Hammond River Brewing

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Friday Wrap-Up – News and Brews from Paddys Irish Brewpub, BarNone Brewing, Hammond River, PEI Brewing. Tide & Boar and more

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-03-21
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: BarNone Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Paddys Irish Brewpub, PEI Brewing, Tide & Boar Gastropub. 1 comment

Happy Friday, one and all. We hope you’ve recovered from Monday’s festivities, wherever/however you may have celebrated!

• Paddys Irish Brewpub has tapped their latest seasonal release, “Solo Citra”. This Pale Ale beer weighs in a 5.3% ABV and 50 IBUs, with a colour reminiscent of Tangerines and a light body at 1.005 FG. Thanks to the generous dosing of Citra hops, the beer features plenty of citrus flavour and aroma, as well as a significant bitterness, thanks to the light body. It is available now at both the Kentville and Wolfville locations on tap and in growlers.

• BarNone Brewing recently announced that they’re brewing a new beer to help celebrate this year’s 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference, and tying it in with a special event at Baba’s Lounge. From April 1st-7th, Baba’s is holding a 150-hour long music jam in honor of the sesquicentennial; when Don Campbell (brewer/co-owner at BarNone) asked what type of beer they wanted him to brew for the event, they decided on a Red Ale. Don soon came up with “RedEye”, a hoppy Amber brewed with 150 kg of malt and 150 oz of hops, with a 150 minute boil time. Coming in at – you guessed it – 150 IBUs and a color of 15 SRM, it will be served exclusively at Baba’s for the music jam. After that, it may pop up on tap at other restaurants/bars in the area, and will likely be available for Thursday growler fills at the brewery.

• Shane Steeves of Hammond River Brewing has confirmed that he is planning on brewing a new beer in the near future. While details on the recipe are still slim, we can confirm that it will be an Imperial IPA weighing in at about 8.6% ABV and 100 IBUs. The beer will be brewed soon, after Steeves returns from a much-deserved vacation; we’ll keep you updated as to when and where the beer will be released.

• In other Hammond River news, they’ve recently rebrewed their Hop Flash IPA; this time it’s been dry-hopped with two different hop varieties than previous batches. It should be on tap in the Saint John area in a few days… if you can guess the two hop varieties used, post it on their Facebook page to win a Hammond River ball cap!

• Expansion continues over at PEI Brewing Co., as they recently confirmed that they will soon be shipping their beer to Ontario! The first shipment will consist of their Fathers 2014 Commemorative 4-packs, which include renamed and relabelled bottles of their Blueberry Ale, Coles Cream Ale, Iron Bridge Brown, and Sir John A’s Honey Wheat. More on this Anniversary release in our previous post here.

• The Duo Wine Bar at The Tide & Boar Gastropub in Moncton is having their second beer dinner next Wednesday, March 26th. Hosted by chef Michael Savoie, there will be five courses, all paired with a different craft beer; some of the beers include a Picaroons cask ale, a “surprise IPA”, and some highly-rated Belgian beers. Accompanied by such courses as lobster crostini and a marinated salmon with hop salad, the event is almost sold out. Tickets are $115 (inc. tax and gratuity); if you’d like to reserve, email Duo.

• As promised a couple of weeks ago, Hell Bay’s R.I.P.(A.) version 2.0 is now available. Featuring the same base recipe, but triple the hops (but still a smooth, non-overwhelming bitterness), it is available at the brewery in growlers, and will be on tap in Halifax very shortly.

• And finally this week, Garrison Brewing is releasing their latest seasonal, the Baltic Porter, today. This dark and rich beer weighs in at 9% ABV and 30 IBUs, featuring lots of roast character. Bottles are available at the brewery, and shortly at the private stores. Also look for it on tap at better beer establishments in our region. The winner of the 2013 Home Brew-off, Saint Peter’s Belgian-Style Strong Ale is being released Monday (not today, as we originally posted), look for it at the brewery and private stores, as well as on tap at a few bars in the city.

Friday Wrap-Up – Fredericton Craft Beer Fest VIP Ticket Winner Announced, New Brews from Bad Apple, Red Rover, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-03-07
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Axe Brewery, Boxing Rock Brewing, Granite Brewery, Hammond River Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Pump House Brewery, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Red Rover Brewing, Shiretown Beer. 2 comments

Happy Friday, one and all! Yet another busy week in our region, so let’s get right to it.

• Over the past week, we’ve had a contest going to win two VIP tickets to tomorrow’s sold out Fredericton Craft Beer Festival (FCBF). Thanks to all of you who entered the contest by taking a photo of a beer, there were some very creative ones, and we wish we could give you all prizes. However, the winner (chosen by random chance) is @jacalyn_norrad. Congratulations! Please email/tweet the FCBF to claim your prize!

• A reminder that the Golden Growler fundraising auction is going on until midnight. Submit your bids for one of the twenty limited edition growlers via Facebook, Twitter or email, and if you are a winner, you can pick up your growler at the Fest (or make other arrangements).  You will receive a charitable tax receipt, and the highest bidder will receive their growler filled with Red Rover Cider!

• One of the Nova Scotian contingent to be attending the FCBF is Bad Apple Brewhouse, from Somerset. They recently updated the list of beers they’ll be bringing to the fest: their very popular Russian Imperial Stout, and a new beer, Conception Double IPA. Brewed mid-February to commemorate the future arrival of Jeff’s newest brewery assistant, this beer weighs in at 8.5% ABV, and over 100 IBUs. Thanks to generous hopping from six different hop cultivars, and being very light on crystal malts, it’s been described as “a bouquet of hop juice with a strong finish”. Sounds like a winner to us, congratulations! Besides at the Fest in Fredericton, and on tap very limited at Stillwell in Halifax (who have also been restocked with the “Falcon Teamwork” IPA), the Conception DIPA will mostly be served fresh in growlers from the brewery in Somerset.

• In other Bad Apple Brewhouse news, they are also debuting a special apple cider this weekend. Very dry, and weighing in at 6.7% ABV, the cider was produced using Valley apples from Boates Farm. The cider  has a very effervescent mouthfeel, with a very sharp/dry finish, and like their beer, is unfiltered. It spent three months aging in a 12yr old Glenora Barrel, giving it a unique flavor profile and appearance. Look for it on tap at Stillwell, and at the brewery in multiple refillable options including the new Squealers.

• Finally in BAB news, they are debuting their Squealer today. A 750mL refillable container with standard growler cap, it is the perfect format for some of the higher alcohol brews they’ve got available. The deposit for one of these is $5, and a fill of their Conception DIPA is $7.  In other glassware news, their 20oz English Pub glasses are now in stock, too, perfect for a bottle of their beers or cider.

• Red Rover Brewing Co. has added a third cider to their current line-up: Fall Brew is now pouring for flagon fills at their Ciderhouse location. Coming in at 7% ABV, it is a spiced cider, giving some cinnamon, clove, and other spices in the aroma. Slightly bitter, it has a “warm follow-through” according to brewer/co-owner Adam Clawson. It will also be available for tasting pours at the FCBF tomorrow.

• Interested in supporting one of New Brunswick’s newest up-and-coming breweries? Big Axe Brewery, located in Nackawic, is now selling a few items, including logoed hats ($22 each) and men and women’s T-shirts ($25 each). If you’re interested in purchasing either/both, but don’t live in Nackawic, you can contact the brewery and get a quote for the price of shipping to your area. Look for them at the FCBF tomorrow, as well. Drop by and say hello!

• Less than 4 weeks after their official launch in Saint John, Hammond River Brewing has already purchased some more equipment to allow for an expansion! Owner/brewer Shane Steeves has confirmed that he has doubled fermentation capacity by adding two 40 gallon fermentors to his brewery. Hopefully this means more Hammond River beer in the Saint John area (and beyond?) in the near future!

• Last fall, Shiretown Beer brewed up a Honey Wheat Ale, and they’ve just re-released the beer with a slight change to the hop bill. Coming in at 5% ABV, the beer is brewed with local Buckwheat honey from the Charlo Honeyhouse. It is a light-golden color, and very lightly hopped with little to no bitterness in the finish; an easy-drinking beer. No plans for this beer to be bottled yet; drop by the brewery in Charlo to pick up a growler full!

• The Pump House has released a new beer on tap at their brewpub location in Moncton. The “Easy” Amber Ale is a moderate-strength beer at 6% ABV; pouring with a deep amber color, it has “flavors of caramel and toffee”, with a medium bitterness in the finish. Like the other Pump House one-off beers, it probably won’t last too long, so get down to the brewpub for a pint while you can!

• Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, the Granite Brewery in Halifax has brewed up a batch of their Keefe’s Irish Stout. A Dry Stout with an ABV of 4.6%, the beer is brewed with Roasted Barley malt to give it its black appearance and roasted qualities, and Fuggle hops. With the classic long-lasting, creamy head, the brewery describes it as a “true Irish Stout”. Look for it in growlers at the Granite Beer Store, and on tap at the Henry House, Lion’s Head, Maxwell’s Plum, and the Antigonish Townhouse.

• Speaking of the Antigonish Townhouse, after a short break for some small renovations and a trip to Dublin (jealous!), it is open for business, and ready to keep the town full of great beer, food and cheer! As per usual, their pub is busy every night of the week with guest musicians, their Irish Music Sessions each Sunday, and of course Terry’s Bitter, brewed right above the pub. Be sure to drop by and pull up your regular stool at the bar.

• Looking for a chance to win some extra beer money, AND help support a deserving charity? Well, now’s your chance! Local participants of Team Diabetes are selling tickets ($10 each) for their “Beer for a Year” drawing. The person with the randomly-drawn ticket will receive fifty-two $25 ANBL gift cards to be used at their discretion. You can buy as many tickets as you like; the winning ticket will be drawn on April 10th. Tickets will be sold at the FCBF tomorrow; if you’re not going to be at the festival you can contact Jerri McCallum. All proceeds will be going to Team Diabetes.

• Quidi Vidi Brewing is getting ready to re-release a seasonal beer in the near future – their Continental Pilsner should be released sometime over the next couple of weeks. This award-winning beer (it took home a Gold Medal in the Pilsner category from the 2012 World Beer Championships in Chicago) is described as having a “bright golden color”, “vegetal aromas of honeyed artichoke and peppered kale”, and flavors that include “roasted corn and orange sorbet”. This 5% ABV beer will be available in bottles and on tap at all of Quidi Vidi’s seasonal accounts.

• Hell Bay Brewing has released a Dunkelweizen this week, which is available at the brewery in growlers, as well as on tap at The Argyle and Stillwell in Halifax. Dunkelweizen is the darker cousin of the Hefeweizen. Well carbonated, with a light body, it is lightly hopped, with hints of banana and clove, and complex malty flavours ranging from chocolate to caramel. This beer is unfiltered and slightly hazy as traditional wheat beers are meant to be, and desirable for the style. The beer weighs in at 6% ABV and 16 IBUs.

• Hell Bay will also be releasing a pair of other beers in the coming weeks, as well. The R.I.P.(A) ver.2.0 has been brewed, and is conditioning now, and should be out by next weekend. This is the same recipe as brewed in January, but with three times the hops! However, it doesn’t have an overwhelming hop bite to it, but a nice clean hop flavour and dryness. They have also brewed up another batch of their very popular Wee Heavy, which will be available in a few weeks.

• Today’s Friday Firkin at The Stubborn Goat will be Boxing Rock’s The Vicar’s Cross Double IPA. “Beer Engineer” Emily Tipton tells us that this is their regular recipe of Vicar’s Cross, however it was cask conditioned for a smoother mouthfeel and finish. Be sure to drop by for a pint, the cask will be tapped at 4pm.

• March 8th marks International Women’s Day. In the UK, a group of brewsters have organized a worldwide collaborative brew for that day, to celebrate women in the beer industry. Our Ladies Beer League proposed a collaboration brew day with Emily from Boxing Rock to take part in the fun, and they will be one of only two Canadian breweries to participate in the event (the other being Spinnakers Brewpub in Victoria, BC). There are guidelines for the beer recipe (suggested here), however a lot of wiggle room is allowed for breweries around the world to come up with their own unique take. The Boxing Rock X LBL collaboration, named “Alewife’s Revenge”, will feature local cranberries, and lots and lots of hops (think of it as an India Session Ale).
Due to time constraints, the brew will actually be taking place next weekend, with the LBL Board of Directors visiting Boxing Rock in Shelburne on the 15th. We are able to announce that the release party for the beer will be held at Stillwell in Halifax on April 17th, and part of the proceeds will go towards the Pink Boots Society, and Shelburne County Women’s Fishnet. As an aside, the Pink Boots Society is a great international resource for women in, or looking to get into, the beer industry. If you fit into that category, please check them out!

Friday Wrap-Up – New Beers and Old Favorites from Garrison and Picaroons, Gahan House Announces Homebrewer’s Challenge, and lots more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-02-14
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Antigonish Townhouse, Bad Apple Brewhouse, BarNone Brewing, Beerthief, Bridge Brewing, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Moncton Beer League, New Brunswick Homebrew Challenge, North Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Pump House Brewery, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Saint John Ale House, Stillwell Beer Bar, The Pub Magazine. 2 comments

Happy Friday and Valentine’s Day to everyone! We’ve got another busy week’s worth of beer news from our area, so grab a pint and your sweetie, and enjoy.

• Garrison Brewing is doing a special event/tasting today, and you can take part! You may have seen the flurry of #3447 or #TestBatch hashtags on Twitter, this is it: Brewmaster Daniel Girard is putting out a small batch of a new IPA, and they want you to give them feedback. From 4-5:30 today, the new beer will be available at Stillwell, Lion & Bright, HMCS King’s Wardroom and the brewery. Garrison crew will be sharing samples of the new beer, in order to get your feedback. Tracy Philippi of Garrison shared some recipe details with us: It clocks in at 51 IBUs and 6.5% ABV, and is a very tropical IPA with hops like Cascade & Citra. Be sure to drop by & let them know what you think! Psst… you could even win a prize for your feedback! The Test Batch will also be available in 650 ml bombers at their retail store, as well as the four private beer stores in HRM.

• Garrison brewer Kellye Robertson had a crazy idea for a Valentine’s Day beer, so the crew has brewed it up, and we all get to enjoy it: Love Potion #9. The base of this elixir is an amber ale (4.6% and 21 IBUs), but it is infused with cranberries & hibiscus, among other cheeky ingredients. It will also be available for growler fills at Garrison today, and will also appear on tap around Halifax (Kings Ward Room, Dalhousie Grad House, Mothers Pizza, Freeman’s Quinpool, Wooden Monkey (Halifax), Lion and Bright, Stillwell, Stubborn Goat and The Argyle).

• Good news for our Garrison fans on The Rock! Their Spruce Beer has hit the shelves across the province. Check out the NLC page for availability close to you. Tracy has let us know that this is only the first of many Garrison beers that they’ll be sending to Newfoundland, so keep your eyes and ears open for that, likely in the spring.

• Even more Garrison news, their very popular Grand Baltic Porter was brewed earlier this week. We don’t have all of the details yet, but previous years’ batches have weighed in around 9%, and the style is very rich with chocolate and roast characters. This is a bigger beer, so the turnaround is usually a bit longer, so the release will probably be early- to-mid-March.

• And finally in Garrison news, a final reminder that entries for the Home Brew-off are due Thursday, Feb 20th. As we’ve mentioned previously, there has been a big improvement to the judging, in that the first round of judging will be done by BJCP-certified judges, and every entrant will receive a full scoresheet back (rather than just the final four). The gala will be taking place March 13th at the brewery, where the top four beers will be sampled, and last year’s winning Belgian Blonde will be released. It’s always a great time!

• The winning beer brewed by Joe Goodine of Moncton for the 1st Annual New Brunswick Home-Brew Challenge will soon be on tap in Fredericton. This beer, a Standard/Ordinary Bitter, was selected out of 42 entries for the style as the winner at a gala at the King Street Ale House in December. Joe brewed the beer at Picaroons with their head brewer, Andrew Estabrooks. While details of the beer are slim, look for it on tap for growler fills at the Brewtique, and possibly at Marky’s Laundromat in Moncton. You can read more on the contest and gala in our previous post.

• Due to the popularity of the Ember Ale (a smoked Porter) brewed by Picaroons for the opening of the King Street Ale House last November, they’ve decided to brew the beer again! While it was originally for exclusive sale at the KSAH, it will be also be available on tap elsewhere, and at the Brewtique for growler fills.

• And, in other returning-beers-from-Picaroons news, look for their Maple Cream Ale to hit shelves/taps around March 1st. Keep following this blog for news on a launch party for that date; also, stay tuned to Picaroon’s Twitter feed for updates as well.

• Over in PEI, the Gahan House has decided to connect with local homebrewers by holding the 1st Annual Home Brewer’s Challenge. Residents of PEI that are 19 and older are invited to submit a home brewed beer of their own for a chance to brew a full-sized batch of their beer with brewmaster Trent Hayes, to be released on tap as a Gahan seasonal! The beer must be brewed as an all-grain beer (no kits or extract allowed), and the style “must complement the regular line-up of Gahan beers”. There is no charge to enter; just fill out the registration and recipe sheets provided, and send in a 6-pack of your beer to the Gahan House (125 Sydney St., Charlottetown) by 5:00 pm, Friday, March 21st. The judges (including Hayes, another brewer, and others TBD) will narrow the beers down to the top 5; these will then be tasted live on a local radio station over that next week, Monday to Friday, with a different beer featured each day. Finally, on Saturday at Gahan House, there will be a 2:00 pm tasting panel to select the winner. Entrants will be invited to join the event to watch the proceedings. If you want to sign up, send an email to gahan@murphysrestaurants.ca, and they’ll get the forms to you; the deadline to sign up is one week from today, Feb. 21st. Get brewing, Islanders!

• PEI’s other brewery has some news: Barnone Brewing is now offering a new growler for purchase to fill with their three regular beers. This Hydroflask growler is becoming quite popular; made of durable, food-grade stainless steel, it’s capable of keeping beer (and other liquids, of course) cold for up to 24 hours. It’s your typical 1.89 L (64 oz) growler size, and can be purchased for $50 at the brewery. Pick one up during their weekly growler night – Thursdays from 6-8 pm – and fill it with either the Summer Sessions, Pale Ale, or IPA.

• Speaking of Barnone, they’ve added a new account to their growing list in Charlottetown. The Olde Dublin Pub on Sydney Street will now be serving Barnone’s Pale Ale.

• The Antigonish Townhouse is going on hiatus for awhile – the brewpub is closing for a mid-winter break from Feb 17th to March 3rd. After allowing their staff this period of rejuvenation, they plan on being back better than ever, with fresh beer and food flowing! Check out their announcement here. Terry has brewed up a Northern English Brown for sale at the pub, to complement the Bitter, so be sure to try that next time you’re in.

• Bridge Brewing Co. in Halifax has recently changed their name to North Brewing Co. According to owner Peter Burbridge, this was done to avoid confusion with Bridge Brewing Co. in Vancouver, B.C.: “… we felt it was best to claim a name that was all our own. North is such a strong word with a lot of meaning for us. We brew and sell our beer in the North End of Halifax and we also have a strong sense of the direction we want to take North Brewing Company and so the word ‘North’ really resonates with us.” The brewery has graciously offered to exchange any Bridge merchandise for newer North merchandise; or, you can choose to keep the Bridge swag as collector’s items! The very popular brewery is currently undergoing an expansion… look for them to soon double and then quadruple their capacity!

• A few weeks ago, the crew from Stillwell Beer Bar made a visit to Bad Apple Brewing in Somerset, and brewed up a batch of beer with Brewmaster Jeff Saunders. A little birdie has told me the beer should be available starting this weekend, on tap only at Stillwell. You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled to their twitter feeds (@BadAppleBrewing and @BarStillwell), as you don’t want to miss this little stunner!

• Rogues Roost Brewpub in Halifax is getting ready to release a Bock in the next week or so. Brewer Jake gave us an insight into the recipe: It was brewed with a Munich malt base with a bit of Vienna; also Melanoidin, Cara 80, and a touch of Black malt. Bittered with mostly Tettnanger hops, O.G. 1.068 F.G. 1.016, for an ABV of 6.8%. Jake also let us know that he’s got a Pilsner in the works as well. It is a Czech Pils insofar as water and gravity (soft water with low mineral content, ABV around 4.5-5%) are concerned, but hopped using Hersbrucker (a German hop as opposed to Czech Saaz),  because, as Jake put it, “Hersbruckers are awesome”. Sounds like a good enough reason to us!

• The Beerthief Newfoundland and Labrador Artisanal and Craft Beer Club have published a Club Status Report this week, giving details on their membership base, current and upcoming beer offerings. With over 2400 all across Newfoundland and Labrador, they are having a measurable impact on the beers offered and available at the NLC. The province has recognized that the local beer lovers were being under-served, and by partnering with Mike and Tom of the Club, are making changes to the selection. We encourage you to read the report to get an idea of how YOU can influence the beer selection in your neck of the woods. Congratulations!

• Chris had a great time at the Saint John Ale House last night, celebrating the launch of Hammond River Brewing. Despite the poor weather, the restaurant was packed with folks trying (and then buying) Shane’s four beers. SJAH will have two Hammond River beers on permanently, and the beers can also be found at the Bourbon Quarter, The Barrel’s Head, and Shiretown Publicans. Shane was also featured in a few interviews this wee; go check them out for more information on HRB: SJAH TV, CBC Information Morning, CBC TV. Congratulations once again, Shane!

• The Moncton Beer League is having their first event at the Pump House Brewery (131 Mill Rd.) next Friday, Feb. 21st. The first meeting will include a brewery tour of the Pump House, followed by tasting samples of five beers on tap, plus a special barrel-aged or cask-conditioned beer brewed specifically for the League. Tickets can be bought in advance here for $15 per person, or purchased at the door for $20 when the event begins. It all begins at 7 pm, and should continue until 10 pm.

• And, to close things off, just a quick note to officially welcome The Pub Magazine – Atlantic Canadian Edition to the beer world! They’ve been very active over the past few months on Twitter and Facebook, but just published their first edition online a few days ago (and the magazine will be in your favourite pub and bar soon). We look forward to seeing what Troy and company do next!

That’s it for now, you bunch of romantics… see you next week!