Pucker up with this wave of sour beers

Happy Friday!

I was going to write a whole section on artificial intelligence and its potential impact on the beer industry. But then I was worried I might bore you to sleep. Instead, I’ll just drop this here.

In today’s issue:

• We have our latest curated mix-pack

• Our new beer release list contains 21 new beers

• You confirm that you’re exceptionally polite when served bad beer

• We have a new section with tasting notes of beers we’ve enjoyed recently

Enjoy the weekend!

— Joseph Lavoie

FEATURED NEW BEER RELEASE

Belligerent Collaboration

Gosh, I hope none of that delicious-looking beer was lost during the photo shoot. This collaboration between Dageraad and Brassneck looks highly intoxicating. The Edge of Belligerence was intended to make a splash. It comes in at a whopping 11.9% and promises “rich coffee and indulgent cacao…while a subtle hint of liquorice adds a depth of complexity that calls you back to the edge over and over and over again.”

Available: 4-packs and on tap at Dageraad. Coming to stores next week. You can also pre-order online.

IPAs

• Small Gods has brewed a cross between Saison and Hazy IPA. It was brewed with a load of New-Zealand-grown Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, and Rakau hops. That means, you should expect flavours reminiscent of white grape, citrus, and stone fruit.

• Container has a new version of Cloud Theory, an IPA served on nitro that we loved when we enjoyed the last version. This one was made with Motueaka and Luminous hops.

• Container also dropped Fresh Horizons, a hazy IPA with bright citrus, lime, pineapple, and guava flavours with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel.

• Dageraad’s second new release is the brewery’s first DIPA in its biotransformed IPA series. New Slang 4 was hopped with Amarillo and Sultana “for an assertive hop profile that balances citrus and tropical fruit with resinous pine.

• Backcountry is bringing back “Everything’s Coming Up Milhouse”, a West Coast IPA, today. This one is hopped with an aggressive amount of Citra and Mosaic.

• Five Roads is celebrating International Women's Day with a new Hazy IPA that will also be served at Farm Country’s tap takeover (see the events listings)

Lagers

• Field House’s Salted Lime Mexican Lager dropped yesterday. Light, clean, and crisp, with the addition of lime and salt.

• Backcountry’s also getting into the Mexican lager game, holding the lime and salt so you can season it to your taste.

• Parallel 49 has a fun new mix-pack that takes you on a world tour. It includes four different types of Pilsner: American, Australian, Italian, and French. Making its way to liquor stores.

Stouts

• The Camp S’more Stout is back at Camp Beer Co, with loads of sweet chocolate and vanilla bean flavours.

Sours

• Parkside’s newest sour is a mango lassi dry-hopped treat.

• Luppolo’s single-keg Blasfema Smoothie Sour will likely run out by Sunday, so if you love raspberry, strawberry and blackberry flavours, check out the ridiculously enticing colour of this beer.

• Bayview Brewing, because of popular demand, is bringing back Dilly Idol, a Dill Pickle Gose. You read that right. Dill pickle.

• Coast Mountain has a new raspberry Gose brewed with sea salt and raspberry purée. Only 3.4% so it’s crushable.

• Driftwood kept us waiting a long time for De Aurus, a wheat sour that spent 3.5 years conditioning in Chardonnay barrels. It’s bursting with flavours of pear, apples, and orchard fruit.

• Barnside is celebrating cherry blossom season (looks out the window, sees snow… 😖)…with a gose made with sour cherries from Aldergrove.

• Luppolo’s Vinello Ramata was fermented on second-use apricots and raspberries with a blend of brett strains.

This month’s mix-pack comes from Cole Staughton, a student at KPU’s brewing operations program and a member of Brookswood Brewing’s front-of-house team. We asked Cole to assemble his ideal mix-pack of BC beers and it’s a great pack for those of you who love IPAs and strong beers!

Cole Staughton’s Curated Mix-Pack

1. Superflux - Colour and Shape

• Why this beer: Colour and Shape is one of my all-time favourite beers. If you’re a fan of a hazy beer style, it has slight Citra hop aromas but a very underrated crispy and refreshing finish. Honestly, the best of both worlds with tropical notes and bitterness!

• When to enjoy it: I can personally enjoy this beer in the summertime. Wether you have finished a great day of golf or you’re spending a day on the boat at the lake, it can be appreciated anytime!

• A great memory: A great memory that I think back on when I discuss this beer is enjoying one for the first time after my summer league soccer game. Very refreshing and rewarding, enjoyed by many laughs.

The rest of the mix-packs contains a Dubbel and two delicious IPAs.

🎧️ PODCAST

In case you missed it

Our first episode of The Beer Talks is available and it’s a fascinating conversation with Aaron Jonckheere, co-founder of Strange Fellows. Aaron covers:

• How he and his business partner almost broke off the project because of a disagreement on what to name the brewery

• The highs and lows of launching a brewery

• Who you should recruit on your brewery startup dream team

• And his two favourite Strange Fellows beers

You can listen and subscribe here. Also available on Spotify. Episode Two drops next week.

ETIQUETTE

Last week we asked you how you handle yourself when you’re at a bar and realize the beer you’re sipping is off.

When you have an off beer at a pub or restaurant…

⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ (0%) 😱 I shriek in horror, make a scene, and demand a free replacement

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 (83%) 🙇 I apologize to the bartender for not liking this beer as much as I want to

⬛️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ (9%) 😶 Stew in silence because it’s not worth creating a scene

⬛️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ (8%) 🤷‍♀️ M’eh, I just drink it

Your perspective:

• A.P: “I have, on occasion been served a different beer then ordered. I will check to see if what they brought was what I ordered. If it tastes good, I will probably just drink it. Sometimes it will be replaced or given for free. If the beer is bad, it’s most likely the beer lines or a real old keg. Then I would asked for something else. ”

• S.L: “It would take me a while, but I’d probably let the bartender know!”

STOUT AS A SUMMER BEER

It’s almost Saint Patrick’s Day, which means the world will enjoy its fair share of Dry Irish Stout. I often associate stouts with dark cold winter months. Something about those roasted barley and coffee notes and that near-black colour that seems to just work at this time of year.

But I have a friend who loves drinking stout during the summer. Which has me wondering:

Plus, our Style Explorer on Dry Irish Stout, in case you missed it.

Studio Brewing - Infinite Radness

I enjoyed this Helles Lager at the brewery on a quiet Friday afternoon. The chill vibes served a the perfect backdrop for this subtle beer.

It pours with a spectacular clarity and golden colour, bringing to life a grainy-sweet aroma that is accentuated with a touch of herbal spice. Moderately malty on the tongue with a round sweetness supported by a low-hop bitterness. This lager has a medium body, smooth with a clean fermentation profile. It’s the perfect beer when you’re feeling contemplative.

If you only do one thing this weekend

Callister Brewing is hosting an inclusive collaboration brew to celebrate International Women’s Day. Open to women/non-binary folks 19+, the public and industry pros are invited to brew a batch of beer, learn about the brewing process, meet new people, and have a few beers. Mash-in around 10am, wrapping up between 4-6pm. Space is limited, register here.

Also happening this weekend

🍽️ Dine Around Delta kicks off today, with Barnside and Four Winds participating in the festival. Participating restaurants create a fixed price meal at $25, $35, or $45. Barnside is offering a $25 deal for two that includes a chicken fajita flatbread and taster flight or a hopped cheese board and taster flight for 4, at only $35.

🎸 Red Truck has live music tonight and tomorrow from 7-930pm.

Upcoming Events

🎨 Red Arrow is hosting a paint party on March 6th. Tickets $45.

👢 Farm Country Brewing has a tap takeover on International Women’s Day, featuring 9 beers and 1 cider brewed specifically for this one-day event. Proceeds will go to Pink Boots Society and the Ishtar Women’s Resource Society in Langley. March 8.

📚️ Small Gods has a storyteller series that kicks off on March 12. Enjoy an evening of literary readings, featuring: visiting author Janice Lynn Mather (fiction), local poet Kelsey Andrews (poetry), and Small Gods’ resident writer Sierra Skye Gemma (nonfiction). You can reserve your seat here.

📚️ Small Gods is also hosting a book swap on March 20 from 6-8pm. Meet other book lovers and get a chance to trade books with a new friend.

🌭 KPU Langley Campus is hosting Food Truck Wars, with 45+ Food Trucks, a beer garden, and live entertainment from March 31-April 2.

🤣 Five Roads Brewing is hosting comedian Ed Hill on April 15. Tickets $23.

🎪 Brewhalla is back in Fort Langley on Saturday, May 20th for the 6th annual craft beer and music festival.

🤯 Trivia and Games Nights

• Every Monday at Smuggler's Trail in Langley

• Every Tuesday at Old Yale in Chilliwack

• Every Tuesday at Farm Country in Langley

• Every Wednesday at Moody Ales in Port Moody

• Every Thursday at 3 Dogs Brewing in White Rock, it’s music trivia.

• Every Thursday at Small Gods is full deck games night.

• Container hosts game night on the first and third Tuesday of every month.

🏃‍♀️ Run Clubs

• Steel & Oak hosts a run club every Wednesday night. Run 3km or 5km to earn that beer!

• Small Gods invites you to join the Small Gods Production Team every Tuesday evening. Meet at the brewery at 6pm, run around Sidney and return at 7pm to enjoy $1 off the latest beer release.

GAMES

Can you name the big-tent event in this week’s Wordle?

SNOW DAY PAIRINGS

Well, that should be the last of the snow for the year right? If we get another snow day, here’s your pairing cheat sheet.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Beer Loops you may have missed

• The Hidden Recordings, in which we launch our new podcast - read more

• With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, we have a Style Explorer for Dry Irish Stout - read more

• Who was voted top brewery on Vancouver Island? - find out

• Beer Pairing: Chicken and waffles - read more

^{If you didn’t like today’s newsletter, could you let us know why? We’re constantly looking to improve. And if you loved it, tell us why, it’s better than a free beer. Well, almost!}