Sweet Child of Vine

I think they may have named this after a song....

Beer : Sweet Child of Vine

Brewery : Fulton Beer

Brewed In : Minnesota, United Stated

Style : IPA

ABV : 6.4%

Price : $5 for a pint at the brewery

Notes : Year round availability – mostly on tap

Story : When Adrian , George , Rich , and I went on our trip to Minneapolis it was suggested to us by one of the hotel employees who loves craft beer that we need to check out Fulton Beer, which was about 15 blocks away.  Not only did we check out this brewery, we also drank quite a few pints there, on different occasions that weekend.  Their beers, especially Worthy Adversary, were quite delicious.  I had quite a few pints of Worthy Adversary – an imperial stout clocking in at 9% ABV.  This review was written at the brewery but I snagged a bottle so I could snap a photo.

Appearance : A red amber hue with a white head that stuck around for the entire pint.

Smell : Not a strong nose for an IPA but it is easy to discern the pine hops and the malt.

Taste : Sweet Child of Vine has an array of earthy, pine and floral hops balanced with caramel malts and a bit of spices in the finish.  When the beer warmed the bitterness subsided a bit and biscuit notes stood out.

Mouthfeel : Medium bodied and a bit sticky.

Drinkability : This IPA is damn tasty but the bottled version doesn’t hold up to the freshness of the beer from the tap.  If you get a chance to try this on tap you should.

Pub Chat: Episode 15 - Cannery Brewing Apricot Wheat Ale

Beer goes with books - even digital ones

In this episode we bring on a new guest Sara Shyiak to try Cannery Brewing's Apricot Wheat Ale.  We also make Adrian say "apricot" multiple times.  We also discuss ebooks, university/college, and beach volleyball.  Because everyone likes beach volleyball.

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RIP Lo Pub

Goodbye to my home away from home

I don't think I have been more affected by the closure of a pub or restaurant than I have when I heard Lo Pub was shutting its doors down.  Since I moved back to Winnipeg there has not been a place I have frequented more than Lo Pub.  It literally was my second home.

My love affair with Lo Pub started during the first few weeks of University, which was just a couple blocks away from Lo Pub.  Walking in, I had never been to Lo Pub before, I walked up to the bar and ordered a Little Scrapper, which was served to me by Jack , one of the people that made Lo Pub so special.  We talked about the newest Arcade Fire album, The Suburbs , he was currently playing.  That day was a quick stop, as I only had an hour to kill before class, and went with the intention of doing homework.  No homework was completed though as I just discussed music and Winnipeg with Jack and a few others.

After that day though, I returned to Lo Pub every week, sometimes twice or three times a week, on my regular three hour University spares, and actually did homework, while listening to a lot of Arcade Fire, and other music, Jack and the rest of the crew was always playing.  No complaints from me as I adore Arcade Fire, but I really can't listen to any of their albums without thinking of my time huddled in the corner with a book, or my laptop writing an essay, sipping on a beer and eating whatever the daily special was.

Not so surprising I put on Arcade Fire to write this little post you are reading.

But Lo Pub wasn't just my little place to do homework for my two years of University.  You could also find me there on weekends and weeknights.  Sometimes I was just there to meet with friends, especially new friends, and hang out.  Other times it was for the delicious food served from their kitchen.  I was pretty much in love with most of the soups, the grilled cheese, the mushroom nut burger, and especially the chick pea fritters (pictured).  But many times I was there for a show - as Lo Pub brought in a ton of great musical acts.

I was lucky enough to have one last dinner, on Friday, with Alyson and Tyrone (which I think is where we actually met the first time?), and Abstract Artform joined us for a couple rounds of drinks before we went our separate ways for the evening. Tim even came out offering the last fwing to anyone, but it really wasn't the last fwing, at that exact moment.

Sadly Saturday was Lo Pub's last hurrah.  And they sure as hell went out with a bang.  By the time the group of us finished at King's Head and made our way to Lo Pub it was closer to midnight.  Walking in, it was like a sauna.  I honestly believe anyone who was wearing glasses had them fog up when they walked in.  It was worth it though.  Just to spend one last night there.

.........

Lo Pub, I will miss you, so very much.

Male Order Bride

My first go at filmmaking

Last year I took Filmmaking in University.  I quite enjoyed the class and made some good friends who I am currently filming other projects with.  Yet for some reason I kept putting off uploading my films to YouTube - probably mostly due to laziness and being forgetful.  First film has been uploaded though, and the second within a week or two.  Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

I co-wrote this my frequent collaborator Daniel Emmons .  The premise is pretty basic - two women get drunk and order a male order bride from the internet.

Writers : Daniel Emmons and Colin Enquist
Actors : Daniella Ponticelli, Hannah Palamer, Krzysztof Cychowski, and Daniel Emmons

Pub Chat: Episode 14 - Rogue Dead Guy Ale

Fittingly paired with our talk of The Walking Dead

In this episode Adrian and I brought an expert in The Walking Dead, Brennan Lumsdon , to discuss the AMC television series.  Tons of spoilers in this podcast if you haven't seen the show.  We also tasted a nice big bottle of Rogue Dead Guy Ale.

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Noche De Los Alebrijes

Don't make me pronounce the name of this beer

Beer : Noche De Los Alebrijes

Brewery : Half Pints Brewing Co

Brewed In : Winnipeg, Canada

Style : Dark Lager

ABV : 5.2%

Price : $5 for a 650ml

Notes : First brew

Story : Noche De Los Alebrijes is a dark lager that I was lucky enough to try a day before the release at the Half Pints 6 ^th Anniversary dinner at Elements.  It was paired with lamb chops.  It wasn’t my favourite course of the 6-course meal but it was damn good.  My favourite would have to be the duck breast paired with one of my favourite beers, also from Half Pints, Humulus Ludicrous.

Appearance : The “Noches” as I have begun to call it, pours dark brown with a very fluffy tan head.  A bit of the head remains throughout the entire glass.

Smell : Smells nice, not an aromatic nose though, mostly nutty and a hint of dark fruits.

Taste : Quite nutty and full of chocolate with a hint of plum and a bit of a bite from some spices.

Mouthfeel : Medium bodied but just barely, a bit of cloying in the mouth.

Drinkability : I'm considering going to grab a few more bottles of these puppies, but my half dozen bottles should probably do me just fine until the next release from Half Pints in September.

King Heffy

A big bottle filled with Heffe - perfect for the summer

Beer : King Heffy Imperial Hefeweizen
Brewery : Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company
Brewed In : British Columbia, Canada
Style : Hefeweizen
ABV : 7.7%

Price : unknown Kevin brought it back from his trip to B.C.
Notes : A summer only release - and its the perfect time to drink a Heffy
Story : A beer I enjoyed on the balcony at Kevin's while smoking a cigar.  Don't worry - I reviewed the beer before I lit up the cigar.

Appearance : Looks like a hefeweizen, pours a cloudy gold with a frothy white head, which had good lacing.

Smell : This hefeweizen really hits all the right notes with its combination of banana, yeast, and clove nose.

Taste : One of those beers where the nose and tongue match up really well.  The King Heffy has a strong taste of banana, which is matched with a perfect amount of cloves, and leaves no traces of that 7.7% ABV.

Mouthfeel : A medium bodied beer with a slight biting on the tongue by the carbonation.

Drinkability : Quite delicious.  Really impressed, but disappointed that I can't buy it here.

Pub Chat: Episode 13 - Minobii ESB

Recorded on the road!

On our way to Minneapolis we decided to record a Pub Chat episode. Adrian was drunk, so I was designated driver.  In this episode we discussed our Edmonton trip and the beers we brought back, plus we bitch about the ridiculous roaming charges cell phone carries charge us when we cross the border.  The beer we tasted, on the side of the highway, was Minobii ESB from Leech Lake Brewing.  We figured we might as well drink a beer brewed in Minnesota.  Sorry about the sound quality.  It's the highways fault, kind of.

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The Great Burger Hunt - Rudy's Eat and Drink

Where a burger with grilled cheese for buns awaits!

Kevin has wanted to go to Rudy's Eat and Drink since it opened.  Eventually after a gorgeous Saturday where we spent the afternoon sitting on a patio at the Forks smoking cigars we decided to stop at Rudy's for dinner.  Walking in we decided to sit at the bar, mostly to look at what selection of beer they had on tap.  They had seventeen different drafts with expansion for at least ten more.  We were also pleasantly surprised to find Unibroue Blanche de Chambly on tap.  Other than that though the beer selection at Rudy’s was mediocre considering the amount of taps they had.

With our glass of Unibroue ordered the bartender, or maybe it was the manager, recommended some food for us since we had never eaten there.  The ribs were the first thing she recommended, and I was almost going to order them, but then her second recommendation caught my eye - The Max Cheese.  This burger is made with grilled cheese sandwiches for the buns.

Now let’s be honest here, there was no question I was not going to order this burger when I heard that.  There is another restaurant in the city that also offers a “grilled cheeseburger” but it's very misleading because they just use normal bread instead of buns and call it a grilled cheeseburger.  This one is made with actual grilled cheese sandwiches.   I was reassured of this.

The food didn't take long to come out either, which is a plus considering I was pounding back the $8 beers.  Look at the picture.  This is a monster of a burger.  I did not even know where to begin.  After attempting to pick it up, I knew I wouldn't get through more than three bites before I'd have to put it down and eat it with a knife and fork.  In fact I only lasted two bites.

With my knife and fork in hand I started devouring the fresh ground patty, house bacon, fried onions, pickles, lettuce, and fried egg (which was a perfect over easy to make the burger even more messy), between the grilled cheese sandwiches.  This burger tasted good but you probably need to love grilled cheese and egg to really enjoy it – plus eating The Max Cheese is a battle since it is messy and difficult to pick up.

The fries were salted and covered in a bit of a spice.  They were good but nothing to spectacular and were kind of a let down after the burger was done and I had no more egg to dip the fries in.

All in all I was impressed with Rudy’s enough to return.  Maybe not for a long night of $8 beers, and slightly expensive food, but I think it was good enough to warrant a night out – possibly on their patio – to test out the menu filled with steaks, salads, fish, ribs, and other goodies.

What I got : The Max Cheese – $16.95 (plus tax)

Burger Taste : 4/5

Fries Taste : 2/5

Price Value : 2/5

Menu Selection : 4/5

Overall : 3/5

Rudy’s Eat and Drink

375 Graham Ave

Winnipeg, MB R3C 4K2

(204) 421-9094

Hoptimum Imperial IPA

Lots of bitter, bitter hops

Beer : Hoptimum Imperial IPA

Brewery : Sierra Nevada

Brewed In : California, United States

Style : Imperial IPA

ABV : 10.4%

Price : unsure I forgot to look

Notes : Rotating availability

Story : One of the many beers I grabbed from my Minneapolis trip.  Surprisingly the only thing from Sierra Nevada.

Appearance : Hoptimum pours an amber with a one finger head that left really good lacing.

Smell : Nose was not as hoppy as I expected but the pine hops are very clear, and it is somewhat malty.

Taste : This is one balanced beer.  Tons of malt to begin with but then the bitter hops hit you before the malt returns to give it a milder finish than just the bitter hops.  I’d say the flavour goes from malty (sorry can’t put my finger on it exactly) to pine hops to a honey finish.

Mouthfeel :  It is creamy and smooth for a full bodied beer this bitter.

Drinkability : I’d definitely buy this again.  Hopefully I will have the opportunity to buy more in the future!

Rogue Brutal IPA

It was not brutal

Beer : Rogue Brutal IPA

Brewery : Rogue Ales

Brewed In : Oregon, United States

Style : American IPA

ABV : %5.8

Price : $7ish

Notes : Year-round availability.

Story :  I quite enjoy my Rogue beers.  I know some people find them a bit underwhelming at times.  And if I'm being honest I've never had a beer by them that has blown me away but I think all the ones I've tried were delicious.  I grabbed this in Edmonton over the Yellow Snow IPA because it was the only bottle remaining - yet I went back a day later and grabbed the Yellow Snow IPA for the same reason.

Appearance : Rogue's Brutal IPA poured a hazy amber with a thick head, which disappeared quickly.  It left some lacing that stuck around for the entirety of the pint.

Smell : Straight up pine and citrus hops.

Taste : For an IPA the strong biscuits and grain flavors mixed in with the pine and citrusy hops shocked me.  Grapefruit may have been the prominent flavor but there was a cracker like finish that lingered for some time.

Mouthfeel : Medium bodied and average carbonation.

Drinkability : I have yet to try the Yellow Snow IPA but when I do I will be able to tell you which IPA from Rogue I like more.  Should be tasting that one soon.  This was quite good.

Zombie Dust

Great beer with a great label

Beer : Zombie Dust

Brewery : Three Floyds Brewing

Brewed In : Indiana, United States

Style : Undead (American) Pale Ale

ABV : 6.4%

Price : I’m not sure.  Ask George .

Notes : Year-round availability.

Story : Technically not an IPA but it is hoppy.  George was nice enough to bring me a 6-pack of Zombie Dust when we met up in Minneapolis in July.  I've only heard good things about this beer, and 3 Floyd's, so my expectations were fairly high for this beer.

Appearance : Zombie Dust was topped with a white head that faded quickly but the body looked like honey with a tinge more amber to it.

Smell : Tons of hops.  A lot of citrusy grapefruit and a bit of lemon and floral notes make this quite the beer for hop heads.  I can see why George likes this.

Taste : This undead pale ale is very heavy on the citrus hops with a ton of grapefruit, just like the nose, the finish has a slight hint of caramel malts.

Mouthfeel : Zombie Dust has a medium body, which rolls off the tongue nicely leaving lingering flavors of citrus and floral hops for quite some time.

Drinkability : I loved it, Zombie Dust definitely lived up to the hype.  Thanks Beer Jerk for hooking me up with some Zombie Dust.  I’m going to have to come visit you to get more of this.  Also I love the label – art by Tim Seeley .

Head Smashed IPA

A gift from the mountains!

Beer : Head Smashed IPA

Brewery : Banff Ave. Brewing Co.

Brewed In : Alberta, Canada

Style : American IPA

ABV : 5.2%

Price : unknown it was a gift!

Notes : Available year-round in bottles and on tap

Story : Adrian , my co-host of Pub Chat , brought this bottle back when he went on an excursion to the mountains to ski and get sloshed.  Not necessarily in that order.

Appearance : This IPA looks like a typical IPA – it is copper with a thick white head.  The head leaves a small amount of lacing.

Smell : Piney hops is pretty much all I get in the nose but there is a little bit of citrus as well.

Taste : The piney hops in the nose come through in the flavour as well but after a bit of malt in the front, and with a bit of grapefruit near the finish.  I was surprised how quickly the flavour vanishes with this beer, even though it leaves a slight sweetness in your mouth

Mouthfeel : A medium body although it is a bit watery.

Drinkability : This is a decent IPA.  I would put it on the level of a Big Rock IPA.  In other words I would never turn one down but there are better out there.

St Ambroise India Pale Ale

An IPA I would recommend

Beer : St Ambroise India Pale Ale

Brewery : McAuslan Brewing

Brewed In : Quebec, Canada

Style : English India Pale Ale

ABV : 6.2%

Price : $3 or so.

Notes : Found almost year round in bottles or on-tap.

Story : This beer was brought back from Edmonton when a couple friends of mine went for a visit.  I suckered them into stopping into Sherbrooke Liquor to grab me some beers.  With a small list, mostly of specific breweries, not beers, they brought me a pack of these among other beers.  I have awesome friends.

Appearance : This IPA has a yellowish gold colour with a light one-finger head that compresses itself down quickly but sticks around for quite a while.

Smell : Floral hops and a bit of earthy notes make up the aroma of this IPA.

Taste : The initial taste is quite bitter but the hops don’t hold much flavour.  Most of the flavour is in the finish, which is a combination of caramel malts and floral hops.

Mouthfeel : Medium bodied and kind of dry overall.

Drinkability : Although I am a fan of IPA’s, not like I am of Stout’s though, this one is definitely worth checking out.

Brooklyn Brewery East India Pale Ale

Another solid beer from Brooklyn Brewery

Beer : Brooklyn Brewery East India Pale Ale

Brewery : Brooklyn Brewery

Brewed In : New York, United States

Style : English India Pale Ale (IPA)

ABV : 6.8%

Price : $2.55 for a 355ml

Notes : Available year round in bottles and if you are lucky, and probably in the NYC area, on tap!

Story : As I said in my Brooklyn Lager review I wanted to try more from this brewery so I snatched a couple bottles of these as soon as I saw them at the MLCC.

Appearance : A little hazy with a orange and gold hue.  This beer had a thick two finger lacey head that hangs around for quite a bit of time.

Smell : Some earthy herbal hops with a slight hint of citrus.  I didn’t really notice the sweetness of the beer in the smell until I was more then half done the beer.

Taste : Earthy flavours are very prevalent at first but the caramel tames the beer really well, making the hops run and hide, making the finish dry.  I found it quite sweet for an IPA.

Mouthfeel : The ABV% really shows in this beer with slight tingle left on the mouth.  It is medium bodied.

Drinkability : This beer is quite nice but not one I would drink a lot of in one evening even with the tame flavour for an IPA.  The East India Pale Ale is definitely a beer that I would purchase on more then one occasion though and would recommend it if you like IPA’s although I bet you could find some other IPA’s out there that are better.

Big Rock IPA

An easy drinking IPA

Beer : Big Rock IPA

Brewery : Big Rock Brewery

Brewed In : Calgary, Alberta

Style : English India Pale Ale

ABV : 5%

Price : $2.40

Notes : Year round availability

Story : This was beer was purchased one day when I stopped at the MLCC with a friend.  Instead of me spending way too much on single bottles that were above $7 I picked up a couple of these to balance out my spending.  I know, I know, it doesn’t make sense.

Appearance :  Poured a nice thick two finger head.  This IPA is golden amber in colour and looked fantastic in the brandy snifter.

Smell : Feint floral nose but that is about it.  It is kind of disappointing.

Taste : I noticed malt sweetness right away, which surprised me, although they were quickly hidden behind the floral hops and a slight citrus flavour.  It is a bit thin and watery for an IPA

Mouthfeel : It has medium body and has a hint of dryness to the finish.

Drinkability : This may not be what I am looking for when I purchase an IPA but this is actually a very easy drinking and refreshing beer.  This is a causal drinking beer for me – one I can bring over to a friends house or camping.