Liquid Diet: Bock for its 25th year

by | Nov 22, 2012 | Uncategorized

I was a whopping three years of age when Hermann Hoerter, legendary Vancouver Island Brewery (VIB) brewmaster, first concocted his seasonal Hermannator ice bock back in 1987. Initially, the beer was only a gift for Hermann’s friends and devoted brewery customers. The...

How well do you know your island?

by | Nov 8, 2012 | Culture

As far as islands go, we’ve got it pretty good. The Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards recently named Vancouver Island the number one island destination in Canada and the number six island destination in the world, based on the votes of 46 476 readers who took...

Liquid diet: The cantankerous character of Scotch

by | Nov 1, 2012 | Culture

I developed something of a crush on Jameson Irish Whiskey last year. A friend bought a bottle before we left Victoria for the holiday season, and he and I drained it in good time. We drank it on the rocks. Though I’d had Jameson in the past, I couldn’t recall it ever...

The duck-infused flavour of victory

by | Oct 25, 2012 | Culture, Food | Drink

For the second time in as many years, Josh Boudreau has claimed the title of Best Bartender of the Pacific Northwest. The 25-year-old Veneto barkeep won this year’s Art of the Cocktail competition with a concoction he coined the John Coffey — a tribute to the devious...