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This limited release from Lighthouse Brewing, is the second 650ml release by them and is a fantastic follow up to the Shipwrecked Ipa. This traditionally strong dark lager is perfect for the beer lover in your life this Christmas. Make sure you come in this weekend to get it will it lasts!

We're All Fat Cats Here!

In our quest to keep the aisles here filled with the finest local and not-so-local malted products, we paid a visit up-island to the lucky metropolis of Nanaimo and found this yummy stuff!

Here's what they have to say about their beer:

Fat Cat Brewery uses no additives, ever. No sugar, no pre-gelatinized rice, no pre-gelatinized corn, no cornstarch, no molasses, no seaweed, no synthetic clarifiers, etc. Just Nanaimo water which happens to be just perfect for brewing beer, hops, malt and yeast, all made from scratch.

Our brew house is very “hands” on, no push buttons to this brewery. Our beer is not pasteurized so we cold micro filter our bottled beers. By doing this it helps extend shelf life. Fat Cat Brewery Beers are listed on the official Vegan list too.

Thanks for keeping the seaweed out, guys! (And I hope you got your fabulous Nanaimo water from west of the city and not to the east....)

There's lots more information on their website; we're bringing in their IPA, Honey, Black & Tan, Porter -- and for the adventurous among you, their "Old Bad Cat Barley Wine": 11.5% alcohol, and conditioned in oak bourbon barrels. (The labels of this last one are dated with the year of production as well, so it's plain that they expect it to age gracefully!)

Welcome to Spiritmerchants, Fat Cat! Is this a great island or what?!

Coming Soon: New brews from Upright Brewing

Here's a heads-up on a new product that's in the pipeline right now but we hope will be in the store in no time flat -- Four new brews from Upright Brewing in Portland, Oregon! Here's what they have to say about themselves:

Upright Brewing specializes in farmhouse inspired beers rooted in France and Belgium but made with local ingredients and a Pacific Northwest twist. The name is a reference to Charles Mingus and his primary instrument, a musician whose compositions defy categorization. At Upright we use a special saison yeast and open fermenters to produce beers that are a true hybrid style, sharing Mingus’ spirit of exercising creativity and craft.

For a start, we'll be bringing in their "Sesame Street" group of products -- beers named Four, Five, Six, and Seven; all cleverly named after their approximate alcohol levels. It's time for us all to learn to count!

Phillips Double Barrel is Back!

By now, we all know the secret of Phillips' Brewery's success: Take a great idea that's already out there; jack up whatever makes it great by about 50%; sell it at a reasonable price; repeat.

In this case the great idea is Innis and Gunn oak-aged beer from Scotland. Last year Phillips took a run at it, and the result was pretty good, but almost over-the-top in its oaky enthusiasm. This year, they've perfected the mix and the result is everything an Innis & Gunn fancier could want! We've got 16 cases of this limited release -- get 'em while they're cold!

New Brews from Russell Brewery!

The label may look like it was designed by Goth Bikers, but it's what's inside the the bottle that counts! Rich, dark and bitter and yummy -- and I'm not looking in the mirror! We've just brought in four new beers from Russell Brewing -- try them all!

It's Here! Howe Sound Three Beavers!

We've got about 100 liters for a start -- here's what the Vancouver Sun had to say a couple of days back:

VANCOUVER — They're cute furry Canadian icons proudly sporting gold, silver and bronze medals on a podium made of tree stumps.

They look like medal winners at some kind of wildlife hinterland Olympics but the Three Beavers are actually a clever marketing image behind today's launch of a new beer from Squamish-based Howe Sound Brewing.

The microbrewery is not an official Olympic sponsor like Molson but the timing of its latest product — just three weeks before the 2010 Olympics — is clearly no accident.

“We really wanted to celebrate Canada during the Olympics and we figured telling a tale about beavers in Canada was a very Canadian thing to do,” brewery co-owner Leslie Fenn said in an interview.

The Three Beavers Imperial Red Ale label recounts the historical importance of beavers in Canada and notes the brewery won gold, silver and bronze medals for its beers at the North American Brewers Association awards in 2007 and 2009.

Ambush marketing around the 2010 Olympics — where non-Olympic sponsors try to associate themselves with the Games — has increased recently but Fenn is confident the upstart brewery has broken no rules.

“We've been very careful not to mention the Olympics or anything like that,” she said. “I don't think we're supposed to use the term gold medal but we have won gold medals at the brewery awards so we shouldn't be expected to hide that fact.”

While Molson is the official 2010 Games brewing company, Budweiser — a sponsor of the U.S. Olympic team — will host Club Bud parties at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on five nights during the Games.

Molson will no doubt monitor that situation closely to ensure Budweiser doesn't cross any Olympic marketing guidelines but Fenn doubts the Canadian brewing giant will have a problem with Howe Sound Brewing's latest product.

“We're not presenting ourselves as the Canadian beer of the Games,” she said. “We're just a small microbrewery.”

Fenn said its latest beaver-imaged brew will be promoted with street-oriented marketing featuring people in beaver suits who will show up soon around Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler.

But the only info you really need is all on the label: it's big; it's malty... and it's yummy!

The Hammer is Back!

Spring? Who needs it?

Rated an 'A' by The Beer Advocate, Phillips Hammer Imperial Stout is back at Spiritmerchants again for another limited run! Here's what one of the BA critics had to say about the last batch:

This is a world class RIS that ages gracefully. Dark and thick, this is pure sexy chocolate and roasted coffee malts. I have had bigger and even better impys but this has to be one of the best BC beers ever. The case for Matt Philips as one of the best BC brewers can be made from this beer alone.

Who cares if it's raining outside, when you've got something like this in the fridge?

Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale -- It's not just for Thanksgiving anymore!

For all you brokenhearted souls out there who missed the batch of Pumpkin Ales we brought in at Thanksgiving and Halloween, we've just taken a midwinter delivery of Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale! (Word has it that pumpkins grow year-round in Colorado, where this was brewed, but we haven't chased the source of that rumor down yet.)