Tag Archives: big ridge brewing

Brew 1000 Wee Heavy Scotch Ale – Big Ridge Brewing

by Mike

Big Ridge Brewing in Surrey did their 1000th brew on December 9th 2016.  To celebrate the event they brought together all of their former brewers to do this brew right with current head brewer Ashley Brooks.

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Starting from back left working around front to right back Dave Callendar (Current Assistant Brewer), Dave Varga (Head Brewer 33 Acres), Nick Bolton, Ashley Brooks (Current Head Brewer), Tariq khan (Head Distiller Yaletown Distilling), Tony Dewald (Head Brewer Trading Post Brewing)

The beer they made was called the “Brew 1000 Wee Heavy Scotch Ale” and was released February 3rd 2017.  The beer poured a chestnut brown with a brown head.  The aroma consists of sweet caramel malts, mild roasted malts, earth and some fruit.  The flavour is of sweet caramel, roasted malts, fruity, maybe a hint of peat with some mild bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 7.6% with an IBU of 26.  I’m not surprised with all of this brewing talent that this was a great beer.  Try to make you way out to the brew pub in Surrey or watch their social media to see where the odd keg may end up.

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Schwarzbier Dark Lager – Big Ridge Brewing

by Mike

From Big Ridge Brewing in Surrey comes their “Schwarzbier Dark Lager”.  The beer pours a deep brown colour with a light brown head.  The aroma consists of toasty caramel, sweetness and some fruitiness.  The flavour is of toasted malts, caramel, hint of chocolate, coffee, earth and a mild bitterness in the finish.  The alcohol content comes in at 5% with an IBU of 22.  Ashley has done a great job on this beer and if you find yourself in Surrey stop by for a glass as you will not regret it.

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Celebrate Craft… Beer! 2016 – Vancouver

by Mike

Craft Beer can sometimes help support other Crafts.  That is where this event “Celebrate Craft… Beer!” comes in.

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Celebrate Craft… Beer! was held on Saturday November 5th between 7:30-10pm at Performance Works on Granville Island.  The event was held to raise funds for the delivery of the Craft Council of BC’s Craft Heritage & Me program for under-served youth.  Sixteen breweries showed up to pour their beers and help with this cause.  Here is the original list although Driftwood Brewery and Old Yale Brewing had to pull out due to differing issues.

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Being an event about Crafts there were also many artists selling their products in the middle of the room.  Here is a sampling of what they were selling.

There was also a blind silent auction with lots of good prizes to be won.

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This event was very well attended for the small venue it was held in.  The people both loved the crafts that were on sale and the craft beer that was served.

To top everything off the organizers of this festival held a competition for the best seasonal beer poured at the event.  The competition was judged by Rebecca Whyman, Chad McCarthy & Ken Beattie and the winning brewery won a a cool glass trophy as well as a handmade tap that will be designed and created by a noted local artist.

The winner of the award was Luppolo Brewing the brand new brewery on the block in Vancouver!

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I hope that the fundraising was as was as successful as the event itself as it was a great time with a great mix of people some very new to craft beer and some that know the local industry inside and out.

Celebrate Craft…Beer! (Get your tickets) – Vancouver

by Mike

The Craft Council of BC is holding a fundraiser called “Celebrate Craft…Beer!” on November 5th between 7:30pm and 10pm.  18 Local BC breweries will be pouring beer during this fundariser to support the ongoing delivery of the Craft Council of BC’s Craft, Heritage & Me program.  There will be a silent auction to raise funds with lots of goodies to bid on.

Check out the press release:

“Celebrate Craft … Beer!” is a charitable fundraiser celebrating the seasonal craft beer of 18 BC breweries, alongside a curated market of local artists. The funds raised will support the ongoing delivery of the Craft Council of BC’s ‘Craft, Heritage & Me’ program for under-served youth.

Craft brewers will be submitting their unique seasonal craft beer for an evening of tasting by judges and craft community enthusiasts. Jurors – Rebecca Whyman, Chad McCarthy & Ken Beattie – will select the winning beer. And the prize for the best in seasonal category will win an amazing handmade tap designed and created by a noted local craft artist.

This charitable event will be held 7:30pm November 5th @ Performance Works on Granville Island and will include live music by ‘Not You’ – an electronic duo composed of Sanford and Future Ghost, munchies, a blind silent auction of BC experiences and a curated craft market for you to peruse while enjoying the selection of seasonal craft beer!

You will get the chance to bid in the silent auction for prizes such as ‘Beer for a Year’, Brewery Tours & Tasting with Red Truck Beer, an Edible Canada gift basket full of local delicious goodies, dance lessons with Joe Ink Dance, generous gift certificates to Burgoo Bistro & The Latest Scoop amongst many other amazing local experiences! For a full list of silent auction items click here.  Join local artists and artisans at the craft market and find that perfect gift in time for the festive season: Bev Ellis, Julian Duerksen, Joanna Lovett, Olympia Komianos, CraftedVan, Good Mallows, Heather Konschuh, Zed Handmade & Charmian Nimmo!

Tickets include 4 tasters of beer & a 4oz tasting glass to take home.
Tax receipts issued for a portion of the ticket price.
$37 Regular 

Additional tasting tokens are available for purchase during the evening for $1.25 each

Click here for a list of participating breweries and artists.

Participating breweries' logos

Not You Banner

Craftedvan

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“We focus on creating characters that cheer you up and always stay where you’ve last left them.” Craftedvan specializes in magnetic bookmarks, magnets, and cards.

Goodmallows

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The all natural marshmallows that are on a mission to bring a whole new level of appreciation to everyone’s favourite squishy sweet. With flavours inspired by everything we love to eat, they are memories and smiles in a single bite.

Joanna Lovett

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“The west coast of British Columbia Canada has always been my home and I have been involved in jewelry making for most of my life. As my work progresses and evolves, I have become increasingly focused on the world around me. My pieces capture both my love of nature and of the materials I work with.”

Julian Duerksen

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Julian Duerksen is intrigued by the ancient craft of glassblowing which has grown into a modern day art form requiring technical skill, physical stamina, and persistence. He works from his studio in Burnaby, BC, in Canada’s Pacific Northwest, where he creates glass objects and stemware with close attention to artistic and technical detail. He is intrigued by the vibrancy of lushly coloured glass as well as by the clean and simple reflective qualities of clear glass.

Olympia Komianos

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“I create jewellery which inspires my soul, my mind and all that radiates from my heart out of silver and gold. I am not shy to express that the pieces I create ignite the fervour within. My work is eclectic yet contemporary and has a touch of pizzazz. I love movement and feel; I adorn my pieces with balls, with texture, and some have a splash of patina.”

Heather Konschuh

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Internationally recognized Canadian artist, Heather Konschuh is actively making her glass work and instructing at Terminal City Glass Co-op in Vancouver, BC. Her wide portfolio includes flowing forms and vibrantly coloured hand blown and sculptural glass pieces.

Zed Handmade

Zed Handmade

Zed Handmade is a small independent studio based in South Surrey, Canada. All Zed pieces are designed and hand knit by Diane Zwickel, using 100% Peruvian Highland sheep and alpaca yarn and fair trade Uruguay merino wool. The designs, colour palette and attention to detail reflect a love of texture , organic colours and natural fibres.

Bev Ellis

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Accomplished painter, mixed media artist, ceramic sculptor, and jewelry designer, Bev’s artwork is in university, television, corporate and private collections.  Bev studied Fine Arts at UCFV, where she took a major interest in painting, printmaking and ceramic sculpture.  She continues to take courses and create.

This is a 19+ event

With thanks to our media sponsor – The Georgia Straight!

 

I will be at this event and I hope to see lots of familiar faces!  Purchase you tickets from the link below!

Eventbrite tickets

BC Beer Awards 2016 / Beer Festival – October 15th 2016

by Mike

With October brings BC Craft Beer Month and with that brings the BC Beer Awards.  Once again this year the awards ceremony and beer festival were held at the Croatian Cultural Centre.  This year the event was held on October 15th just a little earlier than last year.

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I have been attending the BC Beer awards for many years now and it seems to be getting better and better.  With the industry exploding like it is in the province this event will only get better.  Much like always the event began at 4pm and ended at 9pm.  The festival was once again in two room and even had some beer pouring in the front entrance area.  This year there were 75 breweries pouring beer at the festival and 5 cideries.

Breweries pouring at the event:  4 Mile Brewing, Andina Brewing, Arrowhead Brewing, Barkerville Brewing, Big Ridge Brewing, Big Rock Urban Brewery, Brewhouse Whistler, Bomber Brewing, Brassneck, Bridge Brewing, Callister Brewing, Cannery Brewing, Canuck Empire, Category 12 Brewing, Central City Brewers & Distillers, Coal Harbour Brewing, Dageraad, Dead Frog Brewery, Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers, Doan’s Craft Brewing Company, Dogwood Brewing, Driftwood Brewery, Fernie Brewing, Feild House Brewing, Foamers Folly, Four Winds Brewing, Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks, Granville Island Brewing, Hearthstone Brewery, Howe Sound Brewing, Hoyne Brewing, KPU Brewering and Brewery Operations Diploma, Longwood Brewery, Luppolo Brewing, Main Street Brewing, Mission Springs Brewing, Moody ALes, Moon Under Water, Off The Rail Brewing, Old Yale Brewing, Pacific Western Brewing, Parallel 49 Brewing, Parkside Brewery, Persephone Brewing, Phillips Brewing, Postmark Brewing, Powell Street Craft Brewery, Prohibition, R&B Brewing, Real Cask, Ravens Brewing, Red Arrow Brewing, Red Truck Beer, Ridge Brewing, Rossland Beer Company, Russell Brewing, Saltspring Island Ales, Spinnakers Brewing, Stanley Park, Steamworks, Steel & Oak Brewing, Strange Fellows Brewing, Strathcona Beer Company, Swans, Tree Brewing, Tofino Brewing, Townsite Brewing, Trading Post, Twa Dogs, Twin Sails Brewing, Vancouver Island Brewery, Whistler Brewing, White Sails Brewing, Yaletown Brewing and Yellow Dog Brewing.  The Cideries were Left Field Cider, BC Tree Fruits, Tod Creek Craft Cider, Sunday Cider and Dominion Cider Co.

Stephen Quinn from CBC Radio was once again the voice of the BC Beer Awards this year.  This year 83 breweries entered beers into the competition and there were 750 different beers entered.  Once again this was more breweries entering beer up from 70 last year.  Its nice to see that once again this year more breweries have come out to try their luck.  Instead of doing the awards at the end of the night this year they started it near the beginning.  Lets get to the winning beers of the year!

International Lager

1: 33 Acres of Darkness (33 Acres Brewing Company)
2: Vienna Lager (Moody Ales)
3: Red Racer Pils (Central City Brewers + Distillers)

German Pale Lager

1: Red Racer Old School Lager (Central City Brewers + Distillers)
2: Keller Pilsner (Persephone Brewing Company)
3: Steamworks Pilsner (Steamworks Brewing Company)

Kölsch

1: Steamworks Kölsch (Steamworks Brewing Company)
2: High Country Kölsch (Mt. Begbie Brewing Co.)
3: Arctic Kölsch (Swans Brewery)

German Amber Beer

1: Gladstone Altbier (Gladstone Brewing Co.)
2:  Vienna Lager (R&B Brewing Co.)

3: Potts Pils (Moon Under Water Brewery & Pub)

European Dark Beer

1: Dark Lager (Steel & Oak Brewing Co.)

2: Baltic Porter (Cannery Brewing Company)

3: Red Racer Dopplebock (Central City Brewers + Distillers)
Honorable Mention:  Brewmaster’s Black Lager (Okanagan Spring Brewery)

German Wheat Beer

1: Demimondaine Dunkelweizen (Barkerville Brewing Co.)
2: This is Hefeweizen (Moon Under Water Brewery & Pub)

3: Weizenbock (Steel & Oak Brewing Co.)

British Bitter

1: English Bitter (Foamers’ Folly Brewing Co.)
2: Red Devil Ale (R&B Brewing Co.)

3: Beacon ESB (Lighthouse Brewing Company)

British Pale Ale

1: Clover IPA (Big Ridge Brewing Co.)

2: Paddywhack Organic IPA (Nelson Brewing Company)

3: English IPA (Strathcona Beer Company)

British Brown Ale

1: After Dark Ale (Nelson Brewing Company)
2: Tall Timber Ale (Mt. Begbie Brewing Co.)
3: Aethelred the Mild (Foamers’ Folly Brewing Co.)

Scottish and Irish Ales

1: Classic Scotch (Steamworks Brewpub)
2: Irish Stout (Ravens Brewing Company)
3: 1880 Export Stout (Moody Ales)

British Stout

1: 52 Foot Stout (Barkerville Brewing Co.)

2: Perfect Storm (Townsite Brewing Inc.)
3: 710 Oaked Stout (Faculty Brewing Co.)

Strong Ale

1: Thor’s Hammer (Central City Brewers + Distillers)

2: Wee Heavy (Persephone Brewing Company)
3: Wobbly Bob (Red Collar Brewing Company)

Fruit Beer

1: Pinot Noir Raspberry Blonde (Tin Whistle Brewing Company)
2: Red Truck Raspberry Ale (Red Truck Beer Company)
3: Tropic Vice (Dead Frog Brewery)

Spiced Beer

1: Jackline Rhubarb Grissette (Lighthouse Brewing Company)
2: Spruce Tree Ale (Tofino Brewing Company)

3: Hibiscus Wit (Brassneck Brewery)

Smoke and Wood Aged Beer

1: Entropy Series No. 1 (Dageraad Brewing)
2: Inertia II (Brassneck Brewery)
3: Thor’s Hammer Bourbon Barrel Aged (Central City Brewers + Distillers)

Specialty Beer

1: Roggen Weizen (Steel & Oak Brewing Co.)
2: Londen (Dageraad Brewing)
3: Sour Wheat Gose (Field House Brewing Co.)

North American Light Beer

1: Hooligan Organic Pilsner (Nelson Brewing Company)
2: Jerkface 9000 (Parallel 49 Brewing Co.)
3: Cypress Honey Lager (Granville Island Brewing)

North American Blonde Ale

1: Organic Wild Honey Ale (Nelson Brewing Company)
2: Postmark Blonde (Postmark Brewing)
3: Dutch Pale Ale (Field House Brewing Co.)

North American Pale Ale

1: Chase My Tail Pale Ale (Yellow Dog Brewing Co.)
2: One Hop Mind (Callister Brewing Company)
3: East Side Bitter (R&B Brewing Co.)

North American Amber Ale

1: 33 Acres of Life (33 Acres Brewing Company)
2: Troller Bay Ale (Howe Sound Brewing)

3: Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale (Tree Brewing Co.)

North American Brown Ale

1: Bandit Brown (Foamers’ Folly Brewing Co.)

2: Slipstream (Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.)

3: Kim-Ach-Touch Ale (Tree Brewing Co.)

North American Porter and Stout

1: Commander Imperial Stout (Dead Frog Brewery)

2: Stag and Pheasant Imperial Stout (Main Street Brewing Company)

3: Russian Imperial Stout (Moody Ales)

North American IPA

1: Flagship IPA (Steamworks Brewing Company)

2: Play Dead IPA (Yellow Dog Brewing Co.)

3: The Ultra Deluxe (Boombox Brewing)

Specialty IPA

1: Blonde IPA (Dageraad Brewing)
2: White ISA (Red Truck Beer Company)
3: YVR ISA (Steamworks Brewing Company)

Imperial IPA

1: 187 On An Undercover Hop (Parallel 49 Brewing Co.)

2: Cosmic Wave Double IPA (Tofino Brewing Company)
3: Second Anniversary Double IPA (Main Street Brewing Company)

Belgian Ale

1: Jongleur Wit (Strange Fellows Brewing Company)
2: Bier de Garde (Old Abbey Ales)
3: White Gold Witbier (Barkerville Brewing Co.)

Belgian Strong Ale

1: Dageraad Blonde (Dageraad Brewing)

2: Saison #7 (Main Street Brewing Company)
3: Old Barn Saison (Fernie Brewing Company)

Trappist Ale

1: 33 Acres of Euphoria (33 Acres Brewing Company)
2: Central City Belgian Strong (Central City Brewers + Distillers)
3: 10 Degrees (Dageraad Brewing)
Honorable Mention: 8 Degrees (Dageraad Brewing)

European Sour Ale

1: Raynard (Strange Fellows Brewing Company)

2: Cantus Fermus (Main Street Brewing Company)

3: Bizarro (Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.)

North American Wild Ale

1: Bodhisattva (Parallel 49 Brewing Co.)
2: Sour Raspberry (Old Abbey Ales)
3: Little Red One (Strange Fellows Brewing Company)

Best in Show

Flagship IPA (Steamworks Brewing Company)

Richards Buell Sutton LLP Rookie of the Year Award

Field House Brewing Co.

Dan Small Homebrew Award

Sho Ogawa and Novia Chen

CBC People’s Choice Award

Pablo Esco Gnar IPA, Boombox Brewing Company

Timber Brewers Challenge

Old Money Mild, Brassneck Brewery

This year’s Best of Show Flagship IPA is even more exciting as Julia Hanlon of Steamworks becomes the first female Head Brewer in BC to win this award!  A huge congratulations is in order for this!

Once the awards finished everyone went back to enjoying the beer that was on hand.  This was once again an amazing event with amazing beer being poured as well as great people be it craft beer fans or brewery staff.  Every year this event gets bigger and better!  Here is to another year of sticking it to the flavourless garbage that macro breweries make.

Once again like last year I helped set the festival up between 10:30am and 3pm.  It makes the festival even more fun when you are able to get involved in any part of the event.