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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Meander River, Pump House, Celtic Knot, Rare Bird, PEI Brewing Co and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-08-22
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Acadie-Broue, Antigonish Townhouse, Authentic Seacoast Brewing, Beerthief, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Celtic Knot Brewing, King Street Ale House, Lion & Bright, Meander River Farm and Brewery, North Brewing, PEI BeerFest, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Railcar Brewing, Schoolhouse Brewery, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stubborn Goat, Tatamagouche Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery. 2 comments

Happy Friday, everyone! Yet another busy week of beer news for our region, so let’s get to it!

• Meander River Farm and Brewery is back with another one-off beer. After the great success with their first special brew, Honey Brown, they have quickly followed it up with their Wheat Ale. An American-style wheat beer weighing in at 3.8%, the beer features the newer Belma hop, giving citrus and strawberry characteristics. Much like their Honey Brown, it won’t be around for very much longer. Take a drive out to the brewery today (4-7pm) and this weekend (11-5 both Saturday and Sunday) for a taste of it and their Lunchbox Pale Ale, and keep an eye out at your favourite watering holes in Halifax (Stillwell and Lion & Bright). Once it’s gone, it won’t be back until next summer!

• September 3rd will mark the 15th Anniversary of the Pump House Brewery, and they’re celebrating it with a new endeavour! On Sept. 3rd, they will be brewing a Stein Beer at the brewery in true fashion. During the Middle Ages, there were very few options for heating wort (the malty, sugary liquid that will become beer) to a boil, due to the lack of modern-day brewing equipment and direct-heating techniques. Luckily, German brewers discovered the method of heating granite rocks (“stein” is German for “rock”) to superhigh temperatures, then dropping them in the wort in wooden kettles to produce a vigorous boil over several minutes. This is the exact method that the Pump House will use to brew their new ale, Stonefire Ale, on their Anniversary. The beer will eventually be bottled as a limited release of approximately four thousand 750 mL bottles sometime in October. Keep an eye on their Facebook page, as they’re holding contests for chances to win an invite to their “Rock Drop” Launch Party on Sept. 3rd.

• Celtic Knot Brewing is re-releasing one of their inaugural brews, Not Joe Average Pale Ale. This American Pale Ale has had some revisions, according to owner/brewer Bruce Barton. While still coming in at 5% ABV, the bitterness has gone up slightly, with the IBUs increased from 19 to 30. Also, the aroma and flavor hops are now made up of Cascade and Centennial (well known for their fruity and citrusy characteristics). The beer finishes slightly drier than the original version, according to Barton. Look for it soon at bars/restaurants that carry Celtic Knot beers, including new account Plan b Lounge (with one rotating tap) in Moncton.

• Barton is also brewing up the new Ring of Fire beer today, featuring 40% Smoked Malt (along with 2-Row, Munich, Cara Aroma and Roasted malts to an Amber colour, 16 SRM), and hopped to 18 IBUs with Tettnang and Fuggle hops. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire! For the heat, Barton will be using Habanero and Jalapeno peppers in the boil, and might add some in secondary as well, depending on the results. Look for this one on tap mid- to late-September.

• Rare Bird Craft Beer has released their latest seasonal, Spruce Beer. It is their modern take on this style of beer with some history in our region, both on shore, and on the ships that visited Guysborough harbour. Building on a medium-bodied Pale Ale base of 5.5% and 47 IBUs (from Cascade and Galena hops), Black Spruce buds were added to the boil for a bright spruce nose. Currently on tap at the Rare Bird Pub, look for it in bottles at the private stores soon.

• In the brewing world, the approach of fall means one thing… the brewing of pumpkin beers, and the PEI Brewing Co. just brewed theirs! The grist contains Canadian 2-row malt, Munich, Victory, Extra Special Roast, Caramunich 60 L, and some malted rye, and the beer is hopped exclusively with Comet hops to 25 IBUs. As for the most important part, the pumpkin, 30 lbs of yellow summer squash were sourced from MacKenzie Produce in Stratford, PEI, with the balance made up of unspiced, canned pumpkin and squash due to limited availability of pie pumpkins this time of year. Luckily, brewmaster Chris Long was able to find many high quality spices from Kate the Spice Lady for the brew, including “150 cinnamon sticks, about 80 cloves, almost 100 allspice pods, 10 whole nutmeg, and 10 lbs of fresh ginger” for each batch. The beer clocks in at 5.8% ABV; look for it in bottles and kegs in the near future across Atlantic Canada.

• Next Friday, August 29th, Edmundston’s Resto-Bar Le Deck will be holding a Picaroons tap takeover that will also feature guest taps from Brasseurs du Petit-Sault and live entertainment from The Carson Downey Band. No word yet on exactly which Picaroons beers will be pouring (they will have 5 taps dedicated to their brews), but we can confirm that both flagship beers – Tante Blanche and Bob LeBoeuf – from Petit-Sault will be present, as well as the recently-released limited edition of their collaboration brew with Acadie-Broue, L’effrayab’ Tintamarre. There’s no cover at the door; it all starts at 10:00 pm.

• And great news for those of you who live in Fredericton and would like to try L’effrayab’ Tintamarre… a keg or two has been delivered to the King Street Ale House, and should be pouring now! It won’t last long, however, so best head there for lunch today. 🙂

• And back to Picaroons, their annual release of UPSTREAM Ale will be hitting shelves at the beginning of September. This 4.5% Pale Ale is crisp and clean, like the wild waters of the famous NB Salmon Rivers. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this beer will go to the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation to help preserve those rivers. And available shortly thereafter will be Picaroons’ series of Harvest Ales, featuring wet hops grown on local farms.

• This week, brewer Josh Herbin at North Brewing Company started experimenting with cask conditioning and adding flavour infusions to their very popular Saison. He prepared infusions using black peppercorn and candied ginger, and has dosed two of the casks with different concentrations. To a third cask, he added both of the infusions and some of the ginger and pepper to further “dry spice” the beer to measure its effects on the final product. No word yet where they will be available, but when they hit the taps/bar tops mid-September, we’ll be sure to share the details.

• Uncle Leo’s Brewery is launching a new growler format today, a 750ml Flip Top Growler. These new growlers are $5 for the glass, and $5 for a fill of any of their IPA, Smoked Porter, Red Ale and Vohs Weizenbier. Until Sunday, August 24th (or while supplies last), when purchasing two or four 750ml growlers, you will receive a free two- or four-growler tote. Please note that they ask folks to not return their 1.89l growlers until after the weekend, when they re-open on Wednesday, August the 27th.

• The Beerthief Newfoundland Special Order Beer Group is holding a tasting next Thursday August 28th. ShakesBEER in the GUT is a fundraiser for the Shakespeare by the Sea Festival in St. John’s, and will give attendees the chance to try four exclusive international offerings available only at the tasting: after starting with a choice of a Quidi Vidi beer, Certified Cicerone Mike Buhler will guide participants through Sorachi Ace and Local 2 Ale by Brooklyn Brewery, and Hiver and Dorée from Meduz Brewery. Tickets are available online for $50, and include snacks, door prizes and live entertainment.

• Tatamagouche Brewing Co is holding a contest! Their Brew Crew is putting together an Oktoberfest Lager to be released in the coming weeks, and they want you to name it. We don’t have the recipe details just yet, but you can enter by replying to this tweet or instagram with your best shot. The contest is closing soon, so be sure to enter today. The winner will win a free party keg rental from the brewery. Only those 19 years or older may enter.

• New Beer Alert! Big Spruce Brewing has released their International Coffee Conspiracy, the Hoppuccino. As mentioned previously, this beer was brewed with help from Phillips Brewing from Victoria, BC and  Cafe Milagro from Costa Rica. Coming in a bit bigger than originally reported, the beer weighs in at 7.3 % ABV and 80 IBUs from Simcoe and Chinook, and features lots of whole bean coffee in the boil, and then a second cold extraction infusion, added post-fermentation. Grab a sample and growler at the brewery today, and ask for it at your favourite local bar.

• After some delays due to ANBL regulation changes that were mostly dropped late last week, Mitch Biggar of Railcar Brewing is back on track! This week he brewed a test batch of the first in his “Derailed” series, a Maple Bacon Porter. Using Chocolate and Cherrywood Smoked Malts in the grain bill for characteristic aroma and taste, he also added New Brunswick Maple Syrup and Smoked Bacon in the boil. Wow!

• And finally, in case you missed yesterday’s post, we’re currently holding a contest to win two tickets to any of the three sessions at this year’s PEI Beer Festival on Sept. 5th and 6th. All you have to do is take a picture of one of the beers that will be pouring at the festival (a list of breweries and beers is available on their website), and Tweet it/share it to our Facebook page, with the hashtag #PEIBeerFest. The contest will continue until next Thursday at 11:59 pm; we’ll announce the winner in next week’s Friday Wrap-Up on August 29th. Only one entry per person, please!

Drink locally this weekend! Head on out to Antigonish Townhouse tonight at 5pm to enjoy another of their one-off casks of British Bitter, to the Stubborn Goat for a Friday Firkin of Boxing Rock‘s The Vicar’s Cross Double IPA, or King’s Arm Pub in Kentville who now have Schoolhouse Brewery on tap. And we hope to see lots of you tomorrow at noon at Stillwell for the launch of Propeller Brewing’s Raspberry Lambic. Folks from Propeller will also be there from 1-3pm taking pre-orders to be picked up at the Gottingen St location Sunday (1 bottle max), before it goes on sale to the general public at both locations on Monday (limit two bottles per person).

Friday Wrap-Up – Update from Railcar & ANBL, plus news from Petit-Sault, Acadie-Broue, Grimross, Celtic Knot, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-07-25
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 540 Kitchen & Bar, A.W.O.L. Brewery, Acadie-Broue, Agricola Street Brasserie, ANBL, Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Celtic Knot Brewing, Charlevoix, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Lion & Bright, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing. 5 comments

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!

Friday Wrap-Up – News and New Beers from BarNone, Rockbottom, Picaroons, Hammond River, PEI Brewing, Red Rover and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-06-06
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards, 2014 Fredericton Beer Run, BarNone Brewing, Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Brewer's Bash, Ducky's Bar, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Meander River Farm and Brewery, North Brewing, PEI Brewing, Picaroons cat contest, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Schoolhouse Brewery, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar, YellowBelly Brewery. 3 comments

Happy Friday, craft beer fans! Looks like there’s lots going on in the beer scene in Atlantic Canada again this week…

• A couple of weeks ago, we alluded to a new beer being released by BarNone Brewing, and we now have some more details. An American Pale Ale, the beer was brewed in collaboration with Bicycle Craft Brewery, a new brewery opening soon in Ottawa. Owned by husband and wife team Fariborz and Laura Behzadi, they came in contact with BarNone brewer/co-owner Don Campbell when they ordered their brewhouse through DME, which constructed a similar setup to what BarNone brews on. When Don invited Fariborz and Laura to do a test brew on his system, so they’d be familiar with the setup, Fariborz designed a recipe and sent it Don’s way. A few minor changes were made due to ingredient availability, and then the three met at BarNone to brew the beer. Broke Spoke Pale Ale was born! A Pale Ale with a “good amount of malt backbone, so that it balances the hop bittermess”, the beer still has a good amount of hop flavors and aromas coming through. Broke Spoke made its debut last night at BarNone’s weekly growler night; it may pop up on tap at bars/restaurants across the Island in the near future.

• Tickets are now on sale for this month’s Beer Dinner (Tuesday, June 24th at 6:00 pm) at the Rockbottom Brewpub in Halifax. There are only 30 spots available; each ticket sells for $35, which includes three courses paired with beer. This month’s dinner consists of a pork belly slider paired with their Intergalactic SMaSH’d Lager, beer-marinated, grilled Cornish hen (with newly-tapped Hali-Lager), and a black pepper & strawberry shortcake (Jacktar Stout). You can reserve tickets by calling the brewpub (902-423-2938); act quickly, they usually sell out fast.

• While on the topic of Rockbottom, if you haven’t had a chance to try Wreckoning RIS – their Russian Imperial Stout that recently won Atlantic Canada’s only gold medal at the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards – or just want to try it again, they will be pouring the beer next Wednesday, June 11th at 4:00 pm. Get in and get some while you can!

• Also, if you’re anxious to start having lunch at the Rockbottom again (or starting your pub crawl a little earlier), they’ve announced that they’re now open on weekdays starting at noon, with a good possibility of opening at noon on weekends as well, later in the month.

• The 2nd Annual Fredericton Beer Run is being held this summer on Monday, August 4th (New Brunswick Day). Like last year, the event involves a run along Fredericton trails starting at noon, followed by lots of beer! Registration begins at 11 am; participants can choose to run either a 6 or 12 km route. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online; they include a custom-designed running bib and beer stein, water stops, and 14 beer tickets. Each beer ticket is good for a 4 oz sample of beer or cider, with at least 20 different beers/ciders available to sample; this part of the event will be held at the Delta Fredericton). New Brunswick breweries Big Axe, Grimross, Moosehead, Pump House, Railcar, Red Rover, and Shiretown will be pouring; Unibroue and McClelland Premium Imports will also have some beers to sample.

• We hope you’ve purchased your tickets to Picaroons‘ 2nd Annual Brewer’s Bash on Saturday, July 12th in Fredericton, because they’re now officially sold out! Even with an extra 500 tickets being sold this year, they still went very quickly. They’ve also announced the three musical acts that will be playing throughout the day-long event: Zeus, Cyndi Cain, and The Chronos Band. We’ll keep you posted on the breweries that will be attending as the Bash gets closer. And a reminder: they’re still looking for volunteers if you’d like to attend – 4 hours of helping out will allow you 8 free hours to enjoy the festival, so send them an email if you’re interested!

• And speaking of Picaroons, they’ve picked the winning cat for their Melonhead bottle label… the lucky kitty is Ruby, who was entered in the contest by her owner, Madison Sagle. Melonhead is now on tap at the Brewtique, and should be popping up at restaurants and bars in the area, as well as in bottles, over the next couple of weeks.

• The new Imperial IPA from Hammond River, Too Hop to Handle, that we mentioned last month has been kegged and is awaiting ANBL approval, which means it should be on tap in Saint John soon. Brewed almost exclusively with the Zythos hop, we’re looking forward to a fruity and piney hop bomb!

• PEI Brewing Co. has a new beer on tap exclusively at the brewery at 96 Kensington Road in Charlottetown. While currently unnamed, the beer is a Light Lager (4% ABV) that has a low bitterness (8 IBUs) from Kohatu, a New Zealand hop variety.  The beer was then “highly dry-hopped” with another NZ variety, Motueka, giving the beer a “tropical and piney” aroma, according to the brewery. Sounds like an interesting cross between a Light Lager and IPA… better get to the brewery to give it a try!

• North Brewing in Halifax has released a new seasonal, their Summer Saison. Changed slightly from their standard Saison, it features coriander and orange peel in the beer, to enhance the already vibrant and spritzy character of the base beer. Both ingredients shine through in the aroma as well, complemented by the hop characteristic and yeast spiciness. It weighs in at 5.5%ABV, and is available at the brewery and Alderney Landing Market (Saturday only) in growlers, and on tap around Halifax and Dartmouth, and in Lunenburg at The Grand Banker. When the weather turns colder (let’s hope that’s 6 months from now!), they have plans of switching up the recipe to a Winter Saison, featuring ginger and black pepper.

• In more new beer news, Shiretown just announced today that they have a new beer available for growler fills at the brewery. All we know right now is that it’s an IPA, and is called Hops on for Nowhere. We’ll have more info on this beer for you next week!

• If you’re living in the Sackville area, and are into craft cider, good news! Red Rover Brewing now has their Summer Brew on tap at Ducky’s Bar. Summer is a dry cider, described by Red Rover as a sharp, tangy thirst-quencher; it comes in at 7% ABV. Look for Red Rover’s other two regular releases, Spring Brew and Fall Brew, to follow after the Summer keg has kicked.

• Ducky’s also announced yesterday that they have the new Big Axe summer seasonal, Simon Saaz Summer Ale, on tap. Check out last week’s post for more info on this beer. To follow, they’ll be tapping another Big Axe seasonal, White Birch Porter. A 6.5% ABV Porter brewed with pure white birch sap, owner/brewer Peter Cole describes the beer as dark brown in color, and medium-bodied. Slightly smoky, with an aroma of “dark roasted nuts, rye bread and chocolate”, the bitterness of the birch sap “complements the noble hops nicely”.

• Yellowbelly Brewpub is releasing a new brew this weekend. Downtown Brown is an American-style Brown Ale, weighing in at 6.2% ABV and 40 IBUs. The grain bill consists of Canadian Pale, English Maris Otter, Canadian Munich, Scottish Carastan and Scottish Black Malt… a truly international bunch! The beer is hopped in the boil with Nugget and Galena, and then dry-hopped with Chinook and Ahtanum, and then with Topaz. A great blending of the chocolate, caramel, and roast from the grain, spice, herbal, pine and tropical fruit from the hops, will make this a great brew.

• A reminder that the 2014 Newfoundland Liquor Commission Beer Expo is happening at the St. John’s Convention Centre this weekend. Box Office tickets are sold out, however there are lots available online as people’s plans change. For those unable to attend, or want to grab some of their favourites after the fest, check out this thread on the Beerthief forum for a list of special Festival beers that will be showing up at your local NLC this weekend. Cheers!

• If you can’t be on The Rock this weekend, then be sure to make it out to one of the local bars in your area. If you’re in the Annapolis Valley, be sure to drop by the Library Pub in Wolfville tonight, and the Spitfire Arms in Windsor tomorrow, to help celebrate the launch of Schoolhouse Brewery. In Halifax? Drop by Stillwell at noon Saturday to grab a pint of Meander River‘s Lunchbox Pale Ale. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to grab some from the source in Ashdale, it’s definitely worth picking up!

• Garrison Brewing is hiring: a full-time, permanent Brewery Sales Rep and a Seasonal Events & Sales Rep (full-time until September, possible part-time after), send off your resumes today! And even though the noon First Sips (aka Early Bird) tickets for their Cask Takeover June 21 at Stillwell are sold out, there will be lots of beer still flowing once the doors re-open at 2pm that afternoon, so be sure to drop by. We’ll have some more details on the casks available this coming week, but we got word of another one: their popular Peanut Butter & Jelly blend (Nut Brown and Raspberry Wheat), with raspberries from Noggins Corner right in the cask.