beernesday

gift idea #5 for the beer lovers on your gift list:  silicon bottle stoppers not everyone can finish a whole bottle of beer in one sitting (although my beer geek friends mock me for even suggesting such a thing) so it's nice to have one or two of these on hand to preserve that all important carbonation in your beer - or other bottled beverage (and can you say stocking stuffer or hostess gift?) i got mine (pictured above) from townsite brewing , but you have to go to their powell river brewery to pick up yours! if you need to find similar fare in the lower mainland, you can find them at legacy liquor store , big rock urban brewery , an via the vancouver brewery tours online store.  8th street liquor in new west also carries them.

because i'm all about helping you find gifts for the beer lovers in your life, i did a whole cbc radio column on the subject! and here's an extract from that, on the cbc website: Holiday gift ideas for the beer lover in your life From beer stoppers to brewery swag: On the Coast's beer columnist Rebecca Whyman weighs in By On the Coast, CBC News Posted: Dec 08, 2015 5:56 PM PT Last Updated: Dec 08, 2015 6:03 PM PT 33 Acres is taking preorders on their custom B33R Boxes until Dec. 18. (33 Acres Brewing Company) 63 shares Related Stories Hoppy beers for 2015 that you won't want to miss Beer advent calendar season is almost here, but options fewer Craft beer variety at B.C. Liquor Stores set to grow next week 'Tis the holiday season, whatever you celebrate, If you're thinking about giving the gift of beer, we've got you covered. As she does eve...

my notes from yesterday's beer column on cbc radio's on the coast with stephen quinn: Coralee Oakes, the BC Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction announced last week that as of November 30th government liquor stores will be able to carry up to twelve local craft beers that are non-listed.  Being non-listed means that the products are not otherwise available at the government stores. The new program is timed to coincide with BC Buy Local Week.   Buy Local Week is "an annual celebration of local business to promote the contributions that BC businesses make to our economy and our communities".  Craft breweries definitely fit that bill - they're contributing more and more to local economies and are changing the face of neighbourhoods, so you can't fault the Ministry on their timing! There are currently 102 breweries in the province which qualify as microbreweries by the Province and can take advantage of the initiative.  To be considered...

my notes from yesterday's beer column on cbc radio's on the coast with stephen quinn ( to listen, click here and fast-forward to 10 minutes from the end - 2:19): Seasonal ales We can’t deny it any longer, winter is here, and that means it’s time for drinking winter beers.   Winter ales in these parts have been very vanilla the past several years, and by vanilla I mean the spice not that they’re boring!   So let's talk about some imported winter ales that utilize different flavours to celebrate the season. I brought in three Christmas ales from Belgium for us to taste.   These beers are imported by Bravo Beer Co.   You can find them via the Bravo BeerCo . website and at private liquor stores like Legacy, Firefly and Brewery Creek. The first is a blonde beer - one of the only blonde ales brewed for Christmas - Bonsecours Blonde de Noel from Caulier Brewery is 10% and rated 100 out of 100 by Beer Advocate but only 50 out of 100 on RateBeer.  It come...

new beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Breakside Brewery - India Pale Ale - $7.85 You’ve all been asking for it, and it’s finally happened! Breakside beers have finally landed in our cooler. This Portland brew pours a beautiful transparent orange with a pile of citrus and citrus hops on the nose. More citrus in the form of grapefruit and orange accompanied with a bit of pine on a malt background represent the palate, while a medium body and dry finish close out this tasty Oregon treat. Evan Doan | Beer Team | Legacy Liquor Store Pyramid Brewing - Hefeweizen - $6.65 It’s time for some Hefeweizen, and these west coast gentlemen have produced a fine rendition of this cloudy and delicious beverage. A hazy pale lemon with wheat, grass, slight orange essence and floral hops can all be found on the nose, aromas that carry through on the palate with a touch of lemon tartness on the finish. Crisp and refreshing, it’s a fabulous Hefe for any thirsty individual. Mike Dolan | Beer Tea...

my notes from yesterday's beer column on cbc radio's on the coast with stephen quinn: CBC Radio Three's Grant Lawrence set the twitterverse on fire when he challenged listeners to use puns of Canadian bands to name fictious beers. Under the hashtag #CDNBandbeer his listeners responded. So much so that four breweries took up the challenge and have produced beer homages to local bands.     Grant Lawrence of CBC Music came up with the idea last Fall, tweeted it, got a great response and it grew from there. A CBC designer took eight of the suggested beer names and made mock-up labels for them, which were posted on the CBC website. Then Jeremy Sibley of Old Yale Brewing decided he wanted to brew the beers. He recruited three other breweries and the Canadian Band Beer series was created. Old Yale (Chilliwack) has brewed a brown ale called "D.O.Ale", an homage to the legendary Vancouver punk band D.O.A. - This medium-bodied, classic brown ale balances its ...

"Exciting things are happening around Legacy, including an exclusive deal with Vancouver’s first micro-distiller, Long Table Distillery. You’ll be able to pick up a bottle of their vodka or gin exclusively at Legacy Liquor Store for the next six months, so get down here and see where the craft distillery market will take you. St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend and you know what that means – beer and lots of it – and we’ll be in high spirits running a gauntlet of beer tastings both West Coast craft and classic Irish. What more could you ask for? Well maybe some sun, but that’s up to Mother Nature. March 15 th Diamond Knot & Lazy Boy Beer Tasting, 4pm-7pm March 16 th Whistler Beer Tasting & Snowbus giveaway, 2pm-6pm March 17 th St. Patrick’s Day Beer Tasting, 2pm-6pm" new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Townsite Brewing – Perfect Storm Oatmeal Stout - $6.15 Our friends from Powell River have come out with a beer to celebrate the cohesive t...

local joe wiebe's take on navigating b.c.'s ale trail a run-down of b.c.'s newest breweries and what it takes to open one and he's got two books in the works:   Craft Beer Revolution: An Insider's Guide to BC Breweries (Douglas & McIntyre, Spring 2013) Tales from Brewery Creek (Anvil Press, Fall 2013)

usually i take photos of all the pairings at a rogue dinner but alas, i only had my iphone with me and the lighting was atmospheric... so all you get are these two! the lobster on cauliflower risotto the diver scallop that melted in my mouth! for more, see vancouverfoodster.com's review best pairings: r&b lychee white ale with sea bream crudo - this would be a great summer beer the lychee was not too sweet and went well with the brine of the fish cannery scotch ale with smoked lamb loin (or for me, salmon) the smokiness of the scotch ale went really well with the smoked salmon townsite powtow porter with chocolate porter cake i didn't have the cake, but the malty porter paired very well with the mocha custard and glazed pecans best beer: crannog ales something hoppy - cascade hops and cardamom made for an amazing brew other pairings: big river rose hibiscus honey ale with contry ham (for me, tuna) and apple kimchi tuna with rose did not pair so well but the ...

joe wiebe thinks 2012 is going to be THE year for craft beer in british columbia read his openfile article and see for yourself

for all the vancouver girlies out there, come celebrate international women's day with me at rogue kitchen and wetbar Eight Women In Our Local Brewing World Eight Specialty Beers Eight Small Plate Pairings by Rogue Chef Cory Chapman. A mingle and meet event hosted in the Platform of Rogue Kitchen & Wet Bar Brewery Line-Up: Crannog Brewery Big River Brewing, Nelson Brewing Howe Sound Brewing, R&B Brewing Cannery Brewing, Townsite Brewery, Gulf Island Brewing $55 per person Includes Entry, Beer Sampling, Food Pairing, Welcome "Swag Bag", Silent Auction with Proceeds to Breast Cancer Survival. and yes, boys and non-female identified folks are welcome too!

guess who just got guest-listed for a fabulous vcbw event??? for the very slow, but lovely all the same, it's me! finally being a blogger comes in handy! oh, and that whole being a girl thing too... this is where i'll be and i couldn't be more pleased! i either already know and love, or can't wait to meet and totally admire, everyone on the panel and i'll be eating chocolate again by then - yay, yay and oh, um, yay! Signature Event Republic 958 Granville St, Vancouver  (map) 6:00pm – Late $55  all inclusive The Donnelly Group Presents Women and Beer II Still think the craft brewing industry is a boys club? Allow us to prove you wrong by showing you what the industry’s finest females have on offer. Join us at Republic for five small-plate courses paired with beers from R&B, Howe Sound, Mt Begbie, Crannog, Saltspring Island Ales, Spinnakers as well as a special ladies only collaboration beer brewed just for this event. Sounds great? Well that’s not al...