northshore pub crawl

i went on a little pub crawl in north van last week
we only hit four venues
but i feel we did well for a friday evening

step one:
take seabus to foreign lands

step two:
avoid getting hit by train
on the way from seabus to black kettle

step three:
sample beers at black kettle
on tap: wheat ale, pale ale and ipa
i really enjoyed the wheat and the pale
the ipa was too well-balanced for me – i need more pacific northwest hoppiness!

step four:
walk back along tracks
take photos of interesting and unintelligible messages

step five:
stop for food at sailor hagar’s
split hairs with server about their continued use of the name “brewpub” when no brewing is done on-site any more (howe sound brews their beers now)

step five.five:
enjoy a persephone pale ale instead of the house beers
(count this as the best beer i had all night)
eat waffle fries with ketchup and hot sauce and call it dinner

step six:
walk back to lonsdale quay and visit green leaf brewing
move very fragrant star-gazer lillies away from drinking area

step six.five:
consume taster paddle of berliner vice (ha!), les saisoniers, pie hole pale ale, and animal farm ipa
wonder if they have expanded their stable of beer styles too quickly as only the pale ale was actually palatable

 

step seven:
visit the lonsdale quay night market
attempt to snack more but food trucks out of food by 9:00
attempt to drink bridge brewing pale ale but get informed that they’re out of that and now serving deep cove pale ale
enjoy the pale ale regardless

step eight:
take photo of lovely city i live in, from the other shore

step nine:
get back on seabus and return to familiar territory

northwest brewing news

vote, vote, vote!


This being the political season, we are writing to you to urge you to vote — not just for the candidates clamoring for public office, but for something even more important: beer!

Our 8th Annual Readers Choice Awards competition is underway! By visiting our website at http://www.brewingnews.com/northwest/bestofnorthwest/, you can vote for your favorite brewery, brewpub, alehouse or pub, beer store, and homebrew shop in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Northern California, and for your favorite beer and cider as well in 22 different categories. We’ve added nanobrewery to the list this time also.

Don’t delay, as our deadline is Saturday, November 10, at 12:00 noon PST. Remember, only one vote per category is allowed. This is your contest; Northwest Brewing News staff is not eligible to vote. Voter ID or proof of citizenship is not required!
The winners will be announced in our December-January issue, and a special Readers’ Choice Awards Reception for the Best in the Northwest will be held Sunday, December 9, at Yaletown Brewing Company in Vancouver, B.C. The event will take place from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., and all Northwest craft beer lovers are invited to attend. Don’t miss it!
Cheers,
Alan Moen
Managing Editor
Northwest Brewing News

victoria

who whoulda thought that the newly wed and nearly dead would be such big craft brew folks??
not i
but i’m sure glad they are, cuz victoria is close to vancouver
so ergo, i benefit!

globe and mail on the southern vancouver island craft beer scene

nice shout outs to moon under water, vancouver island brewing and phillips
driftwood and spinnakers at least get a mention!

hopworks ipa

current tipple is hopworks ipa
out of portland oregon

pours a lovely caramel colour
big head on the vigourous pour
wonderful hoppy nose
goes down very smoothly
damn i love me an ipa over 60 ibus!

i am down with the crisp hoppy bite of this beer!
not just organic with their beer production, hopworks is also all about organic cotton merchandise and sustainable food
green beer – not just for st. paddy’s day any more!

the bottle and the website say:

Organic Hopworks IPA
Our namesake IPA is a Northwest classic. Generous additions of Amarillo, Centennial, and Cascade hops find their way into the kettle, hop-back, and dry-hop. This judicious use of the “brewers spice” creates rich and resinous flavors of citrus fruit and pine. The finest organic Canadian pilsner malt and organic Munich and Caramel malts then bring balance to your new favorite beer.
6.6% ABV
15 Degrees Plato OG
75 IBU

Gold Medal 2008 World Beer Cup 
Bronze Medal 2008 Great American Beer Festival