Tag: beer

The Parkside Brewery

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During my visit to Port Moody for sushi, the guys wanted to check out some of the breweries since there is a street filled with them. We decided to check out Parkside Brewery which has both a patio and indoor seating.

 

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Parkside has their own beers but also features a few guest taps which is nice. They not only list the alcohol content but also the IBU or International Bitterness Units scale which I much appreciated since I don’t like bitter beers. You first choose and pay for your beers and then you can bring your beers to any open seating you find.

 

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Dusk Pale Ale, Riot Brewing Dark Mild (Guest Tap), Beauregarde Blueberry Wit, Skate or Dye Mango ISA (left to right)

I decided to share a Park Bench Flight with M since I only wanted to have two beers. The two beers I tried were both fruity and I especially enjoyed the Skate or Dye Mango ISA as it had a passionfruit aftertaste. I felt that the Blueberry Wit didn’t have enough blueberry flavour compared to the mango ISA. For $8 a flight, the price was quite comparable to the other breweries in the area. I loved how they were put on a little wooden bench!

 

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The cool thing about the area is that most of the breweries have teamed up with food trucks to offer food to pair along with the beers. At the Parkside Brewery, they had The Frying Pan dishing up their signature fried chicken sandwiches, but since we were heading to sushi after, we decided to check out The Wandering Mollusk instead. They were serving up some oysters and I wish we had some wine to go with these! Love the idea of collaborating with food trucks!

Pros:
– Great variety of beers including guest taps

Cons:
– Can get quite busy so seating can be difficult to find for larger groups

Price Range: $10-15 per person

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 3.5 Service: 3 Ambiance: 3 Parking: Free parking at nearby streets Overall: 3.5

 

Parkside Brewery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

 

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Britannia Brewing Company

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The Britannia Brewing Company has opened for well over a year already. I can’t believe that I haven’t noticed this spot for so long. We definitely don’t have many craft beer spots in Richmond, so for Britannia to have both food and craft beers in an establishment, it makes it much more attracting. I believe they brew their beer on the other end of Steveston in the Ironwood area, so here, they just serve food and beers on tap.

 

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Whoever worked on the design of this spot seriously has good taste! I love the nautical white and blue theme and beautiful wooden furniture here. The patio outside which comfy pillows seriously make this the perfect spot in the summer.

 

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Mimosa

S, N, and I came here for brunch on the weekend. S started off with a glass of Mimosa. Other than beer, they have a variety of wines, cocktails, teas and coffees.

 

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Beer Paddle

For myself, I wanted to try their beers so chose the Beer Paddle. For $10, you can choose 4 different beers, including ciders. One of the ones I tried was the Chai Sasion which is something I haven’t seen before. Not a beer expert, but I quite enjoyed the various beers I tried. They also sometimes have guest taps available.

 

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Crab Benny

Brunch is available 9:30am to 1:30pm. There’s around 10 choices to choose from during brunch. N got the Crab Benny which was an interesting take on the classic. Instead of having english muffin on the bottom, it was served with a fried local crab cake on the bottom with 2 soft poached eggs and hollaindaise and hash browns on the side. Although the bennies had crab in it, I found the portions to be quite small for $16. It’s quite a light meal and I think many people would still be a bit hungry after.

 

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Gypsy Eggs

S and I both got the Gypsy Eggs which had chorizo, san marzano tomatoes, fennel, smoked paprika, and sourdough bread on the side. I liked the tart acidic tomato sauce which I dipped my bread in. The eggs were poached perfectly with the yolk spilling out. Again, slightly on the smaller side for $12. Maybe some hashbrowns on the side would make it a little more filling. However, the food itself tasted great.

 

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Overall, I’m happy to have learned about this new spot in Steveston village for brunch. I really think this is a great spot to catch up over food and drinks, especially in the summer when the patio is open. Not the cheapest, given the portion sizes, but at least the food is good.

Pros:
– Great beer and food
– Visually aesthetic interior design

Cons:
– Portions are slightly on the smaller side

Price Range: $15-25

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 3.5 Service: 3.5 Ambiance: 4 Parking: 3 Overall: 3.5

Britannia Brewing Company Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Parallel 49 x Central City Brewing: Seasons Greetings 24-Pack Advent Beer Calendar

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NOTE: All beers sampled were complimentary as part of a media tasting. However, all opinions are based on my own experience.

It’s that time of the year again and if you’re still looking for the perfect holiday gift or you’re just a beer enthusiast, then this is for you. Earlier this month, Parallel 49 and Central City Brewers launched their collaboration of the advent-style beer calendar, called Seasons Greetings 24-Pack. Yes, if you’re tired of getting chocolate advent calendars, why not get one filled with 24 beers. In the pack, which goes for $72.99 at BC Liquor Stores and select private liquor stores, you’ll find seasonal favourites as well as some exclusive beers. Each brewery has pulled in 12 beers each for the pack.

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At the media event, we were able to try some of the beers that are in the pack. The selection ranged from sours, stouts, scotch ales, porters, winter ales, IPAs and pale ales. For someone who enjoys lighter and fruitier beers, I was happy to find that the pack has many of those, but also a mix of some darker ales for others.

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Below are some of the beers included in the pack which we were able to try. The other 12 are a mystery!

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The first 6 we got a sneak preview for were from Parallel 49. Of these, I really enjoyed the Filthy Dirty Grapefruit IPA which is great for those who enjoy a fruitier beer. The Top O’ The Mornin’ Breakfast Stout was an interesting one as it tasted just like coffee! It’s made using coffee beans from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters.

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The other 6 were from Central City Brewers. They feature the brand Red Racer. In this pack, there’s some stronger beers with one up to 11.5% in alcohol content. The Red Racer Fly by Night Porter was an interesting one again because of the strong notes of coffee and chocolate. I usually don’t like dark beers but the coffee flavour really made it much more interesting. Again, they also feature some fruit beers like the Red Racer Kiwi Sour which was a favourite for K. Light and fruity.

Overall, this holiday gift pack definitely has a large variety of beers and imagine how fun it’ll be to reveal a new beer each day in December! Definitely the perfect gift for your beer loving friend.

 

Parallel 49 Brewing – 4th Anniversary Party

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Last Thursday, Parallel 49 Brewing celebrated their 4th anniversary with a fiesta party along with the launch of their newest beer. We were invited to join the fun!

The anniversary was celebrated in style with sombrero hats, tacos, beer and live music.

We were able to sample some of their top beers, including the Craft Lager which won gold in the category of North American Premium Style Lager for their Craft Lager. Brewed by Graham With, Head Brewer at Parallel 49 Brewing Company, the Craft Lager is a light lager brewed with malted barley and local Sterling hops grown at Satori Cedar Ranch in Chilliwack, BC.

Parallel 49 is also known for their super wacky artwork label designs on their beer bottles as well as hilarious names for their beers. Since opening in 2012, they have brewed up over 60 varieties of beer including many collaborations with other breweries.

Other than the many beers we sampled, we were here mainly for the launch of their newest beer.

Their newest beer is the ¡Orale! which is a salted lime tequila Gose. There is a slight citrus flavour from the lime and this would be perfect for those who enjoy tequila.

Congratulations to Parallel 49 for 4 years in business and many more to come!

Parallel 49 Brewing Company Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

2016 VCBW Festival

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NOTE: I was invited as media with complimentary tickets to the event. All opinions are based on my personal experience.

One week after the Opening Night, we attended the 2016 VCBW Festival presented by Donnelly Group. This was a three day event at the PNE Centre Grounds filled with beer, food, and music.

It was the perfect weekend as the sun came out and it was even a little too scorching for us. Good thing they had mists on set to cool you down!

Other than beer and food, some interesting set ups included Barber & Co where you could get your hair cut amidst drinking your beer.

There were over 100 breweries and cideries at the event. Again, most vendors had at least two types of beers to try, if not more. Food trucks were present as well if you wished to purchase some munchies.

Tickets ranged from $35 – $95 depending if you wanted express entry or a full weekend pass. The ticket gets you into the festival and includes your 4oz taster mug. All beer and cider samples are additional. All samples are 4oz and cost 1 token, with tokens being priced at $1.50 each.

Since we had our fair share of beer at the previous event, we decided to tackle some of the cideries since I’m a huge fan of ciders. One cidery we really enjoyed was the Howling Moon.

We were drawn into this Basque cider called Shacksbury because of the beautiful set up. This cider is unfiltered and was very tart and different from typical ciders on the market.

Storm Brewing had a massive line up so we had to see what it was all about. They were serving up really funky and unique brews, including the Cucumber Jalapeno Pilsner, and Basil IPA. Sounds weird, right? We tried the Pineapple Paradise Pilsner and Raspberry Vanilla Ale and really enjoyed the slight fruity flavour without being too sweet.

My favourite of them all had to be the Fruli Strawberry Beer. I guess by now, you can tell I enjoy fruit beers! This was delicious and didn’t even taste like a beer! Plus, it’s vegan and there are no added sugars or sweeteners. The sweetness is all from the strawberries themselves! The same vendor also had a Cherry Beer from Kriek Lambic. Also delicious but not as sweet.

Overall, we had an amazing time at the VCBW Festival and already can’t wait for next year’s! A wide selection of beers and ciders to sample from and a great event to have some fun with friends.

For more information: http://vancouvercraftbeerweek.com/

VCBW: 2016 Opening Night

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NOTE: I was invited as media with complimentary tickets to the event. All opinions are based on my personal experience.

On May 27, 2016, Vancouver Craft Beer Week kicked off their Opening Night at Yaletown Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre. We were invited as media to join in on the fun.

Each ticket goes for $60 and gets you a complimentary 4oz taster glass and around 10 tokens (if I remember correctly) to sample beers of your choice.

It also includes canapes provided by CRAFT Beer Market and healthy bars from KINDSnacks to keep you filled up. Out of the Nowhere was also in attendance to provide live music for the night. The place was bumping!

There were around 32 breweries and cideries with over 50 beers and ciders to sample from. Most breweries had two choices to sample from.

Some breweries to name a few included: 33 Acres, Steamworks, Field House,  Strange Fellows and Steel & Oak. Other than the local breweries, they also had some German breweries such as Erdinger and Stiegl.

 

One of my favourites was the Éphémère Blueberry Wheat Ale. This is blueberry fruit flavoured ale which mimics the popular Belgian fruit beers, but brewed in Canada. The sweet blueberry flavour really pulled through and is great for those who enjoy lighter beers.

There weren’t too many cideries, but we did find BC Tree Fruit Ciders at the event of which we really enjoyed both the ciders available for sample.

Overall, we had a great time at the Opening Night of Vancouver Craft Beer Week. I enjoyed the smaller venue so you could take time to chat with the different breweries and it wasn’t too overwhelming. A great event if you are a craft beer lover or even if you are new to craft beer. The perfect event to try new beers or just to have a great time with friends!

For more information: http://vancouvercraftbeerweek.com/

7th Annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week

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Source: Vancouver Craft Beer Week

“The seventh annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week is set to kick off with opening night festivities on Friday, May 27th and will run until Sunday, June 5th. This year’s 10-day line up of events includes the VCBW Festival, Canada’s largest craft-only beer festival, presented by the Donnelly Group.

The VCBW Festival weekend will take place from Friday, June 3rd to Sunday, June 5th at the PNE Centre Grounds (2901 E Hastings, Vancouver, BC) and will feature local food trucks, over 350 craft beers and ciders and live music provided by The World Famous CFOX.

Vancouver Craft Beer Week tickets are now available – including VCBW Festival Weekend passes ($95), Single Day Gate Crasher tickets ($40) and Single Day General Admission tickets ($35).

From May 27th – June 5th 2016, Vancouver Craft Beer Week will also host a number of craft beer events leading up to the festival weekend.

This year’s VCBW Festival is set to showcase over 100 breweries and cideries pouring over 350 craft beers and ciders from around the world. Local favourites include Parallel 49 Brewing Company, Postmark Brewing and Four Winds Brewing Company. The festival also includes a U.S Brewers Association section, offering craft beers never before seen in Canada.”

For more information on Vancouver Craft Beer Week or to purchase tickets, visit vancouvercraftbeerweek.com.

Facebook: Vancouver Craft Beer Week
Twitter: @vcbw
Instagram : @vcbw

Ole Wings & Tapas

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1

Another meet up with SP and SK meant looking for a spot with good food and cheap drinks. We decided to give Ole Wings and Tapas a try although the drinks didn’t have any deals going on. It’s pretty hidden since it’s upstairs, but by dinner time, the place was filled with rowdy Koreans playing games while drinking.

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Spicy Soy Boneless Chicken

They have a variety of chicken items and we decided to share the Spicy Soy Boneless Chicken. This was actually a very large plate and we could barely finish it! The batter is very crispy and if you like your chicken with sauce, this is great. At first bite, it was quite spicy, but as you ate it along with the beer, it was actually quite bearable. I think it was a much better deal than Zabu Chicken.

3

Seafood Pancake

We also got an order of Seafood Pancake, but I was quite disappointed with this. It wasn’t very crispy and there wasn’t a lot seafood in it. I’d suggest sticking with their chicken here.

4

Overall, I was quite satisfied with Ole Wings and Tapas. A good choice among the Korean restaurants in this stretch if you want chicken and beer. Pitchers run at around $15 which is around the same as most restaurants, but I found that the value of the chicken was pretty good since we only needed to order one plate for the three of us. You also get free pickled daikon since it pairs well with spicy food. Service was also quite friendly and attentive even though we were probably the only non-Koreans dining there.

Pros:
– Prices are reasonable for the amount of chicken you get
– Crispy chicken and variety of sauces to choose from

Cons:
– Food other than chicken appears to be just average
– Can get very loud at night

Price Range: $15-20

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4 Service: 3 Ambiance: 2 Parking: 3 Overall: 3.5

Ole Wings and Tapas Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato