BREWS NEWS: Fest of Ale round-up; Stanley Park brand relaunch

The Yellow Dog crew celebrate their Best of Show win for their High 5 Hazy IPA at the Okanagan Fest Of Ale last weekend. Rob Mangelsdorf photo
The Yellow Dog crew celebrate their Best of Show win for their High 5 Hazy IPA at the Okanagan Fest Of Ale last weekend. Rob Mangelsdorf photo

Okanagan Fest of Ale round-up

The Okanagan Fest Of Ale in Penticton has come and gone, and we’re still recuperating over here in Growler-land. In all, 65 breweries were on hand, pouring 175+ different beers for the 5,000+ jolly craft beer drinkers in attendance.

On a personal note, I had a great time judging the Fest of Ale beer awards, along with our own Joe Wiebe (Craft Beer Revolution) and Jan Zeschky (Brewed Awakening), as well as Chelsea McDowell (BrewtifulBC.ca), and Rebecca Whyman, (Beernesday.com), Mike Garson (Mike’s Craft Beer), Jason van Rassel (The Daily Beer), Jeremy Nemanishen (CraftBeerVancouver.ca), and Wade Dhooge (Cask & Barrel). In all, we managed to sample more than 120 beers (and a bunch of ciders) in the blind taste test, and I’m pretty happy with the winners we picked.

After a very passionate fistfight discussion, Yellow Dog’s High 5 Hazy IPA took home the award for Best in Show, as well as Best Specialty IPA. Unfortunately, if you want to grab yourself some, you’re going to have to wait until at least June, as Yellow Dog tells me they are currently sold out.

Among the other winners were Parkside’s Dusk Pale Ale (Best Pale Ale, and was a close second to High 5 in the Best of Show voting), Fuggles & Warlock’s Pixel Pils (Best Pilsner/Golden Lager), Steamworks’ Summer Ale Witbier (Best Wheat Ale), Britannia Brewing’s Sirens Chai Saison (Best Saison), Mt. Begbie’s Brave Liver Scotch Ale (Best Amber/Dark Ale), Twin Sails’ Street Legal IPA (Best IPA), Steel & Oak’s Dark Lager (Best Dark Lager), Ravens Brewing’s Dry Irish Stout (Best Stout/Porter), Four Winds’ Nectarous (Best Sour, of course), Bomber’s Park Life Passionfruit Ale (Best Fruit Beer), as well as Twisted Hills Craft Cider’s Pippin’s Fate (Best Cider).

In the people’s choice awards, Red Arrow’s Old Style Lager was voted Best Beer, while B.C. Tree Fruits’ Pears & Peaches won for Best Cider.

 

Stanley Park Brewing's new lineup. Contributed photo
Stanley Park Brewing’s new lineup. Contributed photo

Stanley Park Brewing relaunch

Stanley Park Brewing has relaunched their brand with some sexy new labels and packaging, as well as some new beer offerings. The new line-up from the AB InBev-owned Delta-based brand will include Daytrip West Coast Lager, Windstorm West Coast Pale Ale, Noble Pilsner, 1897 Amber Ale and SunSetter Peach Wheat Ale.

The new look features illustrated park moments, a new logo mark inspired by the unique shape of the park, and a custom typeface based on an early iconic Stanley Park sign.

“Walking into the brewery my goals are always to craft new brews focusing on quality and innovation, and bringing the spirit of Stanley Park to life with every sip,” said brewmaster Todd Fowler in a press release. “Our new look has been crafted with that same purpose in mind.”

The new Stanley Park brews are on retail shelves across Western Canada.

 

 

 

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