Events
CAMRA Vancouver Award Winners
Monday, January 25th, 2010 | Beer, Events, Favorites | No Comments
The CAMRA Vancouver Award winners were announced last week. I was pleased to see many of my nominations amongst the winners. I’m extremely proud of CAMRA Vancouver and its members for rewarding true attention to and passion for craft brewing. Unlike many beer awards, these were given out by beer enthusiasts, which makes them more legitimate in my mind. The winners:
Best Local Brewpub
Gold: Central City Brewing
Silver: Steamworks
Bronze: Dix Barbecue and Brewery
Best Local Beer Cafe, Pub, or Restaurant
Gold: Alibi Room
Silver: The Whip Restaurant & Gallery
Bronze: The Railway Club
Best Local Liquor Store
Gold: Brewery Creek Liquor Store
Silver: BCL 39th & Cambie
Bronze: Firefly Fine Wines & Ales
Best Local Cask Night
Gold: Dix Cask Thursdays
Silver: The Whip Real Ale Sundays
Bronze: Yaletown Making it Real (Ale)
Best Local Beer Event
Gold: Alibi Room 100th Beer Menu Rotation
Silver: Dix X-mas X-treme
Bronze: CAMRA on a Mission to Mission
Best BC Brewery
Gold: Phillips Brewing
Silver: Driftwood Brewery, Red Racer aka Central City Brewing (tie)
Best BC Beer
Gold: Red Racer IPA
Silver: Phillips Longboat Double Chocolate Porter
Bronze: Crannog Back Hand of God Stout
Best BC Seasonal Beer
Gold: Driftwood Sartori Harvest IPA, Phillips Crooked Tooth Pumpkin Ale (tie)
Bronze: Phillips The Hammer Imperial Stout
Cheers,
Chris
GIB / Fullers Beer Exchange
Sunday, January 24th, 2010 | Events | No Comments
Granville Island Brewing let us know last week that they will be taking part in an international beer exchange with London’s Fullers. From January 25th to February 5th, Fullers London Pride will be available at the GIB Taproom and Lions Winter Ale will be available at the Iron Duke in London. GIB will also be hosting a Taproom for the UK event, which is open to all comers, this Wednesday, January 27th at 6PM at the Taproom. While I think this exchange is a cool idea, I have a feeling it has more to do with marketing than beer. Consider the timing of the event and the participation by breweries in the next two Olympic cities. Notwithstanding that neither London Pride nor Lions Winter Ale can truly be considered world class beers, so we can’t say either brewery is really putting their best foot forward. And while Fullers is a major international brewer and their beers are readily available in BC, I wonder if anyone in the UK has ever heard of GIB? That isn’t a slight to GIB who are widely considered BC’s favorite brewery among non beer enthusiasts.
My biggest concern with the event is the quality of the beer itself. While both Fullers London Pride and GIB Lions Winter Ale are both good beers at the best of times, the international travel these beers will undertake won’t favor the quality of the beer. Consider that beer is best served fresh and, save for high alcohol beers stored under the right conditions, will only deteriorate over time. Now consider that these beers were brewed 4708 miles away from each other. The beers must each travel across a continent by truck or train), across an ocean by boat, and then be stored at a liquor distribution center until the appropriate paper work has been filed. I’d guess the age of these beers to be at least three months since packaging, which means that they are probably starting to go stale. I’ve experienced stale Fullers London Pride often, but, considering that I bought this beer at a BC Liquor Store, it could have been up to a year old.
I hope beyond hope that both beers were shipped expediently after they were brewed, stored in optimal conditions, and are both tasting great. What would be even better is if the beers were casked and conditioned (under optimal conditions) on the way, but that might be too hopeful. Best of luck to both GIB and Fullers in this endeavor. However, I’d suggest keeping future international exchanges local in the interest of freshness. Washington and Oregon aren’t too far away.
Cheers,
Chris
Vancouver Craft Beer Week?
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 | Events | 1 Comment
I read on the honourable Rick Green’s BC Beer Blog today a mention of a Vancouver Craft Beer Week being planned for May 10-16. This was the first I’d ever heard of such a thing (even Google didn’t know about it!) and was naturally intrigued. When I asked Rick what it was all about he indicated it would be in the vein of San Francisco Beer Week. From that I can only assume that CAMRA, in association with our local breweries, brewpubs and beer bars, will be planning a series of beer related events in Vancouver. Sounds good to me! I wonder if this is the first annual VCBW? I also wonder if those beyond us beer geeks and hangers on will take notice and take part? If the first VCBW is well staged, I imagine the masses will be clamoring to partake. What I am sure of is that this first VCBW is a step in the right direction and will surely be good times. I will post any details that make their way to me.
Cheers,
Chris
Drinking Vancouver Book Launch party at Alibi Room
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 | Events | No Comments
A few weeks ago I wrote about a new book coming out called Drinking Vancouver, which is about great places to drink hereabouts. I hadn’t got my hands on it yet, but I still wrote about it because it was said to have a strong focus on BC beer. Also, I knew it was written by John Lee, author of the Lonely Planet Vancouver City guides, so it must be good.
Last week, Emily from Touchwood Editions, publishers of the book, let me know that there is going to be a launch party for Drinking Vancouver at the Alibi Room on Thursday the 28th from 6-8PM. There will be books on sale and you may even get to meet the author. Even better, this event is open to all comers. Check out the Facebook page for the event here.
ABOUT THE BOOK
With sharp, witty reviews of the best spots in town to slake your thirst, DRINKING VANCOUVER is the pocket-sized booze bible for locals and visitors craving a night out on the town. Written and compiled by travel and feature writer John Lee, this book is handily divided into eleven neighbourhoods from the heritage bars of Gastown to the slick joints of Yaletown to the gritty pubs of the Downtown Eastside. You’ll find special sections with top drinking, dining and ambience suggestions, as well as recommended watering holes for the next time you’re on the road in other parts of British Columbia.
With Vancouver’s long-overdue bar renaissance upon us, this is the first hands-on guide to toast the city’s newly hot bar scene.
Maybe I’ll see you there?
Cheers,
Chris
Cool Vancouver Beer Events in early 2010
Saturday, December 26th, 2009 | Events | 1 Comment
I expected to enjoy many good holiday beers this Christmas season, but instead my beer drinking and merry making have been derailed by a gastrointestinal virus. Luckily for me, I’ll have plenty of chance to make up for lost time in the new year what with three cool events coming up.
- Feast of The Five Firkins – The Whip restaurant hosts a five course feast with each course paired with a wonderful craft beer. This is the third annual feast and I’ve heard each of the previous were wonderful. The feast will be held January 10th and tickets are available from The Whip for $85 each.
- Belgianfest 2010 – The Washington Beer Commission presents the first ever Belgianfest, a craft beer event featuring Belgian style beers brewed by Washington craft brewers. The event will be held Saturday, January 23rd at Georgetown Studios at The Engine Room in Seattle (close enough to Vancouver). Tickets are $30.
- Beer Wars Screening – I don’t have many details on this one, but I’ve heard there will be a screening of Beer Wars at District319 in Vancouver on January 17th.
I hope your holidays have been better than mine thus far.
Cheers,
Chris
Dix Winter Extreme Caskival 2009
Monday, December 7th, 2009 | Events | 1 Comment
The 2009 edition of the Dix Winter Extreme Caskival took place this past Saturday and was a rousing success. There were twenty or so casks of delicious beer on hand, locally brewed and delivered fresh by our illustrious local brewers. I do believe I enjoyed a 4oz tasting glass of each, but I can’t be sure because my memory of the latter hours of the event are now a bit difficult to grasp. You see, most of the beers at Dix were higher in alcohol than your typical fair at an average of 8% ABV or so. Consumption of each available beer resulted in the impairment of my mental faculties. I apologize to those I may have bumped into or spilled beer on, my bad. Although I’m hardly to blame for these transgressions considering that Dix was absolutely packed with craft beer lovers. Future Caskivals may requires a larger venue, which is good news in my books.
Onto the beer, my favorite was the wildly creative Mole Poblano Ale from Storm. It was brewed with chipotle peppers, ancho peppers and chocolate! I would never have thought to combine mole and beer, nor would I expect the combination to taste good. However, Storm brewer James Walton managed to marry the two (both complicated and intensive concoctions in their own right) into a spicy, chocolaty winter brew. I’ll admit that I didn’t find the Mole Poblano Ale to be the best tasting beer, but it got my vote for being the most interesting. I was also very fond of the Taylor’s Crossing Christmas Cake, which did indeed taste like Christmas cake. This beer won the brewers choice award with R&B’s Auld Nick taking home the people’s choice.
I took this one crappy iPhone picture well into the event when I realized I wanted to blog but wouldn’t have any pictures. Once again, I fail.
Here is a list of the other beers that were at the event:
- Central City: Imperial IPA
- Crab Alley: Dead Pine IPA
- Dead Frog: Oaked Winter Warmer
- DIX: Barleywine
- DIX: Imperial Stout
- DIX: IPA
- Driftwood: Blackstone Porter
- Granville Island: Jolly Abbot Belgian-Style Tripel
- Howe Sound: Father John’s Winter Ale
- Longwood: Doppelbock (9.5%, Aged 8 months)
- R&B: Auld Nick Winter Ale
- Russell: Spiced Winter Warmer
- Swans: Legacy Ale (a Barleywine. Aged on oak for the past year)
- Spinnakers: IPA (charged with sweet wort and dry-hopped with Magnum hops)
- Storm: Mole Poblano Ale (Chipotle and Ancho peppers with chocolate)
- Taylor’s Crossing: Festbier (a strong Vienna lager spiced with Juniper berries)
- Taylor’s Crossing: Christmas Cake (an amber ale flavoured with molasses, traditional brandied fruits, and Christmas spices)
- Whistler Brewhouse: Dave’s Damn Dangerously Drinkable Double IPA (8.5%, 70 IBUs, Dry-Hopped with Cascades)
- Yaletown: Le Nez Rouge (a Belgian-style tripel. Iain’s choice of yeast results in a spicy, clove-like character)
- Yaletown: Oud Bruin (Iain’s pièce de résistance. A Flemish sour brown fermented with 6 cultures in total. Aged on oak since January!)
For more info and likely some post game recap (including non crappy pictures), check out the event’s Facebook page. For those of you who didn’t attend, keep your eyes open for the next caskival (likely the summer version in August); this is the best beer festival Vancouver’s got.
Cheers,
Chris
Alibi Room Celebrates 100th beer list
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 | Beer, Events | 2 Comments
That’s right, 100th beer list, not beer, but beer list. I find that impressive and am planning on stopping by for the celebration, which is tomorrow, Thursday the 3rd of December at the Alibi Room. I’d heard rumors that an event of this sort might be taking place and the CAMRA newsletter confirms:
This Thursday will be the 100th rotation of the Alibi Room’s beer list. To mark the occasion owner Nigel Springthorpe will be replacing the regular lineup with a special selection featuring great current BC beers along with signature beers from many BC Brewers. Some kegs will be new, others may be kegs collected over the years and aged in the Alibi Room’s cellar. Highlights include a cask of Driftwood’s wet-hopped Sartori Harvest IPA, the last of Swan’s Legacy-Ale barleywine, and Steamworks’ Blitzen & Yaletown’s Le Nez Rouge Belgian-style tripels.
As if that wasn’t enough, The Alibi Room will be releasing the aged bottles they’ve collected and aged in their cellar.
I am pretty excited to give the fresh hopped Sartori Harvest IPA from Driftwood a try. I missed out on the bottled release when I was away in October, but the cask version promises to be even better. One friend of mine has gone on record as saying it is the best IPA he’s ever tasted and he’s a certified hophead. Should be good times, be sure to stop by if you can make it.
Cheers,
Chris
Washington Winter Beer Festival 2009
Thursday, November 12th, 2009 | Events | No Comments
The Washington Beer Commission is holding the 2009 edition of their Winter Beer festival this December 4th and 5th. I recently received an email containing the beer lineup and it looks to be a good one. I attended the Washington Cask Beer Festival last Spring and really enjoyed it, so I imagine the winter edition is similarly epic. Serious BC beer fans should consider heading down the I5 to take part in what promises to be a good festival. I really considered buying tickets, but am planning on attending the Dix Winter Caskival on December 5th instead. Both events will be good, but Dix is just so much closer to home!
Cheers,
Chris
Hopscotch Festival 2009
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 | Events | No Comments
The annual Vancouver Hopscotch Festival is an event that showcases scotch, whiskey and beer. The 2009 edition starts this weekend, with the Grand Tasting Hall events taking place next Thursday and Friday, the 19th and 20th of November. Erik and I went to the Grand Tasting Hall last year and weren’t particularly impressed from a beer perspective. We don’t drink whiskey or scotch regularly enough to judge the quality of that aspect of the event, but the beers on hand were highly uninteresting. There were a few winter ales available that were good to try, but still nothing unavailable in stores. That being said, we are likely more knowledgeable about beer than the average person and someone who isn’t much into beer would likely enjoy trying the different styles on hand. For me, why would I pay for a ticket and wait in lines for tiny cups of beers I’ve already tried and can easily just buy off the shelf? The answer this year, I wouldn’t, so I’m not going. Hopscotch also provides attendees with the chance to get publicly drunk amongst a large crowd of people, which can be enticing (including to me, but not this time round).
An upcoming beer festival that I am excited about is the Dix Winter Caskival, which will feature upwards of twenty cask condition winter concoctions crafted by some of BC’s more adventurous (and talented) craft brewers. The summer Caskival was a blast, so I’m looking forward to December 5th. To get in, just line up outside of Dix at noon, no purchase of tickets beforehand required.
Cheers,
Chris
The Great Pig Roast
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 | Beer, Events | No Comments
The summer has recently drawn to a close and we are now welcoming the season of autumn. While pondering for quite some time over the best way to toast the summer goodnight and welcome in the chilly fall season, yes I actually ponder, I received a timely call from a good friend. After talking for a while it soon became apparent that the purpose of this call had a much higher level of significance than mere idle chit-chat – he was planning a pig roast. I can think of not better way of bidding summer farewell than feasting on a pig, slowly roasted over an open flame.
The more I thought about it, the more appropriate an early-fall pig roast became. A roasted pig, even a young suckling pig, is far more food than a crowd of less than 50 hungry eaters can consume, and I don’t know of anyone who has a house sized appropriate to house such a gathering. The late September air is just warm enough for a sizable crowd of 60 people to gather around a large fire without any great level of discomfort due to cold.
The end of September also means apple season is in full swing, and with an apple tree in my backyard heavily burdened with fresh apples, we made a massive apple crumble. Roasted pork, followed by a sweet apple crumble – a match made in heaven. Cabbage is also in season and we all know perfectly well that pork and coleslaw are very good friends. Yes, this event was made to be.
Of course any gathering of such a significant magnitude requires beer. Trying to go follow the seasonal and local theme that this event was creating for itself, I decided to pick up to two 19L kegs from Langley’s own Dead Frog Brewery. When I went to pick up the two kegs on a Friday afternoon, I found what I presumed to be Dead Frog’s management team sitting in the board room, drinking quality beer. As was expected, the beer was fantastic, although a bit foamy, and was enjoyed by many
So we bid summer farewell and welcomed in the fall with delicious feast of roasted pork – a definite contender for top five moments of 2009.
Cheers,
Erik