Friday Wrap-Up

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Bad Apple, Sea Level, Meander River, Schoolhouse, Propeller, Ducky’s, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-04-25
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Atlantic Beer Festival, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Bellwoods Brewery, Big Axe Brewery, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Celtic Knot Brewing, Ducky's Bar, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Henry House, Ladies Beer League, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Noble Grape, PEI Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Schoolhouse Brewery, Sea Level Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, YellowBelly Brewery. 2 comments

Happy Friday everyone! Time for another dose of Atlantic Canadian beer news to finish off the last Friday of the month…

• Bad Apple Brewhouse has released a new beer, Smokehouse Lager, a Rauchbier brewed with 100% beechwood-smoked malt. This copper-colored beer comes in at 6.7% ABV with about 27 IBUs, and is described as “smoky, slightly spicy, and malty” by BAB owner/brewer Jeff Saunders. The beer is available in growlers and squealers at the brewery, and might be on tap at your local soon.

• Staying in the Annapolis Valley, Sea Level has released their latest beer, Southern Cross IPA. Inspired by the New Zealand hop, and the Crosby, Stills and Nash song, the beer weighs in at 6.5% and 78.8 IBUs (calc). The Southern Cross hops lend a resiny spiciness and citrus and pine aromas. Available on tap now at The Port Pub, in growlers and cans at the brewery, and this weekend in cans at the private beer stores in Halifax.

• Finally in Valley news this week, both Meander River Farm and Brewery and Schoolhouse Brewery are in the final stretches before opening their doors very soon. At Meander River, they have brewed their inaugural batch of Lunchbox Pale Ale on their 3 barrel system, and are looking forward to opening in the next few weeks. At Schoolhouse, they were going through their inspection for Excise License this week, and are also looking forward to opening in the next little while. Look for profiles from both of these great breweries very soon.

• In the big city, Propeller Brewing has released their latest seasonal beer, Black IPA. Weighing in at 6.7%ABV and 83 IBUs, this unfiltered beer features a healthy amount of bittering, flavour and aroma hops, and is then dry-hopped for an even more explosive nose. The most prominent hop used in the beer is Ahtanum, which gives a great citrusy nose, with a bit of earthy note as well, which fits well with the style. To give the beer its distinctive black colour, Blackprinz and CARAFA malts were used. These choices were very specific, as both are very dark in Lovibond, so that a small percentage in the recipe goes a long way in the colour, but do not transfer any astringency or husky bitterness to the flavour. Pick up 1.89l and 1l growlers of this latest release at both the Gottingen St and Windmill Rd Propeller locations, and look for it on tap around the city (including Henry House, where it was tapped last night).

• Big Tide Brewing continues to remain busy in Saint John, as they’ve added two new one-off brews to their tap selection at the brewpub. A single batch was brewed with a base of Canadian Wheat malt, a selection of special Crystal malts, and UK hops, and was then fermented with a dry ale yeast. After fermentation was complete, the beer was split into two vessels. One of these, Ale Mary, was filtered, while the other, Sunset Raspberry Wheat, was not. We think it’s safe to assume that the unfiltered beer also has had some raspberries or raspberry extract added at some point of the brewing process! Both beers are meant to bridge the gap for Big Tide’s return to brewing summer beers; they clock in at 4.5% ABV.

• New Brunswick’s newest brewery, Big Axe, may have just opened last week, but they’ve already added a seasonal beer to their line-up, which is available for growler fills at the brewery now. The beer is named Maple Wheat Amber Ale; specific details on the beer are unknown at the moment, but we’ll be sure to update when we know more.

• We mentioned recently that Ducky’s Bar in Sackville was expanding their tap selection, and would be featuring local breweries. Well, they’ve released their opening tap selection, and it’s looking great! As previously mentioned, two taps will be dedicated to Celtic Knot, starting with their Not Joe Average Pale Ale and Dark Passage Oatmeal Stout. Also pouring will be Hammond River‘s award-winning Hop Flash IPA, PEI Brewing Co. Cole’s Cream Ale and Beach Chair Lager, and Garrison Raspberry Wheat and Nut Brown, with Picaroons Dooryard joining them soon. Kegs will rotate as they empty, so look for more offerings from these breweries, as well as others in our region!

• Tickets are now on sale for the Atlantic Beer Festival, in Moncton, Saturday May 31st. There are two sessions, 2:30-5pm, and 7:30-10pm. Free buses are available to the downtown area after each session of the festival. Tickets are available online, at the Pump House brewpub and Barnyard BBQ, and are priced at $49 (taxes and fees included). We hope to have a full brewery/beer list for you soon.

• The Overcast is an arts and culture newspaper based out of Newfoundland. They have an excellent interview with Liam McKenna, brewmaster at Yellowbelly Brewpub in St. John’s. For those of you who do not know Liam’s brewing history (including a time in Dublin), it is a great insight into what makes Liam tick. We hope to share a profile on Liam and the Yellowbelly soon, as we caught up with him on a visit to Newfoundland earlier in the year.

• Don’t forget to pick up bottles of Alewife’s Revenge, the collaboration between Boxing Rock Brewing and the Ladies Beer League. It is now on sale at the private beer stores in Halifax and Dartmouth, on tap around the province (including Antigonish Townhouse), and a special cask of it starting at 4pm for Cask Friday at the Stubborn Goat.

• Speaking of the Ladies Beer League, they’re teaming up with Noble Grape to present an Intro to Beer & Brewing session on Sunday, May 25th from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. This is an introductory course meant to cover the basics of home brewing for beginners and enhance the knowledge of intermediate home brewers, while allowing those interested a chance to also connect with Halifax’s home brewing community. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here; the course will be held at the Noble Grape location on 95 Akerley Blvd in Darmouth. Another session is currently scheduled for Saturday, June 14th.

• Stillwell Beer Bar is following up on their first Bellwoods beer releases earlier this month with another deadly trio this weekend. They will be pouring Brettal Head All Brett Pale Ale, Lost River Baltic Porter, and Hellwoods Russian Imperial Stout, beginning at noon Sunday. Be sure to drop by for great beer, food, and company. We might just see you there!

That’s it for now… have a great weekend!

Friday Wrap-Up – Hoppy Beer News from Lion & Bright, Big Spruce, Burgers n’ Beers, Gahan, Rogues Roost, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-04-18
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Burgers n' Beer, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Picaroons cat contest, Picaroons Traditional Ales, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Uncle Leo's Brewery. 1 comment

Happy Friday everyone! We hope you’re reading this while sipping a nice coffee stout or citrusy IPA to start your long weekend off right.

• Lion & Bright is hosting a Spruce up the Planet! Earth Day Celebration this Tuesday, April 22nd, in support of the Ecology Action Centre. It will feature a tap takeover by Big Spruce Brewing, featuring Bitter Get’er India Black IPA,  The Whole 9 Yards, Cereal Killer, Kitchen Party, Regatta Red, You Spin Me White Round White IPA will all be on tap, and a cask of Cereal Killer Sideways, infused with Glenmorangie, will also be pouring. Jeremy and the rest of Big Spruce Nation will be in attendance, so drop by and say hello. There are no tickets required for the event, but show up promptly at 6pm to get a packet of seeds to help green up Halifax and to enjoy the music and food. $1/per pint of beer sold goes to the EAC.

• In more Big Spruce news, they kicked off the Roving Canadian Craft Beer Bag this week. Born out of receiving the bag with their Organic Conspiracy from Brian and Rebecca at Crannóg Ales, they want to keep the Canadian Beer Love going! The first recipient will be Aaron Spinney at Sawdust City, with a growler of their collaboration You Spin Me White Round White IPA and The Whole 9 Yards. We’ll be sure to keep an eye on this fantastic new tradition as it criss-crosses the country by bus.

• Finally in Big Spruce news, they recently received the second part of their expanded brewhouse, two 10 barrel unitanks, allowing them to ferment, condition and carbonate all in one vessel, allowing for an efficient way to make use of their space. As an aside, they are brewing up another batch of their White IPA today, so all of us fans will have another chances to get our hands on it. For folks lucky enough to be in the area to purchase growlers, they are very short on The Whole 9 Yards First Anniversary Scotch Ale, so be sure to drop by now to avoid disappointment. Like many breweries and the private beer stores, they are open today and Sunday, even if the provincial stores are not.

• Tuesday’s Burgers n’ Beer in Fredericton was a great success; the sold-out event was a dual effort from the Fredericton Beer Festival and reLiSH Gourmet Burgers, and featured six specialty sliders paired with six different craft beers, including first-timers to Fredericton Celtic Knot Dubh Loki Black IPA and Hammond River Brewing Red Coat India Red Ale. Along with ciders from Red Rover, and more beer from Grimross, Shiretown and Central City (Red Racer IPA), the quality of all was top-notch! The next event takes place in Moncton at reLiSH on Tuesday, April 29th from 8 pm – 10 pm. The tentative brewery list includes the brand new Big Axe, Celtic Knot, Grimross, Hammond River, Red Rover, and Shiretown. Tickets ($45, taxes and fees included) can be purchased here.

• Last Saturday featured the judging of the five finalists for the 1st Annual Gahan Home Brewer’s Challenge, which took place at the Gahan House in Charlottetown. The winning beer came from the brewing team of Ryan Palmer and Lee Nicholson with their PEI Cranberry Wit, a sessionable ale at 4.3% ABV brewed with coriander and orange peel, with cranberries added during secondary fermentation. Ryan and Lee will get to brew a full-sized batch of their beer on the Gahan system with brewmaster Trent Hayes, to be served on tap at the Gahan House in a couple of weeks. Congratulations, Ryan and Lee!

• Rogues Roost Brewpub now has their Oatmeal Stout on tap, for the first time in six years. It joins the Brown Ale, IPA, Red Ale, Blueberry Wheat, and Cream Ale on tap (and most are also available in growlers). Keep an eye on their Twitter feed for the up-to-date growler list, as well as their continuing Brewmasters events.

• We forgot to mention this last week, but better late than never, especially when it involves great beer! At this year’s Saint John Beer Fest (held on Saturday, April 5th), the crowd selected the Best of Show beer for the event… the winner was Hammond River Brewing Hop Flash IPA! Owner/brewer Shane Steeves was surprised, yet extremely grateful, at being singled out among other great beers. Congratulations, Shane!

• We mentioned in a previous Friday post that Picaroons was holding a Prohibition Repeal Party at the Capital Complex in Fredericton tomorrow, featuring a tap-takeover of their 12 draught lines. They’ve released which beers will be present – many of their regular releases will be there, along with their Yippee IPA dry-hopped with Cascade, Amarillo and Willamette, and their Best Bitter infused with Fuggle hops (thanks to the use of Randall the Enamel Animal). Check out our previous post and the event page for more info!

• Continuing with Picaroons reminders, if you still plan on sending in a picture of your kitty for their Melonhead Cat Contest, deadline for the hi-res pictures to be emailed is next Thursday, April 24th. More details in our earlier post here.

• The next Rockbottom Beer Dinner is scheduled for April 29th at 6pm. Featuring three courses paired with three beers, it’s a great opportunity to chat with Brewmaster Greg Nash about beer, food, and life in general. This month’s dinner will be Sweet Potato Gnocchi paired with their Bigwater Brown, Stout Braised Lamb Shank (Jacktar Stout), and Unbaked Peanut Butter Cheesecake (Fathom IPA). Call the pub for tickets, but act quickly, as its already half sold-out. While there, you can try their Thulsa Doom DIPA, and their Galaxy India Pale Lager SMaSH should be on tap by then as well.

• A friendly reminder that the Beerthief Private Beer Order for Wold Top and Orkney is closing this Sunday, be sure to email in your requests before then to take part. Mike Buhler will also be leading a Beer and Tulip River Cruise in March of 2015, visiting Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent and more. Check out this flyer for more details.

• Finally, in case you missed yesterday’s post on the recently-opened Big Axe Brewery in Nackawic… well, they’re now open! You can stop by the brewery/B&B on 519 Otis Dr. for growler fills of their first two beers, Chantarelle Cream Ale and Double Bit IPA, Mondays to Saturdays from 12 pm – 8 pm. You should also see their beers popping up in bars/restaurants in the area, including the King Street Ale House in Fredericton, in the near future. We’ll keep you updated on their development!

• Tickets are now on sale for the Inaugural Pictou County Pizza Competition, Saturday, April 26th, Glasgow Square, New Glasgow. Along with the chance to try six different Pictou County-style pizzas (from Cafe Italia, Crown Pizza Pictou, East Side Pizza, Sam’s Pizza (Stellarton), Sam’s Pizza (Trenton), Ted’s Pizza), attendees will receive two glasses of Uncle Leo’s beer. Tickets are available at various outlets in New Glasgow and Pictou. Also, look for Uncle Leo’s at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market Friday (today included) and Sunday. They will have their IPA and Smoked Porter available in growlers.

Friday Wrap-Up – Brew News from Big Tide, Red Rover, Gahan, Celtic Knot, Rockbottom, Picaroons, North, Bad Apple, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-04-11
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Burgers n' Beer, Celtic Knot Brewing, Ducky's Bar, Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, King Street Ale House, Ladies Beer League, North Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, reLiSH, RockBottom Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar. 4 comments

Happy Friday, everyone! We don’t want to jinx anything, but it’s beginning to look more like spring in our region. To celebrate, grab a pint of beer (or coffee if your employer frowns on drinking on the job), and let’s get right to the beer news:

• In Saint John, Big Tide Brewing is pouring a new beer at their brewpub. The beer is Three Pages to the Wind, a “Whiskey Pale Ale”. Brewed with Pale Ale and Smoked malt, the beer is mildly hopped with both Cascade and Willamette hops, with whiskey added during the conditioning stage; it comes in at about 5.2% ABV. They’re also pouring a couple of returning beers, including Nut Brown, a 4.8% ABV Southern English Brown that employs some Chocolate malt, and Crasberry Cream Ale, a 5% ABV Cream Ale that has cranberry and raspberry juice added during conditioning.

• Red Rover Brewing is expanding their on-tap distribution in Fredericton, with their Summer Brew now available at the Grad House on the UNB campus, and Spring Brew on tap at Isaac’s Way. Of course, their Summer is also still available at the King Street Ale House. Owner/brewer Adam Clawson has also designed some new tap handles for their ciders, which have been 3D printed to give varying results for each of the three ciders they have available. Very cool!

• Gahan House in Charlottetown is hosting the finale of their Homebrewer’s Challenge tomorrow 2-4pm, and we’re all invited! Narrowed down from 16 entries to 5, the final judging will take place that afternoon, courtesy of a panel of six beer lovers, including current and former brewers from Gahan and PEI Brewing Company, judging these beers on Flavour Characteristics, Off Flavours, Appearance, General taste, Creativity and Overall balance. The brewers are hoping to win the big prize, having a chance to brew their beer on Gahan’s system, and have it served right at the bar! There will be live music and entertainment courtesy of Iain MacCarvill, and appetizers passed around. Of course, the full restaurant and bar will be open as well. Be sure to drop by and cheer on these well-deserving finalists (and all other entrants). Well done, all! We’ll be sure to pass along details of the event and winning beer next week.

• In other Gahan news, they released their Honey Brown Ale this week. It is a blend of the Sir John A’s Honey Wheat (featuring local PEI honey) and Iron Bridge Brown, and weighs in at 4.8%ABV. It will be available on tap and in bottles at the Gahan House Brewpub, the PEILCC and select ANBL locations.

• Good news, Sackville, NB! Your craft beer availability has taken a step up, as Celtic Knot beer will soon be on tap at Ducky’s. Management at Ducky’s has confirmed that they will be expanding their draught selection from 14 to 22 taps, with mostly local craft beer being served! Following this expansion (hopefully within the next 1-2 weeks), one or two taps will be devoted to Celtic Knot’s beers… other local nanobreweries are likely to be added in the near future.

• If you haven’t been visiting Rockbottom Brewpub for the Wednesday Firkins lately, you’ve been missing out! Over the past two weeks, Brewmaster Greg Nash has been serving up dry-hopped, cask-conditioned versions of his upcoming Thulsa Doom Double IPA, first with Simcoe, and more recently with Citra. Both of these were excellent beers, selling out that night. This base beer weighs in at 7.8%ABV, but there is no hint of alcohol at all, as it features a wonderful citrus and fruit hop aroma and flavour, calculated at 130 IBU, thanks to generous amounts of Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial and Chinook. The yeast used to ferment this brew is called Conan, and also gives off apricot and citrus characteristics. Look for it on tap the middle of next week! Brewmaster Nash also gave us a preview of next week’s Firkin: a SMaSH Lager, featuring Galaxy hops. Be sure to drop by right at 4pm, to be sure you don’t miss out!

• In other Rockbottom news, be sure to check out their Youtube channel, to get the inside scoop on upcoming specials, events, and beers. We see that a member of the Ladies Beer League dropped by this week to assist with the brewing (and cleaning) of an upcoming batch of Fathom IPA.

• Picaroons has officially announced plans for their Dooryard launch – it will be held on Earth Day, Tuesday April 22nd at the York St. Train Station in Fredericton. From 4:00 – 7:00 pm, they will be pouring samples of Dooryard, their spring/summer seasonal brewed with coriander and orange peel; there will also be wood-fired “Dough’yard” pizza from Real Food Connections and Speerville Flour Mill, and live entertainment with Earthbound Trio.

• In other Picaroons news, they’ve announced that they will be brewing a collaboration beer with Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery in the near future. While details on on the beer are currently being kept secret, we can confirm that the beer will be ready in time for the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards, which are being held May 29th-31st in Fredericton. Both Picaroons and Great Lakes have won the Brewery of the Year award in the past (2011 and 2013, respectively), so we’re naturally expecting great things from their collaboration!

• North Brewing’s Farmhouse  Ale is back again. Weighing in at 7.5%, it features a candied fruit aroma, and tart flavour, thanks to the combination of yeast choice, and wheat and raw sugar in the malt bill. Available at the brewery on Agricola Street, and will be on tap around the city shortly. Their second release of the Glenora-barrel-aged Strong Dark is down to the last few bottles, so be sure to drop by the brewery today to grab one!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse’s Russian Imperial Stout is back in stock in Somerset. Weighing in at 9%ABV, it is a big beer with big flavour, thanks to loads of roast malt and generous hopping. It is available in 1.89L and 750mL refillables, along with their American Pale Ale and Cider. Look out for the Barrel-aged RIS coming out at the end of the month, as well as a few more new brews. And a quick note for locals looking to have a pint of their APA at The Wick Pub in Berwick, they are now fully stocked. But be warned, their first keg was emptied in one night last week!

• Halifax Beer Fans: As if you didn’t need another excuse to visit Stillwell Beer Bar, they will be tapping three beers from Bellwoods Brewery Sunday at noon. Witchshark IIPA, Grizzly Beer American Brown Ale, and Farmhouse Classic. See you there!

• In celebration of the anniversary of Prohibition Repeal in New Brunswick, there’s a beer cocktail event being held at the King Street Ale House next Saturday, April 19th. From 3:00 – 5:00 pm, they will be mixing up a variety of beer and whisky cocktails “inspired by the drinks and era of prohibition”; tickets are priced accordingly at $19.27 and can be purchased online. No Tommy guns, please.

• A reminder that the Burgers n’ Beer event at reLiSH in Fredericton is this coming Tuesday, April 15th. There are a FEW tickets still available; remember, if you live in Fredericton, it’s your first chance to try Celtic Knot’s Dubh Loki (a Black IPA) and Hammond River‘s Red Coat India Red Ale! Not to mention some Red Rover cider and beer from Grimross Brewing… and burgers! More detail in our post here. Hope to see you there!

• Finally, be sure to drop by Stillwell Thursday evening, for the release of the Boxing Rock & Ladies Beer League beer, Alewife’s Revenge. The LBL crew visited Boxing Rock on March 15th and brewed up this beer featuring local cranberries and orange zest, and now it’s ready for prime time! Check out some pictures from the brewday to whet your appetite. If you can’t make it down for the release party, look for it in growlers and bottles at the brewery, Seaport Farmers Market, and the private wine stores in Halifax.