So i was thinking in order for all of us to take our minds off the tension of the playoffs, like last year let us set up a drinking thread where we suggest a beer (or whisky/scotch for wet) tha'ts local and good for everyone to taste and then post what they thought of it.
Since i am going to the game tonight i cant suggest something good to start with (figure i will be drinking bud at the game) but hopefully someone can come up with something to start off with.
ya i agree those whistler ones are pretty good. I had the lager a while back with pretty low expectations and was blown away. pretty crisp if that the kind of beer that you like.
gonna trhrow it out there too: if you're looking for places to watch the game, the Coppertank in kits has stupid awesome play off specials and TVs everywhere. Like $4 beers, $4 wine, $3 shots, and good food. had a blast there on wednesday and am heading back tonight.
Tree Hop Head. I'm big on hop-heavy beers and the selection out here in Edmonton is god awful so Tree is about as good as it gets (not that they're a terrible brewery by any stretch). I miss me some Phillips and Driftwood.
A great lighter beer and something that many who are not beer fans (hard as that is to fathom) like is Red Racer Classic White Ale (Belgium style White Ale or Witbier brewed with coriander seed and dried orange peel producing a beer light in body with a refreshing citrus-spice aroma) is also quite good. Really great hot summer day beer.
And quite a close second to the real thing - Hoegaarden
Hoegaarden is the authentic Belgian wheat or white beer. It has a unique and extremely complex brewing process whereby the brand is first top fermented and then is refermented within the bottle – ending up in a unique cloudy-white appearance. The brand’s unique appearance is mirrored by its one-of-a-kind taste – sweet and sour beer with a little bitterness, slightly spicy, with a strong touch of coriander and a hint of orange, perfect for warm summer days, instead of other refreshing beverages. Refreshing, a little quirky, and decidedly different – naturally.
Local spirits - Pemberton Distillery's Schramm Vodka - one of the few potato vodkas around and it is spectacular. Serve it ice cold in a shot glass or it makes tremendous Martini. This is as good or better than any premium vodka I have had in Russia and even better than my past favourite potato vodka from Poland Chopin. http://pembertondistillery.ca/vodka/
"...beautiful and luxurious vodka...There's a natural sweetness from all that starch that makes it velvety soft as it slides down...heralds a breathtaking clean, clear taste...sensational with oysters any which way...you'll be a believer within a sip!" Jurgen Gothe, Georgia Straight
When I was in Russia the company executives usually had a small freezer in their offices in which they keep a bottle or bottles of vodka chilled along with the shot glasses. A shot of vodka along with a slice of Salo (salt-cured pork fatback) or marinated herring on black bread was traditional (caviar much less so) at the conclusion of business meetings.
Also Schramm Gin - can be sipped or makes a classic Martini. It is re-distilled Schramm Vodka with aromatics added. http://pembertondistillery.ca/gin/
My go to Martini recipe
1/2 ounce dry vermouth (Noilly Pratt) - make sure it is chilled - refrigerator
3 ounces Schramm Gin (you can substitute Schramm Vodka) - make sure it is chilled - keep mine in the freezer compartment.
Fill a metal shaker with cracked ice (always fresh ice). Pour in the Noilly Prat, stir briefly. Add 3 ounces gin or vodka. Stir briskly (you can shake but it will be a little cloudier) for about 10 seconds, strain into chilled Martini glass (I keep mine in the freezer), and garnish with an olive.
I use Picholine olives from Les Amis Du Fromage on Fairview Slopes but I have also used Sable and Rosenfeld Tipsy Olives in French vermouth so cut back on the vermouth added (or stir in ice and pour out before adding the gin) or even omit.
Add a dash (one drop) of orange or Angostura bitters if you wish.
Some people prefer a twist of lemon peel, particularly with a Vodka Martini.
Adding a cocktail onion instead of an olive makes it a Gibson.
My buddy prefers a "Dirty Martini" - a splash of the olive brine before stirring/shaking. Not my thing but popular.
