Long Table Series - Round 3

Last Wednesday was my 3rd visit to the Long Table Series. The menu item on that day was Roast Suckling Pig with Apple-Rosemary Sauce, Braised Cabbage and Mashed Potatoes. Pint of Orchard Hill Cider - all for $15.00. I've blogged about the Long Table Series a couple of times in my previous posts, so I'm just going to get right down to business and run down the beverages that I had that night.

As I waited for the crew to arrive, I started off with a Pike Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale (Seattle, WA) (6.5% ABV). It was my first time having a scotch ale. It's a ruby coloured ale that had a malty, mild smokiness and sweet caramel taste followed with a touch of bitterness. Considering it is a scotch ale, it didn't have an overpowering smoky scotch flavour as I would have expected. Overall, I enjoyed this one. Great sipping beer.

Next, I had the Kronenbourg 1664 (France) (5% ABV) on tap. It's France's #1 selling beer and the UK's second biggest premium selling lager. It's a very light, fruity beer with lots of bubbles. It had a hint of white grape flavour and a dry finish. Very refreshing.

It was time to sit at the table for dinner and we were served the Orchard Hill Cider (Oliver, BC) (7% ABV). Made from real apples, not from concentrate. Sweet with a crisp apple flavour. I am not a fan of ciders and it would not be my drink of choice, but this one was good to sip on with my dinner.

This was my last Long Table Series of the year. I'll be waiting for the next announcement dates. I am going to book more of these the next time around.

Long Table Series - Round 2

Tonight was my second visit to the Long Table Series. I started off with a drink at the Shebeen Whiskey House. They have over 200 different whiskeys to choose from and their collection continues to build. It's like a kid in a candy store for whiskey lovers. I was in the mood to try out a beer that I've never had before. I ordered the Mill St. Brewery Tankhouse Ale (5.2% alc./vol.) based out of Toronto, Ontario. It's a deep copper red colour ale that is brewed with 5 different malts and an abundance of Cascade hops. It had a malty texture with a dark chocolate taste and a hint of bitterness. Not only did I enjoy the taste, I really liked the embossed bottle and the non paper label. It was an excellent sipping beer before dinner.

Tonight's dinner was Braised Lamb Shank, Roasted Eggplant, Raisins, Pine Nuts and Mint Gastrique with a pint of Guinness. The dinner was amazing as usual... right now, I am still thinking about the Mint Gastrique. I am not a huge Guinness fan, but the bittersweetness of the Guinness was paired really nicely with the flavour of the Lamb Shank.

Check out my Guinness moustache.

Apricots and Berries

Last night I went over to a friends house for a BBQ. It's Labour Day long weekend and it's been raining in Vancouver for the last couple of days. We had an excellent summer and it's sad to say that yesterday night may have been the last BBQ of the summer.

Rachael and I picked up 2 different B.C. summertime drinking beer. Cannery Brewing Apricot Wheat Ale and Swans Buckerfields Brewery Berry Ale.

The Cannery Brewing Apricot Wheat Ale (5% ABV) from Penticton, B.C. is a crisp, refreshing wheat ale with an apricot taste. They brewed their first batch of beer in the Old Aylmer Fruit and Vegetable Cannery in Penticton on April Fool’s Day 2001. Seriously...no joke. It's very similar to the St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale. I like the St. Ambroise one better, as it seems to be more smooth tasting.

The Swans Buckerfields Brewery Berry Ale (7% ABV) is a light red coloured ale from Victoria B.C. that is brewed on site at the Swans Buckerfields Brewery. It's a very smooth ale, with an excellent complementary taste of raspberry. It had a light scent of vanilla. I recommend it if you like a fruity beer.

Here is some information that I gathered from their website - No syrups, sugars or "adjunct" are used in their 100% grain mashes, only barley and malts. This ale is naturally carbonated and left to settle or "fine" at cold temperatures rather than being filtered - filtration can remove much of the goodness from beer along with the haze. They also avoid pasteurization, which can mute flavour as well.

It looks like it may be my last BBQ of the summer which means it's probably my last taste of these types of fruity beer, since I usually pair the two together. Though they are calling for sunny skies this Friday...anyone up for a BBQ?

Dinner with the Good Beer Folks!

I pulled up to a parking spot on Powell Street. I looked at my watch, it's 6:05PM. I walked down the street and turned onto Carrall Street where I met my beautiful girl. A door swung open and we were greeted at The Irish Heather. We walked into a private courtyard (Shebeen Whisky House) behind The Irish Heather and experienced a large selection of whiskies lined up on the wall. If you love whisky, you have to check this place out. Just enough time to grab a drink before dinner.

We were called into the Salty Tongue Cafe around 6:40PM to find a seat. We sat with 38 other individuals at a 40ft communal table and were introduced to the dinner menu for the evening along with the beer that was paired with it. We had Veal Schnitzel with Mashed Potatoes, Carrots and Anchovy Butter and a bottle of Steam Whistle Pilsner for $12. Wow...what a deal! I would highly recommend it if you can make it out to one of the Long Table Series. Reserve early, as it sells out quick.

The dinner was amazing and was paired really nicely with an ice cold Steam Whistle Pilsner (5.0% ABV). This golden coloured Pilsner is bottled in a distinctive green bottle from Steam Whistle Brewing (Toronto, ON). I love the look of this bottle - vintage looking without any paper labels on it. I am not a Pilsner fan, but this one was really good. It had a crisp/clean malt flavour - very smooth and refreshing. The taste was nicely balanced - it didn't taste watered down nor did it have any overpowering aftertaste. They use traditional brewing techniques and with only 4 natural ingredients (spring water, malted barley, hops and yeast - all GMO-free).

I respect how Steam Whistle Brewing has focused on creating just one type of beer and do it really well. Whistle - woo...woo!

UFC101 with the Buds

With the extreme heat wave 2 weeks ago in Vancouver, everywhere was sold out on fans and air conditioners.  As I went for a walk last week I saw a few stores advertising "fans/air conditioners sold here."  What really caught my eye is a liquor store advertising "Bud Light Lime sold here."  I really wanted to try the Bud Light Lime.  Facebook fans petitioned for the release in Canada and made it happen.

I was over at Rich's house last Saturday watching UFC101 and some of the fights were disappointing.  What really made my evening is that I got a chance to try the Bud Light Lime (4.0 ABV) that Vince brought over.  There was something appealing about the taste.  It had an overpowering taste of natural lime flavor that really disguised the taste of the beer, making it very smooth and refreshing.  It's an excellent summer time beer.  I recommend it for someone looking for an easy drinking, light tasting beer.  Kind of like a Corona with a whole lot of limes.  

If I had to choose between a fan or a Bud Light Lime on a hot day, I think I would choose to cool off with a Bud Light Lime.

Happy Canada Day

When it comes down to a Canada Day get together with good friends, there is usually a BBQ and a few beers involved.  Rachael and I went over to Praj/Eva's place today to celebrate Canada Day.  I bought over one of my favorite summer time beers - St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale (5%alc./vol).  This apricot wheat ale from McAuslan Brewery in Montreal has a light clean taste with an apricot aftertaste that is just so smooth.

If you ever decide to bring this over to a get together, be sure to bring a few cases.  Your beer will be gone fast.  Just ask Eva.

Life is like a bottle of chocolates

Today I tried the Young's Double Chocolate Stout (5.2% ABV) from the UK.  I liked the whole design of the bottle - the label, the embossed glass and the shape.  This was my first time trying a chocolate stout.  When it was poured into the glass, it came out very dark in colour, almost black with a tan coloured head.  It was very smooth with a strong taste of bitter dark chocolate.  I wouldn't usually drink a stout, but this one has such a unique flavour that I would have it again.  It's an excellent sipping beer.  I wouldn't have been able to finish the 500ml bottle on my own, it would've been way to heavy for me.  I think it would taste really good to have with dessert.  Double Chocolate Stout lava cake anyone?

Canuck$ = Beer$

Tonight was game #2 of the first series for the Vancouver Canucks playoffs.  Congratulations to the Canucks for their victory, 3-0 win over St. Louis Blues.

I was flipping through The Vancouver Sun today and I came across an article about how the playoffs impact our economy and hospitality industry in Vancouver.  Survey results from the B.C. Restaurant and Food Service Association report that there was an increase in liquor and food sales last Wednesday for game #1.

Beer was a big seller of the night, 70.2% increase in sales over an average non game Wednesday night.  Wine and liquor sales were up 45.3%

For those restaurant, bar and pub owners that do not have a television, better get on it quick.  For the owners that do have a television, whether they like hockey or not, are probably yelling "Go Canucks Go!"

Lime is no lemon

Last night Rachael and I wanted Japanese food and we felt like trying something new. We went to Lime Japanese Cuisine on Commercial Drive. Besides the regular menu, they had a $25.00 three course set menu special to celebrate the cherry blossom season, called the Sakura Set, which we ordered.

They had 3 beers on tap (Lime House Lager, Lime House Ale and R&B Red Devil Pale Ale). We ordered 2 pints of the Lime House Ale at $6.50 each. It came in a dimpled glass pint. I haven't drank from one of these in a long time. It reminded me of my dad's restaurant in the 80's. The Lime House Ale had a caramel/amber colour with a smooth nutty taste. I really enjoyed it - for a dark beer it wasn't too heavy. Now, if it was served in a frosted pint...that would've been off the hook. I think that it would've been novel if they used the restaurant's name to create a signature "Lime Wheat Ale."

Our whole evening was enjoyable - the dinner, live music and drinks. There is nothing sour about Lime.

Morning Sun

It's a bird... it's a plane... it's a golden sperm?!

I was in Asakusa last Monday.  I looked up in the sky and there it was, a golden sperm.  No... actually it was the Asahi Super Dry hall which was designed by French designer, Philippe Starck.  The "golden sperm" (as it is referred to by locals) is a symbol of Asahi Breweries dynamic heart according to the Asahi Breweries website.  The adjoining building right next to it is the 22 story Asahi Brewery headquarters which was built in 1989.  It was designed to resemble a foamy glass of beer. 

Asahi Breweries is the 2nd largest beer brewery in Japan and soft drink company based in Tokyo, Japan.  Asahi Super Dry is my favorite beer from Japan.  I always order Asahi Super Dry whenever I feel like a beer at an Izakaya or Japanese restaurant.  

"I got my mind set on you."

Tadaima!

I just got back from Tokyo yesterday.  Rachael and I stayed at the Takanawa Grand Prince Hotel which is really close to the Shinagawa station.  There is a supermarket at the Shinagawa station that we would go to everyday.  Rachael could not read the Kanji characters, so we just called it "Supermarket".    

Here are a few  beverages that I picked up.

The first night there I got this Rooibos tea drink.  It was a very refreshing drink with a nice light taste and a smooth Rooibos taste finish.  Great summer drink.

Rachael bought this Acai smoothie drink that was really good.  Small bottle packed with excellent Acai taste.

Green goodness - kiwi in a bottle.

BOSS Cafe au Lait

Their slogan says it all, "SUNTORY BOSS is the boss of them all since 1992".  

Sprite with a twist of lemon.  Not very eventful.

I love Asahi - couldn't just settle for one.

This was my favorite pick in Tokyo.  Throughout the trip, I bought this drink a few times.  It's a pear juice that simply tasted like biting into a cold super ripe green Anjou pear. 

Had to save the best for last.  "Cocktail Partner" I had to buy this just for the name.  I partied with my Passion Peach Cocktail Partner that night.  This would be a high school student drink of choice.

Super Bowl Sunday

Today is Super Bowl 43. This is the day when people rush to a bar, sit shoulder to shoulder with some stranger and glue their eyes to the TV screen. I would always be cautious of what team to cheer for in a bar. Either you meet a new drunk friend or you get beat up. I knew that neither would be the case today as I went to Mill Marine Bistro not for Super Bowl, but for Dine Out Vancouver.

With my dinner, I ordered the seasonal Granville Island Lions Winter Ale. (Alcohol By Volume:5.5%) This amber color beer had the body and richness of a robust ale, with a sweet caramel / vanilla flavor. I had this beer before and I quite enjoyed the taste. If you don't mind the sweet flavors, it's an excellent sipping beer for the winter. One glass of this beer is pretty much all I can have in one sitting, as it is quite heavy for me. It would definitely not be a beer of my choice if I was going to order a pitcher. Although, I would consider ordering a pitcher if I met a new drunk friend at the bar that was going to buy me a round.