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Friday Wrap-up – Two New English IPAs from the North & South NS Conspiracies, News from Upstreet, Sea Level, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-05-15
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Good Robot Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, King Street Ale House, Moncton Beer League, North Brewing, NS Craft Beer Week, Propeller Brewing, Sea Level Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, everyone! We’ve been swept up in the fun and excitement that is #NSCraftBeerWeek, with lots of great events, dinners, and tap takeovers. There are still a few events this weekend, including tonight’s Brews Cruise on the tall ship Silva and Tap Takeover at Windsor’s Spitfire Arms (featuring Meander River, Schoolhouse and Sea Level), tomorrow’s sold out Full House Craft Beer Fest, and Sunday’s Brewer’s Brunch at the Stubborn Goat, so be sure to take them in.

• The Race the Kegs event will take place tonight at the Gahan House Harbourfront. Racing in from the Bedford Yacht Squadron on 24-foot sailboats, the North and South teams will be competing to see who can get their kegs tapped and pouring first. The event kicks off around 6:30pm. The “South” team (Boxing Rock, Gahan House, Hell Bay and Sea Level) are releasing Rule 42 – brewed with all English hops (Challenger, Phoenix, and Bramling Cross), the beer was named after the the boat-racing rule (stating that only the wind and water can be used to increased, decrease, or maintain a craft’s speed). It clocks in at 5.3% and 50 IBUs. As for the “North” team (Big Spruce, Good Robot, North Brewing, and Uncle Leo’s), their Northern Bight was brewed with plenty of Crystal 120 L for colour, and to boost the “spicy body”. Hopped entirely with UK Goldings in the boil, and dry-hopped with… well, that’s a secret, and we can’t tell you! This 6.3% ABV, 60 IBUs ale was fermented with Nottingham, a dry English yeast. May the best beer win! No tickets are necessary to come take part in the fun, and there will be plenty of other NS Craft Beer on tap as well to celebrate the event. These two beers will then be available for growler fills at their participant breweries, and on tap at bars around the province.

• With their opening day getting closer and closer, Upstreet Craft Brewing has announced details on their first three beer releases. The first is Commons Pilsner; brewed in the Bohemian style, the beer was named after its birthplace – in the 18th century, the brewery location used to be known as the “Commons”, or the outskirts of Charlottetown proper. Fermented with a lager yeast strain, this Czech-style beer is brewed with real Czech ingredients, including Bohemian floor-malted pilsner malt, and lots of Czech Saaz hops (with plenty being added late in the boil to increase the spicy aroma/flavour indicative to the style). Coming in at 4.5% ABV and 35 IBUs, this “balanced and crisp” Lager is the perfect style for summer-drinking!

•  Next up is an American Pale Ale named in honor of all those who helped the brewery come to fruition… Do-Gooder APA. Proudly brewed using 50% Maritime Malt, it features a malty backbone and medium bitterness, with a blast of citrus and fruitness in the aroma, thanks to hop bursting (adding most of the hops very late in the boil). Something to satisfy the hopheads but also accessible for those who don’t think they like hoppy or bitter beers. The Do-Gooder weighs in at 5.5% ABV and 45 IBUs. And we’ve heard a rumour about a Belgian-inspired fruit beer to be revealed shortly!

• Sea Level has released their returning summer seasonal, Summer Blonde Pilsner. Brewed with 100% Maritime Malt, this “crisp, refreshing” Lager is hopped with the aptly-named Australian variety, Summer. Coming in at a sessionable 4.8% ABV, the beer finishes with a fairly-firm bitterness, at 40 IBUs. You can find it at the brewery now for growler fills and can purchases; look for it at private liquor stores across Halifax, soon.

• The folks behind Lake of Bays, a craft brewery from Baysville, ON, are coming to New Brunswick, and there will be a a series of beer dinners to celebrate:

In Fredericton, the Lake of Bays’ owners will be dropping by the King Street Ale House on May 27th, and Chef Aaron Fraser will be putting together a four course meal to pair with their offerings. The beers will be Rock Cut Lager, Crosswind Pale Ale, Spark House Red Ale, 10 Point IPA, Old North Mocha Porter, and a special Cask beer brewed for the event. Tickets will be going on sale very soon, keep on eye on the KSAH Facebook and Twitter feeds for details.

In Moncton, they are partnering with the  Moncton Beer League and local Chefs Dan & Cheryl McLenaghan for an event at La Teraz, on May 28th. A four course menu will be paired with four different Lake of Bays beer, plus a few others, and a souvenir glass. The dinner begins at 7:30 (doors at 6:30), and tickets are available now. The last Moncton Beer League dinner sold out well before the event, so don’t delay! Early bird tickets are available until May 20th for a $10 savings, ticket sales close May 23rd. Sales from this event will help support the Humanity Project. Keep up with the event on Facebook or Twitter.

• The Brewnettes and Beerthief Artisanal and Craft Beer Club are putting on a tasting of Evil Twin beers next Thursday at the Quidi Vidi Brewery. Starting at 7:30, attendees will have a chance to taste four beers from this Danish gypsy brewery: Low Life Pilsner, Freudian Slip Barleywine, I Love You With My Stout Imperial Stout, and Molotov Cocktail Imperial IPA. Pretzels and hummus will be provided, and the Quidi Vidi bar will be open throughout the event. To reserve your spot, please do so via email before Tuesday. This is a members only event, but membership is free, and open to all beer-loving women in Newfoundland.

• Sunday’s Stillwell Open was a great event, with a dozen breweries and homebrewers competing in a blind tasting, with attendees voting on their favourite Backyard BBQ beers. The competition was fierce, with the winning beer revealed around 7pm. And, believe it or not, our very own Chris McDonald was the winner! He brewed a Lemon & Ginger Witbier on the pilot system at Good Robot, and the crowd seemed to enjoy the combination of lemon aroma with ginger spice and “snap”. Tatamagouche’s Sunrise Trail Session Ale,  Boxing Rock’s Sessionista, and Big Spruce’s Silver Tart all finished extremely close in the voting, with less than 0.5 points (out of 40) separating the top four. We’re looking forward to next year’s event already!

•  The event also served as the launching pad for a few new beers in our region,  Propeller Brewing’s latest One Hit Wonder, The S’Wheat Life. This 4.5% ABV Wheat Beer is light in bitterness, at 10 IBUs, and is available now at both the Dartmouth and Gottingen breweries for growler fills. Garrison Brewing released Le Saison Froide, a Saison brewed with Mint, Japanese Tea, and Lime, weighing in at 4.2% ABV, and will be available shortly at the brewery for growler fills. They have also released the next in their “Pucker Up” series, Apricot Saison, and their Sugar Moon Maple will be available at the brewery this weekend. And as mentioned above, Big Spruce’s Silver Tart is now available for growler fills, and select bars across the province. They used 125 pounds of raspberries to achieve the wonderful flavour and striking colour, and used Lactobacillus bacteria to achieve the acidic character of the beer. A little more on the background here.

Have a fabulous long weekend… it’s looking like some nice weather, so get out there and enjoy it with some local craft beer! The seasonal Pump House Weizen (~5.2% ABV) is back on tap at the brewpub, and is also available for growler fills at all four ANBL growler stations this weekend. The Bad Apple Brewhouse Tap Takeover continues into the weekend at Tom’s Little Havana, and includes two brand new beers, Honey Wagon Honey Pale Ale, Tom’s Smoked Porter, and returning favourites Mosaic DIPA, Box Cutter IPA and APA. The Grimross Maritime Pale Ale (more info here) is now pouring at the brewery for both growler fills and on-site consumption. Those behind the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival have been hinting at an upcoming Canada Day event; all we know at the moment is that it will be a smaller, exclusive event, but we’ll have more info on that (and other plans up their sleeves) very soon! The SmartBrew system at the Nook & Cranny is in place, and they are fermenting their Wheat Ale, IPA and Pale Ale now. And homebrewers, today is the last day to register and drop off your entries for the Brewnosers Homebrew Competition at your local Noble Grape.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from TrailWay, Grimross, YellowBelly, Boxing Rock, Big Spruce and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-05-01
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 540 Kitchen & Bar, Authentic Seacoast Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, King Street Ale House, NS Craft Beer Week, Paddys Irish Brewpub, Sea Level Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. 1 comment

Happy Friday! Looks like some of these rotten weather may be coming to an end; what better way to celebrate than by reading about local beer?

• TrailWay‘s newest beer, Sensible Nonsense, will be available this weekend in Fredericton. A collaboration DIPA brewed with two local homebrewers (for more information, check out our post from earlier in April), it should be hitting taps sometime this weekend throughout the city. As well, they’re tapping two casks of the beer at the King Street Ale House today sometime around 5 pm; the first has had some Bourbon-soaked Spanish cedar added, while the second had an additional dry-hop of Mosaic and Centennial. The last casks of TrailWay at KSAH didn’t last long at all, so get there early to give them a try!

• That’s not all for new beers from TrailWay… they’re releasing two more this weekend as well, and both are brewed with warmer temperatures in mind! The first is a Raspberry Wheat Ale; lightly hopped to around 20 IBUs, and easy-drinking at 4.5% ABV, it was brewed with 10 lbs of raspberries added after primary fermentation. With “some big raspberry aroma and flavour, with some wheat that comes through, especially in the aftertaste”, expect a dry, crisp, and refreshing beer. It will be making its debut at the Wine Tasting Event for Hailey’s Dreams today at 6:30 pm (check out the link for details and tickets); it should also be available on tap at the KSAH sometime this weekend. The other brew is a new APA named D’under Pale Ale. Brewed without any Crystal malt – to keep the beer light-coloured and dry – it was hopped entirely with Galaxy, an Australian variety that is well-known for its fruity, citrusy characteristics. It should come in at about 40 IBUs and 5.4% ABV; look for it on tap this weekend at 540 Kitchen & Bar. Expect further iterations of this beer to be hopped with other Australian and New Zealand varieties!

• Elsewhere in Fredericton, Grimross Brewing has just brewed up a new beer they’re calling a “Maritime Pale Ale”, which they describe as a hybrid between an English Pale Ale and an American Pale Ale. Featuring a grist with equal parts Pale Ale and Pilsner malts, along with Vienna, Medium Munich, CaraRed and Wheat to give it a light-copper colour. It was then hopped with a mixture of English (Willamette and East Kent Goldings) and American (Centennial and Amarillo) varieties to 38 IBUs (with most of those IBUs coming from later additions in the boil, meaning more hop flavour and aroma). The beer will also be dry-hopped following primary fermentation. Fermented with a neutral American yeast strain, expect this beer to come in at about 5.6% ABV. This one should be ready in around 2 weeks; we’ll be sure to keep you updated on its release!

• There’s a new beer on tap at the YellowBelly brewpub in St. John’s, a Saison named Field Assistant. Brewed in celebration of the Canadian Archaeological Association‘s conference in the city this week, the grist is made up of Pilsner and Honey malt, and the beer was hopped (including a dry-hop addition) entirely with Saphir. It was fermented quite warm (reaching temps as high as 90 F) with a blend of Belgian Saison yeast strains; after primary fermentation, it spent over two months in secondary. Less dry than most beers in this style (due to the addition of the Honey malt), it’s still balanced and easily-drinkable (at 6% ABV), with lots of characteristic spiciness and fruitiness, according to brewmaster Liam McKenna. The beer should also be available in bottles at the brewery this weekend.

• In coordination with the CAA meeting, there will be a free public lecture Saturday, May 2nd, from 1-2:30pm at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland (Fort William Ballroom, Salon B), Archaeology and History of Beer. Visiting biomolecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern will be kicking off the event by giving a lecture on the the composition and reconstruction of ancient brewing techniques and recipes. Yellowbelly Brewmaster Liam McKenna will be speaking about the cultural importance of beer, and its historic development. Stephen Mills, a St. John’s-based consulting archaeologist, will discuss the archaeology of drinking and taverns in 17th century Newfoundland. A discussion and Q&A session will follow. Tickets may still be available for Saturday evening’s Ancient Ales tasting, contact Tom Beckett for details.

• Boxing Rock has re-released last year’s Sessionista, with some minor tweaks and improvements! While last year’s beer was in the English Bitter style, this time around it’s a “better, bolder, and hoppier” brew that the brewery likes to refer to as a “Fractional IPA”. With a slightly higher ABV at 4%, it’s still highly sessionable and malty, but with a big nose of floral hops (“lemon blossom, orange, and tropical fruit”, according to the brewery). Exhibiting flavours of biscuit, roasty caramel and toasted bread”, with a “tropical, fruity hop middle”, it’s meant to be enjoyed again and again. Look for it on tap at the brewery and select bars/restaurants in our area; it’s also available in 650 mL bottles in many NSLC stores. It should be around until mid-June, when Boxing Rock’s next seasonal will hit the streets!

• Big Spruce has released their latest seasonal this week, She’s Maibock. This twist on the traditional German style features the zest of 40 lemons in both the boil and conditioning tank, for a blast of citrus aroma. Brewed in March, it has been lagering for a month until its release. Weighing in at 6.1% ABV, and 30 IBUs from Magnum in the first wort, Big Spruce-grown Galena for bittering and Challenger for flavour/aroma. Look for it on tap for growlers at the brewery now, and in widespread distribution throughout NS Craft Beer Week.

• Not to be left out, Sea Level also has a brand new beer available on tap. Acadian Cross Extra Pale Ale is an unfiltered pale ale, clocking in at 5.5% ABV. It was brewed to commemorate the 260th Anniversary of the Expulsion of the Acadians, and named after the Deportation Cross erected in 1924, in Grand Pre. It was brewed with Maritime Malt, and fermented with a neutral American ale yeast. It was bittered with Apollo, with two dry hop additions in the fermentor, and one more addition in the serving tank. It is on tap now at the Port Pub, and for keg sales at the brewery, and will be available soon for growler fills and cans.

• Staying in the Annapolis Valley, Paddys Irish Brewpub has two new beers on tap at their Wolfville and Kentville locations. Their Vienna Lager is a North American interpretation of this Amber-cloured German style. It features a citrusy hop aroma and flavour that complement the complexity of the European malt bill. The beer is 5.1% ABV, and has 17 IBUs. They have also released Citra IPA, a 6.2% ABV beer featuring Citra hops throughout for a grapefruit flavour and aroma, and signifcant 50 IBUs. Grab a pint of each at the bar, or a growler to go!

• Hell Bay Brewing has been busy in Liverpool! They have released another batch of their Dark Cream Ale, and it is available for purchase at NSLC locations across the province. The tail end of their 5% traditional Dry Irish Stout is available for growler fills at Harvest Wines in Dartmouth.  And they are looking to release another version of their R.I.P.A. IPA in a couple of weeks, with another tweak on the hops used in the brew.

• Details of the different events are still pouring in for next week’s kickoff for NS Craft Beer Week. Events are being updated on the official page, and we have created a Calendar that you can add to Google Calendar, Outlook or iCal. The events are geolocated, so you can plan your week that way, as well. Please let us know if there are any events that we’re missing! Look for more NSCBW details next week, as we share our guide to the events are beers. Tickets are still available for many of the events, including Signature events like the Beer & Beethoven kick-off, Science of Beer on the 14th, and the Brewers’ Brunch on the 17th. There are several collaboration brews that will be released that week, including a three-way conspiracy between Big Spruce, Propeller and Tatamagouche, launching at noon on May 9th at Stillwell. Cerberus American IPA is a 7% ABV Organic IPA, featuring Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Zythos hops. It will be available in bottles, as well as growlers at all three breweries after launching.

Enjoy the warmer weather this weekend! The winner of the first annual Railcar Homebrew Competition was announced last Saturday: local homebrewer Pierre Gagnon submitted the winning entry with his Groundskeeper Willie Pish (Scottish Export 80/-), which he will brew with brewmaster Mitch Biggar on the Railcar system in the near future. Railcar has also announced a “He Said Beer, She Said Wine” tasting and pairing event May 23rd at the brewery. Be sure to pick up tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Rare Bird has released a new Red Ale, and it is available at NSLC locations across the province now. This 5% ABV beer features Rye in the malt bill, for a slight spicy character.

Friday Wrap-Up – News and New Beers from Gahan House Halifax, Railcar Brewing, Grimross, Hell Bay, Paddys Irish Brewpub and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-01-09
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Basset Hound Brewing, Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Grimross Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Paddys Irish Brewpub, Railcar Brewing. Leave a Comment

Good morning, Beer Fans! With the extreme cold weather we’ve had this week, things have slowed down a bit more… but here’s a few tidbits of news to help warm you up a bit!

• Gahan House Halifax has a couple of new beers that we’d like to tell you about: This week saw the release of their latest seasonal, Winter IPA. Weighing in at 7.2% ABV, the beer features four different hop varieties, to 85 IBUs. It has a nice caramel and malt sweetness, but is well balanced by the hop bitterness. It joins the Gingerbread Unfiltered Amber Ale, which has been on for a couple of weeks. Brewed with an English yeast, the Amber base was enhanced using a specially-made chai syrup from Gahan’s Historic Properties neighbours, Two If By Sea. Catch them both at the brewery while you can, and the Pleasures and Treasures Maple Whiskey Porter is back on tap as well.

• As the weekend approaches, Railcar Brewing has several more new beers in the pipeline. Two of these are already pouring at the brewery:  their American Amber is a malty-sweet, reddish-colored beer that comes in at a very sessionable 4.5% ABV, and 18 IBUs, while the Irish Dry Stout was brewed in collaboration with Basset Hound Brewing (from homebrewer Justin Tompkins). This low-ABV (4%), roasty ale has a calculated bitterness of about 37 IBUs. Look for several new brews to follow shortly, including The Darkest One, a Black IPA that clocks in at a whopping 9.4% ABV and 55 IBUs, and is hopped with Cascade, Fuggles, and Goldings; Something Brown, a 5.5% ABV and 21 IBUs Brown Ale; and Chocolate Coffee Porter, a strong (8.8% ABV) dark beer which will feature a blend of coffee named River Valley Blend, from Fancy Coffee Services. And nope, that’s not all… Railcar owner/brewer Mitch Biggar plans on re-brewing a batch of his Biggar’s Best Bitter, a 7.5% ABV and 55 IBUs English Bitter, this weekend!

• Grimross currently has an online survey active that allows participants to vote on their favorite Grimross beer. Owner/brewer Stephen Dixon is looking for feedback on which beers to brew in the near future to fill up all five available taps at the newly-opened brewery/tasting room; this is also a way to gauge interest for new brews in the future! Hop on over and cast your vote; the survey will be closed by Monday.

• Liverpool’s Hell Bay Brewing has released the last version in their ongoing series, the R.I.P.(A.) IPA. This time around, the malt bill will be the same as the previous version, but is being hopped more assertively with six different hop varietals, for more bitterness and aroma. Their Chocolat (Chocolate Wheat Ale) is back this week as well, featuring a rum extraction of cocoa and vanilla beans to enhance the aroma and flavour of the dark roast and crystal malts. Both of these beers are available in growlers at the brewery, with a few kegs being sent to better beer establishments around the province.

• Paddys Irish Brewpub in Kentville and Wolfville debuted a new beer this weekend. The 542 Belgian IPA features American C-hops ( Centennial and ( Citra) and Belgian yeast for a fruity and tasty beer. The beer finished fairly low in gravity (2.8 Plato or 1.011 Specific Gravity) and 6.9% ABV, for a nice light body, and hefty bitterness, at 65 IBU. Drop by either Pub for a pint today!

If you’re out around Fredericton, you may want to stop by King Street Ale House and/or 540 Kitchen & Bar, as both should have the new TrailWay Session IPA on tap (see last week’s post for more info) by tonight or tomorrow. The brewers at Picaroons are starting to play with the smaller brew system at the Brewtique – they just brewed up a batch of unfiltered Best Bitter that we may see available in the near future. Garrison Brewing’s Black IPA is back again, and is now available in 650 mL bombers. Also, a reminder that tickets for this year’s Fredericton Craft Beer Festival are over 85% sold out, and their NB HopSpiel (February’s outdoor curling/beer event) is filling up fast, so don’t wait much longer to get your tickets/register your team!