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Friday Wrap-Up for May 31, 2019 – News from Bogside Brewing, Tanner & Co, 902 BrewCast, Niche, 2 Crows, Spindrift, Shipwright, Port Rexton, and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2019-05-31
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, BarNone Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Bogside Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Evermoore Brewing Co, Everwood Ave Brewshop, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Moth Lane Brewing, Niche Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., PEI Craft Beer Week 2019, Picaroons General Store, Port City Beer Run, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy end of May! It’s hard to believe it, but we’re closing the books on the fifth month of 2019. You’d certainly never believe we’re on the cusp of Summer by looking out your window (or maybe you would, if you were chasing icebergs around Twillingate this week)! Let’s get you up-to-date with the opening of PEI’s first new brewery in 8 months, plus a baker’s brewer’s dozen of new beers and lots of events to keep you happy.

We’re excited to announce that Prince Edward Island’s Beer Scene is expanding today, with the opening of Bogside Brewing in Montague. Located at 9 Brook Street, overlooking the Montague River and Waterfront Park, Bogside features a full restaurant and taproom to complement the brewing operations. While equipment delays have them serving up fellow Island Craft Beers this weekend (with their own beers flowing in the next week or so), there’s no such holdups with the food! Chef Dave Mottershall is running a food program featuring low-and-slow BBQ, a wide variety of cured meats from his Salume Rume meat locker, and plenty of traditionally paired sides (think baked beans, greens, cornbread). The restaurant and taproom is open today 4 – 11 PM, and daily with the same hours, opening just in time for PEI Craft Beer Week (much more on that below!). Keep an eye on their social media (Fb/IG/Tw), and we’ll have a Profile with owner David McGuire and Brewer Mark Patriquin early next week.

We’ve got lots of news from Tanner & Co Brewing in Chester Basin this week, so let’s get right to it! First off, they sat down with our pals at the 902 BrewCast and recorded an episode chronicling the first 18 months of operation down on Angus Hiltz Rd. Topics range from their opening Thanksgiving weekend 2017, to the expansion of their brewing operation from 50 to 500 litres, to their take on traditional and historic German style. Dan and Peggy (but mostly Dan!) took over the rocking chair and aired some grievances about Untappd, beer competitions, and that nasty “s” word, saturation. And you’ll also get the inside scoop on their new taproom on Duke Street in Chester, opening this summer! They’ll be moving their pilot system into the downtown to create more room in the brewhouse (aka garage), and offer locally-brewed beer to visitors and locals alike. And you’ll be the first to hear about a South Shore Beer Bus that will allow beer fans to hop on and off at breweries in Chester, Bridgewater, Mahone Bay, and Lunenburg (we’ll have more on that plan soon). At well over an hour in length, the podcast is the perfect length to listen to while driving to/from the brewery to catch the latest release!

Speaking of which, the latest brew coming out from Tanner & Co is Mango Basil Saison. Starting from their traditional Saison base of Pilsner, Vienna, and Wheat malts, and fermented with French Saison yeast, this batch features light usage of Amarillo in the boil (to the tune of 25 IBU) and a light dry-hopping. Added to both the kettle and then again to the conditioning tank was organic mango puree and fresh basil, working to meld with the base beer character, rather than overpower it. Think light tropical and herb notes working with the light fruity esters and phenolic spiciness from the yeast. Bottles of the 6.2% ABV MBS are available at the brewery now, as well as at their Lunenburg Farmers’ Market stall on Thursdays.

Niche Brewing, southwest of Fredericton, NB, is releasing another beer on the hoppy side this week. Dubbed Equanimity (a challenge to say after having a couple), it’s a NE-style Pale Ale, hazy and juicy, and slightly dank, but decidedly lower in ABV than a NE IPA at 5.5%. Expect a smooth body from a grist of 2-row, Golden Promise and flaked wheat and a moderately bitter finish, balancing a hop bonanza from late additions of Ekuanot, El Dorado, and Mosaic, and a very large amount of Vic Secret and more Mosaic in the dry hop. Look for it all over New Brunswick starting this weekend.

New can release from 2 Crows this weekend, and it sounds like a real humdinger! Humdinger (see what we did there? #killingit) was brewed with Pilsner malt and lots of different wheat (including raw, malted, and flaked), as well as a bit of oats and Aromatic malt. Hopped late in the boil with Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic “American Noble Hops” (check out our post last week for more on this extremely odd and confusing term) to 15 IBUs, the wort was fermented in one of the brewery’s foedres with a blend of yeasts (including American Farmhouse, a white wine strain, and the multitude of other goodies living in said foedre), and conditioned for over 4 months. The beer was then transferred back to stainless and dry-hopped with Centennial, Huell Melon, and Idaho 7, canned, and conditioned with Champagne yeast for about six weeks. The final beer is tasting “super bright, lively, delicately funky, with citrus, honeydew and orchard fruit vibes”. Sounds great to us! Grab your cans at the brewery tomorrow.

Looks like Spindrift is continuing to play with small batch releases, as they’ve got a new beer hitting their taproom next week. Diabolic Scheme is a “Black Currant Wheat Beer” that was brewed with a grist of Pilsner and Wheat malt. Hopped very lightly (to just 6 IBUs) with Herkules and Cascade, the 5.6% ABV brew features an addition of black currant puree. As you might expect, the black currant is what comes through most prominently in the aroma and flavour of the beer, with a bit of tartness from the fruit coming through as well. You’ll be able to find it on tap at Spindrift on Thursday, June 6th.

The gang at Shipwright Brewing is keeping busy with new beers, as their latest, Fischerdorf Alt, is now available on tap. Named after the German word for “fishing village” (they ARE in Lunenburg, after all!), this is the brewery’s homage to the Altbier, a classic German style. A dark amber brew that was hopped lightly (to 22 IBUs) with Perle, it was fermented cool with an Ale yeast. Sporting a “delicate malt-forward presence”, it has a touch of bitterness to balance, along with a crisp finish. This 5.2% ABV beer is currently pouring at the brewery (pints, growlers, crowlers), and is also on tap at the Grand Banker.

Port Rexton Brewing already has the next entry in their Continuum series of hazy IPAs, Continuum w/ Galaxy, available for you thirsty hop-heads out there! As you may have imagined, it’s hopped with loads of Galaxy, that fabulous Australian variety, including additions in the whirlpool, hop back, and dry-hop. Those of you familiar with Galaxy know that that means plenty of “passion fruit, pineapple, peach and mango” in the aroma and flavour, balanced by a moderate bitterness in the finish. It comes in at a low-for-an-IPA 5.1% ABV, meaning you can enjoy a pint or two and not feel loopy (well, that depends on a lot, but… you know). Check out the PR taproom for pints and growlers, or the brewery’s retail shop in St. John’s for growler fills only. And when you head out to the taproom, you’ll be able to catch the very small batch of Kveik IPA, their local spin on the Newfoundland Skerwink Haze collaboration they brewed with Red Racer and is part of the Across the Nation 12-pack available in Atlantic Canadian Liquor Corporations/Commissions now.

The Picaroons General Store location in Saint John has a one-off beer – Light Speed Lager – currently available for pints and growler fills. A light-to-medium bodied brew, it was hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Huell Melon, giving some citrus on the nose, as well as “faint, fruity flavours”. Lagered for six weeks to allow these flavours to develop, this 5.1% ABV Lager finishes dry and refreshing. Limited supplies available, only at the General Store.

Hot off the heels of two Scratch beers last week, Scratch #22: Hefeweizen is out today from Grimross. Brewed with lots of Wheat malt (~55%) and a mixture of Pilsner and Melanoiden, as well as a touch of Chocolate Wheat for colour, it was lightly hopped with Magnum and Tettnang to 13 IBUs. Fermented with a Weizen yeast strain to give your classic banana and clove characteristics, it comes in at 5.5% ABV. Refreshing and flavourful, you can find it on tap and in cans at the brewery for you to stock up on for the weekend; look for ANBL stores and tap accounts to receive their own supplies sometime next week.

It wouldn’t be the start of the weekend without at least one new beer from Big Spruce, which goes hand in hand with a cute, punny name! For this week, they’ve actually got two of both for us, starting with Kolsch Encounters of the Third Kind (see?). A light and refreshing, 5.4% ABV lagered ale (fermented with an ale yeast, likely cool, and allowed to lager at cool temps even longer), it’s meant to be easy-drinking, just what you need after yardwork, long hikes, etc. The second release is Apri-Hours, a mixed fermentation sour ale with apricot. Medium-bodied with flavours of apricot and lemonade, it packs a bit more of a punch at 6.8% ABV. Both beers are available on draught only; while you can of course swing by the Sprucetique for pours and growler fills, there will also be some kegs out in the wild (definitely at Battery Park and Auction House, as well as others). And keep your eyes peeled for Big Spruce’s first foray into the canned non-alcoholic realm, with Sparkling Organic Lemonade available now at the brewery and soon in cans across the province.

Halifax’s Good Robot has kegged the latest iteration in their Creature Feature series of biotransformation IPAs. Leveraging the practice of adding a bunch of hops during primary fermentation (e.g., before the beer is “dry,” so it’s not really a “dry hop”), they’ve also committed to a very 1970s/80s rock album model of roman numeral naming. This one is Creature Feature V, which features the fairly uncommon and somewhat feared Japanese Sorachi Ace hop variety. Known for imparting a lovely bright lemony character, but at the same time often bringing along complex and prominent notes of dill and lemongrass, it’s a bold move for a bold style. Coming in at 5.6% ABV and 40 IBU, look for it at the GR taproom and possibly GR tap accounts around Halifax, starting this weekend.

You’ve got a busy weekend ahead of you, folks, so let’s help you plan your moves…

Propeller Brewing is hosting the Awards Gala for the Everwood Ave Home Brew Competition at 7:30 PM at their Gottingen Street taproom this evening. The event is open to the public, and if you have ever thought about taking up homebrewing, you’ll want to drop by to meet some of the keen members of the community, as well as have the chance to speak with homebrew shop owners and professional brewers to talk shop. You’ll also be able to grab a pint from their Friday Cask; this week’s features the returning Stone Fruit, with an extra-special dose of lime in the cask. Plus Real Fake Meats is onsite with Veggie Donair Egg Rolls to keep your tummy satisfied. And with the Arcade open from 4 PM this afternoon, you’d be crazy to miss it!

The Inaugural PEI Craft Beer Week is kicking off this weekend, and running from June 1 – 8, 2019. All eight Island breweries will be participating, each hosting events at, and around, their respective breweries. While there is no All-Island Brewery Festival to kick-off or end the week, there will be some big events happening to get you excited that we want to highlight. The first is on the kick-off day Saturday, as a handful of PEI Craft Beer Bus Tours will be crisscrossing the island. You can choose which of your favourite breweries to be picked up at (Copper Bottom, Evermoore, Moth Lane, or Upstreet [PEIBC bus is now sold out]), and you and your closest pals will tour all seven breweries (skipping the Gahan House) in one day. A great way to drink your way across the province and taste everything the fine breweries have to offer! Click that link to grab tickets! Sunday features a Brewer’s Brunch and brewery tours at most of the locations. Check the full schedule here, and if we get our butt in gear (looking at you, Chris!), we’ll have a Map and Calendar posted over the weekend to help you plot your moves over the next 8 days.

It’s been almost five years since Fredericton’s TrailWay Brewing has been in operation, and the 3rd Anniversary of the opening of their “big” brewery (remember, they started off as a 1 bbl in a basement before opening a much-larger brewery with a taproom) is coming up. You know what that means… an Anniversary Party! So, tomorrow, June 1st, TW is blocking off their side parking lot to include space for food trucks, outdoor games, live music, and a beer garden. They’ll be having free brewery tours throughout the day, swag giveaways, and plenty of beer releases, including the re-release of Bliss, their 4% ABV “Session India Pale Lager”, and a new iteration of their Velvet Fog Milkshake IPA, this one with raspberry and orange. Most of the outdoor activities start at around noon, and there’s no charge to attend… it’ll continue all day and evening!

The 5th Annual Port City Beer Run in Saint John is fast approaching, happening next Saturday, June 1st. This event has been growing since it started, with this year’s run expected to have over 300 runners participating, and 17 breweries and cideries pouring their products. Aside from all that beer and cider to look forward to after your run (there are 3, 5 and 10 km options), there’s also going to be live entertainment, and four restaurants on site serving up food. Almost $50,000 has been raised for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation over the last four years, so rest assured that besides having a great time and being active, your registration cost will be going to a very good cause. Speaking of that, you still have time to sign up; it costs $65 to register, and if you’d like to take part in all of the non-running fun, you can grab a “fan ticket” for $55. Check out the link above for tickets.

In addition to the beer mentioned above, Good Robot will be the site of much mirth and merriment this weekend with two big events on the docket. First up is the Aquasocks album release tonight at the Mayflower Curling Club (a few tickets are still available) that we’ve mentioned a couple of times over the last few weeks. It will feature a special beer brewed just for the event (that’s been on preview at the GR taproom since last week), a blueberry- and pineapple-laden Pilsner they’ve called Aquakultre’s Legacy Lager.

And following hot on the heels of what will surely be a night of beer drinking and booty shaking comes the latest event under the Flavabot umbrella, called, in typically questionable GR taste, The Great North End Jerk-off. There will be nothing questionable, however, about the taste of the traditional Caribbean Jerk-style cooking that is the heart of this event. The Limestone Group, RumbleFish (GR’s in-house kitchen in partnership with Black Sheep), and HopYard Halifax will be bringing smoke, spice and heat in a competition to crown the Jerk King. Two levels of tickets are available, Silver, which gains you admission only (all food and drink is extra) and Gold, which gains you admission and 5 food samples. And it wouldn’t be a FlavaBot event without some Caribbean-influenced beer, now, would it? Of course not! So Giovanni Johnson is bringing plenty of that. Rake ‘n Scrape originally debuted at the Flavabot Rake ‘n Scrape event back in March. A tropical double IPA with mangoes and pomegranate, it’s plenty juicy, plenty bitter, and tart as well, with an ABV of 6.9% and 70 IBUs. On the small batch side there will be two others, Pineapples and Coconuts (which also debuted at Rake ‘n Scrape), a 5.6% ABV and 27 IBU wheat ale featuring pineapple and coconut, and a brand new one, Conch Style Lager, a light, crisp, and refreshing beer with lime zest and spruce tips that weighs in at 4.5% ABV and 29 IBUs. Festivities start June 1st (that’s tomorrow!) at noon at the Mayflower Curling Club; you can get your tickets online here. So come get your jerk on at the jerk off!! (sorry/not sorry)

Just a few more things before we send you along your way today!

Garrison Brewing already has the second entry in their Hop Trip IPA series, with Hop Trip – Azacca (6.2% ABV). Hopped entirely with, yep, Azacca, expect lots of pineapple and lemon flavours. It’s only available on tap, so stop by the brewery for a growler, or look for it at your favourite Garrison licensee.

If you’re a hop lover in Halifax, you might plan to be in the environs of North Street this weekend, as Unfiltered has brought back their king hell Citra bomb, DOA. As usual, it’s 7.5% ABV, lotsa IBUs, and you’ll belch an orange grove after a glass or two. Cans, fills and pints from today at noon.

Upstreet’s dry-hopped kettle sour, Major Tom (5% ABV) is back as of yesterday. Tart in the finish with notes of grapefruit thanks to the dry-hop addition, you can find it on tap at the brewery and Craft Beer Corner, as well as in bottles.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Boxing Rock, Propeller, Picaroons, Port City Beer Run, Fredericton Beer Run and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2015-02-06
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 540 Kitchen & Bar, Big Axe Brewery, Boxing Rock Brewing, Cicerone Certification Program, Fredericton Beer Run, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, Horton Ridge Malt & Grain, King Street Ale House, Ladies Beer League, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Port City Beer Run, Propeller Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Tide & Boar Gastropub. 1 comment

Happy Friday! Snow continues to fall, temperatures continue to drop… but luckily, the beer news in our region continues to flow in!

• Last weekend, Boxing Rock brewed up a new beer with a special guest – Andrew “Esty” Estabrooks, former head brewer at Picaroons. The Next Chapter is a Rye IPA brewed with New Brunswick-grown malt, and hopped with Columbus, Mosaic, and Simcoe. Coming in at 6.3% ABV, it will feature “rich spicy notes” from the rye malt, and a “great dank bitterness with a fruity middle, and dry, citrusy, piney finish” according to Boxing Rock head brewer Henry Pedro. This collaboration is going to be a special Boxing Rock release, as it’s not only their first IPA, but also their first beer intended for release only in New Brunswick! Lucky attendees of this year’s Fredericton Craft Beer Festival will be able to sample the beer, which will then have an exclusive tap at the King Street Ale House. In addition, right now the plan is for 650 mL bottles of the beer to be available through ANBL; it’s not confirmed yet, but let’s keep our fingers crossed!

• Don’t worry, Nova Scotia, Boxing Rock has a new beer for you, too! A Bohemian Pilsener, Wild Axe is brewed with all Saaz hops (a spicy and floral European variety), fermented cool in true lager fashion, and then aged cold to give the clean, balanced, crisp flavors expected of the style. Weighing in at 5.7% ABV, look for this one to be released on tap at the brewery and at better beer bars/restaurants in Nova Scotia today, and by next Wednesday in 650 mL bottles.

• Propeller has just released their newest One-Hit Wonder, and they couldn’t have timed it any better! 6 More Weeks is an Indian Brown Ale (aka hoppy American Brown, or Brown IPA) that is brewed with dark malts (including Chocolate, Roast, and Black Prinz) to give “a dash of roast character that adds a delicate creaminess”, and is hopped with Warrior, Centennial, Cascade and Ahtanum. These hop varieties lend an earthy, piney, and spicy hop character to the flavor and aroma, as well as “plenty of bitterness that doesn’t linger”. At 5.5% ABV and 82 IBUs, this dark brown beer can be found at both Prop Shop locations for growler fills, and on tap around the city. No groundhogs were harmed in the making of this beer.

• Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Picaroons will be re-releasing their Afterglow Aphrodisiac Ale. This 5% ABV, full-bodied dark beer is brewed with chocolate, cayenne, ginseng root, and liquorice root. Look for it on tap at the Brewtique for growler fills next week, and at several restaurants throughout Frederiction. Next week also marks the return of their Beer & Chocolate Dinners, which feature several chocolate-infused courses, each paired with a different Picaroons beer. Taking place on February 10th (7:00 pm) at 540 Kitchen & Bar and February 11th (6:30 pm) at Tide and Boar Gastropub, tickets are on sale through both locations now ($50 + tax/gratuity).

• Living in Saint John? Do you like to run, drink local beer, and support a good cause? Well the Port City Beer Run is for you! Being held on Saturday, May 30th at the Diamond Jubilee Cruise Terminal, the run will feature your choice of a 3, 5, or 10 km distance (route TBD); afterwards, there will be live music, food from three local restaurants, and beer! There are currently four breweries attending (Big Tide, Grimross, Hammond River, and Moosehead), with an additional 1-2 likely to be announced soon. Each brewery will have two types of beer; you’ll be able to enjoy 1-2 oz samples (to a maximum of 16 oz), and then a full pint of your favourite. Early-bird tickets are $50 and on sale now until April 30th; after that, tickets are $60 each. The price includes the run, food, entertainment and beer, and all funds go to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). The registration page isn’t up quite yet, so keep an eye on their Facebook account; you can also message them your name and email address to reserve a spot.

• We may as well take this opportunity to remind you that tickets are now on sale for the 3rd Annual Fredericton Beer Run! Held this summer on Monday, August 3rd (New Brunswick Day), the 4, 6, or 12 km run features plenty of local beer, cider and mead to be consumed after your hard work – fourteen 4 oz samples of about 30 brands, to be exact! Breweries haven’t been announced yet, but expect a mostly-NB-based turnout. Tickets are on sale now, and are $60 each (a Coach’s ticket can be purchased for $50; you must accompany a runner to buy this ticket).

• Rockbottom Brewpub will have three new beers hitting the taps in the next couple of weeks, starting with their Scottish Export, hitting the taps today. This beer is a Scottish malt-forward beer, with Oatmeal added to the recipe. The colour is Mahogany Red, with tan head and lacing. The beer is very malty, with caramel and toasted notes, reminiscent of stewed plums, and oatmeal raisin cookies. It weighs in at 5.5% ABV and 25 IBUs. They will be tapping a Double Chocolate Stout on February 11th, just in time for Valentine’s Day. A special day deserves a special beer, and this small batch delivers: Roast Barley and dark crystal malts are enhanced with Belgian dark chocolate and Peruvian Cacao nibs. The beer is served on a nitro tap, which will give the beer a very smooth and silky character This beer clocks in at 7.0% ABV and 50 IBUs. And the following Wednesday, February 18th, will see the return of the Wreckoning Russian Imperial Stout. It was awarded the Gold for Imperial Stout at the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards last fall, and we have heard that this is the last batch to be brewed, ever. This beer has incredible complexity, owing to the massive malt bill (the beer is 10.5% ABV and 100 IBUs), with notes of roast, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, cherries, caramel, and more. Don’t miss out on these beers, grab a pint at the ‘Bottom.

• Horton Ridge Malt & Grain Co. is holding an information session at The Wooden Monkey – Alderney Landing, February 11, 7-9 PM. They are in the middle of raising funds through the Community Economic Development Investment Funds (CEDIF) program to open a Malt House in the Annapolis Valley, and will be sharing the malting outlook and market in our region. They have invited local brewers to talk about using local malt and the benefits of a local malt house. Snacks and samples will be served.

• Speaking of malting, later in the month, on February 21st, the CCNB in Edmundston is hosting a day-long seminar, Regional Malts for a Regional Beer. Aimed at brewers, homebrewers, farmers and potential maltsters, the goal of the event is to open dialogue around producing, processing, and brewing with regional malts. From organizer Mike Doucette, “We will give the floor to Jean-Michel Degraux of MaltBroue, who will talk about the possibility of malt house franchises across Eastern Canada. We’ll also talk about the Biorefinery Technology Scale-up Center at CCNB, and the services we offer. I will give a short presentation on Barley field trials in eastern Canada. In the afternoon, Jean-Michel Degraux will give a presentation pertaining to malt varieties and brewing. There will then be a panel discussion around using local malts for brewing local beers. We hope to answer some questions and to extinguish some of the major concerns around using local malts for brewing.” Tickets are available online now, and should prove to be an informative day to those in the beer business.

• There are a couple of events happening in Halifax on February 14th to tie in with your love of beer, no date required! The Le Trou du Diable Tap Takeover Event at Bar Stillwell is almost sold out, however there are a handful of tickets left for the noon-3pm session. More than a twelve draft and bottled beers will make their Atlantic Canadian debut. Plus, visit and chat with the brewers, and grab some TdD schwag/swag. Email them to secure your spot. After that, head on by the Stubborn Goat, to take part in their Speed Dating event. The event kicks off at 6pm, and there will be prizes (plus lots of great local beer)! Check out the details here, and be sure to register with Evan before the 13th.

• The Ladies Beer League crew have another great event coming soon, a Charity Curling-Board Game-Dance Party… with Local Beer! On February 21st at 8pm, the LBL will be taking over the Mayflower Curling Club, and hosting curling lessons and giant games from the Board Room Game Cafe. And then a dance party, supported by CKDU. There will be local beer flowing, and the Food Wolf will be serving up their creations. Entry to the event is free, and all proceeds from the activities go to Stepping Stone.

• Big Axe has been brewing some new beers again, after their brief hiatus due to a much-needed vacation in December. First up is their Big Axe Blonde, a light-bodied, golden-colored ale. An easy-drinking style that is perfect for introducing craft beer to those who haven’t made the leap yet, this beer was “modestly hopped” with Cascade and Saaz, and showcases a smooth malt character; it comes in at 5.1% ABV. Next up is a Chocolate Orange Stout; this is their Shakesbeer Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (6.5% ABV), but with orange added to the boil. Both beers should be making their debut at 540 Kitchen & Bar this weekend, during Fredericton’s Winterfesthiver 2015. Big Axe has also tweaked their Double Bit IPA; according to brewer Peter Cole, the hop profile has been changed to give a “clean, crisp finish” to the beer.

• Homebrewer Jason McDougall visited Garrison Brewing yesterday, to brew up his 2014 Home Brew-Off-winning Hefeweizen on their system. No word on the exact recipe details quite yet, but we do know that it will be released at this year’s Brew-Off Gala, being held March 5th at the brewery. And a reminder to homebrewers, you must drop off your Robust Porter entries for this year’s competition by Thursday, February 12th.

• The Certified Cicerone® Exam is coming to Halifax, July 14th, at Bar Stillwell. While it might be five months away, it is never too early to get studying! We interviewed Mirella Amato (the first non-US resident to achieve Master Cicerone® status, and the person who will be administering the exam) and Mike Buhler (the first Certified Cicerone® in the Atlantic Provinces) previously about the program; their responses may help you decide whether the program is worth pursuing. For those interested, be sure to take the Certified Beer Server online exam, and then sign up for the exam. There is also a Facebook study group for Canadian Examinees.

Have a great weekend, and stay warm! TrailWay Brewing has added a new account in Fredericton, as their Whitney Coffee Stout (Kenyan) is now available on tap at the James Joyce Irish Pub. Petit-Sault‘s new Cappuccino Stout, Canon Franchetti, will be hitting all four ANBL growler stations next week, so make sure to drop the one closest to you and give it a try, if you haven’t already! And as a final note, if you’re looking to purchase some Hammond River swag, they now have an online store up and running; toques and glassware are currently available, with more merchandise being added soon!