o-CNN: Cowboy News Network - Canmore Uncorked, Progressive Dinners

Get There...

Get there by car, by bus, bike or walk. Whatever you do, get yourself to this year's Canmore Uncorked progressive dinner tours.

Do I hear you ask: "What is a progressive dinner tour?"

Apparently, the whole world knows what it is, especially those familiar with Canmore's amazing food-fest. If you are too embarrassed to ask: It is a marathon eating and drinking experience with four or more restaurants, twenty of your best or new friends, and your preferred mode of transport, all in one fun filled evening.

As if the events of the Canmore Uncorked festival so far have not already offered enough opportunity for excess, now you get a chance to do a whole month's dining out, in one glutinous night of deliciousness.

The kick-off is at a centrally arranged trusty watering hole of the Grizzly Paw Brewery, to oil the wheels literally and figuratively. Let's just say the water bottles were filled for the trek.

Some progressive dinner events you can do by bicycle with two Olympians for motivation and moral support. No need for a fast bike they assured us. A little stamina, and a lot of will, will get you up the hill to the Iron Goat. You need to get there for your beverage break - Vodka on Ice - and more than a snack. While you work off the calories you just amassed, you will have an excuse for three more of these well timed breaks to catch your breath and clear your dietary conscience.

For the lazy, old or tired ones amongst us there is arranged transport by bus. No one mentioned that this was a clever ploy to attract the more beverage inclined members of the party. It worked. The wine flowed and the laughter rung out louder and louder with every stop. The swan song of the evening's indulgence took place at Murietta's on Main Street. I can still not entirely remember what we had for desert, but it was gorgeous!

There is also a walking tour. This one ensures you maximize the time at each establishment and make the most of the excellent company of the group.

As with most things we do at Two Cowboys, we had to test the boundaries. We set ourselves a challenge to cover all the restaurants for the three tours in one night, during three hours of filming. Call it the amazing race. We called it the gallop of pleasure. The people were awesome, the food fantastic, and it made us proud to be part of this wonderful community. Somewhere between all of it, we started on the bus, lost the bike, found a horse and ended up walking home. What a night!

You should be here!

Hendrik van Wyk
Without a horse... Cowboy.

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Photos

This Big!

Yes, Indeed

My Place

Progressive Dinner

Fan

Fantastic

o-CNN: Cowboy News Network - Canmore Uncorked, Beer Festival

Who Let Them In?

I am referring to the folks from Ontario, BC and elsewhere that camped out this afternoon at the Canmore Uncorked Beer Festival at the lovely venue of the Steward Creek Golf Course Club House. Wow, what an event! What a location! What a variety!

Standing room only if you missed it. Twenty tastings. More for the ladies that didn't get their cards clipped (I am not telling...).

Mount Begbie is the only foreign brew for which I will brave BC's deadliest highway in winter. I easily drive the three hours and thirty two minutes in blowing snow and blizzardly conditions to get a case of Tall Timber Ale. It is one of the best. A must stop in Revelstoke. My wife will confirm this craziness that overcomes a big thirst on a Saturday afternoon, after a particularly good Hockey game. Glad they could make it.

I know Big Rock. Nothing beats a "Trad", but you have to realize: I am an underdog-supporting kind of guy. Trad is the king of beers in this province. The Keg in my living room, and my heart belongs to you. The rest can only dream of living up to your heavenly standard of English-style Ale, toasty malt, sweet caramel, nutty flavour, medium creamy carbonation, and mild hop bitterness. I hear music playing when I throw back a pint and realize, this is Alberta. The place of our beer.

Then there is the Bear. Canmore's own brew, Grizzly Paw faced some stiff competition in the room this afternoon. It did well. The way I describe Grizzly Paw to visitors to Canmore is that it is like a brother. He knows you love him. You don't have to tell it to him all the time. It is your go-to-guy when the chips are down. Grizzly after a thirsty round of golf at Steward Creek's famous golf course, or a hard day of pounding ice and powder in the glorious mountains of the Bow Valley. Life cannot get any better.

These were the big ones in the room, but there were many, many more. You should have been there.

Fallen Timber was a pleasant surprise. Mead, Beer, Wine? Who cares. It is just delicious.

How amazing to see so many brewers take an interest in Canmore, and the people of the Uncorked Festival supporting this event so well. We are happy to have you here. Ontario, Colorado, as we say here in the valley. Have a cold one on us! You are always welcome.

Hendrik van Wyk
Roaming Cowboy News Reporter

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Please help us to bring you more of these programs by supporting us on Patreon: www.forwardthefavour.com. 

Pictures 

Tall Timber

Falling Timber 

Angelic

Well Rested

Our Brew

Cider! Yes, Ma'am

o-CNN: Cowboy News Network - Canmore Uncorked, Whisky and SpiritsFestival

This Is A Grown-up Event

Who would have guessed that you can get so much class and talent into one room for one evening?
Yes, you can indeed. You should have been at the Canmore Uncorked Whisky and Spirits Festival to see, taste and experience it all. Another amazing event for 2016's festivities took place, and we were there for your sake. And what a lovely sake this one was ;-)

We are talking about celebrating the drinks of men, and the talent of Master Distillers from near and far away. There were Whisky, Scotch, Vodka, Gin, Scotch, Rum, Sake. Did I mention Scotch?

The Corner Stone Theatre was the classy venue for this year's grown-ups' event. It certainly is a place familiar with talent considering its one-of-a-kind flexibility for weddings, meetings, conferences or special events like hosting the best whiskies and spirits you can get into one room on a Friday evening in Canmore, Alberta.

We've really travelled this year with tastes from the motherland of distilling (Scotland) to Banff. Yes, Banff has a distillery now. Who would have guessed? So is Turner Valley and some strong contenders from Calgary and Quebec.

Highwood Distillers from High River keeps reminding everyone that they were first (in the world of Alberta) to legally muster the nectar of the gods at the Foothills of the mighty Rocky Mountains. Their Vodka-like Whisky is see-through, with a strong foundation of Oak and Alberta grains. Maybe they know someone upstairs that we don't. It all depends on the serving temperature. Apparently.

Tasting their elixir will revive any old rumrunner gene you may still done in your Alberta veins. The old folk from the turn of the last century will encourage you to question your commitment to oil, and applaud you for joining the new old gold of Alberta distillation, that made this Province famous in the first place. Remember we were distilling in this part of the world long before we were pumping oil. Sign me up for diversification of this economy. Fire up the stills!

Eau Claire Distillery from Turner Valley tempted us again with the long awaited upcoming 2018 release of their first Whisky. Every time we see these folks we remind them that we want to be on the ballot for that auction. I hear it will cost you your right pinky to have a seat at the the table for the first bottle out of those casks.

Enjoy our video. We certainly had fun filming it all. Andrew Nickerson (CEO, Canmore Business and Tourism) and his team found their rhythm. Keep playing the beautiful music of food and drink festival, and the world will follow you to Canmore.

Glad to be part of it.

Hendrik van Wyk
Did I mention Scotch?

Get rewarded for supporting our local Producers. Receive special offers and invitations from the Two Cowboys.
Please help us to bring you more of these programs by supporting us on Patreon: www.forwardthefavour.com. 

Pictures

The Man! 

Quebec!

Heaven in a Glass

Where they Invented It

A Hard Day's Nigh

Ladies Attended Too