black and tan
Mission Springs Brewing Company
Saturday, April 18th, 2009 | Beer, Breweries, Pubs | No Comments
My search for the perfect pizza and beer combination continued yesterday evening at the Mission Springs Brewing Company in Mission. Mission Springs is home to a large restaurant and pub complete with an outdoor beach volleyball court, but the purpose of this visit was not to play volleyball, it was to see what they can do with their in-house wood fired pizza oven. Yes, you read correct, Mission Springs brewing company serves fresh local craft beer alongside what could potentially be the perfect pizza. Hallelujah!
Getting strait to the point, the pizza was well below average and quite disappointing. The crust was completely dry and tough – offering none of the tender, crispy and chewy quality’s that a good pizza crust should have. Over topping, a common mistake made by many pizza chefs, made for a soggy, greasy pizza experience. However, not all was bad, as shown below the pizza arrived at our table in an oblong shape – this is a good thing. There is no reason for pizza to be perfectly round – a slightly misshapen pizza pie is a clear sign that caring human hands were involved in the pizza making process. An off-round pizza has far more charm and character than a perfectly round, and lifeless, pizza.
The perfect imperfect pizza shape
Aside from the pizza disappointment, my wife and I had a great evening and were able to enjoy some great local beer. Mission Springs’ current seasonal is a Red Ginger Ale (the ginger is actually very mild in this particular beer). The beer was served far too cold and was at first dominated by a spicy earthiness, after reaching a more appropriate ale temperature, a pleasing fruitiness became noticeable making for an enjoyable experience. My wife ordered not one, but two pints of the Bombshell Blonde Ale over the course of the evening, which she kindly allowed me to steal a taste of. Mission Springs’ Blonde Ale is one of my current favourite light craft beers, and is a great introductory beer to those not yet exposed to the craft beer world.
The real highlight of the evening was the gravity defying Black and Tan. Breaking the laws of physics and all things science this exclusive pub-only beer consisted of a rich Oatmeal Stout floating inexplicably atop a bed of well balanced India Pale Ale. The Black and Tan was equally impressive to the eyes as it was to the taste buds and stomach. A proper black and tan is a beer experience worth celebrating.
Black and Tan
This was not my first visit to the Mission Springs Brewing Company,and nor will it be my last. They may not know how to make the perfect pizza, but the unique country-bar atmosphere and simple yet delicious beer offerings help to make up for their erroneous pizza pie.
Erik
Big Ridge Brewing Company
Friday, January 23rd, 2009 | Beer, Breweries, Pubs, Review | 9 Comments
A second guest post in two days! This latest contribution to the Love Good Beer fold is written by Peter Chandler, a good friend of mine and a stellar human being. A technical writer by trade and a seasoned beer traveler, he spins a good yarn. ~ Chris
Mats Sundin’s debut with the Canucks earlier this month was a special occasion for all Vancouverites. Like many of the team’s supporters, I decided that this night was a momentous enough occasion–either that or it was just a good enough excuse for my wife–to trek out to my local Big Ridge Brewing Company to enjoy the game with a few friends and a few pints.
For starters, I ordered their seasonal offering, an Espresso Stout, which sounded like it would be awesome, with a side of poutine (that turned out to be the best poutine west of the Rockies). Unfortunately, to me the seasonal tasted like a melted 7-Eleven Slurpuccino filtered through a dirty ashtray. Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh; the pint probably wasn’t that bad. After all, I was able to finish it, though I certainly didn’t order another one. For seconds, I grabbed a Black and Tan, which was more suited to my palate and more flavourful than the bottle of Bud that the guy beside me was drinking. The Black and Tan blended fairly quickly, tasted very smooth, and quickly cleansed my memory of the previous pint. I guess that is why I love Big Ridge. Within their small selection of microbrews there is enough flavour and variety for everyone–everyone except for that dude who was drinking a bottle of Bud–to find something to their liking. It is that process, the quest for the perfect pint, which I enjoy the most.
By the way, I love Big Ridge, so much so that I went there on my wedding day. Chris (a key member of my wedding party) showcased his usual creative frugality, proclaiming, “This guy is getting married”, while pointing at me, “do we get any free stuff?” The waitress, preparing to make a quick escape from our table, raised her right eyebrow, tilted her head and replied without giving Chris an answer, “This is the saddest stag I have ever seen”.
Fair enough, if that really was my bachelor party, I, too, would have been underwhelmed. Incidentally, my stag was a legendary affair. Sun-soaked Osoyoos, bathwater-soaked hotel room, golf, wine touring and the epic Sage pub. But this is not a tale of debauchery and hooliganism, this is a story about fresh, delicious beer, pleasant surroundings, and good times. I’ll leave that story for another time.
Peter
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