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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Hammond River, Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, Big Tide Brewing, Rockbottom and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-07-11
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Agricola Street Brasserie, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Brewer's Bash, Hammond River Brewing, Propeller Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub. 2 comments

Happy Friday loyal Beer Readers! Grab a pint and take a few minutes to get caught up on all the Beer News that’s fit to print.

• Hammond River Brewing has a new beer in the works. Owner/brewer Shane Steeves confirmed that he just brewed a California Common (aka Steam beer) as a tribute to his father, who recently passed away. Brewed in the classic style using a San Francisco Lager yeast, yet fermented at a warmer, closer-to-Ale temperatures, the goal is to have an “easy-drinking beer with bready and toasty notes, along with some fruitiness”. Hopped entirely with Northern Brewer (a “woodsy”-type hop), the beer will be named Gammie, which is what Shane’s father was called by his grandchildren. We’ll keep you updated on the progress of this beer; we’d also like to express our deepest condolences to Shane and his family.

• Late last week, Brasseurs du Petit-Sault announced that they have officially begun selling their beer! They posted on their blog that their Witbier, Tante Blanche, is now available on tap at the following locations in Edmundston: Fraser-Edmundston Golf Club, Station 127, Frank’s Bar & Grill, Resto-Bar le Deck, as well as the Hotel Victoria in Saint-Quentin. The beer should follow shortly in bottles; look for it in Edmundston and Grand Falls ANBL stores by July 14th, and hopefully further across the province in the near future. Tante Blanche will also be pouring tomorrow at the Brewer’s Bash in Fredericton!

• Speaking of the Brewer’s Bash, it looks like they’re a little short on volunteers, so if you don’t have a ticket, this is your final chance to attend the sold-out festival! Four hours of volunteer work will get you into the festival, AND access to a special volunteer party at a later date; send them an email if you’re interested.

• Big Tide Brewing has recently released their very popular summer seasonal, Karnival Kolsch. This hybrid German style  is easy drinking, and perfect for the patio weather we’ve been enjoying recently. The beer was brewed using  Pilsner, acidulated and Munich malts to 4.5% ABV and hopped exclusively with Saaz to 50 IBUs. Brewster Wendy Papadopoulos tells us, “I  brewed it because my brother in law, who has spent a fair bit of time in Cologne, Germany, had been asking forever for me to brew a Kolsch”. This hybrid style, specific to Cologne, uses an ale yeast, but is fermented fairly cold, and is usually lagered for at least a month. This week also saw the end of the Tin Can Porter, and the return of the Hemp Pale Ale at Big Tide.

• Rockbottom Brewpub has released details for their July Beer Dinner, to be held July 29th at 6pm. Here it is, and it looks like there will be two new beers poured at the event, a Belgian IPA (being released next week) and London-style Porter. Appetizer: Beer Battered Halibut Cheeks (with Citrus Aioli & Micro Fruits), paired with the Belgian IPA. Main course: Beer Braised Lamb Shepherd’s Pie, paired with the Porter. Dessert: Poached Pear with Vanilla Ice Cream (with Beer Caramel Sauce), paired with Bigwater Brown. Tickets are $35 and available at the bar, or by calling 902-423-2938. Brewmaster Greg Nash at Rockbottom has also been showing off the progress of round two of Thulsa Doom, the very popular Double IPA brewed using Conan yeast (stepped up by a Brewnosers member from a single can of The Alchemist’s Heady Topper)

• Propeller Brewery has announced the return of their very popular Prop’r Cask Nights August 15th, after a winter hiatus. Coinciding with the Local Connections Halifax 2014 Sausage Fest, Ludo Eveno of Agricola Street Brasserie will be in charge of the sausage-themed feast to pair with the beer. As always, a special cask will be tapped for the evening, and attendees will be able to sample it, as well as Propeller’s standard lineup. Limited tickets are available online now, and include a commemorative Sausage Fest glass to keep.

• Speaking of Propeller, both they and Boxing Rock Brewery celebrated anniversaries on Monday, July 7th. Propeller turned 17, and Boxing Rock celebrated their first year of business. Congratulations to both on these great milestones!

Friday Wrap-up – News from Tatamagouche Brewery, Grimross Brewing, Rockbottom Brewpub, Granite Brewery and more

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-06-20
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Authentic Seacoast Brewing, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Tide Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Garrison Brewing, Granite Brewery, Grimross Brewing, PEI Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing. 3 comments

Happy Friday! As we’re about ready to officially begin summer, the beer news is coming in fast and furious!

• We are thrilled to welcome the newest brewery to the Atlantic Canada region, Tatamagouche Brewery. Located at 235 Main Street in Tatamagouche, NS, this former butcher shop has been converted to a state-of-the-art brewery. We’ve been following along with their progress for almost a year now, made a visit ourselves at the beginning of the month, and are excited to see their successful opening this week. They have launched with their Hippie Dippie Pale Ale, weighing in at 5% ABV and brewed exclusively with Ahtanum hops. Their Butcher Block Red Ale is a bit higher test at 6% ABV, and uses higher hopping levels of the El Dorado varietal, including the use of a hopback, which sits between the kettle and the chiller, for an extra dose of hops post-boil. We’ll have a full profile with them shortly, but in the meantime, grab a growler at the brewery (open 10-6 daily), or on tap at the Train Station Inn and Stirling Room in Tatamagouche, or the Nook and Cranny in Truro. Welcome aboard the Craft Beer Train!

• Grimross Brewing is just about one year away from the date that they sold their first beer (July 1st, 2013), and they’ve got some big news just in time to celebrate! Owner/brewer Stephen Dixon has confirmed that they will be expanding, and moving to a new location in Fredericton. They’ve already ordered their brewing system; the move likely won’t occur for another six months. In the meantime, they will continue brewing their regular line-up of beers at the Picaroons’ Brewtique downtown. We’ll have more details soon, but for now we can say we’re very happy to hear this news!

• In other Grimross news, they’re releasing a new beer, Ben’s Country Cousin, at the Brewtique sometime tomorrow afternoon. This beer has the same grain bill as Ben’s Bitter Pale Ale, a regular-release Grimross beer; however, it is hopped differently during the boil, and is dry-hopped, unlike the original recipe. As well, the beer is fermented with a Farmhouse Ale yeast, so overall look for it to taste quite different from Ben’s Pale. It has an ABV of about 6%, like it’s relative. Keep an eye on Grimross’ Twitter account for exact details on what time the beer is released.

• Rockbottom Brewpub has announced the return of their very popular Insidious IBA. This 2013 Canadian Brewing Awards medal-winner is an American West Coast-style India Black Ale. Dark roasted barley gives the beer its signature colour, but the flavour and aroma showcase the Columbus, Citra, Simcoe, Summit, Centennial, and German Magnum hops. Weighing in at 6.9% and 70 IBUs, this will be a popular beer for the start of summer. For those of you who want one more taste of the now sold-out Intergalatic SMaSH’d Lager, you’ll have to grab a ticket to the Brewer’s Dinner on June 24th to get it. We’ll see you there!

• Halifax’s Granite Brewery will soon be re-releasing their summer seasonal, Honey Ginger Ale. Brewed with honey and ginger root, the ginger addition adds a natural bitterness to the beer, so no hops are used at any stage of the brewing process. A light-drinking beer at 4.6% ABV, it should be available for growler fills at the brewery’s beer store soon (hopefully by next weekend); keep an eye on Granite’s Facebook and Twitter accounts for the exact release date.

• We have some details on Shiretown‘s newest beer, an IPA, Hops on for Nowhere. This 75 IBU beer is hopped with three different varieties: Waimea, Green Bullet, and Amarillo, that according to the brewery provide a “comforting, earthy orange finish”. Coming in at ~5.5% ABV, the first batch sold out for growler fills at the brewery; the next batch should be available late next week. They’ve also brewed up their Honey Wheat Ale (made with local buckwheat honey) again; it’s available now at the brewery for growler fills.

• A couple of weeks ago, we reported on the new lager that was brewed by the PEI Brewing Co. Just to update, this 4% ABV light lager (hopped with two New Zealand varieties, Kohatu and Motueka) has been named Landing Day Lager, and is now on tap at the Gahan House, in addition to at the brewery itself (96 Kensington Rd).

• It’s back! The Rare Bird Pub in Guysborough, NS, is opening today for the season. While they are brewing their Rare Bird Pale Ale and Full Steam Stout year-round, the Pub is only seasonal. Open 11:30-8pm Wed-Sun, drop by for a pint of their two year-round beers, as well as seasonals as they are released. Rare Bird growlers are also available for purchase at the Pub.

• Bigtide Brewpub in Saint John, NB has a couple of new beers on tap lately, so let’s get you caught up on their details. Tin Can Porter is a brand new release, based on their Chocolate Porter, but incorporating fresh brewed Java Moose coffee at flame-out. The beer is hopped to 45 IBUs using Nugget and Willamette hops, and is 5% ABV. The addition of vanilla smooths out any bitterness from the coffee. The beer is named after Tin Can Beach, to celebrate the work that ACAP Saint John is doing to clean up this area of the downtown.

• Also on tap at Bigtide is Princess Street IPA. This unfiltered IPA was brewed using Nugget hops exclusively throughout the 90-minute boil. The theoretical IBUs are up over 100, however the 7.5% ABV and slight residual sweetness help to round out any harsh bitterness. Canadian 2-Row and German Pale Ale are the major base malts, as well as a small amount of Caramunich and Carafoam for colour. Grab a pint at the bar, or a growler to go.

• Stillwell has been teasing us with the beers they will be pouring tomorrow at the Garrison Brewing Cask Takeover. Here’s the complete cask list:
Spiceman’s Session Saison (with Wild Voatsiperifery Peppers)
Christmas in June (Meander River Lunchbox Pale Ale and Garrison Spruce Beer blend)
Summit Buzz (Vanilla Espresso Brown Ale)
Peanut Butter Jelly Time (peanut butter and fresh raspberries on their Brown Ale)
Some Like it Hot (Tall Ship Amber Michelada)
Blueberry Raj (Spiced American Wheat with blueberry juice and masala chai)
Brand New and Already Bitter (IPA dry-hopped with Citra and Amarillo)
Makin’ Bacon (Maple Bacon Ale, using Chef Graeme’s homemade bacon rum)
Imperial Mystery (your guess is as good as ours, though we’re guessing it’s based on their Imperial Pale Ale)
Lovers Quarrel (Belgian-style Wit with rosehips and chamomile)
My Thai Wheat (American Wheat with pineapple mint and kaffir lime leaves)
La Moreno Loco (Chocolate Chili Brown Ale, with homegrown chilis and dark chocolate and cocoa nibs)
For those without noon “First Sips” tickets, the doors open again at 2pm for first-come, first-served pours. $10 gets you a glass to keep, and your first drink.

• Come out to the Wooden Monkey Dartmouth tonight, starting at 7:30, to help celebrate the Ladies Beer League First Anniversary. In addition to Wooden Monkey’s regular local beer rotation, there will be three special casks pouring: Big Spruce All Night Kitchen Party (double dry-hopped Pale Ale), Garrison Sticky Toffee Pudding Birthday Cake (based on the Sugar Moon Maple), and North Brewing Farmhouse Ale. No tickets necessary (it’s pay-as-you-enjoy), just show up to have a celebratory pint or two.

• And finally, we are very excited to announce the next big event scheduled at Stillwell Beer Bar. Jeff at Bad Apple Brewhouse has been brewing like crazy since opening just a few months ago, and will be taking over the taps (and casks) at Stillwell all day July 5th. Featuring twelve taps and two casks, there will be something for everyone that day: the much-anticipated return of That’s Falcon Teamwork (brewed with the Stillwell gang), barrel-aged versions of the Impresser DIPA and Black and Tackle RIS (as well as their non-barrel-aged versions), and the last keg of Mosaic DIPA. Among the six (SIX!) new beers debuting at the takeover, folks will have first crack at the Smokehouse Lager (brewed with 100% Smoked Malt), Apple Cider, the Summer Slurper Session Ale, and a few more special beers that will blow people’s socks off. So, how do you get in on the madness? Tickets for the noon (First Sips), afternoon, and evening sessions are on sale today at Stillwell. Unlike other events, you will need a ticket to get into the afternoon and evening sessions, so plan accordingly. As with other Takeovers, your $10 ticket gets you a glass and your first pour. We’ll definitely see you there!

• And as a late addition, we just wanted to include the exciting news that Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault has confirmed that they’re in the process of brewing their first full batch of beer! This morning, brewers Jason Dionne and Gavin Anderson started brewing Bob LeBouef, their Blonde Ale. Look for the beer (and others) to be available sometime early next month!

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!