Tag Archives: Yeast Van

BC Beer Baron #145 – Powell Street Witbier

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Looking to relax and enjoy what was left of the weekend on a recent Sunday evening, Mrs. Sip and I sat back and cracked open a bomber of this Powell Street Brewing spring seasonal to share.

The Witbier (with ginger and cardamom) was a fantastic beer that we sipped our way through quickly. At 4.8% ABV and 16 IBUs, the Belgian-inspired brew was light and delicious with a ginger bite and a spicy finish.

Powell Street Witbier

The brewery writes of the product: “Complex and refreshing, this beer will pair beautifully with spicy foods or sunshine.” I tend to agree, but it also worked well with a quiet night in, watching movies and TV on Netflix!

Mrs. Sip and I can’t wait for our next bike brewery crawl of the East Vancouver region. Powell Street is a top stop amongst the many companies working out of that area and it’s always fun taking out-of-town friends through ‘Yeast Van’.

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BC Beer Baron #135 – Parallel 49 Ugly Sweater Milk Stout

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Looking for a place to share a drink and celebrate the 14th anniversary of our first date, Mrs. Sip and I crossed paths with The Hemingway Public House, in White Rock, which was serving up this Parallel 49 Brewing release, as part of their rotating taps.

For this special occasion, the Sip Advisor received a truly unique beer, as the Ugly Sweater Milk Stout was given the addition of coffee. According to the brewery, only a few kegs of this combo were produced. The stout was smooth with a light coffee flavour. I would have preferred some more carbonation to the brew, but it was modeled after English-style cask releases.

Parallel 49 Ugly Sweater Milk Stout

As for the traditional Ugly Sweater, this seasonal release comes in at 5% ABV and 30 IBUs. The beer is sweetened using milk sugar, resulting in an easy drinking, balanced beverage. The stout can be found in six-packs at various liquor stores.

This is a prime example of why Parallel 49 is such a popular craft brewery. They are very willing to play around and experiment with new beers and even already established ones. They have also worked diligently to get their wares into countless places across the province, growing their reputation and fan base.

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BC Beer Baron #98 – Callister Axis & Allies Rye Pale Ale

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On a recent trip to St. Augustine’s, one of Vancouver’s finest craft beer restaurants, the Sip Advisor ordered a paddle of tasters to sample. Among them, was this release from Callister Brewing.

The Axis & Allies Rye Pale Ale was decent. I’m finding the addition of rye to any brew to be quite enjoyable, as it adds an element of strength to the recipe. The beverage comes in at 5.5% ABV and features notes of citrus and spice (and everything nice!) for a well-balanced drink.

Callister Brewing

Somewhat unique to Callister is that they also makes sodas. Their current menu includes Ginger Mint, Blueberry Lemongrass and Traditional Tonic. These sound like fun options for all my fellow mixologists out there.

I’ve only been to Callister Brewing’s collaborative facility once before and really need to get back there. The space is shared between Callister, Real Cask, Machine Ales, and Brewery Creek, which means lots of available beers. With spring arriving and summer just around the bend, bike season has also come upon us and a Yeast Van brewery crawl is definitely on the horizon.

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BC Beer Baron #93 – Strange Fellows Jongleur Belgian Wit

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On a recent visit to the Library Square Public House, one of the beers I enjoyed over the evening of sports viewing was this treasure from Strange Fellows Brewing.

The Jongleur Belgian Wit was incredibly tasty and refreshing, with flavours of orange and spices. The beer is light and easy drinking, at only 4.5% ABV and 12 IBUs. I know I’ve tried this beer before, but this serving of the suds was especially memorable… even if the rest of the night got pretty foggy!

Strange Fellows Jongleur

Of the brew, the company writes (in their very unique style): “Amid bursts of confetti and music, the Juggler entertains us with a handful of oranges. As the oranges rise and fall, the planets revolve in the universe, babies are born, and the old pass on. Jongleur – our silky bodied, spicy and aromatic Wit – infuses any moment with a spark of joy. A glass of this bright and refreshing beer reminds us of the juggler’s simple lesson: to take pleasure in both the big and the small things in life.”

Suggested food pairings include seafood, curries, and Thai. The beer, part of Strange Fellows ‘Foundation Series’, can be found in four-packs of 473ml cans, as well as on tap around Vancouver.

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BC Beer Baron #86 – Bomber Park Life Passion Fruit Ale

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With spring and summer rapidly approaching, Bomber Brewing has brought back this seasonal release, perfect for the time of year.

The Park Life Passion Fruit Ale is light (only 4.5% ABV) and refreshing with a powerful punch of passion fruit flavour. Although I’m only recently getting more into sour beers, the tart finish here was quite enjoyable and did not detract from the rest of the drinking experience.

Bomber Park Life Passion Fruit Ale

The American Blonde Ale is available in canned six-packs, which makes it easy to pack along for camping or otherwise hanging out in the great outdoors. Plus, with it being so light, you can throw back a whole bunch of them with relative ease.

On our recent journey to Yeast Van, we had to stop into Bomber Brewing, where Cousin Sip’s husband is a diehard fan of their Marzen amber lager. I’m only happy to oblige another destination being added to our itinerary and more beers being enjoyed.

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BC Beer Baron #85 – Off the Rail Raj Mahal India Ale

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Since the first time Mrs. Sip and I stepped foot into Off the Rail Brewing (chancing upon the location for its grand opening), this has been my favourite beverage among their ever-expanding lineup.

When we popped into the East Vancouver tasting room recently and I ordered a glass of the Raj Mahal India Ale, I had the chance to confirm that’s still the case. The brew is an interesting blend, using lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, for a very refreshing experience.

Off the Rail Raj Mahal India Ale

The 5% ABV, 38 IBUs beer can be found in bomber-sized bottles at private liquor stores. It should be noted that this is not an IPA, but rather a India Ale and therefore drinkers who aren’t into IPAs might still enjoy the Raj Mahal.

Off the Rail is located across the street from Bomber Brewing. The two will soon be joined by Luppolo Brewing and together, the Adanac Street companies comprise part of the Yeast Van brewery district. With spring arriving soon, it’s time to dust off the bike and prep for regular trips out that way.

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BC Beer Baron #62 – Strange Fellows Cyclhops Galaxy IPA

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On the way home from our Fraser Valley craft brewery crawl – and with Mrs. Sip and Cousin Sip fiending for the cheese buns that can be found in many ‘Yeast Van’ tasting rooms – we decided to make one last stop into Strange Fellows Brewing, to cap the night.

There, we sat down to yet another flight of beers (at this point, I had lost track as to exactly how many we had enjoyed) and despite palate fatigue rearing its ugly head, I found a good beer in the Cyclhops Galaxy IPA. While many IPAs mix in multiple styles of hops, Strange Fellows keeps things simple, simply using the galaxy variety. This provides tropical flavours, such as peach, lychee, passion fruit, mango, and lime.

Strange Fellows Brewing

The brewery uses a quote from Serbian poet Dejan Stojanovic to perfectly sum up their view on this IPA recipe: “To say more while saying less is the secret of being simple.” Thanks to its simplicity, the beer (the company’s first venture into American IPA territory) is said to pair well with Mexican and Indian cuisine, as well as grilled food.

Unfortunately, you will only find the Cyclhops at Strange Fellows, but this is as good a reason as any to visit. While Mrs. Sip and I have only been on two occasions, both were quite enjoyable and we should make a point of going back more regularly.

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BC Beer Baron #60 – Parallel 49 Mother of Donkeys Pale Ale

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Recently, Mrs. Sip and I treated Pa Sip to a dinner and drinks at Central City Brewpub, as he was living the bachelor life with Ma Sip visiting family in Germany. Amongst a couple beers I ordered was this amusingly named selection from Parallel 49 Brewing.

The Mother of Donkeys Pale Ale (called a “Dark Pale Ale” on the Central City tap list) was a solid libation, which apparently uses three different yeast strains and is an experimental release. I’ve really come to enjoy pale ales and given the name of this brew (one which Pa Sip did a double take over, after I ordered), how could you not give it a shot!? I didn’t find the beer to be that dark, but more of an amber hue. I was kind of expecting what you receive in a dark lager colouring, but that is not the most important element in my enjoyment of a beverage. The issue could be in how the brewpub titled it on their menu versus how the brewery released it.

Parallel 49 Brewing

Oddly, I couldn’t even locate this beer on Parallel 49’s website, despite their beer listings being quite thorough and including a section for rare releases. The brew also has the nickname of ‘Three Amigos’, likely stemming from its production using the three yeast strains.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Parallel 49’s East Vancouver tasting room, but the brewery is so popular that their wares can be found all across the province and particularly throughout Vancouver. If you come across this beer at a local pub, I suggest giving it a sip… it’s the least you can do!

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