It’s hard to believe this Victoria classic ice bock is celebrating its 26th anniversary this year. I remember drinking this beer in junior high school (shhh!!) and having the revelation that beer didn’t have to be disgusting. This beer was awarded Best in Show at...
You know when you’ve enjoyed yourself just a little too much at a choice drinking and dining establishment, and wish you didn’t have to find the energy to get yourself home? Well, your friendly mates at Spinnakers Brewpub have taken great, restorative steps to...
"East Van Vodka—a Tribute to East Van For the makers and doers, the dreamers and inventors. For the artists and artisans, the hardworking and the inspired. This spirit is for the odd ones. It’s for the proud and the quirky, the charming and misunderstood." This new...
I’ve had a few food and drink pairing epiphanies. Blanc de Blancs Champagne with fresh oysters. Aged goat cheese with equally aged Sancerre. Spoon tender lamb shank with Chateauneuf-du-Pape. And Pizzeria Prima Strada’s Margherita pizza with Driftwood Brewery’s Fat...
This is one of those wines I pour for people when I am demonstrating that Canada makes far more than icewine. We can do sparkling. Incredible sparkling at that. And one incredibly special one from Chenin Blanc by Road 13 Vineyards. BAM. Old vines from 1968 (!)...
Hornby Island’s Island Spirits Distillery is the little Phrog that could. A foundation of three partners in British Columbia gave way to two in early 2010 with the departure of winemaker John Grayson, and it is now run by icebreaker captain and distiller Pete...
The stockings are hung by the chimney with care…and now it’s up to you to fill them. For the coffee nerd you know, or the coffee amateur, any of these five gifts will wrap up beautifully in time for Christmas morning. Happy holidays! Espresso Sea Salt. One of five...
I love white wines in winter. Wines with some weight, roundness and texture to comfort and warm, and acidic enough to cut through laden dishes. One such bottle that fits the bill is the 2011 Capella from Clos du Soleil. This wine was the top white in the 2013...
In a thriving downtown like Vancouver, when "what’s new" drives dining and accommodation decisions, things that aren’t the latest model quickly get hidden. I’m guilty of it—when I visit a city one of the first things I ask is “what’s new?” Fortunately I also ask...
Talk about a ready-made food and beer pairing. BC’s first Imperial Oyster Stout was brewed by Lighthouse Brewing Company, with a shuck load of organic oysters, from Okeover Inlet in Desolation Sound and Vancouver Island’s cold, pristine waters. The plump, small...
