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Sip Trips #260: March Mania (Part 2)

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We continue the Sip Family’s Vancouver Island odyssey, leaving Victoria to go ‘up island’. Let’s see what we got up to for the second half of our vacation, as well as finishing the month back at home:

Our next port of call was in the Nanaimo/Ladysmith area. After returning from an afternoon at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, we had dinner at Nanaimo’s Longwood Brewpub. I selected the Scottish Ale to go with my Brewmaster Salad (smoked salmon, chicken, baby shrimp, mixed greens, carrot, cucumber, tomato, feta). I loved the smoked salmon in this dish and would suggest taking the chicken out, in favour of more salmon.

Prior to our journey to Tofino the next day, we quickly stopped at the Old Town Bakery in Ladysmith for Mini Egg Nanaimo Bars and a Peanut Butter Cinnamon Bun. Before reaching Tofino, we also visited Alberni Brewing in Port Alberni. I took advantage of their Beer & Burger for $20 on Tuesdays, choosing the amazing Crispy Chicken Burger to go with my Alberni Blanc pint. The Sip Family also shared a Pretzel Pull Apart.

Reaching Tofino late, we didn’t venture into the tiny town until the next morning. With the Siplings hungry for some breakfast and Mrs. Sip and I wanting something in our stomachs before drinking, we went to the Rhino Bakery, where Triple Chocolate Donuts were eaten by the kids – and some for the Sip Advisor too. I also had the café’s California Chicken Club, which was the perfect meal for a guy who doesn’t love traditional breakfasts.

Up next, was Tofino Brewing, which was already filling up at their noon opening. I opted for the Ethereal IPA, while Mrs. Sip went with the Cosmic Wave Double IPA after sampling a couple brew options.

Unsure of how to spend our three days in that area, we made our way to Ucluelet, drawn the local aquarium, brewery and family restaurant. At Ucluelet Brewing, Mrs. Sip and I shared happy hour pints of In the Mist Marzen and Resurrection Red Irish Red Ale.

We finished our day in Ucluelet with dinner at Howler’s Restaurant, which offers arcade games, billiards and other activities in a family-friendly setting. Being the driver, I merely had a sip of Mrs. Sip’s Dark N’ Stormy, which was the perfect drink for a day filled with constantly changing weather. To eat, we shared a pound of Sesame Daebak Wings ($10 for Wing Wednesday) and two-piece Howler’s Wild Cod Fish & Chips. I also finished off Boy Sip’s order of Chainsaw Popcorn Chicken.

Our final full day began with checking out the Tofino Distillery, where we ordered the Cheeky Tiki (Gin, Beach Fire Cinnamon Liqueur, pineapple, mango, coconut, lime) and Strawberry Whiskey Sour (lemon, strawberry syrup, egg white, bitters), while finishing with a Mini Cocktail Flight: Gin Strawberry Lemonade, Astro (Limoncello, cranberry, lime), Demon Dog (Psychedelic Jellyfish Absinthe, San Pellegrino Blood Orange, lime, bitters).

Following that, Mrs. Sip had to do some work, so I took the kids out for a late lunch/happy hour at Browns Socialhouse. My meal of Social Ale and Steakhouse Sliders was good and the waterfront setting of this restaurant offered much to look at when I wasn’t on dad duty. My only complaint was this Browns didn’t have my usual Sesame Ginger Gyoza, but that offered the opportunity to try something different and I was not disappointed.

For our last dinner, we ate at Roar, inside our Hotel Zed accommodation. My feast started with The Last Wave (Tequila, Maraschino Liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse, Cointreau, lime, habanero chili, pineapple shrub), followed by a serving of Good Night Out/Hotel Zed Quad Hopped Hazy IPA, brewed by Small Gods Brewing. For food, Mrs. Sip and I split the Cedar Planked Salmon, with a side of Seared Scallops.

After checking out of the hotel, we began our return journey to the Duke Point ferry terminal, stopping at two breweries along the way. First, at Twin City Brewing in Port Alberni, I had the Poindexter Hop Swap Pale Ale, while sharing a P.A. Pepperoni Pizza with Mrs. Sip and fighting the Siplings for a scrap of their Biergarten Pretzel. We also had a quick drink at Wolf Brewing in Nanaimo, drawn to the location as Girl Sip is a wolf lover. Here, we downed the Black & Tan (Golden Honey Ale/Dark Malt Porter), with an order of Pretzel Sticks with Beer Cheese. For the road, Mrs. Sip bought a tall can four-pack of their Smoked Doppelbock, which was the feature beer of the week, meaning she got a second four-pack free. Eight beers for $18 seemed like a very good deal to us!

Back home and returning to the regular routine always sucks, so Mrs. Sip and I made sure to take advantage of it being our 24th dating anniversary. We started with early dinner at El Santo, which offers all night happy hour on Mondays and Tuesdays. I munched on Quesabirria, while also sampling Mrs. Sip’s Chili Relleno. To drink, I had a Main Street IPA… not sure which one, but it was good.

That wraps our very busy March. It was enough to make one go mad, but we had so much fun exploring Vancouver Island and even with our time at home before and after the vacation. April will certainly be lighter, but there’s still some fun stuff on the horizon!

Sip Trips #259: March Mania (Part 1)

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March was an incredibly busy month, highlighted by our 10-day excursion to Vancouver Island. There’s so much to discuss, so I’ve decided to split the Sip Family’s activities over two parts. Let’s get right to part one:

Prior to attending a Vancouver Canucks game with a friend, we took advantage of Wing Wednesday at The Pint, where half price chicken wings and cheap pitchers of beer were available. I went with the Hotiyaki Boneless Wings, which were really good. We also split two pitcher of Phillips Tilt Lager, for the very digestible price of $17 per jug. It had been years since I’d visited The Pint and now I will return when possible, especially on Wednesdays.

As for the game itself, I’ve written before about how ridiculous the pricing is for beverages and this was a prime example. A double Spiced Rum and Coke set me back $20, while a Container Manifest Hazy Pale Ale came it at an absurd $28. That’s reason enough to perhaps not renew our quarter-season memberships for 2026-27.

The following week, we met an out-of-town visitor at Naan Club in Coquitlam. The service here was slow, but accurate and the food was really good. I paired the Chicken Sliders with some Masala Fries and enjoyed the combo. I went out on a limb and tried the Masala Coke, asking them to add a shot of Old Monk Rum to the concoction. It was definitely an interesting blend of ingredients, although I might be one and done with this drink selection.

I also got around to sampling the new Hockey Hero Burger at McDonald’s. I liked the three beef patties and bacon, but was surprised you couldn’t add pickles to the sandwich. $8-plus for the item only seemed like a fair price, but the full meal is $15, while you have to fork over $20 if you want the souvenir mini stick. These costs are kind of bonkers for fast food.

As the kid’s spring break began, we met with friends at Kelly O’Bryans. After mulling other options, I went with the standard Chicken Lips N’ Fries, which is such a good meal and something the restaurant is known for. I also enjoyed servings of the Steamworks Hazy Pale Ale and Steel & Oak Red Pilsner, before we let the kiddos run around at the nearby Pier Park playground.

Meeting up with another set of friends the next day, we hit happy hour at The Notorious Grey Fox. I ordered the Notorious Lager, followed by the Shaketown Bruce the Spruce Tip IPA. To eat, I had the Hawaiian Flatbread, which all made for a filling meal.

St. Patrick’s Day saw us head to the ferry and arrive on Vancouver Island. Our first stop of the journey was Brentwood Bay Brewskys Taphouse, where I got into the Irish spirit with a pint of Deadhead Ghost of Paddy Murphy Irish Red and Irish Stir Fry (basically a hash with chorizo, cabbage, potatoes, bacon, etc.), which was a very good dish. This was followed by a visit to the Victoria Butterfly Gardens and dinner at a friend’s place.

Our first full day in Victoria was also Boy Sip’s 6th birthday. We began the festivities with the Haunted Manor Mini Golf, which is one of the neatest mini golf courses I’ve ever been able to play. Many of the holes have players use other devices rather than always swinging a putter. Following our round, we shared a Yonni’s Pretzel, while Mrs. Sip and I had glasses of Hoyne Dark Matter. The rest of Boy Sip’s birthday was filled with all his favourites, from Chicken McNuggets and cheese pizza, to swimming and Marvel movies, with a few treats sprinkled in here and there.

The next day began with a visit to Miniature World, where we viewed the many dioramas on exhibit. This location lacked the hidden naughty and funny finds of the Miniature World in Hamburg, Germany, but it was still impressive to see all the work that goes into these sets.

That evening, we walked to Pinhalla, where we lucked out with a table amongst mostly reserved spots for their trivia night. Over pints of Driftwood White Bark Witbier and Fat Tug IPA, as well as a yummy Char Siu Banh Mi Sandwich, Mrs. Sip and I played the trivia offered by ThinkTank. I liked that each team was given a mini tablet for ease of seeing/hearing questions. A neighbouring team won a round and gave us their pinball tokens for the Siplings to use! Tokens cost 50 cents each, with most games costing two tokens to play. The tokens (we also bought a set) didn’t last long, but the Siplings loved playing the machines available.

The Superflux Cabana was our starting point the next day. We lucked out and came while the eatery was offering $10 flights (3 x 6oz) and half price burgers from 12-1 (Friday through Sunday). So, I got the Cabana Burger with Fries, as Mrs. Sip and I both put together flights to cover much of their menu: Happyness IPA, Mesa Hazy IPA, Coconuts Stout, Easy Tiger Pale Ale, Colour & Shape Hazy IPA, and The Creamery Blueberry Pancakes. This drinking stop was largely made to give Mrs. Sip the courage to hold the inhabitants of our next stop, the Bug Zoo!

For dinner that afternoon, we went to Craft Beer Market, where I paired the Mount Arrowsmith Ridgeline Hazy IPA with the Teriyaki Salmon Zen Bowl, a dish that was right up my alley. The bowl was so good it has encouraged me to return to the Vancouver location, after many years of not going following our move from Downtown Vancouver. Following dinner, we made sure the Siplings got some amazing desserts at Chocolats Favoris on Sweet Street.

Another day, another meal, this time with us trying the Sticky Wicket Pub. I had penciled the Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap in for my order the night before, but was thrown a curve ball when Mrs. Sip asked if I could go with Cream of Squash Soup as my side instead of fries. The joke was on her though, as I quite enjoyed the soup myself. To drink, I went with the Small Gods Promised Land Hazy Pale Ale, which was very good.

That wrapped our Victoria stay and we were off “up island” to other locales. While we didn’t get to as many Victoria breweries as I had originally hoped (Driftwood, Whistle Buoy, etc.), we would make up for that on our other island getaway stops, as seen in part two soon.

Sip Trips #257: Disney Daze

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The highlight of January was the Sip Family’s final trip to the Disneyland Resort on our Magic Key annual passes. Let’s see what we got up to on our swan song to the happiest place on earth:

Just prior to leaving for California, I took advantage of the BC Liquor Stores flash sale, picking up the Nutrl Tropical pack (pineapple, watermelon, peach, mango, grapefruit), which was $10 cheaper than usual. That said, I’m not sure I like Nutrl products, compared to sweeter, fizzier offerings from other companies. One pro to them is Mrs. Sip can enjoy them even when she’s on the keto diet.

After landing in Anaheim, we settled into our hotel and crossed the street for lunch at Mimi’s Café. I ordered a pair of Firestone 805 Blonde Ale from their very limited selection of draft beers, to go along with the Mike’s Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich. While I appreciated the plethora of pickles on the sando, I found it didn’t have much sauce/flavour to it.

We then used the bus service to go to Target to pick up room drinks and snacks for the duration of our stay. I grabbed the White Claw Variety 24 Pack (blackberry, tangerine, black cherry, green apple, mango, peach), as I was particularly curious about and wanted to try the Green Apple variant. While I enjoyed that drink, it sadly replaced Watermelon in this set, which is among my preferred flavours. I didn’t pick up any hard liquor at this point, not wanting to buy too much to drink, but would later grab a bottle of Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime Rum and mixers from Walgreens.

We went into this trip knowing it would be our last for some time. Therefore, we wanted to enjoy all the food and drink we previously hadn’t, while also retuning to a few memorable favourites. On our first day, we tried the Cheesy Garlic Brat, which was very satisfying with good mix of flavours going on and the Beef Birria Toasted Cheese, another good meal, where I especially enjoyed the consommé.

Hopping over to the California Adventure park, we set the Siplings up with a Quantum Pretzel, a longtime family favourite often eaten by them as myself/Mrs. Sip ride Guardians of the Galaxy. We also grabbed beers in the form of the Ommegang Neon Rainbows IPA and SLO Brew Cali-Squeeze.

Our second park day was dedicated to celebrating Mrs. Sip’s birthday. To begin the occasion on the right foot, we did a walk up reservation for Oga’s Cantina. The bar was set to close after this day, so it was good to get the experience in while we could. To eat, we shared the Garlic-Cheese Five Blossom Bread with Spicy Cheese Sauce. To drink, Mrs. Sip and I ordered the Yub Nub (pineapple rum, spiced rum, citrus juices, passionfruit) and Fuzzy Tauntaun (peach vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, pure cane sugar, tingling foam), followed by a pair of brews in the Jogan Blossom Hazy IPA and Bad Motivator IPA.

After letting the Siplings build a droid to take home, which Mrs. Sip attributes to her early buzz, we were off to our lunch reservation at Lamplight Lounge. Mrs. Sip and I shared a bottle of Les Jamelles Chardonnay, along with the Sea Monster Smash (rye whiskey, blueberry syrup, mint, lemon juice, passionfruit syrup, blueberries). For food, I went with the Chef’s Special (Mongolian Steak dish with noodles), which was very good. I was happy it was available prior to other Lunar New Year releases, having read about its existence and hoping it would already be on the menu. The glaze/sauce and smattering of green onions on the steak were delicious, while the $34 price tag seemed pretty reasonable. I shared this dish with Mrs. Sip, who ordered the Charbroiled Cheddar Burger to round out our meal.

Later that evening, the Sip Family shared the Cookie Butter Churro Sundae from the Golden Horseshoe, which provided a decadent dessert to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s birthday!

The next day, we were craving lunch on the San Fransokyo Wharf. I went with the Karaage-inspired Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Brewery X Tokyo Tea Hard Seltzer from Lucky Fortune Cookery, while Mrs. Sip picked up the San Fransokyo Clam Chowder and Pizza Port Coastin’ Tropical IPA from Aunt Cass Café. I was allowed to steal a bite and sip of each. When my meal originally came out incorrect, the stall gave me a free order of Pot Stickers for the minimal delay, which was a nice touch.

We spent the rest of the day grabbing beverages around the park, as the Siplings played at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. These drinks included:

  • Green Cheek West Coast IPA – great value at $14.25 for a 7.2% ABV brew
  • Crown & Hops The Dopest Hazy IPA – a nice hazy that I wanted to try
  • Study Break Strawburst Hard Seltzer – tasted like a strawberry Starburst candy, but I was disappointed it didn’t come with any ice
  • Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade – love this beverage with it’s $15 price tag and 10% ABV

As I tried to get us one more drink while we were relaxing in the Animation Building, I was refused service after presenting Canadian ID because I didn’t have a passport on me. This was the first time that had happened for years to me, which was always a bullshit policy. Like, I just handed you government-issued ID that would be accepted anywhere else in the world that shows not only am I of your country’s ridiculous legal drinking age, but I’m double it. This had me considering not spending another cent further in the parks. A tough task, given we had 3.5 days left.

My boycott didn’t last long, as we hit the Carthay Circle Lounge the next day upon its opening. Here we had a fantastic little meal, consisting of the Carthay Sopes (red mole braised duck, pepitas, cilantro crema) for Mrs. Sip and Soy Glazed Salmon with soba noodles and cashew cucumber salsa for me. I paired my tremendous dish with a serving of Stone Delicious IPA. Mrs. Sip was between two wines, so they let her try both, which earned the server bonus points. We wrapped the meal, rewarding the Siplings for good behaviour, with the scrumptious S’mores Sundae.

Later in the day, we purchased servings of Brewery X Green Melon Hard Seltzer and Gin Lavender Lemonade Cocktail. Also, looking for a mid-afternoon snack, Mrs. Sip ordered the Chili Cone Queso, which has inspired me to make Frito Pie at home. While in the Cozy Cones area, we also picked up the Tarantula Hill Salt & Lime Mango Soju Michelada to wash the food down.

That night, with Girl Sip requesting some fruit, I grabbed the Pineapple Parfait from the Galactic Grill. Despite getting the item for Girl Sip, I enjoyed it too and ended up eating a fair portion of the treat.

We had great weather for most of our vacation, but it did rain periodically one of the days. Thankfully, Mrs. Sip had secured a reservation at the Magic Key Terrace, so we hunkered down there for a couple hours to wait out the wet stuff. Mrs. Sip and I split the Arancini and Fonduta appies, while I enjoyed servings of the Amalfi Sunset Paloma (tequila, watermelon juice, agave, lemon juice) and Harland Hazy IPA.

Having only a light lunch, I finally tried the Filipino Feast Burrito, which I had failed to purchase on our December visit. I liked the pork belly and sweet chili sauce of this dish. Pairing it with a glass of Particle Fizz (blue raspberry lemonade hard seltzer) completed the impromptu meal.

We also finally got our hands on the Chocolate Croissant Cookie that had eluded us due to long lines. How did we like it? I mean, where can you go wrong with this combo!?

The resorts Lunar New Year Festival kicked off on our last park day, so we had mere hours to enjoy the food and drink offerings. We ripped through an entire Sip and Savor pass, trying as many items as possible amongst all the folks who fancy themselves influencers. Here’s what we ate and drank along the way:

  • Five Spice Popcorn Chicken
  • Mickey-shaped Hot Dog Bun
  • Japchae Noodles with Braised Short Ribs
  • Kung Pao Bao with Impossible Chicken
  • Quesabirria Eggroll
  • Spicy Chicken Wings
  • Guava Dragon Fruit Vodka Cocktail (vodka, Lemonade, mineral water, guava and dragon fruit syrups)
  • Red Envelope Margarita (tequila, orange juice, sweet and sour, raspberry purée, blood orange syrup, gold shimmer)
  • Yuja-Melon Cocktail (gin, Lillet Blanc, yuja purée, rock melon syrup)
  • Honeydew Colada (rum, melon liqueur, honeydew cream, coconut cream, sweet and sour, topped with pineapple Dole Whip slushy)
  • Soju Cocktail Flight – Peach Yogurt Soju Cocktail (soju, Sprite, white peach syrup, yogurt), Mango Soju Cocktail (soju, Sprite, mango purée, sweet and sour), Green Apple Soju Cocktail (soju, grapefruit liqueur, green apple syrup, sweet and sour)

Everything was pretty good and I wish we had more time to enjoy the festival features. Items we hoped to get, but missed out on were the Korean Pork Belly Pizza and Bulgogi Fries.

To reward and feed the kids we bought them a final Quantum Pretzel, while Mrs. Sip and I shared the Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing. I’ll have to find a local place that makes giant pretzels, so we can recreate the memories at home. Not sure how I’ll recreate Avengers Campus, though.

That put a massive bow on our year with Magic Key annual passes. It was a fantastic run of five trips to Anaheim and a total of 32 park days! One day, we’ll be able to tell our grandkids that we spent a whole month of the year in Disneyland!

Best of 2025

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2025 was a fun year. The Sip Family made four journeys to the Disneyland Resort, each during a different season and to celebrate different occasions. We also enjoyed our first full year in our new home, being able to entertain friends and family again, while exploring parts of our province on weekend road trips. On average, I’d say we get up to something significant about once a month, so here’s 12 highlights from 2025:

Home, Sweet Home

New year, new home. We kicked off 2025 with a bang, inviting friends to check out our new abode. For the occasion, I served a Sip Advisor original cocktail, offering the Home, Sweet Home (Southern Comfort, spiced rum, pomegranate juice, lemonade, club soda) to guests. The party provided a great launch pad for the year to come.

Year of the Snake

Our first of four trips to Disneyland under our Magic Key year passes occurred at the end of January. While at the resort, we took advantage of the Lunar New Year Festival celebrations, trying a number of Asian treats, both savoury and sweet. We feasted throughout the visit, trying many dishes and drinks inside and out of the park.

Whiskey Business

Always a highlight of the years I’m able to make the event, I enjoyed the 2025 edition of the Regiment Whiskey Tasting. Pa Sip joined for the first time and got into the whiskeys served, despite traditionally sticking to other libations. We have tickets to the 2026 event already lined up, so looking forward to a repeat performance from the crew.

SoCal Bound

For the second straight year, we spent spring break on the road, once again making our way to Southern California. We spent eight days at Disneyland, broken up by a quick expedition to the Legoland Resort for a couple nights. Cousin Sip and her brood were with us for some of the vacation, providing a different experience for the Siplings.

Crawl to Order

At the end of the Easter long weekend, Mrs. Sip was due in Kelowna for work and with some time off days to spare, I decided to join her. When her work ended earlier than anticipated, we got to do a bit of a crawl around the downtown area, hitting a number of craft breweries, eateries and bars. We even won trivia on our arrival night.

Read Between the Wines

For the May long weekend, we found ourselves in Osoyoos, staying at the Spirit Ridge resort. There, we dragged the kids around on a full-day winery tour, which they behaved pretty good on. Their reward: taking advantage of the resort’s facilities, including letting the kids play in the pool while enjoying beverages from the sidelines.

While the Kids Are Away…

For two glorious weeks in the summer, Ma and Pa Sip took the Siplings on a tour throughout the province to visit distant family. This offered Mrs. Sip and I some time to ourselves without worrying about childcare and we took full advantage, attending a number of events, while also getting away for the August long weekend in Peachland.

Island Hopping

Once the kids were back with us, there was little time to rest and relax. The next day we were off to Vancouver Island for the communion of a friend’s two children. We stayed in Qualicum Beach, visiting both breweries the small town offers, while also giving the kids ample opportunity to swim and ride the waterslides of our accommodation.

Halloween Already?

At the end of August, we were off to Disneyland again, where the resort was already celebrating the Halloween season. Aside from using our year passes another time, this trips focus was to celebrate my and Mrs. Sip’s 13th wedding anniversary and we did so in style, with meals at both the Blue Bayou and Lamplight Lounge.

Speakeasies and Sinners

To celebrate a friend’s 40th birthday, we took off to Las Vegas for the first time since 2023. The birthday boy put together an amazing itinerary that took us to numerous speakeasies, restaurants and entertainment attractions. We were so busy, we never even made it to the pool, which was a reason we booked the hotel we did.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas is a magical time and particularly at the Disney parks, which go all out with lighting, decorations, food and drink to fill the season with merriment. We also celebrated Ma Sip’s birthday on this getaway and Mrs. Sip and I explored the City Center of Anaheim for the first time, learning about a new to us amazing area.

Christmastime is Here

Christmas at home is amazing too. We spent the season cramming many festive activities into our busy schedule. Best of all, I had time off from work from Christmas Day until early January, which offered a wonderful mix of doing things and doing nothing at all, seeing friends and spending quality time with the Sip Family.

2026 has a lot to live up to. I’m optimistic it can be another fantastic year, full of good times with great people. Don’t let me down 2026!

Sip Trips #255: Disneyland Desires

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To begin the month, the Sip Family set off for another trip to Disneyland, looking to enjoy all the festive decorations, treats and even drinks the resort offers during the Christmas season. Here’s what we got up to over our weeklong stay in Anaheim:

Upon arriving, we did a quick shopping stop at Target, procuring supplies for our stay. I grabbed the White Claw Surge Variety Pack, featuring Lime, Blood Orange, Cranberry and Blackberry flavours, all at a whopping 8% ABV per can. I also picked up a bottle of Mr. Pibb, looking to try the competitor of my precious Dr. Pepper.

With Ma and Pa Sip taking the Sipplings out for a Christmas train experience, Mrs. Sip and I were afforded a date night. I decided to take us to the City Center of Anaheim, which presented an abundance of neat options. We started our crawl with dinner at Craft by Smoke & Fire, which I had often seen recommendations for on Disneyland Facebook groups. There, I had the Mile High Loaded Fries with Baldwin Burger (smash burger) toppings, paired with a Villains Hazy IPA.

While searching for my next hopeful stop, we stumbled upon The Packing House, which is a really cool food hall venue, filled with great places to eat and drink. While my intention was to check out The Blind Rabbit speakeasy, we weren’t able to get in. Instead, we had a cocktail at the BXCR Underground Bar, which looks like a train boxcar. I tried the C-League, containing mezcal, cucumber and cilantro. Mrs. Sip, looking for a caffeine pick-me-up, went with an Espresso Martini.

Across the street was Unsung Hero Brewing, where we shared a trio of beers in the Propeller Head Amber Ale with Coffee, Chocolate Snowball Imperial Blonde Ale and St. Nick R. Doodle Imperial Blonde Ale. I liked seeing all the old action figures that made up the façade of this location.

On our way to what was supposed to be our next stop, we came across the Broken Spirits Distillery, where Mrs. Sip had the delicious Ghost Host (mezcal, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur, hibiscus, lime juice) and I had the Ella Baila Sola (tequila, curacao, lime juice, tamarind-infused agave, chile de arbol tincture, tajin rim). The theming at this place was so cool, with all the Haunted Mansion-esque elements.

Our final stop was Villains Brewing next door. Here, we shared a pint of We Will Never Financially Recover from This Red Ale as we walked around the sprawling facility, enjoying all the art and decorations that highlighted the movie villain motif.

Throughout our days in Disneyland, we used our Festival of Holidays pass to try a number of savoury servings. These included: Braised Pork Belly Adobo, Beef Brisket Slider, Chorizo Queso Fundido, Holiday Pizza (not available on the pass), The Holiday Duet (Al Pastor and Savory Kugel Mac & Cheeses), and Spicy Cajun Loaded Fries.

We also dove head first into as many sweet treats as we could possibly handle. Among them: Cinnamon Bun Pretzel, …Don’t forget the Milk & Cookies, Fluffernutter Churro, Red Velvet Mickey Waffles, Elf Mickey Shake, Ookie Wookie Cookie, Holiday M&M’s Éclair, and Cookie Dough Yule Log. The final two items were available on the food pass.

For this trip’s Drink Around DCA: The Revenge, we had to hit as many locations throughout the park, rather than one in each land for one day. Here’s what we achieved over our stay:

  • Award Wieners – Seaborn Blood Orange Cinnamon Margarita
  • Hollywood Lounge – Spiced Pomegranate Cocktail, Seaborn CranMerry Lime Margarita, Keg Craft Berry Sangria, Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale
  • Pym Tasting Lab/Kitchen – Slo-Brew Cali Squeeze, Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing
  • Cozy Cones – Second Chance Brewing Frosty the Hazeman IPA
  • Flo’s Diner – Noble Ale Works Pink Lemonade Seltzer, Brewery X Fender Bender IPA
  • Sanfransokyo Cervezia – Karl Strauss Golden Stout
  • Magic Key Terrace – Sea Witch, Mystical Magical
  • Sonoma Terrace – Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Craftwell Prickly Pear Margarita
  • Mendocino Terrace – Red Wine for Mrs. Sip
  • Bayside Brews – Brewery X Spiced Sangria Seltzer, Rincon Reservation Road Rez Dog Hefeweizen
  • Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta – Brewery X Huckleberry Seltzer
  • Lamplight Lounge – GameCraft Red Ale, bottle of bubbly for Ma and Mrs. Sip
  • Smokejumpers Grill – Berry Pomegranate Paloma
  • Festival of Holidays – Study Break Peppermint Mocha Hard Seltzer, Salted Caramel Brownie White Russian, Kern River Winter IPA, Cranberry Christmas Mule

Almost each day of our visit, we had a notable dining experience on the schedule. First up, was the Magic Key Terrace. I went with the Sea Witch (Raspberry Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Blue Curacao, cranberry juice, Sprite) cocktail on secret menu. To eat, we all did the Prix Fix menu, in order to get preferred seating to that night’s World of Color show. My feast consisted of the House Caesar Salad and Roasted Half Chicken, both of which were good and plentiful. The kids’ meals, on the other hand, were disappointing. Miniscule servings throughout despite a $44 price tag. Only two orange wedges and a tiny cup of yogurt for starters and a small plate of pasta for mains, as well as no toppings for vanilla ice cream desserts. We did have very good service from Quiana, who tried her best to remedy our disappointment in the kids’ servings.

Next up, was a surprise reservation opening up for Storyteller’s Café and the Mickey’s Christmas Carol Feast Dinner. It was very cool getting to have a Scrooge McDuck character experience, as he has long been among my favourite Disney characters. The buffet included a very diverse lineup, with the Sip Advisor filling his plate with broccoli crunch salad, chicken strips, beef tenderloin, homemade potato chips, and teriyaki chicken, while my beverage of choice was the Stereo Brewing IPA. My only disappointment here was the dessert options. Nothing really spoke to me, aside from the chocolate chip cookies, but by the time I took both kids to the bathroom, the plate was gone, only to be replaced with gingerbread and lemon options. The ice cream selection was also odd, with mango and passionfruit sorbet being available, rather than good ol’ vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

A couple days later, we were at Lamplight Lounge. My combo included the GameCraft Red Ale and Charbroiled Cheddar Burger with Bacon. I really loved the garlic parmesan fries that accompanied my meal and we all enjoyed being out in the California sun, watching the happenings of the park going on around us.

On our last park day, to celebrate Ma Sip’s birthday, we feasted at the Blue Bayou. I repeated my meal from my and Mrs. Sip’s wedding anniversary lunch in August, once again enjoying the Karl Strauss 70th Anniversary IPA and Monte Cristo sandwich. Our seats this time weren’t as good as the last, but the ambiance was still enjoyed by the group.

One other note from our vacation, this was the first of our trips where we struggled to get a reservation day we wanted. I maintain it’s messed up we pay so much for our passes and can only get four days at a time. There should be a cap, but four seems too little. It was also odd that we were able to book eight days over spring break and six days at the end of August with no issue, but a Tuesday in early December was trouble, while every single day around it – including the Friday – came up as available while we tried for the elusive Tuesday. You had to wonder if it was some kind of glitch. As we were leaving the park after closing, Mrs. Sip finally landed the reservation, so all ended well, but we basically spent a good chunk of the day each constantly refreshing the page, hoping to get our booking in.

That wraps another very eventful stay at the Disneyland Resort, where you feel a vacation is needed as you return from one. It was awesome family time together and worth every early morning to late night stay!

Sip Trips #252: Sinful Secrets

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Amongst all the chaos of September, Mrs. Sip and I managed to squeeze in a trip to Las Vegas, celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday. Here’s what we got up to in Sin City:

Our trek began with a delayed flight out of Vancouver, which allowed us to enjoy a drink and snack at Romer’s Kitchen & Bar. I ordered the Steamworks Flagship IPA, while Mrs. Sip and I split some Truffle Fries.

Finally arriving in Vegas late at night and after enduring a long check in process at our Resorts World Hilton accommodation, we journeyed to the nearby Peppermill & Fireside Lounge. By the time we got there, the late night (11pm-2am) happy hour was in effect, so we shared the Nachos Nachos Nachos with Al Pastor, which we liked as there wasn’t nacho cheese sauce on the dish, making the nachos soggy. To drink, we had the Atomic Duck IPA and Mango Drop Mango Wheat Ale, both from Able Baker Brewing. We liked this funky place, sitting on the Fireside Lounge side, heckling the 70s and 80s music videos that were playing.

The next day was our food tour, through Secret Food Tours. We paid $96 US each, after taking advantage of the company’s 20% discount offer during the summer. I opted for the Downtown tour over Strip tour, as more tastings were offered for a cheaper rate. One upside of the Strip tour is they go to a couple celebrity chef locations, if that’s your thing. The Downtown tour focuses on hidden gems and favourites of locals.

Our guide Katrina was fantastic and we lucked out with a private tour, as no one else booked for that day. To begin, we were taken inside the California Hotel and Casino, which despite its name has many Hawaiian-themed elements and offers travel packages to Hawaii residents. As a result, the Aloha Specialties Restaurant is a favourite of visitors and locals alike, and where we dined on Teriyaki Chicken and Spam Musubi. Both dishes were very good, with the teriyaki sauce being a highlight. I wanted to hook it to me veins!

Up next was some chocolates (Red Velvet Truffle, Almond Butter Krisp, milk and dark chocolates) from Ethel M. Chocolates. Due to an issue our guide was having with paying for items due to Aloha Specialties system being down, a stop at Lappert’s Ice Cream was added to the itinerary. There, we had large scoops of Hawaiian Salted Caramel and Coconut Pineapple ice cream.

We then travelled to the Circa Resort & Casino, where we visited Saginaw’s Deli for a shrimp cocktail. Shrimp cocktails are a Vegas staple, particularly in the long history of the Downtown area, so it was neat to try this version.

From there, we continued to walk through Fremont Street and ended up at Dirt Dog. Here, we tried the Elote Dog, which was loaded with Mexican ingredients, such as corn and cotija cheese. We also grabbed our first beverage of the day, with Mrs. Sip wanting to try their Get Trashed cocktail, complete with tequila soda, watermelon Red Bull, soju and a chamoy rim.

Up next was Evel Pie, an Evel Knievel-themed pizza joint. I’ve always been fascinated with the stuntman, so visiting the eatery was a cool experience. Our Hog Heaven pizza slice was delicious and I loved checking out all the memorabilia that adorned the walls.

The Container Park then summoned us, as we popped into Bin 702 for their Lobster Crudito sandwich. With happy hour on the horizon, we got servings of the restaurant’s Bin 702 Blonde Ale and North 5th IPA.

The final stop of the tour was Sorry Not Sorry Creamery, where we put some icing on the cake with bowls of Blackberry Basque Cake and Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll ice cream. I’d say my only complaint of the tour was that two servings of ice cream was a lot, although we appreciated that the one earlier was a add on.

With our friends now arrived, we were off to Area 15 for an evening of entertainment. Unfortunately, our late start meant that many of the attractions we wanted to see with our Level 3B pass (two day passes for $135 each) were already booked up, while others were closed for private events/maintenance. As a result, we’d have to return the next day. Our main event on this night was checking out Universal Horror Unleashed, the closest thing Mrs. Sip was going to get to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios parks. We enjoyed the four-house exhibit, getting spooked a few times along the routes.

Following the walkthrough, we went over to the main Area 15 building for some food and drinks at The Beast. Mrs. Sip and I split the Bavarian Pretzel, while I enjoyed the Firestone Hazy IPA. We also nibbled on our friends serving of nachos, as all dishes are so much larger than we get at home.

Back to Area 15 the next day, we started at the John Wick Experience, which is a cool escape room type activity, where some stellar actors lead you through getting out of The Continental assassin safe zone. We really enjoyed our pre- and post-event cocktails here, trying the Fortune Favors the Bold (mezcal, peach liqueur, lemon juice, honey, firewater bitters) and The Mother F*cking King (bourbon, peach puree, Thai chili syrup, thyme).

Prior to heading back into the main Area 15 building to experience Dopeameme, Wink and VR games, we grabbed some grub at The Beast food truck. Mrs. Sip and I shared a trio of Queso Tacos, one each of beef, chicken and pork, along with a tall-can of Able Baker Signal Mango Wheat Ale. Then a wild windstorm picked up and we ran for refuge inside.

Our main event this evening was two-fold. We began with a spectacular feast at Herbs & Rye, an old school steakhouse off strip. I loved how their cocktail menu was broken up over different eras, with my selections being the Lion’s Tail (bourbon, all spice dram, bar syrup, lime, bitters) and Weekend at the Waldorf (rum, orange curacao, lime, strawberries). To eat, I went with the Filet Mignon with Mushrooms, while we got a flight of various sauces to go with the meats. Best of all, the restaurant offers happy hour pricing on all their steaks throughout the day, so it was very reasonably priced. My friend and I both celebrating September birthdays were given complimentary desserts of chocolate chip cookies skillets, completing our absolutely amazing meal. That was followed by a trip to the Sphere to watch some DJs our friends were interested in. While not my type of music, per se, I appreciated the unique experience and was happy to finally see what all the hype is about when folks talk about the venue.

Day three offered us a chance to check out the Strip and we took full advantage. We began with lunch at Ole Red, after striking out at both Beer Park (long wait for seats) and Bottled Blonde (no servers approached out table, so we left after 10 minutes). At Ole Red, Mrs. Sip and I split the Triple Decker Club, paired with Loaded Tots and a side of Cornbread. My beverage of choice was the Elysian Space Dust.

From there, we walked to the nearby Fuel Bar, a favourite spot of mine and Mrs. Sip, for a pair of Lynchburg Lemonades to enjoy as we continued walking. Speaking of walking bevvies, a couple others I particularly enjoyed on this vacation were the Smirnoff Ice Red, White & Berry and Clubtails Long Island Iced Tea. In our travels, I also picked up a unique Twix Snickerdoodle chocolate bar that was very tasty.

Our walk led us to the Arte Museum, where we checked out the immersive exhibits for a bit. We also made a point of visiting the Chef Food Truck (from the movie Chef), splitting a very good The Chef Cubano between our group.

We then started making our way back to our resort, with stops at The Chandelier (Cosmopolitan) for their rare Verbena Cocktail and Yard House (LINQ) for the Firestone Cali Squeeze Blood Orange, which one of our group really wanted to get their hands on.

Still on our trek back, we popped into a pair of speakeasy locations. First up, was The Count Room at The Flamingo, where I enjoyed the Revision Vegas As F*ck IPA. That was followed by Here Kitty Kitty at Resorts World, where we used our $100 food and beverage credit for staying at the hotel. My drink of choice was the Walk of Shame (mezcal, lemon juice, ginger syrup, coconut water).

The next morning, Mrs. Sip and I sadly had to check out, but luckily our friends were staying another night, so we were able to store our stuff in their room. We made our way back downtown, beginning with brunch at Broken Yolk Café. There, I had the Pucker Up Lemonade, combined with the Biscuits and Gravy.

One more speakeasy was on our friend’s must visit list and that was The Underground at The Mob Museum. This was an awesome place, feeling as close to a real speakeasy as you could find, complete with a password that changes each day. The memorabilia found around the room of this place, documenting the prohibition era, was fascinating. To drink, I had the Moonshine Mayhem (moonshine, pineapple, tea, cardamom), while Mrs. Sip – at my suggestion – went with the Banana Anna (cachaça, banana rum, pineapple, lime, walnut bitters, egg whites). Once a QR code for a secret menu was found, Mrs. Sip had to get the Bath Fizz (basically a Sloe Gin Fizz), served out of a mini bathtub.

Continuing on, we got a ride over to Beer Zombies, where Mrs. Sip and I got pints of the Punktoberfest and Silence of the Haze Imperial IPA. Another ride took us to The Stray Pirate, which was an amazingly themed bar, making you think you were sailing the seas. I ordered the Robbing the Gulf (tequila, watermelon, lime, jalapeño, italicus, tajin), which hit the spot.

Retuning to our resort, we had a parting drink at Allē Lounge on 66, which provided a spectacular view of the Strip. I drank the Chuckie (whiskey, apricot liqueur, pecan bitters, lemon juice, ginger beer), while we reminisced about all the wonderful experiences we’d shared.

The only thing we didn’t get to do, was travel the strip in one of the driverless vehicles now offered. The wait to take one was just too long and Mrs. Sip and I needed to get to the airport. While waiting and hoping our vehicle would arrive, I did grab a serving of College Street Big Blue Van Blueberry Wheat Ale from one of the nearby bars. This brew was yummy and a good way to end the debauchery.

As we waited for our flight to board, I purchased a bottle of Bacardi Caribbean Spiced at the Duty Free (aka Dufry, as if shortening the name by three letters and a space was necessary). The rum blends Caribbean spices with pineapple and coconut, which I’m looking forward to trying in the future.

That ends another very successful trip to Las Vegas. The city always changes and we’re happy to embrace those variances. On this occasion, we spent more time off Strip than on, which was different than most of our sojourns there. October will be an interesting month and you’ll hear all about it here – same Sip time, same Sip channel!

Sip Trips #250: Disney Discoveries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sip Trips #244: Theme Park Therapy

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March was very busy, with half the month taken up by our road trip to Southern California, including visits to the Disneyland and Legoland resorts. There’s much to cover, so let’s get right to it:

Our first activity of March was a date night offered by the visiting Ma and Pa Sip. Mrs. Sip desired doing a local pub trivia, so we found ourselves at Hops for the occasion. We really enjoyed the trivia here, presented by Vancouver Trivia Party. It was challenging, but not to a ridiculous level. Over the course of the event, I enjoyed two pints of Granville Island Lions Winter Ale. One other trivia note, I would love to see a trivia that divides team scores by the number of players on the team. I feel Mrs. Sip and I would win a lot of the events we attend as a duo if that was the case.

As the middle of the month approached, we were on the road, SoCal bound. Along the way, we stopped in places like Springfield, Oregon and Sacramento, California, completing the journey to Anaheim in just three days. Along the way, I picked up drinking supplies such as Kirkland Dark Rum and Hard Seltzers (Black Cherry, Lime, Mango, Raspberry). Later in the vacation, we would restock our supplies with a case of Truly Unruly Hard Seltzer (Tropical Twist, Berry Blast, Citrus Crush, Strawberry Smash) and bottles of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and 1800 Pineapple Ultimate Margarita.

Finally at our first destination, we met up with Cousin Sip and her brood for a day visiting nearby Irvine. While the kids played in bouncy castles and rode the carousel at Great Park, the adults took advantage of the onsite beer garden. Next up was a trip to Left Coast Brewing, where I tried both the 949 Heff American-Style Hefeweizen and Bacon on Shift Bacon Porter. To eat, Mrs. Sip and I split the Slider Combo – Smoked Brisket and Tri Tip were our choices – while the Sipplings snacked on the Chicken Popper Plate, which was like a kid’s dream charcuterie platter, complete with popcorn chicken, fries and potato chips. Ah, who am I kidding, that’s my dream charcuterie platter!

Our time at Disneyland, which included eight days over two separate stints, was largely spent enjoying all the offerings of the California Food & Wine Festival. And by “all the offerings”, I really mean that. We tried almost every item available, using our Sip and Savor passes.

Food we tried, included (with my ranking in brackets): Mini LA Street Dog (5), Birria Mac & Cheese (4), Sirloin Gruyere Mac & Cheese (4.5), Smoked Hawaiian Pizza (4.25), Chicken Taquitos Ahogados (3.75), Loaded Carnitas Pretzel Bites (4.5), Musubi Fried Rice (5), AsaDOS (3.5), Shrimp Papas Locas (4.25), Salsa Verde Chicharron Tacos (4), Burrata Toast (4), Mickey Snickers Macaron (4.5), Café De Olla Tres Leches Cake (1.5), Lemon Pepper Wings (3.75), and Corn Chip Chili Pie with Impossible Beef (3.5).

Our favourites, by far, were the Mini LA Street Dog and Musubi Fried Rice, with both being enjoyed multiple times. The Café De Olla Tres Leches Cake was rated so low because despite looking great, Mrs. Sip and I aren’t fans of coffee, so didn’t fully appreciate this dessert. About the only item that was on my list that I didn’t get my hands on was the Thai-inspired Burrito. I noted to Mrs. Sip that our next Disneyland adventure will be interesting food wise, as with our last two treks featuring the Lunar New Year and Food & Wine Festivals, we haven’t really been able to focus on our traditional edible favourites.

We also drank our way through the park, enjoying beverages such as the Cantarito-style Paloma, Watermelon Cucumber Mojito, 4 Sons CocoNutorious Coconut Amber Ale, Latitude 33 Honey Hips Honey Ale, Endless Summer Cherry Cola Hard Seltzer, Seaborn Lavender Lemonade, Hamilton Family Tow Mango Double IPA, Stereo Perfect Day IPA, Cocktail Flight (Lychee Melon, California Wine, Strawberry and Cola), Pickle Whiskey Sour, Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Strawberry Horchata with Rum, Bottle Logic Paloma Hard Seltzer, Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Hazy Imperial IPA, Brewery X Baja Breeze, Tarantula Hazy Liquid Candy IPA, Topa Topa Chief Peak IPA, Karl Strauss Boat Shoes Hazy IPA, and Guava Lychee Cocktail.

Some notes here, I can’t believe how much beers cost in the park now. When Mrs. Sip and I first started drinking at Disneyland, you could fetch a brew for about $8. Now, the price has doubled, which is so much worse for our Canadian currency conversion. I’ve begun looking for the best ‘bang for your buck’ deals around the park, typically finding it with hard seltzers and cocktails that offer a higher alcohol content with surprisingly lower prices. For example, the Paloma Hard Seltzer is the best deal in the park, at 12% ABV for only $12. Similarly, the Brewery X Baja Breeze comes in at 10% ABV for $13.50. I should also mention how much I enjoyed the Cantarito-style Paloma and Pickle Whiskey Sour, both limited edition items as part of the Food & Wine Festival. The 4 Sons CocoNutorious Coconut Amber Ale was also very good, presented as part of the Festival’s Beer Garden.

Among our escapades in the park was sitting down at the Magic Key Terrace. We used to frequent this oasis among the chaos long before it was exclusive to annual pass holders, so it was interesting to return. Neither the food nor drink menu really impressed me, but I did try the one cocktail I had highlighted in my research for the trip, the Shipwreck (White Rum, Passion Fruit Liqueur, Orgeat, Coconut Milk, Lime Juice, Dark Rum Float, Aromatic Bitters), despite not enjoying coconut milk or cocktails that contain milky substances. While not a bad drink, I should have stuck to my preferences. Mrs. Sip ordered the Drop In… If You Dare (Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Maraschino Cherry Mix) and Nutmeg secret menu cocktail (Dark Rum, Frangelico, Irish Crème, Apricot Liqueur).

Outside the park, we had one lunch at Ballast Point in the Downtown Disney area of the resort. I had the Poke Bowl, which I had previously enjoyed last year. To drink, I went with the Aloha Sculpin IPA, which paired nicely with my meal.

In between our two stints at Disneyland, we spent a weekend at Legoland, including staying at the resort’s Castle Hotel. Over the course of our stay, we ate at the Knights Smokehouse Barbecue inside the park, which has some of the best Chicken Strips I’ve ever eaten. Mrs. Sip and I combined our food with servings of the Latitude 33 Blood Orange IPA and Stone Delicious Hazy IPA. We also had a meal at the restaurant in our hotel, the Dragon’s Den. I ordered the Castle Burger with House Salad (about some of the only greens I had over our two-week expedition), with a pint of Thorn Hopster Hop Hazy IPA.

On our voyage home, we had one dinner at Red Lobster. I had been craving the Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl for some time and of course ate it on this occasion. We had stumbled upon the restaurant’s happy hour when we sat down, so it was very easy to order a pint of Blue Moon with my main course. Our meal was completed with sharing the Brownie Overboard dessert.

That puts a bow on a wild and frenetic March. April has a lot to live up to, but maybe it’s a good thing to have a quieter month every once in a while. Other than Easter, which will have its fair share of extracurriculars, I can’t think of much else of note on the horizon.

Sip Trips #242: Disneyland Dreams

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We weren’t super busy in January, save for the final week, which was spent in the happiest place on earth, Disneyland! Here’s what the Sip Family got up to in the first month of 2025:

Although we continue to develop our new townhouse, it was time to welcome friends into the space with a housewarming party. For the occasion, I developed a cocktail, dubbed Home Sweet Home, to serve to guests. It was comprised of Southern Comfort, Spiced Rum, Pomegranate Juice, Lemonade, and Club Soda. I also had a number of different garnishes on hand, including using pomegranate seeds for the first time ever, which resulted in our kitchen looking like a crime scene, while my poorly-chosen white shirt offered blood splatter evidence.

The following weekend, Mrs. Sip and I were able to have a date night out to celebrate her birthday. We began our evening with dinner at Glowbal. I was disappointed when we first arrived at the restaurant, as it’s pretty rare nowadays that a place doesn’t have some kind of burger on the menu, an item I was craving. That said, what we did order was delicious. We had a feast of shared plates, including Albacore Tuna, Waygu Steak Tartare, Foie Gras Pate and Black Truffle Fries. To drink, I ordered glasses of Parallel 49 Filthy Dirty IPA and Glowbal Amber Lager. The service at Glowbal was top notch, including a dessert treat for Mrs. Sip on the house.

The next part of our date night was a Vancouver Canucks game, where we slipped away during the first intermission to The Sportsbar for some beverages. While hitting The Sportsbar can provide some difficulty in getting served by the busy bar staff, drinks are noticeably cheaper. I went with a Double Rum & Coke for the visit and cheered the home team on to a big win over the dastardly Edmonton Oilers.

We wrapped the month with our first voyage to Disneyland with the Magic Keys we purchased in early 2024. We had one year to activate these year passes and saved them for when the Lunar New Year Festival would be going on, as we were teased by the food and drink that would be available when we visited in January 2024, but returned home before that version of the festival began.

For the festival, Mrs. Sip and I each bought a Sip and Savor Pass, which allowed us to pick six different eligible menu options from around the California Adventure park, for $45 (thanks to a small discount for Magic Key holders). A few culinary items below fell outside of the Sip and Savor Pass, as well as any alcoholic drinks.

Food we tried included the Red Panda Bao, Mini Char Siu Pork Shanks, Quesabirra Eggroll, Fried Lemongrass Chicken Dumplings, Pho Dip, Fire Chicken Wings, Bulgogi Pizza Slice, Spicy Gochujang Chicken Taco, Shrimp Lo Mein, and Scallion Pancake Tostada. I’d say nothing disappointed and it was hard to pick favourites.

We also tried some of the desserts available, such as the Toasted Sesame and Red Bean Churro, Sweet Taro Bun and Chocolate Firecracker. I wasn’t super big into any of these items, but we got them mostly for the Sipplings, who love desserts. Lastly, cocktails we tried included the Strawberry-Lychee, Dragon Fruit (I really liked the Chinese five-spice syrup in this one) and Guava Lemongrass.

Even outside of the festival parameters, we ate and drank like kings and queens, princes and princesses… or witch, as Girl Sip preferred to be identified as. Over our six days at the resort, Mrs. Sip and I shared a number of beers and cocktails. The long list was comprised of the Hamilton Family Tow Mango Double IPA, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Ale, La Bodega Hazmatt Double Hazy IPA, Bottle Logic Fuzzy Logic Hazy Peach IPA, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Hazy Imperial IPA, Elysian Space Dust IPA, Breckenridge Christmas Ale, Karl Strauss Peanut Butter Cup Porter (a little too roasted for my tastes), SLO Brew Cali-Squesze Blood Orange Hefeweizen, Topa Topa Chief Peak IPA, Beer Mimosa (with Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing Wheat Ale), Karl Strauss Aurora Hoppyalis IPA, Karl Strauss Boat Shoes Hazy IPA, Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Bottle Logic Paloma Hard Seltzer, Brewery X Baja Breeze, Seaborn Spicy Cucumber Margarita, and Seaborn Lavender Lemonade. SO.MANY.DRINKS!

Some notable food items we enjoyed were the California Roll Sandwich, Cheeseburger Flatbread, Snack-Size Mardi Gras Monte Cristo and Quantum Pretzel. We also made a point to try a number of desserts throughout the resort, which the Sipplings were totally up for. These yummy treats included a Cinnamon Bun Pretzel, Mickey Mouse Cookie, Toffee Pretzel, Pineapple-Strawberry Dole Whip Swirl, Jack-Jack Cookie Num Num, and Raspberry Peanut Butter Bar.

Within and outside the parks, we had a couple notable meals. After one long day, we visited the Denny’s near our hotel, which the kids loved for the Birthday Cake Pancakes. I also greatly enjoyed my Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich. In future, we need to go on Tuesdays between 4-10pm, as kids eat for free with every adult entrée purchased.

Another quick meal was had at the Carthay Circle Lounge in California Adventure. I tried the Bootlegger’s Old World Hefeweizen, while Mrs. Sip and I shared the Baked Brie Cheese Palmiers and the Sipplings devoured the Mickey Hazelnut Crunch Ice Cream Pop.

We also made time to sit down in the Sip Advisor’s favourite outside-the-park restaurant, Tony Roma’s. Here, I shared the Chicken Tenderloin Platter with Boy Sip, while sipping on a large serving of Firestone Mind Haze Hazy IPA. Another hack we’ll have to capitalize on in the future, is kids eat for $2.99 on Mondays, with each adult entrée ordered.

Finally back home, we just need to avoid looking at our Visa bill for a while, as that currency conversion shock will no doubt cause some stress. February is dotted with some interesting events, such as a whiskey tasting and Girl Sip getting to play with her ringette team at the intermission of a Vancouver Giants game!

Sip Trips #237: The NeverEnding Month

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August was a wild month that felt like a few months combined. Like, seriously, shouldn’t it be December already!? Anyway, here’s what we got up to in wrapping up our summer break:

The month began with the last portion of our European vacation, spent in one our of favourite metropolises, London. En route to the UK, we stopped in Brussels, Belgium, hitting up the Hard Rock Cafe there. As young travelers, Mrs. Sip and I popped into a number of Hard Rock locations throughout Europe, so this was a bit of a callback to that for us. At the Hard Rock in Grand-Place square, I ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with Fries, paired with a large serving of Grimbergen Blonde. We all enjoyed our meals, before touring the city and returning to the train station.

Hard Rock Cafe

Once in London, I bought a few cans of Red Leg Spiced Rum and Cola (infused with vanilla and ginger), which were good. Finding packs of beer or other ready-to-drink products proved difficult, as most items came in single servings and were not cheap. Bottles of liquor was also a non-starting point, as they were incredibly expensive, even before factoring in exchange rates.

On our first tourist day, we boarded the Peppa Pig Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. Mrs. Sip and I received free glasses of prosecco (as well as backpacks for the kids) when our original booking was cancelled and we were bumped to a later bus. Mrs. Sip had also pre-ordered a glass of bubbly, so when they brought hers, they offered me some too. Then, the server said they had to get rid of the rest of the bottle, so he poured it for us in a travel cup to take home. The experience could be described and the best kind of chaos. Between the food and drink, bumpy roads, trying to enjoy London landmarks passed on the tour, the Peppa Pig animated segments, and the host playing games with the kids, there was a lot of stimuli to take in. I must give extra kudos to the staff on these buses, who have to do their jobs while the vehicle is moving, including pouring hot beverages and flutes of prosecco.

The next day, after visiting Tower Bridge, we had a late lunch/early dinner at the nearby Pizza Express location. This chain came onto my radar upon learning that kids eat free with each adult order. I selected the BBQ Burnt Ends Pizza, which was delicious. To drink, I went with the tasty Rhubarb & Raspberry G&T because you have to have at least one G&T while in London.

G&T

As we returned to our accommodation, I picked up a Brewdog Hazy Jane four pack for Mrs. Sip and I to consume as the sipplings burned some energy at a playground. This was one of the few drink packs I found that was reasonably priced.

Our final major activity of the vacation was checking out the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter. We spent four hours at this place and probably missed some portions of the massive exhibit. I’m not a Potter die hard fan, but can appreciate what went into making the movies, as well as this studio experience. Sadly, no alcoholic beverages were enjoyed during the duration, but I did manage to get a sip of butter beer in between the rest of the family draining the drink.

On our long journey home, we ate dinner at The Firkin & Flyer at Halifax Airport. Mrs. Sip and I split the Lobster Roll with Kettle Chips, while I tried the Burnside Toller Gold Lager. I still don’t understand our flights home, as it took almost as long to fly to Halifax, as it sometimes does going direct from London to Vancouver. Then, we still had to fly across the country home. The expedition took twice the time it really should have.

Chips

After a few days off to allow our body clocks to reacclimatize to being home, we were at it again, taking the kids out for an afternoon along Brewer’s Row in Port Moody. We began our day with Twin Sails Brewing, where I enjoyed the Two Straws Creamsicle Milkshake IPA. That was followed by dropping into Rewind Brewing for a pint of their Knight Rider Black IPA. We also had a scrumptious order of their Garlic Cheese Stix (with ranch dip), having always wanted to try their Detroit-style pizzas.

The next weekend, after viewing a number of townhouses on the market, we sat down at Taqueria Playa Tropical in New West. I wasn’t feeling very hungry, having drank quite a bit the night before, as we said goodbye to Ma and Pa Sip’s home (where I grew up from the age of 10 and where 31 amazing years were spent) with one last big party. I was still thirsty, though, so tried the Jamaican Hibiscus Margarita.

Our home hunting set off a chain of events that saw us have an accepted offer on a place and then needing to move stuff out of two homes at once (Ma and Pa Sip’s, where we have always had a set-up, as well as our own to get it ready for sale). I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy! With our 12th wedding anniversary occurring during all the anarchy, we managed to step out to the Cineplex VIP Theatre to see Deadpool & Wolverine. While there, I had their Classic Burger, combined with a pint of Granville Island Kitsilano Juicy IPA.

Marriage

Aside from my liquor adventures last month, I also tried a few limited edition items in the food world. This included the Firecracker McCrispy and Big Arch at McDonald’s, along with the Dr. Pepper donut at Krispy Kreme. Both burgers tasted good, but the prices nowadays for fast food eats are outrageous. The donut was okay, but if you’re not a Dr. Pepper fan, it’s probably not for you.

Finally, I should note that this site in going on a bit of a hiatus, as the Sip Family traverses the process of potentially moving to a new abode. This has led to a large portion of my liquor collection being put into storage, making it difficult to make drinks for all you little sippers. I will still post my monthly Sip Trips, as well as (hopefully) the occasional article. We will be back at some point, stronger and drunker than ever!