Last Sunday was the Vancouver screening of Beer Wars at District 319, presented by CAMRA Vancouver and Beer Thirst. The screening turned out to be quite the event, with local breweries pouring their best and Greg Koch from Stone Brewing on hand to deliver a keynote before the start of the film. In addition, attendees were privy to Greg’s “Stone Skips Across the Pond”, a documentary of his travels to brew beer with Nøgne Ø in Norway and Brew Dog in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. For those of you who missed the event you can now rent Beer Wars on Shaw-On-Demand . Thanks again to Beer Thirst, Central City, Driftwood, Granville Island, Howe Sound, R&B, Red Truck, Steamworks, and Swans for pouring the beer and to special guests Sun Wizard for performing.

On the cask front, this weeks looks to be pretty exciting, with a whopping seven casks tapped between Thursday and Monday, including three on Sunday!

Cheers, and remember to pour yourself and friends a local, flavourful, and expertly crafted beer when watching that football game this Sunday!
Ryan

This Sunday, January 10th is the third annual Feast of Five Firkins at The Whip. This five course dinner features cask ale paired with each course. The cask lineup for the event looks to be outstanding, with casks from Deschutes, R&B, Driftwood, Whistler Brewhouse, and DIX. This event sold out fast, and since so many craft beer fans will not be attending CAMRA Vice-President Lundy Dale is organizing an alternative event on the same date at St. Augustine’s. It will be a casual gathering at St. Augustine’s, where craft beer fans can go through the menu to create their own beer and food pairings. If your interested please RSVP with Lundy by email so that she can let St. Augustine’s know how many people will be attending.

Lastly, Wednesday January 6th is the last day to register for Serious Beer. Taught by Canada’s first Certified Cicerone Chester Carey, this eight week course will prepare students for the Cicerone Certified Beer Server examination. Students will learn about the history, brewing process, background, and taste of beer styles from Belgium, Germany, UK, and North America.

Cheers,
Ryan

Beer Wars Screening

CAMRA Vancouver, along with Beer Thirst and the Alibi Room present the first Vancouver screenings of Beer Wars. Directed by Anat Baron, Beer Wars explores the behind the scenes of the American beer industry, where small, independent brewers have to fight daily against large, corporate brewers unwilling to lose any market share. We will be joined by special guest, Greg Koch, CEO & Co-Founder of Stone Brewing Co for the screenings. Tickets are $15.76 for CAMRA members ($20.91 otherwise), and include a beer with the screening. Tickets can be purchased online only. January 17 @ 5:30pm Beer Wars Vancouver Screening District 319 319 Main Street, Vancouver Two screenings (6:00 and 8:00pm), doors open 5:30pm.

Quick Links

B.C. Beer Blog CAMRA Vancouver Calendar CAMRA Vancouver Beer Guide CAMRA Vancouver Facebook Join CAMRA Vancouver

Membership Renewal

Individual Name & Number: Family Name & Number: Corporate Name & Number:

Join Our Mailing List

Casks As mentioned last week, Darby’s Pub will be installing four new taps in the new year. With these four new taps they will add Central City ESB, Driftwood’s Driftwood Ale,Tree Brewing’s Cutthroat Pale Ale, and Turning Point’s Stanley Park Amber Ale to their current lineup. The Alibi Room is closed until January 4th, With brunch service only on January 2nd and 3rd. Regular hours resume on the 5th of January. Yaletown Making it Real (Ale) December 31 No cask this Thursday due to New Year’s Eve. Yaletown Brewing will resume their weekly cask night on January 7th. Dix Cask Thursday December 31 @ 5:00pm DIX will be hosting a relaxed New Year’s Eve party this Thursday. DIX brewmaster Derrick Franche will be DJ’ing the party, and since it’s a Thursday Derrick will tap a few casks to celebrate, including a brandied orange zest Imperial Stout. Taylor’s Crossing Firkin Friday January 1 There is no Firkin Friday at Taylor’s Crossing this week as Taylor’s Crossing is closed for New Year’s Day. However, brewmaster Dave Varga is working of some special casks for the near future. The Whip Real Ale Sundays January 3 @ 4:00pm The Whip will feature a cask from Central City this Saturday. No word yet on the specifics of the cask — watch the CAMRA Vancouver twitter and facebook accounts for updates! St. Augustines’s Manichean Mondays January 4 @ 6:00pm St. Augustine’s will be pouring a cask of R&B’s Hoppelganger IPA next Monday.

New Beer Arrivals/Restocks/Seasonals Taylor’s Crossing brewmaster Dave Varga has released a porter as his latest seasonal. Red Truck Limited English Porter has a rich, robust profile with chocolate, dark caramel, and burnt sugar notes, with hops in the background to keep it balanced. It’s brewed with pale, amber, crystal, and chocolate malt, and hopped with UK Kent Goldings; alcohol content is about 5.8%. In addition to Taylor’s Crossing, this latest Red Truck Limited Release is available at The Alibi Room, St Augustine’s, Cafe Barney’s (Main St.), and Revel Room. Granville Island will be releasing a chocolate stout in February. They’ve partnered with Roger’s Chocolates to brew this stout with actual fair trade chocolate. Look for this in you favourite liquor stores in February. Also, Tree Brewing is busy brewing their much anticipated Hop Head Double IPA, which won them a gold medal at the 2009 Canadian Brewing Awards. Look for it sometime in January. Brewery Creek 3045 Main Street, Vancouver 11:00am – 11:00pm daily Coney island Sword Swallower Lager; Golden Pheasant Premium Lager; Paddock Woods Winter Ale; Rogue Mogul Madness; Samuel Smith’s Winter Ale. Restocks: Anchor Christmas Ale; Paddock Woods Double Double; Pyramid Snow Cap; Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout. Darby’s Liquor Store 2001 MacDonald Street, Vancouver 9:00am – 11:00pm daily Driftwood Old Cellar Dweller Barley Wine; Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve; Salt Spring Island Fire Side Winter Ale, Golden Ale; Stanley Park Amber Ale; Tree Spiced Reserve Winter Ale. Restocks: Anchor Christmas Ale; Anderson Valley IPA; Driftwood White Bark Wheat; Granville Island Jolly Abbott; Moylans Hopsickle, IPA, Red Ale; Pike Tandem Double Ale, IPA, Naughty Nellie. Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (Vancouver) 2857 Cambie Street, Vancouver 10:00am – 11:00pm daily Buffalo Bill Orange Blossom Cream Ale; Paddock Wood Winter Ale; Pelican Tsunami Stout. Restocks: Anchor Christmas Ale (1.5 Litres); Duvel (1.5 Litres); Rogue Yellow Snow (bottles and growlers). Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (Maple Ridge) 21755 Lougheed Highway, Maple Ridge 10:00am – 11:00pm daily Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Ale; Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale, Yellowtail Pale Ale; Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout Ale, Hop Rod Rye Seasonal Ale, Red Rocket Ale;  Moylan’s Ryan Sullivan’s Imperial Stout; North Coast Old No. 38 Stout, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Ale,  Old Stock Ale,  Scrimshaw Pilsner; Pelican Doryman’s Dark ale, India Pelican Ale, Kiwanda Cream Ale, Macpelican’s Scottish Ale, Tsunami Stout; Southern Tier Blackwater Series, India Pale Ale,  Phin & Matts Extraordinary Ale; Samuel Smith Winter Winter Ale. Viti 900 Seymour Street, Vancouver noon – 11:00pm daily Coney island Sword Swallower Lager; Little Creatures Bright Ale, Rogers Beer;  Rogue Amber Ale, Dead Guy Ale; Saltspring Fireside Winter Ale, Golden Ale. Restocks: North Coast Rasputin Imperial Stout; Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine, XS Imperial Stout; Southern Tier Black Inequity, Un*Earthly.

Upcoming Events December 6 – December 30 Irish Heather Long Table Series The Irish Heather GastroPub 212 Carrall Street, Vancouver Cost: $12+ Info: Long Table Series blog  - due to the popularity of this series, it has been extended “until you stop coming.” January 1 – March 31 Campagnolo Pizza and Beer Pairing Campagnolo 1020 Main St., Vancouver - From January to the end of March Campagnolo will feature a special menu pairing their signature pizzas with craft beer. Campagnolo will pair their margarita pizza with R&B Lager, their Salciccia pizza with R&B Raven Cream Ale, and their Funghi pizza paired with a bottle of Menabrea Italian Lager. January 10 3rd Annual Feast of Five Firkins The Whip 209 E 6th Ave., Vancouver Cost: $85 ($75 for CAMRA members) SOLD OUT info: thewhipresturaunt.com  - R&B Brewing and the whip host the third annual Feast of Five Firkins. Five brewers, five firkins, five courses! Tickets are on sale now, and with only 70 tickets available they are sure to sell fast. Tickets can be purchased at The Whip. Update: The Feast of Five Firkins is now sold out! January 17 @ 2:30pm CAMRA Vancouver AGM The Alibi Room  157 Alexander St., Vancouver January 17 @ 5:30pm Beer Wars Vancouver Screening District 319 319 Main Street, Vancouver Two screenings (6:00 and 8:00pm), doors open 5:30pm. Cost: $15.76 for CAMRA Members. Tickets: online  - Camra Vancouver is proud to host the first two screenings of Beer Wars in Vancouver. We will be joined by special guest, Greg Koch, CEO & Co-Founder of Stone Brewing Co. January 21 @ 6:00pm Spinnakers Springbank Whisky Dinner with Peter Currie Spinnakers 308 Catherine Street Victoria, BC Cost: $90 Info: online  - Spinnakers will be hosting a whisky dinner led by Peter Currie, Springbank Distillery’s Global Brand Ambassador. This will be a five course meal paired with five fantastic whiskies from a great Campbeltown distillery. The main course will be paired with a cask conditioned Oatmeal Stout infused with Springbank 15 whisky. Tickets include: a pint to start the evening off, five course meal paired with five whiskies and the cask conditioned Oatmeal Stout, and a Spinnakers Glencarin whisky glass. Guests from out of town can stay in the guest houses for 15% off. January 23 @ 3:00pm Darby’s Meet the Brewmaster with Tim Brown (Mission Springs) Darby’s Pub  2001 MacDonald St., Vancouver Cost: $25 ($20 for CAMRA members) info: darbyspub.ca - Darby’s hosts Mission Springs brewmaster Tim Brown for their third Meet the Brewmaster event. Tim will be on hand to lead an informal tasting of Mission Springs’s beers, including Big Chief Cream Ale, Bombshell Blonde Ale, Fat Guy Oatmeal Stout, and Olde Sailor’s IPA. As usual, Darby’s chef Alex Rotherham has prepared appetizers to pair with Tim’s beer. Tickets can be purchased at Darby’s, and include a sample of each of Tim’s beer plus appetizers. January 23 @ 12:00pm Washington Beer BelgianFest The Engine Room @ Georgetown Studios 5890 Airport Way, Seattle, WA. Info: washingtonbeer.com -  Washington Beer hosts their first Belgian beer festival, featuring Belgian-style from over 20 Washington State breweries. There will be two sessions, one from 12:00 to 4:00pm, and the next from 6:00 to 10:00pm. Tickets include a tasting glass and ten 4oz. tasters. Don’t forget there are many more events listed on the CAMRA Vancouver Calendar.

New Vancouver Bar Guide

Travel writer John Lee has visited over one hundred bars in the Vancouver area to bring you this unique guide to Vancouver bars. The book is broken down by neighbourhood, and includes everything from upscale to ‘gritty’ pubs in Vancouver. Although the official publication date is January, copies can be purchased already at you local bookstore. more information on Drinking Vancouver can be found here.

Quick Links

B.C. Beer Blog CAMRA Vancouver Calendar CAMRA Vancouver Beer Guide CAMRA Vancouver Facebook Join CAMRA Vancouver

Membership Renewal

Individual Name & Number: Family Name & Number: Corporate Name & Number:

Join Our Mailing List

Casks Darby’s Pub and St. Augustine’s will both be adding new taps in the new year. Darby’s will soon be installing a new tower with 4 taps. all dedicated to craft beer. No word yet on what they’ll have on tap, but I’ve been told that it will be a rotation selection of beer from BC breweries. St. Augustine’s will be adding 4 new rotating taps as well, and there’s a possibility that they may bring up some craft beer from south of the border for these new taps. The Alibi Room will be closed for the holidays from December 24th to January 4th, With brunch service only on January 2nd and 3rd. Regular hours resume on the 5th of January. St. Augustines’s Manichean Mondays December 21 and December 28 @ 6:00pm St. Augustine’s will host a cask of Russell Brewing’s Black Death oak-aged porter today. Next week they will have a cask of R&B’s Dark Star Oatmeal stout. Two great stouts for the holidays! Yaletown Making it Real (Ale) December 24 @ 4:00pm No cask this week due to Christmas Eve. Dix Cask Thursday December 24 @ 5:00pm No cask this week due to Christmas Eve. The Whip Real Ale Sundays December 27 @ 4:00pm If you missed the cask of Whistler Brewhouse’s Big Wolf Bitter at DIX X-Mas X-treme, the here’s your chance to try it. This Sunday The Whip will have a cask of Dave Woodward’s Big Wolf Bitter. This bitter is a perfect match for many types of food — try it with the fish and chips (a classic pairing).

New Beer Arrivals/Restocks/Seasonals Brewery Creek 3045 Main Street, Vancouver 11:00am – 11:00pm daily Abbaye des Rocs Noel; Driftwood Old Cellar Dweller Barleywine (08 and 09 vintages); Fuller’s Vintage Ale; Rogue Yellow Snow (Growler); Scaldis Premium Noel; Southern Tier Oat Imperial Stout. Restocks: Brooklyn Local 1;  Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial IPA. Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (Vancouver) 2857 Cambie Street, Vancouver 10:00am – 11:00pm daily Driftwood Old Cellar Dweller (08 and 09 vintages); Green Flash Barleywine; North Coast Old Rasputin XII; Rogue Mogul Madness, Yellow Snow (Growler); Salt Spring Island Pale Ale, Porter; Southern Tier Iniquity Imperial Black Ale, Oat Imperial Oatmeal Stout. Restocks: Granville Island Jolly Abbott. Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (Maple Ridge) 21755 Lougheed Highway, Maple Ridge 10:00am – 11:00pm daily Brooklyn Local 2; Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale; Konig Ludwig Weiss; Lighthouse Brewing Winter Ale; Pyramid Snow Cap; Rogue Mogul Madness, Yellow Snow (Growler).

Upcoming Events December 6 – December 30 Irish Heather Long Table Series The Irish Heather GastroPub 212 Carrall Street, Vancouver Cost: $12+ Info: Long Table Series blog  - due to the popularity of this series, it has been extended “until you stop coming.” January 1 – March 31 Campagnolo Pizza and Beer Pairing Campagnolo 1020 Main St., Vancouver - From January to the end of March Campagnolo will feature a special menu pairing their signature pizzas with craft beer. Campagnolo will pair their margarita pizza with R&B Lager, their Salciccia pizza with R&B Raven Cream Ale, and their Funghi pizza paired with a bottle of Menabrea Italian Lager. January 10 3rd Annual Feast of Five Firkins The Whip 209 E 6th Ave., Vancouver Cost: $85 ($75 for CAMRA members) info: thewhipresturaunt.com  - R&B Brewing and the whip host the third annual Feast of Five Firkins. Five brewers, five firkins, five courses! Tickets are on sale now, and with only 70 tickets available they are sure to sell fast. Tickets can be purchased at The Whip. January 17 @ 2:30pm CAMRA Vancouver AGM The Alibi Room  157 Alexander St., Vancouver January 23 @ 3:00pm Darby’s Meet the Brewmaster with Tim Brown (Mission Springs) Darby’s Pub  2001 MacDonald St., Vancouver Cost: $25 ($20 for CAMRA members) info: darbyspub.ca - Darby’s hosts Mission Springs brewmaster Tim Brown for their third Meet the Brewmaster event. Tim will be on hand to lead an informal tasting of Mission Springs’s beers, including Big Chief Cream Ale, Bombshell Blonde Ale, Fat Guy Oatmeal Stout, and Olde Sailor’s IPA. As usual, Darby’s chef Alex Rotherham has prepared appetizers to pair with Tim’s beer. Tickets can be purchased at Darby’s, and include a sample of each of Tim’s beer plus appetizers. Don’t forget there are many more events listed on the CAMRA Vancouver Calendar.

Beer Pairings for the Holidays

Wine is usually the first beverage to come to mind when one considers what to serve to guests over the holidays. However in many ways beer pairs as well, if not better, with the Christmas meal. According to Chester Carey, Canada’s first certified Cicerone, the holidays are usually a time for indulgence so most beer pairings should reflect this. For ham, Chester recommends a malty scotch ale or a sweet, roasty stout. Try you Christmas ham with a bottle of Swan’s Scotch Ale, Belhaven’s Wee Heavy, Pike XXXX Stout, or Cannery Maple Stout. The key to pairing with Turkey is to have the beer work with the stuffing says Chester. Try a spicy, herbal saison like Saison D’Epeauture or Driftwood Farmhand Saison. Chester also recommends the yeasty Epemere Pomme as it’s apple character pairs wonderfully with poultry and sage. Chester recommends a barleywine or eisbock to pair with sweet Christmas deserts. Try a Phillips Deadhead Barleywine or a Vancouver Island Hermannator Eisbock. Chester Carey is Canada’s first certified Cicerone, and teaches an eight-week course on beer at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.

Quick Links

B.C. Beer Blog CAMRA Vancouver Calendar CAMRA Vancouver Beer Guide CAMRA Vancouver Facebook Join CAMRA Vancouver

Membership Renewal

Individual Name & Number: Family Name & Number: Corporate Name & Number:

Join Our Mailing List

Please welcome our newest corporate sponsor, Lighthouse Brewing: “Guiding you to better taste!“ Founded in 1998, Lighthouse Brewing has been providing British Columbia with craft beer for over 10 years. Lighthouse Brewing has been a leader in sustainable brewing, taking extra care in their brewing process to reduce their environmental impact. They have recently added an new bottling line, which they have used to produce interesting seasonal ales, such as their Lighthouse Winter Ale. In addition, Lighthouse brewing recently acquired new cask-ale equipment to expand their cask program. Speaking of which, St. Augustine’s will tap a cask from Lighthouse at 6:00pm today! It’s a dry-hopped IPA, cask-conditioned with Bohemian lager yeast and wildflower honey. This is the first cask from Lighthouse to be tapped this side of the strait! In other news, Jeff Pennal, a co-worker of membership secretary Rodney Gitzel, has released Wine Tripper, an iPhone app for adventurous BC wine drinkers. But… what about BC beer? Jeff says he’d definitely consider making a similar app for BC breweries and beerpubs if he sees enough interest.  Email Jeff to prod him along! Cheers!   Ryan O’Connor Editor, CAMRA Vancouver P.S. Be sure to visit our Web site for CAMRA Vancouver’s Guide to Good Beer. And don’t forget our Facebook page where you can discuss beer-related topics and contribute photos, videos, and links.

Casks St. Augustines’s Manichean Mondays December 14 and December 21 @ 6:00pm St Augustine’s has a cask from Lighthouse Brewing today! This is the first time a cask from Lighthouse will be tapped this side of the Georgia Strait. The cask is a dry-hopped IPA conditioned with a new Bohemian lager yeast and wildflower honey. On the 21st St. Augustine’s will host a cask of Russell Brewing’s Black Death oak-aged porter. Both of these breweries have purchased new cask equipment to expand their cask-ale programs, so look out for more casks from them in the future. Yaletown Making it Real (Ale) December 17 @ 4:00pm No cask this week as Yaletown Brewing is closed for a private party, nor will there be a cask the following week, which is Christmas Eve. Dix Cask Thursday December 17 @ 5:00pm This week brewmaster Derrick Franche will tap a cask of his IPA. Derrick is well-known for this big IPA, which pairs exceptionally well with the barbecue dishes at DIX. The Whip Real Ale Sundays December 20 @ 4:00pm The Whip will have a cask of R&B’s Red Devil Pale Ale this Sunday. This copper-red, ‘not so pale’ ale is very versatile when it comes to food pairings. Try pairing this with The Whip’s organic beef burger, Mexican chicken burger, or the nori steak bites.

New Beer Arrivals/Restocks/Seasonals Brewery Creek 3045 Main Street, Vancouver 11:00am – 11:00pm daily Little Creatures Bright Ale, Pale Ale, Pilsner; Pelican India Pelican Ale, Kiwanda Cream Ale, MacPelican Scottish-style Ale, Tsunami Stout; Phillips Deadhead Barleywine, Instigator Doppelbock; Rogue Yellow Snow IPA. Darby’s Liquor Store 2001 MacDonald Street, Vancouver 9:00am – 11:00pm daily  Innis and Gunn Tripple Matured; Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat;  Moylans Hopsickle; Phillips Deadhead Barleywine, Instigator Dopplebock; Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale; Tree Spiced Reserved Ale. Restocks: Anchor Winter Ale; Brew Dog Hardcore IPA; Central City Winter Ale; Dog Fish Head 60 minute IPA, 90 minute IPA; Howe Sound Diamond Head Oatmeal Stout; Lost Coast Indica IPA Phillips Showcase Mix Pack; Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA. Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (Vancouver) 2857 Cambie Street, Vancouver 10:00am – 11:00pm daily North Coast Old Rasputin XII Imperial Stout; Pelican Tsumani Stout; Phillips Deadhead Barleywine, Instigator Doppelbock; Rogue Yellow Snow IPA; Tree Spiced Reserved Ale. Restocks: Howe Sound Father John’s Winter Ale; Lighthouse Winter Ale. Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (Maple Ridge) 21755 Lougheed Highway, Maple Ridge 10:00am – 11:00pm daily Anchor Porter; Fuller’s London Ale; Hook Norton Double Stout, Old Hooky; Singha Lager; Tree Brewing Raspberry Porter; Tin Whistle Chocolate Cherry Porter; Yukon Brewing Ice Fog IPA, Midnight Sun Espresso Stout. Libations 962 West King Edward, Vancouver 10:00am – 9:00pm daily Driftwood Old Cellar Dweller Barleywine; Phillips Deadhead Barleywine, Instigator Doppelbock. Viti 900 Seymour Street, Vancouver noon – 11:00pm daily Phillips Deadhead Barleywine, Instigator Doppelbock.

Upcoming Events December 6 – December 30 Irish Heather Long Table Series The Irish Heather GastroPub 212 Carrall Street, Vancouver Cost: $12+ Info: Long Table Series blog  - due to the popularity of this series, it has been extended “until you stop coming.” December 16 @ 7:00pm Meetup.com Christmas Beer Tasting Campoverde Social Club 1660 Cypress St., Vancouver Cost: $40 RSVP: meetup.com  - “Christmas beers are here so let’s have a taste. We will be sampling 5 Belgian Christmas beer paired with delicious foods.” Attendees must RSVP in advance to attend. January 1 – March 31 Campagnolo Pizza and Beer Pairing Campagnolo 1020 Main St., Vancouver - From January to the end of March Campagnolo will feature a special menu pairing their signature pizzas with craft beer. Campagnolo will pair their margarita pizza with R&B Lager, their Salciccia pizza with R&B Raven Cream Ale, and their Funghi pizza paired with a bottle of Menabrea Italian Lager. January 10 3rd Annual Feast of Five Firkins The Whip 209 E 6th Ave., Vancouver  - R&B Brewing and the whip host the third annual Feast of Five Firkins. Five brewers, five firkins, five courses. More information to come… January 17 @ 2:30pm CAMRA Vancouver AGM The Alibi Room  157 Alexander St., Vancouver Don’t forget there are many more events listed on the CAMRA Vancouver Calendar.