge options.

Another trick of the trade was the ship’s new BOGO hours, which allowed passengers to buy one drink and get a second of the same for only one dollar more. We used this on a couple occasions, to get Mojitos and Beverly Hills Iced Teas.

As far as bringing alcohol on board the ship, passengers are allowed one bottle of wine each, but we always bring on a little more. To cover the entire gamut, we brought on one red, one white, and one bubbly. We also typically tuck a couple mini liquor bottles into our toiletry kits, which go perfectly with the complimentary lemonade you can get at the buffet. On this cruise, we combined the soft drink with Evan Williams Cherry Liqueur, Smirnoff Watermelon and Camarena Reposado Tequila, Absolut Raspberri and Camarena Reposado Tequila, and Pinnacle Peach Vodka and Cruzan Coconut Rum.

As previously mentioned, Princess Cruises is currently celebrating their 50th anniversary and had some specially designed drinks to ring in their golden anniversary year. Mrs. Sip and I splurged and tried a couple – at $12 per cocktail, we couldn’t enjoy them all – including the Anniversary Bliss (Bulleit Bourbon, Peach Schnapps, Frangelico, simple syrup, mint leaves) and 50 Years More (Don Julio, Blue Curacao, White Creme de Cacao, Galiano, lime juice). Both drinks we nicely crafted and blended some interesting ingredients.

Despite being on international waters, craft beer could still be found. We tried both the Seawitch Denali Red Alaska Style Red Ale and the Seawitch West Coast IPA, brewed exclusively for Princess Cruises by Denali Brewing and Strike Brewing, respectively. The Red Ale was the better of the two, as the IPA had a copper aftertaste, although that dissipated as you consumed more of the beer.

A new find for the Sip Advisor on this cruise was the Margarita Bar, which featured a number of great recipes. Mrs. Sip and I shared their Strawberry & Black Pepper (Cazadores Reposado, strawberry juice, black pepper) and Chocolate & Chili (Don Julio, White Creme de Cacao, fresh jalapeños) options. I loved the Chocolate & Chili, as the chocolate really balances out the jalapeños. There was also a Sweet & Smokey (Tequila, Scotch, Grand Marnier, orange juice) I was interested in, but did not get a chance to try.

On our final evening of cruising, we went to the Vines wine bar, where they were advertising a wine and chocolate pairing. Unfortunately, they only had one set of the chocolates left, so I let Mrs. Sip be the fortunate recipient (chivalry is far from dead, my little sippers!) of the truffles designed by chocolatier Norman Love. Her pairing combined one light, medium and heavy red with chocolates using cocoa from five different countries (Venezuela, Tanzania, Peru, Dominican Republic, Ghana). On the server’s recommendation, I did New World wine flight which included Wild Horse Pinot Noir (USA), Caliterra Carmenere (Chile), and McPherson Shiraz (Australia).

I suppose my only complaint from the cruise would be that near the end, they had run out of a number of supplies, such as the aforementioned chocolates to pair with the wines and some other chocolate ingredients that were meant to go with a menu of cocktail concoctions intended to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

Only half way through our little vacation, part two will look at our time spent in the San Diego County area, with a journey into the Temecula Valley Wine Country and time spent exploring the city’s craft beer community!

Sip Trips #42

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Nuttin’ Doin’

Mrs. Sip and I didn’t get up to too much adventure this last week, so this won’t be a long Sip Trips article. That said, we do have another vacation upcoming and there is certainly some mischief ahead. Let’s get on with things:

On Friday, I attended to retirement party of one of my coworkers at the new Tap & Barrel in North Vancouver. Here, I ordered the Steel & Oak Roggen Weizen, as well as the Hearthstone Hazelnut Porter. Both beers were good, with the Roggen Weizen being the better of the two. While I enjoyed the Porter, the hazelnut flavour wasn’t as strong as I would have liked. In fact, I couldn’t really taste it at all. The staff at the restaurant did a good job of taking care of our large group and paid me a terrific compliment as I settled my tab. The server remembered exactly what I had order because, as she put it, I ordered good beers!

For Halloween, we celebrated with friends at a house party. My pre-drinking included the Steel & Oak Barrel Aged Smoked Hefeweizen, which Mrs. Sip picked up for me a while back. The brew was definitely boozy and at 7% was a good base for the night ahead.

The next day, we visited Ma and Pa Sip to help eat their leftover Halloween candy… after all, what else are parents for!? While there, Ma Sip cracked open her bottle of Viniq Shimmery Liqueur (the purple one) and created a drink using lemon, pomegranate, and lemon-lime sodas. The concoction was quite good and now I have a better sense of where my natural cocktail mixing abilities come from!

Prior to attending Cirque du Soleil: Kooza, Mrs. Sip and I had dinner at the Hurricane Grill in Yaletown. The food here was delicious – we shared the chicken quesadilla and pulled pork poutine – and the service very good. I ordered the Blood Alley cocktail (vodka, scotch, and blood orange soda), which was good, but if I’d made it myself, I would have used more scotch to enhance the smoky flavour. Mrs. Sip had their feature drink, the Hurricane (three different rums mixed with strawberry and mango puree), which was a little disappointing in that it was not made clear the drink was frozen and given we’re moving into winter, an iced drink was not what Mrs. Sip was looking for.

To sum up, this is what a quiet week looks like for Mrs. Sip and me. Next week, there will be no Sip Trips, as we will be enjoying a cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles, followed by a weekend of relaxing in Escondido, California. Nearby, San Diego will be celebrating their annual Craft Beer Week (how fortuitous), so you can bet there will be some Canadian content on hand for the festivities!

Sip Trips #41

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Trail Tapping

Over the weekend, the Sip Family (Mrs., Ma, and Pa) spent the weekend across the line in Bellingham, Washington, exploring their Tap Trail, which features 16 different breweries and tap houses. Over that time, the Sip Advisor enjoyed trying about 40 different beers. Let’s see the results of another epic weekend!

Our adventure started at the Oxford Suites hotel bar, for their manager’s reception. The bar had four different local brews on tap, which I made my way through over our two-night stay. This included Aslan Bellingham Brown, Boundary Bay Scotch Ale, Kulshan Session IPA, and Chuckanut Kolsch. The Bellingham Brown was particularly good.

With a few drinks in us, Mrs. Sip wanted to go for a walk to Bellis Fair Mall, across the street. I figured: “What’s the worst that could happen?” Then I got stuck in a Kohl’s store for about half an hour as she debated buying some items, followed by going to Target (our original intended destination) and trying to track her down as she roamed the store. At Target, I did find two of my favourite San Francisco treats (Rice-A-Roni be damned!) in 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer and Francis Coppola Pinot Grigio.

The next morning, we were off on our Tap Trail explorations. We started at Kulshan, which has two different locations. After sharing two taster paddles, which included each of the brewery’s 13 available beers, it was very hard to narrow down our consensus favourites. Mrs. Sip liked their Horseman’s Head Pumpkin Ale and Kittens Mittens Winter Ale, while I leaned towards the Smoked Stout and Good Ol’ Boy Pale Ale. We did agree that the Trans Porter was quite good. One neat observance from Kulshan was that they didn’t have their own food available, but a food truck was outside that could bring eats into the brewery for those that ordered.

Next up, we headed over to Elizabeth Station, a beer store and tap house that was recommended to us by a friend. The store has a number of unique brews that you can purchase and even have opened by the staff to be served on site. I took advantage of this by purchasing a bomber of Justice Brewing Butterfinger Brown, which was brewed with Butterfinger candy pieces and was a fantastic beer. Mrs. Sip, on the other hand, tried a sample of Prairie Bomb from Tulsa, Oklahoma. At 14%, it packed a punch, but was also a very good drink.

We then made our way to Chuckanut where I was quick to order a serving of their Rauch. For those who are regularly readers, you know by now my affinity for smoky beers and cocktails. This brew did not disappoint. From there, our next stop was The Copper Hog, where we ordered samples of a couple interesting beers, including 21st Amendment Toaster Pastry Red Ale and Ninkasi R&D Mango IPA, as well as their Oktoberfest offering. The Toaster Pastry was the best among the bunch.

After that, it was a short jaunt to the Schweinhaus Biergarten, an outdoor beverage stop, which would be best enjoyed during the summer. Here, I tried a pint of Northwest Mango Hef because a German-style beer should be enjoyed at a German-themed location. The brew was decent, although Mrs. Sip’s actual selection from Germany was probably a better fit for the moment.

Another block walk landed us at Aslan, where we tried their Midnight Couloir, Pumpkin, Ginger Rye, and Cucumber Lager, all of which were good. This location was the busiest we experienced on the day, having to wait a short time for a spot, but that didn’t hinder our enjoyment.

Things were getting kind of fuzzy by the time we hit our last brewery of the day, Wander. This place was actually suggested to us by the border guard we chatted with as we crossed into the U.S. Here, we enjoyed their Wanderale Blond, Global Mutt Porter, Belling-Hammer Wee Heavy, Together Belgian Dubbel, Plum Sour, and Boysenberry Fruit Puncheon. To be honest, I don’t even remember what logic went into me ordering like this, but I put a star next to the Porter, so I must have liked it the best! Mrs. Sip wanted to try their Pumpkin, but they had unfortunately sold out of that variety.

On Day 2 of our Tap Trail, we were a little tapped out, but we did manage to go to Kulshan’s second location, as they have a few beers only available there. We tried a set, with the Mountain Beaver Brown being our favourite. This last stop allowed us to get our eighth stamp for our Tap Trail passport. Completing half the map and returning it to a Bellingham tourism office allowed us to receive a Tap Trail Mason jar and bottle opener.

In closing, I have to thank Ma and Pa Sip for this belated birthday gift. Pa Sip deserves extra thanks for being our designated driver and putting up with us over the course of the tour, while Ma and Mrs. Sip should be commended for being awesome drinking partners!

Sip Trips #40

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Coast Toasting

Mrs. Sip and I have finally returned to Vancouver from our epic travels to southern Africa and are getting settled back into the local drinking routine. I had to take some extra time this week, as we visited Legacy Liquor Store, to get acquainted with all the new releases that have hit the market while we were on vacation. A lot can change in a month, especially with the move from summer to fall, but it gives me some things to look forward to.

Speaking of things we were looking forward to, on Friday night, we attended the annual Toast to the Coast event at the Vancouver Aquarium. Mrs. Sip has wanted to go to this for a couple years, but previous engagements have always held us back from checking out the soiree, which sells out each season. A number of wineries, a couple breweries, and even reps from Russian Standard Vodka were on hand, as guests got to enjoy the various exhibits with a drink sample in their hand and an appetizer on their plate. My night began on the right note with a serving of Bomber Choqlette Porter, a delicious dark beer, with notes of chocolate and coffee. I also made sure to end my night with this brew.

The night was frustrating at times, as the event was scheduled to go until 1am, but most vendors packed up their wares at 10pm, which I think blindsided some guests, myself included. Also, a number of the eats around the venue were in short supply. To begin the night, the sushi table was a free-for-all, but later featured such a diminished stock that a volunteer was handing out one piece at a time on napkins. There was also the Rocky Mountain Flatbread table, which couldn’t keep up with the demand, as each time they brought out one tray, it was gone and those in line, who hadn’t received a slice, had to wait for the next dish to cook up.

I also had to battle through one of my greatest festival pet peeves, where people either get a drink or food and just stand there, neglecting to move out of the way and let the next person be served. This especially occurs at the wine stations, as folks want to try each of the bottles available, before moving on. That is particularly why the Sip Advisor prefers to stick to beer vendors.

The worst part of the evening was getting home after the function concluded. Shuttles from the Aquarium to Waterfront Station downtown were supposed to be offered, with the last one leaving at 12:45am. We stood around from about 12:25am to 1:00am and didn’t see a single shuttle, which left tired and boozed up guests having to resort to calling cabs and then fighting for their reservation when the vehicle arrived.

Much of the food was good, particularly the various desserts, such as Rose’s Shortbread and Chocolatas chocolates. The worst food offering of the evening definitely had to go to Earl’s Kitchen & Bar, which was handing out cups of sea urchin ice cream. The dessert was absolutely awful and a total disappointment from the popular chain.

Tickets were $125 and I asked Mrs. Sip the next day (once she had a chance to recover!) whether she thought the cost was justified. She thought it was, explaining that given all we ate and drank, it would add up to $125 or more on the local market. My argument in opposition was equating the night to an episode of The Simpsons, where Homer and Marge go to an all-you-can-eat buffet and are kicked out at the end of the night before Homer has enjoyed all-he-could-eat. Our group ended up having drinks and pizza when we finally got home (the best meal of the night), which I didn’t think would be necessary after an all-inclusive drink and food fest. Perhaps we’re just that gluttonous!

My final thoughts on Toast to the Coast are a little mixed. I had a good time, but certainly had some qualms with the event, as well. The true decider is whether I would go again in the future and the answer to that is yes… but perhaps not next year. Also, if ticket prices went up without much substance being added, I would be very hesitant. That said, it was a charity event, so I guess we did our civil duty.

Saturday night was spent celebrating a friend’s birthday, beginning with pre-dinner drinks. Here, I was able to try the 33 Acres of Darkness, another new beer that I really liked. I also had a serving of Dead Frog Super Fearless IPA, which was quite enjoyable. I topped off the pre-party with Steel & Oak’s Satsuma Lager, another fine release from the New West brewery.

Our meal was at Minami Yaletown, which is an upper scale Japanese restaurant. Mrs. Sip tackled their Taste of Yaletown menu, including sake pairing. Each of the sakes utilized different ingredients and matched up nicely with their respective dishes. I ordered the Kaisen Soba Peperoncino bowl, while trying the restaurant’s Asian-themed Caesar, complete with wasabi pickles garnish and lemon-pepper rim. It wasn’t the best Caesar I’ve ever had, but was a decent cocktail.

The week was pretty quiet otherwise, but this weekend, Mrs. Sip and I are off to Bellingham, Washington to see what trouble we can get into across the border, working our way through the city’s Tap Trail and other locations. This is a belated birthday gift (we were out of the country) from Ma and Pa Sip and there will certainly be much to write about, so look forward to that in next week’s Sip Trips!

Sip Trips #39: Ayoba Africa (Part 2)

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Part two of my and Mrs. Sip’s adventures in South Africa… for part one, go here.

South Africa

Our arrival in Cape Town, South Africa, provided another opportunity to immerse ourselves in both the craft beer and winery worlds, while taking in one of the most beautiful cities we’ve ever visited. We quickly grabbed a few bottles of brew to have with our lunch, including Boston Brewing Johnny Gold Weiss Beer and Van Hunks Pumpkin Ale, as well as Jack Black’s Brewing Skeleton Coast IPA. The two Boston Brewing selections were better, but we would come across Jack Black’s again later.

Our dinner that evening was at Mama Africa, which featured some absolutely amazing entertainment, with the band doing things with xylophones that I never imagined was possible. They would also break into extended drumming acts, which were completely mesmerizing. It was here that I took on another drinking challenge in the Flaming Ox Wagon (Olmeca Edicion Black Tequila with Galiano, Sambuca, and Stroh Rum, set on fire and doused with a Springbok shot). I also enjoyed a Robben Island Iced Tea (similar to a Long Island Iced Tea); Cape Brewing Co. Amber Weiss, as the African brewers seem to be doing things with Weiss and Wit beers that North America isn’t willing to experiment with; and Darling Brew Black Mist, advertised as “A blacker than black ale with an inviting creamy head”.

Over the next couple days, we tackled the cities Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour, which featured four different routes, including one that took riders to three wineries. Of course, Mrs. Sip and I were game, starting with Groot Constantia, the oldest winery in South Africa. There, we split a chocolate and wine pairing, as well as a regular set of vino, giving us access to each of the 10 wines they had available. The chocolate pairing was fantastic, prompting us to buy a bottle of Shiraz and its accompanying secret spices and vanilla chocolate bar.

We also stopped at Eagles Nest Winery on this diversion, where we enjoyed samples of Rose, Viognier, Merlot, and Shiraz in one of the most peaceful, quaintest settings I’ve seen a winery put together. It should also be noted that the pours received at wineries throughout Cape Town were very different from what we’re accustomed to at home, where a sliver of nectar is sometimes all that is available to taste.

A few days later, we were off on another wine tour, this time to the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek regions outside Cape Town. Our first stop was at Anura (formerly known as Frog Hill), where Mrs. Sip delighted in a wine and cheese pairing and even the anti-cheese Sip Advisor got into the act. After sampling their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, Pinotage, Malbec, and Syrah (the latter two being my favourites), we were leaving the estate when our guide pointed out they also brewed their own craft beer. Given we were lucky enough to be the only people on our tour, we asked if we could stop for a tasting there too and were treated to Wagon Trail Brewery’s Long Road Lager, Settlers Weiss, Wagon Trail Pale Ale, and Ox Blood Amber Ale (coming in at a whopping 14%).

Next up was Eikehof, which is a small family-owned winery set among another beautiful vineyard. While chatting with one of the owners, we sampled Rose, Sauvignon Blanc (my favourite among the whites), Chardonnay, Merlot (my pick for best red), Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon. With two wineries down, lunch was on the horizon and that meant a chance to change things up and avoid palate fatigue with some brews at Elephant and Barrel. Here, we tried two Jack Black’s beers, the Lager and Pale Ale.

Taking advantage of our “private” tour, our guide offered to take us to the Cheetah Outreach, where we were able to have close encounters with a meerkat named Sebastien and a cheetah named Joseph. The long day wrapped up with a visit to Marianne Winery, where a wine and biltong (beef jerky) pairing was on the menu. The pairings were as follows: Pinotage with Springbok, Cabernet Sauvignon (an amazing 2006 wine) with kudu, and Desirade with beef. Mrs. Sip also requested a sample of their Floreal, which had been selected by Gordon Ramsay for Queen Elizabeth’s celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 90^th birthday. I, personally, thought the Cab Sauv was better.

Our last full day in the city was left open, but quickly filled with some great booze experiences. We made our way over to Devil’s Peak Brewing in the afternoon, arriving just in time to order a taster pack, before they closed for a private event. The set included their Lager, Golden Ale, American Pale Ale, Blockhouse IPA, Black IPA, of which, I liked the ales and IPAs… not that there’s anything wrong with lagers!

Not to be deterred by the one brewpub closing, we ventured to the Beer House, where I constructed a set of tasters for Mrs. Sip and myself, comprised of Jack Black’s Lumberjack Amber Ale, Woodstock Hazy Daze Wit, Woodstock Californicator IPA, Cape Brewing Co. Mandarina Bavaria IPA, Red Sky Vampire Porter, and Apollo Stout. While each of the beers was pretty good (save for perhaps the stout), I absolutely loved the Lumberjack Ale, ordering a full serving, while Mrs. Sip tried their featured beer cocktail Give Bees a Chance (Apollo Blonde Ale with vodka, white rum, and honey).

For dinner, we had reservations at Aubergine, where we ordered their three-course meal with wine pairings, and gorged on the feast of fine foods and drinks. As if the day hadn’t been full enough, we wrapped things up with a bottle of wine at The Crypt, which featured jazz music and is located beneath the St. George’s Cathedral. This was a very unique setting to culminate our Cape Town foray… a place I can see us returning to sometime in the future!

London

Our incredible journey wrapped up with a long layover in London, so with friends in town, we decided to leave the airport and have a little fun in the city. Sadly, many of the spots Mrs. Sip and our friends wanted to take me weren’t open until we had to be back in the air and we spent a fair bit of time on the underground, searching for a good location. Over lunch and another stop for drinks, I was able to sample a few of the U.K.’s craft beer options, including Kernel Mosaic IPA, Greene King Black IPA (a cask beer), Brewdog Dead Pony, and Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA. The brews were good and the only issue was currency conversion, which is always a pain for us Canadians. The beers were more expensive in London than at home and that’s before doubling the price we will eventually have to pay when the Visa bill comes in.

Regardless of cost, I wouldn’t trade this vacation in for anything. A couple quick final thoughts: I’ve been to 42 countries now, around the world, but you could call me an ignorant traveler for not knowing what to expect from southern Africa. I knew there would be typical lagers, as every country has them except the dry nations (Egypt and Morocco, I’m looking at you!), but I never expected the craft beer gems that would greet me in this part of the planet. I also think that over the years, I’ve proven myself to be a well-rounded and experienced drinker. Somehow though, I had to go all the way to southern Africa to have my first Black Wit and Amber Weiss, among others. This, despite the booming craft beer industry in North America… I guess you can never judge a book by its cover!

Sip Trips #38: Ayoba Africa (Part 1)

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Mrs. Sip and I are finally back from our month-long journey to southern Africa and there is much to discuss before we get back into the swing of things at home. Today, we’ll look at the mischief we got into over the first three quarters of our trip, with a second edition coming tomorrow, looking at all we accomplished in Cape Town.

The fun all began with our layover at Heathrow Airport. Although it was 6:30am Vancouver time, we were feeling pretty well and I couldn’t pass up samples of Gentleman Jack Whiskey and Remy Martin Cognac. Heathrow is one of my favourite airports around the world and when the Duty Free is handing out Gimlets (with Plymouth Gin) and Martinis (with Belvedere Vodka), it’s easy to see why. We were feeling pretty loose before having to board our next plane and the drinks definitely helped usher in our vacation, as well as prepare us for the next phase of our travels.

Zambia

Two more flights and many hours later, we finally arrived in Livingstone, Zambia. After a few hours of sleep, the owner of our accommodation, the Tasha Lodge, offered to take us into town to get some dinner, followed by some dancing at a Zambian club. At both stops, we enjoyed Mosi beer, which is the national brew of the country and your typical lager that each country seems to have at least one of. Our meal at Café Zambezi afforded us the opportunity to eat crocodile and even caterpillar, while splitting a bottle of wine. As for the bugs, I was a fan… Mrs. Sip was not!

Botswana

After a day enjoying the Devil’s Pool and Victoria Falls from both the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides, we joined our tour group and made the ferry crossing to Botswana. There, it was more of the same lighter beers (St. Louis, Hansa, Windhoek), enjoyed aboard a boat cruise on the Chobe River, viewing some spectacular scenes of wildlife, including hippos, crocodiles, and elephants, as well as numerous birds. This was followed by a game drive the next day in Chobe National Park, where lions and buffalo were among the animals spotted.

Before leaving Botswana, we spent one night bush camping in the Okavango Delta. In preparation for the complete departure from civilization, I picked up a six pack of Carling Black Label (my favourite normal beer of the bunch, thanks to its 5.5% alcohol percentage), while Mrs. Sip grabbed a bottle of Fat Bastard Chardonnay; a perfect wine for the evening, given its cartoon rhino logo. We were also finally able to crack into the first craft beer I had been able to locate in the region, Camelthorn Weizen, a delicious African-brewed Bavarian-style wheat beer.

Prior to leaving Botswana, our tour stopped at a shopping centre, which featured a Tops liquor store and it was here that I unearthed a plethora of craft beer enjoyment to be consumed over the next few days. This included Darling Brew Bone Crusher Wit Bier, which was a decent beer, but had copper taste to it; Darling Brew Silver Back Black Wit, a favourite for the Sip Advisor and the first black wit I have ever experienced; Cape Brewing Co. Krystal Weizen; Copperlake Hefe Weiss, with the slogans “Strictly a vegetarian meal” and “If God wanted us to filter Weiss, He wouldn’t have given you a liver!”; and Wild Beast Brewery Blonde Ale.

Namibia

On the last night of the first portion of our tour, where some travellers would be leaving our crew and others joining, we had a celebratory feast, which provided my first opportunity to have a Springbok shot (mixing Amarula Cream and Peppermint Liqueur – the colours of the national rugby squad). This tasty little treat isn’t for everyone, but I found it went down very well, as did Mrs. Sip.

After departing Windhoek, our next stop was two nights camping in the Etosha National Park. The highlight of this stop wasn’t the dusty roads or hot temperatures, but was the watering hole a five-minute jaunt from our campsite. Mrs. Sip and I were quick to bring drinks and treats with us each time we visited, enjoying the nature that would come in and out of the area to join us for a beverage. We enjoyed beers during the afternoon, sunset with a bottle of wine (La Capra Sauvignon Blanc), and bubbly at night, as rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and even lions treated us to a marvellous and unique viewing experience.

From Etosha, we were off to the German-inspired town of Swakopmund, where I achieved a feat that had long been on my liquor bucket list: downing a two-liter boot of beer. The event took place at Brauhaus and was a perfect topper to our day activity of riding ATVs around the sand dunes. The next morning we enjoyed a boat cruise where we were joined onboard by seals, chased by pods of dolphins, and stalked by giant herons (one of which even “blessed” Mrs. Sip with some droppings).

Our stay in Namibia closed with some very cool experiences, such as climbing to the top of Dune 45 in the Namib Desert. Prior to ascending the sandy surface, I made sure to grab a beer to be enjoyed at the peak. It was a great reward, in spite of all the sand flying around the place, thanks to unusually strong winds.

With our tour coming to an end, we finally crossed the border into South Africa and geared up for a final hurrah as a group. Between craft breweries Mrs. Sip and I never expected to find and a wine industry we hoped would live up to expectations, there was much more still on the horizon. Make sure to come back tomorrow and join us on the journey.

Sip Trips #37: Home Stretch

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

You would think that with a big trip approaching for Mrs. Sip and myself that this week would be calm on the drinking front and more focused on last-minute errands and packing. But you don’t know Mrs. Sip and I. No, instead, we tried to balance both ideas, visiting with friends and family and celebrating a couple birthdays along the way.

The week began with a trip to Bin 941, which specializes in shared “tapatizers”. Cousin Sip had grabbed a Groupon for the meal, which included eight beers or two bottles of wine, with the selection of six different appetizers. We decided to go the beer route and I picked one round of Mad & Noisy IPA, followed by Granville Island ISA. I’d never heard of Mad & Noisy before, but apparently they are an offshoot of the Molson Brewery. Among our appies were their mountain of truffle fries, crab cakes, fried octopus, lamb skewers, and bread and dips. Some of the dishes were smaller than I would have hoped for, especially with sharing amongst a group of four, but everything tasted pretty damn good.

The next night, we were back at the Central City Brewpub on Beatty Street (wow, we’ve been there a lot lately). This time, it was to celebrate Sis-in-Law Sip’s birthday with the restaurant’s monthly feature Bacon Tasting Menu. This was comprised of a salad (with beer bacon lardon), main (double smoked deep fried bacon steak), and finished with dessert (maple bacon blondie). Each dish was paired with one of the brewery’s beers, while there was a choice for the salad between a Wheat Ale or Bacon Seraph Caesar. Mrs. Sip and I went with the Caesar, which was good, but should have gone with the beer. The main was combined with an IPA and dessert was joined by a Red Ale.

The Sip Advisor’s birthday is later this month, but we will be away for it and therefore, Mrs. Sip threw yours truly a little birthday bash with friends over the weekend. For this, we attended the BC Derby at Hastings Racecourse. The afternoon was highlighted by many beers (Parallel 49 Gypsy Tears and Granville Island Hefeweizen) gifted to me by friends, incredibly tight and exciting races, and some decent food cart snacks. Mrs. Sip and I broke even with our wagers and wins, although she did better than I did. My two big wins netted 40 and 90 cents, respectively!

For dinner, we went to Steamworks Brewpub in Gastown, where I ordered a flight consisting of Kanadische Kolsch, Sisu Salmiakki Gose, Smokey Scotch Ale, and Oatmeal Stout. Of the bunch, the Smokey Scotch Ale was my favourite. I also ordered a pint of the Empress IPA, following dinner. The restaurant does something with the IPA that I have never seen before, combining it with Bellini mix. Usually I see this done (if at all) with a lager or lighter brew. I tasted Cousin Sip’s serving of the drink and the two opposites work together, with tastes of bitter and sweet battling it out.

With Mrs. Sip and I heading to South Africa for the next month, Sip Trips will go on a brief hiatus, but we’ll be back with a vengeance upon our return. Keep sipping, my friends!

Sip Trips #36: Labour Day Lunacy

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

The last long weekend of summer was a busy one, beginning Thursday night, as Mrs. Sip and I took an extra day off work. To celebrate Pa Sip’s birthday, we congregated at The Keg in Yaletown, enjoying a bottle of Danzante Pinot Grigio, followed by the Whistler Lost Lake Unfiltered IPA, for yours truly. The beer was quite good and I appreciated the bomber-sized serving, as it lasted throughout my meal. For years, I’ve advocated for the restaurant’s Prime Rib Burger, but they have now changed that item on their menu. While I still enjoyed the burger, it is now comprised of ground chuck, brisket, and sirloin meats. The price has also jumped from $12 to $15, but in fairness, bacon and cheese are automatically included now, when they used to be chargeable additions.

The next morning, Mrs. Sip and I made a run to Storm Brewing to fill a couple growlers for our weekend away. We tried their Brainstorms options, before settling on fills of their Vanilla Whiskey Stout, Sex on the Beach IPA, and Pineapple Pilsner. Also on their menu was a Dill Pickle IPA, Basil IPA, Cherry Whiskey Sour Pilsner, and Lime Lavender Pilsner. The Pineapple Pilsner was a perfect breakfast beer, while the Sex on the Beach IPA was best served in the afternoon, with the sun setting, and the Vanilla Whiskey Stout provided a wonderful nightcap to the evening.

Before arriving at our accommodation, a liquor store stop was needed. While I appreciate the government stores for their wide selection and decent prices, the occasional stop at a private store can unearth some hidden gems. I picked up bottles of Canuck Empire Chamomile Wheat, Bridge Bourbon Blood Orange Wheat, Lost Coast Raspberry Brown, Firehall Stoked Ember (although I thought it was Smoked Ember – clearly I need my glasses), and Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale, while Mrs. Sip grabbed a bottle of Wayne Gretzky Pinot Grigio.

We were originally supposed to be camping in the Okanagan over the weekend, but one of our friends injured themselves and had to cancel. Luckily, we had other friends who were going to Penticton and had an extra room available at the house they were renting, so it was a small change to the plan. This property was actually located on a vineyard and has ties to the Poplar Grove Winery, where we went for dinner at their Vanilla Pod Restaurant on our first night. There, we enjoyed four bottles of wine, including Poplar’s Syrah and the Monster Cabs variety.

The next day began with a trip to the town’s Farmer’s Market, where I immediately hit the Tin Whistle Brewery post. After trying a few of their brews, I purchased a bomber of the Killer Bee Honey Porter. From there, we were off into wine country, where you can’t drive very far before you hit yet another winery. We started at the far end of the Naramata route, popping into Nichol Winery, where I enjoyed their Cab Franc and Syrah.

Next up was Therapy Winery, which has a number of great names for their products, including Fizzio Therapy, Pink Freud, Bi-Polar Ice Wine, and Freudian Sip. Sigmund Freud is a mascot for the vineyard and appears on their bottle labels. At this point, many wineries were very busy, with it being the long weekend and all. This meant that getting some space to be served was tough and pours were a little chintzy.

Looking to get away from some of the tour groups, we went to the neighbouring Van Westen and Joie wineries. Van Westen had a large selection of wines to sample and provided great service. Best of all, the tasting was free, with a suggested donation to the charity of their choice. At Joie, I liked the Oaked Chardonnay, which would have been fun to drink with one of the place’s wood fire pizzas, but they run out quickly each day. We did snag their last ice cream sandwiches (Earl Grey Tea ice cream, between two double chocolate cookies), which were a fantastic treat.

Day one wrapped up with stops at D’Angelo (known primarily for their reds) and Red Rooster, where my favourites included the Merlot and Reserve Syrah. By this point, palate fatigue was setting in and it was time to return to our place and switch to beer as we watched the sunset and snacked on appies – some healthier than others!

Day two featured more wineries, this time on a walking trip of the ones located closest to our accommodation. We started at Township 7, a short jaunt from our place. Mrs. Sip and I normally aren’t big fans of their reds, but did like the Merlot we sampled. We also bought a bottle of their 7 Blanc, which is our favourite from the winery.

Up next was a long walk to Upper Bench Winery and Creamery, which combines all the best of wine and cheese (if that’s your thing) in the region. We sat down for a while and enjoyed a picnic, which included their Riesling (my fave), Chardonnay, and Merlot, accompanied by a very good charcuterie plate. Our one complaint is that we were charged a stiff markup on the wines we ordered, just because we were drinking them on location. Had we purchased the bottles and went somewhere else, it would have been much cheaper. I’m not a fan of places doing this, as it seems to punish people who are willing to be patrons at your business.

On our return back to where we were staying, we popped into Misconduct for a tasting, before heading over to Monster, which is a sister winery to Poplar Grove and offers a different variety of wines and marketing, including bottles that glow in the dark. The Rose Bubbly was particularly nice here and I’m not even a fan of fizzy wines. We finished at Poplar, where we did an actual tasting this time around. The Pinot Gris was a definite hit for Mrs. Sip and me.

Before making the trek home on Monday, we took in some of the area’s breweries, including Cannery and Bad Tattoo. Our tasting at Cannery was comprised of the Skaha Summer Ale, Naramata Nut Brown Ale, Blackberry Porter, and Wildfire IPA, all of which were good. At Bad Tattoo, I ordered a sleeve of the recently released Tramp Stamp Pale Ale and thoroughly enjoyed the new variety. After all, a tramp stamp might as well be a bullseye!

Sip Trips #35: All You Need is Love

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

This week got off to a bit of a rocky start, as Mrs. Sip and I (along with a crew of friends) were supposed to meet at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) and visit the Craft Beer Festival that the fair is hosting for the first time this year. Mrs. Sip and I hadn’t attended the PNE since our first year dating, 13 years ago, so we were excited to return. Sadly, as we arrived, we were informed that the park was closing due to inclement weather and would not reopen.

This was an epic fail, exacerbated given that we knew folks already inside the park who were never asked to leave and were enjoying snacks and such throughout. We didn’t bother to stick around long and although the park did reopen, the Craft Beer Festival did not, and weather remained sketchy the rest of the afternoon and evening. Still, I was really looking forward to trying deep-fried jellybeans!

On with the successes of the day! The evening began with meeting friends at Alibi Room, in Gastown, which has an extensive menu of craft beers that is updated daily. It can get very busy as the day rolls along, so my best advice is to arrive early. Here, I ordered one of their Frat Bats (tasting flights), including the Dageraad Randonneur Belgian Saison, Breakside Imperial Gold Ale IPA, Phillips Hazy Daze Apricot Witbier, and Strange Fellows Guardian White IPA. The latter two were most enjoyable for me, while Mrs. Sip liked the Callister Apricot Resurrection from her set.

From Alibi Room, we moved on to the Portside Pub for another flight of tasters. This time, I ordered the Fernie Quiet RyeT (the best of this bunch), Hearthstone Azacca Pale Ale, Persephone Dry Stout, and Delirium Tremens. The flights were more expensive here, which originally had us a little disappointed, but when we discovered this was because they included a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey, we were all-in! The Lobster nachos also seemed to be a hit with our group, although sitting beside Mrs. Sip meant I didn’t get to indulge too much. I’ve been married long enough to know not to get between Mrs. Sip and her lobster! I’ll have to come back another time for more of the nachos and to try some of the interesting Caesar recipes the pub also offers.

As fun as Saturday was, the main event of the week was unquestionably the Made with Love cocktail competition that I fell in love with (pardon the pun) last year. This time around, the venue switched to the Fairmont Hotel, allowing a little more space than last year’s Yaletown Roundhouse location. After receiving our welcome cocktail of Campari and Tropical Red Bull, our group travelled the room in a counter-clockwise direction. The first few drinks were decent, but weren’t really making an impact with me. I did, however, greatly enjoy the appies that were served, including teriyaki chicken skewers, veggie spring rolls, beef carpaccio, fajita chicken wraps, and pate.

The second half of the room provided a number of top contenders for favourite drink. The premise of the event is that you’re given a dog tag to bestow upon the bartender of your favourite recipe. They’re also judged by a panel of experts. By the end of the circuit I had a short list of four drinks which I really enjoyed. They included Just the Pits (Disaronno, apple juice infused with ginger and black pepper, peach puree, lemon juice, honey syrup, and cherry bitters); Tequila Mockingbird (1800 Tequila, lemon juice, Jamaica and yellow flower syrup, and plum bitters); Caribbean in the Fall (three different Appleton Rums, peach syrup, allspice syrup, lavender tea, lemon juice, maple syrup, saline solution, pimento bitters, and garnished with a sorrel leaf); and my favourite of the competition (earning my dog tag), the BC Burro (1800 Tequila, “forest fire” flavour, ginger beer, elderflower, and wormwood bitters).

Of most importance was whether the event would still hold up for our sophomore experience and whether the cost ($55 early bird tickets/$65 regular tickets) was justifiable. In the Sip Advisor’s opinion, the event was wonderful again and I can’t wait to go for the three-peat next year. I have to say though, I’d love to go to a cocktail competition where there are no liquor sponsors and bartenders have free reign over what they use. I get that the sponsorship basically makes the event possible, but how cool would it be for the competition to be no holds barred!

We wrapped up the Sip Trips week with a return visit to the new Central City Brew Pub on Beatty Street, where I once again enjoyed the Crispy Crunch burger (combining all my favourites with a crispy chicken breast, bacon, potato chips, onion strings, and pickles), while putting together one of the best tasting flight lineups of my career. I ordered the Longwood Steam Punk Dunkel, Hoyne Off the Grid Red Lager, Fuggles and Warlock Smoked Hefeweizen, Bridge North Shore Pale Ale and I only hope that others get to taste my brilliance! Best of all, the flight only cost $6.50, which is a wicked price for a set of beer tasters.

This weekend, Mrs. Sip and I are away camping and plan to pick up a couple growlers at Storm Brewing, before making our way to the Okanagan. There’s no doubt that some mischief is ahead. Should be a great long weekend!

Sip Advisor

The Good, The Bad & The Bubbly

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