Fredericton Craft Beer Festival

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Friday Wrap-Up – News and Brews from Flying Boats Brewery, Red Rover, Garrison, Fredericton Craft Beer, King Street Ale House and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-07-03
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Authentic Seacoast Brewing, BarNone Brewing, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Breton Brewing, Flying Boats Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, King Street Ale House, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

Welcome to the first Friday in July! We hope your Canada Day was a festive one, and you were able to celebrate with a local pint. Let’s see what other new beers you’ll soon be able to taste around our region!

• New Brunswick’s newest brewery, Flying Boats Brewing in Shediac, has released their first beer, Picnic Train Witbier. A refreshing, easy-drinking seasonal release named after a “popular summertime train service between Moncton and Pointe-du-Chene wharf to bring passengers to Parlee Beach in the early part of 1900s”, it was brewed with Flaked Wheat, malted Pilsner and some Flaked Oats in the grist. In true Witbier-style, bitter orange peel and coriander were added to the beer at the end of the boil to provide some additional spiciness/fruitiness to the aroma and flavour. Lightly hopped to balance the sweetness, the beer comes in at 5.5% ABV, and is currently on tap at La Coast Restaurant et Bar and Auberge Gabrièle Inn, both of which are located in Shediac.

• Flying Boats should also be releasing their Dixie Clipper IPA on tap in the near future. Continuing with the locally-named theme, Dixie Clipper refers to “one of the planes that flew into Shediac Bay during the 1920-30’s as a weekly Pan Am flight from New York to Shediac, then onward to Europe and return”, according to brewer/owner Marc Melanson. Hopped (and dry-hopped) predominantly with Chinook to 68 IBUs, it weighs in at a moderately-strong 6.5% ABV. Expect notes of both pine and grapefruit in this hoppy ale. And look for two additional new Flying Boats beers (currently TBD) to be served at next Saturday’s Tasting NB!

• Red Rover has released a special cider this week, Get with the Beet. They sourced fresh beet juice from Real Food Connections, and added it to the apple cider base before conditioning. The rough juicing allows significant beet character to shine through on both the nose and palate, with a bright red colour highlighting the blend. The ABV is listed as 7.0%, and will be available at their market stalls in Fredericton, Kingston, Saint John and St. Andrews, their Cider House and on tap at select locations.

• Garrison Brewing is releasing a new beer today, Seaport Blonde. Brewed in celebration of the spot where they work and play, this American Blonde Ale is light bodied, and has a dry, crisp finish. It features an ABV of 4.0%, from the 2-Row and Wheat malt grain bill, and is lightly hopped with Columbus to 8 IBUs. This new brew is on tap and in bottles at the brewery now, and will be debuting in the NSLCs very shortly.

• There’s another beer event coming soon to Fredericton from those behind the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival and the King Street Ale House. Ice Cream n’ Beer will be held at the KSAH on Sunday, July 26th from 6-9 pm, and will feature six different local craft beers (8 oz pours) paired with six different “craft ice creams” created by chef Aaron Fraser.  The brewery/beer list will be confirmed once the ice cream creations come in! Tickets are $35 (taxes and fee included) and can be purchased now, online.

• Yellowbelly Brewmaster Liam McKenna has put a different spin on the latest batch of their YellowBelly Pale Ale, on now at the brewery. The grain bill is the same, for 4.5% ABV, however McKenna has swapped out the traditional Nugget and Cluster hops used normally in this year-round staple. In their place, Sorachi Ace was used for the bittering and flavour additions, with a charge of Mosaic used for dry-hopping, for an aromatic blast. This is truly a one-off iteration of the Pale Ale, so be sure to check it out at the brewery today.

• Railcar Brewing has made progress with their bottling plans, as you should be able to buy their Summer Sessions IPA (a single-malt and single-hop – or SMaSH – beer featuring the Citra variety) and Grapefruit Pale Ale in 500 mL bottles at the brewery by next weekend, according to brewer/owner Mitch Biggar. They’ve been brewing a lot of fruit-based beers for the warmer weather, all of which have their standard Pale Ale as a base, but with different organic brewer’s fruit extract and real peel/flesh added. Variations so far have included raspberry, watermelon, black currant, and mango, in addition to the rebrewed grapefruit version; they all measure 5.5% ABV. Right now, they’re planning on having bottles at various ANBL locations sometime next month. In the meantime, Railcar beers are also on tap at the James Joyce and Isaac’s Way in Fredericton, A.C. Sharkey’s Pub in Bristol, and Larlee Creek Public House in Perth.

• We have some more details on the new English Pale Ale released in mid-June at the official opening of the Big Axe taproom. This golden-amber-coloured ale was brewed with the English pale malt Maris Otter, along with some Crystal malt for both colour and caramel/toffee notes. Hopped to about 50 IBUs with Goldings and Galena, it weighs in at 6% ABV. It’s currently available at the brewery for pints and growler fills, and at the James Joyce in Fredericton.

• For Charlottetown residents, it just got easier to get your hands on BarNone beer! Last Saturday, they made their first appearance at the Charlottetown Farmers Market, where they were selling growlers of their beer. Despite the minimal announcement, locals were quick to snatch up plenty of growlers; for those of you who were unaware, BarNone will return tomorrow morning, and weekly thereafter! Tomorrow’s offerings should include their IPA and La Vaca Loca Sweet Stout, and perhaps their FarmAle Saison, depending on availability.

• Big Spruce Brewing‘s first Food Truck Friday was a grand success last week, despite the poor weather. Today looks to be a little nicer, and the folks from Free Range Bio Farm will be back with their bright yellow food truck. They will be serving up Bratwurst, Schnitzel and Pulled Pork Sandwiches, with potato salad and sauerkraut. To wash all of that down, grab some of the second release of The Silver Tart (Sour Raspberry Wheat), the return of Spin Me White Round Wheat IPA, Tim’s Dirty American IPA, and Bitter Get’er India Black IPA. Accompanying the food and drinks will be entertainment from local musicians Ferris and Shauna Matthews Asaph.

• After a very successful launch on Saturday, Breton Brewing have announced details of their official Launch Party, taking place July 18th at Flavor on the Water. An event full of food, music, and of course, beer will run 5:30-1am that night. Four bands will be playing that evening, Keith Mullins, Jordan Musycsyn, Pretty Archie, and Slowcoaster. Tickets to the event are $30 (which includes a free Breton beer), with a VIP option for $60 which also includes free hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening (including PA Marinated Pulled Pork Sliders, Hefeweizen Marinated Fish Tacos, and Breton Brewing Bold BBQ & Local Maple Jumbo Wings). Tickets can be purchased at the brewery, or online.

• And speaking of Breton, they will be filling growlers at their Keltic Dr location again tomorrow, 10-5pm. Joining their Stirling Hefeweizen and Black Angus IPA on tap will be their Sons of Hector, a 5.0% ABV, 30 IBU Brown Ale. Before their tasting room opens later this month, their brews can be found at Flavor on the Water, Governor’s Pub, Iona Heights Inn, Old Triangle, and Talo Cafe in Cape Breton, and in Halifax at The Argyle, Stillwell (both Barrington and the Beer Garden), Stubborn Goat, and Tom’s Little Havana. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates on their opening hours, as they may vary until their tap room is open.

• Upstreet Brewing opened their doors Friday evening, and have been going great guns ever since. All three of their beers, Rhuby Social Strawberry Rhubarb Wit, Do-Gooder Pale Ale and Commons Pilsner are now available at the brewery tap room for pints and growler fills. They can also be found on tap at several spots in Charlottetown, including Baba’s Lounge, where they are hosting tonight’s Quittin’ Time Sessions at 6-8pm, and at tomorrow’s Village Feast in Souris, hosted by Chef Michael Smith.

• Do you have any wild hops growing on your property, or have spotted some on the side of the road? If so, AgCan PEI researchers Aaron Mills and Jason McCallum want to hear about them! They are looking for truly Maritime hop varietals (either native, or from early crops brought from Europe) that are resistant to pests and mildew in our area, and may possibly have some unique flavour and aroma characteristics. If you have any leads, email Aaron Mills.

• And finally this week, Rare Bird has released their Spruce Ale seasonal beer this week at their Guysborough brewery. Black Spruce buds were added to the boil, to complement the medium-bodied beer’s flavour and aroma. This 5.5% ABV and 53 IBU beer will also be bottled, and should be showing up in the private beer stores in HRM shortly.

Looks like a nice weekend coming up, be sure to enjoy it with some local craft beer! If you’re in Fredericton, TrailWay has released a new iteration of their Raspberry Wheat; in addition to fresh raspberries, Raspberry Pomegranate has had – you guessed it – pure pomegranate organic juice added during secondary fermentation. Look for it on tap at the KSAH and 540 Kitchen & Bar. Petit-Sault‘s IPA, Soeur Catherine, should now be available in bottles at several ANBL stores across the province, with more locations following soon. Also check out their Tante Blanche on all four growler stations, and Hammond River‘s Hawaiian Pale Ale is on at Kennebcasis Valley, but get there soon, as half of the kegs were sold by closing time yesterday! Drop by Rudder’s Brewery & Restaurant in Yarmouth for a taste of their new Lighthouse Lager, a 4.3% ABV Australian-style lager, hopped with Southern Cross hops. And finally, good news for those of us unable to make it to Big Tide for the release of their May collaboration brew, La Gaboteuse II, with Acadie-Broue – a few kegs of this Belgian IPA were saved and will be making their way to the Tide and Boar in Moncton, and the James Joyce in Fredericton very soon. Be sure to try it if you can, it’ll be gone in record time!

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 – News from Paddys Irish Brewpub, PEI Brewing Company & Gahan, TrailWay, NBCBA, Picaroons and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-04-10
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Beerthief, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Bulwark Cider, Burgers n' Beer, DME, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Gahan House (Charlottetown), King Street Ale House, Ladies Beer League, Le Naufrageur, Lion & Bright, New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association, Paddys Irish Brewpub, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, reLiSH, Sea Level Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Storm Brewing in Newfoundland, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. 2 comments

Happy Friday everyone! In case you thought last week’s busy post was a fluke, fear not! It’s been another busy week in Atlantic Canadian Beer News. And that means more tasty bevvies out now, and cool events coming our way! Let’s get right to the action!

• Paddys Irish Brewpubs in Kentville and Wolfville have a few new beers on tap that are worth checking out! First up is their Extra Special Bitter, weighing in at 5.5% ABV and 30 IBUs. It’s brewed with a traditional English malt bill and English Ale yeast for a light caramel character, and traditional East Kent Goldings hops exclusively give a light bitterness and a taste of England in the Annapolis Valley. Their Irish Stout is also on tap, an easily sessionable, light-bodied beer, but with a roast-forward character. This beer weighs in at 5% ABV and 33 IBUs, and is a fan favourite. Also keep an eye out for two lagers to be making their debut at the pubs in the next while: a Helles, which incorporated step mashing on their full 7 barrel system (sounds like quite a task!), and a Red Lager. We’ll have more details on both when they are available.

• There’s lots going on at PEI Brewing Co. these days! First off, they just sent over a new cask to Bar Stillwell in Halifax: Rais’n Sais’n is a bit of an experiment, consisting of their Iron Bridge Brown Ale fermented with a Saison yeast (Belle Saison, from Danstar, the same strain used in last year’s Lobster Saison). The beer was then transferred to a cask with a quantity of sultana raisins (a sweet, golden-coloured variety); it comes in at 5.1% ABV. Get down to Stillwell to try a pour before it’s gone!

• Moving on, they’ve also brewed a new Saison. Currently unnamed, it’s a completely different brew from the Lobster Saison. Brewed with all 2-row malt and hopped with Saaz and UK Goldings, it was then fermented “very warm” with the Belgian Dupont yeast strain from White Labs. With this yeast, expect lots of spicy flavors and aromas, accompanied by some fruitiness and a dry finish. The beer should be hitting taps at select locations sometime early next month; we’ll be sure to keep you updated on its release.

• Finally, a bit of a teaser: PEIBC brewmaster Chris Long has confirmed that we can expect to see a series of small batch (8 bbl) single-hop beers this summer at the brewery tasting room, and at Fishbones Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill in Charlottetown. We look forward to hearing more about this series when better weather arrives!

• Moving on to the Gahan side of PEIBC, they’ve released a new beer just in time for the Island’s annual (and extremely popular) PEI Burger Love. Angus Pale is a single-hop APA featuring the fairly-new Belma variety, and fermented with an English yeast strain. The beer is lightly filtered, with a “slight citrus aroma and a fruity/berry-like finish”, according to the brewery,

• It’s time to join the Club! Ahead of their opening later this Spring, Unfiltered Brewing have announced the details of their Club, available at launch. There are three levels available to those able to get in: The first level is an annual membership ($250 for the first year, $175 to resubscribe, plus HST), which gets the member an Unfiltered-branded Stainless Steel growler (full of beer, of course!), plus another free fill on their birthday (and $1 off all subsequent growler fills Mon-Wed), a branded glass and limited edition t-shirt, a pair of bottles of Russian Imperial Stouts (perfect for cellaring), and early access and first right of refusal to subsequent releases and swag. The second level is a lifetime membership in the Club, with all of its benefits, but with an even better growler. The cost to enroll is $1000 (plus tax). The third level is $5000, and is identical to the second level, but will offer the member the opportunity to brew a beer with Brewmaster Greg Nash, and leave with 20 litres of it after your hard day(s) of work. Full details on the Club, including how to sign up, are available here, and we’re happy to report that their brewhouse from DME was delivered this week, which means it won’t be long until the brewing begins!

• TrailWay has brewed a new beer, and it’s their first collaboration! Staying true to their roots, they formulated a recipe with two homebrewers from the New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association, Adam Jones and Roger Ringuette. The beer, Sensible Nonsense, is a DIPA hopped with Apollo, Magnum, Orbit, Centennial, and Mosaic, to approximately 95 IBUs. Supported by some malty sweetness thanks to some Vienna and CaraRed malt in the mash, expect this hoppy beer to exhibit lots of fruity, piney, and dank notes. It should come in around 7.5% ABV; look for it to hit taps around Fredericton within the next couple of weeks. They’re also planning on experimenting with some casks of this beer, so stay tuned for that (and remember, their inaugural cask release at the King Street Ale House starts tonight at 6 pm!).

• Picaroons released a new experimental beer earlier this week, an unnamed “Belgian Scotch Ale”. Definitely a bit of an orphan beer, think of it as a low-ABV Scotch Ale (featuring Roasted, Crystal, and Smoked malts) fermented with a Belgian Ardennes yeast strain, and hopped with Goldings and Fuggles. The beer came about from two batches of another experiment, a stronger Scotch Ale, where the weaker run-offs of each batch were combined for this release. The stronger batches were combined and are now being aged for a future release (and possibly some barrel-aging). Coming in at around 4.5% ABV, it features lots of clove and banana aromas and flavors, in conjunction with the smokiness and sweetness from the malt, according to the brewery. It’s on tap now, exclusively at the Brewtique for growler fills.

• For this year’s Earth Day (April 22nd), the Lion & Bright is once again celebrating with Spruce up the Planet!, a Big Spruce tap takeover. Doors open at 7 pm (the $7 charge will go to the Ecology Action Centre (EAC) to support their Ocean’s Week activities), and there will be live music from The Bluejam Grass Band, as well as “Love Letters to the Ocean”, hosted by Brave Space. For every pint purchased, an additional $1 will be donated to the EAC. Unfortunately, we don’t have a full tap list for you, but we’re pretty sure you won’t be disappointed with the selection!

• There’s yet another beer event planned for Fredericton from those behind the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival. Let Them Eat Cake… and Drink Beer will pair six different La Naufrageur beers (each pour is 8 oz) with six cake varieties from local bakery Fuller Confections. Scheduled for Saturday, April 25th at 2 pm at the King Street Ale House, it’s going to be a small event, with entry being limited to ten people. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased by sending an email. This is the first of several planned small-pairings; stay tuned for more in the near future!

• Now seems like a good time to mention that the fourth Burgers n’ Beer has been planned for Tuesday, June 9th, from 8:00 – 10:30 pm. Held once again at the uptown reLiSH location, this event is taking on a new twist, featuring an “Ales vs. Lagers” approach. Breweries are currently TBD, but count on six beers (8 oz pours) to be paired with six different reLiSH sliders. It’s a great way to kick off the two-week Fredericton Burger Battle (part of Eat New Brunswick), which begins on June 8th.(Tickets are $48 each, and are available online. We’ll have more info on the breweries participating, soon.

• Sea Level Brewing is bringing back their latest seasonal, Düssel-port Altbier. This “New World Alt” uses a recipe given to Brewmaster Randy Lawrence by a brewer friend from Brauerei im Füchschen, in Dusseldorf, home of the Alt style. This medium-bodied ale weighs in at 4.8% ABV. Lawrence used Saphir hops throughout, for an authentic bitterness. It is now available at the brewery in cans, growlers, and kegs, and on tap at the Port Pub and other locations shortly.

• Last month, Boxing Rock brewed up a collaboration brew with the Ladies Beer League: the Cinnamon Spin. While the poor weather kept the LBL crew away, they were there in spirit, and the crew visiting from Upstreet lent a hand in their stead. We now have some information on the beer, and the release details! The base beer is a Robust Porter, weighing in at 6.5% ABV. It featured some first wort hopping, and whole cinnamon sticks added during the boil. Now the important details: how can you taste it? The Ladies Beer League and Boxing Rock folks will be launching the beer April 18th at Bar Stillwell in Halifax. It is an open event, no tickets required, and pay as you enjoy, starting at 6pm. There will be a cask of the Cinnamon Spin tapped at 6:30, and the beer will also be available on tap. There will also be LBL swag and memberships available for purchase that evening. Stillwell will have exclusivity on the kegged beer, but there will be some bottles available at the B.R. brewery, Seaport and Alderney Farmers Markets, and the private beer stores in HRM. As the beer was brewed in celebration of International Women’s Day, there are two charities benefiting from sales of the beer: Halifax Sexual Health Center and Shelburne County Women’s Fishnet Bursary Program.

• And speaking of beer launches at Stillwell, the next Saturday, April 25th, will see the launch party of the third in the line of Propeller Brewing’s Lambic-style beers. This release will be different than the earlier two, in that there was no fruit added during the fermentation and maturation process (raspberries and blackberries were featured previously); this will be the straight wheat beer that was inoculated with wild yeast and bacteria and aged in Blomidon Estate oak barrels, to produce a unique beer not otherwise available in our region. Think of it as a 4.2% ABV Gueuze-style beer, though this will be an unblended 4-year old beer. As in previous releases, the beer will be available by the glass and in bottles (for consumption at the bar) beginning at noon. There will be a signup sheet on site for those who would like to purchase one bottle (and one bottle only) from Propeller the next day, ahead of the general sale on Monday. The last release was so popular that none of the beer made it to Monday, all was scooped up in pre-sales, and we imagine the same will happen again this time. More details on the beer can be seen in a previous post on the first release.

• Details for the Beerthief Ancient Ales tasting in St John’s are now available, being held at The Bella Vista, at 5pm Saturday, May 2nd. Dr. Patrick McGovern, a biomolecular archaeologist,  will be giving a presentation on the fieldwork and research required to develop the Dogfish Head Brewery for their Ancient Ales series. And through some local collaboration with local brewery Storm Brewing in Newfoundland, Brew Craft Homebrew Shop, Sap World, and gypsy brewers Chad Levesque and Stephen Canning, visitors will be able to enjoy two beers based on ancient recipes:  Levesque Midas Touch Collaborative Clone and Canning Kvasir Collaborative Clone. After the presentation and Q&A session, there will be a supper of lamb shank and flank steak paired by Chef Ian Smith. The tasting will continue with several selections from Garrison Brewing, led by Brewmaster Daniel Girard, and from Storm Brewing in Newfoundland, led by owner and brewer Mike McBride, for a full evening of beer, food and fun. Tickets for the event are $90, and are available by emailing Tom Beckett before April 29th.

Enjoy the weekend, and the (hopefully) warmer temps! While you are out and about this weekend, stop into the ANBL and fill up your growler with Petit-Sault Lancaster KB882 Amber Lager, Picaroons Historical Brown Ale (formerly known as 104th Regiment Ale), and/or (we vote and) Le Trou du Diable’s Dubai Pillee Imperial IPA. For the first time, all four fill ANBL filling stations will have the same three beers available. And for those of you in Fredericton, be sure to drop by Grimross to buy a pint and growler of Monk’s Choice, the name chosen from the submissions for their Abbey Ale. In Nova Scotia, Muwin Wines has received a loan from ACOA to expand distribution of Bulwark Cider to the UK, a massive Cider market. The extra funds will go towards additional equipment to expand production, and re-branding their bottled packaged product. Tickets for the Full House Beer Fest, the highlight of the CBANS Nova Scotia Craft Beer Week, are now officially sold out, though there is a waiting list available. Tickets for Beer & Beethoven (May 8th at the Halifax Forum), Science of Beer (May 14th at the Discovery Centre) and Brewer’s Brunch (May 17th at Stubborn Goat) are still available, however. We’ll be sharing details on more of the events in the coming weeks. Spindrift Brewing in Dartmouth has taken delivery of their brewhouse recently, and are busy setting it up and preparing for their first brew day in the coming weeks. And finally, in new more brewery news, Trestle Brewing is set to open in Truro in the fall. The brainchild of Alicia MacDonald and Sonja Mills, it will be located in the downtown area. We’ll share more details when available. And for those of you lucky enough to have tickets to tomorrow’s sold-out Saint John Beer Fest, enjoy the selection of craft beer! With even more breweries and beer than last year, it’s bound to be a great time as usual! And don’t miss their Hair of the Dog Brunch at the Saint John Ale House the next morning.