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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Sober Island, Propeller, Sea Level, Hell Bay, Boxing Rock, and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-03-11
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Acadie-Broue, BarNone Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Breton Brewing, Canadian Brewing Awards, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Red Rover Craft Cider, Sea Level Brewing, Sober Island Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, The Spitfire Arms, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, everyone! Our region was hit with one last hoorah of winter (let’s hope) overnight, so best to stay off the roads and grab your favourite beer and get up to speed on all the beer news in our region.

• Attention good beer fans on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia: there’s a new brewery opening soon in your region! Sober Island Brewing will be opening soon in the Sheet Harbour/Sober Island area. Brewing on a 1/2bbl (~55l) system, they will be supplying beer to local restaurants and Farmers Markets in coming months. Look for their mobile beer bar, made from a converted horse trailer, at the Saltscapes Expo in Halifax, April 22-24. Check out their Twitter page for details on their progress, and we’ll be sure to share the news when they launch this spring. Welcome aboard, Sober Island, nice to have some beer to drink with those oysters!

• Propeller Brewing has released their latest One-Hit Wonder this week, Scarlet Lager. A 5.3% unfiltered amber lager, it boasts 35 IBUs from the addition of lots of Cascade, Falconers Flight and Zythos hops, and is further dry-hopped with more Falconers Flight. As with all of these OHW releases, it is available in growlers at the Gottingen St and Windmill Rd breweries only, and on tap at select locations around the city.

• Propeller has released the details of their next Prop’r Cask Night: on April 1, they are inviting the crew from Black Sheep restaurant to their Gottingen St location for a celebration of local food and beer. In addition to Propeller’s full line-up of beer, they will be tapping a cask of something special that evening, to pair with the great bites prepared by the Black Sheep crew. These are always a fun time, be sure to take part! And FYI, the crazy cats at Black Sheep are giving away free burgers every afternoon 3-6pm, March 11-17, with purchase of beer, wine, or spirits. Be sure to drop by and grab one!

• Sea Level Brewing, in Port Williams, NS, has released a brand new beer this week, Doppelbock. A traditional German style, this “Spring Celebrator” features 7% ABV and a strong malt backbone from the generous use of both light and dark Munich malts. It is available at the Port Pub now, and in growlers and cans at the brewery.

• Lunenburg’s Hell Bay has brought back their popular Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. Weighing in at 8% ABV, it is a malt-driven beer, featuring a light smoke and deep caramel flavours, thanks to a long boil and kettle caramelization. It is currently available at the brewery and on tap at select locations in the HRM.

• Judging for the Boxing Rock Black Box Challenge was held at Stillwell on Sunday. Eighteen brewers presented their beer, their recipe, and themselves, to the 6 judges (our own Chris was among them). There was a wide variety of excellent beers, but there can be only one winner: “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire“, a cinnamon-infused Rauchbier brewed by Halifax’s Brian Harvey, took first place. Harvey has been invited to brew WTSTF on Boxing Rock’s big system, with the beer to be released during Nova Scotia Craft Beer Week in May. Second place went to Mark Reid for his “Hop Springs Eternal” White IPA, and Jason McDougall’s “Carbon 14” Belgian Strong Dark took third place. The Boxing Rock owners and brewers Henry Pedro and Emily Tipton were so impressed with the runner-up beers, that they may also be released as Boxing Rock beers in the coming months.

• This weekend marks the return of the Fredericton Craft Beer Fest, and several breweries are releasing beers to celebrate!
– Fredericton’s own TrailWay has released G’day Belgium!, a Belgian IPA brewed with primarily Australian hops for a bitter, piney, and fruity hybrid beer. Featuring Galaxy, Vic Secret, and Mosaic hops, it was brewed with our very own Shawn Meek. Most of this batch will be pouring at the fest, but there IS a single keg on tap now at the King Street Ale House.
– Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing is debuting a brand new beer at the Fest, Meek Thy Maker. This beer was Shawn Meek’s winning recipe for the Home Brew Challenge in the Red IPA category. Hopped and dry-hopped with Cascade, Columbus, and Amarillo, it comes in at 6.7% ABV and 59 IBUs. This one will also be available at several tap accounts across NB, and should be popping up on tap at various beer bars/restaurants in NS as well, any day now.
– Big Spruce is also debuting He Don’t Know JAC, a 7.2% ABV IPA that was brewed with the same grist as their previously-released JAC the SIPA. However, this new beer was not soured with Lactobacillus, but fermented solely with an American yeast strain. It was also hopped completely different varieties – Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, and Waimea – giving the beer notes of grapefruit, citrus and pine. Of course, this beer is available at the brewery, and select tap accounts in Nova Scotia.
– Big Tide is bringing their brand new Valley View, a Farmhouse Ale brewed with all-Pilsner malt, and hopped with Southan Farms Hop Hash and East Kent Goldings. Fermented with T-58, a dry Belgian yeast strain, the brewery describes the 6.1% ABV, 37 IBU beer as “citrusy and spicy”. It’s also currently on tap at the brewpub in Saint John.
– Rose Valley, PEI’s BarNone brewery is bringing the latest of their “Session” series: Summer Sessions, while named the same as their original Blonde Ale flagship, has actually been hopped with the Australian Summer variety, as well as some Citra, for some extra fruit and citrus character. They will also have Li’l DIPA, which may or may not be similar to their Little DIPA which was originally released in late 2014.

There are still tickets to the afternoon session available, and with the smaller crowds comes more time to chat with the brewers, cider, and mead makers about their craft. Don’t forget that there are plenty of things going on today: a Hops Seminar at the Crowne Plaza at 12:30 and tastings by Spindrift (at the Capital Complex 4:30-7:30pm) and Garrison (at the Prospect St ANBL this afternoon). After tomorrow’s FCBF Afternoon session, Vault 29 is hosting the Official After-Party with a Picaroons Tap Takeover, and there are even a pair of events Sunday (Down the Keg 3km run to shake off the evening’s festivities, followed by a Jazz Brunch at King Street Ale House). Still lots of fun to be had in the Capital City this weekend, and use their app to stay on top of everything.

• According to a story from the CBC this week, Acadie-Broue, New Brunswick’s smallest brewery, is planning to pair up with the University of Moncton to re-open the school’s student bar, La Coude, as a brewpub on March 17th. Exact details on which beers will be released in the future are currently unknown, but Acadie-Broue owner/brewer Patrice Godin has confirmed to the CBC that he will be open to brewing beer styles based on student and faculty requests, with the goal of campus culture ultimately influencing the beer. Stay tuned for more!

• Nova Scotia Craft Beer Week is fast approaching! Being held May 6-15, there are more Signature and official events than last year, in more locations across the province. Kicking off the festivities is the Cape Breton Kitchen Party, being held Friday, May 6th at Centre 200 in Sydney. From 7-10pm, Big Spruce and Breton Brewery are inviting a dozen Mainland breweries for a taste of down home hospitality, featuring live music and local food. Tickets are available now! And keep an eye on our Google Calendar, as we add events to it, to keep you up to speed on all of the goings on for the week.

• The 14th Annual Canadian Brewing Awards will be taking place May 26-28, in Vancouver, BC. Registration for submissions is now open, closing March 25th (and beer delivery by April 4th), with the judging taking place in Toronto April 11-15. The competition is open to all commercial breweries and ciderhouses in Canada, and comprises 55 styles of beer, and 4 of cider. The Awards weekend will include seminars from brewers, vendors, and the Gala crowning the best beers and ciders in the country. The registration form is here, and a primer on how to enter is also available.

• Windsor’s Spitfire Arms is re-opening this weekend. A good friend to local beer, it was heavily damaged in a fire in July 2015 and moved to a temporary home for the past several months, but will be returning to its original location on Water Street. To celebrate, people will be gathering at their Gerrish Street spot, and parade to their upgraded and renovated home on Water. Hal Bruce will be kicking off the day’s events, featuring lots of NS Craft Beer flowing throughout.

• Halifax’s Stillwell Beer Bar has announced the details on a pair of events at the beginning of April. On April 1&2, they are hosting the crew from Dieu du Ciel!, and will be opening at noon both days, with a full complement of a dozen rare and exciting beers from this Montreal brewery, also featuring bites and plates from La Belle Province to get you in the mood. No tickets are required, just drop by to get in on the fun. The next day, April 3rd, they will be hosting F.B.D., an eight course collaborative beer dinner, featuring food by Stillwell, as well as friends of Stilly. Each course will be presented by the chef behind the creation, and paired with a specially-chosen beer to complement. Limited tickets for this event are available now.

• Garrison Brewing has released the details on their 2016 Backlot Bash, in support of Ecology Action Centre. Being held June 11th, the concert will feature July Talk, Alert the Medic, Three Sheet, and The Brood. In addition to the Garrison beers available, they will be featuring local cider, and food trucks to keep you happy. Tickets are available now, with Advance tickets only $25 while they last.

Just a couple of parting shots today:
– Red Rover is hiring for their new storefront, coming soon to Queen Street. Both part- and full-time positions are available, for Sales Advisor, and Sales Manager positions. For more information, check out the job postings here.
– Spindrift’s Seventh Wave release today is Quaf Sess, a light American Wheat with herbal and floral hop character. Like usual, these beers are only available for growler fills at their Burnside location, and sell out very quickly!

Thanks again to everyone who came out to our Trivia Night at the King Street Ale House last night! And a very special thanks to the generous breweries for donating some great schwag and gift cards and goodies! And be sure to say “Hi!” when you see us @ the FCBF events this weekend!

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Mama’s Pub, Flying Boats, Breton Brewing, YellowBelly, Petit-Sault, Acadie-Broue, and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-02-12
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Acadie-Broue, BarNone Brewing, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Bore City Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Ducky's Bar, Flying Boats Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Garrison Home Brew-Off Challenge, Grimross Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, Liquid Assets, Mama's Pub, North Brewing, Red Rover Craft Cider, Spindrift Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stubborn Goat, Tatamagouche Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

Another week, another fresh batch of beer news to get you up to speed! Let’s go!

• After announcing plans to start brewing on-site in late November, Mama’s Pub on Brookside will officially have beer for sale starting tonight! Brewer Ryan Kingston has all three of their first flagship brews ready for consumption: Mama’s Golden Ale, a 5% ABV, 17 IBUs pale ale that is “light, crisp, and really easy to drink”; Mama’s Session IPA, a 4.2% ABV, 23 IBUs ale, dry-hopped with Comet and Citra; and Mama’s Vanilla Bean Stout, a 5.7%, 19 IBUs dark beer with “tons of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla notes”, featuring real vanilla beans that were pre-soaked in Kahlúa liqueur prior to being added to the fermentor. These beers will currently be available only at Mama’s Pub for pints, so drop in to give them a try, and be sure to check out the brewery behind the new 9×6 window in the restaurant! UPDATE: Unfortunately, Mama’s has let us know that the beers will NOT be pouring tonight as originally planned; look for them to be available sometime next week.

• This weekend, Flying Boats is launching a special one-off IPA for Valentine’s Day. Lovers Quarrel IPA came to be thanks to a short in the heating element of the brewery’s electric brew panel; after over two hours of troubleshooting, brewer/owner Marc Melanson decided to change his brewing plans and concoct something new. The beer was bittered with Columbus, with several late additions of Chinook and Cascade; dry-hopped with Amarillo and Centennial, expect aromas and flavours of dank, citrus, and tropical fruit. Weighing in at 6.4% ABV and 76 IBUs, look for this one on tap at select accounts, including Ducky’s in Sackville, and Fredericton’s James Joyce Pub.

• Speaking of beers perfect for Love Day, Breton Brewing just launched their third seasonal brew: Cocoa Envy, a Robust Chocolate Porter. With fresh cocoa nibs from the U.S., coffee beans from Costa Rica, and a hint of added cinnamon, this complex brew should be just what you need to get you in the mood… to have another. Available now for growler fills and at select Breton accounts; 6.5 % ABV and 37 IBUs.

• There’s a new beer on tap at the YellowBelly brewpub, a 5.3% ABV British Pale Ale named Landsmen. Featuring a simple grist of Maris Otter and Dark Crystal malt, it was hopped solely with Brewer’s Gold to ~50 IBUs; two dry-hop additions were made to allow its “earthy, spicy, and berry fruit character to shine”, according to the brewery. Grab it on tap at the pub/restaurant today, and in bottles to go next week, as well as on NLC shelves.

• Acadie-Broue‘s Patrice Godin has made another trip to Edmundston, which is good news for all of us… it means that there’s another collaboration beer in the works with Petit-Sault! While we aren’t privy to the name yet, we can give you some other details on this strong, dark and malty lager: it should come in at about 7.5% ABV and 23 IBUs, and will feature “bready, chewy malt flavours with hints of chocolate and dark fruit, along with a slight nuttiness from toasted buckwheat”, according to Petit-Sault. Cold-conditioned, or lagered, for six weeks to help smooth out the flavours further, this one should be ready sometime in early April. It should be available on tap AND in bottles, for a limited time; we’ll keep you updated on its progress!

• In other Petit-Sault news, their annual brew day on March 5th for the Pink Boots Society is approaching fast, and ladies, they need your help! Led by Petit-Sault brewer Julie Long, the style being brewed is a “Honey Rye Ale”; two other currently-unindentified women will be helping with the brew, and they’re accepting volunteers for the fourth and final team member! If you’re interested in participating, send an email to the brewery’s own Mychèle Poitras. The winner will be chosen randomly on Feb 19th.

• Grimross recently acquired some new yeast strains from a Canadian yeast lab, Escarpment Laboratories, located in Guelph, ON. Stephen Dixon of Grimross has been wanting to do a Saison fermented with Brettanomyces, a “wild” strain that is well-known for the funky, fruity, barnyard characteristics it imparts in beer. Several strains were ordered, including variations of their “New World Saison Blend”, which contains both a Brett strain and Saccharomyces strain. If Dixon is happy with the results, he plans to continue to harvest and repitch the yeast, allowing the culture to evolve into a Grimross house blend. The first beer brewed will also feature local hops from Southan Farms. We’ll be sure to keep track of this interesting experiment!

• Moncton’s newest brewery, Bore City, has released their third flagship beer, a 6% ABV American Porter named Spacetime Odyssey. Brewed with dark roast coffee and hopped with the super-tropical, Australian variety Galaxy, you can expect an interesting blend of roasted, coffee flavours, along with the fruitiness from the hops… if you can find some. Two kegs were sent to Marky’s Laundromat on Monday, and there was a bit still available last night, so we suggest heading there today for lunch to finish it off. In doing so, you’ll help to bring BC’s next been on tap, Marécage, their Belgian-style Saison. At 7% ABV, it features a yeast-driven palate of cloves and spices, with a bit of pepper taste to finish. Again, we expect these to be drained quickly, but don’t worry though, more Bore City beer is on its way, and may find its way to Fredericton in the near future.

• We have some details on the collaboration beer brewed between Tatamagouche Brewing and Bar Stillwell, Englishish, which is being described as an “English-ish Golden Ale”. While the beer features a simple malt profile and is low in bitterness, it “draws inspiration from the aromatic North American Pale Ales that we love” according to Tata brewer Christiane Jost, as plenty of English variety hops were added (Fuggles and East Kent Goldings) to give earthy, floral and spicy aromas. British hops, American malt and brewing technique = “English-ish”. Easy-drinking at 4.5% ABV, it will make its debut this Sunday during the Tatabrew tap-takeover event at Stillwell for Valentine’s Day (a few tickets are still available), with cans to follow sometime next week.

• Red Rover will soon be celebrating their 2nd Anniversary, and they have a big announcement to do it in style… they’re opening a new Ciderhouse in the near future! Details are being kept under wraps for now, but we can tell you that the new location will still be located within Fredericton, and will provide an outlet “unlike any other in New Brunswick”, according to owner/brewer Adam Clawson. Stay tuned for more, soon!

• Tomorrow at 5 pm, Big Axe is holding a Mediterranean/African food and beer pairing event at the brewery/B&B in Nackawic. Three courses of  Mediterranean and African fusion food will be paired with three Big Axe beers, with Red Rover cider, Sunset Heights sparkling mead, and wine being offered at an additional cost. Tickets went on sale in late January and sold out in two days; however, there WILL be similar food and beer pairings at the brewery in the future, so keep your eyes on their Facebook page for announcements!

• It’s been a busy week at Halifax’s Garrison Brewing! With entry closing for the 8th Annual Home Brew-Off yesterday, it was time for 2015 winner Dave Martin to brew up his winning beer. Martin joined Brew Master Daniel Girard and Head Brewer Jonathan Harris on Marginal Rd to put together Mr Robusto, last year’s winning Robust Porter. It will be released at the gala party where this year’s Experimental IPA winner will be crowned, March 3rd. Returning to the brewery this week is Pucker Up, a pink-hued pomegranate-hibiscus wheat beer. Joining it is a brand new brew, Shack Wacky. This 5.2% ABV Radler is built on an APA base, features loads of orange aroma and finish, along with hints of lemon and other citrus. This is another brewery-only product, for samples and growler fills.

• Stubborn Goat have announced the details of their next in the series of beer events. Beer Social with Big Spruce will be taking place next Sunday, February 21st. The Big Spruce himself, Jeremy White, will be in attendance and introducing the food and beer pairings for this four course meal. Among the beers pouring that day will be one of only four kegs of the just-released Ra Ra Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, the 10.5% ABV Glenora barrel-aged beauty (remember, bottles will only be on sale at the Nyanza brewery, and there are not many available!). Grab tickets for the Beer Social today!

• BarNone has released their latest in the “Sessions” series: Vic’s Secret Sessions made its debut at Growler Night yesterday, featuring the dual-purpose Australian hop Vic Secret. At 4.8%ABV, this beer is low in alcohol, but big in flavour and aroma, perfect for an all-day session.

• There’s another new style to try at Spindrift today, with their weekly 7th Wave beer being a Lichtenhainer. While there is some discussion as to whether traditional Lichtenhainers contained wheat, modern interpretations tend to be a hybrid of Berliner Weisse and Rauchbier, resulting in a tart, smoky, sessionable beer. Either way, it’s a style rarely seen around these parts. Spindrift’s Lichtenhainer is a light 5%ABV and 15 IBUs. As with all of their 7th Wave brews, it will be on sale today at the brewery today at noon for growler fills only.

• Good Robot has introduced a “Glee Club” at the brewery and taproom. Members receive their own custom 18oz mug at the taproom (and receive larger pours at regular price), discounts on growler and grunter fills and merchandise, specials on their birthday, access to exclusive members-only events, and a chance to be a part of a brewday with Doug. Registration is now open for this $100/yr club, and more details are available on their site.

• Liquid Assets, the NS beer, cider, wine, and spirits store opening this spring at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, is hiring. Full- and part-time associates with knowledge of the local scene (or a thirst to learn), are encouraged to apply. The job skills include inventory control, customer assistance in choosing the right product, leading tastings, and everything in between. The job posting is here, and open until the end of the month. Construction at their storefront, located beyond security at the Airport, has begun, with an anticipated opening of April.

• For brewers (and potential ones) looking for insight into the “next step”, Springboard Atlantic is hosting a Liquid Courage event at Acadia University next Thursday, February 18th. An event highlighting the potential partnerships available between the brewing and scientific community for quality control, taste panels, and R&D, as well as insights into exporting beyond provincial and national borders, from local successful businesses. It will feature presentations from brewers and wine makers, scientists and academics from across the Maritimes, and business development agencies to aid in making it all happen. Registration is still open for the full day event.

Have a great beer- and love-filled weekend! Not because it’s Valentine’s Day, but just because! A few last news items…

– Big Tide‘s Sandpiper Pilsner is back on tap at the brewpub; a 5.5% ABV Bohemian Pilsner hopped with Hallertau and Saaz to 50 IBUs, it’s available for both pints and growler fills while supplies last.
– Boxing Rock has re-released The Next Chapter Rye IPA; first brewed in 2015 with Andrew Estabrooks and released at last year’s Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, this brew is available now in bottles and growlers, and will be seeing release in New Brunswick.
– North is re-releasing their popular Belgian Milk Stout today, after a long hiatus. The 5.0% ABV beer was out of rotation for a period, due to their expansion to Dartmouth through Battery Park, as well as the birth of Brewer Josh Herbin’s child in the fall. Look for more special beers to be released in due time, now that the brewhouse has settled down.
– PEI Brewing has brought Black Banks Black IPA back for another year. It is currently available at the brewery’s taproom, and many PEILCC stores. It has also been sent to New Brunswick, and should be appearing on ANBL shelves in the next few days. Check inventory here.
– Petit-Sault’s Canon Franchetti, their Cappucino stout, is back, currently on tap and in bottles at the brewery, and will be pouring at ANBL growler stations next Friday, Feb 19th.

We’ve added some more events to the Atlantic Canada Beer Events Calendar, be sure to check it out to be sure you don’t miss the many happenings in our region in the coming weeks and months. Included are this weekend’s events at Good Robot and Upstreet, and upcoming events like Craft Beer Cottage Party (Feb 27), and Fredericton Craft Beer Week (March 4-13). If you have a beer-centric event to add, please fire us an email.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Bore City, James Joyce, Red Rover, Meander River, Grimross, Hammond River and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-01-22
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2nd Annual Hammond River Homebrew Competition, Big Spruce Brewing, Bore City Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Breton Brewing, Craft Beer Cottage Party, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Good Robot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, Liquid Assets, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Picaroons, Propeller Brewing, Red Rover Craft Cider, Roof Hound Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, The Auction House, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, loyal beer fans! Grab a pint and get your weekend started with some light beer reading.

• After receiving their license to brew just a few weeks ago, Bore City Brewing in Moncton have sold their first kegs. One of their first three flagship beers, Marécage (a 7% ABV Belgian Saison), will be on tap tonight at the James Joyce in Fredericton, just in time for the Joyce’s One Year Anniversary of their expanded keg fridge! For those of you in Moncton, fear not… the beer will also be on tap this weekend at Les Brumes du Coude, with other tap accounts following in the near future. We’ll have a Q&A post on this 1/2 BBL brewery for you very soon!

• More details on James Joyce’s event: It is the one year anniversary of their expanded keg fridge (allowing them to carry beer from every brewery in New Brunswick), and they will be fully stocked tonight – with Happy Hour pricing on Fredericton breweries’ beers – serving birthday cake, and having a grand time! New Saint John brewery First City will have their Chocolate Coffee Stout available. Drop by for the fun, beginning at 5pm. And keep an eye out for their Wassailing event February 6th with Red Rover, similar to their “Meet Your Maker” event, where they will be pouring multiple ciders during the evening. Red Rover’s Bee Cider, made with honey from the hives on James Joyce’s roof, is currently available in the pub.

• And speaking of Red Rover, their cider is now available at the ANBL Growler filling stations for the first time this weekend. After a very successful launch of their bottles last week, their Fire Cider is on tap at the Dieppe, Fredericton, Sackville and Saint John growler stations while supplies last. And check out ANBL’s page for availability of their bottles.

• Meander River recently released their newest seasonal, Cold Porridge Oatmeal Stout. Featuring 20% rolled oats in the grain bill, the 5% ABV Stout features an aromatic coffee and cocoa profile. As the brewery puts it, “The breakfast of champions!” On tap now at the brewery and the Flying Apron Cookery, kegs were also sent to Battery Park.

• Also out this week from Meander River is their latest seasonal cider, Winterlude.  This unique blend features McIntosh, Northern Spy, Russet, and GoldRush apples, all sourced from Davison Farms in Falmouth. The 5.5% ABV cider has a semi-dry finish, crisp character, is cleanly fermented, and lightly carbonated. As with all of their ciders, the recipe blend changes with the seasons and apple availability, so if you’re a cider fan, it’s always a good idea to try the latest release.

• The new beer from Grimross that we mentioned a few weeks ago is now available on tap at the brewery. Ryes-N-Shine was brewed with approximately 40 kg of Tangelos (both the fruit and zest were used) and a “significant amount” of Rye malt. Fermented with two yeast strains (one a Belgian Saison strain, one American), this light-coloured ale comes in at 4.9% ABV and 23 IBUs. Owner/brewer Stephen Dixon describes the beer as “light and crisp, with a clean palate”, with the rye and citrus being subtle, but present. Look for it on tap at Grimross tap accounts in the province as well.

• Judging for the Hammond River 2nd Annual Home Brew Competition took place last Sunday at the Saint John Ale House. The style was Strong Scotch Ale (aka Wee Heavy); judges were impressed with the quality of the entries received, but ultimately a winner had to be selected. Nova Scotia homebrewers Keith Forbes and Mike Orr received the top prize with their Tilted Kilt, and actually came in second with their other entry, Kilted Tilt! Third place went to Newfoundland’s Mark McGraw, with his More Than Just a Wee Heavy. Both Forbes and Orr will be travelling to Hammond River soon, to brew a full-sized batch of their beer with owner/brewer Shane Steeves, to be released at select HR accounts. Congratulations to the winners!

• Spindrift is continuing their series of weekly brews on their Pilot system (their 7th Wave series), with this week’s new beer being released today at the brewery at noon. Knotty Buoy is another interesting one: it’s a sour mashed Wheat Lager that has been aged on chopped rhubarb, cranberries, and hibiscus tea. Described by the brewery as “pouring ruby red, with a clean tartness complimented by bright fruit aromatics”, it comes in at a sessionable 4.3% ABV (and 10 IBUs). As always with the 7th Wave beers, there will be a very limited amount available when released, and only for growler fills, so get there quickly to fill up!

• Charlottetown’s Gahan House has released a new dark lager this week. Cast Iron is 5% ABV and 36 IBUs. Dark brown in colour thanks to Blackprinz malt on top of a 2-Row, Munich, and Cara60 grain bill. The beer features a moderate malt and slight roast character, leads into a medium hop bitterness, making this an easy to drink take on the European style. It is on tap at the brewery now, and can be taken away in growler fills as well.

• Over in Nyanza, Big Spruce is releasing their latest “Conspiracy” beer; this one is being described as a “Pine Needle IPA” that was brewed in collaboration with Ontario’s Sawdust City Brewing. Read Between the Pines has a “deep pine needle complexity”, with plenty of tropical fruit and pine thanks to large, late additions (and a dry hop) of both Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe, and a “big splash” of Galaxy as a second dry hop. Weighing in at 7.2% ABV and 48 IBUs, this sounds like a great one! It’s available for growler fills at the brewery right now, and show follow at select accounts very soon. And keep your eyes peeled for the 3rd Annual Big Spruce Homebrew Competition-winning Czech Dark Lager, brewed by Eric Gautier and Justin Clarke at the brewery, to be released next week. Finally, the 2016 version of Coade Word: Snowmaggedon was brewed earlier this week, and will be popping up on tap sometime in February.

• Speaking of embracing homebrewers, Boxing Rock has released a beer brewed with homebrewer Jason MacDougall. MacDougall visited Shelburne in December, and brewed up a Scottish Ale featuring a healthy portion of Peat Malt, and 35 kilos(!) of Heather flowers. To offset the floral kick, local wildflower honey and a light dose of Fuggles was added to the mix. Professor McDougall’s Oban Heather Scottish Ale weighs in at 5% ABV and will be available this weekend at the brewery, Alderney and Seaport Farmers’ Markets, private beer stores, and on tap in Halifax and Antigonish.

• Also released this weekend is their collaboration with Charlottetown’s Upstreet, Rumble in the Alley 2. This SMaSH IPA was brewed with Dark German Munich malt and Ontario-grown Santiam hops from Clear Valley Hops in Ontario. The resultant IPA features malt notes of biscuit and honey, and hop notes of spice and citrus. Rumble in the Alley 2 will be available this weekend at the brewery, and at the private stores, Farmers’ Markets, and on tap, next week.

• Good Robot is releasing a new beer today that is definitely on the “different” side. When homebrewing last summer, they discovered a currently-unidentified microbe in the brewery that “generates a lemon-like, funky character” when added to their beers. They’ve investigated with a bit of microscopic viewing, and know that it’s neither Brettanomyces (a wild yeast) or Lactobacillus (a bacteria); they plan on sending it to the professionals for some thorough work. In the meantime, they’ve added it to a batch of their corn beer, and then dry-hopped it with Falconer’s Fight and Cascade to add even more citrus character to the aroma. The final product, Bank of Azealia, should be available at the taproom later today for pints and growler fills.

• Next Tuesday, January 26th, is Australia Day. Needing only the flimsiest of reasons to throw a party (OK, OK, their head bartender is Australian), the crew at Good Robot will be going all out to celebrate. Starting at 4pm, they’ll be blasting the Triple J Hottest 100, playing Australian movies on the projector, and serving kangaroo sausages, meat pies, and holding a meat raffle. While they won’t have Toohey’s or VB, they will have tinnies of Foster’s in the fridge in case their lineup of brews doesn’t quite quench your thirst after your walkabout. For the rest of the details, check out the Event page. And drop by this Sunday at 4pm for some vinyl love, courtesy of Black Buffalo Records, for an event called The Spins.

• The latest season of CTV’s MasterChef Canada begins February 14th, and Digby resident Les Barr will be among the competitors. Les is also the man behind Roof Hound Brewing, a mid-sized brewery slated to open in Digby County later this year. We expect to see Les cooking with beer whenever possible, and flexing his homebrewing muscles during the competition. We wish Les lots of luck, and look forward to following along with the progress of his cooking, and brewing.

• Thinking about opening or expanding a brewery or other beverage business? Springboard Atlantic is hosting a Liquid Courage event Feb 18 at Acadia University. Featuring keynotes from Greg Taylor of Steam Whistle Brewing and Dominic Rivard of Muwin Estate Wines and Bulwark, the seminar will feature presentations on how to build brands, do consumer research, quality testing, and exporting beyond provincial and national borders. More details can be found here. The seminar runs 8:30-4:30, and registration is now open.

• Details on the Craft Beer Cottage Party, part of Savour Food and Wine Festival, are emerging. Being held 7-9:30pm, Feb 27th in the Halifax Seaport Market location, the event will feature twenty local breweries, plus a few others from outside the region. Already lined up, with a list growing daily, are: Bad Apple, Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Bulwark, Gahan, Garrison, Good Robot, Hell Bay, Meander River, Nine Locks, North, PEI Brewing, Picaroons, Propeller, Rare Bird, Spindrift, Tatmagouche, Uncle Leo’s, Upstreet. Also in attendance will be Innovative Beverages Agency (representing Muskoka and Central City), Goose Island, and Mill Street. Your $50+HST (or $65+tax to skip the line and take home a gift bag) ticket offers unlimited tasting during the evening. There will be food vendors onsite, including The Stubborn Goat. Entertainment includes live bands, and cottage party games. Tickets are available online now.

• There are good things coming this spring to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Currently a craft beer wasteland, a new store carrying Nova Scotia liquor, wine, cider, and beer will be opening in April. Liquid Assets is a subsidiary of Ironworks Distillery, and will be located post-security, on the domestic/international departures level. It will mean being able to grab a bottle before getting on a flight, without having to worry about breakage in checked luggage, or having forgotten a gift while visiting the area. Look for more details on selection and exact opening date soon.

• LATE ADDITON: Propeller has released their latest One Hit Wonder Friday afternoon, Fog City Coffee Porter. This 5.5% ABV, 30 IBUs, Porter was brewed with whole bean coffee from Java Blend in both the boil, as well as “dry-beaned” during fermentation and conditioning. As with all OHW brews, this is a growler- and draft-only release, with it on tap now for growler fills at the Windmill location, and later Friday evening on Gottingen St. And don’t forget to pick up tickets to their returning Prop’r Cask Night, next Friday, Jan 29, 6-9pm. This edition will feature the food catering of friend-to-beer Studio East, and a special cask of Fog City, cask conditioned with even more coffee beans. Tickets are a steal at $30 (all in), which offers unlimited samples of both food and beer at the Gottingen St. Brewery, and lots of fun mingling with fellow food and beer nuts. Tickets are available now!

A few more notes for this week: Breton Brewing has put together a new dark beer, to be released next month. They are staying tight-lipped for now, but we understand this is a Porter to be released around the 14th. We’ll have more details closer to its release. Be sure to drop by The Auction House on Wednesday for their monthly Beer School, where the beers from a particular brewery are paired with special dishes from their kitchen. January’s brewery is Picaroons, with head brewer Myles MacKenzie making the trip himself to share some knowledge. Tickets are now on sale for a pair of Beer and Chocolate Dinner, hosted by Picaroons. Both are being held at 7pm on February 10th, with one at BrewBakers in Fredericton, and the other at Shadow Lawn Inn in Rothesay. This three course meal will feature chocolate-infused dishes, paired with beer.