beernesday

not the end of the world, that has been and gone a dozen times already! no, i'm talking about the end of my cleanse and related dry month of january tomorrow tomorrow i drink! but here's the dilemma... what shall i drink? what will my first beer be? ipa, natch but which one? it will most likely be central city's red racer ipa since that's what's in the fridge at work and that's where i'll be headed at 4 tomorrow what will i follow it with? will i down them like water after my drought? will i be smart and ration myself? what will it taste like? will it be the best thing i ever tasted? or will it be too strong for my poor purified taste buds? i'll get back to you...

friday afternoon (4:00 - 7:00) at legacy liquor store in vancouver, a free tasting of american brewing's breakaway ipa and blonde beers - i'll be there! new and exciting beers available at legacy: Moon Under Water Potts Pils Unfiltered - $6.95 New owners, new brewmaster, new beer, new brewery. First on the docket, Potts Pils, an unfiltered hop-conscious beer brewed in the style of a northern German pilsner. Grab it while it lasts. Epic Hop Zombie - $10.35 Coming all the way from Auckland, New Zealand, Hop Zombie is a Double IPA with punch. Zesty citrus and tropical fruits on the nose and more of the same with a touch of malt on the palate. Pick up a bottle and put a little Kiwi in you. Epic Epicurean Coffee & Fig - $22.55 Another brew from the boys at Epic inspired by all the creatives out there: dark chocolate, molasses and fig account for the nose, with black liquorice, coffee, fig, vanilla and so much more making up the palate. These guys know what

my birthday is a mere three months away plenty of time for you to order me a hopschart and have it delivered before the big day!

in case you missed me last tuesday on cbc radio one's on the coast talking with stephen quinn about the perfect pour and craft beer options for dine out vancouver,  you can still catch the show by   clicking here   and choosing january 22nd the beer segment is right at the end - fast forward to the 2:18 mark if you don't happen to have 2 and a half hours to spare i was quite giggly last week, don't miss it!

a couple of links to the local vancouver beer scene: inconsistent liquor laws bug bc brewers local blogger barley mowat begins a new series of articles to help you become a bona fide beer geek , beginning with the difference between ales and lagers and jan zeschky weighs in on the breweries in the works for 2013 a guide to luring beer geeks to your beer serving establishment then, just for fun: the five beer glasses you simply must own

this is just plain fun! " what your beer style says about you" by bite

i wish i had seen this fabulous response to a lawyer with respect to a beer name trademark when the whole cascadia mess got messy oh, and gotta love craft brewers! i will definitely find myself some freetail beers next time i'm in san antonio, texas (which i have been to, but not in the most recent decade, so its high time to go back)

my notes from last night's on the coast beer column: the perfect pour: there really is a right way to pour beer!   first of all, the basics. drink out of a glass, not a bottle or a can and make sure the glass is clean - hand-washing and air drying are recommended (hand-washing to avoid soap or food residue from the dishwasher - also keeps any branding on the glass fresh longer - and air drying so you don't get lint or grease from a dishtowel in the glass) the quick answer to why drinking out of a glass is better than a bottle or a can is that you get to appreciate the appearance of the beer as well as the flavour and aromas. also handy is the ability to control the amount of settled yeast sediment from a bottle-conditioned beer that ends up in your mouth - some styles of beer are all about including the yeast (like a hefeweisen), if you pour from the bottle into the glass you'll mix the yeast in nicely. if you don't like yeast, or are drinking a style

i will be on cbc radio one's on the coast tonight at 5:50 talking with stephen quinn about the perfect pour and craft beer options for dine out vancouver 690 am in vancouver 88.1 fm if you missed me last week, you can still catch the show by clicking here and choosing january 8th the cooking with beer segment is right at the end - fast forward to about the 2:18 mark

they're all lost in the supermarket good thing they can shop happily though, they're there for ska's modus hoperandi guaranteed personality! (doctored photo by focusonthebeer.com of the clash at the supermarket in 1979, buying beer that was not yet invented in 1979)

new releases from phillips: Twisted Rocket Whale 3 New Releases to kick-start the New Year January 21st, 2013 - No, a Twisted Rocket Whale it's not a monster dreamt up for an indie B-side horror film, it's a new monster triple release from Phillips Brewing Company. Today, a year-round hop rocket is launching in a can, a barreled Scotch Ale is coming up from the cellar to introduce a new Twisted Barrel beer series, and the whale-themed winner of the 2012 Benefit Brew is surfacing in cold beer and wine stores. On Wednesday January 23rd from 4pm-6pm, we'll be hosting a very special tasting of all three, so pop on by for what will most likely be your only chance to try them on draft! Here's a little breakdown of each brew: Bottle Rocket ISA - 5% - 355mL Can Pull the tab and getaway! Bottle Rocket is an India Session Ale packed with bright, hoppy bitterness sure to ignite your tastebuds. Unlike its bigger IPA cousins, this beer sits a bit lighter on

i am totally a paragon of virtue i am still on the wagon, but attending beer events as if i was drinking! 2 cask nights, a beernesday and the r&b '2013 is gonna be great' brewery party - all in one week so i thought perhaps i'd take a moment to pat myself on the back and list the pros of being dry from time to time 1.  the obvious - no hangovers 2.  leading from #1, more hours in the day to get stuff done and have fun 3.  my rings are never tight on my fingers - no retaining water! 4.  my liver gets a well-deserved little break 5.  my taste buds get a chance to recalibrate 6.  people are impressed by my will-power 7.  hopefully those same people will buy me a drink in february 8.  i'll lose a couple of pounds and fit back into my beer t-shirts 9.  if i had a car, i'd be able to drive it home every night! and 10.  that first beer on february 1st is going to taste sooooooo good!

whatcha doing on february 4th? want a suggestion of what do do? attend the ninkasi brewing launch and tap takeover at portland craft ? that's where i'll be! TAP TAKEOVER ALERT! On Monday February 4th, 2013 up to 7 of our taps will be taken over by Ninkasi Brewing in honour of Ninkasi’s entrance into the BC market. That night we will be featuring: 1) Total Domination IPA – CONFIRMED! 2) Tricerahops Double IPA – CONFIRMED! 3) Believer Double Red Ale – CONFIRMED! 4) Oatis Oatmeal Stout – CONFIRMED! With possibly three more to be announced in the coming weeks. We will also have a some door prizes and other fun stuff going on thanks to their agency Copper & Theory . Not a bad way to shake off that Superbowl hangover!

oh, my, [insert diety of your choice here] i went for a run this morning for the first time in (obviously) far too long this clean livin' is gonna kill me! that, after i sat through a beernesday at st. augustine's without drinking any of the fabulous beers on tap my virtuousness is nauseating, i know (day 17, 14 to go) anyway, the new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Granville Island Brewing Barley Wine - $10.35 The folks down at GIB have decided to turn up the heat with this barley wine. Aged in bourbon barrels, this particular brew has caramel malt character, vanilla and oak flavours and a dose of Pacific Northwest hop. Parallel 49 Russian Imperial Stout - $13.75 Brewed dark and strong just like they did it in the 18th century, this Russian Imperial Stout is whiskey barrel-aged with flavours of smoke, vanilla and dried fruits. Pick up a bottle and drink like a czar. Phillips The Hammer Barrel Aged Imperial Stout - $7.85 The boy

a look forward to 2013 by vaneastbeerblog aka the outgoing president of camra vancouver who came top three in camra vancouver's best of awards what qualifies as craft beer? according to usa today the full list of camra vancouver award winners brewed awakenings weighs in on the label for lighthouse's siren red ale

well, there's a week of my life gone stupid sickness hateful cold i am back at the day job today after taking most of last week off to sit around the house feeling lousy and very sorry for myself i am a terrible patient good thing the only person trying to nurse me back to health was me! soooo... mixed feelings about my tenure as camra vancouver treasurer coming to an end at the agm yesterday i handed over all the trappings of fiscal responsibility to the new treasurer on the one hand, big sigh of relief its a very time-consuming job being on the executive even after handing over half of the job to a bookkeeper it was still a few hours a week of work and the new guy is an accountant, i have left the books in very good hands on the other hand, a little melancholy i liked being able to give back to an organization i believe in i liked being in the know i liked hanging out with my fellow camra executive members oh, i'll still volunteer at camra events and i s

these are my beer notes from last night's beer column on cbc radio's on the coast with stephen quinn: Its dark and cold out these days - which means people are more likely to be sitting down to heartier fare like soups, stews and casseroles for dinner.  Beer makes a great addition to all of those.  Beer provides body and rich flavours to dishes.  You can make a very easy beer and cheese soup by just adding a bottle of beer to boiling stock, simmer it for an hour and then add some nice cheese just before you serve it.  For a stew or casserole, just substitute beer for some of the liquid and you've upped the flavour content.  If you're making pulled pork in the slow cooker, add beer!  Marinade your meat in beer.  Reduce the beer and use it in sauces and gravies. If you want proper recipes of how to use beer in your cooking there are plenty floating around on the internet, including on beer websites such as craftbeer.com .  They have soups, main dishes, desserts, y

today is one of my radio days! i'll be on cbc radio one's on the coast with stephen quinn at 5:50 today i'll be talking about cooking with beer and about the upcoming camra agm 690 am 88.1 fm in vancouver

i think i need to add a beverage pouch to my camping hoody because i'm cheap, and handy but you can just buy yourself a hoody with a beverage pouch

here are some other people's bons mots about beer: time magazine on the craft vs. 'crafty' catfight the difference between beer geeks and beer snobs and the related article from kegworks: 10 signs you might be a beer snob and my favourite, the national post on why beer is good for you: its in the hops yup, people backing up my theory that hops are the best thing ever!

if i didn't have a damned day job taking up all my time, i would totally try to make something like this happen locally: Learn how to win friends, influence people, and have the best damn swagger on the block with Masters of the Universe. This 12-class course will teach you how to: Taste and appreciate beer Win your office sports pool Dominate your grill Defend yourself (and others) Workout at your desk Master magic tricks and illusions Make your own concert t-shirt Deliver fool-proof pick-up lines Conquer the art of shaving Create the ultimate survival kit Have a swagger like no other Classes will be held on the third Tuesday of the month at Flying Dog Brewery from 6 to 8 pm. The first hour will include an educational presentation from a guest speaker and master of that month's domain. The last hour will be reserved for beer samples, conversation, and comradery with future CEOs, ESQs, MDs, PhDs, DDSs, and DILFs. Thi

new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Brooklyn Black Ops - $37.25 A robust stout aged in bourbon barrels for four months, bottled flat, and re-fermented with champagne yeast. This beer has chocolate and coffee notes, with highlights of vanilla-like oak notes. HUB Abominable Winter Ale - $9.75 Brewed with Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops and six organic malts. This winter ale has a complex floral, spicy and citrus hoppiness backed by the right amount of sweetness from the malt. Delirium Nocturnum - $4.45 A dark brown beer with an aroma consisting of caramel, mocha, coriander and liquorice. These aromas follow through in the flavour of the beer in addition to the traditional flavours you would find in a dark belgian beer.

well hello there 2013! welcome! new year, new direction i will be doing away with some of the things i've been doing on this blog those things that seem to just be taking up space, like the beer geekery posts i put up on weekends they were fun, but i'm feeling like they cluttered up the blog - made it harder to scroll through to find actual content so they have been discontinued, buh-bye, gone i will probably be posting less frequently as well but the plan is that when i post it will be ever so informative and brilliant and you'll be riveted by my every word in the meantime... its january that means i'm doing my annual cleanse yup, a whole month without beer (and many, many other tasty substances) day three... i haven't yelled at or hit anyone yet, so there's hope for us all... i even went out with people who were drinking really good beer last night and didn't buckle i am ever so virtuous aren't you impressed?

and the final beer geekery post (not a feature i'm moving ahead with for 2013):