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. 

Beer Club's 1st Brew Masters Tour

10 members of the club toured three Vancouver Downtown Eastside breweries on Nov. 13^th under the guidance of a former brew master and wine connoisseur.  The idea was to try to develop an understanding of the finer points of beer from the perspective of someone who is intimately familiar with wine as well as beer.

We visited Callister Brewing Co, Powell Street Brewery, and finished the night at Andina, a South American-style brew pub, where we sampled various kinds of ceviche and other South American treats.

Fun facts: 

1. Foam is your friend:foam is where flavour is most concentrated, particularly bitterness from the hops.  No foam, little flavour.

2. Fat is the enemy of foam.  Avoid eating fatty substances such as Cheezies or potato chips.  The oil from these things almost instantly “kills” the foam in a glass of beer.

3. Never drink from a bottle if you can pour the beer into a glass.  The glass opens up the beer to smell, which accounts for 75% of the experience of flavour.

4. White foam indicates the beer has been carbonated naturally.  Coloured foam indicates artificial ingredients were used to carbonate the drink.

5. While hops are the  “sexy” component of beer, yeast is the most significant ingredient.  Yeast is “magical” for all the things it can do for a beer.  Brewers are really just bakers without the flour and the oven!

~ David

Friday's on the Front

Every Friday night from July - August the city of New Westminster with Steele and Oak Brewery host Friday's on the Front with a guest brewery.

Enjoying the summer days at Friday's on the Front in New West with Steel & Oak Brewing Co. and Four Winds Brewing Co.



https://downtownnewwest.ca/Fridays-on-Front 

Grind up for some Beer

Some hiked some took the gondola, all meeting at the top to enjoy beer and grouse mountain's summer music series.

 

https://www.grousemountain.com/events/summer-music-series#.W8jKL2eWy71

We're in search for the Perfect Pint

  

Urban Grind

It's that time of year again, time for the #UrbanGrind


For each Tuesday in March at the Vancouver Lookout

The challenge: climb 633 stairs

The reward: a pint of Steamworks beer and the amazing views.

 

The reward: a pint of Steamworks beer and the amazing views.

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

Green Beans in Beer Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 pound Bacon, diced
• 2 cups green beans
• 1/3 cup beer 
• 1/3 cup butter, cubed
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons grated onion

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the beans, beer and butter to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender.

Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Remove beans with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch and onion until blended. Stir into the saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add beans; heat through. Sprinkle with bacon. Yield: 4 servings.

For complete detailed recipe visit: 
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/green-beans-in-beer-sauce 

SWISS BEER BREAD RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces Swiss cheese
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°. Divide cheese in half. Cut half into 1/4-in. cubes; shred remaining cheese. In a large bowl, combine next five ingredients. Stir beer into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cubed and shredded cheese.

Transfer to a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Drizzle with butter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).

For complete detailed recipe visit:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/swiss-beer-bread 

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 !

Beer-Cheddar Dip

From Kraft Canada

• 1 pkg (250g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup beer
• 1 cup Old Cheddar Cheese
• 2 green onions, sliced

• Beat cream cheese and dressing in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Add beer; mix well
• Stir in cheese and onions
• Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.

Complete detailed recipe:http://www.kraftcanada.com/recipes/beer-cheddar-dip-209612?cm_mmc=social-_-twitter-_-kc-_-recipe 

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

Chili-Beer Glazed Steaks

Did you know that cooking with beer uses about 50 percent fewer calories than cooking with oil? One tablespoon of olive oil has approximately 120 calories, while an entire 12-ounce can of beer has around 146, breaking down to fewer than seven calories per tablespoon. It’s even been said that cooking with beer can enhance the flavors in foods, especially meat. But that’s not all — it can be healthier, too. Toby Amidor, M.S., R.D., and author of “The Greek Yogurt Kitchen,” explained to Self that “beer can actually boost your health because it is packed with B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium.”

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Grill: 10 min.

MAKES: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup chili sauce
• 2/3 cup spicy steak sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1/2 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer
• 4 boneless beef top loin steaks
  (8 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. 
   
2. 
   In a small saucepan, combine the chili sauce, steak sauce, shallots and beer. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Set aside 1/2 cup for serving and keep warm. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.
3. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack. Grill steaks, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°), basting occasionally with sauce mixture. Serve with reserved sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

Editor's Note: Top loin steak may be labeled as strip steak, Kansas City steak, New York strip steak, ambassador steak or boneless club steak in your region.

Originally published as Chili-Beer Glazed Steaks in Simple & Delicious August/September 2012