casks

yikes –  very behind on my timely posts…
the cask last week at the railway was leann’s candy dish
and it was delish!
tasted like a patio
and that wasn’t just me saying so, i heard it echoed around!

i dunno what i was thinking, but somehow “candy dish’ equaled peppermint or uber sweet in my mind
but it wasn’t
not at all
it was fruity, and tart-sweet
it tasted like summer
like what you’d want to be drinking on a hot and sweaty patio
reminiscent of a fuzzy peach candy, but less sweet

the next cask is lundy’s collaboration grapefruit ipa
thanks r&b for actually letting lundy help make it!

the whip was initially offering the vcbw cascadian dark ale cask on sunday afternoon
so i had me a pint
while the grapefruit ipa chilled to the right temperature

the vcbw cascadian dark ale

while maltier than i like a cda, it was most drinkable

the grapefruit ipa in the fridge

then i made the grave mistake of needing food

and not just any food…

i had jalapeno peppers on my taco salad

so i kinda blasted my palate before the grapefruit ipa was tapped

doh!

i did not enjoy this lovely cask to its fullest

everyone else seemed to be enjoying it immensely

i am bereft

i too wanted to enjoy it immensely

damned jalapenos!

ouch!

my head, she aches!
the folks at work suggest it may be related to all the beer i drank over the weekend
i think they might be onto something!

so far my vancouver craft beer week has been fabulous!
definitely worth some head aching mornings!

saturday’s dead famous pub crawl, while not rocking my world as much as last year’s four beers and a funeral did, was a very good time
folks showed up in costume (famous dead people in case you didn’t figure that out from the name of the crawl) and progressed through the crazy weather from cinema to yaletown brewpub to the backstage lounge to dockside, taking an aquabus between yaletown and granville island
as far as i know, no one got stranded on the wrong side of the water!
we were not accompanied by a band this year
but did get serenaded at the backstage lounge by a balkan wedding band
the dockside put on the hockey game for us and fed us a big bbq dinner
and there were buttons!
who doesn’t love a button?
i went dressed as james dean and was very excited to find myself a james dean button waiting for me
i felt quite supported in my dead person choice
favourite costume?  the star trek crew who all dressed as the red guys who always get killed!

got to try the vcbw collaboration beer too
its a very palatable cascadian dark ale
not as hoppy as it could be, its definitely more on the malty side

hoppapalooza lived up to the hype
fabulous beers, fabulous beer geek company
lots of laughs, lots of beer sharing
and i got interviewed by the express for shaw television
good times, good times!
photos and fuller review to come
you know, next week after vcbw is all over!

link love

Crannóg Ales

Casks preparing for next week’s Vancouver Craft Beer Week: 1 firkin Backhand of God Stout for the Cascade Room cask night on May 12. I pin Hand Truck Porter for the Women & Beer night at the Republic also on May 12. See you at one place or the other!

vote for beer city usa

brewbound’s review of deschutes’ twilight
brewbound’s review of odell’s double pilsner
brewbound’s review of odell’s friek

brewbound’s story about purple carrot collaboration beer

brewbound’s story about green flash’s expansion in san diego

press release about odell’s hiveranno

harpoon’s rye.p.a.

rate brewdog at brewdog

green flash’s press release about the expansion:

GREEN FLASH BREWING CO. EXPANDS TO 45,000SF BREWERY IN SAN DIEGO
San Diego, CA – May 2, 2011 – Green Flash Brewing Co. is proud to announce the opening of its new 45,000sf brewery located at 6550 Mira Mesa Blvd. in San Diego. The official opening is June 1, 2011. The facility consists of a state of the art brewery, office space and a 4,000sf tasting room. The brew house was custom built by Paul Mueller Company of Springfield Missouri and is a 50 barrel, eight vessel, fully automated brew house that was engineered specifically for Green Flash’s selection of ales. The brewery will have start up capacity of 45,000 barrels per year and the ability to grow to more than 100,000 barrels per year.

CEO Mike Hinkley on the brewery: “We are so proud of the new brewery. It took two years of planning, nine months of construction and absolute dedication by the entire Green Flash team. Chuck and all of our brewer’s will bring the same passion and spirit to the craft, but will now have the tools available to ensure great quality and consistency in every batch while producing enough to satisfy the great demand for our ales. The added capacity will also allow us to expand into select new markets after we have fulfilled the orders within our current distribution area.”

Green Flash Brewmaster, Chuck Silva, added, “I’m very excited to have brand new, custom built, state of the art brewing equipment to brew on in our new facility in San Diego. While the new equipment will help improve our quality, efficiency, and throughout it will also give us the ability to expand the line up with new releases, and extend our seasonal and specialty offerings in the bottle as well as on draft. It really is a dream come true to brew beer at this level and on this scale, allowing me to share my craft with so many people.”

Green Flash will showcase its award-winning beers to the public in its new 4,000sf tasting room. The tasting room will serve samples, as well as pints and growlers, offering our full array of available beer styles, some of which are only available at the tasting room. Customers will also be able to purchase kegs and cases to go. In addition to the beer, the gift shop will stock Green Flash merchandise, including t-shirts, glassware and other gift items. Brewery tours will be available on a regularly scheduled basis. Tasting room hours: Wednesday through Friday, 3-9 pm and Saturday and Sunday, 12 noon – 9pm. To celebrate the opening of the new tasting room, we will be having a Grand Opening Party on Saturday, July 23, 2011, from 12noon – 4pm, on location. We wil! l have many beers on tap, fun activities, and the San Diego Gastro Food Trucks will be on site offering food for purchase.

The Green Flash tasting room in Vista will officially close its doors on May 29, 2011. There will be a Farewell/Customer Appreciation Party from 12noon – 4pm that day, with complimentary food and prizes.

Green Flash Brewing Co., located in San Diego, California, was founded in 2002 by Mike and Lisa Hinkley. Brewing operations are lead by Chuck Silva. We are an award-winning brewer of fine, hand-crafted ales, and specialize in brewing assertive and distinctive beers, such as our West Coast I.P.A.: an award-winning beer whose wide acceptance has helped define a category. We brew nine styles of beer regularly, on draught and in bottles. We also brew seasonal and special offerings, including several barrel-aged beers, throughout the year. The tasting room is open to the public, Wednesday through Friday from 3 – 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon- 9pm. Please see our website: http://www.greenflashbrew.com for more information.

brewdog news

some recent brewdog blog posts:

to check out their new sign, click here
(can you see it?)

to help them find venues 4 and 5 for new pubs, click here

feel like moving to scotland and need a job?  click here

to get your bitch on, click here
(three floyds and brewdog collaborate)

to read about the dean swift pub, click here

the 77 lager is in cans, click here

stone brewing’s total tap takeover at brewdog, click here

collaboration beer

the vcbw collaboration beer is ready!
can’t wait to get my paws on some
cascadian dark ale (aka black ipa) = delicious!

for the video, click here

white ipa

hmmm, i wonder if a white ipa would be to my liking?
i mean, its still belgian but maybe the hops will be enough to overpower that confounded yeast that i just don’t like!

deschutes and boulevard are collaborating to make a white ipa
for the brewbound story, click here

the pike press

from the pike press:

“September marks the release of our new Sensational Seasonal, Pike Auld Acquaintance Hoppy Hoiday Ale. An old friend, Pike has brewed this seasonal elixir since 1990. Please check our calendar for several pre-release tastings this month!

 

Pike’s fermentation tanks are full and our suitcases are packed.  Please join us for food and friends at the great beer festivals listed on the calendar below. Tickets are going fast for the Pike/Spinnaker’s Collaboration Beer Dinner September 9 in charming Victoria to kick off the Great Canadian Beer Festival. The GCBF is September 10 & 11.  Pike Brewer: Dean Mochizuki, as well as Charles and I, will be attending the GABF (Great American Beer Festival) in Denver September 16-18. A highlight will be the Pints for Prostates Rare Beer Tasting on Friday, September 17. Some of America’s greatest breweries have been asked to contriubte.  We are excited to be pouring the last 5 gallons of our 20th Anniversary, Pike Tripel Kriek. As of yesterday there were only 30 spaces left. Hope to see you there!

 

SAVE THE DATE!  Pike Place Market Artisan Food Festival

The last quarter of the 20th Century has seen a craft food renaissance world wide.  The U.S., the country that invented the supermarket, now boasts almost 5,000 farmers’ markets. At the heart of it all is the famous Pike Place Market.  September 25 and 26th Pike will help sponsor the first annual artisan food festival to support the Pike Place Market Foundation, providiing housing, health care and other services for people in need. Fun, educational, and delicious. No food lover should miss this!

 

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE! 

We need you help! We are pleased to have been nominated for King 5 Evening News’ Best Brewpub. Please help make us the #1 Brewpub! Click on the link above and “Cast Vote.” Voting ends Tuesday, October 12th.

 

Northwest Brewing News has kicked off the voting for their Readers’ Choice Awards. Please vote for your favorite Pike beers and the Pike Pub by clicking on the link above.

 

Our “crown caps” are popping at the recent press we’ve received. We have included links to a few articles and videos we think you will enjoy.

 

Cheers,

Rose Ann and Charles”