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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Picaroons, Petit-Sault, Gahan House, Rockbottom, Shiretown, Hell Bay, Propeller and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-08-29
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Acadie-Broue, Big Spruce Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Garrison Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Ladies Beer League, OktoberFest des Acadiens, PEI BeerFest, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar. Leave a Comment

Good morning! As August comes to an end and the long weekend begins, beer news in our region has slowed down… but only slightly. Let’s get right into what’s going on in our region!

• Picaroons is releasing a new beer next week, their first Double IPA! Selection Double IPA is brewed with no less than seven hop varieties: Pride of Ringwood, Bramling Cross, Cascade, Orbit, Galaxy, Sorachi Ace, and Slovenian. Coming in at around 80 IBUs and 7.9% ABV, this new beer will be released next Thursday, Sept. 4th for growler fills only, at the Brewtique when it opens. It will also be a part of the ANBL pilot program for growler fills; no word yet if this will be at all three ANBL stores participating in the program, or just the Prospect Street location.

• Distribution for Brasseurs du Petit-Sault is expanding, as one of their two inaugural beers, Tante Blanche (a Witbier) is now available at ANBL stores in Fredericton (York St. location), Dieppe (Régis St.), and Moncton (Vaughn Harvey Blvd.). Also, their Belgian Blonde, Bob LeBoeuf, should be following at the same locations sometime next week. Look for both beers to continue to make their way across the province; we’ll be sure to keep you updated as to their availability.

• Speaking of Petit-Sault, they’re currently hiring for the position of Sales and Marketing Rep. Are you in good physical shape, bilingual (a must for the position), and want to hang out with a very friendly staff (we can attest to this)? Well, now’s your chance! The position includes ordering, promotional events, ongoing relationships with bars/restaurants and ANBL stores, making deliveries, rotating inventory, etc. If you’re interested, send your resume to them via email, no later than September 5th. More info on the position is available here.

• And while on the topic of job-hunting, Garrison is also looking to fill some part-time positions at their retail store and promotional events in Halifax. If you’re hard-working and enthusiastic (read: love craft beer), send a resume via email to Jeff Green ASAP.

• With the grand opening of the new Gahan House location on the Halifax waterfront approaching, the Ladies Beer League is holding a special sneak peek on Monday, Sept. 8th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. During this time, ticket-holders will be given a “Beer 101” and introduction to Gahan’s expansion to Halifax. They will then be led through a guided tasting of 10 different Gahan/PEI Brewing Co. beers by brewmaster Karen Allen. Tours of the new brewery will also be offered, and attendees are encouraged to stick around after to order food and more beer. The beer will be a combination of unique offerings brewed onsite by Allen, as well as those in the PEI Brewing lineup. Only 30 spots were available, and they sold out within 24 hours (sorry)! We understand this is just the beginning of an enduring relationship between the Ladies Beer League and Gahan, and we can look forward to a beer dinner this winter, as well as other exciting events from the LBL this fall. Keep an eye on their Events page for more details.

• Shiretown has another beer hitting shelves at the ANBL this week. Big Brown Ale has been available on tap at certain bars/restaurants across the province, and on tap for growler fills at the brewery, and is now joining Blonde du Quai and Siren’s T’Ale in 500 ml bottles. As usual, it should be hitting stores in the Charlo area first, but will spread to other outlets in the very near future.

• Rockbottom Brewpub in Halifax is releasing their latest new beer today, Rhubarb π. This beer weighs in at 4.6% and very low IBUs (from East Kent Golding), but the highlight here is the sour character imparted by the choice of Lactobacillus bacteria as the fermenting workhorse, which produces lactic acid for an acidic and tart flavour, hence the rhubarb name. Grab a pint of it at the ‘bottom today! This is the second lacto sour done by brewer Greg Nash, the first being last year’s Synaptic Illusion.

• Hell Bay Brewing has sent the final few kegs of their new India Brown Ale to Bar Stillwell for the city folks to enjoy (the rest was sold to thirsty locals in the Liverpool region). The beer is sweet and malty upfront, and leads to hints of rum and molasses with a dry finish, and weighs in at 6.5% and 45 IBUs.  Brewer Mark Baillie tells us that the next version of the R.I.P.(A.) will be out soon, and will make its debut in bottles for the first time (will also be available in kegs and growlers, as were previous versions). We’ll have more recipe details closer to the release.

• It’s Hop Harvest Time in our region! While several breweries in the Atlantic Provinces will be brewing up Wet Hop beers in the next couple of weeks, we believe the first to do so was Big Spruce in Nyanza. With help from some volunteers, they picked their own farm-grown Magnum, Cascade and Mt Hood hops, and brewed up Hoppily Remarried earlier this week. While the IBUs are not available, they used enough hops to get them into Imperial IPA range, with an expected ABV of 8.4%. Look for this beer at the brewery and select tap accounts in September.

• Propeller Brewing has released another One-Hit Wonder, the Cluster Bomb IPA. It weighs in at 7.1% ABV and 64 IBUs, thanks to a ton of Cluster hop in the brew. And what a great Lambic launch event at Stillwell last week! The Framboise Lambic was a big hit, and after selling out at Stillwell, the beer sold like hotcakes on Monday at both the Halifax and Dartmouth locations. Look for the other beer in the Lambic series in the coming months, including a blackberry, cherry, and non-fruited version.

• This weekend, the fifth annual Oktoberfest des Acadiens is being held in the village of Bertrand, NB. Starting yesterday and continuing through to Sunday, activities include Bavarian music and dancing, live entertainment, games, and of course, beer! There will be several beer tastings throughout the weekend, including two by Acadie-Broue owner/brewer Patrice Godin (these were by reservation only). Tickets and passes are still available online through their website.

• Our contest to win two tickets to the PEI Beer Festival next weekend has come to an end, and the winner is… Derek Stapleton! Congratulations, Derek! Contact us as soon as possible and let us know which of the three sessions you’d prefer to attend, and we’ll hook you up with the tickets. Since our post last week, they have announced After-Parties for both Friday and Saturday nights. Drop by Fishbones Oyster Bar for more food, drink, and music (Friday: In-Flight Safety + Coyote, Saturday: The North Lakes + Wildcat). Entry is $8 with your Beer Fest mug, $10 without. More details here.

Friday Wrap-Up – News and New Beers from Gahan House, Big Spruce, Picaroons, Meander River, Grimross, Propeller and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-08-08
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Fredericton Beer Run, Big Spruce Brewing, Craig Pinhey, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Garrison Brewing, Greg Nash, Grimross Brewing, King Street Ale House, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, YellowBelly Brewery. 5 comments

Happy Friday everyone! Let’s kick your weekend off right with lots of new beers, and some special announcements!

• Announced last Friday, just after the Wrap-Up went out, Gahan House in Charlottetown is expanding to the Halifax Waterfront. They are moving into the former site of the Hart & Thistle, and aim to be open at the end of September. They were holding an open call for Hosts, Servers, Bartenders, Line Cooks and Management today from 10-12, and we expect there to be more shortly. PEI Beer Guy has a summary of his thoughts on the matter, and we hope to have some more information on the brewing side of things soon. CBC News has also picked up the story.

• Big Spruce Brewing in Nyanza has had a busy week! They have finished off their outdoor tasting room, which is now open to enjoy a few samples of their wares onsite. They have also released Pump Le Mousse, a grapefruit wheat. It weighs in at 5.4% ABV and 23 IBUs, fermented quite dry. The zest of 40 organic grapefruit was used in the last 5 minutes of the boil for a real citrus punch. Look for it in growlers and samples at the brewery, and on tap at your favourite joint soon (confirmed accounts tap are Stillwell, Stubborn Goat, Governor’s and Lion & Bright). And, as we mentioned yesterday in the Seaport Beerfest post, their Tip of the Spear Black Spruce IPA will be making its Halifax debut at the Fest, and also on tap at the brewery and better beer bars very soon.

• In more Big Spruce news, they brewed up an International Coffee Conspiracy this week with help from Bryan Druhan of Phillips Brewing (Victoria, BC) and Cafe Milagro (Costa Rica). The as-of-now unnamed beer will weigh in at 6.4% ABV and about 70 IBUs, with loads of late addition Simcoe and Chinook. They used whole bean coffee in muslin bags for last 5 mins of boil, and will add a second infusion of coffee as a cold extraction in the tank post fermentation, in addition to dry-hopping it heavily. The beer will be out at the end of August, and will be on at the brewery and Stillwell.

• Picaroons has released a pair of new beers this week. Firstly, a brand new beer to celebrate Fredericton Pride week is being released today. Pride Sally Pride is a 4.5% ABV pale ale brewed with Amarillo hops and natural apricot flavouring, for a great fruit nose and flavour. Look for it at the brewery, and on tap at select bars and restaurants in downtown Fredericton. And be sure to check out the flag raising today at noon at City Hall, and the parade Sunday afternoon through the downtown core.

• Picaroons has also brought back their 506 Logger this week. This Kolsch-style beer is crisp, light and refreshing, and weighs in at 4.5% ABV. Look for it at the Brewtique and on tap around the city.

• Meander River Farm and Brewery has released their second offering, Honey Brown. This 5.2% ABV beer was brewed with toasted malts and local Cosman & Whidden honey. It features notes of coffee, toffee and a smooth honey finish. Stop by the farm today 4-7pm or Saturday and Sunday 11-5 for a taste and growler fill while it lasts!

• Grimross Brewing has released a very special beer this week, Chantelope. This beer was fermented solely using Brettanomyces bruxellensis yeast, possibly the first commercial 100% Brett beer in Atlantic Canada. This yeast is found naturally occurring in the Senne valley near Brussels, and is a key player in the musty or horse-blanket aromas that are found in Lambic beers. The 6.7% ABV beer started out from a similar grain bill as their Cheval D’Or (with pilsner, rye and wheat malts), and lightly hopped to 20 IBU with Amarillo, Tettnang and Saaz. From brewer Stephen Dixon, “We let the temperature go as high as it wanted to see what compounds our Brett would produce. It has a little less pineapple than expected, but with slightly more phenols, the taste is quite pleasant. It has a slightly musty and rustic nose, not quite barnyard, but close… think flowers, wheat and straw, with a horse over in the corner;-) We’ll call her Gertrude. The taste reminds me of some of our Belgian Farmhouse ales, but with a very slight tart lemon in the background. The hops are subdued and play a supporting role to the yeast and grain. Overall, this beer is not an extreme beer with a good balance with the ABV well hidden. I can imagine having this beer on the deck with pasta and pesto with Manchego cheese.” Sounds great to us! Grab a bottle or two at the Picaroons Brewtique at 422 Queen Street, and look for it on tap at better establishments downtown.

• In more exciting traditional Belgian beer news, Propeller Brewing is starting to release their Lambic-style beers. Brewed over three years ago, Propeller Framboise is an ode to the raspberry lambics made very popular by Cantillon and other breweries in the Senne valley. Keeping in that tradition, the grist used unmalted wheat, and only aged hops were added to the boil (used for their preservation characteristics, rather than bitterness or aroma). The beer was fermented using Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus & Pediococcus, and aged in Blomidon Estate oak barrels for a couple of years, with whole raspberries added. After a year in bottles to further condition and generate high carbonation, the beer is 4.2% ABV, and now ready to be released. Expect a tart, musty and fruit-filled effervescent  beer, it is very special indeed! On August 23rd, Stillwell will be the scene for the launch of this very special beer, years in the making. The beer will be available by the glass or bottle, and they are commissioning a special glass to honour the event. No tickets are necessary to attend, simply show up any time after noon to have a try of the beer. And beginning on Monday the 25th, an extremely limited number of bottles will be available at both Propeller brewery locations to enjoy and age in your own cellar.

• Red Rover Cider will now be attending Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market on Saturdays! Starting tomorrow, August 9, they will be set up at the market to allow for flagon purchase and exchange, 7am – 1pm. Unfortunately, due to liquor laws, no tasting is allowed at the market. With the increased exposure at the market, they have changed the hours for their storefront at Red’s Ciderhouse, and it will be open Thursday 4-8pm and Friday 2-8pm.

• Brewmaster Greg Nash is holding his annual Nashfest at the Rockbottom Brewpub this weekend. It marks the return of Thulsa Doom Double IPA, back bigger and stronger than ever! This hop bomb weighs in at 8.8 % ABV (up from 7.8% in version 1.0), and features 6.8 pounds of hops per barrel of Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial, Chinook, and Summit. It is being tapped today at 5pm. Joining the Thulsa Doom are some returning champions Balticus Smoked Baltic Porter, Insidious India Black Ale, Wreckoning RIS (2014 Gold for Imperial Stout in Canada), and Barrel-Aged Wreckoning RIS. The fun kicks off at 5pm this evening, with the special beers rotating in the lineup as the Nashty One sees fit (check their twitter feed for tapping details). They join the Bloodletter Belgian IPA, Fathom IPA, Jacktar Stout, Deadwood Wheat and Big Water Brown.

• The King Street Ale House is hosting a beer and cheese tasting this Saturday, 3-5pm. Tickets are just $25 (inc tax and gratuity), you will have a chance to try a handful of great beer and fantastic cheeses. The full list of both was not available, so best to show up and prepare to be wowed by the pairings, tastes and aromas.

• There’s lots going on at Garrison Brewing in Halifax these days. With their expansion, they are still looking to hire several people in the brewery (brewer, bottle line people and packaging supervisor), so be sure to give them a shout if you’re interested. They are also releasing their Honey Lavender beer this week. This unfiltered beer weighs in at 6% ABV and 15 IBU, and is brewed with lavender from Meander River Farms. You can have a first taste of it at the Beerfest this weekend, or else find it in bottles and on tap at the brewery shortly.

• Yellowbelly Brewery in St John’s has released their first Cider. It is on tap now at the brewery, and will soon be in bottles. It is a lightly-filtered, off-dry, backsweetened to 3% with unfermented cider, it weighs in at 5.5%ABV. There is no added sugar. It is fermented with a champagne yeast and has a lovely tart base, and is Yellowbelly’s first gluten free product.

• The Second-Annual Fredericton Beer Run went off without a hitch on Monday. Global News was there, and you can enjoy some of the fun through their report.

• Unfortunately, Railcar Brewing will not be open this weekend, as originally planned. In all of the dust-up with the new ANBL regulations, they are still awaiting final approval. However, you can still visit their storefront to join their mug club, merchandise and (empty) growlers. Brewer Mitch Biggar will be leading several events as part of the Festival of Flavour in Florenceville-Bristol next week, so be sure and drop by and say hello.

• Speaking of Railcar and the ANBL, CBC Maritime Noon held a call-in show this week, with special guest Craig Pinhey, regarding supporting local microbreweries. Skip to 9:40 for the pertinent section.

Whether you’re drinking a beer at a festival, local pub or restaurant, or on your deck this weekend, enjoy!

Friday Wrap-Up – New Beers and News from Boxing Rock, Picaroons, Pump House, Big Tide, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-08-01
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Fredericton Beer Run, Acadie-Broue, Antigonish Townhouse, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Celtic Knot Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, Halifax Seaport Beerfest, Hammond River Brewing, Ladies Beer League, North Brewing, PEI BeerFest, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Rudder's Brewpub. 2 comments

Good morning, beer fans! As August begins (try hard not to think about summer ending), it’s time for more local beer news…

• Boxing Rock has released a new beer – Sessionista, a “Bold Session Ale”. Brewed to be available as an easy-drinking summer beer (and at 3.5% ABV, it certainly is very sessionable), it has a heavy malt aroma “reminiscent of an English Bitter” with hints of lemon blossom and orange, according to the brewery, along with “roasty malt notes on the palate followed by a pithy lemon-lime finish”. This is a limited-release beer, so pick some up while you can. It’s available in 650 mL bottles at private liquor stores in Halifax, in one-litre growlers every Saturday at the Halifax Seaport Market and the Shelburne Farmers’ Market, and at the brewery, while supplies last. Look for it on tap at select beer bars in Halifax, as well.

• This weekend (August 1st-3rd), the 9th annual Sappyfest (an independent music festival) is being held in Sackville, and Picaroons has brewed up a special beer for the event. Currently going by Secret Show Ale, this 4.5% ABV, 20 IBUs beer will be served during the festival on tap in the main tent, and afterwards should be available at both Ducky’s and Thunder & Lightning. With a malt base of Pilsner and a little wheat malt for head retention, it’s hopped with Tettnanger and Saaz, and brewed “in a Kolsch frame of mind”, according to brewmaster Andrew Estabrooks; that is, fermented cool to minimize production of fruity esters and diacetyl.

• There’s a new beer on tap at the Pump House brewpub, their Raspberry Wheat. A great style for the warm weather of summer, the brewery describes the beer as a German style wheat beer, “bombarded” with 40 kg of raspberries. “Tart and refreshing”, it comes in at 5.5% ABV. It won’t last long, so get down to the brewpub (and select restaurants/bars around Moncton) for a taste.

• Big Tide Brewing is celebrating their 5th Anniversary on August 5th, and they’ve brewed up a special beer to celebrate! Anniversary Amber Ale is a “malty, full-bodied ale” that is brewed with five varieties of specialty malts and five hop varieties (Willamette, EKG, Nugget, Fuggles, and Cascade), and will clock in at 55 IBUs and, yes, 5.5% ABV. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to determine what else Big Tide has in store for their anniversary plans on the 5th, but keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter accounts for updates.

• The PEI Brewing Co. is looking to release a new beer, a currently-unnamed Coffee Stout. They’ve brewed two different versions, and need your help in picking out which one is best! Drop into the brewery in Charlottetown, purchase a sample of each, and fill out a ballot indicating your choice for your favorite. Not only will you be helping the brewery decide which beer to brew on a larger scale, but you’ll also be entered to win two VIP tickets to this year’s PEI Beer Festival (Sept. 5th & 6th).

• It looks like last Saturday’s grand-opening for Brasseurs du Petit-Sault in Edmundston was a great success, and we now have a little more info on their Acadie-Broue collaboration beer that we mentioned last week. As previously noted, the beer brewed is from the recipe for Acadie-Broue’s Belgian Saison, Tintamarre. However, with this batch (brewed on a much larger scale on Petit-Sault’s system), Acadie-Broue owner/brewer Patrice Godin has dry-hopped the beer with 5 kg of Amarillo and Simcoe. Along with Amarillo in the whirlpool addition, and the Belgian yeast strain used for fermentation, this should be a very fragrant beer! Due to the slight changes, this batch will be named L’effrayab’ Tintamarre; “L’effrayab” is a local Madawaska county expression that translates to “incredible”. With an ABV of ~6-6.5% and 36 IBUs, it should be ready in time for National Acadian Day on August 15th; it will be packaged in kegs only, so look for it at bars/restaurants in the area. We’ll keep you updated as to where exactly it will be served.

• The new beer news rolls on, with Rudder’s Brewpub announcing that they’ve recently tapped Midnight Crossing Brown Ale. Brewed with Pale Ale malt as the base, along with wheat malt and two other specialty malts, it is hopped with two English varieties and one from New Zealand. Clocking in at 6% ABV and 26 IBUs, it pours with a tan head and a dark brown color in the body, and has “smooth drinking with a slight bitterness in the finish”, according to brewmaster Mike Ferguson.

• A few weeks ago, we reported on a new beer from Hammond River, a California Common named Gammie. Well, that beer is now available! A well-balanced and easy-drinking beer at 5.3% ABV and 37 IBUs, you should be able to find it on tap now at Shiretown Publicans and The Barrel’s Head; it may follow at Hammond River’s other accounts in the near future.

• The Antigonish Townhouse is starting something new today… IPA Cask Night! Their first cask ever – Terry’s British IPA – should be tapped at 5 pm, to coincide with the birthday of one of their favorite regular customers. More one-off casks will follow over the coming weeks, to allow the staff to get the whole process down; they hope for it to become a regular bi-weekly event after that. This will give brewer Terry Piercey the freedom to do a bit more experimenting for future brews.

• The Ladies Beer League put together a great-looking event that’s being held during Halifax’s Local Connections Sausage Fest (Aug. 14th – 24th). Unfortunately, it’s already sold out! Dubbed the LBL Roof-top Cask Party at Scanway, there will be three casks tapped: Propeller Pilsner, Garrison Honey Lavendar, and Boxing Rock Hunky Dory Ginger; special sausage morsels from Scanway will also be available. Tickets were $10, and include a take-home glass and first fill (pay-as-you-go afterwards). Looks like the LBL will have to start holding more beer events so everyone can attend!

• And in other Sausage Fest news, both Garrison Brewing and North Brewing are participating in a Sausage Brunch and Beer Brunch at harbourstone sea grill & pour house on Sunday, August 17th. From 10 am – 3 pm, there will be a variety of handcrafted sausages available, along with several beers from both breweries; tickets are $39.

• The 8th Annual Halifax Seaport Beerfest is almost here! It will be held August 8th – 9th at the Cunard Centre, and tickets are still available. While we plan on providing all the information you need sometime next week, we wanted to point out that the full brewery/beer list has been posted on their website. With over 110 breweries pouring about 275 different beers and ciders – including an additional 15 unique casks from eight Atlantic Canadian breweries – it’s shaping up to be another great beer festival for our region. Tune in next week for more details!

• Duo Wine Bar is holding a patio beer dinner on Wednesday, August 6th (rain date August 13th) at 6:30 pm. There will be five courses and eight different beers being served, with several beers from American breweries Goose Island and Brooklyn Brewery. More importantly, one of the courses will feature a special release of Celtic Knot Hopicide that has been “additionally hopped”, paired with traditional German Curry Wurst. Tickets are $120 (tax and gratuity included); send them an email to reserve yours.

• Looking for a job in the beer business? Well, with their expansion in progress, Garrison Brewing is hiring… specifically, for the position of Marketing, Retail & Event Coordinator. Two to three years experience in marketing, retail, events, etc. is required; if you’re interested, send a cover letter, resume, and references to Tracy Phillipi.

• This year’s annual Fredericton Beer Run, being held this Monday, August 4th (New Brunswick Day), has sold out! We’ve talked about the event in previous posts, but to re-hash, it involves a 6 km or 12 km run, followed by beer sampling at the King Street Ale House, where participants will be able to try fourteen 4 oz samples of various beers from local breweries. Check out their Race Roster page for a list of participating breweries (Railcar will not be pouring, but they will be present and selling beer swag).

• And speaking of the Fredericton Beer Run, the brain behind this event belongs to Lloyd Chambers, who also runs the yearly Fredericton Craft Beer Festival. Lloyd has confirmed that planning for next year’s FCBF has already begun; while March 7th, 2015 is still many months away, we can assure you that there’s already something new and special in mind! Looking forward to sharing more as the date gets closer!