Written By Jonathan Johnson Beer & Cider / Libations Mar 10, 2015 Bikes and Beers | Victoria Beer Week 2015 SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter PinterestMidway through a typical rain-soaked, mist-laden Vancouver Island winter bike ride I’m cold, thirsty, miserable, and wet. Mind broken, soul chilled, the sweet, malty caress of a bomber of Hoyne Dark Matter is all that keeps my legs moving. Mercifully, time passes quickly, and I clomp and shiver my way into Cook St. Liquor. Hands shaking, I somehow manage to exchange a soaking wet ten dollar bill for a bottle of the good stuff, and wrangle the precious liquid back to my apartment, drinking it in the shower. It’s delicious, it’s refreshing, it’s starting to give me just a tiny bit of a post-ride buzz, and I couldn’t be happier.This post-ride ritual is not specific to me — it’s a universal truth that beer pairs well with cycling. Somewhere in history, beer and cycling found one another, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. That relationship is particularly evident here in Victoria: Phillips regularly sponsors the many alleycat races organized by Stuckylife; Driftwood sponsored Stuckylife’s 2014/2015 Semiprestige race series; and Spinnakers supports Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria, going so far as to release a year-round Tour de Victoria Kölsch.So what’s this bike and beer thing all about, anyway? Cycling has a long-standing relationship with coffee, which is easier to understand, but if a shot of espresso is what gets us out there, malt and hops are what bring us back into the world. After a hot day of riding nothing refreshes like a crisp Pilsner or a tropical IPA, while imperial stouts and sweet porters warm after the coldest of rides. Yes, I realize that this all sounds a bit like a beer commercial, but the union between cycling and beer somehow manages to hit that note of refreshing, sublime impossibility. There’s a feeling of being “out there” when on a bike and that’s exhilarating stuff. Does beer temporarily extend that sensation? Does it bring us back into the world from that higher cycling realm? Or is it just refreshing and delicious and good? It probably doesn’t matter — no matter what you drink, and no matter what you ride, just get out there, and enjoy both.Here are some favourite post-ride brews from local cyclists:“The Amnesiac Double IPA is a favourite in winter, but nothing refreshes after a scorching ride like a light, sweet wheat beer.” — Emile de Rosnay, elite road and track cyclist/racer.“I came across the Four Winds Brett IPA after my first hot summer ride last year — it’s definitely one of my favourite brews.” —Katie Harris, cyclist about town.“Few things are better than a crisp Pilsner consumed in the shower after a gruelling muddy race or a long cold day in the saddle.” — Parker Bloom, racer and Stuckylifervictoria beer week SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Written By: Jonathan Johnson Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Jonathan Johnson reached the silvery West Coast in 2009. In 2014 he completed his MA in English at the University of Victoria, and is a contributor for EAT Magazine. In addition to his publishing ... Read More You may also like Beer / Beer & Cider / Drink / Events March 2, 2020 Victoria Beer Week March 6 – 14 Victoria Beer Week returns March 6-14 with 19 different events held in venues around Victoria. This 7th annual festival of craft beer offers ... Read More Beer & Cider / Events / Food Events / Places / Victoria November 17, 2019 Canoe Brewpub’s Eighth Annual Winterbrau Festival 2019 Beer brewers from across the island and the lower mainland gathered in the lofty wooden halls of Canoe Brewpub over November 9 and 10 for the eighth ... Read More Beer & Cider / Beer Dinners / Events / Food Events / Wineries & Breweries August 30, 2019 A Categorically Great Meal Saanich Brewery Category 12’s ‘Brewmaster’s Dinner’ Marries Wildcraft With Craft-Beer It was somewhere at the beginning of the ... Read More Beer / Beer & Cider / Drink / First Look / Places / Press Release / Wineries & Breweries July 25, 2019 There’s a New Buoy in Town Whistle Buoy Brewing Company, a locally owned craft brewery and taproom, is now open in Historic Market Square, Victoria. Whistle Buoy Brewing ... Read More Beer / Beer & Cider / Events / Press Release July 24, 2019 Great Canadian Beer Festival The line-up is set and the tickets are on sale. The Great Canadian Beer Festival will return to Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, BC, on Friday, ... Read More Beer / Beer & Cider / Drink / Events / Victoria March 24, 2019 A New Beer Society in Town Victoria Beer Week launched its sixth annual festival earlier this month, which ran from March 1-9. In addition to the festival returning for another ... Read More Comments are closed.
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