beernesday

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

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...

happy weekend! i'm in vegas, looking forward to the beer festival tomorrow i love beercations!

oh happy sunny day in vancouver! spring is in the air! and that makes me think of beer okay, everything makes me think of beer new seasonals coming out wearing beer tshirts without a hoodie over them trying to lose those 10 lbs of winter beer weight so i can fit back into those beer tshirts drinking on patios east side beer fest washington cask beer festival vegas craft beer fest cider riot party in portland bring it on!

back to some heavy hitting beers for the next instalment of "what i drank on my lost saturday" the fabulous ryan brought back some fine beers from his recent sojourn in las vegas stone brewing's belgo anise imperial russian stout certainly did not disappoint a licorice stout - how delightful! such a strong malt base totally hid the belgian yeast from my leery mouth and what a head! hoppy, stouty, licoricey, not belgiany, not overwhelmingly boozey - its a winner! i would love to have another bottle of this to age for a year or two... 10.5%, 56 ibus, warrior hops "This 2011 Odd Year release pours pitch black with a deep tan head, with aromatic notes of anise, coffee, and cocoa jumping from the glass. Coffee and dark roasted malt flavors dominate, with a robust complement of anise and oak, which leave a lingering blend of vanilla, licorice, and dark malt on the palate. This one will age nicely for several years." doing my best vanna white impression brew...