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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Scudrunner Brewing, Downeast Beer Factory, Mill Street, Gray Stone Brewing, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-06-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Antigonish Townhouse, Authentic Seacoast Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Black Box Challenge, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Canada Day Bash, Distillerie Fils du Roy, Downeast Beer Factory, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Gray Stone Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Lazy Bear Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Red Rover Craft Cider, Schoolhouse Brewery, Scudrunner Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Wayfarers' Ale. Leave a Comment

Welcome to the weekend, and it’s looking like a nice one! The start of summer doesn’t appear to have slowed down local beer news in any respect, so let’s get to it…

• Attention Central Newfoundland beer fans, there’s a new brewery scheduled to land in your region very soon! The brainchild of three avid homebrewing pilots, Scudrunner Brewing will be opening soon in Gander. Looking to bring well-made beer to their home base, they will be focusing on brewing flavourful and interesting styles for the local community on a 6hl system. Follow along on their progress on their website, Facebook, and Twitter pages, as they work towards opening before the end of the year.

• Downeast Beer Factory, located at 612 Windmill Rd in Dartmouth, will be launching their house-brewed beers this weekend. While their restaurant and bar have been open for a month and a half, their 18 hl brewhouse took a little bit longer to get up and running. Drop by tomorrow from 11am to grab a pint or growler of their 4.5% ABV Fiddler’s Irish Red Ale, or 6.0% ABV Game Changer IPA. In celebration, Downeast will be donating $5.00 from every bill to the Children’s Wish Foundation.

• Mill Street Brewpub’s new St John’s location held their Grand Opening this week, and launched the first of their beers produced onsite. Brewed on a state-of-the-art 10 hl Caspary system, Longshore Porter is the first Mill Street beer produced on the island. Weighing in at 4.8% ABV, this dark amber brew features strong caramel notes from the Carafa and Munich malts (on top of a Pale base), with a balancing bitterness from Clear Valley Hops Cascade and Chinook to 35 IBUs. Burton Ale yeast was used for the fermentation, for a light fruity ester profile and good attenuation, and a dry finish. Their second beer is conditioning now, and will be available late next week. Capelin Session IPA features Cascade, Chinook, and Pacific Gem in the boil, along with lots of Cascade and Mosaic hops added after fermentation. Named after the Capelin fish that can be caught as they swim into shallow water, this Session IPA is the perfect refreshment while waiting for the day’s catch, due to the low ABV despite layers of hops (for about 50 IBUs). The house-brewed beers join the dozen other Mill Street products on tap, a rotating list of which can be purchased to go in growlers. They join the 130+ beers available at the adjacent Bier Markt location.

• Fredericton, your wait is over… Gray Stone Brewing has officially announced the opening date for their brewery/taproom! Next Friday, July 1st, the 10 BBL (~11.5 hL) brewery will open the doors at their 221 King St. location downtown, starting at 11 am and continuing until midnight. Featuring a brewing team of four local brewers (Ian DeMerchant, Mark Budd, Steve Christie, and Ryan Placktis), Gray Stone will be launching with two beers: Patagonia Pale Ale, a light-to-medium-bodied APA with a “bold tropical flavour and aroma”, 5% ABV and 160 theoretical IBUs; and Black IPA, strongly hopped, with “mild roasted malt character and pine/citrus flavours”, and clocking in at 5% ABV and 127 IBUs. The taproom will feature 24 taps; in addition to Gray Stone brews, many other New Brunswick beers will be showcased on a rotating basis. The Canada Day opening will feature plenty of beer, food, and games as a kick-off to summer! After the launch, their regular hours will be Monday-Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-12am, and Sunday 12pm-7pm. They will be filling growlers in the future; details are still TBA.

• Boxing Rock has released the third beer from their first homebrew competition, the Black Box Challenge. Hop Springs Eternal, a White IPA, was the first runner-up in the comp, brewed by local homebrewers Mark Reid and Sean Ebert. With a malt bill comprised of over 30% Wheat, and “hopped generously” with Columbus, Cascade, Willamette, and Pacifica, expect plenty of fruity, citrusy character in the aroma and flavour. Fermented with “an obscure yeast strain”, the beer weighs in at 5.4% ABV. You can find it at the brewery, at select tap accounts and all four private liquor stores in Halifax, and in growlers at the Halifax Seaport Market and Alderney Farmers’ Market on Saturdays. And in other Boxing Rock news, they’ve also re-released their Professor McDougall’s Oban Heather Scottish Ale, brewed in collaboration with local homebrewer Jason McDougall, and Bottle Blonde, a Blonde ale featuring a healthy dose of rye malt in the grain bill. Look for more details on all three beers at BR’s blog.

• TrailWay has released a new Pale Ale, Summit APA. Hopped entirely with the Summit variety, this 4.7% ABV, light-coloured beer has characteristics of garlic and onion in the aroma and flavour, as is typical for this particular hop. Joining it is a fresh batch of their Primetime APA; both beers can now be enjoyed in the hot sun on their newly-opened patio, or purchased in growlers to go. As usual, food trucks will be serving up delicious treats at the taproom location both today and tomorrow.

• Schoolhouse Brewery has announced a major expansion, including a move to 40 Water St. in downtown Windsor, where they will be brewing on a repurposed10 BBL, copper brew house. The new location will feature a retail space and taproom with a patio; with 6 taps dedicated to Schoolhouse beers, and another six to other Nova Scotia craft breweries, the local beer selection in Windsor will definitely see a bump! Renovations are planned to start on July 1st, with brewing commencing hopefully by early November. Plans are for the retail store to open in December, with the taproom following next Spring. Congratulations to the Schoolhouse family, and as always, we’ll keep you updated on their progress! In the meantime, they have announced that their beers are now available on tap at Saint-Famille Wines in Falmouth.

• Petit-Pacquetville’s Distillerie Fils du Roy has launched a pair of new beers recently. Late last week, they launched Lady Chaga, an Acadian Pale Ale (inspired by the English IPA style), featuring the locally-harvested Chaga mushroom. Described by Fils du Roy as being very hoppy and bitter, with notes of citrus and a nutty finish, this amber-coloured beer clocks in at 7% ABV and ~60 IBUs. This beer is available exclusively at La Brokerie, a bar in Caraquet, though there may be a keg available elsewhere very soon (coughJamesJoycecough). In addition, this week saw the launch of Gougou, a cranberry-infused beer. This 7% ABV Fruit Beer was inspired by the writings of Samuel de Champlain, who spoke of the Gougou, a monster who would terrorize the native inhabitants of the Baie des Chaleurs. This special brew is only available at La Terrasse à Steve, a seafood restaurant on Miscou Island. Finally, look for the return of La Messe Blanche, their 7% ABV Weizenbock, which was bottled earlier this week.

• Propeller has released the latest beer in their One Hit Wonder series – June Bock. A Maibock (aka Helles Bock), this style is a pale-coloured, malty, strong German Lager. Propeller’s take on this classic style features Two Row, Pilsener, Wheat, Munich malts, and is hopped solely with Hallertauer. The resultant beer is 6.8% ABV and 35 IBUs, and features a moderate bitterness, slight floral hop flavour, and a bright golden colour, according to the brewery. As always, it’s available in a limited supply, so get down to either Prop Shop location to fill your growlers ASAP! It will also likely pop up on tap at a few select locations in Halifax, shortly.

• Tatamagouche Brewing just released a new SMaSH (single-malt and single-hop) beer, Horton Ridge SMaSH. With a grist made up entirely of Horton Ridge Pale Malt, the 5.4% ABV beer was hopped with Amarillo, a crowd-favourite variety that’s big on grapefruit and citrus. Available at the brewery for growler fills now, and should be following on tap at better beer bars and restaurants any day now.

• Now that the new Authentic Seacoast Distillery and Brewery facility has officially opened at 75 Ferry Lane in Guysborough, we have some more information to share: they have christened their new 35 hl brewhouse, so expect to see product from the new system hitting shelves in the next month or so. The brewhouse will also be creating the mash for their line of GLYNNEVAN whisky. Hours of operation for their tasting room are 11am-6pm daily, with tours running at 2pm throughout the summer.

• Petit-Sault has welcomed a new brewer for the summer – Andrew ‘Esty’ Estabrooks, former brewmaster at Picaroons, will be brewing at the Edmundston brewery over the next couple of months, to help with the transition on the recently-expanded brewery and taproom… which means, more Petit-Sault beer! Speaking of, their beers are now heading to Nova Scotia for the first time, with their Amber Ale, Louis XVII, having the honour of being the first brand! Look for it at NSLC stores across the province shortly.

• Lazy Bear Brewing has confirmed that they will be opening their retail location on Thursday, June 30th, from 5-8 pm. Located at 120 West Old Post Rd in Smiths Cove, NS, this will be a “soft opening”, with current plans being to open every Thursday thereafter. Growlers (1 L swing-top) will be available for purchase, and both of their first-release beers will be pouring; of course, they will happily fill clean growlers from other breweries as well! They will also be attending the CD release show for Ramshackle & Scarecrow at the Sissiboo Coffee Bar in Smiths Cove July 2nd, pouring their beer. They are now available in Halifax at the Lord Nelson’s The Arms Public House, and will be on tap at East of Grafton on Argyle when they open June 29th. In the meantime, check out their updated website (link above) for some details on the family behind the beers!

• A for Adventure is holding a contest to raise awareness of the Rogues Roost wilderness area in Nova Scotia. Check out the video, and plan to make a visit this summer. The prize pack is a kayak adventure including lunch from PEI Brewing (including some Rogues Roost IPA), $100 MEC gift card, all guided by the A for Adventure crew.

• Big Spruce and Boxing Rock brewed up a pilot batch of a new Blonde recently, and it is available in Nyanza now. Wigged Out is a 5.0% ABV blonde ale, featuring late addition Cascade hops for a low bitterness, but aromatic character, for an extremely quaffable beer. It is only available on tap at their tasting room this weekend, so be sure to drop by for some, and grab some food from Cruisin’ Cuisine food truck, who are there 12-7pm daily Fri-Sun.

We’ve got a bit on events in the next couple of weeks, including some Canada Day celebrations.

• A couple of final reminders for this weekend: tonight and tomorrow, Upstreet will be celebrating their first birthday with some special parties and an anniversary beer release; check out our previous post for more details. And in Fredericton tomorrow, Maybee Brewing is holding their Grand Opening Party from 6-11 pm, to celebrate the opening of their taproom.

• The second annual Canada Day Bash at the Lighthouse, hosted by the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, will take place at the Lighthouse on the Green from 8pm-11pm. Tickets are $55 each and on sale now, and will get you fourteen 4-oz samples from local breweries TrailWay, Maybee, Red Rover, and Sunset Heights Meadery, as well as a variety of food options served up from the Food at the Crowne. And, of course, you’ll have a prime spot to watch the fireworks when they start after it gets dark!

• The Townhouse Pub in Antigonish is celebrating their 4th Anniversary next weekend. They’ll be releasing the details of the party and events shortly, check their Twitter and Facebook feeds for more details.

• Wayfarers’ Ale in Port Williams expects to be opening their doors next weekend as well. Details are slim at the moment, but we’ll share them when we have them!

And a few more things of note this week:
– Red Rover has re-released Tinderbox, a 7% ABV cider featuring the addition of bourbon and oak; it’s currently on tap at both the Cider House and James Joyce.
– Grimross has launched “Phase One” of a series of expansions; they appear to be embiggening their taproom and retail space currently, and promise that canning of their beers will be commence in the near future.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Stillwell, Manual & Co, Propeller, YellowBelly, TrailWay, Annapolis Cider, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-06-17
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Alexander Keith's History Brewery, Annapolis Cider Company, Authentic Seacoast Brewing, Beerocracy, Big Spruce Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Gray Stone Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Horton Ridge Malt & Grain, Maybee Brewing, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tasting NB, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. 2 comments

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s shaping up to be a busy weekend in our region, so let’s dive right in!

• One of the most anticipated openings of the summer will be happening this weekend (maybe even today, if the weather cooperates). The Stillwell Beergarden location on Spring Garden a/k/a #BGonSG will be opening very, very soon. Featuring access from both Spring Garden and South Park, the bright red sea can features an expanded tap list of 10 beer and ciders, plus a pair of wines available at all times. While focusing on local beer is still the norm, look for special beers from elsewhere to be available, including DdC!. To keep fans of the Barrington Mothership happy, a small rotating selection of large-format bottles will be available for sharing, and there will be non-alcoholic options too, such as Propeller Sodas. While Chef Graeme Ruppel is holding court on Barrington, sous-chef Joe Martin(i) will be driving the food options on Spring Garden, with a rotating dozen-item menu, featuring everything from tacos to kofte, weiners to noodles, all cooked over wood and charcoal, for a backyard BBQ vibe. Keep an eye on Stilly’s BG webpage and twitter for today’s forecast of beer and accompaniments.

• In the same space as the Beergarden, Manual & Co will be running a Dairy Bar onsite with cool treats, pulled coffee shots, and more. Featuring new house-made soft serve and sundae options daily, they are also putting together their own popsicles and will feature cold-brewed coffee, served on a nitro tap. Open from 10-8 daily, follow along with their latest flavours and features on instagram and twitter.

• Halifax’s Propeller Brewing has released a brand new collaboration brew this week. Graceland Too is a White IPA, brewed with a little help from the crew from Barrie, ON’s Flying Monkeys. This 6.5% wheat beer features loads of hops for a solid bitterness and citrus aroma, complementing the weizen yeast characters, the same strain used in their Hefeweizen. The beer is available is bottles now at both the Gottingen and Windmill locations, and will see limited release in kegs and cask around the city. Due to the small batch size, it may not last long enough to make it to their growler filling stations, so be sure to drop by today for satisfaction.

• St John’s YellowBelly Brewery has released a new beer this week. Summer Wheat is a different take on their Wexford Wheat, featuring a different hopping bill, incorporating Sorachi Ace. That hop gives off notes of lemon, dill, and flowers, on a medium-light wheat character. At 4.5% ABV and 22 IBUs, it will be perfect for the coming warmer days. The beer is available on tap now, and due to the small batch size, will not be available in bottles.

• TrailWay has released a brand new beer, American Oatmeal. Brewed with a healthy amount of Flaked Oats, some Brown malt was also added to the grist to contribute to the roast character of the beer. It weighs in at 6.2% ABV and is available at the brewery taproom now, as well as select accounts in Fredericton. And while there, be sure to try out the new iteration of their Session IPA, brewed with a different hop schedule, featuring a mix of Australian and American hop varieties (including a sizable dry hop). 4.3% and about 40 IBUs. Finally, the taproom patio should be opening today, which offers plenty of additional, outdoor seating, to help keep up with the crowds that have been turning out for a pint or three! Milda’s Pizza will be in attendance from 4:30-8 today to keep you satisfied. And tomorrow will see the brand new Country Fried Wontons truck drop by to provide nourishment from 4:30-8:30.

• Newly-opened Annapolis Cider Company has a new cider on tap, Rhubarb Ginger. Freshly-pressed rhubarb and juiced ginger give this unfiltered 6.7% ABV cider a hazy look, and a tasty blend of aromas and flavours. This “Something Different” batch is the first in their plan of passing along $0.50 for every refill to a local charitable organization. This batch’s beneficiary is the Nova Scotia Nature Trust which is dedicated to protecting, forever, Nova Scotia’s most unique, rare and treasured natural areas through land conservation. Drop by Annapolis’ Wolfville location for a fill today!

• In tribute to this year’s OUTeast Film Festival in Halifax (June 16th-19th), Good Robot released a new beer, of sorts, yesterday. Shocking Pinks is a blend of their regular-lineup Goseface Killah Gose with pink lemonade and hibiscus tea. Described by the brewery as “tart, floral and fruity”, this 4.8% ABV blend is available now on tap at the Good Robot taproom, and at many of the OUTeast events over the weekend.

• Edmundston’s Brasseurs Petit-Sault has released their Summer 2016 seasonal this week. Lt. Ingall Cream Ale is 4.3% ABV light-bodied beer, with a nice aromatic punch from the use of Galaxy, in a quaffable package. The beer will be available exclusively at their Brewtique for pints and growler fills, and at next weekend’s Edmundston Jazz and Blues Festival.

• Tatamagouche Brewing is celebrating their Second Anniversary this weekend, with some special brewery-only deals and beers available. Starting today, they will be pouring their CBA-medal winning Two Rivers Baltic Porter, and a special cask of their Deception Bay IPA, conditioned on nectarines. Look for a special beer brewed with grist from Horton Ridge Malt to be released late next week. This SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop) features the Annapolis Valley’s Organic Pale Ale malt, and hopped with Amarillo. And in early July, keep an eye out for a Session IPA brewed with the crew from Halifax’s Bishop’s Cellar, featuring Mosaic, Hallertau Blanc and a small addition of Amarillo.

• We now have more details on the 1st Anniversary beer being released by Upstreet next Friday, June 24th, during their 1st Anniversary event weekend. A Belgian Saison (aka Farmhouse Ale), De Novo I was brewed with a simple grist of Maritime Malt, hopped with Goldings harvested in New Brunswick, and fermented with two yeast strains: a Saccharomyces strain, and a Brettanomyces yeast blend from Escarpment labs in Ontario. Weighing in at 6% ABV, the brewery describes the beer as having “light candy and funky flavours”, with a dry finish. The beer will be available in bottles and on tap exclusively at the Upstreet taproom, and will be released June 24th at 6 pm, at the beginning of the Anniversary Beer Launch & Vinyl Party. Tickets are still available for their Field Trip, starting Saturday June 25 @ 6pm, featuring stops at 5 locations, with samples at each, ending up at The Alley for bowling and beer and food and music.

• Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing is bringing back two favourite hopbombs today. The Double Orange Ale (DOA) Double IPA is a SMaSH beer weighing in at 7.5% ABV and 100+ IBUs, getting its eponymous colour from a Nash-special technique, using only 2-Row malt and Citra hops. The Riddle of Steel IPA is slightly lighter, boasting 7.0% ABV and about 70 IBUs, in a West Coast IPA meets East Coast yeast. Both beers are available now for growler fills, at 4pm at Charm School next door for pints, and soon at beer bars in the region.

• Mill Street Brewpub has opened on the St John’s waterfront. Tied closely to the new Bier Markt location, they are brewing beer onsite, and supplementing the standard offerings from the Labatt-owned Mill Street line. We’ll have more details on the beers and brewhouse very soon.

• Congratulations to the crew from Beerocracy, whose crowdfunding campaign ended successfully early this morning! Look for this movie love letter to NB beer to be released in the fall in breweries, bars, and events around the province. To thank their great supporters, they have released a short movie, Ciderocracy, which will be featured in the film. Check it out now!

• In a story we mentioned in November, the small-batch brews produced by AB-InBev at their Alexander Keith’s Brewery on Lower Water Street in Halifax are now available. Brewing on a 20 hl system, Brewmaster Stefan Gagliardi has put together recipes inspired by the original beers brewed by Alexander Keith in the city. Studying as a Chemical Engineer, he turned his focus to beer a decade ago, working in Quality Assurance, and then managing the brewhouse in St John’s, NL. After a move to Halifax’s Oland Brewery as Quality Manager, he is now in charge of the Historic Keith’s Brewery production. Says Gagliardi, “Brewing is my creative outlet. I have always been inspired by experimenting with beer styles and interesting ingredients and will bring this passion to the original brewery. I am constantly inspired by the story of Alexander Keith’s brewery, and the local community and culture in Halifax. Alexander Keith’s has such strong roots here and that inspiration will never stop being part of the beer that is produced in this historic facility.” On what inspires the recipes, Gagliardi says, “We look at three points for inspirations – our heritage and history, local ingredients and finally great tasting and innovative ingredients. The great thing about the original Alexander Keith’s brewery is that it gives us the opportunity to develop small-batch brews that are new and exciting, and most importantly unique to the east coast. Innovation has always been part of our heritage and we’re excited to bring new flavours and styles to Nova Scotia beer lovers.”
Their flagship beer is Cornerstone Edinburgh Pale Ale, a 4.3% ABV, 30 IBU, brewed with a base of Golden Promise, and enhanced with a blend of Cara malts from Weyermann: Cara Red, Cara Malt and CaraFoam, for colour, flavour, and body. The hops chosen were UK East Kent Goldings, Fuggles, and Hallertauer Perle, for a traditional English Ale hopping schedule. Also available now is Alexander Keith’s Lunenburg Coffee and Cacao Stout, a 6.5% ABV full-bodied stout, featuring 5kg of Laughing Whale coffee in the mash, and 11 kg of cacao nibs directly in the boil. Golden Promise base malt, with Cara Malt, Chocolate, Special B and roasted barley lend the iconic colour and flavours.
The beers will be available the NSLC and ANBL in 6-pack and 650mL bottles, on tap at bars and restaurants around Nova Scotia, and for growler fills at the Historic Keith’s Brewery.

There’s lots going on in the next couple of weeks, let’s take a look!

• Big Spruce will be hosting their Farm to Fork Food Truck event all weekend. 12-7pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the folks from Cruisin’ Cuisine Food Truck will be set up at the brewery with plenty of beer-pairing options. This weekend’s theme is lobster, with several dishes featuring the local crustacean. For those unable to partake, there are plenty of non-lobster options as well. There will be musicians in the tasting room daily, be sure to check the event page for more details.

• Authentic Seacoast is opening their new brewing and distilling facilities in Guysborough this Saturday. The multi-million dollar building houses the brewing equipment to produce the Rare Bird line of beer, as well as producing spirits under the Sea Fever Rum, GLYNNEVAN Whisky and Fortress Rum names. The festivities kick off at 2pm, with public tours and tastings from 3-5pm.  Juno award-winner Garrett Mason will be keeping the good times rolling, with a performance in the Rare Bird Pub, starting at 9pm. More details are available here. No word yet on hours of operation or tours going forward.

• For those in New Brunswick, drop by Railcar Brewing’s location Saturday, June 18th, for a Father’s Day Tasting event. From 6 to 8pm, enjoy five beers and take home a branded glass for only $20. Contact RC on Twitter or at their Curtis Road location (below AC Sharkey’s Pub).

• Now that their taproom is officially open for serving pints, Maybee Brewing is celebrating with an official Grand Opening party of Saturday, June 26th. Opening at 10 am for pints, and cans and growler fills to go, the real fun kicks off in the evening with the Chunky’s Food Truck, featuring Mexican food, on site from 5pm, plus live music starting at 6pm. Look for more details as they are announced on their event page.

• After the success of the last summer’s inaugural Tasting NB in Fredericton, this year’s event has been scheduled for Saturday, July 9th. Featuring an abundance of New Brunswick craft alcohol producers – including beer, cider, mead, and wine – the 3-hour (7 pm – 10 pm) outdoor event will once again be held at the Capital Complex, and will include at least 12 NBCAPA members, including Fredericton’s own soon-to-open Gray Stone Brewing. Tickets are on-sale now ($55 in advance; $60 at the door, depending on availability).

A few parting shots this week:

– Fredericton’s Grimross Brewery looking for part-time staff in the Taproom and Retail operations. Send them an email, or drop your resume at their taproom location.
– Red Rover also looking for staff, Sales Associates at their Cider House and Farmers Market stalls. Again, drop them an email for more details.
– Halifax’s North Brewing is releasing a small run of their Millie Beet Saison, a Stillwell collaboration beer. This time around, this 5.0% ABV brew will only be available in 750’s at the brewery and Battery Park location, beginning today, so drop by for a take-away.
–  Lyons Brook’s Uncle Leo’s released their very popular Voh’s Weizenbier late last week. This 5.0% Hefeweizen is brewed with a traditional weizen yeast, and lots of wheat, for an unfiltered beer reminiscent of this classic German style. As there are only a few bottles left at the brewery, your best bet will be to find it out in the wild at better beer bars, and RockHead, in Halifax and Pictou County, and at the Townhouse in Antigonish.
– Garrison’s Seaport Blonde is back at the brewery, and in the wild. This 4.0% Blonde features Columbus hops, and a light body from 2-Row and Wheat malts. It is available now in 6-packs at the brewery and NSLC, and growler fills.

Pre-Christmas Wrap-Up – News from Johnny Jacks, Unfiltered, Upstreet, PEI Brewing, Gahan Halifax, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-12-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Axe Brewery, Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Good Robot Brewing, Granite Brewery, Gray Stone Brewing, Grimross Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, Johnny Jacks Brewery, Maybee Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Port Rexton Brewing Co., Pump House Brewery, Red Rover Craft Cider, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. 8 comments

Despite the holiday season, our brewing friends have not slowed down one bit! From new breweries to new beers and holiday events, this week has been a busy one!

• Another new brewery has quietly opened in New Brunswick – Johnny Jacks, located at 281 Restigouche Rd in Oromocto, is the newest nanobrewery in the province. Father and daughter David and Vanessa Foss, along with Young Joo Lee, are sharing the brewing responsibilities on their 100 L Blichmann system. The brewery is named after a colourful homebrewing grandfather in the family, Jack ‘Johnny’ Gullison, and is currently serving two beer styles on tap next door at the Sour Grape Cafe (which is co-owned by David Foss). The first beer is their Smokin’ Amber, a “caramelly, sweet, earthy, rich and warm” beer that weighs in at 5.1% ABV and 29 IBUs. The next, Showshoe Winter Ale, is a darker ale that the brewery describes as “layered chocolate with a whisper of vanilla”; this one is a bit stronger at 5.7% ABV and 32 IBUs. While currently only on tap at the Sour Grape, they hope to be able to expand to other accounts in the near future. We’ll have more details on their venture, soon!

• Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing has released a new beer this week, Hyper-Galactic India Pale Lager. The IPL is the cousin of the IPA, featuring assertive hop aroma, flavour, and bitterness, but brewed using lager yeast for a crisp finish, minimizing the characteristic esters and other yeast-derived aromatics from most ale strains. Hyper-Galactic comes in at 7% ABV and around 75 IBUs, with hop aromatics of passionfruit, mango and tangerine dominating. Loads of Australian went into this beer for a taste that’s outta this world! (sorry, I’ll see myself out) Hyper-Galactic is available at the brewery and adjacent Charm School now, and will be on tap at Unfiltered’s other tap accounts shortly. The arrival of the IPL signals the departure (for now) of the very popular DOA (Double Orange Ale), but we understand it will make a return in the New Year. Be sure to grab a pint or snarl of the slightly-modified Exile on North Street IPA, changes to the hopping schedule have this beer exhibiting big hop aroma, while still registering as gluten reduced (less than 5ppm). And for those of you in the The Club, your 2015 edition Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout, King of Kings, is ready for pickup. Enjoy this 11.9%, 100 IBU brew during the next few chilly months, or save the bottle for enjoyment later (this style of beer is perfect for aging in a cellar). For those not in the club, you may be SOL.

• On January 1st, Upstreet will be participating in Charlottetown’s New Year’s Day Levee schedule, with a day full of music, food, and (of course) beer! The 2016 Kick-Off will begin at 10 am, and takes place all day until 10 pm. Six different bands will provide live music from 10:30 am on, $4 pints will be pouring in the taproom (as well as various beer cocktails), free brewery tours will be put on, and a special brunch menu will be available from chef John Pritchard. Admission is by donation, with all proceeds going to Upstreet’s brand new Do-Good Fund. This charitable program has been set up to support community initiatives throughout the year; a portion of the proceeds from every Do-Gooder APA will go into this fund. And in other Upstreet news, their White Noize White IPA (7% ABV, 70 IBUs) is now available for purchase in bottles at the brewery and select PEILCC stores; be sure to pick some up, they make the perfect last-minute stocking stuffer!

• Not to be outdone, PEI Brewing Co. is also holding their own Levee event on January 1st; with last year’s inaugural event attracting over 500 people, they hope to have even more this year. Full bar service at the brewery will be available, with $2 half-pints featured, along with free chili and gourmet popcorn, and live entertainment. And if you’d like to really enjoy yourself, there will be a free shuttle running throughout downtown to take you to and from the brewery! There’s no charge to attend.

• There’s a new Double IPA on tap Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax) this week. Weighing in at 7.8% ABV and about 90 IBU, this big brew features loads of Topaz dry-hopping, for resinous, grassy, and fruit aromas to complement the assertive bitterness. It is on tap for enjoyment on the waterfront now, as well as for growler fills. And look for a pair of lagers from Brewmaster Karen Allen in the new year, including a Schwarzbier in early January.

• The opening of the Good Robot Tap Room in Halifax has allowed the creative juices of Brewmaster Doug Kehoe to flow freely, and as such, he’s put together some experimental brews. The latest to hit the taps is a Märzen. This traditional German Amber beer is given the GR Twist by small additions of Smoked and Rye malt. German hops, in Magnum and Tettnang, were used for a light bitterness and aroma. The 5% Märzen is available on tap at the Tap Room only, and will not last long, so don’t delay. And just a note that the brewery and Tap Room will be open regular hours during the Christmas holiday; check their website for hours.

• Nackawic’s Big Axe Brewery released a new beer at their tap room yesterday, Soleil Belgique IPA. This golden-coloured 7.4% Belgian IPA was brewed with floor-malted pilsner malt and toasted wheat, for a medium body and pleasant mouthfeel. Generous amounts of European hops (including Jaryllo) offer a fantastic aroma of pineapple to complement the yeast aromatics of clove and sage. Look for Soleil Belgique on tap at Big Axe’s accounts around Fredericton shortly.

• The James Joyce has tentatively scheduled their next Meet Your Maker event for Wednesday, December 30th, featuring soon-to-open Maybee Brewing. If all goes as planned for licensing, this will be an official launch party for the brewery as well. Two of their flagship beers will be pouring (Roseway Red and Workhorse IPA), and owner/brewer Paul Maybee will be on hand to chat beer and answer questions. For more info on Maybee Brewing and their beers, check out our Q&A with Paul from October.

• Halifax’s Bar Stillwell will be closed for the next few days (Dec 24-26), and again on Dec 31, but they are holding a levee of their own on January 1st. Opening at noon, they will be featuring a load hoppy, sour, wood-aged, and vintage beers from the cellar all day. And of course, they will have some excellent food to complement, including smoked brisket, a special breakfast sandwich, and pajeon. A few more specific details are available here.

• Need some local cider for Christmas or New Year, but don’t have time to pick it up? Red Rover to the rescue! Customers in Fredericton can fill out an online order form and receive (or send) a gift pack of cider to keep them warm during this holiday week. Details are available here. They’re also offering a Christmas Selection Case, which includes twelve 750 mL bottles (four each of their Spring, Fall and Fire) for $108, which saves you $1 per bottle.

• Bottles of YellowBelly’s Mummer’s Brew (this year’s release is a Cranberry Chocolate Porter) are flying off the shelves at both the brewery and NLC. Adding to that Christmas feeling is their Cranberry Cider, a 6.5% ABV cider prepared with West-Coast Newfoundland cranberries. It is on tap at the brewery now, and will be available in bottles shortly at select NLCs.

• And in more great news for Newfoundland breweries, the crew at Port Rexton Brewing received word that the environmental assessment for their future location has been approved by the Minister. This was a non-trivial hurdle to overcome in their future home, and it’s very exciting to come through before major construction was to take place. Look for their launch mid-2016.

A few parting notes this morning: Grimross has announced that they’ve officially hired their new brewer, Martin Henderson, a graduate of Niagara College’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management. Congratulations, Martin! Look for their Dubbel Noel (and Pump House’s Winter Warmer) on the ANBL growler fill stations this week. The barrel-aged version of Tatamagouche’s Ging’ Sync: Rye Rye Rye will be launching very shortly. Look for it in bottles at the brewery store shortly. Halifax’s Granite Brewery has their popular Darkside Black IPA back on tap for growler fills at the brewery, and their tap accounts around HRM. And more good news for Fredericton beer fans, Gray Stone Brewery has found their forever home! The brewery will be opening at 221 King Street in 2016. A reminder that the provincial stores (as well as many private and brewery stores) will be closed Dec 25 & 26, so today may be your last day in a while to pick up some local craft beer. Be sure to check your favourite bars’ and restaurants’ website or social media pages before heading out for a pint over the next few days, just to be sure. Have a safe Christmas, and we’ll hit you with another batch of beer news next week.