Meander River Farm and Brewery

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Meander River Farm and Brewery – Opening May 17th in Ashdale, Nova Scotia

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-05-07
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Meander River Farm and Brewery. 2 comments

 

Meander River Logo

 

Meander River Farm and Brewery is the latest brewery to open in our region. Owned and operated by the Bailey family, Meander River Farm is located in Ashdale, NS, 20km from Windsor. The Baileys have been operating the farm for several years, growing livestock, as well as lavender and hops, with both of these crops used in beers by Garrison Brewing Co. We spoke with Alan Bailey regarding the brewery, and he was kind enough to answer our questions.

ACBB: Is there something specific that got you into the world of craft beer?
Alan: I have been homebrewing since the late 70’s – when bottles exploded as often as not, graduating to all grain brewing about 5 years ago… but it really just stems from something that I enjoy doing and educating my friends about. I like beer and I especially like beer that I make. There is something very gratifying about that.

What made you decide to take the step into brewing professionally?
It really completes the circle on the farm – we raise livestock pigs clear land and fertilize as they go, we come behind and plant hops, now the hops go into the beer, the spent grain is fed to the animals and the brewery waste water is used to irrigate the hops – so full circle. But beer has been a dream and passion of my wife and I for as long as we have been together – longer than we have been apart…

What steps have you taken so far getting everything up and running?
Wow – way too many to mention – but we first floated the idea about 2 years ago – we planned for over a year and have been in execution for about 9 months. In spite of our planning we still ran into lots of challenges – but we were determined.

Do you have any partners in the brewery?
No, the brewery is family owned presently.

Brewery Tanks

Meander River’s Brewery Tanks. Courtesy of Campbell Bailey of Meander River Farm and Brewery

What size/type of system will you be brewing on?
3 bbl from Stout Tanks and Kettles in Portland Oregon… When we were first in the market for a system, DME (Diversified Metal Engineering, based in Charlottetown, PEI) was only selling 5bbl and up… I  understand that they may be in the smaller market now. It is a single infusion mash set up with a RIMS module.  We have 2 jacketed fermentors at present – but room and hopes for additional tank expansion in the future.

Will you be the primary brewer, or will you be employing one?
I will be the primary brewer for now. But I want my wife, son and daughter to all be capable of creating a brew and running the brewery. I am also looking forward to working with other brewers because the I have lots to learn and lots to share.

What are your plans for distribution?
We will be selling growlers and kegs directly from the brewery retail store, and hope to establish 2 or 3 tap accounts. Because we are so small – we want to ensure we can keep the tap accounts flowing – so we are being careful not to overextend ourselves. We plan to be active in the community at local events as well.

Do you have any beer bars/restaurants in the area lined up to serve your beers?
We have a verbal agreement with the Spitfire Arms Pub in Windsor to serve our beer there. They are open to doing something special at the launch – but again still tentative as to when that will be – but hopefully in May. We hope to have other draft taps in the province, but are intentionally going slow to ensure we can produce enough volume to keep the taps flowing – no point in having draft contracts we can’t live up to.

Can you tell me about the beer style(s) you plan on brewing?
Our plans are for traditional American style ales… we grow hops on the farm – so look forward for some seasonals that showcase the hops. We want to establish at least 2 always available styles – and then expand our seasonal beers to utilize some of the ingredients on our and other local farms. Our first offering is a Pale Ale. At 6.5%ABV and 55 IBU’s it is at the high end of the Pale Ale style and the lower end of the IPA style, but we are planning a big IPA to coincide with our hop harvest in September. We’re calling this initial offering Lunchbox Pale Ale for some sentimental reasons (full story on the website) – but we are shooting for a beer that is appealing to both the seasoned craft beer audience and those making the transition to craft beer.

Brewing up the Lunchbox Pale Ale

Brewing up the Lunchbox Pale Ale. Courtesy of Campbell Bailey of Meander River Farm and Brewery

Have you had any assistance from other breweries/people in Atlantic Canada?
There are many excellent brewers in the Maritimes – but I have developed a tremendous respect for Daniel Girard – Garrison’s brewmaster. In my mind, he is a true brewmaster – at a level I will never claim to be, and can only ever aspire to. His passion and creativity for the craft is truly amazing. Also, Jeremy at Big Spruce has been a great resource of information and advice.

With the recent increase in the number of new breweries in Atlantic Canada, what will make Meander River different from the rest?
We are focused on the agri-tourism and experiential tourism market. We think our farm currently differentiates us from the rest in NS anyway – I haven’t been to Barnone in PEI – but from what I see on Facebook – I would say they have similar goals.

Where do you hope to see Meander River in the next 2-3 years?
We are certainly not about world domination of the beer market – we want to be a brewery that our local community can get behind and support and want to have a strong presence in our local area. We see ourselves max-ing out at about 750 – 1000 hL a year. No plans to go any bigger.

Do you personally have a favorite beer style, beer, brewery?
IPA. 3 Fields Harvest. Garrison.

Will you be attending any farmers markets to sell growlers?
It is not our intent at this time to attend farmers markets. We are planning to participate in local community events and festivals to raise awareness.

Have you got a launch date for the brewery?
Yes, we will be opening for business next Saturday, May 17th. We will be open 10am-5pm. We will be selling kegs and growlers (1L refillable bottles are $5, fill is $6, and will fill bottles from other breweries), payment options will be cash, debit, and credit. We’ll be publishing all the details about the 17th throughout the week next week, as there will be some special offers/events on the day – folks will need to stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for that.

 

Thank you to Alan and the Bailey clan for their time. Something special that they are doing is offering the public a chance to buy into their future: following the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model, they are selling annual shares in the brewery. Be sure to check out their webpage for more details on these attractive awards! We are happy to welcome them to the vibrant Atlantic Canada Beer family, and wish them all of the best on their May 17th opening.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Bad Apple, Sea Level, Meander River, Schoolhouse, Propeller, Ducky’s, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-04-25
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Atlantic Beer Festival, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Bellwoods Brewery, Big Axe Brewery, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Celtic Knot Brewing, Ducky's Bar, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Henry House, Ladies Beer League, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Noble Grape, PEI Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Schoolhouse Brewery, Sea Level Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, YellowBelly Brewery. 2 comments

Happy Friday everyone! Time for another dose of Atlantic Canadian beer news to finish off the last Friday of the month…

• Bad Apple Brewhouse has released a new beer, Smokehouse Lager, a Rauchbier brewed with 100% beechwood-smoked malt. This copper-colored beer comes in at 6.7% ABV with about 27 IBUs, and is described as “smoky, slightly spicy, and malty” by BAB owner/brewer Jeff Saunders. The beer is available in growlers and squealers at the brewery, and might be on tap at your local soon.

• Staying in the Annapolis Valley, Sea Level has released their latest beer, Southern Cross IPA. Inspired by the New Zealand hop, and the Crosby, Stills and Nash song, the beer weighs in at 6.5% and 78.8 IBUs (calc). The Southern Cross hops lend a resiny spiciness and citrus and pine aromas. Available on tap now at The Port Pub, in growlers and cans at the brewery, and this weekend in cans at the private beer stores in Halifax.

• Finally in Valley news this week, both Meander River Farm and Brewery and Schoolhouse Brewery are in the final stretches before opening their doors very soon. At Meander River, they have brewed their inaugural batch of Lunchbox Pale Ale on their 3 barrel system, and are looking forward to opening in the next few weeks. At Schoolhouse, they were going through their inspection for Excise License this week, and are also looking forward to opening in the next little while. Look for profiles from both of these great breweries very soon.

• In the big city, Propeller Brewing has released their latest seasonal beer, Black IPA. Weighing in at 6.7%ABV and 83 IBUs, this unfiltered beer features a healthy amount of bittering, flavour and aroma hops, and is then dry-hopped for an even more explosive nose. The most prominent hop used in the beer is Ahtanum, which gives a great citrusy nose, with a bit of earthy note as well, which fits well with the style. To give the beer its distinctive black colour, Blackprinz and CARAFA malts were used. These choices were very specific, as both are very dark in Lovibond, so that a small percentage in the recipe goes a long way in the colour, but do not transfer any astringency or husky bitterness to the flavour. Pick up 1.89l and 1l growlers of this latest release at both the Gottingen St and Windmill Rd Propeller locations, and look for it on tap around the city (including Henry House, where it was tapped last night).

• Big Tide Brewing continues to remain busy in Saint John, as they’ve added two new one-off brews to their tap selection at the brewpub. A single batch was brewed with a base of Canadian Wheat malt, a selection of special Crystal malts, and UK hops, and was then fermented with a dry ale yeast. After fermentation was complete, the beer was split into two vessels. One of these, Ale Mary, was filtered, while the other, Sunset Raspberry Wheat, was not. We think it’s safe to assume that the unfiltered beer also has had some raspberries or raspberry extract added at some point of the brewing process! Both beers are meant to bridge the gap for Big Tide’s return to brewing summer beers; they clock in at 4.5% ABV.

• New Brunswick’s newest brewery, Big Axe, may have just opened last week, but they’ve already added a seasonal beer to their line-up, which is available for growler fills at the brewery now. The beer is named Maple Wheat Amber Ale; specific details on the beer are unknown at the moment, but we’ll be sure to update when we know more.

• We mentioned recently that Ducky’s Bar in Sackville was expanding their tap selection, and would be featuring local breweries. Well, they’ve released their opening tap selection, and it’s looking great! As previously mentioned, two taps will be dedicated to Celtic Knot, starting with their Not Joe Average Pale Ale and Dark Passage Oatmeal Stout. Also pouring will be Hammond River‘s award-winning Hop Flash IPA, PEI Brewing Co. Cole’s Cream Ale and Beach Chair Lager, and Garrison Raspberry Wheat and Nut Brown, with Picaroons Dooryard joining them soon. Kegs will rotate as they empty, so look for more offerings from these breweries, as well as others in our region!

• Tickets are now on sale for the Atlantic Beer Festival, in Moncton, Saturday May 31st. There are two sessions, 2:30-5pm, and 7:30-10pm. Free buses are available to the downtown area after each session of the festival. Tickets are available online, at the Pump House brewpub and Barnyard BBQ, and are priced at $49 (taxes and fees included). We hope to have a full brewery/beer list for you soon.

• The Overcast is an arts and culture newspaper based out of Newfoundland. They have an excellent interview with Liam McKenna, brewmaster at Yellowbelly Brewpub in St. John’s. For those of you who do not know Liam’s brewing history (including a time in Dublin), it is a great insight into what makes Liam tick. We hope to share a profile on Liam and the Yellowbelly soon, as we caught up with him on a visit to Newfoundland earlier in the year.

• Don’t forget to pick up bottles of Alewife’s Revenge, the collaboration between Boxing Rock Brewing and the Ladies Beer League. It is now on sale at the private beer stores in Halifax and Dartmouth, on tap around the province (including Antigonish Townhouse), and a special cask of it starting at 4pm for Cask Friday at the Stubborn Goat.

• Speaking of the Ladies Beer League, they’re teaming up with Noble Grape to present an Intro to Beer & Brewing session on Sunday, May 25th from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. This is an introductory course meant to cover the basics of home brewing for beginners and enhance the knowledge of intermediate home brewers, while allowing those interested a chance to also connect with Halifax’s home brewing community. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here; the course will be held at the Noble Grape location on 95 Akerley Blvd in Darmouth. Another session is currently scheduled for Saturday, June 14th.

• Stillwell Beer Bar is following up on their first Bellwoods beer releases earlier this month with another deadly trio this weekend. They will be pouring Brettal Head All Brett Pale Ale, Lost River Baltic Porter, and Hellwoods Russian Imperial Stout, beginning at noon Sunday. Be sure to drop by for great beer, food, and company. We might just see you there!

That’s it for now… have a great weekend!

Friday Wrap-Up – Contest for 2 Tickets to PEI Beer Festival, New Beers from Grimross, Shiretown, Picaroons and Rogues Roost and much more

Posted by acbbshawn on 2013-08-23
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Antigonish Townhouse, BarNone Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Celtic Knot Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Grimross Brewing, Hart & Thistle, Meander River Farm and Brewery, PEI BeerFest, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Shiretown Beer. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, beer buddies! Time for another Friday Wrap-Up…

• The PEI Beer Festival is only two weeks away (Sept. 6th and 7th)! We’re partnering with the PEI Brewing Co. to put on a contest for 2 VIP tickets to the festival, through Twitter. All you have to do is take a picture of one of the 75 beers that will be poured at the festival (check the list here) and post it on Twitter, with the hashtag #PEIBeerFest. The winning photo will be selected by the PEI Brewing Co., and we will announce the winner Monday through our Twitter account. Good luck, everyone! Also check back for a full post with all of the details on the Fest early next week.

• Earlier this week, Grimross Brewing released their fourth beer in downtown Fredericton. “Bayard Belgian Blond” comes in at 7% ABV, and has a lot of fruitiness and spiciness to complement its Belgian character. Brewed using the same hops as the recent “Ben’s Bitter Pale Ale”, it’s also fermented with the same yeast strain, but comes across as a sweeter, less bitter beer that is “approachable, with lots of flavor”, according to brewer Stephen Dixon. It’s currently available in 750 mL growlers at the Picaroons Brewtique.

• Meanwhile, Shiretown is also releasing a new beer… the “Black Currant Bitter Wheat” is brewed with their “base wheat recipe” and local black currants, according to brewer Derek Leslie. With an ABV of 5%, it will be available only at the brewery for growler fills, for a very limited time. The launch will be next Thursday, so hurry over if you’re in the area!

• More new beer! Halifax brewpub Rogues Roost has a pair of new beers available on tap: a light and refreshing Blueberry Wheat (their first ever of this style), and a 6% Baltic Porter, with notes of smoke and chocolate. Both are also available in growlers to go, but enjoying the beer on their street-level patio on one of our few-remaining summer days is a good idea too.

• In support of the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, Picaroons will be re-releasing their “Upstream Ale” for a limited time. Described as a “crisp and clean golden ale”, it has a sessionable ABV of 4.5%, and should be available in ANBL stores by early September. Twenty-five cents from every bottle purchased will go towards the ASCF.

• Greg Nash, has released another new beer in town. Hop Candy II, on tap now at the Hart & Thistle, is a 6.5% IPA, hopped at 3.6lbs/bbl with Centennial, Cascade and Falconer’s Flight. As with most hop-forward beers, the younger the beer the better, as the flavour and aroma can drop off significantly over time.

• What a busy week for new beer releases! And with hop harvest arriving soon in the Atlantic Region, we’ll be seeing some special beers coming through the pipeline soon. If you are in the Cabot Trail area today, drop by Big Spruce as they pick hops from their field and brew up a ~6% Harvest IPA. They are using the wet hops (picked minutes before use, only having to travel feet from field to brewery) continuously in the mash tun, kettle and a hopback. It should be a fun day out!

• Originally available only at Marky’s Laundromat, Celtic Knot Brewing beers will now be available at another location in Moncton. As of this week, The Tide & Boar Gastropub will begin pouring a rotating selection of Celtic Knot beers (based on availability), including their Hopicide IPA and “Not Joe Average” Pale Ale, as well as future releases such as the Loki Black IPA, Robert the Spruce, and Dark Passage Oatmeal Stout.

• Yesterday, Barnone Brewing had something special for those dropping in for their weekly Thursday growler fill from 6-8 pm – an opportunity to touch and smell their glorious hops! Barnone has been growing hops all season which are just about ready to be harvested for use in brewing, so they graciously allowed customers to experience up-front what fresh hops look, smell, and feel like.

• After we spotted a teaser picture of some excavation work posted on their Facebook page, we contacted Meander River Farm for an update on their upcoming brewery. Alan Bailey was kind enough to get us up to speed with their current situation: after four months of waiting on the NS Dept. of Environment, they will be able to operate as a farm-based microbrewery. Hooray! They will be brewing on a 3 barrel system, focusing on American-style Ales, using hops and other products from their 186 acre property (including honey and lavender, which, along with their hops, have all been used in Garrison beers). They plan to be selling beer by December, and we will certainly be keeping you up-to-date with all of the news! One exciting plan of theirs is to offer CSB (community-supported brewery) shares, similar to the CSA shares popular in the province. This allows for a more personal connection between the consumer and farmer/brewer.

• And more great news for beer lovers in Nova Scotia: as mentioned in our profile in June, the Antigonish Townhouse is ready to serve up their in-house-made beer! They’ve been working hard on perfecting the recipe and techniques, and even harder on getting all of the licensing and legal stuff in place. Within the next week or so, they will be serving it exclusively at the pub. A cask-conditioned English Bitter brewed with 2-Row, Crystal and a touch of Black and Flaked malt, the beer clocks in at 4.5%. The 42 IBU beer uses Challenger for bittering, and great English hops East Kent Goldings and Fuggles for flavour and aroma (including Fuggles for dry-hopping). The only thing this beer is missing is a name, which is where you come in! Send them a message on Twitter or Facebook with your suggestion for a name, and you could win a prize! It probably helps to be able to taste it first, but I have faith you folks can come up with some great names. We’ll let you know the moment the beer hits the hand pump!

• It’s still months away until the second annual Fredericton Craft Beer Festival (March 8th, 2014), but a new website has just been launched for the event. Keep an eye on the site (and this blog) for details on the festival, and follow them on Twitter and Facebook to keep up-to-date on breweries, beers, ticket availability, and more. They might be making some changes to the fest format, so weigh in to let them know what you think!

Lots of beer news this week… hopefully the trend continues! Have a great weekend!