An IPA for people who don’t always enjoy IPAs

 

Billed as a “West Coast IPA” by the brewery, in my opinion Four Winds’ Juxtopose Wild IPA is not at all typical of the West Coast style of IPAs, which I associate with an overly harsh hoppy character.  This beauty, on the other hand, is nicely balanced so that the 50 IBU, already on the lower end of the spectrum for West Coast style, comes through very palatable and refreshing.

Perhaps it is the wild yeasts used that gives it a very pleasing citrus quality, with lots of tropical fruit in the background.  At 6.5% ABV, this beer also scores on the lower end of the alcohol spectrum for typical IPAs, which makes it a very approachable one for those who normally avoid this style of beer.

~ David

Fuller's Vintage Ale

Brewed beside the Thames

Since 1845 

The Fuller's Vintage Ale is a hit !

2019 - No. 046477

First released in 1997, Fuller's Vintage Ale is brewed in limited batches with each bottle being numbered. Although it is released each year as a separate vintage, the recipe is only slightly tweaked from year to year. While the ABV remains at 8.5%

Salt in your beer ?

Why You Should Add Salt to Your Beer

I'm all for a fancy cocktail. There is a kind of delight in going to a tiki bar and guessing how many tiny garnishes are going to festoon your drink of many rums, or being presented with a meticulously made house special. But fancy cocktails aren't an every day occurence for me because of their expense, both in terms of money and in terms of the hangover they tend to extract the following day. More often, I'll go for what I think of as a beach cocktail, which is to say, some other things dumped into a can of neutral-flavored, cold beer that make it just a little bit fancier. Read more...

Port Moody

Transit options for Port Moody crawl.
June 18th 2019

Beer making 101

20 of us were educated and entertained by Mr. Norman Gladstone, a retired professional brew master; who has worked in Australia, South Africa, the UK, and Canada.  For some years he was a senior brew master with Molsons.  

Norman gave us a very in-depth lecture on the techniques and technology of brewing beer commercially.  This was followed by a very enjoyable survey of lagers and ales, with focus on the classics.  

Here are some fun facts we learned:

1. It is best to serve cold beer in a warm/room-temperature glass 
2. Beer served too cold or containing too high alcohol masks flavour
3. Local craft beer-makers may make a big deal about hops, but yeast is the bomb!
4. Flavour, particularly bitterness, is in the foam. Fatty foods are the enemy of foam. 
5. Lager is great for quenching thirst on a hot day; but ales are meant to be enjoyed socially, and are worth talking about.

This was the second in our "brewmaster's tour" series. We can't wait for number three!

Join the club !

Many of us were up in the Yukon last week. Taking on temperatures of -40.
As the saying goes "while in Rome" or it should be "while in Dawson City"

This is not a beer beverage, but several of us have joined the sour toe cocktail club and we need to brag somewhere !

The Pit at The Westminster Hotel, Yukon

Never mind the tourist stuff. In Dawson, "The Pit" is the place to go. 

Thank you Matt the Moose for being a great host.