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Smokin' Monsters and Ales
16 new beer releases, tasting passports and a clash of the Island's top breweries
Joseph Lavoie
February 03, 2023
Happy Friday!
I kegged my latest batch of Dortmunder last night and now I need to wait another four weeks before I can have a taste. That means I’ll have had to wait 8 weeks from brew day to have my first pint. And that had me thinking that we often don’t appreciate how long it takes breweries to get their products to market.
A big congrats to Gerrit from Campbell River who won our monthly draw for a delivery of free beer. How did he enter the draw? By referring one person to The Beer Loop. Congrats Gerrit!
In today’s Beer Loop:
🆕 16 new beer releases
🗳️ A Vancouver Island top brewery playoff battle
🛂 5 new tasting passports
6 weekend events
If you like our work and want to become a premium member with access to members-only content, our inaugural 40% off sale expires February 8.
— Joseph Lavoie
FEATURED NEW BEER RELEASES
Dreamy IPA
@superfluxbeer/Instagram
Later today, Superflux is releasing a fresh batch of Dreamscape IPA. This limited release sold out quickly last time, it has what we’ve come to expect from Superflux. This IPA was brewed exclusively with frozen fresh hop cryo in the dry hop to bring out super juicy notes. Superflux promises notes of “orange juice, clouds, and sweet fuzz.” Sweet fuzz? I have no idea what that means, but it’s not stopping me from making a run to the brewery this weekend…
Available: At Supeflux Cabana for the Islanders, on tap at the brewery in East Van, in 4-packs to go, and in limited amounts at select liquor stores.
Smoked Lager
A-FRAME Brewing put out a seasonal release this week and it’s 🔥. Roche Lake is a smoked lager brewed in the style of Märzen, a German-style lager. It promises rich, toasty, and ready flavours. The use of a light cherry-smoked malt addition gives the beer an elegant smokiness.
Available: on tap at the brewery and in cans. Coming to select liquor stores soon.
A Monster NEIPA
@campbeerco/Instagram
Camp Beer Co has brought back this New England IPA brewed with Comet, Chinook, and Cashmere hops. In other words, you can expect lots of grapefruit and refreshing summer citrus notes.
Available: On tap at the brewery and 4-packs to go. Also available for growler fills.
ADDITIONAL BEER RELEASES
Lagers
Rewind and Parkside have collaborated on a new small-batch Italian Pilsner, out today.
Brassneck’s Kingmaker, Euro-style Pilsner returns to the tasting room this week.
Beere’s Czech-style Pilsner is back in rotation at the brewery and select liquor stores.
Ales and Stouts
Slackwater’s latest release is a dark, medium-bodied Dry Irish Stout with toffee and roasted notes.
Beachfire has a limited-release, small-batch Mojito Blonde Ale
Brassneck is also bringing back a popular Hazy IPA and English Bitter to the tasting room this week.
Mount Arrowsmith’s experimental Brut IPA (a gold winner at the 2022 World Beer Cup Awards) is back on tap and coming to liquor stores on Vancouver Island next week.
Alberni Brewing’s lemon drop wheat was brewed with lemon drop hops.
Stratchcona’s latest stout was brewed with cocoa powder and local cold brew, Madagascar bourbon vanilla and Irish Cream.
Camp Beer Co has a cream ale made with roasted coffee to snap the sleep out of you.
Sours
The Moon Under Water Brewery launched Blueberry Pie Sour this week, now available in cans.
House of Funk aged Allure on dandelion root, sarsaparilla root, liquorice root, and gumbo file for this complex table bier.
Bayview’s latest small-batch sour release is loaded with dragon fruit, passion fruit, and pineapple.
TOP 32 VANCOUVER ISLAND BREWERIES
Who should be crowned top brewery on the Island?
One of our favourite Instagram accounts, and epic Beer Loop referrer, BC Brews has spent the last month running a fun brewery bracket, pitting Vancouver Island’s top 32 breweries against each other in a virtual playoff-style competition.
The results will get announced later this morning so hop on over to Instagram after 8am to see who comes out ahead.
This has us wondering….if you could stuff the ballots (good thing this is electronic voting…) which way would you sway the election? We’ll share the poll results in next week’s newsletter.
TASTING PASSPORT
BC Ale Trail launches 5 Tasting Passports throughout Metro Vancouver
@parallel49beer
BC Ale Trail has partnered up with TransLink, West Coast Food, and 60+ businesses for a region-wide tasting passport extravaganza. Throughout February, you can collect stamps for every purchase (including beer, food, merchandise, and non-alcoholic options) at participating businesses. Once you get to six stamps, you can drop off the completed card to enter a draw for a beer-themed Grand Prize Staycation. Plus there are loads of secondary prizes.
The Tasting Passports will run across five different Metro Vancouver regions:
📍 North of the Fraser Ale Trail - 11 locations in Burnaby, Coquitlam, New West, and Port Coquitlam
📍 Port Moody Ale Trail - 6 breweries on Brewers Row
📍 South of the Fraser Ale Trail - 14 locations in Delta, Richmond, Surrey, and White Rock
📍 Vancouver Brewery Creek Ale Trail - 15 locations in Vancouver from Mt. Pleasant to Granville Island
📍 Yeast Vancouver Ale Trail - 18 locations in East Vancouver
You can explore these regions car-free using one of 5 custom Dine The Line transit itineraries.
As we see breweries and BIAs continue to invest considerable effort in designing Tasting Passports, we’re curious to get your thoughts Beer Loopers: do these passports motivate you to explore new breweries? We’ll share the poll results in next week’s newsletter.
Happening This Weekend
🌮 Strange Fellows and Top Rope Birria Food Truck duke it out for their weekly beer vs taco duel. Saturday 1-7pm, Sunday 12-4pm
🏉 Smuggler’s Trail is hosting a Six Nations Rugby viewing Saturday morning. Coffee, breakfast, and no entry free.
🍻 Old Yale Brewing is hosting an event for those of us who got a little lax with our New Year resolutions. Live music, food, and drink features tomorrow.
🥙 The Rotary Club of New Westminster is hosting its 3rd annual Bevies and Bites fundraiser tomorrow. Tickets are $43.45
🎸 Dead Frog has live music Sunday, 230-6pm. Patrick Gavigan is on stage this weekend.
🎤 Container Brewing has open mic every Sunday.
Upcoming Events
🎤 It's comedy night at Container Brewing tonight and February 21. Tickets here.
Steel & Oak hosts a run club every Wednesday night. Run 3km or 5km to earn that beer!
♟️ 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 is hosting a mindful brewing tasting yoga class every month on Saturdays. The next sessions are on February 18 and March 11.
🎨 Deep Cove is hosting Paint Night on February 6. Tickets are $39.
Il Centro is hosting a beer tasting event on February 9, featuring Luppolo, Container, Powell Brewery, and East Van Brewing Company.
🎪More than 20 breweries are participating in the 2023 Sunshine Coast Beer Festival on February 25.
Container Brewing is 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.
🤯 Trivia Nights
Every Monday at Smuggler's Trail in Langley
Every Tuesday at Old Yale in Chilliwack
Every Tuesday at Farm Country in Langley
Every Thursday at 3 Dogs Brewing in White Rock, it’s music trivia.
Can you name that tune at Ace Brewing in Comox on Feb 8?
It’s Romantic Comedies Trivia at Dead Frog in Langley on Feb 15.