Monthly Archives: January 2014

Hopworks Urban Brewery IPA Organic Beer

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After a long voyage from Austarlia, I brought the family to Whistler for a few days of relaxation to recover from the jet-lag. I always get my ass kicked by jet lag when I return from Australia. The combination of fatigue, the change of hours, and the the darkness of Vancouver in deep winter is always hard on me and the family. It is harder still when you have a toddler with jet lag as well.

When I do fall asleep at night, invariably, my three year old will be awake, asking me to go to the park. At three in the morning. Bloody hell!

On the up-side this beer was phenomenal. I always give extra marks to an organic beer. I eat everything organic… just about, so why not beer, I say?

The Hopworks Urban Brewery IPA Organic Beer has an excellent, persistent head, foggy amber colour, and a mild citrus aroma. It has a moderately intense citrus taste with a hint of pine. It has a thick texture, and a mild hoppy taste that just nibbles at you. The sweetness in the aftertaste washes away any bite.

5/5

The Myth of Gluten-Free “Beer”

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This is the year to go gluten-free. Yes, it plays like a fad, but I think it is a good thing. I think we should be aware of how much we eat of the same thing, and how many conditions can be caused by gluten sensitivity.

A couple of months ago I downloaded some videos from the Gluten Summit which had experts from around the world talking about all aspects of the harms of gluten and how to go gluten-free. I won’t get into the non-beer-related details… if you want, you can follow this link to download the videos and watch them forever for $97. They are pretty good.

As for beer, there are two really important facts you should know from what I have seen so far.

1: Michael Marsh the leading expert on celiac disease LETS HIS CELIAC PATIENTS DRINK BEER! This was described by the moderator of the Gluten Summit as “revolutionary.” How much beer? Well, he didn’t say. Dr MD Meschino of Adeeva nutrition advocates that the body is only able to recover from one alcoholic drink per day, so if you have a compromised gut situation, and want to drink beer, you may need to stick with a single. Sorry!

2: Beer made without gluten is NOT BEER. As Cynthia Kupper pointed out, Beer is defined as containing barley or wheat, which contain gluten. Although you can have a gluten free beer-like beverage, that beverage is technically not beer.
In order for a beer to become gluten-free, the gluten has to be removed by a chemical process, and then the beverage is labeled “gluten removed”… NO THANKS MOTHER FUCKER!!!

As you know, I don’t even want to have preservatives in my beer, let alone have it undergo some ridiculous chemical process to remove the gluten. I cannot believe the way that these psychopathic big beverage companies will go to any length to attract a (sorry) naive consumer to their beverage. Offering an unsuspecting individual some chemically altered version of the oldest most popular alcoholic beverage in the world, sucking them in by adding “gluten free” to the label, to me, is absolutely appalling.

So, having weighed the pros and cons I am going with Michael Marsh on this one. Just drink the normal beer.

What are you going to do?

Kosciuszco Brewing Pale Ale

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The flight home to Vancouver from Perth is about as long as it gets, a minimum of 24 hours of travel time. It was nice to break up the journey with a stop for the evening in Sydney. We stayed at a hotel that overlooked the runway. I downloaded an app called LiveATC that allows me to listen to the air traffic control for just about any airport. We could listen to the controllers greet each plane with a “g’day” and then watch them land.

Adding to the thrill was an app called FlightRadar24 that allows you to see all the planes’ positions on a map in real time, complete with actual photographs and details about the flight.

It was really fun watching the planes with my son.

For dinner we went to a restaurant called the Terrace Bar and Brasserie at the Sydney International Terminal.

First of 2014

I ordered a Kosciuszco Brewing Pale Ale on tap. I noticed that they had no beer prices posted anywhere on the menu or chalk board. I wasn’t born yesterday, so I know that this usually means that they are going to charge me double if they know I am foreign. All I have to do now is speak with a perfect Australian accent, and figure out how to pronounce “Kosciuszco.”

Incidentally, this is the highest peak in Australia. Nobody knows this, because nobody gives a shit about this mountain, as it is not even as high as Grouse Mountain.
I ordered a “Ko-SHOO-sco”. I also asked the bartender where it was from.

The barkeep, a true blue Aussie of what looked like aboriginal descent said “it’s the highest peak in Australia mate!”

Bringing the drinks back to the table I explained to my wife that I was drinking a “KoSHOOsco” and it was named after the highest peak in Australia.

It’s “Kozzy-OS-co” she said.

And that’s why these pints cost $15 each!

This beer has a summery and fruity aroma, is full bodied and had a good head.

3/5 G1-2