Friday Wrap-Up

Good morning, and welcome to another long weekend! Some big news for a couple of breweries in our region, and the usual plethora of new beers, beer events… let’s get started!

• Well, it’s official – Hammond River Brewing is finally expanding! Owner/brewmaster Shane Steeves confirmed in a Facebook post yesterday that the brewery will be moving to a newly-constructed building that will house the DME-constructed 15 BBL (1750 L) system… that’s 15 times the size of Hammond River’s current brewery, making it the largest microbrewery in the Saint John area. The brewery will also be attached to the Barrel’s Head Gastropub & Wine Bar, and will have a tasting room where customers can order pints, have their growlers filled, and purchase bottles of HR beer. A barrel-aging program is currently in the plans as well. Look for the new brewery to open in early 2017, if all goes according to plan, and don’t worry – it will be business as usual for the current brewery until the new location opens, meaning your favourite HR beers will continue to be brewed. Congratulations, Shane!

• Hammond River also has a new brew in the making, a Berliner Weisse named Paisley Park. This is the first foray into sour beer territory for HR; brewed with Pilsner and Wheat malt and lightly hopped to only 4 IBUs (as is typical for the style), it was kettle-soured to give it the characteristic tartness of a Berliner Weisse. In addition, 34 lbs of fresh local raspberries from Balemans U-Pick were added in secondary. Keep your eyes open for this 3.2% ABV refreshing sour beer in the near future.

• And speaking of brewery expansions, more details on the currently-underway Big Spruce embiggening are now available! Construction on the brand-new, 5400 sq-ft building has begun on the Big Spruce property, which will eventually house a 3-vessel, 20 BBL (2300 L) brew house – that’s about three times larger than the current brewery. With 40 BBL fermentors and an automated, 30 can-per-minute canning line, we can all expect to see a heck of a lot more Big Spruce beer in the near future! Look for everything to be completed sometime in March, 2017.

• Let’s stick with Big Spruce for a while longer, as they have some new and returning beers on the horizon. In new beers are two collaboration kettle-soured ales, similar to their popular Silver Tart. Both Certified Organic Berliner Weisse/American Sours, soured with the BS in-house Lactobacillus culture, they’re made up of a grist of 50% Pilsner and 50% Wheat malt. One was brewed with Tatamagouche Brewing and will be conditioned on organic ground cherries from Taproot Farms, while the other beer, brewed with Boxing Rock, will feature organic blueberries from North of Nuttby Farm (the blueberry Berliner Weisse is based on a beer brewed by our own acbbshawn). We’ll have more details on the release dates of these beers as they near completion, and if either of them will be packaged outside of kegs.

• And in even more Big Spruce news, they have released I’m Wit Chris Lemon Ginger Wit this week. This local twist on a Belgian Wit features 6.5 kilograms of locally-grown ginger from Jody Nelson’s LocalMotive Farm and Tim & Estelle Levangie’s Thyme for Ewe Farm. The brew is further spruced up with the zest of 80 lemons, completing the beer with a great citrus aroma, and both a bite and pleasant aroma from the ginger. First available in 2015 as Cold Remedy, accbchris wrote about his experience assisting with the scale-up of his recipe previously. Grab it on tap at the brewery, and around HRM this weekend. And remember to drop by the brewery this weekend for The Big Pig Roast!

• Moncton’s Bore City is releasing a hoppy Wheat Ale, I’d Radler Not. With a grist comprised of ~40% Wheat malt, the beer was hopped with Equinox, Hallertau Blanc, and Vic Secret, giving a big blast of tropical fruit in the aroma and flavours. Described by the brewery as “juicy, light, and refreshing, yet well-balanced”, it comes in at 5.2% ABV and 44 IBUs. Don’t be fooled by the name, there’s no juice or soda in this one! Kegs have been sent to both Marky’s Laundromat and the Tide & Boar in the city.

• Halifax (and Dartmouth’s) North Brewing is releasing a very special beer today at noon. They have taken a funky path with their Glenora Barrel Aged Strong Dark Belgian: they pitched Brettanomyces from Escarpment Labs into one of their Glenora barrels, and allowed their SDB to re-ferment and age in the barrel for seven months over the winter. After a further two month conditioning, the beer is now ready for the public. Both the Brett and barrel aging add their own notes of leather, vanilla, cherry and oak to the already complex 10.5% ABV dark Belgian brew. With the higher ABV and bottle conditioning component, this beer will continue to develop over the months and years to come, so it is certainly advisable to pick up a few bottles. Due to the limited numbers, only one barrel (less than 20 cases), there is a 12-bottle limit per person.

• Two new beers hit the taps at Rockbottom Brewpub this week with a bit of a yin and yang feel that celebrates both the end of the summer and the approaching fall. The first, dubbed Fuzzy Pucker, is an American sour fermented on the last of the summer fruits, peaches. The aroma features stewed peach and pie crust with a touch of floral esters. At only 4 IBUs and carrying 5% ABV, it’s tart on the palate with a drying acidic finish; definitely a late summer sipper. On the other side of the coin, reminding us that cooler weather is just around the corner, the Baltic Porter is a rich, multilayered, lagered beer in the tradition of the Baltic states of Europe. Strong, dark and roasty, with featured flavors of sweet malt, liquorice, and dried fruit, this complex 8% ABV brew comes in at 30 IBU and is a sipper of a different sort. Both beers are available at the pub, either to sit and drink or in growlers to take home.

• Last Friday, Big Tide released Barrelled Life, their first Barleywine. After being brewed on the Big Tide system, the beer was barrel-aged for 6 months by Dunhams Run winery, out of Kingston, NB. According to the brewery, the beer was aged in a Frontenac Reserve barrel, and blended with Black Mamba, a mead made by Dunhams Run. The resulting product is a “silky smooth”, 10.5% ABV monster of a beverage. Available at the brewpub for 12 oz pours only, once it’s gone, it’s gone, so hurry down for a pour!

• Wayfarers’ Ale Society has a new beer on tap, One-Eyed River Hog IPA. Featuring a larger malt bill than their EPA, it likely falls in the English IPA category, described by the brewery as having “some wonderful hoppy overtones, with a big body and a little bit of sweetness in the finish”. Brewed as a special-release small batch, this 6.2% ABV beer won’t be brewed again until sometime in November.

• Bad Apple Brewhouse has a brand new beer out this week. Primal Wit is a 5.7% Witbier, featuring kaffir lime leaves, Lemongrass, Star Anise, and Ginger, for an Asian-inspired twist on this Belgian style. Bright citrus, light licorice, and ginger lend a savoury theme to this brew. Brewed exclusively for Halifax’s Primal Kitchen, it’s on tap there now, as well as at the brewery in Somerset. Also look out for BA’s Mosaic DIPA, the 8.0% ABV Double IPA featuring loads of Mosaic hops, available at better bars in Halifax now. They recently brewed their APA (American Pale Ale) with a high portion of the grist with Horton Ridge Malt, and the upcoming brew of their Russian Imperial Stout will also feature a healthy dose of the locally-malted grain in the malt bill. And Operation Green Ring, the collaboration with Delta Force Brewery will be brewed on the weekend, featuring loads of cucumbers and fresh mint on top of an American Wheat base.

• Schoolhouse Brewery allowed visitors a sneak peek at their new brewery and retail location yesterday, as part of their new monthly Growler Night. Open the first Thursday of the month at their new 40 Water St location in Windsor, customers can purchase growlers of their beer, as well as merchandise, and track their progress as they work towards the opening of their location in December. For now, these nights will replace their delivery schedule, as they work tirelessly towards that opening. Keep an eye on their Instagram feed for the latest developments! And there is still a bit of their collaboration with Good Robot, Skratch Plaskett, a 5.8% ABV Pale Ale, brewed for the Evolve Festival.

• Annapolis Cider has released the latest entry in their Something Different series of ciders, Citrus and Plum. This unfiltered cider features fresh-pressed juice from Golden Plums that were grown just down the road from the cidery. In addition, a small batch of dry cider was added, that had been infused with the zest of oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, giving the final product a “mouth-puckering zing, and a cleansing finish”. Note that this 6.1% ABV cider contains the first apples from the 2016 harvest, including fresh-pressed juice from three different varieties: Vista Bella, Close, and Jersey Mac. Available only at the cidery in Wolfville, don’t expect this one to last long (especially with the return of Acadia students!). And as with all of their Something Different blends, a portion will be going to a local group. This batch’s beneficiary is The Flower Cart, empowering local adults with intellectual disabilities through vocational training and job placement assistance.

• This week saw Good Robot bringing out another stylistic mashup that reminds us once again where they stand on the East Coast/West Coast beef. Ol’ Scurvy Bastard, a Marga-RZA and/or Dirt McGirtarita Ale sees an ultimately Belgian style, Witbier, that was brewed with coriander and fermented with the St-Remy Abbey strain from Escarpment Labs, then a-salted Leipzig-style like a Gose, peppered with Japanese Sorachi Ace hops to the tune of 14 IBUs, and finally smacked down with lime zest. Pale gold in colour and hazy with a white head, you’ll find aromas of lemon and lime, vanilla, honey and agave with floral and briny hints. On the palate you’ll be tasting those same citrus and sweet notes along with the salt. Both mildly tart and a touch boozy, it’s 6.2% ABV and carbed right up for a crispness that accentuates the acidity. Protect ya neck!

• Mill Street St John’s has released their latest brew, Jigger’s Delight California Common. This 5.7% ABV, 18 IBU hybrid beer uses lager yeast fermented a little bit warmer, allowing some of the aromatics of ale yeast to shine through, while maintaining a smooth finish. Notes of grain and a light honey sweetness sit upon a medium body with toast and caramel flavours. The beer is available on tap now, and will rotate into their growler bar when possible. Mill Street is currently recruiting a Head Brewer for this location, as current Head Brewer Alexis Wagner is heading to the UK to complete her Masters. Click the St. John’s tab here for more information.

• It’s that time of year again – Hop Harvest! Several breweries in our region have wasted no time, and have brewed (or will very shortly) Wet (aka Fresh Hop) beers with locally-grown hops. While hops are usually dried, and possibly pelletized before use to help extend their storage, wet hops can be used immediately after picking, for an extra aromatic blast fresh from the plant.

Big Spruce rounds up plenty of community hop pickers for assistance in harvesting the aromatic varietals grown on their property. Last year they released their wet-hopped Craig Goes Yard; no word on what exactly they have planned for this year’s harvest, but we can definitely expect the style to be another IPA.

Meander River will be brewing several batches of their Home Grown Ale, thanks to the bountiful harvest of eight different hop varietals grown right at the brewery, as well as some grown in a test hopyard in Aylesford.

Schoolhouse Brewery grabbed some 70kg of hops from a local family farm, some of which will be used in a soon-to-be-brewed beer; the rest will be dried for later brews.

Sea Level has been brewing a wet-hopped beer for years; this year, they’ve brewed up a new one, Indigenous Pale Ale (5% ABV). Featuring freshly-harvested Cascade grown on-site, and organically-grown malt from Horton Ridge, it should be available in kegs and cans by mid-September.

Uncle Leo’s brewed their 2nd Annual Harvest Ale with hops from Bramble Hill Farm and malt from Horton Ridge Malt and Grain. Look for it in a couple of weeks; it went fast last year, so watch for updates!

And the fun isn’t only in Nova Scotia – New Brunswick brewery Picaroons will be continuing their Harvest Ale series; we’ll have more details on that series of beer, soon.

• The NSLC released their First Quarter Results this week, and the sales of NS Craft Beer continue to show great growth, rising by almost 50% over last year’s Q1, while overall beer sales grew by only 9.6%. Any concern that the number of small local producers has reached saturation is far from true, as they still only account for less than 4% of the entire beer sales in the province. Massive growth in NS-produced cider continues as well, clocking in at over 80%, still accounting only a small percentage of the overall “Ready-to-Drink” market. The full report can be read here.

There’s a few events coming up that we’d like to mention before signing off:

• The 2016 PEI Beer Festival is being held this weekend at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown. There are three sessions: Friday and Saturday, 6:30-9:30, and Saturday 2-4:30. Featuring a wide variety of the PEILCC‘s regular offerings, there will also be some special casks from PEI Brewing Company, as well as new beers from visiting breweries Boxing Rock, Collective Arts, and Propeller. Check out the beer and brewery list here, and grab your tickets online or at the door ($50 for tonight’s session, $40 for tomorrow afternoon’s, Saturday evening session is sold out).

• The Falmouth TrALE Run is scheduled for October 1st. Featuring a challenging 5km route through the woods at Castle Frederick Farms, water stations along the way are amped up with beer from nearby Schoolhouse Brewing. The event will not be timed, so enjoy the view and the beer while you make your way along the route. Your $40 ticket includes beer samples and a souvenir glass. All proceeds from the event are going to support West Hants Ground Search and Rescue, and you can pledge more through the online registration.

• Port Hawkesbury will once again be hosting the Celtic Oktoberfest on October 22nd. An all-inclusive event with live music, food, wine and beer, this is the third year for this great event. Featuring products by Authentic Seacoast, Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Breton, Eileanan Breagha Vineyards, Garrison, Hell Bay, Spindrift, Tatamagouche, and Uncle Leo’s. Check the website for the full food and music run-down, too!

Have a fantastic long weekend! Looks like some mighty decent weather to unofficially end the summer; be sure to enjoy it with your favourite craft beer(s)! And as usual, a few parting notes…

– Petit-Sault‘s 8.5% ABV Pumpkin Ale, Bonhomme Sept-heures, has been brewed and packaged for release this weekend. This year, however, a portion has been bottled; bottles will be available for purchase at the brewery only, along with growlers. It sold out quickly last year, so don’t wait! A few kegs may make it to licensees.
– Due to great response from customers, Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewery will be taking this weekend off, but will be open again next Saturday 10-2 for growler fills and merchandise sales, before their full launch mid-September.
– York County Cider has announced that their bottle distribution has increased, as several of their brands are now available in bottles at the ANBL on Mountain Road in Moncton.

Good morning, and welcome to another weekend! As per usual, there’s plenty going on in beer news this week, including yet even more breweries opening up soon in our region. For news on Fredericton’s newest brewery, Bogtrotter Craft Brewery, check out yesterday’s post. We have also posted a profile on Saint John, NB’s new Loyalist City Brewing, late Friday.

• Although the Cherry and Blackberry variation of the Barrel-aged Belgian Golden Strong isn’t quite ready, there’s plenty of action this week from TataBrew; Thursday saw two releases, a new brew of a favourite from the Giant Beer Series and a brand new seasonal offering. First, the CBA Gold Medal-winning Russian Imperial Stout has been brewed again with a similar recipe, but slightly subdued on the hop side and with more richness and mouthfeel. Although it’s ready to drink now, at 8.5% ABV it’s sure to develop in the bottle, so when you head down to the brewery maybe grab a couple and set one aside for a winter night in 2017 or beyond. Second, and coinciding with the Wild Blueberry Harvest Festival underway in the northwestern part of the province, Blue Bales is a blueberry wheat beer featuring 300 pounds of local organic berries from North of Nuttby Farm on which it aged for 5 days. At only 8 IBUs from a single Bramling Cross addition and 4.8% ABV, the blueberries are bound to take center stage.

• As if that wasn’t enough new beer, Friday night will see the release of a brand new IPA, Strikhedonia. A little heavier than the Deception Bay IPA at 6.7% ABV and 70 IBU, this one is bittered with Chinook and features aroma and flavours from late additions of Citra, Huell Melon and Mosaic, that bring a dank and juicy fruitiness along with classic IPA flavors. Both the Blue Bales and the Strikhedonia will be available in growlers from the brewery this weekend and with draft and cans starting next week. There are also pins of each that will be tapped at the brewery over the next two weekends, so keep an eye on social media for announcements from TataBrew and your favourite taproom to see where and when they can be found.

• Meander River has a new beer pouring at their brewery in Ashdale, NS – Creamsicle of Wheat is a sessionable (3.9% ABV) Wheat Ale that the brewery is describing as a “light summer beer with a hint of citrus”, thanks to the addition of peeled oranges during the fermentation process. Available for growler fills at the brewery, you can also find it on tap at a few licensees and their table at Saturday’s Halifax Forum Farmers’ Market. In other Meander River news, they will be extracting their raised-on-site honey over the next few weeks for their annual batch of Ashdale Honey Brown, a 5.2% ABV Brown Ale brewed with toasted malts. They also plan on harvesting their locally-grown hops this weekend and again in early September; check out their social media accounts for updates, and feel free to contact them for more details on how you can be involved. And finally, they will be once again participating in Open Farm Day on Sunday, September 18th; if you’re in the area, be sure to drop by for tours and tastings.

• Digby’s Roof Hound Brewery is releasing their newest beer tomorrow, Wasted Days Chocolate Peanut Butter Wheat. This mouthful of a name is a mouthful of a beer! Building on a 5.1% ABV North American Wheat base, the addition of cocoa, peanut butter, and lactose come together for a wonderful meeting of the minds. Light hopping to 16 IBUs allows the specialty ingredients to take centre-stage. To launch the beer, Roof Hound is inviting several musical guests to the tap room, including Jeremy Outhouse of Tide and Timbre and Curt Leblanc of Rain Over St. Ambrose, whose Wasted Days song inspired the name of the brew. Wasted Days joins Little Pup Pale Ale and Rooftop Rye-It on the taps, with several new beers in the pipeline to be released in the coming weeks.

• Saint John’s First City has released a new beer, Wheat IPA. Approximately half of the grist is made up of Wheat malt, giving the beer a “crisp and light body”, according to the brewery. Hopped primarily with Chinook and Summit to 70 IBUs, it features “strong aromas of pineapple and citrus”, and weighs in at 7% ABV. You can find it on tap now at select First City accounts around the city, and at the James Joyce in Fredericton.

• Port Rexton Brewing released a small batch of a brand new beer this week. Nar Bitter Bitter is a 5.7% ABV ESB (Extra Special Bitter), featuring a malt-forward flavour with caramel undertones thanks to the traditional English malts used. As this was a smaller-than-usual batch, you’ll have to enjoy it on tap at the brewery, where you can also grab a pint of their Horsechops IPA, T-Rex Porter (formerly known as Night ‘Bous), and Baycation Blonde. They are open 2:00-10:00pm daily on Ship Cove Road. Late Addition: Well, that didn’t last long! The NBB has finished, so the PR crew have tapped Mr. Wheaty Pants at the brewery. A 4.4% ABV wheat beer with body, and a touch of Centennial bitterness to complete the package. Grab it today.

• Mill Street Brewpub in St John’s has a new beer on tap these days. Come From Away IPA is an English-style IPA, with 5.6% ABV. With a hearty 60 IBUs bitterness and floral & fruity hop aromatics, the clean fermented features a balanced body with amber colour and caramel notes. Available by the pint, or in growlers to go now. And a trial batch of a special beer flew like hotcakes earlier this week: Rhuby Cove was a tart beer, aged for 2 months on strawberries, raspberries, and rhubarb grown in Portugal Cove – St. Philip’s. Due to its big success, look for this beer to be released in a bigger batch in the future!

• Mama’s Brew Pub has been receiving positive customer feedback on two of their latest brews. First up is their Old World Pale Ale, which brewmaster Ryan Kingston brewed in the style of a traditional British Pale Ale. Featuring a grist of Maris Otter and Crystal 70 L, the beer was hopped with Goldings sourced from Southan Farms, as well as the American variety, Amarillo, for an interesting twist to the style; 5.1% ABV, 16 IBUs. Their Blueberry Wheat was also released recently; Kingston brewed a wheat beer and fermented it with a Hefeweizen yeast strain, for plenty of banana, clove, and a “Juicy Fruit bubble-gum aspect”. After fermentation, 50 lbs of blueberries were added to secondary, giving the beer a purple hue and hints of blueberry flavour. Weighing in at 5% ABV, and available now with the Old World, at the brew pub for pints.

• Grimross Brewing is releasing a new beer – Grimdonk – later this afternoon at the brewery. Designated as a Belgian Blond Ale, it was fermented with a new-to-Grimross yeast strain that originates from the Breendonk region of Belgium (hence the beer’s name). It comes in at 7% ABV; expect plenty of fruity esters and spicy phenols, as well as a dry finish, characteristic of this style. Swing by for a pint or growler fill today, and look for it to be hitting taps in the Fredericton area soon.

Lots of new events coming up, and as always, keep an eye on our Calendar of Events page to see what’s on the horizon.

• Savoie’s Brewhouse and the Heron’s Nest Pub are holding a Customer Appreciation Day tomorrow, August 27th, at the Heron’s Nest in Charlo. Starting at 3 pm, there will be a free corn boil, live music, and plenty of beer available for purchase – including Savoie’s Buller’s Blueberry Blonde; the first 24 people that order a Savoie’s beer will receive a free glass.

• Big Spruce is kicking up their weekly visits from Cruisin’ Cuisine by hosting a Pig Roast on September 4th. Featuring two 40kg roasting pigs and locally-inspired sides, there will be plenty of food to complement the full taps flowing at the brewery. A few new beers, along with previous rare releases will grace their taps, adding to the solid regular lineup of beer. A massive tent will mean room for more people, and there will be live music all day, with everything kicking off at noon.

• After a few-month hiatus, Acadie-Broue will be available once again very soon to their thirsty fans in the Moncton area. Now brewing onsite at the Université de Moncton student bar Le Coude, A-B’s 50 litre system will be putting out more German- and Belgian-inspired beers come September, with their launch party being held September 8th. Drop by for the “5 à 7” (happy hour), being held, not surprisingly, 5-7 pm. Chat with A-B’s Patrice Godin to learn about his beers, and take a peek at the brewery on-site.

• Trider’s Craft Beer will be opening soon in Amherst, NS. To celebrate, they are hosting a Pre-Launch party at Sociables Pub in Springhill on September 10th. Featuring live music and appetizers, attendees will be the first to try Trider’s offerings. Tickets are $15 (which includes your first pint) and on sale now at Sociables, and are sure to sell out. More details can be found here. Trider’s storefront will be opening September 20th, and they will be taking part in the Rocktoberfest at the Amherst Fire Hall October 1st. We’ll have all of the details on Trider’s with a full profile next week!

• As part of this year’s Growing Green Festival in Bridgewater, Crave Local: A Taste of Home will be held on Friday, September 16th from 6:30-8:30 pm. Several different juices, wines, and beers (including newly-open Saltbox, as well as Boxing Rock, Hell Bay, and Bulwark) will be available for sampling, as well as appetizers. Held at Wile’s Lake Farm Market, tickets are only $20 (if purchased by September 2nd; $25 after), and can be purchased directly at the market, or by calling 902-543-0434.

• The Halifax Beer Run is taking place September 17th. Mixing many folks’ love of both running and beer, this 11km route takes runners from Garrison Brewery, with four tasting stations along the way. After a sociable at Garrison, runners will make their way to the Good Robot and Propeller breweries for drinks and a quick tour, before visiting a satellite Spindrift location. The run ends with folks returning back to the South end at the Halifax Oktoberfest, already in full swing. The ticket includes a t-shirt, your drinks along the way, and entry to the Oktoberfest grounds. Grab your entry today!

• As mentioned yesterday, the official launch of Bogtrotter Craft Brewery will happen on Saturday, September 24th. With a tasting at the ANBL Train Station at noon, and a TBD second location afterwards, they will finish up with a Meet the Maker event at the James Joyce at 8 pm. All three of their initial beers will be pouring (Muddy Mayhem IPA, Angry Otter Pub Ale, and Osprey’Orange Pale Ale), and owner/brewmaster Rod Croucher will be available to chat all things beer and Bogtrotter.

• The Cask Beer Throwdown is happening at the Olympic Centre on September 24th. Featuring two sessions (12-3 and 5-8), guests will get a chance to try a whole slew of beers served via gravity pins and hand pumps. The entrance fee includes access to the event, a take-home glass, and your first 12 beer sample tickets. Session One (12-3pm) breweries include: Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Garrison, Good Robot, Propeller, Schoolhouse, Sober Island, Tatamagouche, and more TBA. Session Two (5-8pm) breweries include: Big Spruce, Gahan House – Halifax, Garrison, Good Robot, Hell Bay, North, Spindrift, Sober Island,and more TBA. Food courtesy of Bramoso Gourmet Pizzeria, The Food Wolf, and T DOGS will be available as well. Grab your Early Bird tickets now!

• Big Spruce has announced the details for their 4th Annual Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge. Interested homebrewers should email Big Spruce for an entry form, which should be filled out and submitted by November 23rd. The entry fee is $25, which entitles you to this year’s one-of-a-kind T-shirt, as well as entry to the post-judging party in HRM on November 27th. Homebrewers may submit an entry in one, two, or all three of the featured style categories: Double IPA, Dark Mild, and Experimental Sour (check out the 2015 BJCP Guide for details on each style). Three bottles for each style entered are required; these must be submitted to Big Spruce by November 25th for judging (a Halifax drop-off point will be coordinated in the near future). As in last year’s competition, first, second and third-place winners in each category will receive a swag package, and the Best of Show winner will have the opportunity to brew a full-size batch of their beer at Big Spruce, for release at the 4th Annual Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration, put on by Local Connections Halifax, in January. Good luck, homebrewers!

Believe it or not, there’s even more beer news we want to be sure you read before heading out for a pint:

– Big Spruce’s hoppy collaboration with Stillwell, Gimme Citra, is back for a limited time. Hopped entirely with Citra, it’s tropical, fruity, and extremely quaffable at 4.7% ABV.
– Bore City has brewed their last batch of Equilux – an American Pale Ale featuring Citra and Equinox hops – for the year; two kegs have made their way to the James Joyce in Fredericton. If you haven’t tried this one yet, we encourage you to seek it out! It won’t be around again until sometime next year.
– Keep an eye out for Hammond River‘s Too Hop to Handle Double IPA at better Saint John bars now. This 8.4% ABV and 150+ IBUs beer is only brewed a few times a year, and is always a quick seller.
– Boxing Rock‘s collaboration with Gahan House – Halifax, Over the Top!, has returned. A 4% ABV “sour mash cranberry wheat ale”, it features an addition of Nova Scotia cranberries to complement the already tart and dry finish. Look for it in growlers and on tap around the province now.
– Upstreet‘s Eighty Bob, their 4.5% ABV Scottish Export Ale, is now in regular rotation, and is also available in bottles for the first time, at the brewery and PEILCC stores, as well as at Bishop’s Cellar in Halifax.
– TrailWay just tapped a new batch of their IPA, Hugh John Hops, and it’s tasting super-fresh! Drop by the brewery for a pint and/or growler fill.
– After a brief hiatus, Unfiltered‘s Riddle of Steel is back today. This 7.0% ABV IPA is full of hops, weighing in at approximately 80 IBUs, brewed with the famous Conan/Vermont Ale yeast. Growler fills and pints from noon!

Thanks to all who entered our Beer and Food picture contest, for the Unibroue 17 Grande Reserve Launch @ The Port. We’ve randomly picked our winner, and it is @shawnahazz! For those who’ve missed out, there are still a few spots available for this evening’s food and beer tasting (and first chance to try and buy their 6 litre bottle of the 17 Grande Reserve), grab your tickets at The Port today.

And a big thanks to Aaron for helping out with this week’s blog, we’ll be tapping him for more help going forward.

Happy Friday everyone! Lots of news this week, so let’s get right to it…

• Leading us off today is a story from Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing: they have filed suit against the NSLC, arguing that the “Retail Mark-Up Sales Allocation” the Crown Corporation is unconstitutional. When Unfiltered’s lawyers consulted the legislation to learn more about the mark-up, none could be found, and the NSLC has been unable to provide documents outlining the details. The $0.50/litre mark-up is applied to all NS-made beer that is sold or given away, whether or not it hits any NSLC retail stores. Unfiltered is claiming that the mark-up is in fact a tax, and that the NSLC is not legislated to collect it. They are requesting reimbursement for the more than $25,000 paid to the NSLC over the last 13 months, and that the mark-up be declared unconstitutional. This case has wide-reaching implications, as all of the more than 35 breweries in the province have been paying this fee for years, and would amount to many millions of dollars that could be at dispute. From the NSLC’s own spokesperson, $954,000 was collected in 2015, of which $50,000 was provided to the Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia (the association of 25 member breweries, but Unfiltered is not one of them). The scheduling of the suit is to be decided in early September, and we’ll be sure to keep you up to date with all of the news. The CBC has a good summary of the details of the suit.

• In new beer news, Fredericton’s TrailWay Brewing has dropped a new take on their fruit wheat beer this week: Haskap Wheat. With a similar base as their Raspberry Wheat, this beer features 40 kilos of locally-grown Haskap berries added after fermentation. The resultant beer is a hazy purple colour, with notes of blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry, on a pleasant wheat base. A very drinkable 4.3% ABV and 20 IBUs Wheat beer. And speaking of drinkable, their South Pacific-hopped Pale Ale D’under is back again, weighing in at 5.5% ABV and approximately 40 IBUs from late addition hops. Lots of tropical aromas come through from the hops, without a big bitter blast.

• Propeller Brewing has released their latest One Hit Wonder this week, and their Brewmaster apparently had a one-track mind when it came to this recipe! 1 Hop IPA is a 6.6% ABV and 56 IBUs beer, featuring nothing but Mandarina Bavaria for the hopping. As the name implies, this hop was developed in Germany, at the Hop Research Institute in Hüll, and is among the recent wave of aromatic hops (higher oil content) coming from Europe. The orange and citrus notes of the hop shine through on top of the robust body and significant bitterness. As with all of their OHW releases, this is only available in draft, or for growler fills at their two brewery locations. And while you’re at the brewery, be sure to check out Prop’s first can release. They have started with their flagship IPA, with cans now available at their retail locations, and will soon be rolling out to the private stores and NSLC shelves.

• Gahan House Halifax has a few new beers on tap currently, and a brand new beer hitting the taps next week. Now on tap are: Maritime Brine, a 3.8% Gose with a light acidity and salt character, along with pleasant lemon character, with just enough hops (less than 10 IBUs) to keep it balanced; The Barberrian (which made its cask debut at the Seaport Beer Festival), a 5.0% ABV Red Ale aged on dried barberries and cherries, for a bright fruit flavour and aroma; Summer House Beer, a 4.0% Hefeweizen dry-hopped with Mt Hood for a hoppy-aromatic take on the style; and Crosscurrent, their 5.5% ABV American Pale Ale with El Dorado and Simcoe. On tap for next week is Night Vision, a 6.2% American Porter, using Magnum and Mt Hood hops (to about 30 IBUs), featuring “chocolate and graham cracker notes” as a nice contrast to their roast-forward Stout, according to Brewmaster Kyle Jeppesen. Be sure to follow along with his adventures on Instagram, to keep up-to-date on his brew days and what’s coming up on the waterfront. In fact, Jeppesen just brewed a Sahti, his take on the traditional Finnish brew, featuring locally-harvest juniper branches used in the mash, and a large percentage of rye malt.

• North Brewing is releasing a special beer collaboration brew today, Lawrencetown Blonde. This 4.5% ABV beer features 2-Row and Wheat malts, and lightly hopped with Cascade and Saaz to about 20 IBUs. Surfing friends of the brewery, Ian Jackson and Dean Petty (of Anchored Coffee) were also part of the brewday, label design, and recipe development. Ten litres of Ethiopian Yukro cold brew was added to the final beer, courtesy of Anchored, for a light roastiness to complement the peach, citrus, and light ginger aromas. And a nod to the surfers was a little but of Lawrencetown Beach sea water too! Ian’s wife Jill (of Jill+Jack Paper) designed the label, on the bottles which are available on both Agricola and Ochterloney today.

• Yellowbelly Brewpub in St John’s has released a new beer this week, Southern Shore Foggy Porter. This deep-ruby-coloured porter features a big roast character, notes of toast and smoke, and dry finish, thanks to the large percentage of roasted barley used in the recipe. Dry-hopped with Brewer’s Gold, Cascade, and Mosaic to enhance the nose with a touch of spice and fruit. This beer is Brewmaster Liam Mckenna’s tribute to “the finest sort of folks down the Shore who endure weather like no others, [and] will warm the cockles.” The 5.8% ABV, 45 IBUs, beer is on tap at the brewpub now, and may not make it into bottles, so best to drop by for a pint today!

• Garrison Brewing has brought back their popular Honey Lavender Ale today. The 6.5% ABV beer features lavender harvested from Meander River Farms, and its aroma is a pleasant partner to the malt and light honey character. Honey from Shubenacadie’s G.G. Smeltzer & Son helped to bump up the alcohol a bit, aiding the Maritime Malt and Wheat, and does offer a sweet aftertaste. A small dose of Citra hops helps to offset the beer at a light 16 IBUs. Bottles are now available at the brewery and private stores in HRM.

• Nyanza’s Big Spruce has brought back their kettle-soured IPA this week, JAC the SIPA. Featuring loads of Amarillo, Citra, and Simcoe hops added during a whirlpool after flame-out, this 6.0% ABV beer features a big aromatic blast of hops with a medium 54 IBUs. The acidic nature of the beer gives a pleasant refreshing sharp character, on a hot afternoon.

• Picaroons will be pouring a special beer this weekend, to celebrate The Tragically Hip‘s final concert (and Canada-wide phenomenon). The Tragically Hop’d Pale Ale is a 4.5% ABV Pale Ale with “silly” amounts of some special hops: Galaxy, Saphir, Summit, Topaz, Vic Secret, and Warrior, to 40 IBUs. The beer will be pouring exclusively at the “Fully Completely in the Square” event in Fredericton’s Officer Square, at the Brewtique, and at the General Store in Saint John tomorrow, August 20th.

Speaking of events, there are a whole bunch of them on our radar in the coming weeks. You can check out our Calendar of Events Page for the full listing, and subscribe to it by clicking here. And feel free to let us know about the neat events that we may have missed! We love to hear from you at ACBeerBlog@gmail.com.

• Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewing will be opening their retail location August 20 for growler and merchandise sales, 10-4. They will be selling their Dark Cream Ale, a flavourful 4.7% golden orange ale featuring notes of biscuit and toast and their IPA, a 5.4% dry-hopped hoppy ale, featuring notes of melon and strawberry. As they are still awaiting their 12 hl brewhouse to come online (much of it was delivered this week!), they will be concentrating on to-go sales, in both their own, or customer-provided (clean), grunters and growlers. Their current schedule is to be open for take away sales for the next few Saturdays until their launch at the end of September.

• The Upstreet Block Party is returning for its second year on Saturday, August 20th. Featuring plenty of activities, live music, food, and tours at the brewery from 12 pm on, they’ll also be unveiling a new “super-sized beer garden”! As the sun goes down, the party will move into the taproom at about 8 pm for more music (from two local DJs), food, and beer. Admission is free, just drop in anytime to join in the fun!

• On August 26th Quebec Belgian-inspired brewery Unibroue is sending their Beer Sommelier (and Certified Cicerone®) Sylvain Bouchard to The Port, NSLC’s new flagship location at 5485 Clyde Street. He will be helping to launch the release of the 6-litre 17 Grand Reserve Belgian Strong, with a food and beer tasting with several of their products (including Éphémère Apple, Blonde de Chambly, La Fin du Monde, Maudite, in addition to the 17) . There are only 32 bottles of this special beer, in a format best suited for sharing at a wedding or other celebration, and those in attendance will have the first chance at trying and purchasing them. There are only 30 tickets available to the 7-8:30pm event (on sale at The Port now), and we are holding a contest for your chance to win a pair of them! Post a picture to our Facebook page, and/or tag us and @Unibroue on Twitter or Instagram, with a picture your favourite beer and food pairing, and we will announce the winner in our Weekly Wrap-Up next Friday morning.

• On August 26 & 27, Stillwell Beer Bar is hosting a tap takeover from Portland Maine’s Liquid Riot Bottling Co. Owned by the awesome beer-focused team behind Novare Res Bier Cafe, Liquid Riot brews a wide variety of beers and spirits on the Portland waterfront, and is bringing a great selection to Halifax. The fun starts Friday night at 6pm on Barrington, with a dozen sours, porters, wheats, and IPAs taking over the taps at the Mothership, and continues Saturday from noon at the Beer Garden on Spring Garden, with ten taps of LR goodness (five of which are exclusive to the BG). There are no tickets required for the fun, and there are only single kegs of many of the beers, so be sure and drop by early to avoid disappointment! Check out their Facebook Event page for the full line-up, because it’s too long and awesome to post it all here.

• On September 16th, Garrison and Local Connections Halifax are hosting Hops ‘n’ Brats, as part of Halifax Oktoberfest. From 6:30 to 11, they will be hosting a handful of NS breweries at the Salter Street parking lot, slinging beers and pairing them with a ton of locally-produced sausages. Your entry fee includes your first 8 samples, a token to take part in the beer-centric games, and a souvenir glass. New this year is the ability to trade 3 tickets for a full pour of your favourite brew. There will be a dozen breweries in attendance, including: Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Garrison, Meander River, and Spindrift. Tickets are just $24+tax, and are available now.

• September 17th is the main event for Halifax Oktoberfest, with the party kicking off at 11am with traditional German food, music and games, with the evening session kicking off at 6pm with more food, dancing, and Garrison beer a-plenty. The Swell Guys and Die Brew-misters Oompah Bands will be providing music, and Scanway Catering will be serving up lots of sausages, spaetzle and schnitzel, as well as two whole roasted pigs. From 11AM to 5PM the event will be all-ages, admission is $5/adults and free for children. In the evening, the fun continues as a 19+ event with dancing, food, and games. An evening pass can be purchased for $16 which includes entry and one Garrison beer, or a $20 entry that also includes a commemorative Oktoberfest Halifax Stein. Full details are available here, and tickets are on sale now.

Wow, another big week! A few more notes that came in after our deadline:

– Gahan Pub Charlottetown have brought back Summer in New Zealand, the NZ-hopped beer with grains of paradise and a touch of lemon and lime zest, the winning recipe by Ryan Palmer in last year’s Gahan Homebrew Challenge.
– Congratulations to Breton Brewing on brewing their 100th batch of beer! They celebrated by…. brewing! More Stirling Hefeweizen coming soon.
– Hell Bay has brought a pair of favourites this week, with the O.P.A Oat Pale Ale and R.I.P. (A) IPA.
– After last weekend’s very successful launch, Beckwith Road Brewery has delivered their Campfire Amber at the Tide & Boar in Moncton, and will be going on tap very shortly.
– You can once again pick up Shiretown Beer at the ANBL! Drop by the Dalhousie and Charlo locations to grab bottles of their Blonde Du Quai, Siren’s T’ale and Big Brown Ale.

Apologies for the late posting this week, *someone* decided to take the week off, again! 😉

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