Burgers n’ Beer

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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Big Axe, Picaroons, Big Tide, Garrison Brewing, Beau’s, Schoolhouse, and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-09-26
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Atlantic Canadian Brewing Awards, BarNone Brewing, Beau's Brewing Co, Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Big Tide Brewing, Burgers n' Beer, Garrison Brewing, New Brunswick Beer Tours, North Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Premier Wines, Schoolhouse Brewery, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stubborn Goat, Uncorked Tours. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, folks! We are now officially into fall, and as such, we have plenty more autumn and harvest-themed beer news this week.

• Big Axe Brewery has released their Seasonal Harvest Ale, Rusty Axe Amber Ale. Continuing Big Axe’s theme of using local ingredients in every beer, the Amber Ale was brewed with brown sugar glazed carrots, roasted squash and their own homemade brittle right in the boil. With these unique ingredients, the flavour and aroma is reminiscent of fall, with hints of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, built on top of a soft caramel base. It weighs in at 5.6% ABV and 28 IBUs, and is available at the brewery.

• Picaroons Brewery has brewed up a new beer recently, Page Turner Session Ale. The Amber Session beer weighs in at 3.7% ABV, and the recipe features Gooseberries. It was brewed to celebrate the upcoming 60th Anniversary of Goose Lane Edition, a local publishing house. Proceeds from the sale of the beer will be donated to Laubach Literacy New Brunswick. They will be holding a launch event at the James Joyce Pub on October 3rd to celebrate its release.

• Picaroons has yet another new beer that they are just releasing today. The Tabulator is described by the brewery as “a conservative Extra Special Bitter, that has been dry-hopped quite liberally with an uncountable amount of green hops”. It comes in at 5.5% ABV, and will be served almost-exclusively at the Brewtique for growler fills, with the possibility of being available on tap at a couple of bars/restaurants in Fredericton.

• Indian Beach Harvest Ale from Big Tide Brewpub is on tap now! This is one of their Fresh Hop beers, using hops they picked themselves (with help from friends and family) from local winery Dunhams Run, on the Kingston Peninsula. The malt base is 2 row and caramunich malts, and the hops used were Nugget and Cascade. This 4.8% ABV caramel-coloured beer has a fairly light body, with delicate fresh hopped flavors coming through nicely.

• We have some more details on the new beer, Sub_Stanchel Amber, brewed by BarNone a couple of weeks ago. This is a wet-hopped beer, with two varieties of fresh hops added to the boil: an unknown noble variety picked in Stanchel, PEI, and an equal amount of freshly-harvested Cascade from the BarNone farm. With more hops added as a dry-hop addition, this should be a fairly aromatic brew! It comes in at 5.5% ABV (exact calculated IBUs are unknown).  Look for it soon at bars/restaurants in Charlottetown, and at the weekly growler night (Thursdays) at the brewery.

• We mentioned the details behind the new collaboration beer between Garrison Brewing and Beau’s – Sweet Rye’d Harvest Wheat Ale – a couple of weeks ago. Well, that beer – brewed with three different hops and the Bog Myrtle herb – has been released today at the Garrison Brewery. Clocking in at 6% ABV and 40 IBUs, the beer is copper-colored and “ripe with aromas of herb and black pepper, melon and citrus fruit” according to Garrison. It should follow for a limited time only at select NSLC stores, all four private liquor stores in Halifax, and at some of the bars/restaurants in the area.

• Garrison will be taking part in City Harvest v3 on October 4th, and will be turning it into a Harvest Launch, as they will be pouring the Sweet Rye’d, as well as their new Double Jack Imperial Pumpkin Ale, and their 3 Fields Harvest. The Double Jack is on the darker side of the spectrum, and weighs in at 8% ABV, and we’ll have more details on both beers next week.

• Speaking of City Harvest, North Brewing will be getting in on the fun by offering discounts on growler fills and merchandise, Stubborn Goat will be selling Back Door Takeout Mac & Cheese and Cask Beer samples (no word yet on which beers), and Premier Wines will be doing beer tastings.

• Piez Bistro in Dartmouth is hosting Sociable for Prostates tomorrow, Sept 27th. During the event, you can purchase a tasting paddle of three different local craft beer, along with three paired pizza or other bites, for $10, with $5 of that donated to Prostate Cancer Canada. They are highlighting local craft beer, and should have a few special beers available. Check out their flyer.

• One of the new beers pouring at the event will be from Schoolhouse Brewery, with a harvest beer, the first in their Hants County Hop Series. Brewed with Maritime Malt, and local hops, this series will highlight the diverse hop varieties available here. Unfortunately, hop and farmer details were not available before publishing time. We can tell you that they’ve been using a hopback at the brewery to get the most aromatics from the hops. This piece sits between the kettle and the wort chiller, and is filled with hops, so the hot wort will extract lots of aromatic compounds, but then be chilled, dissolving them into the liquid before they can volatilize. As the whole leaf hops used are not as concentrated as pellet hops, they may not have very high bitterness, but the beers will be quite aromatic. They also will look to launch growler sales at the Wolfville Farmers Market soon, stay tuned for details.

• Uncorked Tours will be holding their last beer-tasting cruise for the year on Saturday, October 4th on the Saint John River, from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. Taking place once again on the Mississippi river boat Voyageur II, the cruise will be Oktoberfest-themed, featuring seasonal and Harvest ales from Picaroons, Big Tide, Hammond River Brewing, and Pump House (brewery list is subject to change), as well as Oktoberfest fare such as pretzels and sausages. Guests will be entitled to a 9-oz pour of each beer (after a short description), along with a refill of their favorite beer after all have been sampled. In between tastings, guests can socialize, enjoy the scenery, and sample the different foods available. Most breweries will have representatives present to answer questions about their beers. Tickets are $75 + HST, and can be purchased online.

• Tickets for the inaugural trip of New Brunswick Beer Tours are now available! We initially reported on the tour last week and it looks like the schedule has been finalized. The all-day bus tour, River Valley Beer Tour, will be held Saturday, November 1st, and will include stops at Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, Railcar, and Big Axe (subject to change), as well as in-trip sampling of ciders from Red Rover; the tour will wrap up at 6:30 pm with more beer sampling at the King Street Ale House. Ticket prices have been confirmed at $75 + fee, and are available online. Fredericton Tourism is currently holding an online contest for two tickets; if you’re over nineteen, make sure you enter to win!

• A final reminder that the next Burgers n’ Beer event in Fredericton will be held soon, and your chance to buy tickets is almost gone! Originally scheduled for September 30th, the event has been bumped a week to Tuesday, October 7th. Pairing six different sliders with six different beers/ciders, it’s held at reLiSH’s uptown location. Tickets are almost sold-out; they’re $45 each and can be purchased online. For more info on the event, check out last month’s post.

• Since publishing our story on the Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards this week, another event related to the weekend has been announced: a Local Cheese & Beer Pairing Seminar run by Master Cicerone® Mirella Amato, and Mark DeWolf of By The Glass Tours. Being held Oct 4th from 2-3pm at Westin Halifax, attendees will have the chance to sample pairings of five beers with five cheeses, all from our region. Tickets are $15+fee, and are available online.

• In other ACBA news, keep an eye on Stillwell’s Twitter and Facebook pages today as they open the People’s Choice voting. This is your chance to vote for your favourite Atlantic Canadian Beer (from those submitted to the ACBA).

• Big news from our friends in Newfoundland! The Beerthief Special Order Beer Club are having a custom batch of beer brewed for them by Garrison Brewing. The beer will not be released until January 2015, but it will be available uniquely to the Beerthief members through their normal ordering process. In celebration of this upcoming brew, they are holding a naming and label contest, open to all members, until October 10th. Details, and a template for the label, are available here. This is just another in a series of great offerings and events that the Beerthief Mike Buhler and Tom Beckett are bringing to Newfoundland and Labrador. At almost 3000 members, the club is going (and growing) strong! Check out the latest newsletter for more exciting news. Joining the Beerthief Club is free to anyone over 19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, and will allow access to beers not otherwise available in the province.

Another busy week! Be sure to drink local this weekend. Grab a pint of the newly-released Tatamagouche Lagerhosen at Lion & Bright and Stubborn Goat in Halifax, and some of the many other craft beers available in your area!

Friday Wrap-Up – News From Propeller, Gahan House, Bad Apple Brewhouse, PEI Beer Festival, Hammond River and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-08-15
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Antigonish Townhouse, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Burgers n' Beer, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, PEI BeerFest, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Shiretown Beer, Uncorked Tours. 1 comment

Good morning beer fans! Thirsty yet? If not, here’s some Atlantic Canadian beer news to get your beer-appetite going…

• Propeller Brewing ‏has released their latest One Hit Wonder beer, Summer Blonde Lagered Ale. Their latest growler-only beer is a light bodied beer, thanks to the Wheat, Pale, and Pilsner malts, and weighs in at 4.8%. Hopped with Centennial to 22 IBUs, the beer is well balanced, and very drinkable. Part of the smooth character of the beer is thanks to the particular conditioning process the beer went through: after its one-week primary fermentation, the ale was lagered for three weeks. It is available at both the Halifax and Dartmouth locations, but if it’s anything like previous One Hit Wonders, not for much longer! And there are just a handful of tickets left for tonight’s Prop’r Cask Night featuring a sausage feast from Agricola St Brasserie’s Chef Ludo Eveno. Your ticket gets you in the door for the food and beer, including a special cask prepared for the evening. Also part of Sausage Fest is Tuesday’s Brews & Brats Tap Takeover at Lion & Bright, featuring nothing but One Hit Wonders and other special one-off beer.

• Following their recent announcement concerning their expansion into Halifax at the old Hart & Thistle location on the waterfront, the Gahan House has announced that they’ve chosen their brewmaster for this location. Karen Allen has been brewing at the PEI Brewing Co. in Charlottetown for the past two and a half years, and was part of the first graduating class from the Niagara College Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program. Karen has confirmed that the Halifax brewhouse will be used solely to brew specialty and seasonal batches, including trial batches for possible future releases from the PEIBC. The grand-opening will take place on September 4th, and will feature Business Lunch IPA, a sessionable, hoppy beer that the PEIBC has brewed in the past, this time dry-hopped heavily with a New Zealand hop variety, and a currently-unnamed high-ABV Belgian beer that “hopefully will be dry, funky, and have an earthy European hop aroma”, according to Allen. With a total of 17 taps on hand, there will be plenty of room to serve all PEIBC/Gahan brands, as well as additional offerings from other Atlantic Canadian breweries, Allen has confirmed. We’ll have more on the grand opening in the near future!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse has released their Barrel-aged Black & Tackle Russian Imperial Stout this week. This beer started out life as the 9% ABV Black & Tackle Russian Imperial Stout, and then spent a few months in whisky barrels from Glenora Distillery (producers of Glen Breton), picking up lots of vanilla and oak character, and increasing the alcohol to 11.5%. This release marks the first time Bad Apple beers are available in bottles in the four private beer stores in HRM: Bishop’s Cellar, Cristall Wine Merchants, Harvest Wines and Spirits, and Premier Wines & Spirits. Also look for Bad Apple American Pale Ale on tap at The Union Street Cafe/Wick Pub in Berwick, The Kings Arms in Kentville, and Roy’s Lounge at the Westin Halifax. Those that make the trip to Somerset will be rewarded with growler fills of both of these beers, plus the next exciting beer on its way through the brewery.

• Tickets are now on sale for the 2014 PEI Beer Festival, which will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 5th and 6th at the Delta Prince Edward Hotel in Charlottetown. Friday will have an evening session from 6:30 – 9:30 pm, while Saturday will have both an afternoon and evening session, from 2:00 – 4:30 pm and 6:30 – 9:30 pm, respectively. With live entertainment, games, and a “Cask Contest”, it should be a great time! Tickets ($40+tax and fee for the evening sessions, $30+tax and fee for the afternoon session) can be purchased online, or in person at the brewery. There are also hotel/ticket packages available through the Delta; designated driver tickets will also be released in the near future. We plan on posting more details on the festival next week in a standalone post.

• Hammond River Brewing has re-released their Back in Black Oatmeal Stout. One of the original beers from their launch, this is an Oatmeal Stout with Star Anise added for a subtle licorice flavour, the beer weighs in at 5.2% ABV and 30 IBUs (all from East Kent Goldings). Currently on tap at Bourbon Quarter in Saint John, and the Barrel’s Head in Rothesay. Also keep an eye out for the last round of kegs (for this summer) of Blueberry Ale to hit the taps in the Saint John region (currently at Bourbon Quarter, other spots shortly). This light bodied beer is 5.4% ABV and 14 IBUs, and features loads of real blueberries for lots of flavour and aroma. And in a couple of weeks, locals can look forward to Hammond River’s last summer seasonal, a Watermelon Wheat. We’ll have more details on the beer when it becomes available.

• The PEI Brewing Co. has a new beer on tap only at the brewery – Blood Orange Tangerine IPA has the pure juice of blood oranges and tangerines mixed into their 1772 IPA, resulting in a beer that “brings out a nice juice flavour that slightly masks the bitterness and alcohol of the IPA, making it a bit more refreshing and drinkable”, according to brewmaster Chris Long. It comes in at about 6.2% ABV and 50 IBUs. Their popular Sydney Street Stout (5.3% ABV) was also brewed last week, and therefore should be making its appearance throughout PEI and NB early next month; we’ll keep you updated on future news involving this beer, including special blends planned by the brewery.

• In other PEIBC news, keep your eyes open for a mixed, canned seasonal pack being released in the near future. This 4-pack will include two PEIBC standbys – Sir John A’s Honey Wheat and Blueberry Ale, both in cans for the first time – and two new beers. Black Banks Cascadian Dark is a blend if their 1772 IPA and Sydney Street Stout, and is named after an area in Western PEI where the cliffs appear black due to layers of peat moss. The other beer is Harvest Time Lager, another hoppy, sessionable Lager featuring a New Zealand hop variety for the aroma (their first attempt was Landing Day Lager, earlier in the summer). Expected release for this mixed pack is around September 5th in PEI only, as part of the province’s culinary festival, Fall Flavours. Canned singles will start to show up in the retail fridge at the PEIBC a week or two later.

• Brasseurs du Petit-Sault is releasing their collaboration with Patrice Godin of Acadie-Broue, L’effrayab’ Tintamarre today at noon. Brewed to celebrate National Acadian Day, this Saison features a spicy and citrus aroma, fruit and a slight tart flavour, and a dry finish (more recipe details in our previous post). It will only be available on tap at the Brewtique, Resto-Bar Le Deck, and Station 127. Look for their Tante Blanche Wheat Beer and Bob LeBoeuf Blonde Ale on tap, and in bottles at the ANBL as well.

• Next month, Burgers n’ Beer – an event organized between the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival and reLiSH Gourmet Burgers – is returning to Fredericton! Similar to the first events held in April, it will involve six pairings of different sliders and beers/ciders. For this event, the 8 oz samples will include offerings from Red Rover Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, and Quebec’s Le Naufrageur, with there likely being two beers/ciders from each. It will be held at reLiSH’s uptown location on Tuesday, Sept. 30th from 8 pm – 10:30 pm; tickets are $45 and can be purchased online. The event sold out last April, and tickets are already 40% gone, so don’t wait to buy yours!

• Following up last summer’s beer tasting cruise, Uncorked Tours has scheduled a New Brews Cruise for Saturday, August 23rd. Like last year, the cruise will take place on the Voyageur II, an authentic Mississippi river boat, and will feature a 3-hour cruise on the Saint John River… with beer and cider! Ticket holders will be entitled to six different beers/ciders, as well as lots of appetizers – NB cheese, charcuterie, condiments, bread, fruit, vegetables, crackers, pretzels, etc. The beer/cider being poured will mostly be from NB breweries that have opened over the last year-and-a-half – Big Axe, Grimross, Hammond River, and Red Rover – along with Big Tide. Brewers from at least some of the breweries will be present to talk about their products. The ship also has a bar on board for wine, spirits, and commercial beer bottles if guests are interested in additional purchases throughout the cruise. The ship departs from the Saint John Marina at 6:00 pm; tickets are $75 (+HST) and can be purchased online. They also have an Oktoberfest Cruise planned for October 4th; we’ll post more details on this one soon!

• Looking to test your art skills… in the world of beer? Well, soon-to-open Railcar Brewing is holding a contest to design a label for one of their inaugural beers, Railcar Red. Full details are available via a PDF file on the page-link above, but involve submitting original artwork and personal details in-person at the brewery, or via email. The contest is being held until August 30th; the winner will receive bragging rights and a $250 prepaid debit card.

• Speaking of Railcar, they’ve teamed up with The Castle Inn in Perth-Andover to put on an “Oktobeerfest” in the fall. Details are still being finalized, but there will be several NB breweries attending, including Picaroons, Pump House, Shiretown, and of course, Railcar. The event is planned for Saturday, October 18th; you can purchase a general admission ticket (which includes a commemorative glass and 15 beer tickets) for $40, or a VIP ticket for $145, which also includes overnight accommodation at the Inn for you and one guest. Additional beer tickets will be available for $1 each. Get your tickets online; we’ll post more as details become available!

• After having released their new IPA in 6-packs this summer, Pump House is retiring an old favorite from bottle release – S.O.B. will now only be available on tap at the brewpub and through various bars and restaurants in the Maritimes; it may return in bottles as a seasonal release within the next couple of years. Look for the IPA to debut on NSLC shelves next week. They’ve also recently announced that they have their Hefeweizen seasonal on tap again at the brewpub; great style to finish off the warm days of summer, so get down for a pint!

A few final beer notes to end off today: Rogues Roost Brew Pub has their Kolsch summer seasonal on tap (and available in growlers), the Antigonish Townhouse will be tapping another pin of Terry’s Best Bitter today at 5pm, and Big Spruce is brewing up another batch of Tim’s Dirty American IPA, winner of last year’s Home Brew Challenge, look for it in September.

Friday Wrap-Up – Hoppy Beer News from Lion & Bright, Big Spruce, Burgers n’ Beers, Gahan, Rogues Roost, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-04-18
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Burgers n' Beer, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Picaroons cat contest, Picaroons Traditional Ales, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Uncle Leo's Brewery. 1 comment

Happy Friday everyone! We hope you’re reading this while sipping a nice coffee stout or citrusy IPA to start your long weekend off right.

• Lion & Bright is hosting a Spruce up the Planet! Earth Day Celebration this Tuesday, April 22nd, in support of the Ecology Action Centre. It will feature a tap takeover by Big Spruce Brewing, featuring Bitter Get’er India Black IPA,  The Whole 9 Yards, Cereal Killer, Kitchen Party, Regatta Red, You Spin Me White Round White IPA will all be on tap, and a cask of Cereal Killer Sideways, infused with Glenmorangie, will also be pouring. Jeremy and the rest of Big Spruce Nation will be in attendance, so drop by and say hello. There are no tickets required for the event, but show up promptly at 6pm to get a packet of seeds to help green up Halifax and to enjoy the music and food. $1/per pint of beer sold goes to the EAC.

• In more Big Spruce news, they kicked off the Roving Canadian Craft Beer Bag this week. Born out of receiving the bag with their Organic Conspiracy from Brian and Rebecca at Crannóg Ales, they want to keep the Canadian Beer Love going! The first recipient will be Aaron Spinney at Sawdust City, with a growler of their collaboration You Spin Me White Round White IPA and The Whole 9 Yards. We’ll be sure to keep an eye on this fantastic new tradition as it criss-crosses the country by bus.

• Finally in Big Spruce news, they recently received the second part of their expanded brewhouse, two 10 barrel unitanks, allowing them to ferment, condition and carbonate all in one vessel, allowing for an efficient way to make use of their space. As an aside, they are brewing up another batch of their White IPA today, so all of us fans will have another chances to get our hands on it. For folks lucky enough to be in the area to purchase growlers, they are very short on The Whole 9 Yards First Anniversary Scotch Ale, so be sure to drop by now to avoid disappointment. Like many breweries and the private beer stores, they are open today and Sunday, even if the provincial stores are not.

• Tuesday’s Burgers n’ Beer in Fredericton was a great success; the sold-out event was a dual effort from the Fredericton Beer Festival and reLiSH Gourmet Burgers, and featured six specialty sliders paired with six different craft beers, including first-timers to Fredericton Celtic Knot Dubh Loki Black IPA and Hammond River Brewing Red Coat India Red Ale. Along with ciders from Red Rover, and more beer from Grimross, Shiretown and Central City (Red Racer IPA), the quality of all was top-notch! The next event takes place in Moncton at reLiSH on Tuesday, April 29th from 8 pm – 10 pm. The tentative brewery list includes the brand new Big Axe, Celtic Knot, Grimross, Hammond River, Red Rover, and Shiretown. Tickets ($45, taxes and fees included) can be purchased here.

• Last Saturday featured the judging of the five finalists for the 1st Annual Gahan Home Brewer’s Challenge, which took place at the Gahan House in Charlottetown. The winning beer came from the brewing team of Ryan Palmer and Lee Nicholson with their PEI Cranberry Wit, a sessionable ale at 4.3% ABV brewed with coriander and orange peel, with cranberries added during secondary fermentation. Ryan and Lee will get to brew a full-sized batch of their beer on the Gahan system with brewmaster Trent Hayes, to be served on tap at the Gahan House in a couple of weeks. Congratulations, Ryan and Lee!

• Rogues Roost Brewpub now has their Oatmeal Stout on tap, for the first time in six years. It joins the Brown Ale, IPA, Red Ale, Blueberry Wheat, and Cream Ale on tap (and most are also available in growlers). Keep an eye on their Twitter feed for the up-to-date growler list, as well as their continuing Brewmasters events.

• We forgot to mention this last week, but better late than never, especially when it involves great beer! At this year’s Saint John Beer Fest (held on Saturday, April 5th), the crowd selected the Best of Show beer for the event… the winner was Hammond River Brewing Hop Flash IPA! Owner/brewer Shane Steeves was surprised, yet extremely grateful, at being singled out among other great beers. Congratulations, Shane!

• We mentioned in a previous Friday post that Picaroons was holding a Prohibition Repeal Party at the Capital Complex in Fredericton tomorrow, featuring a tap-takeover of their 12 draught lines. They’ve released which beers will be present – many of their regular releases will be there, along with their Yippee IPA dry-hopped with Cascade, Amarillo and Willamette, and their Best Bitter infused with Fuggle hops (thanks to the use of Randall the Enamel Animal). Check out our previous post and the event page for more info!

• Continuing with Picaroons reminders, if you still plan on sending in a picture of your kitty for their Melonhead Cat Contest, deadline for the hi-res pictures to be emailed is next Thursday, April 24th. More details in our earlier post here.

• The next Rockbottom Beer Dinner is scheduled for April 29th at 6pm. Featuring three courses paired with three beers, it’s a great opportunity to chat with Brewmaster Greg Nash about beer, food, and life in general. This month’s dinner will be Sweet Potato Gnocchi paired with their Bigwater Brown, Stout Braised Lamb Shank (Jacktar Stout), and Unbaked Peanut Butter Cheesecake (Fathom IPA). Call the pub for tickets, but act quickly, as its already half sold-out. While there, you can try their Thulsa Doom DIPA, and their Galaxy India Pale Lager SMaSH should be on tap by then as well.

• A friendly reminder that the Beerthief Private Beer Order for Wold Top and Orkney is closing this Sunday, be sure to email in your requests before then to take part. Mike Buhler will also be leading a Beer and Tulip River Cruise in March of 2015, visiting Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent and more. Check out this flyer for more details.

• Finally, in case you missed yesterday’s post on the recently-opened Big Axe Brewery in Nackawic… well, they’re now open! You can stop by the brewery/B&B on 519 Otis Dr. for growler fills of their first two beers, Chantarelle Cream Ale and Double Bit IPA, Mondays to Saturdays from 12 pm – 8 pm. You should also see their beers popping up in bars/restaurants in the area, including the King Street Ale House in Fredericton, in the near future. We’ll keep you updated on their development!

• Tickets are now on sale for the Inaugural Pictou County Pizza Competition, Saturday, April 26th, Glasgow Square, New Glasgow. Along with the chance to try six different Pictou County-style pizzas (from Cafe Italia, Crown Pizza Pictou, East Side Pizza, Sam’s Pizza (Stellarton), Sam’s Pizza (Trenton), Ted’s Pizza), attendees will receive two glasses of Uncle Leo’s beer. Tickets are available at various outlets in New Glasgow and Pictou. Also, look for Uncle Leo’s at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market Friday (today included) and Sunday. They will have their IPA and Smoked Porter available in growlers.