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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Big Tide, Pump House, PEI Brewing, Red Rover, Picaroons, and lots more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-12-05
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia, Garrison Brewing, Horton Ridge Malt & Grain, Ironworks Distillery, Local Connections Halifax, Meander River Farm and Brewery, North Brewing, NS Craft Beer Week, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Red Rover Brewing, Saint John Beerfest, Tatamagouche Brewing. 1 comment

Happy Friday! As we enter the busy month of December, the breweries in Atlantic Canada are firing on all cylinders, as there is lots of beer news this week. Let’s get started…

• Big Tide has a new brew on tap at the brewpub: Gasworks Chocolate Honey Wheat was brewed for an event at the Saint John Free Public Library, “Beethoven, Books and Beer”. Brewer Wendy Papadopoulos was aiming to brew a beer that was “light and dark”, and warming and refreshing at the same time. So, she added honey to a light wheat ale base to hopefully give a creamier mouthfeel, and also added both Chocolate and Carafa malts to darken the beer and give some roastiness to the flavor. The IBUs are on the lower end, to keep the malt characters upfront. It clocks in at 5.5% ABV; get down to try it, as it won’t be around for long! They’ve also got another new beer in the works just in time for the holidays, Santa’s Chocolate Porter. More on that one, soon!

• Pump House has re-released their own take on the Winter Warmer style… a style which is becoming more and more popular for these colder months. Nor’Easter Winter Warmer is a strong ale at 7.5% ABV, and malty sweet, as the style calls for. The brewers spice the beer with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and lightly hop it to only 20 IBUs. It’s currently on tap at the brewpub in Moncton, and is also available for growler fills at the Dieppe ANBL store this week.

• Along with their first DIPA, 8 Cord, the PEI Brewing Co. also released another new beer yesterday! Ice Boat is the brewery’s Sydney Street Stout that has been aged in Tennessee whiskey barrels for three months (the barrels were rinsed before adding the beer, to temper the alcohol flavor and enhance the softening effects of the oak, according to head brewer Chris Long). Packaged in a limited number – 1000 – of 750 mL, wax-dipped bottles (they assure us the wax is easier to remove than in their Transmitter Stout!), it’s currently available at the brewery, and should hit PEILCC stores sometime next week. We also mentioned a Doppelbock last week; that beer has currently been put on hold, but don’t worry, they still plan on brewing it soon!

• In cider news, Red Rover has just released their newest product, Jingleberry. A semi-dry cider coming in at 7% ABV, it has wild blueberries added during the brewing process to give some tartness in the flavors. And if you’re looking to take home some Red Rover cider in a larger container than their usual 1 L flagons, they now have 5 L “Kitchen Party Kegs” for sale… they’re $64 (taxes included) and are refillable; available for purchase at the Ciderhouse. You can also find their products on tap at Sam Snead’s and Ten Resto in Fredericton, joining several other accounts in the city.

• With Christmas around the corner, it’s good news for Picaroons fans… they’re about ready to start their 12 Beers of Christmas! Starting next Friday, December 12th, they will be releasing a new holiday-themed beer every day at 4:00 pm (noon on Sundays) for 12 days, in growler form at the Brewtique. Like last year, there will be a 2 growler limit per person, and the day’s beer won’t be announced until noon on that day (through Facebook and Twitter). There may be a couple of brand new beers, according to the brewery; most will be re-releases of favorites over the last couple of years. These beers always go quickly, so if you want to grab some, make sure to show up early!

• If you don’t have plans for Saturday, Dec. 20th, we have a great idea for you! Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault is having a tap-takeover at Resto-Bar Le Deck in Edmundston. All 8 taps will be dedicated to Petit-Sault beers, four of which will be “One-Hit Wonders” that have never been released before! These new beers include La Dictée (IPA), La Winding Eddy (Vanilla Bourbon Porter), La Kedgwick (Lager), and La Mud Lake (Brown Ale). It all starts at 7:00 pm; admission is free.

• Tickets for the 2015 Saint John Beerfest are now on sale! The event will be held on Saturday, April 11th from 7:30 – 9:30 pm; general admission tickets are $60, with VIP tickets – which allow you entry to the festival half an hour early, and access to “limited quantity beer, food, and entertainment” are $70. We’ll have some more details on the breweries, beers, and food and entertainment options closer to the date.

• Propeller Brewing Co is at it again! They are releasing the second in their four-beer Lambic-style beer series in a couple of weeks. Their Blackberry beer will be released December 22nd at both the Dartmouth and Halifax breweries. This beer started out from the same batch of wort and young beer as the Framboise (and the two other beers to come), and then blackberries were added for a unique Nova Scotia twist on this Senne Valley traditional style. And much like their Framboise release in August, they will be holding a special event at Bar Stillwell on Saturday, December 20th. Beginning at noon, patrons can enjoy the new beer by the glass or bottle before it hits the shelves to the general public Monday morning. No tickets are necessary to drop by and enjoy the beer, and those who do will have the opportunity to sign up for a guaranteed bottle to be purchased at the Gottingen St location Sunday the 21st.

• Another busy week for Big Spruce Brewing in Nyanza, NS. Last weekend, the Second Annual Homebrew Competition judging took place, and Eric Gauthier’s American Wheat was crowned the best in show! Through stiff competition, Eric’s beer rose to the top, and he will be joining the Big Spruce crew for a brewday in a couple of weeks. His beer will then be released for the first time at the Local Connections Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration at the Halifax Club, January 15, 2015 (sorry, tickets are sold out, but you can sign up to the Wait List). Congratulations Eric, and finalists Keith and Jimmy! Last year’s Homebrew Competition winning beer, Tim’s Dirty American IPA, has made a return to the brewery and tap accounts this week, so be sure to grab it when you see it.

• And in more Big Spruce news, they are releasing a new beer today, an Imperial IPA, brewed with 100% imported German malts. Crazy Ivan weighs in at 8.2% and 108 IBUs, thanks to several different American hops. Due to the wicked amount of hops in the boil, the yield for this Bad Boy is quite low, at just over 500 litres, so don’t delay, and grab this insane beer today. And this is a warning to be on the lookout for Hoppuccino version 2, brewed this week. This version featured a special blend from Just Us! Coffee Roasters, roasted especially for this brew. The beer has more coffee added, and a lower ABV, so the flavour profile will really allow this new coffee blend to shine through.

• Boxing Rock Brewing Co has brought back their very popular U-889 Russian Imperial Stout, just in time for the colder days ahead. Weighing in at 8.89% ABV and 65 IBUs, this dark beer features a full body, and significant roast and chocolate character, benefitting from additions of organic, fair trade coffee from Just Us! and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans for a complex flavour and aroma profile. Available in 650 ml bottles at the private beer stores in HRM, at the Halifax Seaport Market both Friday (for the next three weeks) and Saturday, and at select bars on the South Shore and HRM.

• Tatamagouche Brewing Co had a busy week, with a beer re-release, a new beer style on the horizon, and some visitors to the brewery. They have re-released their Dreadnot IBA (India Black Ale) in 650 ml bottles (for the first time), as well as on tap around the province, and in growlers at the brewery. More details on the beer are available here. Details are light, but we spotted the Tata Crew adding some oysters to a new brew that will debut in early 2015, an Oyster Stout. We’ll be sure to pass along the specs when available, but we can say that it features both local Malagash hops and oysters. And the crew from Stubborn Goat Gastropub paid a visit to the brewery to help out with a collaboration that will be released in early 2015 as well. More details on that beer soon.

• And while we don’t yet have all of the details on Tata’s upcoming festive ale, we do have more information on the Holiday Brunch launch event, being held at Stillwell December 12th, put on in partnership with the Ladies Beer League. Chef Graeme Ruppel has prepared three special menu items for the event, Frittata, Strata and Purgatorio (full details at the link above). Tickets for the noon event are $25, which gets you a glass of the Tata holiday beer and food beginning at noon, before the standard 4pm Sunday opening time. Tickets are available online, and will sell out this weekend, so act fast!

• The North Brewing crew were working their new bottling system hard again this week, busy packaging their Barrel Aged Strong Dark Belgian. Aged in barrels from Glenora Distillery in Cape Breton for two months, the base beer features dark candy sugar and a long boil for dark fruit flavors and a full mouthfeel, that is only enhanced by the vanilla and whisky flavours and aromas picked up from the barrels. Available in 650 ml bottles at the brewery beginning today.

• Local glassware printer Jym Line received a shoutout in the Herald this week. Chances are good that if you’ve filled a growler, or drunk a beer from a logoed glass from a local brewery, you were using a Jym Line product. Check out the article for more insight into this local business.

• As drinkers, we include local beer in our diet, to support our vibrant community of local breweries. In turn, these breweries are increasing their use of local ingredients, grown or harvested in our region. Hop harvest season is a flurry of activity with breweries teaming up with local hop growers to share the best our land has to offer. Other ingredients just as critical to beer production are the grains and malt. While there are local grain producers, there are no commercial malting facilities in the Maritime Provinces. Though the barley for Maritime Malt is grown in our region, it is malted in Quebec. Enter Horton Ridge Malt & Grain Co, a new malt house, located in the Annapolis Valley, NS. President Alan Stewart has been growing certified organic produce in Nova Scotia for over 25 years, so is well aware of the unique character of the land and climate of this region. He wants to bring that passion to begin producing malt and grain for local breweries, distilleries, and homebrewers. To further his knowledge on the art and science of malting, Stewart trained at the Canadian Malt Barley Technical Centre in Winnipeg, completing the Malt Academy course. Plans are in place for the first malting to take place during the 2015 season, including three varieties of rye grown on-site. To involve the wider local community in this new venture, Horton Ridge has launched a Community Economic Development Investment Fund (or CEDIF). Stewart is holding an information session December 11, 2014, at the Wolfville Farmers Market, to learn more about the Malt House plans, and the CEDIF details. If interested in attending, be sure to RSVP. We wish Horton Ridge success, and look forward to tasting beers brewed with their malt soon!

• “The best laid plans of mice and men / Often go awry” … Garrison Brewing Company was to be releasing their much anticipated Spruce Beer today, but sadly some bottling line issues has delayed the release until next week. However, we’ll give you the details today, to get you in the mood. It was all hands on deck for over a dozen staff, family and friends of the brewery who visited Meander River Farm and Brewery, to harvest spruce and fir tips and boughs three weeks ago. A bit of snow fell as they collected the tips, making it all the more magical. Pale, dark crystal, roasted malt, and oat flakes were used in the mash, with Crosby’s Molasses from Saint John, NB added to the wort for additional body, aroma, and fermentable sugars, aiding the beer to reach the 7.5% ABV. To complement the aroma from the nearly 40 bags of boughs used, Citra hops brought the bitterness up to 25 IBUs. This year’s brew will be packaged in 650 ml bottles, just the right size for sharing with your favourite elf. And good news for beer drinkers, the distribution of the beer has now expanded into both New Brunswick and PEI, and will be sent to Manitoba and Alberta, as well. The Spruce Beer goes on sale at the brewery next Friday, the 12th, at 9am. We can also share that some of this year’s Spruce Beer will be aged in barrels that previously held Ironworks Distillery Rum, and that last year’s Barrel Aged Spruce Beer will be released before the New Year.

• May 11-17, 2015 will be the inaugural Nova Scotia Craft Beer Week! The Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia is hosting this week-long celebration of beer made in the Bluenose province. Events include Open Brewery Day, Tap Takeovers, Beer Dinners and more, capped off by the flagship event Saturday May 16th, the Full House Craft Beer Fest. The Fest will see beer poured by all members of the Association, all under one roof for the first time. There are two sessions of the fest, being held at the Olympic Community Centre, 12-3pm and 4-7pm. Tickets are now available at the Early Bird price of $22, which gets you in the door, a take-home glass, and your first 12 beer samples. After that, samples are only $1. This format allows for a more relaxed environment, without people rushing and overindulging, in the hopes of “getting their money’s worth” of a higher ticket price. Reasonably-priced food options will be available onsite, as well as musical entertainment and a pop-up shop with merchandise from the Association members. Grab your ticket now to avoid disappointment! We will be sharing details of the other NS Craft Beer Week events as they are released, but from what we’ve heard so far, we can assure you that there will be events across the province, and for beer lovers of all stripes.

Wow! Just when you think beer news is slowing down a bit, you get a week like this. Have a fantastic weekend! In addition to all of the new beers mentioned above, Granite Brewery‘s Darkside IPA is now available at their Beer Store for growler fills, so if you’re in Halifax, stop in to pick some up! And there’s some other new beers on the horizon that we weren’t able to get info on for this week… Big Axe has Chocolate Mint Stout and Wrath of Putin Imperial Pale Ale, both of which will be on tap at 540 Kitchen & Bar soon; BarNone announced that they’ve just brewed a Sweet Stout, La Vaca Loca; and Yellowbelly has their latest seasonal, Root Cellar, on tap now, with bottles following shortly. If you haven’t bought your tickets for the 2015 Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, don’t wait any longer… VIP tickets are gone, and general admission tickets are already over 50% sold out! Hell Bay has received a new 12 hL horizontal fermenter that will become their new (and bigger) mash tun, so expect more production from them in the near future. Finally, a big congratulations to Cam and Jenn at Schoolhouse Brewery, who welcomed the newest addition to the family/brewery – baby Claire – on Monday!

Friday Wrap-Up – News and Brews from Hammond River, Shiretown, Petit-Sault, TrailWay, Granite, Boxing Rock, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-11-21
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Bulwark Cider, Garrison Brewing, Granite Brewery, Hammond River Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Shiretown Beer, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. 3 comments

Happy Friday, everyone! Another hefty week of beer news for Atlantic Canada, so let’s get cracking…

• Last month, we mentioned that Hammond River was planning on brewing a Coconut Porter in the near future. Owner/brewer Shane Steeves has confirmed that he will be brewing this beer, Into the Dark, this coming Monday. A Robust Porter, the beer will have both toasted coconut and toasted cacao nibs added in secondary (after primary fermentation has completed); there may even be some local coffee added! The beer should come in at about 6.3% ABV and 38 IBUs; we’ll keep you updated on its progress. And don’t forget to swing by the KV ANBL this weekend, where Hammond River’s Red Coat India Red Ale is available for growler fills!

• Shiretown has a new one-off beer almost ready to be packaged: Hop Hash Strong Wheat Ale is hopped exclusively with… Hop Hash! This is a relatively new product composed of the sticky, resinous hop lupulin glands, supposedly giving lots of hop flavor without the bitterness. For this batch, the hash comes from Goldings hops grown at Southan Farms. Lots of Wheat malt goes into this 6.2% ABV beer (50% of the grist), along with 2 Row, Munich, Vienna, CaraMunich, and Toasted Wheat. The Hop Hash was used in three different additions during the boil. Due to the nature of the additions, the calculated IBUs aren’t known, but owner/brewer Derek Leslie has confirmed the bitterness is in the “medium” range. Look for it soon (probably next week) at the brewery for growler fills, and likely on tap shortly after at the King Street Ale House in Fredericton.

• In even more new beer news from New Brunswick, Les Brasseurs du Petit Sault will be releasing a one-off holiday beer next Wednesday, Nov 26th at noon, at the brewery for growler fills. The name is a secret for now; the brewery is currently dropping small clues in the form of a picture puzzle on Facebook and Twitter. The beer is described by the brewery as a “spiced winter ale” (think Winter Warmer); they’re keeping a few details secret for now, but we can confirm that it will come in at 7.3% ABV and 28 IBUs, and pour with a dark-brown body. “Spicy, and with a nice molasses aftertaste”, it sounds like a great beer for the holidays!

• As their opening date gets closer, the brewers at TrailWay Brewing have been testing out their new equipment with some test batches, including an American Pale Ale and American Stout. Recently, they brewed up something new, an Imperial Brown Ale named Grizzly Oak; as the name suggests, the beer will be aged on oak when fermentation is complete. Including Victory and Honey malt in the grist, it should clock in at around 7.5% ABV and 40 IBUs. While only a test batch now, hopefully we’ll see it on tap around Fredericton when the brewery officially opens; at the very least, this should be representative of future beers from Fredericton’s newest brewery!

• On to Nova Scotia! Granite Brewery is releasing a new beer soon, a Black IPA named Dark Side. Brewed with 2-r0w, Carastan and “Black malt”, the beer is hopped with East Kent Goldings and Cascade to 60 IBUs. It’s a stronger beer at 6.8%, and should be available by the first week of December at the latest, at the Beer Store for growler fills. It will follow afterwards on tap at select locations in Halifax.

• Speaking of Black IPAs, Boxing Rock is releasing a new beer today, The Darkness Cascadian Dark Ale. Brewed in the IPA style, with strong bitterness and fragrant hop characteristics, the CDA features a roast character from the dark malts used in the mash, also lending the signature ink-black colour. 2014-harvest Canadian-grown Centennial hops are featured in the dry-hop with Simcoe, both of which lend their characteristic citrus and piney flavour and aroma to the beer. The beer weighs in at 6.5% ABV and ~50 IBUs. Bottles are available at the brewery and the four private wine shops and Market, as well as on tap at better beer establishments. This was a one-off brew, so best to grab a bottle or pint when you see it!

• And good news for beer drinkers in New Brunswick: after a year of Boxing Rock’s great offerings being available only in Nova Scotia, they are now available on tap at a few bars in your province! Look for their beers on tap at Ducky’s Bar in Sackville, Marky’s Laundromat and Tide & Boar in Moncton, Lemongrass Thai and Peppers Pub in Saint John, and 540 Kitchen & Bar and King Street Ale House in Fredericton.

• Rockbottom Brewpub is releasing their newest seasonal tomorrow, Smoke and Mirrors. This is a classic Rauchbier, reminiscent of the iconic beer from Bamberg, Germany, Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen. Brewmaster Greg Nash used over 80% Beechwood-smoked malt, with Munich malt making up the rest of the grist, and Hallertauer Tradition hops used for a balancing bitterness. The result is a 5.3% ABV beer featuring both smoke and malt character, and a light 21 IBU bitterness. The beer hits the tap at opening at 4pm, and the RB kitchen will be serving grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches to pair with the beer.

• As promised last week, we have some more information on the Tatamagouche Brewing North Shore Lagered Ale. Weighing in at 4.7% ABV, the beer was lagered for 3 weeks before hitting the taps and bottling line. With that extra conditioning time, the beer has time to meld the light Pale Ale body with the hop bitterness and aroma, measured at 15 IBUs, thanks to Ahtanum and Hallertau Mittelfruh. And good news everyone, it is still available on tap in Halifax, as both Bar Stillwell and the Stubborn Goat received a reload this week.

• Tatamagouche also went through a small (but critical) expansion this week, adding capacity to their mash tun and kettle. The folks from Purity Stainless were in and chopped the top off of both vessels, and added 5 hl (500 litres) additional capacity to their 10hl brewhouse. And the Tata Crew wasted no time in testing out the system, and everything worked great! Staying true to their goal to not run out of their two core brand offerings, Hippie Dippie Pale Ale and Butcher Block Red, will now be that much easier thanks to this extra volume. It will also mean more access, and greater frequency, to special brews and one-offs, like a new one-off RR#2 Lager coming next week (brewed using their own Malagash-grown hops), and the return of their Dreadnot IBA, with the next batch hitting the taps in the first week of December.

• Rogues Roost Brewpub released their newest one-off beer last week, Double IPA. The 8% ABV, light-bodied ale features 2-Row, Wheat, Crystal, and Melanoidin malts, with Falconer’s Flight and Cascade hops throughout (including dry-hopping) for a massive hop aroma and assertive, but not punishing, bitterness. Notes of citrus and floral come to mind while sipping the beer. Assistant Brewer Jake Saunders took the reins with this beer, developing the recipe himself, and it is a beer to be proud of. Cheers!

• Garrison Brewing has released their newest seasonal, Winter Warmer, this week. Weighing in at 7% ABV and 20 IBUs, this beer is a great accompaniment to those cool nights we are experiencing in our region. 2-Row, Munich, Caramel and Chocolate malts make up the grist, with Brewer’s Gold hops used to balance the rich mouthfeel of the beer. Notes of cinnamon, clove, dark fruit and citrus are present. It is available now in 6-packs in Nova Scotia, and in 500ml bottles in New Brunswick. Last week, we spied the Garrison crew braving the weather and visiting Meander River Farm to pick Spruce tips and branches for their annual Spruce Beer. Look for that to be released in December, we’ll have all of the details then!

• We have more details to share on two ciders that are hitting shelves (and a few taps) in Nova Scotia these days, both from Bulwark. Bulwark Winter is 7.0% ABV, and is their Original Cider infused with Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger. It offers a fuller mouthfeel due to a slightly higher alcohol content. It can be enjoyed either chilled, or try warming it up to release even more of the great spice aromas. It has been on the shelves at the NSLC and private wine stores for a few weeks, and as it has been so successful, a second run will be released in the next two weeks. Bulwark Gold is 5.0% ABV, and is infused with honey and orchard fruit, for a subtle sweetness and notes of apricot or peach. The Gold will be hitting the NSLC shelves this weekend, and can be sampled at the Barrington St location Sunday 1-4pm. Both ciders, as well as their Original and Blush, use a blend of Macintosh, Golden Russet, Red Delicious, Honey Crisp and Spartan apples, all from Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.

In a promising final word this week, the ANBL growler program has expanded to their Sackville location. This week’s offerings will be Picaroons Winter Warmer, Muskoka Brewery Cream Ale, and Le Trou du Diable L’Amère Indienne (American IPA). And speaking of Muskoka, their Mad Tom IPA and Winter Beard Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout will soon be available in Nova Scotia, and they are holding a launch party at Stubborn Goat Wednesday (Nov 28, 6-8pm) to celebrate. Contact Lara to secure your spot.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from NB HopSpiel, Shiretown, Rockbottom, Petit Sault, Propeller, Sea Level, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-11-07
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Axe Brewery, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Burgers n' Beer, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, NB HopSpiel, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Sea Level Brewing, Shiretown Beer, TrailWay Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery. Leave a Comment

Hello, craft beer fans! After an extremely busy news week last week, things have quieted down a little. However, there’s still several things going on in the beer world in our region…

• Back in September, we alluded to NB HopSpiel, another beer event coming up early next year in Fredericton, from the creators of the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival. Well, we now have more details! An outdoor curling tournament featuring a beer garden, it will be held Feb. 6th & 7th, during the annual FROSTival winter festival. Held downtown in Officer’s Square, you’ll need to register in teams of four to participate. Friday night will feature an “Introduction to Outdoor Curling” from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, giving the opportunity to practice your skills and meet fellow curlers. On Saturday, the tournament will begin at 8:00 am and continue until the closing ceremonies at 4:30 pm; each team will play a minimum of two games. Of course, the beer garden will be there throughout the day (and will stay open until 8:00 pm), featuring NB craft beer, cider and mead from 5-6 breweries, with approximately 10 different products. Every contestant will receive beer tickets, with more available for purchase. There will also be other contests through the day, including “Best Dressed Team” and “Classic Snowsuit Contest”. What about food? Luckily, they will also be hosting the Fredericton Chili Challenge that day! Tickets will be approximately $65 each ($260 per team), and will go on sale December 1st; you can pre-register and hold your spot now, online. Stay tuned for more info as it becomes available!

• Shiretown has yet another new one-off beer available for growler fills at the brewery. A first impression of the name – Venezuelan Express Porter – would make you think “coffee”, but it actually refers to a type of crude oil produced in Venezuela at the time, that used to come into Dalhousie for the now-closed Dalhousie Generating Station, according to owner/brewer Derek Leslie. A dark beer that comes in at 5% ABV and 25 IBUs, it is brewed with an unidentified hop variety harvested from Letourneau Lane in Dalhousie that is thought to have been growing there for over a hundred years. You can also currently find the beer on tap at the King Street Ale House in Fredericton, for a very limited time only!

• Rockbottom Brewpub is looking for a head brewer. The very busy brewpub on Spring Garden Rd in Halifax has put out the call for a brewer with previous experience to step in and brew on their 8 bbl Electric-fired DME system. In addition to once-to-twice weekly brews, the successful candidate will be responsible for quality control, ingredient inventory and ordering, and staff training, and will be an all-around, one-person army in the brewhouse. They are looking to hire someone immediately, to train with current Brewmaster Greg Nash. Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume. And in case you were worried, dear reader, that Mr. Nash was getting out of the brewing business, or leaving our region, fear not! He is leaving to open, with partner Andrew Murphy, a new brewery in Halifax’s North End, named Unfiltered.

• The Amber Ale recently brewed by Brasseurs du Petit-Sault is now available. Named Louis XVII, it’s available for growler fills at the brewery now, and is also on tap at Frank’s Bar & Grill; it should also follow at Resto-Bar le Deck by this weekend, and hopefully in bottles by early 2015. And if you’re attending the Fredericton Poutine Festival tomorrow, it’ll be pouring there as well!

• Good news everyone! Propeller Brewing’s One-Hit Wonders are back! These one-off, draft and growler-only brews, come out of the Gottingen St location when space and timing allows. Today’s launch is Section 31 Pale Ale. Unfortunately, we don’t have any other information on the beer for today. In other Propeller news, be sure to read the article from Chronicle-Herald this week for some insight into the start of the brewery through founder/owner John Allen.

• Sea Level Brewing in Port Williams, NS marked the return of two darker brews this week: Crossing Muddy Waters Brown Ale and Port in the Storm Porter. The Brown Ale is a North American style, weighing in at 5.5% ABV, featuring chocolate malt profile with subtle hopping. The Porter features coffee and chocolate flavour and aroma, weighing in at 5% ABV, using English hops to balance the malt. Look for both beers on tap at the Port Pub and around the Valley and HRM, and growlers and cans at the brewery, and cans at the four private stores in HRM.

• Uncle Leo’s Brewery has a new seasonal beer that they recently brewed, a Sweet Stout (aka Cream Stout, or Milk Stout) named Uncle Leo’s Cream Stout. A delicious beer style that is brewed with lactose powder to provide a slight sweetness, and fuller body, it has an ABV of 5%, and 23 IBUs. Look for it to be released for growler fills at the brewery by next weekend; they’ll be brewing the beer until the end of December. Fans of their award-winning Vohs Weizenbier have no need to worry – it will return in May, 2015!

• As a follow-up to yesterday’s profile on TrailWay Brewing in Fredericton, they announced this morning that they have passed their inspections, and will be brewing their first test batch on their new brew system today! Congrats on the completion of one more step, Dan and Jake!

• It’s about four months away, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start getting excited about the 2015 Fredericton Craft Beer Festival! Tickets for the March 7th event will officially go on sale on Friday, November 28th at 10:00 am – the link should be on their Facebook page soon. Keep in mind that VIP tickets for last year’s event sold out in less than three hours, so remember this date! And keep an eye on their Facebook page and Twitter account close to ticket launch – they’ll be holding a contest to win two VIP tickets to the event.

• And speaking of the FCBF, they’re holding their third Burgers n’ Beer event later this month, on Thursday, Nov. 27th at 8:00 pm. While the brewery list has not yet been announced, it should be a tasty time (come on, just look at the title) as usual! As a switch, this time they’ll be offering ten different 4 oz beer samples, as opposed to their regular five 8 oz samples, paired with five reLiSH sliders. Tickets are available now; they’re $45 and available through the link above. As an added bonus, if you attend, you’ll have the chance to buy FCBF tickets a day early, with a 10% discount!

As for this weekend, want to get the first taste of Garrison Brewing’s Klingon Warnog Roggen Dunkel Ale? It is being released today at 3:30 at the brewery, and all sci-fi and beer fans are welcome! In case you can’t make it, it will be available at the brewery, all four private stores, and a limited number of bars and restaurants in HRM. If you are in Moncton, Fredericton, or Saint John, be sure to check out your local ANBL to see what’s pouring from the growler taps. In addition to some interesting beer from away (Brooklyn East India Pale Ale is pouring in both Dieppe and Saint John), local favourites Big Axe Shakesbeer Chocolate Oatmeal Stout and Picaroons Winter Warmer (Fredericton), and Pump House Pail Ale (Dieppe) are pouring. They will fill any 1.89 L growler, so you needn’t buy one of theirs (just be sure yours is clean, as they do not have the facilities there). And maybe we’ll see you at Fredericton Poutine Fest tomorrow night!