Top Drops

Tales of the Cocktail on Tour Returns with a Delightfully ‘Cheeky’ Launch

February 14, 2012

Vancouver’s classiest cocktail salute is back with a vengeance this week. Judging by the weekend pre-show and first day’s activities, it promises to far outshine last year’s inaugural event, which was impressive—even more so considering it was the first run. Where cocktails and bartenders mix, even the most functional of activities is likely to turn […]

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Skaha Meets Sidecut: Painted Rock Rules at Four Seasons Whistler

November 15, 2011

It’s entirely possible that the impressive Sidecut / Painted Rock 4 x 5 course winemaker dinner (that’ll be four courses each of five plates or accompaniments) that we enjoyed at just concluded Cornucopia entailed the most food we’ve seen at one sitting! Much like the winery with whom they partnered, it’s apparent that Sidecut, the Four […]

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Founder Frank Deiter Leaves Okanagan Spirits

September 17, 2011

  Frank Deiter—the man who kick-started modern craft distilling in BC, and mentored to several other successful start-ups (including Victoria Spirits)—is launching a new venture. However, he’ll also stay closely connected to the trade he loves. Frank’s a firm believer in making the most of what we have, in every way possible. This is what he […]

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It’s Always Pimm’s O’Clock Somewhere

September 10, 2011

  Our Borage is in flower so it’s time to resurrect the Pimms bottle. Here’s an update to last year’s post (which our friend Ross says is way too long, anyway…) Pimm’s recipe:  You will need (per drink): • Borage flowers and small leaves (ideally) or Cucumber, or both • 2 oz. Pimms No 1. • 6 oz of […]

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Winners announced for the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines

July 5, 2011

VICTORIA – The winners have been chosen for the 2011 Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines. This year 309 wines were submitted from 83 wineries across the province. The winners are: • Howling Bluff Estate Winery 2009 Pinot Noir • Laughing Stock Vineyards 2010 Pinot Gris • Mt. Lehman Winery 2009 Viognier Reserve • Quinta Ferreira […]

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In Praise of Spitting: Random Thoughts on Wine Judging

July 2, 2011

In anticipation of next week’s BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence announcement, we thought we’d revisit this column about wine judging that ran in the North Shore News a while back. Some folks have moved on to other things but … well, you’ll get the gist.   Sometime this summer, when you were busy devouring […]

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When the lens speaks louder

June 27, 2011

One of our few regrets, we never seem to have enough time to get the photograph we really want. Images are becoming even more crucial these days, especially in the more visually driven on-line world. We like this shot of winemakers Howard Soon and Stephanie Leinemann for any number of reasons, none the least of […]

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Nothing Like a Little Languedoc to Get Your Roussillon — Hey Waiter! There’s Garrigue in my Wine!

June 10, 2011

We had an excellent tasting recently with the folks from Languedoc and Roussillon. It’s a region that gets surprisingly little attention, especially considering the character of the wines and the value they deliver at most price points. Over the years, however, I think the entry level wines in particular have suffered from being mixed in […]

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Time to Exorcise Excise: The Perils of Cross Border ‘Smuggling’ in Canada

May 13, 2011

Amazing how a guy driving through the Rockies with a couple of boxes of wine in his trunk can get people so stirred up: All power to Terry David Mulligan for single handedly bringing this issue to such prominence. If you’re not familiar with the topic, you can read up on it in this excellent Wine […]

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Mayor Gregor Taps One for the Team

May 8, 2011

Vancouver’s Mayor Gregor Robertson is one of the most polished and enlightened politicos around. But he gets extra points in our book for (a) officially proclaiming Vancouver Craft Beer Week and for (b) showing up to tap a keg of Collaboration Ale. Not only that, he did it cleanly and nobody got hop-washed in the […]

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