Tasting Flight - Note: Focus of photo is not representative of my state at the time of tasting.
Courtney:
It was inevitable. A time when beer would be considered something to sip…not chug… Molson is a thing of the past. Tornade, our time in Montreal was debaucherous…but I am sophisticated now and living on the West Coast…home to some of the most critically acclaimed micro breweries in the world.*
Actually, you don’t have to be sophisticated to live on the west coast or enjoy micro beer. Truth be told…I’m really not that sophisticated.
But I can tell you this. Bitter Tasting Room takes the joy of beer to a whole new level. Salted nuts and pretzels stand back, I’d much rather pair my stout flight with deviled eggs and wieners.
From the Heather Hospitality Group which brought you Salt, Judas Goat, amongst other Gastown haunts comes my new favorite find.
Beer is the name, tasting is the game.
Much like Salts presentation of their wine flights, the beer is served in wine glasses with the corresponding coasters labels. I would do without the wine glasses, it just didn’t feel right drinking beer out of them.
The space is not large, like most Gastown restaurants, but a great atmosphere!
*In 2008, Portland, OR had 30 microbreweries located within the city limits, more than any city in the world and greater than one-third of the state total. Many of Portland’s 46 microbrew outlets have won nationwide and international acclaim. (Wikipedia..obviously)
Emily: Ah, Scotch Eggs. How I’ve missed you.
I think Bitter is just about the only place you can get Scotch Eggs in Vancouver, which makes sense. It’s just about the only place you can get a lot of that beer food, and the food at Bitter is a lot better than I thought it would be. I had a really nice cassoulet and a few different types of sausage.
But the showstopper, for me, was the realization that Unibroue does not make ONE bad beer. All of their beer is excellent. I know it’s not West Coast, but that doesn’t make me love it any less. Hotdamn, Quebec!
Also, a word to the wise: when you’re walking to Bitter, there’s no need to walk east of Carrall. Bitter is on the south side of Hastings, west of Carrall.
