beernesday

craftbeer.com traipses back through the highlights of craft beer in 2011 it was a damned fine year for craft beer here's to 2012 bringing us even more of a market share and more wonderfully innovative brews! cheers!

washington times delivers their top ten craft brew themes of 2011 buh bye 2011!

from the camra vancouver newsletter: Hello everyone, 2011 is coming to a close in a few days, but what a great year it's been for craft beer and real ale in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland! More and more liquor stores, pubs, and restaurants are beginning to carry a wide selection of craft beer, and it's even creating quite the buzz in the mainstream. It's not just beer bloggers typing away about the great beers in BC because we saw business magazines, to major newspapers, etc publish plenty of articles about the local craft beer scene. Vancouver Craft Beer Week was jam packed with events this year, and we even had BC Craft Beer Month! Last but not least there's been some great collaborations between brewers and breweries as well. As far as real ale goes, this year we saw more establishments on board with the weekly/monthly cask program. But what's really exciting is that we now have 6 different restaurants that serve real ale on a daily basis! This year The Wh

what does millers coors have to do with craft beer ? brewbound finds out!

happy appropriated religious holiday day! the oatmeal, on beer

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (Rick Moranis / Dave Thomas) Bob & Doug McKenzie Bob: Okay, good day. This is the Christmas part of the album, you can play this at your Christmas parties, uh, or to yourself on Christmas Eve if there is nothing else to do. Doug: Good day, eh? In case you thought, like, I wasn't on this part. Bob: Oh, I guarantee ya, you'd be on. Doug: Okay, uh, this is our Christmas song, in case ya don't know what to get someone for Christmas. Doug: There's lots of ideas in here, so listen, and don't get stuck. By the way, that's me on the organ. Bob: Okay, jeez. Doug: You start. Bob: Okay ... On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: ~ Beer On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: ~ 2 turtlenecks ~ and a beer Bob: 'K ... On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: ~ 3 french toast ~ 2 turtlenecks ~ and beer Doug: ... 'K, that should be more there. Bob: Where?

stone brewing wants to remind you - yes you - to drink fresh beer !

more bons mots about how beer pairs well with alllll foods !

new belgium has an idea or two about what you should do with a fresh-hopped ipa

the onion has made me snort liquid out of my nose again! and because of the reference to labatts tequila, the article qualifies as beer-related and therefore totally legit to post here!!! oh happy day! and oh how i wish there really was a canada mexico overpass !

last minute gift ideas from the lovely folks at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Time for Merrymaking! In no particular order, we present our favourite gifts for the twelve days of Christmas: 3. Everyone Loves Champagne: A bottle of Champagne being popped is reason enough to celebrate. Our favourites: Lallier Blanc de Blanc ($99.95), Pierre Paillard Grand Cru Bouzy ($71.65), and Dom Perignon Andy Warhol Collection ($250). 2. For Wine Lovers: A case of wine personally selected by you for the recipient. Our staff can help you pick a well-rounded selection within your budget and we will even deliver! (12-bottle handmade wooden wine box $50, delivery within Vancouver from $10) 1. The Oldest Scotch in the Province! ($8,895): The Glenlivet 70 year old has arrived at Legacy. Distilled on the 3rd of February 1940, and aged in a first fill sherry butt. This is quite literally one of the most extraordinary creations we have ever witnessed! Cheers, ~The Legacy Team

upright brewing's fatali four should be winding its way to bc shortly! i must admit, i have not tried it before as it uses brett yeast and me, i'm just not able to do the brett...

who whoulda thought that the newly wed and nearly dead would be such big craft brew folks?? not i but i'm sure glad they are, cuz victoria is close to vancouver so ergo, i benefit! globe and mail on the southern vancouver island craft beer scene nice shout outs to moon under water, vancouver island brewing and phillips driftwood and spinnakers at least get a mention!

after some mix up about which campagnolo we were going to (the original on main street or the new roma on east hastings ) we ended up at the original for a friend's birthday the other night o.m.g. - the food is wonderful! i had the crispy ceci salad to start - flash fried chick peas - genius! i was totally in heaven! and the risotto as a main i wasn't wild about the hazelnuts in my squashy cheesy risotto, but otherwise it was heaven as well i shared both the salad and the risotto and found that to be the perfect amount of food others at my table had the pizzas which looked fabulous and tasted like real italian pizza, and the salumi platter, which they say was delicious beer-wise the choices are quite limited they do have r&b by the bottle and the tap though (bohemian lager and eponymous ale) i would like to see a larger beer menu as their wine list is a good size unfortunately the service was not amazing it took an hour for our food to arrive there was

i am not a big fan of earl's restaurants they just aren't my scene, you know? and there are so many other great indie places to plunk my hard earned dollars in vancouver... but occasionally i find myself being a sheep and following the herd to an earl's last night was one of those times work holiday lunch ended around 5 and of course that just meant we needed more to drink to their credit, the hostess did tell us they could only accomodate our party of 20 for about an hour and a half before they needed the table space for reservations sure, fine, whatever and yay for me, they had howe sound devil's elbow and pumpkineater on tap so i didn't have to settle for the mediocre in house albino rhino beer the dynamite roll was darned delicious too so far, so good however, when the manager comes over all in a huff to nastily chide us like we are little children for staying past the time we were to leave i get a really bad taste in my mouth perhaps you could

YBC Yaletown Brewing Company Today, December 21st is Yaletown Brewing Companies 17th anniversary! Thank you for your continued support over all these years! to celebrate today we have a couple of special little treats up our sleeve, so come on by for a fresh beer and a small suprise :) DRINK FRESH BEER!

still looking for beer-related gifts? pike brewing has some ideas for you

craftbeer.com visits 21st amendment

new brewery to open in my 'hood!!! check out the urbandiner article about the soon-to-launch parallel 49 brewery cannot wait!!!

i wish i had seen this earlier, i might have joined in! taps magazine beer advent calendar: Dec 5 - Dead Frog Christmas Beeracle Dec 6 - Black Oak Nutcracker Porter Dec 7 - McAuslan St. Ambroise Russian Imperial Stout Dec 8 - Great Lakes Winter Ale Dec 9 - Wild Rose Cherry Porter Dec 10 - Muskoka Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout - Winter Beard Dec 11 - Microbrasserie Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Triple Dec 12 - Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel Dec 13 - Garrison Baltic Porter Dec 14 - Propeller Russian Imperial Stout Dec 15 - Beau's All Natural Bog Water Dec 16 - Granite Brewery Gin Lane Barley Wine Dec 17 - Pump House Scotch Ale Dec 18 - Phillips Trainwreck Barley Wine Dec 19 - Vancouver Island Dough Head Dec 20 - Picaroon's Winter Warmer

the brewdog boys made it to forbes' 30 under 30 wine and food category

can i just tell you what a lucky gal i am? i went to not one but two christmas keggers on saturday! i love being a beer geek and knowing other beer geeks! the first party featured r&b's esb the second storm's scottish ale bliss!

saltspring island ales on cafepress  offers a whole schwack of beer-related gifts! and craftbeer.com has stocking stuffer ideas for the book loving beer enthusiast

yes please! i want this, who's gonna make it for me??? spicy shrimp - delicious add new belgium ranger ipa?  its gotta be ambrosia! ranger ipa shrimp dish

i was told the other night that deschutes is coming out with a new beer in march not a seasonal, a new staple beer now, i was drinking at the time... but i recall being told it was going to be a wheat ipa i think... maybe... don't you feel well informed now?

the globe and mail's report on business reports on 12 craft brewers shaking up the canadian beer industry including driftwood, flying monkeys and dieu du ciel

too late for yesterday's free beer tasting (which was krombaucher pils and dark) here's the word from legacy liquor store in vancouver listing their upcoming free tastings: KUCHH NAI WHISKY TASTING Friday 4 to 8 pm Dec 16, 2011 Kuchh Nai's full bodied aroma, blended with sweet Highland heather influences, lingers long on the palate, instantly displaying the whisky's fine heritage to the most discerning Scotch enthusiast In its purest form its nose is rich and rounded with good whisky identity and well-integrated aromatics. CHOCOVINE TASTING Saturday, 2 to 6 pm Dec 17, 2011 ChocoVine Original, the best seller. Also! Legacy now has the Raspberry and Espresso flavour - exclusive to us! JUAN SANTO CAFE LIQUEUR Sunday, 2 to 6 pm Dec 18, 2011 All-natural Colombian Coffee Rum is imported from a family business that has been making rum for over 25 years. STONEBOAT AND CALLIOPE WINE TASTING Monday, 4 to 7 pm Dec 19, 2011 We will be sampling the Stoneboat Pinota

and the next instalment of legacy liquor store's 12 gift ideas: Time for Merrymaking! In no particular order, we present our favourite gifts for the twelve days of Christmas: 6. Glenfarclas Family Casks, Vintages 1952 to 1994 ($339.95 to $2195.95): How about a scotch from their birth year? The Glenfarclas Family Casks, a unique collection of the best single casks from the distillery's warehouse, is available exclusively at Legacy. We have a cask from every vintage dating back to 1952, all the way up to1994. 5. Riedel Gift Pack ($148.50): Beautiful crystal glassware from leading glassware producer, the Riedel Gift Pack includes: the XL Vinum Mixer, which includes a Chablis, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc glass. An outstanding value for crystal glassware. 4. Tickets to see Jim Murray ($125/ticket): Internationally recognized as probably the leading commentator on all of the world's whiskies, Whisky Bible author Jim Murray hosts a Whisky Seminar at L

i began beernesday last night with two martinis i love the holiday season! anyway, after my after-work-schmoozey-do i dutifully headed off to st. augustine's to imbibe in craft beer i love craft beer! lagunitas sucks holiday ale - 7.9%  a "cereal medley" of barley, rye, wheat and oats.  full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.85% abv, then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor i love when they joyously dry-hop my beer! and i am in love with this beer - so much hoppy goodness, so many grains - i may have found my new breakfast of champions... seriously, loved it so much i had to have a whole pint after my taster tree spiced reserve ale - 7.5%  brewed using a special blend of brewer's spices special indeed! no vanilla in sight, just subtle spices all blending nicely on the tongue this is the tree winter ale i will choose to drink from now on (no vertical vanilla for me!) rogue yellow snow ipa - 6.2%  pale

from camra vancouver: Tonight is Sunset Grill's first weekly cask! They've got a cask of Driftwood Brewery Blackstone Porter. 6pm. Thursday means Yaletown Brewing is Making It Real (Ale). They will tap a cask of BRick and Beam IPA with Columbus hops, 4pm. me, i'll be at the yaletown as usual! but that blackstone porter in the cask is very delicious stuff - try some if you have the chance! and a party tomorrow: Pivo's Christmas Party is tomorrow at 6pm. Come down for free snacks & Whistler lager plus enter to win Canucks tickets!

if anyone is going to be in the san diego area... this is what i would like for christmas please and thank you! Holiday Shopping at Green Flash! Need an excuse to come and sample some beers in the Tasting Room? How about crossing that craft beer lover off your holiday shopping list! Come check out our new merchandise and stay for the beer! If you aren’t able to make it to the tasting room? No problem! Check out our online store: http://www.storeconsole.com/DefaultStore/Default.aspx?StoreSID=10196 Gift Baskets Galore! We are making custom gift baskets for the holiday season! Choose any Men's T-shirt or Women's Tank top and two bombers of beer and we'll make you up an awesome gift! Included in the holiday basket: •Men’s T-shirt or Women’s Tank Top •Two 22oz bottles of beer (choose from West Coast IPA, Hop Head Red, Imperial IPA, Double Stout or Barleywine) •Two License Plate Frames •Two Pint Glasses •Limited Edition Pub Towel (not sold in tasting room/online

i didn't realize that there were themed nights for the three 300 beer list celebration nights at the alibi room its true! monday night was "sour, belgian and european style, cider & experimental" tuesday night was "stouts, porters & wee heavys" tonight will be "hop forward ales, barley wines and winter ales" fortunately for me, when i attended last night's festivities, there was still some of the central city chipotle ipa left in the cask.  so i had me some! and it was delicious! not as peppery as the rogue chipotle ale, but just as smokey, and in my humble beer opinion, ipa is the perfect conduit for chipotle smelled amazing!  tasted great! of tuesday's casks i managed to taste tariq's imperial stout and vern's imperial stout 300 i had vern's early on when i still had taste buds tasted like a session beer, but lord, its an imperial - beware i couldn't really taste the cocoa nibs and curacao orange peel it

tis the season... Shhh... you're reading too loud. Stop typing typing in in double double. It's that time of year again. It's the holiday season and the drinking is easy. Prevention may be better than a cure, but when that plan fails, Yelp's here to help. So stop spinning and focus on these sure-fire hangover helpers. Because we can't always be the sensible ones, now can we? After a night of heavy drinking, comfort food is key. Remedy your lethargy at La Belle Patate with Edward L, and order the all-you-can-eat poutine. He warns: "If you value your life, don't go for this. It's suicide. But at least you will die happy." For Aaron S, it's all about choice when battling a hangover: "What are you craving right now? Duffin's Donuts has it. Just looking at the menu makes your brain melt!" But Danny C had a few too many, but gets fixed up with a breakfast burger from Save On Meats where "the biscuit is off-the-chain!" He

more on the theme of beer gifts halfpint's gift giving guide for beer knurds

and don't forget the celebration of the alibi's 300th beer list begins today at 3:00 lasting three days all beers are $3 want to know what's on tap?  check here

the national post weighs in on women in beer and features howe sound's leslie fenn

ever wanted your own personal brewery? of course you have! well here's how you can get one

more from legacy on the subject of "what to get the libations appreciator on your holiday gift list" Time for Merrymaking! In no particular order, we present our favourite gifts for the twelve days of Christmas: 9. Kozaemon House Junmai ($35.85): Legacy boasts the largest selection of premium chilled sake in BC. We carry a variety of sizes and price ranges. Our sake enthusiasts' current favourite: Kozaemon House Junmai. With the beautiful goddess of sake on the label, this versatile sake is smooth and full-bodied. 8. Bittered Sling Bistro ($60/ticket): For the person on your list who has everything, nothing is better than creating memories. Pick up a pair of tickets to Bittered Sling Bistro, a bi-weekly food and cocktail pairing competition series dedicated to pushing the boundaries of cocktail craft. 7. The Stoic Stocking Stuffer ($32.35): For something a little different, stuff someone's stocking with the funky The Stoic, a prized and potent Belgian-style

99 of bc's brews oh beer, how i love thee!

on the day after the blessed event that provided their name 21st amendment brewery wants your help they wanna win awards!!! vote for their cans whydontcha?! beer in cans, its the way of the future

i remember and i humbly request the powers that be to retain the gun registry down with bill c-19 canada, protect your citizens

i know its great beer you know its great beer and award givers know its great beer! Red Racer Beer Extremely honoured to have won two North West Brewing News medals on Sunday. Our ESB and Thor's Hammer Barley Wine won their respective categories in a field that included beers from Alaska, BC, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California! Thank you to everyone who voted...

i survived the beerthirst tour de richmond on saturday it was epic! i promised that i would have my photos and review out yesterday guess what! what? i lied... it was such a nice day out yesterday and weather in vancouver is so fickle... i spent the time i had put aside for blogging sitting outside in sun instead in my short sleeves! dude, i practically got a tan! sometimes i love winter in vancouver and that is how the dog came to eat my homework no word of a lie! maybe tomorrow?!?

i really wish i had received this advent calendar this year! aw, what the heck, if anyone wants to get it for me, i'll happily suck it up and catch up to the current date! no idea who to credit this photo to, it was sent to me via facebook

seasonal brews now available from deschutes: RED CHAIR NWPA Red Chair NWPA's meteoric rise from pub darling to seasonal celebrity is as legendary as its name. THE Red Chair is the oldest operating lift at Mt. Bachelor in Central Oregon. As the lift that the locals ride to catch epic untracked snow on powder mornings - it is an obvious path to glory. This is a hop-forward ale showcasing juicy Cascade and Centennial hops in perfect harmony with British Crystal and German Pilsner malts that highlight caramel flavors providing the perfect complement for this seductive brew. Don't miss one of the winter seasonal's most thrilling rides...Available in 6-packs, 12-packs and on draft where Deschutes beer is sold. 6.2% ABV / 60 IBUs SEASONAL (Available January-April) HOP HENGE EXPERIMENTAL IPA The 2012 version of Hop Henge examines the virtues of high alpha acid hops in concert with less malty sweetness. Cascade, Centennial, Columbus, Millennium, Citra & Simcoe hops were

tomorrow is repeal day in america yup, the anniversary of the repeal of prohibition aka the 21st amendment from craftbeer.com:  "December 5 is a major holiday in the world of craft beer. Repeal Day commemorates the end of Prohibition, which made it possible once again to buy, sell and consume alcoholic beverages in America. Ginger Johnson takes a look at the 14-year history of Prohibition and shares some ideas on how you can salute craft beer on December 5 in Celebrate Repeal Day !"

apparently growlers are back in fashion silly me, i had no idea they'd gone out of fashion then again, i did get introduced to the concept fairly recently...

elysian winter brews are ba-ack!

phew!  all caught up now! november 2, 2011 big al harvest ale - 5.4% four pounds per barrel of fresh yakima sorachi ace hops offer big citrus and fresh lemon flavors and aromas which we paired with deeply refined malt flavors mark this rich and warming medium-bodied amber ale lovely!  love the sorachi ace!  very rich and full-bodied elysian bifrost winter ale - 7.5% taste is bold and balanced with a good amount of citrus and earthy hop bitters to offset the malt character yes, yes, yes! crannog insurrection ipa - 5.4% a pale amber malt body emphasizes munich and caramel malts, with enough sweetness to hold up the rather large volumes of fresh cascade and golding hops light malt with perfect hoppiness, not my favourite ipa but such a joy to drink! big al brougham bitter - 5.5% english-style pale and crystal malts combined with aromatic, floral english hops create a smooth, balanced medium-bodied beer very english, but nicely hopped big al ipa - 7.1% chinook, cascade and glaci

october 19, 2011 rogue chipotle ale - 5.5% roasted chipotle peppers produce an eye opening chile flavor in this deep golden ale with a malty, smoky aroma and smooth, crisp flavor i love chipotle!  so delish! howe sound devil's elbow ipa - 6% an assertive ale that is heavily bittered and dry-hopped providing an intensive aroma and brewed using selected english and north american barley and hops its a baby next to the imperial ipa, but its a lovely tasty baby! paddock wood loki double ipa - 8.7% double ipa weighing in at 80 ibus.  brewed using cascade, amarillo, willamette and ekg hops, giving the beer a strong hop character i dunno about this one... too boozey for me.  but everyone else likes it and isn't finding the booze in it rogue imperial younger's special bitter - 7.5% it has a triad of caramel maltiness, fruitiness and hop bitterness in aroma and flavor and a dry, hoppy finish too boozey for this little princess.  but again, everyone else loves it and can'

so, if you're still convinced that you have to give holiday gifts and the recipient is under the legal drinking age making it not such a good idea to gift them with beer may i suggest one or all of these five top toys  of all time? if they are of age, legacy has these suggestions: "Time for Merrymaking! In no particular order, we present our favourite gifts for the twelve days of Christmas: 12. The PDT Cocktail Book ($30): Sold out at Chapters? Back order four months on Amazon? Not here. Come find out why this book is being hailed as "the cocktailing book of the decade". 11. Glenfiddich Gift Pack ($97): For the whisky lover in your life, this three pack makes an excellent stocking stuffer. Features 3 200 mL bottles of the 12, 15 and 18 YO. 10. Chimay Grand Reserve 1.5 L or 3L ($30.15, $68.95): Get the party started this year in style. The beer is capped with a Champagne style cork and cage, and will definitely let your guests know they're in for a fest

not sure how i feel about this news mmmhop ipa by the hanson brothers ??? on the one hand i love the idea that ipa will be brought to the attention and hopefully tastebuds of many who didn't have the time of day for it before their idols made it cool but, on the other hand i'm worried that it'll be just a marketing gimmick and not a quality brew i do want to try it though... if only just to agree with this article from popwatch

late notice, but legacy's got a tasting on today from 4-7 in vancouver: STORM AND RUSSELL COLLABORATION BEER The beer is called the Big Smoke and this is a collaboration beer between Storm and Russell breweries. No RSVP necessary and free to join us!

i am very behind on posting reviews and tasting notes and i have no real excuse besides i don't wanna spend all my time on-line i wanna read six more books and meet the 50 book challenge oh, and i'd rather be out drinking the beer! october 5, 2011 rogue john john hazelnut - 5.6% ale with natural hazelnut flavor aged in hazelnut spice rum barrels blech, rum barrels! i thought i'd had this before (last year) but i don't remember booze in it, just nuttiness.  too boozey for me whistler valley trail chestnut ale - 6% dark amber colour with a tan-coloured head.  notes of chestnut, caramel and vanilla too much darned vanilla for my liking - why does everyone gotta put in vanilla?  too sweet, not nutty enough!  a vanilla hazelnut latte - not a chestnut beer dammit! storm imperial flanders red ale - 11% this full bodied monster of a sour has been aged in an oak barrel for a year oak, sure... but i'm getting a whole lotta vinegar.  i do love a sour and it did gro