I’m not sure if it’s the darkly alluring title, the bold red hues or the pig and how it calls to mind charcuterie and other such farm-chic trends, but Blood Alley Bitter seems to hit all the right notes with us at The Urban Grocer. Handcrafted naturally in small artisanal batches, this one-of-a-kind bottle can be found a-brewin’ outside of Vancouver, BC.

Its namesake comes from an infamous and likely mythical alley in Vancouver’s Gastown that is similarly a-brew with tales of butchery, blood, and murder. But don’t be deceived, this beer’s relation to the grim legend of Blood Alley lies only in its style. As an Extra Special Bitter at a whopping 50 IBUs (that’s bitterness units for you winos), this brew is not for the faint-hearted or queasy-stomached. So if you can get your hands on it, and you’re not afraid of a little blood — I mean, bitterness — then get drinking because this one is a limited edition.

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Matej Balaz is a graphic designer and illustrator living in Vancouver. He has worked on various projects for clients such as Art Institute of Vancouver and Rayne Longboards.

People travelling across the USA-Canada border (near Vancouver) might catch a glimpse of a newly erected billboard that advertises ‘clean air’. Created by Lead Pencil Studio, and funded by the US government, this creative piece is made from stainless steel rods, framing the clean air of Blaine, Washington.

If you’re going straight edge these days, you have cause to rejoice because the non-alcoholic beverage alternatives have become a lot more enticing lately. Among this trend for superior sodas are the lightly sweetened, subtly carbonated herbal fruit drinks from Sip Natural Craft Soda company.

Vancouver-based Sip Soda Co. offers three solid flavours to replace your glass of wine or artisan brew from lavender lemon peel to coriander orange and rosemary lime. Intended to pair well with meals, these sodas opt for the perfect balance between botanical infusions, citric acidity and pure cane sugar. The balance is further completed by great packaging design from the bold print to the complimenting colour schemes, making these bottles both funky and chic. Sip and enjoy!

This is very clever. In order to prevent accidents in the District of West Vancouver, ‘the optical illusion of an illustrated girl chasing a ball has been placed on the road northbound at 22nd street’, with signs approaching it warning drivers that ‘you’re probably not expecting kids to run out on the road’. Unsurprisingly, it’s been an contentious discussion point amongst local residents.

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Eve and Eryn, two amazing Free Spirit Sphere tree houses, are located in Vancouver, Canada, high up in the canopy of the West Coast rainforest. They are, as their creators describe, ‘suspended like pendants from a web of rope’ from the trees. This is a unique way of creating unobtrusive means of living amongst nature. Insulated and set up for one or two people to stay in, these spheres allow people to experience the ‘energy shift’ that occurs ‘once one breaks contact with the ground’.

Staying in either Eve or Eryn is an ephemeral experience, with each sphere staying in the trees for only a matter of days. At the end of a stay, the whole thing, including stairs and suspension bridges for access, it is removed, ‘without a trace’. Free Spirit Spheres also sells tree houses made from either wood or fibreglass allowing people, if they wish, to take the experience home to their own backyard.