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Friday Wrap-up – News from Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet, Pump House, Picaroons, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-07-31
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Distillerie Fils du Roy, Fredericton Beer Run, Garrison Brewing, Half Cut Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, Ladies Beer League, Moncton Beer League, Picaroons, Pump House Brewery, Railcar Brewing, Seaport Beerfest, Sunset Heights Meadery, The Nook and Cranny, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, Beer Fans! The weather is finally improving around our parts, and we’ve got lots of hoppy news to go with it; let’s dive right in!

• Unfiltered Brewing opened earlier this week at 6041 North Street in Halifax. They currently have three beers pouring in their retail location, Hoppy Fingers APA (4.8% ABV and 25 IBUs), Exile on North Street IPA (6.5% ABV and 65 IBUs), and Twelve Years to Zion DIPA (8.0% ABV, 100+ IBUs). For those with celiac disease and other gluten sensitivities, their Exile on North Street was treated to reduce the gluten present in the final beer, and has been tested to be less than 5ppm. Their retail location is open 12-8pm Tuesday-Saturday, 12-6pm Sunday. And for those who are getting anxious to enjoy some pints of Unfiltered AT Unfiltered, fear not, work continues on their tap room adjacent to the brewery. Congratulations on the opening, to the entire Unfiltered Family!

• To celebrate next week’s upcoming annual International IPA Day (Thursday, August 6th), Upstreet will be releasing their first IPA. White Noize is being dubbed a “Wheat IPA” (think hoppy American Wheat Ale), as half of its grist is Wheat malt. Hopped with plenty of ‘C’ hops (including Centennial, Cascade, Chinook, and Columbus) to 70 IBUs, this 7% ABV ale should feature plenty of citrus and dank notes. Look for it to be released next Thursday at the brewery’s taproom for growler fills and pints; they’ll also have it on cask, along with their regular-release APA, Do-Gooder.

• Pump House Brewery in Moncton has released a new seasonal beer, Rose Hip Ale. This 4.5% ABV beer was brewed with rose hips, local to the region, with a distinct floral and citrus aroma, and full of vitamin C. Orange peel was also used in the brew to complement the hips. The colour is a golden copper tone, stemming from specialty malts and the orange colour of the rose hips – no artificial colourings were used. The beer will be available at both the the ANBL and NSLC shortly.

• Also new from Pump House this week, is Strawberry Wheat Ale. This is a limited-supply, “German-style, unfiltered wheat beer” that features “banana-like” esters, similar to your typical Hefeweizen. However, the beer also had an addition of over 40 kg of real strawberries, giving it a “lingering, strawberry-tart finish”, according to the brewery. Coming in at 5.2% ABV, it has a very low bitterness at 9 IBUs. You can find it on tap at the brewpub in Moncton, select beer bars and restaurants across NB and NS, and at the Dieppe ANBL growler station this weekend.

• There’s a new beer on tap from Picaroons at the Brewtique in Fredericton, which was just released yesterday. ESB-231 was brewed to celebrate the New Brunswick Day long weekend (starting… today!), and features all NB malts and hops. This Extra Special Bitter is “moderately-malty, and moderately-hopped” with both Cascade and Centennial. Recipe-wise, it’s actually quite similar to their regular-release Best Bitter, but aside from all-local ingredients, this batch was also dry-hopped in the fermentor. This quite-limited 6.2% ABV British-style ale will also be pouring at all four ANBL growler stations this weekend.

• While on the topic of the NB Day long weekend, let’s review what’s going on, beer-wise, in the province over the next few days! The James Joyce “18 Lines, 18 NB Breweries” event starts today at 3 pm, and it has actually been increased to 19 taps, as newcomer Half Cut released their first beer last Friday! No tickets for entry required, just be sure to show up over the weekend to try a plethora of NB-brewed beers! Keep in mind they’re also open on Sunday for this weekend. There’s still some tickets left for the 3rd annual Fredericton Beer Run; with 18 breweries pouring around 40 beers, cider, and mead after the running portion of the event, it’s the perfect way to exercise and indulge at the same time! Check out our previous post for more details. And to top it off, all four ANBL growler stations will feature NB-brewed beers, including Hammond River Covered Bridge ESB at the KV location, Railcar Grapefruit Pale Ale in Fredericton, and Fils du Roy Caraquet Flyer in Sackville, to name a few. Check the full list here.

• If you hadn’t pre-ordered tickets for the Sunset Heights Meadery Autumn Mead Release Party (being held Saturday, October 24th from 5-9 pm at the Crowne Plaza), good news! They will be releasing the few remaining tickets online this Sunday, starting at 9 am. The event features special-release meads, a “Local Harvest Meal”, a collectible glass, and the right to purchase up to 24 bottles of mead. Tickets are extremely limited (only seven remaining), so be sure to grab yours while you can!

• Over on the Rock, YellowBelly has a new beer on tap – Robert the Spruce is a Pale Ale that has been brewed with spruce tips. Golden-amber in color, it clocks in at 5.5% ABV. While having a calculated bitterness of only 28 IBUs, the perceived bitterness is actually much higher due to the use of the spruce tips, according to the brewery. Look for bottles of this one to be available at the brewery and select NLC stores by the end of next week.

• Garrison Brewing has a pair of new brews on at their Marginal Rd location these days. The first is Trop Yard Radler, a blend of their Hop Yard Pale Ale and with fresh lime and orange juice. Despite the low ABV (3.4%), the blend packs a punch of tropical fruit character and solid bitterness. It is available at the brewery for growler fills and on-site sampling. The second beer is called Fluffernutter. It is a special batch of their Nut Brown Ale, infused with marshmallows, which lend a slight sweetness to the beer, as well as their distinctive aroma and taste. The Fluffernutter is 5% ABV, and due to its limited availability, is only available for onsite consumption at the brewery. Get down there today for a taste before its all gone!

• The Nook and Cranny in Truro has brewed up a new beer. NovelTea Passionfruit Ale is based on their Wheat Ale, with some special additions. After fermentation, 22 litres of steeped Satya Tea blend Berry Bliss was added to the beer. It is a blend of dried chamomile, chicory root, hibiscus flowers, rose hips, and strawberries. In addition to the tea, puréed passion fruit is added to the beer for additional tart, bitter, and citrus characteristics. Look for the beer to be on tap shortly, for pints in the pub, and growlers to go.

• The brewery and beer list for next weekend’s Seaport Beerfest (Aug 7-8) was released this morning. They will be featuring plenty of Maritime, Quebec, Ontario, and Maine breweries, as well as several Irish breweries again this year. The extremely popular Cask Beer Pavillion will be making a return, with an expanded lineup. The Ladies Beer League will be operating that Pavillion, and the Fest and LBL will be donating to Adsum House. This year’s special guest is Gráinne Walsh of Metalman Brewing in Waterford, Ireland. If you haven’t already purchased your tickets, you are not too late! Tickets for all sessions are still available, including the Friday night VIP session, which includes a limited edition sampling glass and opener, participation in a Q&A session with a brewer’s panel, guided tasting of a few brews, and early access to the Fest. For those of you who like to travel in packs, tomorrow is the last day to take advantage of the group discount option, for groups of 15 or more. Email Joanne for more information.

• The Moncton Beer League is holding another beer and food pairing that features Nova Scotia beer, on Friday, August 28th from 7-10 pm. Early-bird tickets are on sale now until August 4th, and are $39 + fee. They also have some other events planned for the future, including an Oktoberfest event in the fall, and a group cruise next May. More on those events, soon!

Enjoy your weekend! And be sure to stock up on some locally-brewed IPAs for next Thursday!

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 Grimross, TrailWay, Big Axe, “Tasting NB” Event, North Brewing, Ladies Beer League, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-06-19
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 540 Kitchen & Bar, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Bulwark Cider, Garrison Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Lion & Bright, Local Source, North Brewing, NSLC, Propeller Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Wooden Monkey. Leave a Comment

Hooray, another Friday! Which means… hooray, more Atlantic Canadian beer news! Things have slowed down a bit this week, but there’s still plenty of beer-related items to tackle:

• After the release of their Maritime Pale Ale last month, Grimross has released a darker variation of the beer that they’re calling Maritime Amber Ale. Featuring a brand of Pale Malt (sourced from Quebec) with a darker colour (i.e. longer roast), the beer is amber-coloured and features more toffee flavours as a result. That’s not the only difference, however; while the Pale Ale was hopped relatively equally with both British and American varieties, the Amber Ale hopping is skewed more towards the British side, meaning less citrus and more earthiness in the aroma, and more of a “perceived hoppiness”. Like the Pale Ale, it’s still an easy-drinking beer at 5.6% ABV.

• Earlier this week, TrailWay welcomed back their D’Under Pale Ale, and as promised when they first released this beer in early May, the second iteration involves some slight changes. The first go-around, this light-coloured Pale Ale was hopped solely with Galaxy, a popular Australian variety; this time, another Australian hop, Ella, was thrown into the mix. Actually related to Galaxy (half-sister… no, we’re not kidding), Ella is known to be a bit more subtle, and offers floral, spice, and tropical notes when used. The beer still weighs in around 5.5% ABV, but the IBUs have been decreased slightly to around 35, with the high majority of those coming from a whirlpool hop addition at the end of the boil. It’s available on tap now at 540 Kitchen & Bar, and will likely be seen at all of their Fredericton accounts within a week. Make sure you get some of this delicious beer before it’s gone! Also note that their Black IPA, Black Hops One, has returned, and is on tap now at the King Street Ale House.

• Quickly following the successful launch of their on-site taproom, Big Axe has released a new beer: Lizzie Borden Red Ale is an appropriately-named Amber Ale that incorporates a “mixture of Crystal malts” and some Roasted malt to give a “significant malt and toffee aroma”, along with a slight, “roasted-grain finish”. Hopped lightly with English Goldings, it comes in at 5% ABV. You can find it at the brewery for pints and growler fills, and should be on tap at their various accounts in the near future.

• Sticking with New Brunswick beer news, a new festival has been announced for Fredericton this summer. On Saturday, July 11th, the first Tasting NB event will be held from 7 – 10 pm at the Capital Complex downtown. With the purpose of “bringing together New Brunswick craft alcohol producers of all varieties for the first time”, the festival will feature many (if not all) beer, cider, mead, and even wine producers in the province. The full list of participants has not been determined yet, but it looks like a great way to sample what New Brunswick has to offer this summer! Tickets are on sale now; they’re $55.99, and include unlimited 6 oz pours during the event. Afterwards, there will be an after party with live music and a NB Tap Takeover at Wilser’s Room; we’ll keep you updated on the festival as it nears. Get your tickets now!

• Halifax’s North Brewing has brewed up a special beer to celebrate Local Source‘s 10th Anniversary. Hang Ten is a refreshing and sessionable 4.5% ABV hybrid beer. Pilsner malt makes up most of the grain bill (with a touch of Crystal 15 for body), with Amarillo hops added to the mash, and a first wort hop addition of Columbus. Late hop additions in the boil feature Columbus again, along with Wakatu and Amarillo. Columbus and Wakatu were also used as a dry hop during lagering, along with a blast of sweet orange peel. The beer was fermented mid-temperature (between traditional lager and ale temperatures, hence the term “hybrid”), and then lagered for 3 weeks. The beer is being released at Local Source’s Who’s Your Farmer Dinner tomorrow (tickets are still available), a celebration of LS’s local farmers and producers. After the launch, it will be available on tap at Lion & Bright and North’s store.

• Speaking of Anniversaries, the Ladies Beer League is celebrating their Second Birthday with a party at the Wooden Monkey Dartmouth. Next Saturday, June 27th, they will be pouring casks from Big Spruce Brewing (Pump Le Mousse Grapefruit Wheat), Boxing Rock (Rule 42 English IPA), Garrison Brewing (TBD) and North Brewing (also TBD). The $25 ticket includes five 7 oz pours from the casks, along with pizza and cake. Tickets are available online now. They are currently only available to LBL Members (check out the details on becoming a member here), but will open up to the general public this afternoon. Attendees can also sign up for a membership that night, and pick up some LBL swag. And if you post a picture of yourself in your LBL shirt to their Facebook page, you could win one of their newly-designed shirts.

• Garrison Brewing has teamed up with their pals at Bulwark Cider to release a cider of their own! Brewhouse Cider is made from a blend of five Annapolis Valley apples, and weighs in at 5.8% ABV. Available at the brewery now for sampling and growler fills, and on tap at their licensees shortly, it may also be available in bottles in the future.

• The Rare Bird Pub in Guysborough has opened again for the season. While they brew on-site year-round for release on tap and the NSLC, their pub is only open in the warmer months. They are open daily 11:30-8pm at 80 Main Street, where their Full Steam Stout, Red Ale, Pale Ale, and seasonals can be enjoyed at the source. Look for their Spruce Ale to be re-released soon.

• Beginning next Friday, and for each and every Friday this summer, Big Spruce in Nyanza will host “Food Truck Friday”, where they’ll have have food, music, and of course beer at their brewery and tap room. To mark the occasion, the folks from Free Range Bio Farm in Cleveland, CB will drop by in their food truck. They will be serving their own on-farm raised and processed German-style Berkshire pork sausages, complete with sauerkraut and all the fixings. There will be live music, and of course Big Spruce’s beers, including the tapping of a special cask. Check Big Spruce’s Facebook event for more info, and subsequent weeks’ announcements.

• The NSLC has released their Year-End Report for 2014, and while overall beer sales fell by 1.2%, sales of NS Craft Beer sales grew by 25.4% (outpacing last year’s tremendous growth of 22%!). It now accounts for more than $5 Million is sales in the province. NS Cider also saw major growth, rising by 55% to $1.2M. Craft breweries in NS employ more than 300 people across the province, with more jobs coming soon with the new breweries coming online, and expansion for the successful current breweries. Congratulations and thanks to the NS Craft Brewers and Drinkers!

Have a fantastic weekend! If you’re in the Saint John area, Hammond River‘s DIPA, Too Hop to Handle, is back on tap, and Red Rover cider is now regularly pouring at The Barrel’s Head. The Gahan House has announced that they will be at this year’s Cavendish Beach Music Festival (July 10th-12th), with beer for sale, a pop-up restaurant, and beer and food demos. For those of you taking part in the MudCraft adventure race event next Sunday in Gore, good news, Propeller has brewed up a beer especially for you, MudCraft Brown Ale! And they will release their latest One Hit Wonder, Halifornia Common, today, weighing in at 5.2% ABV. As usual, on tap at their two locations for growler fills, and licensees, only.