From the category archives:

BC Brew

How the Beer Oligopoly Apple Cart was Upset

by Rick Green 05.16.2012

^ Frank Appleton, Scottie McLellan, and John Mitchell at the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria.
On July 26, 1980, Labatt, Molson, and Carling O’Keefe locked out their unionized workers on the threat of a strike, and stopped distributing beer in BC. Since the Big Three produced all the beer sold in the province at that [...]

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The Melody of Craft Beer

by Rick Green 05.13.2012

In most cultures, social gatherings commonly involve three elements – food, alcohol, and music. With Vancouver Craft Beer Week I & II, the connection between beer and food, beyond the typical burgers and pizza, was well-established. Now, VCBW III turns the spotlight on music with our craft brewers featured as rock stars.
Music is represented by [...]

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The Four Seasons of Saison

by Rick Green 04.18.2012

Athough the majority of people in North America has been conditioned to drinking mass-market adjunct lager throughout the year, there is an historical seasonality to beer that is being rediscovered as people broaden their horizons to other styles. Some seasonal beers are obvious from their name. A Märzen is traditionally brewed in March to be [...]

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Central City Rauchbier Launched with a Bacon Explosion

by Rick Green 03.08.2012

^ l to r, Sous Chef, Matthew Nichols, Executive Chef, Carl Sawatsky, Brewmaster, Gary Lohin.
Ever since Central City Brewing brewmaster, Gary Lohin, learned of the The Bacon Explosion, he’s been looking for an appropriate excuse to make it. (What took you so long, Gary?) The occasion finally came on February 25 when Central City launched [...]

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A Firkin Good Feast

by Rick Green 02.08.2012

Six years ago, there were only two establishments in Vancouver offering cask-conditioned ale (AKA Real Ale) on a weekly basis – Dix BBQ & Brewery on Thursdays and The Whip Restaurant & Gallery on Sundays. Craft beer was still very much a sub-culture confined to brewpubs and the rare establishment where a manager or owner [...]

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Biercraft Wins with Battle of the Belgians

by Rick Green 01.25.2012

When I first became involved with Vancouver’s craft beer community, Belgium came to mind when thinking about the sort of beer culture I hoped we could cultivate here. Rather than attempt to transplant Flanders in the Lower Mainland, developing a Flemish-style appreciation for beer and food in local terms seemed more appropriate. It would have [...]

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BC Brew Review: Mont des Cats

by Rick Green 01.13.2012

Abbaye Sainte Marie du Mont des Cats is a Trappist monastery located on a mountain outside the French village of Godewaersvelde, near the Belgian border. As with the likes of Chimay, Orval, and Rochefort today, Mont des Cats was once was highly regarded for its beer. However, during the Battle of the Lys in April [...]

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Diamonds in the Rough: Finding Craft Beer in Shanghai

by Rick Green 11.27.2011

On a recent visit to Shanghai, I discovered the craft beer revolution is starting to make inroads into China. While Belgian imports are the most widely available, followed by Germans and the Brits, North American craft beer has only just arrived. These are thinly scattered amongst luxury hotels, Western restaurants, and more upscale supermarkets. But [...]

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BC Brew Review: Granville Island Pumpkin Ale

by Rick Green 11.02.2011

Like wheat beers for summer, pumpkin ales seem to staking a claim to fall as the go to seasonal beer in BC. As with any beer style, once you’ve tried one pumpkin ale, you haven’t had them all. With a diversity of brewers now offering them, you find an equal diversity in the taste profiles [...]

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BC Craft Beer Getaways: Squamish

by Rick Green 08.07.2011

In the mad dash up the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Whistler, Squamish is typically bypassed. However, it offers much in the way of outdoor activities and has equal draw to Whistler in terms of craft beer offerings. What you don’t get is the expense associated with a world class resort town. So if you are looking [...]

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BC Craft Beer Getaways

by Rick Green 08.03.2011

If you love beer, trips always seem to involve a beer bar, brewpub, brewery, or beer festival. Depending on your degree of obsession, the trip may completely revolve around beer or, at the very least, the destinations are chosen with good drinking in mind. Fortunately, the location of any of these establishments is not dependent, [...]

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Coming of Age: An Introduction to Beer Cellaring

by Rick Green 04.28.2011

The tagline of the Mark James Group is “Drink Fresh Beer“. For the most part, this is what you should do. Go into a brewpub, where you find the freshest beer, and try a seasonal release when it first comes out. Sample it again three or four weeks later, and you may notice a considerable [...]

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