BC'S Largest Selection of Spirits, Beer & Wine!

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crushability very well. It’ll lap up all that salty goodness in the pasta, leaving you bright and ready for each forkful that follows.

BEST THINKING OUT OF THE BOX

Over in Kerrisdale, James Iranzad and Josh Pape’s (Wildebeest, Lucky Taco) Pizzeria Bufala (5395 West Boulevard) has been packing ’em in since opening in the summer of 2014. Although can’t-miss starters like burrata with pear, honey, and basil are a must for setting the scene, it’s the Napolitana-style pizzas out of their stone oven that regularly cause lineups. While it’s tempting to order one and keep it to yourself, do round up a crew of pals so a variety can be shared. The green peas and ham version, with smoked ham, English peas, Taleggio, and truffle oil, is a personal favourite, but I’ve also never met a finocchiona (fennel sausage) pizza I didn’t like. A fun exclusive that Iranzad has lined up with local importer Sedimentary Wines is a three-litre bag-inbox of Cirelli Montepulciano 2015 from Abruzzo, Italy ($9 per glass). This organic wonder bursts with fresh berries and herbs, and the packaging ensures that each glass poured is as fresh as can be.

BEST CONTROLLED CHAOS

Chef Trevor Bird’s Fable Kitchen (1944 West 4th Avenue) has been walking the walk of farm-to-table cuisine since opening its doors in Kitsilano almost five years ago. A constant hit on the menu—in fact, it’s practically criminal to have a Fable experience without it—is what Bird has dubbed “the Best ‘Canned Tuna’ ”. This starter involves a sealed Mason jar packed with albacore tuna, lemon marmalade, fingerling potatoes, tomato confit, tarragon, and olive oil; it’s quite the flavour bomb. Mashed all together and then dolloped upon a side of crostini, it’s quite addictive and its popularity is quickly obvious. Do up the ante with SOAHC Estate Wines Chardonnay 2015 ($12 per glass), a biodynamic gem hailing from Fruitvale in British Columbia’s West Kootenay region. Along with French biodynamic farming consultant Philippe Armenier and Alain Sutre, a winemaking consultant out of Bordeaux, ownerwinemaker Jamie Fochuk has quietly been making some of the most fascinating wines in B.C. of late. This Chardonnay has waves of apples and citrus fruit crashing down on a nutty, mineral undercurrent; plenty of stuff going on to complement all of those flavours sailing across your palate. Oh, and the name SOAHC? It’s chaos spelled backwards, a nod to the marvels of biodynamic farming.

BEST CULTURE CLASH

How does an Indian- style, vegetarian pizza served with B.C. wine in Chinatown sound? Since opening this past autumn, Main Street’s plant- based pizza joint, Virtuous Pie (583 Main Street), has become a constant in my life. Hey, I’m an omnivore, but I’m outright smitten with their offerings, from $4 mouthwatering side salads—roast butternut squash, roast parsnip, kale, shaved Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, and roasted pumpkin seeds, with miso-tahini- orange vinaigrette, is just one example—to the creative array of pizzas that are in your hands within six minutes of ordering. My favourite of the moment is the India-inspired Curry Mile, with butter chickpea curry, mint raita, roasted cashews, mango chutney, and pea shoots. Bring a little West Coast flavour to the mix by accompanying it with Okanagan Crush Pad’s Haywire 2015 Pinot Gris ($ 8 per glass— or just $ 6 per glass during weekday happy hours, from 2: 30 to 5: 30 p. m.), a fantastic British Columbian wine served fresh on tap. All of its lime, grapefruit, and herbal notes provide a fantastic lift to each bite.

Brewmasters at Vancouver’s newest breweries are making their mark on the city’s craftbeer scene with delightfully different takes on traditional styles.

The Straight reached out to them to find out what Vancouverites have developed a taste for and to learn what each brewer plans on bringing to the table as we look forward to peak beer-drinking season.

The eldest of the newbies, Strathcona Beer Company (895 East Hastings Street), opened in July, and Brewmaster Michael “Fezz” Nazarec says it’s been interesting to see how local imbibers react to different offerings.

“Of our three flagship beers, the British IPA is at the top at this point in time, but our premium pilsner and Belgian Gold are very close behind,” Nazarec says. “Local IPAS are usually very forward, sharp, and hop-heavy, but the British IPA we’ve made is a lot more balanced, and for people that don’t always like that sharpness, they really seem to like it.”

Looking ahead, Nazarec notes that while kettle sours seemed to take over in the summer of 2016, he expects local brewers to start experimenting with how sour beers are fermented: think wine barrels and foudres, large oak vats that originated in France’s Rhone Valley.

“I think we’ll also see more beers using brettanomyces and hybrid yeasts, trying different things with yeasts for a certain flavour,” he adds.

His latest style, a rye ESB, is currently fermenting and should be offered in cans this spring.

Over at Faculty Brewing Co. (1830 Ontario Street), co-owner and brewmaster Mauricio Lozano says he’s “hit a home run” with a unique style that customers can’t get enough of.

“Our Mineweizen is booming like crazy,” Lozano says. He adds that

RESTAURANT B. C. BEER SELECTION

1. CRAFT BEER MARKET

85 West 1st Ave. 604-709-2337 2. Alibi Room 157 Alexander St. 604-623-3383 3. Tap & Barrel Restaurant

Various locations

BREWERY TASTING ROOM

1. BRASSNECK BREWERY

2148 Main St. 604-259-7686 2. Strange Fellows Brewing

1345 Clark Dr., 604-215-0092 3. Granville Island Brewing 1441 Cartwright St. Granville Island, 604-687-2739