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Friday Wrap-up – News from Tatamagouche Brewery, Grimross Brewing, Rockbottom Brewpub, Granite Brewery and more

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-06-20
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Authentic Seacoast Brewing, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Tide Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Garrison Brewing, Granite Brewery, Grimross Brewing, PEI Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing. 3 comments

Happy Friday! As we’re about ready to officially begin summer, the beer news is coming in fast and furious!

• We are thrilled to welcome the newest brewery to the Atlantic Canada region, Tatamagouche Brewery. Located at 235 Main Street in Tatamagouche, NS, this former butcher shop has been converted to a state-of-the-art brewery. We’ve been following along with their progress for almost a year now, made a visit ourselves at the beginning of the month, and are excited to see their successful opening this week. They have launched with their Hippie Dippie Pale Ale, weighing in at 5% ABV and brewed exclusively with Ahtanum hops. Their Butcher Block Red Ale is a bit higher test at 6% ABV, and uses higher hopping levels of the El Dorado varietal, including the use of a hopback, which sits between the kettle and the chiller, for an extra dose of hops post-boil. We’ll have a full profile with them shortly, but in the meantime, grab a growler at the brewery (open 10-6 daily), or on tap at the Train Station Inn and Stirling Room in Tatamagouche, or the Nook and Cranny in Truro. Welcome aboard the Craft Beer Train!

• Grimross Brewing is just about one year away from the date that they sold their first beer (July 1st, 2013), and they’ve got some big news just in time to celebrate! Owner/brewer Stephen Dixon has confirmed that they will be expanding, and moving to a new location in Fredericton. They’ve already ordered their brewing system; the move likely won’t occur for another six months. In the meantime, they will continue brewing their regular line-up of beers at the Picaroons’ Brewtique downtown. We’ll have more details soon, but for now we can say we’re very happy to hear this news!

• In other Grimross news, they’re releasing a new beer, Ben’s Country Cousin, at the Brewtique sometime tomorrow afternoon. This beer has the same grain bill as Ben’s Bitter Pale Ale, a regular-release Grimross beer; however, it is hopped differently during the boil, and is dry-hopped, unlike the original recipe. As well, the beer is fermented with a Farmhouse Ale yeast, so overall look for it to taste quite different from Ben’s Pale. It has an ABV of about 6%, like it’s relative. Keep an eye on Grimross’ Twitter account for exact details on what time the beer is released.

• Rockbottom Brewpub has announced the return of their very popular Insidious IBA. This 2013 Canadian Brewing Awards medal-winner is an American West Coast-style India Black Ale. Dark roasted barley gives the beer its signature colour, but the flavour and aroma showcase the Columbus, Citra, Simcoe, Summit, Centennial, and German Magnum hops. Weighing in at 6.9% and 70 IBUs, this will be a popular beer for the start of summer. For those of you who want one more taste of the now sold-out Intergalatic SMaSH’d Lager, you’ll have to grab a ticket to the Brewer’s Dinner on June 24th to get it. We’ll see you there!

• Halifax’s Granite Brewery will soon be re-releasing their summer seasonal, Honey Ginger Ale. Brewed with honey and ginger root, the ginger addition adds a natural bitterness to the beer, so no hops are used at any stage of the brewing process. A light-drinking beer at 4.6% ABV, it should be available for growler fills at the brewery’s beer store soon (hopefully by next weekend); keep an eye on Granite’s Facebook and Twitter accounts for the exact release date.

• We have some details on Shiretown‘s newest beer, an IPA, Hops on for Nowhere. This 75 IBU beer is hopped with three different varieties: Waimea, Green Bullet, and Amarillo, that according to the brewery provide a “comforting, earthy orange finish”. Coming in at ~5.5% ABV, the first batch sold out for growler fills at the brewery; the next batch should be available late next week. They’ve also brewed up their Honey Wheat Ale (made with local buckwheat honey) again; it’s available now at the brewery for growler fills.

• A couple of weeks ago, we reported on the new lager that was brewed by the PEI Brewing Co. Just to update, this 4% ABV light lager (hopped with two New Zealand varieties, Kohatu and Motueka) has been named Landing Day Lager, and is now on tap at the Gahan House, in addition to at the brewery itself (96 Kensington Rd).

• It’s back! The Rare Bird Pub in Guysborough, NS, is opening today for the season. While they are brewing their Rare Bird Pale Ale and Full Steam Stout year-round, the Pub is only seasonal. Open 11:30-8pm Wed-Sun, drop by for a pint of their two year-round beers, as well as seasonals as they are released. Rare Bird growlers are also available for purchase at the Pub.

• Bigtide Brewpub in Saint John, NB has a couple of new beers on tap lately, so let’s get you caught up on their details. Tin Can Porter is a brand new release, based on their Chocolate Porter, but incorporating fresh brewed Java Moose coffee at flame-out. The beer is hopped to 45 IBUs using Nugget and Willamette hops, and is 5% ABV. The addition of vanilla smooths out any bitterness from the coffee. The beer is named after Tin Can Beach, to celebrate the work that ACAP Saint John is doing to clean up this area of the downtown.

• Also on tap at Bigtide is Princess Street IPA. This unfiltered IPA was brewed using Nugget hops exclusively throughout the 90-minute boil. The theoretical IBUs are up over 100, however the 7.5% ABV and slight residual sweetness help to round out any harsh bitterness. Canadian 2-Row and German Pale Ale are the major base malts, as well as a small amount of Caramunich and Carafoam for colour. Grab a pint at the bar, or a growler to go.

• Stillwell has been teasing us with the beers they will be pouring tomorrow at the Garrison Brewing Cask Takeover. Here’s the complete cask list:
Spiceman’s Session Saison (with Wild Voatsiperifery Peppers)
Christmas in June (Meander River Lunchbox Pale Ale and Garrison Spruce Beer blend)
Summit Buzz (Vanilla Espresso Brown Ale)
Peanut Butter Jelly Time (peanut butter and fresh raspberries on their Brown Ale)
Some Like it Hot (Tall Ship Amber Michelada)
Blueberry Raj (Spiced American Wheat with blueberry juice and masala chai)
Brand New and Already Bitter (IPA dry-hopped with Citra and Amarillo)
Makin’ Bacon (Maple Bacon Ale, using Chef Graeme’s homemade bacon rum)
Imperial Mystery (your guess is as good as ours, though we’re guessing it’s based on their Imperial Pale Ale)
Lovers Quarrel (Belgian-style Wit with rosehips and chamomile)
My Thai Wheat (American Wheat with pineapple mint and kaffir lime leaves)
La Moreno Loco (Chocolate Chili Brown Ale, with homegrown chilis and dark chocolate and cocoa nibs)
For those without noon “First Sips” tickets, the doors open again at 2pm for first-come, first-served pours. $10 gets you a glass to keep, and your first drink.

• Come out to the Wooden Monkey Dartmouth tonight, starting at 7:30, to help celebrate the Ladies Beer League First Anniversary. In addition to Wooden Monkey’s regular local beer rotation, there will be three special casks pouring: Big Spruce All Night Kitchen Party (double dry-hopped Pale Ale), Garrison Sticky Toffee Pudding Birthday Cake (based on the Sugar Moon Maple), and North Brewing Farmhouse Ale. No tickets necessary (it’s pay-as-you-enjoy), just show up to have a celebratory pint or two.

• And finally, we are very excited to announce the next big event scheduled at Stillwell Beer Bar. Jeff at Bad Apple Brewhouse has been brewing like crazy since opening just a few months ago, and will be taking over the taps (and casks) at Stillwell all day July 5th. Featuring twelve taps and two casks, there will be something for everyone that day: the much-anticipated return of That’s Falcon Teamwork (brewed with the Stillwell gang), barrel-aged versions of the Impresser DIPA and Black and Tackle RIS (as well as their non-barrel-aged versions), and the last keg of Mosaic DIPA. Among the six (SIX!) new beers debuting at the takeover, folks will have first crack at the Smokehouse Lager (brewed with 100% Smoked Malt), Apple Cider, the Summer Slurper Session Ale, and a few more special beers that will blow people’s socks off. So, how do you get in on the madness? Tickets for the noon (First Sips), afternoon, and evening sessions are on sale today at Stillwell. Unlike other events, you will need a ticket to get into the afternoon and evening sessions, so plan accordingly. As with other Takeovers, your $10 ticket gets you a glass and your first pour. We’ll definitely see you there!

• And as a late addition, we just wanted to include the exciting news that Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault has confirmed that they’re in the process of brewing their first full batch of beer! This morning, brewers Jason Dionne and Gavin Anderson started brewing Bob LeBouef, their Blonde Ale. Look for the beer (and others) to be available sometime early next month!

Friday Wrap-Up – News and New Beers from BarNone, Rockbottom, Picaroons, Hammond River, PEI Brewing, Red Rover and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-06-06
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards, 2014 Fredericton Beer Run, BarNone Brewing, Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Brewer's Bash, Ducky's Bar, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Meander River Farm and Brewery, North Brewing, PEI Brewing, Picaroons cat contest, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Schoolhouse Brewery, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar, YellowBelly Brewery. 3 comments

Happy Friday, craft beer fans! Looks like there’s lots going on in the beer scene in Atlantic Canada again this week…

• A couple of weeks ago, we alluded to a new beer being released by BarNone Brewing, and we now have some more details. An American Pale Ale, the beer was brewed in collaboration with Bicycle Craft Brewery, a new brewery opening soon in Ottawa. Owned by husband and wife team Fariborz and Laura Behzadi, they came in contact with BarNone brewer/co-owner Don Campbell when they ordered their brewhouse through DME, which constructed a similar setup to what BarNone brews on. When Don invited Fariborz and Laura to do a test brew on his system, so they’d be familiar with the setup, Fariborz designed a recipe and sent it Don’s way. A few minor changes were made due to ingredient availability, and then the three met at BarNone to brew the beer. Broke Spoke Pale Ale was born! A Pale Ale with a “good amount of malt backbone, so that it balances the hop bittermess”, the beer still has a good amount of hop flavors and aromas coming through. Broke Spoke made its debut last night at BarNone’s weekly growler night; it may pop up on tap at bars/restaurants across the Island in the near future.

• Tickets are now on sale for this month’s Beer Dinner (Tuesday, June 24th at 6:00 pm) at the Rockbottom Brewpub in Halifax. There are only 30 spots available; each ticket sells for $35, which includes three courses paired with beer. This month’s dinner consists of a pork belly slider paired with their Intergalactic SMaSH’d Lager, beer-marinated, grilled Cornish hen (with newly-tapped Hali-Lager), and a black pepper & strawberry shortcake (Jacktar Stout). You can reserve tickets by calling the brewpub (902-423-2938); act quickly, they usually sell out fast.

• While on the topic of Rockbottom, if you haven’t had a chance to try Wreckoning RIS – their Russian Imperial Stout that recently won Atlantic Canada’s only gold medal at the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards – or just want to try it again, they will be pouring the beer next Wednesday, June 11th at 4:00 pm. Get in and get some while you can!

• Also, if you’re anxious to start having lunch at the Rockbottom again (or starting your pub crawl a little earlier), they’ve announced that they’re now open on weekdays starting at noon, with a good possibility of opening at noon on weekends as well, later in the month.

• The 2nd Annual Fredericton Beer Run is being held this summer on Monday, August 4th (New Brunswick Day). Like last year, the event involves a run along Fredericton trails starting at noon, followed by lots of beer! Registration begins at 11 am; participants can choose to run either a 6 or 12 km route. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online; they include a custom-designed running bib and beer stein, water stops, and 14 beer tickets. Each beer ticket is good for a 4 oz sample of beer or cider, with at least 20 different beers/ciders available to sample; this part of the event will be held at the Delta Fredericton). New Brunswick breweries Big Axe, Grimross, Moosehead, Pump House, Railcar, Red Rover, and Shiretown will be pouring; Unibroue and McClelland Premium Imports will also have some beers to sample.

• We hope you’ve purchased your tickets to Picaroons‘ 2nd Annual Brewer’s Bash on Saturday, July 12th in Fredericton, because they’re now officially sold out! Even with an extra 500 tickets being sold this year, they still went very quickly. They’ve also announced the three musical acts that will be playing throughout the day-long event: Zeus, Cyndi Cain, and The Chronos Band. We’ll keep you posted on the breweries that will be attending as the Bash gets closer. And a reminder: they’re still looking for volunteers if you’d like to attend – 4 hours of helping out will allow you 8 free hours to enjoy the festival, so send them an email if you’re interested!

• And speaking of Picaroons, they’ve picked the winning cat for their Melonhead bottle label… the lucky kitty is Ruby, who was entered in the contest by her owner, Madison Sagle. Melonhead is now on tap at the Brewtique, and should be popping up at restaurants and bars in the area, as well as in bottles, over the next couple of weeks.

• The new Imperial IPA from Hammond River, Too Hop to Handle, that we mentioned last month has been kegged and is awaiting ANBL approval, which means it should be on tap in Saint John soon. Brewed almost exclusively with the Zythos hop, we’re looking forward to a fruity and piney hop bomb!

• PEI Brewing Co. has a new beer on tap exclusively at the brewery at 96 Kensington Road in Charlottetown. While currently unnamed, the beer is a Light Lager (4% ABV) that has a low bitterness (8 IBUs) from Kohatu, a New Zealand hop variety.  The beer was then “highly dry-hopped” with another NZ variety, Motueka, giving the beer a “tropical and piney” aroma, according to the brewery. Sounds like an interesting cross between a Light Lager and IPA… better get to the brewery to give it a try!

• North Brewing in Halifax has released a new seasonal, their Summer Saison. Changed slightly from their standard Saison, it features coriander and orange peel in the beer, to enhance the already vibrant and spritzy character of the base beer. Both ingredients shine through in the aroma as well, complemented by the hop characteristic and yeast spiciness. It weighs in at 5.5%ABV, and is available at the brewery and Alderney Landing Market (Saturday only) in growlers, and on tap around Halifax and Dartmouth, and in Lunenburg at The Grand Banker. When the weather turns colder (let’s hope that’s 6 months from now!), they have plans of switching up the recipe to a Winter Saison, featuring ginger and black pepper.

• In more new beer news, Shiretown just announced today that they have a new beer available for growler fills at the brewery. All we know right now is that it’s an IPA, and is called Hops on for Nowhere. We’ll have more info on this beer for you next week!

• If you’re living in the Sackville area, and are into craft cider, good news! Red Rover Brewing now has their Summer Brew on tap at Ducky’s Bar. Summer is a dry cider, described by Red Rover as a sharp, tangy thirst-quencher; it comes in at 7% ABV. Look for Red Rover’s other two regular releases, Spring Brew and Fall Brew, to follow after the Summer keg has kicked.

• Ducky’s also announced yesterday that they have the new Big Axe summer seasonal, Simon Saaz Summer Ale, on tap. Check out last week’s post for more info on this beer. To follow, they’ll be tapping another Big Axe seasonal, White Birch Porter. A 6.5% ABV Porter brewed with pure white birch sap, owner/brewer Peter Cole describes the beer as dark brown in color, and medium-bodied. Slightly smoky, with an aroma of “dark roasted nuts, rye bread and chocolate”, the bitterness of the birch sap “complements the noble hops nicely”.

• Yellowbelly Brewpub is releasing a new brew this weekend. Downtown Brown is an American-style Brown Ale, weighing in at 6.2% ABV and 40 IBUs. The grain bill consists of Canadian Pale, English Maris Otter, Canadian Munich, Scottish Carastan and Scottish Black Malt… a truly international bunch! The beer is hopped in the boil with Nugget and Galena, and then dry-hopped with Chinook and Ahtanum, and then with Topaz. A great blending of the chocolate, caramel, and roast from the grain, spice, herbal, pine and tropical fruit from the hops, will make this a great brew.

• A reminder that the 2014 Newfoundland Liquor Commission Beer Expo is happening at the St. John’s Convention Centre this weekend. Box Office tickets are sold out, however there are lots available online as people’s plans change. For those unable to attend, or want to grab some of their favourites after the fest, check out this thread on the Beerthief forum for a list of special Festival beers that will be showing up at your local NLC this weekend. Cheers!

• If you can’t be on The Rock this weekend, then be sure to make it out to one of the local bars in your area. If you’re in the Annapolis Valley, be sure to drop by the Library Pub in Wolfville tonight, and the Spitfire Arms in Windsor tomorrow, to help celebrate the launch of Schoolhouse Brewery. In Halifax? Drop by Stillwell at noon Saturday to grab a pint of Meander River‘s Lunchbox Pale Ale. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to grab some from the source in Ashdale, it’s definitely worth picking up!

• Garrison Brewing is hiring: a full-time, permanent Brewery Sales Rep and a Seasonal Events & Sales Rep (full-time until September, possible part-time after), send off your resumes today! And even though the noon First Sips (aka Early Bird) tickets for their Cask Takeover June 21 at Stillwell are sold out, there will be lots of beer still flowing once the doors re-open at 2pm that afternoon, so be sure to drop by. We’ll have some more details on the casks available this coming week, but we got word of another one: their popular Peanut Butter & Jelly blend (Nut Brown and Raspberry Wheat), with raspberries from Noggins Corner right in the cask.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Celtic Knot, Big Axe, Rudder’s Brew Pub, Bad Apple, BarNone, Sea Level, Pump House, Shiretown, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-05-23
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2014 Atlantic Beer Festival, Bad Apple Brewhouse, BarNone Brewing, Big Axe Brewery, Big Tide Brewing, Brewer's Bash, Celtic Knot Brewing, Garrison Brewing, King Street Ale House, Ladies Beer League, Noble Grape, Pump House Brewery, RockBottom Brewpub, Rudder's Brewpub, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tide & Boar Gastropub, Trou du Diable. 1 comment

Good morning beer fans! There’s lots going on in the craft beer world in Atlantic Canada this week, so let’s get started…

• Celtic Knot Brewing announced that they have ordered three more 102 L fermentors to keep up with demand for their beers. Currently on tap at Marky’s Laundromat and The Tide and Boar in Moncton, as well as Ducky’s in Sackville, obviously beer drinkers are enjoying what Celtic Knot has been brewing! Their recently-brewed Session IPA, For Shore, featuring New Zealand and Australian hops, should also be appearing soon; for more info on that beer, check out our previous post.

• Big Axe Brewery has added yet another new beer to their line-up… Shakesbeer Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (named after owners Peter and Tatiana Cole’s chocolate labrador dog, Shakespeare) comes in at 6% ABV and is described as a “full and silky-bodied stout”, with an aroma “rich in caramel malts, chocolate, and hints of vanilla”. With a roasty and earthy hop character in the flavor, the beer is now available for growler fills at the brewery in Nackawic. And if you’re in the Sackville area, you can now find Big Axe beer on tap at Ducky’s; their Chanterelle Cream Ale was just tapped this week!

• It’s been out for a little while, but we wanted to share full details on Yarmouth’s Rudder’s Brew Pub’s latest seasonal beer. Brewmaster Mike Ferguson has brewed up Bunkers Island IPA, named after the peninsula in Yarmouth Harbour where an Irving Oil bunker oil tank farm was located. This Black IPA was hopped using Southern Cross exclusively, by means of five additions all added late in the boil, for a big aroma and flavour blast, and light on calculated bitterness. A generous portion of Midnight Wheat was used to generate the dark hue characteristic of this style. The beer weighs in at 6.3% ABV and 42 IBUs, and is available on tap and growlers and squealers at the pub. If you’re headed to or from Portland, Maine, on the ferry, be sure to drop by for a pint!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse in Somerset, NS, has released their newest beer, The Impresser Double IPA. This massive beer weighs in at 10.2% ABV, and 300 calculated IBUs, thanks to generous hopping throughout the entire process, from using Chinook flowers in the mash, of course lots of hops (including Citra) throughout the boil, and again dry hopped in the fermentation and conditioning tanks. The powerhouse Conan yeast was used to tear through the high-test wort, and will only enhance the hop flavours and aromas with its signature characteristics. The Impresser is available now in Squealers only at the brewery, and may make it on tap at your local watering hole, but will not last long, so jump on it now!

• Coming soon from Bad Apple Brewhouse is their Mosaic Double IPA. Brewed with a generous dose of the Mosaic hop varietal, this beer was brewed to raise awareness of Mosaic Down Syndrome. Donations from the sale of the beer will be made to the Nova Scotia Down Syndrome Society, as well as to Brigadoon Village, who run camps throughout the summer, including a camp over the Father’s Day weekend for families with children with Down Syndrome. This 8% ABV, 120 calculated IBU beer will be released at the beginning of June.

• We now have some more details on the new seasonal, Summer Solstice, brewed by BarNone a couple of weeks ago. Designed to respect the longest day of the year, and to celebrate the sun, it’s an unfiltered, moderately-hopped ale that is brewed with several varieties of hops, and dry-hopped with Citra (also the dominant variety in the beer). It weighs in at 4.8% ABV and slightly hoppier than the Summer Sessions. It made its debut last evening at BarNone’s weekly growler night (every Thursday from 6 – 8 pm), with positive feedback from customers, according to co-owner/brewer Don Campbell. Last night also featured some delegates from Ireland and live local music. BarNone has also announced that they’ve brewed a collaboration beer with Bicycle Craft Brewery from Ottawa; that beer was just kegged earlier this week. We’ll have more details on the beer in next week’s Wrap-Up!

• Garrison Brewing has announced a special Twelve Cask Bar Top Takeover event at Stillwell Beer Bar on June 21st. Featuring a dozen one-off cask conditioned beers, and highlighting local ingredients, this will be a great event. The day is divided in two: the First Sips event starts at noon, with $10 tickets getting you a special glass and first pour, and these limited number of tickets are available directly from Stillwell. Starting at two, the doors will open again, and as the first wave of folks get their fill, general entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis (for the same $10 deal). We got an inside scoop as to the great beers that will be making an appearance on the 21st: Brewer Kellye Robertson made her first pin a Blueberry Wheat Chai Tea using Oxford Blueberries & Chai from The Tea Brewery in Mahone Bay. We’ll have more details on beer in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

• Also from Garrison, a brand new beer! Building on the feedback and popularity of their Test Batch beers, they are releasing an India Pale Ale. Weighing in at 6.5% ABV and 50 IBUs, Waimea, Citra, Columbus and Amarillo hops lend the beer a citrus and tropical fruit aroma to balance the malt backbone. It is available now in 6-pack format at the brewery, and will soon be in the NSLC and private beer stores. It is joined by a re-release of the the ever-popular NiTWiT Belgian-style Wheat Ale, which started off life as the 2010 Home Brew-off winning beer. The beer weighs in at 4.8% ABV and 12 IBUs, and true to the Witbier style, was brewed with coriander, and offers a orange and tropical fruit aroma from the special yeast.

• Sea Level Brewing in Port Williams, NS, has released their very popular seasonal Apple Blossom Ale this week. Brewed with pilsner malt and Nelson Sauvin hops, this beer is infused with fresh Valley apples. The beer is 4.8% ABV, and lightly hopped. Brewed as a celebration of the 82nd Annual Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival, being held May 28-June 2, the beer is currently on tap at the Port Pub, in growlers and cans at the brewery today, and early next week in cans in Halifax, and on tap at select spots around the province.

• Last week, we mentioned that Pump House will be releasing a new IPA in six-packs at the end of this month, to coincide with the Atlantic Beer Festival on May 31st in Moncton. In related Pump House IPA news, they are looking for a catchy name for their Draft IPA, and they’re holding a contest requesting some help! If you have an idea for a great IPA name, post it to their Facebook page, and you could win a pizza party for four at the brewery, which includes two pitchers of the new beer.

• If you’re a fan of Shiretown‘s Big Brown Ale (currently at the brewery for growler fills, and on tap at select accounts in New Brunswick), good news! They’ve confirmed that it should be available in bottles at ANBL stores in the near future. No official date yet, but expect to see it sometime this year. Coming in at 5% ABV and 28 IBUs, the brewery describes it as “malty, roasty, and chocolatey, with a nice bit of bitterness and a big mouthfeel”.

• Tickets to Picaroons‘ Brewer’s Bash beer festival went on sale earlier this week, and a few more details on the event have trickled in. The $25 ticket price gets you a 5 oz tasting mug, and eight beer tickets; additional tickets are $1 each. Like last year, the event will be all day from 11 am – 11 pm, and you can come and go as you please. Expect several food options, live music, and a heck of a lot of beer from breweries all across Canada. Once we find out more details on that end, we’ll be sure to let you know! And keep in mind, they’re still looking for volunteers… shoot them an email if you’re interested.

• The King Street Ale House in Fredericton is hosting another beer and food pairing, this time featuring Quebec brewery Unibroue. Featuring five courses from Chef Aaron Fraser, and five different Unibroue beers (including their popular anniversary beer, 17 Grande Réserve), tickets are $65 and can be purchased online. It all takes place next Wednesday, May 28th, from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. And just before that event (3-4:30pm), Beer Sommelier Sylvain Bouchard of Unibroue will be hosting a free tasting at the York Street ANBL location. There are a limited number of seats, so RSVP today.

• Moncton’s Tide and Boar Gastropub will be hosting a special visitor from Trou du Diable next Thursday, May 29th. In the province for the Canadian Brewing Awards, Isaac Tremblay from the brewery will be on hand to pour a keg or two of their beer (including MacTavish in Memoriam Pale Ale), as well as having some special bottles for purchase. No tickets necessary, just drop by to say hello, grab a pint, and chat about beer!

• Big Tide Brewpub in Saint John, NB, recently released Fogbound Hemp Pale Ale. An original recipe of theirs, this is a West Coast style Pale Ale, weighing in at 5% ABV and 50 IBUs, thanks to Cascade and Tradition hop varietals. Hemp oil was used during the brew, imparting a lovely nutty flavour to complement the big hop aroma. It is on tap and available in growlers now. Speaking of growlers, they have lifted the temporary weekly limit on growler sales, as they were were having a bit of trouble keeping the beer on tap. Great news, be sure and drop by this weekend to celebrate!

• Rockbottom Brewpub has announced that the very popular Thulsa Doom Double IPA has run out, however they are rewarding their fans with a very special 20L pin of Oak-Aged Double Hoppelganger. This 10% ABV beer was first released in August 2013, but has been cellared with love and care by Brewmaster Greg Nash, and it will be interesting to see the changes in the beer over time. On tap soon will be HaliLager a Euro-style lager at 4.5% ABV brewed with Hersbrucker and Cascade hops to 17 IBU. Crispy.

• Unfortunately, the Ladies Beer League / Noble Grape Home Brew Workshops scheduled for this weekend and June have been postponed until July. Scheduling conflicts are to blame, but fear not, ticket holders will be reimbursed, and will have first dibs on tickets for the next Workshop. Stay tuned here for more details. Stay tuned, too, for details on the next LBL special event, to celebrate their first anniversary. We know it’ll be a fun one!

• The results from this year’s “Best of Halifax” food awards via The Coast are now in! Here’s a summary of the beer-related awards, with Gold, Silver and Bronze listed, respectively:

– Best New Bar: Stillwell, The Stubborn Goat, Lion & Bright

– Best Beer Selection: Stillwell, Maxwell’s Plum, The Stubborn Goat

– Best Brewpub: Rockbottom, Rogue’s Roost, Henry House

– Best Craft Brewery: Garrison, Propeller, North Brewing

Congratulations to all the winners!

Phew, that was a long one today! As the weather improves and folks are hitting the decks and patios, as well as a few new breweries opening in our region, we’re sure the good beer news will keep on flowing in! Thanks for joining us this week, and until next week, Cheers!

Late addition: We were overwhelmed with stories this week, and totally forgot to announce the random lucky winner of tickets to next weekend’s 2014 Atlantic Beer Festival. Congratulations to the crew from the Drink N Brew blog! We’ll be in touch to give you details. We’ll be starting another contest next week, so stay tuned.