- The Beer Loop
- Posts
- Pucker up, enjoy the powder, and pour this imperial stout
Pucker up, enjoy the powder, and pour this imperial stout
Also, we're launching our premium membership with a crazy deal
Joseph Lavoie
January 20, 2023
Happy Friday!
We're making some changes to The Beer Loop, in recognition of the diversity of readers we have. You can read the details further below, but the short story is this:
You will continue to get this Friday edition of The Beer Loop as you have been. We know that the new beer release list is what many of you love. We also know that for many of you, one email per week is more than enough beer content.
If you love our Tuesday deep dives (style explorers, curated mix-packs, beer pairings, etc.), we're making this content available to our premium members, starting on January 31. And we'll have an awesome welcome perk for those who sign up!
Details below.
As always, you'll find this week's list of new beer releases and upcoming events to make the most of the weekend. Enjoy!
– Joseph Lavoie
BRINGING YOU THE BEST BEER CONTENT
Since launching the Beer Loop in May 2022, we've been constantly evolving the newsletter to bring you BC beer news you want, while also looking to enhance your enjoyment of craft beer.
Since our launch, we have conducted reader surveys and paid close attention to the feedback you give us every week. As more people subscribe to the Beer Loop, two things have become apparent:
We have two types of readers:
Those who want to stay on top of new releases and want to know what's going on at their favourite breweries. If you're in this group, one newsletter/week is perfectly fine by you.
Others who want the new released, but also love to explore beer in a deeper way with our topic-specific deep dives like style explorers, beer pairings, curated mix-packs, beers of the month, etc. If you're in this second group, you love getting two newsletters/week from us, and it shows.
We want to serve both of these groups, but that means we need to make some changes:
Let's start with the first group. That's everyone. If you love getting these Friday beer releases and weekend events, you don't need to lift a finger. You'll get one more Tuesday edition (January 24), and after that, you'll see us once per week in your inbox on Friday mornings.
If you love our deeper content, you can unlock that content by becoming a premium subscriber, and for the next month, we're offering you a discount that we'll never offer again: 40%. The deal ends February 8. You'll also get a 25-page guide to tasting beer like a pro as a welcome gift.
As you (hopefully) see, we invest a lot of our time to bring you The Beer Loop. To continue investing this time, and to continue expanding our content offering to you, we look forward to using your support to bring you even better content.
Now, back to the show!
FEATURED NEW BEER RELEASES
Pucker up for winter
Another Beer Company in New West insists that sours have a place in these dark and cold winter months. To convince you, the brewery is bringing back a staff favourite, out today. Called Brew, this peach and blackberry pastry stout was brewed with Canadian pilsner malt, flaked malt oats, red wheat, acidulated malt, milk sugar, and dark Belgian candy syrup. Oh, and conditioned on cinnamon and vanilla. Wow.
Available: On tap at the brewery and in 473ml cans.
Powder keg of tropical fruit
Dead Frog Brewing's latest single batch IPA is a hazy one with juicy tropical citrus, grape, and passion fruit flavours. How were those flavours derived? Hop powder. Specifically Phantasm powder. What is that? An extraction made from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc grapes that are incredibly rich in Thiol precursors. When added to a fermenting beer, they this powder unleashed tropical fruit aromas.
Available: Tomorrow, fresh on tap at the brewery, shipping out to liquor stores in 4-packs.
Also, if you're at the brewery tomorrow, Dead Frog is offering a one-day only deal. Buy one 4-pack of this IPA and get 15% off any second 4-pack.
Pour me an imperial stout with a very long name
Every brewery has a creative twist. Backcountry's twist? Other thank cranking out an impressive number of new releases every week, it's the absurd names they assign their beers. This time, we are blessed with "I Don’t Know Half Of You Half As Well As I Should Like: And I Like Half Of You Half As Well As You Deserve." If you can decipher that one, hit me up with a reply. Otherwise, here's why this one caught my eye:
12% ABV
Barrel-aged
Conditioned on chocolate
Plus cinnamon, cayenne, and coconut
Available: In single cans at the brewery, starting today, shipping out to select retailers next week.
ADDITIONAL BEER RELEASES
Lagers
Oooooh, here's a rare find in BC: a Dortmunder. Such an under-appreciated style. Alberni Brewing has a 5.5% version made with German malts and hops.
Small Gods and Luppolo collaborated to make Spaceman of Bohemia, a Czech Lager made with floor-malted Czech malt and old-world Saaz hops.
Ales
The Moon Under Water Brewery has a new Double IPA made with local malt, featuring bright notes of pine, grapefruit and lime.
Beachfire Brewing's latest concoction is a hibiscus orange pale ale.
If you love Belgian ales, Bayview Brewing is bringing back its award-winning Blanche Devereaux, loaded with peach and apricot.
Because an intense imperial stout wasn't enough for one week, Backcountry also released a pale ale yesterday as an ode to skiers.
Sours
Field House released Strawberry Mango Creamsicle Sour yesterday. The colour looks incredible.
Bright Eye conditioned this sour on buckets of strawberry purée for a tart beer available in growlers. The colour also looks incredible on this one.
Casks
It's Cask Friday at Copper Brewing. Tonight's cask? Hazy Orange Julius.
A NOTE FROM OUR FRIENDS
Insider restaurants from a restaurant insider
Anyone else tired of Instagram listicles? Us too.
Vancity Lookout is a free newsletter that breaks down the best restaurants and food in Vancouver from people in the industry. No lame listicles or basic Instagram stories. It's reviews by people who know and love good food.
Best of all? It's totally free. Subscribe today to start getting the best local food news in your inbox.
GET UP TO SOMETHING GOOD
This Weekend's Events
🍽️ Dine Out Vancouver kicks offt oday and many local breweries are participating. We found Jamie Mah's perspective on the restaurant festival interesting.
🎶 Rusted Rake Brewing is hosting a night of music tomorrow from 530-730pm.
🎶 It's Sunday Funday at Langley's Smuggler's Trail.
🧠 If you're in Chilliwack, can you name that tune at Old Yale?
Upcoming Events
Field House is turning seven years old and is planning seven straight days of celebrations, starting Monday. Seven years? That's like 49 years in brewery years. Congrats guys!
🏃Steel & Oak hosts a run club every Wednesday night. Run 3km or 5km to earn that beer!
🎤 Comedy night at Container Brewing returns tonight. New dates to come. Tickets here.
♟️ Container Brewing is hosting a regular games night, with the next sessions taking place on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Seating is limited, so you'll need to get a ticket.
🎶 Patina Brewing has your music needs covered on January 25.
Ace Brewing is hosting a Lord of the Rings Trivia Night on January 26.
✨ Dragged Out Sunday makes its return to Farm Country on January 29.
🏴 Kilt Night Caskets makes a return to Smuggler's Trail on January 29.
🧘 Patina Brewing is hosting a mindful beer tasting yoga class monthly on Saturdays. The next sessions are on January 28, February 18, and March 11.
Il Centro is hosting a beer tasting event on February 9, featuring Luppolo, Container, Powell Brewery, and East Van Brewing Company.
🧘Container Brewing is also offering a Beer Yoga session on February 25.
⚽ Cumberland Brewing Co. has Foosball Tuesdays for the entire month of January and February, starting at 3pm. Bring a partner or come solo.
Long-term planning
🧺 Have you been tasked with organizing your next corporate event? The folks at Barnside have an idea for you: dinner in Between the Hop Bines in August.
Want to have your brewery event featured? Reply to this email with details.
🕹️ GAME TIME
Last week, we wondered if you've discovered which type of beer is the French cousin to saison? The Answer? Biere de Garde.
This week, we can't stop thinking about a naturally carbonated keg.
READER MAIL BAG
We love getting your feedback. It helps us make The Beer Loop your favourite source for BC Beer News. Plus, it just puts a smile on our face. Thanks CPMJ! And good news, we're working on something special to help heighten your beer tasting experience. Details coming next week!
I need to refer to this content more when I'm trying a new beer!