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Showing posts from February, 2012

fuggles

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fuggles! what a great word! the cask last night at the railway club was howe sound's best bitter dry-hopped with fuggles not bad, not bad at all! and i got to say fuggles several times

spring beers

check out all the spring seasonals being released by u.s. brewers

biercraft and firefly

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i spent my lunch hour today at firefly and biercraft success at firefly!  bit of fail at biercraft :(  shopping with shans at firefly my hoppy haul biercraft has a new lunch menu and were offering $2 lunches between 11:30 and 1:30 today, plus a $2 coupon for your next lunch visit, meaning that your net spending would end up being zero a free lunch who doesn't want a free lunch? alas, because of the deal they were not able to make substitutions or deletions to their menu items and this vegetarian who isn't eating cheese these days was shit outta luck on menu items bummer but on the bright side, i made it back to work on time! i'm surprised there weren't more people in there taking advantage of the special, but then again, i only heard about it at about 11 this morning...

collaboration beer

new collaboration brew from stone, bear republic and fat head - a texas brown ale sounds a lot like a cascadian dark ale to me...

almost march

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its almost march and that means that st. patrick's day (aka an excuse to drink a lot of beer) is just around the corner

my beer husband

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i love lazy days with my beer husband! we watch good television, drink good beers and he makes delicious beer food i am a very lucky woman and he is going to make someone a wonderful real husband some day - until then, i will shamelessly enjoy him!! on deck for yesterday's good times: hoyne big bock three boys oyster stout driftwood singularity russian imperial stout and the piece de resistance:  beer stew! (kale, white beans, carrots, russett potatoes and russell black death porter)  (added bonus, an introduction to hoyne )

women in beer

Don't Miss This One! March 8th (international women's day) at Rogue. 8 fabulous bc beers brought to you by 8 charismatic bc women in beer from 8 bc breweries paired with 8 small plate creations by Rogue Chef Cory Chapman! Sponsored by Pink Pints! And Yes Boys, you are welcome to come!! $55/person includes tax, gratuities and swag! PASS IT ON! http://conta.cc/xcQ91H rebecca from crannog says that she is bringing a cardamom infused ipa - yay!!!!!!!!!!

beer recipe?

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not sure that beer is an alcohol that would work in this recipe...

beer geekery

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link love

beer myths debunked women in beer who you should know great beer names hops and bitterness flavour poster legacy liquor store march calendar of events privatization may not be good news for bc craft beer drinkers british columbians drink micro-brew oregon hops of the future beer poetry

yaletown cask

the lager cask at the yaletown brewpub last night rocked my world! iain hill's keller pilsner was perfection saaz hopped to the hilt, it made me very happy and apparently i was not alone as the cask tapped out by 6:30

job love

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sometimes the whole working for a living thing is a-okay and i don't just mean on pay day! today the office field trip was to the liquor store i love getting to stock the office fridge with beer! now keep in mind that i am slowly indoctrinating my work peeps so no judging the choices - the fridge looks so much better than when i started here!

beer pairing

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last night i paired the fish tacos at st. augustine's with the deschutes hop henge ipa heaven! (i also paired the rogue fish tacos with the hop henge on monday night - that was heavenly too!)

stillwater

interview with brian strumke of stillwater artisinal ales premium lager is a reconstruction of beers hipsters love and will soon be coming in a can!

upcoming vancouver beer events

from camra vancouver's newsletter: Upcoming Events February 24 @ 7pm Pumphouse Longtable Dinner featuring Anderson Valley Join Anderson Valley owner Trey White for this 5 course meal paired with 5 beers from the brewery. In addition to being named as one of the top ten breweries in America, Anderson Valley recently claimed several gold medals in California. Don't miss this dinner and tap takeover event! Tickets are $40. February 25 Central City Bacon Explosion Dinner To launch their new seasonal, a Bamberg style Rauchbier, Central City will feature a Bacon Explosion Dinner. Bacon, wrapped in sausage, wrapped in bacon, served with spicy slaw, mashed potatoes and beer onion gravy. $14.95, and only $3 more to add a sleeve of the rauchbier. Also, a pin of dry hopped Red Racer Pale Ale will be tapped. Cask tapped at 4pm, dinner can be ordered from then onwards. February 27 @ 7pm Eat Local/Drink Local Darby's Pub will host their 3rd Eat local / Drink local craft di

beer and food pairing

more on the meaty topic of beer and food pairing

beer labels

apparently i am not the only one obsessed by beer labels eat your pinterest heart out!

casks

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tried two casks at two venues last night i love vancouver! first up, it was rail ale at the railway club featuring central city's red racer vanilla chai stout fortunately for me, there wasn't much vanilla in it at all instead it was a delicately spiced easy drinking stout i liked it, but not enough to have two... next up i went to the whip the cask wasn't tapped when i first got there so i had to suffer through a fat tug... my life is hard! the cask of r&b black water wheat got tapped around 10 p.m. after fat tugging it up to that point i just got me a taster of the cask you know, to be able to say i'd tried it! it was interesting... very banana on the nose, wheaty on the tongue, but not as robust as a hefe and what is black water? fortunately it is not waste water, its fulvic mineral water , phew! i don't have a chemistry degree, heck i didn't even take it in high school, so i have no idea what this lovely mineral water offers to a beer

2012 is the year for craft beer

joe wiebe thinks 2012 is going to be THE year for craft beer in british columbia read his openfile article and see for yourself

cheers!

the whip posted this on facebook today i had forgotten where i had stolen it from thanks to the whip i can now properly attribute the theory to cheers! ‎'Well you see, Norm, it's like this . . . A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the heard is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same w ay, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.'

america's next top brewer

i'm with the beer wench on this one:  most reality television leaves me cold but america's next top brewer ?  that one i'd happily watch!

bikes and beer

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while drinking and biking is not a good combo a six-pack holder for your bike is a great idea! stolen from pinterest, who apparently got it from besportier

long table dinners

two upcoming long table dinners hosted by beer thirst: Friday Feb 24th: Anderson Valley Long Table Dinner and Tap Takeover $40 This dinner will have 5 courses with 5 beers paired from the brewery. Also, Trey White, owner of Anderson Valley, will be joining us at the Pumphouse Pub for this event, and he will be hosting and pouring beers for the Anderson Valley Tap Takeover! The Tap Takeover will have some special beers that we will never get to see back in BC including the Grand Cru, Horse Tongue Wheat, and the Sour Stout. So you don't want to miss out on this event. Please call Pumphouse Pub to reserve a table. Pumphouse Pub: 6031 Blundell Road, Richmond, BC (604) 274-7424 Friday Feb 24th: Anderson Valley Long Table Dinner $40 5 course dinner paired with 5 beers from the brewery. Please be advised that there will be no Tap Takeover at this event and Trey White will not be in attendance. Please call Hop and Vine to reserve a table. Hop and Vine: 1601 Burnwood Dr,

diy drink cooler

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replace one plank from your picnic table with a gutter and voila!  a cooler for your bevvies ! thanks amanda and lisa morrison for pinning this on pinterest!

link love

chili lime beer corn recipe news from alaskan brewing hopworks cans are coming top 10 american breweries you need to visit

straffe hendrik

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gotta love it when you have travelling beer geek friends they bring back the beers for the rest of us to try without having to go further from our couches than cask night at ybc rod brought us back this little gem from bruges " Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel  is a rich and intense dark beer of high fermentation. It is brewed using a subtle mixture of special malts, which give the beer an extremely dark colour and a complex full malt character. This Quadruple combines a pure dryness with a rich fullness, flavoured with just a hint of fruit. The continuing process of re-fermentation in the bottle creates a beer which can be stored over a number of years, with an ever-changing and ever-improving taste as a result." i'm not much of a belgian fan, but this was a very drinkable beer those in the know were getting fruit from the nose and banana on the tongue and were nodding in approval

international women's day

for all the vancouver girlies out there, come celebrate international women's day with me at rogue kitchen and wetbar Eight Women In Our Local Brewing World Eight Specialty Beers Eight Small Plate Pairings by Rogue Chef Cory Chapman. A mingle and meet event hosted in the Platform of Rogue Kitchen & Wet Bar Brewery Line-Up: Crannog Brewery Big River Brewing, Nelson Brewing Howe Sound Brewing, R&B Brewing Cannery Brewing, Townsite Brewery, Gulf Island Brewing $55 per person Includes Entry, Beer Sampling, Food Pairing, Welcome "Swag Bag", Silent Auction with Proceeds to Breast Cancer Survival. and yes, boys and non-female identified folks are welcome too!

beernesday

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i more or less divided my beernesday into two sessions this week after the r&b cask of kumquat ale at the railway club on tuesday night i took off with my beer husband for taps and apps at st. augustine's (happy valentine's day to me!) and got a start on the long list of beers the current menu is featuring that i NEED to try (the kumquat was an interesting beer - those guys at r&b sure do love to get creative with their cask offerings!  but, um, i don't think i know what kumquat actually looks or tastes like... the beer was quite yummy and if that's what a kumquat tastes like, i'll have some please!) at st. a's i began with the hopworks abominable because its one of my favourites and i have to get it while its still available! followed by the coal harbour triumph cascadian rye ale because its a new vancouver brewery and it was the keg with the lowest volume left in it! "5.2% brewed with a high portion of rye malts lending a spicy and uniqu

portland

my friend is on her way to portland i am jealous i have a trip in the works, but not for at least another month dammit! anyway in advising her of where she HAS to go i came across this site that provides pub crawl suggestions so if you haven't yet purchased the beer goddess' guide , which of course you need to go do now, this site can tide you over

rio temporary fix

the rio is temporarily back to showing movies! from corrine lea: MOVIES ARE BACK! Thanx to all YOUR letter writing and demands for change!!! After our long battle with the LCLB The Rio is back to booking films at our Theatre! For now this is only a temporary fix, Minister Rich Coleman has provided, while they work out the details in the policy changes. There are scheduling restrictions that must be removed before we can get back to our creative programing so stay tuned...

howe sound

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love this! and love this year's total eclipse of the hop it was my bevvie of choice at the pink pints meeting at rogue this week its their current rotator ipa

mississippi

love that word:  mississippi some mail beernesday received seems legit, although i've never seen a fundraising pitch quite like this before anyone know if its a scam or its its for true?? "First, I want to say thank you for being a voice for craft beer and for guys (and gal) like us. We appreciate all that you do and your work is truly an asset for the craft beer community. Lucky Town Brewing Company is a new planned brewery in Mississippi, and although there is no brewery within 150 miles of Jackson, the craft beer community here is thriving. Mississippi suffers from some of the strictest beer legislation in the country, which is one reason why there is only one production brewery located in Mississippi currently. Since the laws do not allow for many to bring their beer to Mississippi, we at Lucky Town intend to give the local craft beer enthusiasts a broader choice. Lucky Town recently launched a Kickstarter project, and our goal is to raise at least $20,000 to hel

fringe festival

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its always great to hear when an arts festival gets itself a committed craft beer sponsor! "And in other news: Beercake There are so many players that have to come together to make a great Fringe Festival. One of these is our sponsors. They contribute cash and in-kind supplies. The Festival would be much smaller and less awesome without their support. That’s why we’re happy to announce that St. Ambroise, our Fringe Bar sponsor, and the provider of all the beer sold at the Festival, has committed to the Fringe for another three years! To celebrate, we asked our good friend and former staffer, Lois Dawson, to make a beercake to celebrate our new contract with St. Ambroise!"

heart

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stolen from craftbeer.com stolen from facebook stolen from kegworks 

commercialized romance day

happy valentine's day especially to all the single beer lovers out there! craftbeer.com's 10 chocolate beers to love women enjoying beer say buy your lady-friend a beer today vancouver beer blog's romantic beer pairings have your wedding at steamwhistle

beer bed

could this be the next fad in beer? using your empties to make a flourescent green bed frame

double dragon

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i have not had the pleasure of tasting phillips' double dragon before but i sure do like the label and, as we all i know i'm a sucker for a good label, i'll be sourcing out this beer so i can try it!     Bow to your Sensei because the Double Dragon Imperial Red Ale is back for another round! Fierce hop flavours battle an honorable malt base for the affection of your taste buds in an annual showdown where flavour always wins. Ultimately this majestic beer, brewed fiery copper red, is big enough to slay even the strongest thirst. If you’re looking to dance with the Double Dragon this illusive ale is available at private liquor stores for a limited time only.

total eclipse

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i love jet-setting! okay, well, my version of it anyway freshly back from mexico last week, i jumped on over to whistler this weekend outlook tv was covering the winter pride celebrations so i got me a free trip to whistler woo hoo! i love hitting a ski slope with a tan while i was there i stopped in at whistler brewing for a post-snowshoeing whiskey jack ale which i also managed to find on tap at the garibaldi lift company where a couple of parties were held into each life a little corona must happen its unavoidable really and can you blame a gal for having one when it comes in a double margarita?? finally, on the drive back to vancouver the lovely outlook crew stopped in for dinner at howe sound brewpub i had a delicious devil's elbow ipa with my 4 cheese penne and picked up 3 litres of total eclipse of the hops to bring home with me i love the total eclipse!

rooster sauce

not remotely beer related, but i really want the sriracha cook book !

recipe

veggie chipotle beer chili ?  yes please!

rio vs bc

it looks like the rio has won its liquor law war with the province but wait, not yet says corrine lea "Don't start celebrating yet...this is not the fix we're looking for! The Rio would really like to thank Mr. Rich Coleman and his impressive first day on the job as Minister. We appreciate his efforts to remove the BAN on movies at the RIO however when you read the fine print they have restrictions that will force us to have a permanent set schedule and that is simply - not possible. We hope the go ... vernment will understand the nature of the entertainment industry is unpredictable. Movie releases are determined by Hollywood Distributors not a small Indie theatre. There is no way to predetermine when a film will be released. We need the freedom to schedule our venue as needed. We agree to lock up the alcohol - but we can not agree to schedule restrictions. We are working to try and get this fixed but stay tuned...."

beernesday

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its good to be back in vancouver well, from a beer aspect anyway! tuesday night i attended the railway's cask night and very much enjoyed the r&b cranberry ipa not heavy on the cranberry, it was refreshing and would make a great summer patio beer (lord my phone cam takes lousy photos... must learn to use the new camera toot sweet!) wednesday night i stopped in at the new oxford to take advantage of the deschutes tap takeover and have me some inversion ipa before heading off to st. augustine's for beernesday.  delicious, and great camra vancouver company too! at st. augustine's i kept with the deschutes theme and had me a red chair northwest pale ale (6.2% the citrus punch of a big ipa, minus the one-dimensional hop sledgehammer.  seven select european and domestic malts round out the edges for a complex, copper-coloured brew) and my go-to winter favourite the hopworks abominable winter ale good times, good beers, good friends yeah, i guess its pretty good

valentine's day

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looking for something to do next tuesday? love shakespeare? why not go to hidden lounge's valentine's day dinner!

swig n stitch

there is just so much right with the concept of a swig n stitch ! it makes my little crafty heart happy now if only there was one in vancouver... wait, just because i haven't heard of it doesn't mean it isn't happening... if anyone hears of anything along these lines please tell me i have zero spare time, but for a swig n stitch i think i could find some!

beer opener

lousy video, but awesome idea! beer opener forms part of bike frame (don't drink and bike!)

camra vancouver beer awards

i attended my very first camra vancouver executive meeting last night as the newly elected treasurer! i think its going to be a very good year for camra vancouver, camra bc and craft beer in general and today i give you the winners of the 2012 camra beer awards ! great to see so many of my faves on the list and mega congrats to vancouver beer blog, van east beer blog and barley mowat for topping the local blog-scene! plus more proof that beer is an awesome substance ! anecdotal, and about heineken, but awesome nonetheless

club de la cerveza

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only two months old, club de la cerveza is serving up craft beer in playa del carmen, mexico if you are in the area, you NEED to stop by stop drinking corona and start drinking mexican craft beer! located on fifth avenue, down the quiet end at calle 38, miguel antoniucci is serving it right he's got quite the list of imported belgian and german beers and is constantly finding new mexican craft beers to round out the menu my favourite? the tijuana guera, a pilsner speak spanish?  check out tijuana's website here's an english review of the beer by another blogger and his photo: best of all, this was one of the beers i challenged myself to find and try! check! photos of club de la cerveza to follow along with a list of the rest of the mexican beers i tried

i'm ba-ack!

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i'm back, i'm tanned and i'm off to a superbowl party! found a great craft beer spot in playa del carmen plenty more to come about that and all the beers i got to try but not today... all i have for you today is this from elysian about their upcoming ipa offerings: MANIC IPA SPECIALTY SERIES  We are Hopping into 2012 with an Exciting New Line-up of IPAs So many IPAs, so little time... Elysian Brewing Company is kicking it's Manic IPA Series in February of 2012 with Idiot Sauvin, an IPA both fiercely fruity and floral, made with New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops. The beer has appeared before only at Elysian's pubs, and will be issued in both 22 oz bottles and draft.  Then in June will come Prometheus, anaggressively aromatic blend of Northwest classic Chinook, Cascade, Centennial and Amarillo hops fondly familiar to Elysian regulars.   Rounding out the year will be Valhalla, a reddish fall-into-holiday IPA using Sorachi Ace and Citra hops, scheduled for re