Tonight’s Beerstitution was spearheaded by Val, the only person organized enough to prompt us to schedule something. Considering that Val is surely in line for 2018’s Cal Ripkin Jr. award, one might wonder whether this eagerness was somewhat self-serving. But who cares! Beer was had.

Tonight’s Cast!

Kristen: a proud Beerstitutioner since June 2016. She was already 2 beers (read: 1 ⅓)  in when she started this post. Known for her love of sours and beer floats.

Anna: a Beerstitutioner since June 2016. Happily likes all things hoppy, bretty, and generally manurey.

Val: as written above, this year’s overall winningest winner since November 2016. Tends to like things that are sour, dark or bretty. Might sabotage this event because no one else showed.

Jake: a newbie for 2018 that already has a great record. Likes tropical IPAs, session ales and APAs.

Dan: a veteran since number 0. Bretty, hoppy and caustic (Just like my personality!)

Jones (Alex, not a Republican): going strong since January 2017. Is all about the bretts right now.

Corey: The founder! A perfect beer for me is a brett IPA. Super bandaidy. 

Vices et Versa: a fantastic taproom suspiciously close to some of our homes and places of work.

“Time flies by so fast and now I’m old” – Val, as we tried to determine how long each of us had been part of this group

Tonight’s Theme

 

Suggestion 1

Given that this evening’s events started without any particular theme, I suggested taking a cue from tonight’s venue: Vice et Versa. Knowing which beer you usually like, why not challenge yourself and see if your palate has evolved with time. As it turns out, that’s a god awful idea as no one wants to buy a beer they dislike.

Suggestion 2

I came up with a new theme that was received much more warmly. Let’s ask the staff what they like and drink it! The servers, bartenders and kitchen staff were more than happy to field Val’s tipsy questions. Done and done!

Tonight’s Rules

• If we’re recommended the same drink, we will note the extra vote, but not order additional beers
• We will order a flight of galopins and not pints
• We will do cider if Vices et Versa’s staff likes cider
• Metric: Would you pay for this again?

Tonight’s Beers 

• 28: Saison Rayee par Le Castor (Simon-Pierre, Caroline, Felicie) 6%
• 2: Dilettante Session IPA par Dunham (Eric, Felicie) – 4%
• 3: Saison Rustic par Dunham (Felicie) – 6.5%
• 12: Bandolier, Saison par Caribou (Remy) 5.5%
• 13: Mad clown APA par (Val and Anna’s favourite number) 5.7%
• 25: Palabre alibri par a l’abri (Kristen’s favourite number)  – 9%

2: Dilettante Session IPA par Dunham (Eric, Felicie) – 4%

• Kristen: Aggressively neutral 1.5/5
• Anna: It doesn’t taste like a session IPA. No. Not wheaty enough! 3/5
  
• Val: It’s better than I expected. I expected more of taste, but I also expected to hate it. It could be a lager. 2/5
• Jake: It’s very light 3.5/5
• Dan: I bought a bottle of this and did not like it
• Jones: omigod this is delicious. I wish it was colder. I’m glad it doesn’t taste like it smells 4/5
  

“Sounds like my last date” – Dan

• Corey: I don’t know which beer this is but it smells like sweaty armpits 3/5

“Thank you for saying this! It’s bandaidy. Wait, why do we know what bandaids taste like.” – Corey

2.83/5 for those that scored it

3: Saison Rustic par Dunham (Felicie) – 6.5%

• Kristen: Even though it’s not necessarily flavours I like, I find it more interesting 2.5/5
• Anna: I would session this more if I’m not doing anything. 3.5/5
• Val: If I’m moving or by the pool I’d session 2. If I’m sessioning with friends, it would be this. 2.5/5
• Jake: I just want to try them before they get warm 3/5
• Dan: it’s a warm classic
• Jones: this is a 2. I think uh, that I don’t know what the smell is, but someone could help me with this? If i knew the smell i could like it. This is like white pooper beer 2/5
• Corey: that’s a four 4/5

2.92/5 for those that scored it

12: Bandolier, Saison par Caribou (Remy) 5.5%

• Kristen: That’s a sour! 4/5
• Anna: Oh! Oh yeah. That’s really good 4/5
• Val: I LOVE IT (creepy eyes). 12 is better than I remembered it. 4/5
• Jake: It is good. It is very good. I sound like a robot. 4/5
• Dan: It’s nice!
• Jones: Uggggghhh (negative). I was surprised! It was negative because I was taken off guard. I thought it would be mandrill. It looks like mandrill! It was like a fistful of sour patch kids. It’s good though. I get the appeal. 3/5
• Corey: 3/5 on the 12.

3.67/5 for those that scored it

13: Mad clown APA par Naparbier (Val and Anna’s favourite number) 5.7% 

• Kristen: that’s sweet n’ tasty. 2.5/5
• Anna: It smells IPA-ey. Oh no! It tastes apiary! Like a bee! It tastes sweeter than I thought 2/5
• Val: 2.5/5
• Jake: But it’s an APA. but it doesn’t taste IPAs-y. 1.5/5
• Dan: At this point we cut Dan off from sampling our glass because we realised he was sick.
• Jones: Is this mandrill? I like this. This is terrific. 4/5! I like it less now that I’m drinking more of it.
• Corey: this is a really good 13. 4.5/5

2.83/5 for those that scored it

28: Saison Rayee par Le Castor (Simon-Pierre, Caroline, Felicie) 6%

• Kristen: 28 is my beer. It’s everything we like. I understand. 4.5/5
• Anna: It’s a lazy 5. 5/5
• Val: 5/5
• Jake: It’s the only one I finished 4/5
• Dan: SNIIIIIIFF. It’s bretty. Not surprising it’s a Castor
• Jones: I don’t know about that. What the fuck is this? Is there coconut? This reminds me (there’s an aftertaste) of uh, coconut almond vega protein powder. 3/5
• Corey: pucker pucker. Awed grunt have you ever heard a hippo fart? (that sounds like you have an unresolved bowel movement) thats the lacking fibre sound. This is really fucking good. That’s a 5! 5/5

4.42/5 for those that scored it

25: Palabre alibri par a l’abri (Kristen’s favourite number)  – 9%

• Kristen: It has a minty thing. Ah! That hits you in the back of the throat. 2/5 right now, but 4/5 in a few months (average 3/5)
• Anna: Of course kristen’s favourite # is a stout. As far as stouts go, this is okay. I just don’t like stouts. Hesitant 2/5
• Val: I really enjoy stouts. I had a stout night for my first beerstitution. I like it. Maybe I’m drunk. 4/5
• Jake: I’m gonna need to try it again. I like stouts, but just not this strong. I also like stouts, just not this one.  3/5
• Jones: It smells like  ….. (background noise). I would drink the hell out of this in January. 4/5
• Corey: It’s the opposite of coors light. Sexy licorice. 3.5/5

3.25/5 for those that scored it

“Before I really liked stouts, it’s a good beer to introduce people to.” – Val

“That’s how Rachelle started liking beers.” – Jake

Tonight’s Summary

As it turns out, the Vices et Versa staff have fantastic taste! 5/5 for service, knowledge and slinging tasty tasty beers.

Favourite

• Kristen: 28
• Anna: 28
• Val: 28
• Jake: 28
• Dan: “does it have to be a beer I drank today?”Mandrill (this is not right) 1 (this is still not right APA americane)
• Jones: 2
• Corey: 28

Session

• Kristen: 28
• Anna: 3
• Val: 3
• Jake: 2
• Dan:  “does it have to be a beer I drank today?” Number 1
• Jones: 2
• Corey: Shit. 13 maybe

Surprise

• Kristen: 28
• Anna: (Bad surprise) 2 “I expected a lounging sessionable and I got a only operating heavy machinery sessionable. I was expecting a lot more taste.”
• Val:  13
• Jake: 2
• Dan: 25 (I’m surprised that no one drank it)
• Jones: 28
• Corey. 28

Beerstitution Definitions

“Lawnmower beers: beers that are refreshing on a hot day, but also let you operate machinery.” – Kristen

“But not heavy machinery” – Anna

“Like your refrigerator” – Val

“A dainty chainsaw” – Kristen

Review of the Movie Hackers

“It’s actually a “””””good“”””” interpretation of hacking, which is really just social engineering.”

“Hackers! 5 stars”

“Let’s hack this! Let’s put a usb key in! And hack like this!”

“Hackers with Angelina Jolie? I watched it recently and i was really disappointing.
I’M HACKING.” MIMES ANGRY TYPING

“Typing into a keyboard and hacking into the department of defence doesn’t actually exist.”