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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Brightwood Brewery, Saltbox Brewing, North Brewery & Stillwell Beer Bar, Breton Brewing, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-07-15
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Cider Company, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Charlottetown Beer Garden, Fredericton Beer Tour, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Gray Stone Brewing, Half Cut Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Lazy Bear Brewing, Mama's Brew Pub, NBCAPA, New Brunswick Beer Tours, North Brewing, Picaroons, Saltbox Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, The Nook and Cranny. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday! After a sweltering last few days, it’s time to get out of the sun and cool off with some Atlantic Canadian beer news, including that from two brand new breweries…

• There is a new nano brewery launching their beer this weekend in Dartmouth, NS! Brightwood Brewery is located in Downtown Dartmouth, and will begin selling their beer at this Saturday’s Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market. Brightwood was started by two enthusiastic homebrewers, Matt McGrail and Ian Lawson, looking to share their craft with the public. Brewing on a very small 1.2 hL (1 BBL) brewery, they will have their The Big Lift American IPA available for purchase at the Market, selling by the growler in 0.75 L and 1.89 L formats, and will also be able to fill customers’ clean growlers on demand. Due to their small size, they will be concentrating on the Market for now, with tap accounts coming soon. The Big Lift is 6.0% ABV and 71 IBUs, and look for the launch of their next beer, a honey smoked ale, in the coming weeks. Welcome Brightwood Brewery to the Atlantic Canadian beer scene!

• In Mahone Bay, Saltbox Brewery had a very successful tasting with their Pioneers Club this week, and are getting ready to launch the pilot batches of beer to the general public. During this year’s Mahone Bay Heritage Boatyard Weekend, being held July 30 and 31, they will be set up with a tasting tent, and will be selling their growlers to the public. They will be selling their Dark Cream Ale, a flavourful 4.7% golden orange ale featuring notes of biscuit and toast; their Hefeweizen, a 5.2% classic German wheat beer, with notes of banana and clove, to which they have added dried orange peel; and their IPA, a 5.4% dry-hopped hoppy ale, featuring notes of melon and strawberry. As their 12hL (10 BBL) brewhouse is not yet onsite, the full launch of the brewery and taproom will be later in the summer.

• Last Friday, North Brewing released a new Saison, North Saison. Hopped with Centennial and Huell Melon, it exhibits notes of “lemon, pepper, and melon”, according to the brewery, with a “very-balanced ester and phenolic profile”. Fermented with the Old World Saison Blend (which is made up of two different Saison strains) from Escarpment Labs, the high attenuation results in a beer with an extremely dry finish, appropriate to the style. It’s currently still available for growler fills at the brewery, and on tap at select accounts. And today, the North x Stillwell Gose is returning to the rotation, with some changes from it popular first batch. Still weighing in at 4.5% ABV, this batch’s Lacto souring character came courtesy of locally-produced Horton Ridge Malt, and tweaked water for a crisper finish. It still features salt from Black Whale, harvested in PEI, toasted coriander, and hopped with Saaz and Mandarina Bavaria. And for fans of the cask they released on Canada Day, a significant portion of the next batch will be aged on barberry.

• Breton Brewing released their newest seasonal yesterday, Ol’ Mick’s Tart-an Juicy Grapefruit Pale Ale. The recipe was designed by local homebrewer Mike Morrison, it comes in at 15 IBUs and a very-sessionable 4% ABV, perfect for summer-drinking. Approximately 200 L of 100%-pure grapefruit juice was added to the beer after fermentation was complete, to boost the juicy flavours even more. Look for it on tap across Nova Scotia this weekend.

• There’s a new beer pouring at Mama’s Brew Pub in Fredericton – Orange Grove Summer Ale was brewed with 2-row, Pilsner, and Wheat malt, and dry-hopped with Citra, Amarillo and Goldings. Once fermentation was complete, 10 lbs each of both fresh oranges and clementines were added to the brew, so expect this 4.7% ABV ale to showcase plenty of orange, citrus, and tropical fruit in the aroma and flavour. As with the other Mama’s brews, it’s available at the brewpub for pints and samples only.

• Elsewhere in Fredericton, Gray Stone has released their third beer since their grand opening party earlier this month. India Session Ale is their take on the Session IPA style, and is single-hopped to 50 IBUs with the El Dorado variety, known for giving candy-like aromas not dissimilar to Jolly Rancher candy. The brewery describes the beer as “light-bodied and easy-drinking, with tropical notes”. Supremely-sessionable at 4% ABV, it’s available now for pints and crowler fills at the brewery, and will likely pop up on tap across the city.

• Annapolis Cider Company’s newest batch of “Something Different” is now available at the Cidery in Wolfville. Their Garden Strawberry builds on their classic base of local fresh-pressed apples, with an infusion of two types of basil, sage, and thyme, and a blending of strawberry juice (just over 10% of the total volume) after fermentation is complete. The resultant 6.9% ABV mixed-fruit cider features pleasant aromas of strawberry and herbs, while still maintaining the underlying apple character. Drop by the Cidery to grab a bottle, and as with all of their Something Different releases, part of the proceeds go to a local charity, with the Wolfville Children’s Center being the beneficiary this batch.

• Smith’s Cove’s Lazy Bear Brewing is releasing a new beer this weekend, Paddler’s Pale Ale. Brewed in celebration of the Clean Annapolis River Project’s Riverfest, being held tomorrow at Jubilee Park in Bridgetown. The 5.0% ABV Pale Ale features a special combination of hops, and a special blend from Yeast Bay with a wild strain to lend some citrus notes. To grab that beer, you’ll have to visit the Pork in the Park, the festival’s food tent with local sausages and ribs, as it may not be released in growlers or on tap at their licensees.

• Truro’s Nook and Cranny Brewpub will be releasing a new product shortly. Made with juice from New Zealand apples, and fermented on-site with a Champagne yeast, this new Cider finishes quite dry and crisp, with a refreshing finish. Grab it on tap, or in growlers to go. And look for the launch of another cider later this summer, this one fermented using 100% PEI cranberry juice.

• Acadie-Broue now has their beer back on tap, with several batches already having been brewed on their new system at La Coude, the University of Moncton student bar-turned brewpub. Two of the confirmed beers now available are Valdrague Weizen, a 5% ABV Hefeweizen that has been a popular Acadie-Broue staple for some time, and La Benaise, a Belgian Pale Ale brewed with some “pungent CaraMunich 80” that was sourced from France. If you’re in Fredericton and can’t make the trip to Moncton, good news – the James Joyce has one keg of both beers, with La Benaise pouring currently.

Several new events are on the horizon in the near and distant future:

• Picaroons is holding a launch party today, from 4-7 pm at the Picaroons General Store in Saint John, to celebrate the release of their Live Transmission Session Ale. Designed and co-brewed by Craig Pinhey (on the General Store’s 2.5 BBL system), this 4.5% ABV “English Session Ale” was brewed in support of local radio station Local 107.3fm. Along with the beer, the launch will feature live music from local band Regardless.

• The Charlottetown Beer Garden & Seafood Patio is now open! With outdoor seating for 240, and 24 taps (with a slight majority dedicated to craft beer, mostly local), it’s yet another destination for beer lovers on the Island. Their official launch party is scheduled for next Friday, July 22nd, with Upstreet Presents:  Grand Theft Bus, starting at 10:30 pm.

• New Brunswick Beer Tours has announced the details for their Fredericton Beer Tour, scheduled for Saturday, August 6th. With stops at four breweries (Grimross, TrailWay, Gray Stone, and Maybee) and finishing at Red Rover, ticket-holders will be treated to a minimum of four 4-oz samples per stop, and will get to meet and chat with the people responsible for crafting some of your favourite Fredericton beers and ciders! The fun starts at 11:30 am at Grimross, and finishes at approximately 5:30 pm at Red Rover. Tickets are $77 (taxes and fees included) and are available now.

• The New Brunswick Craft Alcohol Producers Association (NBCAPA) has announced that they will be be organizing an annual gala to “recognize the best of what the industry has to offer”, to coincide with the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival every March. While details are understandably very slim at this moment, expect to see monthly contests organized through social media in the months leading up to the event. Of course, we’ll release more information on the gala as it becomes available.

Enjoy the weekend, and stay cool if you can! And a few more notes before you sign off…

– Half-Cut Brewing has a new beer out, Numbskull IPA, a 6% ABV, 73 IBU IPA hopped entirely with Sorachi Ace.
– Hammond River is re-brewing their popular The Vegas SMaSH today, however this batch will be single-hopped with Centennial (instead of the previously-used Amarillo); look for this one to be released later in the month.
– Petit-Sault is currently looking for a new head brewer, with the position being available immediately. For all the details on the opening at the 15 BBL (~17.5 hL) brewery, including contact info, check out the official job posting here.
– Picaroons is now officially selling other New Brunswick beer at both their General Store and Brewtique locations, including cans, bottles, AND growler fills (when tap space is available). Many breweries are already being featured, with others sure to join the line-up as time progresses.
– Their Citrus Pale Ale One-Hit Wonder is still available, but as soon as that runs out, Propeller tells us to keep an eye open for a new OHW Pilsener to hit the taps of their two brewery locations. And next month, look for a single hop Mandarina Bavaria IPA.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Big Tide, Big Spruce, Red Rover, Bad Apple, Flying Boats, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-11-06
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge, Big Tide Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Flying Boats Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, Granite Brewery, Grimross Brewing, Half Cut Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, Marky's Laudromat, Meander River Farm and Brewery, PEI Brewing Co., Picaroons, Red Rover Craft Cider, Rudder's Brewpub, Storm Brewing in Newfoundland, The Brewnosers, TrailWay Brewing. 1 comment

Happy Friday! There’s lots of new beers – and some other beer-related news – out this week for our region; time to start getting caught up…

• Saint John’s Big Tide Brewing released a brand new beer this past weekend. Bockman-Turner Overweiz is a Weizenbock, meaning a dark wheat beer (Dunkelweizen), but brewed to a higher ABV (hence the “bock” moniker). The BTO weighs in at 7.6% ABV, and was brewed with a grain bill of half wheat malt, with the remainder composed of German Munich, Bohemian Pilsner, Crystal and a touch of chocolate malt for colour and roast flavour. Hallertauer hops were used throughout, and a top fermenting German Wheat Ale yeast was used to bring out the characteristic banana and clove aromas to round out the brew. It is available on tap now at the brewpub, and in growler fills to go; it was a small batch, so it won’t last much longer… drop by today!

• Big Spruce Brewing has brought back their very popular The Whole 9 Yards Scotch Ale. First released in April 2014 as a beer celebrating their First Anniversary, this latest version again features the addition of Glenora Glen Breton Rare 10 year Single Malt Whisky to the batch to enhance the roast, peat, and smoke characteristics of the underlying Scotch Ale. Available now at the brewery for samples and growler fills, and on tap at better beer bars in the province. And don’t forget, time is quickly running out on Big Spruce’s Third Annual Home Brew Challenge. If you haven’t already brewed up your Red IPA (or Dark Czech Lager or Altbier), you might be able to squeeze it in under the wire this weekend!

• Last night, the second Meet Your Makers tap-takeover event was held at the James Joyce Irish Pub. Red Rover Craft Cider was featured, with a total of ten taps pouring various regular-release and special one-off ciders. Two brand new ciders made their debut at the event: first off is their Tinderbox, a semi-dry cider featuring notes of vanilla, that has been aged with the addition of bourbon and oak (this one was brewed specifically for the Guy Fawkes Day-themed tap takeover). Next up was the Bee for B, another semi-dry blend which was made with honey produced on the roof of the Crowne Plaza hotel; this one will continue to be on tap exclusively at the James Joyce for the foreseeable future. Also, the White Witch made its triumphant return last week and was on tap last night; first released last fall, it features plenty of fresh orange zest and locally-grown cilantro out of Wellwood Farm in Saint John. All three ciders are, as usual for Red Rover, 7% ABV.

• Somerset’s Bad Apple Brewhouse has a few returning favourites on tap at the brewery these days. Their award-winning Mosaic Double IPA is back on tap at the brewery now. This 8% ABV big IPA is brewed to showcase the Mosaic hop, and it does that in spades, featuring big aromas and bitterness. All of the proceeds from Mosaic are donated to attend camp at Brigadoon Village and other community projects, to support families and those living with Mosaic Down Syndrome. This is something very close to the Bad Apple family, as one of owner Jeff Saunder’s children has Mosaic Down Syndrome. In addition to the brewery (where a limited number of bottles will also be available), the beer will be on tap at Lion & Bright, Stubborn Goat, and La Torta Pizzeria in Wolfville, as well as few spots in New Brunswick.

• Also available from Bad Apple is their Operation Green Ring, a 5.0% ABV Cucumber Mint Wheat Ale. It was brewed with Delta Force Brewery, two members of the Brewnosers Homebrew Club. Using fresh local mint and cucumbers, this field beer features lots of mint aroma and cucumber flavour, coming together with a great Wheat base. It is available now at the brewery for growler fills. And keep your eyes peeled for the return of their Russian Imperial Stout, currently conditioning and waiting for release closer to Christmas. As in some previous releases, a good amount of this brew is being barrel aged in Glenora casks.

• There’s a new beer from Flying Boats currently hitting taps; Beach Cruiser DIPA is a test batch of sorts that came in at 7.2% ABV and 72 IBUs. Featuring a “generous” dry hop, it was also hopped at several points throughout the boil with four different varieties: Magnum, Centennial, Amarillo and Chinook. It’s currently on tap at the James Joyce, and should be on a rotating tap at Marky’s Laundromat later this month. The newly-installed pilot system at the brewery is also up and running, with the first test batch currently undergoing active fermentation. More on that beer, soon!

• Meander River will be releasing their latest batch of cider this weekend: First Frost Hard Apple Cider is a 5.5% ABV apple blend featuring juice from Fair Acres Farm. “A touch sweeter and juicier” than their original dry cider releases, according to the brewery, it still finishes very crisp. It will be released this weekend at the brewery, and at Christmas at the Forum (Fri-Sun) in Halifax. And speaking of Meander River, the crew from Garrison dropped by yesterday to collect spruce boughs for their Spruce Beer winter seasonal. Look for that beer in the coming weeks.

• Over at Granite Brewery in Halifax, they have a new beer on tap for pints and growler fills. Described as a “Red Ale” by the brewery, Flander’s Fields was brewed with honey and ginger to give it extra aroma and flavour to go with the maltiness from the grist. It weighs in at an easy-drinking 5.3% ABV, and will be available at the brewery until it’s gone (approximately three weeks).

• Fredericton’s Half Cut Brewing (operating out of the brew system located at the Picaroons Brewtique) recently released their second beer, an American Brown Ale named Belligerent Brown. Described as roasty and hoppy with “notes of dark chocolate and dried dark fruit”, it was hopped heavily with Centennial and Chinook. While technically on the higher end of bitter with a calculated 74 IBUs, it comes in at an easy-drinking 5.4% ABV. It’s available for growler fills at the Brewtique, and should be on tap around the city at the King Street Ale House, James Joyce, 540 Kitchen & Bar, and Snooty Fox.

• It’s getting closer to the official ticket-release for the 2016 Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, and those behind it all have been releasing some sneak peeks for what they have in store for the Fourth Annual event! Organized by Lloyd Chambers, this will be the first time the event has been stretched into Fredericton Craft Beer Week, featuring plenty of beer-related activities from March 9th-12th, finalizing with the beer festival on Saturday. There will be two sessions this time around (afternoon and evening), both of which will feature the largest gathering of Atlantic Canadian craft beer yet – 45 confirmed breweries pouring over 160 different types of beer, cider and mead. We’ll have lots of information as we get closer to the events, but for now, keep in mind that tickets for the festival will go on sale at 11 am on Friday, November 27th through their website. Stay tuned for more!

• Rudder’s Brewpub in Yarmouth has released a new beer this week, Runic Stone IPA. Weighing in at 5.6% ABV and 46 IBUs, it was brewed with a load of late hopping in the boil by Cascade, Columbus, Saaz and Sorachi Ace hops, and was further dry hopped with more Saaz and Sorachi Ace. This hop schedule allows for a big hop aroma, without the beer being too bitter. It is named after the Runic (or Fletcher) Stone in the local museum, thought to be a Norse artifact, discovered in the early 19th century. While the exact origins of the stone are unknown, it is certainly part of Yarmouth’s history. Grab its namesake beer on tap at Rudder’s while it lasts!

• TrailWay has brewed up a fresh batch of their popular Session IPA, and next week it’ll be a little easier for those in Fredericton to get their “fill”! As of next Thursday, 250 L of this hoppy, ~4.3% ABV beer will be making its way to the Prospect St. ANBL for growler fills. This will be TrailWay’s first time at the ANBL growler station since last March. And in other TrailWay news, Dan Mason and Jake Saunders of TrailWay Brewing have officially signed the lease on the location for their new brewery when they expand in 2016; located at 280 Main St. on Fredericton’s North Side, they hope to be producing beer on their 10 BBL system by Spring.

• Grimross has added two new fermentors to their existing line-up, and with this minor expansion comes the need for more assistance in the brewery! As a result, they are currently looking to hire a full-time brewer. Interested parties can find the full list of requirements here, and resumes should be sent to stephen@grimross.com.

We hope everyone has a great weekend! Petit-Sault‘s award-winning La Buckdjeuve has returned; it’s currently on tap at the brewery for growler fills. Picaroons has brought back their popular seasonal, Winter Warmer; you can find it on tap at the Brewtique, at select beer bars/restaurants across the province (and beyond?), and in 500 mL bottles at ANBL stores. PEI Brewing Co. will be re-releasing their Transmitter Coffee Stout later this month; featuring a new blend of beans from Receiver Coffee. And don’t forget to grab a bottle of their Hell Street barrel-aged Doppelbock on sale at the brewery now. While there, grab a pint of their latest cask, SmOAKed Brown, a smoked version of their Iron Bridge Brown, aged on oak chips. Storm Brewing in Newfoundland has brought back their winter seasonal Coffee Porter, available at their usual licensee and retail locations. Rockbottom Brewpub in Halifax has released a new seasonal themselves, Strawberry Blonde, a 5.0% ABV fruit beer.

Friday Wrap-Up – PEI Brewing Co, Rogues Roost, Big Spruce, Stillwell, Tatamagouche, Big Tide, Hammond River, Picaroons, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-08-07
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: ANBL, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Distillerie Fils du Roy, Half Cut Brewing, Halifax Seaport Beerfest, Hammond River Brewing, Lion & Bright, PEI Brewing Co., Picaroons, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stutz Cider, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Grand Banker, Tom's Little Havana, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, thirsty readers! We hope everyone’s recovered from IPA Day, but fear not, there are lots of new beers and events to keep the good times rolling!

• PEI Brewing Company have a few new beers out now, or on the horizon. Right now at the brewery, they are pouring a cask of Kiwi IPA – an IPA with freshly-squeeze kiwi juice, and dry-hopped with Citra and Comet. And it was brewed by a Kiwi to boot (their Logistics Manager, Wax, is from New Zealand)! Recent casks have included Happy Hour, a keg of their Beach Chair Lager seasoned with local sea salt, tequila and lime and Peach Chair, which was their Beach Chair with peach added to the keg. Remember that these casks are one-offs, so it’s best to keep up on their Social Media to avoid disappointment. They have also announced that the next version of the Vic Park Pale Ale will be released very shortly (hopefully next week), and will feature the Mandarina Bavaria hop. And good news for fans of the Vic Park, the Citra version will be canned and available next month to wider distribution. Also coming in September will be the barrel-aged version of their ReAnimator Bock. Much like the Ice Boat released last year, the Bock has been aging in the oak barrels for a several months, and will be packaged in 750ml bottles.

• In an update to a story we mentioned a few months ago, the building that Rogues Roost and Tom’s Little Havana call home, will be coming down this fall. While Tom’s had previously found an alternate location, and will be moving in October, it was announced this week that Rogues will be closing mid-September, with the brewery gear going into storage until an alternate location is found. But it’s not all bad news, RR fans! Parent company PEI Brewing has announced that Rogues Roost IPA will be produced at the Charlottetown brewery, and will be available for wide distribution next month. Cans of the IPA will be distributed in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. And be sure to drop by Rogues to grab a pint of their Ruby Porter, a 5.2% ABV porter, with light bittering to 25 IBUs.

• After making a big splash in Spring, Tatamagouche Brewing’s Sunrise Trail India Session Ale is back. Weighing in at a modest 4.1% ABV, the beer packs a solid hop punch from the Azacca and Ahtanum varietals, and is perfect for the beautiful weather we’ve been having. It is available is short supply in cans at the brewery, and look for it on tap Stillwell too.

• Big Spruce Brewing has released a pair of new beers this week. The first is the return of Tip of the Spear Spruce Tip IPA. This 6.2% ABV beer is a returning favourite, brewed with Port Hawkesbury homebrewer Jason Spears. It features Black Spruce tips, and bittered to 75 IBUs. Also hitting the taps in Nyanza and Halifax is their all-Citra conspiracy with Stillwell, named Gimme Citra Pale Ale. Weighing in at around 5% ABV, the bitterness on the beer is fairly low but the aroma and flavour are high, as the majority of the hops were added post-boil (during whirlpool, fermentation and conditioning), to preserve the temperature-sensitive oils until they hit your glass. The beer will only be available at the brewery and at Stillwell, both on Barrington and at the Beergarden. And be sure to drop by the brewery today for Mussels Friday, starting at 11:30, for mussels simmered in beer, along with local scallions and garlic scapes, with pita chips and black bean dip. Live music will start at 3:30pm.

• Big Tide Brewing and Hammond River Brewing’s collaboration, Rhubarbic Saison is out now. The 7.1% ABV Saison consisted of primarily Pilsner and Wheat malts, and was lightly hopped to 27 IBUs with Hallertau. They also added more than 30 kg of fresh rhubard to the boil, primary fermentation, and during conditioning for a big rhubarb aroma and taste. The beer is available on tap (and in growlers) at Big Tide, and will also be available at The Barrel’s Head, Bourbon Quarter, Britt’s Pub & Eatery, and Saint John Ale House soon. And, happy sixth anniversary to Big Tide! Their Anniversary Amber Ale, using six types of malts and six varietals of hops, with an ABV of about 6%, will be out very soon.

• Unfiltered Brewing’s Pubkegs are now in the wild! Grab a pint of their Hoppy Fingers APA, Exile on North Street IPA, and Twelve Years to Zion DIPA at Agricola Street Brasserie, PRIMAL Kitchen, Roy’s Lounge at Westin Nova Scotian, The Stubborn Goat, and Tom’s Little Havana, and is also in the rotation at the Bishop’s Cellar growler filling station. And keep your eyes open for Unfiltered’s first seasonal, coming mid next week.

• Fredericton’s Picaroons is having a busy weekend! Yesterday, in celebration of IPA Day, they had three different versions of their Yippee IPA on at the Brewtique (and there may be a bit of each left to try today). They were each dry-hopped with a pair of different hops: Cascade & Tettnang, Saaz & Fuggles, and Amarillo & Rakau. Out today is Pride Sally Pride Apricot Ale. This 4.5% Pale Ale was brewed in collaboration with the Fredericton Pride Week. The Pride Week events kick off today with a flag raising at city hall at noon, and a festival (featuring a beer garden) at Officer’s Square Sunday at noon, and parade at 1pm.

• Picaroons is also taking advantage of being in Halifax for the Seaport Beerfest, and will be taking over the taps at Lion & Bright Saturday evening. They will be pouring their Blonde, Dooryard, Dark and Stormy Night, ESB-231, Melonhead, Simeon Jones, and Yippee IPA. New brewery Half Cut Brewing (who brew at their Queen Street Brewtique location) will also be available, pouring their Alter Ego Altbier. The taps will switch over at 6pm, and the Pics crew will be coming by after the Beerfest around 10pm to join in the fun, as well as DJ Jules Bangsworth, starting at 10pm. There is no cover for the event, pay as you go.

• Stutz Cider has released a new product, Blueberry Cider. Using of juice from 7 varietals of NS apples and 100% wild NS blueberries, this special blend comes in at 6.5% ABV. As the juice used was 1/3 blueberry, 2/3 apples, the fresh blueberry flavour shines through nicely, with crisp apple character in the background. It will be available next week at the NSLC, in 750 ml bottles.

• Distillerie Fils du Roy has released their summer seasonal beer, La Messe Blanche. A 7% ABV Weizenbock, it features strong phenolic (pepper and clove) and banana aromas from the yeast, as well as wheat and yeast character in the flavour. This unfiltered beer features the characteristic cloudiness of this style, thanks to the wheat-derived proteins (also aiding in the thick, fluffy head), and low-flocculating yeast. Bottles are available at the Petit-Pacquetville brewery now, and will be available in select ANBL locations shortly.

• Speaking of the ANBL, in a press release out earlier this week, President Brain Harriman confirmed that their Growler Program has been a great success, with over 80,000 litres of beer flowing through the four locations. The program is “here to stay”, and they are looking to expand it to a few more locations, dependent on retail space and craft beer sales. All of the local breweries we’ve spoken with have been very happy with the results and are looking forward to the expanded reach. This week’s list of offerings has not been released, as it is being dubbed a “Wildcard Week”, with many different beers available throughout the week at each location. Best to call your local store to find out what’s pouring at the time.

• Upstreet has released their White Noize, a 7% ABV Wheat IPA (hoppy American Wheat Ale), hopped to 70 IBUs with Centennial, Cascade, Chinook, and Columbus. Drop by for their Quittin’ Time Sessions today at 6pm for beer, music from a new, all-female trio named Aster, and food from their friends at Hush Puppies, including a limited number of andouille corn dogs, made with Upstreet beer. And drop by on Sunday for the Weekend Wrap-Up, featuring music concerts on the big screen and community board games in full effect.

• The Grand Banker in Lunenburg has come up with a unique way to serve their beers in-house. They had not been selling pitchers of beer previously, but now have the option to purchase a 1.89l growler or 0.95l grunter of beer to drink and share (or not) in the restaurant. These are for in-house enjoyment only, though the empty growlers are for sale as souvenirs. Drop by today to grab one, or try a sampler of their expanded craft beer offerings.

• A reminder that the Seaport Beerfest starts today, with a 7-9:30pm session, and 2-4:30pm & 7-9:30pm sessions tomorrow. While VIP tickets are sold out, there are still general entry tickets available. With several out-of-provinces visiting, look for upcoming collaborations brews to celebrate. Today, the folks from Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery and Waterford, Ireland’s, Metalman brewing dropped by Garrison to brew up something special.

In sad local brewery news, Hugh Campbell from Bar None passed away earlier this week. We had the opportunity to visit with him in his library above the brewery, and he was always quick with a smile and story, and full of life and love for PEI. Our sincere condolences to the Campbell family. We raise a pint in honour of Hugh today.