The Beer Wrangler™

Judging Beer – BJCP – Pros or Homebrew specialists?

The Beer Wrangler — Mon, 13 May 2013 01:18:23 +0000

A judge, but not necessarily a beer judge!

Judging beer is a complex matter and one which I have thought long and hard about. What makes one beer better than another, how can a simple pilsner be “better” than a complex imperial stout? How can you compare apples to oranges?

One solution has grown out of the home-brew movement in America. The BJCP was founded in 1985 by the American Homebrewers Association (along with the Home Wine and Beer Trade Association) in an effort to have some continuity and standards set for homebrew competitions. They have a dizzying seven . . . → Read More: Judging Beer – BJCP – Pros or Homebrew specialists?

Beer Cocktails: Artistry or Desecration

The Beer Wrangler — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 04:15:28 +0000

Beer cocktails can be an anathema to both the mixology purist as well as the craft beer aficionado, so what are they all about, and why should we ruin the flavour of a well crafted beer?

There are arguments abound on the web about this and in many ways I might agree about ruining a fine brew with a shot of liquor in it. A quick scan on the Wikipedia entry on the subject lists a range of so called “beer cocktails” that seem to be a bunch of pints with a shot of something in it, often still in . . . → Read More: Beer Cocktails: Artistry or Desecration

Save The Growler! – Stop The Tax

The Beer Wrangler — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:44:28 +0000

I had wanted to write a reflective piece today about stepping down as CAMRA Fraser Valley president after 2 years on the exec, but Warren Bowyer from the BC exec came along to our AGM at Mission Springs brew-pub and made us aware of the new “Growler Tax”. In short this will raise the price of a growler fill at a small brewery (under 15,000 hectolitre production) or brew-pub by about $1 (and change) in the province of British Columbia.

Now I hear you cry that that this is a small increase, why bother complaining about it when gas prices . . . → Read More: Save The Growler! – Stop The Tax

Cascadian Dark Ale – A name is dead? – time to re-brand!

The Beer Wrangler — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:56:35 +0000

Thanks to the litigiously minded Eli Gershkovitch at Steamworks Brewery in Vancouver, BC The name for that dark, top fermented beer, with full hoppy aromatics, created by the Cascadian varietals of hops, has now effectively ceased to exist. Proud Cascadian brewers across the Canada-US border in the beautiful Pacific Northwest have been denied the chance to brand the style that was created and championed with the cross national region that takes its name after the Cascade mountains (a term first used in 1825). In 1970 the term ‘Cascadia’ was first used to describe the surrounding region, and since then has . . . → Read More: Cascadian Dark Ale – A name is dead? – time to re-brand!

The Great Pumpkin beer tasting

The Beer Wrangler — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 07:55:32 +0000

So I decided to try some Pumpkin beers on Hallowe’en while watching some bad horror movies (starting with “The Children”- murderous kids and toddlers go on the rampage!) I had five different beers from four breweries. I started with Parallel 49′s Shadenfreude Pumpkin Oktoberfest. A clever idea marrying the easy, malty marzen style lager of the Oktoberfest with some pumpkin and spices of Hallowe’en and Thanksgiving.

. Parallel 49 Schadenfreude Pumpkin Oktoberfest

This is the only lager from the group and it certainly is easy drinking. There is some nice sweet pumpkin . . . → Read More: The Great Pumpkin beer tasting

Hoyne Wolf Vine Wet Hopped Pale Ale

The Beer Wrangler — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 23:29:52 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Recommended)

Hoyne Wolf Vine is the first beer I have reviewed from this fairly new brewery. Their IPA is popular as is their version of a dark mild, Dark Matter. This is a limited release due to the availability of the fresh hops and sees Sean Hoyne, formerly of Swans brewpub and Canoe brewpub, and brother of Lighthouse founder and brewer Paul Hoyne, enter the fresh/wet hopped beer fad that is gripping British Columbia at this time of year.

Instead of going for an IPA, Hoyne has gone for the less bitter pale ale, and given it the . . . → Read More: Hoyne Wolf Vine Wet Hopped Pale Ale

Cascadian Wheat Ale – a beer is born

The Beer Wrangler — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 02:52:33 +0000

I’m calling it! I’ve had enough with ‘IPA’ being used as a byword for ‘lots of hops’. IPA has a great history that has genuinely developed over time to mean a range of beers that have a common theme. Pale malts, well bittered and dry hopped aromatics. Which malt? what hops? how much? – its kind of up to the brewer, but whether you are enjoying a Lighthouse Switchback IPA from BC, Canada, the East India Pale Ale from the Brooklyn Brewery in New York or the IPA from Meantime Brewing in London, we know what family we are in, . . . → Read More: Cascadian Wheat Ale – a beer is born

Beer Vs Wine… (Yawn..)

The Beer Wrangler — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:52:57 +0000

Google Beer v Wine and you will get many blogs, magazine articles and special events geared towards this eternal battle of the beverages. This usually comes from the beer sector of the publishing/blogging world as the wine folk don’t feel they have to prove anything. Beer people feel they need to prove how good modern craft beer is and how versatile it can be. This is a fair point, there is much ignorance amongst the general public about what beer actually is! Many still see beer as an inferior product, mass produced for the masses and hoi polloi to lubricate . . . → Read More: Beer Vs Wine… (Yawn..)

Benton Brothers Fine Cheese – Cheesemongers Extraordinaire!

The Beer Wrangler — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:44:18 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Outstanding)

I have not yet reviewed a place that does not sell beer, but I have been so impressed with every visit to the Cambie Street location in Vancouver that I felt I had to! The Benton Brothers consist of Jonah and Andrew and their three stores on Granville island, Cambie Village and Kerrisdale. They had been recommended to me by friends who know and understand my love of cheese (there’s more to me than just beer by the way…so much more…).and was impressed by the stellar reports that they had given me; I finally decided to . . . → Read More: Benton Brothers Fine Cheese – Cheesemongers Extraordinaire!

The Beer Moment

The Beer Wrangler — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:55:49 +0000

This months Session (no. 63) as posed by uber-beer blogger and writer Pete Brown is called The Beer Moment. Here is mine.

I grew up in a semi rural/suburban town in Buckinghamshire, just outside London (that’s UK not Ontario!) and my parents, especially my father, often went to the local pub and enjoyed cask bitters from the likes of Fuller’s and Bass. One such pub was a haven for families in the summer. Warm Sunday afternoons were spent in the expansive beer garden where kids could run, roam and play in relative safety, while the mums and dads . . . → Read More: The Beer Moment