So as per usual… casks for the week!

Monday February 22nd, 2010
Mitchell’s ESB dry hopped with East Kent Goldings

This is as traditional as you could possibly get.  A cask full of Extra Special Bitter and one of the original “Old English Hops”.  Enjoy this sessionable ale with some great greasy food and you’ll roll home happy.
Best experienced with our Salmon Fish & Chips

Tuesday February 23rd, 2010
Abbott Bitter dry hopped with East Kent Goldings

The best fish and chips pairing you could possibly hope for.  EKG’s tend to be very floral and not very pungent so they won’t over power anything you eat.  However they will cut grease like nobody’s business!
Best experienced with our Halibut Fish & Chips

Wednesday February 24th, 2010
Spinnakers Nut Brown dry hopped with Saaz

A dry hopped Nut Brown has become a favourite style of beer for us here at Spinnakers.  The hops really help accentuate the earthy flavours of this beer and push it up to the next level.  Saaz hops are traditionally used in lighter ales and lagers, so here’s to something different!
Best experienced with our Focaccia Chicken Sandwich

Thursday February 25th, 2010
Spinnakers IPA dry hopped with Magnums

Magnum hops have a an oily pungent aroma that helps accent our IPA’s residual flavours.  Not quite sure how this sounds?  Try a pint, you’ll be happy.  This really speaks for the Pacific Northwest and what we do best.
Best experienced with our Wild Salmon Fettucini

Friday February 26th, 2010
Spinnakers Oatmeal Stout dry hopped with East Kent Goldings

It’s been a week or so now since the Oatmeal Stout went on tap, and so far it’s a hit!  You can really get the sweet oatmeal consistency when you swish it around your mouth.  Throw in some nice earthy EKG hops, and you’re set!
Best experienced with our new Blue Cheese Pizza

There you have it!  Our casks for the week.

On this note – we are now producing our own newsletter.  If you want to know what else is going on at Spinnakers, and you’re tired of clicking so many links, just subscribe to ours!  There will be links setup in the near future to make this much easier, but for the time being – send Dustin your email to dustin@spinnakers.com and he’ll add you on.  Yes, I’m Dustin, so the fact that I’m talking in the third person is a bit weird…. Just send me your email and I’ll add you.  It’s the cool thing to do.

Cheers!

Another week, and another set of casks.  For the first time we’ll have an Oatmeal Stout on the bar, rather than just behind it.  For Valentine’s Day, Rob made up a Honey Pale ale that was infused with Rose Pedals.  Romantic?!  Rob has this down to a science!  Our Valentine’s Day menu was amazing as well – Chef Ali really hit it again, she always does.

Keep paying attention to our “Beers from Abroad” list as it is going to grow very soon!  We’re up to 12 beers now that you probably won’t find anywhere else in Victoria, except our Spinnakers stores of course.  The new list will be released in the next week or two… when I get my head past all the upcoming Cask Festival which is now 50% sold out!

So what’s coming up this week…

Monday, February 15th 2010
Oatmeal Stout dry hopped with East Kent Goldings
A new beer, and this our first cask of Oatmeal Stout.  We decided to start with a subtle traditional dry hopping.  EKG’s have a nice balanced flavour, that won’t over turn the strong oat sweetness in this beer.  Treat this guy like a delicious rainy day session ale.
Best experienced with our Beef Brisket Pizza (and blue cheese dip!!)

Tuesday, February 16th 2010
Spinnakers Nut Brown dry hopped with Saaz
A dry hopped Nut Brown has become a favourite style of beer for us here at Spinnakers.  The hops really help accentuate the earthy flavours of this beer and push it up to the next level.  Saaz hops are traditionally used in lighter ales and lagers, so here’s to something different!
Best experienced with our Focaccia Chicken Sandwich

Wednesday, February 17th 2010
Blue Bridge Double Pale Ale dry hopped with Northern Brewers
Blue Bridge has been one of our biggest hits in the last little while, and while it has a massive alcohol content at 8%, this hop profile will blow your mind.  Northern Brewers are mild with soft citrus aromas, which is really going to build off of what the Blue Bridge does best. Blow your mind!
Best experienced with our Salmon Fish & Chips

Thursday, February 18th 2010
Our IPA isn’t insanely hoppy, and it doesn’t need to be.  It has such a nice malty flavour that it pairs very well with a subtle hop.  Just like the EKG’s we have dry hopped our IPA with today.  Forget about in your face beers today and enjoy this one.
Best experienced with our Salmon Fettucini

Friday, February 19th 2010
This is as traditional as you could possibly get.  A cask full of Extra Special Bitter and one of the original “Old English Hops”.  Enjoy this sessionable ale with some great greasy food and you’ll roll home happy.
Best experienced with our Salmon Fish & Chips

Have any questions about what we do here at Spinnakers?  Give us a call!  Shoot us an email!  Or just come down and check it out for yourself.  We’re always keen on answering questions, and if one of us can’t answer your question, someone here can!

I got off the boat, and had to get a move on, as with the Olympic Opening Ceremony coming up this Friday (it’s Tuesday right now) the city is buzzing and traffic is getting a little harder to deal with.  Interestingly enough, it’s not the congestion so much as the amount of police officers and the main streets that are being closed down for “special” traffic.  I made pretty good time, even with the “mayhem”.  First to Brewery Creek, unloaded the beer, had a good chat with the boys.  Then to Firefly, wham, bam, done.  Finally, a quick stop at Viti.  That was a bit more of a maneuver as Viti is located downtown, and parking is pretty restricted.  Every parking meter anywhere near the downtown core has a cover stating that you can’t stop there.  That doesn’t mean you can’t park… it fully means you can’t stop at all.  Not even if you’re a cab!  Finally, a stop at R&B, to drop off Nigel’s kegs, cask, and to have a relaxing evening chat with Aly.  She loved the Spinnaker’s “Be Mine” Valentine cookie I smuggled over.

This Vancouver trip wasn’t as hectic as others have been in the past.  To be honest, I’m pretty worn out today.  I met up with a couple of friends, and we spent the bulk of our night at The Whip.  NBC’s #5 bar to visit while in Vancouver for the Olympics.  Nice one guys!

So that brings us to today.  Up early, a quick easy breakfast, and then I was off to finish up my errands for the day.  Back to R&B to check in and find out if Alibi Room was able to grab their kegs & cask yet, leaving the empties behind for me.  I guess I’m too much of an early riser!  I beat Nigel to the punch, leaving me to co-ordinate a trip down to the Alibi Room to pick up empties.  It was a good call, as I ended up filling my truck to the brim with kegs from Swan’s as well.  I’m such a nice guy.

Now I’m sitting at The Whip having lunch.  I almost feel like I’m working here again, as it’s been the most constant place that I have sat over the last few days.  The beer is good (of course it is when I picked the selection! ), and the food is pretty awesome as well.  I know I’m full and happy.

Next I’m off to go visit James at Storm Brewing, and check out what he’s up to.  James has always got something weird and interesting going on, whether it’s beer, or just trying to convince me to go to “fetish night” with him and his “slave”.  I have yet to give this a shot, as I just keep telling them that my fetish gear is at the dry cleaners.

So… it’s time to get on with this beautiful day.  The sun is shining, I don’t need to wear a jacket, and for some reason, I’m still sitting at the bar inside.  Time to change that.  Until next time…

THATS RIGHT!  IT’S FINALLY HERE AGAIN!

TICKETS GO ON SALE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH @ SPINNAKERS!

It’s our 3rd Cask Festival, and we’re starting to get pretty damned good at hosting these types of events.  We have invited over 20 different brewers from all over Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland, The Interior, Washington, and Oregon!  That’s a lot of diverse and interesting beer.  So here’s the low down on how everything works.

It’s $35 per person ($30 if you’re a CAMRA Member), and that includes your entry, a Souvenir Spinnakers tasting glass, and your first 3 drink tickets.  After that it’s $1 per ticket.  It runs from 11:30am – 5:00pm.  Questions?  Didn’t think so.  It’s pretty straight forward.  The only important factor, is have a hearty breakfast before you show up, and have lots of fun!  Many of the brewers will be in attendance taking comments on what you think of their crafted ales.  Feel free to chat with everyone!

So far for confirmed breweries we have…

1.Spinnakers
2.Driftwood
3.Lighthouse
4.Phillips
5.Vancouver Island Brewery
6.R&B Brewing
7.Mission Springs
8.Whistler Brewhouse
9.Howe Sound Brewing
10.Central City Brewing
11.Elysian Brewing
12.Deschutes Brewing

And more to come!

]]> http://maltaddict.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/spinnakers-spring-cask-festival/feed/ 1 The Malt Enthusiast springcaskfestposterfinal http://maltaddict.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/what-are-you-doing-for-valentines-day/ http://maltaddict.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/what-are-you-doing-for-valentines-day/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 03:29:36 +0000 The Malt Enthusiast http://maltaddict.wordpress.com/?p=115 ]]>

The answer to the questions should be that you’re taking her for a nice date at Spinnakers.  We have quite the deal set up!  For $274 we are offering a 2 night stay in our Heritage Guest House, truffles and a rose in the room upon your arrival, a freshly baked breakfast basket each morning, and… drumroll… a 3 course dinner for 2 on your choice of one of the nights you are staying with us.  The menu will be available Friday February 12th thru Sunday February 14th, for those of you who have to work on Monday, you can do Valentine’s Day a day or so early.  For reservations or to book one of our amazingly affordable packages just give us a call @ 250-386-2739.

Here’s what the menu will look like… to see it in full screen view just click “fullscreen”

Also, come check out our “Beers from Abroad” menu.  We have started bringing in bottles of beer that you won’t find anywhere else in Victoria, and some of them you won’t find anywhere in BC!  The idea behind this list is that we are looking to show our loyal beer drinkers what the world has to offer outside of BC.  That way they can fully appreciate what we have to offer and you will all have a much better perspective as to where we stand in the brewing world!  Any suggestions of what we should put on this list?  LET ME KNOW!

Monday, February 8th 2010
Spinnakers Nut Brown dry hopped with Saaz
A dry hopped Nut Brown has become a favourite style of beer for us here at Spinnakers.  The hops really help accentuate the earthy flavours of this beer and push it up to the next level.  Saaz hops are traditionally used in lighter ales and lagers, so here’s to something different!
Best experienced with our Focaccia Chicken Sandwich

Tuesday, February 9th 2010
Abbott Bitter dry hopped with Fuggles
A true English dry hopped ale.  Fuggles are a widely used hop variety in England used in Bitters and Pale Ales.  They aren’t as common in North America these days, just as you don’t find many Bitter style ales on this side of the Atlantic.
Best experienced with our Salmon Fish & Chips

Wednesday, February 10th 2010
Jameson’s Scottish Ale dry hopped with EKG
This will be a truly interesting cask as a traditional Scottish Ale doesn’t use any hops, as they weren’t available in Scotland.  Hence, why we are experimenting today!  EKG’s have a nice citrusy, sweet, floral aroma.  This should blend well with the sweet malty profile of the Scottish Ale.
Best experienced with our Beef Brisket Pizza

Thursday, February 11th 2010
Spinnakers Ale dry hopped with Newport Hops
Newport Hops are the newest to the brewing scene.  They were developed in ’96, but only came onto the market in ’02.  Bred in Oregon for the first time explains why these hops are fairly pungent & resiny.  This should really add some kick to our Spinnakers Ale.  Come get it while you can!
Best experienced with our Shellfish Bowl

Friday, February 12th 2010
Spinnakers Nut Brown dry hopped with Saaz
This isn’t a mistake!  This cask has become so popular that our beer fans are asking for it more often.  We had a full size cask aging in the cellar for the last few weeks, so it only makes sense to pull it out now in it’s prime on a crazy Friday night.  This one won’t last long, so make sure you get here early to ensure you can enjoy a pint with the rest of us.
Best experienced with our Chicken Focaccia Sandwich

Another week of casks done, and next week should be just as exciting.  We have some great surprises coming up for Valentine’s Day, with our dinner menu, casks, and deals on the guesthouses!  Give us a shout @ 250-386-2739, or email our front desk for reservations in the guesthouse @ spinnakers@spinnakers.com.

We woke up early that day, there was lots to do.  I don’t know how we survived, or really, I barely remember the walk to Pyramid Brewing.  It took what feels like forever, and as of this morning we had no liquids in our bellies – no water – no beer, nothing.  We walked in the front door of the brewpub, and grabbed ourselves a seat at the bar.  I needed a water to start, and forced the first few swigs of a beer to calm my stomach.  Rob, Aram, and myself enjoyed our first brews, while we waited for our food.  Hot Turkey Club with a great pint of Thunderhead IPA.  Maybe not the best pairing, but it’s what I was craving at the time, and it was PERFECT.  As soon as we were done, it was time to head up to the awards ceremony.

We took Best Brewpub in BC, and it was a great reception.  This year instead of handing out plaques we received a medal!  It was a great afternoon, as we met many people from breweries all over the west coast.  The guys from Deschutes truly cleaned house with loads of awards, as well as Phillips.  They’re lucky we’re concentrating on food as well or that would have been Spinnakers!  After everything was said and done, we realized there was no more beer to drink… so we again set out on foot.

It didn’t take long before we decided a cab was a good idea.  Hearing earlier in the day that “everyone” was going to “Naked City”… don’t ask… we decided it was a good idea.  A lost cabbie and a few phone calls later we arrived.  Such a cool place!  Unlike any tap selection I have ever seen in BC, Naked City is truly that little bar with an amazing nack for finding great local brews.  They even carry 2 taps of their own, from the smallest brewery I’ve ever seen.  Here we were able to hang out with Alan Moen.  What a guy.  He’s full of great beer stories from the years of traveling around as a beer writer and personal beer lover.  Wish I had his job!

Next, we jumped in Bill Metzger’s car (Editor of Northwest Brewing News) and made our way across town to Browers.  Again… AMAZING.  64 beers on tap, 300 in the bottle, and 60 different bottles of scotch.  At this point I was pretty convinced that I was never going to leave Seattle.  They were going to have to drag me home.  We had a fantastic meal, which we thoughtfully paired with some of the best beer I’ve ever had.  To start with I had a Wild Mushroom Ravioli, that was intensely delicious, with chicken on top.  From first to last bite, I was craving more.  I paired this with Smith’s ESB brewed by Schooner Exact out of Seattle.  The best ESB I have ever had.  Next, I played my game a little backwards.  I ordered the Brouwer’s Salad, as I was still a bit hungry.  All of that walking really built up an appetite!  A spinach salad with mustard vinaigrette dressing, topped with chevre, red onions, and toasted brewer’s grain, paired unbelievably with my Silver City Scottish Ale.  I never would have put the 2 together, but when I did… it was bliss.

After this massive meal, we decided it was time to head somewhere else.  We piled into the car again and headed towards the downtown core.  Parked, and made the good call to get Bill’s lovely partner drinking as well.  We walked up to Elysian, and what a walk.  I don’t think we realized until we were halfway there, the incline of this hill was not something that would have been factored in when we first made the decision, but we were far enough along that it didn’t make sense to turn back.  Even so, by the time we arrived we were so full of beer and food our pints seem to keep refilling themselves, when really we were just past the point of being able to fit more of anything in our stomachs.  Except for Aram.  He was still drinking like a champ, but ask him if he remembers, ha.

After that everything gets a little bit hazy, but I do half recall the downhill walk and my feelings of being so massive I was going to burst.  But… eventually we made it back!  It took a matter of minutes before the guys passed out, I barely recall even getting back to the hotel, from being so absolutely tired and worn out.  The next morning we were up early, loaded the truck, had a quick breakfast, and hit the road.

It was a great road trip, and while we raced to get home in a decent hour, there was enough to see that we could have stayed another week.  The boys were in and out of consciousness until we hit the border.  We got hassled a little bit, but really only felt it was because the American’s had setup their own preliminary checkpoint before you even got to the Canadians.  Way to rub it in…  So until we can do this again… this was a pretty epic trip.

So Rob (head brewer), Aram (cellar man), and myself got up pretty early, or at least earlier than I have in a number of years.  Loaded my tuck full of beer and vinegar to transport off the Island.  Seriously, 60L of Vinegar to bring down to Pike Brewing, as well as much beer as we could fit in my truck to take to Vancouver.  My finger couldn’t even fit between the tire and the wheel well!  It was possibly the best day for driving we could have hoped for.  Warm temperatures, sunny skies, and almost no traffic.  Getting off the ferry was a bit of a hastle, as there was some traffic in Vancouver (ok I lied!) – but once we delivered the beer to all the stores in Vancouver, it was smooth sailing.

We got on the highway and made a run for the border.  I haven’t been this way in about 6 or 7 years, and even then, I don’t remember much of going through.  I was so nervous that time around, no passport, photo ID, and I had suddenly developed a stutter.  This time through was much better.  They obviously asked us where we were going and why.  When they found out we were heading down for the Beer Awards, they excitedly let us through.  So that’s all it takes!  They didn’t even ask us about the 60L of vinegar in the back.  Once you get across that border station, everything really does change.  Maybe it’s the signage, or the way they build their highways, but it feels so different.

First stop – Skagit Brewing!  It was getting later in the evening, and we weren’t really hungry, but were aching for a quick beer.  We stopped into Skagit, as Aram and myself hadn’t been before.  Rob was the pro.  The atmosphere was awesome.  Super laid back, you could see into the brewery while you were enjoying your pint, and the servers were really chill.  A true old fashioned brew pub.  We quickly finished and got back on the road.  We wanted to make it to Seattle before it got dark.

Then we got distracted.  When we were almost in the city we passed the Seattle Outlet Center.  We stopped, spent some money, and all walked out with new shoes, shirts, and a couple of sweaters.  I swear I didn’t even spend enough to warrant shoes and a hoodie from any other store!

It was dark now, we were hungry, and it was time to get on our way.  We needed to find our hotel.  At this point I realized, that although we thought my Iphone would have internet over the border… it didn’t.  No maps.  We had to more or less guess where we were going, and thank god the hotel was named after the street.  We weren’t lost… we just misplaced ourselves in the wrong direction for a few miles.  Half an hour later we found it, safe and sound.  Checked in, and surprise.  No cot and 2 beds.  I’ll thank Rob for this one!  No matter, we needed to get on our feet and have some fun.  The night is young!

Third stop… Pike Brewing!  What a way to start.  Delicious food, fantastic beer, and the staff were great as well.  I wouldn’t put the food as high end, but really, it was perfect for what you would expect when going to a pub.  We all were ready to lick our plates clean.  We stuck around for a couple of delicious brews at Pike, but decided while we could walk straight, it would be a good idea to get some suggestions and head around looking for more pints.  Our new friend at Pike, Shevonne, pointed us in the direction of heading down 2nd Ave.

We wandered up and down the street for a while looking for anything that seemed somewhat appealing.  We ended up asking around, as the street was pretty busy, and there seemed to be quite a few cool looking places.  We ended up at Shorty’s.  Interesting place.  The first room has booths where the tables are old pin ball machines, the second is like a packed arcade from the 80′s, and the third is the weirdest of all.  It’s a lounge, with massive turquoise chairs that were taller than any person would be while sitting in them, and wrapped into semi-circles.  We didn’t stay that long, just a jug and we were gone.

Next we discovered Post Alley.  Far better than 2nd ave!  We went to the Alibi Room for a couple – YES!  An Alibi Room in Seattle!  Then off to Kell’s.  Kell’s was probably my favourite for the night.  Possibly because we were drunk enough at that point that everything was awesome, but also because it was a pretty relaxed atmosphere with good music and good beer.  By this time the bars were starting to shut down, so we lasted a round, and then we got kicked out.  Back to the hotel…

The Kolsch is done and over with – and the Fog Fighter is now on tap!  Rolling in at 8% ABV, this new heavy hitter floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.  The blonde is very light in colour, and even the slightly sweet bubble gum aromas will be enough to fool you.  Once it gets in your mouth, there is a sweet serenity, and the alcohol seems to still be unaccounted for… that is until you’re into your second pint and it comes back to get you.  To celebrate, we have a cask in the line up this week and they are as follows…

Monday, February 1st 2010
Spinnakers IPA dry hopped with Magnums
This cask has been aging for a couple of weeks now and should be amazing!  Magnum hops have a an oily pungent aroma that helps accent our IPA’s residual flavours.  Not quite sure how this sounds?  Try a pint, you’ll be happy.
Best experienced with our Salmon Fish & Chips

Tuesday, February 2nd 2010
Abbott Ale dry hopped with Fuggles
A true English dry hopped ale.  Fuggles are a widely used hop variety in England used in Bitters and Pale Ales.  They aren’t as common in North America these days, just as you don’t find many Bitter style ales on this side of the Atlantic.
Best experienced with our Halibut Fish & Chips

Wednesday, February 3rd 2010
Fog Fighter dry hopped with Saaz
Now that the Fog Fighter is on tap, we can play with something new.  We decided to start out with some lighter, slightly spicy hops, Saaz Hops!  They are very popular with Belgian Styles, and being a great Belgian Blonde, it just makes sense.
Best experienced with our Fish Cakes!

Thursday, February 4th 2010
Blue Bridge Double IPA dry hopped with Northern Brewers
Blue Bridge has been one of our biggest hits in the last little while, and while it has a massive alcohol content at 8%, this hop profile will blow your mind.  Northern Brewers are mild with soft citrus aromas, which is really going to build off of what the Blue Bridge does best. Blow your mind!
Best experienced with our Beef Brisket Pizza

Friday, February 5th 2010
Spinnakers Nut Brown dry hopped with Saaz
A dry hopped Nut Brown has become a favourite style of beer for us here at Spinnakers.  The hops really help accentuate the earthy flavours of this beer and push it up to the next level.  Saaz hops are traditionally used in lighter ales and lagers, so here’s to something different!
Best experienced with our Smoked BBQ Beef Ribs w/ Kale & Mash

Enjoy!!