Introduction

Vaycay Brew Co. aims to deliver the vibe of the holiday with every can you crack open. Sipping the Weekender or their Italian pilsner - Vezpa - is meant to transport you to distant lands where great adventure, delicious food, and tasty drinks await. There is no mystery to this desire, as the brewery is located in Calgary, and while it’s pretty nice (we’re here!) It's not an Italian villa or tropical destination. So even better for all of us to be carried away on the flavour and experience of a great beer. Vaycay has opened up a taproom on the Currie Barracks in Calgary, inspired by the beach-side bars of Havana and serving up good food and great beer for all. With fifteen beers on the slate, this may be a true destination after all. The Weekender is West Coast-style IPA with big fruit flavour and a medley of hops to zap your taste buds. Serves well at 8°C and should be enjoyed promptly.

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How it looks

Pours a golden colour with a cloudy body and low carbonation. A thick head of pillowy foam rushes out of the can and hangs around for a while.

How it smells

Resinous pine dank takes a big swing right away, you really have to reach through the hops to get at the muddled tropical fruit, but you can pull out some mango and peach.

How it tastes

The flavour is more laid back than the aroma, so you’ll have to work a bit to decode it. It’s a well-mixed balance of the pine and earth hops, and the mixed together tropical notes. It’s actually harder to pick out the mango in the flavours, you’ll just taste some slightly sweet fruit. The taste is really fast, coming in with everything all at once and then disappearing, leaving just a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Recommended food pairing

Strong aroma but the hops are more laid back in flavour, so dig into some tangy BBQ ribs with sticky rice.