If you didn’t already know from reading this column over the past few months, I’m not exactly secretive when it comes to my favourite brewery in British Columbia.
I’m a Kelowna resident who adores several of my city’s fantastic breweries, but at the end of the day my heart belongs to Phillips Brewing.
The long-standing Victoria brewery has become one of the province’s biggest and most notable craft beer producers over the years and I’m certainly not the only one who considers them their favourite.
So needless to say, I’m not the only one who has been very excited at some of Phillips’ announcements and releases over the past few weeks.
I even highlighted one in early March and there are others like the Heavy Pedal Porter, Doe-a-Beer Witbier, re-imagined Solaris Summer Ale and new Showcase mixed pack that I won’t even dive into in this column.
Instead, I’m going to focus on three very exciting new, or in some cases old, releases that will be mainstays for a lot of craft beer drinkers this spring and summer.
The first is one of my all-time favourite beers that used to be a staple for Phillips, which was discontinued a while back and is now making its triumphant return.
The Bottle Rocket Session IPA is the perfect summer beer for those who like hoppy brews but want something a little more drinkable in the warmer months.
Brewed with Alora, Cascade, Centennial, Citra and Mosaic hops, Bottle Rocket has all the vibrant hoppy goodness and full refreshing flavour of an IPA but is very sessionable at just 4.3% ABV.
The other two exciting new releases are both a part of Phillips’ Dinosour family and one of them is a play on an iconic summer treat, the Creamsicle.
The beer is called Dreamsicle and it’s exactly what you might expect, with the tried and true flavours of tangy orange with decadent vanilla.
It truly delivers on its promise of being a Creamsicle-inspired beer, as the sour ale begins quite tart before delivering a pleasant aftertaste of smooth vanilla like you’d get from the iconic popsicle.
Dreamsicle is also a very sessionable beer, coming in at 4.2% ABV, but if you’re looking for something that packs a little more punch, Phillips has you covered there as well.
The 7% ABV Dinosour Power! Fruit Punch Sour, as Phillips explains, is a “dynamic fruit-forward power punch to the senses.”
“The zingy acidity of our mixed fermentation house culture accentuates the fresh fruit flavours and leaves a deliciously bright and tart finish,” the brewery notes.
As the weather warms up and the days get longer, you should be able to find all three of these Phillips beers at craft-focused liquor stores around BC.
Josh Duncan is the NowMedia news director and a craft beer lover. Reach him at josh@nowmediagroup.ca. His beer column appears every Saturday afternoon in this space.
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