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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Hammond River, Red Rover, Railcar, James Joyce, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-02-13
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Boxing Rock Brewing, Celtic Knot Brewing, Dieu du Ciel, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Home Brewer's Challenge, Garrison Brewing, Grimross Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, Rudder's Brewpub, Schoolhouse Brewery, Shiretown Beer, Sunset Heights Meadery, Tatamagouche Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday the 13th! We don’t want to jinx anyone right before Love Day, so let’s get to the beer news…

• Hammond River has released the commercial version of the winning entry of their 1st Annual Homebrew Competition. First-place winners Mike Hebert and Jason Dobbelsteyn brewed the beer – a Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer appropriately named F@#K Winter – with owner/brewer Shane Steeves; it was released late last week at Bourbon Quarter Restaurant & Bar… and quickly sold out in less than a day! A Winter Warmer brewed with 2-row, two different Crystal malts, Special B, and Roasted Barley, it was also spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and all-spice. A big beer at 7% ABV and 38 IBUs, it’s back on tap now at Bourbon Quarter and the Saint John Ale House, and should follow soon at the Barrel’s Head. Sounds delicious… if not a bit awkward to order! And this weekend, Hammond River’s award-winning American IPA, Hopflash, is available for growler fills for the first time at the Kennebecasis Valley ANBL.

• Red Rover is celebrating their 1st Anniversary by serving up some new and aged ciders at the Cider House! Starting yesterday and continuing into today, they’ll be pouring one-year-aged versions of their Spring, Summer, and Scrumpy, as well as their FROSTival-inspired brew, Fire Cider. Also pouring is the return of Dark Cider, a 7% ABV, 3-month-aged Black Velvet featuring a blend of Spring cider and Picaroons‘ Stout, Timber Hog. As well, a special “surprise” cider will be tapped at 4 pm; details are slim, but we can tell you that a certain black, curranty berry may be featured! With new ciders and an expansion planned for the future, we can’t wait to see where Red Rover takes us in their second year!

• In sad news, Railcar Brewing announced yesterday that they are currently undergoing a hiatus in brewing and are now closed until further notice. Due to “production problems”, at least one current batch of beer had to be disposed of. As brewer/owner Mitch Biggar stated on Railcar’s Facebook page, “We want to make sure our product is top-notch, and if it isn’t, we won’t serve it; our latest batch did not meet quality guidelines”. On the BRIGHT side, however, Biggar has confirmed that Railcar will be moving to a new location just across the street from the current spot, to 2 Curtis Rd (below A.C. Sharkey’s Pub), where a grand re-opening is planned for March 17th (St. Patrick’s Day). The new, 2500-square-foot area will feature a bar, couches, and tables for a total seating capacity of 25; full pints will be able to be served in this environment. With the brewery behind glass, patrons will be able to view the brewing process while enjoying their beer! They’re also expecting some new equipment, specifically five additional 50-gallon fermentors, two 100-gallon fermentors, and a new brite tank. This will all make it much easier to keep up with demand when they re-open; we’ll keep you updated on their progress!

• Attention, Fredericton! As the James Joyce Irish Pub continues to add new local craft beer to their expanded tap selection, Celtic Knot is now pouring for the first time in the city since a brief appearance at last year’s Burgers n’ Beer event. Their Black IPA, Dubh Loki, was just tapped yesterday; there’s also a keg each of the Hopicide IPA and Dark Passage Oatmeal Stout waiting in the wings! In addition, Grimross Pugnacious Porter and Shiretown Big Brown Ale are now pouring, making a grand total of EIGHT New Brunswick breweries currently on tap! Also, Red Rover cider and Sunset Heights Meadery are on tap, making for a fantastic local selection!

• PEI Homebrewers, take note: The Gahan House in Charlottetown has opened entry for their second Annual Home Brewer’s Challenge. Registration for the brewing is open until February 27th, brewers must email Gahan (or drop by the Pub) to sign up to receive their entry forms. Brewers must submit their beer by 5pm on May 15th, after which it will be judged by a panel of experts. The winner will have the opportunity to brew their beer with Gahan Brewmaster Trent Hayes, and see their beer on tap at the Gahan House. This year’s style is “Summer Seasonal Fruit Beer”, which leaves the door wide open for a lot of creativity… perhaps a Lime Wheat Beer, or Orange Cream Ale, or Strawberry IPA? The competition is for PEI-based Homebrewers only, and doesn’t cost a dime, so register today!

• From one Island to Another, the Newfoundland Artisanal and Craft Beer Club (aka Beerthief) will be hosting a Dieu du Ciel! tasting Thursday, February 26th, at the Quidi Vidi Brewery. Folks will get to enjoy a QV beer of their choosing t begin, and then 100 ml each of Blanche du Paradis, Route des épices, Aphrodisiaque, Disco Soleil, and Moralité. Snacks will also be provided. Mike Buhler, the Beerthief and Certified Cicerone, will lead the tasting of the five beer. The event starts at 7:30pm, and tickets must be reserved by emailing Mike.

• Speaking of Newfoundland, Garrison Brewing has sent over another shipment of beer on the Beer Dory, scheduled to be on the shelves this weekend. It includes the Chocolate Imperial Stout, brewed specifically for the Beerthief crew. Proceeds from the sale of the beer will go to a fund for the family of Sarah Turpin, a member of the Beerthief group, who passed away in the fall.

• If you’re taking in the second (and last) weekend of Fredericton’s Winterfesthiver tomorrow, be sure to check out the Craft Beer Bar at the Rocks the Night concert in the evening. Several NB breweries will be pouring: Grimross (Cheval D’Or and Pugnacious Porter), Big Axe (Big Axe Blonde and Chocolate Orange Stout), Picaroons (Blonde Ale and Irish Red), Red Rover (Fire Cider), and Sunset Heights Meadery (Cozy and Shipwreck). Featuring live music from Angry Candy, it’s a great combination of local beer and entertainment!

• Rudder’s Brewpub has just released Blonde Rock, a Blonde Ale brewed with a malt bill consisting of Canadian 2 Row barley, Wheat, and Munich Malt. They used Cascade hops, which shine through in the aroma. Head on down to the brewpub soon to test it out!

Have a fantastic Valentine’s Day weekend! Look out for the return of Tatamagouche’s Dreadnot India Black Ale, available in growlers at the brewery and RockHead in Halifax, and bottles as well. Boxing Rock has also re-released their Cascadian Dark Ale, The Darkness, also in growlers and bottles. And good news for fans of Schoolhouse Brewery – they’re looking to expand their production, and are soon expecting the delivery of a four hectolitre fermentor, which will allow them to brew and ferment double batches.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Breton Brewing, Pump House, Red Rover, Petit-Sault, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-01-30
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Axe Brewery, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Granite Brewery, James Joyce Irish Pub, King Street Ale House, North Brewing, PEI Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, Rockhead Wine & Beer Market, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Sea Level Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery. 1 comment

Good morning! What better way to celebrate the end of January, and the beginning of Superbowl weekend, than by reading about beer?

• In addition to the snowstorm blowing outside Tuesday morning, there was a storm erupting on Twitter, with the announcement of a new brewery coming this Spring to Sydney, Cape Breton. Breton Brewing is the collaboration between two homebrewers Bryan MacDonald and Andrew Morrow. We will have more details on their endeavour soon, but we do know that they will be using a 15 barrel (18 hectolitre) steam-fired system, and the 5000 square foot brewery and tasting room will be located on Keltic Drive. Keep an eye on their Twitter feed for now, and we’ll update you when their Facebook and website are published.

• There’s a new beer on tap from Pump House at their brewpub in Moncton – Easy Amber 4.3 Session Ale. The name pretty much says it all, as this is a sessionable Amber Ale coming in at 4.3% ABV. While an easy-drinking beer, the brewery describes it as having a “full malt taste” thanks to the addition of kilned Amber and Munich malts, giving both toffee and caramel flavors. It’s also lightly hopped with Tettnang and Saaz, giving only a touch of bitterness at 12 IBUs. It’s also currently pouring at the Dieppe ANBL this week for growler fills, and will be available on tap at select bars/restaurants across the Maritimes in the near future.

• Red Rover released a new cider yesterday, just in time for Fredericton’s winter celebration, Frostival (Jan 23rd – Feb 15th). Fire Cider is a 7% ABV semi-dry cider brewed with fresh ginger, and is now available for flagon fills at the Ciderhouse. While it can be served cold (like Red Rover’s other brands), they encourage you to drink it warm, to bring a little heat into your life during these cold winter months! Just pop it in the microwave (40 seconds per 300 mL/10 oz), and you’re good to go! Look for it at the Boyce Farmers Market this Saturday, and on tap for a limited time at the King Street Ale House soon.

• We have a few more details on the Cappuccino Stout from Brasseurs du Petit-Sault that we mentioned a couple of weeks ago. They just brewed it last Saturday, and are hoping to have it released by the second week of February! Canon Franchetti is named after pastor/architect Nicolo Franchetti from Edmundston’s St. John the Baptist Church, which was destroyed in a fire last September. The beer was brewed with coffee from three downtown Edmundston cafes, including Cafe Lotus Bleu, Sucré Salé and Boutique Au Bout Du Monde. Look for it on tap soon, and if you’re not in Edmundston, make sure to request it for growler fills at your nearest ANBL growler-filling station!

• It’s sold-out already (within one day!), but we thought we should fill you in on the latest one-off beer from Railcar Brewing, Vanilla Brown Sugar Stout. Brewed with four malts and three hop varieties, this massive dark beer (9.9% ABV) had 6 lbs of brown sugar added at the end of the boil and real vanilla beans in secondary, making this a sweet, strong monster of a beer! But don’t feel bad if you missed out – owner/brewer Mitch Biggar has assured us that he will be brewing it again!

• While on the topic of Railcar, they just announced details on their 1st Annual Railcar Brewing Home Brew-Off. Open to all homebrewers in the Maritimes, the competition style is Scottish Export (14C) from the new 2014 BJCP Style Guidelines. Entries must be all-grain (no kits, extracts or sugars are permitted), and will be evaluated in a blind tasting by a panel of non-BJCP judges. The winner will get the opportunity to brew their beer with Mitch as a full-sized batch on the Railcar system, for commercial release as a Railcar seasonal! Registration is $15; each participant will receive a special 2015 Railcar Brew-Off glass. Entries are due by Thursday, March 26th (six 341 to 500 mL bottles are required); the top four will be selected for final judging. Awards and prizes will be handed out the following Thursday, April 2nd. For more information on rules and prizes, check out the link above. Fire up those kettles, homebrewers!

• In other homebrew competition news, Brasseurs du Moncton Homebrewers are holding one of their own… sort of. The St. Patrick’s Day Beer Challenge is more of an excuse to get Moncton-area homebrewers together to evaluate each other’s beers, specifically in the style of either Dry Stout or Irish Red Ale. There’s no entry fee or official prizes yet (other than bragging rights), and it’s a great opportunity to meet other homebrewers and taste their beers. Keep an eye on the link above for final details on the date and location, but expect the event to occur around March 15th, shortly before St. Patrick’s Day. Six weeks is plenty of time to put together a solid brew, so get to it!

• Granite Brewery has released a small batch of Winter Warmer, and it is available now. Malt-forward and “very English”, this strong beer weighs in at 5.8% ABV. We expect that folks who enjoy Peculiar and Old Cardinal will enjoy this beer. It is available in growlers at the brewery, and will make it to finer beer establishments in Halifax soon. And a reminder that time really flies: Granite is celebrating their THIRTIETH Anniversary this year! To celebrate, Brewmaster Kevin Keefe will be bringing back some of their classic, and perhaps forgotten, beers for us local drinkers. Congratulations to the entire Granite family!

• From Nova Scotia’s oldest craft brewery, to one of its youngest, North Brewing is celebrating their second anniversary this weekend. And we get the presents! They are offering their 1.89 litre growler fills for $10, Friday through Sunday. This weekend also marks the release of their Coffee-Infused Belgian Milk Stout cask at Smiling Goat at Bishops Landing. They used Cold-brewed Kenyan Karindundu beans from Java Blend Coffee Roasters. Drop by from 4-6pm to try it out, for only $1/4oz sample. When you drop by the brewery, you may notice a new face, as their retail/bottle-filler/spirit animal Grant is moving on to another local business.

• Uncle Leo’s has released a new seasonal, Winterschlaf, a German Hybrid Beer. This Kolsch-style beer was brewed in collaboration with Matt Vohs, who also assisted with the Weizen last year. Brewed with pilsner malt and a small amount of Munich malt, bittered with German Tettnanger hops, and weighing in at 5.5% ABV. They fermented the beer with an ale yeast, but cold, to keep the yeast character minimal (reduced ester profile). When trying the beer for the first time, Vohs smiled and said it tasted just like the beer he drank while living in Cologne. Well done! Look for growlers at the brewery, bottles at the private stores at the end of next week, and at better beer bars in the province, including Piper’s Landing in Lyons Brook and Apple Seed Diner in New Glasgow.

• RockHead Wine & Beer Market opened yesterday at 2651 Windsor Street, in/adjacent to the Sobeys grocery store. They launched with three beers on their growler station: RockHead Pale Ale (brewed for them by Garrison Brewing), Tatamagouche Brewing’s Butcher Block Red, and Sea Level High Street Scotch Ale. They will be adding a beer from Uncle Leo’s shortly. Their hours are Monday-Saturday 10am-10pm & Sundays 10am-8pm. Their new Twitter, Facebook, and website are up now, to keep an eye on their specials and new arrivals.

• Speaking of Garrison Brewing, they have brought back their Unfiltered Wheat. This hazy American Wheat is 4.6%, and very easy drinking. Don’t forget that their Barrel-aged Spruce Beer is being released tomorrow, along with lots of other Barrel and Cellar-aged beers, at their Cellar Saturday event. Doors open at 10am, and we’ve seen the list, and there are several beers that folks will definitely want to pick up (2009-2013 Ol’ Fog Burner and their Barrel-aged counterparts, 2009 Grand Baltic Porter, aged Winter Warmer, and much more). There may be a ticket or two left for tonight’s Ol’ Fog Burner Vertical tasting (which also allows early access to the Cellar!), contact Justin for more details.

• PEI Brewing Co. is bringing back their Spud cask for the second year in a row, to coincide with today’s 2015 Spud Event being held at the brewery. This year’s Spud is their Beach Chair Lager that has been dry-hopped with Citra and Comet, two very citrusy and flavorful hop varieties; it comes in at a sessionable 4.5% ABV, and 20 IBUs. The event will also feature live music, food, and trivia; tickets are $10, and the doors open at 7pm.

• Muwin Estate Wines, producers of Bulwark Cider, have installed two new 200 hectolitre tanks, with plans to add two more. The extra capacity will allow them to expand their production across more Canadian provinces, as well as into the US and UK markets. Over the past year, they have already doubled both production and staff at their location. In addition to expanding their territory, the extra capacity will allow them to expand their cider line further, and we can share that their next new product will be a hopped cider. We’ll have more details on it closer to the release.

• Good news, Fredericton beer drinkers! The James Joyce Irish Pub (located in the Crowne Plaza downtown) is greatly increasing their craft beer offerings! They’ve added new tap lines to their current selection (for a total of 18) and are in the ongoing process of filling them with new beers, most of which are from local breweries. This week includes the addition of Petit-Sault Tante Blanche and Big Axe Wrath of Putin; keep your eye on the Food at the Crowne Facebook page for updates on their taps!

• There have been some major changes at Rogues Roost this week. Brewmaster Lorne Romano, who has been with the brewpub since its opening in 1999, is no longer with the company. Going forward, Karen Allen will be taking over the brewing responsibilities at the Roost. Allen is the brewmaster at Gahan Halifax Harbourfront (and will remain in that position), and has brewed on Rogues’ system previously, so she will fit right in to the cramped space and high pressure situation of brewing at this busy brewpub. Rogues’ core products will remain untouched, but Allen will bring her own twist to seasonals and one-offs. Keep an eye out for PEI Brewing/Gahan beer at Rogues, as they plan to expand their number of taps, and begin to pour beer from other Murphy Group brands.

• This big change has not slowed down the new beer releases, as there will be a new English IPA out next week at Rogues Roost, and an English Bitter at Gahan House. And next Tuesday’s cask (remember it is Industry Night every Tuesday, where members of the beer business enjoy staff-priced pints) is the Bitter with fresh lemon zest, and lightly dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace.

Enjoy your weekend! For those in the Antigonish area, look for Big Spruce Brewing at tomorrow’s Antigonish Winter Market, at the Antigonish Mall 10am-2pm. Don’t forget that the King Street Ale House Superbowl party (no cover) is all-day Sunday, where a new one-off American IPA from TrailWay Brewing will be pouring.

Friday Wrap-Up – News and New Beers from TrailWay, Celtic Knot, Hammond River, PEIBC, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-01-02
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Celtic Knot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Ladies Beer League, New Brunswick Beer Tours, PEI Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Sea Level Brewing, Sunset Heights Meadery, TrailWay Brewing. 2 comments

Happy New Year, beer lovers, and welcome back! While beer news is a bit slow this week as we all recover from the holidays, there’s still a few things going on in our region to start 2015…

• After a successful launch party on December 20th, TrailWay Brewing already has two new beers brewed and planned for release sometime over the next 2-3 weeks. The first beer is a Session IPA; this hop-forward, easy-drinking ale comes in at a very sessionable 4.4% ABV, and is hopped with lots of Comet and Amarillo. Not to break the hop streak, the second beer is an American IPA, with higher numbers in both ABV and IBUs (6.5% and 60, respectively); this one also uses Comet and Amarillo, along with Centennial hops. Both beers should be on tap in the near future at both TrailWay accounts in Fredericton (King Street Ale House and 540 Kitchen & Bar).

• Celtic Knot has brewed up a new beer; Éire is an Irish Red Ale, brewed with Maris Otter, Crystal malt, and some Roasted Barley to give this easy-drinking, malty-sweet beer its classic deep-red color. Hopped with East Kent Goldings and Fuggles to 26 IBUs, the beer should clock in at about 5.3% ABV. Look for it on tap at Celtic Knot accounts in the near future!

• Hammond River is expecting to release a new beer within a few weeks, and it’s an interesting one! Named Breakfast Stout, it was brewed with several dark malts, including Chocolate, Black Patent, and Roasted Barley… but that’s not all! Owner/brewer Shane Steeves added lots of Java Moose coffee to the beer, along with cacao nibs. And as a final twist, the beer was “dry-hopped” with Shane’s own home-smoked Applewood bacon! It comes in at about 8% ABV and 60 IBUs; we’ll be sure to let you know when it’s available, so you can plan your breakfasts accordingly! And just a reminder that their Back in Black Oatmeal Stout is available for growler fills this week at the Kennebecasis Valley ANBL; also, check out the Saint John Ale House, as there may still be some of the Too Hop To Handle DIPA on tap, which was recently brewed to higher IBUs, if you’re into bitterness (and who isn’t)!

• For their second higher-ABV beer, now that provincial restrictions have been lifted, PEI Brewing Co. brewed up a Doppelbock shortly before Christmas. This strong, malty and rich lager will be hitting both PEILCC and ANBL shelves sometime in late winter/early spring, giving it enough time to lager at cool temps and let the flavors develop and smooth out. They also plan on barrelling about 12 hL of this beer for release during Oktoberfest in the fall. Expect this deep-red-colored beer to come in above 8% ABV, and around 25 IBUs.

• PEIBC brewed up yet another “new” beer recently: Black Banks, a Cascadian Dark Ale (AKA Black IPA), was originally released as a one-off in cans, and was a blend of their Sydney Street Stout and 1772 IPA. This time, they redid the brew from the ground up, and not as a blend. With a grist containing 2-row, Wheat, Munich, Carastan 35, and Midnight Wheat malts, it was kettle-hopped with Millenium, Amarillo, Cascade, and Columbus to 50 IBUs, and then dry-hopped with Falconer’s Flight. Clocking in at 6.2% ABV, look for this one in cans across PEI and NB by late January.

• Rogues Roost currently has a couple of new beers on tap at the brewpub. The first beer, Freedom Stout, is a higher-alcohol stout (8.2% ABV) described as having a “chocolate flavor with hints of rum, raisins and dates”; it is hopped to 50 IBUs. Next up is an all-Citra hopped American Pale Ale; the high quantities of Citra give the beer a strong grapefruit aroma, according to the brewery. It comes in at 5.5% ABV and 40 IBUs. Get down to the brewpub to sample both beers before they’re gone!

• There’s another new beer in the One Hit Wonder series from Propeller – Fly Time IPA is an unfiltered American IPA that incorporates several hop varieties, including Ahtanum, Cascade, Centennial, and Falconer’s Flight, and is heavily dry-hopped. With a grist containing 2-row, Pilsner, Wheat and Crystal malts, it’s a fairly light-colored beer that “leaves only a hint of residual sugar which accentuates the hop aroma and flavour”, according to the brewery. It weighs in at 6.3% ABV and 65 IBUs, and is currently available for growler fills at the Gottingen and Windmill Prop Shops.

• Sea Level released a very-limited version of their High Street Wee Heavy last week. This beer, named High Street Wee Heavier, is a higher-ABV version (8.2%) of their original Scotch Ale, and has also been aged on Bourbon oak chips. It was almost gone, as reported by the brewery, for growlers fills a few days ago, but there may still be some available on tap at the Board Room Game Cafe in Halifax.

• They haven’t been open for very long, but Railcar Brewing is already prepping for expansion! Owner/brewer Mitch Biggar has confirmed that they have ordered four additional 45-gallon fermentors, and are in the process of raising funds to increase the size of the brewery system to a 5-bbl (~580 L) system, hopefully by July. They’re also still busy working on the construction of their 1000 square foot tasting room.

• New Brunswick Beer Tours has announced the itinerary for their second beer tour, to be held on Saturday, January 31st from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. This time, the tour will take place entirely within Fredericton, and will feature visits to Grimross, Sunset Heights Meadery, and Red Rover, and will conclude at the King Street Ale House, where the brewers from TrailWay will be on hand to serve up some of their beers and answer questions. The tour bus will depart from the KSAH in the morning, and return at 1:30 pm for lunch (which is included in the ticket price). Beers/meads/ciders will be sampled at each stop, and there will also be samples provided on the bus itself. Tickets are now on sale for $65 each, and can be purchased here.

• A reminder that the Ladies Beer League official membership launch takes place this Wednesday, January 7th at Rockbottom Brewpub, from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. No ticket purchase is necessary, just drop in to purchase your official membership ($25 each; list of member benefits are here)! Rockbottom’s new brewmaster, Jake Saunders, brewed up a special firkin just for the membership release: a stout fermented with Madagascar vanilla beans and cacao nibs. If you’re not available to attend on Wednesday, shame on you!… but, luckily, you’ll have the chance to purchase your membership at other LBL events in the future, and on their website by the end of this month. The beer, not so much.

Have a fantastic weekend! If you’re in Saint John, Big Tide Brewing has brewed up their Tidal Wave DIPA again, and it’s currently on tap at the brewpub. The new version of Hoppuccino from Big Spruce is now available; drop by the brewery for a growler fill, or look for it on tap at select accounts in Halifax soon. The brewers at Brasseurs du Petit-Sault have several new beers for release in the near future, including a Coffee Stout, Maple Ale, and IPA… we’ll have more info on those next week when the brewers (and half of the blogging team) are back from vacation!