Tilted Kilt

Tilted Kilt

Thrill The World Vancouver 2010 saw 286 Vancouver zombies dance with over 13,000 people globally, which topped Vancouver’s 2009 record of 242 dancers.The Vancouver event also raised nearly $2500 and over 400 lbs of food for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Participants were asked to donate a minimum of $10 at the event; the same request will be made this year.

Jump start the weekend to some sweet tunes from Local Natives, well local to LA that is. An upbeat combination of Grizzly Bear and the Fleet Foxes with harmonies that would impress Crosby Stills Nash and Young. This is your chance to see a crazy talented band in a tiny “Venue.”

Stuck for a Saturday something? Get your Adhesif fix at Adhesif Clothing’s grand opening. Be the first to see new collections and get dibs on rare one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, handmade purses, eclectic accessories while enjoying appies, drinks, art by Anthony Wilson, and entertainment by a surprise guest. Then, show off your new kicks at Sweet Thing where glam mixes with Scissor Sisters and a whole lot of awesomeness creating this Toronto based pop quintet. Come watch them work the crowd, you will be impressed by the stage presence oh yeah, and the music.

5 out of 5 yelpers believe that the best way you can end your weekend is by indulging at EAT! Vancouver. Okay, we made that fact up, but with a stack of celebrity chefs, popular local restaurants, wineries, cookbook authors and artisans in the house, it would be a shame to miss it. So come on, get your EAT! on. Ahhh, now that’s a satisfying weekend!

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson taps Hoppapalooza's first cask

The thirsty crowd was 100 strong by the time Mayor Gregor Robertson arrived to tap the ceremonial first cask for the inaugural Vancouver Craft Beer Week.  To start, VCBW co-founder Rick Green suggested that now is the time for us to celebrate our craft beer as much as we do our flourishing wine industry, while Mayor Robertson added some words on how craft beer fits in with the modern approach to eating and drinking local.  Then with Robertson’s strike of the ceremonial mallet, the first cask was tapped and VCBW was officially underway.

In many ways the Alibi Room is the perfect place to open the first-ever Vancouver Craft Beer Week.  Since 2006 the Alibi Room has been Vancouver’s best room for craft beer, currently boasting 26 taps, all craft beers, and many craft bottles as well.  With no televisions and lots of communal seating, the Alibi is a space that encourages conversation, and usually that conversation will drift towards the Alibi’s fascinating and  rewarding beer list.  If the beer list is sometimes a bit daunting, proprietor Nigel Springthorpe will offer suggestions.  These aren’t beers to knock back, these are beers to explore and appreciate.

The theme for the event, chosen by Nigel, was hop-forward beers.  Hoppy beers have long been a favourite of Nigel’s, who labels the beers on his menu with one, two, three or four stars to indicate the level of hoppiness.  Hops are an ingredient in most beers, added to provide a bitterness to offset the sweetness of the malts.  Hops also act as a preservative.  The style most associated with big hop flavours is the India Pale Ale.  The legend of the IPA is  that extra hops were added to help the beers survive the long ocean-going trips to India in the 18th century, but with the added preservative qualities came added bitterness.  British soldiers returned to the UK having developed a taste for these bitter beers.  Big, aggressive hops are now considered one of the  trademarks of west coast craft beer, especially our IPAs  (the bitterness of real IPAs can come as something of a shock to those familiar only with Alexander Kieth’s IPA, which is a lager and not actually an IPA at all).  The bitter flavours can take the form of citrus notes; orange peel, lemon zest or grapefruit, or herb notes such as pine or rosemary.  For some, these hoppy beers are an acquired taste, but they are to many beer geeks what big, tannic reds are to wine drinkers.

At close to 200 people the room was buzzing.  With 25 beers spread out over two floors there was much to try.  Vancouver blues guitarist, Rich Hope provided live music while Alibi chef Greg Armstrong provided hot bowls of his Two Rivers bison chili.  My favourite beers on the night included Central City’s Roachapalooza  and Deschute’s HopHenge Experimental IPA, both intense, hoppy beers. Rogue Brewing’s John John Juniper, aged in a gin barrel, was a polarizing beer on the night – I found it complex and elegant, some found it a bit medicinal.  Derrick’s (of Dix Brewpub) Blood Orange Zest Grand Cru offered a lovely, sweeter beer, perfect for winding down at the end of the night.  Iain’s (of Yaletown Brew Pub) Brick & Beam IPA was perhaps my favourite on the night, nicely bitter yet delicate and balanced – a wonderful beer.

All in all, Vancouver Craft Beer Week got off to a rousing start.  It was an incredible beer list.  Among the crowd was a “Who’s Who” of BC’s craft beer industry.  And for those who missed this event, many of the beers will be on the Alibi’s tap list until they run out.  And as always, the Alibi Room remains one of the best places to sample craft beer in Vancouver, worth a visit any night.

The Alibi Room

Vancouver Craft Beer Week

Over 100 thirsty beer fans await the tapping of the first cask

So much beer, so little time!

Tonight move to the beats with UK legend Ed Solo and a solid line up of local DJ’s with whomping subs and good Dubs!

Celebrate the arrival of the official weekend Friday night with Frightened Rabbit, an eclectic named band with an even more eclectic sound. Also playing the Biltmore’s stage is Maps and Atlases and Our Brother the Native.

If shoes are your weakness, make your way down to the Vancouver Museum and check out Fox, Fluevog & Friends opening this weekend. This fashion retrospective explores the story behind the footwear companies of Fox, Fluevog and friends. Approximately 150 shoes dating from 1968 to 2000 are featured, complemented by photographs, catalogues, newspaper articles, sketches and customer comments.

If you haven’t gulped your way through any of Vancouver Craft Beer Week, which started on Monday, you’ve got til Sunday to down some suds. Be sure to check out Yelp.ca for events happening around Vancouver. 25+ breweries, 20+ venues and of course, no crap beer.

Feels like a long weekend? You can thank Yelp for that!

Enter to win an exclusive invitation for you and a guest to Doolins’s 4th Annual “East Coast Good Times” Lobster Dinner on Wednesday May 19, 2010!

Each guest will chow down on a whole lobster served with veggie sides, and the evening’s festivities include a tip of the hat to a Newfoundland tradition of the Screech-In (kiss the cod, anyone?) and with Alexander Keith’s as the liquor sponsor, good times will certainly be had by all.

Here’s How To Enter:

Fill out the form below with your name and email.

Note: I will be giving away TWO pairs of tickets.

Contest closes Monday, May 17 at midnight. and winners will be contacted by email.

Good Luck!

Cheap Beer

The Bourbon

$3.50 pints all day, every day and Canucks on the big screen.

Relish

Not only for the Canucks but Relish has one $3 Canadian featured beer everday.

On the Water

Canucks Playoffs on the Burrard Queen

With the weather shaping up – this is sounding *awesome*! Full bar, 4 big screen TVs, Full open top deck for drinking in the sun between periods and after the game
See the Facebook page

for reservations and details.

You can grab tickets to the Commodore to see the game on giant screens!

Charlie’s

Book you table and watch the game on the big screen. Also, canucks fans have special food and drink specials. To reserve your canucks table, call 604-568-6685.

New Places to Watch

The Blarney Stone

If you haven’t been down to gastown lately, you might not have noticed some of the great renovations the Blarney Stone went through right before the Olympics. With new tvs, new bar and doors opening to the street, it’s a great option for canucks fans.

For a more complete list, visit my Sports Bars page!

Go Canucks Go!

Dance your Friday night away at the annual Or Gallery’s Dance-A-Thon where you have a chance to Do the Hustle, win fabulous prizes and most importantly help raise money to support the gallery. Not in the mood to shake your moneymaker? Well then sit back at the DOXA documentary Film Festival. It all starts Friday night with an opening party at Harrison Galleries. Enjoy fine food and wine along with live entertainment followed by the Opening Night Film, Terra Madre, a film based on the Slow Food movement.

Get caught up on the latest fashion trends at AWear, the second annual Charity Fashion show presented by Langara Business Association. The fashion show raises awareness for Free the Children development efforts to break the cycle of poverty and child exploitation through education. If Friday night’s dance fever still has a hold on you come experience a humorous and personal dance tale of survival, 10 Things You’ll Hate About Me. An energetic, though still thoughtful, romantic and chaotic honest story of a young boy.

End your lively weekend spending time with the most important women in your life, celebrating mom’s at Mosaic Bar and Grill brunch fit for a Queen or at another yummy Sunday brunch.

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