Happy Wednesday folks! We wanted to interrupt your week to give you some important news for beer events taking place over the next couple of days.
• There are two new beers on at Rockbottom Brewpub this week, both tapped Today. The Balticus Smoked Baltic Porter returns after last being brewed in 2012. This beer features 35% beechwood-smoked malt, along with 2-Row base and Melanoidin, Carastan and Black Patent. Weighing in at 7.8% and 40 IBUs (calc), the beer will feature that smokey nose, as well as licorice, raisins, and dark fruit. Also on is the Wreckoning Russian Imperial Stout. Brewed with Pale Ale, Melanoidin, Crystal 150 and Chocolate malts. Lots of rich vanilla and chocolate aromas, and balanced with over 100 IBUs (calc) from Magnum and Cascade hops. Both beers will be on at 4pm this afternoon, we hope to see you down there!
• Speaking of Wednesdays at the Rockbottom, they are switching up their weekly firkins to Wednesday nights. Tapped at 4pm every Wednesday, these gravity-fed casks will feature limited brews (only 20L available). We’re not sure what will be on this afternoon, but have been assured it’ll be a pin of something special (as always). You’ll have to show up to find out what it is! (Or it might be announced on Brewmaster Greg Nash’s Twitter feed this afternoon)
• Finally from Rockbottom today, they have announced details of their first beer dinner, being held Monday, Jan 27. There will be three courses of food, each paired with an appropriate beer. Full details are available
here, but needless to say the food looks excellent, the beer is always outstanding, and for just $30 plus tax and gratuity, an excellent value. Reserve your tickets (only 40 will be sold) by phoning (902) 423-2938.
We also contacted the breweries taking part in the Local Connections
Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration, being held tomorrow evening at the Halifax Club. Many of them got back to us to give attendees a hint of what beers they’ll be pouring. There will be cider and beer throughout the 7 rooms of the event, and a collection of special casks in one room.
•
Big Spruce is starting off this list strong! They held a
homebrew competition in December to crown the best homebrewed IPA in Nova Scotia. Tim Gregory won the competition with his “Dirty” IPA, and it will be launched at the event. It will be available both from a gravity-fed cask, as well as on draft, so this is a good opportunity to taste the difference between the two serving methods. Also on cask will be their Cereal Killer Sideways – a cask of their extremely popular Oatmeal Stout, infused with Scotch, for an even bigger blast of great flavour and aroma. Several of the Big Spruce crew (including Brewmaster Jeremy White) will be on hand to chat and enjoy the festivities. When speaking with him leading up to the event, he was excited about the prospect of a great variety of beer, cider, food, and experiences, and has high hopes for the evening.
• Jillian from
Petite Riviere Vineyards, was kind enough to announce what they will be bringing to the event: “We’re excited to be a part of the event of course; this is our second event with Local Connections. We will be serving Stutz Cider and ShipBuilders Cider and will be offering a chance to win a cider prize pack which will also include a tour to our favorite vineyard, Petite Riviere! We’re always very happy to take part in all of the exciting local events that are happening; Nova Scotia is booming!”
• From
Boxing Rock, owners and brewers Emily and Henry will be on hand, with their three year-round beers: Hunky Dory Pale Ale, Temptation Red Ale and The Vicar’s Cross Double IPA. Emily says, “We’re really excited about the event, it will be great to have all our local brewers together in one venue and show off what we do, with great food to boot! And apparently karaoke. Fun! I believe that there may also be some U-889 ice cream available from Dee Dee’s Ice Cream…” Sounds like a great treat, as the U-889 is full of vanilla, coffee and chocolate flavours and aromas.
• Brewer Kellye Robertson and the crew from Garrison Brewing will be on hand as well. They will have a few of their year-round and seasonal offerings, as well as a couple of special casks: a dry-hopped version of their Imperial IPA, and a Mint Wheat beer. Tracy of Garrison says, “It’s going to be a great event – the first of its kind! It gives us the opportunity to show-off our stuff and connect with a larger group of beer enthusiasts & chefs.”
•
Rogues Roost Brewpub will also be in attendance, and are excited for the event. They’ll be bringing a keg of their IPA, dry-hopped, their Russian Imperial Stout, and possibly a couple more of their year-round beers, depending on space allowance.
• The crew from
Propeller Brewing Company will be on hand as well, and Andrew Cooper gives us some insight into the event: “We’re excited about this event! It will bring together the very best of what Nova Scotia Craft Beer is all about. Propeller is bringing a selection of our core brands, our winter seasonal Revolution RIS & a Cask of Amarillo Dry Hopped Pale Ale.” Sounds great!
• An event featuring cask beers wouldn’t be complete without casks from Halifax’s original Cask Master, Kevin Keefe at Granite Brewery. In addition to a few of their core brands, they’ve prepared a special cask conditioned firkin of their Hopping Mad Pale Ale.
Thanks to the breweries for taking the time to give us attendees a sneak peek as to what we can expect tomorrow. Unfortunately for those who haven’t yet grabbed them, tickets for the event have sold out. However you can follow along with the great beer and food by checking out the
#meetyourlocal tag. And if you see acbbChris in the cask room, please say hi!
