Craft beer is taking over the taps.
"It's matching the food industry's shift toward local, clean eating," explains Beach Club food and beverage director Ian Lane.
"People want more distinctive flavour in beer."
And they're getting it.
From Tofino Brewing's Kelp Stout described as "a dark, rich, full bodied ale brewed with locally harvested kelp giving a unique umami-type quality" to Wolf Brewing's Golden Honey Ale described as "distinctively light and savoury... featuring raw, locally sourced honey and B.C. malt and two flavours of hops" — craft breweries are changing the landscape of suds.
To help showcase some of the incredible breweries we have in our British Columbian backyard, Parksville's popular Untapped event is back Feb. 18 at the Beach Club Resort from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Lane said there will be upwards of 20 B.C. breweries at the event, offering a number of their top beers, as well as four cideries and select distilleries.
"Overall it's just a great event," he said, noting it usually sells out and has been growing in popularity since it started eight years ago. "We're really proud of it."
The Beach Club transforms into an enormous tasting room dotted with brew masters doling out samples of their respective beers, chefs plating up bite-size appetizers to pair and live music.
Lane said some of the beer-inspired tapas the Beach Club's culinary team has been working on may include: bangers and mash with a Herman's dark lager sauce, lamb stew with chefs' mint chutney with a sea dog ale sauce and vegetarian quinoa ragout with high trail honey ale.
Untapped kicks off the eighth annual Parksville Uncorked Wine and Food Festival, which includes four days of exceptional wine, beer and cuisine.
Tigh-Na-Mara hosts the signature wine gala event Swir' on Friday, Feb. 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. where more than 50 wineries will be pouring samples of B.C.'s finest wines
Festival goers will enjoy the best that B.C. has to offer from fine wines to fabulous gourmet cuisine.
Then on Saturday, Feb. 20 foodies will have a chance to indulge at either the Beach Club’s Pacific Prime Restaurant or Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedars Restaurant for the winemakers dinner, served over several courses with wine pairings to match.
“This is one of those dinners that happens in a year where a chef is a chef,” said Lane, noting Pacific Prime executive chef Rick Davidson and his team have been working on their menu for more than six months. It will feature a seven course dinner (one more than last year) with Hatch winery. Meanwhile, Cedars Restaurant’s executive chef Eric Edwards and his culinary team will be creating a culinary dream paired with wines from Mission Hill Estate Winery.
Finally, on Sunday, Feb. 21 both the Beach Club and Tigh-Na-Mara host Bubbles and Brunch in their respective restaurants to cap off the event from
7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.parksvilleuncorked.com or call 1-800-663-7373.