Beerlesque 3 – September 20th 2013


On Friday September 20th, 2013 the third annual Beerlesque was held.  Like last year the event was held at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown an area of Downtown Vancouver.  The event was put on by Vancouver Craft Beer Week and The Donnely Group.  The tickets once again cost $55 but included everything but the food.  One wrinkle this year was that with your ticket purchase you had to choose a time slot for the Burlesque proformance.  There was a 7pm and 9pm show but the event ran from 6pm-11pm.  All the action was shown on big screens in the main hall so that you could see everything going on in the theatre.

l

The breweries at the event included Lighthouse, Bridge Brewing, Red Truck, Russell, Driftwood, Phillips, Deep Cove, Steamworks, Vancouver Island, Storm, Hoyne, Central City, Parallel 49, Steam Whistle and New Belgium (Colorado USA).  All were pouring amazing beer but my pick as best beer was Storm Brewing’s Cherry Lambic.

Partial Beer List
Driftwood Brewery – Fat Tug IPABridge Brewing Company – North Shore Pale Ale, Hopilano IPA
Storm Brewing – Cherry Lambic, Black Plague Stout w/ Whiskey, Hurricane IPA
Vancouver Island Brewing – Storm Watcher, High Tail Honey Ale, Hermans Dark Lager, Seadog Amber

IMG_00001638

Like always there were great Entertainers at this amazing event including The Danger Thrill Show with Neil E. Dee, Rebel Valentine, Lola Frost, Burgundy Brixx, callio p cock,  Lydia DeCarllo, Nicky Ninedoors, and a drag show featuring local Brew Masters.  The brewmaster drag show was a ton of fun and all 4 guys showed a ton of balls including James (Jamey Storm) of Storm Brewing, Adam Chatburn the President of Camra Vancouver, Scott Butchart (Tamara Tuggit) of Van Brewers and Shae DeJaray of Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers.

7:00 PM*
Danger Thrill Show
Teresa Marie (ukulele performance)
callio p cock (burlesque)
Lola Frost (burlesque)
Burgundy Brixx (burlesque)

9:00 PM*
Drag Show
Lydia DeCarllo (burlesque)
Rebel Valentine (burlesque)
Nicky NineDoors (burlesque)

Like last year this was an amazing event with lots of amazing people, breweries and performers!  I look forward to next years festivities.

Full sized photos can be found here
Mikescraftbeer Flickr

Beautiful Brewers Of British Columbia (2014 Calendar)


I am always a fan of a good fundraiser especially when the cause hits close to home.  This year 12 local BC breweries and the Photographer Stacey Aumonier got together and put together a calendar to raise money for the BC Cancer Foundation.

SAP_COVER

The twelve breweries involved are Deep Cove, Howe Sound, Tofino, Coal Harbour, Central City (Red Racer), Moon Under Water, Hoyne, Parallel 49, R&B, Spinnakers, Vancouver Island and Storm Brewing.  This is a very tasteful nude calendar and a ton of fun!

A great example of what this calendar is about is the July photo.  Here you will find James and Heather of Storm Brewing in Vancouver in the hot tub…. I mean mash tun.

SAP_STORM

This calendar will be available at all 12 breweries as well as Legacy Liquor Store (Vancouver) and Cannery Cold Beer and Wine (Sidney).  The calendar will also be available elsewhere and I will update this post if I can find out where.  So go out and pick up a copy of the Calendar for you and all your friends and help Cancer Research while you are at it!  I can not wait to hang my copy on the wall and I look forward to a 2015 edition too!

Both Photos used with permission of the Photographer and were both sent to me by Stacey.  Please do not download these photos as the copy writes are owned by her.

BC Beer Awards 2012 / CAMRA’s Harvest Cask Festival – October 13th 2012


On October 13th, 2012 the Third Annual British Columbia Beer Awards & CAMRA Harvest Cask Festival was held at Chapel Arts in Vancouver BC.  This event was put on by a partnership of British Columbia Beer Awards, British Columbia Craft Beer Month and CAMRA British Columbia.  This is an amazing event put on to celebrate all the amazing beer being produced across this vast Province!

   

First off I would also like to thank the following people!

“Brewery Creek Liquor Store (for their support)

CAMRA BC / CAMRA Vancouver (for their hard work)

BC Craft Beer Month (for their partnership)

Chrislan Ceramics (for the amazing handles)

Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (for providing space for judging)

Chapel Arts (for being an amazing venue)

Jonathan Lloyd Walker (for being an engaging host)”

Both Steve and I attended this event for the first time and did not know what to expect.  The doors to the event opened at 1pm on the first real torrential downpour of the year (what a good day to stay in and drink!).  The day started off with the Cask Festival which included beer from the following breweries: Big Ridge, Coal Harbour, Driftwood, Granville Island, Howe Sound, Hoyne, Lighthouse, Old Yale, Parallel 49, Phillips, R&B, Red Racer (Central City), Red Truck, Spinnakers, Steamworks, Storm, Townsite, Tree, Vancouver Island and Yaletown.  At events like this you will never find a more friendly and interesting crowd that loves to mingle and chat about craft beer.  Be it Brewmasters, CAMRA Directors or just good old beer enthusiasts, there was always great conversation to go along with the amazing beer.  Every beer was available for tasting excluding the one cask of Driftwood’s “Sartori Harvest IPA” seemingly the current holy grail of BC beer.  This beer was only available to CAMRA BC members.  I joined CAMRA just for the taste (Glad I did too!) as well as all the other benefits.  Breakdowns of all the beer tasted at this event will trickle onto the blog as it is written.  Thank you to everyone that took the time to stop and chat, you all made for a great time!  It was especially great to meet and talk with both Sean Hoyne and Gary Lohin for the first time, two amazing brewmasters and all around great people.

The award ceremony started at 3:45pm in the main hall area of Chapel Arts.  The award presenter was Jonathan Lloyd Walker a BC/LA based actor, screen writer and creative producer.  During the proceedings Jonathan Walker had some great jokes and made the proceedings go very smoothly but it was a good thing the event was 19+.  This year hosted a record number of entrants from Breweries to Brew Pubs.  The Judging was done on September 29th 2012 at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.  12 beer categories were judged by certified Beer Judges, Cicerones, Sommeliers and noted beer and food lovers according to the program.

Without further ado here are this years winners of the BC Beer Awards:Best of Show – Steamworks Pilsner -Conrad Gmoser of Steamworks Brewing Company

Lager/Pilsner – 22 Beers

1.) Steamworks Pilsner – Conrad Gmoser of Steamworks Brewing Company

 2.) Beach Blonde Lager – Stefan Buhl of Tree Brewing Company

 3.) Kelowna Pilsner – Stefan Buhl of Tree Brewing Company

 

Special Lager – 8 Beers

1.) Brewmaster’s Black – Stefan Tobler of Okanagan Spring Brewery

 2.) Hermann’s Dark Lager – Ralf Pittroff of Vancouver Island Brewery

 3.) Iron Plow Harvest Marzen – Ralf Pittroff of Vancouver Island Brewery

 

Session – 17 Beers

1.) High Country Kolsch -Bart Larson of Mt. Begbie Brewing Company

 2.) Seadog Amber Ale – Ralf Pittroff of Vancouver Island Brewery

 3.) Begbie Cream Ale -Bart Larson of Mt. Begbie Brewing Company

 

Wheat/Rye – 22 Beers

1.) Belgian White – Dean Mcleod of Lighthouse Brewing Company

 2.) King Heffy Imperial Hefeweizen – Paul Wilson and Franco Corno of Howe Sound Brewing Company

 3.) White Bark Ale – Jason Meyer and Kevin Hearsum of Driftwood Brewing Company

 

Pale – 41 Beers

1.) Red Racer Classic Pale Ale – Gary Lohin of Central City Brewing Company

 2.) Salt Spring ESB – Murray Hunter of Gulf Island Brewing

 3.) River Rock Bitter – Daniel Murphy of Canoe Brewpub

 

Cascadian Dark Ale – 4 Beers

1.) Skookum Cascadian Brown Ale – Matt Phillips of Phillips Brewing Company

 2.) Gathering Storm Cascadian Dark Ale – Paul Wilson and Franco Corno of Howe Sound Brewing Company

 3.) Cascadia Dark Ale – Tommie Grant of Spinnakers Brewpub and GuestHouses

 

Porter/Brown – 24 Beers

1.) Pow Town – Cedric Dauchot of Townsite Brewing Inc

 2.) Dark Chocolate Porter – Dean Mcleod of Lighthouse Brewing Company

 3.) Longboat Chocolate Porter – Matt Phillips of Phillips Brewing Company

 

Scottish/Irish – 3 Beers

1.) Big Caboose Red Ale – Gord Demaniuk of Fernie Brewing Company

 

Fruit – 15 Beers

1.) Blackberry Festivale – Cedric Dauchot of Townsite Brewing Inc

 2.) 4 Way Fruit Ale – Paul Wilson and Franco Corno of Howe Sound Brewing Company

 3.) Seedspitter Watermelon Wit – Graham With of Parallel 49 Brewing Company

 

Stout – 14 Beers

1.) Keepers Stout – Dean Mcleod of Lighthouse Brewing Company

 2.) Pothole Filler Imperial Stout – Paul Wilson and Franco Corno of Howe Sound Brewing Company

 3.) Singularity – Jason Meyer and Kevin Hearsum of Driftwood Brewing Company

 

IPA – 36 Beers

1.) 5 Rings IPA – Derrick Franche of High Mountian Brewing Company

 2.) Central City Imperial IPA – Gary Lohin of Central City Brewing Company

 3.) Red Racer IPA – Gary Lohin of Central City Brewing Company

 

Sour/Brett – 4 Beers

1.) Oud Bruin – Iain Hill of Yaletown Brewing Company

 2.) Bird Of Prey Flanders Red – Jason Meyer and Kevin Hearsum of Driftwood Brewing Company

 3.) Imperial Flanders – James Walton of Storm Brewing Ltd

 

Specialty – 20 Beers

1.) Smoke & Mirrors Imperial Smoked Ale – Kevin Emms of Coal Harbour Brewing

 2.) Serendipity #5 – Stefan Buhl of Tree Brewing Company

 3.) Schadenfreude Pumpkin Oktoberfest – Graham With of Parallel 49 Brewing Company

 

Strong – 7 Beers

1.) Hermannator Ice Bock – Ralf Pittroff of Vancouver Island Brewery

 2.) Old Cellar Dweller 2012 – Jason Meyer and Kevin Hearsum of Driftwood Brewing Company

 3.) Bourbon Barrel Aged Thor’s Hammer – Gary Lohin of Central City Brewing Company

And the People’s Choice Award went to

Belgian Quince IPA Cask – Lighthouse Brewing

After the awards were all handed out the cask festival went right back into full swing and ran until 7pm.  This left lots of time to congratulate all the deserving winners on their awards.  I would also like to congratulate both Parallel 49 Brewing and Townsite Brewing on both winning awards in their first year of operation.  Keep up the amazing work!

Sorry I did not bring my good camera to this event so the photos are not quite as good.

Thanks for reading!

Larger photos can be found her
https://plus.google.com/?hl=en-GB&gpsrc=gplp0#109863378309652904212/posts

Beerlesque 2 – September 21st 2012


On September 21st 2012 the second annual Beerlesque event was held at the Roundhouse Community Centre in the Yaletown area of Vancouver.  Put on by Vancouver Craft Beer Week and Giles this event brought two of the best things in life together, Craft Beer and Burlesque.  The event cost $55 but all the beer and entertainment was included only food was extra.  The main area of the centre was set up with brewery tables with taps and a few booths with stuff for sale on 3 of 4 sides.  On the 4th side was a stage that had a great live band called Blackberry Wood playing music while there were no shows going on in the theatre.  The theatre was where all of the burlesque and other shows were held.  There was also a photo booth set up in one corner for people to have their photos takin in their amazing outfits!  Just outside the back doors there were come great food carts set up for people to chow down between sips of beer.  Both Steve and I of Mikescraftbeer.com were on site for this wonderful event along with my Step Brother Matt and Steve’s Finance Sarah.

There were 13 breweries on site for this amazing event including the following from BC Storm, Central City, Tofino, Big Ridge, Brewhouse Whistler, Red Truck, Steamworks, Lighthouse, Howe Sound, Driftwood, Parallel 49 and from the USA Elysian, Green Flash (Via Beerthirst).  No beer at this event was worse than really good but that is just how the scene in BC is getting these days! It is getting rare to find a sub par local beer.  My personal highlights of the event were poured by the owner of Storm Brewing both the Basil infused India Pale Ale and the Whiskey soaked vanilla bean scottish ale.  Everyone was showcasing their pumpkin beer as well as it is getting into the fall season even if it does not yet feel like it here in Metro Vancouver.

The nights entertainment started with a comic strip show a 3 man funny strip show with comic interludes and some crowd participation.  Even the men of the crowd really had fun with this trio even if they were half-naked.  Next up there was a weird clown show with the clowns Twit and Twat.  This show was a bit odd and we went out for more beer during their piece.  After that there was the   Danger Thrill Show with some great thrills including darts being thrown into the guys back!  Yikes!!!  There was a break in the entertainment after this where the band Blackberry Wood played some more.  Once back in the theatre the burlesque started with well known ladies including Burgundy Brixx, Melody Mangler, Nicky Ninedoors, Jenny Magenta, Rebel Valentine, and Diamond Minx.  In the middle of the burlesque there was a break where a corset fashion show took place.  The tastles flew and the fashion was great as would be expected!  The last show was amazing where the dancer stripped down and then redressed in a different outfit in a very sexy way all while singing!

Once the entertainment was done everyone went back out in the hall and enjoyed more beer!  there was also a raffle with some wonderful prizes and a contest for the best dressed person.  All in all this was one amazing event and I can not wait for next years festivities.

Thank you Giles and Vancouver Craft Beer Week!

Full set of photos will be available in future but here is 183 or 600+

Google+ Gallery with Larger Photos