Reports & Ramblings From a Beer-Addled Mind #4

BC Beer Awards

The winners of the BC Beer Awards were recently announced and I have to say that it is quite surprising how the voting goes when those judging are doing so without previous knowledge of what brewery the beer comes from or what beer they are judging. I believe that at beer festival events and competitions like the annual CAMRA awards, the voting is often a popularity contest and winners are decided even before the beers are drank. Beers, breweries and establishments at times win on reputation. Block voting skews results and great brews get overlooked because they are not from the sexy, brewery-of-the-moment or brewed by the most popular brewer.

Another factor in these awards is that they actually had knowledgeable judges working within a specific set of guidelines. I understand they judged on how the beers fit the specific styles they are entered into. Judging was more than,``Wow, that was a great, tasty beer`` and had everything to do with official beer style guidelines. From what I understand, this was a bit of a sticking point with some of the judges who wanted to vote according to likes and dislikes and not according to whether the beer was a good example of the style or not. It really shocked me to see a pilsner take ``Best in Show``, but from what I have heard it was because this beer was the best example of a beer rating the highest for all the criteria within that beer`s style. Congrats to Steamworks and Conrad Gmoser for taking this honor.

With all due respect to breweries such as Lighthouse, if they put their beers into the same competition with the beers identified, I don`t think they would have won awards. Maybe I am wrong, but I can`t see it. That is not a knock on their beers - Keeper`s Stout is a great beer which my wife and I drink all the time and on the rare occasions that I pick up a six-pack of lager, I usually reach for their`s - it is a cynical observation and a commentary on the way people vote for beers in most competitions. It is my belief that more often than not the name and brand of a beer has a major influence in what people think about that beer, at least what they think publicly. Often, it seems to me, that unless a beer is high octane and an imperial this, imperial IPA or barrel-aged/infused that it does not rate with the beer snob crowd. And at times I think certain breweries could just piss in a bottle, label it a ``special/limited release`` and it would sell, receive great reviews and be raved about.

So I was really intrigued by the results of this blind tasting competition and you know what, the usual suspects did not win all categories.

Congrats to all the winners. I was very happy to see some of my favourites among those collecting hardware, particularly Howe Sound`s Woolley Bugger Barley Wine, which took the bronze medal in the Strong Beer Category and which I think was one of last year`s best brews and has been very under-rated. I was also very pleased to see Driftwood get so much recognition as I feel they are the best overall brewery in BC at the moment and can seemingly do nothing but hit home runs with their beers. Their Fat Tug IPA is a regular in my pint glass these days and very nicely priced to boot.

I was a little surprised at the beers that didn`t make the cut. Howe Sound`s Pothole Filler, which I rate up with the best Imperial Stouts around was, in my opinion, conspicuous by its absence but then I am not sure if it was even entered. Same with Crannog`s brews which were not mentioned at all in the awards. But that is the nature of beer. What I like and rate highly may repulse the person sitting next to me. That is why I don`t review and rate beers on this blog.

On a final note in regards to the BCBAs, I just want to let organizers know that I would be willing sacrifice a day of my life and suffer through a long day of tasting some great BC beers if they find themselves in need of another judge next year. It is a dirty job but somebody has to do it. Keep me in mind folks...just saying.

CAMRA YVR Has Some BIG Shoes to Fill



Martin Williams and myself
enjoying a pint together

 Earlier this week I, along with all other CAMRA YVR members, received an email message announcing that CAMRA YVR President, Martin Williams has resigned from his post. This is not good news for CAMRA as Martin, although not in the position long, had really infused a lot of his personal energy into the organization in his attempt to motivate and mobilize the membership to get involved and try to effect change as an active consumer advocacy group.

In short, he was attempting to put the CAM back into CAMRA.

Of course it was not just Martin spearheading this move to action. The rest of the CAMRA YVR executive have worked very hard and are still in place, ready to help support the new president, whoever that will be. I just hope that the focus and momentum won`t be lost with this change and that membership have some worthy potential presidents to choose from and do so wisely.

I believe CAMRA can be a successful lobby group here in BC if they continue to grow and stay focused on trying to effect some change to the status quo. I would hate the see the organization slip back into old habits and do nothing more than organize a few beer festivals here and there. To keep moving forward, CAMRA YVR requires and energetic, focused and knowledgeable person willing to lead and motivate the CAMRA membership at large. This next choice of president could be a pivotal point in CAMRA YVR`s development and growth. The craft beer industry here in BC is booming but both the industry and consumers need to press government to make changes to the existing liquor laws and the BC Liquor Distribution Branch to bring the liquor industry into the 21st Century. CAMRA could definitely have a roll in lobbying the government to make these changes but first must continue to grow, organize and formulate a strategy. CAMRA`s membership, guided by their president and the executive, must develop a political will and a political voice if they want to be anything more than a beer appreciation club.

As a CAMRA YVR member, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Martin for his hard work in regards to CAMRA. I wish him well in his future endeavours, whatever they may be. He was one of the major reasons I became a CAMRA member last year.

Vancouver Craft Beer Week

I have not blogged on the Vancouver Craft Beer Week as I knew that there would be no shortage of people doing so. I only was able to attend one event, Brothers in Hops, which I enjoyed immensely. I thought the event was very professional, intimate and there were some great beers on offer.

I know that VCBW has its detractors and critics, some of which have leveled criticism at the event organizers for featuring too many US-based breweries. Although in some peoples' minds local breweries get overshadowed by their US cousins such as Hopworks, Deschutes, Elysian, etc at events such as VCBW and GCBF, I believe our best brewers are second to none and more than hold their own. At Brothers in Hops events, I felt that Central City Brewery had the two best brews on offer, with their Imperial IPA and sherry/oaked cask conditioned imperial porter outshining the excellent beers on tap from Ninkasi (Eugene, Oregon) and Hopworks (Portland, Oregon). Although BC craft breweries may not compare in numbers to those in say Washington and Oregon, they are on an equal level when it comes to skill level, creativity and the beers they produce.

It would be nice to have a larger event that features just BC beers and maybe BC brewers should get together to run their own festival doing just that. I, for one, really don`t care if there are US-based breweries at events such as VCBW. The organizers are trying to sell tickets and would be crazy not to take advantage of the fact that there are many world-class craft breweries just south of the 49th. There was plenty of local representation at the VCBW events. I really liked the concept to the BC beer tap takeover at St Augustine`s where at one point there were 30 BC beers on tap! There were many great BC beers not represented at the BC tap takeover but a lot of that has to do with the fact that there are some breweries and brewpubs out there that just won`t put their beers on tap at St Augustine`s for some reason known only to the brewers. But that is another rant for another time. I also liked the concept of the VCBW Cascadian Dark Ale collaboration beer, where 28 BC breweries pitched in to create a beer especially for the event.

I hope that one day we do see a BC-only multiple-day festival, but we should not expect organizers of events like the VCBW to limit what beers they feature in their event because at the end of the day, they are attempting to make money. I applaud the organizers for their hard work and commitment to bringing great world-class craft beers to Vancouver and for creating a buzz in this sometimes sleepy city.

BeerTourist Planning a Foray to the Great Canadian Beer Festival

Before I go any further, I must let you know that I am one of the founding members of BeerTourist so that is why I support it and advertise for it here on my blog. I, along with the rest of BeerTourist, are in the process of putting together a trip to Victoria for the Great Canadian Beer Festival on Sept 10/11. We still need to confirm a few things and work out some minor details, but BeerTourist hopes to have everything in place by the end of June so we can begin selling tickets. A priority waitlist for those interested has been started as we will only be selling 50 tickets, enough to fill one bus.

The list is close to full, but we are still taking names as those on the priority list may opt out when time comes to buck up, so if you are interested, please email info@beertourist.ca with your name and contact info. We plan on leaving early on the Saturday morning so we can arrive at Victoria`s Royal Athletic Park in time for the noon opening of the festival and will return to Vancouver directly after the festival closes at 6 PM Saturday evening. Our ticket will include admission into the GCBF and return transportation (including ferry fees). Those going on the trip will be responsible for buying their own beer tokens, except for the tokens included with the admission ticket, and feeding themselves at the festival.

If you are interested, please get your name on the waitlist. It is not a commitment to buy, but does get you your chance to buy a ticket (or two) if you want. Last year the festival sold out on-line in a matter of minutes. BeerTourist, through their connections, are hoping to be able to secure tickets for our tour. Please check back at http://www.beertourist.ca/ or at our Beer Tourist Facebook page for more details and updates. You can follow us on Twitter @vanbeertourist.

Putting the CAM in CAMRA Vancouver

There was there was a full house and a festive buzz in the air at CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Vancouver's Annual General Meeting held Sunday, Januray 23rd, at Surrey's Central City Brew Pub and the party atmosphere was due to more than just the free pints of Gary Lohan's two great casks creations and the $3.50 pints that are the norm on Sundays at Central City. Over the past few years, CAMRA's executive have worked very hard in regards to raising their public profile, recruiting new members, organizing/sponsoring events and supporting local businesses which has created positive energy that is quite palpable in the Vancouver craft beer scene. People interested in craft beer are beginning to sit up and take notice of CAMRA Vancouver as they present themselves as a more polished and professional group acting with purpose. This was my first CAMRA AGM and I was impressed with the membership support and with the new executive's plans to get members, beyond the executive, more active and involved.
A sign of the times that CAMRA Vancouver is actively trying to define their roll, focus and relate to their membership and beyond, is the open letter sent electronically, via their weekly newsletter and distributed at the AGM, entitled "CAMRA Vancouver, greater than the sum of its parts". This open letter, dated Dec 14/10 and authored by then President, Lundy Dale and current President (then Vice President), Martin Williams, defined what CAMRA Vancouver is all about. In the opening of the letter, Dale and Williams hinted at the fact that many, not involved in CAMRA's executive, did not have a clear picture of what it was CAMRA Vancouver does. The letter defined what CAMRA was all about, where they are today and where they were planning on going in the future and challenged the membership to get involved to guide the group's future direction and actions.
"Its getting there," states Martin Williams in regards to CAMRA Vancouver achieving its goal of being an effective consumer advocacy group. "We (CAMRA) are young, only eight years old in Vancouver. There is a desire to be more active and to have more to say. CAMRA is membership driven. The volume of the voice is dependent on the number of voices working in concert.
"What I would most like to see is membership in CAMRA increase and become more active. If 10% of our membership spent 2 hours a week doing some research into why we can't get the beer we want and served the way it should be served, we would have enough ammunition to make demands for real change to the rules that are holding us back. As it stands right now, we really don't know. We have a fairly good idea, but we don't have the facts to back us up. A more active membership would make for a more effective voice working on behalf of the craft beer drinkers." 
Until last year, I avoided buying a CAMRA membership because, to tell you the truth, I really did not see any reason why I should join. I have been aware of CAMRA since the 1980s, when I came across CAMRA beer festivals while living in the UK and came in contact with the group here in BC in the mid-1990s, but I could never really figure out what they were actually doing locally to campaign for real ale and craft beer. From my perspective, CAMRA, at least locally, was nothing more than a beer appreciation group who really had no obvious or definable campaign other than to organize the odd beer festival and discounts on craft beer. It seemed like a small, select group who used the name of CAMRA as an excuse to meet and drink beer. I often felt the CAMRA members I came across in bars and at festivals were nothing more than beer snobs who actually set back the campaign to promote craft beers by annoying and/or offending those who did not drink craft beer instead of trying to introduce them to and educate them about these wonderful brews. 
Now remember, this was my perspective and I know it may ruffle a few feathers, but I was not alone in thinking this way, having met many others who voiced similar thoughts. Whether this was true or not, this was one opinion of CAMRA that was out there in Vancouver, but because of the hard work done over the past few years and the explosion of the craft beer scene here in BC, this negative opinion held by some about CAMRA is fading away rapidly. And, in my opinion, rightly so, as CAMRA Vancouver is definitely moving in the right direction and truly organizing a campaign that is helping local craft brewers find their rightful places in the pubs, restaurants and liquor stores of our province giving local craft beer lovers more access and opportunity to consume local craft beers.
Vancouver Craft Beer Week (VCBW) co-founder, beer writer and former CAMRA Vancouver President,  Rick Green, agreed, at least in part, with my view of CAMRA Vancouver, past and present, when I queried him recently about his thoughts in regards to CAMRA's growth. 
"When I joined CAMRA in 2006, it was very much a beer appreciation group hanging out at (former brewbup/restaurant) Dix, really only trying to pick up new members from the low-hanging fruit at Caskivals," said Green, who included himself as one of the low-hanging fruit.
"In 2007, I decided to take over the CAMRA Secretary position from Jack Enright who, as a service to the membership, sent out an irregular e-mail with the latest news about casks, new beers coming out, events, etc. Considering that CAMRA was supposed to be a campaign, I thought that if we were going to be anything of the kind, we needed to increase the membership and communication."
Green, who comes from a multi media background, felt the best way to increase membership and communication was by publishing a regular e-newsletter that anyone, not just members, could subscribe to.
"If the quality of the information was sufficiently high, those who like good beer would probably forward it to their cohorts and our subscriber base would grow. We would then have a better means of converting those subscribers into members if they could be shown the value of doing so. The strategy succeeded and we saw our membership grow significantly."
Today the CAMRA Vancouver Weekly Newsletter, overseen by Ryan O'Connor, is sent electronically to approximately 900 people on a weekly basis, according to CAMRA Communications Director, Monica Frost's report at the AGM. Of those 900 people, approximately 50% are opening the letter weekly and nobody knows how many of those people are forwarding the newsletter to friends and associates who drink craft beer. The newsletter has recently made some major improvements and regularly lists craft beer events, such as weekly cask nights, beer festivals, food-beer pairings and beer tours, that are independant of CAMRA. The newsletter also supplies information about new arrivals at local liquor stores that feature craft beers and has links to many local beer bloggers such as myself.
CAMRA Vancouver's efforts to reach more people, has grown beyond their weekly newsletter. Anyone who has a Twitter (CAMRA_YVR) or Facebook account can follow CAMRA Vancouver and they have done an excellent job utilizing social media to promote all things relating to local craft beer. As well, CAMRA Vancouver has brought in Brooklyn Galloway to act as a Creative Design Director and as a result their website has more professional and polished look about it.
"Our overall image has been taken to the next level of professionalism with our new website," states Frost. "We are also very active in giving updates and communicating through our social media outlets, such as Facebook, our Weekly Newsletter and Twitter."
Another focus of CAMRA Vancouver, dating back to the Rick Green days, has been to focus on organizing and sponsoring events to try to promote the cause. According to Green, who became president in 2007, he and his executive decided to try to bolster the membership and encourage local businesses to feature craft beers by this means.
"We also put a concerted effort into supporting events and hosting beer events as another way to attract new members and to demonstrate to other establishments what could be done to better serve their customers," states Green. Althought organizing beer festivals pre-dates Green's days with CAMRA, organizing and sponsoring events took on a more significant role during his era and has continued to grow in importance and popularity. Last year CAMRA Vancouver really came into their own as far as events go with their final event, The Winterfest of Ale, held Dec 4/10 at St Augustine's, selling out well ahead of time, leaving many disappointed. In my opinion, it was one of the best CAMRA festivals in quite some time, with the event attracting an eclectic, cross-section of craft beer lovers to sample the impressive line-up of beers. As well as hosting and sponsoring a festivals, CAMRA supports the local cask nights, which are held almost every night of the week around the Lower Mainland and and various other beer events such as beer-food pairings, Vancouver Craft Beer Week and BeerTourist,  helping them be successful by promoting them and getting the word  out there and them.
Lundy Dale, who stepped in for Green as president in 2010, believes that supporting events is a key way to reach out the the general public, to promote craft beer and build CAMRA's membership. 
"While Rick Green was aboard as president, his strength was media and he was great at getting the word of CAMRA out there. My strengths lie in organization and events. Our membership increases with every event." This combined effort of supporting and sponsoring events and reaching out to the membership, and beyond, utilizing social media and the internet, is paying off and helping expose CAMRA to a wider audience. 
"In the past year we have been actively engaging members, supporters, the general public and bloggers in a movement towards supporting craft beer and specifically the local community," explained Frost. "Our growing member and corporate support base is an indication of some success with that (strategy) but also the fact that at our events, the number of non-members to members is usually split evenly at about 50%. That tells me that our social media efforts are being seen and we are drawing new people in. One of our focuses for 2011 is converting that interest to memberships which in turn raises the volume of our voice in the community."
Even though CAMRA's individual and corporate membership is growing, their events are selling out and their support is bringing more and more people out to events independent of CAMRA, they are not about to sit back and admire their handiwork. CAMRA is now looking to broaden their role and try to encourage their members to really effect change in the craft beer industry by becoming more educated about the issues in order to act as a credible lobby group.
"Every time there is a change in executive, things change," explained Dale, who is moving on serve as president for CAMRA BC. Dale went on to say that when she took over for Rick Green  as CAMRA Vancouver President in 2010 and Martin Williams took on the roll of VP, there was another slight shift in focus towards becoming a more vocal consumer advocacy group.  
"Martin has the passion and the energy to get the word out there and make things happen," says Lundy. "I am looking forward to working with him on a number of projects that will be suitable for all of CAMRA BC."
As mentioned above, Williams would like to see a more active and vocal membership. His belief is that CAMRA really should be greater than the sum of its parts.
"I'd like to see CAMRA become a research machine," says Williams. "We should know all the rules as they apply to our beer, what their intention was when they were being implemented, and whether the current situation has evolved from then.
"I do want to see CAMRA having a more active voice. Our voice should have weight. We should be referenced whenever beer policy is concerned. However, as I said as the AGM, we have to have something behind the mouth before we open it. If CAMRA is to be credible, what is says must have value, have a basis in reality and ring true. That can only come if we understand the questions, our goals and the goals of those who would have craft beer, and the enjoyment of it, out on the back shelf. That all might sound very heavy, but changing policy, dealing with political issues is heavy, and mostly boring details."
It is this kind of energy and purpose that lured me into the fold of CAMRA Vancouver and has me putting fingers to keyboard to tap out this blog. I want to be involved and have my voice heard. I no longer see CAMRA as just a beer appreciation group, even though all involved certainly do appreciate good beer. It has turned in to something more and if people like Williams have their way, CAMRA will become the voice of change in the future. But as Williams pointed out to me, even though Vancouver's carft beer scene has exploded, we have a long way to go.
"Even today, though the population is close (in numbers), Washington (State) has 150% the number of breweries than BC," says Williams. "I needed to play a role in changing that. The first step was joining CAMRA Vancouver.
"The second step was getting involved."
So if you are sick and tired of seeing the ridiculous price we pay for beer here in this province, or annoyed that your craft beers get served in frosted glasses that taste like soap, or that your local pub/restaurant/liquor store does not offer local, craft beers maybe, like me, it is time to get involved and make your voice heard. If enough of us shout at once, in unison and with something informed and intelligent to say, maybe someone else will take notice. 
Even though Williams is dead serious about trying to organize to shake up the status quo, he still keeps things in perspective.
"In the meantime, we can drink fine ale while we work, laugh some and enjoy some good comradery, as we fight the good fight," says Williams. "We have the right to drink good beer, made by the traditional methods, served as we like it.
"It is a right worth fighting for."
Now that sounds like a campaign I want to be apart of.
If you want to learn more about CAMRA Vancouver, check out their website where you can get all the information you need, subscribe to their newsletter and join the ranks.