beernesday

i have been meaning to do a post about craft cider for a couple of weeks now (ever since camra's ciderwise event, in fact) and now the georgia straight has beaten me to it! i was fortunate enough to be sent a sample of the bc tree fruits cider, broken ladder, at the beginning of the month - in a lovely wooden box, with accompanying branded glassware i have nothing but good things to say about the cider it's crisp, it's tart, it's incredibly drinkable and it's a local product so much win! i am also a big fan of cider riot's offerings and not just because i find the cidermaker himself very attractive! abe makes the ciders in the cidery he built at his house in portland and imports them to vancouver (via copper & theory) if you can find any of the "never give an inch" blackberry cider, buy it! the "everybody pogo" is a dry, hoppy cider and is available year round so it should be relatively easy to find in vancouver then ...

the drinking forces came together at st. augustine's last evening with a primary and a secondary goal, both of which were achieved. first on the agenda was to sample red truck's limited purple haze blueberry blonde ale.  this was extremely easy to accomplish, but we managed to do it with great aplomb, style and delight. st. augustine's describes it as:  "6.0%  Deep purple in colour with a pinkish head, light blueberry aroma and tartness plus a dry finish." they didn't lie.  it was all that, and all four of us enjoyed it.  at least initially.  bridget only got half way down her sampler glass before she tapped out.  alison and i got all the way through our samples but felt that perhaps that was quite enough blueberry goodness for us.  not truly surprising as not a one of us actually likes wheat beers/blondes.  amanda, wonderful counterpoint to our wheat hating ways, loved it of course.  it was right up her alley.  but she t...