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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 – News and Brews from Fredericton Craft Beer Fest, Ladies Beer League, Lion & Bright, Uncle Leo’s, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-02-28
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Big Spruce Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Garrison 2013 Home Brew-Off Challenge, Garrison 2014 Home Brew-Off Challenge, Garrison Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Lion & Bright, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Stubborn Goat Gastropub, Uncle Leo's Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, everyone! Today also marks the last day of February. Wow, time flies when you’re having fun/beer! Lots of beer news for you this week, so let’s dive right in!

• As part of next weekend’s Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, there is a separate fundraiser going on, to benefit the Fest’s charity, Team Diabetes. Check out the Golden Growler Auction! There are only twenty of these snazzy Golden Growlers available, screenprinted with the list of breweries and suppliers attending the 2014 FCBF. To win one, you must put in your bid before 11:59PM on Friday, March 7th. The twenty highest bids will get a growler (sorry, not full, but it can be filled down the street at the Picaroons Brewtique), as well as a charitable donation receipt. What a no-brainer! If you’re not on Facebook, you can also submit your bids via Twitter and email. Right now, the minimum bid to win is somewhere around $30, so don’t be shy! Be sure to mention how many growlers you’d like, as you can bid in multiples, as well. If you won’t be able to pick up the growler at the Fest, they will make arrangements to get it to you.

• After a little break for the holidays and New Year, the Ladies Beer League is back with another great event! They will be hosting a screening of Beer Hunter: the movie, about the life of Michael Jackson, at Lion & Bright Cafe & Wine Bar in Halifax, 7pm March 25th. Your $15 movie ticket also gets you some tasty popcorn, and a pint of a special cask of Uncle Leo’s beer (unsure which of their beers it is, yet). Tickets are only available online, and in short supply, so buy yours today! The movie will actually be introduced and attended by some people who had the opportunity to meet and work with Michael during his career. Sounds like a great date night to me, and there will also be a limited number of copies of the film for sale after, for future viewings. As with all LBL events, everyone is welcome! And be sure to check out LBL’s new website, with an FAQ, and the future possibility of purchasing a membership, which will give discounts at local establishments.

• The Parcel of Rogues that Picaroons brewed up for the 25th Anniversary of the Lunar Rogue is back. This time, in addition to being on tap at the Rogue, it will also be available for growler fills at the Brewtique. And don’t forget, if you’re in the Fredericton area tomorrow (March 1), Picaroons is having the official launch of their Maple Cream Ale at the York St. Train Station, with free food, beer samples, and music, from 11 am – 3 pm.

• As their official launch date gets ever closer, the people over at Les Brasseurs du Petit Sault have started a countdown to opening, estimating at about 95 days. They’re making leeway in the process, as they’ve already chosen the names of their flagship beers (a Belgian Blonde and Witbier… no, they’re not revealing the names yet!), are testing brewing recipes at the NBCC in Grand-Sault, and preparing to have some tastings of their first batch within the next few weeks. Their building is also taking shape quite nicely, with their brewing equipment expected within a month.

• The Pump House Brewery in Moncton is looking to add to their brewing team! They’ve posted a job listing here, looking for someone to fill the position of Head Brewer and add to their brewing talent. Check out the link for the full job requirements; they are looking for someone with 5-15 years of brewing experience. If you’re interested in responding to the posting, you can send them an email.

• For those of you living on PEI who are entering the 1st Annual Homebrewer’s Challenge (we originally posted on the event here), those at the Gahan House have decided to change some of the dates in order to give homebrewers sufficient time to brew their beer. The registration deadline was last Friday, but those registered now have until 5:00 pm, Friday April 4th to pass in their six-pack to the Gahan House. The preliminary judging and other events noted in our post will then be held over the next week, with the judging of the top 5 entries taking place on Saturday, April 12th.

• Big Spruce Brewing in Nyanza is hosting a special guest brewer in the brewhouse today: Aaron Spinney, head brewer at Sawdust City, in Gravenhurst, ON. They are brewing a big Wheat IPA (You Spin Me White Round Wheat IPA), weighing in around 6.5-7% ABV and with 70 IBUs, and will have loads of dry hopping. The big wheat component will give a different mouthfeel and head from normal IPAs; the beer should be a great addition to the lineup. Aaron has some connections to the Bras d’Or Lake area, so brewing with Jeremy and crew at Big Spruce was a no-brainer! Be sure to follow along with the fun on Big Spruce’s and Aaron’s Twitter accounts for up-to-the-minute details.

• More great news for Big Spruce: In order to keep up with the growing demand for their beer both on and off Cape Breton Island, they got several fermentors and conditioning tanks on the way from DME in PEI. Two 10 bbl fermentors are scheduled to arrive within the next week, and a third will be through the doors shortly thereafter. And then in late spring, they will be adding two more conditioning tanks to the brewery. This will allow them to increase production by about 70%, in order to keep their head above water during the busy summer to come. This will mean some shuffling of things around the brewery, and construction of the Sprucetique, where visitors will be able to sit and enjoy a paddle of samples while deciding which to purchase in a growler, while enjoying their beautiful view of the Bras d’Or lake. All this after just one year of brewing and selling beer! Congrats to Jeremy and the Big Spruce crew, and thanks to you for drinking it!

• Another busy week at Garrison Brewing in Halifax, punctuated with a home brewing flavour: Last Saturday, the first round of judging was performed in this year’s Home Brew Off competition. Seventy-six homebrewed Weizens were judged by a panel of 10 BJCP-certified judges (acbbchris was among them), narrowing down the field to a top 13 best beers. This week, that lucky thirteen was further reduced down to a final four of beer awesomeness, by Brewmaster Daniel Girard and his crew. Those four beers will be further tasted and tested (again by certified judges), and the winning beer will be crowned the 2014 Home Brew Off Winner! 2013’s Home Brew Off winner, Peter Welton, was in the brewery for a long day Monday, in order to brew his Belgian Blonde. This beer will be released at the Gala event, March 13th. The beer name is a closely guarded secret (only revealed at the Gala), but we can tell you that the beer will weigh in at 7.5% ABV and 24 IBUs.

• The Stubborn Goat in Halifax is inviting Propeller Brewing for today’s Firkin Friday, and Propeller has answered the call with a cask of Black IPA, dry hopped with Simcoe! They brewed up a special batch of this beer specially for the Goat, and will be releasing a full batch in the spring, so be sure to grab a pint. As always, the casks are tapped at 4pm, and once it’s gone, it’s gone, so best to get there promptly.

• A quick reminder that Beerthief Offering #10 from Brooklyn Brewery closes Sunday, March 2nd. Check the full details here, but the quick summary is that members can order East India Pale Ale, Brooklyn Pennant, Local 1, Local 2 or Sorachi Ace beers, to be delivered at their local NLC. As always, contact Tom to place your order.

• In other Beerthief news, on Sunday March 16, there will be a combination tasting and presentation about their March 2015 River Cruise to the Netherlands and Belgium. There will be an assortment of excellent Belgian beers served (including Saison Dupont to start), and the presentation will go over the itinerary and beer specifics of the cruise. Mike Buhler will be part of the planning process of the cruise, and will be leading the tasting (both on the 16th, and during the cruise). Seating for the presentation/tasting is very limited, so reserve your spot with Tom today!

• Rogues Roost Brewpub in Halifax has released their latest seasonal, a Porter. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get all of the recipe details before press time, but we can assure you it will be worth a visit!

• And finally, coming back to the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, we’re having a contest for you to win two VIP tickets to the sold-out event! Starting today, take a picture of a beer brewed by any of the breweries that will be at the festival (check out the full list here), and tweet it or share it to the FCBF Facebook page, with the hashtag #FCBF14. The contest will run until next Thursday, March 6th, at 11:59 pm; the lucky winner will be announced in next week’s Friday Wrap-Up. Extra points for creativity! And if you already have tickets to the fest, feel free to still participate; the FCBF will refund the cost of your 2 VIP tickets if you win!

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

Friday Wrap-Up – New Beers from Propeller, Pump House, and Rockbottom Brewpub, Fredericton Craft Beer Tickets on Sale Now, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2013-11-29
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Ladies Beer League, New Brunswick Homebrew Challenge, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, RockBottom Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar. 2 comments

Another last Friday! Here’s your Atlantic Canadian beer news for the week:

• Propeller Brewing’s Revolution Russian Imperial Stout hits shelves today. Brewed to 8% and 60 IBUs, it features Roasted, Crystal and Chocolate Malts for a full bodied mouthfeel and great flavour and aroma, and Warrior and Cascade hops for bittering and aroma. It will be available at both the Halifax and Dartmouth breweries in 1 and 1.89L growlers, and in 500mL bottles at the breweries, NSLC and private beer stores.

• Also available today is the Pump House Premium Pilsner mentioned in last week’s Wrap-Up. This initial launch of the beer will be in the form of a gift box, containing one 750 mL swing-top bottle. Only 2000 bottles will be available to the public, and can be purchased at ANBL and NSLC stores, as well as at the brewery locations in Moncton (Mill Road and Orange Lange). Look for Premium Pilsner to be available in May or June of 2014 as one of Pump House’s seasonal beers, in the standard 12-oz bottle size.

• Brewmaster Nash at Rockbottom Brewpub in Halifax has released a new batch of an old favourite beer, the Wreckoning Russian Imperial Stout. It features loads of dark malts, including Crystal 150, Black Patent and Chocolate Malt, and is hopped fairly aggressively to 2 lbs/barrel. Some of the beer was then aged in Glenora 12-yr barrels, and fortified with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, and blended back to give you loads of chocolate, vanilla and dark fruit aromas to complement the oak and bourbon. Weighing in at 10%ABV and 132 IBUs (calc), this is a big black beauty of a beer, and only available on tap. And remember to drop by Saturday afternoon for their weekly Firkin, where Nash serves up a special small batch of beer from a gravity fed cask.

• Rogues Roost Brewpub in Halifax also has a favourite beer back on tap, their Raspberry Wheat. The beer clocks in at 4.6% and 15IBUs, and features loads of raspberry aroma and flavour. While it isn’t currently available in growlers, their IPA and Red Ale are, but that list is always expanding. Check their Twitter feed for up-to-the-minute news, and food and beer specials.

• Last week we posted info on Big Spruce‘s new collaboration beer with Crannóg Ale, Left Breton Organic Conspiracy Imperial IPA; well, the beer went on tap at Halifax’s Stillwell shortly thereafter! It probably won’t last long, but it may be back soon… keep an eye on Stillwell’s Twitter feed for tap list updates! Note that the beer is still available at the brewery.

• We also mentioned last week that Garrison Brewing had their employees working hard to harvest all the spruce tips needed to brew their extremely popular Spruce Beer. Well, the beer was brewed last weekend, and will be bottled next Friday! The expected released date is a week later, Friday, December 13th. This year, they plan on sending some Spruce Beer to New Brunswick; look for it to arrive at ANBL stores by December 16th or so. For more details on how they brew this beer, keep your eyes on CBC’s The National after the 13th!

• The final judging for entries in the New Brunswick Homebrew Challenge is winding down, and the winner will be selected and announced from the top 5 entries at the gala this Sunday, December 1st. The homebrewer of the best-judged Standard/Ordinary Bitter will get to brew their beer on a commercial-sized scale with Picaroons‘ head brewer Andrew Estabrooks, for release at the Brewtique in downtown Fredericton. Good luck, finalists!

• And don’t forget that tickets for the March 8th 2014 Fredericton Craft Beer Festival go on sale today! In addition to the regular and VIP tickets ($50 and $60, respectively), there will be a limited number of “Ladies VIP” tickets sponsored by the Ladies Beer League. For ladies only (obviously), these tickets will give the ticket-holder early entry (90 minutes) into the festival, along with Beer 101 with Garrison brewer Kellye Robertson, and guest presentations from local beer celebrities, or “beerlebrities” (unfortunately, I did not come up with that clever word, but… I like it!).  Priced the same as regular VIP tickets, with $10 going to a local women’s charity, we’ll have more details on these tickets and the rest of the festival in the near future. Buy your tickets here; don’t wait, last year’s event sold out quickly!