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Going on Vacation / Overview of Upcoming Posts

Posted by AtlCan BeerBlog on 2012-03-01
Posted in: General. Leave a Comment

All will be quiet on the Atlantic Canada Beer Blog front for the next week or so as I take some time off for a family vacation.  If you’re looking for new posts, tweets or replies from me via email, holding your breathe waiting during this time would be hazardous to your health.

As a teaser, as we like to call it in the business, here are some posts that I am currently working on that I hope to have posted in the near future:

I’m going to drift from the Atlantic Canada theme a bit for a few posts.  I recently had the chance to go to Montreal and will have some posts related to my trip:

  • Insiders’ overview of the Montreal craft beer scene – I’ll be posting about the 5 best spots in the city for beer enthusiasts, overview of festivals in the city and local beer clubs among other things based on an interview with a couple of well connected Montreal beer scene insiders.
  • A profile of McAuslan Brewery (brewer of St. Ambroise beer) – Had the chance to go on a brewery tour hosted by someone with strong Halifax connections.
  •  A profile of BENELUX brewpub

There will possibly be a couple of new guest bloggers providing some posts based on their extensive travel & enjoyment of craft beer experiences throughout North America.  We’re currently in negotiations, as much as I’d love to have their contributions, I don’t know that I’m really willing to give up my last two Garrison Spruce as payment for their services as per their request.

Here’s an overview of the Atlantic content I’m working on:

  • Some back and forth over email in order to do profiles for a few breweries of various sizes in AT Canada.
  • Some back and forth over email in order to do a Q & A of with a local home brewing club.
  • Are new regional beer awards coming to Atlantic Canada?

Will be back online March 12th.

P.E.I Brewing Company’s Gahan Beer to be available in NB and other Gahan News – updated March 1st

Posted by AtlCan BeerBlog on 2012-02-29
Posted in: Atlantic Canada Beer News. Tagged: Gahan House (Charlottetown), PEI Brewing. Leave a Comment

Update #2: I originally posted this story late Wednesday night and have revised it early Thursday morning based on additional information I received via email from P.E.I. Brewing Company.   Updates to the post are made in italics and include a different pic.

Update #1: (literally minutes after posting this), noticed on Twitter that Gahan has confirmed it is now on the shelves in Moncton:  Well – it’s official – we’re on the shelves in Moncton – the attached pic is from the North Mountain Rd store-enjoy NB!                    https://twitter.com/#!/GahanBeer/status/175052994646249474/photo/1                )

There have been rumblings on Twitter that major news was coming from Gahan Brewery in Charlottetown P.E.I.  One of my informants  (thanks PEI Beer Guy) sent along a link highlighting several pieces of news.

Gahan Beer is in the process of shipping its beer over to New Brunswick for the first time.   The article does not confirm which beers are available but another informant tweeted me (thanks @MeekBrewingCo) indicating that he noticed empty spots for both Honey Wheat and Island Red (one of my personal favourites, although admittedly it is a long list) on a NB Liquor store shelf.  I have since received confirmation from the P.E.I Brewing Company that these are in fact the two listings that are available in New Brunswick.

It also appears that the company will be re-branded as the P.E.I. Brewing Company (the company had previously been known as Murphy’s Brewing Co.).

The company plans to sell a new kind of beer, which wasn’t named in the article, on the Island and across Canada under the P.E.I. Brewing Company label.  In related news, the new beer is expected to be canned.  The P.E. I. Brewing Company has confirmed that a new brew which is not currently currently in production (I have no confirmation as to which type of beer) will be canned and distributed by the P.E.I. Brewing Company.  To my knowledge, this would be the first canned offering from  an Atlantic Craft brewery (Pump House does own some equipment but has yet to distribute its beer in cans).

For the most up-to-date information check out their Facebook page.

More Private Sector Involvement Expected in Liquor Distribution in N.B.

Posted by AtlCan BeerBlog on 2012-02-29
Posted in: Atlantic Canada Beer News. Tagged: ANBL. 1 comment

As per an article on the CBC website, proposed reforms to NB Liquor will give the private sector a large role in province wide liquor distribution in a report created for the Provincial Government.   The report does not call for total privatization but has two broad recommendations.  The two recommendations are for NB Liquor to examine its existing operations as well as explore opportunities with third-party groups including potentially strategic alliances with other regional liquor boards.

Other recommendations listed in the report include setting up liquidation stores in areas close to the Quebec and United States borders which generally offer far lower prices for their products.  The possibility of more specialty stores such as beer stores was mentioned as a possibility as well.