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Friday Wrap-Up – News and New Beers from TrailWay, Celtic Knot, Hammond River, PEIBC, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-01-02
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Celtic Knot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Ladies Beer League, New Brunswick Beer Tours, PEI Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Sea Level Brewing, Sunset Heights Meadery, TrailWay Brewing. 2 comments

Happy New Year, beer lovers, and welcome back! While beer news is a bit slow this week as we all recover from the holidays, there’s still a few things going on in our region to start 2015…

• After a successful launch party on December 20th, TrailWay Brewing already has two new beers brewed and planned for release sometime over the next 2-3 weeks. The first beer is a Session IPA; this hop-forward, easy-drinking ale comes in at a very sessionable 4.4% ABV, and is hopped with lots of Comet and Amarillo. Not to break the hop streak, the second beer is an American IPA, with higher numbers in both ABV and IBUs (6.5% and 60, respectively); this one also uses Comet and Amarillo, along with Centennial hops. Both beers should be on tap in the near future at both TrailWay accounts in Fredericton (King Street Ale House and 540 Kitchen & Bar).

• Celtic Knot has brewed up a new beer; Éire is an Irish Red Ale, brewed with Maris Otter, Crystal malt, and some Roasted Barley to give this easy-drinking, malty-sweet beer its classic deep-red color. Hopped with East Kent Goldings and Fuggles to 26 IBUs, the beer should clock in at about 5.3% ABV. Look for it on tap at Celtic Knot accounts in the near future!

• Hammond River is expecting to release a new beer within a few weeks, and it’s an interesting one! Named Breakfast Stout, it was brewed with several dark malts, including Chocolate, Black Patent, and Roasted Barley… but that’s not all! Owner/brewer Shane Steeves added lots of Java Moose coffee to the beer, along with cacao nibs. And as a final twist, the beer was “dry-hopped” with Shane’s own home-smoked Applewood bacon! It comes in at about 8% ABV and 60 IBUs; we’ll be sure to let you know when it’s available, so you can plan your breakfasts accordingly! And just a reminder that their Back in Black Oatmeal Stout is available for growler fills this week at the Kennebecasis Valley ANBL; also, check out the Saint John Ale House, as there may still be some of the Too Hop To Handle DIPA on tap, which was recently brewed to higher IBUs, if you’re into bitterness (and who isn’t)!

• For their second higher-ABV beer, now that provincial restrictions have been lifted, PEI Brewing Co. brewed up a Doppelbock shortly before Christmas. This strong, malty and rich lager will be hitting both PEILCC and ANBL shelves sometime in late winter/early spring, giving it enough time to lager at cool temps and let the flavors develop and smooth out. They also plan on barrelling about 12 hL of this beer for release during Oktoberfest in the fall. Expect this deep-red-colored beer to come in above 8% ABV, and around 25 IBUs.

• PEIBC brewed up yet another “new” beer recently: Black Banks, a Cascadian Dark Ale (AKA Black IPA), was originally released as a one-off in cans, and was a blend of their Sydney Street Stout and 1772 IPA. This time, they redid the brew from the ground up, and not as a blend. With a grist containing 2-row, Wheat, Munich, Carastan 35, and Midnight Wheat malts, it was kettle-hopped with Millenium, Amarillo, Cascade, and Columbus to 50 IBUs, and then dry-hopped with Falconer’s Flight. Clocking in at 6.2% ABV, look for this one in cans across PEI and NB by late January.

• Rogues Roost currently has a couple of new beers on tap at the brewpub. The first beer, Freedom Stout, is a higher-alcohol stout (8.2% ABV) described as having a “chocolate flavor with hints of rum, raisins and dates”; it is hopped to 50 IBUs. Next up is an all-Citra hopped American Pale Ale; the high quantities of Citra give the beer a strong grapefruit aroma, according to the brewery. It comes in at 5.5% ABV and 40 IBUs. Get down to the brewpub to sample both beers before they’re gone!

• There’s another new beer in the One Hit Wonder series from Propeller – Fly Time IPA is an unfiltered American IPA that incorporates several hop varieties, including Ahtanum, Cascade, Centennial, and Falconer’s Flight, and is heavily dry-hopped. With a grist containing 2-row, Pilsner, Wheat and Crystal malts, it’s a fairly light-colored beer that “leaves only a hint of residual sugar which accentuates the hop aroma and flavour”, according to the brewery. It weighs in at 6.3% ABV and 65 IBUs, and is currently available for growler fills at the Gottingen and Windmill Prop Shops.

• Sea Level released a very-limited version of their High Street Wee Heavy last week. This beer, named High Street Wee Heavier, is a higher-ABV version (8.2%) of their original Scotch Ale, and has also been aged on Bourbon oak chips. It was almost gone, as reported by the brewery, for growlers fills a few days ago, but there may still be some available on tap at the Board Room Game Cafe in Halifax.

• They haven’t been open for very long, but Railcar Brewing is already prepping for expansion! Owner/brewer Mitch Biggar has confirmed that they have ordered four additional 45-gallon fermentors, and are in the process of raising funds to increase the size of the brewery system to a 5-bbl (~580 L) system, hopefully by July. They’re also still busy working on the construction of their 1000 square foot tasting room.

• New Brunswick Beer Tours has announced the itinerary for their second beer tour, to be held on Saturday, January 31st from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. This time, the tour will take place entirely within Fredericton, and will feature visits to Grimross, Sunset Heights Meadery, and Red Rover, and will conclude at the King Street Ale House, where the brewers from TrailWay will be on hand to serve up some of their beers and answer questions. The tour bus will depart from the KSAH in the morning, and return at 1:30 pm for lunch (which is included in the ticket price). Beers/meads/ciders will be sampled at each stop, and there will also be samples provided on the bus itself. Tickets are now on sale for $65 each, and can be purchased here.

• A reminder that the Ladies Beer League official membership launch takes place this Wednesday, January 7th at Rockbottom Brewpub, from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. No ticket purchase is necessary, just drop in to purchase your official membership ($25 each; list of member benefits are here)! Rockbottom’s new brewmaster, Jake Saunders, brewed up a special firkin just for the membership release: a stout fermented with Madagascar vanilla beans and cacao nibs. If you’re not available to attend on Wednesday, shame on you!… but, luckily, you’ll have the chance to purchase your membership at other LBL events in the future, and on their website by the end of this month. The beer, not so much.

Have a fantastic weekend! If you’re in Saint John, Big Tide Brewing has brewed up their Tidal Wave DIPA again, and it’s currently on tap at the brewpub. The new version of Hoppuccino from Big Spruce is now available; drop by the brewery for a growler fill, or look for it on tap at select accounts in Halifax soon. The brewers at Brasseurs du Petit-Sault have several new beers for release in the near future, including a Coffee Stout, Maple Ale, and IPA… we’ll have more info on those next week when the brewers (and half of the blogging team) are back from vacation!

Friday Wrap-Up – News and Beers from TrailWay, Tatamagouche, Big Spruce, Bad Apple, Railcar, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-12-19
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Basset Hound Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Garrison 2015 Home Brew-Off Challenge, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, King Street Ale House, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stubborn Goat, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

Welcome to the last Atlantic Canada Beer Blog Friday Wrap-Up for 2014! There’s lots of new beers (many of which are Christmas-themed) and other news this week, before the true craziness of the holidays really begins, so let’s get cracking…

• Fredericton, your wait is over: TrailWay Brewing will be officially releasing their beers to the public this weekend! Beginning with a launch party at the King Street Ale House tomorrow at 7:00 pm (open to all), their beers will then be on tap regularly at the KSAH and 540 Kitchen & Bar. They will be bringing four beers to the launch party on Saturday: a 6% ABV hoppy Amber Ale with lots of finishing hops to boost the aroma; an American Pale Ale that is also heavily hopped, with Cascade and Apollo, and dry-hopped twice; another APA hopped entirely with Comet; and a Coffee Stout brewed in the American Stout style, but with less Roasted Barley than is typical, in order to let the added coffee (from Fredericton’s Whitney Coffee Co.) shine. Sounds like some tasty beverages! They’ll have two of these beers available for sampling, and all four can be purchased as full pours. Hope to see you there! For more on TrailWay, check out our original post.

• Last week, we reported on a collaboration beer being brewed at Tatamagouche Brewing with the folks from The Stubborn Goat in Halifax, for the Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration on January 15th. We know now that the beer in question is an 8% ABV Imperial IPA, featuring large amounts of Centennial, Columbus, and Chinook hops. It is also dry-hopped with a new variety called Azacca (which is very difficult to obtain), which features notes of citrus, melon, orchard fruit, and pine. The beer hasn’t been named yet, and they’re looking for your help! Head to Tata Brew’s Facebook page and submit your goat-themed beer name by commenting on their contest status; if your name is chosen, you’ll win a free party keg rental and a $100 gift card to the Stubborn Goat! The contest closes on December 22nd.

• And don’t forget that the winning entry in the Big Spruce 2nd Annual Homebrew Competition will also be making its debut at the Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration. Homebrewer Eric Gautier just brewed his American Wheat Ale, Bráthair Éric, on the Big Spruce system; along with Simcoe and Cascade hops as late additions in the boil, Eric has also chosen to dry-hop the beer with the Wakatu variety, from New Zealand. Sounds delicious!

• While on the topic of Big Spruce, they just brewed up a new beer to be released in the New Year. The style is Winter Warmer, and it features an interesting ingredient – Gila Squash. This is a type of squash not grown commercially in Canada; however, Michelle Smith of North Wind Farm in Skye Glen, Cape Breton was lucky enough to obtain 21 Gila seeds from the National Seed Bank, according to Big Spruce. After successfully growing over 30 mature squash this summer, Michelle passed on 7 to Big Spruce, where owner/brewer Jeremy White sugar-roasted the flesh and added it to the mash on brewday. This beer also features local hops from Southan Farms, the Doyle Family farm in Nova Scotia, and the farm at the brewery. White plans on adding black strap molasses as well, bringing this monster of a beer to about 9% ABV. Stay tuned for info on the beer’s release over the new few weeks. And look for their Spruce Bringstein to be released today!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse has brewed up another batch of their Barrel-Aged Black & Tackle Russian Imperial Stout, with a different twist. For this batch, the beer spent some time in barrels from Planters Ridge, a winery in Port Williams, giving it a sherry-like finish. This big beer (10.5% ABV) will be on tap only at the brewhouse, and may show up at one or two BAB accounts in Halifax. Owner/brewer Jeff Saunders has also brewed the second version of his Box Cutter IPA, and has assured us it’s even hoppier than the first beer! Look for this one to be available on Boxing Day (just a coincidence). Also, if you happen to see a beer from BAB named Winter Whistler on tap, it’s their Summer Slurper, renamed.

• And speaking of BAB, they’re holding their one-year Anniversary party on December 31st! There’ll be lots going on, including door prizes, gift giveaways, food… and most importantly, a special beer on tap (details TBA in the near future)! Keep your eyes on BAB’s social media pages for more details on the party, soon.

• Railcar Brewing will have two new beers on tap for growler fills starting tomorrow. Both beers were brewed in collaboration with and designed by homebrewer Justin Tompkins of Basset Hound Brewing in Perth-Andover; Justin hopes to go pro sometime in the not-too-distant future, so this is a great opportunity to get a feel for his brewing style early! First up is the  Blonde Ale, brewed with the purpose of transitioning Light Beer drinkers into the world of craft beer. It features a grist of Pale malt and Carafoam, and is lightly hopped with Centennial and Hallertauer. Fermented with an English ale yeast, it clocks in at 5% ABV.  The Cherry Chocolate Stout is at the other end of the spectrum – featuring Roasted Barley and Chocolate malts, lactose sugar, Fuggles and Cascade hops from Southan Farms, “various forms of cocoa” in the mash and secondary fermentation, along with real sweet cherries, this will definitely not be a light-tasting beer (but is still quite sessionable at 4.5% ABV)! Get down to the brewery if you can, these beers won’t be around for long!

• Just in time for Christmas, Boxing Rock is releasing a new beer today that’s perfect for pairing with “Christmas cake and holiday cheer”. Blue Toboggan is a Spiced Winter Ale; the spices in question include ginger and cinnamon that were added in the brewing process. As well, a little Haskap juice – provided by Haskapa, out of Blockhouse, NS – was added to give this pale-straw beer a slight red-blue color (Haskaps are small blue berries, sometimes referred to as “Blue Honeysuckle”). The ginger and cinnamon, combined with the tartness from the Haskap, are supported by the malt backbone, as well as a “mild bitterness and smooth finish”. Sounds like a great take on a Christmas beer! Look for it on tap at the brewery, select bars/restaurants in Halifax, and in 650 mL bottles at the private liquor stores in the HRM starting today; it should also be available at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market tomorrow.

• The newest One Hit Wonder from Propeller is out this weekend. Snowblower Winter Ale is described by the brewery as a “Darkish British-style brew”, a 6.2% ABV malt-forward beer brewed with Melanoidin, Munich and Roast to complement the base malts. English hop varieties, including Fuggles, are used to balance and enhance the flavour and aroma, to 31 IBUs. On tap now at Gottingen, and soon at the Windmill location, this beer is only available in growlers, with a limited number of kegs around the city.

• A reminder that Propeller’s second Lambic release, Blackberry, is being released Monday, Dec 21st. To celebrate, the launch party will be taking place at Stillwell tomorrow, starting at noon. You’ll be able to buy the beer by the glass or bottle, and from 1-3pm will have the chance to sign up for a pre-release bottle to be picked up Sunday (limit one per person). The beer goes on sale Monday at opening at Gottingen (10am) and Windmill Rd (noon), with a strict one-bottle per person limit. Show up early to avoid disappointment, the Framboise sold out within minutes of opening!

• Jake Saunders just took over the role of Brewmaster at Rockbottom in Halifax, and his first creation is already on tap at the brewpub! An Extra Special Bitter, The Loyalist ESB weighs in at 5.2% ABV and 35 IBUs, and was hopped heavily (~8.5 kg) with East Kent Goldings. Copper-colored with an aroma of “toast, honey and pears”, this malty beer features flavors of coffee, toffee, and an earthy, balanced bitter finish. Get down there to give this new beer a try, before it’s gone!

• Grimross Brewing has announced that, inspection and licence-pending, their new location at 600 Bishop Dr. in Fredericton will be open this coming Monday, December 22nd, from noon – 10:00 pm. There should be two beers on tap on opening day: a Belgian Blonde Ale test batch, and one of their popular flagship beers, the Saison Cheval D’or; both will be available for growler fills (750 mL and 1.89 L), and samples or full pours! They’ve also just brewed a batch of their popular  Belgian Rye IPA, which has been renamed Grimross Rye IPA. For the most up-to-date status on their opening, keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter accounts on Monday morning.

• The 2015 Garrison Home Brew-Off site is now live! This is the 7th year for this homebrew competition, with this year’s style being a Robust Porter, a “substantial, malty dark ale with a complex and flavorful roasty character”. Entries are due by February 12th, and will consist of six bottles of homebrew and a $15 registration fee. Taking part gets you entry to the gala and awards ceremony on March 5th, along with a souvenir glass, a Growlito and your first fill. Your homebrew will be evaluated by BJCP-certified judges, and the winning brewer will get to brew a full batch of his or her beer on the Garrison system with brewmaster Daniel Girard. Get brewing!

• Speaking of homebrew competitions, we’re down to the last month before entries are due for the 1st Annual Hammond River Brewing Homebrew Competition. Your Christmas / Winter Specialty Beer entries are due by January 16th. For more info, check out the link above, and our previous post.

• Are you having a big party at your house on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve? Or, maybe you’re just going to be in the mood for some cider and snacks one of those nights, and don’t feel like leaving the house? Well, Red Rover is pairing with Real Food Connections to offer delivery to your home (within Fredericton only). Just follow the directions on this link to make your order; delivery charge will be only $5, and if your order is over $100, delivery is free!

In closing, if you happen to be out skiing at Mont Farlagne this weekend, all three flagship beers from Petit-Sault are now available on tap and/or in bottles at the bar! A reminder that their event at Le Deck on Saturday will feature several special one-offs (check out our previous post for more info). And look for their Louis XVII to be available in bottles in early 2015! Picaroons finally broke ground on their new brewery this week, so they’re on their way to another expansion! For those not able to make it to the Brewtique every day at 4pm to be enjoying their 12 Beers of Christmas, be sure to visit Stillwell on the 23rd to have your pick of them all!

As hinted at above, we will be taking next week off for the holidays. We’ll still be updating our Twitter account with new beer releases and interesting events during the next couple of weeks, but we’ll be sharing the full details with you all when we return in the New Year. In the meantime, drink local… and have a safe, happy, and beer-filled Christmas!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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