ANBL

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Happy Friday, thirsty readers! We hope everyone’s recovered from IPA Day, but fear not, there are lots of new beers and events to keep the good times rolling!

PEI Brewing Company have a few new beers out now, or on the horizon. Right now at the brewery, they are pouring a cask of Kiwi IPA – an IPA with freshly-squeeze kiwi juice, and dry-hopped with Citra and Comet. And it was brewed by a Kiwi to boot (their Logistics Manager, Wax, is from New Zealand)! Recent casks have included Happy Hour, a keg of their Beach Chair Lager seasoned with local sea salt, tequila and lime and Peach Chair, which was their Beach Chair with peach added to the keg. Remember that these casks are one-offs, so it’s best to keep up on their Social Media to avoid disappointment. They have also announced that the next version of the Vic Park Pale Ale will be released very shortly (hopefully next week), and will feature the Mandarina Bavaria hop. And good news for fans of the Vic Park, the Citra version will be canned and available next month to wider distribution. Also coming in September will be the barrel-aged version of their ReAnimator Bock. Much like the Ice Boat released last year, the Bock has been aging in the oak barrels for a several months, and will be packaged in 750ml bottles.

• In an update to a story we mentioned a few months ago, the building that Rogues Roost and Tom’s Little Havana call home, will be coming down this fall. While Tom’s had previously found an alternate location, and will be moving in October, it was announced this week that Rogues will be closing mid-September, with the brewery gear going into storage until an alternate location is found. But it’s not all bad news, RR fans! Parent company PEI Brewing has announced that Rogues Roost IPA will be produced at the Charlottetown brewery, and will be available for wide distribution next month. Cans of the IPA will be distributed in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. And be sure to drop by Rogues to grab a pint of their Ruby Porter, a 5.2% ABV porter, with light bittering to 25 IBUs.

• After making a big splash in Spring, Tatamagouche Brewing’s Sunrise Trail India Session Ale is back. Weighing in at a modest 4.1% ABV, the beer packs a solid hop punch from the Azacca and Ahtanum varietals, and is perfect for the beautiful weather we’ve been having. It is available is short supply in cans at the brewery, and look for it on tap Stillwell too.

Big Spruce Brewing has released a pair of new beers this week. The first is the return of Tip of the Spear Spruce Tip IPA. This 6.2% ABV beer is a returning favourite, brewed with Port Hawkesbury homebrewer Jason Spears. It features Black Spruce tips, and bittered to 75 IBUs. Also hitting the taps in Nyanza and Halifax is their all-Citra conspiracy with Stillwell, named Gimme Citra Pale Ale. Weighing in at around 5% ABV, the bitterness on the beer is fairly low but the aroma and flavour are high, as the majority of the hops were added post-boil (during whirlpool, fermentation and conditioning), to preserve the temperature-sensitive oils until they hit your glass. The beer will only be available at the brewery and at Stillwell, both on Barrington and at the Beergarden. And be sure to drop by the brewery today for Mussels Friday, starting at 11:30, for mussels simmered in beer, along with local scallions and garlic scapes, with pita chips and black bean dip. Live music will start at 3:30pm.

Big Tide Brewing and Hammond River Brewing’s collaboration, Rhubarbic Saison is out now. The 7.1% ABV Saison consisted of primarily Pilsner and Wheat malts, and was lightly hopped to 27 IBUs with Hallertau. They also added more than 30 kg of fresh rhubard to the boil, primary fermentation, and during conditioning for a big rhubarb aroma and taste. The beer is available on tap (and in growlers) at Big Tide, and will also be available at The Barrel’s HeadBourbon Quarter, Britt’s Pub & Eatery, and Saint John Ale House soon. And, happy sixth anniversary to Big Tide! Their Anniversary Amber Ale, using six types of malts and six varietals of hops, with an ABV of about 6%, will be out very soon.

Unfiltered Brewing’s Pubkegs are now in the wild! Grab a pint of their Hoppy Fingers APA, Exile on North Street IPA, and Twelve Years to Zion DIPA at Agricola Street Brasserie, PRIMAL Kitchen, Roy’s Lounge at Westin Nova Scotian, The Stubborn Goat, and Tom’s Little Havana, and is also in the rotation at the Bishop’s Cellar growler filling station. And keep your eyes open for Unfiltered’s first seasonal, coming mid next week.

• Fredericton’s Picaroons is having a busy weekend! Yesterday, in celebration of IPA Day, they had three different versions of their Yippee IPA on at the Brewtique (and there may be a bit of each left to try today). They were each dry-hopped with a pair of different hops: Cascade & TettnangSaaz & Fuggles, and Amarillo & Rakau. Out today is Pride Sally Pride Apricot Ale. This 4.5% Pale Ale was brewed in collaboration with the Fredericton Pride Week. The Pride Week events kick off today with a flag raising at city hall at noon, and a festival (featuring a beer garden) at Officer’s Square Sunday at noon, and parade at 1pm.

• Picaroons is also taking advantage of being in Halifax for the Seaport Beerfest, and will be taking over the taps at Lion & Bright Saturday evening. They will be pouring their BlondeDooryard, Dark and Stormy Night, ESB-231, Melonhead, Simeon Jones, and Yippee IPA. New brewery Half Cut Brewing (who brew at their Queen Street Brewtique location) will also be available, pouring their Alter Ego Altbier. The taps will switch over at 6pm, and the Pics crew will be coming by after the Beerfest around 10pm to join in the fun, as well as DJ Jules Bangsworth, starting at 10pm. There is no cover for the event, pay as you go.

Stutz Cider has released a new product, Blueberry Cider. Using of juice from 7 varietals of NS apples and 100% wild NS blueberries, this special blend comes in at 6.5% ABV. As the juice used was 1/3 blueberry, 2/3 apples, the fresh blueberry flavour shines through nicely, with crisp apple character in the background. It will be available next week at the NSLC, in 750 ml bottles.

Distillerie Fils du Roy has released their summer seasonal beer, La Messe Blanche. A 7% ABV Weizenbock, it features strong phenolic (pepper and clove) and banana aromas from the yeast, as well as wheat and yeast character in the flavour. This unfiltered beer features the characteristic cloudiness of this style, thanks to the wheat-derived proteins (also aiding in the thick, fluffy head), and low-flocculating yeast. Bottles are available at the Petit-Pacquetville brewery now, and will be available in select ANBL locations shortly.

• Speaking of the ANBL, in a press release out earlier this week, President Brain Harriman confirmed that their Growler Program has been a great success, with over 80,000 litres of beer flowing through the four locations. The program is “here to stay”, and they are looking to expand it to a few more locations, dependent on retail space and craft beer sales. All of the local breweries we’ve spoken with have been very happy with the results and are looking forward to the expanded reach. This week’s list of offerings has not been released, as it is being dubbed a “Wildcard Week”, with many different beers available throughout the week at each location. Best to call your local store to find out what’s pouring at the time.

Upstreet has released their White Noize, a 7% ABV Wheat IPA (hoppy American Wheat Ale), hopped to 70 IBUs with Centennial, Cascade, Chinook, and Columbus. Drop by for their Quittin’ Time Sessions today at 6pm for beer, music from a new, all-female trio named Aster, and food from their friends at Hush Puppies, including a limited number of andouille corn dogs, made with Upstreet beer. And drop by on Sunday for the Weekend Wrap-Up, featuring music concerts on the big screen and community board games in full effect.

• The Grand Banker in Lunenburg has come up with a unique way to serve their beers in-house. They had not been selling pitchers of beer previously, but now have the option to purchase a 1.89l growler or 0.95l grunter of beer to drink and share (or not) in the restaurant. These are for in-house enjoyment only, though the empty growlers are for sale as souvenirs. Drop by today to grab one, or try a sampler of their expanded craft beer offerings.

• A reminder that the Seaport Beerfest starts today, with a 7-9:30pm session, and 2-4:30pm & 7-9:30pm sessions tomorrow. While VIP tickets are sold out, there are still general entry tickets available. With several out-of-provinces visiting, look for upcoming collaborations brews to celebrate. Today, the folks from Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery and Waterford, Ireland’s, Metalman brewing dropped by Garrison to brew up something special.

In sad local brewery news, Hugh Campbell from Bar None passed away earlier this week. We had the opportunity to visit with him in his library above the brewery, and he was always quick with a smile and story, and full of life and love for PEI. Our sincere condolences to the Campbell family. We raise a pint in honour of Hugh today.

Happy Friday, everyone! We haven’t quite escaped Old Man Winter’s clutch just yet, so grab a coffee, or coffee stout, and let the beer news warm you up!

• There’s a new beer in the works at Celtic Knot Brewing: Terminus will be the first in a series of one-hop IPAs planned by owner/brewer Bruce Barton. Featuring the El Dorado hop, the beer should come in at 6.5% ABV and approximately 67 IBUs. El Dorado is a fairly new hop variety that exhibits notes of tropical fruit, citrus, and orange candy aromas and flavors. We’ll be sure to let you know more about this beer when it’s released!

• The Ladies Beer League will be brewing up another collaboration with Boxing Rock Brewing this month, and they want you to be a part of it! Open to any & all LBL members, they are holding a draw for a few spots on the brew team for the day. Fire them an email with your name, contact info, LBL Membership number, and answer to the following trivia question, “What was the name of the Ladies Beer League/Boxing Rock 2014 collaboration beer?”. If you are picked, you’ll be joining the crew in Shelburne to help brew the Cinnamon Challenge Robust Porter later this month. Transportation to/from Shelburne and food will be provided. If you’re not a member yet, you can apply online.

• The 7th Annual Garrison Brewing Home Brew-off Gala was last night, and once again many in the local homebrewing and beer appreciation community were in attendance. From a record 84 entries, the judging panel whittled it down to 14. From there, Brewmaster Daniel Girard and his crew picked out the top four, concentrating on adherence to style, drinking pleasure, and carbonation. Yesterday, the final round of judging took place, and a winner picked. acbbchris was one of the judges in the final, and can honestly say that it was quite difficult: all of the finale beers were very well crafted, enjoyable, and great examples of the style. However, there can be only one winner, and David Martin was crowned as this year’s victor. Congratulations to the finalists, and all who entered their beers.

• The Gala also served as the launch party for the 2014 winner, Jason McDougall‘s beer: Professor McDougall’s Weisse-Guy Hefeweizen. Jason talked about his great brew day with Daniel and co., and had this advice for anyone thinking of opening their own brewery, “Be sure to buy a house beside the brewery, because you’ll be spending a lot of time there!” This 5.4% ABV Hefeweizen gives off a powerful banana nose, thanks to the Weihenstephan yeast used to ferment the beer. Low bitterness from Hallertauer hops has the balance slightly sweet, which also plays well in the style, and will go perfectly with the approaching patio weather. Available now at the Brewery store, it will also be in the private stores & NSLC, and on tap shortly. And remember, Beer & Science are Sexy!

• The Beerthief Artisanal Beer Club is hosting a Beer & Food tasting next week. On March 11th, Executive Chef Peter Anthony of Magnum & Steins is putting together a four course meal to pair with Quidi Vidi beer. QV’s Iceberg, 1892 Traditional Ale, British IPA, and Winter Ale will be paired with a great selection of food prepared especially. RSVP by calling  709-576-6500 or emailing Magnum & Steins.

• The event details for Nova Scotia Craft Beer Week continue to trickle in. The latest one announced is the 2015 Stillwell Open. The theme is “Backyard BBQ Beer”, and breweries are encouraged to brew a beer in this vein, to pair with Chef Ruppel’s BBQ creations. The unique part of the event is that the entries will be poured blind, without attendees knowing which brewery, or exact style, they are drinking. Folks are encouraged to vote for their favourites, and as beers are eliminated as crowd favourites, their identity will be revealed, until only one beer remains, and is crowned the champion. Tickets are now available to get in on the first pours and food from 12-5, and then the doors will open to the public for the last hour of voting. Starting at 6pm, the beers will be revealed, one per half-hour.

Brasseurs du Petit-Sault has released a new beer they’re describing as a “Session Pale Ale”. Named Lt. Ingall (after British soldier Lieutenant Frederick Lenox Ingall, who led troups from Fredericton to Edmundston in 1837 to defend the territory from the Americans), it was brewed entirely with malt from MaltBroue, a maltser from Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac, QC (very close to the brewery). This brew was a sort of “test project” with MaltBroue and the NBCC in Grand Falls; they also had brewing engineer Jean Michel LeGraux, former head brewer for Belgian Trappist brewery Chimay, on hand during the process. Hops used in this beer include Columbus, Chinook, Citra and Willamette; quite drinkable at 4.6% ABV, it’s on tap now at the brewery for growler fils, and at the Sackville, Dieppe, and KV ANBL growler stations this week.

• We have some more details on the new beers now available from Big Axe Brewery. The first one is Partridgeberry Belgian Wheat, a 5.6% ABV Belgian Witbier brewed with “a mixture” of Pale malts, and hopped with Saaz and “other aroma hops”. Featuring the addition of orange peel and coriander – standard for the Witbier style), they also added five pounds of partridgeberries in secondary fermentation, giving the beer a “mild but complex tartness, and a wild berry aroma”, according to the brewery. Beer #2 is Chaga Porter, a 5.4% ABV dark brown ale featuring chaga, a variety of mushroom harvested locally in birch forests by Fiddlehead Heaven Forest Products. Featuring “traditional English aroma hops” and dark malts, the beer has “mild roastiness and a pleasant caramel character”, along with the flavors offered from the chaga. Big Axe has also revised their recent Big Axe Blonde; it’s now hopped with Perle and El Dorado, and the ABV has been decreased slightly to 4.6%. All three beers should be available at the brewery, and will be pouring at the FCBF tomorrow.

• To celebrate this weekend’s sold-out Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, the ANBL growler program is going all New Brunswick! For the first time since its launch, all four of the locations will be pouring only beer produced in the province. It is also the first time that newcomer TrailWay Brewing will be available for growler fills (check out their tasty Primetime APA at the Prospect St Fredericton location). And the price across the board is a very reasonable $10, whether you are buying Grimross’ Cheval D’Or, Railcar’s Artisan Brown Ale, or Pump House’s IPA. We expect them to whip through these beers quite quickly, so be sure to fill up your growler today! And the charity auction for 32oz FCBF-branded growlers is closing at noon today, so be sure to get your bids in now!

And finally today, in case our brewing brothers and sisters missed it, the official call for entries for the 2015 Canadian Brewing Awards is open! Last year’s competition saw almost 1000 entries, and they are hoping to break that barrier this year. There were several winning beers from the Atlantic Provinces in 2014, so let’s show the rest of the country that the beer quality continues to be as good as anywhere else in the country. Forms can be downloaded here, and are due April 1st. The beer must be delivered between April 7-18, with the judging taking place at the end of April. This year’s Awards & Conference are taking place June 4-6, 2015 in Niagara Falls, ON.

Happy Friday, everyone! After last week’s big news about the recent changes from the ANBL requiring that new breweries sell a minimum of 10,000 L of beer in 12 months through the ANBL (i.e. bottles at ANBL stores and/or keg orders via restaurants/bars) before being allowed to sell beer in growlers for off-site consumption, we thought it only prudent to update you on the current situation…

• Mitch Biggar, owner/brewer of the soon-to-open Railcar Brewing in Florenceville-Bristol (the brewery most directly affected by the recent changes) met with ANBL CEO Brian Harriman earlier this week. Thankfully, Mr. Harriman has assured us that a decision has been made to grandfather Railcar out of the new policy, so that “they will be able to sell beer to the public directly from their first day of operation”. Mr. Harriman went on to say: “We have also agreed to have further discussion with New Brunswick microbrewers to see if there is a way we can achieve the governance we require, without creating undue barriers or pain for new brewers. Consequently, we will continue to be open to discussion with the brewers to insure that we are promoting and stimulating growth of craft beer in NB and not the opposite.”

• As well, Mr. Harriman confirmed that the ANBL is going to begin a pilot growler program in September, where they will be selling and filling growlers at three select ANBL stores in the province. He went on to verify: “We will only sell craft and import beer in growlers and will not sell any mainstream domestic beers in growlers.” If results are successful, they plan to expand this program permanently to 10-15 stores.

We’re glad to see that things appear to have been settled for Railcar. As for the rumors that the new rule would be retroactive for all breweries in the province, Mr. Harriman assured us that “… it will be business as usual for all previously existing breweries, as they currently have Brewery Agency Store permits.” Let’s hope that more progress is made at the ANBL Board of Directors meeting next month to modify the current policy, so that future craft breweries are not hindered in any way. One future brewery we’ve mentioned previously, A.W.O.L. Brewery, met with the CBC to give their side of the story given the changed regulations. We’ll be following how it impacts them very closely, and remember that their crowd-funding campaign is still live, please check it out.

Now, on to your regularly-scheduled program!

• Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault have announced that tomorrow, July 26th, they will be having their official grand opening… and we’re all invited! Hop in your car and head over to Edmundston, where they’ll be having tours of their brand new brewery between 11 am and 8 pm (the official ceremonies begin at 2 pm). Both brewers and all team members will be on hand to answer your questions about the brewery and their beers. Swag will be available for purchase, along with their beers, Tante Blanche and Bob LeBouef.

• Speaking of Bob LeBouef, we thought we’d share some details on this new beer from Petit-Sault. It is just being released today for the first time, on tap and in bottles. Described by the brewery as being similar to a Belgian Blond Ale, it has a “full-bodied taste and generous froth, with a subtle hint of Saaz and Northern Brewer hops, leaving behind a delicate lace for a complete sensory experience”. It clocks in at 5.2% ABV, with 22 IBUs. Look for it on tap at the same locations in Edmundston as the recently-released Tante Blanche (Fraser-Edmundston Golf Club, Station 127, Frank’s Bar & Grill, Resto-Bar le Deck, as well as the Hotel Victoria in Saint-Quentin), and in bottles at their local ANBL stores and at the brewery.

• And in even more exciting Petit-Sault news, they very-recently brewed a collaboration beer with Acadie-Broue. Patrice Godin, owner/brewer of Acadie-Broue, travelled to Edmundston this week to brew a batch of his Tintamarre, a Belgian Saison. We expect to see this beer released in August, and will share the beer recipe and availability details closer to that date.

Big Axe is also holding their grand opening soon at their brewery/Bed & Breakfast in Nackawic. On Saturday, August 2nd, they will be open from 12 pm – 9 pm for growler fills, and will feature live music from 5 pm – 9 pm via Julio’s Garage, a band from Fredericton.

• We have more details on the newest beer from Grimross Brewing, Summer Serendipity. A slightly-hazy, straw-colored Belgian Ale, it has an ABV of 5.8%. With a grain bill of mostly Pilsner malt (along with some wheat and rye), the beer’s aroma is described by the brewery as “floral, with hints of lemongrass and tropical fruit”, and exhibits a flavor of “tropical fruit with a lightly balanced hop bitterness”. It’s currently available for growler fills at the Picaroons Brewtique. They’ve also sent out a teaser picture of the progress on their new brewery construction.

• Celtic Knot Brewing is currently working on a new beer. Owner/brewer Bruce Barton has brewed Ring of Fire, a beer that includes smoked malt, ghost peppers… and possibly an addition of Srirachi sauce in the brew process. We’ll have more details on this beer as they emerge. Barton has also confirmed that he has added two new 101 L fermentors to his brewery to help meet increasing demand for their beers; hopefully we’ll see distribution expand soon!

• Red Rover Brewing has confirmed they are releasing a new cider. Scrumpy is described by owner/brewer Adam Clawson as a traditional cider, non-filtered and still (no carbonation). Racked (transferred) four times to reduce the acidity, naturally drop the sediment, and allow for a longer maturation time, its described as being “dry, very smooth, and with a full mouthfeel”, and comes in at 7% ABV. It will be released this weekend at the Highland Games in Fredericton (on tap along with Spring and Summer), and at the Ciderhouse for flagon (1 L growler) fills. Look for a limited, special-edition flagon in the near future to celebrate the Scrumpy release.

Propeller continues to churn out beers for their One Hit Wonder series. This week, they’ve released American Red Ale, which is an American Amber of the U.S. West Coast type; think a hoppier version of the style. Weighing in at 70 IBUs and 5.7% ABV, the beer is hopped with Cascade, Columbus and Falconer’s Flight, with a malt bill containing 2-row, Melanoidin, Roasted malt, and wheat to provide some malt sweetness to help balance the higher bitterness. It’s available for growler fills now at both Prop Shop locations; look for it on tap at select establishments around Halifax as well.

• Propeller is also taking part in two events as part of Local Connections’ Sausage Fest held August 14-24. We’ve already mentioned the return of the Prop’r Cask Night, 6:30 Friday August 15, featuring a feast by Chef Ludo of Agricola Street Brasserie. On Tuesday August 19th, at 6:30, they are taking over the taps at Lion & Bright for a Brew & Brats event. Eight different Propeller beers will be pouring, including several of their very popular One Hit Wonder beers, and other specialties.

• What looks to become an annual tradition, Big Spruce has once again brewed up a batch of their Tip of the Spear, a “Black Spruce Tip IPA”. Incorporating fresh spruce tips from the Black Spruce tree, no hops are used for bittering… but the beer still comes in at about 63 IBUs! Don’t worry, there is some “huge late additions with Simcoe and Cascade hops”, along with a possible dry-hop addition, for hop aroma and flavor, according to owner/brewer Jeremy White. The beer should be ready for growler fills at the brewery in Nyanza in a little under four weeks.

• The latest beer offering from the Newfoundland and Labrador Special Order Beer Club is closing this weekend. For those folks who would like to drink some MicroBrasserie Charlevoix, this is your only chance (short of heading West to the source). Choose from Dominus Vobiscum Blanche, Lupulus and Saison, as well as their Vache Folle Imperial Milk Stout and Rye IPA. Minimum order is 6 mixed bottles, be sure to contact Tom before the end of Sunday.

• A reminder that Rockbottom Brewpub’s monthly Brewmaster’s Table dinner is being held  Tuesday, July 29th. We previously released the menu for the evening, which includes the new Belgian IPA and a London-style Porter (usually only available upstairs at Your Father’s Moustache, but brewed at Rockbottom, as are the Red Duster Amercian Pale Ale and Apricot Wheat). Contact the brewpub to reserve your spot today!

• A new bar/restaurant featuring craft beer has opened in Fredericton! 540 Kitchen & Bar, a gastropub located on Queen St. downtown, opened its doors late last month. With 10 taps available, they’ve recently had some local craft offerings available, including Hammond River Red Coat India Red Ale, and Big Axe Simon Saaz and Chanterelle Cream Ale. Management has confirmed that they will continue to expand their Atlantic Canadian beer offerings, along with other craft beers from across the country, and beyond.

We’ve made a few changes to our website and online presence in the past few days, we encourage you to check them out, and let us know what you think. Firstly, we’ve added a page dedicated to the Brewnosers’  Good Beer Map, compiled and edited by AndyR and acbbChris, both members of the Brewnosers. We’ve added Facebook and Twitter Lists for you to follow, to keep up on Atlantic Canadian beer news, as it happens. And finally, we’ve created a Photo Album page, where we will post pictures of beer events and our travels, starting with our excellent time at the Picaroons Brewer’s Bash. Let us know what you think!