Yoga on Tap

What a fun way to start a day !

I had a super fun experience this past Sunday trying out Yoga on Tap with Steamworks Tap Room in Burnaby.

This is something every beer drinking yogi should try once !

I arrived a little before 10:30 am, and was happily welcomed by Matt and the Steamworks staff.  They got me set up with my yoga mat and a flight of beer. 

Matt from Moksha Yoga Burnaby led us through our practice integrating balancing poses and forward folds while we sipped our beer! I did work up a good heat, I think the beer helped with that, and also had a great hatha yoga experience. I am already trying to find out when the next class is. 

The 4 beers we had were all excellent.

Kolsch, was the lightest of the bunch, with its light colour and clean crisp taste. We  also sampled an excellent Summer Ale, it had a kick of a citrus sweetness. The Tropical Ale was the cloudiest of the bunch. It was like a Sunday morning glass of fruit juice, and smelt like it to. And lastly on the palette was Steamworks award winning Flagship IPA.

If you see Yoga on Tap in your neighbourhood,  sign up, you'll have a blast.

~ Colleen

We hit the trails

We hit the trails at 8 am sharp !

Some of us enjoyed a leisurely hike up the Sea to Summit trail (7.5 km), taking about 3 1/2 hours to complete and then some were super speedy taking less than 2 hours (I was not one of them)!


I like to enjoy the view along the way.

A few members did not hike up the Sea to Summit trail with, but took the gondola and enjoyed more leisurely trails from the top. There are a ton to pick from. And the views !!!

 

Our first Brewery stop was at noon at Backcountry. They were kind enough to reserve a table for us. with a total of 12 meeting at the brewery, we enjoyed flights and pints and some excellent thin crust pizza.

Next stop A Frame, our numbers dwindled as the day was getting on.

It was a great day, amazing weather fabulous beer and food.  

We'll be doing this one again !

Backcountry Brewing, Squamish

After an incredible hike up the Sea to Summit I was in need of some refueling! Visiting the newest brewery to open in Squamish we stopped in at Backcountry Brewing. It's situated in an industrial park so the parking is limited. We arrived at noon as they were just opening, the pizza oven was not even warm yet!

Ordering a flight and a couple of pizzas we sampled: Dark Side of the Moose Stout, Syd Rogers Little IPA, Widowmaker IPA, Trailbreaker Pale Ale. Then we enjoyed a glass of the Ridgerunner Pilsner and a Mazarin. I enjoyed so many of them, make sure to try a few on your visit! They also have a visiting tap for those who do not get into the city.

The ambiance and decor have a perfect cabin feel to them as you gaze out at the mountains, sitting at your table with a backcountry map on it! We were lucky enough to pick the table of the Squamish mountains we had just hiked.

I will be back,

~ Colleen

A Frame Brewing

After an incredible hike up the Sea to Summit I was in need of a good beer! Visiting one of the 2 newest breweries in Squamish we stopped in at A Frame Brewing Co. 

They have a great West Coast feel to their tasting room with wood finishing everywhere. There are stools made from short cuts logs which make you feel like you're sitting by a camp fire. Outside is a good size patio with picnic benches, and a rotating food truck.

Their flights come served in a round of wood keeping with the Canadian west coast feel. All of the names of their beers are inspired by local names, most Lakes !  We tried samples of, Trout Lake Single Hop ESB, Sprout Lake Dry Hopped Pale Ale, Shuswap Lake IPA, & Magic Lake Porter. All were excellent and worth a visit to this place. 

~ Colleen

San Diego - 57 Degrees

If you're only able to visit one place for craft beer while in San Diego than 57 Degrees is the place to go. They have an abundance of craft beers on tap. I'm not sure they have 57, but you wouldn't be able to try all 57 anyways !

You can create a flight of 5 of any of the beers on the board. Most from San Diego, California, or a close by state. Craft Beer Listing.

~ Colleen

San Diego - Karl Strauss Brewing Company, downtown

It was a day of morning seminars in a freezing cold air conditioning room. When it was break time I was outta there to enjoy the San Diego sun and find something local to try. 

I wondered the streets of San Diego knowing I would find a great place in no time, when I wondered upon Karl Strauss brewery. Ordering a flight of beer, I had to taste everything I could, and a appetizer that was more like a meal. Sitting outside at street level, I took in San Diego's  hassle and bustle of the trucks along the street, and people buzzing by on their lunch breaks. It was a great atmosphere. 

First on the taster was a Kolsch. It was crisp, bright and refreshing as all Kolsches should be. Follow the Sun Kolsch is brewed with noble hops and traditional malts. Next up Mosaic Session IPA, it had a vibrant grapefruit aroma with flavors of tropical fruit. The Tower 10 IPA used Pacific Northwest hops for an intense pine and Big Barrel IIPA. Karl Strauss imports New Zealand hops for this bright golden ale. The use of Nelson Sauvin hops add a grapefruit melon flavor, while Warrior and Ahtanum hops add an assertive bitterness. 

grapefruit flavor. This West Coast India Pale Ale is packed with citrus aromas which linger through a dry finish. Lastly on the tasting pallet was the 

Every beer tasted was excellent, the staff was charming and the boneless wings were outstanding. I will visit again when I'm back in San Diego.

~ Colleen

A must stop on your trip to Whistler

After checking out of our hotel at Whistler we grabbed some breakfast and were on the road. To avoid the long weekend traffic we stopped in at Function Junction to check out Coast Mountain Brewing.  Just steps away from Whistler Brewing Co.

It was only day 7 of them being open so the beer selection was limited to 2, Field Guide Ale and Indian Session Ale. But 4 more are in the tanks and will be ready by the time you or I get back there.

With their limited stock Coast Mountain asked a couple of their friends to help out until they could get on their feet !  It’s a great idea for the locals who are not going to make it out of Whistler to sample some of the other brews available in the greater Vancouver area.

Their guest taps were: Dageraad’s Burnabarian (Burnaby). Steel and Oak (New Westminster), Smoked Hefe and Field House (Abbotsford), Salted Bark Porter. Not available for growler fills.

Their tasting room is cozy. Complete with a fire place, and a large window to view the brewing tanks. Sit up at the bar, or grab a spot at the giant cedar picnic bench.

It's a must visit stop on any trip to the whistler area. 

~ Colleen 

Yoga & Beer

Arriving to Lonsdale Quay with plenty of time before yoga, we got a prime spot right up front! Promptly at 6:30 this very handsome gentlemen started to talk and guide us through our practice. I will take a yoga class from this guy anytime! 

Each Thursday night Lonsdale Quay and a variety of Yoga studios have been putting on a complement class. We all expected it to be a nice easy flow because often new people attend these classes to see what it’s all about. Well this yogi did not have the same idea. He had us warmed up quick with sun salutations then putting us in pretzels with crow pose and trying to put our feet behind our heads!  Wrapping things up at 7:30 with a nice corpse pose just as the sun set!

Just steps away we found a place on the patio at Green Leaf. Trying Lloyd’s Lager, the IPA, and a taster of sours.  We all had different opinions of which one we liked best.  I was a fan of the Modern Gentleman IPA, aged in a Merlot barrel. Carmen’s liked the Raspberry Sour and David’s choice was the Cherry Sour. No matter what someone else likes gives it a try, we all have different tastes.

Green leaf has a great patio, small, so get to know your neighbour and enjoy the view !

~ Colleen 

  

First stop ~ Twin Sails ~Port Moody Pub Crawl

Twin sails was the first stop on our Murray street pub crawl in Port Moody. This is a great task for a Saturday or weeknight, if you can find yourself a designated driver!

There are now 4 tasting rooms along Murray Street. Twin Sails, Yellow Dog, Parkside and Moody Ales (original). And also along this stretch is a great family warehouse which creates great Italian street food! Urbani Foods, supplies select grocery stores with the small batch artisan foods. Things like Risottoballs, Mac & Cheese Balls, CraftDried salami’s, and their Italian sausages are amazing. Their location on Murray street is limited because it is the factory, but they do have a great supply of ready to eat foods that go great with beer !  Pick one up and move onto the next brewery.

Twin sails has a large open tasting room, with lots of space. They did things smart by leaving lots of room to expand. The front of their place has a garage door, which was open lets in fresh air and lots of light, making the place feel larger and open. We were there on a Wednesday but it is highly possible they have a band in the corner on weekends or other special events.

We’ve been hearing and talking a lot about Gose* so we gave theirs a try. It was not to everyone’s liking, but everyone has different tastes. They offer it as part of a flight so give it a try yourself. Most of us enjoyed a flight to try a variety of their beers. I think it was a first for everyone.

Twin Sails has a great vibe, and great beers makes sure this is a stop you make.

~ Colleen
(Photo above)

*Gose: a traditional German tart wheat ale brewed with coriander and salt. Twin Sails Gose pours a dark pale golden colour with a slightly off-white, and substantial head. Notes of an almost sour spiciness mixed with an array of dried apricot, zest, and coriander make up the palate for this beer. The finish is crisp, dry, almost mouth-puckering, and very refreshing making it perfect to sip on a warm summer day

Another visit to Callister

I love how all tasting rooms have their own personality!  And Callister has a great one, this was our second visit to their location, so they did something right !

It was a very busy Friday night when we were visiting Callister, so seating was in high demand! Callister is a remodelled warehouse with keg barrels for tables with bright coloured metal stools. It is small tasting room, so get to know your neighbour!

If you want a variety of brew masters than Callister is the place to visit. This location offers beers from Callister Brewing, as Brewery Creek, Real Cask and a brew-master called “Machine”.  Try a taster from one brewer, or a selection.

Make sure to take a trip to the washroom, it’s behind the bar. There is some great art work along the side and you can see where the action of the brewing takes place. 

~ Colleen

Storm Brewery

Established in 1994 Storm Brewery is the first craft beery in Vancouver, and every beer drinker should visit this unique location once.

You arrive entering the door off their loading bay; you won’t miss the building it’s covered in graffiti. They do not have a tasting room, there are no tables or chairs, they do not have a bathroom and you recycle your plastic cup while you taste.  The experience is fantastic!

Tasters are by donation, and a good size.  The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. 

They have their 6 main stay beers, and about 6 more which are small batches and on rotation.  Some are hits and some are misses, have some fun giving them a try there are some strange and unique flavours to pick from.   Vanilla Whiskey, Jalapeno Pilsner, Raspberry Bails IPA. Growlers are available to purchase or bring your own to fill. 

~ Colleen

Doan Brewery

There is always something fun to do at Doan !

Doan took over the location of  Powell street brewery, and if you remember that place you know how small the tasting room was! If you could even call that a tasting room. Well Doan renovated and made it much larger. I would say it is still one of the smaller tasting rooms, but you can only work with the space you have. They could accommodate about 8-12 people depending on how friendly you want to get !

Doan is a family run brewery, and they've got some great ideas to keep thing fresh and fun ! A pinball machine, which can be played at any time, but on Thursday night it's free!

They start off the week with a cask night on Monday's, followed by Bingo on Tuesday, and Lego on Wednesday.

They offer up the usual tasting room foods, pretzels and popcorn, but also offer locally made Samosa and Pizza.

Doan offers an IPA, a Kolsch as well as an Altbier. The batch Kolsch wasn't quite ready to be served the night we were there, but one of the perks of a family business is they can bend the rules. We got a sample right from the vat !

~ Colleen

Callister Nano-Brewery

They just keep popping up!

Starting off our evening at Callister, we had the chance to enjoy a flight of their beer as well as some from other breweries. Callister is a Nano-Brewery specializing in small batches. 

Callister had a great selection to pick from. 4 of their own, as well as a couple from Brewery Creek (only available in limited liquor stores), Real Cask and a few from the brew-master himself, called "Machine" If you are looking for a selection, this is a great place to visit. 

"Dank Williams" from the Machine was one of the groups top pick for this evening.

Make sure to visit frequently, because they specialize in small batches, their flavors rotate often, giving you the change to experience some great flavors.

~ Colleen 

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Dogwood Brewery

Can you think of a better thing to do on a hot summer day than go for a walk along the Fraser river and end up tasting beer? Yes, I said summer and I do realize it’s only June 14^th.

Last week I lathered up with sunscreen, strapped on my runners, put my growler in my back pack and was off for a 45 min walk along the Fraser with the Dogwood brewing to be our destination.

As soon as we walked in 3 chipper people said hello, one of them being a customer. It was a great welcoming.
Ordering a flight of all 4 of their beers, we learned they have only been open 11 weeks. And are already in full swing participating in the Vancouver Craft Beer Week and looking forward to hosting BBQ's on Sunday!  We grabbed a spot on a long benches to test out their "Organic beers."

Starting with their seasonal beer, Unite Red Ale. This a collaboration brew from several local craft breweries which is a challenge by the Pink Boots Society to challenge women on International Women's Day. Their Organic IPA, this was my favorite, a golden beer with a lasting hop aroma. Their Organic Stout and lastly the Fest. A Martzen style ale with a malty smooth flavor.

Their tastings room is bright, clean and airy. The staff is happy and available to chat and educate you on their organic beer. Making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint this place is a must visit. They have big idea and I wish them all the success.

I  will be visiting again.
~ Colleen

Campfire Kolsch

Campfire is the perfect name for this beer. It has hints of a smoked wood flavor.

In honour of this year's lumberjack theme Red Truck Beer created for the VCBW (Vancouver Craft Beer Week) this Campfire Kolsch. A sessionable Kolsch style ale using a cherry wood smoked malt and hops that gives a tropical fruit note.

$1 of each bottle being donated to the Vancouver Firefighters Society.

 ~ Colleen

Vancouver mini pub crawl

There are so many craft breweries showing up in Vancouver as well as other cities in North America, it is hard to keep up with them !  The Western Beer Club, usually set out to a tasting room, and then some brew pub, to make sure we get some food into our bellies ! Today we suck to a good old fashioned pub crawl !

Starting things off at the Powell Street Craft Brewery, they opened December of 2012 before the craft beer craze hit Vancouver. Their location was small but David and his wife had big dreams. In the Fall of 2014 they moved almost directly across the street into larger location. Keeping to their artistic roots, Powell Street still have their incredibly creative beer labels, as well as local artist works hanging in their new tasting room. 

Next stop was a short walk away to Off the Rails. Opening February 2015. Steve, owner of the Railway Club, had always supported the local craft breweries by making the unknown local crafts beers available to the public. But one day he realized he needed to start brewing his own beer and that is where Off the Rails began. Now creating over 15 different Beers from a Kolsch or Pillsner, IPA, Ales, to Oatmeal Stout and Smoked Porters there is something on their beer list that will satisfy everyone.

Last Stop: Strange Fellows Brewing Company.

Their name is very appropriate and you see this before you even walk in, with their crooked sign. Opening December 2014 at an old auto repair shop Iain and Aaron (founders) kept the vintage sign and made it their own.
When you walk in you are steps away from their mass bar with staff eager to help you experience their beers. This being our 3rd brewery of the night, I had some trouble reading the names of their beers, but the staff was happy to help and get me a great selection of beers to taste.

It was a great night visiting with friends and tasting some excellent local craft beers, keep it up Vancouver I look forward to tasting more.

~ Colleen  

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Urban Grind

 

Colleen enjoying a Storm IPA after doing the Urban Grind at Harbour Center

 

 

Every Tuesday in March from 4 - 6:30pm

 

For just $5, get in on all the action! Climb 40 flights of stairs for incredible views of Vancouver.

Enjoy a local craft been at the top as well as a $5 food voucher for future use.

A live DJ is playing while you take in the 360' view.

 

Hope to see you there.

 

 

Bridge Brewery, Open House

Any place with a dog gets extra points with me! However even if Ziggy was not running around. Bridge has a great feel in the air.

 

Bridge Brewery opened in their new location last night, and The Western Beer Club, was lucky enough to be invited to the festivities.

 

They have moved into a larger location. The tasting room is at least twice the size and plenty more room for their beer production.

 

When you walk in you are immediately greeted with a smile from the growler filling window, which also serves flights, pints and basic beer tasting foods.

 

 

 

There is one large table for communal seating and a tv tucked in the corner for those Canuck games you just can't miss! Against the back wall is an alcove with 3 large windows which peer into the back to check out all the action while they mix and brew all their beer creations.

 

Bridge has a great feel of North Shore pride, you can feel it when you walk in their doors, and by the names of their beers. Try their North Shore Pale, or the Hopilano they both get the yums up from me.

More photo 

 

 

~ Colleen

On the first day of Christams

As a kid we always had an advent calendar.

It was not one of those chocolate ones with the cardboard door that opened for a small chocolate treat, this was a home made one with elves, stocking, and reindeer to pin on the tree each night.
Each year my brothers and I would argue over who got to put Santa on the top of the tree on the 24th.


This year,  I was given a great Christmas Advent Calendar with a different beer treat each night. Some I liked, some I did not. And some are now my favorite thing to drink.  To view each beer click here. 

Colleen

BrassNeck

The décor here is simple, with a mix of natural wood and a bit of an industrial feel. Large tables so great for larger groups, and there is always a place to sit.

With a great selection of beer, there will be something that everyone will like. usually 8 to 10 beers to pick from. Available in a flight or pints. We picked a variety of flights so we were able to taste everything.

Who gets to pick these great names ? "I'd like a flight of Passive Aggressive, Mr. Personality, Old Money and some Magic Beans, please"

The Klutz (Kolsch at 5%) was our tables over pick, a traditional German-style golden ale, without the skunk taste, it was followed closely by Mr. Personality (Pound able Amber 5%)

Also available are some funky snacks, Jerky, pepperoni of all types as well as flavored twists (cheese n' bacon anyone?)

more photos here