beernesday

so many new hop varietals, so little time... first i've heard of el dorado hops was from the brewdog website about their new 'ipa is dead' single hop series: James' Tasting Notes: El Dorado The Pacific North West of America is home to the brand spanking new El Dorado Hop. America is not just about cheer-leaders, a silly version of football, elastic top jeans and cheeseburgers. They grow remarkable hops and El Dorado is a killer example of this, embodying all that is good about American hops and then some. A new hop on the block, it may even seduce you into thinking the American Dream is not just a catch phrase to sell movies and elect Presidents. Fearfully hard to resist, this beer is loaded with tropical fruits, pear, watermelon, candy floss and stone fruit. Devilishly moreish. apparently   flying dog, new belgium and firestone walker have been brewing with them... flying dog's single hopped ipa got a 90 on ratebeer.com i must try these hops!

blergh, i've been a bit under the weather not a great start to a long weekend but fortunately the amazing vancouver weather has healing qualities (or maybe it was the beer) and i'm on the mend - with a tan! new beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Southern Tier – Imperial Mokah - $13.15 Exclusively at Legacy, this east coast beer packs a serious punch. Jamaican coffee beans and Belgian chocolate are the stars of this dark and powerful brew, with serious malt and a touch of bitterness making it a beer best enjoyed with dessert.   Alameda – Rose City Red - $7.45 Named after the Rose City, this beer pours red amber in colour and has hoppy floral notes on the nose. Malt, brown sugar and caramel balance well with the Nugget hops used in the brewing process. The laidback lifestyle of Portland, Oregon is complimented by this easy drinking red.   Hofbrau – Schwarze Weisse - $5.15 Straight from the heart of Germany, this Schwarze Weisse is chestnut in colour and has a nos...

who wants to make this for me? (ryan????) lambic sorbet

in case you missed me last tuesday on cbc radio one's on the coast talking with matthew (sitting in for stephen quinn) about why i don't have a favourite beer, you can still catch the show by clicking here and choosing march 19th. the beer segment is right at the end - fast forward to about 7 minutes before the end if you just want to listen to me!

link love time again it must be monday! paste magazine's march madness of ipas help brewdog decide what to brew - #mashtag beer randy shore's vancouver taproom revolution from camra bc: It's not every day that something like this comes up so listen up folks! Nigel from Alibi Room has this to share: 5pm, downstairs MONDAY. We'll be tapping the Sierra Nevada x Celebrator Beer News 25th Anniversary Ale. (It's a 9.5% Hopped up Double) We'll be putting it on for $5.00/Sleeve as a little treat for CAMRA members. John Rowling will be hanging out downstairs if anybody wants to chat. (He's a great supporter of the local craft beer scene, has been through many years of the craft beer evolution & he had a hand in making the beer! He's also just a straight up excellent man!!) See you there! http://celebrator.com/ beercamp/sierranevada/2013/ this collaboration beer sounds amazing: Logan of Beavertown Brewery (London) and JF of Dieu Du Ciel (Montr...

Refreshing Beers Whistler Brewing – Lost Lake Unfiltered IPA - $5.35 This refreshing unfiltered IPA has some real kick ringing in at 75 IBU’s (International Bitter Units). With notes of grapefruit and passion fruit in the nose, this complex, full-bodied beer keeps us coming back for more. Renaissance Brewing – Stonecutter Scotch Ale - $9.85 This brew comes to us from across the globe, New Zealand to be precise. Balanced and hearty, this Scotch Ale is a blend of nine malts that provide layers of toffee, liquorice and caramel. Balance these flavours with tart fruit, raisins and a dry finish and you’ve got a real winner. Eviltwin Brewing – Ryan and the Beaster Bunny - $11.75 A Danish gem without a doubt, this saison is amber in colour with a nose of bananas and cloves, sweet malt and that saison funk. Belgian yeast, floral hops and more banana and clove rule the palate of this northern European beer.

i attended the inaugural east side beer festival at the wise hall last night hosted by liberty wine merchants it featured many local beers and an opportunity to donate in several ways to the vancouver food bank best of all - it was really fun times!! camra was in da house driftwood was in da house all of east van was in da house! i managed to sample my way through the following: brooklyn ipa lagunitas sumpin' sumpin' deschutes inversion ipa green flash double stout 8wired hopwired ipa 8wired superconductor double ipa 8wired tall poppy red ale epic brewing mash up renaissance brewing ipa brew dog punk ipa betty stog's bitter ninkasi spring reign central city red racer pilsner driftwood fat tug ipa howe sound super jupiter grapefruit ipa howe sound 4way fruit ale mort subite kriek phillips bottle rocket india session ale r&b brewing east side bitter uprising bread santa barbara cheese plate

in case you missed me on cbc radio yesterday, here are my notes: Beer geeks love talking about beer. That's a given. And they like answering your questions about beer. However, this innocuous sounding question strikes dread into the heart of on the coast's beer expert. The question? "What is your favourite beer?" Really? What's so scary about that? Its scary because I don't actually have one. I know the question is well-intentioned, so I don't want to be glib and reply "The one in my hand", even though that's very often a truthful response. Because I am a beer geek I cannot in good conscience just arbitrarily pick a beer in order to give a quick and concise response. Because I am a beer geek I feel compelled to answer in full, and that's where the dread comes in. How can I pick just one beer? And if I give you too long an answer will I bore you? Will I turn you off from ever asking me a beer question again? I...

its one of those tuesdays! i'll be on cbc radio one's on the coast at 5:50 today with matthew in place of stephen today talking about the beer question i most dread being asked 88.1 fm 690 am

iron maiden cask ale brewed awakening on the whole bc liquor laws debacles of the month may 14th vancouver friends, may 14th... 24 hours' take on the growler tax with comments by rick green and paddy treavor - don't miss those! what nyc thinks are the 30 great ipas to drink before you die are hops addictive?   science says no, its all in your head kenyan woman takes on the beer monopoly 21st amendment makes good on their super bowl bet not remotely beer related... except that its stompin' tom connors related, and that's worthy dammit, very worthy

and the few faux-toes i took in portland... awww crap, full sunlight makes me look old... at least my friends are totally cute! friday afternoon at the lucky labrador barleywine tastival   two of the three glassware choices at the lucky labrador tastival my breakfast beer experimental ipa at deschutes brewery beer and cheese soup at deschutes hair of the dog blue spot ipa (also brought a bomber of this back with me) gigantic ipa pretty pink bubbles at gigantic brewing vancouver loves gigantic brewing! a bevy of beautiful sours at cascade brewing apricot, raspberry, cherry, blueberry (i brought a bottle of the blueberry home with me)

"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...

i want to try some of the new prison break pilsner from double trouble brewing can someone from onterrible send me some please?

i went to portland last weekend i love portland! these are all from other peoples' cameras i neglected to take many pics at all... can i blame the fabulous beer? this is us, just across the border, stopping at a gas station to get some cheap beer! (it was about 9:30 a.m. in case anyone is keeping track...) friday afternoon at the lucky labrador's barleywine and strong beer tastival breaking out the bubbles on a sunny saturday afternoon at gigantic brewing the canadians enjoying sitting outside, even after the sun left us saturday afternoon at gigantic brewing

in case you missed me last tuesday on cbc radio one's on the coast talking with stephen quinn about the upcoming growler tax and camra vancouver's "save the growler" campaign, you can still catch the show by clicking here and choosing march 5th. the beer segment is right at the end - fast forward to about 7 minutes before the end if you just want to listen to me!

Central City Brewers + Distillers steps up for Autism   Central City Brewers + Distillers (CCBD) announce their inaugural program dedicated to raise $75,000 for autism. Funds go directly to Canucks Autism Network (CAN) and Autism Spectrum Disorders Canadian-American Research Consortium (ASD-CARC). The program includes a limited release of CCBD’s award-winning Imperial IPA, in which $5 per bottle goes to ASD-CARC. Sales from limited edition glassware, from Central City’s retail operations, and from the inaugural Auction & Dinner will go to CAN. The Auction and Dinner will be held April 13th at Central City Brewpub + restaurant. Auction items include Canucks tickets, team jerseys, bikes, and many other great items. “When we learned my son Callum had autism, we discovered how little is known about it and how much support is needed for a child on the spectrum. Research is critical to finding a cure, as are accessible programs for children and families living with autis...

craft beer's response to anheuser busch inbev's watergate the new york times shows its wine snobbery in article about larger beer bottles becoming the norm randy shore extols the virtues of vancouver taprooms in the vancouver sun

Cabin Fever Imperial Black IPA March 4th, 2013: Poised between the ominous darkness of winter and the new life-giving brightness of spring, stands this Imperial Black IPA. Brewed to celebrate the changing season, Cabin Fever is loaded with midnight roasted malt, pouring a deep black colour and paying homage to those dark days behind, while buckets of big floral hops infuse a mind-warping hop kick big enough to boot you out the door from your self-imposed exile. Hibernation is over. Celebrate with this balanced beer for the unbalanced mind. Cabin Fever is available at finer craft-focused cold beer and wine stores for a limited time only. If you find yourself in Victoria on Thursday March 7th, join us at the brewery from 4-6 for a special draught tasting of this special seasonal celebration beer.

Vancouver Island Brewery MARCH 5th, 2013 Media Release! Greetings! Are you afraid of the dark? Local brewery dives into Absolute Darkness to launch new beer! Vancouver Island Brewery is set to release a new beer, Absolute Darkness India Dark Ale , in its Vancouver Island Series of 650ml bomber bottles. The Victoria based brewery has teamed up with Horne Lake Caves to create a beer that captures the essence of caving; dark, mysterious and exhilarating. To be safe, the Absolute Darkness beer label has a safety feature built right in. Should the lights go out, or you find yourself in a dimly lit room the beer label glows in the dark . No need for headlamps while enjoying this beer! "Vancouver Island has the highest density of caves in Canada and some of the longest and deepest caves in the country. We have always had a strong connection with our Island environment and it tends to influence our brewers and our beers." Said Rob Ringma, General ...

just a reminder that today is dine out for life in vancouver head to your favourite craft beer serving restaurant for dinner and give to charity its just that easy! me, i'll be at the yaletown as usual having me some cask and delicious food and then... tomorrow i'm off to portland for the weekend yay!

new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver: Brasserie Ellezelloise - Hercule Stout - $5.35 Hercules! Hercules! Hercules! This deep dark Belgian stout pours a dark mahogany while nuts, raisins and toffee play on the nose. Dark malt, chocolate and coffee make this Belgian stout a true contender for the title of Herculean. Elysian Brewing - Savant IPA - $8.95 Part of Elysian Brewing's Manic IPA series, this beer is the definition of a fabulous India Pale Ale. Pouring almost bronze in colour, with orange and pine on the nose, Savant is a true west coast IPA in both flavour and style. Omission Brewing - Gluten-Free Pale Ale - $17.90 Celiacs rejoice! From the heartland of beer - Portland, Oregon - comes a gluten free American Pale Ale that fits the bill when it comes to quenching thirst. Amber in colour with notes of citrus and malt, with more of the same dancing on the palate, it's a great start to brewing a better gluten-free beer.

my notes from last night's beer column on cbc radio one's on the coast: and we're back with more liquor law news this week. alas, this time it is not good news for beer lovers in the province i talked about some new liquor laws last show. i was very excited about the loosening of the tied-house rule and cautiously optimistic about the opportunity for breweries to apply for tasting rooms and special event venues. it looked like the province was finally making some positive changes to archaic and overly restrictive liquor laws - most of which hadn't changed significantly since the repeal of prohibition. alas, my joy was short-lived. i am still happy about the progress made, but we seem to be in a one step forward, two steps backwards situation. Rich Coleman and the BC Liberals, through the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, have decided that they need to collect even more tax on craft beer by increasing the markup on Growler fills. There is still a lot of confus...

i will be on cbc radio one's on the coast with stephen quinn tonight at 5:50 i will be talking about camra's new campaign to "save the growler" and why it needs saving 88.1 fm

beer and wine hybrids?   there are several good ones out there! paddy's update on the city of vancouver's lack of cooperation with the new provincial liquor laws the portland timbers have their own beer - who's gonna brew vancouver whitecaps beer? save the growler in vancouver!   go to camra vancouver's website to find out how the gov't is screwing the beer enthusiast now - and sign the petition! and for fun, top 10 weirdest beer ingredients

this is my love letter to camra, the campaign for real ale in vancouver caveat:  i was asked by monica, the communications director of camra vancouver and bc, to write a blog post that she could feature in the next newsletter.  but... she did not ask me to write about camra.  this is not a commissioned piece.  rather it is what i really think and feel, albeit prompted by being asked to write something worthy of being pointed to in a newsletter read by a whole schwack of people! i can't actually remember when i first heard about camra i do remember when i decided to become a member though it was during the inaugural vancouver craft beer week, during the four beers and a funeral pub crawl i had been falling in love with beer for a couple of years, but somehow had not become a part of the craft beer community i saw ads for craft beer week in the media and instantly knew i had to be a part of the events i roped a couple of friends into accompanying me and bought ...