Atlantic Canada Beer Blog

Good morning! There’s lots of Atlantic Canadian Beer News this week, so let’s get right to it!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse is releasing their newest beer today, Mosaic Double IPA. Brewer Jeff Saunders chose to brew this beer as both a way to showcase the uncommon Mosaic hop, and to raise awareness of Mosaic Down Syndrome, as his son is living with this affliction. The beer weighs in at 8%ABV and 120IBU (calc), and the aroma and flavour is full of floral, tropical, and fruity notes from the Mosaic hops. All of the proceeds from the sale of this beer will be going to the Nova Scotia Down Syndrome Society and Camp Brigadoon, who hold camps for kids (and families) with various special needs throughout the summer. Grab it today starting at 1pm at the Brewhouse in Somerset, and look for it on tap in the Valley and HRM shortly.

• Bulwark Cider has released their Blush this week. Made with the same Annapolis Valley fresh-pressed apples as their Original, they then blend in local cranberries, raspberries and blueberries  for something completely different. This is all done pre-fermentation, with no extra juice added later. Though it only makes up a small percentage of the fruits, the blueberry really shines through in the aroma, complementing the apples’ crisp character. The cider weighs in at 4.5%, and is available in bottles and on tap at bars and restaurants around the Maritimes, and will also be in the NSLC soon.

• Sea Level Brewing announced late last week that they’ve launched their Summer Blonde Pilsner, just in time for the nicer weather! Brewed with 100% Pilsner malt, the beer also incorporates the Summer hop, an Australian variety that is known for exhibiting “light apricot and melon fruit notes”. The beer is also fermented with a Czech Pilsner yeast; it has 40 IBUs and an easy-drinking ABV of 4.8%. It’s available now at the brewery in cans and for growler fills, and on tap at The Port Pub and Luckett Vineyards. Look for it in the HRM very soon.

• While on the topic of Sea Level, they’ve also re-released their Southern Cross IPA. Originally launched in April, this 6.5% ABV IPA sold quickly in Nova Scotia, so the brewery decided to brew up some more, just in time for Father’s Day! For more info on this beer, check out our post from April.

• And speaking of returning beers, Boxing Rock is bringing back their Crafty Jack, an English Brown Ale. Featuring a “rich, roasty malt profile, and classic English hops”, it comes in at a very sessionable 4.2% ABV, and 29 IBUs. It should be available now at the brewery in 650 mL “bombers” and for growler fills, and at private liquor stores in Halifax. Also, this release marks the first time the beer will be available at NSLC stores across the province.

• Even more! Garrison Brewing has re-released their seasonal Sugar Moon Maple Ale this week. Brewed with local syrup from Sugar Moon Farm in Tatamagouche, this full bodied and sweet-tasting beer clocks in at 6.3% ABV and 17IBUs. It is available at the brewery now, in the private stores and NSLC soon, and will be on tap at select bars around the HRM.

• Big Spruce has a new cask heading to Stillwell in the near future… Mr. IncREDible is a “heavily dry-hopped” version of their Regatta Red. With the citrusy Amarillo used exclusively in the dry-hop, this 5.1% ABV, 26 IBU Irish Red Ale may not fit your standard definition of the style, but it sounds tasty! Keep an eye on Stillwell’s Facebook and Twitter accounts for news on when the beer is tapped.

• Tickets are now on sale for the 8th Annual Halifax Seaport Beerfest, to be held August 8th & 9th at the Cunard Centre. Atlantic Canada’s largest beer festival, this year’s fest will highlight “exclusively craft beers, premium imports and ciders”, with over 275 unique brands from more than 110 participating breweries, as well as a Cask Beer Pavilion. There will be three sessions (Friday 7:00 – 9:30 pm, and Saturday 2:00 – 4:30 pm and 7:00 – 9:30 pm); tickets for each are $45 in advance. In addition, this year’s event will feature a limited number of VIP tickets for sale, for both Saturday sessions. At $65 each, they include a souvenir glass and bottle opener, a guided one-hour tasting prior to the session, and a Q&A panel with special guests, including beer author Nick Pashley, and Stephen Clinch, co-founder and co-owner of Trouble Brewing, from Ireland. Both ticket types can be purchased through Ticket Atlantic; regular-admission tickets can also be found at select NSLC stores. We’ll have more information on the festival in the near future!

• After just reporting that they’ve added two new 10 barrel (310 U.S. gallons, or ~1160 L) fermentors from DME, Halifax’s North Brewing is pairing with the harbourstone sea grill & pour house to put on a beer pairing dinner on Thursday, July 10th from 6:30 – 9:30 pm. Tickets are currently on sale (you can purchase them online) for $50 each, and include six courses, each paired with a different North beer. Courses include coriander-crusted scallops and blueberry salad paired with a North Saison, cast iron-seared flank steak with grapefruit and blue cheese crust paired with a Belgian IPA, and chocolate-covered cherries with Mexican Pot au Creme, with a Strong Dark Belgian Ale.

• The folks at Picaroons have released the brewery list for this summer’s Brewer’s Bash on July 12th. The sold-out, all-day event will feature beers from over 60 breweries from across the country; almost 2/3 of those breweries will be from Atlantic Canada! We’ll keep you updated on the expected beer list as it becomes available, especially from the breweries in our region.

• The new seasonal from Yellowbelly Brewery, Downtown Brown, that we reported on last week is already almost gone, on tap at the brewpub. However, they are releasing the beer today in 1L bottles, exclusively at the brewpub, at 4 pm. If you’re in St. John’s, get down there to stock up!

• Back in April, we reported on the winning beer of the 1st Annual Gahan Home Brewer’s Challenge in PEI. Earlier this week on Wednesday evening, the winning beer, PEI Cranberry Wit, brewed by Ryan Palmer and Lee Nicholson, made its debut on tap at the Gahan House. As part of their prize, Ryan and Lee joined Gahan brewmaster Trent Hayes in brewing a full-sized batch of their beer, and you can taste the results! It won’t last long, so make sure you get to the brewpub to give the beer a taste.

• Big Tide Brewpub in Saint John has released two new beers in the past little while: their popular Blueberry Ale is back on tap, as well as a new beer, the Tin Can Coffee Porter. Unfortunately, details are light on the Porter, but we can tell you it was brewed using coffee from Java Moose, a local roaster.

• This year’s Fredericton Beer Run (Monday, August 4th; check out last week’s post for more details) has added another ticket option for you non-runners out there! Basically, the Coach’s Ticket includes a sampling glass and the same number of beer tickets (fourteen 4-oz samples), but without the 6 or 12 km run. The cost of the ticket is $45 (can be purchased online); you MUST be accompanying a runner to be eligible to buy a ticket. They’re also looking for volunteers; if you’d like to help out for a few hours during the run portion of the event, and then receive access to the beers later, send them an email!

A reminder that there are two special beer events scheduled for next week: on Friday, June 20th, at 7:30pm, the Ladies Beer League is holding their First Anniversary Celebration at Wooden Monkey Dartmouth. No tickets or entry fee required, just show up to pay-as-you-go and enjoy the special beers brewed for them by Garrison, North and Big Spruce. There will also be some LBL swag (glasses, pins, Tshirts) to show your support, and help shape the future of the League. The next day, starting at noon, Garrison Brewing will be invading Stillwell Beer Bar with twelve pins of beer, each made with local ingredients. A couple of the beers have been announced, including Spiceman’s Session Saison, a Belgian-style Saison spiced with Cassia Buds and Wild Voatsiperifery Pepper and Christmas in June, a blend of Meander River’s Lunchbox Pale Ale and Garrison’s Spruce Beer. Tickets for the noon “First Sips” have sold out, but starting at 2pm, the doors will re-open to the public, where $10 will get you a special glass and your first pour of beer. We’ll be there, be sure to say hi!