Foghorn Brewing

All posts tagged Foghorn Brewing

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Horton Ridge, Foghorn, Petit-Sault, Big Tide, Good Robot, Grimross, TrailWay, Maybee, and more.

Posted by acbbchris on 2017-02-17
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Alexander Keith's Historic Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Foghorn Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Fredericton Ladies Beer Connection, Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Horton Ridge Malt & Grain, Maybee Brewing, Nine Locks Brewery, North Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, TrailWay Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday everyone! What a week of weather for our region! Snow and power outages and cancellations have plagued the region for the past while, but thankfully our local brewers haven’t rested to get us the great beer we all crave. Check out the latest news, and stay warm!

• Horton Ridge Malt & Grain, responsible for producing malt used in breweries across the province, has announced that they will begin operating a small brewery onsite, slated to open this summer. The 120 litre (1 BBL) system would serve as a testing ground for the different malt varieties they have on offer, in order to give commercial brewers and visitors to the Malt House the chance to taste the different characteristics of their offerings. The beers would be available on-site only, in their tasting room and facility outside of Wolfville, along with other breweries’ offerings showcasing their malts. We’ll have much more on the details of the brewery closer to launch in July. You can learn more in person yourself with a visit to the Malt House for an Open House tomorrow, 2:30-4:00pm.

• Rothesay’s Foghorn recently hosted Patrick Dionne, head brewer at Petit-Sault, for a collaboration brew on their system. Well, that beer is now available on tap, and we’ve got some details to share! Epic Fume is a 5.7% ABV Smoked Porter, featuring beech-smoked malt in the grist to give gentle smoke characteristics in both the aroma and flavour. It’s currently pouring at the Foghorn taproom, and is on tap at the Five and Dime in Saint John. For those of you in the Edmundston area, look for it to start pouring at Petit-Sault sometime next week.

• Sticking with Petit-Sault, they’ll be brewing this year’s Big Boots Brew tomorrow, an annual event sponsored by the Pink Boots Society. This one will actually be a collaboration brew, as Wendy Papadopoulos, head brewer at Big Tide, will be participating, along with four other women from the area. The theme for this year’s international brew is Ancient/Historical Beer, with Petit-Sault and Big Tide deciding on a Gruit for their brew, an un-hopped style of beer that relies on the use of herbs for flavouring and bittering. The collaboration beer will be named Malobiannah Gruit, after a local legend involving a young Malecite woman who sacrified herself to save her people during an Iroquois invasion in the Grand Falls area. The grist will feature 2-row, Pilsner, and Honey malt, and a carefully-chosen mix of herbs that includes yarrow, goldenrod, sweet gale, bayberry and lavender. Some local maple syrup will also be added to the brew, which should come in at 5.2% ABV. The beer will be released on International Women’s Day on March 8th, and we can confirm that it will be making an appearance at this year’s Fredericton Craft Beer Festival on March 11th.

• Although they don’t have anything truly new for us this week, we’re told that Good Robot in Halifax has a batch of their Burban Legend APA coming to the taps, this one of the v2.0 variety (that’s the one dry hopped with citrussy Cascade and stone fruit Amarillo). Knowing they’d have to sweeten the pot to get us to mention that, they also spilled the beans on a special batch brewed up just yesterday with their staff. Red Moon Rising was brewed for their Women’s Day event, FemmeBot, coming up in March. It’s a Red IPA leaning heavily on Bestmalz Red X, a base malt known for imparting a deep red color. Also in the malt bill are Vienna for some toasty/biscuity notes and flaked barley for mouthfeel and body. Hops include their own “GR Blend” (think Falconer’s Flight 7C’s Good Robot-style) at bittering time and Equinox during whirlpool and the planned dry-hop for a tropical and fruity presence. It’s fermenting now on the classic Cal Ale yeast. Look for release details in the coming weeks (we’d bet somewhere around March 8th…).

• Meanwhile in Fredericton, Grimross has already released the second entry in their new Scratch series, Scratch #2: Belgian IPA. This 6.7% ABV, 65 IBUs brew was hopped with Cascade, Columbus, Herkules and Amarillo, most of which were grown in New Brunswick. The brewery describes it as having “a pleasant, citrus hop profile on the nose and palate, and finishes clean and dry”. Fermented, of course, with a Belgian yeast strain to add some classic fruity esters and spicy phenolics to blend with the hop characteristics, it’s on tap at the brewery now for pints and growler fills; you may see it pop up around the city, as well. Grimross has also just brewed a collaboration with Dumfries Maples, featuring a large addition of maple syrup from the Dumfries, NB sugarbush. Details on Dumfries Maples Brown Ale are being kept a secret for now… stay tuned!

• Speaking of beers brewed with maple syrup, TrailWay also has one fermenting right now. No, this isn’t actually a coincidence – the New Brunswick government has been encouraging breweries in the province to collaborate with local maple producers to brew these beers. While we’re not sure of the exact details of this arrangement, we’ve been told there are benefits provided to breweries who do so. TW has brewed an Imperial Stout with maple syrup from Briggs Maples; expect it to come in around 9% ABV. TW has also confirmed that the beer will be packaged in cans, as well as kegs.

• The new DIPA from Maybee Brewing that we teased about a couple of weeks ago is officially being released today. Look Off DIPA is a big beer at 9% ABV, and was hopped mainly with Amarillo and Chinook (to 105 calculated IBUs). Described by the brewery as “super juicy”, it’ll be available at the brewery for pints and growler fills, and at better beer establishments in Fredericton (including the James Joyce and 540 Kitchen & Bar later today). Look for it to also be released in cans sometime next week, and be sure to take note of the updated label designs for Maybee cans at the same time.

• Spindrift teased a new beer on Instagram that they’ve just brewed, based on popular casks they have brought to beer festivals in the past: Blueberry Chai Pilsner (featuring Rooibus Chai tea from World Tea House). They’re keeping quiet on the exact specs and details for now, but don’t worry, we’ll have more, soon! In the meantime, they’re taking their Abyss Schwarzbier to the next level, and bottling a batch of it that sat in barrels, on cherries, next week. It should be available for purchase sometime in mid-March.

• The taps at Gahan Harbourfront in Halifax will see a special brew this week as Erebos Porter makes its debut. Starting its life as a batch of Night Vision American Porter, it was aged extensively on figs in Hungarian oak barrels that formerly held Merlot at Bear River Vineyards. According to brewmaster Kyle, the wood and the fruit have rounded out the beer, which is normally quite dry, providing a nice dark fruit character without astringency. With only two barrels (110 litres each) available, this one’s not likely to be available for fills, so plan to hang around the pub and enjoy a pint. And this is the last call for homebrewers interested in taking part in the Home Brewer’s Challenge must contact Kyle to sign up.

• Garrison Brewing has released the latest in their test batch series, with Test Batch – Code Name: Juicy 2 today. This hazy East Coast Double IPA comes in at 8.0% ABV and 65 IBU, featuring loads of late hopping featuring Citra, Comet, Ekuanot, and Mosaic, for citrus, pineapple and tropical aromatics and flavour, resulting in a, you guessed it, juicy beer. Compared to the first test batch, this one features a softer mouthfeel, suitable for an extended session of enjoyment. Juicy 2 is available now for growler fills and bottles at the brewery, on tap at select bars around town this weekend, and early next week in bottles at the private stores.

• As was reported this week by a legitimate news source (as opposed to three guys with a blog), Uncle Leo’s Brewery in Lyon’s Brook is the latest brewery in the region to purchase a canning line. Citing their existing bottling setup as a source of inefficiency in their system, the line from Calgary (no doubt from the fine folks at Cask Brewing Systems) is expected to help them output an additional 1,000 litres per week and take the packaging process from 2-3 days down to a couple of hours. The installation of the line in May will allow them to meet orders for two new listings with the NSLC in addition to their IPA, namely their Sunburst Pale Ale and a rotating slot. One item in the article of particular note is the comment by co-owner Rebecca Whiffen that the funds to lease the line are to some extent coming from the savings seen in the reduction of the RSMA this year by the Provincial government. While the overall validity of the RSMA can still be debated (or serve as the basis for a lawsuit), it is certainly telling to see how quickly its reduction has made a positive difference to at least one brewery in the province.​ We won’t be surprised if it’s not the only one.

• Cunning schemers that they are, those crazy kids at Stillwell are already planning for Nova Scotia Craft Beer Week in May. As they announced on twitter Valentine’s Day (feel the love, people), they’re committing to pouring the best NS Craft Beer Taplist possible all week long during Craft Beer Week. What’s “the best NS Craft Beer Taplist” you ask? Why, it’s the one assembled from YOUR votes! Fling your interweeb device over to this page right here and cast your votes in the four categories provided. Stillwell will apply patented algorithms and serious business to generate a top 12 which will grace the wall at the start of the week. From there cult favourites will rotate in. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing what that wall looks like come May.

For those of you fully shovelled out, we’ve got a few events on the go that are worthwhile checking out:

• This Sunday, February 19th, up in Nyanza, Big Spruce will be hosting an information session for FarmWorks, an Investment Co-operative founded in 2011 that operates as a Community Economic Development Investment Fund (CEDIF). The time has come for another round of investment and this is a chance for you to learn how the organization works to support food-related businesses in the region. Meanwhile, beer samples and snacks will be served and you’ll have the opportunity to tour the new Big Spruce Brewery! More information is available here.

• The Fredericton Ladies Beer Connection has scheduled their next event for Wednesday, March 8th. This one will be held at Grimross Brewing from 6:30-8 pm, and will feature a brewery tour, a discussion on Grimross and the beers they brew, and of course a tasting flight, with additional pours available for purchase afterwards. It only costs $8.75 to attend; send an email to freddyladiesbeerconnection@gmail.com to hold your spot.

• Good Robot has a couple events on the go this week. Thursday, February 23rd sees the latest in the Good Robot Tiny Pub Concerts series, with Villages, Kim Harris, and Daniel Walker (of Owen Meany’s Batting Stance) coming out to give you an intimate night of Celtic, folk, soul and banter. “Less of a kitchen party and more of a Saturday night at home with friends.” Then on Saturday, February 25th, look for the GR gang at the Craft Beer Cottage Party and consider heading down to the taproom afterwards for their luau after-party with the fine folks from Upstreet Brewing and the dulcet tones of Hawaiian-influenced steel guitar swing band Kokonut Kings.

And before we head out for the weekend…
– There is a new beer from Alexander Keith’s Historic Brewery, Nor’Easter Cascadian Dark Ale. At 7.7% ABV and 100 IBUs, it features Cascade and Chinook hops from Moose Mountain and Columbus from Southan Farms, both located along the Saint John River in New Brunswick. It is available at the brewery on Lower Water Street. And look out for a Nitro version of their Lunenburg Coffee & Cacao Stout, available at Lower Deck locations across the province.
– Although we reported on the release of Fathom from Nine Locks last week, it only showed up on tap and for growler fills, not in the promised cans. But keen eyes noticed the good word on Facebook this week that Fathom hit the canning line. Look for it at the private liquor stores around HRM in the near future.
– We previously mentioned a new blackberry Milk Stout from North Brewing being released for Zuppa Theatre’s Pop-up Love Party that started last night and goes until Sunday. The 5.7% ABV beer was aged in the tank at Battery Park and will be available in 650ml bottles at both North bottle shops and the private stores in Halifax. Look for in on tap as well at Battery Park, including two nitro kegs.

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 Annapolis Cider, Tatamagouche Brewing, Good Robot, Bogtrotter, Hell Bay, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-11-25
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Cider Company, Battery Park, Big Spruce Brewing, Bogtrotter Craft Brewery, Foghorn Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Good Robot Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, HopYard, James Joyce Irish Pub, Ladies Beer League, Mill Street Brewpub, Nine Locks Brewery, North Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Picaroons, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tide & Boar Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, folks! The weather has definitely turned cooler in the region, with some unlucky spots even seeing the first snowfall of the year. Fall was great while it lasted, I guess! Let’s get you warmed up with some beer news from across the region.

• The latest release in the Something Different series from Annapolis Cider Company is now available. Hopped Pear is a dry cider made from different varieties of locally-grown apples, cold-steeped with three hop varieties: Cascade, Mosaic, and Northern Brewer. The cider then went on to be blended with fresh-pressed Flemish Beauty heirloom pear juice, resulting in a “clear and golden cider with the light flavour and aromas of citrusy-hops… balanced out by mellow notes of fresh pear”; it weighs in at 6.5% ABV. The charity recipient of this batch is the Wolfville Area Food Bank, with 50 cents from each refill being donated. And be sure to check out the cidery’s website, as online sales for cases of their Juicy & Sweet and Crisp & Dry ciders have begun, with shipping available throughout Nova Scotia.

• Tatamagouche Brewing has an interesting new beer out, Square One, a dry-hopped Saison. Featuring a grist of mainly Pilsner malt, with a small amount of Rye and Spelt thrown in, the beer was fermented with the New World Saison blend from Escarpment Labs. This blend contains a blend of Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces strains, to give characteristics of fruit, funk, and “rustic charm”, all of which are perfect for a traditional Saison. This 6.1% ABV, 10 IBU brew was then dry-hopped with Citra, Amarillo and Hallertau Blanc, to give a big boost to the already-present fruit character. It made its debut at Stillwell last week; look for it to pop up at several other tap accounts soon. The remainder of the batch will be bottled (650 mL) and released within the next two weeks.

• The gang at Good Robot Brewing Company apparently didn’t get the memo about it being a quiet week, as they’ve got three beers to talk about (and some events below as well). First off, version 7.0 of their Burban Legend APA hit the taps earlier this week. The grain bill maintains the now-familiar combination of two-row, pilsner, amber, and caramel with a little spicy rye kick, while the hop side still features Cascade but paired now with Falconer’s Flight 7C’s and Amarillo. The big difference this time around is a dry-hop with Mosaic that yields some blueberry, melon and cantaloupe notes. As always, fermented with California Ale yeast for a classic American clean, ester-less profile, you can find it at the taproom and at the brewery for growler fills. Next up, today sees the return of the seasonal Awesome Beer, Great Job! Billed as an “Autumn Saison” and built on a base of Pilsner malt, it also features wheat, dark crystal and rye. Hopping is solely the American Hallertau-descendent Mt. Hood variety to the tune of 22 IBU. The Brewmaster selected the Old World Blend yeast from Escarpment Yeast to do the goo for this brew, yielding roughly 6.4% ABV and aromas of banana, citrus, spice and plum, which also manifest as flavours on the palate. There’s some creamy mouthfeel from the wheat and a sharp finish with a peppery and spicy aftertaste. Lastly on the beer front is a special brew conceived for funky folk groove band Earthbound Trio and available only at their Time Traveller’s Soiree show tonight at The Seahorse Tavern. Dubbed Thyme Hopper, it’s a BetaBrew featuring organic Nugget hops from Lunahop Farm in Cornhill, NB, owned by Earthbound Trio’s bassist, “Big Orange” Bob Fitzgerald. The beer also boasts thyme, grapefruit zest and some additional American hop varieties for a spicy, citrusy kick. The band will also be playing a special sneak peek matinee show this afternoon from 4-6pm at the Good Robot taproom.

• Fredericton’s Bogtrotter has a brand new beer out – Tipsy Toad, an American Pale Ale. Single-hopped with Mosaic – an American variety well-known for having strong characteristics of melon and berries – it’s described by the brewery as a refreshing, easy-drinking, and hoppy brew. Coming in at 5% ABV and 40 IBUs, look for it on tap at select accounts in the city; it should also hit a couple of ANBL stores within a couple of weeks, when it is available in bottles.

• Liverpool’s Hell Bay Brewing has released a brand new beer this week, in collaboration with the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia. Tannen Bomb is a 5.0% ABV Blonde Ale, with a couple of twists: honey was added to the beer for a light sweetness, and Balsam Fir was added to the end of the boil for a light character of fir flavour and aroma. Lightly hopped to 17 IBUs, the beer is available on tap at the brewery now, and at a couple of spots in HRM this weekend (The Henry House and Downeast Beer Factory). Bottles will be available at the brewery and the Halifax private stores next week (when many of the tree stands will be launching).

• Fredericton’s Grimross Brewing has released a new Belgian-inspired beer, Détourné. This 5.8% ABV ale features floral aromatics, bitter citrus flavour, and has a pleasant dry finish. Currently available for growler fills and pints at the brewery, grab it around the city at better beer bars.

• Garrison Brewing is expanding their Cellar Series lineup today with another wood-aged beer: Rum-Barrel Aged Spruce Beer. The 7.5% ABV base beer, featuring loads of molasses and spruce and fir needles and boughs, spent a couple of months in rum barrels from Lunenburg’s Ironworks Distillery, picking up flavour, aroma, and alcohol from the spirit, ending up at 11.0% ABV. Bottles of this special beer are available exclusively at the brewery now, retailing for $15.95 for a large, shareable, 650 ml bottle.

• In other winter-related beer news, Nine Locks will be releasing Chocolate Stout, a smooth, dark, and full-bodied brew, around the beginning of December. Chocolate is definitely the dominating flavour here (real chocolate was added during the brewing process), with notes of coffee and roasted grain balancing things off. Hopped with East Kent Goldings to 28 IBUs, to balance the sweetness from the grist, it comes in at 6.1% ABV. In addition, look for the crowd-favourite Cream Ale (4.8% ABV, 15 IBUs) to make a return very soon.

• St John’s Mill Street Brewpub has released a new brew this morning, RDF Hefe. Named after the favourite local weather of Rain, Drizzle, and Fog, this hazy beer is Mill Street’s first hefeweizen, featuring a bright straw colour and long-lasting head from the generous amount of wheat in the grist bill. The iconic banana and clove aromatics are there, thanks to the German Weisse yeast used. Grab the 5.7% ABV, 25 IBU refreshing beer on tap at the brewery now.

Here are some more events coming up in the next few weeks, as promised!

• Tonight‘s the night at Charlottetown’s HopYard, where Hogie, Mitch and the rest of the the Upstreet crew are taking over the taps, kitchen, and music. Drop by for the debut of their 4.5% ABV Mighty Neighbourly SMaTH SIPL (Single Malt and Triple-Hopped Session India Pale Lager), a special keg of their De Novo I Brett Saison, and enjoy Chef Jane’s Upstreet-inspired menu. Check out the full line-up here. See you at 6pm.

• Good Robot gives you the chance to walk the positive karma highway this week with their Toys for Pints + Cookie Decorating Party on Sunday, November 27th, from noon to close at the GR taproom. Bring a new-in-box toy with a $20 (or more) value along with you and you’ll receive a pint on the house while your donation will help support Moms in need through Every Woman’s Centre in Cape Breton. Meanwhile, the fine folks at Rinaldo’s are donating cookies: five bucks buys you two cookies to decorate, with proceeds going to Prescott Group, an organization dedicated to aiding adults with intellectual disabilities. It’s all so simple: bring toy(s), get beer; buy tasty cookies, make them pretty. Either way (or both ways!) you’ll be doing good, having fun and drinking beer. EVERYBODY WINS.

• A reminder of the Big Spruce Tap Takeover of Battery Park, happening next Thursday, December 1. In addition to a solid contingency of BS’s current line-up, this will serve as the launch of the Big Spruce/North/Battery Park conspiracy brew, Blood Donair, the Imperial Stout brewed with a small quantity of rendered, dried, and powdered house-made donair meat, aged on raspberries. Keep an eye on BP’s Instagram feed, as they are releasing the beer list in spurts over the next few days.

• Also, and in spite of the fact that we’ll no doubt bang this gong again next week to really bring it home, a reminder that a week from today, Friday, December 2, from 5pm, is the second Good Robot BrewBot Takeover, this time with Brathair Brewing. On the heels of a wildly successful event (on a TUESDAY, no less) featuring the brews of award-winning home brewer Keith Forbes, Good Robot once again sees half their taps taken over by home brewers (and members of the BrewNosers). Justin, Eric, Rod and Jason take beer (and brotherhood!) seriously and are bringing their ‘A’ game with the Stillwell Open-winning Kissed by Elvis (IPA), the Monty Python sketch-sounding 3 Scots and a Frenchman (Scottish Ale with Saison yeast), Daughter of Sin (DIPA using only whirlpool hops), IPLish (India Pale Lager, sorta), and two variations on a Berliner Weisse, one with raspberries, one with peaches. You may have experienced other Brathair brews brewed by Big Spruce, as Brathair Eric American Wheat was the 2014 Big Spruce Homebrew Challenge Winner and Czech Yo’self Dark Lager took the prize in the 2015 competition. Come experience what they get up to when they’re not entering competitions and are left to their own devices.

• Unfiltered Brewing‘s tap room Charm School will be celebrating their First Anniversary on December 4th. Stay tuned for details of what’s pouring, which will surely include at least one new beer, as well as the return of many favourites from Unfiltered’s arsenal.

• The Ladies Beer League will be holding their Annual Holiday Brunch at Stillwell December 11th. Your $30 entry includes three 5 ounce pours from a Picaroons Winter Warmer Vertical (2014, 2015, 2016), as well as your first taste of Chef Ruppel’s specially-created brunch menu items. Tickets for the 12:00 to 3:00 event (normal Sunday hours at from 4:00 pm) are on sale now, and if you have any dietary concerns, be sure to let them know ASAP so alternative items can be prepared.

A few more parting shots today…

– The new Hammond River DIPA that we mentioned last month is now available – The Excavator (8.4% ABV, 106 IBUs) is hopped entirely with Simcoe, and joins the re-released Imperial Vanilla Porter at a few lucky HR accounts in New Brunswick.
– PEI Brewing Co. has their barrel-aged Doppelbock, Hell Street (8.1% ABV) returning this Monday at the PEIBC taproom in Charlottetown. Stay tuned to their Twitter and Facebook pages for updates on what they have planned for the release.
– Pump House has re-released their black Lager, Schwarzbier (7% ABV), which has “subtle notes of chocolate and coffee, but with a crisp Lager finish”; it’s available on tap now at the brewpub in Moncton.
– After a brief hiatus, the house-brewed beers have returned at Moncton’s Tide & Boar Gastropub. The 5.9% ABV Amarillo, Citra & Summit Pale Ale is back on, featuring predominantly late-addition hops for plenty of aroma and low bitterness.
– Halifax and Dartmouth’s Propeller Brewing has released the next in their line of canned beers: Rye IPA. The 6.8% ABV, 68 IBU beer is now in the easy-to-transport 473ml can format, perfect for those winter days on the beach or in your boat. Hmm, well, OK, maybe a nicer format to stick in the snowbank while shoveling (you know it’s coming, folks!). Grab them on Gottingen or Windmill today. Keep your eyes peeled as they continue releasing more in this package format.
– Charlo’s Shiretown Beer has brought back a favourite seasonal today, Venezuelan Express Porter. A first impression of the name would make you think “coffee”, but it actually refers to a type of crude oil produced in Venezuela at the time, that used to come into Dalhousie for the now-closed Dalhousie Generating Station. Grab bottles of the 5.0% ABV beer at the brewery at 363 Chaleur Street.
– After their launch last Friday, Rothesay’s Foghorn Brewing has begun to sell kegs to local licensees. Fredericton’s Jame Joyce tapped a keg of Brian Stout last night, and more Fh beer will certainly be flowing around the Saint John River Valley soon. Keep an eye on their social media for the latest deliveries.

Have an excellent weekend! And a final reminder that tickets for the 5th Annual Fredericton Craft Beer Festival went on sale this morning at 11 am (online, or through their app), with VIP tickets selling out immediately! Not to worry, there’s still other options (afternoon and evening), but don’t hesitate! And come drink with us at one of the many events happening during the week leading up to the FCBF.