tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529225417607238732024-03-05T17:40:32.965-08:00Pint sighsLPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-67430628167712299172013-07-17T20:36:00.000-07:002013-07-18T15:23:39.594-07:00Bike adventures: Bowen IslandDespite living just a few kilometres away for most of my life, and peering out at it curiously each time I drove up the Sea to Sky Highway, I had never visited little <a href="https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Bowen+Island,+BC&hl=en&sll=54.112352,-126.555646&sspn=21.613576,57.084961&oq=bowen+island&hnear=Bowen+Island,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia&t=m&z=13" target="_blank">Bowen Island</a>. But, during one my recent little slices of bliss known as a "weekday off", I decided to remedy that.<br>
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And thus, one fine Monday morning, my friend and I set out on the 25km ride to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. The ride was gorgeous (albeit hilly), and only took us an hour and ten - actually quicker than the bus would have delivered us. We walked right onto the 10am ferry, problem-free.<br>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2013/07/bike-adventures-bowen-island.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-25997719416985054152013-05-17T23:18:00.002-07:002013-05-20T09:53:21.006-07:00An interview with Four Winds Brewing Co.Just in case you're a craft beer drinker who's also living under a rock: 2013 is officially the year of the craft brewery in Greater Vancouver, with <a href="http://www.straight.com/food/381786/33-acres-brassneck-brewery-get-ready-wave-new-craft-beer-vancouver" target="_blank">six new breweries opening plus three major expansions</a> of existing facilities planned to take place before the end of the year. Much of the action is concentrated in the historic Brewery Creek (aka Mount Pleasant) neighbourhood in East Van - but that's not the only area we'll see new beer flowing from in the coming months.<br>
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Just southeast of Vancouver proper, in Delta, a little family-owned microbrewery is about to open its doors (and its taps) to the public. <a href="http://www.fourwindsbrewing.ca/" target="_blank">Four Winds Brewing</a> is the definition of a family business: Brent Mills is the head brewer, his dad Greg Mills runs the business side of things and brothers Adam and Sean Mills are helping to build the brewery and tasting room from the ground up. I was able to catch up with Brent for a quick interview in the midst of preparations for Four Winds' grand opening on June 1st (more below the break):<br>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2013/05/an-interview-with-four-winds-brewing-co.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-10866653945556758932013-03-06T20:00:00.000-08:002013-05-18T10:05:17.191-07:00Beer adventures: 48 hours in Portland, OregonWriting a post about where to find good beer in Portland seems kind of superfluous. It's kind of like writing about where to find good sushi in Vancouver - you don't really need the advice, because you're going to have a harder time finding <i>bad</i> sushi. But, purely for my own selfish interests, I'm going to write this anyway so that I no longer have to type out a list of suggested places every time a friend decides to make the trip. So here goes:<br>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2013/03/beer-adventures-48-hours-in-portland.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-47444328555986488712012-12-23T09:44:00.000-08:002012-12-24T19:09:45.035-08:00Over the bridge to Bridge BrewingAs a car-free East Van resident, who, for the most part, lives, works and plays within a 5 km square radius, visiting some of the city's outlying areas can seem like an insurmountable challenge. That being said, nine times out of ten, when I actually burst out of my bubble and visit them, I find something awesome (Central City Brewing, anyone?). Last weekend, that something awesome was <a href="http://www.bridgebrewing.com/#home" target="_blank">Bridge Brewing</a> in North Vancouver. <br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge Brewing's Black IPA (photo: Monica Frost)</td></tr>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/12/over-bridge-to-bridge-brewing.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-41298944383772343312012-12-11T20:38:00.000-08:002012-12-12T14:25:30.975-08:00Powell Street Brewery opening Dec 15 in East Van <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Way back in April, I posted about a <a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.ca/2012/04/new-brewery-in-town-powell-street-craft.html" target="_blank">new craft brewery coming to East Vancouver</a>. Now, after months of red tape and renovations, <a href="http://www.powellbeer.com/" target="_blank">Powell Street Craft Brewery</a> is set to open this Saturday! I caught up with owner/brewer David Bowket again to find out more:</div>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/12/powell-street-brewery-opening-dec-15-in.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-35672051660336975022012-11-17T16:24:00.001-08:002012-11-20T08:03:00.760-08:00Huacachina, Peru: land of sandOnce upon a time, Huacachina was a playground of the
Peruvian elite, a veritable oasis where they would come to escape the drudgery
of everyday life. Nowadays, it’s more of a tourist trap – the tiny lake in the
middle of a sea of sand dunes is lined three-deep with bars advertising 5x1
happy hours and hostels housing tipsy young tourists. It’s definitely not what
you’d call a cultural hub. But you only need to head over the first dune to
realize what drew the Peruvians originally and the tourists today – a gorgeous,
untouched expanse of silk-smooth sand dunes, where, if you time it right, you
can see a sunset that will take your breath away.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun setting over the sand dunes in Huacachina, Peru</td></tr>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/11/huacachina-land-of-sand.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-53132246859046098152012-11-17T15:21:00.001-08:002012-11-20T07:54:24.917-08:00Arequipa, Peru: mummies & monasteries“This is more like it,” was my first thought as we squealed
around corners towards downtown Arequipa in an impossibly compact cab. Colonial
architecture, cobblestone roads, people flooding the streets – it had the character and buzz that I
expected but didn’t receive from <a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.ca/2012/09/lima-beautiful-and-strange.html" target="_blank">Lima</a>. <br>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/11/arequipa-peru-unexpectedly-awesome.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-70842801995772411202012-10-06T16:20:00.000-07:002013-05-18T01:18:37.676-07:00Mountain biking the world's most dangerous road in Bolivia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've always thought that the best way to learn something is to just jump in, headfirst, and do it. This statement may provide some context for why I decided that it would be a good idea to try mountain biking for the first time by riding down the ominously named "Death Road" in Bolivia (which also goes by the comforting moniker of "the world's most dangerous road"). Akin to the father who throws his child in the lake and says "and that's how you swim!", I threw myself on the back of a Kona mountain bike with <a href="http://www.gravitybolivia.com/index.php?mod=homeb" target="_blank">Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking</a> and hoped for the best. <br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9Re_2ZGRxGxR5PQbPvcb7HP0K7e3BkotcgbsYt7FbqEIq-5-3CJqgOPSrk7rSDNAHZauMdP3LbG9qGFoiejLTCfaEY6x3AjfqMrrWNJHW6XjsOT9NL0JERmphrQZ1bUg9XTHP8goRg/s1600/DSCF2152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9Re_2ZGRxGxR5PQbPvcb7HP0K7e3BkotcgbsYt7FbqEIq-5-3CJqgOPSrk7rSDNAHZauMdP3LbG9qGFoiejLTCfaEY6x3AjfqMrrWNJHW6XjsOT9NL0JERmphrQZ1bUg9XTHP8goRg/s400/DSCF2152.JPG" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The world's most dangerous road snakes along a volcanic mountain in Bolivia</td></tr>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/10/mountain-biking-worlds-most-dangerous.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-41832951836120923432012-09-26T11:24:00.003-07:002012-11-17T15:22:57.139-08:00Trekking to Machu PicchuSome moments that we experience and then file away in our memories become lost, or faded. Certain others, though, remain crisp and clear, laminated, easily accessible. These are the important ones, our defining moments. I can say with near certainty that watching the sun rise over Machu Picchu will be one of my unforgettable moments. <photo> </photo><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise at Machu Picchu, Peru</td></tr>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/09/trek-to-machu-picchu.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-44611854651946199812012-09-18T09:03:00.000-07:002012-10-06T17:51:17.203-07:00Cusco, Peru: fiesta cityCusco kind of appears out of nowhere from the plane - it´s been nothing but stunning Andes peaks and the occasional farming village for the last hour from Lima and then suddenly, there it is, spreading out up into the hills from a valley at around 3,400m above sea level. The first thing you notice is its characteristic red tile roofs, and as the plane makes a sharp (and bumpy) turn to make the landing on the tiny, one-runway airport, you´re not sure quite what to expect. But it doesn´t take long for Cusco to win you over.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VIVA EL PERU</td></tr>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/09/cusco-fiesta-city.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-48397832961153536762012-09-09T20:13:00.000-07:002012-11-17T15:22:37.727-08:00Lima, Peru: the beautiful and strangeThere's that moment when you wake up in a strange place and you don't realize you're not in your own bed. And then something snaps you into awareness. On my first morning in Lima, it was the birds. The bizarre cawing birds, and then someone playing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEC4nZ-yga8&feature=related" target="_blank"><span class="st">Björk</span></a> on the stereo in the hostel courtyard just outside our room. Birds,<i> <cite></cite></i><span class="st">Björk</span>, people speaking in Spanish... and then it hit me: holy crap, I'm in Peru.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv39IcB9dYyqV1BCGI2QBQsiKHtSagOJoZtisUUs93GcuILEqeUccgNDDuN3Y_yCxSnaJ-DbGCMrFW26JcXtOAlPPFYBFUMnRBgL0MAUU1tnNbVfocFcSYvg609U_JzIX0IkYZGiZ2OQ/s1600/DSCN1924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv39IcB9dYyqV1BCGI2QBQsiKHtSagOJoZtisUUs93GcuILEqeUccgNDDuN3Y_yCxSnaJ-DbGCMrFW26JcXtOAlPPFYBFUMnRBgL0MAUU1tnNbVfocFcSYvg609U_JzIX0IkYZGiZ2OQ/s400/DSCN1924.JPG" width="300"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street art in Miraflores, Lima, Peru</td></tr>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/09/lima-beautiful-and-strange.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-12039098448339871222012-06-02T13:10:00.000-07:002012-11-17T16:25:59.136-08:00Beer adventures: New York CityHey, you know that thing you heard about New York City? Well, it's true. Every single thing is true. The noise, the people, the smells, the buildings, the street art, the parks, the shopping, the... everything. It's a perfectly glorious overloading of the senses. <br>
<br>
It should come as no surprise that the city that never sleeps has a good beer scene. In fact, as with all the other things I wanted to experience in New York, it came down not to trying to find somewhere, but to trying to choose which one of a thousand. And so, without further adieu, here's where I managed to taste local beer in the Big Apple:<br>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*note that this is by no means intended to be a comprehensive or "best of" list. These are simply the handful of places I was able to drag my travel companion (aka Mom) to, in the order we experienced them.</i></span><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite kind of rainbow at Brooklyn Brewery</td></tr>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/06/beer-adventures-new-york-city.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-58588921313937404512012-04-25T13:16:00.002-07:002012-05-08T22:21:52.740-07:00New brewery in town: Powell Street Craft BreweryEast Vancouver is quickly becoming a hot bed for Vancouver's craft brewing scene - which, as an East Van dweller, I am totally okay with. After a heads up from a fan on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CAMRA.Vancouver" target="_blank">CAMRA Vancouver Facebook page</a> (thanks Warren Boyer!), I found out that Powell Street Craft Brewery will open up shop this summer at Powell and Victoria. Earlier this week, I was able to get in touch with president & founder David Bowkett for a quick chat about the brewery:<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LJJujljRbM-6yT7nCxCr5-vXCnrmKRNJGEAzuwfLW4rxFIyGAhHRxzIjRULhOy3q7mxn3iZuy9VIaKhr1usLWPcShyphenhyphenp5R9sFMpsBzpTx3XWnehOKU50B7szO-QrOTd8ONn-zLtFMDg/s1600/PowellStreet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LJJujljRbM-6yT7nCxCr5-vXCnrmKRNJGEAzuwfLW4rxFIyGAhHRxzIjRULhOy3q7mxn3iZuy9VIaKhr1usLWPcShyphenhyphenp5R9sFMpsBzpTx3XWnehOKU50B7szO-QrOTd8ONn-zLtFMDg/s320/PowellStreet.png" width="320"></a></div>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/04/new-brewery-in-town-powell-street-craft.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-78884465965939929082012-03-17T22:15:00.000-07:002012-10-06T17:51:48.978-07:00Beer adventures: Victoria, BC<br>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Way back in August, I won a craft beer weekend at Swan's
Brewpub in Victoria as part of <a href="http://www.miss604.com/tag/bctraveltuesday" target="_blank">Miss 604's Backyard BC contest series</a>. It had been a
few moons since <a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.ca/2011/09/beer-adventures-montreal-ottawa.html" target="_blank">my last beer adventure</a>, so by the time I got around
to planning this one, I was raring to go.</div>
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I’m going to be honest - Victoria’s never been at the top of
my travel list. I’m a bit too old for Jagr bombs with UVIC students, I’m not
really a tea-at-the-Empress-with-grandma type and whale watching is way out of
my budget. But after this trip, I can officially declare that it’s won me over.
As it turns out, Victoria is more than students, seniors and stalking sea
mammals – it’s charming, friendly, sunny and chock-full of craft beer. And I
didn’t even have to do a single Jagr bomb.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDk_iK3r4wE1GsBKzPfteU39prQtC8kyeY3eI7E1i3ESCRP797KmAI8fglXN6qBEnrUXpkSDuQ9J8xZDy1yJUD_lr_ey_Kiuy1XiozERNOw6G9cKRp3CMCa1R-D9dJ57sZTEGUX51t2A/s1600/CIMG0600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDk_iK3r4wE1GsBKzPfteU39prQtC8kyeY3eI7E1i3ESCRP797KmAI8fglXN6qBEnrUXpkSDuQ9J8xZDy1yJUD_lr_ey_Kiuy1XiozERNOw6G9cKRp3CMCa1R-D9dJ57sZTEGUX51t2A/s400/CIMG0600.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring in Victoria, BC</td></tr>
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</div><a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2012/03/beer-adventures-victoria-bc.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0Victoria, BC, Canada48.4286111 -123.365555648.407538599999995 -123.4050376 48.4496836 -123.32607359999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-24927419044785300832011-12-11T18:35:00.000-08:002011-12-14T14:59:38.371-08:00CAMRA Vancouver/Beerthirst Tour de RichmondEver wondered what happens when you take 50 beer nerds, stuff them into a school bus named "Gordon" and ferry them around to six pubs in one afternoon, filling them full of brew & snacks at every stop?<br>
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Well, as one of said lucky nerds who got to partake in the tour (and its copious amount of pints), I can't quite tell you <i>exactly</i> what happened (what happens on the bus stays on the bus!) - but I can tell you that it involved many delicious beverages, beer-related chants, near-victory over an obscene food challenge and a much greater understanding of what one locale outside Vancouver proper has to offer in terms of craft beer.<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPiDdI2-LDU_0uy588EAB56VyTUpcvLNcQJOSTbPoFea2cCl7WJ7gNsmj4n3eG-DhvjzKkT3PIzE3Spy1up3x3J47muX-_mNigaB52fLu_3eIEJZCGMhUoGKXg1v75BbcUChjx4Wugg/s1600/CIMG0556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPiDdI2-LDU_0uy588EAB56VyTUpcvLNcQJOSTbPoFea2cCl7WJ7gNsmj4n3eG-DhvjzKkT3PIzE3Spy1up3x3J47muX-_mNigaB52fLu_3eIEJZCGMhUoGKXg1v75BbcUChjx4Wugg/s320/CIMG0556.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda (CAMRA Vancouver) and our trusty steed "Gordon"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Essentially a pub crawl for beer nerds, the concept behind <a href="http://camravancouver.ca/" target="_blank">Camra Vancouver</a> & <a href="http://beerthirst.com/" target="_blank">Beerthirst</a>'s Tour de Richmond was to get us out of our usual city haunts, and experience some of what the 'burbs have to offer in terms of crafty goodness. Turns out, in the case of Richmond, the offering is pretty darn good.<photo 1:="" bus=""></photo><br>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/12/camra-vancouverbeerthirst-tour-de.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0Richmond, BC, Canada49.163469 -123.13776649.077793 -123.2991155 49.249145 -122.9764165tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-46938334011152265632011-10-31T12:07:00.000-07:002011-11-02T14:07:32.243-07:00Red Racer Pumpkin Ale Bread2011 might well be the year of the pumpkin ale. In 2010, everyone seemed to jump aboard the winter ale train, but this year, it felt like every brewer and his dog released a pumpkin beer of some kind. This is great news for pumpkin ale fanatics like me, who wait all year for the spicy, gourd-flavoured brew to hit store shelves. Now, instead of a couple of options, we've got a veritable buffet of orange cans and bottles to salivate over. <br>
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One of my favourite local pumpkin offerings comes from Surrey's Central City Brewing. Their <a href="http://www.redracerbeer.com/pumpkin-ale/" target="_blank">Red Racer Pumpkin Ale</a> is creamy and delicious, with subtle hints of cinnamon and cloves (pumpkin pie!), and without the overwhelming sweetness of some other pumpkin ales. Nice and balanced, I thought it would be a perfect choice for my first attempt at pumpkin beer bread. (yes, this is my second beer bread post this month. I think it might be becoming a thing.)<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQ2KafF7O0jrWylYpTTGB2ncUdRWvqdPFwmDnvb_OtBkOyaBElPQGCMu8sxxAeac406S26DfCEFH1GRQd6v24HUgxhM1eK5UqME5B8-tuV19oX-BEhz0-jEj5Z02xn13wmZ1vlqvObg/s1600/DSCN1813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQ2KafF7O0jrWylYpTTGB2ncUdRWvqdPFwmDnvb_OtBkOyaBElPQGCMu8sxxAeac406S26DfCEFH1GRQd6v24HUgxhM1eK5UqME5B8-tuV19oX-BEhz0-jEj5Z02xn13wmZ1vlqvObg/s320/DSCN1813.JPG" width="320"></a></div><br>
<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/10/red-racer-pumpkin-ale-bread.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-81382269956825400612011-10-18T19:30:00.000-07:002011-10-19T22:08:50.203-07:00Homemade crusty beer breadBread is awesome. If it were socially acceptable (and physically possible) for me to eat an entire loaf in one sitting, I would do it. But despite my enthusiastic appreciation for bread, I'd never once tried to make it myself. This might have had something to do with growing up in the 90s and assuming that owning a <a href="http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=breadmaker&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=KXd&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1680&bih=869&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=D4_GhtaEFG4K4M:&imgrefurl=http://www.okokchina.com/product/Home-Appliances/Kitchenware/Bread-Maker/&docid=HeWGqWzlxPEyWM&imgurl=http://www.okokchina.com/Files/uppic17/bread%252520maker383.jpg&w=781&h=622&ei=fi-fTpyQCLDKiAKJ97BP&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=188&vpy=199&dur=1443&hovh=200&hovw=252&tx=140&ty=121&sig=109045272703294305985&page=4&tbnh=152&tbnw=188&start=103&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:103" target="_blank">breadmaker</a> was a necessary part of the process (do people still use those?). Luckily, turns out it's not - as it happens, bread is actually pretty easy to make. Who knew?<br>
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For my first attempt at bread baking, I decided to start with (what else?) a bread with beer in it. I used <a href="http://gib.ca/beer/english-bay-pale-ale/" target="_blank">Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale</a>, and it turned out great - with a nice, almost honey-like flavour. You could use any light beer for a more subtle result, or try a darker, spicier beer for more of a noticeable flavour. I'm looking forward to experimenting with different brews in this recipe. <br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgGn_MoI7pIuIcl4jaCgkShZlvQSmudDd-e_ecpKrpnVJlhHeda6ZvBZ93fk1wy_RjfsAKidPhdl-ofGoL19x0Etd0V-AmDQG8CHKBShGHsKvHoBGUPUQvxLix0j3SuxqgKhTf33i1Q/s1600/CIMG0479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgGn_MoI7pIuIcl4jaCgkShZlvQSmudDd-e_ecpKrpnVJlhHeda6ZvBZ93fk1wy_RjfsAKidPhdl-ofGoL19x0Etd0V-AmDQG8CHKBShGHsKvHoBGUPUQvxLix0j3SuxqgKhTf33i1Q/s320/CIMG0479.jpg" width="320"></a></div><br>
<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/10/homemade-crusty-beer-bread.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-67295494413820696352011-09-22T17:00:00.000-07:002013-01-08T19:10:37.849-08:00Lighthouse Beer Riptide Pale Ale Veggie ChiliIt's an amazing experience when two things you love separately come together to create something truly magical. Like beer and snowboarding. Or beer and camping. Or beer and... ok, you get it. This week I had the fortune of stumbling upon one of these mash-ups from above whilst nerding about on the internet. And thus I present to you: beer and chili, together at last. <br>
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I found the original recipe on the <a href="http://www.lighthousebrewing.com/recipes/riptide-vegetarian-chili" target="_blank">Lighthouse Brewing website</a> and decided to use it as a base for my chili feast, with a few tweaks & additions.<br>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/09/riptide-pale-ale-veggie-chili.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-87582738584698642292011-09-18T22:36:00.000-07:002011-10-19T13:17:28.056-07:00Beer adventures: Montreal & OttawaEarlier this month, I left my humble west coast abode and headed 4,000+km east for a week with my bestest buddy from university. The plan was to spend a night in Montreal, a night in Ottawa and then head to her cottage in Quebec. Although the focus of the trip wasn't beer, and we only really had one day in each city, I figured there had be <i>some</i> way to work a beer adventure or two into the agenda. And luckily, I was right.<br>
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We started with Montreal. Although we only had 24 hours in the city, I was determined to get at least a taste of fresh local beer on my lips. And so, after a quick meal at <a href="http://eatwellmontreal.com/patati-patata-friterie-de-luxe-restaurant/" target="_blank">my favourite cheap Montreal eatery</a>, we headed to <a href="http://www.dieuduciel.com/en/home.php" target="_blank">Dieu du Ciel</a>, an artisinal brewpub in the Plateau area of the city. <br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEd8Ixo-UP6E1sTWpU40ojeUYj8UtTTpG7Q-3ZY-wUKtBN2opFQHKWO5z3f2dKX_do8yLwrV2HcvAZFhFyXaGXAjPYMdvEy2n6gHBS3jZS_s5BRGYp3WRofJQPCEcGzcFRClHniUwBAg/s1600/DSCN1653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEd8Ixo-UP6E1sTWpU40ojeUYj8UtTTpG7Q-3ZY-wUKtBN2opFQHKWO5z3f2dKX_do8yLwrV2HcvAZFhFyXaGXAjPYMdvEy2n6gHBS3jZS_s5BRGYp3WRofJQPCEcGzcFRClHniUwBAg/s320/DSCN1653.JPG" width="320"></a></div><br>
<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/09/beer-adventures-montreal-ottawa.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-20736562469987385992011-08-18T07:22:00.000-07:002011-08-18T07:32:20.373-07:00Camp like a (green) champAh, camping. That coveted chance to head to the woods and get away from it all - to get off the computer, enjoy being with nature and drink a few cold ones on a lake. Unfortunately, sometimes "getting away from it all" also means buying a pile of unnecessary stuff, creating a bunch of garbage, and, in a few select cases, burning entire trees on a fiery inferno started with gasoline (guys on the east side of Harrison Lake, I'm looking at you).<br>
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But, that doesn't always have to be the case. Here are some tips on how to enjoy staying in the great outdoors without being a jerk to the earth:<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RdXTuFOLbdknOSs1Xs6zJYLWeNkSRD61Pzrmpd631UzzSDywjtX0W6iHk1fDwsAsnaKNyZ1RWX-JY09Q8Ejd2ACks01eR1FHa47W-5vRxS0QTwsqW4jHJCP_sUWrCr9oi7yJlohEmQ/s1600/tent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RdXTuFOLbdknOSs1Xs6zJYLWeNkSRD61Pzrmpd631UzzSDywjtX0W6iHk1fDwsAsnaKNyZ1RWX-JY09Q8Ejd2ACks01eR1FHa47W-5vRxS0QTwsqW4jHJCP_sUWrCr9oi7yJlohEmQ/s320/tent.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thruhike98/2688382537/">Thruhike98</a> on Flickr</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/08/camp-like-green-champ.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-34736626406991904302011-08-11T11:05:00.000-07:002013-07-17T20:47:08.969-07:00Beer adventures: Bellingham, WALately, more and more of our travel plans seems to revolve around beer. And I don't mean just drinking it - I mean beer as a destination, whether it's a brewery, an event or just a bar with amazing craft beer selection. And this is a trend I am totally okay with.<br>
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The idea of a Bellingham beer trip started with <a href="http://www.bbaybrewery.com/" target="_blank">Boundary Bay Brewery</a>. I'd been thinking about visiting Boundary Bay ever since I tried their IPA at the <a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/06/central-city-cask-festival-2011.html" target="_blank">Central City Cask Festival</a> in June (needless to say, it was good). A couple weeks ago, I got tired of talking about it and decided to finally pick a date. The plan was to camp out at one of the nearby state parks and ride our bikes in to visit Boundary Bay. But... since we were going to be in Bellingham <i>anyway</i>, surely we could squeeze in more than one brewery? And with this logic, 1 brewery became 3. In 24 hours. Here's how it went down:<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9fH2Qm6ke9CJnxGgA9yQq6Mi0pIeXm8z8T1c1K46a9dR-HIfaGZrOb6GfMtA9vVDr13fRYH3Z1Kerw1u1VVhNn-pEoxrOMi-5qt-Rkp6AeXvXf_vpkaUXkDAJYul7UxpDjBN3ilMDA/s1600/1312833317533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9fH2Qm6ke9CJnxGgA9yQq6Mi0pIeXm8z8T1c1K46a9dR-HIfaGZrOb6GfMtA9vVDr13fRYH3Z1Kerw1u1VVhNn-pEoxrOMi-5qt-Rkp6AeXvXf_vpkaUXkDAJYul7UxpDjBN3ilMDA/s320/1312833317533.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/08/beer-adventures-bellingham-wa.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-59493185624103577062011-07-18T21:26:00.000-07:002011-07-18T23:09:23.351-07:00Cheaper by the (half) dozenOk, let's get one thing straight: I love BC. I'm all about supporting the local goods (including beer) whenever I can. But... sometimes you just happen to be in the United States, staring at a cooler full of delicious craft beers, all of which are $5 or less. And you just go with it. And then you end up with 6 tasty tall bottles in the fridge, straight from Point Roberts, Washington, just begging to be swilled.<br>
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Here are some highlights, courtesy of my tongue:<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFkhcKx8ew3MyuSi3qvutTrfmc9UUe3WiTwaW2AbWjIVJGpoSXrOqmnwyHzlYI9Zqbxi2OjHN6NBMbLID8OevIgYE_tIi9b1xeBtISQXU0qYVMYBf5f9Sg0nnzhqPDSa1d6QuYCmFjQ/s1600/DSCN1474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFkhcKx8ew3MyuSi3qvutTrfmc9UUe3WiTwaW2AbWjIVJGpoSXrOqmnwyHzlYI9Zqbxi2OjHN6NBMbLID8OevIgYE_tIi9b1xeBtISQXU0qYVMYBf5f9Sg0nnzhqPDSa1d6QuYCmFjQ/s320/DSCN1474.JPG" width="320"></a></div><br>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/07/cheaper-by-half-dozen.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-7842018984146535692011-07-11T21:56:00.000-07:002011-10-19T13:18:06.847-07:00Easy ways to cut down on food wasteI've always felt guilty about throwing out food - and we eat so many vegetables in our house that it ends up being 3/4 of our weekly garbage (living in an apartment means no city food scraps pickup). I'd had a compost for a while, but was still throwing out fruits and veggies every week, much to my frustration. Finally, the kick in the ass I needed to start getting creative came in book form: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Wasteland-America-Throws-Nearly/dp/0738213640" target="_blank">American Wasteland</a> by food journalist Jonathan Bloom. The stats are shocking (almost 1/2 of all food produced in the US ends up in the landfill), but some of his big- and small-picture ideas on what we can do to change it are pretty inspiring.<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPmqH9TgAOX79Q1UPrNQyvKS98quUS5omQ5Ap0Ch1-nCaIKQHRTtH-Ff_iGaZfza0ZE6VmlQhaK5EaOn1oU9IaAYxagSoJOjxSp5jAdCdQXgjsRsE9VCHV44ZOQLMKfvQu453UIyh5Q/s1600/6683698-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPmqH9TgAOX79Q1UPrNQyvKS98quUS5omQ5Ap0Ch1-nCaIKQHRTtH-Ff_iGaZfza0ZE6VmlQhaK5EaOn1oU9IaAYxagSoJOjxSp5jAdCdQXgjsRsE9VCHV44ZOQLMKfvQu453UIyh5Q/s320/6683698-L.jpg" width="211"></a></div>Here are some of the simple ways I've been able to cut down on food waste over the last few months:<br>
<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/07/easy-ways-to-cut-down-on-food-waste.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-70724993400662822802011-06-27T20:06:00.000-07:002011-06-29T09:14:38.115-07:00Central City Cask Festival 2011There's this funny thing that seems to happen every time I attend a beer festival - as the day wears on, the glasses go down quicker, the friends become more plentiful... and the notes get messier.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmnoVAwtWN03_EBgqLxvwUk_qREY1nJbw1Wvx6jgWB6BUw8Ie0aE-WJhh0woBptmxMcVnE7D9NhQtaxeNezHm32cIuYWSwWZOr1KHyZchDz2wPlFAw1XelQBClZW0NvsRByZO1o-Pcw/s1600/CIMG0329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmnoVAwtWN03_EBgqLxvwUk_qREY1nJbw1Wvx6jgWB6BUw8Ie0aE-WJhh0woBptmxMcVnE7D9NhQtaxeNezHm32cIuYWSwWZOr1KHyZchDz2wPlFAw1XelQBClZW0NvsRByZO1o-Pcw/s200/CIMG0329.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wait... what?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>But thankfully, it's hard to forget a particularly delicious brew (no matter how many of them you consume). The <a href="http://www.centralcitybrewing.com/ccbc-cask-festival-june-25th-2011/" target="_blank">Central City Brewing Cask Festival</a> - the first of what I hope will be an annual tradition - saw the craft beer crowd gather at the brewery in Surrey to sample specially-made casks from 25 breweries.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoOO880mkLpmCAhq9pS298A24gtg4BnlW6nN5V2Rdn2m_vgFtGuw-O39wo_rvKCPVedyiAjUaUxgZvyZqlm_dT7a_AnmIoVFENHDBC3xBtGteyaDs3MbhqxGTHLVZFNG5mxlgXt1wZg/s1600/CIMG0307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoOO880mkLpmCAhq9pS298A24gtg4BnlW6nN5V2Rdn2m_vgFtGuw-O39wo_rvKCPVedyiAjUaUxgZvyZqlm_dT7a_AnmIoVFENHDBC3xBtGteyaDs3MbhqxGTHLVZFNG5mxlgXt1wZg/s320/CIMG0307.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my lovingly-filled tasting glass</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The beer started flowing just after 11 am, and flow it did. Nobody seemed to mind that it was June 25 and looked more like Feburary outside - we had beer! So much beer!<br>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/06/central-city-cask-festival-2011.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52922541760723873.post-66731714638541806882011-06-13T11:41:00.000-07:002011-07-18T20:24:07.554-07:00Sunday sipping in StevestonIt had been almost 20 years since I'd last visited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steveston,_British_Columbia" target="_blank">Steveston</a>, despite living just 30 minutes away for most of those years. We were finally reunited after our two-decade hiatus this weekend - on Sunday, in spite of (or perhaps because of) our car getting broken into the night before, P and I were definitely in the mood for a pint and a bit of an adventure. So, passenger window taped up with a garbage bag (aka ridin' dirty), we headed south-west to check out the beer scene in the riverside Richmond village.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHsZN0jU4U-MAvgNH4RbIMLowcqBKSkcx2na0__8K43FWpi05iFC2YuPtW1StYL4pJrxJGMhKG9Ubh4X617hAwQVV5aUD8fkqXJtW8xstc06uRLmxkFeWkGfIK4jKCY1B90lOYBbt3w/s1600/320399927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHsZN0jU4U-MAvgNH4RbIMLowcqBKSkcx2na0__8K43FWpi05iFC2YuPtW1StYL4pJrxJGMhKG9Ubh4X617hAwQVV5aUD8fkqXJtW8xstc06uRLmxkFeWkGfIK4jKCY1B90lOYBbt3w/s320/320399927.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local spot prawns being sold right off the back of boats in Steveston</td></tr>
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<a href="http://pintsighs.blogspot.com/2011/06/sunday-sipping-in-steveston.html#more">Read more »</a>LPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01075150379367822102noreply@blogger.com0