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Friday Wrap-up – News from North Brewing, PEI Brewing, BarNone, Tatamagouche Brewing, Grimross, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-11-28
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: A.W.O.L. Brewery, BarNone Brewing, Beerthief, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Grimross Brewing, Local Connections Halifax, Meander River Farm and Brewery, New Brunswick Beer Tours, North Brewing, Paddys Irish Brewpub, PEI Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Shiretown Beer, Sunset Heights Meadery, Tatamagouche Brewing, Wrought Iron Brewing Company. Leave a Comment

We may have had a few days of nasty weather, but that certainly hasn’t slowed down the brew news in our region! Stay warm with all of the details on the goings-on in our local beer world.

• North Brewing released a brand new beer late last week, Belgian Milk Stout. Brewed with 2-Row, Roasted Barley, Chocolate and De-bittered Chocolate malts, they also used lactose (milk sugar), for a bit of sweet character (lactose is not fermentable by most yeasts). Northern Brewer hops were used for bittering, and a light dose of Willamette was used late in the boil for aroma. A Belgian Stout yeast strain was used to ferment this first-in-the-region creation. The beer weighs in at 5.5% ABV, and will be available until spring in growlers, on tap, and in a North first, bottles! That’s right, North beers will now be available in 650 mL bottles from the private beer stores. The Milk Stout joins existing beers Strong Dark Belgian and Belgian IPA as the initial bottles available at Bishop’s Cellar and the other private stores. From a self-made 3-head counter pressure bottle filler, they are able to fill about 200 bottles in an hour, and are now using this gear to fill their 750 mL flip-top bottles. The benefit of using a counter-pressure filler is less foaming while filling, leading to less product loss, and better carbonation retention in the bottle.

• Last month, we reported on a new beer being brewed by PEI Brewing Co. after the lifting of the limit on ABV for beers brewed in the province. Well, 8 Cord is being canned today (473 mL), and the 8.5% ABV beer should be ready for purchase at the brewery by the end of this weekend. This is a limited-edition Imperial IPA, so make sure you get some before it’s gone! Keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter accounts for exact release details. And remember, this is only the beginning of high-ABV beer styles from PEI Brewing – they’ve just brewed a Doppelbock, a strong, malty German lager. More on that new beer next week!

• And in other high-ABV-beer news from the Island, BarNone Brewing has just released THEIR Imperial IPA, The Little DIPA. Co-owner/brewer Don Campbell is still being a bit secretive on details (we’re not sure if this new beer has similar hop varieties to BarNone’s IPA), but he has indicated that “the hop load is definitely bumped up quite a bit over the IPA“. With an ABV of approximately 8%, expect a hefty amount of hop aroma and flavor in this beer!

• On the other end of the spectrum, BarNone has also released another new beer, Orbit Session. Similar to the regularly-available Summer Sessions (at 4.8% ABV), this new beer features Orbit, a blend of New Zealand hop varieties. Part of the “Hops With a Difference” aroma breeding program, the hops are selected “on their unique aroma and flavor characteristics, and brewing quality”. Both the Orbit Session and Little DIPA were supposed to be released at last night’s weekly Growler Night; however, due to weather conditions, the event was cancelled. Look for both beers at the brewery next Thursday evening for growler and grunter (their new 32 oz bottles) fills.

• Tatamagouche Brewing Company has released another new beer this week, RR#2 Lager. It was brewed using only Crystal hops from their hop field on Rural Road #2 in Malagash. This 4.7% ABV beer was fermented as a lager, features a light body, and is very drinkable. It is available in growlers and kegs at the brewery, and in bottles at the brewery and Truro Farmers’ Market, and will be on tap at Stillwell, Obladee, and Stubborn Goat. Their North Shore Lagered Ale will also be making an appearance in 650 mL bottles, but for a limited time only. And once this beer is gone, it’s gone! We also have a little bit more information on their Festive Beer: it will be released in bottles and growlers at the brewery on Thursday, December 11th, and their Halifax launch will be a “Festive Brunch” at Stillwell on Sunday the 14th, in collaboration with the Ladies Beer League. We’ll share more details on the beer, and how to take part in the launch, as they become available.

• Grimross had their first brew day on their brand new 10 bbl (~11 hL) system earlier this week, at their new location at 600 Bishop Dr. in Fredericton. A Belgian Blond Ale was the lucky beer style to be brewed; look for it to be released sometime in mid-December in growlers and select bars/restaurants in the area, when we’ll have more details on the beer. Also, the retail area and tasting room of the brewery should be open before Christmas, and they’re hoping to have their canning line installed soon. Hopefully we’ll be seeing canned Belgian-style beers released early in the New Year!

• Paddys Irish Brewpub in the Annapolis Valley has released a brand new beer this week, the Tripel Tipple. This Belgian Tripel-style beer was brewed with Belgian Pale malt and sugar, with East Kent Goldings for bittering, and Saaz as later additions. A blend of Abbey and Saison yeasts were used to ferment the beer, and it finished at 7.75% ABV and 25 IBUs. This highly effervescent beer has a golden colour with slight yeast haze, and is sweet, smooth, and very easy drinking, with distinctive Belgian yeast characteristics. It is available at both the Kentville and Wolfville locations, and in growlers to go from either.

• A.W.O.L. Brewery continues to inch closer to opening in Riverview, New Brunswick. Owner/brewer Robert Black is expecting to secure some additional financing next month, and should be purchasing his brewery equipment in January. In the meantime, Black has been brewing a lot of test batches, including a Chocolate Mint Stout last week. In addition, one of Black’s other beers, DAG Red Ale (a sweet Amber Ale brewed with rye-soaked oak chips) finished in first place for Canada in the SJPORR Challenge 2014, an international homebrew competition, early in the fall. Don’t worry, we should get to try it eventually – Black has confirmed this will be his first commercially-available brew!

• If you missed out on the inaugural run of New Brunswick Beer Tours that was held at the beginning of this month, good news! They’ve announced that their next tour will take place on Saturday, January 31st. There’s no itinerary set yet (the first tour included visits to Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, Railcar, and Big Axe), but we’ll be sure to keep you updated when the schedule and tickets become available.

• Meander River’s latest in a line of special brews, Haymaker Imperial India Brown Ale, was released last night. Weighing in at 8.5% ABV, this big brown ale features 2-Row, Munich, Carapils, Caramel 120 and Midnight Wheat malts for a dark colour and coffee and black pepper finish. What makes this an “India” beer is the massive amount of hops used throughout the brewing process: Magnum, Cascade, Chinook and Centennial pushed the Meander River kettle to the limit with the sheer volume of hops in the boil. This beer really packs a punch! It launched on tap at Stillwell last night, and will also be available at Lion & Bright Café Wine Bar. Or, take a trip to Ashdale, and visit the farm today 4-6pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 11-5. The Honey Brown will also be available at the farm for growler fills.

• Propeller is releasing the newest beer in their One Hit Wonder series today. Vanilla Porter is a dark beer with a grist containing 2-row, Wheat, Crystal, Melanoidin, Munich, and Roast malts. Coming in at 5.7% ABV and 24 IBUs, it’s hopped with Willamette and Fuggles to add a bit of earthiness to the aroma/flavor. All-natural vanilla is added to the brew to provide a higher residual sweetness than their regular-release Porter. You can find it on tap at both retail locations for growler fills, and it will likely pop up on tap at select bars in Halifax soon.

• In the world of mead, Sunset Heights Meadery is releasing a new limited-edition seasonal today, at Isaac’s Way at 5:30 pm. The name and details are being kept secret for now, but they’ve told us that it “tastes like a Christmas dessert, and is named for how you might feel when wrapped up in front of the fire”. Look for it on tap sometime next week at their other accounts: 540 Kitchen & Bar, The Blue Door, and The Grad House at UNB.

• The Brewnettes and Beerthief Artisanal Beer Club in Newfoundland are hosting a By Women, for Women tasting of Charlevoix beer December 16th, at NLC Howley Estates. The guided tasting will focus on six beers from this Quebec brewery, and include light snacks. Tickets are $25 per person, and will sell out by the end of the weekend, so grab them today. More details, and updates, can be found on the Beerthief forums.

• A reminder to homebrewers that the Inaugural Beerthief Homebrew Competition is being held at the end of December. Full rules have been posted, so be sure to check them and enter. For this first year, BJCP styles 13A. Dry Stout and 14B. American IPA are the focus. Beer must be dropped off in St John’s between Dec 10-15, with the judging taking place the next week.

• Tickets for the Local Connections Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration are just about gone, so be sure to grab yours now to avoid disappointment. The popular event returns to the Halifax Club January 15th, 2015, and will see beer from 14 different Beer and Cider producers from Nova Scotia. As in previous Local Connections events held at the Halifax Club, each of the Seven Rooms will have a theme, and will feature both beer and food. Updates are being posted to their Facebook page with a description of the rooms, and we can say that this will be the inaugural event for the new Wrought Iron Brewing Company, a new brewery opening in Halifax. Tickets for the Celebration are available online.

• Due to this week’s storm, the third Burgers n’ Beer event scheduled for last night had to be cancelled. Don’t fret, though, it has been rescheduled for Tuesday, December 9th, from 8:00 – 10:30 pm. And if you weren’t able to make the original date, good news… there’s still a few tickets left for purchase!

We hope you have a fantastic weekend! While out and about, why not stop by Brasseurs du Petit-Sault in Edmundston – their new dark seasonal beer, La Buckdjeuve, is now available! Or swing by Shiretown if you’re in their area – they are hosting a tasting this evening at the Heron’s Nest Cottages at 7pm, and will have several beers available, including the re-release of their IPA, Hops on for Nowhere. And don’t forget that the 2015 Fredericton Craft Beer Festival tickets went on sale today at 10:00 am… remember, last year’s VIP tickets sold out in 3 hours, so get on it! And today is Canadian Beer Day, so be sure to celebrate with a bottle or pint of something local.

Friday Wrap-up – News from Bad Apple, Boxing Rock, Stillwell, Big Spruce, Picaroons, Hell Bay, and more

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-11-14
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Bulwark Cider, Celtic Knot Brewing, Fredericton Poutine Festival, Hell Bay Brewing, North Brewing, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Pump House Brewery, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday everyone! We hope you’re able to stay dry and warm today, as some wet weather hits our region. Perhaps this toasty beer news will help a bit!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse in Somerset, NS is releasing their newest beer this weekend, Boxcutter IPA. A light coloured ale, weighing in at 6.92% ABV and light-bodied, this IPA is hop-forward without being too bitter. The IBUs are calculated at 45, however most of the secret hop blend was added in a massive charge at flame-out (in the kettle, after the burner is turned off), and then another boost as a dry-hop in the fermenter/conditioning tank. This beer will be making its debut at Stillwell Sunday during their First Anniversary party, and available on tap around the city thereafter, as well as growler fills at the brewery.

• Another beer debuting at Stillwell’s party Sunday is Merci Bière, from Shelburne’s Boxing Rock. The Stillwell crew visited Boxing Rock, and brewed alongside Emily and Henry last month. Their beer is a very special Saison, weighing in at 8.4% ABV and 20 IBUs. However, the numbers definitely do not tell the whole story, as the crew used some Beechwood smoked malt for a smokey hint, and used noble UK Goldings and Czech Saaz hops to complement. And with a French farmhouse yeast to ferment this beer, they were blessed with spicy notes, including clove, allspice, and black pepper. After its release at Stillwell Sunday, it will be available in growler fills at the brewery and Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, and in bottles at the private wine shops.

• Yet another new beer debuting Sunday will be Stillwell’s very own beer, Nuppeppo. Contract brewed at North Brewing, the grain bill reads like that of an Imperial Stout, with lots of oats and flaked barley, chocolate malt for colour and flavour, and some sugar to help achieve terminal gravity. The beer takes a left turn from the style in the choice of hops: UK Goldings for bittering and Czech Saaz for flavour and aroma. And another turn (onto a ramp?) when you realize this is a Saison, and was fermented with a Farmhouse yeast. The main event (or the 24 buses jumped, in this over-stretched analogy) are the 900 grams of spices added in the last minutes of the boil. Chef Graeme used his signature Tokyo Steak Spice mixture (featuring black and Szechuan peppercorns, chilis, and a few other secret ingredients) to complete the notes of heat, chocolate, pepper, and mint on the nose and tongue. While nervous during the process, the beer has turned out even better than the Stillwellers could have expected! This beer will only be on tap at Stillwell, and there are not many kegs, so be sure to drop by Sunday to ensure happiness.

• As if you needed more reasons to visit on Sunday, the SW crew is bringing in some more heavy hitters, including lovingly cellared kegs of Acadie-Broue Kiebitz Coti Berliner Weisse, Grimross Chantelope (100% Brett fermented), Garrison Brewing Grand Baltic Porter (2013), Dieu du Ciel! Bourbon Barrel-aged Péché Mortel (2013), and casks from Boxing Rock (U-889 [2013] and the Merci Bière collaboration), North Brewing (Saison de L’Acadie), and Bulwark (Cask-Conditioned Original Cider). Plus they will have some special bottles pouring by the glass for that day only (Propeller’s Lambic-Style Framboise, The Bruery’s Sour in the Rye, and the Merci Bière collaboration. In addition to the great beers, they’ll be serving cake, and the favourite food menu items from the past year. It will be quite the party, don’t miss it! Full tap/cask/bottle list is available here.

• Already on tap in the city and at the brewery is Big Spruce’s Statler & Waldorf Proprietary IPA. Weighing in at 6.4% ABV, it is their first ever beer brewed using 100% of their own farm-grown hops (located just behind the brewery building). Cascade, Centennial, Nugget, Chinook and Mt Hood were the 5 varietals used, dried in their own oast house, and stored until brewday late last month. It is a tannin rich, hop forward beer with deep citrus flavour and character. While Statler & Waldorf are famous for their heckles and puns on the Muppet Show, we don’t think anyone will be complaining about this beer and its #MuppetLevelHops! The beer will be on tap at Stillwell, The Stubborn Goat, and Lion & Bright in Halifax, and the Townhouse in Antigonish. While the IPA is not scheduled to be on tap for the Anniversary party, Big Spruce’s The Whole 9 Yards (their own First Anniversary beer) will be pouring Sunday afternoon at Stillwell. And don’t forget to submit your registration information for their Second Annual Home Brew Competition before the 21st. Beers are due at the end of the month, and the winner will be brewing their beer in Nyanza for release at the Local Connections Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration, Jan 15, 2015.

• Fredericton’s Picaroons has released a returning favourite, Feels Good Imperial Pilsner. Featuring a grain bill of Bohemian Pilsner malt with some malted wheat, this beer usually features traditional Saaz hops, however this release also features hops grown in New Brunswick, specifically Magnum, Nugget and Centennial. As the beer is brewed to support the local arts through Feels Good, it made sense to feature local hops. While the name may imply a lager, this beer was fermented with Picaroons’ house ale yeast, Ringwood. The beer weighs in at 7.0% ABV. Also, big congratulations to Picaroons for achieving B Corporation recognition. To become certified, they must demonstrate “social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency”. They join only a handful of other companies in NB, and one brewery in all of Canada (Beau’s in Vankleek Hill, Ontario)

• Hell Bay Brewing in Liverpool, NS has released a brand new beer today, Chocolat. This 6.0% ABV beer is a Chocolate Wheat Ale (ala Brown Porter style), using a malt bill highlighted with wheat, oats, and darker roast and crystal malts. While these malts alone would offer a full chocolate aroma and flavour, cocoa and vanilla beans were extracted with a generous portion of  rum to really bring out its namesake characteristics. The hops used in this brew were all local Mt Hood and Challenger varietals, grown at Hightide Hops, in Dayspring. Grab it in a growler at the brewery, or on tap only at your favourite local watering hole.

• Like last year’s event, the 2014 Fredericton Poutine Festival was a great success! With over ten different poutines being served and over twenty different beers pouring, the sold-old evening session was hopping with great food and drink. This year’s “Best of the Fest” award went to the Doghut Canteen; they had three different poutines, including Traditional, Newfoundland, and Donair. Check out the festival’s Facebook page for lots of photos of the fun!

• Celtic Knot announced last week that they would be brewing their first batch of Toque and Mitts, an English Barleywine, for the season. Like last year, it’s a dark and malty beer brewed with Maris Otter, Chocolate Malt, Wheat Malt, and Crystal 120 L malts, and is hopped with Willamette, East Kent Golding, and Belma hops to approximately 33 IBUs. This batch has something new, however; Bourbon-soaked oak chips have also been added to the beer. A big beer at 7.5% ABV, it will require a bit of aging, but look for it to pop up on tap at Celtic Knot accounts sometime around Christmas. And, speaking of Celtic Knot accounts, the Old Triangle in Moncton just tapped the Dubh Loki (a Black IPA), their first CK beer!

• Pump House Brewery has released their latest seasonal this week, Schwarzbier. This is a traditional German-style black lager, featuring light hints of chocolate and coffee. Being a lager, it still manages a crisp mouthfeel and light-bodied, clean finish. It is available on tap now at the Brewpub, and at ANBL Dieppe this weekend for growler fills. Readers in NS and PEI should keep their eyes open for Pump House Stonefire Ale, their limited edition Steinbeir, which has been hitting the shelves in those two provinces.

• Tatamagouche Brewing has released North Shore Lagered Ale this week. A light and refreshing brew, it is lightly hopped, and cold conditioned. Available at the brewery in growlers, and on tap at your favourite watering bar. They also brewed up a holiday-themed beer earlier this week that will be out in December. We do not have any details, but gather it will be a “flavourful and festive ale”, out in time for the holidays.

• Bulwark Gold is heading to shelves in NS shortly. This cider is made from fresh-pressed apples and honey. 5.0% ABV. It will be joining Bulwark Winter already on the shelves, their spiced seasonal cider. We will have more details for next week’s write-up.

Finally this week, PEI Brewing has announced that they will be serving light food at their brewery location at 96 Kensington Rd. Enjoy nachos, chicken wings, poutine or pulled pork sandwiches while tipping a pint of their fine beers. Food will be served daily 4-7pm, except Sunday. The full menu is here.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from TrailWay, PEIBC, Big Axe, Pump House, Tatamagouche, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-10-31
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Fredericton Poutine Festival, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Moosehead, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Pump House Brewery, Railcar Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Schoolhouse Brewery, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. 4 comments

Happy Halloween! There’s a whole lot of Atlantic Canadian beer news this week, so let’s get at it…

• There’s another new brewery in New Brunswick on the horizon… the people behind TrailWay Brewing recently broke through on social media when they announced on their Twitter account that they would be opening soon in Fredericton. Dan Mason and Jake Saunders are two homebrewers that have decided to go pro, and plan on bringing a variety of beer styles (including APAs, IPAs, and Stouts) to the area. Brewery construction is currently under way; they have received their Federal Excise License, and hope to be producing beer before Christmas. Stay tuned for a profile on New Brunswick’s newest brewery in the near future!

• The rumours have been confirmed in a recent CBC story – Rogues Roost in Halifax has been sold to the PEI Brewing Co. The second acquisition of a brewpub by PEIBC in the last several months (the first being the Hart & Thistle waterfront property, now the location of the Halifax Gahan Pub), it has been confirmed that all 15 staff members of Rogue’s Roost – including brewmaster Lorne Romano – will stay on. At the moment, there is no intention on changing the Rogue’s brand, as all of their beers will continue to be brewed, according to former owner Doug Johnson and PEI Brewing Co. COO Ben Murphy. With this acquisition comes the possibility that some of the Rogue’s beers will be bottled/canned in the future.

• Big Axe has a new beer available for growler fills at the brewery in Nackawic – Partridgeberry Belgian is a Belgian Witbier-style brewed with a combination of ingredients, including coriander, oranges, and partridgeberries (a tart berry found in regions of Newfoundland) that were added to the boil. Hopped with Saaz, and fermented with a Belgian yeast, it weighs in at 5.6% ABV. Owner/brewer Peter Cole describes the beer as having “a mild but complex tartness, and a mild berry, clove, and cinnamon aroma”. It’s also available on tap at 540 Kitchen & Bar in Fredericton.

• Pump House has just released their Glenn’s Barley Wine, which recently won Beer of the Year at the Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards earlier this month. Brewed in the style of an English Barleywine, this copper-colored beer is “full-bodied with a high residual malty sweetness”, with “noticeable alcohol, fruity esters, and sherry-like aromas and flavors”, according to the brewery. In true Barleywine fashion, it has a high ABV, clocking in at 9.9%. It’s available now for a very limited time, only on tap at the brewpub on Orange Lane.

• In other Pump House news, Stonefire Ale – the beer brewed for their 15th Anniversary in early September – should now be available! This Stein Beer was brewed by immersing hot stones (~700 degrees Celsius) into the wort, quickly bringing the liquid to a boil and caramelizing sugars in the process. With a dark-amber color, the beer has notes of “apricot, grapefruit, and toasted bread” in the aroma, according to the brewery. Full-bodied, with “lots of caramel flavors, combined with the taste of roasted sugar and a background smokiness”, the beer has a low bitterness (~7 IBUs) and 6.5% ABV. Look for it in numbered, limited edition bottles only, at the brewpub now; it will follow shortly in short numbers at ANBL, NSLC and PEILCC stores.

• Tatamagouche Brewing has just released a new beer, Dreadnot. A 7% ABV India Black Ale (aka Black IPA) named after a boat built in Tatamagouche in 1877, the beer was brewed using debittered black malt to provide hints of roastiness without the acrid character from other husked, dark malts. Hopped with “generous amounts” of Waimea, El Dorado, and their own Malagash-grown Cascade to provide “pronounced citrus and floral hop aromas, and subtle pine characteristics”. There’s only a very limited amount available at the moment; look for it at the brewery for growler fills, and on tap at The Stirling Room in Tatamagouche, and at Stillwell, The Stubborn Goat, Obladee and Lion & Bright in Halifax. Luckily, they hope to brew it again in the near future!

• Speaking of Black IPAs, it looks like Moosehead has brewed a beer exclusively for the Saint John Ale House. A cask-conditioned Black IPA with a “rich roasted malt backbone”, it has been dry-hopped with Styrian Goldings “for a crisp finish”, according to the description at the SJAH. It comes in a bit lower than your typical Black IPA, at 5.6% ABV. And in other Moosehead news, their Cold Beer Store in Dartmouth is now offering growler fills of their brands.

• Chris Long, brewmaster at PEI Brewing Co., hasn’t wasted any time brewing a new beer now that the ABV-restriction has been lifted in the province – he’s mashing in a celebratory DIPA today! 8 Cord Double IPA has a grist of 2-row, Munich, and Honey malt, and is hopped with Warrior, Amarillo, Columbus, Cascade, and Centennial… and then dry-hopped (of course!), twice, with more Amarillo, Columbus, and Cascade. With about 80 IBUs and an ABV of 8.5%, it should be a terrific entry into the new range of beers available on the Island! Look for it on PEI by late November/early December, on tap and in cans.

• Picaroons has confirmed the details on their official Winter Warmer Launch Party which will be held next Wednesday, November 5th, from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the ANBL Train Station. There will be live music from local singer Josh Bravener, a variety of tasty pies from the Chess Piece Pâtisserie & Cafe, and of course, samples of the star of the hour, Winter Warmer. In addition, representatives of the Shivering Songs Festival will be on hand to announce the line-up of music for this year’s event. It’s all free, so make sure to drop by!

• Meander River Farm and Brewery has released a new beer this week, Smokey Chipotle Porter. The malt bill features Cherrywood Smoked Malt, to lend a smokey character on top of the rich dark chocolate notes. Chipotle peppers were added close to the end of fermentation for a bit more smoke, and a slight spicy kick, while maintaining a nice hop balance. It is available today at the Brewhouse 4-7pm, tomorrow and Sunday 11-5pm, and on tap in Halifax at Tom’s Little Havana and Lion & Bright.

• Schoolhouse Brewery in Falmouth, NS is coming to Stillwell for the first time tomorrow, and they’re arriving in a big way! Owner Cam Hartley will be on hand to share their six handcrafted ales with the thirsty Halifax drinkers. Their two flagship beers will be on tap, as well as all four of the Hants County Hop Series beers. The Principal Ale is an unfiltered, dry hopped 4.5% ABV, 20 IBU Pale Ale made with Maritime barley and organic specialty malts. The dry hopping with Cascade leaves this beer with a citrusy aroma. The Chequers Ale is a 4.5% ABV Robust Porter made with Goldings hops. This dark ale is a tribute to Cameron’s Great Grandfather’s brewpub in Kent England with the same name. The Hants County Hop Series beers are just about as local as a beer can get, using Maritime malt and hops grown in Hants County. Each beer features just one or two local hops, to allow imbibers to taste the characteristics each hop lends to the final product. The four beers are: Hants County Goldings, Hants County Galena, Hants County Zeus, and Hants County Zeus & Galena. The base beer style is a 5%ABV Pale Ale, with most of the hops being used in a hop back, between the kettle, through the chiller, and to the fermenter. This technique proved to be tricky, but worth the effort to grab tons of aroma from the hops without a lot of bitterness. The hops were grown on the Schoolhouse grounds, another of their hop yards at Castle Frederick Farm, as well as from Wentworth Creek Farm. Cam dried them himself, turning his garage into a temporary oast house. Cam had this to say about the Hop Series, ” I always wanted to make a beer that would be close to what the first settlers would have drank (with the exception of using modern sanitization techniques). It also allowed me to meet and work with some wonderful local hop growers at Wentworth Farm. We hope this annual series grows. This will mean an expanding hop industry in Hants County.” Meet Cam, and drink the labour of love for this brewery and farmers Saturday, starting at noon. No tickets necessary, come on by!

• In other Schoolhouse news, they will soon be offering growler fills! While they are not open to the public, they will be attending the Wolfville Farmers Market as soon as their capacity allows. And, in a region first, they will be offering a weekly growler delivery service to customers in the Windsor and Falmouth area. The truck will head out Thursday evening to collect empties and drop off filled growlers. Be sure to place your order in advance via email. Due to alcohol restrictions, ID will be checked, so no re-purposing the milkman’s “Milk/No Milk” sign!

• Yellowbelly Brewery in St. John’s, NL has their newest creation on tap now, named Root Cellar. After being charged to create a parsnip beer, brewmaster Liam McKenna admitted that he was stumped. However, not to give up on a challenge, he came up with the idea of using parsnips in a fall seasonal. While many of our favourite breweries opt for Pumpkin Spice beers, they are very divisive in the beer community, and McKenna is not a fan, due to the spices used. Instead of using nutmeg or allspice, he chose other spices and seasonings for a different beer altogether, complementing the earthy nature with hints of licorice found in parsnips. Marris Otter was the base grain, with 60 kg of baked and pureed parsnips added. The beer was hopped with the earthy East Kent Goldings to about 16 IBU, and then given a double dry-hop dose of Topaz, lending a citrus rind character. McKenna also used fresh grated ginger and Thai basil, and dried Star Anise to round out the rich spicing characteristics of the beer. The final product is a 6% straw coloured brew with a slight haze, and light in body. And, most importantly, McKenna is pleased with the results! Grab a pint at the Yellowbelly today.

• nuqneH! Garrison Brewing will be releasing a new beer next week, in celebration of Hal-Con, the Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Gaming Convention being held Nov 7-9. Klingon Warnog Roggen Dunkel is a dark rye beer, a hybrid of the Dunkelweizen and Roggenbier styles. It was brewed using Munich, Dark Crystal, Wheat and Rye malts, hopped with Cascade, and fermented with a German Weizen yeast, for a rich blend of aromas and flavours. Aromas of banana, clove and chocolate lead to rye, caramel and chocolate, with a balancing bitterness. Available in very short supply at the brewery and private stores beginning Nov 7, and they will be announcing their favourite fan slogan today on twitter. ‘IwlIj jachjaj!

• Railcar Brewing officially opens tomorrow, and in addition to two of their flagship beers (Railcar Red and Artisan Brown), they’ll have a SMaSH IPA that’s hopped exclusively with Cascade, from Southan Farms. It clocks in at 5.5% ABV and 70 IBUs. They also have a Peanut Butter Porter on the brew schedule for next week… we’ll keep you updated on that one! Be sure to drop in at the brewery/retail store in Florenceville tomorrow if you’re in the area, and pick up some growlers and swag (10% off opening day)!

• Over at Rockbottom, they released a new beer on Wednesday for their weekly firkin. A Smoked Lager (Classic Rauchbier) with a grist containing a whopping 82% of beechwood-smoked malt, and Munich malt, and hopped with Saaz, it comes in at 5.3% ABV and 21 IBUs. Think of this as a preview for the main batch, which should be on tap at the brewpub soon.

• Hammond River Brewing is has announced that they’re hosting a homebrew competition! Open to all New Brunswick homebrewers, the style to brew will be Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer. A total of four bottles of beer will be required; the due date for sample submission is January 9th, so you have lots of time to get brewing! Local BJCP-certified judges will be joined by a local sommelier to find the best in show. The winner will brew their recipe with HR owner/brewer Shane Steeves on his brew system, and the beer will be released on tap in the Saint John area. In addition, the top three finalists will receive prizes from the Saint John Ale House.

• In other homebrew competition news, the Beerthief crew is hosting a competition for Newfoundland and Labrador homebrewers. Focusing on two styles (Dry Stout and  American IPA), the competition closes mid-December, so get brewing now! Check out the forums for more details. Good luck!

• And for NS Homebrewers, don’t forget that the Big Spruce American Wheat/Rye competition closes Nov 27, so brew now or forever hold your peace. Details are available in our previous writeup.

• A final reminder that the second annual Fredericton Poutine Festival is next Saturday, Nov. 8th, and tickets are almost gone! The brewery list has expanded, with 12 breweries pouring up to 25 different beers. And, of course there will be lots of food: five establishments will have a total of 10 different types of poutine for you to sample! Get your tickets now before they’re sold out. For more info on the festival, check out our previous post.

Phew! Lots of new, local beers to look for this weekend! Celtic Knot Brewing has also expanded distribution – they now have a rotating tap at the Old Triangle in Moncton. If you are on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, be sure to drop by Boxing Rock for a Hallowe’en party Saturday. From 12-3pm at the brewery, they will be having a BBQ, free tours and samples (best to call 902-494-9233 first to ensure your spot), face painting, apple bobbing, and Pumpkin Slinging with their trebuchet!