Celtic Oktoberfest

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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Nine Locks , FirkinStein, YellowBelly, Grimross, Upstreet, and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-10-09
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Atlantic Canadian Brewing Awards, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge, Celtic Oktoberfest, FirkinStein Brewing, Flying Boats Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Grimross Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, Nine Locks Brewery, Red Rover Craft Cider, RockBottom Brewpub, Sunset Heights Meadery, The Nook and Cranny, Upstreet Craft Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy long weekend! Once again, plenty of beer news to share, including the opening of yet another brewery in Nova Scotia in the near future. Let’s dive right in…

• There is another new brewery coming to our region in the near future. Nine Locks Brewery will be opening near Lake Micmac in Dartmouth, NS in the next couple of months. It is a collaboration between Shaun O’Hearn (owner of Rockbottom Brewpub) and business partner Danny O’Hearn, with current Rockbottom head brewer Jake Saunders moving into the Brewmaster role across the bridge, and former Brutopia Brewmaster Chris Downey joining the team. Nine Locks will be focusing on American and English style beers, launching with an IPA and ESB, with more to follow shortly. Their beer will be available in cans and growlers at their storefront at 219 Waverley Rd, through the NSLC and private stores, and on tap at local bars and restaurants. Their 20 BBL/24hl DME brewhouse is being delivered next week, with launch expected late November/early December. Their website and social media pages will be launched shortly, and we’ll be sure to keep you up to date with their progress.

• Speaking of new breweries, FirkinStein are expanding their growler delivery program, and will be attending this weekend’s Hubbards Barn Farmers’ Market. From 8am-12pm (if the beer isn’t sold out earlier!), their Nor’easter Ale will be available to purchase in 0.95 & 1.89l growlers, along with their new branded glassware. They will be at the market for the next few weeks, until it closes for the season. And remember that their Bridgewater-area growler delivery service is available a few nights per week, contact them on Facebook or Twitter to get on board!

• YellowBelly Brewery in St John’s has brought back their popular Deep South IPA for a second go ’round. This New Zealand-, Australian- and American-inspired IPA features Pacific Gem hops from New Zealand and Mosaic hops from Australia for tropical fruit, grapefruit, and mint flavours and aromas. Like the previous batch, the Deep South was fermented with an American ale yeast (instead of their house British strain), to allow the hops to shine through even more. The IPA weighs in at 6.0% ABV and roughly 60 IBUs, and is available now on tap, and in take-away bottles shortly.

• Grimross has re-released their popular Chantelope, an all-Brettanomyces-fermented “wild ale”. First making its debut in August of 2014, this is the first batch that has been brewed since the brewery opened at their current location on Bishop Drive in Fredericton early this year. While the first brew was fermented with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, owner/brewer Stephen Dixon decided to try a different strain for this current batch: Brettanomyces brux. var. Drie, an isolate from the excellent Belgian brewery, Drie Fonteinen. Dixon says that the new Chantelope is “extremely fruity and flowery”, with lots of pineapple, tropical fruit, and candy-like aromas and flavours, along with a “jasmine-like” character. This light-coloured ale comes in at a lower-ABV (5.4%) than before, with about 23 IBUs. It’s available now at the brewery taproom for pours and growler fills, and at select Grimross accounts in the province. And just this morning, they’ve just released another batch of their Dubbel, back again after a few week hiatus. Look for the beer details here.

• Attention PEI beer lovers! There’ll be a new beer dropping today at 6pm. Literally! Upstreet is releasing their fall seasonal, Gravedigger Imperial Pumpkin Ale today, and are starting it off with a bang. They’ll be dropping a 200kg local pumpkin from 20 metres to make a big splash/splat, to kick-off the release. Before crying foul, they are using the opportunity to kick off a food drive in their tap room, where anyone bringing in a non-perishable food item will enjoy staff-priced pints until Oct 31st. So, what about the beer? It is years in the making, and was first brewed on a homebrew scale by Brewmaster Mike Hogan, along with local homebrewer Ryan Palmer a couple of years ago. The recipe uses a big malt bill, for a solid base to support the pumpkin pie character throughout. The beer weighs in at 7.5% ABV and about 30 IBUs. And while at the brewery, check out the beautiful screen-printed posters from Upstreet label artist Jud Haynes, each one numbered and signed by the artist. And keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter feeds for more details on other upcoming events, including Yoga at the Brewery tomorrow, a fundraiser for Anderson House next Saturday, and their first Comedy Show, featuring Gavin Stephens, on Monday, October 19.

• Shediac’s Flying Boats Brewing, which has been operating for the last few months, has just seen a major expansion with the arrival of their 2 BBL/2.4 hectolitre system from Stout Tanks and Kettles. With a hot liquor tank, mash tun, boil kettle, brite tank, and four fermentation vessels, this will allow owner/brewer Marc Melanson to brew significantly more beer than previously able on his original, 10 gallon system. Several small-scale batches will be brewed at first to dial-in the new brewery, with full-size brews to follow shortly afterwards to meet “growing demand”, and supply new accounts who have been eagerly waiting to pour Flying Boats beer!

• Nyanza’a Big Spruce Brewing will be releasing their annual pumpkin beer next week. Smokin’ Jack It features the addition of several home farm-grown pumpkins, apple wood smoked right at the brewery. After fermentation, the beer was aged on rum-soaked cardamom, vanilla and cinnamon. It comes in at 5.5% ABV; look for it on tap at the brewery mid-week, and at better beer bars shortly thereafter. Don’t forget to drop by today starting at 11:30 for some food from Cruisin’ Cuisine Food Truck, with music by Maxim Cormier at 2pm. In fact, every afternoon from Oct 9-17 (except Sunday the 11th) at 2pm, there will be live music as part of the Celtic Colours festival. Check their Facebook page for the exact schedule. And Big Spruce also has an exciting program in the works with the folks at Escarpment Laboratories in Ontario, look for details on that in the coming months.

• Fredericton’s James Joyce Irish Pub has announced the launch of their “Meet your Makers”, an ongoing series of tap takeovers. An opportunity to try several brews from one brewery, each will also provide a chance to chat with the brewer(s) in a quiet setting and ask them questions on their process, ingredients, future plans, etc. A brewery-related food special will also be available at each event. First up is Big Axe on Friday, October 23rd. Starting at 7:30 pm, owners Peter and Tatiana Cole will be bringing at least six of their beers. Details on exactly which beers are not yet known, but they HAVE brewed up something special for this event, featuring the honey produced on the rooftop of the Crowne Plaza. Their latest re-release of the Wrath of Putin “Imperial Pale Ale” (out today) should be appearing as well. There’s no cost to attend, just show up and pay by the beer! Big Axe merchandise will be on hand for purchase.

• And while on the topic, the next Meet Your Makers has already been planned for Thursday, November 5th, to coincide with Guy Fawkes Night. Featuring Red Rover, expect plenty of cider on tap (including one or two new releases), with a good chance of a cask cider as well. A Guy Fawkes effigy will hang out in the pub until 10:30 pm, when it will be taken outside and burned in a bonfire (don’t worry, they have a permit!). More details to come.

• Garrison Brewing has a few new beers available now. Their 3 Fields Harvest Ale is out, brewed with fresh hops from Meander River Farm, Ross Farm Museum, and Wyskmykal Farm, added to the brew within hours of harvest. The beer weighs in at a hefty 6.4% ABV. On tap at the brewery only, they have brewed up a special cask of Cranapple Weisse, a cranberry- and apple-infused wheat beer, 5.0% ABV. For those in New Brunswick, look for their American Red on tap at the four ANBL growler filling stations. This blend of their Irish Red and India Pala Ale brings together the best of both worlds. Look out for a second batch of their Double Jack Imperial Pumpkin Ale to be refilling shelves at the brewery, NSLC, and beyond. Finally, Modem Hoperandi, celebrating The Stanfields‘ new album release, is also out now at the brewery.

• The 2nd Annual ACBAs are back, and tickets are now available to purchase for the Awards Gala at the Stubborn Goat. On Sunday, October 18th, the winners will be announced and the celebrations can begin! The Goat’s Chef Tyler Smith will be preparing a multi-course dinner, each course paired with a local beer. Tickets are available online now.

• Early Bird tickets for the Local Connection Halifax’s Craft Beer & Local Food Celebration are moving quickly, so be sure to snap them up soon to avoid disappointment. The Jan 16 event is moving to a larger venue, which means more room for more breweries, restaurants, and attendees. It always features several special casks and special brews, including Big Spruce’s Home Brew Challenge winner (btw homebrewers, just under two months to go until judging, so best get your brew on now!).

• The Nook and Cranny has released a Pumpkin Spiced Ale, which is now on tap at the brewpub. Brewed along the lines of a Wheat Ale, a pumpkin spiced tea (featuring cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin spices) was steeped and added to the beer. Served with a sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg rim, it weighs in at 4.5% ABV. Drop down to try a pint before it’s gone for the season!

Have a fantastic Thanksgiving! Remember, lots of beer styles pair perfectly with turkey. If you’re in the Moncton area tonight, remember that the Atlantic Canadian Craft Beer Oktoberfest starts at 7:30 pm (6:30 for VIP); tickets are still available.

Finally, a few housekeeping notes to end this week’s post: we have added a Growler page to our site this week. We wanted to take stock of all locations in our region selling growlers, and their different filling/return policies. Please let us know if you find a mistake. Also this week, our Facebook page was “upgraded”, which meant we lost the ability to Friend people. Please don’t take it personally! Our Atlantic Canada Beer Pages list had to be rebuilt from scratch, so if we’ve missed anything important, please let us know too. Cheers!

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Upstreet, Boxing Rock, Sunset Heights Meadery, NB Beer Tours, Unfiltered, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-08-14
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Battery Park, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Bulwark Cider, Celtic Oktoberfest, Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Halifax Oktoberfest, Hell Bay Brewing, Jester King, King Street Ale House, Local Connections Halifax, Maritime Hop Growers Cooperative, New Brunswick Beer Tours, North Brewing, Picaroons, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Sunset Heights Meadery, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. 1 comment

Good morning! Looks like there’s some hot weather coming our way for this weekend… what better way to cool off than with news about our favourite beverage?

• Last weekend, PEI’s Upstreet Craft Brewing had a special visitor: Emily Tipton, Boxing Rock‘s co-owner and Beer Engineer. Tipton and Upstreet brewmaster Mike Hogan brewed their first collaboration beer on Upstreet’s system, a SMaSH IPL (single-malt and single hop India Pale Lager) named Rumble in the Alley: Round 1. Featuring a grist of 100% Maritime malt, and hopped entirely with Amarillo to 50 IBUs, it was fermented with Upstreet’s house Pilsner yeast and should clock in at about 6% ABV. Islanders can expect to see this one become available before the end of August; look for a couple of kegs to also pop up in Halifax sometime in the future. This should be just the first of many collaborations between these two breweries; they already have a history of working together, including when the Upstreet crew visited Boxing Rock last winter, and ended up lending a hand to help brew Cinnamon Spin.

• The hop plants at Sunset Heights Meadery are growing strong, and owner/brewer John Way already has plans for them! He’s brewed up a single 120 L batch of mead, which will be separated into eight 15 L “mini-batches”, each of which will be wet-hopped with a different variety (including Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Fuggles, Galena, Magnum, Nugget, and Willamette). These small batches will be bottled and sold as 8-packs (200 mL per bottle), allowing the consumer to sample each type. If you’re attending the Autumn Mead Release Party on October 24th (there are only a few tickets left), you’ll have guaranteed access to purchase one set; leftovers – if any – will be available via their soon-to-go-live online store.

• The itinerary has been finalized for the next trip from New Brunswick Beer Tours, which will be held on Saturday, October 17th. The River Valley Tour is actually a rehash of their first highly-successful tour last fall, and includes stops at Petit-Sault in Edmundston, Railcar in Florenceville-Bristol, and Big Axe in Nackawic. The tour bus leaves the King Street Ale House in Fredericton at 9 am, and should return around 6 pm later that day. Beer samples from all three breweries are included, as well as many sampling opportunities on the bus itself, and a box lunch. Tickets are now available;  an early-bird price of $88 (taxes and fee included) will apply until September 1st.

• After opening just a couple of weeks ago, Unfiltered Brewing is releasing their first seasonal today at noon. Daytimer is a kettle-soured Berliner Weisse that has been dry-hopped with plenty of Mosaic, a variety well-known for providing high levels of tropical fruitiness. Combined with the natural tartness of this style and it’s high drinkability at 3.4% ABV, Haligonians should be looking at the perfect beer for hot-weather consumption. And drop by Unfiltered anytime after 3pm today to pair your growler with a dog from the T-Dogs hotdog stand.

• Speaking of dogs (and T-Dogs specifically), details are being released for this year’s Sausage Fest, put on by the Local Connections Halifax crew. A preview of the event is happening tomorrow, during Sausage Fest Roadshow on the pedestrian-only (on the weekend) Argyle Street. T-Dogs will be there to serve up some pizza- and donair-dogs; many other community groups and vendors will be attending as well. Sausage Fest begins in earnest Sept 19th, with a day-time Sausage Throwdown, and an evening Sausage O’ The Night event, with both events hosting at least nine NS breweries and a half-dozen restaurants with their sausage creations. In fact, several breweries will be releasing special brews for the week: Boxing Rock is releasing Kerfuffle APA, a dry-hopped malt-balanced Pale Ale; Bulwark will have Hopped Citrus Cider, an apple cider featuring Cascade and Comet hops; Garrison is releasing Hammerschlagen Brau, a Marzen; and Propeller will be bringing Wind Swell Wheat, a Cascade-hopped American Pale Wheat beer. And on Friday, Sept 25th, the waterfront will host a Hops & Brats event to kick off Halifax Oktoberfest, with many NS breweries in attendance to share their beers to pair with different German fare. And just a note, LCH’s Craft Beer & Local Food Celebration is returning January 14th at the Marriott Harbourfront, and Early Bird tickets are on sale now.

• AND, speaking of Dogs, Dawgs, and Dogg, the folks at Good Robot are hosting a Hair of the Dog event Sunday. Grab your puppy(ies) and drop by after 11am for a dog spa treatment by the folks at All 4 Paws Pet Services; while there, enjoy a custom-made T-Dogs hot dog, grab a pint of GR beer, and listen to some Snoop Dogg. $20 will get you a dog wash, hot dog, and 12oz beer (the music is free). $2 from each combo package will be going to ElderDog Canada. While on-site, grab a taste of their Goseface Killah Gose v1.1, dubbed Sour Soul, which was brewed using more acidulated malt than the first release, for an additional acidic character. And with their Tap Room slated to open this fall, they are now taking applications for servers and bartenders, so be sure to bug Josh while you’re there!

• The Celtic Oktoberfest is returning on October 24th for their second year in Port Hawkesbury. A “celebration of local food, music, and beer”, attendees can expect plenty of all three, with the four hour event featuring beer from ten different Nova Scotia breweries, food from ten Cape Breton restaurants, and live music from many local musicians. So far, Big Spruce, Breton Brewing, Boxing Rock, Garrison, and Hell Bay are confirmed to be pouring, with others likely being announced soon. Tickets are now on sale, with early-bird pricing at $50 (+ fee) available until September 1st.

• The folks from North Brewing and Brooklyn Warehouse have announced plans for their new spot in Dartmouth. Battery Park beer bar & eatery will open in October at 62 Ochterloney Drive in Dartmouth. In addition to the bar and restaurant, it will feature a brewing system on-site, with North’s current 5 BBL (600 litre) brewhouse making the trip across the bridge. Beers brewed in Dartmouth will be special brews available only at Battery Park, or for growler fills at the brewery shop. In its place at North’s Agricola St location, a new 10 BBL (1200 litre) steam-fired system will be commissioned. This brew-house from DME will incorporate a boiler capable of burning biodiesel, taking a big step towards North’s plan of reducing their environmental footprint. As part of the launch of this new endeavour, Battery Park is running a crowdfunding campaign.

• Stillwell Beer Bar will be hosting an exciting pair of out-of-province breweries September 1st. Brasserie Dunham from Quebec’s Eastern Townships and Jester King from just outside of Austin, TX, are two breweries at the forefront of innovative recipes and techniques, both with extensive barrel- and mixed-fermentation beers in their roster. They recently brewed up a collaboration beer, and are meeting again in Quebec for another brew day and the release celebration. Part of the celebration will include a brewers’ visit to Stillwell, where the two breweries will be taking over the taps, as well as bringing a load of bottles. Tickets for the event go on sale today at noon, and will offer first sips of the beers in a 6-8pm session, after which the doors will be open to all. A warning that many of the beers will be in short supply, and some will almost certainly run our during the initial early session. For more information on the breweries and which beers will be pouring, check out Stillwell’s Blog.

• The Maritime Hop Growers Co-op are hosting Open Hop Yard Days this month, giving NS beer enthusiasts a chance to check out a few of the farms growing hops in the province. For the next three Sundays, from 1-4pm, folks can visit Breton Fields, High Tide, Meander River, Wallace Ridge, Wentworth Creek, and Wysmykal Farm hop farms to learn about the process of growing hops, as well as the business of hop growing. For those already growing hops, or looking to start, there is an information session presented by Perennia August 19th in Aylesford, with information on best practices for harvesting and drying hops. With many of the members in attendance, it will be a great opportunity to talk about the opportunities available. The Co-op has been around since 2009, and has 15 farm members (ten in NS, three in NB, and two in PEI). Those interested in more information on joining the Co-op, growing hops as a hobby, or buying hops, should check out their Facebook page.

• YellowBelly Brewery in St John’s has released a new IPA this week, Deep South. Hopped to 60 IBUs with varieties from the Southern Hemisphere (specifically, Pacific Gem from New Zealand and Mosaic from Australia), the beer comes across as “dry and bitter, with serious overtones of lychee and grapefruit”, according to the brewery. YellowBelly decided to ferment this IPA with an American ale yeast, as opposed to their British house strain, which should allow the fruity hop characteristics to shine through even more. It weighs in at a manageable 6% ABV; get down to the brewpub to give it a try!

Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend, and keep cool with some good, local beer! Garrison Brewing’s Honey Lavender is back for another year. This 6.3% ABV ale features loads of lavender from Meander River Farms, and honey from Cosman & Whidden; it’s available in 650 mL bottles at the brewery. Stubborn Goat Gastropub has added grunters to their repertoire. This new ability to offer 0.95 litre pours is a continuation of their “social dining” concept, encouraging groups to share a few glasses of several different craft beer options during their meal. Breton Brewing ‏is looking to hire some folks in their retail space, as well as for delivery and assistant brewer positions. Contact them for details. Finally, Picaroons is starting to see some of their new brewery equipment coming in, with the arrival of several new tanks this week in Fredericton. Stay tuned for more updates…

Friday Wrap-Up – News and new beers from PEI Brewing Co, PEILCC, BarNone, North Brewing, Hammond River, Petit-Sault and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-10-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: BarNone Brewing, Big Axe Brewery, Bishop's Cellar, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Celtic Knot Brewing, Celtic Oktoberfest, Hammond River Brewing, North Brewing, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Red Rover Brewing. 2 comments

Good morning, beer lovers! What better way to warm up and dry off from this miserable weather than with some beer news from our region?

• The PEI Brewing Co. has a new beer exclusively on tap at the brewery – Scary Saison is a very small test batch that was brewed back in the summer. Featuring a simple malt bill (“Belgian Blonde” style, according to brewmaster Chris Long) fermented with a Saison yeast, the beer went on to have lemon juice added directly to the keg for additional acidity. Coming in at 6.5% ABV and 25-30 IBUs, it has a “crisp and acidic finish, and is fantastic with rich foods”, according to Long. Get down to the brewery to try it out, it won’t last long!

• In other good news for Islanders, CBC news recently reported that changes to the liquor control act will now allow craft breweries on PEI to brew beer above 6.5% ABV. This previous limitation resulted in breweries (and consumers) being boxed-in to a certain number of beer styles. With more choices now being opened up, expect to see more offerings available soon! PEI Brewing Co.’s Chris Long has confirmed that the planning has already begun, and that beer drinkers can expect to see some new styles available from them soon.

• With this news, BarNone Brewing has a new beer scheduled to be brewed tomorrow, when the law change takes effect. What’s up first? An Imperial IPA, naturally! We don’t have many details on this beer yet, but we can tell you it will be named The Little DIPA (because something “even bigger and badder” is being planned for the future, says BarNone brewer/co-owner Don Campbell), and clock in at about 8.5% ABV. Stay tuned for more information!

• North Brewing in Halifax are releasing a special hybrid today, Saison De L’Acadie. This wine and beer hybrid was brewed in collaboration with Ben Swetnam of Avondale Sky Winery. After primary fermentation of 1100 litres of a Saison (brewed with pilsner and wheat malts), they added 200 litres of  L’Acadie Blanc grape must and 10 kg of Cosman and Whidden honey to the secondary. Featuring a dominating grape character, with the malt and yeast to balance and complement. Some lucky folks were able to get the first taste of it last night at Stillwell, and it is available today at the brewery, tomorrow at the Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market, and may make an appearance back on tap (and in cask) shortly.

• More news on the new beer from Hammond River: a “bold” American Brown Ale (style selected by popular vote on their Facebook page) named Switchback, the grist contains Pale Ale malt, Carapils, Caramunich II, and Chocolate malt. Owner/brewer Shane Steeves went on to hop the beer aggressively (in the mash and boil) with Northern Brewer and Falconer’s Flight; when fermentation is complete, it will be dry-hopped with Centennial. It should come in at about 6% ABV and 62 IBUs. We’ll keep you updated when the beer is ready and available. Shane continues to develop new recipes… he’s got a Coconut Porter in mind for the near future!

• Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault has a new beer on the way as well. A currently-unnamed Amber Ale brewed with local specialty malts, it will feature “upfront caramel notes with a toasted bread aroma, and hints of toffee, roastiness, and fruitiness”, according to the brewery, and will be “well-rounded with a balanced bitterness”. This amber-colored ale should come in at about 5-5.5% ABV and 27 IBUs when it is ready. Look for it on tap and at the brewery for growler fills in early November, and should be bottled early next year. They’ve also got a special-release Christmas beer planned for early December; more news on both beers soon!

• As the colder days roll in, that means that Picaroons Winter Warmer is on its way! This 7.3% ABV English Barleywine is always a popular slow-sipper in Fredericton, and should be available on tap at bars/restaurants in the province, and in bottles, during the first week of November. Picaroons is planning a special launch party for the beer around that time – more details on that next week.

• The NB brewers have been busy this week! Celtic Knot Brewery has put together a brand new brew this week, Angry Willy. Described as a hybrid of a Scottish Export and American IPA, using the body of his Caledonia, but hopped to excess with New Zealand Waimea for bittering and primarily Amarillo for flavour and aroma. Low alcohol content, but high hopping will make for a tasty beer. Look for this on tap mid-November around Moncton.

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is going through a consultation process, in order to modernize the way beer is labelled, identified, and described in the country. Your comments can help shape the way beer is treated in Canada. The 10-min survey can be found here, it closes Nov 17th.

• Looking for something to do after work this evening? If you live in the HRM, Bishop’s Cellar is holding a Craft Beer Tasting today, from 5-7pm. While primarily known for their solid wine selection, in recent months, Bishop’s has been expanding their craft and import beer selection, from Atlantic Canada, the rest of the country, and also imported craft beer. Attendees can look forward to a handful of local and imported beers, each paired with special snacks. Tickets are available online now.

• If you’re in Cape Breton this weekend, remember that the Celtic Oktoberfest is happening in Port Hawkesbury tomorrow evening. This all-=inclusive event with have beer from 9 NS breweries, and 8 local restaurants, each bringing their best to share with you. There are still tickets available for purchase. And be sure to drop by the Port Hawkesbury Yacht Club 2-4pm to witness the Pumpkin Launch! The breweries and other teams have been sharing jabs on social media, as they work to perfect their trebuchets, click here for a video from Big Spruce.

Remember to grab a pint, bottle, or growler of something local this weekend: Red Rover White Witch is now available in flagons at the Ciderhouse, Petit-Sault Bob LeBoeuf is in growlers at ANBL in Fredericton this week, and Boxing Rock’s Unobtanium is available in bottles today at the brewery and private stores. And speaking of the ANBL program, Hammond River will be back on the taps in November, and Big Axe will be taking part for the first time November 5th in Fredericton, with their award-winning Shakesbeer Chocolate Oatmeal Stout.