Sip Trips #25: HOME!

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Well, this last week brought some good news and some bad news. On the good side, Mrs. Sip and I were finally able to move back into our place, seven weeks after our kitchen sink suffered a burst pipe and a small flood ruined our apartment. On the bad side, Mrs. Sip left for a European vacation before this even happened, so the Sip Advisor was left to deal with the whole return by himself. At least I have sweet lady liquor as a companion and coping mechanism!

The evening before moving back in, Ma Sip and I shared a few appetizers at The Union. Although Mrs. Sip and I had lived right above this restaurant during our exile from home, we had never managed to actually eat there. The place features an Asian-fusion type menu, such as spring rolls, Thai chicken wings, and sweet and sour pork tacos. To wash it all down, I ordered a pint of their rotating tap, the Persephone Rum Runner Red Ale. It was a very enjoyable beer, so I’m glad I lucked upon the menu item.

The next night, to show I had no favouritism to one parent over the other, I sat down to dinner with Pa Sip at one of the many Cactus Club locations. Over a delicious burger, I had sleeves of both the Ugly Wheat Ale and Pemberton Pilsner. Both beers went down easy, but I can’t say that either overly wowed me. Maybe that’s because I was enjoying my meal so much.

Long a fan of wheat beers, this weekend I picked up the recently released Okanagan Springs Hefeweizen Pack, featuring Sonder (banana-clove), Ginger, and Lime variations. Of the three, I think I liked the Lime option best, as it just goes so naturally with a wheat beer and especially when you’re drinking outside, in the sun and poolside at Ma and Pa Sip’s place.

Since the weekend, I was itching to get back on my bike and do some touring. On Tuesday, I finally had the opportunity and made my way over to the Granville Island Brewery, which has launched a few new releases recently that I wanted to try. I ordered a set of tasters that included the Two Tides ISA and Shipload of Hops Imperial IPA, as well as a couple old favourites in the False Creek Raspberry Ale and Hey Day Hefeweizen. I liked all four beers, with each bringing something new to the game, as I rotated around the set. Unfortunately, GIB’s Kellerbier was only available for growler fill, so I’ll have to try that another time.

After leaving the island and en route to returning home (still feels weird to say after seven weeks out of our apartment), I made a pit stop at Legacy Liquor Store to see what was new in stock. There, I grabbed the Parallel 49 Apricotopus – an apricot-flavoured sour saison – and Russell Smokey the Beer rauchbier. I love my wheat and smoky brews, so I’m looking forward to trying both these offerings.

I’ll wrap things up this week with a quick product review: A few months back, Ma Sip bought me a bag of Guinness potato chips and they were amazing. Recently, she tracked down their Rich Beef Chilli variety and gifted me a bag. These were also quite enjoyable with a strong taste of chilli meat, mixed with the Guinness stout flavouring. It was a hit with this chippy monster. I just wish the Guinness products came in bigger bags!

Sip Trips #24: Easy Riders

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

I’ll cut right to the chase: the big event of this week was the bike and booze crawl Mrs. Sip and I organized for one of our friend’s birthday. While most of the pre-planned itinerary was quickly thrown out the window for one reason or another, the end result was a good time had by all (most importantly, the birthday girl) and everyone got home in one piece. I call that a success!

Our first stop along the way was The Pirate Pub under the Burrard Street Bridge. Here, the pitchers of beer (Whistler Powder Mountain Lager) and sangria were flowing, as we all loosened up for the ride ahead. The place isn’t very big, but the staff did a great job of quickly accommodating our large group.

After a long ride around Vancouver’s seawall and through Stanley Park, we eventually landed at the Big Rock Urban Brewery. Once there, I quenched my enormous thirst with a pint of their Hefeweizen, which really hit the spot. Meanwhile, Mrs. Sip ordered a tasting flight. Of her beers, I particularly liked the Roggenbier and Scottish Heavy the best.

We then walked over to 33 Acres Brewing, where six packs of their Sunshine French Blanche, Life Amber Ale, and Ocean Pale Ale, were purchased. En route to the popular location, we came across a park where many revelers were taking in the beautiful weather and relaxing with a beer, so we decided to follow suit. It was a wonderful way to enjoy the afternoon, in the fresh air and amongst friends.

The evening portion of the day out began with drinks and food at Steel Toad Brewery. The experience was a mix of good and bad. Mrs. Sip and I arrived later than the rest of the group and waited about 40 minutes before we were asked for a drink order. During that time our table was brought a number of orders that didn’t belong to any of us and caused some confusion. On the plus side, all the beer we had was quite good – I had a Berliner Weisse and Oatmeal Stout, while Mrs. Sip tried their Berliner Weisse taster pack, which combined the beer with different syrups – and when one of our group members accidentally knocked Mrs. Sip’s beverage over, it was quickly replaced. I’ve had good times before at Steel Toad, so I’ll chalk the cons up to being an abnormality.

Our last stop of the night was Fantacity Karaoke, where we belted out the greatest songs of yesteryear with pitch perfect tones… or at least that’s how we’d like to remember it. It was a fun night singing our hearts out and losing our voices. I’m not sure what beer we kept ordering, but there sure was a lot of it. And we must have impressed someone, as we were invited into another group’s room for further musical interludes and pitchers of the sweet gold stuff, after our room rental had expired.

This was the Sip Advisor’s first foray into event planning on a larger scale and I think it all went pretty well. I have many other excursions planned for the future, so look out for those in upcoming Sip Trips articles!

Sip Trips #23: Cannon Ball

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Vancouver Craft Beer Week has come and gone, wrapping up with a two-day festival on the PNE grounds. Mrs. Sip and I originally had plans to attend this event, featuring over 100 breweries, but decided, in the end, that sitting poolside on the gorgeous weekend and hosting our own beer bash with friends was more ideal.

From years past, I had heard of the festival being too crowded, with long lines and companies running out of their supplies. That said, everyone I have talked to this year, enjoyed it. Personally, I’m still hesitant to pay $35-$40 for any of these festivals where you get minimal to zero tasting tickets or tokens (in fact, the VCBW event gave you only admission and a taster glass… hell, I already have a full set of those from other activities during the week) and you still have to buy all of your samples on top of the entry fee.

In preparation for our pool time, Mrs. Sip and I hit the Central City Brewery in Surrey. There, we filled up a growler of their India Style Red Ale and grabbed some other bombers, including the Maple Bacon Ale and a Belgian Tripel, which was part of the brewery’s Hobbit series of releases. I also just learned that the company will be opening up a new brew pub, mere blocks away from the Sip Advisor’s home in downtown Vancouver, proving good things come to those that wait!

All of our friends who visited over Friday and Saturday brought their A-game and my parents’ fridges were crammed full of awesome beers and other treats. I particularly enjoyed the 33 Acres of Sunshine French Blanche that was left behind. The whole weekend has me thinking that a poolside beer festival is something I should coordinate for the future, becoming a legend and icon in the industry. All I need to do is make sure I have plenty of lifeguards on hand!

On Sunday, we ventured into the bush (translation: the suburbs of Vancouver) for some local winery visits. The tour was put together to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s mother’s birthday, and included stops at Backyard Vineyards (where Mrs. Sip is a member and had her spring shipment of wines to pick up) and Township 7 Winery. It was a relaxing and fun afternoon, even with your faithful Sip Advisor playing the rare role of designated driver. Sometimes, you just draw the short stick!

Following work on Monday, Mrs. Sip and I were off to Victoria (aka Vancouver Island) for her sister’s university graduation the next day. Upon arriving, we quickly made a jaunt to the Moon Under Water Brewpub to fill a couple growlers of their delicious beer. We ordered the This is Hefeweizen and Creepy Uncle Dunkel, which paired well with our late night snack and relaxing. I only wish we had more time to enjoy all of Victoria’s fantastic breweries.

To celebrate Sis-in-Law Sip’s big achievement, we made reservations for Afternoon Tea at the infamous Empress Hotel. While the occasion offered a different kind of sipping than the Sip Advisor is accustomed to, the experience deserves mention in this week’s post. The finger sandwiches, scones, desserts, and even tea, were all exquisite and the bucket list-level event is something we will each remember for years to come.

Back on the mainland, we wrapped the week up with a visit to Craft Beer Market to meet a friend. The visit was fruitful in that we got to try the Steamworks Killer Cucumber Ale that vaulted to the top of my “to try” list, as well as the Yellow Dog Stick Toss Cranberry Saison and Phillips Electric Unicorn White IPA. All three were good, with the Killer Cucumber being my pick of the night, thanks to a subtle and refreshing cucumber flavour. Talk about taking advantage of the joint’s $5 B.C. beer special!

Sip Trips #22: Festivality

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

The 6^th annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week (VCBW henceforth) has arrived and with it comes a host of great events to welcome summer and get your brew on. Mrs. Sip and I were busy with a full slate of activities. Here’s how it all went down:

On Saturday, we had tickets to the What the Hop? Beer Trivia, which turned out to be incredibly good value. The cost was $60 to enter a team of four and this included a sleeve of beer with each of the four trivia rounds, from one of the breweries sponsoring the event, as well as a couple appetizers per team. It was originally advertised as one starter dish per round per team, but turned out to only be two of the four. That was really the only disappointment of the day.

The beers included the Red Truck ISA, Fuggles and Warlock White IPA, Parallel 49 Jerkface 9000, and Central City IPA. Our team, ‘Beer Today, Hung Tomorrow’, made a good showing, placing in the top five of 30 or so squads. We missed out on the grand prize of an all-expenses paid trip to the Whistler Beer Festival in September, but I was rewarded in other ways, as any beer my fellow team members didn’t like or had enough of, seemed to float my way. I have to mention that the venue, Colony on Main Street, and the host of the game, IQ Trivia 2000, were also great and made for a very fun afternoon.

After the trivia, we wandered down the street for our first visit to Main Street Brewing. There, I grabbed a flight of their beers and continued the drinkfest. Not ready to pack it in just yet, our next stop was the nearby Brassneck Brewery, where it was one more pint for the night. By 11pm, we were back at our temporary accommodation and it was nighty-night for the Sip Advisor. Heck, I had to rest up for Sunday’s sandwich pairings!

The next day brought the This Sandwich, That Beer Throwdown at The Portside Pub, in Vancouver’s historic Gastown. This place is neat in that you actually kind of feel like you’re aboard a ship… or at least I did! Before the festivities got underway, Mrs. Sip was thirsty for a beer. This provided a chance to try the Campfire Kolsch that was made specifically for VCBW 2015. We both liked the brew, but it was time to get our eat on, with nine sandwiches and nine cask beer accompaniments on the menu for the afternoon.

There was a lot of food and beer to consume and we feel we got good value, once again, with a price point of $45. My favourite sandwich was the Duck Confit with Pancetta from The Tasty Torpedo, while my beer of choice was the Steel & Oak Smoked Hef. Not surprisingly, these two items were paired together and it’s amazing how a nicely paired beer can improve a sandwich and vice versa. There were no duds in this competition.

That said, the winners of the day were the aforementioned Tasty Torpedo for best sandwich; Townsite Brewing’s Sour Saison for best beer; and the combo of Calabash Bistro’s Braised Jerk Chicken sandwich, paired with Dageraad’s Sri Lankan Dubbel, for the best total experience. This event sells out quickly every time it is run, so don’t delay when the opportunity for tickets comes up.

Wrapping up our busy week of commitments (although these are the best kind of commitments!) was the Beer Cocktail Competition at Blackbird Public House. After a great weekend of events, we had high hopes for this one, as well, but it kind of failed to deliver. On the cons side, we had trouble finding seating for our group, as the venue chose not to close down and run a private event or reserve a section for the production, meaning we were battling with the after work rush of customers for a spot. The table we eventually landed at made us feel disconnected from the festivities. Worse yet, we didn’t get to try all of the beer cocktails and while this was mentioned in the event’s details, what’s the point of having the competition at all, if those who paid to be part of it, don’t get to try each entry? For that matter, what’s the point of handing out samples if there’s not enough to share with everyone? This is a kindergarten lesson that still applies in the adult world!

It wasn’t all bad, though. The pros included the pint of Driftwood New Growth Pale Ale everyone received, which was really nice, the $20 ticket price, and the few glasses of Jameson Irish Whiskey we managed to get our hands on. In the end, we had a good enough time (making the best of it), but when the winner was announced, we just didn’t care anymore. I don’t mean to crap on the hard work of people who put on the event, but some lessons could be learned from a similar cocktail competition, such as Made with Love.

In wrapping up, I still have to say that VCBW has treated the Sip Advisor, Mrs. Sip, and members of both the Sip Alliance and Sip Syndicate (that’s a lot of sips!) very well. Just wait until future installments when I launch my own event: the salty snack food and beer pairing, plus trivia competition, all rolled into one!

Sip Trips #21: Laugh Factory

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

The Sip Trips week began with a couple select beers on a friend’s patio, visiting and watching the sunset. The brews included the Driftwood White Bark Witbier and Phillip’s Longboat Chocolate Porter. Both were great choices, from Vancouver Island, to unwind and enjoy the twilight together.

The next day brought a little craziness, as Vancouver’s transit system was shutdown thanks to a bird nest fire (or some other bs). This left Mrs. Sip in a bit of a lurch, but we’re pretty good at improvising and so we made a day out of it all. After deciding to skip work, Mrs. Sip ran some errands and met me for lunch downtown. We met a Cavo Bar + Kitchen to enjoy a rare weekday meal together. I was very impressed by their burger, while refreshing myself with a Pabst Blue Ribbon… after all, only good things can happen after having a PBR!

When the work day was done, we reconvened for some happy hour fun. Mrs. Sip and I had long wanted to try Lickerish Lounge – attracted by their happy hour food and drink deals – and finally had the opportunity to do so. While quenching our thirst with $3 beers and well drinks, we ordered an array of $4 appies, with the establishment’s tacos being by far the best item and the yam fries coming in second. Part of me wanted to pull the management aside and point out the glaring misspelling of the bar’s name, but I resisted the urge!

While meeting up with friends over drinks, Mrs. Sip convinced them all (one of her most deadly skills) to join us at the show we were attending that night at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club. The feature comic was Ron Funches, who I have grown to enjoy recently, thanks to his appearances on the show @Midnight. The show was incredibly funny, accompanied by buckets of Red Truck beer… the perfect set-up to the weekend ahead.

The weekend was relatively quiet, which was needed after the craziness of the last month for Mrs. Sip and I. We did manage to hit The Keefer Bar, which is very close to the place we’re currently staying. For anyone that hasn’t visited this place before, it’s quite the sensory experience. The art and decoration in the place can only be described as medical and to go along with this theme; their cocktail menu is labelled ‘Remedies and Cures’. Mrs. Sip and I ordered the Milk and Honey and Pineapple Express cocktails, respectively. You don’t get much of a serving and I would have loved a little more chili in my drink to give it more of a bite. The highlight of our stop was the Edamame Dip, which we devoured in quick order.

Things will certainly pick up this weekend as Vancouver Craft Beer Week has arrived and we have a busy schedule of events coming up (beer trivia, beer and sandwich pairing, beer cocktails… all the great things in life!). Sounds like the perfect tonic!

Sip Trips #20: Shu-Swapping

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

With all of our apartment flood business still unsettled, it was another crazy week for me and Mrs. Sip. That meant a lot of days where a drink was in serious need and it all started with the first day of the Sip Trips cycle and a visit to The New Oxford’s patio with Cousin Sip. This was just the right setting to enjoy a Howe Sound Grapefruit ISA, which really hit the spot after another stressful day. Best of all, the happy hour beverage was only $3!

The next night provided some rare one-on-one time for Mrs. Sip and me. Although brief, we used it to the best of our abilities, to rest our frayed and exhausted minds. We had a Social Shopper coupon to use that was nearing its expiry. Although we were running short on energy, I’m glad we made the journey to The Park at English Bay, allowing us to discover the place. Our coupon entitled us to a craft beer flight each and two appetizers. We ordered the Carolina Sliders and Mac N’ Cheese, which was the perfect amount of food for the two of us. Our beers included the Howe Sound Devil’s Elbow IPA, Cannery Naramata Nut Ale, Mill Street Vanilla Porter, and Central City Red Racer ISA. The icing on the cake came in the form of dueling pianos for entertainment. It was a nice break from the insane week that was.

The next morning, we were off to Salmon Arm, B.C., as Father-in-Law Sip was having a family reunion of sorts, to celebrate his brother’s 50^th wedding anniversary. On the way there, we visited Harper’s Trail Winery, in Kamloops, to sample their wines and enjoy a picturesque picnic. Our only complaint was that the place charged $5 for each tasting and didn’t waive that fee with the purchase of a bottle, as seems to be the industry standard. In the end, I believe this strategy affects the winery most, as people who might have shelled out $20 for a bottle, stop at the $5 tasting fee. That’s just lost profits and hurts the overall experience.

Upon leaving Salmon Arm, we dropped into the Barley Station Brew Pub, which was serving up the beers of the Shuswap Lake Brewing Company. We grabbed a flight of tasters, including a Blonde Ale, Wit, Pilsner, Pale Ale, Brown Ale, and Stout. My favourite was the Pale Ale, which had just the right amount of hops and paired nicely with our snack of pulled pork poutine.

To wrap up another busy and frustrating week, Mrs. Sip and I found some rare weekday afternoon time together and decided to check out a local (well, if we weren’t currently forced from our home) happy hour deal. We ended up at PHAT Yaletown, which advertises $3 craft beer all day, every day. Mrs. Sip tried the Whistler Grapefruit Ale, while yours truly went with the Stanley Park Pale Ale. It was a rushed drink, as I had to get to an appointment, but when life is as chaotic as it has been recently, any drink will do!

Sip Trips #18: Gluttony Games

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Bacchanalia traditionally refers to a Roman festival celebrating the god of the grape harvest, Bacchus (also known as Dionysus). Today, the term is usually applied to “drunken revelry”… and that’s my favourite style of reveling! Each year, countless wineries get together at the Penticton Lakeside Resort for an event of epic proportions and this year, Mrs. Sip and I were in attendance. Let’s see how things shook out for us in the Okanagan region!

Following our trek to Penticton, we settled in with a meal at the resort’s Hooded Merganser restaurant. While the ladies enjoyed cocktails, followed by wine, I got to try the Stanley Park seasonal beer, SunSetter (summer wheat ale), which was so good, I ordered a second.

After dinner, we were off to Bad Tattoo Brewing for a beer flight nightcap. The five selections we were offered were each good and I particularly liked their Los Muertos Cerveza Negra (which you don’t see too often around these parts) and their Full Sleeve Strong Stout (which I grabbed a bomber of for the road). They also do something neat with their Berliner Weise, where they combine it with a squirt of a flavoured syrup of your choice, including green apple, peach, and raspberry. We, of course, tried all three!

The next morning, we hit the town’s farmer’s market, which shuts down a number of streets to allow for stalls selling fruits, vegetables, crafts, plants, and most importantly, beer and wine. We grabbed a few bottles of vino as we perused the bazaar and also stopped at the Tin Whistle Brewing tent for a tasting. Here, I bought bottles of their Scorpion Double IPA, Peach Cream Ale, and Chocolate Cherry Porter, before we were off in search of wineries.

Our afternoon included stops for tasting at Misconduct, Pentage, and Perseus Wineries, where the beautiful landscapes were matched by the delicious red, white, and rose wines we were getting to enjoy. The collection of bottles kept growing, but that’s just a sign that you’re having a great time!

The main event of the weekend was of course Bacchanalia 2015, which featured countless wineries, surrounding a feast of nibblies. I have to admit that by this point, I was suffering from some wine palette fatigue and a lot of stuff I was sampling was starting to taste the same. The food at the event was good, but I also seemed to tire of eating and noticed that many items would quickly run out while others were hard to find, sometimes located at one of the serving areas, but not all. A constant loop of the food tables sometimes unearthed hidden gems like sausage rolls and meatballs.

Following Bacchanalia, most of our group was still up for hitting The Barking Parrot Bar in our hotel, to wrap up the evening. Here, I enjoyed the Naramata Nut Brown beer, by Cannery Brewing, which was a welcome change from wine and a very fine beverage.

On Sunday, we packed up and hit the road, making a pit stop at 8^th Generation Winery, where Mrs. Sip became a member. She, along with other members of the Sip Family, are big fans of their wines and bubblies, so why not get shipped a few cases each year for glorious consumption.

Out last stop before making the long journey home was to the BC Wine Studio, where Cousin Sip had secured us a personal invite at the farmer’s market the day before. Here, we were treated to an intimate experience of tasting new wines fresh from the barrel, learning about their production process, and even getting to provide notes on grape mixes and products that have yet to hit the market.

The end result of the weekend was 15 bottles of wine, four bombers of beer, and a host of new experiences and memories. All was well with the world, until we arrived home and found our condo had suffered a sink flood while we were away. This has put the Sip Advisor a little out of commission, as my booze collection had to be packed up temporarily. We will forge forward, though and do our best to bring you the best liquor coverage possible.

Sip Trips #16: Patio Play

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

Well, patio weather has officially returned to the city (ironically, the wet stuff is falling as I post this) and the Sip Advisor couldn’t be happier. There’s just something about drinking in the great outdoors, breathing in fresh air, which is so rewarding. May patio season be as kind to you and yours as I hope it will be to me and mine!

To unwind after the long work week, last Friday, Mrs. Sip and I split the Crème Brulee Stout she recently picked up. It was a little sweet, but certainly tasty; a perfect dessert beer. I’ve been finding myself really getting into stouts, porters, and darker ales of late. Perhaps they will one day give wheat beers a run for their money.

On Sunday, we joined friends for brunch at The Boathouse in White Rock, providing a wicked view of Semiahmoo Bay. To pair with our food, Mrs. Sip ordered a Strawberry-Watermelon Mojito, while I enjoyed the Crown Smash (combining whiskey, ginger liqueur, muddled oranges, and mint). My cocktail wasn’t bad, but I think Mrs. Sip’s was better.

From there, we were off to return home and meet friends for patio drinks at Romer’s Burger Bar. This was our former trivia home, thanks to a great grand prize ($50 gift card) and a bit of a winning streak. Sadly, they stopped their trivia nights, but it’s still a good place to go, with daily $5 drink specials and a menu of $4 cocktails, available every day of the week. I ordered the Mason Jar Caesar (complete with pickle and pepper garnishes), followed by a pint of the Hoyne Dark Matter beer, which has to be my favourite dark brew right now.

The main event of the week was a visit to Prohibition Bar, at the Hotel Georgia. This is one of the places I had thought to hit for my and Mrs. Sip’s dating anniversary last month, as it’s supposed to be a swingin’ experience (like stepping back in time to the days of speakeasy joints) with amazing drinks and funky music. While we didn’t end up at the lounge then, we were keen to get there sooner, rather than later.

We enjoyed a few drinks over the course of the evening. I started with the Forbidden Sip (a potent mezcal and tequila-based libation), which the server warned me was smoky and earthy, prompting an emphatic response of “Bring it on!” Mrs. Sip meanwhile tried the Hotel Georgia Cocktail, a great pick on her behalf, with its gin portion nicely hidden behind flavours such as orgeat, orange, and nutmeg.

My next drink was the L’Air de Panache, which grew on me with each sip. The ladies at our table particularly liked its apple taste. Speaking of our table, my favourite cocktail of the night wasn’t even ordered by me. The Tennessee Highball provided a nice mix of bourbon and ginger beer and just the right bite I like from my beverages. I finished with the Breakside Wanderlust IPA, which was quite nice and flavourful. At 6.6% it was also strong enough to make for a good last call. I’m becoming a fan of Breakside beers, having previously tried their Tropicalia offering.

To sum up, I’ve found over time, that you know you’re in a good cocktail bar when half the ingredients they serve are unfamiliar to you, despite your knowledge in the realm. Everything about the place screams high class… and that includes drink prices. That said, if you want a beautifully crafted cocktail around Vancouver, you’ll be paying at least $12 and at least at Prohibition, they deliver the goods.

Lastly, the big news of the week was that we finally grabbed the bicycles we had promised to gift to each other for Christmas. This will allow us to organize bike and brew tours across Vancouver, as well as other adventures that may have previously eluded us, due to distance. Our first Sip Trip will likely happen this weekend (weather permitting), as we break in our new rides!

Sip Trips #15: Back to Basics

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

This last week wasn’t as jam-packed full of events as the last month or so has been, which has allowed for some rest and rejuvenation, as well as a chance to catch up on some recent developments. This may be a briefer than usual Out and About than most, but that doesn’t mean the quality won’t be there!

Our big trip of the week was to visit the Big Rock Urban Brewery and Eatery location, which is finally open. We first heard about this project last July at the Langley Tip N’ Taste event and it has at last come to fruition. Although the place had been opened a couple weeks already, this was to be the “grand opening” weekend, but there wasn’t a whole lot of action going on. Even the live music that was supposed to be playing that night never started up.

That said, Mrs. Sip and I each found beers we really enjoyed. I liked the smoky flavour of the Rauchbier, while Mrs. Sip enjoyed the richness of the Chocolate Malt Stout. We also tried a couple of the eatery’s appetizers and generally had a good time at the place. I can see the potential for the Urban location, as a great hangout and place to enjoy live music, and hopefully another visit will provide these additional elements.

The Out and About week ended with splitting a couple pitchers of Russell Pale Ale, while scarfing down a feast of smoked meat and other goodies at Dunn’s Famous, along with Ma and Pa Sip and Cousin Sip. Sadly, my Vancouver Canucks lost their opening playoff game in the dying seconds of the third period, but there is much more hockey to be played in the coming days.

Onto some news items, late last week, the schedule of events for the Vancouver Craft Beer Week in late May-early July was released and there were so many great options to choose from. Mrs. Sip and I were quick to grab tickets to the “What the Hop?” Beer Trivia, This Sandwich That Beer Throwdown (pairing sandwiches and beers together), and the Beer Cocktail Competition. We may make even more plans, but tickets to some events have sold out already, so we’ll have to be quick on the uptake.

Observant booze shoppers have likely noticed recently that BC Liquor Stores are touting their new extended hours and, for many, being open on Sundays. These are wonderful changes and one can only wonder why it took so long for the government-operated stores to catch up with the times. I mean, who wants to live in a world where alcohol is harder to locate on one of the few days most of us don’t have to drag our asses to work!?

Speaking of the weekend, this one looks a little crazier than the last one, so look forward to next week’s more robust Out and About. Maybe we`ll even pick up some Sunday liquor, just for the heck of it!

Sip Trips #14: City of Roses

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Daniel Wilson

As if Easter weekend and its four days off from work weren’t good enough, the holidays bring with it one of the Sip Advisor’s favourite drinking events of the year: the Portland Spring Beer and Wine Fest. The 2015 edition did not fail to live up to expectations, so let’s look back at all the fun we had!

The journey began with a breakfast pit stop, en route to Portland, at the Train Wreck Bar, in Burlington, Washington. Ma Sip has wanted to split their Bloody Mary breakfast platter, which combines a number of appetizers growing out of a Bloody Mary beverage, for a while. Despite being more of a Caesar man – and it being very early in the day – I was game for this challenge. We went with Absolut Peppar Vodka in our cocktail, as I wasn’t sure my stomach was ready for Sriracha Vodka in the wee hours of the morning.

We arrived in Portland in the afternoon and checked into our accommodation. One of the benefits of staying at an Embassy Suites is the daily happy hour, which allows guests to enjoy some snacks and drinks, on behalf of the hotel. And enjoy, we certainly did, with beer, wine, and cocktails flowing on each of the days of our stay. As for the appies, one odd combo was peanut butter that you could add Nerds candies to, which gave it a sour jelly flavour and made for an intriguing dip for pretzels and Goldfish crackers.

Our first meal in Portland was at Der Rheinlander German Restaurant, which provided me and Mrs. Sip the opportunity to each try and share samplers of German beers while enjoying a schnitzel club sandwich and cheese fondue. We put together a nice mix of wheat and dark beers, which complimented our meal quite fantastically.

Saturday was the big day of the Beer and Wine Fest. Mrs. Sip and I were proudly rocking our CAMRA BC t-shirts (where the province’s outline is depicted as a mug of beer) and received numerous compliments on them, as we made our way around the convention floor. Of all the products I sampled, my favourites included Calapooia Brewing Chili Beer (which I went back for seconds and thirds!), Wild Ride Brewing Maple Brown, and Ambacht Brewing Ginger Farmhouse.

Has the province of British Columbia ever looked better!?

We also love the festival for all of the other things going on, such as the information and tasting sessions. Our favourite involves the combination of chocolate truffles, paired with various spirits. It’s also a pleasure to meet our fellow enthusiasts, from volunteers, to wine makers, to brewmasters, and the general public, who love beer, wine and spirits.

On Sunday, we traversed Portland’s downtown core, taking advantage of a nice day, for a mini pub crawl. Our stops included Rogue Distillery and Public House, Henry’s Tavern, and Fat Head’s Brewery. This was my second time going to Rogue and everything is great there, from the staff, to the beers and spirits, to the food. Henry’s Tavern had a neat Portland beer taster pack, which went well with some massive bar pretzels. Finally, we learned of Fat Head’s the day before, at the festival, where we were told that great beer could be combined with the best fried pickles in existence. Mrs. Sip and I specifically enjoyed the process of writing in our beer sampler choices, rather than reading them out to the server.

A highlight of any trip across the border is the chance to do some serious liquor shopping. On this occasion, we grabbed bottles of Ardbeg Scotch, Viniq Shimmery Liqueur (which may be the most fascinating alcohol concept I’ve seen in some time), Wild Roots Apple-Cinnamon Vodka, Southern Tier Brewing Crème Brulee Stout, and the Shock Top Winter Mixer pack, I previously mentioned wanting to track down. I also nabbed a couple odd sodas for future mixing, including Peanut Butter & Jelly and Bacon flavours.

We wrapped up the vacation with a visit to The Yardhouse in Seattle. With 110 beers on tap, making menu decisions isn’t easy, but I quickly gravitated towards the Avery White Rascal, which was a very good decision, if I don’t say so myself.

After a weekend that featured so many new and delicious brews, you would think that we’re all beer’d out, but another week brings a whole new set of opportunities, such as the opening of Big Rock’s Vancouver location and perhaps a little rest!

Sip Advisor

The Good, The Bad & The Bubbly

Tag Archives: Sip Trips