Vancouver Craft Beer Week Unites Women and Beer
May 18, 2010 by Sheila Whittaker
Although the minority in both production and consumption of beer, women came out in force to support female brewers and sample their offerings Thursday night at The Refinery on the Granville entertainment strip.
Clever men who list women and beer at the top of their interest charts also secured tickets to the sold-out event.
Once I got passed the friendly volunteers with the guest list, I was handed a branded Vancouver Craft Beer Week sample-sized beer glass and directed to R&B Brewing’s cask of Extra Special Bitter, an extra special treat and not one of R&B’s usual offerings. Perhaps it will be soon — it was well-liked! It’s a moderately (not overpoweringly) bitter English-style ale and not lacking in hoppy, floral and citrus flavours.
The tables were spread with Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps and Saltspring Cheeses for nibbling. The evening officially kicked off with
a welcome from VCBW event coordinator, Lundy Dale. Also president of the Vancouver chapter of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), the senior ales advisor at Firefly Fine Wines and Ales, and in hot pursuit of her Cicerone certification (the equivalent of a sommelier in the beer world), Dale is a woman who knows and loves beer.
Lauren Mote, general manager of The Refinery and award-winning mixologist, is no stranger to quality bevvies and was on hand to make sure the evening flowed as smoothly as the brews. Leah Heneghan, VCBW project manager, was also a major contributor to the night’s success.
Chef Mike Carter was busy at work in The Refinery’s kitchen creating delicious appetizers to pair with the evening of ales. First up was the seasonal Heatherdale Ale from Saltspring Island Ales. This ale is infused with the aroma of Heather flowers from the Butchart Gardens, and was described by brewery co-owner Becky Julseth as a ‘girlie’ beer. It was paired with a spot prawn and chorizo nestled atop a cracker-like form of parmesan polenta. It inspired fantasies of backyard hammock relaxation, and non-stop refills of refreshing Heatherdale Ale from a cabana boy.
Next, Saltspring showed its tougher side with the Whaletail Ale — an amber bursting with hops. It was a huge leap from the subtle drink we’d just finished, but showcased the diversity of Saltspring’s offerings. It was the favourite of local travel writer John Lee, who attended the event to give away a couple copies of his recent book Drinking Vancouver.
R&B made another appearance with its Red Devil Pale Ale. It’s an easy beer to sip because of its slightly sweet malty qualities and refreshing finish.
Leslie Fenn, the owner and director of Howe Sound Brewing introduced the Three Beavers Imperial Red Ale. It is a strong, malty ale with 7.5% alcohol. Chef Carter paired it with coffee-crusted lamb loin, pickled fennel and vanilla dressing, cleverly served on a round slice of potato. My mouth is watering for the mere memory of this bite-sized gem.
The new Squire Scotch Ale was presented by Patt Dyck, Co-Owner of Cannery Brewing. It’s a medium, caramel ale with little hop, lots of malt and a touch of sweetness. It’s a great beer for food and paired well with three-cheese flat bread with roasted tomato.
The perfect cap to the evening was kindly offered by Rebecca Kneen, co-owner and assistant brewer of Crannog Ales and Rachel Sawatzky, chololatiere of CocoaNymph Chocolates and Confections. The Back Hand of God Stout, a rich, smooth drink with definite coffee and chocolate notes made a perfect pairing with the gourmet, artisan chocolate.
To ensure guests’ memories of the evening were lasting, all were sent home with a goodie bag that included Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo from Lush (made with Crannog beer), Cannery Brewing Blackberry Porter with Hops soap, and other fun stuff.
The first Vancouver Craft Beer Week hosted events all over the city for beer enthusiasts to get out and enjoy. If you experienced something noteworthy during VCBW, please share in the comments area below!
Comments
Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
