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Friday Wrap-up – News from Railcar Brewing and the ANBL, Rockbottom, Rare Bird, Big Tide, Grimross and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-07-18
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Fredericton Beer Run, ANBL, Antigonish Townhouse, Authentic Seacoast Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Local Connections Halifax, Paddys Irish Brewpub, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, YellowBelly Brewery. 2 comments

We start off this week’s Wrap-Up with some disheartening news, and a call to action. But fear not, there’s lots of positive news to report on as well!

• Railcar Brewing has been planning to set up shop in Florenceville-Bristol, NB. After a change in plans in which their original planned location in the Shogomoc Historical Railway Site was scrapped, they have now opened their retail shop and brewery just a few minutes down Main Street. However, they are facing a brand new major hurdle from the ANBL. They’ve just received notice that a late-June board meeting has decided that before a Brewery Agency Store licensee may sell any beer at their location for off-premises consumption (by means of bottles or growlers), they must first sell 10,000 litres of product through the ANBL network within 12 months (whether it be kegs delivered to bars, or bottles sold at ANBL stores). For a very small 1 BBL (Beer Barrel, 117 litres) brewery like Railcar, this would mean brewing, fermenting, conditioning, kegging and/or bottling, selling, and delivering to the ANBL or to restaurants and bars (possibly not in their home region) two full batches per week, assuming no spillage or spoilage. For a very small brewery whose business plan concentrated on sales direct from the brewery (including investing several thousand dollars in growlers that may become unusable), this is disastrous, and may handcuff them from opening. Railcar owner Mitch Biggar has been on CBC Radio and TV spreading word of how this will affect his small business, but keep in mind this will affect all future NB breweries as well. Mitch will be meeting with the ANBL next week, and we hope that he will still be able to open the week of Aug 10, which coincides with the Florenceville Festival of Flavour.

• When we heard of this change, we contacted ANBL president Brian Harriman for comment. He was kind enough to respond, and he assured us, “We are going to have discussions with stakeholders who were in process of starting breweries prior to development of this new strategy. We want to do all we can to support industry development to see the micro brewery industry prosper in NB”. While this is encouraging to hear, we feel the consultations with stakeholders should have taken place before these new rules were implemented.  Mr Harriman goes on, “We believe that our new policy will serve to strengthen our business. We also feel that the 100 HL requirement is a manageable number for new brewers.” While we understand that the ANBL’s goals are to generate income and control the sale of alcohol in the province, we believe that these requirements are not manageable for new brewers who may be transitioning into this industry as a part-time endeavour, or are trying to generate the least amount of debt possible. Dozens of kegs for licensees and hundreds of bottles for the ANBL are not cheap!

• So, what can you do about this? We encourage you to read and sign an online petition created by friends and neighbours (and potential suppliers) of Railcar, Kathryn and Nick Southan of Southan Farms in Wicklow. While this petition is specific to Railcar’s issue (and others that may be in the middle of licensing), we feel that signing it shows your support for the idea that before any rules are implemented, discussions with breweries, big and small, should be taking place. We suggest that either different production tiers are implemented in the licensing strategies, or allowances for breweries to sell primarily (or exclusively) for off-site consumption at their brewery locations. To assist with the extra financing he will need to comply with these restrictions, he has just launched a crowd-funding plumfund page.

And now on to the happy part of the week, new beers and other news…

• Rockbottom Brewpub has released their newest beer, Bloodletter Belgian IPA. From Brewmaster Greg Nash, they are giving their Belgian-style brew the West-Coast treatment! Weighing in at 6.3%, and with a calculated 217 IBUs, this is a light-coloured but not light on flavour beer! In addition to the characteristic yeast flavour, the beer was spiced with coriander and cumin at flame-out, and generously hopped throughout with Bravo (in the mash and first wort), Dana (at flame-out) and Kohatu (dry-hopped). As Nash put it, “MMmm West-Coast-Belgian-American-NewZealand-Slovenian-hopped-spiciness in a glass.” They will also be putting on a coffee-infused version of this beer, so check out that blend. And be sure to drop by Wednesday for the tapping of the Firkin at 4pm. Lots of exciting blends and beers start their life out in a Firkin, so it’s a great to get a sneak peak of what Nash is up to in the brewery!

• Rare Bird Craft Brewing in Guysborough has released their Maple Ale this week. Brewed with local maple sap in place of water throughout the brew, this 5.5% beer ends up with a light body and copper colour. Maple syrup is also added to the wort, but the hops help to keep it from being overly sweet, for a nice balance. The beer is in rotation at Stillwell Beer Bar in Halifax and at the Rare Bird Pub in Guysborough, and will be available in the private stores in the near future.

• Big Tide Brewpub in Saint John has released a couple of new beers since last week’s post. Tidal Wave Double IPA hit the taps late last week, and was one of the beers poured at the Picaroons Brewer’s Bash last weekend. We’re not sure about this incarnation, but previous versions of this beer weighed in around 9%, and loaded with multiple dry hop additions for a wave of hop flavour and aroma. Also new on tap is a return of the Haffe Wit, a Witbier brewed with a special blend of spices for their own twist on the style.

• Grimross Brewing has released their newest beer. Summer Serendipity is now available at the Picaroons Brewtique on Queen Street in Fredericton. Unfortunately, it was released late last night, so we do not have all of the details, but can pass along the tasting notes from brewer Steven Dixon: “Floral sweet lemongrass aroma, tropical fruit taste and subtle hop bitterness.”

• Paddys Irish Brewpubs in Kentville and Wolfville have released their newest summer seasonal, Dom Arthur Kolsch. Details are light on their recipe, but this style is a light hybrid between lager and ale, and goes well with beautiful patio weather!

• Yellowbelly Brewpub in St John’s has released a summer version of their Wexford Wheat, Summer Wheat. The base recipe is the same, but uses Topaz dry-hops for a different aroma and flavour. We’re not sure how long it will last, so be sure to drop by!

• There are still a few spots left in this year’s Fredericton Beer Run, to be held August 4th. Runners can choose to participate in a legitimate 6km or 12km run, and then enjoy beer from New Brunswick craft breweries afterwards. You must run to drink the beer, though there are a few “Coach’s Tickets” available (must register with a runner). It is being run by Lloyd Chambers, who also organizes the great Fredericton Craft Beer Festival. Sign up today, only a couple more weeks of training!

• The Chronicle Herald newspaper in Halifax has put together a Nova Scotia Craft Brewery Guide with a description of the brewing process, list of NS breweries (no brewpubs, yet), map of their locations, and amateur tasting notes.

• Propeller Brewing Company has re-launched their Open Brewery Tours at their Gottingen St location. While you normally need nine or more friends to book a brewery tour (or pay for strangers to come drink with you), every Wednesday 6-7:30pm in the summer, you can drop by solo or with a handful of friends, and pay the regular $15. During your time there, you’ll have a chance to sample lots of their regular lineup, as there’s usually a seasonal or two on tap as well.

• The Ladies Beer League is looking for your help! They are teaming up with Boxing Rock Brewing to create a special cask for their event during the Local Connections Sausage Fest, held August 14-24. Check out their Facebook page and make your suggestions. If yours gets picked, you will win a t-shirt and bragging rights! Stay tuned for more details on the LBL event, too.

• These new beers won’t be available for a few weeks, but we’ll be keeping our eyes (and mouths) open for Garrison’s Honey & Lavender Beer that was brewed Monday, and Big Spruce’s Pump Le Mousse, a grapefruit wheat beer.

• And Happy Second Anniversary to the Townhouse Pub in Antigonish! They celebrated by releasing a special British IPA brewed on their system upstairs. Fortunately/unfortunately, it sold out in a matter of hours, so if you weren’t there to enjoy Sunday, you’ll have to wait until Terry brews it again (we hope soon!).

Friday Wrap-up – New Beers (and a Cider) from Bad Apple Brewhouse, Bulwark, Sea Level, Big Spruce, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-06-13
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Fredericton Beer Run, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brewer's Bash, Bulwark Cider, Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Garrison Brewing, Halifax Seaport Beerfest, North Brewing, Sea Level Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. 1 comment

Good morning! There’s lots of Atlantic Canadian Beer News this week, so let’s get right to it!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse is releasing their newest beer today, Mosaic Double IPA. Brewer Jeff Saunders chose to brew this beer as both a way to showcase the uncommon Mosaic hop, and to raise awareness of Mosaic Down Syndrome, as his son is living with this affliction. The beer weighs in at 8%ABV and 120IBU (calc), and the aroma and flavour is full of floral, tropical, and fruity notes from the Mosaic hops. All of the proceeds from the sale of this beer will be going to the Nova Scotia Down Syndrome Society and Camp Brigadoon, who hold camps for kids (and families) with various special needs throughout the summer. Grab it today starting at 1pm at the Brewhouse in Somerset, and look for it on tap in the Valley and HRM shortly.

• Bulwark Cider has released their Blush this week. Made with the same Annapolis Valley fresh-pressed apples as their Original, they then blend in local cranberries, raspberries and blueberries  for something completely different. This is all done pre-fermentation, with no extra juice added later. Though it only makes up a small percentage of the fruits, the blueberry really shines through in the aroma, complementing the apples’ crisp character. The cider weighs in at 4.5%, and is available in bottles and on tap at bars and restaurants around the Maritimes, and will also be in the NSLC soon.

• Sea Level Brewing announced late last week that they’ve launched their Summer Blonde Pilsner, just in time for the nicer weather! Brewed with 100% Pilsner malt, the beer also incorporates the Summer hop, an Australian variety that is known for exhibiting “light apricot and melon fruit notes”. The beer is also fermented with a Czech Pilsner yeast; it has 40 IBUs and an easy-drinking ABV of 4.8%. It’s available now at the brewery in cans and for growler fills, and on tap at The Port Pub and Luckett Vineyards. Look for it in the HRM very soon.

• While on the topic of Sea Level, they’ve also re-released their Southern Cross IPA. Originally launched in April, this 6.5% ABV IPA sold quickly in Nova Scotia, so the brewery decided to brew up some more, just in time for Father’s Day! For more info on this beer, check out our post from April.

• And speaking of returning beers, Boxing Rock is bringing back their Crafty Jack, an English Brown Ale. Featuring a “rich, roasty malt profile, and classic English hops”, it comes in at a very sessionable 4.2% ABV, and 29 IBUs. It should be available now at the brewery in 650 mL “bombers” and for growler fills, and at private liquor stores in Halifax. Also, this release marks the first time the beer will be available at NSLC stores across the province.

• Even more! Garrison Brewing has re-released their seasonal Sugar Moon Maple Ale this week. Brewed with local syrup from Sugar Moon Farm in Tatamagouche, this full bodied and sweet-tasting beer clocks in at 6.3% ABV and 17IBUs. It is available at the brewery now, in the private stores and NSLC soon, and will be on tap at select bars around the HRM.

• Big Spruce has a new cask heading to Stillwell in the near future… Mr. IncREDible is a “heavily dry-hopped” version of their Regatta Red. With the citrusy Amarillo used exclusively in the dry-hop, this 5.1% ABV, 26 IBU Irish Red Ale may not fit your standard definition of the style, but it sounds tasty! Keep an eye on Stillwell’s Facebook and Twitter accounts for news on when the beer is tapped.

• Tickets are now on sale for the 8th Annual Halifax Seaport Beerfest, to be held August 8th & 9th at the Cunard Centre. Atlantic Canada’s largest beer festival, this year’s fest will highlight “exclusively craft beers, premium imports and ciders”, with over 275 unique brands from more than 110 participating breweries, as well as a Cask Beer Pavilion. There will be three sessions (Friday 7:00 – 9:30 pm, and Saturday 2:00 – 4:30 pm and 7:00 – 9:30 pm); tickets for each are $45 in advance. In addition, this year’s event will feature a limited number of VIP tickets for sale, for both Saturday sessions. At $65 each, they include a souvenir glass and bottle opener, a guided one-hour tasting prior to the session, and a Q&A panel with special guests, including beer author Nick Pashley, and Stephen Clinch, co-founder and co-owner of Trouble Brewing, from Ireland. Both ticket types can be purchased through Ticket Atlantic; regular-admission tickets can also be found at select NSLC stores. We’ll have more information on the festival in the near future!

• After just reporting that they’ve added two new 10 barrel (310 U.S. gallons, or ~1160 L) fermentors from DME, Halifax’s North Brewing is pairing with the harbourstone sea grill & pour house to put on a beer pairing dinner on Thursday, July 10th from 6:30 – 9:30 pm. Tickets are currently on sale (you can purchase them online) for $50 each, and include six courses, each paired with a different North beer. Courses include coriander-crusted scallops and blueberry salad paired with a North Saison, cast iron-seared flank steak with grapefruit and blue cheese crust paired with a Belgian IPA, and chocolate-covered cherries with Mexican Pot au Creme, with a Strong Dark Belgian Ale.

• The folks at Picaroons have released the brewery list for this summer’s Brewer’s Bash on July 12th. The sold-out, all-day event will feature beers from over 60 breweries from across the country; almost 2/3 of those breweries will be from Atlantic Canada! We’ll keep you updated on the expected beer list as it becomes available, especially from the breweries in our region.

• The new seasonal from Yellowbelly Brewery, Downtown Brown, that we reported on last week is already almost gone, on tap at the brewpub. However, they are releasing the beer today in 1L bottles, exclusively at the brewpub, at 4 pm. If you’re in St. John’s, get down there to stock up!

• Back in April, we reported on the winning beer of the 1st Annual Gahan Home Brewer’s Challenge in PEI. Earlier this week on Wednesday evening, the winning beer, PEI Cranberry Wit, brewed by Ryan Palmer and Lee Nicholson, made its debut on tap at the Gahan House. As part of their prize, Ryan and Lee joined Gahan brewmaster Trent Hayes in brewing a full-sized batch of their beer, and you can taste the results! It won’t last long, so make sure you get to the brewpub to give the beer a taste.

• Big Tide Brewpub in Saint John has released two new beers in the past little while: their popular Blueberry Ale is back on tap, as well as a new beer, the Tin Can Coffee Porter. Unfortunately, details are light on the Porter, but we can tell you it was brewed using coffee from Java Moose, a local roaster.

• This year’s Fredericton Beer Run (Monday, August 4th; check out last week’s post for more details) has added another ticket option for you non-runners out there! Basically, the Coach’s Ticket includes a sampling glass and the same number of beer tickets (fourteen 4-oz samples), but without the 6 or 12 km run. The cost of the ticket is $45 (can be purchased online); you MUST be accompanying a runner to be eligible to buy a ticket. They’re also looking for volunteers; if you’d like to help out for a few hours during the run portion of the event, and then receive access to the beers later, send them an email!

A reminder that there are two special beer events scheduled for next week: on Friday, June 20th, at 7:30pm, the Ladies Beer League is holding their First Anniversary Celebration at Wooden Monkey Dartmouth. No tickets or entry fee required, just show up to pay-as-you-go and enjoy the special beers brewed for them by Garrison, North and Big Spruce. There will also be some LBL swag (glasses, pins, Tshirts) to show your support, and help shape the future of the League. The next day, starting at noon, Garrison Brewing will be invading Stillwell Beer Bar with twelve pins of beer, each made with local ingredients. A couple of the beers have been announced, including Spiceman’s Session Saison, a Belgian-style Saison spiced with Cassia Buds and Wild Voatsiperifery Pepper and Christmas in June, a blend of Meander River’s Lunchbox Pale Ale and Garrison’s Spruce Beer. Tickets for the noon “First Sips” have sold out, but starting at 2pm, the doors will re-open to the public, where $10 will get you a special glass and your first pour of beer. We’ll be there, be sure to say hi!

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Hell Bay, Hammond River, Pump House, Picaroons, PEI Brewing, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-05-16
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Atlantic Beer Festival, Big Spruce Brewing, Brewer's Bash, Hammond River Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, NLC, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Stubborn Goat. 1 comment

Happy Friday everyone! Now that spring is in full swing, be sure to grab a local beer, and enjoy it outside! Here are some new beers, new events, new jobs, and more!

• Hell Bay has released their R.I.P.(A.) version 3.0. Brewed with a different malt and hops recipe than the two previous versions, this beer has a maltier body, and a citrus hop presence. Despite these changes, the beer once again weighs in at 7.2%ABV and 70IBUs. Drop by the brewery in Liverpool for a growler, and look for it on tap around the province shortly.

• Hammond River Brewing has announced that they’re currently brewing up two new summer seasonals, and we have some info on both of them. The first beer is described as a Hawaiian-style Pale Ale; it’s brewed with fresh pineapples, along with Chinook and Cascade hops, and then dry-hopped with more Cascade. It clocks in at 5.8% ABV and 55 IBUs. The other seasonal is a Fruit Beer… more specifically, a Blueberry Ale that is brewed with real blueberries, not extract, which will give the beer a purplish color. This one will come in at 5.4% ABV and 38 IBUs. Both seasonals will rotate in production with one another, so look for them both to be making appearances over the next few months in the Saint John area, starting with the Hawaiian APA in the next couple of weeks.

• To coincide with the Atlantic Beer Festival on May 31st in Moncton, the Pump House is releasing two beers for sale in six-packs for the first time. First, the Premium Pilsner that had a limited release around last Christmas (in 750 mL swing top bottles) will now be available as the newest seasonal beer. A German-style Pilsner weighing in at about 5.7% ABV and 30 IBUs, it arrives just in time for the warmer weather (more info on the beer here). Second, they’ll be releasing a brand new IPA! No, not their regular IPA (that has always been popular with hop lovers, and only available on tap at select locations)… a new beer entirely, also in the American IPA style. No specifics on this one yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we can! Both six-packs will be available at the brewery and ANBL locations at the end of the month/first of June, after an original launch at the Atlantic Beer Festival.

• Picaroons has announced the date of sale for tickets to their Brewer’s Bash this summer, July 12th – they go on sale next Tuesday, May 20th. Starting at 10:00 am, you can pick them up at the Cedar Tree Cafe in downtown Fredericton, or find them online here; the price is $25. Tickets sold out fairly quickly last year; even with 500 more tickets available for this year’s festival, expect it to sell out at least as fast as last year. Check out last week’s post for a bit more info on the Bash.

• Looking to work in the brewery business, but not necessarily as a brewer? Well, the PEI Brewing Co. is looking to fill a position for Retail and Sales Manager at their retail store in the brewery. You’ll need a university degree or diploma in Business, Marketing, or a related field, with a minimum of 2 years sales and marketing experience in a retail environment. Contact Cara Squires by email for more information, and/or to submit a resume. More details here.

• A reminder that the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards are being held in Fredericton at the end of the month, May 29-31. The three day event is being held at the Fredericton Conference Centre in the city’s downtown, with satellite events across the city. Featuring some excellent panels, talks and presentations from brewers, distributors and ingredient and equipment manufacturers, this is a must-visit for anyone involved in the beer industry. The Awards Gala, being held Saturday night, and live-broadcast from the CBA website, will be the highlight of the weekend. This is when the winning beers and breweries will be announced, after the impressive job Tracy Phillippi and the panel of judges did, making their way through more than 900 submissions in Toronto last month. For those brewers who have not yet signed up, it’s not too late! Visit the CBA website for further information on the schedule and email Katrina to sign up.

• Propeller Brewing’s new Windmill Rd location is celebrating its first “Food Truck Friday” today. Cheese Gypsy Mobile Cuisine will be  set up 11:30-4 today, and every Friday this spring and summer, for folks to have some food to wash down their beer. From Andrew Cooper, “We’re quite excited about the local food truck scene and really want to be involved with it.” They join North Brewing on Agricola St, who host The Food Wolf every Sunday 12-4 and Seaport Farmers’ Market / Garrison Brewing, where Nomad Gourmet hangs out Saturday 7-3 and Sunday 9-3. To keep an eye on where these and the other food trucks are in the HRM, be sure to check out the Street Food App website.

• Speaking of Propeller, hot on the heels of their very popular Black IPA, they’ve brewed up two more One Hit Wonders at the Gottingen St brewery. While too early to release the details, Andrew Cooper assure us that they will be available soon, and released back to back, to reduce lag time between them. In previous years, these one-offs have included Zwickelbier, Imperial Red, SPA (Special Pale Ale), so we’re sure these upcoming ones will be just as special!

• Today’s Cask at the Stubborn Goat is a Double Dry-Hopped Kitchen Party Pale Ale from Big Spruce Brewing. Brewmaster Jeremy White let us know that the KP was dry hopped with Centennial in the conditioning tank, then blasted with a dose of Amarillo in the cask. After grabbing a grilled cheese sandwich and growler in Dartmouth, this sounds like a great start to the long weekend!

• Tickets for the 2014 NLC Beer Expo are now on sale. Being held June 6th and 7th, the Expo will showcase beer from across the country, and around the world. The list of beers is available here, and features over 100 different products, about 20% of which are not normally available in the province. Tickets are still available for the Friday night session, which can also include an exclusive Tasting Panel before the Fest, lead by folks from the Mill Street, Muskoka, and Unibroue.

• A quick reminder that Meander River Farm and Brewery is opening tomorrow! From 10-5, drop by their Ashdale, NS location to tour the brewery and grounds, check out some of the lavender and hops products, and other merchandise, and of course, grab some beer! We’ll see you there!

In closing, we mentioned in our post on the upcoming Atlantic Beer Festival yesterday that we’d be holding a contest for a giveaway of two tickets for the afternoon session (2:30 – 5:00 pm). Starting now, hop on Twitter and send us a note like: Hey @ACBeerBlogger! I want to win tickets to #ABF2014! http://wp.me/p23UN6-1gZ. One entry per person; we’ll randomly pick the winner and announce their name in next Friday’s post. The contest will run from now until next Thursday at 11:59 pm. Good luck!