Happy Friday, Beer Fans! We’ve made it more than halfway through May, so you’ve all earned a long weekend! We hope you find a great patio, park, or beach (too soon) to enjoy your favourite beverages, weather-permitting. As always, be sure to check your favourite brewery or taproom’s opening plans for the holiday, before heading out. And with recent news of breweries closing, and certainly more to come, be sure to support local whenever you can. Let’s get you up to speed on where and what you can be enjoying to do that!
Congratulations are in order for the team at O’Creek Brewing, as their new brewery, taproom, and retail shop is open for business! Patrice Daigle has graduated from his basement brewery to a system capable of more than ten times the capacity, as well as incorporating new techniques and expertise garnered from several years in the business. Adding more people to the O’Creek family has enabled the opening of their full-sized taproom, complete with an extensive patio to soak up the lovely weather, as well as a compact but well-run kitchen. The new beers are flowing as well, including the brand new (and possibly already gone) Shine, a 6.4% ABV Hazy IPA, solidly in Daigle’s wheelhouse, as well as Corigan Pale Ale. We suspect there will also be some tasty Czech lagers coming soon, as Daigle recently visited Czechia as part of a government-sponsored trip to learn about ingredients and techniques from one of the most influential beer-producing countries out there. O’Creek Brewing can be found at 175 Barker Street in Moncton, and is open from noon daily, open until 9 PM Sun to Wed, and until midnight Thurs to Sat. We hope to share an updated Profile from O’Creek 2.0 soon, but in the meantime, you can remind yourself of Daigle’s beginnings in Dieppe in 2018 here!
Lawrencetown’s Lunn’s Mill and Horton Ridge have teamed up to release O-Koi Rice Lager. This 4.4% lager uses barley grown and malted at Horton Ridge, and features a pleasant flowery aroma from the rice. Part of the proceeds from sale of the beer is going to the Clean Annapolis River Project (CARP), with specially branded cans debuting at Bridgetown Riverfest, July 15, 2023. But there’s no need to wait that long, as it is on tap at Horton Ridge this weekend for their May Long Weekend party, and will certainly hit the taps at Lunn’s Mill before too long. And for those in the Valley, or looking to move there, Lunn’s Mill is looking to hire a part-time Bartender/Server. Check out this post to learn more.
Happy Birthday to the Lone Oak Brewpub! Opened in May 2022, the Milky Way, Charlottetown, location of Borden-Carleton’s favourite brewery has been slinging great beer and food ever since, and are celebrating Sunday with like music from 5 PM until close, lawn games, new beer release, food and beer bucket specials, and cupcakes!! No reservations necessary (or taken), so pop by for some fun May 21st. Hey, you probably won’t have to work the next day!
And for those not fortunate enough to be on the island and take part in the fun, perhaps you’re closer to Lower Sackville’s TAPestry Beer Bar. Owner Ian Smith recently scoured the Island for its best offerings, and had to narrow that down to a reasonable ten kegs to fit in his vehicle! In addition to Lone Oak, there are also a buncha beers from Bogside Brewing and Copper Bottom. Check this post to learn exactly what is pouring.
Operating out of BrewHQ in Burnside, Arcade Brewing has been open since the fall, slinging pints to stay and growlers to go, with visitors able to become a pinball wizard in between sips. For the first time, their beer is also available outside of their space, with their Peculier now on tap at Rinaldo’s Italian American Specialties on Windsor Street Halifax. Keep your eyes peeled to Arcade’s socials as they expand their licensees!
Back in March, our own acbbaaron was interviewed as part of a Globe & Mail feature on Homebrewing, and how increasing commercial beer prices may drive more folks to make their own at home. While cost has certainly been a factor for some in brewing, there are others who are mostly into it for the thrill of the act, going so far as growing their own hops or malting their own feed grain! Check out the article here if you’re looking for a peek into the madness that is AS and other amateur Canadian brewers.
For homebrewers looking to seriously up their brewing game, or a (new or existing) brewery looking for a pilot system, we’ve spotted a very capable and versatile 65 litre (½ Barrel) brewhouse for sale. A mix of Blichmann and SS BrewTech three-vessel system is currently up on FB Marketplace. This all-electric system comes with the Brew Buddy II controller for a “Set It and Forget It” operation procedure for Hot Liquor Tank and Boil Kettle, as well as pump control.