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

http://www.twitter.com/sudsmagazine

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

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!!

Amstel Light at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival

This past week (Feb. 19 - 22) Amstel Light imported the free-spirited, open-minded attitude of Amsterdam, the city in which it’s brewed, to the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.   As the official beer sponsor of the festival, thousands of consumers enjoyed Amstel Light as they sampled the finest foods from around the country.

The brand was also the official beer sponsor of the Amstel Light Burger Bash (the kick-off event to the South Beach Wine and Food Festival), because nothing goes better with burgers than One Dam Good Bier.  Hosted by Rachael Ray, this premium event brought together renowned chefs to compete in the ultimate burger challenge. Former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn, took home top honors at the event for his burger and won a trip to Amsterdam courtesy of FIU on behalf of Amstel Light.

This year, the brand also imported their authentic 10-seater Beer Bike from Amsterdam to the Amstel Light Burger Bash. Guests were able to enjoy an ice cold Amstel Light from this “pub on wheels,” which was parked at the entrance of the event.

Check out Beer Advocate's Review of Amstel Light.

Be sure to check check out Suds Magazine for more fun events like this and enjoy your travels. If you are on Facebook, join our Suds Magazine Fan Page!

C'est What? Brew/Vin Pub & Restaurant by Brad Kotnik

Day Two of Brad Kotnik's Trip to Toronto, ON

Here's the results of my visit to C'est What? Brew/Vin Pub Restaurant in Toronto:

I was meeting friends (whom I've not seen for 26 years) Kamala and Kelly from Niagara Falls for supper and drinks at C'est What? in Toronto.  C'est What? is host to Beer Towel's annual beer awards and I couldn't decide whether it's a brew-pub, wine house, whiskey tasting bar, restaurant.  They have a kick-ass selection and variety of beer, wine and whiskies.

I had arrived 30 minutes early, so I started venturing out as a tourist to try to locate a LCBO (liquor store) so I could bring home some local tasties for the Okanagan Tapmasters (as well as some wine for my wife).  Funny enough, 4 doors down to the left of the entrance of C'est what is a LCBO (I actually had been meter-parked almost outside the entrance).

Anyway, right to the 'craft beer' section in the back of the store, finding what I was looking for:

Great Lakes Winter Spiced Ale

Trafalgar Abbey Belgian Spiced Ale

Trafalgar Smoked Oatmeal Stout

John Roy Imperial Stout

I grabbed a bottle of each, to stow away into my luggage for the flight home.

Returning to C'est What (-18C outside), I entered through the front doors, taking a long flight of stairs down, was greeted by the host and seated right in front of the fireplace. My friends were due to arrive in 10 minutes, which gave me a few minutes to schooze my SudsMagazine.com credentials and do some beer matching between the menu and ratebeer.com.

Unfortunately, for C'est What? they don't do trays of samplers, no big deal, I knew what I was after...IBU's and hops.  Soon after Kelly and Kamala arrived, I ordered a schooner of the Tankhouse Ale from Mill Street Brewery, Toronto ON - 43 IBU's, copper colored, medium carbonation, nice balance of malt.

My next venture was to dive right into the Hop Addict from Durham Brewing, Pickering ON 85 IBU's which (as the waiter warned me) was quite bitter, not a citrus aroma though, almost a nut and banana aroma.  It had a strong bitterness, huge hop and malt marriage.

My hop seeking quest was satisfied!

Next, I ordered dinner which was Chicken Moroccan stew over basmati rice, fantastic blend of spices, chicken, chick peas, veggies, sauce.....YUMMMY.

Back to the hops, I was treated to a schooner of Durham Hop Head from Durham Brewing, Pickering ON 90 IBU's, described as "Cold hop tea", which almost looked like a fine green powdery tea.  It is a cask conditioned ale and almost tasted like bitter passionfruit, guava or mango.

For dessert, I was treated to a schooner of St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout from McAuslan Brewing, Montreal Que...WOW 45 IBU's Big, black, bold and beautiful.  One of the finest stouts I've ever had.  It didn't have the over-powering alcohol aftertaste, instead it contained chocolate, coffee, hops, malt undertones.  Simply put, WOW!!!!

Thank you to the staff at C'est What? Brew/Vin Pub Restaurant in Toronto for their fantastic food, hospitality and variety of Kick-ass local beer.

Thank you to Kelly and Kamala Inkster for driving in from Niagara Falls to 'catch-up' on many lost years and sharing a fantastic and laughter filled evening.

C'est What? is located in the heart of downtown Toronto, one block away from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

View C'est What? Reviews on Beer Advocate

Cheers all,

Brad

Granite Brewery in Toronto, ON by Brad Kotnik

SudsMagazine.com columnist Brad Kotnik recently ended up in Toronto, Ontario and visited two breweries/brewpubs for SudsMagazine.com. Here is his review of Day 1 at Granite Brewery.

Granite Brewing is located in Toronto, there being a sister brewery in Halifax.  They brew all of their beer on-premises and have a pretty damn good selection:

I started out with their sampler tray which included 9 fantastic varieties:

#1- Peculiar-a strong English ale ABV 5.6% which was sweet and malty

#2- Best Bitter-a copper bitter ABV 4.5% which was sweet with a black malt finish

#3- Ringwood blonde-ABV 5% had very light carbonation, smooth taste

#4- Best Bitter special-ABV 4.5% which was Dry-hopped best bitter cask conditioned served from a handpump, had a nice fresh hop taste

#5- Hopping Mad IPA-ABV 6% Cascade hops and Dry-hopped (kickass #1)

#6- Keefe's Irish Stout-ABV 4.5% black roasted un-malted barley....smooooooth

#7- Ringberry Ale-ABV 5% raspberry aroma, clean and crisp

#8- Black Granite Root Beer-ABV 0% creamy with vanilla

#9- Gin Lane Ale-ABV 9% barley wine smooth and kickass (kickass #2)

I was greeted by Mohammad (manager) who grinned ear-to-ear, chatting up all the 'ladies' who were in attendance (a few of whom were absolutely intrigued by the platter of suds Mohammad provided me)

Mohammad recommended the ribs, they were awesome, with Basmati rice and veggies, starting of with a glorious caesar salad!

All of their beers were very fresh, one note, none of them were ice-cold, which made drinking them most enjoyable.

The Hopping Mad IPA was a treat, the best IPA I've had thusfar on my cold Ontario trip of '09.

Moving on to the Barley wine after dinner was an ABSOLUTE pleasure!!  I did have to wait for the Barley wine to warm up, though.

They do sell beer to go, but unfortunately, they only do growlers.  I would have loved to bring a bottle or 2 home to the (Okanagan) Tapmasters, but unfortunately a full growler weighs 6 LBS, too much for my meager 50 LB maximum checkin luggage allowance.

All in all, was a fantastic experience, off to C'est What tomorrow night (well actually that would be tonight as it's already tomorrow in the EST time zone.)

Cheers,

Brad

Williams Lake, BC

Oliver Street Bar and Grill In Williams Lake, BC.

If you are stuck in The Puddle and need a pint of decent beer, then this us the place to be. Murphy's Irish Stout on tap and great service from Ashley and friends make this a must visit pub.

Everywhere else in this town bows to Molson and Mr. Rickard.

Stay tuned for Prince George tomorrow night.

Leavenworth, WA Trip (by Dean Carriere)

Leavenworth, Washington is not to be overlooked as a beery destination in the middle of almost nowhere.  I took the family for a weekender just before 'Beer'mas for what was to be a kids weekend. Little did I know what was around the corner.

Aside from some take-home booty, my sole beer experience on this trip was to be a quick lunch at McGlinn’s Public House in Wenatchee and I had no complaints about it because this is a great stop.  

Wenatchee also plays host to the Beermuda Triangle, consisting of Roaster’s Alehouse, Applewood Grill, and McGlinn’s.  All are within stumbling distance from each other.  And, the beer selection is fantastic, as is the food option.  So, with a Beef-n-Blue, a bitchin’ t-shirt, and some Bifrost under my belt, we all headed for Leavenworth.

Now, if you’ve never been to Leavenworth before, you’re truly in for a unique experience.  A good number of years ago, the town was facing hard times, and in an attempt to turn the local economy around, the locals agreed to renovate with an alpine Bavarian theme.  And, it worked.  Lucky for us beer drinkers, there’s nothing more Bavarian than beer.  I had been to Leavenworth in the summer and they do carry a few of my favorite brews.  I just had no idea how many more were awaiting discovery.

Because it was so damn cold out, we spent a lot of time in and out of shops and restaurants to warm up between toboggan runs, snowball fights, and icicle hunting trips.  I think we visited every business in town, which placed me face to face with a lot of taps.  So, when in Rome…

I don’t think that there’s a bad spot in town but I’ll share some of my favorite locations. Gustav’s is great for a gritty on-the-fly menu and a decent tap list.  This is one of many places to find Manny’s Pale and Mac & Jac’s Amber but don’t forget the imports and seasonal Jubel Ale.  At the other end of the spectrum is Visconti’s, the former Leavenworth Brewing.  Here you’ll find a great set of taps pouring German and English ales now brewed under Fish’s watchful eye.  Uncle Uli’s makes mean sandwiches served with Tim’s kettle chips and a well-balanced selection of taps to compliment lunch.  The Baren Haus carries Deschutes, as do a few other stops in town.  My favorite spot is Los Camperos for Mexican.  Nobody, and I mean nobody leaves here on an empty stomach!  You’ll also find the only supply of Franziskaner Weissbier in town.  While you wander the streets – because you have to do this – you’ll also find a great number of other spots, each having its own private stash of beers.  Make sure to hit up the little store in the crook of town for an imported bottle selection.

As I said, this was to be a kids weekend, but every meal and pitstop wound up quenching my thirst with a schooner here and a schooner there without cramping the activities list. The one activity that had no beer to offer was the horse-drawn sleigh ride out at Eagle Creek Ranch.  At what seemed like 100-below, the complimentary hot apple cider beside the fire was a welcomed sight after an hour dodging wild turkeys along the nearby trails.

My last pitstop was Safeway, where I found most every recurring winterbrau on the West Coast in one location.  I took home 2 Below, Winterhook, SN, Alaskan, Brrr, Jubel, Sam Adams, Snowcap, and a few others.

 It turns out that family vacations are conducive to a few beers after all.