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Showing posts from May, 2014

the business of craft beer

a shout out to bc business magazine for their really informative "the business of craft beer" yesterday afternoon jamie floyd killed it in his key-note address joe wiebe was an affable moderator parallel 49, bomber and red truck offered plenty of food for thought in the how to start a brewery panel driftwood, central city and four winds represented in the marketing panel and all the breweries who showed up to pour (ninkasi, red truck, bridge, bomber, parallel 49, central city, driftwood, four winds and prohibition - i don't think i forgot anyone) brought some really swell beers with them i would have liked to mingle and network in a slightly larger space than the imperial but otherwise the event was perfectly executed i suggest all y'all check it out next year!

16 places to drink craft beer in vancouver

chuck hallett (aka barley mowat ) compiled a list of 16 places to drink craft beer in vancouver for vancouvereater.com in advance of vancouver craft beer week i have shamelessy borrowed his list and provide you with links to my reviews of most of these places (which were published in the bc craft beer news over the past year) you know, just in case you haven't actually been to all of these places (which i would only find credible if you don't actually live in vancouver) and wanted to know allllll about them 33 Acres Brewing Company Imagine a sleek Scandinavian Coffee House selling solidly produced sessional ales and lagers and you might have pictured 33 Acres. A sleek white-and-concrete interior kept immaculately clean makes you wonder whether or not you've slipped into an art gallery by mistake, then you realize that you have... The beer is the art. Highlights include Merckx (Saison) and Sunshine (French Blanche).   Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar

yaletown brewpub

yaletown brewpub will be adding 4 extra casks as part of their vancouver craft beer week celebration! and there will be a feature menu of craft beer inspired items as well. Thursday May 29th: 4pm: Pale ale krausened with hefeweizen infused with Citrus Friday May 30th: 4pm: Oud Bruin Saturday May 31st: 11:30am: Belgian Dubbel infused with Port and aged on oak chips Thursday June 5th: 4pm: IPA dry hopped with Galaxy Friday June 6th: 4pm: Cherry Wheat Saturday June 7th: 11:30am IPA dry hopped with Summer

beer column

my notes from yesterday's beer column on cbc radio one's on the coast with gloria macarenko sitting in for stephen quinn There really is no right or wrong way to pair food and beer, it really comes down to personal taste. Different beers bring out different flavours in food, leading to different experiences. There are some guidelines, like following the three c’s – complement, contrast and cut – but the best way to find an excellent pairing is to experiment for yourself.   The theory behind “Complement” is pairing like with like: chocolate stout with chocolate dessert.  In contrast (ha ha), the “Contrast” is just like it sounds: pairing opposites, like sweet with savoury.  To “Cut” is to use the carbonation in beer to cut through the fat in food or to use the bitterness in beer to cut through the sweet in a dish.  These three “c’s” are a good starting point for beer and food pairing experiments. Usually when we talk about food and beer pairings we are referrin

on the coast

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i will be on cbc radio one's on the coast this afternoon at 5:50 sipping on beer and chatting about it with gloria macarenko specifically we'll be talking about the chef series of beer from r and b brewing which launches today! and here is yesterday's press release: NEWS RELEASE For Additional Information Contact: Katharine Manson katharine@mansoncommunications.com 604.318.9690 How Many Chefs Does It Take to Make Great Beer? R&B Brewing Co. Launches the Chef Series Vancouver BC, May 26, 2014 - Anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant knows that 'kitchen beers' are two of the most satisfying words a cook can hear. Not only does it signal an end to a very long day, it is the beginning of a nightly ritual that results in cold beer, comfort food and camaraderie. Beer has come a long way over the past few years, making its way from late night kitchen relief to prime time dining room enjoyment. In collaboration with five of Vancouver&#

link love

what's link love without a top ten list? or a top 100 list? 10 great summer beers and dagnabbit, i haven't tried a single one of these 100 american beers you have to drink part 1 - 100 - 81 i'm doing much better on this list! an interview with chris bjerrisgaard of vancouver craft beer week beer cocktails , a lovely summer drink beer soaked grilled cheese sandwich recipe brewdog beer and food pairing the georgia strait on the evolving beer industry in bc quoting none other than camra vancouver's adam chatburn plus reps from granville island and central city more on the health benefits of drinking beer the canadian brewing awards schedule the strait says to try these beers vancouver international tequila expo oooh, i do love me some tequila! too bad it overlaps with vcbw vancouver brewery map - updated to today but likely out of date again by tomorrow!

legacy liquor store

This is one of Vancouver’s more recent additions to the craft beer scene born out of a vision of enjoyment for the binding elements of life: spirit of community sharing, drink, food, conversation, space, and ideas. Influenced by the natural elements of their beautiful Pacific Northwest backdrop, 33 Acres is fueled by creative thinking, and driven to make the highest quality product available to the city. Along with other new craft breweries in the city, they are hard at work making Vancouver a craft beer destination that aims to rival that of Portland, Oregon. Check out these cleanly crafted and simple sublime brews, and be quick because they sell quickly in this glorious spring weather. 33 Acres Brewing Co. 33 Acres of Sunshine - $6.95 This is my go-to summer brew: easy drinking, refreshing and just plain delicious thanks to the inclusion of orange peel, anise and coriander in the brewing process. A hazy straw yellow, this French Blanche smells like fresh pizza dough on the nose wi

northshore pub crawl

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i went on a little pub crawl in north van last week we only hit four venues but i feel we did well for a friday evening step one: take seabus to foreign lands step two: avoid getting hit by train on the way from seabus to black kettle step three: sample beers at black kettle on tap: wheat ale, pale ale and ipa i really enjoyed the wheat and the pale the ipa was too well-balanced for me - i need more pacific northwest hoppiness! step four: walk back along tracks take photos of interesting and unintelligible messages step five: stop for food at sailor hagar's split hairs with server about their continued use of the name "brewpub" when no brewing is done on-site any more (howe sound brews their beers now) step five.five: enjoy a persephone pale ale instead of the house beers (count this as the best beer i had all night) eat waffle fries with ketchup and hot sauce and call it dinner step six: walk back to lonsdale quay and visit g

portland haul

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this is what i brought back from portland with me this is what i brought back from portland and have already drunk:

bottle share

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i got to attend a backyard bbq and bottle share over the long weekend wanna see what we drank??     the two stand-outs for me were the breakside india golden ale and the double mountain devil's kriek tree's serendipity no. 8 was also stellar of the beers i regularly enjoy the gigantic ipa and driftwood 20 pounder continue to please me greatly! and i just can't say enough good things about the 2 towns hop and stalk cider i have one bottle of this baby left i want to save it for a special occasion, but i need to drink it soon! my life is really very difficult

the business of craft beer

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interested in learning more about the business side of craft beer? just before vancouver craft beer week starts, and all of our livers cower there is an event that will bring together many of the movers and shakers of the local craft beer world to talk about the future of craft beer and how new breweries can give themselves a leg-up on starting and running a successful craft brewery the keynote speaker will be jamie floyd of ninkasi brewing the business of craft beer put on by bc business magazine, it will be held at the imperial on main street on may 29th from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. you can get tickets on eventbrite i'll be there along with a whole lot of other interested parties! the networking opportunities alone make this event worth the $75 and there will be appies and beer samples - woohoo! here's what bc beer blog  has to say about the event

link love

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happy long weekend!! what some other folks have to say about the upcoming vancouver craft beer week: joe wiebe jan zeschky vancouver patios that will be open until midnight this summer how to talk like a beer snob a primer for beginners gcbf tickets on sale july 19th for the festival on september 5 and 6, 2014 13 things you may not know about hops and a new product: We are pleased to announce that our BC Hopped Whisky is now available. Barrel aged for five years, this whisky offers a well-balanced flavour that starts with spicy malt notes and finishes with a dry and hoppy kick. The release is the first 'Hopped Whisky' of its kind in Canada and with only 300 bottles available we are expecting to sell out quickly. The idea behind the 'Final Proof Master Distiller Series' was to allow the creative nature of our Distiller Peter von Hahn to develop a series of small batch specialty and unique whiskies that we will release over time. The whisky

friday frivolity

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happy long weekend!

beer column

my notes from yesterday's beer column on cbc radio one's on the coast with stephen quinn:   If the fresh-hopped beer season in September is the best time of the year for a craft beer lover, then right now must be the second best time of year for Vancouver craft beer lovers.  The end of May and beginning of June is a special beer season here in Vancouver. It's Vancouver Craft Beer Week!   Vancouver Craft Beer Week is a nine day extravaganza of local and neighbourly craft beers, which begins Friday, May 30 and carries on until Saturday, June 7th. And there are events for everyone! Some events, like Hoppapalooza, sell out in minutes - this year it took just five minutes for all of the tickets for the Alibi Room's annual ode to hops to be sold - other events take a couple of days to sell out. And fortunately, some events are larger and haven't sold out yet - so if you haven't gotten tickets yet, fear not! There is still time. But don't delay! T

on the coast

i will be on the radio tonight at 5:50 chatting with stephen quinn about vancouver craft beer week and EAT! vancouver cbc radio one on the coast 88.1 and 690 in vancouver

link love

another top five list best breweries and bars in portland how anyone can pick a portland top five is beyond me, but i do agree with a couple of her choices (also a very appropriate link since i am in portland today) sours are the next big thing do you know your sours?  this oughta help i love me a beercation apparently i am not alone!

weekend

yikes, i've been back from vegas for over a week now and i haven't had a minute to sit down to write about the beer festival and all the other amazing beer places i found downtown (or write the couple of reviews i owe people...) and now i'm off to portland for the weekend (poor, poor me!) there will be beer drinking of course, and a trip to belmont station to find some fabulous beers to bring home with me, but beer is not actually the focus of my trip this time saturday is the launch party for cider riot - a kickstarter funded cidery and since we'll be in town anyway, sunday i'll be at the timbers game, sitting with the army! i am very much looking forward to taking to the streets, and pogoing the night away, not to mention getting my first taste of cider riot's ciders

legacy liquor store

from legacy liquor store in vancouver: The season of the tallboy is in full swing with radlers, lagers, pale ales and more, all available to help you keep cool when you’re out enjoying the warm rays of the sun. To top it off, we’ve been seeing a lot more seasonal options roll through the doors, everything from rosés to hefeweizens and beyond. We’ll also be running tastings all weekend, so swing by the store and check out the Legacy Counter. You can see the full line-up down below. Born in 1975, and brother to Mikkel Borg Bjergsø of Mikkeller, another great gypsy brewery, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø kicked off his career not as a brewer, but as a physics and English teacher. It wasn’t until 2010 that Evil Twin Brewing was founded by Jeppe, but it didn’t take long before it took off in a big way, launching more than forty different brews in 2012 alone and brewing out of ten different breweries in six different countries around the world. It was also in 2012 that Jeppe relocated to Brooklyn w

link love

a first for craft beer - it outsells the big boys in, of course, portland! the flickr account for the great vegas beerfest no pics of me, alas, but great shots of the event and a review of the festival (mine is coming... eventually...) jan zeschky's rundown of this year's hip hop themed vcbw (that's vancouver craft beer week for those not yet in the know) joe wiebe gives you the past 30 years in craft beer history in british columbia and you can listen to him on the radio too! another new brewery opens in the lower mainland! white rock beach beer company , as reviewed by mike's craft beer dimpled pint glasses are making a comeback  according to the bbc (i didn't notice they were missing in vancouver - plenty of places still use them... what does that say about vancouver - are we ahead of the curve or so far behind the world caught up to us again?) my fave quote from the story:  "There are so many beards in Dalston, and they do love a dimple

legacy liquor store

Founded in 2002 by Gunnar Wiig and Kjetil Jikiun with one mission, to create fantastic full-bodied handcrafted beer. The name Nøgne Ø, which means “Naked Island,” is a poetic term used by Henrik Ibsen to describe the countless stone outcroppings that are visible off Norway’s southern coast. It also paints a symbolic picture of what two Norwegian homebrewers set out to do in 2002 in a country flooded with macrobeers. Uncompromising in their methods, Nøgne Ø creates gold from gold using malts and hops such as Maris Otter, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook and Columbus. Quality ingredients for quality craft beers, it’s as simple as that. Since their founding, Nøgne Ø has grown from a 300 hl production to an estimated 3500 hl with more than 20 different styles brewed regularly. This Grimstad, Norway-based brewery is a testament to what two bold homebrewers can accomplish with a quality craft brew. Nøgne Ø Imperial Rye Porter - $14.45 A collaborative brew for the rainy weather courtesy of Ter