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All posts for the month August, 2014

Details on Halifax Seaport Beerfest, Aug 8 & 9, 2014

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-08-07
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Halifax Seaport Beerfest. 1 comment

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With the Halifax Seaport Beerfest happening this weekend, we wanted to give attendees (and those on the fence whether to attend) some more details on the fest.

This year’s most exciting element is the Cask Beer Pavillion, being run by Stillwell Beer Bar and the Ladies Beer League. We reached out to Christopher Reynolds from Stillwell for more details on this endeavour. “We put a call out to the breweries that are a) Producing casks at all, b) Producing relatively good/stable casks, and finally c) Breweries we thought might participate. The format will be similar to Stillwell, in that we will aim for the best mix of FIVE casks at any given time, and we’ll be tapping new ones as casks run out. There are three casks from some producers (Garrison, Big Spruce), but only ONE cask from some (Hell Bay), so we’re not sure which session will get what — which is part of the fun, we think.” You can see Christopher and Beerfest co-founder Brian Titus chat casks in this clip from Global Morning News.

From Christopher and the brewers, we were able to secure a partial list of the fifteen-plus casks being poured:

Big Spruce Brewing: Pump Le Mousse (a new beer, a Grapefruit Wheat), Tip of the Spear IPA (a Black Spruce tip IPA), and All Night Kitchen Party (a dry-hopped version of their Kitchen Party Pale Ale)
Boxing Rock: Hunky Dory Pale Ale, Temptation Red, and The Vicar’s Cross Double IPA
Garrison Brewing: Honey Lavender (also to be released soon in bottles at the brewery and private stores) will be available at all sessions
Granite Brewery: Peculiar and Best Bitter Special
Hell Bay Brewing, Meander River Farm and Brewery, PEI Brewing, and Propeller Brewing are also sending casks, but we were unable to find out which beers.

So, what about the rest of the beer offerings?

Folks will also be able to enjoy beer from handful of other breweries from the Maritimes, including:

Garrison: Tall Ship Amber, Irish Red Ale, Nut Brown Ale, Raspberry Wheat Ale, Hopyard Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Imperial IPA, and NiT WiT Belgian Wheat
Hell Bay (Saturday sessions only): India Brown Ale and English Ale
Meander River Farm and Brewery: Lunchbox Pale Ale and Honey Brown Ale (a new beer from them)
PEI Brewing: Sir John A Honey Wheat, Island Red Amber, Beach Chair Lager, and Blueberry Ale
Picaroons: Best Bitter, Melonhead Watermelon Wheat, Blonde, Yippee IPA, and a cask of Best Bitter
Pumphouse Brewery: 1516 Premium Lager, Blueberry Ale, Cadian Ale, I.P.A., Premium Pilsner, 4 Alarm IPA, and Fire Chief Red
Rare Bird Brewing: Maple Ale, Pale Ale, Full Steam Stout, and Pumpkin Ale
Rockbottom Brewpub: Fathom IPA, Deadwood Wheat, Big Water Brown, Balticus, and Jacktar Stout
Tatamagouche Brewing (Saturday sessions only): Hippie Dippie Ale and Butcher’s Block Red

Unfortunately, many of our other favourite Maritime breweries will not be taking part (beyond the Cask Pavillion or at all). Those we reached for comment mentioned being already pushed beyond capacity with regular business, and were unable to dedicate product to be given away without being reimbursed.

There’s beer from other parts of the world, though, to keep you satisfied! The Gluten-free options have expanded again this year, with the famed IPA (and also tasty American Pale Ale) from Glutenberg being poured, along with their regular offerings available in the NSLC. There are plenty of ciders, including the Bulwark Original and Blush, and Stutz Cider and Shipbuilders Cider (Saturday only), and several from Ireland. Speaking of Ireland, there will a be a strong showing from that country, with over 30 beers and ciders being poured by Irish breweries. There will also be a strong Quebec, Ontario, and Maine component again this year. Check the list on the Fest site for the full details, use this Map to plan your attack.

There are a few VIP tickets available for the Saturday afternoon session as well. These will allow you a special tasting glass and bottle opener, and to take part in a guided tasting and chat with some special guests,  Nicholas Pashley (author of Notes on a Beermat: Drinking and Why it’s Necessary and Cheers: An Intemperate History of Beer in Canada), Stephen Clinch (co-founder and co-owner of Trouble Brewing), and Craig Pinhey (local wine, beer and spirits writer).

Finally, in addition to staying hydrated, you’ve got to keep your belly full, right? Three vendors will be onsite to keep you satisfied, with lots of options, all for under $5.

The Waterfront Warehouse will be bringing:
Fish & Chips
Duo of Oysters (gluten-free)

Bramoso Gourmet Pizza will have several different pizzas to choose from:
Mediterranean – olive oil glaze, fresh garlic, diced tomatoes, marinated artichokes, fresh baby spinach, mozzarella and Holmstead Farm’s feta & oregano sprinkle (gluten-free option available)
Stromboli’s BBQ Chicken – olive oil glaze, diced red onions, chipotle BBQ chicken breast, smoked bacon, Riverview Herbs cilantro with 3 cheese blend
Brawny Bramoso – signature tomato sauce, local pepperoni, smoked bacon, cremini mushrooms, diced red onions, green & red peppers and 3 cheese blend
Three Cheese – signature red sauce , cheddar/mozza and provolone blend and sprinkled with oregano (gluten-free option available)
Pepperoni – signature red sauce topped with mozza/cheddar and provolone blend and loaded with tasty local pepperoni

The Stubborn Goat have a couple of special items to share as well:
Smoked Chicken Taco – with Pico de Gallo, avocado cream, shredded lettuce and crunchy poblanos
Pulled Pork Sloppy Joe – with aged cheddar and house made pickle

Beerfest co-founder Bruce Mansour and chef Tyler Smith of The Stubborn Goat also appeared on the Global Morning News to chat beer and food.

The weather for the weekend doesn’t look too fantastic, but fear not, the festival is indoors, at the Cunard Centre at Pier 23.

Tickets are available for a few more hours at NSLCs across the city until the end of today, and online. Any tickets left over will also be available at the Cunard Centre box office beginning at noon Friday, but we wouldn’t suggest waiting that long to snag some. Tickets for designated drivers and group tickets are also available.

Friday Wrap-Up – New Beers and News from Boxing Rock, Picaroons, Pump House, Big Tide, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-08-01
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Fredericton Beer Run, Acadie-Broue, Antigonish Townhouse, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Celtic Knot Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, Halifax Seaport Beerfest, Hammond River Brewing, Ladies Beer League, North Brewing, PEI BeerFest, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Rudder's Brewpub. 2 comments

Good morning, beer fans! As August begins (try hard not to think about summer ending), it’s time for more local beer news…

• Boxing Rock has released a new beer – Sessionista, a “Bold Session Ale”. Brewed to be available as an easy-drinking summer beer (and at 3.5% ABV, it certainly is very sessionable), it has a heavy malt aroma “reminiscent of an English Bitter” with hints of lemon blossom and orange, according to the brewery, along with “roasty malt notes on the palate followed by a pithy lemon-lime finish”. This is a limited-release beer, so pick some up while you can. It’s available in 650 mL bottles at private liquor stores in Halifax, in one-litre growlers every Saturday at the Halifax Seaport Market and the Shelburne Farmers’ Market, and at the brewery, while supplies last. Look for it on tap at select beer bars in Halifax, as well.

• This weekend (August 1st-3rd), the 9th annual Sappyfest (an independent music festival) is being held in Sackville, and Picaroons has brewed up a special beer for the event. Currently going by Secret Show Ale, this 4.5% ABV, 20 IBUs beer will be served during the festival on tap in the main tent, and afterwards should be available at both Ducky’s and Thunder & Lightning. With a malt base of Pilsner and a little wheat malt for head retention, it’s hopped with Tettnanger and Saaz, and brewed “in a Kolsch frame of mind”, according to brewmaster Andrew Estabrooks; that is, fermented cool to minimize production of fruity esters and diacetyl.

• There’s a new beer on tap at the Pump House brewpub, their Raspberry Wheat. A great style for the warm weather of summer, the brewery describes the beer as a German style wheat beer, “bombarded” with 40 kg of raspberries. “Tart and refreshing”, it comes in at 5.5% ABV. It won’t last long, so get down to the brewpub (and select restaurants/bars around Moncton) for a taste.

• Big Tide Brewing is celebrating their 5th Anniversary on August 5th, and they’ve brewed up a special beer to celebrate! Anniversary Amber Ale is a “malty, full-bodied ale” that is brewed with five varieties of specialty malts and five hop varieties (Willamette, EKG, Nugget, Fuggles, and Cascade), and will clock in at 55 IBUs and, yes, 5.5% ABV. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to determine what else Big Tide has in store for their anniversary plans on the 5th, but keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter accounts for updates.

• The PEI Brewing Co. is looking to release a new beer, a currently-unnamed Coffee Stout. They’ve brewed two different versions, and need your help in picking out which one is best! Drop into the brewery in Charlottetown, purchase a sample of each, and fill out a ballot indicating your choice for your favorite. Not only will you be helping the brewery decide which beer to brew on a larger scale, but you’ll also be entered to win two VIP tickets to this year’s PEI Beer Festival (Sept. 5th & 6th).

• It looks like last Saturday’s grand-opening for Brasseurs du Petit-Sault in Edmundston was a great success, and we now have a little more info on their Acadie-Broue collaboration beer that we mentioned last week. As previously noted, the beer brewed is from the recipe for Acadie-Broue’s Belgian Saison, Tintamarre. However, with this batch (brewed on a much larger scale on Petit-Sault’s system), Acadie-Broue owner/brewer Patrice Godin has dry-hopped the beer with 5 kg of Amarillo and Simcoe. Along with Amarillo in the whirlpool addition, and the Belgian yeast strain used for fermentation, this should be a very fragrant beer! Due to the slight changes, this batch will be named L’effrayab’ Tintamarre; “L’effrayab” is a local Madawaska county expression that translates to “incredible”. With an ABV of ~6-6.5% and 36 IBUs, it should be ready in time for National Acadian Day on August 15th; it will be packaged in kegs only, so look for it at bars/restaurants in the area. We’ll keep you updated as to where exactly it will be served.

• The new beer news rolls on, with Rudder’s Brewpub announcing that they’ve recently tapped Midnight Crossing Brown Ale. Brewed with Pale Ale malt as the base, along with wheat malt and two other specialty malts, it is hopped with two English varieties and one from New Zealand. Clocking in at 6% ABV and 26 IBUs, it pours with a tan head and a dark brown color in the body, and has “smooth drinking with a slight bitterness in the finish”, according to brewmaster Mike Ferguson.

• A few weeks ago, we reported on a new beer from Hammond River, a California Common named Gammie. Well, that beer is now available! A well-balanced and easy-drinking beer at 5.3% ABV and 37 IBUs, you should be able to find it on tap now at Shiretown Publicans and The Barrel’s Head; it may follow at Hammond River’s other accounts in the near future.

• The Antigonish Townhouse is starting something new today… IPA Cask Night! Their first cask ever – Terry’s British IPA – should be tapped at 5 pm, to coincide with the birthday of one of their favorite regular customers. More one-off casks will follow over the coming weeks, to allow the staff to get the whole process down; they hope for it to become a regular bi-weekly event after that. This will give brewer Terry Piercey the freedom to do a bit more experimenting for future brews.

• The Ladies Beer League put together a great-looking event that’s being held during Halifax’s Local Connections Sausage Fest (Aug. 14th – 24th). Unfortunately, it’s already sold out! Dubbed the LBL Roof-top Cask Party at Scanway, there will be three casks tapped: Propeller Pilsner, Garrison Honey Lavendar, and Boxing Rock Hunky Dory Ginger; special sausage morsels from Scanway will also be available. Tickets were $10, and include a take-home glass and first fill (pay-as-you-go afterwards). Looks like the LBL will have to start holding more beer events so everyone can attend!

• And in other Sausage Fest news, both Garrison Brewing and North Brewing are participating in a Sausage Brunch and Beer Brunch at harbourstone sea grill & pour house on Sunday, August 17th. From 10 am – 3 pm, there will be a variety of handcrafted sausages available, along with several beers from both breweries; tickets are $39.

• The 8th Annual Halifax Seaport Beerfest is almost here! It will be held August 8th – 9th at the Cunard Centre, and tickets are still available. While we plan on providing all the information you need sometime next week, we wanted to point out that the full brewery/beer list has been posted on their website. With over 110 breweries pouring about 275 different beers and ciders – including an additional 15 unique casks from eight Atlantic Canadian breweries – it’s shaping up to be another great beer festival for our region. Tune in next week for more details!

• Duo Wine Bar is holding a patio beer dinner on Wednesday, August 6th (rain date August 13th) at 6:30 pm. There will be five courses and eight different beers being served, with several beers from American breweries Goose Island and Brooklyn Brewery. More importantly, one of the courses will feature a special release of Celtic Knot Hopicide that has been “additionally hopped”, paired with traditional German Curry Wurst. Tickets are $120 (tax and gratuity included); send them an email to reserve yours.

• Looking for a job in the beer business? Well, with their expansion in progress, Garrison Brewing is hiring… specifically, for the position of Marketing, Retail & Event Coordinator. Two to three years experience in marketing, retail, events, etc. is required; if you’re interested, send a cover letter, resume, and references to Tracy Phillipi.

• This year’s annual Fredericton Beer Run, being held this Monday, August 4th (New Brunswick Day), has sold out! We’ve talked about the event in previous posts, but to re-hash, it involves a 6 km or 12 km run, followed by beer sampling at the King Street Ale House, where participants will be able to try fourteen 4 oz samples of various beers from local breweries. Check out their Race Roster page for a list of participating breweries (Railcar will not be pouring, but they will be present and selling beer swag).

• And speaking of the Fredericton Beer Run, the brain behind this event belongs to Lloyd Chambers, who also runs the yearly Fredericton Craft Beer Festival. Lloyd has confirmed that planning for next year’s FCBF has already begun; while March 7th, 2015 is still many months away, we can assure you that there’s already something new and special in mind! Looking forward to sharing more as the date gets closer!