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Friday Wrap-Up – Hop Harvest Beers Brewed in the Atlantic Region, and Other News

Posted by acbbchris on 2013-08-30
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Bridge Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Sea Level Brewing, Shiretown Beer. 2 comments

It’s the Hop-Hoppiest season of all!

(sung to the tune of It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year)

It’s Hop Harvest time in the Maritimes, and many breweries are brewing and releasing special brews to commemorate. Here are a few of them:

  • Last Friday, Big Spruce in Nyanza brewed up a wet hop beer from their on-farm grown hops. Brewer Jeremy White used their Challenger and Chinook hops at all stages of the brew: in the mash tun, in the first runnings of the wort, in the boil, and even using a hopback (as the beer is cooling from the kettle to the fermenter). The beer should be available at the brewery in about two weeks.
  • Earlier this week, Shelburne’s Boxing Rock welcomed the folks from Halifax’s Bridge Brewing for a collaboration brew. They used 30kg of wet hops from Lazy Acres Farm, owned by Bridge brewer Josh Herbin, to brew their 100% Vienna Malt IPA. To get that intense fresh-hop aroma, they did not use any of the fresh cones until 30min left in the 90min boil (which gave an intense colour, as well). This IPA will be more aromatic than bitter, clocking in at about 40IBU. The beer will be ready in a few weeks, in growlers at both breweries.
  • Picaroons has started brewing their Harvest series of beers. Details are being kept closely-guarded, but we can confirm that like last year, there will be multiple brews for each hop field, using roughly the same Pale Ale recipe. You will be able to track which hops in your bottle came from which farm, a great idea for farmer, brewery, and informed drinker alike!
  • Big Tide Brewing will be brewing at least one Fresh Hopped beer at their Saint John brewpub. The hop harvest at Dunham’s Run Winery will be this weekend, so the beer will not be far behind. Named after the old name for the peninsula the hops are coming from, Indian Beach Nut Brown will be available in a few weeks, and perhaps another of their popular beers will get a wet-hop kick… Stay tuned!
  • Looking to take part in the harvest? Both Meander River Farm (Ashdale, NS) and FiddleHop Farm (in Glenholme, NS) have put a call out for volunteers to help. Contact them via Facebook for more details. We’ve done it previously, and it is a fun time. Bring some long sleeves to reduce the scratches from the hop bines.

In addition to the harvest, we have some more beer news for you:

  • Big Spruce now has a bright coat of paint, and they are working on the kitchen above the brewery. Their plan has always been to have a small restaurant, overlooking the beautiful Bras d’Or Lake, so it’s great to see this coming together. It will be primarily used for farm-to-table (and -to-glass) events, so stay tuned for those.
  • Attention New Brunswick Homebrewers: in case you missed the announcement, Picaroons will be holding a Home-Brew Challenge in the fall. Brew up a Standard/Ordinary Bitter and submit it between Nov. 1 & 15, and you have a chance at brewing the beer on a commercial scale! The $20 entry gets you a shirt, growler (and fill), and tickets to the Awards Gala on December 1. You’ve got two months to brew a test batch or two, so fire up your kettles! All of the details can be found at the NB Craft Brewers Association website. Unfortunately, it is only open to NB homebrewing residents.
  • Picaroons has just done the last bottling of their Melonhead Wheat beer for the year, marking a sad end to the summer beer season. But in addition to their Harvest beers, they will have some other seasonals coming through the pipeline soon.
  • Shiretown Beer‘s Black Currant Bitter Wheat is now available for growler fills at their Heron’s Nest Cottages location. Along with their Big Brown Ale, it will also be available at the Heron’s Nest Pub. During next weekend’s Charlo Fall Fair, they will have their Honey Wheat available, made with Buckwheat Honey from the Charlo Honeyhouse.
  • Unfortunately, it looks like the popular collaboration between Propeller Brewing and Sea Level Brewing, Alpha%Dog, won’t happen this year, due to Propeller’s upcoming expansion. However Propeller will be releasing their popular Nocturne Dark Lager mid-September (in time for the Nocturne Art at Night event in October), and then their Pumpkin Ale in October. Sea Level have received a larger canning machine, which should mean increased availability at the brewery and at Bishop’s Cellar in Halifax. Their Port in the Storm Porter has just been released, and will make it into Halifax shortly.

Friday Wrap-Up – Boxing Rock Available at Local Farmers Markets, Picaroons Expanding With New Brewery, Pump House Taps New Beer for Summer, Propeller Dartmouth Location Opens (For Real This Time)

Posted by acbbshawn on 2013-07-12
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Boxing Rock Brewing, Grimross Brewing, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday everyone!

• After a successful launch last weekend, Boxing Rock Brewing will be hitting up the Farmers Markets this weekend. Look for them at Shelburne Farmers Market, Yarmouth Farmers Market, Lockeport Afternoon Market (held Friday afternoon), and the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market. They will also be pouring samples at Premier Wine & Spirits in Halifax, Saturday afternoon from 2-5pm. Shelburne locals (or visitors to the South Shore) can drop by the brewery storefront 11-8 daily (except Sunday) to refill growlers and grab a trucker hat. And two of their beer (Hunky Dory Pale Ale and Vicar’s Cross IPA) will be available in the NSLC in August.

• It looks like Picaroons is taking another step forward in expansion – they announced this week via a story on CBC that they have purchased a new brewery location on Union St. The former Gibson Roundhouse site was snapped up for $100, and will be transformed into a new brewery and tourism centre. Sean Dunbar, owner of Picaroons, told the CBC that he expects to spend several million dollars on the project; work should begin in the fall and be completed within a year. The current Melissa St. location will likely continue to produce beer in some capacity, says Dennis Goodwin, Marketing Director of Picaroons.

• Speaking of Picaroons, their much-anticipated Brewer’s Bash beer festival will be held tomorrow at Officer’s Square in Fredericton. Tickets for the event have been sold-out for weeks. Those lucky enough to be attending the event (or those who want to torture themselves) can check the full brewery and beer list on the event’s Facebook page (where they’ve also been giving away tickets for the last few days to lucky followers); we also posted yesterday on the Atlantic Canadian beers here.

• In more Fredericton beer news, Grimross Brewing is following up their very popular Canada Day release of their Cheval D’Or Farmhouse with their second beer, Destrier Farmhouse Stout. It will be available in growlers at the Picaroons Brewtique, at the Brewer’s Bash this weekend, and hopefully on tap in town soon.

• After a false start last weekend, the Dartmouth location of the Propeller Prop Shop opened Thursday. Located at 617 Windmill Rd, the shop will have growlers and six-packs to go, as well as merchandise, and are open 12-8pm daily. Gottingen-location fans fear not, that Shop will stay open as their current brewery location will still be in operation, even when the bulk of the production moves to Dartmouth.

• The Pump House just recently tapped a new beer at their brewpub location in Moncton. The Raspberry Wheat is fermented with a German yeast strain, and fresh raspberries are added during fermentation. At 5.5% ABV, expect a tart and refreshing finish… sounds great for summer!

• Fans of the PEI Brewing Co./Gahan Iron Horse Brown Ale will notice something different about the beer in the future… the name has been changed to Iron Bridge. Ironhorse is also the name of a Pacific Western beer, and PEIBC decided to change their beer’s name to avoid any confusion.

• Looks like another successful Ladies Beer League event last night at Wooden Monkey Dartmouth. It featured the full line of Big Spruce Brewing’s beer (Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout, Kitchen Party Pale Ale and Regatta Red Ale), and owner and brewer Jeremy White was on hand to speak about and pour the beer. The LBL will have a couple of events in August, we will be sure to let you know the details.

Friday Wrap-Up – Boxing Rock Brewery to Open Saturday, Railcar Brewing Location Plans Change, Propeller Opening Dartmouth Store, and more

Posted by acbbshawn on 2013-07-05
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Boxing Rock Brewing, Brewer's Bash, Fredericton Beer Run, Grimross Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Shiretown Beer. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, everyone! How about some beer news for this week?

• Boxing Rock Brewery in Shelburne is opening Saturday! At their location at 78 Ohio Rd, they will have their Temptation Red Ale in 1 L and 1.89 L growlers, as well as some merchandise. The storefront will be open Monday-Saturday, and there will be a grand opening soon. They will also be at the Shelburne Farmer’s Market tomorrow. Welcome to the fast growing Atlantic Canada Beer scene!

• Railcar Brewing Company, set to open late this fall, will no longer be housed in Railcar 3 at the Shogomac Site in Florenceville-Bristol, NB, despite a previous proposal being accepted by the town. Owner/brewmaster Mitch Biggar has posted on Railcar’s Facebook page that he is currently weighing other location options for the brewery. We’ll be sure to post on this nano-brewery’s new location and plans as soon as we can!

• Propeller Brewing Co is opening their Dartmouth storefront at 617 Windmill tomorrow. They will have growlers and bottles for sale, and their 16th Anniversary celebration beer should be available at both stores. It is an unfiltered dry-hopped Pale Ale. Eventually, the main production will switch over to the larger 30hL brewhouse in Dartmouth, but like all good things, it’s not going to happen overnight! We hope to have more details for you soon.

• Looking to attend the Brewer’s Bash in Fredericton, hosted by Picaroons, next Saturday, July 13th? Well, tickets have been sold out for some time, but organizers are still looking for volunteers to help out with pouring samples, tending the entrance and exits, running beer and ice, and keeping the site tidy. There are two options: one 4-hour shift in the morning or afternoon, and one 5&1/2 hour shift in the evening. Volunteers would have access to the festival after their shift is completed; while evening volunteers would obviously miss most of the festival, there will be a “post-event bonus” of some sort. If you’re interested, send an email ASAP to kim@picaroons.ca.

• On July 1st, shortly after our post in last Friday’s Wrap-Up, Grimross Brewing began selling their Cheval D’Or at the Picaroons Brewtique in Fredericton. The 5 bbl batch (155 U.S. gallons) of this Saison was also brewed at this location, and is available in 750 mL swing-top growlers. Those living in Fredericton will be seeing this beer on tap at restaurants and bars in the near future, along with some other Belgian-style beers that owner/brewer Stephen Dixon has planned.

• For those of you that haven’t yet purchased your tickets for August’s Fredericton Beer Run, here’s another incentive for you: one of the prizes for this event will be a private tasting of some of Red Rover Brewing‘s ciders. This will be just one of the craft-beer/cider related prizes available, ranging from random draws to swag and other items for the top runners in each distance.

• Shiretown continues to expand the locations that their Blonde du Quai can be found. Check the ANBL site for exact details, but it can now be found regularly in some stores in Fredericton and Moncton, as well as Caraquet and Tracadie-Sheila, and on tap at good beer bars Marky’s Laundromat and the Saint John Ale House.

That’s it for this week. Be sure to enjoy the warm weather with some local and cold (but not too cold!) craft beer!