Brasseurs du Petit Sault

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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Celtic Knot, Boxing Rock & Ladies Beer League, Garrison, Stillwell, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-03-06
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: ANBL, Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Canadian Brewing Awards, Celtic Knot Brewing, Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison 2015 Home Brew-Off Challenge, Garrison Brewing, Ladies Beer League, NS Craft Beer Week, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Stillwell Beer Bar. 1 comment

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.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Breton Brewing, Pump House, Red Rover, Petit-Sault, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-01-30
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Axe Brewery, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Granite Brewery, James Joyce Irish Pub, King Street Ale House, North Brewing, PEI Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, Rockhead Wine & Beer Market, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Sea Level Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery. 1 comment

Good morning! What better way to celebrate the end of January, and the beginning of Superbowl weekend, than by reading about beer?

• In addition to the snowstorm blowing outside Tuesday morning, there was a storm erupting on Twitter, with the announcement of a new brewery coming this Spring to Sydney, Cape Breton. Breton Brewing is the collaboration between two homebrewers Bryan MacDonald and Andrew Morrow. We will have more details on their endeavour soon, but we do know that they will be using a 15 barrel (18 hectolitre) steam-fired system, and the 5000 square foot brewery and tasting room will be located on Keltic Drive. Keep an eye on their Twitter feed for now, and we’ll update you when their Facebook and website are published.

• There’s a new beer on tap from Pump House at their brewpub in Moncton – Easy Amber 4.3 Session Ale. The name pretty much says it all, as this is a sessionable Amber Ale coming in at 4.3% ABV. While an easy-drinking beer, the brewery describes it as having a “full malt taste” thanks to the addition of kilned Amber and Munich malts, giving both toffee and caramel flavors. It’s also lightly hopped with Tettnang and Saaz, giving only a touch of bitterness at 12 IBUs. It’s also currently pouring at the Dieppe ANBL this week for growler fills, and will be available on tap at select bars/restaurants across the Maritimes in the near future.

• Red Rover released a new cider yesterday, just in time for Fredericton’s winter celebration, Frostival (Jan 23rd – Feb 15th). Fire Cider is a 7% ABV semi-dry cider brewed with fresh ginger, and is now available for flagon fills at the Ciderhouse. While it can be served cold (like Red Rover’s other brands), they encourage you to drink it warm, to bring a little heat into your life during these cold winter months! Just pop it in the microwave (40 seconds per 300 mL/10 oz), and you’re good to go! Look for it at the Boyce Farmers Market this Saturday, and on tap for a limited time at the King Street Ale House soon.

• We have a few more details on the Cappuccino Stout from Brasseurs du Petit-Sault that we mentioned a couple of weeks ago. They just brewed it last Saturday, and are hoping to have it released by the second week of February! Canon Franchetti is named after pastor/architect Nicolo Franchetti from Edmundston’s St. John the Baptist Church, which was destroyed in a fire last September. The beer was brewed with coffee from three downtown Edmundston cafes, including Cafe Lotus Bleu, Sucré Salé and Boutique Au Bout Du Monde. Look for it on tap soon, and if you’re not in Edmundston, make sure to request it for growler fills at your nearest ANBL growler-filling station!

• It’s sold-out already (within one day!), but we thought we should fill you in on the latest one-off beer from Railcar Brewing, Vanilla Brown Sugar Stout. Brewed with four malts and three hop varieties, this massive dark beer (9.9% ABV) had 6 lbs of brown sugar added at the end of the boil and real vanilla beans in secondary, making this a sweet, strong monster of a beer! But don’t feel bad if you missed out – owner/brewer Mitch Biggar has assured us that he will be brewing it again!

• While on the topic of Railcar, they just announced details on their 1st Annual Railcar Brewing Home Brew-Off. Open to all homebrewers in the Maritimes, the competition style is Scottish Export (14C) from the new 2014 BJCP Style Guidelines. Entries must be all-grain (no kits, extracts or sugars are permitted), and will be evaluated in a blind tasting by a panel of non-BJCP judges. The winner will get the opportunity to brew their beer with Mitch as a full-sized batch on the Railcar system, for commercial release as a Railcar seasonal! Registration is $15; each participant will receive a special 2015 Railcar Brew-Off glass. Entries are due by Thursday, March 26th (six 341 to 500 mL bottles are required); the top four will be selected for final judging. Awards and prizes will be handed out the following Thursday, April 2nd. For more information on rules and prizes, check out the link above. Fire up those kettles, homebrewers!

• In other homebrew competition news, Brasseurs du Moncton Homebrewers are holding one of their own… sort of. The St. Patrick’s Day Beer Challenge is more of an excuse to get Moncton-area homebrewers together to evaluate each other’s beers, specifically in the style of either Dry Stout or Irish Red Ale. There’s no entry fee or official prizes yet (other than bragging rights), and it’s a great opportunity to meet other homebrewers and taste their beers. Keep an eye on the link above for final details on the date and location, but expect the event to occur around March 15th, shortly before St. Patrick’s Day. Six weeks is plenty of time to put together a solid brew, so get to it!

• Granite Brewery has released a small batch of Winter Warmer, and it is available now. Malt-forward and “very English”, this strong beer weighs in at 5.8% ABV. We expect that folks who enjoy Peculiar and Old Cardinal will enjoy this beer. It is available in growlers at the brewery, and will make it to finer beer establishments in Halifax soon. And a reminder that time really flies: Granite is celebrating their THIRTIETH Anniversary this year! To celebrate, Brewmaster Kevin Keefe will be bringing back some of their classic, and perhaps forgotten, beers for us local drinkers. Congratulations to the entire Granite family!

• From Nova Scotia’s oldest craft brewery, to one of its youngest, North Brewing is celebrating their second anniversary this weekend. And we get the presents! They are offering their 1.89 litre growler fills for $10, Friday through Sunday. This weekend also marks the release of their Coffee-Infused Belgian Milk Stout cask at Smiling Goat at Bishops Landing. They used Cold-brewed Kenyan Karindundu beans from Java Blend Coffee Roasters. Drop by from 4-6pm to try it out, for only $1/4oz sample. When you drop by the brewery, you may notice a new face, as their retail/bottle-filler/spirit animal Grant is moving on to another local business.

• Uncle Leo’s has released a new seasonal, Winterschlaf, a German Hybrid Beer. This Kolsch-style beer was brewed in collaboration with Matt Vohs, who also assisted with the Weizen last year. Brewed with pilsner malt and a small amount of Munich malt, bittered with German Tettnanger hops, and weighing in at 5.5% ABV. They fermented the beer with an ale yeast, but cold, to keep the yeast character minimal (reduced ester profile). When trying the beer for the first time, Vohs smiled and said it tasted just like the beer he drank while living in Cologne. Well done! Look for growlers at the brewery, bottles at the private stores at the end of next week, and at better beer bars in the province, including Piper’s Landing in Lyons Brook and Apple Seed Diner in New Glasgow.

• RockHead Wine & Beer Market opened yesterday at 2651 Windsor Street, in/adjacent to the Sobeys grocery store. They launched with three beers on their growler station: RockHead Pale Ale (brewed for them by Garrison Brewing), Tatamagouche Brewing’s Butcher Block Red, and Sea Level High Street Scotch Ale. They will be adding a beer from Uncle Leo’s shortly. Their hours are Monday-Saturday 10am-10pm & Sundays 10am-8pm. Their new Twitter, Facebook, and website are up now, to keep an eye on their specials and new arrivals.

• Speaking of Garrison Brewing, they have brought back their Unfiltered Wheat. This hazy American Wheat is 4.6%, and very easy drinking. Don’t forget that their Barrel-aged Spruce Beer is being released tomorrow, along with lots of other Barrel and Cellar-aged beers, at their Cellar Saturday event. Doors open at 10am, and we’ve seen the list, and there are several beers that folks will definitely want to pick up (2009-2013 Ol’ Fog Burner and their Barrel-aged counterparts, 2009 Grand Baltic Porter, aged Winter Warmer, and much more). There may be a ticket or two left for tonight’s Ol’ Fog Burner Vertical tasting (which also allows early access to the Cellar!), contact Justin for more details.

• PEI Brewing Co. is bringing back their Spud cask for the second year in a row, to coincide with today’s 2015 Spud Event being held at the brewery. This year’s Spud is their Beach Chair Lager that has been dry-hopped with Citra and Comet, two very citrusy and flavorful hop varieties; it comes in at a sessionable 4.5% ABV, and 20 IBUs. The event will also feature live music, food, and trivia; tickets are $10, and the doors open at 7pm.

• Muwin Estate Wines, producers of Bulwark Cider, have installed two new 200 hectolitre tanks, with plans to add two more. The extra capacity will allow them to expand their production across more Canadian provinces, as well as into the US and UK markets. Over the past year, they have already doubled both production and staff at their location. In addition to expanding their territory, the extra capacity will allow them to expand their cider line further, and we can share that their next new product will be a hopped cider. We’ll have more details on it closer to the release.

• Good news, Fredericton beer drinkers! The James Joyce Irish Pub (located in the Crowne Plaza downtown) is greatly increasing their craft beer offerings! They’ve added new tap lines to their current selection (for a total of 18) and are in the ongoing process of filling them with new beers, most of which are from local breweries. This week includes the addition of Petit-Sault Tante Blanche and Big Axe Wrath of Putin; keep your eye on the Food at the Crowne Facebook page for updates on their taps!

• There have been some major changes at Rogues Roost this week. Brewmaster Lorne Romano, who has been with the brewpub since its opening in 1999, is no longer with the company. Going forward, Karen Allen will be taking over the brewing responsibilities at the Roost. Allen is the brewmaster at Gahan Halifax Harbourfront (and will remain in that position), and has brewed on Rogues’ system previously, so she will fit right in to the cramped space and high pressure situation of brewing at this busy brewpub. Rogues’ core products will remain untouched, but Allen will bring her own twist to seasonals and one-offs. Keep an eye out for PEI Brewing/Gahan beer at Rogues, as they plan to expand their number of taps, and begin to pour beer from other Murphy Group brands.

• This big change has not slowed down the new beer releases, as there will be a new English IPA out next week at Rogues Roost, and an English Bitter at Gahan House. And next Tuesday’s cask (remember it is Industry Night every Tuesday, where members of the beer business enjoy staff-priced pints) is the Bitter with fresh lemon zest, and lightly dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace.

Enjoy your weekend! For those in the Antigonish area, look for Big Spruce Brewing at tomorrow’s Antigonish Winter Market, at the Antigonish Mall 10am-2pm. Don’t forget that the King Street Ale House Superbowl party (no cover) is all-day Sunday, where a new one-off American IPA from TrailWay Brewing will be pouring.

Friday Wrap-Up – News and new beers from Petit-Sault, Antigonish Townhouse, Propeller, Picaroons, Garrison and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-01-16
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Antigonish Townhouse, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Garrison Brewing, Lion & Bright, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Wrought Iron Brewing Company. 1 comment

After a quiet beginning to the year, we are now back to our regular-sized posts, chock full of new beers and other exciting news for our region!

• There’s another new beer now available from Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault – Soeur Catherine, an American IPA. The brewery named the beer after “a headstrong (and somewhat bitter) nun who taught elementary school in Edmundston for four decades”. Hopped to 70 IBUs with lots of Centennial, Chinook, Citra, Columbus, and Galena, it has aromas of strong citrus, hints of black currant and pine, and “a subtle earthiness balanced by a touch of Caramel malt”, according to the brewery. This 7% ABV IPA is now available for growler fills at the brewery, and also at the Dieppe ANBL store this weekend, as part of their growler program!

• Petit-Sault has two other new beers on the horizon as well! Cappuccino Stout (name not finalized) is a “Coffee Milk Stout” brewed with real coffee from no fewer than three Edmundston cafes. Coming in at 5% ABV and 25 IBUs, it has a strong roasted aroma that is “dominated by flavors of freshly-brewed espresso and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. Look for this one to be available sometime in late February. The other new beer is a currently-unnamed “Maple Brown Ale”, which will be brewed with “copious amounts” of local maple syrup. This beer will be brewed by an all-women brew team (including Petit-Sault’s own Mychèle Poitras) as part of the Pink Boots Society International Women’s Collaborative Brew Day, and will be launched on Saturday, March 7th, just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8th. It will also be debuting at the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival that Saturday night!

• Brewer Terry Piercey of The Antigonish Townhouse has been brewing upstairs above their pub for more than two years, experimenting with different styles and recipes. Terry’s Bitter, a cask-conditioned English Bitter, is their house beer, and absolutely a must-try when visiting the Townhouse. Lately, they have been hosting “Double Pumped Fridays”, when a second house-brewed cask is tapped as well. Recently, Terry’s Stout has made a big splash, selling out in a matter of hours after release. Terry himself was kind enough to share some details of the beer. This Dry Irish Stout is fairly bitter (from the UK Fuggles added at the start of the boil), and high in roasted malt character, finishing at 3.9% ABV. This was the first stout they’ve brewed and served from the handpump, and was a great success! “The pump highlighted the silky mouthfeel and produced a thick creamy head through the tight sparkler. I’m definitely not breaking new ground here but it’s a very pleasant and easy drinking low gravity stout all around.” Those of you who missed it last week, fear not! The Stout will be available today (as well as the Bitter), and will definitely be a regular part of the Double Pumped Friday rotation. But don’t delay, as there is only 20 litres in the cask. For the the next two Fridays, Terry is serving his English IPA, in addition to the Bitter.

• Propeller has yet another new beer in their One Hit Wonder series, and it’s available now at both Prop Shop locations! Black Out is an American Black Ale (aka Black IPA) brewed with dark malts (Chocolate, Roast, and Black Prinz) to give “a hint of chocolate and roasty characters” to the medium-light bodied beer, and is hopped with plenty of Warrior, Falconers Flight, Cascade, and Ahtanum to lend lots of piney and resinous hop flavor. Weighing in at 6.9% ABV and 78 IBUs, you’ll be able to find this one on tap at better beer establishments across the city, soon.

• Picaroons has a new beer coming out soon, to be released just in time for next weekend’s annual Shivering Songs Festival (Jan 22nd-25th) in Fredericton. SS Cocoa Beware is described by the brewery as a “Dark Chocolate Wheat” beer, and is brewed with Carafa malt and real dark chocolate, giving this 4.8% ABV ale lots of chocolate and roast flavors. They plan on releasing it sometime next week (stay tuned to their Facebook and Twitter pages for exact details when they have them); you’ll be able to find it in Fredericton at the Brewtique for growler fills, and on tap at the Snooty Fox, Isaac’s Way, Wilser’s Room, and several venues during the festival. It will also be on tap outside the city at the Tide & Boar in Moncton (they’re hosting a SS show on Jan 23rd) and Ducky’s in Sackville (in support of the town’s Stereophonic music festival the same weekend).

• Garrison Brewing is releasing their Ol’ Fog Burner Barley Wine today! After a brief hiatus in 2014, this favourite winter seasonal for those cold nights around the fire makes its return. The 2015 edition of this English Barleywine weighs in at a whopping 11.5% ABV, so their 500mL bottles are certainly made for sharing (or you ambitious Vikings)! While the rich malt backbone is the star of this copper coloured beer, Nugget, Spalt and Brewers Gold hops keep things balanced at 60 IBUs. Strong, but not sweet. Available today at the brewery store on Marginal Road, it will also be in the private stores shortly. Ol’ Fog Burner’s Glenora-barrel-aged brother (sister?) will sadly not be making an appearance this year, but we’ve been assured that it will be making a return in 2016. This beer is a great candidate for your cellar, for those looking to start, or add to, their beer collection.

• For those of you in Fredericton and Sackville, NB, your local ANBL will be carrying Garrison Brewing’s IPA for growler fills this weekend. Also look for the return of their EKG (East Kent Golding) One Hop IPA in six-packs available now at the brewery, and the NSLC shortly.

• There’s a new beer on tap at Rogues Roost – Winter IPA. Combining a malty sweetness with lots of hop character (coming mostly from the Cascade variety), think of it as a juiced-up version of their regular IPA. It comes in at 6.5% ABV and about 70 IBUs, providing a firm, lingering bitterness in the finish. Hop on down to the brewpub to give it a try before it’s gone!

• Lion & Bright is celebrating their One-Year Anniversary tomorrow with a Tap Takeover by a couple of their closest friends: Big Spruce and Boxing Rock. They will be sharing the bar and pouring a half dozen beers each, including some casks and brand new beers. Look for Big Spruce to be pouring Bráthair Éric American Wheat and Coade Word: Snowmaggedon (more on these below), plus a few other new favourites and core brands. Boxing Rock will be pouring U-889, Unobtanium, Many Hands, and more from their core brands, as well as The Vicars Cross DIPA on cask.

• Last night was the Local Connections Craft Beer and Local Food Event, and those in attendance were treated to the launch and return of several beers from over a dozen breweries. Here are a few highlights:

– Wrought Iron Brewing Company made its debut at the event, bringing four (FOUR!) beers to delight the thirsty attendees. Tom Waits for No One Stout, Cleveland Steamer California Common, and the first ever commercial Gose beers in our region (Goseface Killah and Gutter Sow), a unique wheat beer style originating in Germany, traditionally brewed with coriander and salt. Their equipment from DME has yet to arrive, so these beers were produced on their pilot system. WIBC will be making its official debut in the Spring; check out the latest from them on their blog.

– Big Spruce Brewing released a pair of new beers, including Home Brew Challenge winner Eric Gauthier’s Bráthair Éric American Wheat. Lots of late addition Simcoe and Cascade lend a great citrus flavour; 5.2% ABV and 22 IBUs. Also debuted was Coade Word: Snowmaggedon, the Winter Warmer we described earlier. With rum-soaked cinnamon, vanilla beans and fresh organic ginger, this beer has a great character for cold nights. Only local-sourced whole leaf Nugget and Centennial hops from their own hop farm, as well as Southan Farms in NB and the Alan Doyle farm in NS. Look for both of these beers at the brewery, Cape Breton Farmers’ Market, and at better beer bars now!

– Tatamagouche Brewing debuted their Horns Over Hooves Double IPA, the collaboration they brewed with the crew from Stubborn Goat. The beer features Chinook, Centennial and Columbus, and was dry hopped with Azacca, finishing at 8% ABV and 77 IBUs. Look for it on tap at the brewery now, and at the Goat and other better beer bars shortly.

And finally today,

• Bar Stillwell is holding another great Tap Takeover for all of you lovebirds out there. On February 14th, they will be welcoming Le Trou du Diable to Barrington St. While Stillwell has been selling excellent TdD beers for over a year, that is just a small selection of the incredible diversity of their offerings. The guys from Shawinigan will be bringing twelve draught beers (only a couple of which have been seen previously on the East Coast), as well as bottles of their excellent barrel-aged beers. There will be three tasting sessions: 12-3, 4-7, and 8-close. Tickets will be $20, which include a special printed glass to take home, and your first pour. Tickets go on sale today, drop by or fire them an email to secure your spot. We’ll see you there!

We hope you have a great weekend! If you’re out drinking around Fredericton, TrailWay Brewing is now available on tap at Vault 29 (joining their regular accounts, King Street Ale House and 540 Kitchen & Bar). This Sunday is the official judging day for the 1st Annual Hammond River Homebrew Competition; we’ll be sure to announce the results in next week’s post! Finally, A.W.O.L. Brewery has announced that they’re now officially incorporated, and are narrowing down the location to open their brewery in the future… great news, and congrats to them!