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Halifax Beer Weekend Wrap-Up – Stillwell Beer Bar Opens and Ladies Beer League Cask Event at Stubborn Goat

Posted by acbbchris on 2013-11-19
Posted in: Beer Events. Leave a Comment

What a busy weekend for good beer in Halifax!

Subway station ambiance

Stillwell’s New York subway station ambiance

Firstly, Stillwell Beer Bar (1672 Barrington) opened its doors officially Saturday. The space has seen many changes since our sneak peek only a month ago. The ten hightop tables give plenty of room to sit while enjoying a pint under the tall ceiling. The well-designed bartop also has plenty of room for people to sit or stand while contemplating their next beer. The 12 taps mounted along the chalkboard wall are arranged from light to dark, as is the beer they are dispensing, and they were turning over quite quickly during the weekend. The well-chosen keg list were from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec (the first time Dieu Du Ciel! and Trou du Diable have been on tap in Nova Scotia, I believe), and about 30 different bottles highlighted the best available in the province. The beer engines at the left of the bar were working overtime on the weekend, dispensing beer from local breweries Granite, Garrison and Propeller.

Twelve taps of great Maritime and Quebec beer

Twelve taps of great Maritime and Quebec beer

To complement the excellent beer, the food has to be world-class as well, and chef Graeme Ruppel has risen to the occasion. All of the food items were created to pair with the beer you are drinking, so the focus is on snacks rather than large meals. Highlights are the excellent fried chicken, Baotzel (sweet potato-filled pretzel) and icing sugar-dusted Beignets. The Sunday morning breakfast sandwich with a runny egg, Oulton’s smoked bacon and spicy “Atari” sauce was a hit as well.

Downstairs to the arcade machines

Downstairs to the arcade machines

The atmosphere downstairs was that of a New York subway station, with tiled walls and benches to match. A small space to chill with friends while awaiting your turn on the pinball machine, which was quite popular all weekend. Be sure to visit this new favourite for craft beer lovers in Halifax. They are open 4pm-2am Mon-Sat (closed Tuesday), and 11-11 Sundays.

On Sunday, the Ladies Beer League held their Cask Event at The Stubborn Goat. We attended the afternoon session, and had a wonderful time catching up with friends from far and wide.

Picaroons, Boxing Rock and Big Spruce Casks

Picaroons, Boxing Rock and Big Spruce Casks

The seven casks brought by the brewers were a great diversity of styles, including the Dark Cream Ale from Hell Bay Brewing, Zythos and Chinook dry-hopped IPA from Propeller, Winter Warmer from Garrison, and Smoked Porter from Picaroons. The standouts for me were the Crafty Jack Brown Ale from Boxing Rock, Belgian Apricot IPA from Bridge Brewing, and the winner of the Ladies Choice, the Glenora Whisky-Infused Stout from Big Spruce Brewing.

Bridge and Garrison casks

Bridge and Garrison casks

The Goat was a great venue, as the upstairs was dedicated to the event, while the downstairs was still open for other patrons (and for a post-fest pint), and the full kitchen was open to bring up some nourishment to keep us going.

Once again, congratulations to Stillwell on their opening. Be sure to check their Twitter feed for up-to-date beer lists. And congrats to the Ladies Beer League and Stubborn Goat for the great cask event.

Friday Wrap-Up – New Beers from Picaroons, Pump House, Gahan House, Sea Level, Rogues Roost, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2013-11-15
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Authentic Seacoast Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Bridge Brewing, Gahan House (Charlottetown), King Street Ale House, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Pump House Brewery, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Schoolhouse Brewery, Sea Level Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar. Leave a Comment

Good morning, everyone! We’re halfway through November already… here’s some beer news for the week to distract you from the oncoming stress of the Christmas season…

• As mentioned in yesterday’s post concerning the opening of the King Street Ale House in Fredericton, Picaroons has released a new beer. A Smoked Porter called “Ember Ale”, it was brewed with Beech Smoked Malt from Weyermann, and Phoenix hops. Featuring a smokey flavor that “isn’t overpowering”, according to Picaroons Marketing Director Dennis Goodwin, it comes in at about 5% ABV with 15-20 IBUs. It will be served exclusively at the King Street Ale House, only while supplies last. A cask of it will also make an appearance at the sold out Ladies Beer League Cask Event at the Stubborn Goat in Halifax this Sunday.

• Last week, Pump House released a new beer on tap at their brewpub in downtown Moncton. A Schwarzbier (sometimes known as a German black lager), the brewery describes it as having “subtle hints of chocolate and coffee leading into a light-bodied, clean finish”. A great beer style to ease non-dark beer drinkers into, is has an ABV of 7% (higher-than-normal for this style of beer), and will be on tap for a limited time only.

• Over on PEI, the PEI Brewing Co. released a new beer on tap exclusively at the Gahan House. An American Pale Ale brewed at the Gahan brewpub, Long Creek Late Harvest is brewed with locally grown hops. While Gahan has not indicated which variety(ies) of hops were used, they describe the beer as “fully filtered, with a dark orange color”. The ABV clocks in at 6.5%.

• Sea Level Brewing has released their latest seasonal beer, “Crossing Muddy Waters Brown Ale”. From brewmaster Randy Lawrence, we heard that the name originated from playing as a child: when out with friends, crossing one of the many bridges over the Acadia dykelands and tidal rivers, they would always yell, “We’re crossing muddy waters!”. This highly anticipated seasonal beer is a medium bodied ale with medium maltiness provided by chocolate and caramel malts. It is balanced with a subtle hop flavour from the Mosaic hop. A nicely rounded, easy drinking North American style Brown Ale. It clocks in at 5.5% ABV and 40 IBUs. Cans will be traveling to the city today, supplying Bishops Cellar, Cristall Wine Merchants and Harvest Wines and Spirits. At the brewery in Port Williams, there are six pack cans and 1 Litre refillable growlers available. Their very popular Mojo Rojo Red Ale will be back in growlers and cans shortly. Keep up with the latest info on their Twitter page, too.

• Rogues Roost Brewpub has their new Cream Ale on tap and available in growlers. Clocking in at 4.5% ABV and 25 IBUs, the Golden ale features quenching and delicate flavour, with the Czech Saaz hops giving it a light body with a hint of floral aroma.

• After previously announcing that they would no longer be attending the Historic Farmers’ Market in Halifax, Bridge Brewing has confirmed that they will be at the Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market in Dartmouth. The market runs Saturday morning 8am-1pm, and Bridge will have all five of their beer available, as well as glassware. For those afraid to ferry over to the Darkside, the brewery is open weekends 12-9 Saturday, and Sunday from 12 to 6.

• Stillwell Beer Bar in Halifax is opening this weekend! Beginning Saturday, the much-anticipated craft beer bar will open its doors at 1672 Barrington Street, and delight us with great craft beer from the Maritimes and beyond. Hours are M-S 4pm-2am (closed Tuesday), Sunday 11-11. We’ll see you there! We’ll have a report from opening weekend shortly, feel free to remind yourself how far its come from an earlier post.

• A little ahead of schedule, Rare Bird Pale Ale is showing up in NSLCs across the province, from Yarmouth to Sydney, Amherst to Porter’s Lake. We’ll have a full report from the brewery and brewmaster next week, so in the meantime, pick up a bottle and enjoy!

• News from another new brewery, Schoolhouse Brewery, is coming in. They will be opening in April 2014 in West Hants, Nova Scotia. Owner Cam Hartley will be keeping us up to date on their progress over the fall and winter. Right now, however, they are looking for a brewer to join the Schoolhouse team. Check out their Facebook page to get all of the latest info.

• Big Spruce Brewing in Cape Breton showed off a very slick forged steel dual-growler holder earlier this week, available at the brewery. It brought to mind that we should put together a holiday gift-giving guide for the favourite beer drinker in your life. Look for that in a couple of weeks, and if you have any suggestions, send them in!

Fredericton Poutine Fest Wrap-Up and Early Details on 2014 Fredericton Craft Beer Fest

Posted by acbbchris on 2013-11-13
Posted in: Beer Events. Tagged: Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Fredericton Poutine Festival. 3 comments

frederictonpoutinefest

The ACBB was fortunate enough to attend the Fredericton Poutine Festival this past weekend, held at the Delta Fredericton. There were two sessions to the Fest: an afternoon all-ages session, and an evening 19+ session. Both sessions had poutine from four different restaurants, while the evening session also featured local and foreign beer.

Delta Fredericton's Braised Beef Poutine

Delta Fredericton’s Braised Beef Poutine

First, let’s talk poutine! The four poutine providers were Delta Fredericton, King Street Ale House, Kings Arrow Arena Canteen, and ReLiSH Gourmet Burgers. Each had a unique take on the classic poutine recipe of New Brunswick Potatoes, cheese curds and gravy. The Delta served theirs topped with braised beef, while the King Street Ale House had two options: smoked chicken or brisket. The Kings Arrow Arena also had two offerings: Newfie poutine (topped with turkey dressing) and Montreal-style smoked meat. And ReLiSH brought an epic poutine consisting of Angus beef and peppercorn gravy, with lobster-infused donair sauce and mini shrimp, with a squash chip garnish. Wow! During both sessions, attendees were encouraged to vote for their favourites, and the winner was Kings Arrow Arena! This small canteen dreamed big, and overwhelmed the attendees with the quality of their poutine.

Kings Arrow Arena "Double Double" Poutine - both Montreal smoked meat and turkey dressing

Kings Arrow Arena Award Winning “Double-Down” Poutine – Montreal smoked meat and turkey dressing

The beer offered during the evening was also excellent, highlighting both local and foreign beers. Steve Dixon from Grimross was pouring his Belgian Rye IPA and Pugnacious Porter. Fellow Fredericton brewery Picaroons had their Yippee IPA, 104th Regiment Brown, Blonde Ale, and newest seasonal Winter Warmer. Moncton brewery Pump House had their Cadian Pale Ale, Scotch Ale, Firechief’s Red, and Premium Lager. McAuslan Brewery had their St. Ambroise Pale Ale, Oatmeal Stout and Apricot Wheat. McClelland Importers were pouring their Affligem, Erdinger Dunkel, Fruli, and Stiegl.

Grimross Pugnacious Porter

Grimross Pugnacious Porter

The organizers of the Poutine Fest have also given some preliminary details on their 2014 Fredericton Craft Beer Festival. It will be held March 8th, 2014 at The Fredericton Convention Centre on Queen Street in downtown Fredericton. Check out their Facebook event for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Fest. The 2013 Fest was a great time, with over 100 beers available, and we’re sure 2014’s will be even better. Tickets for the Festival will be on sale in December, just in time to stuff some stockings. Cheers!