On this side of the country we proudly boast about creating the Canadian craft beer scene. Little to western knowledge, the eastern seaboard has quietly emerged with some world renowned breweries of their own. The leader of the pack hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia, going by the name of Propeller Brewing Company. Although best known for their stunning ESB, their English style IPA is the hidden gem in a rather stunning lineup.

A flat pour results in a thick white head, inviting you to take a deep sniff. The nose is subtle but pleasing, with predominant malt, citrus, and grass aromas. The first sip tells the rest of the story, with a fine balance of malt and hops, mirroring the nose perfectly.

With the long weekend fast approaching one might want to consider picking up a six pack. Although not as pleasing as the previously reviewed Blue Bridge Double Pale Ale, the ABV is a little more friendly, allowing you to enjoy more than just a pint or two. Perfect for those long weekend BBQ outings.

Brewer: Propeller Brewing Company
ABV: 6.5%
Category: English IPA
Appearance: 4
Aroma: 4
Flavour: 4
Mouthfeel: 4
Overall: 4
Score: 20/25
Availability: Brewery Creek Liquor Store, Firefly Fine Wines and Ales, Viti Wine and Lager and select BC Liquor stores

~ Chris Bjerrisgaard

With patio season finally upon us, many search for the best venue in the province to sip a fine craft beer while enjoying sun and scenery. Those who have made their way to Spinnakers Brewpub in that quest will wax poetic about the gorgeous harbour views, ocean sounds, and classic BC craft beer flavours. That said, anyone living outside of Victoria will not be able to experience this feeling on a regular basis, and instead must settle for bottled versions of their classic in-house offerings. Of these beers from the quarter century old brewpub, Blue Bridge Double Pale Ale is easily the pick of the litter when it comes to patio partners.

A tilted pour reveals a light amber coloured liquid with a medium white head. Aromas of bread, grass, and earth match the patio setting perfectly. The flavour follows suit filling your mouth with the taste of biscuit and malt, while adding a subtle hint of earthy hops and grass on the back end. A high alcohol percentage makes this bottle dangerous, but much like summer sun, it is best shared with friends. Drink with moderation and you should be able to enjoy this one right through till sunset.

Brewer: Spinnakers Brewpub
ABV: 8.2%
Category: Imperial Pale Ale / Double Pale Ale
Appearance: 3
Aroma: 4
Flavour: 5
Mouthfeel: 3
Overall: 5
Score: 20/25
Availability: Brewery Creek Liquor Store, Firefly Fine Wines and Ales, Viti Wine and Lager

~ Chris Bjerrisgaard

A beer named after one Hunter S. Thompson is exactly what you should expect – dark, complex, and a little bit off the wall. A flat pour out of the bottle leaves a deep reddish brown liquid with a thick, light tan head. The first sniff leaves you with BBQ smoke, bourbon, and coffee. From there the flavor from a sip is massive, containing the bourbon and BBQ from the nose, adding dark fruit flavours and a slight acidity on the back end. Needless to say ribs, pulled pork, and brisket are this beer’s best friends.

All that said, watch out for the high alcohol of this imperial porter. The booze notes, although prevalent, are well hidden by all the massive flavours. If you don’t watch yourself, the floor will quickly become your residence. Despite being over shadowed by it’s better known cousin, the Russian Imperial Stout, the Imperial Porter is a highly sought after beer style. Mr Thompson’s name sake is one of the best, so make sure you pick it up when you have the chance.

Brewer: Flying Dog Brewery
Agent: AFIC Group
ABV: 7.8%
Category: Imperial/Baltic Porter
Appearance: 5
Aroma: 3.5
Flavour: 5
Mouthfeel: 4
Overall: 5
Score: 22.5/25
Availability: Brewery Creek Liquor Store, Firefly Fine Wines and Ales, Viti Wine and Lager

~ Chris Bjerrisgaard

Estrella Damm Inedit, one of the more interesting discoveries on my most recent trip to the Cambie LDB, claims to be “the first beer specifically created to accompany food.” A rather bold and somewhat laughable claim to make, but not particularly surprising considering this beer was made by a large lager-centric Spanish macro, Damm Brewey, in consultation with avant-garde chef Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler and El Bulli’s sommeliers’ team.

“Inedit was developed from the belief that there was a need for a beer that could complement a dining experience,” said Adrià in an interview last year. The name Inedit means “never been done before” in Catalan.

Really? For a beer developed in a culinary think-tank consisting of mostly wine and food nerds, see here, it is a pretty over-hyped and underwhelming beer that may please novice drinkers but is sure to disappoint everyone else.

Inedit is best categorized as a Belgian style witbier (wheat beer). The literature that accompanies the 750 ml bottle encourages the drinker to serve the beer at 4ºC – 8ºC in a white wine glass , and to keep it chilled on ice to fully “appreciate all its virtues.”

The virtually non-existent nose has elusive aromas of wheat and coriander and pours a pale and cloudy yellow with a robust creamy white head. The light body of the beer has an interesting and subtle taste of barley, wheat, and notes of orange peel and licorice (two adjuncts of the recipe) that ends in a disappointing watery finish.

While the Inedit quite predictably pairs well with most foods (hello easy-drinking bubbles?), so do most lighter beers. And if I was looking for a Belgian-style witbier, I would rather be quaffing Driftwood’s White Bark Ale, or the original mac-daddy, Hoegaarden.

Brewer: Damm
ABV: 4.8%
Category: Witbier
Appearance: 4
Aroma: 2.5
Flavour: 3
Mouthfeel: 2.5
Overall: 3
Score: 15/25
Availability: 750 ml bottles available at Firefly and select BC liquor stores

~ PK

Search for “Women and Beer” on the Internet and you’ll get all manner of Budweiser girls and beer haus mädchens. One might be fooled into thinking that women didn’t much like beer but as it turns out, BC’s Craft Brewing industry has several dedicated women owning and operating breweries, as well as many supporters. At the Vancouver Craft Beer Week’s Women and Beer event at The Refinery last week, beer lovers of both genders were out to sample brew from these hard-working women.

• 

  Aly Tomlin, Operation manager, R & B Brewing Co.

• Becky Julseth, Co-owner, Salt Spring Island Ales

• Leslie Fenn, Owner and Director, Howe Sound Brewing

• Pat Dyck, Co-Owner, Cannery Brewing

• Rebecca Kneen, Co-owner and assistant brewer Crannog Ales

The “mingling” beer was R&B Brewing Co’s Extra Special Bitter, a fragrant, floral beer just made on April 26th and fresh out of the keg. When everyone had had a chance to enjoy it, Lundy Dale, president of the Vancouver chapter of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) and Lauren Mote of the Refinery kicked off the evening with a warm welcome.

The beers that followed (paired with canapés from Chef Carter) ranged from Salt Spring Island Ales’ Heatherdale Ale which owner Becky Julseth describes as a “girlie” beer to Crannog Ales’ rich, dark Back Hand of God Stout.

Craft beer is small batch beer that’s brewed in traditional ways, without the additions of rice or corn. There was no shortage of beer around when I first started drinking, but it wasn’t until I did a home exchange in Munich that I came to realize the range of flavours and nuances evident even in different treatments of the same varieties. My first taste of a doppelbock dunkel made at a monastery (talk about small batch) is an experience that has stayed with me through years of beer sampling. Coming home to shelves of light, flavourless beer sparked an interest in searching out new and interesting beers, breweries and brewers, which has become easier over time thanks to the rise of showcase pubs like the Alibi room, festivals like VCBW and of course the Internet (Budweiser girls and all).

Considering the complexity and range of beers out there, it’s interested how under-represented women are on both the making and consuming sides, but a packed house at the Refinery (and several other VCBW) shows that’s changing too.

The Heatherdale Ale, made with heather (from Butchart Gardens!) instead of hops, is a traditional Scottish beer. It’s light and summery without losing any flavor and will definitely be on high rotation on my patio this summer. Already presented as the girly beer, it was easy for their hops-heavy amber Whale Tail Ale to step in as “manly”.

Up next, R&B’s Red Devil Pale Ale is an old favorite of mine and the English style red brew is sensory in the extreme.  Malty, hoppy and rich, it needs a food pairing that won’t back down and the naan bread topped with spicy eggplant curry did just the trick here.

Leslie Fenn of Howe Sound Brewing introduced their Three Beavers Imperial Red Ale as a tribute to the world’s largest rodent and a product of the Olympics. As Marketing Director and PR Coordinator, she likely had something to do with the image of 3 beavers sporting medals on the label, cleverly explained as representing the gold, silver and bronze North American Brewers Association medals that they’ve won. The beer itself was a stand out; strong, malty and flavourful, it’s made with many kinds of hops and was enjoyable both on its own and paired with a lamb and potato canapé.

Next was the new Squire Scotch Ale from Cannery Brewing and then we finished off the evening with chocolate truffles from Rachel Sawatzky of CocoaNymph and the aforementioned Back Hand of God Stout, and lots of hugging, because hey, we’re women.

~ Degan Beley

On Friday, May 14th, during Canada’s first Vancouver Craft Beer Week, the first annual BC Beer Awards sponsored by Brewery Creek Liquor Store were presented for the best brews in 11 style categories along with one overall winner know as best in show.

With tremendous gratitude and pride for all our talented and passionate regional brewers, I present the 2010 winners:

Session Ale
1st Saltspring Golden Ale
2nd Howe Sound Garibaldi Pale Ale
3rd Whistler Honey Lager

Wheat Beer
1st Yaletown Hill’s Special
2nd Driftwood White Bark Wheat
3rd Steamworks Ipanema Wheat

Lager
1st Vancouver Island Herman’s Dark Lager
2nd Okanagan Springs 1516 Lager
3rd Longwood Pilsner

Amber/Brown
1st Granville Island Nut Brown Ale
2nd Canoe Beaver Brown Ale
3rd Tree Brewing Hophead 45 Red Ale

Pale Ale
1st Central City Red Racer ESB
2nd Driftwood Ale
3rd Central City Red Racer Pale Ale

Other Dark
1st Phillips Skookum Cascadian Dark Ale
2nd Okanagan Spring Black Lager
3rd Fat Cat Bunny’s Black and Tan

Fruit Flavored
1st Storm Black Currant Lambic
2nd Phillips Longboat Chocolate Porter
3rd Swans Coconut Porter

IPA
1st Yaletown Brick and Beam IPA
2nd High Mountain Wodward’s IPA
3rd Central City Red Racer IPA

Stouts / Porters
1st Phillips The Hammer Imperial Stout
2nd Lighthouse Keeper’s Stout
3rd Howe Sound Diamond Head Stout

Spiced / Seasonal
1st Yaletown Oud Bruin
2nd Tree Brewing Spiced Reserve
3rd Driftwood Farmhand Ale

Strong Beer
1st Driftwood Old Cellar Dweller Barley Wine
2nd Central City Thor’s Hammer Barley Wine
3rd Swans Scotch Ale

BEST OF SHOW
Ian Hill’s Yaletown Brick and Beam IPA

To say that my night at the Alibi Room made me miss Vancouver would be an understatement, so it’s fitting that the following day would be even better. I’m talking about ice cream truck weather, people. It’s a tough city to beat when there’s something good to do and the sun is winning the war against the gray. So with the sun shining and only one actual obligation, I put my feet to the pavement in search of good coffee, old friends, and some much needed fresh air.

My quest for all of the above kept me busy until mid-afternoon, when I finally decided to revisit the purpose of my visit: delicious craft beer. It was at The Whip where I finally got my mitts on a glass of the most extreme beer I’ve ever tasted: Storm’s 12 year old Lambic. Sour beer is hard to come by, let alone one that was produced locally and aged for a dozen years, so I pounced on the rare opportunity. My adolescent addiction to sour candy proved adequate preparation for this beast, and I was able to enjoy it without my face resembling a cat’s asshole. This beer and a good visit left me grinning, slightly drunk, and therefore willing to walk from South Main to East Hastings to attend the Red Truck beer dinner at Au Petit Chauvignol.

Chinatown laid a beatdown on my senses; so noisy, vivid and rank. The dried seafood, in combination with the sunshine, didn’t do much for my appetite, but it certainly quickened my pace. I ditched the dawdle and traded up for a brisk stroll, keeping my wits about me as I entered a pretty rough part of the city. The sun didn’t forget about East Hastings that day, and the locals were soaking it up with the best of them. Laughing, crying, and trying to beat the shit out of each other, just like the rest of us on any given day of the week.

When I eventually arrived at my destination a half hour early, I was greeted by the familiar friendly faces of Sam & Dave who I’d chatted with at length at the party the night before. There they were, taking in what was left of the sunlight, greeting friends and waiting for the shindig to get going. I used this opportunity to thank them both for keeping me company, and reiterated my excitement for the final pairing of the night: warm cookies, and dark beer. The man responsible for the cookies and a few of the other courses, Joe Chaput, introduced himself and took me on a tour of their custom built premises. I’ve seen a few kitchens, but never anything like this. So sterile and spacious, with amazing pieces of equipment all over the place. A skylight was placed directly over the line, and the walk-in cooler eats regular fridges for breakfast. I was red from sun, and green with envy. Basically, I looked like Christmas, but slightly sweaty and totally hungry.

The rest of the guests filtered in, and I took my seat for 1 at the bar, sipping on water, eagerly anticipating the start of the show. Fortunately I was seated next to a couple of fellow beer freaks, let’s call them the Buttler Brothers. They were good company, and as it turns out, far more knowledgeable about beer than I am. We talked beer and work, they’re in the coffee business, until the party kicked off.

This seems like a good time to tell you all how tough I am. I’m not Tapout tough, despite growing up in small town Vancouver Island.  The kind of tough that I am, however, pertains to my willingness to sit down to a tasting menu at a cheese focused restaurant, despite the fact that dairy and I just plain don’t get along. It’s a goddamned tragedy, I know. But don’t cry for me, Argentina. I’ll be fine.

Anyways…

Each course started with an explanation from either the proprietors or the brewmaster Dave Varga. In more words or less, he told the crowd that he likes to keep it real. He brews high quality, yet accessible beer, and he’s proud of that. He let us all know that when he drinks beer, he likes to have more than one, so when he’s brewing, he’s got that in mind. Session beers, they’re called, and that’s good news for the crowd, considering we were about to embark on a 5 course journey, each paired with 5 different pints. Yes, pints. I’ve got an English friend (a “mate”) who calls this breakfast, but I’m just a Canadian, and this sounded like an awful lot of food and drink. If it weren’t for course breaks, I just might have died on my bar stool.

The food, oh the food, was real, just like the beer. The eight cheeses that were chosen to pair with the Red Truck Lager each brought out new and interesting flavours in the beer, and vice versa. It was explained by the lovely Allsion (Co-Owner) that beer was a far superior match for cheese than wine. The first course managed to be both delicious and educational. I wouldn’t mind experimenting with this on my own time. Next up was a bowl of Cheddar and Beer Soup, paired with the Red Truck Limited Release IPA. The beer tangled nicely with the soup, with the bitterness of the beer cutting nicely through the richness of the soup. This was followed by a charcuterie plate which featured 4 selections (Prosciutto di Parma, Serrano Ham, Lomo Iberico, Lomo Iberico de Belotta), paired with the Red Truck Limited Release Pilsner. The cured pieces of pork played nicely with the pilsner, another educational and delicious course. Beer braised beef brisket came out next, well appointed with pommes puree and glazed carrots. This is comfort food, and I’m fiend for such things. The Red Truck Ale was poured, and did a terrific job handling the richness of the dish. This course break came with confirmation that the Canucks went down in flames against the Blackhawks, and the dining room let out a collective groan. Perhaps food induced, but likely from professional sports heartbreak. Then came the cookies, chocolate and still warm from the oven, in paper bags, served with the Red Truck Limited Release Stout. More comfort food, coming through for me when I needed it most. This course was up against some self imposed hype, and came through completely unscathed. I loved every bite, washed down by a mighty fine stout. The creamy head, provided by nitrous (not unlike cans of Guinness), was a touch you aren’t likely to find very often in our scene. The beer weighed 4%, but came through with richness and big flavours. I want this beer in my fridge, right now. Some cookies wouldn’t hurt either.

On a night when the Canucks were anything but, APC and Red Truck put on a dinner that was entirely successful. I appreciated the emphasis on both educating and appeasing the diners. The beers were brewed with accessibility in mind, and the menu followed suit. Complexity could be had for those in search of it, but the surface flavours of the pairings were more than enough to keep everyone happy. This dinner, to me, was the epitome of what a beer dinner should be. An event such as this could easily turn into a war against wine, and it didn’t. It was unpretentious and undemanding, which led to an extremely relaxed atmosphere. Just good people enjoying good food with good beer. No more, no less.

~ Jacob Galbraith

For a long time, it seemed as though I wasn’t meant to ever set foot in the Alibi Room. All of my attempts were poorly planned, and always resulted in arriving to locked doors. I left the city, and the Alibi Room, one year ago, and have long since dreamed of what actually happens in there. Their beer list is pure pornography, and therefore fits in nicely with the other things I look at on the internet. So, after a few attempted entries and plenty of virtual ogling, Vancouver Craft Beer Week comes out of nowhere (see: the well lubricated minds of a few dreamers) and gives me an opportunity to finally get inside.

The kick-off party for the week long event, “Hoppapalooza”, was as eagerly anticipated amongst beer nerds as Star Wars: Episode 1 was among real nerds. The Alibi Room is already a haven for the former, so the inclusion of free rein over the 10 casks and 25 taps, plus a bowl of chili (delicious BTW), in the ticket price was like giving a kid delicious chocolate milk to put on their already delicious Count Chocula breakfast cereal: a fucking great idea.

My plane landed in the harbour (on purpose) at 2:30, leaving me just enough time to hammer down a Japadog before arriving at the venue. Now, with strangely appointed sausage in my belly, I wandered with purpose towards destiny to help out with the setup. Help, I did not, but I most certainly watched the place get put together. Paul Kamon and the other organizers were attached to laptops and cellphones, communicating their asses off, while the staff did all kinds of heavy lifting. The CBC showed up to the party, so I had the opportunity to watch a real live news man do his thing in front of the camera, complete with non-regional diction. If that doesn’t sound interesting, then perhaps an exploding barrel of beer does? While a cask of something delicious being tapped there was a “SHAPAAAAAAAH” kind of sound, followed by laughter and some ricochet noises. A minute passed and the tapping process continued, and that’s when I heard a “SHPEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAW” sort of noise, this time accompanied by hooting, hollering, and hilariousness. Apparently that last one was the sound of a cask erupting serious amounts of foamy beer all over the guys who were tapping it. I felt sad for the wasted beer, but also relieved that I wasn’t the only one excited to be there. A once in a lifetime event wouldn’t be complete without some once in a lifetime sights and sounds now would it?

The organizers eventually put their devices down, and giving way to the most human vice of them all: grub. We all needed to put something down before we put some drinks down, otherwise the magnificent beer tasting opportunity ahead of us would be wasted, because, well, we’d be wasted. Luckily, Deacon’s Corner, is directly across the street, and is just the place to be eating when you’re soon to be drinking. I had a burger, fries, and the last water of the day. It was 5pm, 1 hour till show time, and we were officially satisfied with the grease primer we had applied to our bellies. Back to the Alibi Room to watch the team work feverishly to get it all together before the mayor showed up. That’s right. Clark Kent himself, Gregor Robinson, came by to tap the cask of VCBW’s very own beer,  collaboratively brewed specifically for the event by Vern (Granville Island) and Iain (Mark James Group).

I prayed, for maybe the second time in my life, to witness another cask explosion (just for the story), but the damned thing behaved. Instead of tapping the cask and hitting the road, Mr. Mayor came to the party and actually partied. This was approximately as refreshing as the collabeeration, which for the record, was a “West Coast Belgian Ale”. It tasted like bubble gum, complete with some bubbles, and was the perfect beer to start a session to end all sessions.

It should be noted that I’m not blessed with social skills, so I spent the first hour surrounded by strangers while scanning the massive hand-typed beer list for whatever I would be drinking next. Fortunately, beer is capable of waking my ability to converse, and before I knew it (with some help from Paul) I found myself talking with Dave and Sam (Red Truck Brewing), and Ian (Driftwood Brewing). Big thanks to these folks for keeping me company and for answering my nerdy questions (there were plenty). My tasting glass in tow, I made at least a dozen trips to the taps, brushing elbows with a good chunk of the province’s brewing community. It didn’t take long for me to realize that if something were to happen, maybe a terrorist attack from one of the macro-breweries, we’d be fucked. I’m sorry guys, but you shouldn’t be allowed to gather. It’s far too risky, and we’re far too thirsty. One thing I learned about these guys, is that they’re extremely supportive of one another. Surely there is a competitiveness that goes with such a crowded marketplace, but any signs of ill will were well hidden. Being from the kitchen, I’m not used to seeing this sort of open adoration between rivals. You won’t catch me air-bowing for any restaurant other than the one I work at, but these guys were far less frugal with their air-bowing. That shit was going on all over the place. Maybe it was the beer. Whatever it was, it was nice to see.

Given the name of the event, hoppy beers were aplenty, but that’s not to say that there wasn’t room for some diversity. I entered that building feeling like I knew most of what goes on in our craft brew scene; a once over of the list taught me otherwise, as it was chock full of things I’d never even heard of before. Here’s what I managed to taste, in no order in particular. *’s go out to beer I found in casks.

Barley Station Brew Pub – Pale Ale
Conrad’s (Steamworks) -  Ginger Beard
Deschutes – HopHenge Experimental IPA
Red Racer – IPA
Red Racer – ESB (twice)
Rogue – John John Juniper Ale
Rogue – XS Double Mocha Porter
Upright Brewing – 5
Upright Brewing – 6 (twice)
VCBW – West Coast Belgian
Driftwood – Belle Royale*
Central City – Roachapalooza*
Dave Varga’s (Red Truck) – Oaked 2 Lions Pale Ale*
Derrick’s (Dix) – Blood Orange Zest Grand Cru*1

All of that stuff was accompanied by some terrific blues, played from a makeshift stage atop some sort of supplies cabinet. Rich Hope was the fellow’s name, and if you get a chance you should check him out. Eventually, however, the music stopped, and the crowd thinned, leaving plenty of beer and space behind. I stuck it out until 11:30 or so, and slurring my way through some conversations until it became obvious that my work was done. I went into the night, a good friend in tow, looking for something to put on top of all that beer.

The availability of so many choices was not unlike being a kid in a candy store. While I typically believe that choice makes people miserable, I’m willing to swallow those words when it comes to a place like the Alibi Room. Owner Nigel Springenthorpe has done a fantastic job pioneering a joint for beer freaks to find whatever it is they need, without having to deal with big neon signs advertising the corporate swill that so many places choose to pour. Quite simply, there isn’t a bad choice to be had, only different ones. Missed opportunities quickly turn into good reasons for repeated visits, where you’ll find something new and great every time.

The whole point of the VCBW was to celebrate the bevy of high quality beer that is brewed within our vicinity, as well as the people who make it. The only way to keep it coming is by continuing to do what we do best, which is drink good beer. While there will always be room for more of the good stuff, it’s never been more clear that there just isn’t enough space for the shitty stuff.  I urge you to keep your glasses full of only the finest, and while you’re at it, tell your friends to do the same.

What Would Jesus Drink? You guessed it: craft beer.

~ Jacob Galbraith

At the BC Beer Awards Tasting, in conjunction with Vancouver Craft Beer Week, guests can sample the Top 11 Beers from the 188 submitted and enjoy them with food from Beerbrats tonight from 7 – 11 pm at the Heritage Hall at 3102 Main Street.

I got 2 FREE tickets to tonight’s sold out BC Beer Awards tasting event for the first person to complete the following quiz…

1) What’s the main difference between an ale and a lager?

2) What company owns Molson Canadian?

3) What is the worst beer ever made?

4) What is the final event being offered during VCBW?

5) What beer movie starred these two Canadian comic legends? And who are they?

Full disclosure. This is not an impartial review because I am having what is no longer a secret torrid affair with this beer. If the Red Racer ESB was a song, it would be Centerfold by the J. Geils Band. She’s been my ‘homeroom angel’, my exclusive session beer for the last few months whenever I found myself seated at some of my regular beer haunts like the Alibi Room or The Whip seeking the comforts of a good quality draft. And now that she’s been turned loose to the swarming, teaming, yahoo car camping masses in the form of a sassy new can, I think she’ll be playing the field a whole lot more.

The ESB (Extra Special Bitter) style is essentially an English pale ale, which can be a bit misleading as it really is only moderately bitter at 25-55 IBU (American IPA’s in comparison are typically 50-80+ IBU).

The beer pours a lovely clear red amber with a nice foamy white head and has a floral and hoppy aroma with a whisper of fresh citrus. This medium bodied beer has a smooth and full flavoured taste, which is artfully balanced with a beautifully complex blend of malt and hops that makes this ale highly drinkable and very enjoyable.

Suggested pairings: a bar or summer patio seat, arugula vinegrette salad, roast or smoked chicken, all types of curry.

Brewer: Central City
ABV: 5.6% *NOTE: the ABV on the can was misprinted at 6.5%
Category: Extra Special Bitter
Appearance: 4
Aroma: 5
Flavour: 5
Mouthfeel: 4
Overall: 4
Score: 22/25
Availability: 6-packs available at Brewery Creek, Firefly, Viti, and select BC liquor stores

The plane lands with barely a bump and we glide into picturesque Ganges harbour, courtesy of Salt Spring Air. It is a warm Spring day and I am genuinely excited to be away from my desk and back on the beer trail. I am here on the invitation of Salt Spring Island Ales, a tiny cottage brewery that has been quietly making some rather delicious award-winning ales for well over a decade.

Salt Spring is the largest of the Gulf Islands at roughly 180 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 10,500 people. Located between Vancouver Island and the Mainland in the Strait of Georgia, neighbouring the islands of Galiano, Pender, Saturna, Maine and Prevost, Salt Spring Island is known for its many talented artists, crafts-people, spas and strong agricultural community to name a few. Salt Spring is also a haven for creativity, and that’s a very good thing when it comes to beer.

The bustling central hub of the island is Ganges, a small town on the eastern side of the island brimming with bookstores, galleries, coffee shops, and eateries. I am staying at the Salt Spring Inn, a well-appointed guest house where we I am treated to a fresh lunch and a beer tasting in the restaurant with Becky Julseth, co-owner of the brewery along with her husband, Neil Cooke-Dallin.

Earlier in the day, we dropped in on brewmaster Murray Hunter at work where he gave me a tour of his modest facilities.  He currently produces about 550 hectolitres of beer a year (100 litres = 1 hectolitre). To put that into proper perspective, consider that Molson was producing 6,500 hectolitres of beer every single day during the 2010 Olympics!

^ Barley malts – a key ingredient in the production of beer, ranging in colour from light to a dark, each contributing to the brew its own distinct colour and flavour profile.

Salt Spring Island Ales currently produces 5 main beers: a golden ale, a pale ale, a porter, an English-style IPA, and an altbier known as ‘Whaletail’. They also produces some notable and distinct seasonals with the Heatherdale and Fireside ales.

^ Murray stirs the heated mash where the enzymes present in the barley malt convert starch from the grains into sugar.

^ After the mashing , a sweet liquid called wort is produced.

^ A careful measure of dry hops (in compressed pellet form) from the Pacific Northwest is eventually added to the brew kettle as a bittering agent and flavour and aroma enhancer for what is to become a batch of Saltspring’s Golden Ale.

Recently, the brewery owners along with some local supporters and friends planted 100 new hop rhizomes in an organic field at Grandview Farm on Salt Spring Island in a further effort by the brewery to support their local island community and to also produce their own seasonal harvest of hops.

Once a thriving industry in the province, hops are a climbing vine in the nettle family and a very close relative to one of BC’s most well-known cash crop: marijuana.

If you are interested in learning more about this boutique brewery and trying some of their tasty creations, the owners have made the trek from the island for Vancouver Craft Beer Week.

Salt Spring Ales’ Meet and Greet
Red Card Sports Bar‎
900 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604 689 4460
Start Time: 3:00pm – 5:00 pm

Entry is free but limited to 100 people. Come early!

~ PK

Canada’s first craft beer week (a.k.a. The Biggest ‘Real’ Beer Party This City Has Ever Seen) has officially begun with Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson tapping the inaugural VCBW collaboration cask from brewmasters’ Vern Lambourne of Granville Island Brewing and Iain Hill of Yaletown Brewing Company at the Alibi Room on Monday.

With 30+ events  and weekly specials across the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Craft Beer Week is set to showcase British Columbia’s incredible local craft brewing scene like never before.

Here are some of the week’s events that still have some tickets available for purchase:

click here to view the entire events schedule

~ TUESDAY, MAY 11TH ~

Crafting Excellence – $100 (plus taxes and 18% auto gratuity)

Chambar Restaurant
562 Beatty Street | Vancouver
Call 604.879.7119
or e-mail info@chambar.com to reserve your spot now

Storm Brewing @ The Whip Kickoff Dinner

The Whip Restaurant & Gallery
209 East 6th Avenue | Vancouver
No reservations needed. Show up and enjoy!

~ WEDNESDAY, MAY 12TH ~

Green Flash Brewmaster Dinner – $70 including tax & gratuity

R.T.L
1130 Mainland Street | Vancouver
get tickets

Homegrown Heroes Cask Dinner – $80 including tax & gratuity

The Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe
850 Thurlow Street | Vancouver
For reservations, call 604 569-3415

Central City Brewmaster’s Dinner – $75 including tax & gratuity

Alibi Room
157 Alexander Street | Vancouver
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~ THURSDAY, MAY 13TH ~

Good and Evil at Waazubee – $30 including tax & gratuity

Waazubee
1622 Commercial Drive
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Yaletown Brewing Brewmaster’s Dinner – $70 including tax & gratuity

Yaletown Brewing Co.
1111 Mainland St., Vancouver
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Driftwood Dinner at the Pumphouse Pub – $55 including tax & gratuity

6031 Blundell Road | Richmond
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Salt Spring Ales’ meet and greet – Entry is free but limited to 100 people

Red Card Sports Bar‎
900 Seymour Street | Vancouver
3:00pm – 5:00 pm

~ SATURDAY, MAY 14TH ~

Four Beers and a Funeral Brewpub Crawl – $65 including tax & gratuity

Steamworks Brewing Co
DIX BBQ & Brewery
Yaletown Brewing Co.Dockside Brewing Co.
Start Time: 12:00pm – Late
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Dockside Brewing Brewmaster Gastro BBQ – $35 including tax & gratuity

Dockside Brewing Co.
1253 Johnston Street | Vancouver
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BC Craft Beer Tasting – $40 ($45 at the door)

Presented by Just Here For The Beer
Edgewater Casino | Vancouver
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Driftwood Dinner at the Hop & Vine – $55 including tax & gratuity

Hop and Vine
1601 Burnwood Drive | Burnaby
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~ SUNDAY, MAY 15TH ~

Whistler Brewing at Cru – $70 including tax & gratuity

Cru Restaurant
1459 West Broadway | Vancouver
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~ PK

Surrey’s Russell Brewing recently won a bronze medal at the 2010 Brewers Association World Beer Cup in Chicago in the Scottish-Style Ale category for this limited edition Brewmaster Series release: A Wee Angry Scotch Ale.  A strong dark ale or “wee heavy” with an abv of 6.5%, the beer pours into the glass a rich copper hue, producing a thick tanned head with a dominant sweet malt heavy aroma typical of the style.

A Wee Angry Heavy is a reference to the “shilling category” of 19th century UK, a monetary ratings system for ales determined by quality and alcohol content. Typically, the higher the quality and alcohol of the beer, the higher the shilling cost, with a ‘wee heavy’ being at the top of the scale (the other lower categories being Light, Heavy, and Export respectively).

Made with Canadian two-row, crystal, chocolate, and a touch of peated malt, and lightly hopped with Willamette, this beer has minimal bittering (30 IBU) and delivers a rich, slightly sweet and chewy body with a light alcohol heat mid palate; a complex and savoury flavour ensues leading to a nutty malt finish. Delicious.

Suggested pairings: dark chocolate, mincemeat, shepard’s pie or a sunny patio with the day off.

Brewer: Russell Brewing
ABV: 6.5%
Category: Scotch Ale
Appearance: 4
Aroma: 4
Flavour: 4
Mouthfeel: 4
Overall: 4
Score: 20/25
Availability: 650 ml. bottles available at Brewery Creek, Firefly, Viti, and select BC liquor stores

~ PK

Let’s get this beer revolution started! Come inside and see the official Vancouver Craft Beer Week video.

Visit: vancouvercraftbeerweek.com

Become a fan: facebook.com/vancouvercraftbeerweek

Follow and spread the word: twitter.com/vcbw

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCwI82JED4I&feature=player_embedded w=262 h=165]

What can I say? They could put Bud Light Lime in these bottles and I would still automagically think it was precious nectar from the Gods.

That my friends is the power of creative advertising funk.

Thanks to Matthew Rissling for sharing this in the UD Forum. ~ PK