beernesday

the cask at the yaletown brewpub last night was cocoa ipa it was a bitter little beer to swallow so of course i loved it! a bit sedimenty with cocoa at the bottom, but what do you expect from a cask? i also ventured to bitter for their sour flight for $18 i got to try three sour beers the upright 4 is not really a sour beer if you ask me it is just a slightly sour saison, you know? so, not my favourite... the jolly pumpkin grand cru - luciernaga the firefly was starting to get sour still, i can see why it calls itself a belgian pale ale tasty for sure but not quite sour enough for me would i have it again?  sure! the verhaghe vichte duchesse de bourgoyne was sour not mouth puckeringly so, but enough that it pleased my sourpuss tastebuds iain hill described it to me before i had tried it as balsamic vinegar and he was right!  totally got that flavour from it my favourite of the three and one i would happy have again

this is a whole lot of awesome!!! the carlton beer chase on youtube

new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Phillips Electric Unicorn White Ale The latest limited release from Phillips come to us in the form of this great white ale. Be sure to get your hands on this foral scented refreshing wheat ale before we run out, cause it will go fast. Steamworks Frambozen This ruby red fruit beer is inspired by the centuries old Belgian tradition of brewing beer with raspberries, this high gravity brew undergoes a slow second fermentation with tonnes of fresh whole Fraser Valley raspberries. Delirium Tremens Respect the pink elephants adorning the bottle you will be rewarded with a chorus of the best Belgian Strong Pale Ale ingredients singing together in glorious harmony. A fantastic beer brought to us by Brouwerij Huyghe.

the vancouver sun and province are all over craft beer these days so many articles, so little time... currently, they want you to know the brewers behind the beers you'll be drinking this labour day long weekend

on the heels of their anniversary pandamoneum ipa brew, phillips is back with a fairy tale ipa August 30th 2012: In appreciation of International Laser Month we are proud to follow up a giant lazer-eyed mutant Panda with this mono-horned electrically charged laser beast. But while both creatures can sizzle atoms with a glance, the Electric Unicorn White IPA is very different animal than its larger more destructive cousin. This beer is a white IPA that treads delicately on the palate. Brewed with a generous portion of wheat, the bold hops of the West combine with corriander and a mystical yeast inspired from the East--from Belgium to be specific--to produce a taste that's well balanced and loaded with plenty of Belgian-fruit character. Ditch reality and take this India pale fairy tale for a ride. If you want your story to end hoppily-ever-after, be sure to grab your Electric Unicorn IPA quick because it's only available for a limited time at finer craft beer stores.

the cask last night at the railway club was central city's very berry white and very berry it was the first few sips were all sweet raspberry as i got further into it though the wheat started to assert itself definitely a fruit lover's beer! i enjoyed one, but it isn't my preferred style so i moved on to fat tug for my second course

what goes into lighthouse's switchback ipa? jan zeschky asks the brewer, dean mcleod tree brewing is going pink for breast cancer now packaging their beach blonde lager in pink cans are shrinkwrap labels on beer cans actually green? women enjoying beer wants you, and brewers, to step up to using sustainable beer packaging and last, but probably the most fun, sam adams beer hoisting contest how long can you hold a beer stein full of beer?

it would appear that the yanks beat out the scots on the first (british) leg of the international arms race zero ibu ipa-off between flying dog and brew dog (i say apparently because i have only seen the flying dog version thus far... and knowing these two breweries, there may be a contradictory story coming from brew dog any minute now!) Flying Dog Brewmaster Matt Brophy posted the above photo on Facebook moments after winning the International Arms Race. The classic Red, White, Blue, and Camo combination really brings out his golden complexion.

i would love to see what the geography of craft beer is in canada but to whet your appetite, here is the geography of craft beer in america

all i can say is "you're welcome"! beer cupcake recipe :  dark beer chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel frosting (this recipe has been reprinted on several blogs and beer websites, but i think the link above is to the original recipe... if not, i apologize profusely) Cake: 1 cup flavorful dark beer– I used Rogue Mocha Porter but Lagunitas Cappucino Stout and Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (hometown love!) are also faves. Ask your favorite beer geek for a recommendation. 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 2 cups dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder 3/4 cup sour cream 2 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda Combine the beer and butter in a large sauce pan and heat to melt. Remove from heat; whisk in the cocoa, sugar, and espresso. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then whisk into the beer mixture. Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold into the batter. Pour into

pride beer wedding beer yay - so many people are now making a statement with craft beer! it warms the cockles of me heart, it does

it is a sunny day in vancouver but the vancouver sun i'm referring to is the newspaper, which currently has two articles about craft beer online: the insatiable taste for craft brews article quotes lundy dale and iain hill and the longer version of the article names names of lots of local drinking holes and breweries like crannog, tap and barrel, r&b, parallel 49, the alibi room, central city, all the soon-to-be-opened new vancouver establishments and goes into nano-breweries like bridge brewing

boo! summer is almost over labour day approacheth me, i'm going out of town for the long weekend but if you're sticking around vancouver there are lots of fun things to do to end your summer on a high note one of which is the gastown bbq and chili festival there is lots of good beer to be had in gastown!

and the next collaboration beer coming at ya: phillips and great lakes August 24th: The Great Canadian Beer Festival is ready to descend upon Victoria once again, and this time around two breweries are using the annual beer celebration as an excuse to have a little collaborative fun. Victoria-based Phillips Brewing Co. and Great Lakes Brewery from Toronto are teaming up to brew a special one-off beer at the Phillips facility the week of the Festival. It's a project reflective of the unique collaborative spirit of the craft brewing industry, as well as an excuse for old friends to get together for a brew. David Bieman of Great Lakes Brewing cut his teeth in the craft beer industry at Phillips once upon a time, and in the minds of these brewers the opportunity to reunite old friends in the pursuit of creating great beer is as good an excuse as any to participate in the project. For the time being both breweries are keeping the specifics of their collaborative beer under a tigh

i want to run a beer mile ! who wants to make it a competition (or an exhibition)?? maybe a relay? only caveat is that it has to be good beer i know we'll be chugging it, but that's still no excuse to drink inferior beer

looks like my first beer column for cbc radio's on the coast will be september 4th yay!! tune in at 5:40 p.m. and hear me wax poetic about craft beer let's hope i'm interesting, articulate and informative if not, at least you can laugh, right?! either way, it'll be beer geek entertainment

tonight's cask at the yaletown brewpub is the brick and beam ipa with citra this is an awesome beer and i'm sad i'll be missing it (not sad that i'll be at the pne with olp though!) i did very much enjoy the cask at the railway club on tuesday night it was r&b's dry-hopped esb very nicely balanced and hopped up like i like 'em!!

the great canadian beer festival is coming up!! and i have tickets to both days - yay! click here for the list of beers i will be trying - yes, all of them! well, okay, probably not all of them...

sustainable uses for spent grain (besides ryan's amazing spent grain ipa bread!) a pint of beer is every woman's right yup, more on women and beer but this one from the uk guardian is right on! campaign for culture wants to bring happy hour to vancouver and that's a movement i could get behind! and lastly, a top 8 canadian microbreweries list that i disagree with but what can you expect with an article that starts out saying "Kokanee, Canadian, Sleeman’s, and Alexander Keith’s (all great beers)..." and thinks that granville island and okanagan springs count as microbreweries?

new and exciting beers at legacy in vancouver: Alameda El Torero IPA Bursting with floral and orange flavors, El Torero is a bullfighter among Northwest IPAs. This beer won't step out of your way. It wants you to enjoy it. Red Bull Strong Beer 7.1% This isn't affiliated with the classic energy drink we all know...This is Red Bull Strong Beer, developed in Eastern US and ready for drinking! Staropramen Our latest Czech import. In every glass of Staropramen lies the free spirit of Prague. Within this city of lovable sins, Staropramen will inspire to savour your zest for life amongst your friends. and: free european beer tasting on sunday from 2:00 - 6:00

we're down to the last couple of days to nominate american bars for craftbeer.com's best beer bars in america list

need an excuse for being sinful? apparently the seven deadly sins are actually good for you bring on the sloth, greed and general debauchery!

spent all day sunday vending at a craft fair (didn't make much money, but the people watching was pretty good) so what's a girl to do after being so virtuous? go for a beer (or three) of course! i'm talking about the alameda yellow wolves of thailand people go have it! gingery and melony and oh so hoppy! definitely yellow in colour i could have gone for a little more basil in it but so, so good! currently available on tap at st. augustine's and i believe it is on the list at portland craft for the #yvrtweetup on wednesday

its a hot and sunny summer friday afternoon why am i in an office? i should be on a patio sweating alongside my glass of craft beer!

blah blah blah women and beer blah blah blah yes, women are an untapped beer market but if you keep pandering to what you think they want rather than asking, you're likely to keep that market untapped sheesh! enough with the stupid articles about women and beer cocktails , women and low-calorie beers, women and fruity pink beers dammit, as many men drink those things as women and very soon just as many women as men will be drinking all the beautiful craft beers out there because they are tasty and good quality... and rarely advertise misogynistically plus, hops are wonderful creatures, especially for women i think more and more women are going to drink beer, realize it makes them feel good and go back for more! in the meantime can we all just drink beer (quality beer!) without making it about the binary gender stereotypes? please?

i think i am losing my ability to appreciate spice in my old age i used to be able to pour on the hot sauce but lately... lately i'm finding all the chili beers i drink to be too spicy they hurt my throat drinking them is just not enjoyable the exception remains rogue's chipotle ale that one i can drink a whole pint of more if i'm sick tuesday night at the railway club the cask was central city's red chili white ale i had a taster of it and it hurt my throat the flavour was lovely, but i couldn't get past the throat burn to have more than a couple of sips same thing happened when i was in portland at burnside brewing they had two spicy ales on the menu i tried them both in my sampler (and they do warn you that they contain the hottest pepper known to man) they smelled divine, but i couldn't get past a sip instant throat ache instant disappointment is it me? or are people putting too much spice in the beer? is it so wrong that i want

new and exciting beers: Alameda Black Bear XX Stout A surprisingly light-bodied stout with hints of chocolate and coffee. Despite being the same color as the dark side of the moon, this beer has a subtle and intricate mouth feel. The Black Bear XX Stout has won two medals at the Great American Beer Festival. Phillips Brewing Pandamonium The 11th Hour Anniversary Ale Even the Mayan prophesy couldn't predict the Hopquake Beerageddon about to be unleashed from this bottle. 11% for 11 years of Brewing. Bad Attitude Hobo IPA It's a beer that's been made for thirsty people, to be drank without too much thinking, to be enjoyed while strolling down the streets on warm evenings.

craft beer has finally been defined! or has it... beer for longevity! the beer wench on contract brewing the globe and mail covers small breweries - its official, craft beer is news in canada! beer and lego collaborations craft beer sales up in america, including st. louis stone putting expiry dates right in the name of new ipa jason, gary and brian are jedi beermasters according to vancouver sun

oh alibi room! why do you have so many more beers than i can drink in a night? i began with a cask last night central city's red racer dry-hopped with simcoe and it was fantastic could have been a little more carbonated but otherwise a stellar ipa! next up i decided to double my hops pleasure with the lost coast limited release double trouble ipa and holy hops batman, was it ever a citrusy bitter little number delicious! why i didn't just have small pours of the above two, i don't know but there were still too many beers i wanted to try on the menu that i had to go with a frat bat! from left to right: conrad's marris otter cascade hopped session ale tofino hop cretin ipa tariq's wrath of khan ipa red truck cherry lemonade cask loved the first three, did not at all care for the cherry lemonade at 3.8% i can see drinking the session ale on a summer patio for hours! and the other two?  gosh darnit, i love me an ipa colour me happy

parallel 49's head brewer is the featured vancouverite at inside vancouver

steamworks is looking for a new head brewer: We are connecting with you regarding a position with Steamworks Brewery, based in Vancouver, BC. Davies Park has been retained to help Steamworks find a Head Brewer. We would value your thoughts and insights on the role, and appreciate you sharing this opportunity with others in your network. For details on the role, the opportunity profile can be found through the following link: http://daviespark.com/documents/pdf/Vancouver/SHB.pdf Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Best regards, Warren Psutka Search Associate Davies Park Executive Search Tel: (604) 688-8422 Fax: (604) 688-8427 Suite 900 - 510 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC. V6C 3A8 http://daviespark.com

when bears drink beers...

now this is a beer i must try!! August 13th 2012: A year ago we celebrated 10 years of brewing with a 10% Double IPA, and this year there was only one way to follow it up: Turn it up to 11! So we dialed up the malt and hops across the board, and are celebrating 11 years of beers with Pandamonium--a double IPA monster. Brewed to 11%, we loaded hops into the pre-boil, and then added more hops every 11 minutes over a 111 minute boil for a grand total of 11 hop additions (plus a dry hop). Hopquakes like this don't come around very often and we only turn 11 once, so enjoy this brewtiful beast while you can! Pandamonium 11th Hour IPA is available for a limited time at finer craft-focused liquor stores.

tuesday's cask at the railway club was r&b hoppelganger dry-hopped with cascade and it was a thing of beauty and a joy to imbibe! such wonderful hoppy goodness! thursday's cask at the yaletown brewpub was their stout all dry-hopped up and it too was a thing of beauty and a joy to imbibe! not too stouty for a hot summer's day because it was hopped up like crazy! and it made for a lovely black and tan with the brick and beam ipa

new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store: Coal Harbour Brewing Black Sunshine Blackberry Weizen Refreshment exploding on your tongue like the rays from the summer sun. True taste: Refermented with blackberries for a subtle tart fruit flavour. Granville Island Limited Release Ginger Beer Spiced with the blog flavour of hawaiian ginger. This sessionable ale combines water, malt, hops and yeast. Big kahuna ginger creates a refreshing taste with a spicy kick. Urthel Hop-It Special Blond Through the use of large quantities of aroma hops, the hoppy character and bitterness of Urthel Hop-it are unequaled. Hops, water, malts, hops, sugar and yeast. there is also a free tasting on saturday: STANLEY PARK BEER TASTING 2:00 to 6:00 PM Aug 11, 2012

an international arms race flying dog of usa vs brewdog of scotland flying dog's version of the story brewdog's version of the story

you know its finally summer in vancouver when you've got a tan and you're too busy soaking up the rays to update your beer blog! never fear though, i have still been drinking craft beer - lord help me if i'm ever too busy to be doing that the electrical storm that we had on tuesday evening paired very nicely with the deschutes inversion ipa that i was drinking... anyway, in real news, the cbc has chosen its beer columnist for the new beer segment that will be debuting in september as part of "on the coast" on cbc radio and it's me!!! every other tuesday at approximately 5:40 p.m. all bc residents can tune in to hear me wax poetic on the fabulousness of craft beer and the rest of the world can catch it later on the cbc website i'm very excited!

#IPADay celebrations at portland craft last night were fun! i love ipa!

new and exciting beers at legacy in vancouver: Gigantic Brewing Company The City Never Sleeps Imperial Black Saison A new brewery coming out of Portland, Oregon. Belgian yeast, light roastyness, bakers chocolate, smoke. Something...different? Nickel Brook Gluten Free This gluten free beverage has the flavour that any beer lover will enjoy. Discover for yourself the satisfying and thirst quenching flavour of Ontarios first beer alternative. R&B Brewing G'Ale Golden Ale Made in collaboration with Vancouver Pride, this Golden Ale is easy drinking and refreshing! Grab a case for the weekend - while supplies last.   i had the g'ale on tuesday at the launch held at legacy i'm not the biggest golden ale fan but its a really drinkable beer and barry (the b in r and b) said that they were going for a beer that lager drinkers and more adventurous palates alike could enjoy i think they succeeded and its an easy-drinking summer beer - kinda perfect for prid

first of all, you should visit the official #IPADay website menshealth gives us their top 7 ipas craftbeer.com on the ever-evolving sub-categories of the ipa style (by the beer wench herself) american craft brewers are the kings of hops? flying dog's mixology for ipa

happy #IPADay everyone! in honour of the day (well, before i am allowed to start drinking delicious ipas anyway) i bring you some ipa myth-busting then, in real celebration of the day i will be at portland craft in vancouver to savour india pale ale on for sure for tonight: Alameda El Torero IPA Alameda American Rye IPA Hopworks Organic IPA there may be more depending on whether any kegs run dry in time to replace them with ipa

tap and barrel in olympic village in vancouver is not officially open yet but they have been soft-opening for over a week now which is kinda cool - you get to tell them what you think of everything and the servers are all very willing to go and find out the answers to all of your questions and believe me, i asked a whole lotta questions! tap and barrel features all local bc products food, beer and wine the beer and the wine are on tap yes, you read that correctly - wine on tap ! peanut butter and bacon jelly make several appearances on the current menu apparently they believe that peanut butter is a great way to show off locally sourced food why not? i began with the pretzel, because i love a pretzel normally only served with one sauce (your choice of mustard, beer & cheese or pb and bacon jelly) i got them to give me a second sauce because i need cheese and mustard to properly enjoy a pretzel the beer and cheese sauce is amazing!  the mustard is mustardy... t

so many craft beer serving establishments opening in vancouver this summer! and being the galivanting around town type that i am, i have tried to hit them all well, okay the ones i get told about anyway last thursday was opening night for tacofino commissary an actual restaurant to go with the two food trucks they already have in town its a delightful space on hastings street, just west of nanaimo street a long narrow room with communal long tables and an incredible light fixture of glowing white balls connected by copper wiring... with live plants growing out of it  Bocci Lights made by Omer Arbel ! tacofino was my third stop on thursday night, so i wasn't hungry i did get to try a bite of my friend's banana churros though - savoury banana churro coated in sugar, served with banana sriracha ice cream deeelicious! the rest of the menu looks delightful featuring such gems as cauliflower with serrano chiles, turmeric, crispy rice and spicy fish

i have tried pretzels at every place that i come across that sells them the best by far at the ones at deschutes in portland and here is the recipe of how to make their pretzels and the cheese and mustard sauce they serve with them you are very, very welcome! HOW DO THEY MAKE THAT PRETZEL & CHEESE DIP? Brewery Pretzel Ingredients 1 oz Yeast 2 Tbs Sugar 2 1/2 Cups Inversion IPA 2 Tbs Soft Butter 1 Tbs Salt 2 lb 4 oz Hi Gluten Flour Directions Combine yeast, sugar and beer until proofed Mix all ingredients with dough hook in mixer Place in oiled container and let double in size (about an hour) Cut into 16 equal pieces Roll into balls, cover with plastic and let sit until relaxed Roll each ball into a rope about 4 feet long, twist into shape and place on a tray in the fridge or freezer Get a large pot of water to boil (add a few Tbs. baking soda) When pretzels have risen a little but are fairly firm, boil them for 1 minute each and put on

flavours of the season from deschutes: BLACK BUTTE XXIV Our 24th Anniversary Release is back in black with a couple of new additions this year including fresh Daglet dates and Mission figs. You'll still get flavors of dark chocolate and Bourbon roasty goodness but after one sip...you'll be hooked. Grab a few bottles for aging and one for now! Cheers to 24 years of Deschutes beers! RESERVE SERIES 11.0% ABV | 55 IBU's Availability: Now in 22-oz bottles and draft in limited quantities     THE DISSIDENT Pucker up, sour fans...it's time for the return of our favorite Flanders-style brown ale. As our only bottled wild yeast beer, we use fresh tart pie cherries from Oregon and Brettanomyces to give this beer unique flavors and aromas that will have you singing, "Wild Thing" by The Troggs. Snag a bottle while they last and savor the sour! RESERVE SERIES ~10.5% ABV | ~30 IBU's Availability: Very limited in 22-oz bottles beg