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 Trips #34: Beer Baron

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Well, this was a beer-soaked weekend if there ever was one – and there have been many! With a self-guided bike and beer tour, as well as a brews cruise on the docket, there’s much to discuss, so let’s get right to it.

With friends visiting from Toronto this weekend, I wanted to show them as much of Vancouver’s amazing craft beer scene as possible. I settled on a bike and beer tour of the affectionately named ‘Yeast Van’ area, which is home to numerous breweries.

Our first stops of the day were Bomber Brewing, followed by Off the Rail Brewing, located right across the street. Both locations offer some good beers and a totally different vibe. With so many stops planned on our itinerary, we largely split tasting flights between couples. My favourite beer at each stop was the Dunkelweizen and Raj Mahal IPA, respectively.

Next up was a short ride to Callister Brewing, which features a number of Real Cask brews, as well. With 10 beers on the menu, our crew ordered one of everything, providing many opportunities to find the perfect beer. I particularly enjoyed the Seshuinox and Apricot Resurrection varieties.

Another short jaunt and we arrived at Powell Street Brewing. When originally constructing the plan for the day, I had marked Powell Street as a stop that was optional. I’m very glad we made it there, though, as each of the four beers I sampled were quite good. This included the Wayne Grisettesky (awesome name!), Amarillo Sour, Right Kind of Crazy Double IPA, and Ode to Citra Pale Ale.

After a few tasting rooms to loosen us all up, it was time to visit what I considered would be our main event: Storm Brewing. Mrs. Sip and I love this place for its great staff (the Heathers!), funky atmosphere, and amazing beers. I really enjoy trying the brewery’s ‘Brainstorms’, an ever-changing list of creative and unique beverages. On tap this time was a Pineapple Upside Down Cake Ale, Gin and Tonic Pilsner, Cream Soda Pilsner, Iced Mocha Stout, Raspberry Berlinerweisse, Dry Hopped IPA, and Vanilla Whiskey Stout. I gave high rankings to each of these options and can’t wait to go back and try the next batch of conceptions. Perhaps best of all, doing a tasting at Storm is by donation and with that, you get up to six samples.

Our last stop of the beer and bike tour was Doan’s Brewing, another first visit for the Sip Advisor. Here, we tried each of the four beers available, including their Kolsch, Alt Bier, Rye IPA, and German IPA. Nothing against Doan’s (their brews were decent), but the stop was a little anti-climactic after Storm.

We had also hoped to get into Parallel 49 and Strange Fellows, but by the time we hit either place, later in the day, they both had long waits to get in and those in our group who had rented bikes, had to return them. The day was long from over, though, as after dropping off our rides, we walked over to Big Rock Urban Eatery in the Olympic Village area.

For this trip to Big Rock, I was more enamored with the food than the beer. I ordered what I describe as the ‘Eric Cartman Special’: crispy fried chicken skin, called Chickeronnes. The waitress pointed out to me that there was no meat involved in the dish and I told her that’s exactly how I wanted it! They didn’t blow my mind or anything, but now I can say I tried them. One of our party was celebrating their birthday, so the restaurant brought her a serving of their Fiasco Smores. I thought this dish was fantastic, with boozed up ingredients, including chocolate stout gelato, rauchbier ganache, and bourbon vanilla marshmallow.

We finished the day at Craft Beer Market, a must for any visitor to the city, as far as the Sip Advisor is concerned. Sadly, a few of the beers I wanted to try were already tapped out. We also tried to order some samples of beers we were curious about, only to receive a full serving. Despite that, the beer (Hoyne Dark Matter, Dieu Du Ciel Rosee D’Hibiscus, Hilliard’s Chrome Satan) was still good and it seems they improved on their Fast Food Sushi appetizer.

As if that wasn’t enough beer for a lifetime, we had purchased a Groupon earlier in the week for the Vancouver Craft Brew Cruise. Thanks to an additional discount, the originally priced $50 tickets only cost $24 per person. The cruise featured 17 craft breweries and with entry, you got five drink tickets. Each additional ticket was only $1, which is cool with the Sip Advisor. Through my own choices, sharing, and a couple freebies, I managed to try 16 different brews (or at least that’s what I recorded). I gravitated towards options I hadn’t experienced before and there were many available on the boat. My favourites included the Black Kettle IPA, Hoyne Summer Haze, Dageraad Burnabarian, and Phillips Short Wave.

Following the cruise, we were on the hunt for food and conveniently came across some reps for Central City, who advised us of their new downtown location on Beatty Street. What luck, as they were featuring half price burgers. Our group ordered five different options and all were good. My choice was the Crispy Crunch chicken burger, which was absolutely delicious and paired very nicely with my Steel & Oak Smoked Hef.

As if the week wasn’t busy enough already, Mrs. Sip and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary on Tuesday. To commemorate the day, we had dinner at the Pan Pacific Hotel, which was special because that’s also where we stayed on our wedding night! Sadly, Mrs. Sip wasn’t feeling well, but I have largely recovered from a similar cold and ordered their Caliente cocktail, which mixes tequila, smoked serrano peppers, cilantro, and pineapple juice. It was muy bueno!

Next week looks busy again, with a visit to the Pacific National Exhibition and their craft beer fest scheduled for Saturday and one of my favourite events of the year, the Made with Love cocktail competition, on Monday.

Sip Trips #32: Boats, Baseball, and Beer

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Wow, this weekend was so insanely busy that I can only mention in passing that Mrs. Sip brought back from Las Vegas bottles of Viniq Ruby Liqueur and Bacardi Arctic Grape Rum (a future Flavour Revolution feature). Let’s get on to the meat and potatoes of this wrap up, which includes a voyage to Galiano Island for their Beer and Wine Festival and a Vancouver Canadians baseball game sandwiched by two Main Street bars!

We left for Galiano very early on Saturday, in order to make sure we made it to the festival on time, as the later ferry of the day didn’t jive with the event. For $45, we had all-inclusive access to about 15 breweries and wineries, while volunteers served finger foods to the attendees. Each guest also received a wine and beer glass with their entry.

The lineup of breweries and wineries attending were a nice mix of ones I have tried and enjoyed and others I was experiencing for the first time. I didn’t really do the wine stops, except for getting a tasting pour of the Mad Housewife Cabernet Sauvignon, in order to justify holding a wine glass most of the day. I hope in future years, that some more craft distilleries from around the province join in on the island fun.

My favourite beers of the festival were the Lighthouse Race Rocks Ale, Yukon Amber Ale, and Bomber Passionfruit Ale, of which I spent the last chunk of the event running around getting refills. Most companies brought just enough stock to last the duration of the festival and very few tents shutdown shop early.

One thing I noted, as a festival strategy, was that the wine booths had massive lineups, while the beer booths usually had none at all. What we found, was that people going for the wine would stay at the front, trying each of the companies offerings before moving on – and there could be a lot – while for beers, people would get a pour, walk away and enjoy, then return for the next option.

Upon returning to the mainland and not ready to let the party stop early, we hit the liquor store and picked up mixed cases of Lighthouse and Vancouver Island beers. Mrs. Sip also grabbed a bomber of Driftwood White Bark Wit, while I snagged the Russell Smokey the Beer.

The next day, we were back home, but only to head out again and meet some of our fellow CAMRA members at The Main on Main Street, prior to our Vancouver Canadians baseball game. There, I ordered pints of Hoyne Dark Matter and 33 Acres of Life, which were both very enjoyable, as we met new people.

While the Canadians lost the game, we scored a major win with the overall experience. The organization has made great strides to include craft beer in their stadium, even building a ‘Craft Corner,’ with five rotating taps, which we were conveniently seated near. Together, Mrs. Sip and I went through four of the five beers, which included Big Rock Citradelic IPA, Howe Sound You’re My Boy Blue Blueberry Wheat Ale, Bomber Passionfruit Ale, Steamworks Pilsner, and Whistler Grapefruit Ale (the only brew we neglected). These paired nicely with our ballpark snacks of popcorn and a foot-long hot dog. Apparently, aside from Whistler Brewery (a prime sponsor of the Canadians), the breweries serving draft changes regularly.

Following the game, we met up with a friend at Portland Craft, which I’ve wanted to visit for some time. Every once in a while, despite the abundance of options on the B.C. market, I thirst for something I can’t typically find, and this outlet, which largely features brews from the Portland region, was perfect for providing some new blood into my system.

I was hoping for a bit more variety from the bar (there weren’t many typical summer options available), but they did offer 16 beers on tap and others in bottle. I enjoyed two IPAs, the Alameda Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA and the Worthy IPA, both of which I would order again.

We also had events at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club and a birthday boat trip through Vancouver’s beautiful harbour on Accent Cruises, which I just can’t get into without making this article super long. The busy schedule doesn’t let up this weekend, as we’re off to Disneyland, where drinking has become a large part of the park routine!

Sip Trips #30: Beer, Balls, and Barbecue

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

While Mrs. Sip and I managed to find some rare quiet time Friday night (cracking into our ever-growing wine and beer collections), the weekend was quite busy with a number of events drawing our attention. Here’s how we fared during the mid-summer hustle and bustle!

On our way out to Ma and Pa Sip’s place in Delta on Saturday, we stopped by Four Winds Brewing, where they had just released another of their small batch beers, Pequeno Cabo (a brew aged in tequila barrels), which a friend had advised me of earlier in the week. When we got there, they had just run out of bottles (this is the thanks I get for letting Mrs. Sip sleep in!), but our server was very willing to help us track it down at one of the stores they distribute to. Since we were already there, we ordered glasses of their Wildflower Saison and Juxtapose Wild IPA. Both were very good, with the IPA being an offering that even Mrs. Sip was into, so we picked up a bottle for our family barbecue that afternoon.

We then drove over to the One20 Public House’s liquor store, where lying in wait was the Pequeno Cabo. It was advertised as tasting reminiscent of a lime margarita and they weren’t joking. It was a sour-style brew that went down very easy. Would I buy it again? Perhaps not, but it was great to try while available.

As for the barbecue, it was a lot of fun, full of good food, good drinks, and good times. Although we came up short in our bid for bocce supremacy, Mrs. Sip and I performed quite well during the later evening’s beer pong and flippy cup shenanigans!

The next day, we had to head out earlier than usual, as we were meeting members of the Sip Syndicate for drinks, prior to the Vancouver Whitecaps Major League Soccer game, to celebrate a friend’s birthday. We assembled at Back Forty, where upon arriving behind schedule, two pitchers of Parallel 49 Gypsy Tears had already been ordered and needed to be dealt with, as the game’s start time was approaching. Always up to the task, Mrs. Sip and I downed a couple glasses each and we were off.

The Whitecaps play out of BC Place Stadium, which has made strides in recent years to bring some craft beer into the venue. I spotted Parallel 49, Steamworks, and Stanley Park on some taps and there were others among the concessions. I also picked up a couple cups of Shocktop during halftime to quench my thirst.

A true highlight to the week was our meal at Wildebeest, following the game. To begin, I ordered the Uppercut cocktail, which mixed, Calvados, Italian Vermouth, Maraschino Liqueur, Orange Bitters, and Peated Scotch, all served at room temperature. I liked the cocktail, but wonder if it would have been taken to a whole other level with the addition of some ice.

For food, our group decided to go for the option where you let them know how much each person in the party is willing to pay and they put together a menu for you. You can go between $40-$60, so we settled in the middle at $50 per head. We were then blown away to receive a seven-course shared meal, which included pork cutlets, beef carpaccio, poutine, bone marrow, an egg dish, strip loin steak, and halibut. It was a feast for the ages! Later in the meal, a round of Ardbeg Supervona Scotch was ordered and this was a truly decadent experience.

Quite a bit of liquor news came out this week, most notably the announcement that establishments that manufacture alcoholic beverages (breweries, distilleries, wineries, etc.) around British Columbia will now be able to sell liquor products produced by other companies in their locations. This means that Ma Sip can now get a glass of wine, while accompanying myself and Mrs. Sip to some of our favourite breweries, much like she’s able to do when we travel in the U.S.

The August long weekend is upon us and despite Mrs. Sip taking off on me (again!) to Las Vegas with her girlfriends, the three days of rest will be full of poolside debauchery. Check back next week for a full recap!

Sip Trips #29: Camping Capers

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

There’s a lot to get to this week, so let’s get right to it. With Mrs. Sip’s return from Europe, she brought home a bottle of Pimms Strawberry with a hint of Mint and a bottle of Croatian wine. Friends of ours, living in London, also had mini bottles of schnapps (peach and pear) to send back with her.

For our camping trip to Golden Ears, some serious shopping had to be done, to stock up on beverages for the getaway. While I prefer drinking from bottles, it’s always good to have some canned beer on you when camping, as it fits better in coolers, is easier to conceal (if need be… I don’t tell people how to live their lives!), and provides near identical relief.

I grabbed the Big Rock Swinger Pack to satisfy this requirement. The mixed set included their Grasshopper Wheat Ale, 7B California Common, Rhine Stone Cowboy Kolsch, and Cherry Farini Kristalweizen, which I was particularly curious about and was looking forward to try. I like Big Rock, but I find their Grasshopper to be very light on the wheat side. The Cherry Farini was a little heavier, though, and I liked the flavour, which wasn’t too overwhelming. As for the rest of the pack, they were solid brews and just right for the summer heat.

While you always worry about whether your packed enough booze, some of the bottles I picked up with the hopes of consuming while out in the forest, I never even got to. This included the Red Truck Campfire Kolsch (ironic due to the current province-wide campfire ban), Old Yale Moon Dance Mango Wheat, Hoyne Dark Matter, and Cannery Blackberry Porter.

Mrs. Sip and I did split the Mango Wheat after returning to civilization, and while good, it wasn’t chilled to the right level, having just made the journey home with us in a cooler that had lost much of its cool. That’s my fault for jumping the gun on the beer, but thirst needed to be quenched!

For future camping, we learned to save our canned beers for trips to the beach or hiking, as they travel a little easier than bottles and seem to stay chilled longer. Tasting glasses also seemed to be a hit, especially with bigger bomber bottles that were better split and shared among friends.

Late last week, we managed to squeeze in a bike ride to Postmark Brewing, where we sat down to a tasting flight of their beers, including the Raspberry Lemon Zest Hefe (the brew that drew me into visiting the location), West Coast Pale Ale, IPA, and Dry Irish Stout.

While there, we also grabbed a couple of products from their store, including the Glassbender Farmhouse Ale and BISA, a Belgian ISA. It was interesting to note that the Farmhouse Ale was $4 cheaper in the store, compared to the adjacent restaurant. If you’re on the fence about whether to give the brew a shot, pick it up and take it home. Mrs. Sip and I both enjoyed it, pouring it into plastic wine glasses while camping, to emulate how the beverage was being served in the restaurant. The BISA, which combines tangerines and spice, is at the forefront of my Drinking ‘To Do’ List!

I also bought a bottle of Wiser’s Vanilla Spiced Whiskey recently, as I need to get caught up on all the recipes I wasn’t able to put together as first we had to vacate our apartment due to the flood all the way back at the start of May and then Mrs. Sip leaving for a month-long vacation in Europe, taking our camera with her.

The next week looks busy (when doesn’t it?) with a family barbecue, a trip to the drive-in theatre, a Vancouver Whitecaps game – where thankfully, the stadium has come to embrace the craft beer revolution! – and who knows what else wild stuff we’re likely to get up to!

Sip Trips #28: Tipsy Taste

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

This week’s main event was Tip N’ Taste in Langley, which has become one of my favourite events on the drinking calendar. Mrs. Sip and I first attended the beer bash in 2008 and have enjoyed watching it evolve over the years.

The event cost $30, but with that, you got five drink tickets (which you can usually stretch into more samples) and five food tickets. This is a far better deal than some events I’ve seen recently where you’d pay a similar fee and that only covered your entry. While I’m not the biggest fan of tokens/tickets and prefer an all-inclusive vibe, I have to hand it to the organizers of Tip N’ Taste for at least giving attendees fair value.

Prior to Friday, I had mapped out a bit of a game plan going into the festival, including breweries that had beers I wanted to try and breweries that were new to me. As you’ll see below, I did pretty well for myself over the course of a couple hours.

My first stop of the evening was Coal Harbour Brewing, which was featuring a few beers that looked neat. I tried their Woodland Witbier, followed by their Smoke and Mirrors Smoked Ale, which I was particularly fond of and went back for later, although by then they were out.

Next up was one of my favourite visits of the night, where I had a long chat with the guys from Big River Brewing, while sampling each of their four available beers: Acid Trip Sour Wheat, Sidewheeler Blonde Ale, Belgium, and Red Bretty IPA. The Acid Trip was my favourite of the bunch.

Finally moving on, I enjoyed a pair of wheat beers, first from Black Kettle Brewing and followed by Howe Sound Brewing, which was serving up a Blueberry Wheat I had marked on my ‘To Do’ list from my initial walk around the convention floor.

At this point in the evening, it was time to switch things up and go to some darker brews, in order to fend off palate fatigue. I started with the Old Yale Sasquatch Stout and followed that with the Cannery Blackberry Porter (which had always caught my eye in liquor stores, but I had never picked up). I wrapped up my visit to this section of the room with the Mt. Begbie Nasty Habit IPA, which was another good pick.

Earlier in the night, I had made note of the only spirit table at Tip N’ Taste, which was serving up De La Tierre Maple Liqueur Tequila. It was a very interesting blend, which went down easier than most other tequilas and would probably make for some fun cocktails.

Going back to beer, I snagged a sample of Mission Springs Chinook ISA and then went to visit my alma mater, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, which has recently launched a diploma program in Brewing and Brewery Operations. They were featuring a Golden Ale, one of the first releases to come from the new course.

I finished the evening with a couple quick hits, trying to get rid of my final drink tickets. I’ve enjoyed a few Russell Brewing products lately and made a stop by their table to try their Blood Alley Bitter, which I’d somehow never tried before, despite being a staple of their lineup. My last beverage was the Lighthouse Tasman Pale Ale, which was guzzled quickly as event organizers tried to clear the room of happy drinkers.

As for food, there were some really good offerings at the event. Earl’s had a chicken taco, while Original Joe’s gave you a pair of pulled pork sliders, and Me N’ Ed’s came through with some delicious slices of pizza!

All in all, this was another successful Tip N’ Taste for the Sip Advisor. Next week, I’ll outline our weekend camping trip to Golden Ears Provincial Park, which is always preceded by a thorough liquor shopping trip!

Sip Trips #27: Calm Before the Storm

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Well, there wasn’t a whole lot going on this last week, but that will change this weekend, with the annual Tip N’ Taste in Langley, as well as Mrs. Sip’s return from Europe on Monday. I better enjoy that last weekend of laziness!

Of course, that’s not to say that the week was absent of drinking. What a foolish conclusion you had come to, my little sippers. With the various beverages, I tried a bunch of new products, starting with a couple of the wines Ma and Pa Sip recently picked up while touring the Naramata Wine Region. These included the Monster Rose Bubbly and Deep Roots Gamay, both of which were quite enjoyable.

I also managed to do a little shopping here and there, picking up a bottle of Old Yale Mango Wheat, which I’m looking forward to trying, and one of my favourites from last summer: Steel & Oak’s Smoked Hefeweizen.

The Smoked Hef was my contribution to dinner with Cousin Sip, where we also worked our way through Mill Street Brewery’s summer seasonal mixed pack, including their Lemon Tea, Amber Lager, Ginger Cat, Tankhouse Ale, Summer Ale, and Organic Lager beers. Along with that, we also drank Bomber’s Passion Fruit Ale and Tree’s Vertical Winter Ale. You might think it odd to enjoy winter ale during the height of summer, but you can’t argue with flavour.

I picked up the Smoked Hef at the Viti Beer and Wine Store in Vancouver. Their prices are a little higher than other places around town, but not too extreme. Plus, they have a selection of some items that you just can’t find anywhere else. I did find the Rogue Sriracha Stout there, which I’ve been trying to track down for a while. Sadly, it came at a price of nearly $20, although it is a 750ml bottle. I might just have to take the splash eventually.

That’s about it for now. I will be live tweeting and instagraming from Tip N’ Taste on Friday, so if you’d like to join the Sip Advisor’s public debauchery, click the links above to check out my various accounts. I will also have a wrap up of the event for next week’s Sip Trips!

Sip Trips #26: Canadian Celebration

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

While Mrs. Sip is away, the Sip Advisor mouse will play and that was certainly the case this past weekend. With Canada Day occurring mid-week, the partying stretched on… although, that’s not a lot different than if Mrs. Sip had been around the whole time. She is definitely missed around the offices here!

On my way out to Ma and Pa Sip’s place in Delta on Saturday, I stopped by Four Winds Brewing to see what was new at my hometown brewery. They have expanded since I last visited a couple years back and had a number of interesting beers on tap. I decided to sit down to a set of tasters, including their Saison, Grisette, Passionfruit Berlinerweisse, and Nectarous. The Nectarous was the reason for my trip out there, as I was informed of the limited release by a friend, and decided I wanted to add a bottle to my burgeoning brew collection.

The rest of the day was spent in gluttonous splendor, as the Sip Advisor ate and drank to his heart’s content. Cousin Sip brought over Granville Island Brewery’s summer mixed pack, while I tapped into a collection of ales, highlighted by my Russell Smokey the Beer, which was smoky and delicious. To be honest, I probably should have saved it for a time when I was more appreciative of what was going into my system, but it was the right beer at the right time.

As the next day left me kind of lonely and with the weather changing for the worse, I decided to run a couple errands and that always includes a stop at the liquor store. Here, I grabbed a six-pack of the Steamworks Killer Cucumber Ale, as well as bombers of Lighthouse Jackline Rhubarb Grisette and Elysian Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale Ale. I’ve gone through most of the Cucumber pack and think I prefer the brew on tap, but have yet to crack open either of the bombers.

For dinner Monday night, Ma and Pa Sip accompanied me to the Yaletown Brewery, where I enjoyed their chicken schnitzel sandwich, along with a Shangri La Saison. The strong beer (6.8%) went well with my meal and was a good beverage choice, given the recent heatwave in B.C.

Back in April, I wrote about coming across the Viniq Shimmery Liqueur and how it was one of the most amazing spirit products I’ve ever seen. It’s so cool, that Mrs. Sip was once showing it off to a friend and he was so mesmerized that he forgot to stop pouring the beer he was emptying and it spilled all over the place. Well, the company has now added a Ruby version to their line-up and I noticed that they have a bunch of great recipes available for each variation. Now, we just have to stop admiring the bottle and open it up!

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