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Showing posts from February, 2013

legacy liquor store

new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Gigantic Brewing - The End of Reason - $9.95 Portland is known as a Mecca of great craft breweries and this Belgian Strong Ale, albeit closer to a petite quad, definitely reaffirms the fact. Rich Caramel and Malt with a heavy body make for a unique and tasty beer. Parallel 49 - Lord of the Hops - $6.70 The fine proprietors of Parallel 49 have been hitting home runs since day one and Lord of the Hops is batting a thousand. The foundation of this hop party is an amazing nose, backed up by a beautiful combination of citrus and west coast pine. 8 Wired Brewing - Super Conductor - $10.55 New Zealand has been rolling out some stellar craft beer and Super Conductor is certainly no slouch. Bitter, tropical and so much more, this Double IPA wears its tropical fruits with pride. Let's hope the Kiwis can keep their superb brews rolling.   they also have a bin end sale on right now, which includes beer wha

on the coast

in case you missed me last tuesday on cbc radio one's on the coast talking with stephen quinn about the recent changes to the bc liquor laws, you can still catch the show by clicking here and choosing february 19th the beer segment is right at the end - fast forward to the 1:33 mark if you don't happen to have over an hour to spare

link love

a little 24 hour love for portland craft after enjoying the heck out of all the sours on the alibi room's 400th beer list, this is a timely set of food and beer pairings for me:  craftbeer.com on the wild side of pairing deschutes gives you some repurposing ideas for expired beer (which happens to beer lovers you know) growler from crate & barrel

friday frivolity

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hops, glorious hops!

friday frivolity

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i really love beer! and i keep getting love back

legacy liquor store

new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Russell Luck of the Irish - $6.95 A locally brewed beer to celebrate St. Patrick's Day the right way. Rich red in colour courtesy of roasted barley, its palate of toffee and caramel make this malt forward beverage a must for any Irish festivity. Driftwood Twenty Pounder - $8.95 When has Driftwood ever done us wrong? Their Double IPA drops an IBU bomb of Cascadian citrus hop, with citrus and everything nice bouncing around on the nose and palate. Pick it up before it rolls out the door. Tuatara Mix 6 - $23.85 From Pilsner to Porter this special New Zealand six-pack has something for everyone, showcasing Tuatara Brewery, New Zealand and the local craft beer scene.   i had the 20 pounder last night as good as i remember it from last year!

camra newsletter

look ma! i got a mention in camra's newsletter! Rebecca of Beck's Beer Blog has a regular spot on CBC's On the Coast with Stephen Quinn. This week she talked about the changes to the liquor laws. If you missed the live broadcast you can find it here . (Feb 19, fast forward to the 1:30 mark) Upcoming shows are March 5th and 19th and you can listen live @5.50pm FM 88.1.

beer column

in case you missed the show last night here are my notes from my beer column on cbc radio 1's on the coast with stephen quinn: On February 8th the Provincial Government announced revisions to the liquor laws of British Columbia.  The nine changes all sound like solid decisions that will boost the economy and keep liquor producers, vendors and consumers happy.  Two of these changes to the laws are of particular interest to the craft beer community and are causing springs in steps and big smiles on beer lovers' faces.   Past liquor laws in this province, often maligned as archaic, did not generally allow for breweries to have on-site tasting rooms, nor did they allow breweries owned by the same parties as restaurants or pubs to have their beers carried in those restaurants or pubs.  This latter rule was referred to as the tied-house rule.  At first blush it may sound backwards to not allow a pub owned by the same people as a brewery to be allowed to carry their own be

on the coast

its one of those tuesdays! i'll be talking about the new provincial liquor laws with stephen quinn today at 5:50 p.m. on cbc radio one's on the coast i'll also be telling you which beers at the alibi room 400th tickled my fancy last night and which ones i'm looking forward to trying tonight!

link love

dogfish head helpfully makes beer pairing list for american girl guide cookies those guys, they give until it hurts! the vancouver sun helpfully lists all the new breweries opening in the vancouver area in 2013 its shaping up to be one hell of a year for beer in bc!

friday frivolity

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okay, this beercade idea is genius!

cupid

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happy valentine's day to those of you out there who actually give a crap (why yes, i am single.  incidently, why do you ask?) to everyone else, i offer you this:  aphrodisiac beer paired three course dinner menu put together by the beer wench for craftbeer.com if you can't beat 'em, out drink 'em!

camra bc approves of liquor law changes

CAMRA Welcomes Positive Changes for BC Craft Beer Posted on February 12, 2013 by Mark Vancouver, BC – The Campaign for Real Ale Society of British Columbia welcomed the revisions to the province’s liquor laws announced by Minister Rich Coleman on Friday. It is anticipated that these changes will further boost the current boom in craft brewing that has given consumers significantly more locally-produced products to choose from. BC wineries have been permitted tasting rooms, event areas, and even restaurants for some time. Now that breweries are allowed the same opportunity, this will make it easier for them to reach new customers and spur growth in craft beer tourism. CAMRA BC hopes to see other privileges afforded wine, like BYOB and the relaxing of inter-provincial trade restrictions, extended to craft beer. “We also had concerns regarding the relaxing of tied-house regulations and submitted these to the government during the comment period”, said CAMRA BC President, Rick

on the coast

in case you missed me last tuesday on cbc radio one's on the coast talking with stephen quinn about the the health benefits of beer, you can still catch the show by clicking here and choosing february 5th 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!

phillips

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Black Jackal - An Imperial Espresso Double Shot February 12th 2013: Coffee stouts have always held a special place in our hearts as one of the three original Phillips brews, and this year's Imperial version--brewed in collaboration with our friends at 2% Jazz Coffee Co.--is an 8% 650mL double shot! Pouring a deep black earth colour, rich roasted coffee flavours and hints of dark chocolate guide your palate through a java-laden journey. Methodically crafted with only the best local espresso, this one-eyed jackal is no wildcard. Available at finer craft-friendly private liquor stores for a limited time only. We'd also like to invite you to pop by the brewery on February 14th from 4-6, to treat your valentine to a special draft tasting of this coffee infused collaboration. Sam from 2% Jazz will also be on hand to celebrate the magic of brewing with barley and beans.

link love

tasting beer - decoded by craftbeer.com's julia hertz the new go-to glass for hop-forward beers ? dogfish head and sierra nevada think their collaboration glass is it and they think you should try their collaboration beer in the new glassware (called rhizing bines - so witty!) building with beer bottles is nothing new but this glass building looks like its made of concrete (i think beer bottle stained glass windows would make a great addition to the architecture) and another green story, from the huffington post alaskan brewing uses their spent grain to power their brewing budweiser - corona merger nixed because of craft beer? huffington post reports evidence that the big boys are scared of the crafty boys

whistler

i'm off to whistler for the weekend looking forward to drinking a few brews by derrick franche while i'm there! and enjoy that crisp mountain air too, of course

press release

NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release 2013EMNG0026-000222 Feb. 8, 2013 Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas Liquor Control and Licensing Branch Liquor Distribution Branch B.C. liquor laws get overhauled   VANCOUVER – Minister Rich Coleman announced several changes today that will help support local breweries and distilleries, create new business opportunities, and revise current liquor laws in British Columbia. Changes announced today include the following: · Brewers and distillers now can apply to have an on-site consumption area such as a lounge, tasting room or event area. · Small- and medium-sized liquor manufacturers will be allowed up to three common ownership and business relationships with licensed establishments located off their manufacturing site. · Rules around how liquor manufacturers can promote their products in bars and restaurants have been simplified by removing the requirement for a buy-sell

legacy liquor store

new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Double Trouble Brewing Hops & Robbers IPA - $5.60 Two Ontarians had a dream and this is the result: a clear straw-coloured IPA with notes of pine, herbs and tropical fruits on the nose with more of the same on the palate. Ringing in at 50 IBU's, this is a true east coast treasure. HaandBryggeriet 'Norwegian Wood' - $8.95 This little treat comes to you all the way from Norway. Brewed in traditional Norwegian style, this brew boasts smokiness all the way through with a touch of juniper for a little pep. Swans Legacy Ale - $7.25 Brewed to commemorate the legacy of Michael Williams and his ongoing support of the arts and Marine Sciences at UVic, this smooth, complex barley wine-style ale has aromas of orange peel, biscuits and molasses with lots of malt to back it up.     i love the hops and robbers - best part of my trip to onterrible was getting to drink it!  and its only 50 ibus... craz

beer, delicious beer

i have been back on the ambrosia for six days now and i have yet to extol its virtues here bad, bad beer geek! let's work backwards through my past six days last night was beernesday at st. augustine's where i enjoyed a taster flight of howe sound total eclipse of the hops (love this citrusy imperial), hoyne's devil's dream ipa (love this too!), moon under water's victorious weizenbock (cloudy, not too sure about chocolate and wheat together, the banana notes were interesting, and i really enjoyed the new zealand hops) and creepy uncle dunkel (whose vanilla notes were subtle enough for me to enjoy this lovely lager), plus pints of ninkasi total domination ipa (by far the maltiest of my ipas of the evening) and driftwood's fat tug (always a nice way to end an evening) clicky clicky for jan zeschky's review of the hoyne devil's dream tuesday night was cask night at the railway club where i had a lovely jameson-infused stout by central city

beer column

these are my notes from yesterday's beer column on cbc radio's on the coast topic:  the health benefits of beer its February now, new year's resolutions probably abandoned, but all is not lost, there's still beer and it can actually be good for you! this time of the year can be particularly hard with the grey and rainy vancouver weather. summer seems like it will never come, resolutions to lose weight and eat better are proving hard to keep... good thing that something you're already doing is good for you! we're not doctors here, so this is not medical advice that said, drink beer! its good for you! beer drinking often gets a bad reputation - beer bellies, drunken frat boys, career limiting moves. this is unfortunate because there are many health benefits that come with beer. some are undisputed and don't change with the quantity of beer you drink alas others you can only get through moderate drinking we all remember the old advice guinness used

on the coast

today is one of my tuesdays on cbc radio one's on the coast with stephen quinn giving beer drinkers a reason to smile in february - there's nutrition in them there beers! i'll be on at 5:50 p.m. 690 am in vancouver 88.1 fm

mark your calendar

"Inaugural East Side Beer Fest", March 20th, 7pm to -9pm, at East Vancouver's WISE Hall, located at the corner of Victoria Drive and Adanac Street. Admission is $20, with tickets currently available at all Liberty Wine Merchant locations, and a non-perishable food item for the Food bank, to be dropped off at the event. The event is described as "self-guided" and the tasting is included in the entry price meaning no tickets or tokens need to be purchased inside the event! see paddy's blog for all the details

link love

steamwhistle's brewmaster talks craft vs. commercial 12 ways to do beer better - draft magazine's 12 tips to becoming a beer geek top five beers made by musicians what do you do with your breweriana collection ?  do you preserve it or use it? taps magazine weighs in brewbound discusses craft beer's influence on local economies - and its good news! craftbeer.com has seven sudsy sports analogies for you - but they're not about sports, they're about the beer industry and craft beer's role in it - get off your butt and get in the game! ten pilsners you just gotta try , according to yahoo

super bowl

there is a craft beer connection to this year's super bowl showdown its not just the ravens vs. the 49ers its heavy seas vs. 21st amendment, anchor brewing and anderson valley click here for heavy sea's big words click here for 21st amendment's take on the bet me, i'm cheering for the 49ers but i have no beer riding on the outcome of the game so it'll be a good day for me either way!

victoria beers

this, my beer-loving friends, is a marvelous idea:  an online beer museum ! everything you ever wanted to know about beers from victoria and photos too!

friday frivolity

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i need to own one of these beer buckles (and the plaid shirt is really swell too!)