Something borrowed

Check out this wonderful blog

http://coffeebikebeerrepeat.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/five-favorite-beer-from-victoria/

Gluten ruined my life

                Some would say it's a passing trend, that next year it will be some other lifestyle bandwagon to jump onto.   Frankly I have to disagree with all those naysayers.   Having seen many a friend and yes even myself being effected by the little bugger that is gluten!
             Up until 8 months ago I would wake in the middle of the night in sheer agony, that if I were lucky would only last a couple of hours and at the worst which I happened to have experienced while traveling this summer in South America,  where bread is EVERYWHERE and is so damn good how can it be denied.  I ended up having to sit in a bathtub running the hottest water I possibly could handle to numb or at least appease the pain.  8 god awful hours in which my body was literally (okay maybe not literally) screaming at me.
      My poor friend not knowing what to do,  just waited around for me, well maybe she found a place to shop at but was worried nonetheless.   But what do you do in those moments when you can't control or make something go away and you have no clue as to why its happening.  Well I had a hunch but I thought maybe it was combinations of food that was affecting me.   It wasn't until I stopped eating gluten that the pain has ceased,  I am now 100 % free of the pest that use to haunt me at night. 
      Having to change eating habits is extremely expensive and hard.... and you have to read EVERYTHING!  I mean cream of mushroom soup has gluten in it,  not that I shouldn't be getting off my lazy ass and just making it from scratch.    I just have to be so thankful for that little gluten free logo to make my life just a little bit simpler but not always satisfied.     Some things gluten free just don't appeal to my taste-buds;  leading me to gluten free beer.
        There are some gluten free beers that really shouldn't hold the title of beer...at all!  I don't want to name names but you know who you are!  However sometimes you luck out and find good one's like Green's (when you can find it)   and now Omission a new brewery coming out of Oregon.  www.omissionbeer.com   Omission has found a way to process barley so it takes the gluten out of the equation,  yet keeps the flavour intact!    For those who can still drink all the wonderful craft brews we have the privilege of getting our hands on in B.C.   try it blind... I bet it will be hard to tell the difference.

For those craft brewers out there that scoff at me when I ask if you will ever do a gluten free beer and you tell me that's not beer.   I ask how can Omission do it and yet you can't!    I was a loyal beer loving gal until gluten came and ruined my life.   So here is a challenge to all of you craft purists!  Come up with a solution so all those who love beer can enjoy it without the anguish it brings to so many of us...  and at the same time make our taste-buds happy! 

6th Sense Syrah

Still my favorite Syrah! 

This delicious Syrah from the Lodi, has to be one of my favorite wines currently to come out of California. With its aromas of black olives, hints of tobacco and bacon...yes bacon and who doesn't love bacon! Then your hit with this decadent plethora of fruit, black cherry, blueberry, blackberry and plums come to mind.

Then there is this fruit explosion when it hits your tastebuds, its like digging into a fruit filled cobbler, blackberry, black cherry and notes of vanilla.
The mouth feel is velvety and delectable and finishes with the typical syrah pepper.

This Navigation will lead you in the right direction

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!