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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Hammond River, Trider’s, Loyalist City, Annapolis Cider, Foghorn, Big Tide, Unfiltered, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2017-01-06
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Cider Company, Big Tide Brewing, Bogtrotter Craft Brewery, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Brathair Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Celtic Knot Brewing, Craig Pinhey, Foghorn Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Loyalist City Brewing Co, Mama's Brew Pub, Moosehead Breweries, PEI Brewing Co., Picaroons General Store, RockBottom Brewpub, Trider's Craft Beer, Unfiltered Brewing. 1 comment

Welcome to the first ACBB post of 2017! Today’s post marks the start of our sixth year writing the blog, keeping you up to date with all of the craft beer goings-ons in the region. When we started in 2012, there were fewer than 20 breweries in Atlantic Canada; in 2017 we may surpass 100! It just goes to show the level of interest in great beer has exploded in our region, and drinking and supporting local breweries, brewpubs, and cider houses by enjoying their products and visiting their premises is becoming a popular pastime, while also supporting local economies. Hopefully 2017 will see the continuation of some of the trends we’ve seen in the past twelve months: breweries opening in small communities to serve their local population, wider range of styles and experimentation to broadening our horizons, a measurable impact on tourism by the craft beer sector, expansions to larger brewhouses as small breweries realize financial success, and continued reform by provincial governments. Now on to today’s news!

• Shane Steeves, owner/brewer of Hammond River Brewing, is once again harkening back to his homebrew days, as he just recently brewed up a batch of S’mores Graham Cracker Imperial Stout. This is a big beer with plenty of ingredients: six types of malt, a hefty amount of crushed graham crackers in the mash, plus honey, molasses, cacao nibs, and cinnamon in the boil. Nope, we’re not done yet – toasted marshmallows and vanilla bean were also added to the beer (in primary and secondary, respectively) to boost the aroma and flavour even more. Bittered to ~50 IBUs with Willamette, this very dark beer should come in at about 8.3% ABV; expect it to hit taps by the end of the month. Also, HR’s new Russian Imperial Stout, Quicksand Jesus, is now available (with the barrel-aged version coming out in about a month), as well as their Java Moose Coffee Porter (after a several-month hiatus) and Too Hop to Handle (with this batch featuring Hop Hash from Southan Farms).

• Amherst’s Trider’s Craft Beer has some great news for their thirsty fans: now that their 8 hl (7 BBL) brew system from Charlottetown’s DME is up and running, they’ve been able to better keep up with demand, and fully opened their retail location at 46 Anson Avenue (Unit 3). Hours are Wed 4-8pm, Thurs and Fri 4-9pm, and Sat 12-9. If you can’t make it in then, fear not! They are now on tap full-time in the region, including Duncan’s Pub in Amherst, and Sociables Pub in Springhill, and that list will continue to expand this winter. Keep an eye out for the Rod’s Red (Irish Red Ale that took Silver at the ACBAs), Scotian Pale Ale (an English Golden Ale), and brand new Justin Brew-deau, a Canadian Cream Ale. Their Yellow Beer’d Blonde Ale will be returning at the end of the month, along with some seasonals.

• After the highly-successful launch of their first beer, Lupulus Interruptus, Saint John’s Loyalist City has brewed their second beer, which will be released at tap accounts within the next couple of weeks. Parrtown Pale Ale is best described as an English Bitter, a malt-forward style also known as an English Pale Ale. With a grist that includes Simpson’s Maris Otter malt (imported from England), expect the beer to have a “rich, full-bodied, biscuity malt flavour characteristic to the style”. The malt is balanced with a “firm bitterness” from the addition of East Kent Golding, a popular U.K. hop variety that exhibits spicy, herbal aromas and flavours. This beer holds a special place in the heart of brewer/co-owner Mark McGraw, as it was the first recipe he entered in a competition as a homebrewer in 2013, and consequently his first medal… with many to follow!

• Annapolis Cider Company has a new release in their “Something Different” series, Cranberry Clementine. This is an unfiltered, sparkling beverage that combines a dry cider with fresh-pressed, local cranberry and apple juices. This blend was then infused with clementine zest, giving a 6.3% ABV cider with a deep-blush hue and a “freshing cranberry tartness augmented with aromatic notes of citrus”. It’s available now in refillable bottles at the cidery; as always with this series, $0.50 from each sale is donated to a local charity. This time, the recipient is SMILE, a Wolfville-based volunteer-driven program “that provides persons with varying disabilities a unique physical activity experience in order to improve their total development”.

• Rothesay’s Foghorn Brewing has released their first collaboration beer, with Big Tide Brewpub’s Head Brewer Wendy Papadopoulos (and consulting assistance from local beer, wine, and spirits writer, Craig Pinhey). Humbuggery Best Bitter is a 5.1% ABV English Ale, hopped with Golding and Jester, a little-known UK hop with tropical fruit and citrus notes, distinguishing it from most other in that region. It is available at both the Foghorn and Big Tide brewery spaces, as well as Uptown Saint John’s Cask & Kettle Irish Gastropub. But be sure to drop by soon, as there’s not much of the 8hl batch left!

• For the first time in a year, Unfiltered has brewed up a batch of their Hyper-Galactic SMaSH (single malt and single hop) India Pale Lager. With specs spot-on with NASH’s other SMaSH beers (7.5% ABV, 100+ IBU and a color of 4.1 SRM) this beer features Topaz hops, a variety from Australia known for bringing a palette of tropical flavours including lychee and passionfruit along with some spicy and resiny notes. The use of a bottom-fermenting lager yeast and, no doubt, a low-temperature lagering period, should make for a crisp and clean finish to compliment a huge hop flavor. Available for fills and pints today at noon, you are encouraged, as always, to get on it!

• Mama’s Brew Pub has brewed up a couple of batches of their first stout served on nitrogen. Fittingly named Nitro Stout, the grist is made up of Maris Otter, Crystal 70 L, Carafa III, and Chocolate and Wheat malt, giving lots of roasted flavours and aromas. Hopped with Golding and Cascade (both sourced from Southan Farms) to 22 IBUs, this sessionable ale (4.4% ABV) fermented with a neutral British Ale yeast, before being slowly nitrogenated over 5 days.

• Yesterday saw the release of a collaboration between the fine folks at Good Robot and the gentlemen of Sickboy Podcast, a media company that promotes and celebrates open and honest discussion of sickness and disability. Cystic Fibrewsis is described as a Strong American Bitter, essentially an ESB, the favourite style of Sickboy, but more highly attenuated and brewed with American breeds of European hop varieties (Perle, Tettnang and the Fuggle-descended Willamette). The grist is based on the classic British malt Maris Otter, but there’s also some Simpson’s DRC (double-roasted crystal) for caramel flavor and body, a touch of smoked malt and some demerara sugar to encourage a drier finish. It carries some weight at 5.8% ABV, supported by roughly 30 IBU. Good Robot will be donating $10 for each keg sold to Cystic Fibrosis Canada, an organization near and dear to Sickboy’s Jeremie. The guys recorded a live podcast at the Good Robot taproom last night; look for it to be posted to their usual podcast sites (SoundCloud and the iTunes) in the near future.

• PEI Brewing Co. has a new variation on an existing beer coming next week to the ANBL’s growler program and a few select tap accounts: Mango Lassi DIPA takes PEIBC’s 8 Cord to North India with fermentation having taken place on ripe mango and green cardamom pods. This will give the beer a big mango flavor along with the distinctive spicy aroma of cardamom. The hops used – Azacca, Mosaic and Simcoe – should complement the fresh mango flavor with citrus, piney and dank notes. The bitterness is a solid 70 IBU and the ABV gets a boost from the fresh fruit to a hefty 9.3%. If you’re craving the original, 8 Cord will also be available in cans (in New Brunswick and PEI) and kegs (maritime-wide) in a couple of weeks.

• Halifax’s Rockbottom Brewpub released a new lager yesterday, Dortmunder Export Helles. At 5.3% ABV and 27 IBUs, this pale-coloured lager features light Noble bittering to complement the faint grain aromatics, with a medium body and crisp finish. Grab a pint today, or in a growler to go (let’s be honest, it’s best to do both!).

• Dartmouth’s Brightwood Brewery will be debuting a brand new beer at the Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market tomorrow morning. Portland Porter is a 5.3% ABV, 31 IBU Porter, featuring Roast, Chocolate, and Honey Malts, along with a small percentage of Smoked Malt, culminating in a rich coffee aroma and flavour. Drop by 8am – 1pm to try a sample, and get a fill of your growler to enjoy more at home. Keep your eyes peeled for possible tap accounts in the near future.

• Last September, we reported that Moosehead was not only planning on opening a new small-batch brewery to coincide with their 150th Anniversary, but that they had also settled on the location on Water St. in downtown Saint John. However, this week they confirmed that they will not be proceeding with these plans, due to costs being “more than anticipated”, according to the announcement on their website. They do insist that developing a location to brew small batches of beer, and “build [their] relationship with [their] customers in a more personal way” is still something they intend on doing.

• Just one event to remind you about this week, but it’s a big one! On Thursday, January 12th, Local Connections Halifax is presenting their Fourth Annual Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration at the Marriott Halifax Harbourside. Sixteen breweries (and two cider houses) from across the province are teaming up with sixteen restaurants for an epic showcase of our province’s offerings. It also serves as the release of several special beers in our region, some of which we are able to share with you today:
– Big Spruce Brewing is debuting two beers at the event: Risky Biscuits Dark Mild, the 4.4% ABV winning beer from the Home Brew Challenge held in November, brewed by David Pepper; Liquid James Brown, a 6.1% ABV Milkshake IPA (the first in the province), featuring loads of late hop additions of El Dorado and Mosaic, along with oats, lactose, and vanilla beans, for a smooth mouthfeel bursting with tropical and citrus flavour.
– Good Robot is pouring Daughter of Sin, a Red Double IPA brewed with homebrew collective Brathair Brewing. The 8.1% ABV beer clocks in with 74 IBUs, all introduced post-boil (during the whirlpool while the beer chills) for a flavourful and smooth (but robust!) bitterness with fruitiness from Mosaic hops. This is a CB&LFC exclusive, so be sure to seek it out!
– Propeller Brewing will be pouring Vanilla Porter, their next One Hit Wonder, scheduled to hit the brewery’s taps in the next few days. It will be joined by their IPA or ESB, and Krave Lager, as they are paired up with Krave Burger, who are serving Burger Bombs.
– Spindrift will be debuting Duplicitous Imperial Pilsner, which was mentioned on the latest 902 BrewCast (shoutout). From Kellye Robertson, “Blend of Canadian and German Pilsner malts make this is a deceivingly light looking lager packing a punch of 8.0% ABV and 70 IBU. Aromatics of melon, citrus and passionfruit are led by generous amounts of Hallertau Blanc, El Dorado and Citra hops. ” After next week’s debut, it will be available at the brewery for growler fills, and around town next weekend.
– Tatamagouche will be debuting their Mrs. Magouche American IPA, a collaboration beer brewed the fine people of the Ladies Beer League. They will also be pouring Smorter, their S’mores Porter, and have given a keg of that beer to their partner Primal Kitchen for some epic S’more tarts with beer reduction.
In addition to those mentioned above, check here for the (mostly) full line-up of beer and food. For those who want to enjoy the partying after the event is over, Local Connections has negotiated a rate of $139 at the Marriott, just mention that when booking. There are fewer than 20 tickets remained for the all-inclusive event, so grab your today!

And finally this week:

– Tipsy Toad, the 5% Pale Ale from Fredericton’s Bogtrotter, is available now in 500 mL bottles at both the Oromocto and York St. ANBL locations.
– If you live in Fredericton and have been craving some Toque and Mitts (7.8% ABV), Celtic Knot‘s annual-release Barleywine, it’s now on tap at the James Joyce.
– Today, Garrison is re-releasing their Dirty Ol’ Town Black IPA (6.2% ABV, 52 IBUs) at their retail store; this Canadian Brewing Award Gold Winner is “dark, deep, toasty and hop-forward”. It will be available in six packs onsite, and at the NSLC and your local private beer store in the near future. And for our New Brunswick readers, look for it to hit the shelves of the ANBL shortly.
– Petit-Sault‘s Canon Franchetti, a “Cappucino Stout” is back; you can find it in bottles and growlers at the brewery in Edmundston, as well as the Picaroons General Store in Saint John. Look for it to be on tap at ANBL Growler stations January 19th (who may also be receiving bottles this month as well).
– Picaroons released a new beer at their Saint John General Store location, a Baltic Porter named The Teleporter. It’s just about gone already, but this 6.5% ABV beer was lagered for close to 6 weeks, to allow the alcohol and roasted characteristics to further blend together. And keep your eyes peeled here for details on a collaboration the SJ Picaroons folks did at Big Tide, which will be released mid-month.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Brightwood, Mill Street St John’s, Grimross, Propeller, North, Nine Locks, Red Rover and more.

Posted by acbbaaron on 2016-09-30
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Acadie-Broue, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Fredericton Cider Festival, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Grimross Brewing, Maybee Brewing, Mill Street Brewpub, Nine Locks Brewery, North Brewing, Picaroons, Propeller Brewing, Red Rover Craft Cider, Tidehouse Brewing. Leave a Comment

Another Friday, another busy week in beer news in Atlantic Canada. Grab your coffee, or coffee stout, and get up to speed with the latest info.

• Dartmouth’s newest nano, Brightwood Brewery has added to their lineup this week with their McNabs Pure, a rye IPA. Golden-hued, this 6.3% ABV beer uses rye in combination with Bramling Cross hops to give it an earthy spiciness that should pair nicely with crisp fall air and the scent of fallen leaves. Further additions of the classic noble hop Hallertauer will present with an herbal and spicy but restrained aroma as well as bolstering the flavour and complementing the solid bitterness of 50 IBUs. You’ll find it at the Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market this weekend along with Brightwood’s other offerings.

• Mill Street Brewpub in St. John’s is joining in the seasonal fun this fall with Cobbler Path, an unfiltered blueberry wheat ale that’s been cold-aged on 70 pounds of wild Newfoundland blueberries. The aroma features subtle berry, ripe fruit, and melon notes, while on the palate a slight sweetness is balanced by tartness from the berries. A judicious bitterness rounds out this beer through the use of Mosaic hops to the tune of 25 IBUs. At 5% ABV expect it to go down easy, with the creamy, smooth mouthfeel characteristic of a wheat beer and a dry finish that should make this a fine pint to toast an early autumn afternoon or evening.

• There’s a new beer on tap at the Grimross taproom this week – Petite Grim is actually a scaled down version of another fairly-recent Grimross beer, Grimdonk. Categorized by the brewery as a “Belgian Blonde Session Ale”, the grist, hops (Southan Farms Goldings) and Belgian yeast strain are the same, but it comes in at a more-sessionable 4.6% ABV (vs. the 7% ABV of Grimdonk). Available now for growler fills and pints at the brewery. And look for the return of their Abbey Dubbel, on tap at the brewery just this morning, and around the city soon!

• There’s a new small batch beer on tap at Propeller‘s Halifax location these days, E = MC Yummy. This Honey Lager weighs in at 4.8%, and a light 20 IBUs, and features a light dosing of honey on top of a lager base. This beer is only available on Gottingen, so be sure to drop by soon to grab a sample and growler fill. You may be smarter for it! And for all you pumpkin fans, keep your eyes peeled for a special cask of their Double IPA, dosed with pumpkin spicing, that should be tapped soon, either at the Gottingen taproom, or at a local bar.

• After making its debut at last weekend’s Cask Beer Throwdown, North Brewing released Priority Pale Ale yesterday, a 5% American IPA featuring all Belgian malt, fermented with an American yeast, for a light honey character in the base. Upon that, a bevvy of American hops were added to the boil, namely Cascade, Chinook, and Columbus, for a solid balancing bitterness of 30 IBUs. A further dry-hop with Cascade and Chinook help to bring out the floral and citrus aroma to complement the light sweetness and biscuit from the malt, and deliver notes of apricot and grapefruit. The beer is also meant for people to pause and see where their priorities lie, and the following poem/APA beer description was written in collaboration with Tanya Davis, local singer and songwriter, and former Halifax Poet Laureate.
If your priorities go crooked, dazzled by masses and billboards, remember that balance is yours to restore. Start here. This beer has aroma to wake you, a captivating flavour to encourage sips and contemplation, and a nourishing bitterness, righteous and mild. Find the symmetry your life requires and align your people with your efforts. It’s not more things; it’s more things better

• With their Watermelon Blonde soon to fade into the memories of the summer just past, Nine Locks Brewing is bringing us a new seasonal with a style that is a favourite of many (and a bête noire of some). Pumpkin, a dark amber ale features a full body and residual sweetness from the use of pumpkin, the classic spicing known to anyone who loves pumpkin pie or PSLs, and a malty backbone that completes the palate with a fullness to balance the sweet and spice. The 12 IBUs won’t interfere with the feature flavours and aromas, and coming in at an easy-drinking 5.2% ABV, this one is expected to be available next Tuesday at the brewery. Nine Locks’ social media accounts will surely be the best place to find out the exact timing of this release.

• Attention Fredericton and surrounding areas – Red Rover wants your apples! During the weekend of October 15th-16th, they’re hosting the 1st Annual Scrumping for a Cause. A special cider will be created from all of the apples brought in, as long as they’re picked from apple trees, as opposed to collecting them from the ground (i.e. no bruised or beaten apples, please). For every two bushels (max 8 per person, dropped off at 880 Hanwell Rd., Unit 305), you’ll receive a 750 mL bottle of the cider that your apples are helping to create! All of the profits of this special release will be donated to the Fredericton Region Museum, and participants can choose to donate their allotted bottle directly to the cause as well. And check in the Events section below for more details on what they are pouring at tomorrow’s Fredericton Cider Festival!

• Over at Maybee Brewing, their Harvest Ale – a wet-hopped SMaSH brewed with Maris Otter malt and Southan Farms Columbus hops – should be available on tap and in cans sometime next week. In the meantime, they’ve brewed up another brand new beer, Forage Rye IPA. The grist features a “Crystal Rye malt” from Quebec, giving the beer a dark, ruby-red colour. Hopped with Cascade, Centennial and Columbus, expect this one to come in somewhere around 7.2% ABV and 72 IBUs; it should be available on tap and in cans by mid-October.

• And speaking of Harvest Ale, Picaroons has released their series of the annual brew this week. There are three versions of the 5.5% Pale Ale, each featuring hops from a different Maritimes hop field. Batch 144 features Mt. Hood from Nova Scotia’s Wallace Ridge Farm, 145 was brewed with Willamette from PEI’s My Father’s Farm, and 157 uses ferals hops from Moose Mountain, in Maplehurst, NB. Look for the beer on tap and on shelves in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia now, and learn more about the hop growers at Picaroons’ site. And a fourth batch, brewed with hops from  LunaHop Farm in Cornhill, New Brunswick will be brewed and released in October.

• Picaroons is releasing another special collaboration brew today, Spudnik Potato Stout. Yes, you read that correctly, potatoes! Teaming up with the CCNB and BioNB, the 4.7% ABV beer was brewed with lots of Russet potatoes grown from Toner Farms in Grand Falls. Hopped with Golding and Willamette, the epic 17-hour brewday has resulted in a smooth and full-bodied brew. The beer is now on tap now at the Fredericton Brewtique for growler fills, so drop by today grab one (and a bag of locally-produced chips to complement).

• Drop by Saint John’s Big Tide Brewing for a slew of new wet-hopped suds on the board. Their Indian Beach Pumpkin Ale is on now,  which features additions of real pumpkin, and is wet-hopped with freshly-harvested Cascade from Dunhams Run. As always, the beer also has cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and clove added to boost the pumpkin pie presence, resulting in an interesting flavour combination for this 5% ABV brew. They have also brewed a wet-hop version of their FogBound Hemp Pale Ale, swapping out Cascade for Dunham Run’s Hallertauer and Nugget. This batch weighs in at 5% ABV and 20 IBUs. And a brand new beer is right around the corner! Golden Hawk White IPA was brewed with Pilsner and Wheat malts, and wet-hopped with Super Alpha hops from Darlings Island Farm. The combination Belgian Witbier and IPA features lots of citrus and coriander notes (typical of the wit), and a balancing bitterness and citrus kick of hops of an American IPA. The beer weighs in at 7.5% ABV and 72 IBUs, and is named after the hawk who watch the hopyard from atop his perch all summer.

• Moncton’s Acadie-Broue brought back a pair of favourites at last weekend’s Atlantic Craft Beer Oktoberfest, and will have them also at least one of them pouring at Le Coude shortly. Their Sour Wheat Kiebitz Coti and Gose were both available, using the same base, but the Gose was infused with coriander seeds and sea salt. The Gose was previously brewed in collaboration with Big Tide Brewing in 2015 (called Marée Montante), using Bay of Fundy seawater. The next batch of the Gose will also be brewed with seawater, and will probably be released under the name Reflux. Keep an eye hear for details when it is released. And look for the Valdrague Weizen Wheat Beer, on tap at Le Coude now.

Be sure to head out for some drinking fun this weekend!

• Don’t forget to head to the Fredericton Cider Festival tomorrow! Held at Brewbakers downtown, there will be unlimited 4 oz samples of more than 25 different varieties of cider, with local cideries such as Red Rover, York County, Gagetown Cider Company, and Scow being the main stars of the show. We have some advance notice of what Red Rover will be bringing, which includes their regular line-up and old favourites of Fall, Summer, Spring, Fire and Blues along with more recent addition specialty cider, Dragon Slayer. Hopped, Tinderbox, and the first 2016 White Witch will also be served (although it won’t be available for purchase until later in October). They are also planning on tapping the last keg of 2014 VeRRy Perry in celebration and anticipation of receiving juice to begin our first batches of 2016 Perry. They will also be serving three specialty ciders, to be served from cask. These are: The Matador, a fruity still cider with high acidity reminiscent of Spanish Sidra; Motown, a cider-wine hybrid made from Fredericton grapes, and an oak-aged Scrumpy. From Red Rover, “This will be the largest selection of Red Rover cider that has ever been available at a single location and we’re very excited to be able to share it with everyone tomorrow.” Tickets are still available ($56.50, tax included), which get you a tasting glass and samples from 1:00-3:30 pm; VIP tickets, which allow for early entry at noon, are sold out (though there is a waitlist).

• Also happening October 1 is the Marion Bridge Oktoberfest, running from 3-10pm. As in previous years, Big Spruce has released their specialty beer for the event, Spruce Bringstein. This American Amber is 6.2% ABV and a light 27 IBUs, and will be available at the Oktoberfest, as well as on tap at the brewery now, and at better beer bars around the province. And be sure to drop by Big Spruce this weekend for the last Farm to Fork Food Truck weekend of the season.

A few more beers and news items worth reading about today, before we sign off:

– Two Canadian brewery equipment manufacturers, Charlottetown’s DME Brewing Solutions and Abbottsford, BC’s Newlands Systems, have announced that they are joining forces into one company. While keeping their respective offices and operations, they will be opening a joint 50,000 sqft manufacturing location in South Carolina in the new year. Read more in the official press release.

– Unfiltered Brewing has brought back their Flat Black Jesus American Stout today. At 7% ABV and more than 100 IBUs, this black ode to hops is available for growler fills and pints right now, like leave work and head there now, now.

– Sheet Harbour’s Henley House is winding down their season with a big weekend, so be sure to make a trip to this cozy pub soon. That also means that Sober Island Brewing, who usually have two or more of their beers on tap at the Henley, will be able to send more of their beer to thirsty drinkers in HRM. Early next week, look for their Oyster Stout on tap at The Press Gang (what better way to wash down freshly shucked Sober Island oysters?), followed shortly by a tap at Argyle Street’s Lot Six.

– Today is the last day to register for the Gahan House Charlottetown Home Brewer’s Challenge. Fire them an email, then brew up your best Winter Warmer! Details on their Facebook page.

– Congratulations to Downtown Halifax’s two new breweries, 2 Crows and Tidehouse, who both received their brew systems this week. Things are well on track for both breweries to be opening in the next couple of months!

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Port Rexton Brewing, Fundy Bay Brewco, Shiretown, Petit-Sault, Fils du Roy, Hell Bay, and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-07-29
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Antigonish Townhouse, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Bulwark Cider, Distillerie Fils du Roy, Fredericton Beer Run, Fredericton Beer Tour, Fundy Bay Brewco, Garrison Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Halifax Seaport Beerfest, Hell Bay Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Maybee Brewing, Mill Street Brewpub, Moncton Beer Run, Nine Locks Brewery, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Pump House Brewery, Saltbox Brewing, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar, Unfiltered Brewing, Wayfarers' Ale. Leave a Comment

Good morning! After a brief hiatus last week, due to vacation on one’s part and work travelling on the other’s, we’re back and ready to continue the work of spreading the love of beer! Good thing nothing happened during that…. oh, crap.

• Port Rexton Brewing opened last weekend in … Port Rexton, Newfoundland. Located a few hours Northwest of St John’s on the Bonavista Peninsula, PRB is the first brewery to open outside of the Avalon Peninsula. After a busy opening weekend, they are now in a groove, open daily 2-10pm for samples, pints, and growler fills. They are now pouring a pair of beers, with more on the way very shortly: Horse Chops IPA is a 6% ABV/72 IBUs American-style IPA, featuring lots of West Coast hops (including a dry hop with Mosaic) on a medium body; their Night ‘Bous Porter is 6.5% ABV and 29 IBUs, with lots of chocolate flavours in the “medium-sweet body”. We’ll be sharing more details on the brewery and the great duo behind the beer soon, but in the meantime, take a trip to P.R. for a solid pint this weekend!

• There’s another new brewery opening soon in New Brunswick, and while details are currently very slim, Fundy Bay Brewco currently has a Twitter account started. Sounds like the brewery will be located in Sussex, with three beers listed as “coming soon”: Alma IPA, a 6.5% ABV, 50 IBUs “West-Coast style IPA” with aromas of pine, citrus, and tropical fruit; Digby Dubbel, a 7.2% ABV Belgian Dubbel fermented with a Belgian yeast strain to give aromas of “dark fruits, sassafras, caramel, leather, and toasted grain”; and St. Martin’s ISA, a 4.8% ABV, 25 IBUs Session IPA hopped with Mosaic and Falconer’s Flight. We’ll have more details on the brewery soon; in the meantime, be sure to follow them on Twitter to stay up-to-date with their progress.

• After a year-long hiatus, Shiretown will be making their return at tomorrow’s Bon Ami Flavor Fest, held at the Dalhousie Lion’s Club from 7 pm – 2 am. They will be pouring two beers: their flagship, Blonde du Quai, a 4.5% ABV Blonde Ale, and Cartier’s Columbus, a new beer the brewery describes as a “Golden IPA”, weighing in at 6.2% ABV, and hopped entirely with Columbus to 60 IBUs. Shiretown is aiming for bottles of both beers to hit select ANBL stores around mid-August; we’ll keep you updated!

• There’s a new beer available from Petit-Sault, a SMaSH (single-malt and single-hop) Pale Ale named La Glazier. Brewed entirely with Pale malt from Malt-Broue, a nearby Quebec “micromaltery”, and hopped with Cascade from Aroostook Hops in Northern Maine, it comes in at 4.9% ABV and 30 IBUs. Featuring “citrus notes and a slight bitterness”, it’s available on tap at the brewery, and select ANBL growler stations this weekend, as well as select bars/restaurants in the province. And congratulations to Petit-Sault on their recent expansion, thanks to further buying-in by ACOA, the New Brunswick government, and their community investors. More details here.

• Distillerie Fils du Roy has released another new beer, Hommage à 1755, a Belgian Strong Ale. A style very similar to the more-commonly-seen Belgian Tripel, it’s a pale-coloured, bitter, effervescent beer that finishes extremely dry (thanks to high attenuation by the Belgian yeast strain), with a “spicy/fruity, resinous hop profile, and a soft, supportive grainy-sweet malt palate”, according to the brewery. Weighing in at 7% ABV and 22 IBUs, it’s available in bottles now, as well as on tap at all of the ANBL Growler filling stations this weekend. As the name implies, it is an homage to 1755, a band that popularized Acadian music in the 70’s/’80’s, and still active today.

• Hell Bay has released their first Black IPA, Black Flag IPA. As dark as the name suggests, this 6.1% ABV beer has notes of “roasted malt and rum flavours upfront, followed by earthy and citrus notes”. Hopped with Chinook and Ahtanum (to 55 IBUs), it’s available on tap at the brewery for growler fills, and should pop up on tap at the Port Grocer, Rhubarb, and Stillwell.

• Wayfarers’ Ale Society has released the third of their offerings recently at their Port Williams brewery. Thistle Dew is a 4.8% ABV Scottish Ale, described as “a malty ale with a low hop profile”. The rich copper colour leads to a medium body and very light bitterness (20 IBUs). Now on tap at the brewery for samples, pints, and growlers, it joins their Hellene Blonde Ale and Ruby Ale Irish Red Ale. Look for a pair of new beers from them in the coming weeks, their EPA English Pale Ale and One-Eyed River Hog IPA.

• Mill Street St John’s has released their latest brew, Caribou Cream Ale. Weighing in at 5% ABV and 20 IBUs, this easy-drinking beer is available on tap at Mill Street/Bier Markt and to go in growlers as well. This easy-drinking, thirst-quenching beer was fermented with two yeast strains (first with a British ale strain, then with a German lager strain) “to impart complexity and smoothness”, and exhibits “fresh, cracker malt with a slight hop aroma and yeast undertones”, according to the brewery. Also note that $1 from every growler sale will be donated to the newly-opened Royal Newfoundland Regiment Museum.

• Last week, Pump House released a new beer available on tap only at their brewpub in Moncton. Raspberry Wheat is a German-style Wheat beer that has been “bombarded” with 70 kg of fresh raspberries, and is described by the brewery as “tart and refreshing”, with plenty of raspberry in the aroma and flavour. Clocking in at 6.2% ABV, get down to the brewpub for a pint before it’s gone!

• Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewery is launching this weekend, to coincide with the Mahone Bay Heritage Boat Yard Festival. Visit their tent on the Town Wharf Saturday and Sunday, 1-5pm both days, to grab a taste of their beer or some merchandise. And then visit their brewery (open the same hours) on Main Street to grab growler fills of the beers. They will have their Hefeweizen, India Pale Ale, and Dark Cream Ale available, with a new Light Pilsner possibly making an appearance, if ready. Depending on beer availability, their retail storefront will be open going forward, as they are currently releasing beers brewed on their pilot system, while they await the arrival of their full-sized brewhouse. Keep an eye on their Twitter feed for exact details.

• Bulwark will be releasing a New Ross 200th Anniversary edition of their Oak Aged Cider. Long in the making, the cider spent more than six months maturing in American oak barrels, and is packaged in a bottle designed by local resident Bonnie Keddy. The barrel is an ode to the many cooperages that were in the New Ross area, thanks to the locally-designed apple barrels needed to support the apple industry. The 7.0% ABV cider is now ready for purchase at their homebase, Muwin Estate Wines (either by phone or email), and will be on sale at the New Ross 200th Anniversary Night Market on Friday, August 5. As a way of giving back to the community and thanking them for all of their support, a portion of the sales will be donated to the New Ross Development Society.

• Nine Locks has released their first seasonal, Watermelon Blonde, perfect for the remaining days of summer. Described by the brewery as “light and crisp, with a hint of watermelon”, with whole fresh watermelon added during the mash, as well as in a post-fermentation secondary (as well as some natural extract). This 5.0% ABV, 12 IBU beer is available now for growler fills and cans at the brewery. And congratulations to them on their recent expansion in the brewhouse – with the addition of three 72hl (60 BBL) fermentors, they will be better able to keep up with demand and different seasonal options.

• There’s a new beer on tap at Big Spruce’s tasting room, thanks to a collaboration with Shelburne’s Boxing Rock Brewery. Stark Craving Mad is an “Amber American IPA” with lots of late-addition hops for a serious hop flavour and nose. The beer weighs in at 7.2% ABV and 65 IBUs, and is currently only available at the Big Spruce tap room, so drop by today! And when you do, grab some grub from the Cruisin’ Cuisine Food Truck, onsite 12-7 pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with live music 3-5 pm daily. Check out the FB event page for details on the menu and music schedule.

• And speaking of Boxing Rock, after three years in operation, they just packaged their 1,000,000th bottle this week! To celebrate, they’ve hidden winning tickets in six of their Hunky Dory Pale Ale six-packs, which can be returned to the brewery for some sweet swag. Congratulations! They also did a small tasting of a Gin-infused Pale Ale at Bishop’s Cellar last night, which looks be prelude to a wider release soon.

• After a very successful launch at the Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market earlier this month, Brightwood Brewery has released their second beer. Smokey the Beer is a Honey Smoke Ale featuring, unsurprisingly, Honey and Smoked malts in the grist, for an aromatic journey of the senses. First smoke, then honey sweetness, with some piney hop notes to complete the campfire feel. Grab this 5.3% ABV beer, and their The Big Lift American IPA, at the Market this Saturday 8am-1pm. You can grab/exchange one of their own growlers, and they will fill personal growlers, provided they are nice and clean.

• There’s a new beer soon to be tapped at the Antigonish Townhouse – brewmaster Terry Piercy brewed up an experimental batch in the style of an English Pale Ale, using Horton Ridge Organic Pale Malt. The light-coloured ale was hopped with UK Fuggles for both bittering and flavour additions, to 43 IBUs. Coming in at a sessionable 4.7% ABV, look for this currently-unnamed brew to be released in a couple of weeks, where it will likely be cask-conditioned and served on the pub’s hand-pump.

There are a whole slew of events coming up in the next little while, so be sure to keep your calendar open for the following opportunities to drink great beer:

• Unfiltered Brewing turns one-year-old today, and they’re throwing a celebration at their Charm School Pub, with $5 pints all day (that’s noon till late), and a “special Nash-inspired menu” from 5-10 pm, served by Food Wolf. Happy 1st Anniversary!

• In other 1st Anniversary news, Breton Brewing is celebrating theirs on Saturday, July 30th with a slightly-belated Birthday Breakfast at the brewery from 9 am – 12 pm. The first 100 breakfasts (prepared by local STAND & STUFF Your Face) are free, and live music will be playing. After chowing down on some pancakes, attendees will also be able to take the opportunity to sign up for their new Mug Club, starting at noon. Limited to the first 50 people to sign up, the Club features all sorts of perks, including a personal 18 oz mug that will be kept at the brewery. Membership is $75 for the first year.

• This coming Monday, August 1st (New Brunswick Day), the 4th annual Fredericton Beer Run will be held, starting at the Lighthouse on the Green at 10 am (registration begins at 8 am). With 4, 6, and 12 km runs available, it’s open to novices and serious runners alike! Afterwards, runners will receive 14 beer tickets, each good for a 4-oz sample, with 15 breweries pouring roughly 40 different beers. There are still a limited number of tickets available ($60 each), so be sure to grab yours now! If you’d like to participate in the drinking, but not the running, tickets ($30) are available for the NB Day Beer Garden, where you can enjoy the beer without the effort. Additional tickets will be available for purchase. Not to be outdone, there is also now a Moncton Beer Run next Friday, August 5th, starting at Centennial Park at 6:30 pm (registration begins at 5 pm). This will be a 6 km run only, also featuring a beer tasting afterwards with 14 beer tickets, and 5 breweries pouring their beers. Tickets ($55 each) for this event are available here.

• Next Friday and Saturday, August 5th and 6th, marks the return of the annual Halifax Seaport Beerfest, which will be celebrating its 10th year since it first launched in 2007. Featuring over 300 different beers and ciders (full list available here), there are three sessions to choose from: one on Friday evening (7-9:30 pm), and two on Saturday (2-4:30 pm, 7-9:30 pm), with each session featuring VIP tickets that get you in a full hour earlier. All sessions will include unlimited samples, with VIP tickets also giving you access to a panel discussion and guided beer tasting. Tickets are $49+tax for regular, and $70+tax for VIP, and are available online. We’ll have more details on the event early next week, including info on a mega-collaboration brewday happening at Garrison with many of the visiting breweries.

• Stillwell Beer Bar will be hosting a Tap Takeover by Stillwater Artisanal Brewery Saturday August 6th. With a homebase in Maryland, Stillwater is a gypsy brewery, not owning their own equipment, but rather releasing beers brewed at others’ locations. There will be 10 different Stillwater beers available on tap starting at noon Saturday, and it will be a pay-as-you-go event, no tickets needed. We have the inside scoop on a few of the beers that will be flowing, including Mono, a 5.2% ABV Hoppy Pilsner; As Follows, a 9.0% ABV Belgian Strong Golden; and Vacuum, an 8.0% Black Smoked IPA. For those who can’t wait until Saturday for a taste, Stillwater Classique, a 4.5% ABV farmhouse beer, is currently available in cans at Stillwell’s homebase on Barrington.

• The Ladies Beer League is hosting a special sneak preview party with 2 Crows Brewing, a new 20 BBL (23 hL) Halifax brewery set to open this fall, on Thursday, August 18th. Held at the home of two of the owners from 7-10 pm, all three of their core brands will be available to be sampled, as well as a few surprises. Tickets (available through the link above) are only $10, with all proceeds going to Feed Nova Scotia (and they will be accepting further donations for FNS during the event)

Have a fantastic long weekend, hopefully surrounded by plenty of great beer! For those of you in New Brunswick, note that this weekend, all five ANBL growler stations will be pouring beers that were brewed by NB breweries (FYI, ANBL stores will be closed Monday August 1st). And in closing…

– A reminder that there’s still a few tickets remaining for the Fredericton Beer Tour (Saturday, August 6th) that we mentioned two weeks ago; your $77 ticket (available here) will get you transportation to five breweries/cideries, chat time with the brewers, and a minimum of four 4-oz samples per stop.
– Grimross has officially started canning, as their Maritime Pale Ale is available now in 500 mL cans at the brewery; the beer will hopefully be available at select ANBL stores in the near future. Look for their Saison, Cheval D’Or, to be canned by early fall.
– Maybee has bottled their Long Carry Brett Red in a limited number of 750 mL cork-and-cage bottles; labels are currently being printed, so look for these to be available at the brewery within the next couple of weeks.
– Keep your eyes peeled for a new English Mild from Tatamagouche Brewing. This 3.7% ABV beer has been spotted in the wild at Battery Park and Stillwell, and will surely satisfy the “sessionable” crowd, it’s a flavourful beer in a small package. And on the other end of the spectrum, they are serving an English Barley Wine at the brewery, but details on it are a little slim at the moment.

Phew, that’s it! That’ll teach us to never take a week off again!