Fredericton Craft Beer Festival

All posts tagged Fredericton Craft Beer Festival

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Boxing Rock, Propeller, Picaroons, Port City Beer Run, Fredericton Beer Run and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-02-06
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 540 Kitchen & Bar, Big Axe Brewery, Boxing Rock Brewing, Cicerone Certification Program, Fredericton Beer Run, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, Horton Ridge Malt & Grain, King Street Ale House, Ladies Beer League, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Port City Beer Run, Propeller Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Tide & Boar Gastropub. 1 comment

Happy Friday! Snow continues to fall, temperatures continue to drop… but luckily, the beer news in our region continues to flow in!

• Last weekend, Boxing Rock brewed up a new beer with a special guest – Andrew “Esty” Estabrooks, former head brewer at Picaroons. The Next Chapter is a Rye IPA brewed with New Brunswick-grown malt, and hopped with Columbus, Mosaic, and Simcoe. Coming in at 6.3% ABV, it will feature “rich spicy notes” from the rye malt, and a “great dank bitterness with a fruity middle, and dry, citrusy, piney finish” according to Boxing Rock head brewer Henry Pedro. This collaboration is going to be a special Boxing Rock release, as it’s not only their first IPA, but also their first beer intended for release only in New Brunswick! Lucky attendees of this year’s Fredericton Craft Beer Festival will be able to sample the beer, which will then have an exclusive tap at the King Street Ale House. In addition, right now the plan is for 650 mL bottles of the beer to be available through ANBL; it’s not confirmed yet, but let’s keep our fingers crossed!

• Don’t worry, Nova Scotia, Boxing Rock has a new beer for you, too! A Bohemian Pilsener, Wild Axe is brewed with all Saaz hops (a spicy and floral European variety), fermented cool in true lager fashion, and then aged cold to give the clean, balanced, crisp flavors expected of the style. Weighing in at 5.7% ABV, look for this one to be released on tap at the brewery and at better beer bars/restaurants in Nova Scotia today, and by next Wednesday in 650 mL bottles.

• Propeller has just released their newest One-Hit Wonder, and they couldn’t have timed it any better! 6 More Weeks is an Indian Brown Ale (aka hoppy American Brown, or Brown IPA) that is brewed with dark malts (including Chocolate, Roast, and Black Prinz) to give “a dash of roast character that adds a delicate creaminess”, and is hopped with Warrior, Centennial, Cascade and Ahtanum. These hop varieties lend an earthy, piney, and spicy hop character to the flavor and aroma, as well as “plenty of bitterness that doesn’t linger”. At 5.5% ABV and 82 IBUs, this dark brown beer can be found at both Prop Shop locations for growler fills, and on tap around the city. No groundhogs were harmed in the making of this beer.

• Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Picaroons will be re-releasing their Afterglow Aphrodisiac Ale. This 5% ABV, full-bodied dark beer is brewed with chocolate, cayenne, ginseng root, and liquorice root. Look for it on tap at the Brewtique for growler fills next week, and at several restaurants throughout Frederiction. Next week also marks the return of their Beer & Chocolate Dinners, which feature several chocolate-infused courses, each paired with a different Picaroons beer. Taking place on February 10th (7:00 pm) at 540 Kitchen & Bar and February 11th (6:30 pm) at Tide and Boar Gastropub, tickets are on sale through both locations now ($50 + tax/gratuity).

• Living in Saint John? Do you like to run, drink local beer, and support a good cause? Well the Port City Beer Run is for you! Being held on Saturday, May 30th at the Diamond Jubilee Cruise Terminal, the run will feature your choice of a 3, 5, or 10 km distance (route TBD); afterwards, there will be live music, food from three local restaurants, and beer! There are currently four breweries attending (Big Tide, Grimross, Hammond River, and Moosehead), with an additional 1-2 likely to be announced soon. Each brewery will have two types of beer; you’ll be able to enjoy 1-2 oz samples (to a maximum of 16 oz), and then a full pint of your favourite. Early-bird tickets are $50 and on sale now until April 30th; after that, tickets are $60 each. The price includes the run, food, entertainment and beer, and all funds go to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). The registration page isn’t up quite yet, so keep an eye on their Facebook account; you can also message them your name and email address to reserve a spot.

• We may as well take this opportunity to remind you that tickets are now on sale for the 3rd Annual Fredericton Beer Run! Held this summer on Monday, August 3rd (New Brunswick Day), the 4, 6, or 12 km run features plenty of local beer, cider and mead to be consumed after your hard work – fourteen 4 oz samples of about 30 brands, to be exact! Breweries haven’t been announced yet, but expect a mostly-NB-based turnout. Tickets are on sale now, and are $60 each (a Coach’s ticket can be purchased for $50; you must accompany a runner to buy this ticket).

• Rockbottom Brewpub will have three new beers hitting the taps in the next couple of weeks, starting with their Scottish Export, hitting the taps today. This beer is a Scottish malt-forward beer, with Oatmeal added to the recipe. The colour is Mahogany Red, with tan head and lacing. The beer is very malty, with caramel and toasted notes, reminiscent of stewed plums, and oatmeal raisin cookies. It weighs in at 5.5% ABV and 25 IBUs. They will be tapping a Double Chocolate Stout on February 11th, just in time for Valentine’s Day. A special day deserves a special beer, and this small batch delivers: Roast Barley and dark crystal malts are enhanced with Belgian dark chocolate and Peruvian Cacao nibs. The beer is served on a nitro tap, which will give the beer a very smooth and silky character This beer clocks in at 7.0% ABV and 50 IBUs. And the following Wednesday, February 18th, will see the return of the Wreckoning Russian Imperial Stout. It was awarded the Gold for Imperial Stout at the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards last fall, and we have heard that this is the last batch to be brewed, ever. This beer has incredible complexity, owing to the massive malt bill (the beer is 10.5% ABV and 100 IBUs), with notes of roast, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, cherries, caramel, and more. Don’t miss out on these beers, grab a pint at the ‘Bottom.

• Horton Ridge Malt & Grain Co. is holding an information session at The Wooden Monkey – Alderney Landing, February 11, 7-9 PM. They are in the middle of raising funds through the Community Economic Development Investment Funds (CEDIF) program to open a Malt House in the Annapolis Valley, and will be sharing the malting outlook and market in our region. They have invited local brewers to talk about using local malt and the benefits of a local malt house. Snacks and samples will be served.

• Speaking of malting, later in the month, on February 21st, the CCNB in Edmundston is hosting a day-long seminar, Regional Malts for a Regional Beer. Aimed at brewers, homebrewers, farmers and potential maltsters, the goal of the event is to open dialogue around producing, processing, and brewing with regional malts. From organizer Mike Doucette, “We will give the floor to Jean-Michel Degraux of MaltBroue, who will talk about the possibility of malt house franchises across Eastern Canada. We’ll also talk about the Biorefinery Technology Scale-up Center at CCNB, and the services we offer. I will give a short presentation on Barley field trials in eastern Canada. In the afternoon, Jean-Michel Degraux will give a presentation pertaining to malt varieties and brewing. There will then be a panel discussion around using local malts for brewing local beers. We hope to answer some questions and to extinguish some of the major concerns around using local malts for brewing.” Tickets are available online now, and should prove to be an informative day to those in the beer business.

• There are a couple of events happening in Halifax on February 14th to tie in with your love of beer, no date required! The Le Trou du Diable Tap Takeover Event at Bar Stillwell is almost sold out, however there are a handful of tickets left for the noon-3pm session. More than a twelve draft and bottled beers will make their Atlantic Canadian debut. Plus, visit and chat with the brewers, and grab some TdD schwag/swag. Email them to secure your spot. After that, head on by the Stubborn Goat, to take part in their Speed Dating event. The event kicks off at 6pm, and there will be prizes (plus lots of great local beer)! Check out the details here, and be sure to register with Evan before the 13th.

• The Ladies Beer League crew have another great event coming soon, a Charity Curling-Board Game-Dance Party… with Local Beer! On February 21st at 8pm, the LBL will be taking over the Mayflower Curling Club, and hosting curling lessons and giant games from the Board Room Game Cafe. And then a dance party, supported by CKDU. There will be local beer flowing, and the Food Wolf will be serving up their creations. Entry to the event is free, and all proceeds from the activities go to Stepping Stone.

• Big Axe has been brewing some new beers again, after their brief hiatus due to a much-needed vacation in December. First up is their Big Axe Blonde, a light-bodied, golden-colored ale. An easy-drinking style that is perfect for introducing craft beer to those who haven’t made the leap yet, this beer was “modestly hopped” with Cascade and Saaz, and showcases a smooth malt character; it comes in at 5.1% ABV. Next up is a Chocolate Orange Stout; this is their Shakesbeer Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (6.5% ABV), but with orange added to the boil. Both beers should be making their debut at 540 Kitchen & Bar this weekend, during Fredericton’s Winterfesthiver 2015. Big Axe has also tweaked their Double Bit IPA; according to brewer Peter Cole, the hop profile has been changed to give a “clean, crisp finish” to the beer.

• Homebrewer Jason McDougall visited Garrison Brewing yesterday, to brew up his 2014 Home Brew-Off-winning Hefeweizen on their system. No word on the exact recipe details quite yet, but we do know that it will be released at this year’s Brew-Off Gala, being held March 5th at the brewery. And a reminder to homebrewers, you must drop off your Robust Porter entries for this year’s competition by Thursday, February 12th.

• The Certified Cicerone® Exam is coming to Halifax, July 14th, at Bar Stillwell. While it might be five months away, it is never too early to get studying! We interviewed Mirella Amato (the first non-US resident to achieve Master Cicerone® status, and the person who will be administering the exam) and Mike Buhler (the first Certified Cicerone® in the Atlantic Provinces) previously about the program; their responses may help you decide whether the program is worth pursuing. For those interested, be sure to take the Certified Beer Server online exam, and then sign up for the exam. There is also a Facebook study group for Canadian Examinees.

Have a great weekend, and stay warm! TrailWay Brewing has added a new account in Fredericton, as their Whitney Coffee Stout (Kenyan) is now available on tap at the James Joyce Irish Pub. Petit-Sault‘s new Cappuccino Stout, Canon Franchetti, will be hitting all four ANBL growler stations next week, so make sure to drop the one closest to you and give it a try, if you haven’t already! And as a final note, if you’re looking to purchase some Hammond River swag, they now have an online store up and running; toques and glassware are currently available, with more merchandise being added soon!

Friday Wrap-Up – Beer News from TrailWay Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Hammond River, Antigonish Townhouse, Garrison and much more.

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-01-23
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Antigonish Townhouse, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Boxing Rock Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Full House Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, King Street Ale House, Ladies Beer League, New Brunswick Beer Tours, North Brewing, Premier Wines, Railcar Brewing, Rockhead Wine & Beer Market, TrailWay Brewing. 1 comment

Happy Friday everyone! Grab a mug of coffee, or pint of Coffee Porter, as we’ve got another dose of beer news for you today.

• After a very successful response to their first release of Session IPA, TrailWay Brewing has brewed up another batch that should be released sometime today, or later this weekend. This easy-drinking and low-ABV (~4.4%) beer is hopped a bit differently than the previous one, featuring both Centennial and Comet. They also plan on releasing an Oatmeal Stout this weekend or shortly thereafter; coming in at around 5% ABV, it features up to seven different grain varieties in the mash, including plenty of roasted barley and chocolate malts – giving the beer “intense” flavors – as well as a good portion of organic oats to bump up the body.

• Speaking of TrailWay, they also have a brand new beer that they will be releasing during next Sunday’s Superbowl party at the King Street Ale House. A currently-unnamed American IPA, it was brewed with lots of Comet, Amarillo, Centennial, and Cascade hops, with Comet and Cascade also being used in the dry-hop, to give the beer lots of fruity and citrusy hop aromas. There’s no charge to check out the Superbowl at the KSAH and try this new IPA; just drop in for a pint! They’ll also have happy hour on regional beers, and food specials. And for those of you lucky enough to have tickets for the sold-out New Brunswick Beer Tour next Saturday, you’ll probably be getting a sneak preview of TrailWay’s new IPA at the conclusion of the tour at KSAH!

• Railcar Brewing has re-released their SMaSH IPA, and while brewed with the same malt (2-row) and hop variety (Cascade) as before, a different yeast strain was used for fermentation, resulting in a hoppier-tasting beer, according to owner/brewer Mitch Biggar. This very pale ale comes in at 5% ABV and 85 IBUs, and won’t last long, so get to the brewery ASAP! Also, Mitch just brewed an “Orange Rye IPA”, featuring six different malts, Cascade and Goldings hops, and real orange peel in the boil. Weighing in at ~7.7% ABV and 66 IBUs, look for this one to appear for growler fills at the brewery, soon.

• Hammond River has announced the results of last Sunday’s judging of their 1st Annual Homebrew Competition: Mike Hebert and Jason Dobbelsteyn brewed the winning entry, and will get to brew a full-size batch of their Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer on the HR system with owner/brewer Shane Steeves today, to be released in the near future. Second and third place were awarded to Marc Melanson and Liam Walsh, respectively. Congratulations to the winners, and we’ll have more info on the winning beer soon! Steeves had this to say about the event, “I was pretty happy with the turnout and had a lot of fun organizing it. I’ll definitely open it to all of the Maritimes next year.” Good news to the rest of the region’s homebrewers. We’ll be releasing details on this when we have them.

• And while we’re on the topic on Hammond River, this is as good a time as any to mention that they’ve confirmed that they will be expanding some time in the future, likely to a 15 bbl (~17 hL) brewery (that’s 15-times larger than their current setup). While the expansion is still in the planning stages, we’re looking forward to having Hammond River beers more readily-available to the masses!

• As mentioned last week, Antigonish Townhouse will once again be featuring Double Pumped Fridays today. Today’s bonus beer, joining Terry’s Bitter on the hand pumps, is Terry’s English IPA. A traditional English IPA, with a focus on balanced bitterness and traditional English hop (earthy and floral, rather than citrus or resinous) and malt (caramel and biscuit) aroma and flavours. This light copper-coloured beer weighs in at 4.9% ABV, and 47 calculated IBUs from some Cascade early in the boil for bitterness, and more traditional English hops Fuggles and East Kent Golding used for flavour and aroma. Complementing the traditional recipe is the cask-conditioned character of the IPA (and Bitter), and the Townhouse’s hand pump helps to deliver the a perfect pint. The beer will be tapped at 4pm, and won’t last long!

• And while you visit the Townhouse, perhaps you can sign up for their Camino de Santiago-inspired communal dinner, being held January 27th. Traditional Spanish fare from regions along the Camino and Spanish wine will be served, as well as photos and lively conversation about the walk from several previous trekkers. Tickets are $35, and can be reserved by email or phone (02-863-2248).

• Garrison Brewing has announced that they will be releasing a Rum Barrel-aged version of their Spruce Beer next weekend. Their 2013 release aged for 12 months in Ironworks Distillery Rum Barrels, was bottled earlier this month, and will be released Saturday, January 31st. They are holding a special day to commemorate it, Cellar Saturday. Details are a little thin, but we do know that they will be opening up the cellar to allow purchase of some of their bigger beers, worthy of cellaring and storing for months or years. The night before, they are hosting a vertical tasting of Ol’ Fog Burner Barley Wine, where folks can try a few ounces of each of the 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015 releases, plus the 2011 Barrel-Aged release. Attendees will also be able to enjoy snacks, and have first dibs on the beers available in the cellar. There are just over a dozen tickets left, so contact Justin at the brewery (902-453-5343 x225) today to secure your spot.

• Boxing Rock has announced that they will be celebrating International Women’s Day (March 8th) by teaming up with the Ladies Beer League to brew up something special, with a portion of the proceeds going to two local charities. The base style has not yet been decided, and the brewsters are looking for your input! Vote here for your favourite style. Also a quick note that the LBL has made their memberships available online, in case you haven’t had a chance to attend one of their events. And look for a return of Boxing Rock’s The Darkness Cascadian Dark Ale in a few weeks, as they were brewing up another batch of this popular seasonal this week.

• In order to keep up with demand, North Brewing has installed more hardware at their Agricola Street location. They received a 13 hectolitre brite tank this week, and will be taking delivery of a 23 hectolitre fermentor in March. And keep an eye on their Twitter feed for a special one-off cask of cold-brewed coffee-infused Milk Stout to be served at Smiling Goat Coffeehouse & Cafe at Bishop’s Landing later this month.

• There are only a handful of tickets available for the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, March 7th at the Fredericton Convention Centre. Breweries from all over the Maritimes and Quebec and Ontario will be attending and pouring their wares. The festival has also secured discounted rooms at the Crowne Plaza immediately across the street, which will make for a very short trip to the next pub.

• And speaking of beer festivals, tickets for the Full House Craft Beer Fest being held May 16 as part of the NS Craft Beer Week are still available, but the second session (4-7pm) is almost sold out. At $25 for 12 samples (additional samples are just $1), this will be a great opportunity to try almost all of the breweries and brewpubs in Nova Scotia in one place at one time. We expect to have more info on the Week very shortly, and will share the details with you.

• rustik magazine wrote a feature on local breweries using local and innovative ingredients in their beers. Check out the article, featuring Tatamagouche Brewing, Bad Apple Brewhouse, and Professor Gordon McOuat of University of King’s College, who teaches a course entitled Brewing Science.
• Premier Wines & Spirits is moving! At the end of the month, they will be moving to a new location in the North End of Halifax, at the Sobeys at 2651 Windsor Street (at the corner of North Street). To lighten the amount of inventory they will be moving, they are having a sale on many of their beers, wines, and spirits. We contacted manager Anthony Wight for some details on the sale and move, and he was able to give us the inside scoop: local (Pump House Red six-packs) as well as Canadian (Trou du Diable Grivoise de Noel), American (Anderson Valley Brother David’s Double and Triple) and European (Buxton Special Pale Ale) beers are on sale for 10-20% off. And a bonus for anyone taking part in the moving sale, they will receive a coupon for 15% off at their new location. A new location also means a new name, Rockhead Wine & Beer Market. Premier will be closing Wednesday, January 28th, and RockHead will be open Thursday the 29th. In addition to a more convenient parking setup (ie, they have some!), the new location will be offering growler fills. Their growler station will have four beer on tap at a time, with a focus on Nova Scotia beer. They will be offering their own branded growler, but will also fill other breweries’ 1.89 litre growlers, provided they are clean!
Be sure to track down some tasty and local beers this weekend! Petit-Sault has just released their Amber Ale, Louis XVII, in bottles in NBLC stores across the province. Grimross has been ramping up production to attempt to keep up with the high demand for their beers at their new brewery, and has a couple of old favorites – Pugnatious Porter and Rye IPA – now on tap for pours and growler fills. Picaroons hinted earlier this week that they’ve brewed another test batch of beer on their Brewtique system; they’re keeping details under wraps for now, but their SS Cocoa Beware is available at all four ANBL growler-fill locations this week; as always, check the ANBL list to see what is pouring near you. Tatamagouche Brewing Co’s collaboration with Stubborn Goat Gastropub, Horns Over Hooves Double IPA, has been spotted in the wild; catch it at the Goat, Bar Stillwell and Lion & Bright.

Friday Wrap-up – News from North Brewing, PEI Brewing, BarNone, Tatamagouche Brewing, Grimross, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-11-28
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: A.W.O.L. Brewery, BarNone Brewing, Beerthief, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Grimross Brewing, Local Connections Halifax, Meander River Farm and Brewery, New Brunswick Beer Tours, North Brewing, Paddys Irish Brewpub, PEI Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Shiretown Beer, Sunset Heights Meadery, Tatamagouche Brewing, Wrought Iron Brewing Company. Leave a Comment

We may have had a few days of nasty weather, but that certainly hasn’t slowed down the brew news in our region! Stay warm with all of the details on the goings-on in our local beer world.

• North Brewing released a brand new beer late last week, Belgian Milk Stout. Brewed with 2-Row, Roasted Barley, Chocolate and De-bittered Chocolate malts, they also used lactose (milk sugar), for a bit of sweet character (lactose is not fermentable by most yeasts). Northern Brewer hops were used for bittering, and a light dose of Willamette was used late in the boil for aroma. A Belgian Stout yeast strain was used to ferment this first-in-the-region creation. The beer weighs in at 5.5% ABV, and will be available until spring in growlers, on tap, and in a North first, bottles! That’s right, North beers will now be available in 650 mL bottles from the private beer stores. The Milk Stout joins existing beers Strong Dark Belgian and Belgian IPA as the initial bottles available at Bishop’s Cellar and the other private stores. From a self-made 3-head counter pressure bottle filler, they are able to fill about 200 bottles in an hour, and are now using this gear to fill their 750 mL flip-top bottles. The benefit of using a counter-pressure filler is less foaming while filling, leading to less product loss, and better carbonation retention in the bottle.

• Last month, we reported on a new beer being brewed by PEI Brewing Co. after the lifting of the limit on ABV for beers brewed in the province. Well, 8 Cord is being canned today (473 mL), and the 8.5% ABV beer should be ready for purchase at the brewery by the end of this weekend. This is a limited-edition Imperial IPA, so make sure you get some before it’s gone! Keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter accounts for exact release details. And remember, this is only the beginning of high-ABV beer styles from PEI Brewing – they’ve just brewed a Doppelbock, a strong, malty German lager. More on that new beer next week!

• And in other high-ABV-beer news from the Island, BarNone Brewing has just released THEIR Imperial IPA, The Little DIPA. Co-owner/brewer Don Campbell is still being a bit secretive on details (we’re not sure if this new beer has similar hop varieties to BarNone’s IPA), but he has indicated that “the hop load is definitely bumped up quite a bit over the IPA“. With an ABV of approximately 8%, expect a hefty amount of hop aroma and flavor in this beer!

• On the other end of the spectrum, BarNone has also released another new beer, Orbit Session. Similar to the regularly-available Summer Sessions (at 4.8% ABV), this new beer features Orbit, a blend of New Zealand hop varieties. Part of the “Hops With a Difference” aroma breeding program, the hops are selected “on their unique aroma and flavor characteristics, and brewing quality”. Both the Orbit Session and Little DIPA were supposed to be released at last night’s weekly Growler Night; however, due to weather conditions, the event was cancelled. Look for both beers at the brewery next Thursday evening for growler and grunter (their new 32 oz bottles) fills.

• Tatamagouche Brewing Company has released another new beer this week, RR#2 Lager. It was brewed using only Crystal hops from their hop field on Rural Road #2 in Malagash. This 4.7% ABV beer was fermented as a lager, features a light body, and is very drinkable. It is available in growlers and kegs at the brewery, and in bottles at the brewery and Truro Farmers’ Market, and will be on tap at Stillwell, Obladee, and Stubborn Goat. Their North Shore Lagered Ale will also be making an appearance in 650 mL bottles, but for a limited time only. And once this beer is gone, it’s gone! We also have a little bit more information on their Festive Beer: it will be released in bottles and growlers at the brewery on Thursday, December 11th, and their Halifax launch will be a “Festive Brunch” at Stillwell on Sunday the 14th, in collaboration with the Ladies Beer League. We’ll share more details on the beer, and how to take part in the launch, as they become available.

• Grimross had their first brew day on their brand new 10 bbl (~11 hL) system earlier this week, at their new location at 600 Bishop Dr. in Fredericton. A Belgian Blond Ale was the lucky beer style to be brewed; look for it to be released sometime in mid-December in growlers and select bars/restaurants in the area, when we’ll have more details on the beer. Also, the retail area and tasting room of the brewery should be open before Christmas, and they’re hoping to have their canning line installed soon. Hopefully we’ll be seeing canned Belgian-style beers released early in the New Year!

• Paddys Irish Brewpub in the Annapolis Valley has released a brand new beer this week, the Tripel Tipple. This Belgian Tripel-style beer was brewed with Belgian Pale malt and sugar, with East Kent Goldings for bittering, and Saaz as later additions. A blend of Abbey and Saison yeasts were used to ferment the beer, and it finished at 7.75% ABV and 25 IBUs. This highly effervescent beer has a golden colour with slight yeast haze, and is sweet, smooth, and very easy drinking, with distinctive Belgian yeast characteristics. It is available at both the Kentville and Wolfville locations, and in growlers to go from either.

• A.W.O.L. Brewery continues to inch closer to opening in Riverview, New Brunswick. Owner/brewer Robert Black is expecting to secure some additional financing next month, and should be purchasing his brewery equipment in January. In the meantime, Black has been brewing a lot of test batches, including a Chocolate Mint Stout last week. In addition, one of Black’s other beers, DAG Red Ale (a sweet Amber Ale brewed with rye-soaked oak chips) finished in first place for Canada in the SJPORR Challenge 2014, an international homebrew competition, early in the fall. Don’t worry, we should get to try it eventually – Black has confirmed this will be his first commercially-available brew!

• If you missed out on the inaugural run of New Brunswick Beer Tours that was held at the beginning of this month, good news! They’ve announced that their next tour will take place on Saturday, January 31st. There’s no itinerary set yet (the first tour included visits to Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, Railcar, and Big Axe), but we’ll be sure to keep you updated when the schedule and tickets become available.

• Meander River’s latest in a line of special brews, Haymaker Imperial India Brown Ale, was released last night. Weighing in at 8.5% ABV, this big brown ale features 2-Row, Munich, Carapils, Caramel 120 and Midnight Wheat malts for a dark colour and coffee and black pepper finish. What makes this an “India” beer is the massive amount of hops used throughout the brewing process: Magnum, Cascade, Chinook and Centennial pushed the Meander River kettle to the limit with the sheer volume of hops in the boil. This beer really packs a punch! It launched on tap at Stillwell last night, and will also be available at Lion & Bright Café Wine Bar. Or, take a trip to Ashdale, and visit the farm today 4-6pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 11-5. The Honey Brown will also be available at the farm for growler fills.

• Propeller is releasing the newest beer in their One Hit Wonder series today. Vanilla Porter is a dark beer with a grist containing 2-row, Wheat, Crystal, Melanoidin, Munich, and Roast malts. Coming in at 5.7% ABV and 24 IBUs, it’s hopped with Willamette and Fuggles to add a bit of earthiness to the aroma/flavor. All-natural vanilla is added to the brew to provide a higher residual sweetness than their regular-release Porter. You can find it on tap at both retail locations for growler fills, and it will likely pop up on tap at select bars in Halifax soon.

• In the world of mead, Sunset Heights Meadery is releasing a new limited-edition seasonal today, at Isaac’s Way at 5:30 pm. The name and details are being kept secret for now, but they’ve told us that it “tastes like a Christmas dessert, and is named for how you might feel when wrapped up in front of the fire”. Look for it on tap sometime next week at their other accounts: 540 Kitchen & Bar, The Blue Door, and The Grad House at UNB.

• The Brewnettes and Beerthief Artisanal Beer Club in Newfoundland are hosting a By Women, for Women tasting of Charlevoix beer December 16th, at NLC Howley Estates. The guided tasting will focus on six beers from this Quebec brewery, and include light snacks. Tickets are $25 per person, and will sell out by the end of the weekend, so grab them today. More details, and updates, can be found on the Beerthief forums.

• A reminder to homebrewers that the Inaugural Beerthief Homebrew Competition is being held at the end of December. Full rules have been posted, so be sure to check them and enter. For this first year, BJCP styles 13A. Dry Stout and 14B. American IPA are the focus. Beer must be dropped off in St John’s between Dec 10-15, with the judging taking place the next week.

• Tickets for the Local Connections Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration are just about gone, so be sure to grab yours now to avoid disappointment. The popular event returns to the Halifax Club January 15th, 2015, and will see beer from 14 different Beer and Cider producers from Nova Scotia. As in previous Local Connections events held at the Halifax Club, each of the Seven Rooms will have a theme, and will feature both beer and food. Updates are being posted to their Facebook page with a description of the rooms, and we can say that this will be the inaugural event for the new Wrought Iron Brewing Company, a new brewery opening in Halifax. Tickets for the Celebration are available online.

• Due to this week’s storm, the third Burgers n’ Beer event scheduled for last night had to be cancelled. Don’t fret, though, it has been rescheduled for Tuesday, December 9th, from 8:00 – 10:30 pm. And if you weren’t able to make the original date, good news… there’s still a few tickets left for purchase!

We hope you have a fantastic weekend! While out and about, why not stop by Brasseurs du Petit-Sault in Edmundston – their new dark seasonal beer, La Buckdjeuve, is now available! Or swing by Shiretown if you’re in their area – they are hosting a tasting this evening at the Heron’s Nest Cottages at 7pm, and will have several beers available, including the re-release of their IPA, Hops on for Nowhere. And don’t forget that the 2015 Fredericton Craft Beer Festival tickets went on sale today at 10:00 am… remember, last year’s VIP tickets sold out in 3 hours, so get on it! And today is Canadian Beer Day, so be sure to celebrate with a bottle or pint of something local.