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Friday Wrap-Up – News on Beer Festivals, Red Rover Brewing, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Picaroons, Lunar Rogue Pub and more

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-01-10
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Garrison 2014 Home Brew-Off Challenge, Garrison Brewing, Great Canadian Beer Expo, Lunar Rogue, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Pump House Brewery, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stubborn Goat Gastropub. 2 comments

Happy Friday everyone! After a couple of slow weeks due to the holidays, we are back and bigger than ever! Lots of news this week, so let’s get right to it.

• Last month, we mentioned the Great Canadian Beer Expo, a travelling beer festival, would be coming to six different cities in the Maritimes, starting in late January. While we had never been able to get solid details or a beer list from them (which we had contacted them for several times, in hopes of doing a full write-up), we thought it was worthy of a quick mention on the blog. In the past week, thanks to some detective work begun by members of the Brewnosers Homebrew Club, it has been determined that the event might have been nothing more than a work of fiction dreamed up by a single man, Jonathan Brett. He had previously organized “Mud Immortal“, a fall event in St. John’s, Newfoundland, that came under fire for poor management, dangerous conditions, and not following through on promises of charitable donations. In the last couple of days, the events have “officially” been canceled, and people who have purchased tickets should have received information on how to get refunds.

• On a happier note beer-festival-wise, we are looking forward to two legitimate and ANBL-approved events taking place this spring: the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival being held at the Fredericton Convention Centre March 8th, and the Saint John Beer Fest at Market Square April 5th. Tickets for both are still available, we hope to see you there!

• As the initial launch of Red Rover Brewing Company gets closer, co-owner/brewmaster Adam Clawson has confirmed that the plan is to have up to four varieties of cider available when the Ciderhouse opens towards the end of the month. With a spring, summer, and fall cider pouring, along with a “surprise” variety, there should be plenty to satisfy the palates of cider fans in New Brunswick! Look for their ciders to be available for growler fills at their Ciderhouse location, as well as on tap at various bars/restaurants in the area. Check back here for more details, and keep an eye on the Ciderhouse Twitter page for the latest availability.

• It’s been a busy first two weeks at the Bad Apple Brewhouse in Somerset, NS. The first customers arrived mid-morning December 31st, eager to pick up the American Pale Ale from Atlantic Canada’s newest brewery, and the visitors haven’t slowed down since (even during the nasty weather last week). As promised, the Black and Tackle Russian Imperial Stout is being released Saturday, on sale in bottles and growlers at the brewery. This robust beer features a boatload of roast coffee and chocolate flavour and aroma, with a nice hop bitterness to balance it out. It weighs in at 9%ABV and 110 IBUs (calc). Look for it on sale in HRM soon. BAB-branded glasses join t-shirts and decals in the shop. At 20oz, they are a proper glass for a proper beer! Drop by today, the brewery hours are 3-8pm Mon-Thurs and 1-10pm Fri-Sun.

• The Lunar Rogue Pub in Fredericton will be celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. For this special event, Picaroons is brewing up a series of seasonal beers that will be available exclusively on tap at the Rogue; the first beer should be pouring sometime during the week of January 27th. The style of beer has not yet been announced; however, they ARE looking for some help in naming it. If you think you’ve got a catchy title for this new beer, post it to the Facebook page of either Picaroons or the Lunar Rogue – if your entry is selected, you’ll win a Picaroons Draught & Dinner Party for six, valued at $300. Enter as many names as you like; deadline for submissions is next Friday, January 17th. We’ll keep you updated on details of the new beers as they become available!

• The Pump House Brewery just tapped another new beer at their brewpub location in Moncton. Pompier à Vos Garde is in the style of Biere de Garde (meaning “beer which has been kept or lagered”), a farmhouse ale originating in Northern France. The style ranges from blond to brown; Pump House’s take is of the brown variety, and is brewed with 2-row, Crystal, and Carafa dark malts. Described by the brewery as being lightly hopped with “three distinctive hops”, the beer should have some fruity esters noticeable in the taste, and be quite smooth despite the 7% ABV. Get down to the brewpub before it’s gone!

• Tomorrow, Jan. 11th, is Sir John A. MacDonald’s birthday, and the PEI Brewing Co. is celebrating with two separate events. First, there will be free live entertainment and birthday treats available at the brewery from 1 pm – 5 pm, along with brick-oven pizza and beer. At 8 pm that evening, the doors will open for more music, food and beer, with live bands starting to play at 9 pm. Cover for the evening session will be $10 per person. While there are no one-off beers planned for the event, all of the regular PEI Brewing Co./Gahan beers will be pouring, with special emphasis, of course, on their Sir John A’s Honey Wheat Ale.

• Speaking of the PEI Brewing Co., they’re partnering with PEI 2014 to help celebrate the province’s 150th anniversary, or sesquicentennial (and yes, I did have to re-check the spelling on that word). The brewery is releasing a Fathers Commemorative Beer Pack, a 4-pack of some of their regular-release beers that have been re-branded and re-labelled for this packaging. Included will be Blueberry Ale (re-named 1864), Coles Cream Ale (Premier George Coles; note that this beer was previously only available on tap), Iron Bridge Brown Ale (Colonel John Hamilton Gray), and, of course, Sir John A’s Honey Wheat Ale. Four-packs should be available at PEILCC stores and at the brewery today; look for them in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Ontario in the coming weeks.

• Today, the Stubborn Goat Gastropub is starting up a new series, Cask Fridays. They want to showcase this special way of  serving beer that is especially friendly to one-off or unique twists on regular beer (sometimes with added fruit, whisky, oak, or other interesting ingredients). Today’s first event will feature Garrison Brewing, with cask-conditioned versions of their Winter Warmer and Spruce Beer, tapped at 4pm. The Goat has also put out the call for other breweries interested in taking part in the first of many events; contact Geir to be a part of it!

• Speaking of Garrison, were you considering entering the 2014 Garrison Home Brew Off? If you need a little push, Steven Haynes from Noble Grape will be at Garrison from 10am-2pm on Saturday the 18th doing an all-grain brewing demonstration of a Weizen (this year’s competition style). It’s the perfect opportunity for home brewers of all experience levels to drop by and learn about brewing this style of beer. Entries are due Feb 20th, plenty of time to brew, but don’t wait much longer! Entries can be dropped off at Garrison or your local Noble Grape.

• Also in Garrison news, they are partnering with a University of King’s College professor to bring the students of his Brewing Science course some special experiences this term. They will be hosting lectures (at the brewery) and leading some short seminars (Cask Ale and sensory workshops), ensuring a new generation of good beer lovers. Where were these courses when we were in school!? I wonder if I could audit it?

• Next Saturday, January 18, Halifax’s Stillwell Beer Bar is hosting a tap/cask takeover featuring Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing and Shelburne’s Boxing Rock Brewing. It is a closed event, from 12-5pm, requiring a ticket (available at the bar or by email), after which the bar is open to all. Your $10 will get you first crack at some great beer and food, a special glass to take home, and a drink ticket. From Boxing Rock: Many Hands Pale Ale (their collaboration with Halifax’s Bridge Brewing, and the last keg around!), Hunky Dory Pale Ale, Temptation Red Ale, Crafty Jack English Brown, U-889 RIS with Vanilla beans, Vicar’s Cross IIPA. From Big Spruce: Tim’s Dirty (recent homebrew competition-winning IPA), Blackout Conundrum (brewed over two days when the power went out at the brewery), Organic Conspiracy IIPA (collaboration with Crannóg), Regatta Red (first time on tap at Stillwell), Bitter Get’r India Black IPA, Kitchen Party Pale Ale and Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout. And the brewers from both breweries will be there to talk shop and answer all of your questions.

• Monday, January 13th, Halifax brewpub Rogues Roost is hosting their second Brewmaster Monday event. For $15, attendees will receive a sample of all six beers currently on tap (including their Blueberry Wheat, just released this week), and have a chance to chat with brewer Jake Saunders about the process of brewing, from recipe development to brewday to serving. These events serve as a great way to introduce folks to the art and great taste of craft beer. Contact Husky Communications on Twitter or Facebook to grab tickets. This edition of the event is almost sold out, but have no fear, they will be doing it again on January 27th!

• And if you’re looking for even MORE beer events in Halifax, the Rockbottom Brewpub is planning a series of monthly beer dinners, with the first being held on January 27th. Starting at 6 pm, the meal will consists of three courses, paired with three separate Nash beers. Tickets are $30; the menu and beer list will be posted on Rockbottom’s Facebook and Twitter pages soon.

Friday Wrap-Up – New Beer from Bridge Brewing, Pump House Releases New Seasonal, and more…

Posted by acbbshawn on 2013-12-20
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Antigonish Townhouse, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Bridge Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Red Rover Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar. Leave a Comment

Good morning, lovers of craft beer! Time to dig yourself out of that snowbank and catch up on a bit of Atlantic Canada Beer news…

• Bridge Brewing released a new, limited-edition beer yesterday for growler fills at the brewery. Glenora Barrel-Aged Strong Dark Belgian comes in at a hefty 11% ABV; the aging of the beer in the Glenora barrel adds “some vanilla, a greater depth of complexity, and whiskey on the finish”, according to owner Peter Burbridge. Only about 170 L of the beer was brewed, so get some now, as it won’t last long! Available at their Agricola Street brewery, or at the Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market this weekend.

• Pump House has announced their latest seasonal release for winter – their Muddy River Stout, an Oatmeal Stout, has been available on tap for years at their brewpub and Barnyard BBQ locations in Moncton, and in select bars and restaurants in the Maritimes. This full-bodied, dark beer is described by the brewery as having flavors and aromas of “roasty malts, espresso and chocolate”, with a “big and lightly acidic finish”; it clocks in at 4.5% ABV. It is currently available in 6-packs at certain ANBL locations, and should be reaching all stores soon. For those of you in Nova Scotia, the beer should also be arriving at NSLC stores shortly after Christmas.

• If you’re trying to think of what to do for New Year’s Eve (yes, it’s only a week and a half away), the new and already extremely popular Halifax beer bar Stillwell has an idea for you! They’re holding a “Mortal Sin” event, featuring the highly-rated Quebec brewery Dieu du Ciel! Cost of entry will be $20, and includes snacks from chef Graeme Ruppel, as well as a 5 oz glass of Dieu du Ciel!’s Bourbon Barrel-Aged Péché Mortel. The event begins at 9 pm, and seating is first-come, first-served. “Formal(ish) dress encouraged”.

• If you’re closer to the Antigonish area, the Townhouse Brewpub and Eatery is hosting their own NYE event, a “Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration”. There will be three food courses from chef Jacob Buckley featuring locally-sourced food, and four beers from four of Nova Scotia’s newest breweries in 2013: Big Spruce, Uncle Leo’s, Boxing Rock, and, of course, the Townhouse. Beer trivia will also be included. It all starts at 6:30 pm; tickets are $60 and can be purchased in advance at the Townhouse. Following the dinner at 9 pm, there will be karaoke and an “open-mic confessional”.

• And for the day after, PEI Brewing Company will be holding a Levée Celebration from 12-2 on January 1st. Featuring live entertainment and plenty of great beer flowing, they are keeping this tradition alive in their own special way.

• We announced last month that Red Rover Brewing had their location confirmed, and were receiving lots of equipment and apples to start brewing their first batches of cider. At the time, they had planned on having their retail store open before Christmas so they could start selling merchandise and other swag; however, that opening has been delayed until after Christmas. On the bright side, they have started brewing cider, so we should be seeing their product in the area in the not-too-distant future!

• We also mentioned last month that Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault had started looking for two brewers for when they begin producing beer in 2014. This is just a friendly reminder that the application deadline for resumes is this Sunday, December 22nd. The official job posting can be found here; if you’re considering applying, don’t wait any longer! Also, they’ve confirmed that all their equipment has now been ordered – great to see that they’re one step closer to production!

• And one more reminder, if you’re still looking for some last-minute Christmas gift ideas, check out the gift guide we posted on earlier this week.

That’s it for this week; we at the Atlantic Canada Beer Blog hope that you all have a safe, fantastic, happy, beer-filled holiday! Merry Christmas!

Friday Wrap-Up – Red Rover to Open Ciderhouse Soon, Today is Stout Day, New Beers from Big Tide, Shiretown, Yellowbelly, Boxing Rock and more

Posted by acbbshawn on 2013-11-08
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Authentic Seacoast Brewing, Beerthief, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Bridge Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Red Rover Brewing, Shiretown Beer, YellowBelly Brewery. 2 comments

Happy Friday, everybody! That means it’s time for some Atlantic Canadian Beer News:

• Living in New Brunswick and waiting for an update from Red Rover Brewing? Well, good news… they recently announced (via an email bulletin to supporters, or “Red Roverlutionaries”) that they moved into their new location – the “Ciderhouse” – in mid-September! Over the past six weeks, plenty of equipment has been trickling in, along with their first shipment of apples… about 56,000 lbs worth! They have finally received their liquor license, and should begin brewing cider as soon as juice has been pressed. While the first batches of cider likely won’t be available until sometime in January, they hope to have their retail shop at the Ciderhouse open before Christmas, so you can purchase merchandise, including 1-L fliptop growlers (with refill certificates to be used when the cider is available). Right now, the plan is to have at least three different cider varieties on tap; in addition to growler fills, the cider should start popping up at different beer bars and restaurants in the province.  For those of you who aren’t supporters, it’s not too late to become one! Click here for details. For more info on Red Rover, check out our interview with them from May.

• For those of you who love your dark beers… today is International Stout Day! It’s the third year of the now-annual event, and beer bars and breweries around the world are releasing special beers and planning events to celebrate the several beer styles in the Stout family. Garrison Brewing Co. is having a “Stout Day Challenge”: participants can take a picture of themselves drinking Garrison’s Martello Stout and tweet it with the hashtag #MartelloStout and #StoutDay along with the beer bar/restaurant location. The winner will receive a Stout Gift Pack that includes beer, a T-shirt, and a bar towel. Get tweeting! Mother’s Pizza in Halifax is baking some of their pies with Martello Stout, very cool!

• Also just in time for Stout Day, Big Tide Brewing will have their Whistlepig Stout back on tap at the brewpub. Described by the brewery as a “dry American Stout”, it’s brewed with dark roasted malts and oatmeal, producing a “nutty, chocolate aroma” and English hops. It comes in at 4.8% ABV and 42 IBUs.

• Big Tide is also re-releasing their Tidal Wave Double IPA. This is the third time they’ve brewed this beer, which started out in life as a collaboration with Greg Nash. It is close to 100 IBUs but really well balanced, and has lots of citrus notes from Columbus and Cascade hops. Deceptively drinkable at 9% ABV.

• Shiretown also has a couple of new beers, both currently available at the brewery for growler fills. The Choke Cherry Wheat (following the release of their popular Black Currant Wheat) is brewed with their base wheat recipe and locally-grown choke cherries. “Woody, with tannins up-front”, the beer has an ABV of 5% and 17 IBUs. Siren’s T’ale is their new “bittersweet” Red Ale that is brewed with a variety of Caramalts; also at 5% ABV, it has slightly more bitterness (30 IBUs) to balance the sweetness from the malts. Look for this one to be available in bottles at ANBL stores by sometime in December.

• Meanwhile, in Newfoundland, the Yellowbelly Brewery is about to release their newest beer. Still unnamed, it’s a new Pale Ale brewed exclusively with Topaz, an Australian hop known for its intense aroma of citrus and “dank” overtones. The beer is brewed with 95% Pale malt and 5% Carastan, and has 70 IBUs and an ABV of 5.5%. It’ll be available on draft only at the brewpub, and should be tapped sometime early next week.

• As we quickly mentioned in the Ladies Beer League Cask Event interview (the event is now sold out, by the way), Boxing Rock Brewing has released their newest seasonal, Crafty Jack English Brown Ale. It features a rich, roasty malt profile, and classic English hops. It comes in at 4.2% and 29 IBUs. It is currently available at the brewery store in Shelburne, this weekend at the Halifax Seaport Famers’ Market and next week at the private beer stores in Halifax (650mL package size).

• If you live in the Fredericton area and are looking for a job in the beer industry, Picaroons is currently looking for another driver to deliver beer across New Brunswick… and beyond. If you’re interested, email your resume (or questions about the position) to chris@picaroons.ca.

• Bridge Brewing announced last week on their Facebook page that they will no longer be attending the Historic Farmers’ Market in Halifax. They hope to be at another market in the near future; in the meantime, you can still get your growlers filled and buy merchandise at the brewery on Agricola Street. And remember they’ve extended their hours on the weekend: Sat 12-9, Sun 12-6.

• Rare Bird Craft Beer in Guysborough will soon have their Rare Bird Pale Ale available in the NSLC, previously only available on tap or in growlers at the Antigonish Farmers Market and Stepping Stone Cafe. It is an East Coast interpretation of this classic beer style, using pure artesian water from Nova Scotia’s pristine Eastern Shore, Rare Bird Pale Ale starts with a nice hit of hops on the nose, a delicious balance of specially selected malted barley and both English and North American hops in the middle and a dry finish that delivers a refreshing beer of rare character, at 7.0% ABV. We will have more from Rare Bird closer to the release date.

• November 16th, the Beerthief and Beckett on Wine are holding an Oktoberfest tasting and dinner at Bitters Lounge on the MUN campus in St. John’s. The dinner will feature five courses of Belgian beer and food pairings prepared by Chef Julie Purchase, lead by Tom Beckett. Tickets are $52, and can be secured by contacting Tom via email.

• Also on the 16th, Maison Tait House in Shediac will be hosting a beer tasting, featuring Picaroons beer paired with Chef Mike Harris’ creations. Picaroons owner Sean Dunbar will be leading the tasting of the five pairing courses. Tickets for this event are $59, and can be secured by calling or emailing Maison Tait House.

Have a great long weekend! Hope to see some of you at the Fredericton Poutine Festival on Sunday, drinking local craft beer!