Beer
Old Yale Brewing is back
Sunday, January 1st, 2012 | Beer | 10 Comments
Happy New Year to BC beer geeks, Old Yale Brewing is coming back! Old Yale was a pretty cool brewery, brewing out of a strip mall in Chilliwack of all places. Their IPA and Pale Ale were both delightful and I was sad to hear of their demise a couple years ago. Luckily, some passionate beer people purchased the brewery and are reopening it with the same brewmaster and recipes. They are also going to be selling their beer in cans, signalling greater ambition this time around. Here’s the blurb I received:
I wanted to let you know that Old yale Brewing co. is back open and brewing again! It has been purchased by a small group of beer lovers and we have the same brewmaster, Larry Caza. The recipes are the same and the first few batches have come out excellent. Our new group is excited about getting our superb beer to more people.
We have just began shipping beer in large bottles to a few liquor stores in the Chilliwack and abbotsford area. We have a few establishments with our beer on tap again. We are in the very early stages and a lot will be happening over the next month or two.
We will be offering our Sergeant’s IPA and the Old Yale Pale Ale in cans soon.
I’m wishing them a very successful 2012!
Cheers,
Chris
Great Food, Great Beer – Ulis
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 | Beer, Food and Recipes, Review | 2 Comments
It is no longer a challenge to find a restaurant or pub in Vancouver that offers a good selection of craft beer, thanks in part to the efforts of CAMRA Vancouver for helping promote a craft beer culture in Vancouver. It is also not a challenge to find great food in Vancouver. Those who live in the Vancouver area are fortunate enough to enjoy a food & drink culture that is diverse, and for the most part, unpretentiousness and affordable. Although at times this unpretentious laid-back approach to food migrates so far from an exclusive haute cuisine experience that an establishment once again develops and air of exclusivity where entry is determined by the tightness of ones pants and the number of speeds on ones bicycle (one is preffered). Do keep in mind that these comments, particularly the latter, come from a kid born and raised in the sticks and still living in the backwoods of Vancouver’s quiet suburbia.
Restaurants come and go. The successful establishments rise above their competitors and remain standing by either continually adapting their menu to remain current with foods trends or transitioning themselves into a local institution that resists change but maintains a high level of service and food. I will travel a good distance for a good meal, but it is somewhat rare that I will return a second time. The options in this city are too great to not try something new. But occasionally a place worthy of a second visit emerges. And if the second visit impresses, the second will quickly turn into a third and so on.
Uli’s, a long-standing White Rock establishment has managed to win my business time and again simply by offering good beer and consistently delicious food in an unpretentiousness atmosphere. I have been a semi-regular at Uli’s for over two years and the quality of the food has continued to rise with every visit and the selection of beer has remained seasonal and well thought out. I now find myself close to being a regular.
Uli Blume, restaurant founder, has passed the daily operations over to his son Tyson. After sitting at a table for only a few minutes it becomes clear that Tyson has a passion for what he does and takes time to personally ensure that his customers enjoy their dinning experience. He also has love for good beer and keeps the cellar well stocked as the seasons change. Tyson and a number of team members approach and serve beer from the perspective of true fans continually searching for the next best beer. Tyson is always happy to chat about his current favourites and what he would suggest.
Instead of offering a large quantity of craft beer on tap, Uli’s has opted for a limited selection of draft beer with a well stocked and regularly rotating bottle selection. The most recent selection includes two Saisons from Fantome (both delicious) and the Westvleteren 8 and 12, the latter being a hard to find Trappist ale.
The menu is typical Westcoast fare with a number of modernized European classics. The dishes are not over-the -top creative, but are always flavourful and cleanly platted. The most popular item on the menu seems to be the 2.0 burger, which is easily one of the of tastiest burgers I have ever had. It seems one of every two plates arriving at a dinner table is the 2.0 burger. The burger alone is enough to warrant visiting, but it’s the combination of good food and good beer that will keep me coming back.
Cheers,
Erik
London Pub Guide
Thursday, November 10th, 2011 | Beer | 2 Comments
The Euston Tap is a really good pub
When I moved to London I expected to arrive in a beer nirvana, where cask ale rains from the sky and everyone is happily just a little bit drunk all the time. While my expectations may have been lofty, I was generally surprised at how few good pubs, from a beer perspective, I could find in London. Sure, there are pubs everywhere and the majority of the English population is drunk a lot of the time (though not exactly happily), but where are all the good pubs? Over time I managed to find a few here and there, no thanks to terrible pub finding websites like Fancyapint and Beer in the Evening.
It’s not like I wasn’t trying to find good pubs in London, I’m ever diligent. I even downloaded the CAMRA Good Beer Guide iPhone app, which is great for finding pubs serving cask ale. CAMRA, however, fails to distinguish between a pub serving nicely conditioned cask ale and a nice place to hang out. CAMRA highly recommends the Wenlock Arms in Islington, which I decided to check out. When I walked in, I found the place full of dishevelled looking regulars staring at me like I didn’t belong there. Though the beer was some of the best I’d drank in London to that point, I found the atmosphere to be very disconcerting. Lucky for them, their beer gets them on the list.
Lucky for me, I eventually started working in the same office as a fellow beer enthusiast. The list below comes courtesy of Lee Bacon aka Baconator, who I kindly thank for his good advice. The best two places I’ve visited on hist list are The Euston Tap and Craft, which are both fantastic beer bars that, in my humble opinion, stack up with the best in the world.
North London:
London Bridge:
Old Street:
Chancery Lane / Holborn:
Covent Garden:
West London:
If you have any other suggestions for me, I’d love to hear them.
Cheers,
Chris
Rickards Movember
Monday, October 31st, 2011 | Beer | No Comments
By now I think everyone has heard of Movember, where dudes (and sometimes ladies) grow moustaches in support of cancer research. I may or may not participate this year. I haven’t shaved in November yet, so I’m still a candidate. It’s just that my wife hates moustaches and I want to continue having sex. Also, I’d rather just give money to cancer research than grow a (some might say attention seeking) moustache. Anyway, we all know what Movember is.
Rickards, a MolsonCoors ’craft’ brand, has recently launched a Movember campaign by assigning each of their beers a moustache. I really hope Rickards is actually contributing financial support to Movember and not just capitalizing on the hype. Either way, you have to spend that marketing budget somehow, right? Below is some of the press info Rickards sent me. I also found a youtube video of what I assume is a Rickards commercial wherein two men mate their moustaches. Enjoy.
Rickard’s Red: Imperial
- The Beer: This full-flavoured Irish-style ale holds a distinctive ruby-red colour. The fusion of three roasted malts combined with the sweetness of brewer’s caramel balances out the bitterness, giving it an incredibly smooth finish. These sweet malty flavours make it an ideal pairing with grilled meats, bean-based dishes and comfort foods.
- The ‘Stache: The imperial tends to be a large moustache growing from both the upper lip and the cheeks. Sometimes the whiskers from the cheeks are style pointing upward. The imperial was made popular in 18th century England, but famously worn by singer Frank Zappa.
Rickard’s White: Walrus
- The Beer: This unfiltered Belgian-style wheat ale holds mild hints of ground coriander and dried orange peel, which mingle to create a light spiciness that ends with a refreshing finish. The zesty spice and citrus notes are best enjoyed with light flavourful foods like seafood dishes and salads of any style. Try it with an orange slice to really bring out the citrus flavour.
- The ‘Stache: One of the most recognizable styles, the walrus moustache is very bushy and can hang down over the lips and sometimes will cover the entire mouth. The walrus was famously worn by actor Wilford Brimley and Albert Einstein.
Rickard’s Dark: Chevron
- The Beer: This English-style porter is rich and creamy with a smooth finish that holds just a hint of pure Québec maple syrup. It has an elegant roasted character that pairs well with braised dishes, cheese, and a wide range of desserts.
- The ‘Stache: The chevron is usually worn quite thick and wide and tends to be worn long to cover the top of the upper lip. The chevron was famously worn by Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds, just to name a couple.
Rickard’s Blonde: Handlebar
- The Beer: This German-style pilsner is specially crafted with a unique blend of four hops for a refreshingly flavourful taste and a clean finish. Its lively hop character provides the perfect complement to white meats and sausages, and pairs well with dishes with a spicy kick.
- The ‘Stache: A handlebar moustache tends to be quite bushy and must be worn long enough to curl the ends upward or the ends grow downwards toward the chin. The downward turned handlebar was made popular in the late 19th century by Wild West figures like Wyatt Earp, but recognized in modern day for wrestler Hulk Hogan and baseball great Rollie Fingers.
Cheers,
Chris
Mikkeller in Copenhagen
Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 | Beer | No Comments
Did you know that Danes highly value cosiness? Me neither, but they do, except they call it hygge because they have their own language. Did you know that Danes are also quite into their beer? I had an inkling there. What choice did I have but to visit a country that values both cosiness and beer, two of my favourite things.
I didn’t love Copenhagen that much. I’d heard that Danes were the happiest people on earth. If that’s the case, it’s not because their capital city is overly nice to look at it. I thought Copenhagen was a bit rough around the edges, especially the part in which we found the Mikkeller beer bar. If you’ve never heard of Mikkeller, let me fill you in. They are legendary craft brewers from Copenhagen who brew a lot of very different, some might say crazy, beers. If you ever come across them upon your travels or in your local speciality beer store, give them a try and you won’t regret it.
I took this picture upon arrival, flashing the whole bar, many people looked at me like I'm a complete idiot. They are not far wrong.
True to the Danish reputation, the Mikkeller beer bar in Copenhagen was definitely cosy. It was also very exciting to me, mostly because of the epic beer menu. I took a picture of it, but we lost our camera at an earlier destination on the trip, so you probably can’t make out all the beers in my fuzzy iPhone picture. There were twenty odd craft beers on tap, half of which were Mikkeller concoctions, the other half was comprised of outstanding examples from the States, Belgium, and England. I ordered a barley wine called Oatgoop, a collaboration brew between Mikkeller and Three Floyds in the US (legendary craft brewers in their own right). Rachel ordered a Mikkeller IPA that was listed as Texas Ranger, which my internet searchings tell me is supposed to be a porter. In any case, both were flavourful and delightful beers to drink. I would have spent a lot of time at this bar had I not already been a bit looped upon arrival. The bar is near the main train station, so definitely worth checking out if in Copenhagen.
The epic beer menu
Rachel with our delicious Mikkeller beers
Cheers,
Chris
BC Craft Beer Month
Friday, September 9th, 2011 | Beer | 4 Comments
There have already been two Vancouver Craft Beer Weeks and now there is going to be a BC Craft Beer Month. Apparently October is to become craft beer month this year and every year, featuring events and specials at many BC craft beer venues. All I know of this I learned from the website, which I found out about because one of my friend’s made it. BC craft beer fans should surely keep an eye on the site to see what awesomeness appears.
Cheers,
Chris
Cool beer stuff in Holland
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 | Beer | 5 Comments
I was in Holland last weekend visiting friends. We were walking around the town of Den Bosch and decided to pick up some food for lunch at Albert Heijn, a major Dutch super market. Guess what I found there? A six pack of La Trappe Tripel for six euros! Can you believe that? That is one euro per bottle of an authentic Trappist product. La Trappe Tripel is brewed by Koningshoeven, the only Dutch brewer amongst the seven remaining Trappist beer making monasteries (the others are all Belgian). Such a fine beer would likely sell for about $10 a bottle in Canada. I was so dumbfounded and excited that I took the picture below. Curse BC and it’s stupid liquor laws.
La Trappe Tripel for one euro a bottle!
What trip to the Netherlands is complete without a visit to Amsterdam? None I say. Sadly our day was soddened by the weather, but we did manage to visit Anne Frank’s hiding place and a fantastic Dutch beer bar. On the other side of town, far from the hookers and stoners Amsterdam is famous for, we found ‘t Arendsnest on a peaceful canal street. It’s a cosy “brown cafe“, complete with beautiful wooden bar, filled with locals reading the paper and eager foreign beer nerds such as myself. They serve only dutch beer, thirty on tap and a hundred more in bottles. I love such examples of beer national pride. Sadly, I remember little of the first two beers I tried. Dutch is not an intuitive language for me, neither in spelling or pronunciation. However, I do recall the IPA and the porter I had as being excellent. The standout was an oak barrel aged La Trappe Quadrupel, definitely worth the trip. If you’re ever in Amsterdam, I highly recommend ‘t Arendsnest.
't Arendsnest in Amsterdam, should have taken a picture of the inside
Hand written 't Arendsnest beer menu
Cheers,
Chris
The History of Beer Documentary
Friday, July 29th, 2011 | Beer | 1 Comment
One of my co-workers, and possibly even friend (we’ll see), started a new website, which is a collection of lectures, debates, and documentaries he finds interesting. Seeking to build traffic for his fledgling blog, he asked me (begged really, even offering unmentionable favours) to post this beer documentary here. I wasn’t too keen, but then I watched it and found that it’s actually pretty good. I take exception to the overly dramatic American announcer and upbeat background music, but the first half of the content is educational. They even include quips from craft beer legends like Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn brewery. The second half focuses on how the massive American breweries came to dominate the market with their pissy lagers. It’s still educational, but also a little bit depressing. Never fear, there is a bit of craft beer enlightenment at the end, should you make it that far.
If you have 45 minutes and enough interest to learn about the history of beer in AmericaTown, enjoy:
Cheers,
Chris
You mean some beers aren’t vegetarian?
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 | Beer | 4 Comments
This is most definitely the case, as per the FAQ on the Fosters website. I came across this interesting and under-publicised tidbit at BeerLeaks.org, which is a WikiLeaks parody brought to us by Brewdog Brewing. It appears their new website was recently shutdown, probably because the giant breweries threatened to sue the pants off them (their Twitter account has also gone quiet). Amongst their claims that many big brand beers aren’t vegetarian (and they named some big names, one of which rhymed with Guinness, I mean, yeah it was Guinness), they also let it be known that most imports aren’t actually imported and that clear bottles lead to skunkification. The last two I knew, but I didn’t think the giant evil beer companies would stoop so low as to trick vegetarians into betraying their principles. So much for the Bavarian purity law, eh? At least the solution to the problem is clear, people should stop being vegetarian, or at least switch to craft beer.
Now containing dead animal!
I found about BeerLeaks.org through this article on the 37signals blog about Brewdog’s struggle to become a top craft brewer. It’s really good reading and so you should read it.
Cheers,
Chris
I miss hops and hockey
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 | Beer | 4 Comments
Obviously I know that almost all beer has hops in it, but not necessarily the high levels you find in the pacific northwest. When I moved to London I thought I’d be moving to a beer mecca, cask beer everywhere! I actually feel like I’ve taken a step down beer-wise. While there is a thriving pub culture here that I very much enjoy, I can’t say as much about the quality of the average beer. The majority of cask ales have been open a bit too long and taste a bit stale. Even the freshest cask of English ale can only be described as a mild pale ale by west coast standards. We’re blessed in Vancouver to have been influenced by the hopheads of Oregon, Seattle, and Northern California and it tastes good.
Sweet, sweet Central City IPA
I didn’t realize quite how much I missed a 60 IBU West Coast IPA until I had a slew of visitors gift me fantastic bottles from the motherland. Amongst my blessings I counted Central City IPA, Granville Island Imperial IPA, and Deschutes Hop Trip. They were delicious, thanks for asking. Of course there are British exceptions, such as the brilliantly hoppy offerings from Brewdog in Scotland, but I can definitely say that UK brewing lacks the adventurous extremes of the North American west coast and Belgium. Lucky for me, I’m making a quick return to Vancouver next week. Canucks woooo!
I knew that I missed hockey, but (again) I didn’t realize how much until I was reminded of it’s absolute awesomeness. Game 4 of the Vancouver Canucks vs San Jose Sharks series was at noon pacific time, meaning it was on in London at 8PM. I seized my big chance to watch live hockey for the first time in over a year at the Maple Leaf pub in Covent Garden, as did every other hockey starved Vancouverite in London. I can honestly say it was one of the best atmospheres in which I’ve ever watched a hockey game. The place was packed out with fervent Canucks fans decked in blue and teal, complete with UK levels of alcohol consumption, which resulted in really good times. What choice do I have but to come home for the parade?
At the Maple Leaf for game 4
Hank didn't touch it, we're good
Cheers,
Chris
Search
Categories
Archive
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
Links
- Alltop – Top Beer News
- Barley Mowat
- BC Beer Blog
- BeerAdvocate
- Campaign for Real Ale
- CAMRA Vancouver
- Canadian Beer News
- Conner's Homebrewing Equipment
- Dan's Homebrewing Supplies
- Great Canadian Beer Festival
- Great Canadian Pubs
- Home Brew Talk
- Pencil & Spoon
- Pete Brown's Beer Blog
- Rate Beer
- The Brew Basement
- Vancouver Beer Blog