Brewery Archives - Page 2 of 2

In Brewery

Fuggles & Warlocks Craftworks: Brewery in Richmond

July 22, 2016

Fuggles & Warlocks Craftworks is located in Richmond and their motto is “keeping beer weird”. You’ll find a lot of the beers push traditional styles of beer to the limit by adding a West Coast flair to their brews.

One thing that differentiates them is their distinct focus on geek culture. A few of their beers are inspired by video games or animes.

Tasting Room

The tasting room has a rotating series of beers on tap. When we were here, there were the ones available.

Destiny IPA
The Last Strawberry
Britannia IPA
Four Winds Pilsner
Personas West Coast Common
Kiwami Plum Sour
Hikari
Icarus Mosaic Saison

You can also purchase merchandise, buy bottles of beer, fill up your growlers and play video games.

There is a good amount of tables and chairs inside. They also have a small patio too.

Beer Flights

Since I wanted to try more than just one beer, I went with the fight for $7.

The Last Strawberry is a Strawberry Wit is 4.9% at 8IBU, so it is a very refreshing an easy to drink beer. It is brewed with fresh strawberries and sweetened with lactose.
Kiwami Plum Sour is a limited release in their tasting room. Very delicious.
Destiny IPA is a strong ale at 6% and 62 IBU. It is a light hoppy aroma with hints of oranges, grapefruit and passionfruit.
Four Winds Pilsner isn’t a beer they brew on site. It’s good to see they have a good relationship with other breweries close by.

Of all of them, I found The Last Strawberry and Kiwami Plum Sour to be pretty unique here.

Food Menu

There are a good items that you can order here for snack to go along with your beer.

Bulette
Sandwiches
Pretzels
Pepperoni
Deli Pickle
Chips
Pretz
Sushi

The Calbee chips and pepperoni stick were my favourites.

Overall, a very fun brewery to hang out with friends. When you put together video games and beer, its a good combination.

We Rate Fuggles & Warlocks:

Address:
11220 Horseshoe Way, Richmond, BC

Website:
http://www.fuggleswarlock.com/

In Brewery

Four Winds Brewing Co: Tasting Room in Delta

July 21, 2016

Four Winds Brewing Co opened in 2013 and can be found in Delta BC. They gather flavours from around the world to create their unique West Coast and European styles in their beer. You can find their craft beer at various restaurants and liquor stores around BC.

A few of us went to the tasting room to try a few of their beers.

Tasting Room

At the tasting room, you can do tasting, fill growlers, and buy bottles.

The tasting room isn’t large, but there are a few bar seats. Coming here is a fun way to try all of their beers all in one place.

Beers

The beer selection changes seasonally, but there is a good amount of beers available. 9 types when we were here:

Saison
IPA
Pale Ale
Pilsner
Berliner Weisse
Nectarous Dry Hopped Sour
Exil D’Eden
Sovereign Super Saison
Marge Tquilla Barrel Saison
Salt and Pepper Gose

All the beers aren’t available for growler fills, the types were:

IPA
Pale Ale
Pilsner
Berliner Weisse
Salt and Pepper Gose

Beer Flights

A flight of 4 samples costs $6. I didn’t know what to choose from the menu, so I got them to surprise me with 4 of the lighter beers on the menu.

Berliner Weisse is their sour German Wheat beer at 3.5%. It is light in body with a faint earthy mineral essence. Sour in taste but its refreshing and effervescent.
Nectarous is their dry hopped sour beer at 5.5%. It is sour, complex acidity balanced by tropical fruit esters, gives way to a clean, tart finish.
Salt and Pepper Gose at 5% has a very interesting flavour to it. It starts with a citrus start, but ends with a mid saltiness.
Pilsner at 4.8% uses their new world flavours to infuse this traditional Czech-style Pilsner. It has won multiple awards.

The flight is a good way to try new beers and find favourites. There was no food here in the weekend except for freshly baked pretzels.

They have tacos from 12 – 3 on weekdays. It’s hard for some people to come during weekdays due to work.

Overall, I do like some of their beers like the Nectarous, Berliner Weisse and Pilsner.

We rate Four Winds Brewing Co:

Address:
7355 72 St, Delta, BC

Website: http://www.fourwindsbrewing.ca/

In Brewery

Beer Selection in Epcot Japan Pavilion

June 15, 2016

Right in the centre of the Japan Pavilion in Epcot World Showcase, you can get some Japanese beer on tap, also the infamous Frozen Kirin Beer. I’ve had this before in Vancouver, but I really didn’t enjoy frozen beer. Anything ice cold on draft was good enough for me.

Their 2 choices were Sapporo and Kirin Ichiban. They also have other drinks on the menu, but I just wanted a nice cold beer.

Sapporo on draft and it golden in colour. It is light and crisp without a hoppy aftertaste. For a hot summers day, I definitely prefer light beers.

We grabbed our beers and listened to the taiko drumming performance – Matsuriza that happens a few times daily.

Location:
Japan, Epcot World Showcase

In Brewery

Moody Ales: Craft Beer in Port Moody

May 2, 2016

Moody Ales is another craft brewery in Port Moody. Just a few minutes away is Yellow Dog Brewing and Twin Sails Brewery. What is unique about Moody Ales is that they have picnic table seating out front along with some inside seating. Very family friendly as well.

It was a busy sunny Sunday and whats better than relaxing with a few beers. When we were here, Mr Arancino Food truck was here. Since Moody Ales doesn’t serve their own food, they rely on food truck to feed the hungry crowds.

I went with the flight, which gives you 4 choices of beer.

Intrepid Matcha Saison
Chipper Blonde Ale
Sociable Pale Ale
Affable IPA

I really enjoyed the Intrepid Match Saison. It’s a season offering and I enjoyed the crisp and earth taste of it. This was the only one I really remember drinking since at this point, my friends and I were all pretty drunk.

You can even walk through their processing area to see how all that beer is made. It’s pretty neat being able to sit so close to where it’s brewed.

We Rate Moody Ales:

Address:
2601 Murray Street, Port Moody

Website: http://www.moodyales.com/

In Brewery

Twin Sails Brewing: Craft Brewery in Port Moody

May 1, 2016

Twin Sails Brewing is a craft brewery in Port Moody. A few of my foodie friends decided to come for a visit and explore the craft brewery scene in this area. It’s very family-friendly and across from Rocky Point, so on a nice sunny day, it’s great to get a few beers in you, then head to the park to relax.

They open early till late into the evening. We came in the late afternoon and this place was packed.

All the tables were occupied and a bit of a line up to order beer. You can order pints, flights or even growlers. Their food options are limited but you can grab some small things like pepperoni sticks and baked goods. If you’re here on good day, there might be a food truck parked out front.

I went with the flights, which include 3 beers of your choice. I went with:

Pilsner
Hefeweizen
Munich Dunkel

The last slot is for water to cleanse your palette for the next beer.

Pilsner is a pale golden lager with a light body and clean finish. I find that this has quite a hoppy taste to it.

Hefeweizen is a Bavarian-style wheat beer and is medium bodied with subtle notes of fruit and a moderate spiciness from both the yeast and hops.

Munich Dunkel is a full-bodied mahogany lager with a rich malt flavour and crisp finish. You will find notes of chocolate, caramel and toffee.

The flow of people into Twin Sails was pretty constant. If you can’t find a seat, you can just perch outside and have your drink.

On the other side of the room is their processing area where all the beer is made. Whats awesome about these breweries is that you can see how it’s made and where it comes from.

Overall, great place to hang out and grab a beer.

We rate Twin Sails Brewing:

Address:
2821 Murray St., Port Moody

Website:
http://www.twinsailsbrewing.com/

In Brewery

Yellow Dog Brewing Co: Beer in Port Moody

April 30, 2016

Yellow Dog Brewing Co is a craft brewery located in Port Moody. This family-run brewery focuses on producing high quality locally crafted beer for everyone to enjoy. On a nice sunny day, you’ll see a lot of people handing out here with friends and even the whole family. You saw a lot of dogs and kids running around, which is great for parents that need a little break to enjoy a brew, but still have their kids at an arms length. Of course the kids can enjoy some root beer. I came here with a few foodie friends to see and taste all the cool breweries in this area.

You can stop to fill up a growler, have a flight or enjoy your favourite beer in a 12 oz or 28 oz glass.

we grabbed our drinks a decided to have a set right in front of their huge processing machines.

The beer flights are a good option if you want to try a variety of beers by having a little taste of each.

Take a Walk Wit
Sit and Stay ISBA
Go Fetch Saison
Play Dead IPA

All of them were really good and not too hoppy. Of all of them, my favourite was the Take a Walk Wit which has a light and citrus finish. Definitely great for a hot summers day.

I really enjoyed the beers and I found a few that I really enjoyed.

If you want to go outside, they have a bunch of picnic tables in the back.

Overall, a great place to unwind with friends. It’s a cool area in Port Moody too as there are 2 other breweries nearby. Twin Sails is next door and Moody Ales is a short distance away.

We Rate Yellow Dog Brewing Co:

Address:
2817 Murray Street, Port Coquitlam

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/YellowDogBeer

In Brewery

Steel Toad Brewpub and Dining Hall: Old to New

November 1, 2014

Steel Toad Brewpub and Dining Hall opened a few weeks ago and they are already buzzing. Long lines on Fridays and the weekends. The dining hall is 2 floors and the top floor is mostly for larger groups. We saw a lot of kids, so it is a popular place to bring the kids or infants and have a beer. Mount Pleasant is really buzzing with all these microbreweries opening up in the neighbourhood.

The venue has beautiful decor and ambiance, they do have live music every night too.

It was intimidating to go inside because we were confronted by their doormen that acted like bouncers warning us of the 1 hour wait and trying to detour everyone away from the doors. I totally understand since it would be a fire hazard. It really was a busy night, but luckily, I made reservations a week in advanced since I knew no other restaurant in town would have seats open for 15 people.

It was really packed inside. Some of my friends that joined us a little bit later had troubles coming in too. My friends were a couple and the staff didn’t believe they were with our party, so they sent them upstairs to us one by one a few minutes a part. This really made no sense at all.

Blonde was one of their house beers for October 2014. I ordered this one because it is one of their lightest beers. They brew it in small batches, so if the run out, it’s gone. This beer was quite popular, so by the time we finished our first glass, we couldn’t order more.

Marinated Tuna ($14) has cucumber, avocado, citrus, Thai chili, and caper vinaigrette. For the price, we imagined it be larger. It tasted ok, but it’s too expensive for what you get.

Carrot and Rabbit Soup ($7) has walnut, apple, and sultana. TaiwaneseGirl thought the soup was ok but nothing special.

Crispy Duck Salad ($12) has pea shoots, cress, pickled daikon & carrot,and black sesame.

The Burger ($13) has cheddar, lettuce, tomato, sesame bun, with their special sauce. You also get a side of their hand cut fries. The burger wasn’t anything special and a few of the burgers were overcooked. The friends that ordered this thought it was meh.

Mussels and House Ale ($20) is served with grilled garlic baguette. The mussels were large and plump, very delicious with the House Ale sauce. The grilled garlic baguette was pretty charred, so it tasted mostly burnt. Besides that part, the mussels were good.

Sheppards Pie ($16) has braised lamb stew, butter mash, and crispy shallot. At first glance, everyone thought it was takoyaki, but it was just the butter mash balls. My friends that ordered this dish really liked it. No complaints at all.

It was a birthday party, so we were able to bring in a cake and have them serve it for no extra charge.

Overall, the ambiance of the place was great for large groups, but the service and quality of the food could be improved. Since they have only been open a few weeks, I hope they improve those 2 aspects.

We Rate Steel Toad:

Address:
97 E 2nd Ave Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://steeltoad.ca/

In Brewery

Whistler Village Beer Festival 2014: Recap

September 17, 2014

Whistler Village Beer Festival is a 4 day event of tastings, workshops, awards, and cask showdowns. The main tasting festival event was on Saturday and was open to the public with over 200 types of beer and 62 breweries. The event attracted over 3,500 people!

It was held in the Whistler Olympic Plaza surrounded by grass, trees, and mountains. What better place would you rather have a beer in hand? It’s really a beautiful location.

Early Bird tickets were $30, General admission was $35 and GateCrasher Tickets were $45. The only difference is that GateCrashers get early access to the festival grounds one hour before it officially opens.

Your ticket includes:

WVBF Novelty Mug (4oz)
5 beer tokens
$5 off-site food voucher

If you want additional beer tokens, you can purchase them during the event for $1.50 each.

There were long waits right when the event opened up, so it’s best to be a GateCrasher to get early entry if you hate waits.

The breweries that were in attendance were:

[tabs tab1=”BC” tab2=”Canadian” tab3=”American” tab4=”World”]

[tab id=1]

[one_half last=”no”]

Bowen Island Brewing
Stanley Park
BrewHouse – High Mountain Brewing Company
SteamWorks Brewing Co.
Red Racer
Whistler Brewing Co.
Dead Frog Brewery
Lighthouse Brewing Company
Deepcover Brewers and Distillers
Parallel 49
Driftwood Brewery
Old Yale Brewing Co
Granville Island Brewing
Canuck Empire
House Sound Brewing
Four Winds Brewing Co

[/one_half]

[one_half last=”yes”]

[/one_half]

[/tab]
[tab id=2]

[/tab]
[tab id=3]

[/tab]
[tab id=4]

[/tab]

[/tabs]

At each booth, they have a selection of beer for you to taste. Just exchange one of the beer tokens for a sample. Having a taste of new beers really gives you a sense of what type of beers you enjoy the most.

I discovered I don’t like beers with a high IBU rating, like IPA. I do enjoy lighter beers or fruity beers. At the Samuel Adams booth, a beer that I enjoyed was the Summer Ale, which has a crisp taste with a hint of lemon flavour. I know, I’m such a girl when it comes to beer. I’m looking for good beers that will pair well with my weekly fried chicken trips.

Talking to the people at each booth was great to learn more about the beer as well.

There is also live music too. This little group of four dressed up in their lederhosen, played some fun music that went well with the festival.

Most of the music played was German Oompah-style music. What better songs to have at a beer fest right?

They also had a section with beer keg art from artists. Some of them looked pretty awesome!

Of course the crowd needed some snack to help them drink more beer! There were a few food trucks and vendors in the area served up pies, pizza, and pretzels. There are also tons of restaurants in the Village if you need a beer break.

They also have a few water stations if you need to rinse your mug or just keep hydrated.

Prost! The Whister Village Beer Festival is great for beer newbies and beer experts! Fun for all those who are over the age of 19. M and I definitely had fun.

What would you do for the love of beer? Travel a few hours to go to a Beer Fest, thats what we did! Plus, some booths had a cool swag like beer openers! Samuel Adams had a cool one with their slogan – For the love of beer.

The next Whistler Village Beer Festival is set for September 17 to 20, 2015. So, keep an eye open for tickets to go on sale next year.

In American

Prohibition Tasting Bar: New Restaurant in Yaletown

July 14, 2014

Prohibition Tasting Bar is owned by their parent company – Prohibition Brewing Company, which is located in an old distillery on the outskirts of Kelowna in British Columbia’s Okanagan Region. They are 100% B.C. owned and operated and strive to bring clean, crisp and refreshing traditional beers while supporting local suppliers and communities.

They feature five different Prohibition beers, cocktails and small pairing menu. It’s a fantastic spot for lunch or after work drinks.

The interior is quite beautiful with their elegant black and red colour scheme. It’s a great place that can handle large groups.

The 5 beer they feature are:

Bootlegger Amber Ale
Lawless IPA
Getaway Lager
Smuggler Scotch Ale
Hideout Honey Lager

They also have a cider that is off the menu.

Flight of Four ($8) is a great way to sample most of their beers. I loved all the beers except for the Lawless IPA, but I never really liked IPAs anyways.

Moonshine Sour ($9.50) is served as a double and has moonshine, walnut butters, citrus and whites. The drink was sweet and refreshing.

Charcuterie Board ($16) has a selection of their market meat and cheese. It is served with some nuts, crostini, mustard, dipping sauce, and pickles. It’s a good dish to pick at while having drinks.

Duck Wings ($11) has a pound of the wings and you can get them hot, lemon pepper or BBQ. We got the lemon pepper and it was delicious! Highly recommended. TaiwaneseGirl and I couldn’t stop raving about these. It’s easy to eat and theres so much flavour.

Prosciutto Sandwich with Chips ($9 +$6) the chips are very addictive! It’s thick cut and super crunchy. Great flavour too.

Look at that meat.

The proscuitto sandwich contains tomato, balsamic, brie, lettuce, and proscuitto inside the bread. It tasted ok, but I wasn’t too impressed.

Pretzel Knots ($8) has ale cheese, dijon and pickles on the side.

You must dip the pretzel into the cheese and make it taste really good. Can’t go wrong with cheese right?

Overall, the drink selection is great and the food that accompanies it is also yummy. I would definitely bring my coworkers here after work for a few drinks. The staff were also very knowledgeable on all their drinks, so I definitely learned a lot. Great service!

We Rate Prohibition Tasting Bar:

Address:
1269 Hamilton St
Vancouver BC

Website:
http://www.prohibitionbrewingco.com/

In Brewery

Main Street Brewing Company: Beer and Snacks

June 26, 2014

Main Street Brewing Company is located on 7th and Scotia street, just off Main Street. It’s close to the residential areas and it’s a pretty awesome place to hangout after work. I came with a bunch of my coworkers to just chill after a long week.

There is a tasting room, so you can buy a few pints of beer or even try a tasting flight. You can also purchase growler sized beer too.

The building is of a 1913 Heritage building, so you can see the unique charm of this space.

If you look further on the right side of the tasting lounge, you will see all their equipment used to brew the beer.

When I was here, they had their 3 staple beers – Main Street Pilsner, Seasonal IPA, and the Brown Ale. They also had 3 casks available. It’s a good selection of beer.