Craft beer comrades! With the busy summer coming to an end, it’s time to beer down and get back to work (like “bear down”, get it?). For some of us that’s returning to school, for others it’s settling back in after a nice summer vacation – either way, there are some excellent craft beer events (of both the learning variety and otherwise) that we want you to know about!
But first, how about that beach protest, eh? Last month, CAMRA Vancouver went out to First Beach in English Bay for Beer on the Beach: A Picnic Protest. CAMRA members and other responsible citizens came out to have a beer with us in protest of the public drinking laws that prevent our community of reasonable beer enthusiasts from legally enjoying an alcoholic beverage in a park or on a beach here in Vancouver. There was lively discussion and a very nice show of support in person, online, and in the media. If you’d like more information on that, check out this month’s President’s Update.
I know we’re a little late with the September update, but it’s for very good reason. With all of the festivals going on (I hope you all got out to either GCBF or WVBF!) everyone has been super busy, but preparations are finally complete for CAMRA U! This series of classes, starting on October 2nd, will cover the same general areas that the Certified Cicerone exam focuses on. For those of you who aren’t familiar, being Cicerone certified is often considered the beer equivalent of being a wine sommelier. (Still curious about Cicerone and what it entails? Click here for our Vice President TJ’s informative write-up on beer certifications.) CAMRA U will reflect this pattern to include everything in the brewing process from barley to bottles, and cover other aspects such as sampling and understanding off-flavours in beer, understanding and differentiating between similar beer styles, and the art of food pairing. (Very cool thing: the Brewing 101 class will be actually brewing a beer that will be served in Faculty’s tasting room! Super rad!)
One of the great consolations for the end of the summer is fresh hop season. If you like those once-a-year fresh hop brews, this is the event for you! BC Hop Festival is happening in Abbotsford on September 30th. A fine way to kick off BC Craft Beer Month! If you’re planning on making it out to this one, make sure you’ve got safe transit to and from. There are complimentary non-alcoholic beverages for designated drivers and shuttle service options on the tickets page of their event website. (Good for if you, like me, enjoy many of the 30 breweries that will be in attendance)
Additionally, don’t forget that the BC Beer Awards are still coming up on October 21st. (Maybe if you take CAMRA U’s Brewing 101 class, you can compete here one day!) Tickets are all sold out for this one, but you can still get on the waitlist in case more come up. If you’re really excited about going and are just a super nice person that likes to help out, you could also sign up as a volunteer.
Well that’s it everybody. Time to get studying because…
Knowledge is power!
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