bc
Phillips Dr. Funk Dunkel
Monday, March 29th, 2010 | Beer | 3 Comments
Jenn from Phillips sent us this video a few days ago:
Looks like Phillips has a new beer called Dr. Funk coming out soon. It’s a Dunkel style lager, which is one of my favorite beer styles. The style tends to be easy drinking like a lighter lager, but is then also full of roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee flavors like a porter. I really like Phillips and I think they are one of BC’s best craft breweries. And thanks to their continual seasonal releases and clever marketing, I think they have a chance to take over some big market share from the big boys in the mainstream (lame) beer world. At least I hope that happens. If you see this beer, you should buy it and help them on their way.
Cheers,
Chris
More BC Winter Beers
Sunday, November 29th, 2009 | Beer | No Comments
I made some glaring omissions in my previous post about BC Winter beers. My list was not complete and so I felt compelled to add the following beers to it:
- R&B Auld Nick Winter Ale
- Howe Sound Father John’s Winter Ale
- Tree Spiced Reserve Ale
- Granville Island Jolly Abbot
- Cannery Maple Stout
Also, from outside of BC:
Any of the above beers will warm you up on a cold winter day and I highly recommend picking them up should you find them.
Cheers,
Chris
Winter Beer Season in BC
Saturday, November 21st, 2009 | Beer | 7 Comments
As the seasons change, so does the availability of craft beer. I, for one, am thankful for this, especially as I regard the changing of the current season as going from bad to worse. What better way to cheer yourself up in this dreary weather than to sip a winter warmer from one of BC’s great breweries? I can think of a few things, but none so simple and effective as grabbing a winter ale (or a few) and watching the healing Canucks thrash Colorado.
Many BC breweries have already released their winter beers and a few still have barley wines on the way. Joy to the world! Here are a few BC winter brews you might consider trying:
- Central City Winter Ale
- Granville Island Winter Ale (lovingly referred to as choco beer by my friends)
- Lighthouse Winter Ale
- Vancouver Island Hermannator Ice Bock
- Phillips Barley Wine (coming soon)
- Phillips Instigator Doppelbock (coming soon)
- Nelson Faceplant Winter Ale
- Driftwood Old Cellar Dweller Barley Wine (coming soon)
Also, some other fine non BC breweries have produced tasty winter ales:
- Anchor Christmas Ale (my favorite so far)
- Pyramid Snowcap
- Whychwood Bah Humbug
- Lost Coast Winterbraun
If the rain, darkness, and cold displease you as much as they do me, I suggest one of the above as a temporary and enjoyable remedy.
Cheers,
Chris
BC Pumpkin Ales Tasted
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 | Beer | 1 Comment
Last week I posted about some of the pumpkin ales recently released by our esteemed BC brewers. I’m pleased to say that I’ve now had the chance to try most of them. Erik and I enjoyed a pumpkin feast and pumpkin ale tasting this past weekend. Below are my rankings and impressions of the four beers we tasted side by side. It should be noted that we were drinking full glasses of each beer, which may have affected the quality of our tasting notes.
- Swans Pumpkin Ale – This was my favorite pumpkin ale. I found it pleasantly sweet and nicely balanced with spice. Tasting note: “Tastes like pumpkin pie in a good way.”
- Central City Red Racer Pumpkin Ale – This was the most drinkable of the bunch, meaning that you could easily drink a few of these. The pumpkin ale taste was not overwhelming and there was no detectable spice. Tasting note: “Reminds me of their pale ale with added pumpkin.”
- Phillips Crooked Tooth Pumpkin Ale – I found this one good, but not great. It had more pumpkin flavor that the Granville Island version and also reminded me of pumpkin pie, but not in as pleasant a way as the Swans version. Tasting note: “Tastes like turkey dinner in a glass.”
- Granville Island Pumpkin Ale – The most underwhelming of the bunch with very little pumpkin taste, but plenty of spice. We guessed they may have used a Belgian yeast because it had that funky aroma. Erik wondered whether the bottle we had might have oxidized a little bit. Tasting note: “Tastes Belgiany.”
It should be noted that all of the above beers were reddish brown in color, none deviating very far from the other. It should also be noted that the Howe Sound Pumpkineater I tried at the Alibi Room would likely rank high on this list, but I was unable to procure any for this tasting session.
Swans was my favorite pumpkin ale of the season
For those of you who might be interested in knowing what we ate at our pumpkin feast, Rachel made pumpkin soup, roasted vegetables including pumpkin, pumpkin gnocchi, and a baked pumpkin pastry dessert. I wish I’d taken a picture of the spread because it looked as wonderful as it tasted. I don’t think I’d eaten roasted pumpkin before, but if I had then I forgot that it tastes very much like roasted sweet potatoes or yams. Why don’t we eat roasted pumpkin more often?
Cheers,
Chris
Great Canadian Beer Festival 2009
Monday, September 21st, 2009 | Beer | 6 Comments
Us guys went to GCBF the other weekend in Victoria for what was an epic beer festival. We left bright and early on Saturday morning and caught the 9AM ferry to make our way downtown before noon. We parked where we were staying at Swans Hotel, but couldn’t check in until later that afternoon, and so headed out to start our day. After a merely adequate breakfast at John’s Place, we walked over to the Royal Athletic Park where the beer festival was to be held. It was a very hot, very beautiful late summer day for BC, perfect weather for an outdoor beer festival.
Beautiful Swans Hotel
Now I’d heard that Saturday was the rowdier of the two beer festival days, but was still blown away by the level of rowdiness. I figured that the stellar craft beer lineup would attract a crowd of beer enthusiasts. However, I think its safe to say that over 90% of Saturday GCBF patrons were college age folk out for a good time. I’d also surmise that the majority of attendees had little to no interest in the quality and craftsmanship of the beer on hand, which isn’t to say they didn’t consume it in large quantities. I was actually quite shocked at just how much of a party atmosphere there really was. Many groups of people made themselves beerfest costumes or uniforms running the gamut from team jerseys to spandex super hero outfits. What with the hot weather and masses of inebriated youth, some might even suggest that far too many people were wearing inappropriately little. In my opinion, the appropriateness of any lack of clothing depended squarely on the attractiveness of the particular person.
This band showed up and started playing
This guy made balloons, including genitalia
Big crowds at GCBF
As for the beer itself, there was a good variety of deliciousness available. My biggest problem with the beer selection was that there were more beers on hand than were advertised in the program. I failed to stop by at a few of my favorite breweries because it didn’t look like they had prepared anything special. It was to my great dismay to later find I’d missed out on a few unique brews, most notably a Blackberry Lambic from Driftwood Brewery. As for the rest, I was very intrigued by many of the Washington and Oregon brewers made the trek. I was also disappointed with our BC brewers who merely offered their regular brews. I’d hoped for some more interesting brews from some of my local heroes.
Chris, Erik, Holly at GCBF
There were no beer tokens included in the price of admission, which irked me a little. Tokens cost between $1 and $2 each, depending on how many you bought at a time, and many of the tastes required two tokens. It is for this reason that I did not try nearly as many beers as I thought I would. I kept it mainly to unique to the area or cask conditioned brews, ignoring the draft versions of some of my favorites. Notable standouts to me included:
- Boundary Bay cask conditioned Oatmeal Stout
- Central City cask conditioned Imperial IPA
- Crannog Back Hand of God Organic Stout
- Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
- Elysian Brewing cask conditioned The Wise ESB, Night Owl Pumpkin, and Saison Poivre
- Lagunitas Lucky 13
- Longwood Brewpub cask conditioned ESB
- Swans cask conditioned Scotch Ale
The Crannog Booth, one of my favorites
It might have been good that I tried less GCBF beers than I’d planned on because it enabled me to enjoy the rest of the evening. We returned to Swans to check in and then went down to the pub for a few tasters. We then spent our evening on the patio at The Canoe Club before wandering over to Spinnakers for a completely unnecessary nightcap. We had to make our way back in the morning to pickup some of their delightful malt vinegar, which Spinnakers makes themselves. Also, if you are ever in Victoria and in need of breakfast, head to Mole. It was outstanding.
Eirk with post GCBF tasters at Swans
It was my first trip to GCBF and I enjoyed it. If I lived in Victoria, I would go every year. However, having to come over on the ferry from Vancouver and requiring a hotel have me questioning future trips. While the beer selection was good, it wasn’t outstanding enough to warrant the expensive journey. I consider more accessible beer events like Dix Caskivals and the Washington Cask Beer Festival more enjoyable. What would be even better is a GCBF in Vancouver too.
Cheers,
Chris
New Lighthouse Limited Releases?
Monday, September 14th, 2009 | Beer | No Comments
I was at GCBF last weekend and I have a substantial amount to write about it, but thought I’d first share this juicy little tidbit. I was in a long line for the ATM at GCBF (no beer tokens included?) behind one of the sales managers of Victoria’s own Lighthouse Brewing Company. We got to talking when he wondered aloud at what extortionate banking fees we might be charged for that extra $20 we needed for tokens. We struck up a conversation and talked about his beer, Lighthouse breaking into the Vancouver market, competitive beers, and the like (it was a really long line). I quite like Lighthouse beer in general, but my one beef with them is that they don’t do anything special. I asked him why Lighthouse didn’t do any seasonal releases. He said it was because Lighthouse was only equipped for canning until recently and that cans had to be ordered in minimum batches of 10000. He said that with their new bottling line (Race Rocks Amber and Riptide Pale are now available in bottles) that seasonals were now a possibility and that the brewers were clamoring to do something Belgian. I pushed to know the particular style, but all I got was ‘something Belgian’.
There you have it, the first bit of beer news (or speculation) broken on LoveGoodBeer.com, a potential upcoming limited release from Lighthouse Brewing. If they were to do a seasonal release, and I hope they are, I think it would be great for Lighthouse. Nothing generates more buzz than something new or special and I think Lighthouse’s beers are worth hearing about.
Cheers,
Chris
Last gasp GCBF ticket options
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 | Beer | No Comments
It is indeed the Great Canadian Beer Festival this weekend. This will be my first GCBF and I had no idea how popular it was. I lucked out in getting tickets by just happening to show up at the beer store to grab the last few available. I had planned to buy tickets a few days later, but the fates tempted me out on the first day of sales. Anyway, even though tickets are long sold out, there are still a few ways to get to GCBF:
- Volunteer
- Craigslist, here are a few of my searches
- Ask Nicely
- Win them, I saw a few contests last week, try to find them online.
If you miss out, we’ll post about how awesome it was next week so that you can feel really bad about missing it. Maybe it’ll motivate you to get tickets nice and early next year? Seriously though, it is going to be an awesome time. The lineup looks wonderful and our stay at Swans includes a free tasting, and then we’ll have the excellent Canoe brewpub just down the road…
In preparation for GCBF (and to help recover from the Labour Day weekend) I am embarking on an epic four day beer fast. Wish me luck.
Cheers,
Chris
Current Events & Beer
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 | Beer | 1 Comment
Two major events have taken place in the past two days that has effected and will continue to effect the lives of all British Columbians; The Vancouver Canucks failure to advance onto round three of the Stanley Cup playoffs and the BC Provincial Election, polling stations will be closing in less than one hour from now. In Chris’s absence I feel it is my duty to point out that although the Canucks were prematurely knocked out of the Stanley Cup race, they still made much it farther than the Toronto Maple Leafs did. These two events will drastically effect British Columbia’s beer industry, although it may not be obvious to all.
In Canada, hockey games draw excited sports fans to pubs, bars, restaurants and other drinking establishments wallpapered with LCD televisions, playoff games draw an even larger crowd. During an average Canucks playoff game, pubs in the Vancouver area experience up to a 70% increase in beer sales – big money is to be had in the playoffs. Now that the Canucks are no longer vying for the prized Stanley Cup, bars will cease to be filled with passionate hockey fans guzzling beer upon beer. In addition to the decline in draught beer sales, I would not be surprised if liquor stores also experience somewhat of a decrease in beer sales. Generally speaking the season finale of House is not an event that friends gather over and drink beer.
But Vancouver’s loss to the Chicago Blackhawks is not all bad news. Dix BBQ, located next door to the Canucks’ home stadium, GM Place, will no longer have an excuse for canceling their weekly cask beer event held every Thursday. The weekly cask event was regularly superseded by Canucks home games to make room for hockey fans. I am a bigger beer fan than I am a hockey fan – so don’t hate me when I say that I’m not all that upset over the loss.
The BC Provincial Election, which the results of should be tabulated shortly, may also change BC’s beer industry. Carole James, the leader of BC’s NDP, has gone on record as saying that if the NDP are elected the price of an average six-pack at a private liquor store could jump as much as three dollars. I am not entirely sure where the Liberal or Green parties stand on this price increase, but from my limited understanding of BC politics I don’t think either party has any plans that would result in more expensive beer. British Colombian’s are already heavily taxed on alcohol sales – please don’t increase beer prices. This new pricing is somewhat reminiscent of North America’s short lived temperance movement that succeeded in total prohibition – it also comes across as a “sin tax”. Beer is part of a healthy diet and should not be priced at a level where the general public is discouraged from enjoying a beer as part of their day to day diet.
This is a big week for British Columbia. Die hard Canucks fans; I am sorry for your loss, there is always next year. Empowered voters; if the election does not go your way, four years isn’t that long.
Cheers,
Erik
A beer tour of Victoria BC
Saturday, January 17th, 2009 | Beer, Breweries, Events, Pubs | No Comments
Last September, Erik and I went on a beer tour of Victoria with our fathers. Sadly, it was the weekend after the Great Canadaian Beer Festival. We were busy on GCBF weekend, but will definitely be attending next year. Nonetheless, we still had a great time in Victoria. We stayed in one of the guest houses at Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub. I would definitely stay there again, but not with a group of dudes. We found the guesthouses to be a bit on the romantic side. Spinnakers has everything going for it. In additon to a brewpub and guesthouses, Spinnakers also boasts on an onsite restaurant and bakery, plus scenic views of Victoria harbor from its oceanside plot. We awoke every morning at Spinnakers to fresh baked goods dropped off for breakfast, which was a tasty treat indeed.
At Canoe Brewpub
Our itinerary consisted of first popping into the brewpub at Spinnakers for a late dinner on Friday night. We found the food, atmosphere, and, above all, the beer to be quite satisfying. Upon learning the 11PM closing time was fast approaching, we hastened to sample as many of their beers as possible before being cutoff. Consequently drunk, we abandoned our plans for bed and decided to wander around Victoria until the wee hours of the morning. We somehow ended up at Swans Brewpub across town, enjoying further libations. Now, I can’t say I recall too much about the beer at either Spinnakers or Swans from that night, but I do recall it being rather tasty.
On Saturday, we woke up rather late and worse for wear. We had a leisurely morning enjoying our baked goods from the Spinnakers bakery before setting off for the Canoe Brewpub. I recall Canoe being the plushest and most modern of the establishments we visited. I also recall the Braised Beef Short Rib & Blue Cheese Burger I ordered as being the greatest burger I have eaten in my entire life (surely the healthiest too). The beer there was also tasty, but the rest of the days events seemed to have wiped my memory of particular details. We then ventured to Vancouver Island Brewing for a tour. The tour usually costs $5, but they waived our fee for enthusiastically showing up far too early. Had we paid the fee, it would have been well worth it for the tour and the five glasses of each VI brew we were poured. At this point in the early afternoon, we were roundly drunk, but ventured on to Hugos.
Hugos brewhouse was largely a disappointment. The beer we ordered was all well and good, but there was something off about the place. We felt as though we were sitting in a dark, empty nightclub, not the atmosphere one would expect of a brewpub on a Saturday. I was not surprised to learn later that Hugo’s was largely known as a nightclub in its last days and was closed down weeks after our visit. We then ventured to the Stickey Wicket, tired and unenthusiastic. The pub itself is very cool, convivial, busy, and featuring three floors (the top floor features an open air volleyball court). We weren’t there long as we had hit the wall. We ventured back to Spinnakers for a solid nap (the longest walk of my life, I swear). After our nap, we returned to the Spinnakers brewpub for dinner where two of us couldn’t even contemplate ordering another beer. The night ended shortly after an unrousing game of darts, when we retired rather early.
On Sunday, we awoke refreshed to more Spinnakers baked goods. I had the delivery girl drop our basket off outside “because of the no pants and whatnot”. Erik was none too pleased with my saying “whatnot”, wondering what the poor girl may have inferred. We then gathered ourselves and headed to Swans once more, to give it a fair chance in an uninebriated state. We enjoyed the beer there very much, although I again can’t recall any details. We then ventured back to the mainland, laiden with bottles, after a two day trip where we consumed beer aplenty.
At Swans Brewpub
We had an awesome time in Victoria and it is a tour we’d definitely do again. It was very cool to be able to do this with our fathers before they lose mobility. Just kidding, our Dads are on the young side and much fitter than we are. We learned a lot from this beer tour though, foremost that it is best to pace yourself to get the most out of the day. It was also a shame we didn’t get to visit any of Victoria’s other microbreweries. Before we ventured on our trip, we had planned to visit both Philips and Lighthouse Brewing. I called both breweries and asked if they did tours. They did not, but both said they would accommodate us if we stopped by, which I though was pretty cool. Sadly, our weekend trip did not coincide with the hours of operation of these two breweries. I imagine that new Victoria brewery Driftwood operates similary. I hope to visit all three the next time I’m in Victoria on a weekday.
My next trip to Victoria is already planned and we will be staying at Swans, a more suitable venue for a bachelor party, due to its lively atmosphere, than Spinnakers. It is indeed my good friend Dave’s bachelor party. This time the focus will be more on debauchery than beer. That being said, I hope to visit Spinnakers and Canoe again, and we’ll possibly do a brewery tour. This time I’m going to organize a golf game at nearby Gorge Vale on Saturday morning, to ensure we don’t hit the wall to early.
Cheers,
Chris
Hops in 2009
Friday, January 2nd, 2009 | Beer | No Comments
A photo of early BC hop pickers; courtesy of the Chilliwack Museum
Happy New Year! 2009 brings exciting news to the world of BC Craft Brewing. Hops have once again been planted in the Fraser Valley and a small harvest is expected this year.
With the recent hops shortage, brewers have struggled to find a reliable supply of hops and have had to deal with dramatic price increases. If proven successful and commercially viable, it is expected that BC’s dormant hop industry will be revived, providing local brewers a new source for hops. BC was once a major hop producing region, not surprising seeing that Washington State, just south of BC, is currently one of the largest hop growing regions in the world. Sadly, due to declining demand BC’s last hop harvest was in 1997, but 2009 is a year of change. The Chilliwack Museum has a put together a great site about the history of BC’s hop industry that is worth taking a look at.
BC has some amazing brewers creating fantastic beer. Speaking from the perspective of a home brewer, new ingredients helps to inspire brewing creativity – harvest ale, brewed with fresh hops instead of dried hops, is the first beer that comes to mind in this situation. I think this new supply of local hops will bring a new passion to the many craft brewers in BC. I look forward to tasting the news beers that BC brewers create.
Chilliwack’s hop yards provided seasonal work for my grandparents when they first moved to British Columbia, so I feel a small sense of connection to this industry and am very excited to see that hops are once again being grown in BC. For more news on this story check out the BC Beer Blog – a great source for BC beer news.
Erik