Profiles

902 BrewCast – A Podcast for Nova Scotian (and Other!) Beer Fans

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-12-12
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: 902 BrewCast. Leave a Comment

The 902 BrewCast was recently launched by three Halifax beer fans, Kyle Andrus, Phil Church, and Tony Wight. Having enjoyed (and worked in) the NS beer scene, they’ve decided to share their love of the craft with the rest of us. The podcast is a combination of interviews with local breweries, as well as informal tastings and news reporting. Episode 3 of the show, dropping overnight tonight, will be an interview with Halifax’s soon-to-open 2 Crows Brewing; Episode 4, a Holiday Tasting Episode will come out Friday. We tracked down the boys to learn more about them and the podcast.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves? How did you get into beer?
Tony: I started getting into beer a bit more when I was still in university at SMU in the mid 00’s – my brother in law would always bring up different bottles from the US whenever he would travel down there, so I always was trying different beer styles you couldn’t necessarily find here. I spent some time working in the industry from a retail side which got me excited about the scene here, and watching it grow has been pretty exciting for a beer fan like myself. Kyle and I have been friends for a while and share a like minded appreciation for craft beer, and I met Phil via Instagram (he takes such great pictures) when he picked up a bottle of Tatamagouche‘s Rum Barrel Aged Dreadnot for me. The three of us got to chatting about beer and I thought the podcast would be a great way to explore our passion for Craft Beer so I pitched the idea to them and here we are.
Kyle: I went to recording school down the hill from Maxwell’s Plum in 2007, so we always wanted to try everything that they had. We eventually made it around, but by doing so, I started to learn and understand more about the different styles and regions, etc. It kinda went downhill from there. It really exploded for me once Stillwell opened, I think. Seeing all that Canada had to offer that wasn’t available at the NSLC. Been great to meet so many like-minded people there and at other events.
Phil:My dad spoon fed me Keith’s and Schooner. Unibroue, Granite and (now-closed) Maritime Beer Co opened my eyes to the world outside of macro lagers (aka, what we were taught/told was beer).

What is the format of the podcast?
The podcast is focused on having conversations with breweries and brewers about their vision, process, and beer that they put out. We are also hoping to sit down with craft beer focused bar and restaurant owners to see how beer and food are working together to bring a unique experience to their customers. Other than that, we’re also planning on speaking with some other industry related folks – like (hopefully!) Horton Ridge Malt as an example – to get a bit below the surface of the craft beer scene in Atlantic Canada and give others a chance to know the hard working people behind the breweries and their stories.

Will the focus be Nova Scotian breweries, or will others in the region be on the hit list as well?
We’re starting out with Nova Scotia because, at least for the most part, it’s what we know best of the Atlantic Craft Beer scene. Eventually we want to expand beyond NS, we really want to get out to the Fredericton Craft Beer Fest this year and see the best NB has to offer. We’d also love to get the crew from Fredericton’s TrailWay on, and get over to see what they have going on over at Upstreet on PEI – I really like how they’re engaging with the artistic community over there. There’s a lot happening all over Atlantic Canada and we want to see and talk about as much of it as we can.

How often will you be releasing episodes?
We plan on putting an episode out every second Tuesday (#902sday), plus we’ll be doing a monthly tasting episode. I think we’ll also touch on some news during those tasting episodes, but I think we would want the interview episodes to sort of stand alone without coming off as being tied to a specific date or season. After our North Brewing episode, we release one with Good Robot, and after tomorrow’s 2 Crows, we’ve got Spindrift to round out the year (Dec. 27).

Do you have any live or special events planned?
Absolutely! We’d love to be doing some live episodes or doing a Facebook Live kind of thing from different events. Doing something during Fredericton Craft Beer Fest or having a few episodes directed at Nova Scotia Craft Beer Week would be awesome and give us a chance to make some connections.

What are your thoughts on the beer scene in our region?
Kyle: Seems to be blowing up. New breweries opening all over the province every week. I think PEI and NL are still very underserved, but getting there. *Plays “What a Time to Be Alive”* #WATTBA
Tony: There are always new spots popping up, so it’s certainly expanding faster than, I think, a lot of people would have imagined. It’s exciting for me because I am always looking to try something new.
Phil: It’s a great time to be a beer drinker.

Anything else?
Our first couple of episodes are out already (including an Episode 0 Pale Ale Tasting), so check them out however you like to check out podcasts. We had a great time talking with Peter and Josh from North Brewing about all kinds of different things on Episode 1, including that Blood Donair beer with Big Spruce. And of course the fun and almost-about-beer Episode 2 with Good Robot.

Thanks to Kyle, Phil and Tony for taking the time to chat with us. Check out www.902brewcast.com to play the episodes online, or subscribe via iTunes or RSS here. Follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @902brewcast to see what they’re working on (right now it’s their Advent Calendar of recommendations). They love to answer questions, talk about the episodes, and listen to others’ experiences with craft beer. You can also check out their personal IG accounts for the latest shots of the beers they’re drinking right now: Kyle, Phil (aka KelticDevil) and Tony. Subscribe today to get the 2 Crows episode in your sleep tonight!

Off Grid Ales – Opening in Harvey, New Brunswick this fall

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-10-26
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Off Grid Ales. Leave a Comment
offgrid-logo

Five months ago, Randy and Denise Rowe announced that they planned on opening a nano-brewery in their town of Harvey, New Brunswick. Housed in a barn on the couples’ property, Off Grid Ales will be wind- and solar-powered, thanks to 18 solar panels and a wind turbine. With their official launch date approaching fast, we exchanged emails with Denise and Randy to get a little more information on what they have planned for New Brunswick’s newest brewery…

Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
We were sprout growers for 27 years; Denise is now a photographer and Randy a jack-of-all-trades. We have two grown daughters and three grandkids.

How did you get into the world of craft beer?
Scott MacLean of THINK Brewing [ed: also opening in Harvey in the near future] got Randy interested in all-grain brewing. And we’ve always been Picaroons fans.

What made you decide to take the step into opening a brewery?
The thought of self-employment really appealed to us, and a brewery was a business idea from the start.

Care to share some info on your homebrewing history?
We’ve been homebrewers off and on for years, making the move to all-grain brewing about two years ago.

Do you have an approximate launch date?
Fingers are crossed for mid-November!

What size/manufacturer/type of system will you be brewing on?
We’re brewing on a Stout Tanks and Kettles 3 barrel (350 L) system, and expect 6 barrels (700 L) a week in terms of production.

Randy checks out the newly-installed brewhouse

Randy checks out the newly-installed brewhouse

Can you tell us about the hurdles, and benefits, that brewing while off the grid entails? Why was it important for you to do so?
In terms of hurdles, there are always power issues; we have to watch our consumption very closely, and be extremely efficient. On the benefits side, we get to live and work/brew on the side of a lake in a remote part of the picture province.
offgrid_building

What are your plans for distribution?
We will be distributing 500 mL bottles to two ANBL outlets: Harvey, and York St. in Fredericton. We will also be on tap at two locations, the nearby Lougheed Pub (when it re-opens) and a popular Fredericton tap location. No onsite sales are planned for now.

Can you tell us about the beers you plan on offering initially?
Our first beers will consist of four regular-releases; we hope to offer seasonals sometime next year. The flagships will be the following: Campfire Red, an American Amber (5.5% ABV, 23 IBUs) exhibiting red malty goodness; Sunny Day IPA (5.5% ABV, 70 IBUs), a nice, hoppy, everyday IPA; High Tower Double IPA (7.8% ABV, 60 IBUs), a smooth and hoppy IPA; and Unplugged Porter (5.5% ABV, 34 IBUs), exhibiting a smooth mix of chocolate, caramel and coffee malts.  We hope to offer seasonals by next year.

Have you had any assistance from other breweries/people in Atlantic Canada (or elsewhere)?
Scott MacLean of THINK Brewing has been most helpful with brewing and equipment sourcing, as well as introducing us to local brewers.  We’ve met some pretty inspirational people along the way – a lot of local talents who are so enthusiastic about the growth in the craft beer market. Our designer Tanya Duffy of The Details Design in Fredericton has been awesome to work with and we love our labeling, it’s unique and fun.

Where do you hope to see your brewery in the next 2-3 years?
Producing great beers that people enjoy. By then, we’re hoping for a small increase in production (adding more fermentors), as well as adding seasonal beers every year.

Do you have a favourite beer style, beer, or brewery you enjoy drinking?
Denise: I’m big on Red Ales; Gahan Island Red is a personal favourite of mine.
Randy: IPAs all the way! Picaroons Yippee IPA is a favourite.

How about favourite style or ingredient to brew with?
Our Double IPA, High Tower, is honey infused, and smells and tastes amazing.  Unplugged, our Porter has such a rich flavour – coffee/chocolate and caramel – making it a great dessert – or even breakfast! – beer.

Do you have a website, facebook, and/or twitter page?
Our website will be ready upon launch; for now, we do have both Facebook and Twitter accounts active, where we have been providing updates on our progress for our followers.

Thanks very much to both Randy and Denise for answering our questions! We look forward to trying their beers when they’re hopefully released next month. Stay tuned for updates, and of course following along Off Grid’s social media accounts for the latest info.

Foghorn Brewing – Opening this fall in Rothesay, New Brunswick

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-10-06
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Foghorn Brewing. Leave a Comment

foghorn-logo

In August, rumours that had been abound for months were officially confirmed, as Foghorn Brewing Company announced they would be opening this fall at 47 Clark Rd in the town of Rothesay, located in Kennebecasis Valley. Co-owned by Business Manager Steve Russell and brewmaster Andrew ‘Esty’ Estabrooks, the brewery and taproom should be open by late October. We recently chatted with Steve and Esty to learn more about their plans for New Brunswick’s newest brewery…

Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
Steve: I believe food is one of the great pleasures in life. And I believe that beer is food. I love everything about it: I love drinking it, talking about it, thinking about it. I also love the community of KV, where I grew up and where Foghorn Brewing Company is located.
Esty: I have been brewing for almost 13 years. I worked at Picaroons, Petit Sault, have done a bit of Gypsy brewing, and consulted on various projects, including Mama’s Brew Pub and Beckwith Road. I love the beer/brewers culture; I find it’s a part of our society that was in dire need of being brought back. It opens up the channels of communication and friendship. Drink more pints and put down those damn phones!

How did you get into the world of craft beer?
Steve: I hitch-hiked across Europe and the UK when I was 18. There I first discovered real cask ale and it changed everything. A few years later, I ended up on the West Coast for a number of years and was introduced to the North West craft beer renaissance. That was when the dream was born.
Esty: I was fortunate enough to be part of the early trailblazing that Picaroons did. I used to help bottle and glue four-pack boxes for payments in short-fills in University. Then when I returned from teaching English in South Korea, friends told me to go see Sean Dunbar [owner of Picaroons] for a job. I started washing kegs and gluing boxes, and the love for beer and brewing grew from there.

What appealed to you about setting up shop in KV?
Steve: I was born and raised here. My family and friends are here. There was no question about opening a brewery anywhere else. It’s a great community, beautiful, happy, and growing. Most importantly, We feel it deserves its own craft brewery.

What size/manufacturer/type of system will you be brewing on? Expected output?
We are a 7 BBL (800 L) brewhouse (from DME in PEI) expecting somewhere in the range of 600-700 hL range yearly.

Newly-installed brewing equipment

Foghorn’s newly-installed brewing equipment

Can you tell us about the beers you plan on offering initially? Are you planning on offering a specific style, or genre?
Esty: We won’t be tied to any specific style; seasonals and one-offs are a must and allow for lots of fun and adventure. We also love the idea of collaboration with our fellow brewers and will hopefully have a dedicated tap in our taproom for collaborations only. The three styles we will lead with are a British Golden (my background is mainly British brewing, so this was a no-brainer), a West coast-style IPA (why deny the obvious), and an Irish Dry Stout. We will also start doing cask ales as soon as possible, likely just out of our taproom at first but eventually to accounts.

What are your plans for distribution? Will you be licensed for on-site sampling/pints?
As far as distribution, we are focusing on the local area. Initially, just KV and the greater Saint John area. Although we are growth-oriented, we are a small brewery and don’t want to spread ourselves too thin. Our location at 47 Clark Road in Rothesay will sell beer in-house by the glass in our taproom or in growlers for off-site consumption (even kegs, if you’re that thirsty!).

Do you have some initial accounts in the area lined up to serve your beers?
We’ve had great support from the local restaurant and pub community already. We’ll be on tap in a few local establishments in the KV and SJ area. It’s important to us, however, to ensure we have plenty on hand in our brewery for when people visit us in Rothesay. Check our website once we’re open for our account listings. Regardless, we’re excited to partner with such great local businesses.

Have you had any assistance from other breweries/people in Atlantic Canada?
Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes. Too many to list. Other than friends and family, the Town of Rothesay, and the local business community, a number of Maritime-wide craft breweries have been more than willing to  help and give advice. So many that I hesitate to list them lest I forget anyone. To everyone that helped: we are forever grateful!

Thanks to Steve and Esty for answering our questions; we look forward to trying their beers in Rothesay in the very near future! Follow them on both Facebook and Twitter for updates; of course, we’ll be providing more information as it becomes available.