Stubborn Goat

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Happy Friday! With Monday’s holiday, it really snuck up on us here at ACBB, but we’ve still got a pint’s-worth of news to keep you busy this weekend.

• You may know that Muwin Estate Winery (the folks behind Bulwark Cider) have teamed with Ross Farm Museum to bring us Cider Days, coming the weekend of October 22, where you can learn about heritage apples, the proper care of orchards, how cider is made, and cooperage (barrel making). What you may not know is that they are calling on anyone in Nova Scotia with apple trees on their property to pick their apples and bring them along for use in a special batch that will be known as The People’s Cider. This is a chance to see how the heirloom apple varieties that may not be great for eating are sought-after as a key ingredient in cider making. Anyone who provides apples will be provided with a People’s Cider Membership and an invitation to a launch event for the resulting product, where they’re hoping to have some bottles available (depending, of course, on how much is produced). You can even contact them to have your apples picked up from you if you aren’t able to make the event or have more apples than you can easily bring along. If you have an old orchard on your property producing apples that you don’t know what to do with, this is an awesome opportunity to see them become part of a truly Nova Scotian product. 

• The brewing team at Good Robot have tweaked one of their more popular beers, and released Damn Fine Coffee v2.0 yesterday. Brewed with Pilsner, Red X, and Rye malts, and an addition of Kenya Gatina coffee (cold brewed by Bottleneck, sourced from Java Blend), this updated iteration was fermented with a highly-attenuating yeast strain (California Ale) to give the resulting beer a “drier, hoppier finish”, according to the brewery. Expect flavours to be fruity, tart, and even vinous, to go along with the floral, citrus, and grassy character from the addition of Cascade and Falconer’s Flight hops. It weighs in at 5.5% ABV and 40 IBUs, and is available now at the brewery’s taproom, and better beer bars and restaurants across the HRM.

• And speaking of Good Robot, the screening of Sociable! earlier this week was a roaring success, with a full house witnessing the ups and downs of planning, opening, and operating a brewery in Nova Scotia. Stay tuned for details on more screenings, entry to film festivals, and online distribution.

• About a month ago, we reported on the wet-hopped beer brewed by Graystone Brewing; that beer was released at the brewery on Wednesday of this week. Now named United Hops, it was bittered with freshly-harvested Summit to ~80 IBUs, according to the brewery, with other hops added later in the boil, including Perle, El Dorado, Cascade, Idaho 7, and a small portion coming from locally-grown hops donated by people in the Fredericton area. Weighing in at 6% ABV, a portion of the proceeds will go to support United Way. Drop by the brewery this weekend to try a pint, crowler, or growler of this new brew.

• There’s a new Picaroons beer on tap exclusively at the General Store in Saint John – One for the Road Black IPA was brewed to celebrate the recently-renovated Canterbury Street in the city. A small batch brewed on the General Store system, it features a grain bill with plenty of dark, roasted malts, was hopped with Cascade, Chinook and Galaxy, and fermented with an American Ale yeast strain. This 5.6% ale won’t last long, so pop by the General Store to give it a try, while supplies last.

• This week Annapolis Cider Company has a new release in their ‘Something Different’ series, an unfiltered sparkling cider called Peach and Peppercorn. True to its name, it features both freshly cracked peppercorns, with which it’s been infused, and the juice of tree-ripened peaches to the tune of 15% of the batch. On top of the apple base, the peach brings tanginess while the peppercorns provide a subtle heat. Weighing in at 6.8% ABV, you’ll find it available at the cidery, where $0.50 of each bottle refill will be donated to the local 4-H Club.

• Jeremy White of Big Spruce penned a Letter to Nova Scotia this week, detailing some of the struggles and backwards hoops that he, and other breweries, have to go through in that province. A combination of antiquated laws, unfair treatment of breweries versus wineries and distilleries, inequality in tax collection from younger breweries, lead to many frustrations for those looking to earn a living while brewing in the province.

There are a few events this weekend, and in the coming weeks, worth checking out. Here are a few that we wanted to highlight:

• Drop by the Cabot Links Public House tonight for a Big Spruce Tap Takeover. Featuring the core line-up of Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout, Kitchen Party Pale Ale, and Tim’s Dirty American IPA, plus seasonals Bitter Get’er India Black IPA and Spruce Bringstein Amber, plus the BS/Boxing Rock For the Love of Grimace Berliner Weisse aged on blueberries. The event starts at 9pm, with live music kicking off at 9:30. The first 48 folks in the door will receive a free glass to take home with them.

• While the weather in Halifax has been beautiful for the past few weeks, it’s time to face reality: the best days of outdoor dining and drinking are behind us. As such, both the Stillwell Beergarden on Spring Garden, and Stubborn Goat‘s Waterfront location are both winding down for the season this weekend. Drop by for one last hoorah tomorrow before/during/after Nocturne. Good Robot is hosting an interactive art display on their Gastroturf fro Nocturne, so be sure to drop by to take part. And today marks the first day for Stillwell’s new noon-time opening at Barrington. Start the weekend early with some great food and beer on Barrington!

• On Saturday, October 22nd, Sackville’s Ducky’s Bar will be holding a tap takeover featuring PEI Brewing Co., at 7:00 pm. A total of 15 different beers will be flowing, with no cover charge to attend. However, if you pay $20, you will receive a 13-oz branded Belgian-style beer glass, and five 5-oz beer tickets, with 5$ going towards the Tantramar Breast Cancer Organization. Reserve your glass before the 22nd by signing up at the bar, and you’ll receive an addition two 5-oz tickets. Finally, those with the special glass will be able to purchase additional 5 oz pours for the rest of the evening for $2.25. More details, including which beers will be available, will be coming soon; stay tuned to the event page for updates.

• Halloween is fast approaching, and with it comes the first Halloween Bash at Maybee’s, on Saturday, October 29th. Starting around 7 pm at Maybee Brewing Co., there’s all sorts of ghoulish things planned, including haunted brewery tours, a costume contest (with prizes), a dance party with live music and, of course, candy! There’s no cover, and Milda’s Pizza & More will be on-site to provide tasty food for purchase. In addition, a special, super-secret beer will be released by the brewery at the event; we can’t give anything away, but we CAN assure you that it’s NOT a Pumpkin Ale!

• For those interested in learning to make cider, a Continuing Education course at NSCC Kingstec will be kicking off November 3rd. Running for four weeks, Hard Cider Made Easy explores all steps of the cider-making process, including apple selection, pressing, fermenting, and packaging of the final product.

A few more drips and drops before you head out today:

– The Third Annual Hammond River Home Brew Competition will be coming up soon; we’ll have more details for you next week, but in the meantime, raise a glass to Shane Steeves and family as expansion on the new, 15 BBL HR brewhouse located adjacent to The Barrel’s Head has officially begun this week!

– In addition to their regular Thursday night growler evenings, Smiths Cove’s Lazy Bear Brewing will be attending the Annapolis Royal Winter Farmer’s Market, beginning this weekend. Drop by the Historic Gardens location Saturday 9-12 to grab your fills. And while there, be sure to sign up and compete in the 5th Annual North American Conker Championship, taking place that morning. Try, if you dare, to dethrone last year’s winner, Simon Bonnington. Registration and mandatory drug testing starts at 9am.

– Look for more beers and availability at Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewing shortly: their 10 BBL (1200 litre) DME brewhouse is working overtime to keep their thirsty fans satisfied. The first batches from their big system should be hitting the taps in Mahone Bay, and elsewhere in the province, very soon.

– There are a pair of new batches on tap at Saint John’s Big Tide Brewpub. It is the return of Karnival Kölsch, as well as their second batch of Indian Beach Pumpkin, this time brewed with all Magnum hops from Darlings Island Farm. And they are down to the last drops of their Hemmingsway Vealy Great Ale, brewed in collaboration with the folks from the Boiling Point podcast.

– Moncton-area Beckwith Road Brewing have released their fourth beer, Upland American Brown. At 6.1% ABV and 40 IBUs, this beer debuted at the Atlantic Canadian Craft Beer Oktoberfest last month, and will be found on tap in the city shortly.

Howdy, beer fans! Hope everyone has had a good week, and that you’re ready for your long weekend! Here’s what’s currently happening in beer news in Atlantic Canada this week…

• Good news, residents of Digby County, NS! Lazy Bear Brewing is set to launch this weekend, with growler sales commencing this Saturday at the Annapolis Royal Farmers’ Market, on St. George St, open from 8am – 1pm. Their Gut View Amber Ale, an “English-style beer rich with malt overtones and subtle aromas from Canadian-grown English hops” will be available, along with brewery-logoed t-shirts and glasses. The Amber clocks in at 4.9% ABV and 32 IBUs, and should be followed next weekend by their India Pale Ale. Look for the Lazy Bear retail space to open at the brewery in June, in Smith’s Cove.

• Attention all rhubarb growers! Garrison is kicking off their new “U-Pick Series” with an as-yet undetermined rhubarb beer, and they need plenty of the tart stalks from this herbaceous perennial (don’t worry, this won’t be part of next year’s ACBB Trivia!) from the beer-drinking public. For every pound of clean, fresh local rhubarb that you bring to the brewery, you will receive in-store credit! We’ll be sure to provide more info on the beer as it’s determined; in the meantime, get foraging! And keep an eye out for their Brewhouse Cider, which will be back on tap at the brewery this weekend. Made in collaboration with Bulwark, it features a blend of NS apples, and clocks in at 5.8% ABV.

• We have some details on Mango Lassi Pale Ale, the latest cask pouring at the PEI Brewing Co. taproom this week. This single-release is their already-delicious Vic Park Pale Ale, along with the addition of mangos and cardamom during fermentation; the beer is then further dry-hopped with Citra and Sorachi Ace. It weighs in at 5% ABV; if you’d like to try it, get down there fast, as these cask releases usually don’t last very long!

Good Robot has a pair of new beers pouring at their taproom currently. Beta versions 1 and 2 of an American Wheat were brewed on their pilot system; the two beers feature altered malt and hopping schedules, while they do both feature Amarillo and Mandarina Bavaria. Best to try both to find your favourite! The scaled up Alpha version of the American Wheat, Wackity Shmackity Doo, features the best qualities of both, with an addition of Honey malt for a slight sweetness, but crisp finish with the addition of Magnum for bittering, plus a 7-day dry-hopping with Amarillo and Mandarina Bavaria. The beer comes in at 5.8% ABV and 25 IBUs. WSD will be released Tuesday, May 24th, as part of their Just Vorlaufs! live outdoor comedy show on their Gastroturf/Green Room.

Upstreet has released a brand new beer this week, launching their “One Way Series”, on tap at the brewery for pints only due to the extremely small volume. The first release is Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em, a 6% ABV Smoked Porter brewed with smoked malt in the grist, to give the beer just enough of a smoky aroma and flavour to make you feel “like you’re already sitting around a backyard bonfire eating BBQ’ed burgers”. Hopped with Chinook from New Brunswick to add some balance, be sure to drop by the brewery taproom for a pint ASAP!

• A new beer was brewed at Hammond River late last week to honour the beloved Duck Tolling Retriever of owner/brewer Shane Steeves and his family, Vegas, who passed away earlier this month. HR’s 200th batch, The Vegas SMaSH IPA was brewed with Pale Ale malt and plenty of the wonderfully-fruity Amarillo hop. Steeves expects the beer to come in at 6.5% ABV and approximately 60 IBUs; we’ll keep you updated as to its release. And expect to see the return of HR’s Blood Orange Hefeweizen, which was re-brewed the same day.

• Today marks the return of Unfiltered’s Daytimer Berliner Weisse. Featuring an assertive tart acidity from lactic acid formed naturally during a warm incubation period, the beer features no hops in the boil, but is generously dry-hopped with Mosaic. The resultant 3.4% ABV is quite refreshing and perfect for the warmer days we’re finally receiving. Grab it today in growlers at noon at the brewery, or in your glass at 4pm at Charm School next door. And for the next several months, Charm School’s doors will be open from noon on both Saturday and Sunday.

Big Tide brewmaster Wendy Papadopoulos is in the planning stages for a new one-off collaboration beer, and your help is needed in designing and naming it! Brewed with David Veale and Greg Hemmings to celebrate the upcoming 100th episode of their Boiling Point Podcast, the beer style and details are open to suggestion. Simply fill out the online survey by June 1st (it’s short, so will only take a minute or two), and the winner will be announced at the brewpub on Thursday, June 23rd at 5:30 pm during the podcast celebrations. Good luck! For more info, check out this video.

• Shediac Bay’s Flying Boats has a pair of beers now back in their rotation, in time for the warmer months. Humpyard is a 5.8% ABV Steam Ale (also known as California Common), originally brewed by German immigrants in the San Francisco area, as a pale hybrid lager/ale (lager yeast but at an elevated temperature). FB’s version features the iconic Northern Brewer hops for a medium bitterness to offset the characteristic caramel malt flavour. Picnic Train is a Witbier, a Belgian wheat beer with the additions of coriander and bitter orange peel for an easy-drinking beer for the summer. Both are currently on tap at Moncton’s Tide and Boar, and will be available at FB’s other tap locations soon.

• Tomorrow and Sunday, drop by Stillwell for the latest edition of the Rare Beer Series, featuring the Belgian-Saison-inspired Saint Somewhere of Tarpon Springs, FL. Featuring twelve different beers, many of which are on tap, including Anne (Saison with elderflowers), Caitlin (Saison with oranges), Caroline (aged on coffee), and Beached Wood, a collaboration with Stillwater Artisanal. Drop by starting at noon Saturday, and 4 pm Sunday.

Stubborn Goat’s waterfront Beer Garden location will be opening tomorrow. Located at Summit Plaza, it features a shipping container housing a beer cooler, bar counter and service bay, and a separate trailer with a kitchen, allowing them to offer a wide variety of food choices. Both bar and sit-down table service will be available, and there will be plenty of beer available, focussing entirely on Nova Scotia breweries: 12 taps, with the emphasis on craft. As well, expect to see a small selection of NS bottled beer, and locally-made non-alcoholic products. As it is an outdoor space, it is weather dependent, so be sure to keep an eye on their Twitter feed for the latest information.

• Next Wednesday, May 25th, there will be a special launch party for this summer’s Fredericton Beer Run, held at the King Street Ale House patio. If you’ve purchased tickets for the August 1st run, or would like to show up to buy your tickets in person, there will be beer included! Several kegs of local breweries will be pouring at the party next Wednesday; hope to see you there!

Have a great long weekend! In closing, here’s a few snipits of some other beer releases out now or coming up soon…

– One of North Brewing‘s original releases, their 7.5% ABV Farmhouse Ale, is back on tap at the brewery for growler fills; look for it to appear at better beer establishments across HRM as well.
Grimross has a new beer on tap at their taproom, ESB, a 5.3% ABV English-style ale that they describe as “woodsy, caramel, peppery, hop finish”.
Picaroons‘ popular fruit beer seasonal, Melon Head, is set to return on Wednesday, June 1st. This 4.5% ABV summer ale will be available on tap and in bottles throughout the warmer months.

Happy Friday beer fans! A nice variety of beer news again this week, so let’s go!

• Halifax’s Stillwell Beer Bar has released their latest beer in the farmhouse style. Millie, described as a “Rustic Saison with Beetroot”, was brewed at North Brewing with real, fresh beetroot, and fermented with Stillwell’s house Saison strain. The 5% ABV beer has a vibrant reddish-pink hue and earthy flavour thanks to the beetroot, countered by a “citrus hop character and some very zingy, lemony fermentation characteristics”, and finishes quite dry. While it’s tasting great fresh, it is a beer that should age well, allowing the yeast characteristics to grow with time as the beetroot and hop aromas/flavours fade. Millie is in rotation on tap at Stillwell, as well as 500mL bottles always available at Stillwell for on-site enjoyment, to go at both North locations, and at the four private liquor stores in HRM shortly.

Big Spruce has brewed up a new beer to be released at next month’s Fredericton Craft Beer Festival. Meek Thy Maker is a Red IPA based on the winning beer in that style category in the 2015 Big Spruce Homebrew Challenge, brewed by our own Shawn Meek, who was at the brewery to assist with the brew day. Hopped with Cascade, Columbus, and Amarillo, it should come in at ~6.7% ABV and 59 IBUs. Big Spruce has also sent out kegs of their seasonal Coade Word: Snowmaggedon, their 8.8% ABV, 25 IBUs Winter Warmer. Conditioned on rum-soaked vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, and locally grown ginger, expect tons of aroma and flavour in this strong beer! It is on tap at better beer bars in Halifax and Cape Breton now. And look for a barrel-aged version to be released in a few months.

PEI Brewing Company will be releasing this year’s edition of Ice Boat, their barrel-aged stout, on Tuesday, February 23rd. Aged in whisky barrels for the past several months, this year’s version is a Russian Imperial Stout, weighing in at 8% ABV (compared to last year’s 5.3%). As before, this will be a limited release, so make sure to drop by the brewery’s taproom on this date to stock up! Follow along with their social media accounts for more details on the launch party. And speaking of returning limited releases, they’re bringing back Transmitter Coffee Stout for a second go-around in the last several months. Blended with a new blend of coffee from Charlottetown’s Receiver Coffee Co., this batch will be released on Tuesday, March 1st, with the brewery promising a “slightly different take” on the beer.

• Tomorrow, February 20th, marks the inaugural voyage of the Halifax Beer Bus, put on by Taste Halifax Food Tours. From 3-6 pm, the bus will take ticketholders to five stops in Halifax (including Gahan House, Garrison, Propeller, Good Robot, and the Stubborn Goat) to sample a total of ten Nova Scotia craft beers. Snacks at two of the stops will be provided, and a guide will be present to educate during the sampling. There will be future tours in the coming months (March 19. Apr. 2, 16, 30); tickets are $59 + tax, and can be reserved here.

• It’s a busy weekend at Halifax’s Garrison Brewing! Today marks the release of Dirty Ol’ Town Black IPA, a 6.5%, 52 IBU hybrid with the roast, chocolate, and coffee characteristics of a stout, and citrus hop character of an IPA. Look for it now at the brewery, with delivery to the private stores, NSLC, and ANBL shortly. Also out today is the first of three beers in the Garrison Cellar SeriesOl’ Fog Burner Barley Wine. An English-style Barleywine, this 11.5% ABV, 60 IBU brew is a complex one, with lots of malt character; the higher alcohol content makes it perfect for setting aside in a cellar for enjoyment in years to come. The Cellar Series will continue next week with the release of Grand Baltic Porter, and the third beer will be out March 4th. The first round of judging for this year’s Home Brew-Off will be tomorrow; best of luck to all entrants!

• Tickets are available for February’s of Auction House Beer School. Held on the last Wednesday of the month, this edition features Tatamagouche Brewing. The Tata crew will be on hand to  drop some knowledge about their beers, and share their enthusiasm for their craft. Drop by Auction House to pick up tickets, or call them at 902-431-1726 to secure yours today.

• Edmundston’s Brasseurs du Petit-Sault has a job opening for a brewer! From recipe development, brewing, overseeing packaging and quality control, and all things in between, this is a rewarding job in a Belgian-inspired brewery. Folks interested in brewing on their 18 hL system should already have some experience in a brewery, be bilingual, and be prepared to join in to an established working environment. More details are available on their website, and the job posting closes March 4th.

Grimross Brewing in Fredericton is looking to hire a Brewtique and Taproom Manager for their Bishop Drive location. They will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of both the Brewtique (with merchandise and growlers to go) and Taproom, where folks enjoy pints onsite. Experience in the recruiting and training of employees, as well as budgeting, customer service, and leadership skills are major assets to the position. Interested candidates should check the full posting, and drop off a resume and cover letter at the brewery.

• Hallelujah! Flat Black Jesus is back! Unfiltered’s American Stout returns at noon today for growler fills, and at 4pm at Charm School next door. This non-oak-aged version features a great melding of assertive bitterness and hop aroma from a Nash-brewed IPA, along with roast and dark malt characters of a robust stout. At 7% ABV and about 100 IBUs, your prayers have been answered.

• After an extended decision period, the Halifax Waterfront Development Corporation has announced the successful bid for an outdoor food and beverage venue. Selected from several high quality submissions, Stubborn Goat Gastropub will be setting up shop at the Summit Amphitheatre this spring. They will be serving Nova Scotian wine, beer, and cider exclusively, as well as non-alcoholic sodas from local producers Garrison and Propeller, and their own housemade strawberry lemonade. Food options will be a reflection of their current offerings on Grafton Street, tailored smaller and more outdoor friendly, with a strong emphasis on local growers and producers. The location will offer table- as well as bar-service, to accommodate patrons looking for either a full restaurant experience, or a more casual ambiance. The waterfront location will be opening in May, with expected operation to go until October. This competition was for a three-year period, meaning that it will go to tender again after the 2018 season closes. The HWDC press release also mentions a new area on the waterfront to highlight local businesses in this coveted location, showcasing local food, beverage, tours, and events, to tourists and locals alike, which may mean more opportunities for local breweries. The owners of Stillwell, who had conceived of the outdoor food and beverage venue and ran the very successful Stillwell Beergarden at the Summit Amphitheatre in 2015, are already shopping around different locations for their converted shipping container, and will be returning this spring in a new location.

Another busy week in our region! We had a great time at the Liquid Courage event yesterday at Acadia, look for a summary on that next week. Here are a few more parting shots before you grab a beer and clock out for the week (or the other way around):

– The ANBL Growler program is featuring Petit-Sault’s Canon Franchetti Cappuccino Stout, as well as Spindrift‘s Coastal Lager, at all four locations this weekend.
– Speaking of Spindrift, their Seventh Wave release for today is a Session Saison, available only at the brewery for growler fills today at noon. It features a grist of pilsner and wheat malts, along with flaked rye. At 4.3% ABV and 10 IBUs, it is a light beer worthy of an afternoon and/or evening session.
– Nine Locks have begun brewing at their Waverley Road location. Starting with their ESB and IPA brews, look for their full launch in March.
– Tickets are still available for next Friday’s Prop’r Cask Night at Propeller, featuring food from The Other Bean and Rinaldo’s Italian American Specialties. Your ticket gets you pours of the special cask, plus Propeller’s full complement of beer, plus great nourishment from both providers. At just $30, it is a fabulous deal!
– Finally, a reminder that the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival is approaching fast; the evening session on Saturday, March 12th, has been sold out for some time, but there are still a few tickets left for the afternoon session. Don’t miss out on a great time, and remember there are plenty of great events in the city scheduled for the days approaching the big festival, including our Trivia Night being held at the King Street Ale House Thursday, featuring prizes from many of the breweries attending the festival.