In Sri Lanka last winter, I got used to wonderfully thick Lion Stout and mentioned the fact right here in the blog. Upon coming back to Vancouver, I have been buying a west-coast craft bottle or so every week. Over the last few months, I have had some delicious porters and stouts. There is such a variety! In British Columbia there are also outrageous taxes. Most alcohol is nearly double the prices found in many US states. A $3 bottle from a Seattle brewery is $8 here.
This has prompted me to look into the local U-brew situation. The government does not tax when a business uses kits to create a batch for a customer. I used to bottle wine this way in New Westminster as the establishment does all the hard work. The buyers have to pour it into the bottles and cork themselves. I was never keenly interested enough to try to do a batch beer.Well I was never interested enough, until recently. Three weeks ago, I arranged to start an oatmeal stout. We went to fill and cap nearly three cases of 650 ml bottles this morning. I got hold of the big bottles at a different local shop. I will also reuse the ones from the craft brews I consume. Bottling was quite a procedure. We did get all 6 gallons into my 35 bottles. I'm set for a while, except it really is summer and I should get an order of cerveza going ...