It's Christmas Day, which means that 2020 is quickly coming to an end.  It also means that #52BottlesOfBeer is coming to an end.  In fact, THIS is the LAST bottle of beer for 2020! I can't think of a better day to enjoy a tip and sip, to be honest- and Mt. Begbie Brewing provides us with a suitable send-off... The label is absolutely adorable.  I love that it uses the "ugly Christmas sweater" motif.  It's full of whimsy, cheer, and lighthearted humour.  It looks cozy and comfortable as well. Stoked Winter Ale has a deep, coffee colour, and a gorgeous (if at times overly large) cream coloured head of foam.  In fact, the head of foam when I poured it, was almost the same as that from a good stout.  The contrast of the two created a nice, warm look that made me think of ski lodges, and cracking fireplaces. Most seasonal beers tend to be heavy on the seasonal flavour- Halloween ones tend to be heavy on the pumpkin flavour, and Christmas ones tend to...

  Just like Halloween, many craft brewers create seasonal beers that blend "flavours of the season" with their beers.  Winter is no different.  This week, I tip and sip Persephone Brewing's Imperial Gingerbread Porter. I sadly found the label for this brew to be a little underwhelming.  While I loved the brassy, metallic background colour, and the balance it had with the white text detailing the name of the brew, the artwork for the gingerbread house was a little too simplistic, and... childish for me.  It left me just kinda, "meh". The colour though was impressive.  It was a nice, deep ale brown that brought to mind rich chocolate. The taste of the first sip?  I have to heave a bit of a heavy sigh here, because it was- like the label, underwhelming.  I liked the snappy ginger hints, but the vanilla and molasses flavors were a bit sweet for me.  Nothing really meshed for me.  It came close to tasting like gingerbread, but was unbalanced ...

  One of the surest ways to know that winter is here is when the air feels crisp and tingly, and when the snow starts to fall around you in lazy flakes of soft fluffiness. And when beer companies actually put the word, "Winter" in their beer names... The label for Fernie Brewing's Black Mammoth Winter Ale is simple and well balanced.  The colours are soothing and relaxing- while also hinting at the chilly winter weather.  The stark mountain side in the background is a strong foundation for the text and the company's logo crowning it.  While it is a nice label, I found it kinda boring and plain at the same time. To be honest, I would've preferred the label used in the picture below... especially the beautifully drawn wooly mammoth on it. The brew itself is a deep, rich, coffee-like brown that borders on a stout brown.  It looks thick and strong.  The head of foam doesn't stay very long, but it's a wonderful light, creamy off-white. The first sip was a light...

  I gazed at the calendar, and realized that December is now upon us.  In just a few short days, Christmas and the New Year will be here! That realization made me realize something else: it was that time of year, when I check out the Winter/Christmas themed craft beers available in my local liquor store...   Whistler Brewing's Winter Dunkel has a nice little label to it.  The colours are a warm and cozy combination of orange and brown.  It brings to mind a hot chocolate, gently drifting snowflakes, and loved ones gathered around a crackling campfire as we ride sleds down a country hillside.  It's soothing and relaxing. I really loved the font style and the texture used for the word "Dunkel".  This, along with the art style of the orange slices, chocolate slabs, and the background bring to mind some of the illustrations you'd find in old style greeting cards and books. This seasonal offering of cheer has a deep, golden amber colour to it that hints stro...

  Pets are important members of the family- and they deserve to be taken care of properly.  They deserve to be given love, respect, and treated with dignity- just as you would expect to be treated. With Christmas around the corner, some families will be looking to add a pet to their family.  This is why I've decided to review a beer that aims to help animals find loving homes this holiday- and year round. Red Collar Brewing has teamed up with the Kamloops SPCA to bring us their Diana Baltic Porter.  Diana is the brewery's mascot- whom they adopted from the SPCA in 2016.  For every bottle, pint, etc sold of this brew, $1.00 goes to the Kamloops SPCA to help them join lost and abandoned animals with loving homes. The label is simple and elegant.  A plain black background with white script and the brewery logo.  I love the font used for the beer name.  It's classy without being ostentatious.  My only complaint is that the image of the Diana is r...

  One of the things I love about doing this series, is discovering some of the fascinating joint ventures between two disparate beverage:  breweries joining with coffee growers and brewers, beer makers mixing with chocolatiers, brewers combining with cider makers... Like all of the other labels by Strange Fellows Brewing, the one for their Pride + Joy Collaboration with Dominion Cider Co. is simple, and elegant.  It's done in the same sort of wood print style as their other labels, though the lines are a bit cleaner in general.  While it's not as "rustic" thematically as others in their catalogue, it is still an appealing one.  I especially enjoy the font used. This brew has a rather soothing- though slightly hazy look to it when first poured.  It's a nice, sunny yellow, with a creamy, full head of foam on it.  When the sediment settles, it clears up into a sweet, clear cider look.  It is a relaxing mix between a sparkling cider, and a lager. The ...

 To celebrate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' 2020 election victory- and to celebrate the fact that Mexico no longer has to pay for a wall, I decided to enjoy an appropriate beer... Field House Brewing teamed up with Smoking Gun to bring us a Mexican Coffee Stout.  I absolutely love the label.  It has a wonderful Mexican "feel" to it.  The colours, font, and artwork all combine to create a pleasant and enjoyable label.  I especially love the fact that they depart from using their usual fox log, to use a rougher version with a smoking six shooter.  The creamy colour of the background contrasts beautifully with the black of the fox's fur, and the deep red of the sun and desert hills behind it. This coffee stout has a gorgeous dark brown colour to it that really brings to mind a morning cup of coffee- black with two sugars.  If it weren't for the slight head of foam, you could be forgiven for thinking you were actually drinking a cup of coffee.  I was a...

  November is upon us!  The weather starts to get a bit colder snow threatens us from the hills... and Winter is coming! So what shall I do to help ease the passing of Halloween, and prepare for the dark snowy nights ahead?  Well, I'm going to enjoy eating and drinking some oatmeal of course! Yes, you read that right: drink some oatmeal. But before I elaborate on that, allow me to indulge in a look at the label.  Sorry, but this isn't instant oatmeal we're talking about.  Regular oatmeal takes a bit of time to prepare, and enjoy- just like a good stout. I find this label to be quite fascinating, actually.  I love the darker greys and blues of the tornado, sky, and tidal wave- and how it contrasts with the striking crimson of the building.  I especially love how it looks almost comic bookish in nature.  To be honest, I could almost imagine the Quaker Oats guy fleeing from the building and running like they're in a "Godzilla" movie... Townsite Brewi...

  Out of the silky raven black night, dark creatures stir and amble towards the unwary drinker.  They stalk the banks of the river... before... Before... Before they adjust their hand painted ties, and ask you if you'd care to invest in their corporate take-over of Earth.  They are... The lizard people... I absolutely LOVE this label.  It's a nice, simple black background, with s plain (yet elegant) font that easy to read... and a picture of a lizard person... in a suit. Seriously. I love it.  An odd, even absurd concept done beautifully. This dark sour is dark- almost as dark as a stout would be- but just light enough that you can almost see some auburn highlights to it.  A really fascinating twinning of colours that I quite liked. The first sip was a nice hearty, "Hello!  I'm a lizard person!  Want to buy insurance from me?" for the taste buds.  After the first slap of a lizardy palm, this brew settles down into a refined discussion about t...

  Jay recently suggested that I avoid reviewing any beers produced by this week's brewery- due to reports of a toxic work environment within the company.  I asked myself if it was possible for a company that produced toxic feelings within it's staff to produce a non-toxic beverage... I must confess that I found the label to be kinda lackluster.  I do like the font used- as it hints a the Germanic origins of the brew's name... but was left wondering WHY they went with that particular name... and what did a pumpkin headed scarecrow have to do with it? Maybe it was because the company execs took pleasure in the toxic environment they fostered- revelled in the sexist, racist, and transphobic comments, etc reported to be frequently uttered by managers, supervisors and the like. Or maybe, as the name suggests (taking pleasure in the misfortune of others), they found it amusing and entertaining to contemplate the customer's reaction to tasting this concoction... I liked the co...

  When you live in the city, there comes a time when you need to blow off some steam... get a little crazy... Get a little wild... The label for Wild Ambition's Blending In is a simple, yet intriguing one.  Simple colours, simple font, simple graphics, simple arrangement.  But, it's piqued my interest, and made me curious- what was it trying to blend in with?  What secrets were hiding within it's classic, stubby bottle?  I loved the simple use of the bare tree branches- it add a touch of mystery to the label. This brew has a nice, golden colour, with a slight haze, and manages to maintain a decent head of foam that contrasts wonderfully with the beer itself.  It isn't all that different from most beers in shade and tone, but was still quite pleasing. Unlike most sours I've had this year, Wild Ambition's Blending In didn't smack me with its taste on the first sip.  It's a lighter ale at 6%, and the level of sourness matches.  It's enough to make yo...

  On a smokey, hazy day like today, the wood smell almost reminds me of a campfire... and makes me want to drink a beer... This week's entry- Dave Bomb Double IPA by Red Collar Brewing has a nice, whimsical label that brings a much needed smile, and sense of light heartedness to the chaos of 2020.  The illustration is both simple, yet full of detail.  While it's the focal point of the label, it doesn't detract from the popping of the red text.  I also really loved the understated colour scheme as well with the black, tan, and red colours contrasting while still maintaining a harmonious and unified look. This beer has a beautiful golden amber colour to it that I found quite pleasing.  It looked flavorful.  It doesn't really hold a head of foam very long though.  There's a bit of haze to it when first poured, but it cleared up fairly quickly- allowing me to gaze into it and just enjoy the play of light in its depths. The first sip is enough to make you t...

  Sometimes, our explorations for interesting beers to tip and sip takes us to place we may not necessarily go normally.  Those moments are always interesting... but are they worth it? Part of what drew me towards Les Trois Mousquetaires' brew was the bottle- label and all.  I loved the use of the cork and the cork cage, which added a nice, elegant "old world" sort of feel to the bottle.  The label is simple, but classy with the "medal" logo, and the gentle blue "wave" elements of the label.  One could be forgiven for almost mistaking it for a wine bottle.  One of things that I really liked about the labeling that it even has a section detailing some of the types of food it'd be good to serve with- which makes sense when you consider the French love of combining food and drink. The Serie Signature IPA has a marvelous straw colour- though one needs to be careful when pouring, as the head could get a bit out of control.  Adding to the wonderful sunny...

September is here, and the summer comes to an end.  With it, people start thinking about pumpkin spice lattes, Christmas shopping, and Thanksgiving Turkey... Me, I think about what I should tip and sip on the first Friday of the month... The label for Four Winds Brewing's Nectarous Dry Hopped Sour didn't really impress me.  I found the colours to be a little...garish- though I will grant that the blue is a real nice shade.  I just couldn't focus on the label very well, and didn't feel drawn to it.  In fact, it reminded me a bit of the cheap 1970's Tupperware dishes our family had when I was a kid. The brew itself is a decent colour- though nothing really stupendous.  I did like the slight haze to it, and the head of foam it managed to maintain for a bit. The first sip was a weird combination of sweetness and sour- with neither balancing the other.  It was like it couldn't decide WHAT it wanted to be.  I didn't mind the sour part of it-...

August is coming to an end.  For some it this past month left pleasant memories of sunshine, and warm skies.  For others... it left a sour taste in their mouths... The label for Fernie Brewing's Barrel Aged Sour Wheat Ale is simple, but pleasing.  The crisp white background contrasts beautifully with the two tones of green in the foreground- effectively drawing your eye to the verdant mountain peak, and the name of the brew.  Helps that green is my favorite colour... It doesn't bog you down with trivial facts about the brewery's mission statement; nor does it assault your sense of humour with some supposedly funny (and potentially witty) comment about the type of beer you're drinking.  Nope.  This label doesn't do any of that.  It just presents you with what it is.  Of course, the little factoid about being aged in tequila barrels does pique one's interest. My only "complaint" is the wax covering the bottle cap.  It's a nice colou...

With the heat that we've been experiencing lately, I felt like a lighter sort of tip and sip this week as I traveled down the "iron road"... Iron Road Brewing tends to be pretty consistent with how they label their beers.  They all tend to have the same basic pattern, with different colours setting each type apart.  I enjoy the simple format with the train in the circle, and the silhouette of a mountain on the main background.  I like the way the blue looks in the circle, and the band at the bottom of the label... but the shade of the text below the circle is too dark to read with any real clarity.  But that's the only part of the label I had an issue with overall. The Locomotive Lager has a fairly standard golden colour- though it is quite clear and crisp.  The head of foam isn't too bad either, and tends to be a clean, white colour.  It didn't really strike me as interesting, though. "Decent" is how I'd have to describe the first...

Sooo, the radio broadcast of "From the Basement" has been pre-empted due to the Stanley Cup playoffs... Well, since I'm one of those rare Canadians that really don't give a poutine about hockey, I'm not pre-empted.  Please feel free to send hate mail about this to either basementreviews@gmail.com..  But, frankly, no hockey game is keeping me from my weekly tip and sip. The label is pretty simple.  A creamy background with a bunch of blue circles and X's.  There isn't much I can say- except that I do like the combination of the cream and the blue... especially the "wisps" of blue smoke that streak across the background. This beer has a lovely sunset gold colour to it that was quite pleasing to the eye.  Fans of beers with a good head of foam will probably be disappointed, as the foam does dissipate fairly quickly.  To be honest, I quite enjoyed the colour, and sat just staring into it's golden depths for awhile. I wasn't...

There are times in your Life when you're feeling... well... bland, and lethargic, and in need of something different and new.  Something to pique your curiosity, and make you interested in exploring the World and Life again. That was the frame of mind I was in when sought out this week's tip and sip... One of things I've come to appreciate about Field House Brewing is that they have beautifully simple labels:  A single colour, a contrasting colour framing it, and a clear simple font.  The label for their Dark Sour is a lovely shade of blue with a nice plum coloured trim.  It really appeals to my minimalist tastes when it comes to graphic design.  It's clear, precise, and easy on the eyes.  The fact that they carry this style throughout their labels is a great way to create a consistent, steady, and reliable brand image.  I love it. The colour of this brew is a nice, velvety raspberry (although it's a blackberry/blueberry blend).  Th...