VCBW Tickets On Sale Today

The 4th annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week is happening May 31 to June 8th this year and tickets go on sale today at noon.  Judging by the Facebook Page, this year’s week has a casino theme, confirming the rumours the signature beer festival is going to be held at the River Rock Casino.  When the new site goes up, we’ll be able to see the full list of events/venues and be able to buy tickets.  Most events won’t sell out right away, but the Alibi Room‘s Hoppapalooza will sell out immediately.  Beer nerds should be ready to go right at noon if they want in on this, the undisputed king of VCBW events.  I build the internet for a living, so I expect to get mine and I’ll see the rest of you fast-clickers there.

Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2013

Cheers,

Chris

Granville Island Cloak and Dagger Cascadian Dark Ale

I was informed today that Granville Island Brewing will soon be launching a new beer in their “small batch black notebook series”, which means brewed by Vern Lambourne on Granville Island.  This beer will be called Cloak and Dagger Cascadian Dark Ale, a name I was intrigued to learn of considering the past furor with Steamworks over the term Cascadia.

cloak and dagger cascadian dark ale

Since the whole cascadia affair blew up last year, I haven’t noticed any new beers coming out using cascadia in either the brand name or descriptor.  As we know, Steamworks has a trademark on Cascadia Cream Ale, which they feel means that no other brewery can use Cascadia as part of their beer brand name.  However, I spoke to Steamworks president Walter Cosman, who let me know that Steamworks had no problem with breweries using cascadian as a style descriptor.  He also indicated that the trademark and it’s protection had a lot to do with fending off the big boys, like Molson.

Interesting that now Molson backed Granville Island is the first brewery to come out and use the descriptor cascadian dark ale on the bottle.  As far as I know, this is cool with Steamworks, but then Molson is the big enemy.  It’ll be worth watching this situation to see if there’s any reaction from Steamworks; do they dare tangle with the legal might of Molson?

More importantly, I hope Cloak and Dagger is really good and that lots of people drink it.  Last year’s version was quite good.  Notably, it was just called Cascadian Dark Ale, whereas this year it has a brand name.

Cheers,

Chris

Change is in the works at Dead Frog

Dead Frog is a misunderstood brewery.  Over their seven year existence they have released many different beers, and have received significant PR, but they have never managed to break into BC’s craft beer scene.  Whether their inability to establish themselves as recognized beer artisans stems from their historically mediocre product line, or the fact that they produce a variant of much hated citrus forward macro lager, doesn’t matter all that much.  Unfortunately for Dead Frog, the craft beer community has never embraced them with open arms. But on the other hand, craft beer fanatics may also feel that Dead Frog has never fully embraced them.  But the past doesn’t matter when change is in the works.

I had a chance to sit down with Derrick Smith and Chris Landsman of Dead Frog Brewery this week. We chatted about what Dead Frog has been up to and what they have planned for the future. They were even generous enough to share some of the new brews that they’ve been working on. I gained a new perspective on Langley’s only brewery while chatting with Derrick and Chris. The team at Dead Frog know that craft beer drinkers love to hate light lime lager; they know their beer line up may not have been up to par in the past, and they are fully aware they have very little craft beer street cred these days. But the story doesn’t end there. Dead Frog is making some changes – they care about their beer, a lot, and they are working hard to re-invent themselves.

Here are a few things that many beer drinkers in BC may not know about Dead Frog:

  • They have a lot of new beers in the works, and some of their more recent seasonal releases have shown dramatic improvement.
  • Dead Frog has a rock star Brewmaster, literally (former drummer for Deja Voodoo), with an impressive pedigree including stints at Quebec’s famed Dieu du Çiel and Vancouver’s much loved Dix. Brewmaster Tony Dewald has been given carte blanche to create beer that he loves, and beer drinkers can expect a noticeable product improvement in the near future. An Imperial Stout, a Northwest Style Red Ale and possibly a Vienna lager will be hitting the market soon. I expect their riff on an imperial stout will be well received by many beer lovers – it is a well brewed beer.
  • They want to build a better relationship with the Vancouver craft beer community. Derrick and Chris know that this will take patience and hard work, but they seem to be embracing the challenge.
  • Dead Frog is going to ditch their clear bottles, opting for the much preferred brown bottle.

Their appearance on CBC’s The Big Decision certainly caused concern about the viability of their business, and the fact that they began contract brewing for Steamworks didn’t help ease this concern. But having chatted with ownership and management, it appears that their business is doing just fine. Keep in mind that reality TV is not objective. It is entertainment driven and sometimes the truth just isn’t exciting enough.

Dead Frog still has a long way to go. But having tasted some of their upcoming releases, which were noticeably better than previous offerings, and seeing their drive to improve first hand, I think they have a real chance at turning things around. So far they are doing the right things and I wish them great success.

Cheers,
Erik

People Think We Are a Brewery

It’s weird, but we get a lot of email from people who think we are a brewery.  It just happened again today:

I recently bought 6 stanley park noble pilsners.
Most of the bottles have whitish debris or flakes in the bottom.  I unfortunately drank most of one before my wife pointed out the yuck in the bottle.
For your info.  I assume i just send them back to the lcb.
Thought you would like to know.

This is most of what we get, complaints about the beer.  We also get a lot of inquires about availability, opening hours, and surprisingly many job applications.  I usually respond informing people that we are just a blog and that they are probably looking for the brewery, then I point them to the brewery website.  Most people, especially the job applicants, are a bit embarrassed, but appreciate the note.

Stanley Park beer is not brewed here, definitely not since 1897

Stanley Park beer is not brewed here, definitely not since 1897

How are these people finding us and not what they’re actually looking for?  It’s the Google.  They are searching for these breweries, usually with an extra adjective or keyword, that we’ve written abut in the past.  For some reason, we’re beating the actual breweries at internet.  We most commonly hear from people looking for Stanley Park and Bowen Island breweries, specifically coming from these posts:

It’s weird, these brands (because they aren’t really breweries) are backed by substantial businesses, and yet their customers are contacting us directly.  Why aren’t people going right to the source?  I have one theory, and it’s that these brands are so inauthentic that it’s nearly impossible for them to build legitimate online communities.

Stanley Park is brewed by Turning Point on Annacis Island (right by the sewage treatment plant) and Bowen Island is brewed by KB Brewing in Kamloops.  Both advertise heritage and try to capitalize on iconic BC locations, but both are relatively new brands in their current form.  While you can trick people into thinking your beer is brewed somewhere it’s not, you can’t trick people into caring enough to talk about it online.

In the interest of both improving beer in BC and in not having to reply to anymore of these misdirected emails, we at this blog would be happy to talk to the marketing people at either of these companies with some internet tips.  Why talk to us?  Because we’re already ranked higher on the internet.

Cheers,

Chris

Flemish Beef Stew

Winter is getting close to its timely departure, but we aren’t through it yet.  There is still time left for stews, braised meats, and warming winter ales.

Sometimes the simple things in life are the most enjoyable, and stew is just that. Something as simple as meat braised in a flavourful liquid, when served with the right drink, can make the winter months more than bearable – with the right stew, winter is almost a delight. Stick-to-your-ribs hearty fare is winter at its best.  Most of us enjoy the luxuries of modern life, which includes central heating, but we still crave warming slow-cooked foods during these dreary months.  I will endure the cold wet misery that is a west coast winter as long as there is a stew on the table.  If I haven’t made my point clear enough – I love stew.

Stew - Finished

Carbonnade à la Flamande (Flemish Beef Stew), which is beef slowly simmered in a mixture of onions and dark Belgian ale, is a simple dish by modern culinary standards.  But do not confuse simple with bland or boring, this Belgian staple is proof that there is beauty in survival.  How so few ingredients can turn into something so fantastic amazes me.

Stew has a very pragmatic lineage – meat, bones, vegetables and whatever else is available was slowly simmered on the hearth until hungry workers returned home for their evening meal.  This meal did not just nourish the body, it was a source of pleasure and joy – it tastes that good.  We do not feed like animals; we take pleasure in what we eat, we dine, making sure even the simple taste good.

Very little culinary talent is required to make a proper stew and neither are exotic or hard to find ingredients – time is the only requirement.  I enjoy making stew, just about as much as I do eating it.  Food that takes more time than skill to prepare has always been my preference.  I believe every meal should be enjoyed to the fullest and that we can all make great food – life is too short for bad food.

The interweb is full of great Carbonnade à la Flamande recipes and I do not wish to add to the noise.  For a few good recipes please go here, here, or just Google it. People have been simmering and braising cheap cuts of meat for centuries and the basics of this stew are very simple: pour beer over beef and a chopped onion, add heat, wait three hours, eat.  You will need three hours as a minimum if you want to do this right.  If you do not have time in your schedule to make a proper stew, you may be living life wrong.

If you plan on making this Belgian dish, here are a few small tips that will help make your meal that much better.

  1. Buy the right meat.  Stewing beef is cheap and more flavourful than tender quick cook cuts (steak).  Premium cuts are tender and take little time to prepare, but as a result they offer less in the flavour department.  In a world short on time, we value meat that is tender when cooked quickly.  Heavily worked muscles develop collagen, which makes meat tough, but also adds flavour and body.  When beef is slowly cooked, collagen breaks down, meat becomes tender and the cooking liquid is fortified with a rich flavour and an enhanced mouth feel.  Brisket, Chuck, Shank and Short Rib are all good stewing cuts.  Ask your butcher and they will steer you in the right direction.
  1. Sear your meat hard.  Use more heat that you think necessary.  Meat needs colour, so don’t worry about burning it – be brave!  As meat browns the sugars caramelize and the maillard reaction also takes place.  Both of these processes add flavour.  So be bold, don’t worry if it looks too dark, it will be fine.
  1. Use a sour Belgian ale.  The stew is meant to have a sweet and sour flavour.  An Oud Bruin or a Flanders Red Ale would be best.  If this isn’t possible, cheat and add vinegar and sugar, but be sure to add both in small increments as too much of either could ruin your meal.   Some recipes may call for Stout or even light beer, but just don’t do it, it’s not right.
  1. Salt! Salt! Salt!  Food needs salt to taste good.  Taste your stew, if it seems timid, add more salt.  Continue this process, adding salt in small increments until your meal reaches maximum flavour.
  1. Serve with beer.  Again, an Oud Bruin or Flanders Red Ale would be the best and also the most traditional pairing, but anything dark and Belgian will do just fine.

Cheers,

Erik