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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Unfiltered, TrailWay, Propeller, Gahan House, North, Yellowbelly, Garrison, Big Spruce, and lots of events!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-08-19
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Beckwith Road, Big Spruce Brewing, Breton Brewing, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Garrison Brewing, Halifax Oktoberfest, Hell Bay Brewing, Liquid Riot, Local Connections Halifax, Meander River Farm and Brewery, North Brewing, NSLC, Picaroons, Propeller Brewing, Saltbox Brewing, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Unibroue, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday everyone! Lots of news this week, so let’s get right to it…

• Leading us off today is a story from Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing: they have filed suit against the NSLC, arguing that the “Retail Mark-Up Sales Allocation” the Crown Corporation is unconstitutional. When Unfiltered’s lawyers consulted the legislation to learn more about the mark-up, none could be found, and the NSLC has been unable to provide documents outlining the details. The $0.50/litre mark-up is applied to all NS-made beer that is sold or given away, whether or not it hits any NSLC retail stores. Unfiltered is claiming that the mark-up is in fact a tax, and that the NSLC is not legislated to collect it. They are requesting reimbursement for the more than $25,000 paid to the NSLC over the last 13 months, and that the mark-up be declared unconstitutional. This case has wide-reaching implications, as all of the more than 35 breweries in the province have been paying this fee for years, and would amount to many millions of dollars that could be at dispute. From the NSLC’s own spokesperson, $954,000 was collected in 2015, of which $50,000 was provided to the Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia (the association of 25 member breweries, but Unfiltered is not one of them). The scheduling of the suit is to be decided in early September, and we’ll be sure to keep you up to date with all of the news. The CBC has a good summary of the details of the suit.

• In new beer news, Fredericton’s TrailWay Brewing has dropped a new take on their fruit wheat beer this week: Haskap Wheat. With a similar base as their Raspberry Wheat, this beer features 40 kilos of locally-grown Haskap berries added after fermentation. The resultant beer is a hazy purple colour, with notes of blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry, on a pleasant wheat base. A very drinkable 4.3% ABV and 20 IBUs Wheat beer. And speaking of drinkable, their South Pacific-hopped Pale Ale D’under is back again, weighing in at 5.5% ABV and approximately 40 IBUs from late addition hops. Lots of tropical aromas come through from the hops, without a big bitter blast.

• Propeller Brewing has released their latest One Hit Wonder this week, and their Brewmaster apparently had a one-track mind when it came to this recipe! 1 Hop IPA is a 6.6% ABV and 56 IBUs beer, featuring nothing but Mandarina Bavaria for the hopping. As the name implies, this hop was developed in Germany, at the Hop Research Institute in Hüll, and is among the recent wave of aromatic hops (higher oil content) coming from Europe. The orange and citrus notes of the hop shine through on top of the robust body and significant bitterness. As with all of their OHW releases, this is only available in draft, or for growler fills at their two brewery locations. And while you’re at the brewery, be sure to check out Prop’s first can release. They have started with their flagship IPA, with cans now available at their retail locations, and will soon be rolling out to the private stores and NSLC shelves.

 • Gahan House Halifax has a few new beers on tap currently, and a brand new beer hitting the taps next week. Now on tap are: Maritime Brine, a 3.8% Gose with a light acidity and salt character, along with pleasant lemon character, with just enough hops (less than 10 IBUs) to keep it balanced; The Barberrian (which made its cask debut at the Seaport Beer Festival), a 5.0% ABV Red Ale aged on dried barberries and cherries, for a bright fruit flavour and aroma; Summer House Beer, a 4.0% Hefeweizen dry-hopped with Mt Hood for a hoppy-aromatic take on the style; and Crosscurrent, their 5.5% ABV American Pale Ale with El Dorado and Simcoe. On tap for next week is Night Vision, a 6.2% American Porter, using Magnum and Mt Hood hops (to about 30 IBUs), featuring “chocolate and graham cracker notes” as a nice contrast to their roast-forward Stout, according to Brewmaster Kyle Jeppesen. Be sure to follow along with his adventures on Instagram, to keep up-to-date on his brew days and what’s coming up on the waterfront. In fact, Jeppesen just brewed a Sahti, his take on the traditional Finnish brew, featuring locally-harvest juniper branches used in the mash, and a large percentage of rye malt.

• North Brewing is releasing a special beer collaboration brew today, Lawrencetown Blonde. This 4.5% ABV beer features 2-Row and Wheat malts, and lightly hopped with Cascade and Saaz to about 20 IBUs. Surfing friends of the brewery, Ian Jackson and Dean Petty (of Anchored Coffee) were also part of the brewday, label design, and recipe development. Ten litres of Ethiopian Yukro cold brew was added to the final beer, courtesy of Anchored, for a light roastiness to complement the peach, citrus, and light ginger aromas. And a nod to the surfers was a little but of Lawrencetown Beach sea water too! Ian’s wife Jill (of Jill+Jack Paper) designed the label, on the bottles which are available on both Agricola and Ochterloney today.

• Yellowbelly Brewpub in St John’s has released a new beer this week, Southern Shore Foggy Porter. This deep-ruby-coloured porter features a big roast character, notes of toast and smoke, and dry finish, thanks to the large percentage of roasted barley used in the recipe. Dry-hopped with Brewer’s Gold, Cascade, and Mosaic to enhance the nose with a touch of spice and fruit. This beer is Brewmaster Liam Mckenna’s tribute to “the finest sort of folks down the Shore who endure weather like no others, [and] will warm the cockles.” The 5.8% ABV, 45 IBUs, beer is on tap at the brewpub now, and may not make it into bottles, so best to drop by for a pint today!

• Garrison Brewing has brought back their popular Honey Lavender Ale today. The 6.5% ABV beer features lavender harvested from Meander River Farms, and its aroma is a pleasant partner to the malt and light honey character. Honey from Shubenacadie’s G.G. Smeltzer & Son helped to bump up the alcohol a bit, aiding the Maritime Malt and Wheat, and does offer a sweet aftertaste. A small dose of Citra hops helps to offset the beer at a light 16 IBUs. Bottles are now available at the brewery and private stores in HRM.

• Nyanza’s Big Spruce has brought back their kettle-soured IPA this week, JAC the SIPA. Featuring loads of Amarillo, Citra, and Simcoe hops added during a whirlpool after flame-out, this 6.0% ABV beer features a big aromatic blast of hops with a medium 54 IBUs. The acidic nature of the beer gives a pleasant refreshing sharp character, on a hot afternoon.

• Picaroons will be pouring a special beer this weekend, to celebrate The Tragically Hip‘s final concert (and Canada-wide phenomenon). The Tragically Hop’d Pale Ale is a 4.5% ABV Pale Ale with “silly” amounts of some special hops: Galaxy, Saphir, Summit, Topaz, Vic Secret, and Warrior, to 40 IBUs. The beer will be pouring exclusively at the “Fully Completely in the Square” event in Fredericton’s Officer Square, at the Brewtique, and at the General Store in Saint John tomorrow, August 20th.

Speaking of events, there are a whole bunch of them on our radar in the coming weeks. You can check out our Calendar of Events Page for the full listing, and subscribe to it by clicking here. And feel free to let us know about the neat events that we may have missed! We love to hear from you at ACBeerBlog@gmail.com.

• Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewing will be opening their retail location August 20 for growler and merchandise sales, 10-4. They will be selling their Dark Cream Ale, a flavourful 4.7% golden orange ale featuring notes of biscuit and toast and their IPA, a 5.4% dry-hopped hoppy ale, featuring notes of melon and strawberry. As they are still awaiting their 12 hl brewhouse to come online (much of it was delivered this week!), they will be concentrating on to-go sales, in both their own, or customer-provided (clean), grunters and growlers. Their current schedule is to be open for take away sales for the next few Saturdays until their launch at the end of September.

• The Upstreet Block Party is returning for its second year on Saturday, August 20th. Featuring plenty of activities, live music, food, and tours at the brewery from 12 pm on, they’ll also be unveiling a new “super-sized beer garden”! As the sun goes down, the party will move into the taproom at about 8 pm for more music (from two local DJs), food, and beer. Admission is free, just drop in anytime to join in the fun!

• On August 26th Quebec Belgian-inspired brewery Unibroue is sending their Beer Sommelier (and Certified Cicerone®) Sylvain Bouchard to The Port, NSLC’s new flagship location at 5485 Clyde Street. He will be helping to launch the release of the 6-litre 17 Grand Reserve Belgian Strong, with a food and beer tasting with several of their products (including Éphémère Apple, Blonde de Chambly, La Fin du Monde, Maudite, in addition to the 17) . There are only 32 bottles of this special beer, in a format best suited for sharing at a wedding or other celebration, and those in attendance will have the first chance at trying and purchasing them. There are only 30 tickets available to the 7-8:30pm event (on sale at The Port now), and we are holding a contest for your chance to win a pair of them! Post a picture to our Facebook page, and/or tag us and @Unibroue on Twitter or Instagram, with a picture your favourite beer and food pairing, and we will announce the winner in our Weekly Wrap-Up next Friday morning.

•  On August 26 & 27, Stillwell Beer Bar is hosting a tap takeover from Portland Maine’s Liquid Riot Bottling Co. Owned by the awesome beer-focused team behind Novare Res Bier Cafe, Liquid Riot brews a wide variety of beers and spirits on the Portland waterfront, and is bringing a great selection to Halifax. The fun starts Friday night at 6pm on Barrington, with a dozen sours, porters, wheats, and IPAs taking over the taps at the Mothership, and continues Saturday from noon at the Beer Garden on Spring Garden, with ten taps of LR goodness (five of which are exclusive to the BG). There are no tickets required for the fun, and there are only single kegs of many of the beers, so be sure and drop by early to avoid disappointment! Check out their Facebook Event page for the full line-up, because it’s too long and awesome to post it all here.

• On September 16th, Garrison and Local Connections Halifax are hosting Hops ‘n’ Brats, as part of Halifax Oktoberfest. From 6:30 to 11, they will be hosting a handful of NS breweries at the Salter Street parking lot, slinging beers and pairing them with a ton of locally-produced sausages. Your entry fee includes your first 8 samples, a token to take part in the beer-centric games, and a souvenir glass. New this year is the ability to trade 3 tickets for a full pour of your favourite brew. There will be a dozen breweries in attendance, including: Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Garrison, Meander River, and Spindrift. Tickets are just $24+tax, and are available now.

• September 17th is the main event for Halifax Oktoberfest, with the party kicking off at 11am with traditional German food, music and games, with the evening session kicking off at 6pm with more food, dancing, and Garrison beer a-plenty. The Swell Guys and Die Brew-misters Oompah Bands will be providing music, and Scanway Catering will be serving up lots of sausages, spaetzle and schnitzel, as well as two whole roasted pigs. From 11AM to 5PM the event will be all-ages, admission is $5/adults and free for children. In the evening, the fun continues as a 19+ event with dancing, food, and games. An evening pass can be purchased for $16 which includes entry and one Garrison beer, or a $20 entry that also includes a commemorative Oktoberfest Halifax Stein. Full details are available here, and tickets are on sale now.

Wow, another big week! A few more notes that came in after our deadline:

– Gahan Pub Charlottetown have brought back Summer in New Zealand, the NZ-hopped beer with grains of paradise and a touch of lemon and lime zest, the winning recipe by Ryan Palmer in last year’s Gahan Homebrew Challenge.
– Congratulations to Breton Brewing on brewing their 100th batch of beer! They celebrated by…. brewing! More Stirling Hefeweizen coming soon.
– Hell Bay has brought a pair of favourites this week, with the O.P.A Oat Pale Ale and R.I.P. (A) IPA.
– After last weekend’s very successful launch, Beckwith Road Brewery has delivered their Campfire Amber at the Tide & Boar in Moncton, and will be going on tap very shortly.
– You can once again pick up Shiretown Beer at the ANBL! Drop by the Dalhousie and Charlo locations to grab bottles of their Blonde Du Quai, Siren’s T’ale and Big Brown Ale.

Apologies for the late posting this week, *someone* decided to take the week off, again! 😉

Friday Wrap-Up – News from new NB Breweries Beckwith Road, Fundy Bay and Foghorn, Plus Plenty of New Beers!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-08-12
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Atlantic Canadian Craft Brew Fest, Beckwith Road, Big Spruce Brewing, Bore City Brewing, Foghorn Brewing, Fredericton Poutine Festival, Fundy Bay Brewco, Good Robot Brewing, Johnny Jacks Brewery, Ladies Beer League, Lazy Bear Brewing, North Brewing, OktoberFest des Acadiens, Tatamagouche Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, Urban Beer Hike, Wayfarers' Ale, York County Cider. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday everyone! We’ve got news about the newest brewery to launch in our region, as well as much more on two new NB breweries launching this fall. Plus our usual rundown of the new beers hitting the taps and shelves in our region. It’s another chock-full edition of the blog!

• Moncton-based Beckwith Road Brewing has launched this week, with a pair of their beers now available on tap in town. Founded by cousins Mark and Mitch Symes, Beckwith Road is named after the farm their family has owned for generations, north of Moncton. Mitch is the brewer, currently using a 1/2 BBL (50L) system, while scouting out locations and equipment for possible expansion in the future. Mark is no beer slouch himself, taking the Ultimate Three Month Beer Road Trip with his dog across North America earlier this year, clocking more than 22,000km. During that time, he explored the best that beer has to offer, and both cousins are working hard to bring that to Beckwith Road’s offerings. They have launched with two beers, Boston George and Aunt Martha. Boston George is a hybrid of their favourite styles, Pale Ale and IPA, straddling the line in both alcohol and bitterness, at 6.3%ABV and 53 IBUS, respectively. Named after their grandfather’s cousin, it features floral and fruit notes, including banana, mango, pineapple and citrus on the nose and flavour. Aunt Martha is a 4.3% ABV, 31 IBUs, American Blonde Ale, named after their aunt who enjoys light lagers, and they have brewed an approachable beer for craft and industrial beer lovers alike. Light hopping from Chinook and Palisade round out the light body and crisp finish. Both beers are currently on tap at the Tide & Boar on Main Street, and will be joined by Campfire, a 5.2% ABV, 40 IBUs, American Amber early- to mid-next week. The use of Pale Chocolate and Crystal Malts impart some roast and sweet character, with notes of caramel being offset with light hopping from the Cascade, Centennial, and Nugget. Congratulations on the launch, and welcome to the wonderful world of Atlantic Canada Beer!

• Two weeks ago, we reported on Fundy Bay Brewco, a new brewery planning to open soon in the town of Sussex, NB. After talking to Paul Robertson, one of the three people who have been working on opening the brewery since last October, we can now confirm that they will be starting out by brewing on a 2 BBL (225 L) Blichmann system. A small tasting was held for local Sussex residents in early July, where their three core brands – an American IPA, Belgian Dubbel, and Session IPA – were sampled (for more info on these beers, check out our previous post); initial plans also involve the release of 1-2 seasonals per season. Their plans right now are to supply local bars and restaurants with kegs, which should hopefully begin sometime in late fall of this year, with the opening of a taproom to follow sometime later. As always, we’ll keep you updated on their progress!

• Rumours have been circulating for months, but it was officially confirmed earlier this week that Foghorn Brewing Company will be opening this fall in Rothesay, NB. Located at 47 Clark Rd., the brewery is co-owned by Business Manager Steve Russell and Andrew ‘Esty’ Estabrooks, who will also serve as brewmaster. The 7 BBL (~800 L) brewery will have an attached taproom for patrons to enjoy a pint and fill growlers to go. Information is a little slim at the moment, but follow along with their Facebook and Twitter accounts as development progresses, and we’ll be sure to post a Q&A with them in the near future.

• After an incredibly busy first week, Digby’s Roof Hound is releasing their second beer this weekend. With just a bit of Lil Pup Pale Ale left (but more coming soon!), Rooftop Rye-It is making its debut. Featuring a load of rye malt for a pleasant spicy character, this 4.8% ABV beer is full bodied and a great complement to the pizzas and sandwiches coming from the kitchen (both prepared with dough made on-site with a touch of beer in the recipe). Drop by daily from 11am.

• There’s not one, but two new beers available now from Nyanza’s Big Spruce. First up is This is Complexified, a big, bold Baltic Porter. A dark beer fermented cool with Bohemian Lager yeast, it was then cold-conditioned for an additional 4 weeks, and then split into two barrels: Bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, and Glenora single-malt whisky barrels. Aged for four months, then blended, the result is a beer that puts the “complex” in Complexified (a perfectly cromulent word)! Your options to try this 11.5% ABV monster are limited: either at the brewery for samples and Yapper fills, or you might be able to get a pour at one of three Halifax establishments – Stillwell, Battery Park, and Good Robot – all of which received/will receive a single, 20 L keg.

• Next from Big Spruce is Dawn Wit Berries, a “Belgian Strawberry Witbier”. Conditioned on 150 lbs of organic strawberries from local Wings of Dawn Farm in Debert, NS, it was fermented with the Fruity Witbier yeast strain from Escarpment Labs, described as producing “lots of complex fruity esters” to go along with the classic Witbier coriander character. This easy-drinking beer will be available at the brewery and at establishments serving Big Spruce beers; at 4.8% ABV and 17 IBUs, it’s a perfect session ale for summer. Drop by this weekend for the “Farm to Fork Food Truck Weekend”, featuring Cruisin’ Cuisine.

• Accidents happen in brewing, as in life, and sometimes they work out for everyone! Good Robot is no exception to this rule, as they proved recently with a new beer, The Fermenter Has Been Drinking. While brewing their Tom Waits For No One Stout, their kettle burner took a turn for the worst, resulting in a lower-gravity wort for fermentation (meaning less alcohol after fermentation). Not to be outdone, the brewing team added some cold-brewed Java Blend Sumatra Gayo coffee, giving a dark-brown beer with notes of roast, dark chocolate, berries, and wood in the aroma and flavour. This American Stout clocks in at 6.7% ABV and 60 IBUs.

• There’s yet another new beer being released at North, Horton Single Malt. This Belgian Specialty Ale was brewed entirely with Vienna malt sourced from Horton Ridge Malt and Grain Co., and dry-hopped with Cascade. Fermented with the Old World Saison Blend (featuring two Saison strains) from Escarpment Labs, it weighs in at 7% ABV. Expect a blend of both fruit and spice, with a dry finish. Look for it to be released today at both their Agricola and Ochterloney locations, and on tap around the HRM.

• There’s a new beer now pouring from Lazy Bear Brewing – Sissiboo Stout was brewed with a variety of both Chocolate and Roasted malts, as well as some oatmeal to boost the mouthfeel. Added to the brew was a portion of Honduran-sourced Tobiatic Wild from local Sissiboo Coffee Roaster; cold-extracted and added after fermentation was complete, this medium-roast coffee contributes a pleasant level of roast flavours (without being overpowering), as well as a slight hint of orange peel, according to the brewery. A small amount of an unnamed hop variety was added near the end of the boil to complement this orange peel character. This 5.5% ABV, ~30 IBUs beer is available this Saturday at the Annapolis Royal Farmers’ Market for growler fills, and will likely show up on tap around Digby in the near future.

• Bore City has released an interesting new beer, Fricot, an homage to a popular Acadian dish. To accomplish this, potatoes were added during the mash, as well as the Summer Savory herb at the end of the boil. This hazy, pale-to-golden-coloured ale was hopped with Hallertau Blanc, and fermented with a “fruity Belgian yeast strain”, for a real blend of flavours! Best-described as a Belgian Golden Strong Ale, it weighs in at 7.1% ABV and 39 IBUs, and will be on tap exclusively at Marky’s Laundromat.

• PEI Brewing Company has put on a brand new cask in their tap room, the brainchild of brewer Spencer Gallant. The Lactic-Soured Peppercorn Wheat builds on the Sir John A Wheat base, but with a sharp, tart character, and pleasant fruit and earth peppercorn flavour and aromatics. This 4.5% ABV, 12 IBU brew is only available for sale at the brewery via handpump, so drop by today for a taste!

• Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing is bringing back an old favourite, with a new twist. All Falc’d Up! Double IPA returns today at noon. This SMaSH of 2-Row Malt features Falconer’s Flight 7C’s hops, a special blend of citrus and fruit-forward hops developed as an ode to Pacific Northwest brewing legend Glen Hay Falconer. The brew was fermented with Vermont Ale yeast for more tropical aromatics, finishing out this 7.5% ABV, 100+ IBUs beauty. Grab a pint or growler of it today from noon!

• Port Williams’ Wayfarers’ Ale Society has released a fourth beer this week. EPA is a traditional 5.0% ABV English Pale Ale, favouring a medium malt backbone with a touch of bitterness (coming in around 30 IBUs). Light esters give a pleasant fruity character, completing the English experience. It joins the Thistle Dew Scottish Ale, Hellene Blonde and Ruby Irish Ale for a full complement of European and UK-inspired beers.

• Attention, Johnny Jacks fans – their beer will soon be hitting select ANBL stores! The Oromocto-based nanobrewery will first be bottling their Trench Fighter IPA, followed by their Viking Ale and Smokin’ Amber. Look for the first bottles to hit the Oromocto ANBL outlet by early fall, with Fredericton and Saint John stores following shortly thereafter. The brewery has recently ordered two 1.5 BBL (175 L) fermentors to keep up with production, so look for more JJ beers to be available soon (including a special, bottle-conditioned beer brewed just in time for Christmas!). In the meantime, their beers can be found on tap at the Sour Grape Cafe, James Joyce, Gray Stone, and the Cask & Kettle.

There’s several beer-related events happening over the coming weeks and months:

• Don’t forget to grab tickets to this Thursday (August 18th) 2 Crows Brewing Sneak Preview Party, hosted by the Ladies Beer League. Tickets are still available, and attendees will be enjoying a half-dozen beers from the 20 BBL (23 hL) Halifax brewery set to open this fall. All ticket proceeds go to Feed Nova Scotia, and they will be accepting further donations for FNS during the event.

• The Upstreet Block Party is returning for its second year on Saturday, August 20th. Featuring plenty of activities, live music, food, and tours at the brewery from 12 pm on, they’ll also be unveiling a new “super-sized beer garden”! As the sun goes down, the party will move into the taproom at about 8 pm for more music (from two local DJs), food, and beer. Admission is free, just drop in anytime to join in the fun!

• Also on August 20th is the next Urban Beer Hike in Moncton, from 1:45 pm-5:30 pm. As always, the walking tour will visit five beer bars in the downtown area of the city, with beer and food samples provided at each stop. Tickets are $49+fees and available here.

• The seventh annual Oktoberfest des Acadiens is scheduled from September 1st-4th, in the village of Bertrand, NB. As always, activities include Bavarian music and dancing, live entertainment, games, and plenty of food and beer for sampling. The event is advertising as having over 100 products available for tasting, including both imported and local beers. Entry to the site is only $5, with beer tickets available for purchase at $1 each.

• Tickets are now on sale for the 2nd annual Atlantic Canadian Craft Brew Oktoberfest, scheduled for Saturday, September 24th at the Moncton Lions Club. Featuring close to 20 breweries from Atlantic Canada, there are three ticket types available, each including unlimited samples: regular tickets include a custom tasting glass and entry from 7:30 pm-10 pm; the VIP session, which begins a half hour earlier; and a VVIP session which begins at 6 pm and includes a special glass, industry panel discussion, and guided beer tasting. Tickets can be purchased online ($58, $68, and $75 for regular, VIP, and VVIP, respectively). Proceeds will go to support the United Way.

• The next Fredericton Poutine Festival is scheduled for Saturday, November 12th, with tickets going on sale earlier today at 11 am. This is the fifth time the event has been held in the city (and the second in 2016), and has sold out quickly each time. Unlimited poutine (~15 different types) from several establishments will be served up as always, at three different sessions: a family session from 11:30 am-1:30 pm (which also includes unlimited water and soft drinks); and an afternoon session from 2:15 pm-5:15 pm and evening session from 7 pm-10 pm. Both of the latter sessions are 19+ only, where you can purchase either a regular ticket (including four 4-oz samples) or “Beer Experience” ticket (twelve 4-oz samples). The 7-10 pm session also has a limited number of VIP tickets, which gets you in an hour earlier, at 6 pm. Ticket-holders can expect over 20 different beers, ciders and meads to be pouring, with most of them from local Fredericton breweries and producers. Get your tickets ASAP (online), and as always, bring your appetites!

– Don’t forget to drop by Tatamagouche for bottles and growler fills of one of their many new releases this week/weekend. Check out last week’s post for the full rundown, and grab some food from The Food Wolf food truck, set up today 12-8, and tomorrow 11-7. The Strawberry Ginger Golden Strong is out today, and the Tatamagouche Tripel is being released Saturday, joining the other Giant Beers, Barrel-Aged Baltic Porter and Raspberry Golden Strong.
– For those who had a chance and loved it, or missed out, Fredericton’s York County Cider has revealed that their unnamed cider, currently pouring for on-site samples only, is Ribes nigrum, aka Blackcurrant. Drop by for more, and fill up on growlers of their multiple offerings.
– Uncle Leo’s in Lyons Brook, NS, has brought back their summer favourite, Voh’s Weizenbier. This 5.0% ABV German Weizen is once again available in bottles at the private stores in HRM, and will be on tap around the province shortly. They have also replenished their bottles of IPA at the brewery, so there are two great reasons to visit!

Friday Wrap-Up – News from PEI Brewing, Upstreet, Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Unfiltered and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-08-05
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Alexander Keith's History Brewery, Annapolis Cider Company, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, York County Cider. Leave a Comment

Welcome once again to the weekend, and the end of another week chock-full of Atlantic Canada beer news! Yesterday, August 4th, was IPA Day, so naturally many breweries in our region released several new IPAs to celebrate this national holiday. Let’s begin with that…

• First off, PEI Brewing Co. has an Oat Session IPA now available, an unfiltered beer that Brewmaster Chris Coles is describing as “cloudy-golden, pungent, and refreshing”. Featuring a simple grist of “mild-ale malt” and Flaked Oats, it’s hopped with Mosaic and Huell Melon, the high majority of which were added as whirlpool and dry hop additions, giving the beer a huge tropical fruit, citrus, and spruce aroma, with just a slightly-bitter finish. Weighing in at just 4.2% ABV and 30 IBUs, look for it at the brewery and at the Gahan House in Charlottetown, and maybe one or two beer bars in the province. It’s also at all five ANBL Growler stations this weekend, so fill up, New Brunswickers!

• Staying on the Island, Upstreet has released their first American IPA, Island Hopspitality. Described as a “West Coast IPA”, the grist is made up mostly of Maritime Malt, with a little Crystal and Melanoidin as well. Four Southern Hemisphere hop varieties (none of which have been used at Upstreet before) were added to the beer: Ella, Sticklebract, Pacifica, and Wai-iti. About 75% of the hop addition was added 5 minutes before the end of the boil, with the rest making up the dry-hop addition, so expect plenty of citrus and floral notes in the aroma and flavour. Look for this 6.5% ABV, 50 IBUs IPA at the brewery now, and at select tap accounts.

• On to Nova Scotia! Big Spruce and Boxing Rock have teamed up to release a collaboration, Shame on You IPA. Brewed to protest “Crafty” beers, and raise awareness of locally-owned and run NS Craft Breweries. Bittered with Bravo, with late flavour/aroma additions of Amarillo, El Dorado, and Centennial, it was then dry-hopped with Chinook and Citra. The result? Plenty of fruity, tropical, piney aromatics and flavours, all in an authentic 6.0% ABV and 41 IBU package. A single batch of 1700 litres was brewed, so be sure to get it while you can. It is available at both breweries now, at this evening’s session of the Seaport Beerfest, and on tap at finer establishments this weekend.

• Meanwhile, Unfiltered has – of course – brewed up a new hoppy beer for the special day. Deity SMaSH DIPA was brewed entirely with 2-row malt and the Columbus hop variety, to 7.5% ABV and a calculated IBUs of 100. Described by the brewery as “massively juicy, with a spicy, herbal nose”, think of this one as the fraternal twin to their popular Double Orange Ale (which features Citra instead of Columbus). On tap now at Charm School and the brewery for pints and growler fills.

• Truro’s The Nook and Cranny has their new IPA out just in time for this week. Coming in at 6.0% ABV, it was dry-hopped with Moutueka and Centennial for a big blast of fruit and citrus in the aroma and flavour, balanced with some malt sweetness to even it all out. Be sure to drop by the brewpub to give it a try while it lasts!

Don’t worry, there’s lots of other beer news that doesn’t necessarily revolve around IPAs!

• Big Tide is celebrating their 7th Anniversary today, and have brewed a new edition of their Anniversary Amber to celebrate! This year’s batch features seven varieties of malt in the grist, and a total of 2009 grams (get it?) of local Cascade and West Coast Willamette hops. Brewmaster Wendy Papadopoulos describes it as “malty with a moderate bitterness of 50 IBUs”, it’s available on tap for pints and growler fills starting today at the brewpub, and clocks in at 7% ABV (naturally). And look for their Valley View Saison to make a return next week, as well as a special raspberry version.

• TrailWay had a special sneak preview of their newest beer earlier this week during the Fredericton Beer Run. Luster is their latest hoppy session ale that the brewery is describing as “hazy and bright, with tropical-juicy hops, and full-bodied with a pillowy mouthfeel” (thanks in part to the generous use of Flaked Oats). Heavily-hopped (all late-additions and dry hops) with Comet, Galaxy and Topaz, it weighs in at a very-low 3.7% ABV and somewhere around 25 IBUs. Available now at the brewery for pints and growlers fills, and on tap at select tap accounts in Fredericton.

• Propeller released their latest One Hit Wonder, Pokemon Pilsner, last Friday afternoon. Billed as an American-style Pilsner, the addition of Acid malt to the grist provides a slight, crisp tartness to the beer, and the Northern Brewer hops give a “spicy, herbaceous profile” to the 5% ABV, 20 IBUs beer. Described as “clean, dry, and super-drinkable, with a creamy white head and balanced taste profile”, sounds like there’s still a little of this left for growler fills at both Prop Shop locations, select private stores, as well as on tap at a few accounts in the city.

• Good Robot is releasing a new beer today, 4th Chamber – Brew-Tang Ale – that they’re calling a Berliner Weisse/Witbier/Gose hybrid. Brewed with Pilsner, Wheat, and Acid malt, it was hopped entirely with Sorachi Ace, and fermented with Abbey IV, a Belgian yeast strain. With the addition of salt, coriander, and Lactobacillus bacteria, the result is a pale, effervescent, fruity, sour beer that is super-sessionable at only 3% ABV. Get down to the brewery to give this one a try!

• There’s lots going on at Tatamagouche Brewing, so let’s get to it! First off, they’re releasing Ace of Lace, a Witbier at their retail store tomorrow, and it’s an interesting one! Brewed mainly with Pilsner malt and Wheat, with a bit of Rye, Queen Anne’s Lace (a medicinal wildflower) and Indian Plum berries were added to the hopback, along with coriander. In addition, the beer was lightly dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace and Amarillo, and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. The resulting beer has herbal tea and orange zest notes in a 4.3%, 18 IBU package. Available in cans and growlers, and hitting tap accounts soon, a cask version will also be tapped this weekend at the brewery.

• In more TataBrewNews, early next week, they will be releasing a second batch of their collaboration with Bishop’s Cellar, Cellar Slammer Summer Session, the 4.4% Session IPA featuring loads of Mosaic, Hallertau Blanc, and Amarillo. Look for it in cans and growler fills (both at the brewery and Bishop’s Cellar), and kegs at your local watering hole. There is also a cask earmarked to be served next Friday Aug 12 at Tata itself, with even more hops added in the firkin. On hand that Friday and Saturday will be The Food Wolf food truck, serving up food to complement to beer sampling.

• And finally in Tata News, look out for several special releases beginning Wednesday of next week.  First up, they are releasing a series of Barrel-Aged Belgian Golden Strong ales. The 7.8% base beer was brewed earlier in the year, and had been aging for several months, before fruit was added to each one: Raspberry, Strawberry & Ginger, and Cherry & Blackberry. The first two releases will happen next week, with the cherry & blackberry beer coming a little later. These will be available in very limited amounts for sampling at the brewery, with bottles available for purchase. Joining these will be the next pair of beers in their Giant Beer Series. For the first time in this higher-ABV, bottle-only brews, they are going Belgian, with an 8.4% ABV Belgian Tripel. Brewed with primarily Pilsner malt, and Saaz with a touch of Mallertau Mittelfruh hops for bittering, this beer is bottle conditioned for higher carbonation and to extend the lifetime of the beer. Joining the Tripel is a small release (only 15 cases) of the Barrel-Aged Two Rivers Baltic Porter, the 8.0% ABV big brother to the Two Rivers, which spent 4 months in Ironworks barrels. Look for exact release details on their social media pages, as they roll out beginning Aug 10!

• There are several new beers available now/coming soon at Gahan House – Halifax. First up is Crosscurrent American Pale Ale, which is currently pouring and will be joining the regular lineup at the brewpub. Planned to evolve over time, the beer will showcase different hop combinations while incorporating the same malt bill (Pale malt with small amounts of Flaked Oats and Red Wheat); the current hops being used are El Dorado (whirlpool and dry hop) and Amarillo (dry hop only). Currently 5.5% ABV and 35 IBUs, it has lots of hop flavour, but low bitterness for the style. Also on tap at the brewpub is a new 4.0% ABV wheat House Beer. Brewed in the German Weizen style, with notes of clove and banana, the beer was partially cleared, but still retain some of the characteristic haziness from the yeast and high wheat content in the beer. A dry-hopping with Saaz completes the beer. And next week, the brewery will be releasing Maritime Brine, a Gose described as “delicately acidic, salty, and lemony” that comes in at 3.8% ABV and 8 IBUs.

• After quickly selling out of their last “Something Different” cider, Garden Strawberry, Annapolis Cider Company luckily has brewed up a new entry, Sour Cherry. Made by infusing a dry cider with sour cherry juice – and then sweetening it with a touch of fresh-pressed apple juice – the result is a “fairly dry, very food-friendly cider”. It’s available right now for 750 mL bottle fills; the charity receiving part of the proceeds for this one will be Camp Brigadoon.

• Mill Street St John’s has released their latest beer, Brehm’s Blueprint. Named after the German Brewmaster and architect who designed the Bavarian Brewery on Leslie Street, this German Pilsner features traditional Hersbrucker hops for floral and earthy notes on a crisp base beer. An ode to the familiar Newfoundland brands of Blue Star and Jockey Club once brewed at Bavarian, this 5.0% ABV, 30 IBU beer is available now on tap for pints and growler fills. Keep an eye out for upcoming releases, including an IPA and California Common.

• Garrison has released their latest one-off creation, Peanut Butter Honey Ale. The base beer is their Roggen Dunkel (aka Klingon Warnog), with real peanut butter and honey blended into the beer post-fermentation. This 5.3% ABV beer is only available at the brewery for samples, so you’ll have to visit their Marginal Road location for a taste!

• There’s a new beer available from Big Axe in Nackawic, Sea Buckthorn Golden Sour Ale. As with many Big Axe beers, the beer features an ingredient found in New Brunswick, in this case, Sea Buckthorn. A type of berry that the brewery says has been used as a cure-all for thousands of years, it was used amply in the beer to help result in ale that is “slightly sour, yet refreshing and bitter”. Hopped with Palisade, the beer comes in at 4.8% ABV. Look for it at the brewery now and on tap at several Big Axe accounts; it will also be making an appearance at this weekend’s Halifax Seaport Beerfest.

• Halifax’s Rockbottom Brewpub has a pair of new beers on tap these days, including the 5.0% Blanched Blonde Witbier, brewed in the traditional Belgian style, with low bitterness (25 IBUs), with orange aroma and a slight phenolic spiciness. Also on tap is the Dark Mild, which, when served on nitrogen, has a nice creamy mouthfeel and notes of toast, treacle, and quince fruit from the English yeast-derived esters. Upstairs at sister-bar Your Father’s Moustache, the entire Nine Locks complement is available, including the latest Watermelon Blonde release. And available this afternoon will be a special house-only beer, a 4.1% ABV Berliner Weisse. This traditional style features wheat notes on a sour base, not unlike a tart lemonade with a hint of citrus dry hopping.

• The latest beer from Alexander Keith’s Historic Brewery is now available, Fundy Low Tide White IPA. The 5.7% ABV was brewed with 50% torrified wheat and 50% Golden Promise, for a bready, wheat character, with a solid 60 IBU bitterness from Amarillo, Cascade, Mosaic and El Dorado hops in the boil and dry hopping. 7 kilograms of locally-harvested seaweed was added to the boil, a 50/50 blend of dulse and sea lettuce harvested by Seaboost during low tide off Grand Manan Island. The mild saltiness plays off the bold hop character, with notes of grapefruit rind and melon. It is available on tap at the brewery on Lower Water Street, and at the weekend’s Beerfest.

• Speaking of the Seaport Beerfest, there will be several special casks pouring at the Ladies Beer League / Brewnosers Cask Pavillion, including a special cask of Red Rover Dragon Slayer (featuring local cranberries), named Hop the Magic Dragon, after the hops added to the cask. Also pouring will be some special one-offs from Gahan, Boxing Rock, Garrison and Moosehead. Be sure to check the full beer list here, and we’ll see you there!

A few more parting shots before we call it a wrap:

– Port Rexton Brewing has added a third beer to their lineup this week, the Island Blonde. This 5.6% ABV beer is available on tap, joining their Horse Chops IPA and Night ‘Bous Porter.
– York County Cider is on tap for the first time, with their Like an Academic – a 6.5% ABV blueberry cider – on tap now, and their hopped cider, An Apple a Day, on deck. Drop by the Cidery today for samples of their next special blend, details of which are under wraps.
– Picaroons has re-released their Pride Sally Pride, a 4.5% ABV Pale Ale brewed with Amarillo hops and apricot flavouring; look for it on tap now at the Brewtique and General Store, as well as several Pics accounts.