On Saturday Aug 8th, 2009, Summer Caskival took place at DIX BBQ & Brewery. This turned out to be my first venture out to a cask beer / CAMRA Vancouver event. I know that may sound surprising based on the fact I am creating a blog dedicated to craft beer, however my love of beer has always been a solitary pursuit. Lucky for me I bucked that trend, made my way through the doors of DIX, and got right down to the business of drinking beer.
The cost of entry including 4oz taster glass and your first three tickets was $20; after that every ticket after that was a mere $1. That’s pretty good when you consider a 12oz glass of beer will run you $6 for a mass market brew like Molson Canadian at most places in Vancouver.
After a couple quick samples of the more ‘traditional’ beers such as Swan’s Oaked Scotch Ale, and Russell’s IP’eh! (both of which were fantastic), I was joined by Gabriel Jones from Passport to Beer. He proceeded to introduced me to many of the people involved in the local industry, and with that I caught wind of the most buzzed about brews at the event. Specifically the ‘Root of All Evil’ Root Beer from James Walton at Storm Brewing, and the Sahti Pale Ale from Daniel Knibbs at Dead Frog Brewery. The Root Beer tasted exactly like you would expect, beer with a strong root beer flavor. As for the Sahti Pale Ale, the flavor was unlike anything I have had to date. The beer style was born in Finland, containing flavors of juniper and elderberries. The closest comparisons are Hefeweizens and Lambics. If you ever get a chance to taste one I highly recommend you do. It might not be for everyone but the experience alone is worth it. In the end these two beers took home the top two awards at the event, proving the buzz was justified.
All in all for my first time attending a cask beer event I was blown away. Not only at the beers themselves, but the atmosphere of the event. I have attended a few wine tastings in my day and always found the vibe to be a little stuffy and standoff-ish for my personal taste. This on the other hand was like going to a house party with a bunch of down to earth people who are passionately discussing what they love. In the end the stamp says it all…
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Glad you enjoyed Summer Caskival, Chris. Wait until you experience Winter Caskival. It tends to be better attended with fewer people away on vacation. It also has more potent beer, so one needs to be more cautious about getting too enthusiastic over the brews
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Posted by Rick Green on August 12th, 2009.
Well said buddy!! I will be purchasing a family CAMRA membership for sure.
Posted by AmandaB on August 12th, 2009.
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