Suds Magazine | Craft Beer & Travel

Manila Philippines, Denver CO and Others on the Hit List!

Suds Magazine will be hitting the skies and the streets in the coming months to profile some great cities and their beer drinking hangouts. July will see us in Portland, Oregon during the Oregon Brewers Festival. September 2009 will take us to Denver, Colorado during the Great American Beer Festival. In October Suds Magazine crew members will venture to Yakima, WA to attend the Fresh Hop Ale Festival and check on some fine establishments in the center of the Northwest's hop growing region.

Our first major international trip will take place in January of 2010 when Rob from Suds Magazine will venture to Manila, Philippines to explore the beer drinking culture in one of the most colorful cities in the world. Already hooked up with representatives from San Miguel Brewing, Rob will also seek out the import craft beer market in The Philippines including the inroads made by Jim Araneta and the Global Beer Exchange. Jim imports Rogue Ales, Ballast Point and others into this Southeast Asian Country.

If you are in Manila or The Philippines and would like to meet up for some beers, drop me a line: beer@sudsmagazine.com.

Colorful Manila, Philippines during a visit in 2008.

Island Suds

Updated from iPhone. 

We're spending this week on Vancouver Island enjoying some of the fine ales of Canada's far West Coast. 

Follow us on Twitter (@sudsmagazine) for up to the minute updates

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Kelowna Beer Festival

Suds Magazine recently attended the second annual Kelowna Beer Festival in beautiful Kelowna, BC on May 22 & 23, 2009. Correspondents Rob and Dean volunteered to pour for Rogue Brewing from Oregon at this annual event at the Kelowna Curling Club. Both the Dead Guy Ale and the Chipotle Ale were served to eager Kelowna beer enthusiasts.

The festival was well attended despite the summer weather outside. Live bands kept the crown rockin' and around 40 beers kept the attendees thirst quenched. Both Tree Brewing and Freddy's Brewpub from Kelowna offered some of Kelowna's native ales including Tree Hophead.

For the second year in a row Kelowna was blessed with summertime weather raising the question "Why shouldn't this event be held outside?" This buzz made it to the festival organizers and the groundwork is being laid to explore the possibility of moving the Kelowna Beer Festival to an outdoor venue.

We look forward to year three of the event in 2010 with hopes of a broader spectrum of breweries from around BC and the Pacific Northwest. Kelowna's craft ale enthusiasts deserve nothing less.

The definite highlight of the weekend was the Tree Brewing VIP party held at the brewery after Friday's session. The taps opened up for the distinguished guests and a catered late night meal was well received. Tree Brewing has definitely done their part in promoting the craft beer culture in Canada's wine country. It's now up to Kelowna's fine dining establishments to embrace Tree Brewing and other local brewers and place craft beer on the pedestal that it deserves.

When you are dining out in Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley, be sure to request a locally brewed beer that is brewed with passion and respect for the craft itself. It's time to end the heavy handed corrupt dealings of Molson, Labatt, Sleemans, Budweiser, Kokanee, Big Rock and others when it comes to what's served on tap. Let the revolution begin!

It's Beer & Patio Season!!

Welcome to Summer! Follow Suds Magazine this summer as we attend several summer beerfests including the Oregon Brewer's Festival in July. We'll also be heading to some of our favorite beer spots to enjoy some fine hand crafted ales on a patio. Watch out Wenatchee, WA, we plan to be back in your town soon!

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sudsmagazine

Tree Brewing of Kelowna, BC Introduces Craft Beer in 500 ml "Big Cans"

It's a first in Western Canada. Tree Brewing of Kelowna, BC has introduced its Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale and Kelowna Pilsner in 500 ml cans. The cans will be available as singles @ $2.35 followed by four packs in the near future.

Tree held a two hour media event at the brewery today to introduce local media to the new additions to the family. Local radio, TV and print media attended and enjoyed some complimentary samples of the canned beer, snacks as well as a tour of the new canning line.

 

Today's aluminum cans add no metallic or any other foreign taste to the beer. In Britain today, cans account for 81 per cent of all packaged beer in the take-home market, 73.6 per cent of that being in l6oz cans.The advantages of canning beer include:

1. Longer shelf life due to zero light and oxygen damage.

2. No glass breakage so perfect for around the pool or on the beach.

3. Marketing of the product in the ice chest in a store or bar.

4. Ease of recycling.

5. "Beer Hunter"!!

6. Faster chilling than bottles.

 

Tree held a two hour media event at the brewery today to introduce local media to the new additions to the family. Local radio, TV and print media attended and enjoyed some complimentary samples of the canned beer, snacks as well as a tour of the new canning line.

 

Today's aluminum cans add no metallic or any other foreign taste to the beer. In Britain today, cans account for 81 per cent of all packaged beer in the take-home market, 73.6 per cent of that being in l6oz cans.The advantages of canning beer include:

1. Longer shelf life due to zero light and oxygen damage.

2. No glass breakage so perfect for around the pool or on the beach.

3. Marketing of the product in the ice chest in a store or bar.

4. Ease of recycling.

5. "Beer Hunter"!!

6. Faster chilling than bottles.

 

Brewmasters Dinner in Kelowna, BC Featuring Tree Brewing

Craft beer enthusiasts in the Okanagan had something to cheer about recently when Kelowna’s Tree Brewing teamed up with Cabana Bar and Grille to present a Brewmaster’s Dinner. Cabana chef, Ned Bell, one of Canada’s foremost culinary talents, created four sumptuous courses plus appetizers to pair with six different Tree brews.

The evening started in grand Okanagan fashion with appetizers of Jumbo Prawns and Hot Wings served on the patio. Tree Brewmaster, Stefan Buhl, provided a unique cask-conditioned Kelowna Pilsner and his seasonal Hefeweizen to accompany the plethora of pre-dinner treats.

The sixty guests then made their way to the private dining area where the real fun began. Up first was a dish of Steamed Outlandish Mussels with Traditional Beer Bread paired with Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale. As with all the courses, Ned Bell spoke briefly about his creation while Stefan from Tree gave a short description of the complimenting beer.

The next beer up was Tree Cutthroat Pale Ale. It perfectly complimented the Beer Battered “First of the Season” Halibut Fish & Chips with sides of sweet potato fries, citrus aioli, and a very interesting house-made ketchup. The food serving was an entire meal itself and the crowd seemed to unanimously agree that their $70 was definitely well spent.

Course three was for the hop heads in the house, myself included. A plate consisting of a USDA prime strip loin set atop a ravioli filled with beer-braised beef short ribs, bathing in a wild mushroom emulsion, was placed in front of the guests and served with Tree Hop Head India Pale Ale. Again, this dish could have been a meal in itself. It matched perfectly with the IPA.

Finally, dessert came. Most saved a little room for Cabana’s Specialty Coffee & Dough Nuts. This was also complimented with house-made beer ice cream and dark chocolate. Stefan introduced the last beer of the night, Tree’s Spy Porter—a perfect ending to a fantastic night at Cabana Bar and Grille.

During the course of the evening both Chef Ned Bell and Brewmaster Stefan Buhl made the rounds, greeting all the guests and answering questions. Both agreed that the event was a success.

Guests in attendance included members of the Okanagan Tapmasters Beer Club, proprietors of Salmon Arm’s Barley Station Brew Pub, and some newcomers to the Okanagan who were looking to meet other supporters of the Craft Beer movement. Exchanges of business cards and phone numbers took place throughout the evening in the hope that a synergy of sorts may help with the common goal of promoting the craft beer culture. This was certainly a great start.

Craft beer enthusiasts in the Okanagan had something to cheer about recently when Kelowna’s Tree Brewing teamed up with Cabana Bar and Grille to present a Brewmaster’s Dinner. Cabana chef, Ned Bell, one of Canada’s foremost culinary talents, created four sumptuous courses plus appetizers to pair with six different Tree brews.

The evening started in grand Okanagan fashion with appetizers of Jumbo Prawns and Hot Wings served on the patio. Tree Brewmaster, Stefan Buhl, provided a unique cask-conditioned Kelowna Pilsner and his seasonal Hefeweizen to accompany the plethora of pre-dinner treats.

The sixty guests then made their way to the private dining area where the real fun began. Up first was a dish of Steamed Outlandish Mussels with Traditional Beer Bread paired with Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale. As with all the courses, Ned Bell spoke briefly about his creation while Stefan from Tree gave a short description of the complimenting beer.

The next beer up was Tree Cutthroat Pale Ale. It perfectly complimented the Beer Battered “First of the Season” Halibut Fish & Chips with sides of sweet potato fries, citrus aioli, and a very interesting house-made ketchup. The food serving was an entire meal itself and the crowd seemed to unanimously agree that their $70 was definitely well spent.

Course three was for the hop heads in the house, myself included. A plate consisting of a USDA prime strip loin set atop a ravioli filled with beer-braised beef short ribs, bathing in a wild mushroom emulsion, was placed in front of the guests and served with Tree Hop Head India Pale Ale. Again, this dish could have been a meal in itself. It matched perfectly with the IPA.

Finally, dessert came. Most saved a little room for Cabana’s Specialty Coffee & Dough Nuts. This was also complimented with house-made beer ice cream and dark chocolate. Stefan introduced the last beer of the night, Tree’s Spy Porter—a perfect ending to a fantastic night at Cabana Bar and Grille.

During the course of the evening both Chef Ned Bell and Brewmaster Stefan Buhl made the rounds, greeting all the guests and answering questions. Both agreed that the event was a success.

Guests in attendance included members of the Okanagan Tapmasters Beer Club, proprietors of Salmon Arm’s Barley Station Brew Pub, and some newcomers to the Okanagan who were looking to meet other supporters of the Craft Beer movement. Exchanges of business cards and phone numbers took place throughout the evening in the hope that a synergy of sorts may help with the common goal of promoting the craft beer culture. This was certainly a great start.

Leavenworth Ale Fest Review 2009 (and a Bonus Night in Wenatchee, WA)

by Dean Carriere, Senior Beer Writer

If there’s ever been an excuse to travel, beer will never let you down.  And neither will the good folks in down Washington State.  As many of you have come to realize, we always kick it in Suds Magazine style, so the first long weekend of the year came early when we toured Chelan County in search of six-packs, beer taps, and the odd nap in between.

Thanks to Tapatio’s taco wagon in Tonasket, WA, we were off to a solid start with some solid fixin’s from south of the border.  If you’ve never taken the opportunity to grab an ethnic snack en route at a taco wagon, you have no idea what you’re missing.  Let’s just say that it beats the flab out of burgers and fries any day.

We pulled into Wenatchee, WA just in time for dinner… and some beers of course!  McGlinn’s is always our first stop and the point where Dessert Man Dave, Rob, and I hooked up with Rim Jim from Vancouver. McGlinns’ thoughtful menu will always take care of even the pickiest eater at the worst of times. If a big happy stomach isn’t enough to please you, a healthy tap list with a Pacific Northwest focus surely will.

The next stop in Wenatchee’s “Beermuda Triangle” was Applewood Grill for some more pints of micro.  It’s tough not to love a place where smoke is king and beer runs freely from more taps than you can exploit in a single sitting.  If you run out of taps, there’s also a cooler full of enough labels to slow you down.  While, it was still a little chilly to take advantage of an al fresco opportunity, this is one of our favorite patios in town.

To wind day one down, the boys and I rode the elevator all the way up to the Wenatchee Roaster & Ale House at the Coast Hotel for a final sip or two from their ample offerings.

On Day two, morning came as all mornings do.  The Leavenworth Ale Fest was our main attraction flaunting 22 breweries, 44 beers, bottomless food and non-stop bands.  It was presented by the world famous Nutcracker Museum and better than an all day beer lollie.  The annual event is held in the cozy 10,000 square foot Leavenworth Festhalle which you’ll find at the edge of the town core – just about stumbling distance from any hotel in town.

The weather was great and the beer was even better.  Rob found himself overwhelmed by the number of soldiers to knock down, so after minimal arm twisting, I pitched in and together we turned in our score sheets only a few minutes late.  There were so many colorful festival-goers who helped us ring in the occasion that we couldn’t possibly name them all but I’m sure you know who you are.  We even guessed a few names wrong while playing The Name Game.  What a fantastic festival this was.  The  après fest was unofficially held at Ducks and Drakes where we soaked up as much Manny’s Pale Ale as we could before retiring for the night.

Before reluctantly returning home on Sunday, we scooped some take-home booty from Food Pavilion where I fell in love with the in-house tortilla facility and deli selection. They wouldn’t let me take it with me, so we played a couple rounds of disc golf at the Wenatchee Rotary Park in an attempt at keeping my mind off the Mexican groceries.  A pair of Cinder Cone Reds and a taco wagon Burrito with fresh crema in Omak didn’t hurt either.

We’d like to toss out a special thank you from Suds Magazine to Rebeca Wadkins and the Nutcracker Museum for the invitation to the Ale Fest. Leavenworth was absolutely fabu and we plan to return next year in larger numbers.

Mark your calendars - next year’s event is slated for April 17, 2010.

Special Editor's Note on the Leavenworth Ale Fest

It was a great honor to be invited to this year's Leavenworth Ale Fest as a beer judge for the event. I travel to many great beer festivals throughout the year and this one certainly has to be placed amongst my favorites. The small town charm and genuine friendliness of the local residents shines through both during and after the festival. Our group of four out-of-towners felt right at home while spending our time in Leavenworth. Thanks to Rebeca and other organizers for putting on such a great event in a great setting. We'll be back in numbers in 2010!!

Consider Leavenworth for a vacation or weekend getaway, any time of the year. There is lots of great beer and wine to go along with endless activities and shopping for the whole family. The scenery is also breathtaking.

Cheers!!

Rob Trent

Suds Magazine hits the Portland Spring Beerfest!

It's been a great annual trip for Suds Magazine for the last six years. The Portland Spring Beerfest takes place every Easter weekend at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR.

We put in six or seven hours on Friday afternoon/evening at the festival and enjoyed many fine ales. One of our personal favorites this year was the Laurelwood Green Mammoth Imperial India Pale Ale. It had everything in it that a great IPA should and it is certified organic! For the name alone, we got a kick out of Walking Man Brewery's Big Black Homo, a black Imperial IPA.

After taking in a day at the always enjoyable festival on Friday, we headed over to the Green Dragon where we ended up closing down the bar after enjoying numerous hard to find taps including the last beer of the night: Lagunitas Undercover Shutdown.

Day two of our Portland weekend allowed us to sample some fine IPAs at Deschutes Brewery Pub in downtown Portland with our Oregon Beer Correspondent, Stu Smith. Afterwards we made our way to the Rogue Ale House where I enjoyed several of their offerings including a Shakespeare Stout on Nitro paired with Rogue's Oyster Shooters. 

Our Second night in Portland came to a close at one of our favorite beer bars in the land, Henry's Tavern where we the pints flowed till late into the night. Always a good place to hit up when you are looking for a Russian River Brewing Pliny the Elder or Hair of the Dog's Blue Dot IPA.

Thank you Portland, we'll see you again in July for the Oregon Brewer's Festival!!

Village Taphouse in North Vancouver by Rim Jim Campbell!

Rim’s Rookie Review –

As what I would call a rookie beer drinker, I am excited to be joining the Beer gurus of Sudsmagazine.com down to Leavenworth for a beer festival where Rob Trent (Owner) will be judging some excellent brews while the rest of us are off having a few too many fine brews.

Feeling a tad left out by my eclectic taste in beers I wanted to put my palette to the test and write a few reviews of some beers I recently enjoyed at the Village Taphouse in North Vancouver.  First off, I like sweeter more refreshing beers.  I’ve always had a sweet tooth and those who know me will remember my younger days where I wouldn’t even drink beer – and opted for the sickly sweet California Coolers and the like.   Yes, I’ve since grown some balls and have become a beer lover.   I tend to stick mostly to lagers and wheat (white) beers/Hefeweizen but do also enjoy venturing out of my comfort zone to try something new.

The first beer I had at Village was Pyramid’s Apricot Hefewiezen.  This really hit the spot on Vancouver’s first nice warm day (especially after the crappy winter we’ve all had)!   I found it to be amazingly refreshing and not overly sweet… I finished it much too quickly and wanted another!   However, I saw that they had a sampler available and with lots of beer on tap I thought it would be great to try some new brews.   

I opted for a sampler of Crannog Ales – Back Hand of God, Fat Cat Brewery’s Honey Ale, and Central City Brewing’s Raspberry Wheat Beer.   Although I am not big on coffee flavour (I don’t even drink coffee) I found the Back Hand of God to be nice and crisp and a lot lighter than I was expecting from such a dark beer.  From their web site:

‘Lean in body and powerful in flavour, Back Hand of God Stout (formerly known as "Black Wolfhound") has won three consumers' choice awards. This dry stout is easy to drink, rich and inviting. It is extraordinarily smooth and mildly hopped with a distinct coffee/chocolate presence.’

The first sip was quite strong (for me) and was undecided if I would finish it.  It had a nice aftertaste and after I got over the bitterness of the coffee flavour I could taste the subtle hints of chocolate.  By the end I was enjoying it.  Probably not something I’d order again, but for those who like that flavor I’m sure this beer would be a big hit.

Next I moved on to the Fat Cat Honey Ale – from their website:

‘Fat Cat HONEY BEER is made with 100% certified organic Honeydew honey from the south island of New Zealand. We would have used Canadian honey but this Honeydew honey is a very different sort of honey. Made from the Beech tree sap instead of the usual nectar, bees collect this Honeydew honey which has the consistency of maple syrup and the most lovely malty flavour.’

This beer was more my speed – the maltier and sweeter taste of this was very nice.  It was smooth going down right to the last drop.  Definitely going to get some of these for the fridge!

Last was the Raspberry Wheat Ale – having had such a nice experience with Pyramid Apricot Hef, I had to give this one a go – and finish it for dessert.  The first few sips were disappointing, perhaps from moving to this beer after the first two, I found the sweetness to be slightly over powering…  as I find with most wheat beers, I did get more used to the flavor as I drank more.  It was refreshing and it had a pretty nice finish, but I don’t think I would order this beer again.   

Unfortunately it was time to go, would have loved to order one more pint of Pyramids Hef, as it was by far the most enjoyed beer I had that day!

Lastly I wanted to RAVE about the food at the Village Taphouse – the food was amazing!    From the Edamame that was cooked and salted to perfection to the Halibut and chips…  Mmmm Delicious!   Will definitely go back as soon as I can!

Penticton Fest of Ale was a Blast in BC's Wine Country

The 14th Annual Fest of Ale was held in Penticton, BC on Friday and Saturday (April 3-4). With fewer tickets available for both nights to ease congestion this year, beer aficionados were treated to a wide variety of beers from breweries offering everything from lagers and pale ales to darker stouts and porters. Most kegs were emptied during the event including Pyramid Breweries (Seattle, WA)  Apricot Ale which won as judges' choice for top beer from a larger brewery at the festival. The extra room made for a more comfortable experience with shorter lines and more space to converse with fellow beer drinkers.

Breweries came from as far away as California (Lost Coast Brewing, Eureka) and Saskatoon, SK (Paddockwood Brewing). Local favorites including Tree Brewing, Okanagan Springs and Cannery Brewing were also represented as well as several other breweries from around B.C. and Washington State.

The festival also featured a large array of food from some of Penticton's eateries, all of course pairing nicely with one of the many beverages available on the festival floor.

Below is a photo of the the award given to Pyramid Breweries  with two of their representatives alongside four members of the Suds Magazine Crew.

L-R: Chris Tietze (Suds Magazine), Dean Carriere (Suds Magazine), Seda Shelland (Seattle, WA - Pyramid), Derek Dunlop (Suds Magazine), Bryan Giddens (Seattle, WA - Pyramid) and Rob Trent (Suds Magazine). 

 

Local beer fans in this region will be treated to another great event in Kelowna on May 22-23 as the Kelowna Beer Festival takes place at the curling club for the second year in a row.

The craft beer scene in the Okanagan Valley is growing in leaps and bounds as several craft beer appreciation groups are forming including the new CAMRA group in Penticton, The B-TOPS in Peachland and the Tap Masters in Kelowna. On April 29th, Kelowna's Cabana Bar and Grille is offering a food and beer pairing night featuring five beers from Tree Brewing. Award winning craft beers from the USA are now readily available in many private liquor stores including Metro Liquor at Central Park in Kelowna.