Gahan House Home Brewer’s Challenge

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Friday Wrap-Up – Brew News from Big Tide, Red Rover, Gahan, Celtic Knot, Rockbottom, Picaroons, North, Bad Apple, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-04-11
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Burgers n' Beer, Celtic Knot Brewing, Ducky's Bar, Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, King Street Ale House, Ladies Beer League, North Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, reLiSH, RockBottom Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar. 4 comments

Happy Friday, everyone! We don’t want to jinx anything, but it’s beginning to look more like spring in our region. To celebrate, grab a pint of beer (or coffee if your employer frowns on drinking on the job), and let’s get right to the beer news:

• In Saint John, Big Tide Brewing is pouring a new beer at their brewpub. The beer is Three Pages to the Wind, a “Whiskey Pale Ale”. Brewed with Pale Ale and Smoked malt, the beer is mildly hopped with both Cascade and Willamette hops, with whiskey added during the conditioning stage; it comes in at about 5.2% ABV. They’re also pouring a couple of returning beers, including Nut Brown, a 4.8% ABV Southern English Brown that employs some Chocolate malt, and Crasberry Cream Ale, a 5% ABV Cream Ale that has cranberry and raspberry juice added during conditioning.

• Red Rover Brewing is expanding their on-tap distribution in Fredericton, with their Summer Brew now available at the Grad House on the UNB campus, and Spring Brew on tap at Isaac’s Way. Of course, their Summer is also still available at the King Street Ale House. Owner/brewer Adam Clawson has also designed some new tap handles for their ciders, which have been 3D printed to give varying results for each of the three ciders they have available. Very cool!

• Gahan House in Charlottetown is hosting the finale of their Homebrewer’s Challenge tomorrow 2-4pm, and we’re all invited! Narrowed down from 16 entries to 5, the final judging will take place that afternoon, courtesy of a panel of six beer lovers, including current and former brewers from Gahan and PEI Brewing Company, judging these beers on Flavour Characteristics, Off Flavours, Appearance, General taste, Creativity and Overall balance. The brewers are hoping to win the big prize, having a chance to brew their beer on Gahan’s system, and have it served right at the bar! There will be live music and entertainment courtesy of Iain MacCarvill, and appetizers passed around. Of course, the full restaurant and bar will be open as well. Be sure to drop by and cheer on these well-deserving finalists (and all other entrants). Well done, all! We’ll be sure to pass along details of the event and winning beer next week.

• In other Gahan news, they released their Honey Brown Ale this week. It is a blend of the Sir John A’s Honey Wheat (featuring local PEI honey) and Iron Bridge Brown, and weighs in at 4.8%ABV. It will be available on tap and in bottles at the Gahan House Brewpub, the PEILCC and select ANBL locations.

• Good news, Sackville, NB! Your craft beer availability has taken a step up, as Celtic Knot beer will soon be on tap at Ducky’s. Management at Ducky’s has confirmed that they will be expanding their draught selection from 14 to 22 taps, with mostly local craft beer being served! Following this expansion (hopefully within the next 1-2 weeks), one or two taps will be devoted to Celtic Knot’s beers… other local nanobreweries are likely to be added in the near future.

• If you haven’t been visiting Rockbottom Brewpub for the Wednesday Firkins lately, you’ve been missing out! Over the past two weeks, Brewmaster Greg Nash has been serving up dry-hopped, cask-conditioned versions of his upcoming Thulsa Doom Double IPA, first with Simcoe, and more recently with Citra. Both of these were excellent beers, selling out that night. This base beer weighs in at 7.8%ABV, but there is no hint of alcohol at all, as it features a wonderful citrus and fruit hop aroma and flavour, calculated at 130 IBU, thanks to generous amounts of Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial and Chinook. The yeast used to ferment this brew is called Conan, and also gives off apricot and citrus characteristics. Look for it on tap the middle of next week! Brewmaster Nash also gave us a preview of next week’s Firkin: a SMaSH Lager, featuring Galaxy hops. Be sure to drop by right at 4pm, to be sure you don’t miss out!

• In other Rockbottom news, be sure to check out their Youtube channel, to get the inside scoop on upcoming specials, events, and beers. We see that a member of the Ladies Beer League dropped by this week to assist with the brewing (and cleaning) of an upcoming batch of Fathom IPA.

• Picaroons has officially announced plans for their Dooryard launch – it will be held on Earth Day, Tuesday April 22nd at the York St. Train Station in Fredericton. From 4:00 – 7:00 pm, they will be pouring samples of Dooryard, their spring/summer seasonal brewed with coriander and orange peel; there will also be wood-fired “Dough’yard” pizza from Real Food Connections and Speerville Flour Mill, and live entertainment with Earthbound Trio.

• In other Picaroons news, they’ve announced that they will be brewing a collaboration beer with Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery in the near future. While details on on the beer are currently being kept secret, we can confirm that the beer will be ready in time for the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards, which are being held May 29th-31st in Fredericton. Both Picaroons and Great Lakes have won the Brewery of the Year award in the past (2011 and 2013, respectively), so we’re naturally expecting great things from their collaboration!

• North Brewing’s Farmhouse  Ale is back again. Weighing in at 7.5%, it features a candied fruit aroma, and tart flavour, thanks to the combination of yeast choice, and wheat and raw sugar in the malt bill. Available at the brewery on Agricola Street, and will be on tap around the city shortly. Their second release of the Glenora-barrel-aged Strong Dark is down to the last few bottles, so be sure to drop by the brewery today to grab one!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse’s Russian Imperial Stout is back in stock in Somerset. Weighing in at 9%ABV, it is a big beer with big flavour, thanks to loads of roast malt and generous hopping. It is available in 1.89L and 750mL refillables, along with their American Pale Ale and Cider. Look out for the Barrel-aged RIS coming out at the end of the month, as well as a few more new brews. And a quick note for locals looking to have a pint of their APA at The Wick Pub in Berwick, they are now fully stocked. But be warned, their first keg was emptied in one night last week!

• Halifax Beer Fans: As if you didn’t need another excuse to visit Stillwell Beer Bar, they will be tapping three beers from Bellwoods Brewery Sunday at noon. Witchshark IIPA, Grizzly Beer American Brown Ale, and Farmhouse Classic. See you there!

• In celebration of the anniversary of Prohibition Repeal in New Brunswick, there’s a beer cocktail event being held at the King Street Ale House next Saturday, April 19th. From 3:00 – 5:00 pm, they will be mixing up a variety of beer and whisky cocktails “inspired by the drinks and era of prohibition”; tickets are priced accordingly at $19.27 and can be purchased online. No Tommy guns, please.

• A reminder that the Burgers n’ Beer event at reLiSH in Fredericton is this coming Tuesday, April 15th. There are a FEW tickets still available; remember, if you live in Fredericton, it’s your first chance to try Celtic Knot’s Dubh Loki (a Black IPA) and Hammond River‘s Red Coat India Red Ale! Not to mention some Red Rover cider and beer from Grimross Brewing… and burgers! More detail in our post here. Hope to see you there!

• Finally, be sure to drop by Stillwell Thursday evening, for the release of the Boxing Rock & Ladies Beer League beer, Alewife’s Revenge. The LBL crew visited Boxing Rock on March 15th and brewed up this beer featuring local cranberries and orange zest, and now it’s ready for prime time! Check out some pictures from the brewday to whet your appetite. If you can’t make it down for the release party, look for it in growlers and bottles at the brewery, Seaport Farmers Market, and the private wine stores in Halifax.

Friday Wrap-up – News and Brews from Fredericton Craft Beer Fest, Ladies Beer League, Lion & Bright, Uncle Leo’s, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-02-28
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Big Spruce Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Garrison 2013 Home Brew-Off Challenge, Garrison 2014 Home Brew-Off Challenge, Garrison Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Lion & Bright, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Stubborn Goat Gastropub, Uncle Leo's Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, everyone! Today also marks the last day of February. Wow, time flies when you’re having fun/beer! Lots of beer news for you this week, so let’s dive right in!

• As part of next weekend’s Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, there is a separate fundraiser going on, to benefit the Fest’s charity, Team Diabetes. Check out the Golden Growler Auction! There are only twenty of these snazzy Golden Growlers available, screenprinted with the list of breweries and suppliers attending the 2014 FCBF. To win one, you must put in your bid before 11:59PM on Friday, March 7th. The twenty highest bids will get a growler (sorry, not full, but it can be filled down the street at the Picaroons Brewtique), as well as a charitable donation receipt. What a no-brainer! If you’re not on Facebook, you can also submit your bids via Twitter and email. Right now, the minimum bid to win is somewhere around $30, so don’t be shy! Be sure to mention how many growlers you’d like, as you can bid in multiples, as well. If you won’t be able to pick up the growler at the Fest, they will make arrangements to get it to you.

• After a little break for the holidays and New Year, the Ladies Beer League is back with another great event! They will be hosting a screening of Beer Hunter: the movie, about the life of Michael Jackson, at Lion & Bright Cafe & Wine Bar in Halifax, 7pm March 25th. Your $15 movie ticket also gets you some tasty popcorn, and a pint of a special cask of Uncle Leo’s beer (unsure which of their beers it is, yet). Tickets are only available online, and in short supply, so buy yours today! The movie will actually be introduced and attended by some people who had the opportunity to meet and work with Michael during his career. Sounds like a great date night to me, and there will also be a limited number of copies of the film for sale after, for future viewings. As with all LBL events, everyone is welcome! And be sure to check out LBL’s new website, with an FAQ, and the future possibility of purchasing a membership, which will give discounts at local establishments.

• The Parcel of Rogues that Picaroons brewed up for the 25th Anniversary of the Lunar Rogue is back. This time, in addition to being on tap at the Rogue, it will also be available for growler fills at the Brewtique. And don’t forget, if you’re in the Fredericton area tomorrow (March 1), Picaroons is having the official launch of their Maple Cream Ale at the York St. Train Station, with free food, beer samples, and music, from 11 am – 3 pm.

• As their official launch date gets ever closer, the people over at Les Brasseurs du Petit Sault have started a countdown to opening, estimating at about 95 days. They’re making leeway in the process, as they’ve already chosen the names of their flagship beers (a Belgian Blonde and Witbier… no, they’re not revealing the names yet!), are testing brewing recipes at the NBCC in Grand-Sault, and preparing to have some tastings of their first batch within the next few weeks. Their building is also taking shape quite nicely, with their brewing equipment expected within a month.

• The Pump House Brewery in Moncton is looking to add to their brewing team! They’ve posted a job listing here, looking for someone to fill the position of Head Brewer and add to their brewing talent. Check out the link for the full job requirements; they are looking for someone with 5-15 years of brewing experience. If you’re interested in responding to the posting, you can send them an email.

• For those of you living on PEI who are entering the 1st Annual Homebrewer’s Challenge (we originally posted on the event here), those at the Gahan House have decided to change some of the dates in order to give homebrewers sufficient time to brew their beer. The registration deadline was last Friday, but those registered now have until 5:00 pm, Friday April 4th to pass in their six-pack to the Gahan House. The preliminary judging and other events noted in our post will then be held over the next week, with the judging of the top 5 entries taking place on Saturday, April 12th.

• Big Spruce Brewing in Nyanza is hosting a special guest brewer in the brewhouse today: Aaron Spinney, head brewer at Sawdust City, in Gravenhurst, ON. They are brewing a big Wheat IPA (You Spin Me White Round Wheat IPA), weighing in around 6.5-7% ABV and with 70 IBUs, and will have loads of dry hopping. The big wheat component will give a different mouthfeel and head from normal IPAs; the beer should be a great addition to the lineup. Aaron has some connections to the Bras d’Or Lake area, so brewing with Jeremy and crew at Big Spruce was a no-brainer! Be sure to follow along with the fun on Big Spruce’s and Aaron’s Twitter accounts for up-to-the-minute details.

• More great news for Big Spruce: In order to keep up with the growing demand for their beer both on and off Cape Breton Island, they got several fermentors and conditioning tanks on the way from DME in PEI. Two 10 bbl fermentors are scheduled to arrive within the next week, and a third will be through the doors shortly thereafter. And then in late spring, they will be adding two more conditioning tanks to the brewery. This will allow them to increase production by about 70%, in order to keep their head above water during the busy summer to come. This will mean some shuffling of things around the brewery, and construction of the Sprucetique, where visitors will be able to sit and enjoy a paddle of samples while deciding which to purchase in a growler, while enjoying their beautiful view of the Bras d’Or lake. All this after just one year of brewing and selling beer! Congrats to Jeremy and the Big Spruce crew, and thanks to you for drinking it!

• Another busy week at Garrison Brewing in Halifax, punctuated with a home brewing flavour: Last Saturday, the first round of judging was performed in this year’s Home Brew Off competition. Seventy-six homebrewed Weizens were judged by a panel of 10 BJCP-certified judges (acbbchris was among them), narrowing down the field to a top 13 best beers. This week, that lucky thirteen was further reduced down to a final four of beer awesomeness, by Brewmaster Daniel Girard and his crew. Those four beers will be further tasted and tested (again by certified judges), and the winning beer will be crowned the 2014 Home Brew Off Winner! 2013’s Home Brew Off winner, Peter Welton, was in the brewery for a long day Monday, in order to brew his Belgian Blonde. This beer will be released at the Gala event, March 13th. The beer name is a closely guarded secret (only revealed at the Gala), but we can tell you that the beer will weigh in at 7.5% ABV and 24 IBUs.

• The Stubborn Goat in Halifax is inviting Propeller Brewing for today’s Firkin Friday, and Propeller has answered the call with a cask of Black IPA, dry hopped with Simcoe! They brewed up a special batch of this beer specially for the Goat, and will be releasing a full batch in the spring, so be sure to grab a pint. As always, the casks are tapped at 4pm, and once it’s gone, it’s gone, so best to get there promptly.

• A quick reminder that Beerthief Offering #10 from Brooklyn Brewery closes Sunday, March 2nd. Check the full details here, but the quick summary is that members can order East India Pale Ale, Brooklyn Pennant, Local 1, Local 2 or Sorachi Ace beers, to be delivered at their local NLC. As always, contact Tom to place your order.

• In other Beerthief news, on Sunday March 16, there will be a combination tasting and presentation about their March 2015 River Cruise to the Netherlands and Belgium. There will be an assortment of excellent Belgian beers served (including Saison Dupont to start), and the presentation will go over the itinerary and beer specifics of the cruise. Mike Buhler will be part of the planning process of the cruise, and will be leading the tasting (both on the 16th, and during the cruise). Seating for the presentation/tasting is very limited, so reserve your spot with Tom today!

• Rogues Roost Brewpub in Halifax has released their latest seasonal, a Porter. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get all of the recipe details before press time, but we can assure you it will be worth a visit!

• And finally, coming back to the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, we’re having a contest for you to win two VIP tickets to the sold-out event! Starting today, take a picture of a beer brewed by any of the breweries that will be at the festival (check out the full list here), and tweet it or share it to the FCBF Facebook page, with the hashtag #FCBF14. The contest will run until next Thursday, March 6th, at 11:59 pm; the lucky winner will be announced in next week’s Friday Wrap-Up. Extra points for creativity! And if you already have tickets to the fest, feel free to still participate; the FCBF will refund the cost of your 2 VIP tickets if you win!

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

Friday Wrap-Up – New Beers and Old Favorites from Garrison and Picaroons, Gahan House Announces Homebrewer’s Challenge, and lots more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-02-14
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Antigonish Townhouse, Bad Apple Brewhouse, BarNone Brewing, Beerthief, Bridge Brewing, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Moncton Beer League, New Brunswick Homebrew Challenge, North Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Pump House Brewery, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Saint John Ale House, Stillwell Beer Bar, The Pub Magazine. 2 comments

Happy Friday and Valentine’s Day to everyone! We’ve got another busy week’s worth of beer news from our area, so grab a pint and your sweetie, and enjoy.

• Garrison Brewing is doing a special event/tasting today, and you can take part! You may have seen the flurry of #3447 or #TestBatch hashtags on Twitter, this is it: Brewmaster Daniel Girard is putting out a small batch of a new IPA, and they want you to give them feedback. From 4-5:30 today, the new beer will be available at Stillwell, Lion & Bright, HMCS King’s Wardroom and the brewery. Garrison crew will be sharing samples of the new beer, in order to get your feedback. Tracy Philippi of Garrison shared some recipe details with us: It clocks in at 51 IBUs and 6.5% ABV, and is a very tropical IPA with hops like Cascade & Citra. Be sure to drop by & let them know what you think! Psst… you could even win a prize for your feedback! The Test Batch will also be available in 650 ml bombers at their retail store, as well as the four private beer stores in HRM.

• Garrison brewer Kellye Robertson had a crazy idea for a Valentine’s Day beer, so the crew has brewed it up, and we all get to enjoy it: Love Potion #9. The base of this elixir is an amber ale (4.6% and 21 IBUs), but it is infused with cranberries & hibiscus, among other cheeky ingredients. It will also be available for growler fills at Garrison today, and will also appear on tap around Halifax (Kings Ward Room, Dalhousie Grad House, Mothers Pizza, Freeman’s Quinpool, Wooden Monkey (Halifax), Lion and Bright, Stillwell, Stubborn Goat and The Argyle).

• Good news for our Garrison fans on The Rock! Their Spruce Beer has hit the shelves across the province. Check out the NLC page for availability close to you. Tracy has let us know that this is only the first of many Garrison beers that they’ll be sending to Newfoundland, so keep your eyes and ears open for that, likely in the spring.

• Even more Garrison news, their very popular Grand Baltic Porter was brewed earlier this week. We don’t have all of the details yet, but previous years’ batches have weighed in around 9%, and the style is very rich with chocolate and roast characters. This is a bigger beer, so the turnaround is usually a bit longer, so the release will probably be early- to-mid-March.

• And finally in Garrison news, a final reminder that entries for the Home Brew-off are due Thursday, Feb 20th. As we’ve mentioned previously, there has been a big improvement to the judging, in that the first round of judging will be done by BJCP-certified judges, and every entrant will receive a full scoresheet back (rather than just the final four). The gala will be taking place March 13th at the brewery, where the top four beers will be sampled, and last year’s winning Belgian Blonde will be released. It’s always a great time!

• The winning beer brewed by Joe Goodine of Moncton for the 1st Annual New Brunswick Home-Brew Challenge will soon be on tap in Fredericton. This beer, a Standard/Ordinary Bitter, was selected out of 42 entries for the style as the winner at a gala at the King Street Ale House in December. Joe brewed the beer at Picaroons with their head brewer, Andrew Estabrooks. While details of the beer are slim, look for it on tap for growler fills at the Brewtique, and possibly at Marky’s Laundromat in Moncton. You can read more on the contest and gala in our previous post.

• Due to the popularity of the Ember Ale (a smoked Porter) brewed by Picaroons for the opening of the King Street Ale House last November, they’ve decided to brew the beer again! While it was originally for exclusive sale at the KSAH, it will be also be available on tap elsewhere, and at the Brewtique for growler fills.

• And, in other returning-beers-from-Picaroons news, look for their Maple Cream Ale to hit shelves/taps around March 1st. Keep following this blog for news on a launch party for that date; also, stay tuned to Picaroon’s Twitter feed for updates as well.

• Over in PEI, the Gahan House has decided to connect with local homebrewers by holding the 1st Annual Home Brewer’s Challenge. Residents of PEI that are 19 and older are invited to submit a home brewed beer of their own for a chance to brew a full-sized batch of their beer with brewmaster Trent Hayes, to be released on tap as a Gahan seasonal! The beer must be brewed as an all-grain beer (no kits or extract allowed), and the style “must complement the regular line-up of Gahan beers”. There is no charge to enter; just fill out the registration and recipe sheets provided, and send in a 6-pack of your beer to the Gahan House (125 Sydney St., Charlottetown) by 5:00 pm, Friday, March 21st. The judges (including Hayes, another brewer, and others TBD) will narrow the beers down to the top 5; these will then be tasted live on a local radio station over that next week, Monday to Friday, with a different beer featured each day. Finally, on Saturday at Gahan House, there will be a 2:00 pm tasting panel to select the winner. Entrants will be invited to join the event to watch the proceedings. If you want to sign up, send an email to gahan@murphysrestaurants.ca, and they’ll get the forms to you; the deadline to sign up is one week from today, Feb. 21st. Get brewing, Islanders!

• PEI’s other brewery has some news: Barnone Brewing is now offering a new growler for purchase to fill with their three regular beers. This Hydroflask growler is becoming quite popular; made of durable, food-grade stainless steel, it’s capable of keeping beer (and other liquids, of course) cold for up to 24 hours. It’s your typical 1.89 L (64 oz) growler size, and can be purchased for $50 at the brewery. Pick one up during their weekly growler night – Thursdays from 6-8 pm – and fill it with either the Summer Sessions, Pale Ale, or IPA.

• Speaking of Barnone, they’ve added a new account to their growing list in Charlottetown. The Olde Dublin Pub on Sydney Street will now be serving Barnone’s Pale Ale.

• The Antigonish Townhouse is going on hiatus for awhile – the brewpub is closing for a mid-winter break from Feb 17th to March 3rd. After allowing their staff this period of rejuvenation, they plan on being back better than ever, with fresh beer and food flowing! Check out their announcement here. Terry has brewed up a Northern English Brown for sale at the pub, to complement the Bitter, so be sure to try that next time you’re in.

• Bridge Brewing Co. in Halifax has recently changed their name to North Brewing Co. According to owner Peter Burbridge, this was done to avoid confusion with Bridge Brewing Co. in Vancouver, B.C.: “… we felt it was best to claim a name that was all our own. North is such a strong word with a lot of meaning for us. We brew and sell our beer in the North End of Halifax and we also have a strong sense of the direction we want to take North Brewing Company and so the word ‘North’ really resonates with us.” The brewery has graciously offered to exchange any Bridge merchandise for newer North merchandise; or, you can choose to keep the Bridge swag as collector’s items! The very popular brewery is currently undergoing an expansion… look for them to soon double and then quadruple their capacity!

• A few weeks ago, the crew from Stillwell Beer Bar made a visit to Bad Apple Brewing in Somerset, and brewed up a batch of beer with Brewmaster Jeff Saunders. A little birdie has told me the beer should be available starting this weekend, on tap only at Stillwell. You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled to their twitter feeds (@BadAppleBrewing and @BarStillwell), as you don’t want to miss this little stunner!

• Rogues Roost Brewpub in Halifax is getting ready to release a Bock in the next week or so. Brewer Jake gave us an insight into the recipe: It was brewed with a Munich malt base with a bit of Vienna; also Melanoidin, Cara 80, and a touch of Black malt. Bittered with mostly Tettnanger hops, O.G. 1.068 F.G. 1.016, for an ABV of 6.8%. Jake also let us know that he’s got a Pilsner in the works as well. It is a Czech Pils insofar as water and gravity (soft water with low mineral content, ABV around 4.5-5%) are concerned, but hopped using Hersbrucker (a German hop as opposed to Czech Saaz),  because, as Jake put it, “Hersbruckers are awesome”. Sounds like a good enough reason to us!

• The Beerthief Newfoundland and Labrador Artisanal and Craft Beer Club have published a Club Status Report this week, giving details on their membership base, current and upcoming beer offerings. With over 2400 all across Newfoundland and Labrador, they are having a measurable impact on the beers offered and available at the NLC. The province has recognized that the local beer lovers were being under-served, and by partnering with Mike and Tom of the Club, are making changes to the selection. We encourage you to read the report to get an idea of how YOU can influence the beer selection in your neck of the woods. Congratulations!

• Chris had a great time at the Saint John Ale House last night, celebrating the launch of Hammond River Brewing. Despite the poor weather, the restaurant was packed with folks trying (and then buying) Shane’s four beers. SJAH will have two Hammond River beers on permanently, and the beers can also be found at the Bourbon Quarter, The Barrel’s Head, and Shiretown Publicans. Shane was also featured in a few interviews this wee; go check them out for more information on HRB: SJAH TV, CBC Information Morning, CBC TV. Congratulations once again, Shane!

• The Moncton Beer League is having their first event at the Pump House Brewery (131 Mill Rd.) next Friday, Feb. 21st. The first meeting will include a brewery tour of the Pump House, followed by tasting samples of five beers on tap, plus a special barrel-aged or cask-conditioned beer brewed specifically for the League. Tickets can be bought in advance here for $15 per person, or purchased at the door for $20 when the event begins. It all begins at 7 pm, and should continue until 10 pm.

• And, to close things off, just a quick note to officially welcome The Pub Magazine – Atlantic Canadian Edition to the beer world! They’ve been very active over the past few months on Twitter and Facebook, but just published their first edition online a few days ago (and the magazine will be in your favourite pub and bar soon). We look forward to seeing what Troy and company do next!

That’s it for now, you bunch of romantics… see you next week!