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Ninepenny Brewing Opening This Weekend in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland

Posted by acbbchris on 2019-02-21
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Ninepenny Brewing. Leave a Comment

Ninepenny Logo

 

Ninepenny Brewing will be opening this weekend in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland. The brewery and taproom are located at 75 Conception Bay Highway, with three beers beer flowing from the taps to be enjoyed onsite or to take away in growlers. Amidst the construction, brewing, and cleaning (so much cleaning!) we caught up with Glenn, Keith, Justin, and Dwayne of Ninepenny to learn more about them, their beer, and plans to introduce locally-made beer to the CBS region.

Can you tell us about yourselves?
We are four friends who, after years of homebrewing, decided to make the leap into opening a microbrewery. We had independently wanted to make a go of it, and after deliberating for some time, we came together over the Easter weekend in 2017 to really pull the business plan together as a group of 4. We all have different strengths, backgrounds, and interests, and that’s been lending itself well to the journey so far.
Glenn is an Electrical Engineer who is a long time fan of brewing his own beer, wine, cider and mead. He enjoys the history and tradition behind brewing principles, including finding the perfect pairing for food and drink.
Keith has been working as a Civil Engineering consultant, managing his own team and large projects. He loves outdoor activities and has been involved in the ski patrol since 2009. Keith has been homebrewing for years, starting out by helping his parents with homebrew wines. The art, science, and community around craft brewing was a natural progression.
Justin has worked as a Civil Engineering consultant in Municipal design for the past 5 years. He enjoys the outdoors and traveling to new places to experience local craft beer and food. He also loves working with hands to construct everyday items around the house or at the brewery.
Dwayne has worked as a Mechanical Engineer in food processing equipment design and food processing research for the past 6 years. He’s enjoyed making wine, cider, and beer on a homebrew scale for the past eight years. He has a passion for food science and digging into how every aspect of the production process affects the final product.

Taps

What made you decide to take the step into opening a brewery?
We were all individually very passionate about beer, and for years there was very little variety on offer in Newfoundland. The best way to be able to sample the styles of beer that interested us was to make them ourselves. This sent us down the path of obsessively learning about beer production and styles, and constantly improving our homebrew equipment to build the system of our dreams. As we started to brew with two, then three, then all four of us, we started talking about making the jump to professional brewing. We started reaching out to local breweries, borrowing yeast for brew days, and volunteering and interning at breweries to learn the ropes. Port Rexton Brewing was a huge help in the early stage of constructing a business plan, pushing us to really chase after it, if it was something we were passionate about. Through the whole process, we realized it was a good fit for us. We have pulled some crazy long days in the brewery already, we’ve seen more than a few sunrises, and they never seem as long as they really are. At the end of the day, we hope to be able to continue the trend of elevating the level and availability of craft beer to the communities in NL in the same way we hope to continue to advance our abilities and tastes as brewers.

Where did the name Ninepenny come from?
Ninepenny takes its name from a 19th century slang word for beer, but the name also makes reference to the 9 communities that amalgamated to create Conception Bay South: the home of the brewery. Our goal was to create a name that seems both fresh yet familiar, while also connecting with the European brewing traditions that contributed so much to Newfoundland’s own brewing history.

Keg

What is the culture or ethos of the brewery?
We enjoy brewing just about every beer we’ve tried our hand at so far, but one tenet we try to practice in our brewing is to showcase the ingredients in such a way that, while they are balanced they are also able to come through strong and independently. That’s pretty typical of craft beer in general, of course, but we also try to throw some surprises into our recipes, to catch the drinker unawares if they’re expecting a typical example of the style. This has worked so far, since we haven’t named anything on the homebrew scale beer aside from starting at a style, such as “Porter”, and then labeling the first version “1.0”, with subsequent versions getting progressively higher numbers depending on how significant the changes are that get made each iteration of the recipe. If it surprises someone the first time they try it, or gets them to see the style in a different light, or becomes the reason they like that beer, we’ll consider that a job well done.

Can you tell us about the beers you plan on offering initially?
We describe some of our recipes as “North American ingredients brewed in a British style”, so we hope our large scale recipes come out in such a way that keeps to this description. For our initial offerings, we will be showcasing two English styles: a Porter and an English-style Pale Ale, as well as a Belgian inspired White IPA. We already have a few more styles in our fermenters that play on this same theme, but we’ll leave that for discovery in the weeks to come!

What are your plans for distribution? How can folks enjoy your beer?
We are planning to start small and grow naturally in the community. Our plan is to start with up to 8 taps in the tap room, a mix of our own beer and guest taps. We plan to work and collaborate with local breweries to keep regular guest taps from the amazing craft breweries in NL. We will also be offering our own beer to go in growlers, up to four beer available in that format. We will be offering both the 64 ounce Growler and 32 ounce Grunter formats.

Fermenter

Do you have some initial accounts in the area lined up to serve your beers?
On launch we will be on guest taps in a few local breweries, such as Landwash Brewery, and will slowly roll out other tap accounts to other Atlantic Canada restaurants/establishments.

Have you had any assistance from other breweries and people in the region?
We wouldn’t have made it this far without help from the local microbrewery community, especially Alicia and Sonja of Port Rexton Brewing who have been helping us since that Easter weekend of 2017, and Chris and Christina from Landwash Brewery who we’ve been speaking to on a nearly daily basis – and they still always take our calls! There are so many others that we couldn’t do justice to everyone here, but suffice to say that we have a very supportive, vibrant craft beer community in Atlantic Canada that have really helped us along the way.

Where do you hope to see your brewery in the next 2-3 years?
We believe that focus on the taproom and community is at the heart of our brewery, so that will remain our focus as we work towards events in the brewery and taproom space, and generally encourage a welcoming relaxing environment for the community. We hope to be able to move to small scale canning to be able to expand our offering. We also have plans for expanding the grounds including adding a patio. We are also working hard to partner with local food companies and food trucks to be able to showcase Newfoundland culinary chops along side local craft beer.

Brewhouse

Tell us about your brewhouse and equipment.
Back when we started on this journey, the brewery all started from a basic all-grain homebrew setup in Justin’s garage, and gradually was built up to the point where it had pumps, electronic pH meters, and in-line oxygen injection points for the wort. This homebrew setup gave us a great deal of familiarity with the process of making beer, but the appreciation of the commercial scale really came together when visiting and assisting at other craft breweries such as Port Rexton Brewing.

Nowadays, we are using a 1800 litre (15 BBL) system DME Brewing Solutions. We have been concentrating on single batches, but have the capacity to move to 35 hL double batches as necessary.

 

Congratulations to the Ninepenny crew on their opening! They will be open Saturday, February 23rd at 2 PM, at 75 Conception Bay Highway in Conception Bay South. During their soft launch period, they are open Thursdays and Fridays 4 – 10 PM, Saturdays 2 – 10 PM, and Sundays 12 – 6 PM. Keep an eye on their social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for the latest news and releases.

Friday Wrap-Up for February 8, 2019 – News from Loyalist City, Port Rexton, Grimross, Sussex Ale Works, Baccalieu Trail, TrailWay, Tatamagouche, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2019-02-08
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Antigonish Townhouse, Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Bootstrap BrewPub, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Craft Coast Canning, Darlings Island Farm, Flying Boats Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Godspeed Brewery, Good Robot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Heritage Brewing, Jamieson's Irish Pub, Long Bay Brewery, Loyalist City Brewing Co, Newfoundland Salt Company, Niche Brewing, Off Track Brewing, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Sushi Shige, Sussex Ale Works, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Carleton, Tidehouse Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

February 8th, how time flies! More wicked weather in our region this week, and no, we won’t shut up about it until we get consistently above-freezing temperatures. Great news, your friendly neighbourhood brewers haven’t slowed down their releases, with plenty of new and returning favourites available this week, and lots of events to keep you warm. Grab a pint and follow along!

After releasing their Winter Warmer several weeks ago, Saint John’s Loyalist City Brewing is heading in a different direction with their latest beer (and first Lager), Starlight, a German Pilsner. This crisp beer was brewed with a grist made up entirely of German Pilsner malt, and hopped with Hallertau Tradition from local Darlings Island Farm. After being cold-fermented with a Lager yeast strain, the beer was lagered for two months before packaging. The gold-coloured brew has a “grainy-sweet aroma with hints of light honey”, with the hops giving some herbal notes as well. That sweetness and herbal presence comes through in the flavour as well, with a crisp, clean finish. Easy-drinking at 4.5% ABV and 37 IBUs, most of this beer will be available in cans at ANBL stores; there are a few kegs available as well, which will be on tap at the brewery’s unofficial taproom at the BunkHaus Hostel & Cafe.

Newfoundland’s Port Rexton has a new beer from the eponymously named Port Rexton Brewing Company, and though it’s the second iteration of this one, some significant changes to how it’s made should give you extra reason to check it out. Salted & Soured Pale Ale features both tartness due to a souring with Lactobacillus and salinity from an addition of salt from the Newfoundland Salt Company. Belma hops provide some bright berry and tropical fruit notes to this brew with a “sure I’ll have another” ABV of 4.5%. This version of the beer is the result of two brewings, one soured and one not, which were then blended, allowing the team to dial in the balance of tartness, salt and hop character to exactly where they wanted it. Look for it on tap at the brewery and in town this coming weekend and also, as of last evening, at the Port Rexton Retail Shop in St. John’s for growler fills.

Grimross has a new canned beer out this week, brewed in honour of Sara Burns, one of the shooting victims in Fredericton from last August. Burns was an officer with the Fredericton Police; the beer, Grimsby, was named after her horse. It’s an American Pale Ale hopped and dry-hopped with Delta, giving it “a touch of citrus and some grassy notes”. Well-balanced and refreshing, it weighs in at 5.2% ABV and 20 IBUs. The brewery teamed up with Craft Coast Canning and Ginger Design for the release of this beer; all of the proceeds will go towards the Sara Burns Police Memorial Fund, which will fund several initiatives to make the city of Fredericton a safer place to live. While the majority of the beer will be sold in cans, a few kegs will be tapped in the Grimross taproom for pints and growlers. And while you are at the brewery today picking up cans, make a plan to stay for a pint of today’s cask, Pugnacious Porter aged on local wild blackberries. The 20 litre pin will be tapped at 2 PM.

While serving pints from local breweries at their bar, the crew at Sussex Ale Works are continuing to experiment with their own beers, as they’ve got yet another new one on tap right now. English War Bride is a SMaSH beer brewed as in the English style – all Maris Otter for the grist and East Kent Goldings for the hops. Lightly bready and herbal/spicy, it comes in at 6.2% ABV and 38 IBUs. As always, drop by the brewery/taproom at 597B Main Street in Sussex for a taste if you’re nearby.

Back over in Newfoundland, one of the Rock’s newest breweries, Baccalieu Trail, has released a brand new American Pale Ale named Bay Run. Utilizing only late additions and a healthy dry hop of Centennial, Simcoe and Azacca lends a “burst of fresh citrus fruit aroma, with some floral qualities” to complement the “clean, crisp finish” of this 4.9% ABV and 36 IBU beer. It’s on tap right now at the brewery’s location in Bay Roberts… head on over and pick up a growler!

Now that TrailWay’s “Summer IPA”, Good Weather, is long gone (<shakes fist at winter>), they’ve decided to replace it with another seasonal IPA, Stormy Weather. It has one major similarity with it’s cousin, in that it features a large portion of Vic Secret in the hop bill… however, the “supporting” hops are quite different (but secret, so don’t ask us for specifics!). It’s still light-coloured and extremely hazy, of course, but with more “overripe tropical fruit and berries” in the aroma/flavour, as opposed to the citrus characters of Good Weather. You can grab cans/growlers of this 6% ABV IPA when the taproom opens today.

You may recall the Barrel-aged Baltic Porter released by North Shore Nova Scotia’s Tatamagouche Brewing which had matured for 9 months in barrels from Glenora Distillery and was initially released in October of 2017. What you might not know is that there was some beer that remained unbottled and has been cradled in the loving arms of one of those barrels ever since. Thankfully, the folks at Tata didn’t forget about it and they’ve packaged the remainder, which has now been aging for 2 solid years, for your enjoyment. Only available at the brewery store, there’s a two bottle per person limit. With winter still in full force, this big ‘un originally listed at 10% ABV will likely make a very fine sipper on a cold February night. And while we have you, details are out for Tata’s annual Oyster Cloister party and beer release: Next Friday, Feb 15, they will be releasing their oyster stout, and celebrating with live music, oysters (of course!), and tons of special beers at the brewery. This is a ticketed event, so drop by the brewery to pick them up, or grab them via email or phone (902-657-4000).

Not content to bask in the success of their first bottling run (Evolution has damn near sold out a week after release), Niche Brewing in Hanwell, NB, continues to feed the demand for their beers with another new release this week, another entry in their series of one hop Session IPAs. You Had Me At…Galaxy features one of the most popular hops in the business right now, the tropical and passion fruity Australian Galaxy. Featuring a bit of crackery malt character and a medium bitterness, it came in a little higher than previous YHMA editions at 5% ABV, but we don’t expect anyone will complain. Kegs are already on their way to The Joyce Pub, Peppers Pub, Britt’s pub + eatery and Laundromat Expresso Bar, and more will go out as homes are found for them. And those in Moncton should pop by the Growler Station at the ANBL on Vaughan Harvey Blvd to grab pours of their Single Origin Coffee Sweet Stout, and Coalescence, their Sour Milkshake IPA w/grapefruit.

It’s been a little while since we’ve seen a new release from Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing, but they’re giving us both barrels this week with the re-release of a fan-favorite and an all new beer. Oak-aged Sour Motherfucker is their kettle sour aged on tart cherries and aged on oak. Look for a tart character with definite cherry presence along with a slight creaminess and tannic presence from the wood. Last seen with ABVs of 6.4% and 6.8%, this one weighs in quite a bit heavier at 7.5%. Meanwhile, also on the docket is Fruity Motherfucker featuring a co-pitched (i.e., multiple yeast strain) fermentation, a double-dry hop of dank Mosaic and orange-y Citra and a re-fermentation on apricots, mangoes and blood oranges. The result is a 7% ABV beer that will smack you upside the head with tropical fruit, citrus and pithy character. You can find both of these beers available today at noon in all your favorite packages: cans, growlers and pints.

After recently celebrating their annual brewing of their FemmeBot Alpha batch (which we’ll have more details on in the future), Good Robot has settled down in time to fill us in on the details of next week’s releases. In Beta world they’re bringing us Mad Love, a Red Ale brewed with Mary Ann Daye. Other than a description of “easy and smooth”, we don’t have a whole lot to share for this one! Oh, it’s 4.5% ABV and 21 IBUs. As for Thursday’s Alpha, Creature Feature I is making a return. It’s a 6.4% ABV, 46 IBUs NEIPA hopped with Amarillo, Cascade and Citra.

Lunenburg’s new brewery, Shipwright Brewing Company, has another new beer on the taps this week. Lil Dingy ISA is an India Session Ale with a sessionable ABV of 4.5% and a moderate 30 IBU. Light in body as you’d expect for the style, it still packs plenty of flavor thanks to two Southern Hemisphere hop varieties, Ella and Vic Secret, which bring tropical, pine and citrus flavors to the mix on top of a clean malt finish. We don’t have official word on packaging, but we expect you’ll probably be able to have a growler filled, grab a crowler, or enjoy a pint of this one at their taproom or their roommate Grand Banker.

Back again to the rock and St. John’s, where YellowBelly has a new Doppelbock on the go that appears to be known as The Navigator. Describe as “an old school barley sandwich” this one, as is typical for the style, leans heavily to the malt side, with Pilsner, Vienna, Munich and Caramunich bringing bready and sweet flavors and a solid mouthfeel. A bit of Spalter Select rounds out the beer from the hop side of this 7.1% ABV brew. Available on tap for pints at the brewery or the Underbelly or get a growler to go at the Takeaway shop.

Halifax’s Tidehouse Brewing is pouring a whole slew of new and returning favourites in their Tiny Taproom these days, so let’s get you up to speed. Kashmir is a 7.6% ABV Double IPA, marked by a smooth and low bittering from Cashmere hops, with some Hallertau Blanc, on a simple and keeps-out-of-the-way base of 2-Row, Carafoam, Flaked Wheat, and Vienna malts. Tropical fruit and a touch of sweetness, the Th crew are proud of the balance and drinkability of this release. Grab a sample, pint, or growler now.

From restrained to anything but, the Tidehouse crew love to have fun in the brewhouse (a benefit of being small and nimble), and are sure to catch some ire from traditionalists. We say, beer is supposed to be fun, so brew (and drink) what you’d like! Which brings us to Choco-Nilla… This 9.6% ABV beer began life in late December as a high gravity Imperial Stout, to which they added an irresponsible amount of Chips Ahoy chocolate cookies (think 15+ bags), marshmallows, and Fluff in the boil. Additions of vanilla and lactose were also incorporated, lending some residual sweetness to offset the very fermentable baked goods and sugary snacks. The result is a thick, sticky, and complex stout that starts with chocolate and biscuit on the nose and vanilla and more chocolate on the palatte. Choco-nilla is on tap for pints and growlers now.

The fun doesn’t end there, as they’ve got a pair of returning beers in bottles, one available now, and one being released Tuesday. Enigmatic is a bottle-conditioned version of their India Saison (one of their beers at launch), think hybrid of IPA and Belgian Saison. A light malt bill supports a playground for both hops (Ahtanum, Azacca, and Amarillo) and yeast (a Belgian Saison strain), allowing the two to come out and play and shine through. Also returning in bottles is Tidehouse’s ode to Valentine’s Day, The Sex. Featuring a “definitely outlawed in Russia” label, this 11.9% ABV Russian Imperial Stout is fermented on raspberries, and then given an extra bump with the addition of Port. A change in the bittering level of this release counters the residual sweetness from malt and raspberries, helping to keep everything in its place. Look for these bottles to hit the shelf at the Tiny Taproom on Tuesday. A note that all of their bottle releases going forward, of which there are plenty more in the works, will be bottle conditioned, and given the appropriate time to carbonate in the bottle before release.

You will no doubt see some new bright aquamarine cans on the shelf at Propeller Brewing’s Gottingen and Windmill locations today, as well as popping up at the private beer and wine stores in the area. Not a beer, but rather the second in their line of ready-to-drink beverages (the first being their The Perfect Storm Ginger beer and rum blend). Winter Blues is a 7.0% ABV “tiki-style” beverage, a mix of pineapple, lime, and falernum (yup, we had to look it up too!). A mix of star anise, allspice, clove, and toasted almonds, the mix originated in the Caribbean, with a Nova Scotian twist put on it. This RTD is a collaboration with Shane Beehan, an award-winning mixologist working in Halifax. The mix is the first release under the new Windmill Craft Cocktails line, which will see more one-off releases in the coming months.

Mark your calendars for these events coming in the next few weeks:

Next weekend, The Townhouse Pub in Antigonish will be hosting a multi-day tap takeover by Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing. From Friday Feb 15 until Sunday the 17th, they’ll have more than 6 taps (and maybe a couple of casks) of the good stuff pouring, with some special food pairing dishes created to complement.

Details are a bit light at the moment, but circle next Saturday on your calendar, as award-winning Toronto brewery Godspeed will be taking over the taps at Bar Stillwell on Barrington. From noon on February 16th, there will be a dozen taps (plus some cans) a-pouring, with food pairing provided by a pop-up by Sushi Shige next Saturday, February 16th.

The following weekend sees a battle of the heavyweight Halifax brewers Garrison and Propeller, as they go head-to-head at The Carleton in “Chef Dolente’s Craft Draught Showdown”. On February 21st, both breweries are bringing their best beer forward to pair with five courses of food, with Daniel Girard of Garrison and Pat Robichaud of Propeller on hand to talk about their choices. Attendees will vote after each course, with the winning brewery crowned the new champion. The real winners, of course, are those in attendance! Tickets are available online now, for $60 +HST (gratuity included).

Darmouth’s Jamieson’s Irish Pub is holding another of their dual tap takeovers in a couple of weeks, with this one featuring Tatamagouche Brewing and Good Robot. The takeover will take place from February 21st-24th, with each brewery having 8 taps to play with. As always, there’ll be plenty of food and live music to go with the beer! Stay tuned to Jamieson’s social media pages for the full taplist, which should be announced shortly.

February 20-26th is the first ever KV Craft Beer Week, with breweries and restaurants in the Kennebecasis Valley taking part in some sweet events and deals. Bootstrap BrewPub, Hammond River Brewing, and Long Bay Brewery are teaming up with local restaurants Amici Pub, Barrel’s Head, Boaz, Commons Creperie, Peddlers Creek, The Robertson, and Vito’s to offer discounts on beer and food in the region. Check that first link for the deals on pours and pairing throughout the week, and pop-in. The week also features the KV Craft Beer Festival, taking place on February 23rd at the Quispamsis Qplex, with beer pouring from the attendees above, as well as other breweries in the South of New Brunswick. Tickets are $45+HST and available at The Barrels Head, Bootstrap and Long Bay.

Beer fans in North Shore Nova Scotia should be happy to hear that the first annual Antigonish Craft Beer Festival is a go for March 30. Presented in partnership with CACL Antigonish, Legion Branch 59 and Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre, they’ve got 12 breweries lined up to show you the best of the region’s craft beers, including The Townhouse Pub, Half Cocked, Propeller Brewing, 9 Zero 2, Big Spruce, Meander River, Maybee, Garrison Brewing, Sober Island, Upstreet, and Tatamagouche Brewing. The event runs from 6 to 10:30 PM with the first hour reserved for VIP ticket holders. A regular $40 ticket ($35 if you buy soon enough to get early bird pricing) gets you a souvenir glass and 8 beer samples, with additional drink tickets available at $2 each; VIP tickets are $55, and include complimentary food as well as the beer samples. Tickets are on sale right now, and can be purchased online.

And here be your final bits of beer news; have a great (beer-filled) weekend!!

Boxing Rock has a new beer available at their Local Source Market location in Halifax, a beer brewed by their production brewery team from Shelburne as a test drive for their Test Kitchen. Nick and Daniel brewed up Buddy in December as a beer that their buddies would enjoy. A lagered ale, it’s crisp, clean, and eminently drinkable. Don’t sleep on it though, as some of the small batch that was brewed went back to Shelburne.

Flying Boats has a new entry in their Test Pilot series with Test Pilot No. 4 – Lover’s Quarrel IPA. They’ve released this beer before (first time was three years ago), but this is the first time this 6.2% ABV IPA with Mosaic and Galaxy will be available in cans. Check the brewery or your local ANBL store to pick some up.

Heritage Brewing now has cans available of Freezing Spray, their 6.5% ABV American IPA hopped with Chinook, Citra and Ekuanot. You can grab cans at the brewery, or at select NSLC stores in the near future.

If you’re in or around Bedford this weekend, and in the mood for something light and easy-drinking, Off Track Brewing has just released Got Me Drove, a 5.5% ABV, 12 IBUs Cream Ale. Limited supplies with this one-off, so drop by soon if you’d like to give it a try.

Feeling in a chocolate-y mood now that Valentine’s Day is around the corner? Petit-Sault has you covered with their latest beer, La BuckMousse, a 6.5% ABV “Chocolate Mousse Porter”. Dark, rich, and smooth, they added a “generous” amount of cocoa nibs to this brew. It’s available on tap now at the brewery, and at select ANBL growler stations.

Charlottetown’s Upstreet Craft Brewing has a new release out now, a hybrid reminiscent of two of their other popular beers. Rhuby Sour is a 5.0% ABV beer that combines the rhubarb and strawberry fruitiness of Rhuby Social, with the tart acidity of Major Tom. Available in bottles or on tap at the brewery on Allen Street, as well as their Craft Beer Corner location downtown.

Hill Top Hops Brewhouse in Brooklyn, NS, Holding Grand Opening This Weekend

Posted by acbbchris on 2019-01-17
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Hill Top Hops. 1 comment

Hill Top Hops Brewhouse is a small batch brewery located in Brooklyn, Nova Scotia. Owned by John and Adrienne Peters, the brewery arose out of their love for the local brewing community, which they got into through hop farming for the past 3 seasons. They will be celebrating their Grand Opening this Saturday, January 19th, from noon. We caught up with Adrienne to learn more about their hop farm and brewery, beers they have available, and plans for the future.

Can you tell us about yourselves?
We are John and Adrienne Peters we live in Avondale, Hants County. We have three young children and are passionate about living and thriving in our community. We own a hop yard in Scotch Village, 15 min away from our home, called Hill Top Hops. And we’ve recently opened Hill Top Hops Brewhouse in the Brooklyn area, adjacent to the Tidal Bore Farm Market, about 5 minutes from where we live.

How did the hop farm come to be?
John definitely has a green thumb and really enjoys being outside and gardening. By trade he is a Pipefitter with UA Local 56, but knew he always wanted to farm, and enjoyed brewing beer at home. As the opportunities presented themselves, he decided to make his two passions a reality. John loved the idea of starting some “farming” and growing hops seemed like something different. Not a lot of people were doing it, our family has land we had access to, so we thought why not! Soon after that came talk of craft beer and experimenting, and that’s what brought us to where we are today. Since starting the hop farm, John has had some great collaborations with the guys at Alexander Keith’s Historic Brewery, including an exclusive ale, and selling them hops for their Annapolis beers (Hants County Hop On Harvest Ale in 2016 and Annapolis Hop Field Pale Ale in 2017). He had been brewing at home as a hobby for years prior to opening the brewhouse.

Can you tell us about the Hill Top Hops ethos?
Hill Top Hops Brewhouse has a rustic, warm and inviting atmosphere. We are a very hands on business, doing all our work ourselves with the help of our friends and family. We’re especially grateful to John’s dad, Fred, he’s been very helpful with renovations and put in a lot of time with John. Our mission is to have many great memories made there. We use only local NS hops, the majority of which are our own. Today we grow AlphAroma, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and Columbus. When we want to use a hop that we don’t grow, we will look to our friends in the hop growing industry for those varietals. We have purchased hops from Levy’s Country Acreage, and from our good friends at Wicked Hops in Stewiacke. We brew on a 220 litre (2 BBL) brewhouse.

Which beers will you have available for Saturday?
The beer that we have on tap for our Grand Opening are:
Avondale Cream Ale – Lightly hopped with our Cascade hops. A smooth drinking beer. 4.6%
The Tidal Bore Blond – A blend of our hops including Columbus, Chinook & Cascade. 5.3%
Hants County Proud Pale Ale – A medley of our Columbus, Centennial and Chinook dry hops.
Cashmere Pilsner – A crisp and citrusy 5% beer. Brewed with Cashmere hops from Levy’s farm.
Hop Storm IPA – Six kinds of hops in 5 additions, all from our farm. A strong and delicious 6.6%
Red Tale – A Red Ale, has Galena, Columbus and lots of Centennial hops from our hop yard and is a 6% beer.
We will be offering other great specialty beers throughout the year.

We are licensed for on-site sales, we have a hospitality room and retail permit. We sell 1L and 500ml refillable growlers, and will offer keg sales in the very near future. We exchange our own growlers, and will fill other breweries’ growlers.

Can you tell us about your plans for the future?
Our vision is to expand and build a brewery at the hop farm in Scotch Village, provide hopyard tours, tidal bore viewing and more, as well as keep our current location running.

Any parting words?
We are excited to be part of the craft beer world, so far it has been an inviting one.

Congratulations to Hill Top Hops on their Grand Opening this weekend! Drop by their location at 7232 Highway 14 from noon Saturday, January 19th, to enjoy their six beers onsite or to go in growlers. Going forward, the brewery taproom is open Wednesday and Thursday 12 – 8 PM, Friday 12 – 10 PM, Saturday 10 AM – 10 PM, and Sunday 12 – 6 PM. Keep an eye on their social media (Fb / IG / Tw) for updates on opening hours, new releases. Congratulations to the Peters family on the opening!