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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Port Rexton, Mill Street, 902 BrewCast, Roof Hound, Tatamagouche, and much, much, more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2017-01-13
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 902 BrewCast, Burgers n' Beer, Ducky's Bar, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Mikkeller, Mill Street Brewpub, PEI Brewing Co., Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Roof Hound Brewing, Saltbox Brewing, Sober Island Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Welcome to the weekend, and another warm Friday! Unfortunately, that looks like it’s going to change quickly and drastically (which seems to be a common trend this winter), so grab a beer and a blanket for later (or now), and get ready for another long read, as there’s lots going on in beer news in our region this week…

• We start today’s post in Newfoundland, where Port Rexton Brewing has released The One with the Citra, an American Pale Ale, hopped with, not surprisingly, Citra (with some assistance from Centennial, too). The resulting 5.2% ABV and 45 IBU beer shows plenty of citrus and tropical fruit goodness. Look for it on tap at PR’s familiar tap accounts shortly, including Adelaide Oyster House, EVOO, The Fifth Ticket, Mallard Cottage, and Merchant Tavern in  St John’s, and White Hills Ski Resort in Clarenville.

• Let’s stick to The Rock for the next beer, another debut from Mill Street’s St. John’s location. Danimal S.M.A.S.H. is a 6.4% ABV, 63 IBU, Pale Ale, with plenty of character from its Single Malt And Single Hop choice, namely Wild Turkey hops from Clear Valley Hop Farm in Nottawa, Ontario. This unique hop is only available from Clear Valley, as it began life growing wild on their farm, and tested very high in Alpha Acid (useful in the bittering) and is quite aromatic (notes of mango and passionfruit), making it a great dual-purpose crop. Learn more about the hop here, and pick up a pint or growler of the beer at Mill Street’s Harbour Drive location.

• The latest 902 BrewCast went live earlier this week, and the gents sat down with Andy, Chris, and Laura from Stillwell Beer Bar. Be sure to give it a listen to learn more about their beginnings, the first three years in business, and what special beers are headed their way to Barrington soon! Case in point, be sure to head to Stilly tomorrow for Part 2 of the Mikkeller Tap Takeover, featuring a dozen taps from the Danish gypsy brewery, plus Copenhagen-inspired snacks. It will be a great showcase of the brewery’s offerings, with a selection of their flavoured Berliner Weisses, Spontan-family, big IPAs, and massive stouts. Back to the podcast, our own acbbchris sat down with the 902 Brew Dudes for an IPA tasting, which will be released January 20th. And learn more about the gents behind the podcast in the latest The Coast weekly newspaper.

• Digby’s Roof Hound Brewing has released a pair of beers recently, both in the IPA category. Sweet Little SIPA is a 4.8% Session IPA, a style known for pale colour, light body, and low ABV, but still brimming with hop flavour and aroma. This recipe features lots of Cascade and Columbus, for citrus and floral notes. The bigger brother of the SIPA is the Big Stink IPA, a 6.4% IPA with Columbus and Mosaic hops, added throughout the brewing process for a medium bitterness and plenty of citrus and fruit character. Both beers are available at the brewery now, and can be found on tap in HRM at your favourite beer bar.

• And keep your eyes peeled for a new collaboration beer brewed at Roof Hound with Tatamagouche’s Matt Kenny. A currently-unnamed 9.4% ABV Imperial Chocolate Porter will be released February 11th, complete with launch party and live music from Tide n Timbre. More details on the event and beer in a few weeks.

• Making its debut last night at last night’s Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration – alongside a Hop Fritter from Primal Kitchen in which it was featured – was a collaboration IPA from Tatamagouche Brewing and the Ladies Beer League . Mrs. Magouche is a 7.7% ABV brew with 75 IBU worth of bitterness and layers of flavors from dank and juicy Simcoe, El Dorado, and Amarillo hops. This one is quite tropical, with notes of stone fruit and peach owing to both the hops and the choice of Escarpment Labs’ Vermont Ale yeast (a.k.a., the “Conan” strain made famous by the Alchemist brewery in Vermont). Tap accounts will be receiving kegs today, with some availability for growler fills from the source and the remainder being put into cans next week.​

• Also in the works from Tata are the Oyster Cloister, featuring lots of Malagash-grown oysters and the Deadeye DIPA, which was brewed this time on that same Vermont Ale yeast strain as the Mrs. Magouche. Look for more information on these as their releases approach later in the month or into February. They’re also planning a couple of winter bottle releases, namely a Glenora Barrel-aged Barleywine on the 26th of this month and a Belgian Quad (also known as a Belgian Strong Ale) on February 9th. We’ll confirm these dates as the releases approach, and provide more detail on the beers themselves.

• Last night’s event was also the debut of Spindrift’s new Duplicitous Imperial Pilsner; Big Spruce doubled the love with two new beers, Risky Biscuits Dark Mild and Liquid James Brown, a Milkshake IPA. Check out last week’s post for more details on these beers, and they will all be available at your favourite bar or growler filling station starting today!

• Also attending the Celebration was Sober Island, pouring their new British IPA. This 6.3% ABV beer features a blend of four hops: Bramling Cross, Cluster, East Kent Golding, and Willamette. They come together to give 40 IBU of bitterness, and notes of woodiness, earthiness, and light fruit, to balance the nice malt body from the grain. The British IPA joins the core line-up, along with the Oyster Stout, Golden Rye, and Bitter.

• Sober Island is also releasing a new beer in a couple of weeks, a Winter Rye. This 6.8% ABV beer features a hearty 15% rye in the malt bill, joining Marris Otter, Munich, and Crystal malts, for a spicy kick on a big body and mouthfeel. Hops-wise, Northern Brewer and Tettnang come together for 30 IBU to offset some sweetness and enhance the rye spice character. This beer will be launched during a collaborative Tap Takeover at Bishop’s Cellar January 28th, joined by Dartmouth’s Brightwood Brewery. Folks from both breweries will be in store 1-3pm to chat beer, their breweries, whatever you’d like! Installation and commission of their big brewing system at Henley House in Sheet Harbour is coming along nicely, and they expect to be brewing on a larger scale in the next 6-8 weeks, with lots of great news coming in Spring.

• There’s three new beers out from Fredericton’s TrailWay since last Friday’s post, and two of these brews have also been released in cans. First up is Ellipse (6.5% ABV, ~50 IBUs), a new IPA featuring heavy additions of Amarillo, Citra and Chinook. As with most of TW’s hoppy beers, this one is light-coloured, very hazy, and extremely juicy! Available only in growlers and pints, it’s hitting all ANBL growler locations this weekend, so you don’t have to come directly to Fredericton to get it!

• Moving on, TW released Mo-Joe, an Imperial Milk Stout (6.3% ABV) earlier this week in both growlers and 16 oz cans. Aside from the addition of lactose powder to slightly increase the sweetness and body of the beer, a special blend of coffee was also added in secondary, in the form of beans. These beans are the new “TrailWay Blend”, from the local Whitney Coffee Company, designed to be “particularly fruity and full of character” (1-lb bags of the beans are available for purchase at the brewery). According to TW, Mo-Joe is “chocolate-forward in flavour”, and is the perfect beer to balance the coffee character from the beans.

• Finally, TW is about to release their latest sour beer, Cerasus. While kettle-soured with Lactobacillus, like their first attempt, Sour 1, Cerasus was hopped only minimally, and was refermented on a “huge amount” of cherries. This “cherry sour” is supremely-sessionable at just 3.6% ABV, with a bright-red colour, and lots of cherry in the aroma and flavour, along with the expected tartness/sourness from the work of the Lactobacillus. Available in 16 oz cans at the brewery tomorrow, along with a small amount that was kegged for growler fills at the same location.

• It’s easy to forget on mild days like today that we’re still in the dead of winter, but there’s been no shortage of well-below-zero temperatures. Luckily, Garrison has brewed up a beer with the aim of helping ease our pain – Wintervention, an Imperial Chocolate Stout. This is a big beer, brewed with lots of Maritime Pale Ale, Chocolate and Munich malt, resulting in a 10.5% ABV beer… making it extremely warming! Hopped exclusively with Millennium to 60 IBUs, the beer was conditioned for a month on cocoa nibs, giving “rich, bittersweet chocolate aromatics, with dark dried fruits and vanilla underneath”, according to the brewery. It’s available in 650 mL bottles at the brewery and private liquor stores in the HRM starting today. And for those of you who are keen on barrel-aged beers (and who isn’t?), they are currently aging some Wintervention in barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery, but you’ll have to wait a while for that release.

• Celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year, Propeller Brewing is looking to spice things up a bit. Their Gottingen location will be undergoing some renovations and upkeep during the next two months, which means events and brewery tours will not be available. Fear not, however, as the Prop Shop will still be open for all of your growler, cans, and bottle needs. During their twentieth, keep an eye out for plenty of special One-Hit-Wonders (like their Vanilla Porter, pouring now), a light branding refresh, plenty of parties, and a whole lotta fun!

• Today sees the return of the v3.0 variant of a Good Robot signature, the Burban Legend APA. This one, with a big Citra dry-hop, is a favourite of Good Robot Josh, who loves the interplay of the layers of fruit from the hops with the malty sweet body. And on Sunday a small batch off the Sabco BrewEasy will be available at the taproom, a BetaBrew from GR’s own Kelly and Erica who call it an ode to their pre-teen red-headed fem inspiration (Ginger Spice) and their ancestral heritage. Scottish Spice Ginger Ale leverages Scottish Ale yeast to enhance a solid malt body that features a touch of rye spiciness and some biscuity notes from Victory malt. Perle and Chinook hops provide the balance along with organic ginger root for additional spice and locally-harvested sumac for a hint of lemony citrus. At 4% ABV and 29 IBU this beer shouldn’t overwhelm, but it may titillate; you’ll have to decide for yourself this weekend.

• PEI Brewing Co.‘s first DIPA, 8 Cord (8.5% ABV, 70 IBUs), is returning in both growler and can form, officially re-releasing at the brewery next Thursday, January 19th. Brewed with 2-row and Wheat malt, it’s hopped with plenty of Azacca, Mosaic, and Simcoe – all hop varieties that are hard to find, but for a good reason, as they impart lots of juicy, tropical fruit characteristics when used. Most of the 16 oz cans will actually be shipping to New Brunswick (where it should be available sometime after the 23rd); there will also be a small amount of kegs going to select locations in both NB and NS. And in other PEIBC DIPA news, be sure to visit your local ANBL growler station this weekend, as all will be carrying the brewery’s new Mango Lassi DIPA that we reported on last Friday.

• With the 5th Annual Fredericton Craft Beer Festival and its week of events is fast approaching (March 8th-12th), they have just announced the launch of the Down East Brewing Awards. All licensed breweries in the Maritimes are invited to submit their beers for entry; many awards will be presented at FCBF, including 10 beer awards, one each for cider and mead, and Brewery of the Year and New Brewery of the Year awards. Judging will take place on February 28th among a panel of certified judges, brewers and industry professionals. The winning entries will be showcased at FCBF, where they will be enjoyed by the more than 1700 attending. The details are still being ironed out, so we’ll be sure to keep you updated over the coming weeks.

• Gahan Harbourfront Halifax is holding their very first Homebrewer’s Challenge, and the entry period starts today! Open to all amateur homebrewers in the province, they are looking for your best Trappist Single (BJCP Style 26A). You must pre-register by emailing Gahan Brewmaster Kyle Jeppesen before Feb 17, and your four bottles are due March 10th. The winner will get to brew with Jeppesen and have their beer served at Gahan, and will win a dinner and a few beers for their hard work and accomplishment. Check out the information poster for a few more details. Good luck to all entrants!

• And speaking of brewing awards, the 2017 Canadian Brewing Awards registration opens on Monday. From then until March 10th, breweries can register their beers for judging, with sample delivery to be scheduled March 13-24th. More details on how to enter are here, and the Style Guidelines are available online now. Let’s hope for another strong showing from Atlantic Canadian breweries in 2017!

We’ve got a few events that we’d like to highlight this week:

• Right now, Friday morning, the gang at Moncton’s Tide & Boar has set up their Growler Pop-Up Shop, with a pair of beers available: Galaxy Double Dry-Hopped Forum Pale Ale and Sour Otis Fruit Cake (A Kettle Sour brewed with 20lbs of assorted dried fruit). As with their last go of it in December, we suggested getting there early, as these beers are sure to sell out.

• The gang at Good Robot has a busy week ahead, starting with one of their extremely popular Silent Reading nights on Tuesday, and continuing with some ticketed events that are part of the In the Dead of Winter Festival: the Pre-Festival Party on Wednesday, and song circles on Thursday and Friday.​

• Upstreet Brewing is re-releasing their Top Stamp Honey Brown Lager, and is holding a talent show (of sorts!) to celebrate. On Thursday, January 19th from 6-10 pm at the brewery, the Top Stamp Gong Show will highlight the “talents” of Islanders, by inviting all those interested to perform their talent on stage, in front of a packed house. There will be two official judges – if they like what you’ve got, you’ll move on to the finals, and if not… you’ll be gonged off stage. No pressure! The event is free to attend; if you are interested in performing, you can fill out the form here.

• New Brunswick has recently been privy to some beers from Tatamagouche Brewing (finally!), but Saturday, January 21st will see a true Tata-celebration at Ducky’s in Sackville, with a Tatabrew tap takeover! Starting at 7 pm, there will be a grand total of 15-20 Tata beers pouring, ranging anywhere from flagship beers, to seasonals, to special one-offs. Tatabrew’s own Christiane Jost and Matt Kenny will be on-hand to chat about the brewery and their beers, and probably just about anything else! Tickets ($15 each) will be available in advance, and will allow you seven 5 oz drink tickets, including a commemorative glass to keep (you can also pay at the door, but you will be limited to five drink tickets); a portion of ticket sales will go to Enactus MtA, out of Mount Allison University. Further 5 oz pours will also be available at a discount price. Contact the bar directly to reserve your tix, which can be picked up before the event at 6:30 pm.

• On Wednesday, January 25th, Liverpool’s Hell Bay will be celebrating Robbie Burns Day in style. Burns Night will be held at the brewery, and will feature poetry, haggie, bagpipes, and – of course – plenty of beer. If you’re going to celebrate the life of Scotland’s most famous poet and lyricist, you might as well show up in a kilt! Those that do will receive discounts on pints, so you’ll have that going for you, too. The brewery will be open at 10 am, with the haggis being served at 6 pm.

• The next Burgers n’ Beer event in Fredericton has been announced, and will take place on Saturday, February 11th at the King Street Ale House. As always, your ticket ($25) will include four different hand-crafted sliders, paired with four different local craft brews (5 oz pours). The event is held from 1:30-3:30 pm, and will also announce details on this year’s YFC Burger Battle (running from March 25th-April 8th).

A few more things before we sign off:

– Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewing has new beer available for pints and growlers, Jeezus Murphy Irish Red. A malt-forward 4.8% ABV brew, it features some roasted notes and subtle fruit character from the hops.
– Dartmouth’s Nine Locks Brewing will be releasing Fathom Double IPA shortly, an 8.0% ABV showcase for plenty of American-grown hops. We’ll have more details when they’re available.
– Beau’s Brewery, from Vankleek Hill, Ontario, is looking to expand their presence in Eastern Canada, and as such, are hiring a Brand Ambassador as a local representative.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Canadian Brewing Awards, 2 Crows Brewing, Beerocracy, North, Stillwell, and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-06-03
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, BarNone Brewing, Beerocracy, Big Spruce Brewing, Breton Brewing, Burgers n' Beer, Federation of Beer, Garrison Brewing, Grimross Brewing, King Street Ale House, Lazy Bear Brewing, Maybee Brewing, Moosehead, North Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Picaroons, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Red Rover Craft Cider, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, York County Cider. Leave a Comment

Good morning, and welcome to the weekend! Lots going on in beer news as usual, so let’s get started. First off, some local award winners!

• Big congratulations to the winners in our region at this year’s Canadian Brewing Awards in Vancouver, BC, last weekend.
– PEI Brewing was the big winner, taking four Gold medals at the blindly-judged competition. They earned the most medals (of any colour, let alone Gold) of any brewery in the country: Gold in English Style India Pale Ale, Rogues Roost IPA; Gold in Wheat Beer – North American Style, Gahan Sir John A. Honey Wheat Ale; Gold in Session India Pale Ale, Gahan Vic Park APA; Gold in Session Ale, Setting Day Saison.
– Tatamagouche had an excellent showing, with three medals awarded. Gold in Imperial Stout, Russian Imperial Stout; Gold in Barley Wine-Style Ale – American-Style, Giantess; Bronze in Baltic Porter, Two Rivers Baltic Porter. Clearly they know their big beers, as these brews are all above 8.0% ABV!
– Saint John’s Moosehead Brewery also earned a trio of medals for a few of their lager offerings: Gold in North American Style Lager, Alpine Lager; Silver in North American Style Amber Lager, Barking Squirrel Lager; Silver in Light (Calorie-Reduced) Lager, Cracked Canoe.
– Garrison: Silver in American-Style Black Ale, Dirty Ol’ Town Black IPA.
– Stillwell: Silver in Belgian-Style Brett Beer, Two, their Second Anniversary mixed fermentation Saison (brewed at North Brewing).
– Red Rover: Silver in Cider with Herbs/Spices, Fall.
– Pump House: Bronze in Barley Wine-Style Ale – English-Style, Barley Wine.

Be sure to visit your local brewery and grab a bottle, can, and/or pint of these award-winning beers, and show them some love! The full list of winners can be found on the CBA website.

• A new brewery, slated to open in Halifax this fall, has just been announced this week. 2 Crows Brewing will set up shop on Brunswick Street, between Cogswell and Duke. Co-owner and Brewer Jeremy Taylor is an avid homebrewer, and after graduating with an MSc in Brewing and Distilling from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University, has brewed professionally in British Columbia for several years before making the transition eastward. 2 Crows will feature a core lineup of four beers, with a bevvy of rotating seasonals and one-offs, all brewed on their 20 bbl (23 hL) brewhouse. Keep up-to-date with their progress by following their Twitter and Facebook pages.

• Beerocracy, a documentary about the brewing industry in New Brunswick, is in its final stages and getting closer to its planned release in July. In the meantime, directors/producers Shauna Chase and Alex Vietinghoff have started an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to help raise some final funds to pay for post-production costs such as audio mastering, translation and French subtitling, graphic design, and more. They’re already about 40% of the way to their $10,000 goal, which ends Thursday, June 16th. If you’d like to donate to the cause, there are plenty of perks available; based on donation, they range from beer glasses, posters, and digital downloads of the film to VIP screenings and even having your name in the credits! Don’t hesitate on your chance to be involved in a piece of NB beer history, and donate today!

• Only 3 weeks after releasing a pair of new brews, North has released yet another two new beers this week. First up is Gestalt, a blend of two different beers. One of the beers is a “Farmhouse Brown Ale” that was fermented with a specialty blend of yeasts, Fruit Bomb Saison (a Saison strain, an “enigmatic” Saccharomyces strain, and a Brettanomyces strain) from Escarpment Labs; the beer was then aged in stainless for over three months. Meanwhile, another batch with a “very simple malt bill” was fermented with another Escarpment blend, Old World Saison (two Saison strains). Both batches were ultimately blended at differing ratios until those at North were happiest with the outcome: a barnyard aroma, with “notes of cherry, tamarind, cola, subtle hay, and a lime zest finish”. Weighing in at 5.4% ABV, it’s available for growler fills now at the brewery, and is on tap at select accounts. Next up is version 2.0 of their Grisette, which comes in slightly stronger at 3.8% ABV, but still remains  supremely sessionable. Some Torrified Wheat was added to the grist, and the hops were changed to Rakau and Ahtanum; also available now at the brewery, so pick them both up while you’re there!

• Fresh off their CBA win, Stillwell released a new beer yesterday that they brewed with the staff at Toronto institution Bar Volo‘s House Ales (a 150 L pilot brewery) earlier in the winter. Pekkolo is a Farmhouse Table Beer named after the hop variety, Pekko, used generously within. This American varietal gives the beer notes of lemon, thyme and mint in the aroma, “all of which dovetail nicely with our funky ‘house’ Saison culture’s flavour profile”, according to Stillwell. Hoppy, with a “soft tartness”, it weighs in at only 3.8% ABV (which allows it to live up to its Table – read: consumable in quantity – status), yet still exhibits a good amount of body, due in part to the sizeable addition of Flaked Barley to the grist. Only a small amount of this beer is available, so it will be available only on tap at Stillwell (with a simultaneous release in Toronto), and won’t last long!

• York County has a new cider on tap for growler fills, Sidra. Inspired by traditional ciders made in northern Spain, York County describes it as “very tart, with notes of unripe fruits”; slightly sour, with a cloudy appearance, it is quite still (very minimal carbonation). Intended on being poured from a height “of at least a yard” to give it a bit of froth upon consumption, it clocks in at 6.7% ABV. Drop by today to give this new “Spanish cider” a try!

• Federation of Beer is releasing a new beer today, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series. Star Trek 50th Golden Anniversary Ale was brewed at Garrison, using Pale and Wheat malts, and a light touch of Hallertau hops. This 5.0% ABV and 20 IBUs beer features a brilliant golden liquid with light frothy head, light malt body, and a slight fruity aroma, to go along with the spicy character of the noble hops. The bottles will feature one of twelve collectible labels, and are available at the brewery now in six-packs. It joins their Vulcan Red Session Ale and Klingon Warnog Roggenbier in the Star Trek licensed releases.

• Sydney’s Breton Brewing will be celebrating their First Anniversary later this month, and they are marking the occasion by expanding their reach across the province. Beginning Monday, June 6, cans of their Red Coat Irish Red and Black Angus IPA will be available at NSLC locations throughout the province, as well as Bishop’s Cellar and Harvest Wines. From Yarmouth, to Amherst, Halifax, and Sydney, the 473ml cans mean that grabbing a pint at the beach or on a hike will be that much easier. This also means that restaurants and other licencees will be able to stock them, so be sure to request them at your local public house. And be sure to drop by the brewery today from noon for the return of Food Truck Friday, with Little Rollin’ Bistro joining them until 7pm. There will be music starting at 4pm, and there is no cover for the entertainment.

• Shifting gears to another Island, the Newfermenters, Newfoundland’s Homebrew Club, are once again hosting a Brew-Off competition. Open to any amateur brewer on the island, entries can be made in the 21A: American IPA, or 21B: Specialty IPA (consult the BJCP 2015 style guidelines for more details). The beers will be judged by Liam McKenna, brewmaster of YellowBelly, and Raymond Feltham, BJCP-certified judge and owner of BrewCraft homebrew shop. The Best-Of-Show winning brewer will have the chance to visit Port Rexton Brewing after they open this summer, and brew up a full-sized batch for commercial release in the fall! Entrants must fill out a form and send it via email to the group before Monday June 6th, and the judging will take place July 3rd. Further details can be found on the Newfermenters Facebook page (or via email).

• Big Spruce has sent a new batch of their flagship Kitchen Party Pale Ale to Halifax tap accounts this week; this batch marks the first time in modern Nova Scotia history that a beer has been brewed entirely with 2-row malted in NS, by Horton Ridge Malt & Grain Co. According to the brewery, this newest batch differs from previous ones, as the malt lends the beer a “slight bitter orange flavour”. If you’re in Halifax, best track it down to give it a try for yourself!

 

• Moosehead has announced that they will be opening a second location in Saint John, in order to brew smaller batches of beer. Aiming to open in 2017, during their 150th anniversary, the brewery is aiming to produce 5000-6000 hL of beer annually, with a brewhouse somewhere in the range of 25 hL, along with a 1 hL pilot batch system. Karen Cousins, Moosehead’s Director of Communications, says that the major objective of this new brewery is to experiment with new styles, in order to keep up with the growing demand from craft beer drinkers in Atlantic Canada.

There’s a couple of events occurring over the next week that still have space for attendance…

• Tomorrow – Saturday, June 4th – is the first Burgers n’ Beer event to occur in Fredericton in some time, and there’s still a few tickets available! The first time the event will be held at the King Street Ale House, it will feature four different handcrafted sliders, each paired with a different Fredericton-brewed cask ale. Pouring will be TrailWay American Stout, Maybee Birdseye Pale Ale dry-hopped with NB Hop Hash, Picaroons ESB, and a TBD cask from Grimross. The event runs from 2-5 pm, and there are still a few tickets available (only $21 each)!

• Next Saturday, June 11th, Garrison is hosting their Backlot Bash!, in support of the Ecology Action Centre. Held in the parking lot of their new production brewery on Marginal Rd (about 100 metres from their retail and storefront location), the event features headliner July Talk, joined by Alert the Medic, The Brood and Three Sheet as amazing local opening bands. Tickets are still available, and Garrison beer, as well as local cider, will be served, with food trucks keeping people satisfied.

Have a great weekend! And before we leave you for good…

– TrailWay is re-releasing their Whitney Coffee Stout this weekend, marking the first time this popular dark ale has been brewed on their new system. Featuring the addition of cold-brewed coffee from local Whitney Coffee Company, it clocks in at 6.2% ABV, and is available now at their brand-spanking-new taproom, and should follow at select tap accounts sometime next week.
– BarNone has just released a new iteration of their IPA; no real details on what’s changed, but it should be popping up at tap accounts across PEI, and may make an appearance for growler fills at tomorrow’s Charlottetown Farmers Market, so best seek it out and judge for yourselves!
– Grimross has a “2nd generation” of their Brett Saison on tap at the brewery; slightly higher in ABV (6.2% vs. 6%), the brewery describes it with the words “crisp, bubblegum, and dry”. The original is also still on tap, allowing side-by-side comparisons to be made.
– Just a note that due to overwhelming response, Lazy Bear will not be attending this week’s Annapolis Royal Farmers’ Market. The good news is that the next batch of their Gut View Amber is *just* about ready, and should be back on June 11th. And keep an eye out for their retail hours at the brewery in Smiths Cove, starting later this month.
– Upstreet was bottling up something special this week, to be released in a few weeks. They will be celebrating their First Anniversary with a weekend of events June 24-26 at their taproom, as well as favourite restaurants and bars across the Island.
– Propeller is now serving flights of samples at their Gottingen St location. These are always a great way to taste through a brewery’s offerings, so that you can then grab a growler (or three) of your favourites!

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Big Spruce, Lion & Bright, Unfiltered, Garrison, YellowBelly, Bulwark, Picaroons, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-04-01
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Bulwark Cider, Burgers n' Beer, Dieu du Ciel, Flying Boats Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, King Street Ale House, Lion & Bright, NLC Beer Expo, North Brewing, Picaroons, Picaroons General Store, Spindrift Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, The Grand Banker, Tide & Boar Gastropub, Unfiltered Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy April, everyone! Welcome to your guaranteed April-Fool’s-Day-joke-free beer news post!

• After the very successful launch of their first bottled product, Ra Ra Rasputin Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout, Nyanza’s Big Spruce is releasing another big beer this week: Barrel-Aged Coade Word: Snowmageddon Winter Warmer. The original Coade Word spent a couple of months in Glenora Single Malt Whisky barrels, and has taken on lots of barrel flavour (and a bit of alcohol, bringing it from 8.8% to 10.2% ABV). Bottles of BACW:S are now available for purchase, and like the RRR, *only* available at the brewery. And, in the spirit of keeping good things coming, a 9.0% Baltic Porter has been put into those barrels Glenora barrels, as well as a pair of and Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels, for a couple of months of aging and a release in the spring/summer. And keep an eye out for their Spruce Bringstein, a 6.3% ABV, 23 IBUs Amber hopped with Magnum and Tettnang, which should be pouring at BS tap accounts now/soon.

• Big Spruce is teaming up with Lion & Bright to celebrate Earth Day for the next three weeks. Starting today, and until April 21st, Big Spruce and Lion & Bright will donate $0.50 each per pint of Big Spruce beer served, to Halifax’s Ecology Action Centre. On Earth Day itself, April 22nd, there will be a big celebration at Lion & Bright, with a whole bushel-full of Big Spruce beers flowing, and some locally-grown food to pair. Be sure to drop by Lion & Bright all month to show your support for the EAC!

• Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing is releasing a beauty today at noon, Front Line Rocker Double IPA. Fermented using Vermont Ale yeast, and loaded with tons of hops, it is a super hoppy and juicy delight in your glass. Boasting 8% ABV and over 100 IBUs, this beer is big, bold, yet balanced. Grab a growler at Unfiltered starting at noon, or a glass at Charm School next door when it opens at 4pm.

• Halifax’s Garrison Brewing is bringing back a cult favourite from the archives today… Jalapeno Ale! This 5.0% ABV pale ale features not just one, but four different peppers in the brew: Jalapeño, Habanero, Scotch Bonnet, and Jamaican Hot Pepper, for a unique contrast of big heat, with a refreshing beer backbone. In addition to the bold taste and aroma available when drinking the beer, it is a wiz in the kitchen, where it can be the base for a wicked marinade, or intense broth or beer cheese soup. The beer is available now at the brewery in bottles only, in a very limited supply.

• You may have also noticed a new Garrison beer on the shelves at both the brewery, and NSLC recently, Hoppy Buoy IPA. This 6.5% ABV American IPA features loads of Citra, Columbus, and Galaxy hops for a robust 50 IBU bitterness to build on the Maritime Malt and 2-Row malt bill. The hop-derived citrus and tropical aromas and flavours are enhanced by the addition of Mango juice to the beer, for a great juicy brew. This beer is replacing Garrison’s India Pale Ale in stores and on tap, so grab it today!

• And to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pro Skates, Garrison has released a new non-alcoholic soda, called Pro Cola. Made with 100% natural cane sugar, it features real cola ingredients for a refreshing and tasty ode to this local business. Grab a bottle at the brewery today.

• YellowBelly Brewpub has brought back an old favourite brew this week: Black Gold. This 4.5% ABV black ale features a large portion of Midnight Wheat in the malt bill (with the rest being pilsner malt), which imparts the dark colour, but without a lot of roast character. Brewer’s Gold hops were used in the boil, and the beer was dry-hopped with Cascade and Topaz, for high-30s IBUs and a blackcurrant-like character. Black Gold is on tap at the brewery now, with a limited bottle supply available there and at NLC stores starting today.

• Bulwark has announced details of their newest creation, Bulwark Uprooted. This 7.0% ABV cider features beets on top of their signature cider blend, for a bright red colour, and interesting earthy yet clean and crisp meld in flavour and aroma. This unique blend is the official cider of East Coast Music Week 2016, being held in Sydney, NS, April 13-17. Featuring plenty of live music all weekend, and the East Coast Music Awards show on Thursday the 14th, there will be lots to do, and drink, while in the area. Look for the blend to be released soon, and will be on tap at some of the ECMW events, as well as wider release to the rest of the province.

• Last weekend, the Picaroons General Store opened in uptown Saint John, located at 32 Canterbury St. Open Monday-Wednesday 10am-10pm, Thursday-Saturday 10am-11pm, and Sunday 12-8 pm, all the usual Picaroons products will be sold at this location (plus a new Canterbury Pale on tap), including growlers and fills, bottles, and swag. There’s also seating available if you’d like to relax with a pint, and food can be purchased and brought in from the Real Food Connections next door. Patrons can also expect to see some other local beverages on tap in the future. Check out the East Point ANBL growler station for a tap takeover this weekend, plus a visit from Picaroons’ Ian Covey today from 4-8pm.

• Spindrift Brewing’s 7th Wave release today is Ming Tran. A 4.6% ABV Pale Ale, it was fermented with Brettanomyces yeast for a blast of pineapple esters that will kick you right in the face. As with all 7th Wave releases, this one is on tap for growler fills at the brewery only, starting today at noon.

Here’s all the info you need on the many events going on in our region this week:

• Moncton’s Tide & Boar turns five today, and we’re all invited to the party! Featuring some of their most-demanded snacks back on the menu for one day only, Chorizo-stuffed dates, brussel sprouts, and pork belly bites, and plenty of great local and imported beer to wash them down. Drop by today for the celebration, starting at noon.

• Don’t forget that tonight is the latest Meet Your Maker night at the James Joyce in Fredericton, featuring Flying Boats. There’ll be games and five different FB beers on tap; no charge to attend, the fun starts at 8 pm. Check out last week’s post for more details.

• And kicking off today are two days of a Dieu du Ciel! tap takeover at Stillwell. Both today and tomorrow, Stilly will be opening at noon with twelve new, different and rare DDC! beers. The Montreal brewery crew will be in attendance, and Chef Ruppel and team are putting together some tasty Montreal-inspired cuisine, including Tokyo Fries Poutine and Smoked Meat Sandwich.

• Good Robot is holding another of their very popular Silent Reading at the Imbibrary events on Thursday, April 7th. The same rules apply as usual: no phones and no talking for two hours (6-8 pm), just show up with your book(s) and a thirst for craft beer on tap, and go to town! They’re hinting that this may be the last silent reading event of the season, so get down there early!

• Saint John, NB’s Grannan’s Seafood is hosting a Beer Dinner April 14th, featuring Fredericton’s Picaroons Brewery. Seven courses will be prepared by Chef Johnny High, with each paired with a different Picaroons beer. Event starts at 6:30pm. RSVP by phone at 506-634-1555.

• The Grand Banker in Lunenburg has released the details of their next Winemaker vs Brewmaster dinner. Being held April 23rd, it will pit L’Acadie Vineyards’ Bruce Ewert versus Big Spruce’s Jeremy White in an all-out competition to win the hearts, and tastes, of those in attendance. The Grand Banker’s kitchen will be preparing 5 courses, and the drinks producers will be responsible for pairing the best beer and wine to complement each course. Diners will vote with a beer cap or wine cork after each course, with the one amassing the most by the end of the evening being crowned the winner. Tickets are available at the Grand Banker, and by phone (902-634-3300) now.

• Tickets for this year’s NLC Beer Expo are on sale today. Being held May 13&14 at the Delta Hotel in St John’s, the event will feature more than 100 beers and ciders, many of which are not otherwise available in Newfoundland. Both sessions also feature an optional Tasting Panel beforehand, where attendees will have the chance to try several products in a more intimate atmosphere, poured by brewery representatives, and with accompanying food pairings. You ticket also includes a $10 taxi chit, to get you home safe.

• Fredericton’s Burgers n’ Beer will be returning on Saturday, June 4th from 2-5 pm. This event will be a kick-off to Fredericton Burger Battle, and will feature four different sliders paired with four locally-brewed cask ales, all from different breweries. The event will be held at the King Street Ale House; tickets are $21 each and can be purchased online.

• Good news, Moncton poutine fans… the first Moncton Poutine Festival is heading your way this fall! Created by Lloyd Chambers (the brains behind the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival and Fredericton Poutine Festival), planning is well underway for the September 17th event. Tickets will go on sale within the next few weeks, but we can tell you that the format will follow that of the Fredericton festivals: five different establishments serving up several types of poutine each, with five or more breweries present pouring lots of Moncton-area craft beer. The event will take place at the Crowne Plaza on Main St. We’ll keep you updated on the progress of the event; in the meantime follow along their Twitter account for more details.

That’s it for this week… have a fantastic weekend! A couple more parting notes before you leave:

– Hammond River has re-released their Pineapple Pale Ale to welcome back the warmer weather; look for it on tap at HR accounts in Saint John and Fredericton shortly.
– Halifax’s North Brewing is doing the same, releasing their Summer Saison today at both their Agricola and Ochterloney locations, and on tap around the HRM.