I don’t normally pick up mixed packs of beer because I generally want to do my own picking thank you very much. But we were having company over and the Stanley Park Concession Stand looked like a safe choice to offer up some options to our guests. Besides, the Mrs. Panda was in the van and I didn’t have time to be picky.

Much to my delight, my daughter’s boyfriend brought me some Whistler Brewing Bear Paw Honey Lager which I gladly dove into and was willing to share.

At the end of the evening I was running low on Whistler Brewing Bear Paw Honey Lager (for good reason) and was left with the Stanley Park Concession Stand completely untouched.

YES! The perfect opportunity for a six part craft beer mini-series.

About the Concession Stand

Loving the snappy name, it includes two of each – a lager, summer ale, pale ale, pilsner, amber ale, and an IPA. The perfect mix to put to the Panda’s waiting palate to the test.

Double take

The craft beer industry has really turned things upside down, sideways, and inside out. They’ve taken what had been a fairly humdrum, ordinary staple product since the prohibition, and turned it into a wild kaleidoscope of flavours.

The first in this series, DayTrip West Coast Lager, is a prime example. Sporting a less than traditional, modern day PNW twang, one would almost identify it as a pale ale.

These rules simply don’t apply anymore, DayTrip offers the light maturity of a lager, with citrus overtones and an ever so slight hint of orange. Not what one would expect from your average Canadian lager.

This is a really nice beer that has a bit of sweetness, it’s mild on the malt but provides enough flavour and kick (25 IBU) to give it character without weighing you down. At 4.4% ABV this is definitely an anytime of day type of beverage, and should go well with anything from sushi to nachos.

However, if you don’t like cascadia hops you may not care much for DayTrip. Fortunately it isn’t heavily hopped, and is very well balanced. A really good option for introducing someone to PNW style craft beer.

All in all, it was very easy on the palate, and is certainly a beer that I could see my self coming back to and recommending.

That’s it for now, gonna go quench that panda sized thirst… cheers eh!