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Friday Wrap-Up – News from PEI Brewing, Bulwark, Big Tide, Acadie-Broue, Grimross, TrailWay and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-06-26
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Acadie-Broue, Big Tide Brewing, Bishop's Cellar, Board Room Game Cafe, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Bulwark Cider, Cristall Wine, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Grimross Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Newfoundland Labrador Artisanal and Craft Beer Club, PEI Brewing, Savoie's Brewhouse, Sea Level Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. 1 comment

Happy Friday, folks! Breweries are in full Summer mode now, so there’s lots of news and new beers to share with y’all! And be sure to grab a growler or two of something tasty Tuesday, so that you can be sipping on local suds to celebrate Canada Day Wednesday! Can you tell we’re excited? Yup, we are!

• Earlier this week, PEI Brewing Company launched their Cask Program at their Kensington Street location. Throughout the summer, they will be rotating through special casks of beer on their hand pump at the bar. Currently on is the “BourbAnne of Green Gables”, their Island Red dosed with bourbon-soaked wood chips. These local casks will not take away from the special beers that they’ve been sending to Bar Stillwell, however, and we have heard that there are two new sour beers heading across the Northumberland soon: one was casked with dandelion wine must and another with cold extracted Receiver coffee.

• And speaking of PEI Brewing, these Island Brews have taken over the Board Room Game Cafe‘s taps this weekend, with seven different brews pouring. Staple brews 1772 IPA and Iron Bridge Brown are joined by seasonals Blueberry Ale, Sydney Street Stout, and special brews Blood Orange IPA, Vic Park APA, and Setting Day Saison. More details can be found at the Facebook event page. But be warned, there’s only one of each keg, so visit early to avoid disappointment! Flights of four beers can be purchased for $7.95.

• Bulwark is releasing a new cider, Sour Cherry Cider.  The Cider weighs in at 7.5% ABV, and features their signature blend of Annapolis Valley-grown apples, with a special sour cherry base added (including some Valley-grown cherries) for a great sour cherry blast, and rich red colour. This celebratory Canada Day cider is only available on tap at the following locations in Halifax (sorry, no bottles): Economy Shoe Shop, Gahan House, Lion & Bright, Old Triangle, RockHead [for growler fills], Scanway Cafe, Stillwell (both Barrington and the Beergarden), and Stubborn Goat. Keep an eye on their social media feeds to check when this treat is flowing! And keep an eye out for Bulwark’s new branding, with their Original blend now being available in 6-packs at the NSLC and private stores.

• There’s a beer on tap at the Big Tide brewpub in Saint John that hasn’t been available for awhile – Gesner’s Deluxe Copper Ale. Only available about once every year or two, it’s brewed with 2-row and Pale Ale malts for the base, with lots of CaraMunich and some Carafa specialty malts to add caramel and bready notes to the aroma and flavour of the beer. This particular batch was hopped with Simcoe to about 50 IBUs, adding some pine and citrus notes. Quite drinkable at 4.8% ABV, it won’t be around long, so be sure to drop by the brewpub for a pint and/or growler fill!

• And in other exciting Big Tide news, they will once again be hosting Acadie-Broue owner/brewer Patrice Godin this weekend for another collaboration brew. This time around, they’re tackling Gose, an increasing-in-popularity, tart German style that usually features the addition of salt and coriander. Godin and Big Tide brewmaster Wendy Papadopoulos have decided to use Bay of Fundy water to provide the salty flavour typical to this style (Godin’s day job as a water microbiologist comes in handy at times!). The beer will also be sour-mashed to provide the signature sour and tart flavours expected in the style. Stay tuned for more info on this beer in the near future.

• There’s a new beer currently fermenting at Grimross, a “Table Oat Saison”. Featuring a grist made-up entirely of oats, owner/brewer Stephen Dixon was naturally preparing for a very challenging mash, as the oats would no doubt cause issues, as they take much longer on their own to convert their starches to sugars (3 hours, in this particular case) than other grains. Magnum hops were used for the bittering addition, and Hallertau for taste and aroma. Fermented with the Grimross house yeast, the beer should come in around 4% ABV and 25 IBUs, making it a true “Table” beer. We’ll let you know when this beer is pouring at the brewery!

• Earlier this week, TrailWay released the second iteration of Patio, one of their summer seasonals. As the name implies, this 4.5% ABV ale is meant to be a sessionable and refreshing beer to enjoy outdoors in the summer weather. A “Session Wheat Beer”, the first version was hopped with Chinook and Cascade, and had some orange zest added after primary fermentation. This time around, the beer was hopped a little heavier, solely with Comet (a citrusy/grapefruit-y variety that is found in many TrailWay hoppy beers), with no orange zest added. It can currently be found at several establishments in Fredericton that serve TrailWay beers. Look for future versions to feature further changes, until the beer is retired at the end of the season.

• It’s Petit-Sault‘s first anniversary, and they’re celebrating in style! Tomorrow, June 27th, they will be hosting a free open house at the brewery in Edmundston from 1 – 6 pm, featuring beer tastings and pulled pork sliders. A terrace will be open for drinking and socializing, and when you purchase your first full pour, you get to keep the glass! A special surprise birthday firkin will be tapped at 4 pm, and there will be a short ceremony at 6 pm. Live music from Les Bagosseux will start shortly after, at 6:30. Happy anniversary to all the hard workers at the brewery, and cheers to many more years!

• Sea Level Brewing has brought back their Southern Cross IPA. The beer weighs in at 6.5%, and features both the New Zealand Southern Cross and Australian Ella hop varietals (in fact, it was dry-hopped in two stages with Ella). The bold hop bitterness clocks in at 80 IBUs, and showcases some nice citrus and subtle pine characters. It is available now at the Port Pub, at Harvest Wines in cans, and Obladee Wine Bar on tap. It will also be pouring at the Bishop’s Cellar growler station shortly.

• Speaking of Bishop’s Cellar, their new 5-tap growler system has been installed by Ken Greer and crew of BeerTech, and the beer is now flowing on the waterfront. Despite their small retail space, they’ve managed to install a cooler to house the direct draw system, with taps mounted directly on the wall. They are focusing on serving beers not otherwise available in the HRM, skipping those that are handily found in bottles or cans. They offer fills of both the 32 oz and 64 oz (0.95 and 1.89 litre) growlers, and customers can either buy a Bishop’s growler, or bring their own clean bottles. They do have a rinse station, for a last blast of water to reduce foaming. At launch, they are pouring Garrison’s Coast to Coastless Collaboration Imperial ESB, Good Robot Crown on the Ground Steam, Granite Brewery Hopping Mad IPA, Propeller Halifornia Common, and Tatamagouche Butcher Block Red. The current lineup will be posted on their Beer page, and that page highlights the new arrivals and specials they are featuring at any given time. To go with their expanded beer offerings, they will be doing more beer tastings as part of their regular events, and have even been sneaking in a beer or two during their regular wine tastings. Drop by today at 5pm for the official public launch, and to fill up your growlers!

• More news on the progress of Savoie’s Brewhouse, the soon-to-open brewery in Charlo, New Brunswick: owner/brewer Rodney Savoie has confirmed that the first two flagship beers, Island Lake Blonde and Chaleur Phantom Amber Ale, have successfully made it through the ANBL tasting panel. Next up is lab testing, followed by an ANBL listing, and then it’s official – their beer will be ready for sale! We’ll continue to keep you updated on their progress.

• The latest beer offering from Newfoundland Labrador Artisanal and Craft Beer Club is now open, and this time it focuses on Belgium. Coming to the NLC in October are: Saison Dupont, Halve Maan Brugse Zot Blonde, Oud Beersel Oude Kriek, and DeuS Brut des Flandres. While the beers will be available to all NLC customers, these sign-ups give the Club an idea as to how popular the orders will be, to ensure there’s enough to go around. Your input is much appreciated, please fill out the order form today.

• And speaking of the NLACBC, they are holding a unique beer (or wine, if you prefer) tasting event July 9th. They will be visiting St. Michael’s Printshop on Harbour Drive, and pairing beer or wine with Italian cheese, and different printmaking techniques. A different Trou du Diable beer (or Sauvignon Blanc wine) will accompany each of four stops along the tour. This poster has more info, and email Tom Beckett to sign up today (there are just a few spots left).

• Cristall Wine Merchants in Sunnyside Mall have also begun filling growlers at their location, featuring four taps. Currently pouring are: Cristall Pale Ale (brewed for them by Garrison), Big Spruce Kitchen Party Pale Ale, Tatamagouche Butcher Block Red, and Sea Level Rojo Mojo Red. Keep an eye on their Twitter feed for updates to the lineup.

• Breton Brewing in Sydney will be opening this weekend! Kegs of their Stirling Hefeweizen and Black Angus IPA have been filled, and being delivered to restaurants and bars as you read this. They will be having a soft opening at the brewery Saturday 10-5pm, so be sure to drop by and grab a growler or two to go. Their tap room, and Sons of Hector Brown Ale, will be open and pouring very soon. Congratulations Andrew and Bryan!

• Stillwell Beergarden has been a popular spot during the sporadic lovely days available recently, pouring 10 lines of exclusively-Nova Scotian beer, cider, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks (including cold brewed coffee and lemonade). Now you can keep track of the Beergarden’s status, as it is heavily dependent on the weather. Save http://www.barstillwell.com/beergarden in your list of bookmarks, to stay in the loop.

• Tatamagouche Brewing‘s canning line has been busy this week, and these boat- and beach-friendly packages will be available this weekend at the brewery. As their bottle stock decreases, Hippie Dippie Pale Ale, North Shore Lagered Ale, and Butcher Block Red canned versions will be replacing them. Their current seasonal, RR#2, will also be available next week at the brewery. Beginning July 4th, the cans will also be available at their Farmer’s Market stand. Cans will be the package of choice for all but their Giant Beer series (Giantess Barleywine , Two Rivers Baltic Porter, and Rum Barrel-Aged Dreadnot IBA, all still available for purchase at the brewery) going forward. Folks shopping at the brewery are welcome to mix their own 12-pack, and will save $0.25 per can when buying in 12-packs (or more).

• Meander River has released their collaboration with Garrison’s Daniel Girard, Surf & Turf. It is a Strong Scotch Ale, featuring Seaweed and Peated Malt in the mash, giving the beer a “rich, complex flavour of scotch, sweet caramel, slight salt, and roasted malt”, according to the brewery. This 6.2% ABV, deep copper-coloured ale was brewed for the Taste of Nova Scotia “Dinner on the Ocean Floor” event, which starts this weekend. You can also find the beer on tap at the brewery this weekend.

• The cask list for Saturday’s Ladies Beer League 2nd Birthday at the Wooden Monkey Dartmouth has been finalized: Big Spruce Brewing‘s Tim’s Dirty American IPA, Boxing Rock Collaboration Rule 42 English IPA , Garrison Brewing Dry-Hopped Imperial IPA, and North Brewing Company Summer Saison with Sour Cherries. Tickets are still available for the pizza, beer, and cake extranvaganza.

Have a great weekend, and Canada Day Wednesday! Speaking of, it’s your last chance to snatch up the few remaining tickets for the Canada Day Bash in Fredericton at the Lighthouse on the Green, featuring lots of local craft beer, BBQ, and fireworks! Hell Bay has released their Hell’s Anvil Smoked Stout, brewed for the CanIRON X event, and have a very limited number of bottles available at their Liverpool brewery. Red Rover has announced that they will now be at the St. Andrews Farmers’ Market every Thursday from 8 am – 1 pm for flagon fills.  The Moncton Beer League is hosting a NS Craft Beer BBQ Deck Party on Saturday, July 11th, which will feature a four-course dinner, with each course being paired with a different Nova Scotia beer; check the link for tickets and more details. Keep an eye out early next week for the next iteration of PEI Brewing Co.’s Vic Park Pale Ale; this version will feature the wonderful Nelson Sauvin hop. Several new beers are on tap at Paddys Irish Brewpub in the Valley. Drop by for a taste of their Scotian Tartan Export Sour, Porter,  and Lime beers. For those of you lucky enough to be near the Kennebecasis Valley ANBL, you’ll be able to find Hammond River‘s popular seasonal, Hawaiian Pale Ale, on tap for growler fills there next week (July 2-5). Finally, keep your eyes on Upstreet Craft Brewing‘s social media outlets, as they’ll be opening this weekend!

Friday Wrap-Up – New Beers from Propeller, Nook and Cranny, Distillerie Fils du Roy, Big Axe, Picaroons, and many more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-06-05
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: BarNone Brewing, Big Axe Brewery, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Canadian Brewing Awards, Distillerie Fils du Roy, Garrison Brewing, Good Cheer Trail, Good Robot Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Isaac's Way, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Picaroons, Picaroons cat contest, Propeller Brewing, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar, Sunset Heights Meadery, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Nook and Cranny, Tom's Little Havana. 1 comment

Good morning, beer lovers! It’s the end of another week, and it’s absolutely chock-full of Atlantic Canadian beer news… let’s get right to it:

• Propeller has released their newest One Hit Wonder, Point Pleasant Pale Ale. An APA hopped entirely with the Columbus variety, the brewery describes it as “crisp and balanced”. It weighs in at 5% ABV, and at only 27 IBUs, expect a beer that isn’t quite as bitter as others of the same style. As always, it’s available for growler fills at both Prop Shop locations, and on tap at better beer establishments throughout Halifax.

• As we promised last week, we have some info on two new beers currently on tap at The Nook and Cranny. First off is their Black Beer’d IPA, a Black IPA that is very dark as per the style (thanks to a grist including Carafa Special II, along with Carapils and CaraMunich for specialty malts). Weighing in at 5.8% ABV and 38 IBUs, it’s dry-hopped with plenty of Centennial, Cascade and Galaxy for lots of tropical and citrus aromas/flavours. Next is the Spitting Alpaca, an American Pale Ale hopped with Pacific Jade and Cascade, and dry-hopped with Galaxy; this one comes in at 5.2% ABV and 18 IBUs. This is the first iteration for both brews, so expect some recipe tweaking over the next few batches until they’ve settled on what they (and customers) like best. In the meantime, get down there for a pint and/or growler fills! Also, look for another fruit-based wheat beer in July (their Blueberry Wheat is currently the most-popular beer on tap).

• Their first beer, Caraquet Flyer, was only released last month, but Distillerie Fils du Roy now have a second brew available, and it’s at all four ANBL growler stations this weekend! Stella Maris (named after the star in the Acadian flag, representing Mary, the patron of mariners) is inspired by the French style, Bière de Garde, which means “beer that has been kept or lagered”. A fairly-strong (7.5% ABV), malty beer, it was brewed with French malts and hops. The brewery/distillery is referring to it as a “Bière de Garde Régions d’Acadie”, not unlike some French styles of alcohol being specific to where they are made (e.g. Champagne). If you’re in the Petit-Paquetville region, you can also find 750 mL bottles of both beers available at their store, open 10-5, Mon-Sat; the Caraquet Flyer is also available in bottles in select ANBLs.

• Big Axe has a new rendition of their Blonde Ale currently available on tap and at the brewery for growler fills and pints. The Hatchet has the same grist as the previous Blonde Ale, but has been hopped more heavily (with Perle and El Dorado) later in the boil, to boost the aroma of the beer. It still comes in at an easy-drinking 4.6% ABV, and 30 IBUs. Look for it at the usual Big Axe accounts to enjoy it on tap, including new addition Isaac’s Way, where it will be part of their summer beer menu.

• Earlier this week, on June 1st, Picaroons released their seasonal Watermelon Wheat, MelonHead; this day also marked the revealing of the winning cat in their Melon Head label contest. Sir Winston Snaggletooth (!), owned by Jordan Stephens, takes the honour of gracing every bottle of MelonHead released this season. MelonHead is available now at the Brewtique for growler fills, and should be on tap at select bars/restaurants across the province, and in bottles at ANBL stores this weekend.

• Hell Bay Brewing has released a new beer this week, with a bit of a twist. Their OPA (Oatmeal Pale Ale) is now on tap at the brewery and soon at select bars, and weighs in at 5.0% ABV. While oats are used occasionally in Stouts to impart a fuller mouthfeel and some residual sweetness, they are seldom used in other beer styles. The smooth mouthfeel offered by the oats pairs well with the crisp hop character (weighing in at 49 IBUs), for a balanced and easy- drinking summer beer. The OPA will be available all summer, with the possibility of bottles into the private stores later. Hell Bay also teased the label for a beer coming in July, Hell’s Anvil!. This Smoked Dry Stout is being brewed in collaboration with the CanIron X Blacksmiths Conference being held in Baddeck, Cape Breton, July 2-5. Beware, Smithing is thirsty work, and we civilians may have to wait for a re-brew of the beer, perhaps in the fall.

• Attention Halifax Beer Fans! The Stillwell Waterfront Beergarden is set to open within the next few days. Located at Summit Plaza, steps from “The Wave”, the bar is located in a converted shipping container, and features outdoor, but sheltered, seating. Delivery of the container, built by Halifax’s Skin + Bones Building Desgin Workshop, took place yesterday, with the taps installed by BeerTech Darught Systems shortly thereafter. The seating area is set, and the staff is receiving training today, so look for the big announcement from the Stillwell crew on Twitter later in the weekend, or very early next week. As a reminder, they will be serving beer, cider and wine on tap, and food will focus on easy snacks and sausages, with some being handmade by chef Graeme Ruppel, as well as local producers Sweet William’s, Roselane Farm, with bread and buns from Gingerbread Haus.

• Meander River Farm and Brewery released a new beer last night, launched at the Taste of Nova Scotia 12 Tides event. Summer Solstice IPA is a Session Ale, weighing in at 4.5% ABV. The lower alcohol certainly does not mean lower flavour, as the beer features lots of flavour and aroma from Amarillo and Citra hops, with an extra dry-hopped blast of Cascade. It is available at the Brewery in Ashdale all weekend (along with their Honey Brown), and will make an appearance shortly on tap at Stillwell.

• Earlier this week, Meander River invited Garrison Brewmaster Daniel Girard to Ashdale to brew up a special beer, for a series of special dinners happening this summer. Dining on the Ocean Floor will be taking place four times this summer (June 27, July 25, August 15 and September 12) at Burntcoat Head in the Minas Basin, the site of the world’s largest tides. And during the lowest tides each month, Taste of Nova Scotia is holding a dinner on the beach (which was, just hours earlier, 15 metres underwater!), featuring Flying Apron Cookery, Newell’s Jewels Edibles (foraged food) and Avondale Sky winery. The beer is a strong Scotch Ale, featuring peated malt, with the addition of seaweed.

• And speaking of Garrison, they teased a collaborative Coast-to-Coast release scheduled for later this month, featuring Phillips Brewery in Victoria, Flying Monkeys in Barrie, and Troue du Diable in Shawinigan. We’ll share the details once they’ve been released.

• Tatamagouche Brewing will be installing a canning line later this month. They will be canning their core line of beers (Hippie Dippie Pale Ale, North Shore Lagered Ale, and Butcher Block Red), as well as a rotating seasonal or two, beginning early July. These will supplement their growler and bottles already available, in a more stowable and beach- and boat-friendly package.

• BarNone released a new beer – of sorts – at their weekly growler night last evening, Pale Indian Ale. Described by the brewery as a “variation” on their regular-release IPA, this one was brewed by BarNone assistant brewer Johnny. Details are being kept secret, so all we can recommend is to try it out if you have the chance, and compare it to their regular IPA. Their Route 225 Root Beer (non-alcoholic) made its return at last evening’s Growler Night as well.

• Next Wednesday, June 10th, drinking craft beer in northern New Brunswick will get a whole lot easier! Caraquet’s La Brôkerie is opening a separate craft beer bar, La Chope, which will feature six craft taps. On opening, expect to see three beers from Petit-Sault (La Kedgwick, Louis XVII, and Soeur Catherine), two from Distillerie Fils du Roy (Caraquet Flyer and Stella Maris), and one featuring a Pollen Angels mead.

• This Sunday, starting at 9 am,  Sunset Heights Meadery will be selling tickets for their Summer Mead Release Party. If you pre-purchased your ticket at the Spring Mead Release in April, you should be receiving it soon; for those who did not pre-purchase, there will be a limited number of 16 available. The event will take place on Sunday, July 5th, from 2 pm – 6 pm, and will feature six 2 oz pours of new meads (and some past favourites), paired with an appetizer, four different reLiSH sliders, and a dessert. More samples and food repeats will follow. As well, attendees can purchase up to 24 bottles of mead with guaranteed availability (and the possibility of more, depending on availability), and can reserve a ticket to the Autumn party at the current, locked-in price. Tickets are $55 + tax.

• There are still tickets available for Northumbeerfest Craft Beer & Music Festival, being held this Saturday at Pictou Lodge. It features entertainment by Meaghan Blanchard, Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys and Tim Chaisson. Beers will be available from Big Spruce, Garrison, Tatamagouche and Uncle Leo’s. The event doors open at 5pm, tickets for the Fest are $40+tax, and are available by phone (902-485-4322) or email.

• As we reported previously, the building that houses Rogues Roost and Tom’s Little Havana will be demolished in the fall. We can now report that Tom’s new location has been chosen, in the City Centre Atlantic Mall, using the entrance located adjacent to former tenant Premier Wines & Spirits and Top Cuts (which is moving elsewhere in the mall). This will now lead directly into Tom’s and The Fireside (when it moves from Brunswick St), both of which will share a common kitchen. No word yet on Rogues Roost’s new location.

• Speaking of moving, North Brewing owner Peter Burbridge is teaming up with the Brooklyn Warehouse crew, and taking over the Nectar Restaurant location when it closes at the end of the month. Their beer-centric project will be opening in the fall, at the 62 Ochterloney Street location. Details are slim beyond that at the moment, but stay tuned for more details as they are revealed.

• Breton Brewing brewed the inaugural batches of three beers this week, for release in a few weeks. We are able to share the historically-inspired names of the beers, but we’ll have to wait a little while before tasting these beauties. Black Angus IPA is named after Giant Angus MacAskill, who lived in Englishtown. Stirling Hefeweizen is named after William Alexander, the first proprietor of what is now Nova Scotia. Sons of Hector Brown Ale is named after the famous ship Hector, which brought Breton’s owners’ ancestors to Pictou from Scotland in 1773. Look for a full profile of Breton Brewing in the next couple of weeks, and their beer release shortly thereafter!

• The Good Cheer Trail officially launched in Nova Scotia June 1st. This is Canada’s first winery, craft brewery and distillery trail, and encourages visitors to get on the road and visit the producers of our local beverages. An accompanying passport can be picked up at your local brewery or brewpub, or an online passport can be used to check-in along your journey. There are a few of the province’s breweries not listed (due to onsite tasting limitations), but don’t let that stop you from visiting them all this summer! In addition to enjoying the great products each stop is offering, as a bonus incentive, a free t-shirt will be offered to those who collect 10 stamps on their passport (while supplies last). We’ll see you out on the Trail!

• This weekend is the 13th Annual Canadian Brewing Awards and Craft Brewers Conference, being held in Niagara Falls, Ontario. We wish all of the Atlantic Canadian breweries and ciderhouses taking part the best of luck! The Awards Gala will be taking place Saturday night at 7:30 pm AST, and we’ll be tuning in live to cheer on our local breweries. You can too, by following the stream link on the front page, and by following the @CdnBrewAwards or #CBAs2015. And for those that can’t tune in live, the winners will be updated on this page Sunday or Monday.

That’s it for this week! Good Robot‘s Crown on the Ground Steam Beer Mini-Festival, featuring music, Halifax Press Food Truck, and other fun times, is taking place Sunday [changed from Saturday], starting at noon. Be sure to drop by for a taste of the new beer, and their other three offerings. Tonight, starting at 10:30 pm, Resto-Bar Le Deck will be celebrating their 2nd anniversary with a Picaroons and Petit-Sault tap-takeover; there will be live music as well, so be sure to check it out if you’re in Edmundston. PEI Brewing Company has been serving their popular Blood Orange IPA at their Kensington Road location, but hurry in, it sells out quickly! Baba’s Lounge in Charlottetown has been undergoing renovations over the past week, and will be returning on June 7th (hopefully) with lots of taps (12) to serve lots of craft beer (including soon-to-open Upstreet)! And finally, voting is now open for The Coast’s Best of Halifax 2015. Be sure to let them know what your favourite Brewery, Bar, and Restaurant are!

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Hammond River & Big Axe, Tatamagouche, BarNone, Uncle Leo’s, Ladies Beer League, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-04-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: BarNone Brewing, Big Axe Brewery, Breton Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Spindrift Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery, Upstreet Craft Brewing, Wrought Iron Brewing Company. Leave a Comment

Hello folks! Our final Friday of April is shaping up to be another busy week in beer news… maybe a bit lighter than the past couple of weeks, but there’s still lots to report!

• Hammond River and Big Axe are pairing for their first collaboration beer, which is being brewed today! Big Axe owner/brewer Peter Cole will be joining Shane Steeves at his brewery, where they will be brewing up a currently-unnamed India Black Ale (aka Black IPA). The grist will be made up of several malts, including Pale Ale, Crystal, Black Patent, Melanoidin, and a little CaraAroma; the wort will then be bittered with the Columbus hop variety to 77 IBUs, with heavy additions of Citra later in the boil (and likely a dry-hop as well). It should clock in at about 7% ABV; we can likely expect a melding of roasted, coffee and chocolate flavors with the tropical fruitiness from the Citra! Next week, both brewers will be re-brewing the beer at Big Axe in Nackawic, so expect distribution of the beer throughout Fredericton and Saint John/Quispamsis when it’s ready.

• Last week, Tatamagouche Brewing released a new beer, Little Giant, on tap at Stillwell. A parti-gyle brew (brewed from the second runnings of a “bigger” beer), it’s an ESB that has been hopped with El Dorado and Ella to about 35 IBUs, and weighs in at 5.2% ABV. The first, bigger beer was an American Barleywine, brewed in preparation of Tatabrew’s Giant Beer Series in May, just in time for NS Craft Beer Week! Here are some details on the three beers in this series, just to get you excited…

Giantess Barleywine (11% ABV, 90 IBUs) – Named after Anna Swan, Tatamagouche’s famous Giantess, an American Barleywine hopped with Chinook, Centennial, and Columbus.

Two Rivers Baltic Porter (8% ABV, 36 IBUs) – Fermented with Lager yeast and cold-conditioned, and hopped with Czech Saaz, expect this one to be full-bodied, and “very smooth with hints of chocolate”, according to the brewery.

Rum Barrel-Aged Dreadnot IBA (11.5% ABV, 52 IBUs) – Their standard Dreadnot IBA, but aged in fresh Ironworks rum barrels for an additional 4 months. Jumping from its original 7% ABV after the barrel aging, it’s currently exhibiting lots of rum presence, including vanilla. Hopped with Waimea, El Dorado, and Cascade.

• And in more Tatabrew news, their Sunrise Trail ISA (India Session Ale) has been released this week. Weighing in at a modest 4.1% ABV, the beer packs a solid hop punch from the Azacca and Ahtanum varietals, and will be perfect for our ever-improving weather. It is available at the brewery for growler fills and in 650ml bottles.

• BarNone is releasing a new beer, and has a previous favourite returning! First, FarmAle Saison was brewed with the historic ‘Table’ Saison in mind; that is, a low-alcohol, refreshing, dry beer for consumption during the warmer months in Belgium, when farmers would be outside, working for hours on end. Hazy-gold in colour, it exhibits a “peppery flavour with an ever-so-slight funk”, according to the brewery. Definitely easy-drinking at 4.9%, it just became available at the brewery yesterday for their weekly growler night. Also on last night was their La Vaca Loca, a Sweet Stout (aka Milk Stout) that debuted months ago and was an immediate hit. Nicely balanced between roasted and coffee flavors, along with a slight lingering sweetness from the addition of lactose powder in the boil, this fan-favourite should now be available regularly on tap at the Pilot House in Charlottetown.

• Not stopping there, BarNone has just brewed yet another brand-new beer that falls on the “light side of an American Pale Ale”. Conceived by co-owner/brewer Don Campbell on his drive back to PEI after brewing Island Conspiracy at Big Spruce in Cape Breton. Listening to a CD by singer/songwriter Keith Mullins, Campbell was inspired by the song “Island Sol” to book Mullins for a gig at the brewery, as well as brew up a beer for the event. Next Saturday, May 2nd at 8 pm, Mullins will be performing at BarNone along with Christine Campbell to kick off the season’s events at the brewery; tickets are $15. The beer, Island Sol, is “summery and fruity, aromatic while lacking bitterness… encapsulating the Island soul” says Campbell. Light gold in colour, it weighs in at 5% ABV and ~25 IBUs, and will be launched during the event.

• Good news, Weizen fans! Uncle Leo’s is bringing back Vohs Weizenbier, their take on the German Hefeweizen style that they first introduced last year. The recipe is the same as before, featuring a grist of roughly equal amounts of Pilsner and Wheat malt. Hopped lightly to 14 IBUs, it’s fermented with a German yeast strain and comes in at an easy-drinking 5% ABV. A fantastic style for warmer-weather drinking, it should be available for growler fills at the brewery any day now, as well as in 650 mL bottles at Bishop’s Cellar and Harvest Wines and on tap at select bars/restaurants in Halifax.

• The Ladies Beer League is looking for a couple of people to join their Board of Directors. This volunteer position will require 3-5 hours per week of engagement with fellow board members, organizing and promoting events. You must be of legal drinking age, a current member of the LBL, and of course, be passionate about beer! Check out more details here, and fire them an email to apply for the position. The posting closes next Thursday. And be sure to pick up a bottle of the Cinnamon Spin collaboration beer, brewed by Boxing Rock.

It was a big week for several soon-to-be-open breweries in our region:

• On Tuesday, Upstreet Craft Brewing in Charlottetown took delivery of their 15BBL (~17hl) brewhouse and fermentors from Charlottetown’s own DME Brewing Solutions. acbbchris was in town for work, and managed to snap a few pictures during the 12-hour day, while all of the 11 brewing vessels were unloaded and put upright inside their facility. There was a tired yet immensely satisfying feeling in the brewery when everything was complete at 9:30pm!

• On Wednesday, Wrought Iron Brewing Company announced that they were changing their name and rebranding as Good Robot Brewing Company. The new name is a better fit with the founders’ attitudes and fun direction (while paying homage to their engineering roots), rather than the rigid or medieval connotation of their previous name. They have been brewing up a storm on Robie St, and will be launching in earnest during the NS Craft Beer Week, taking part in many of the events, including the Open Brewery Day, when visitors will be welcome to take a look around their digs.

• Spindrift Brewing in Dartmouth has been taking delivery of their fermentors this week as well, with at least one 80BBL fermenter (good for multi-batch brewdays) being installed. They are expecting delivery of their 20BBL brewhouse (also from DME) early next week. This week they also launched their logo and Facebook page, with their full website on the way shortly. While their launch date has not yet been released, they have confirmed that they will be taking part in next month’s NS Craft Beer Week, including the Full House Craft Beer Fest.

• Breton Brewing in Sydney has also taken delivery of the last of their brewing vessels for their 15BBL steam-fired system from Criveller in Niagara Falls. Their location next to the Cape Breton Farmers’ Market is taking shape quite nicely; while they won’t be officially taking part in any events during NS Craft Beer Week, they are on track for having beer ready for consumption in June!

That’s all of the news fit to print for today. A warning that tomorrow’s launch party at Stillwell for Propeller’s Lambic-style beer has been postponed, as the beer is not quite ready yet. We promise this isn’t just a scheme to somehow allow us to drink more of it! Once the new date is released, we’ll pass it along, we swear! And homebrewers, don’t forget that beers for the inaugural Brewnosers Homebrew Competition are due May 15th. With three weeks left to submit them, time is running out to put together your brewday. They have received over 250 entries from across the country, so it will be a true judge of local talent on the national stage.