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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 Lazy Bear, Propeller, Spindrift, Upstreet, and much, much, more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-01-08
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 540 Kitchen & Bar, Big Spruce Brewing, Bishop's Cellar, Board Room Game Cafe, Bourbon Quarter, Christmas Beer Garden at the Market, First City Brewery, Flying Boats Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, FROSTival Beer Garden, Garrison Brewing, Garrison Home Brew-Off Challenge, Good Robot Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, Johnny Jacks Brewery, King Street Ale House, Lazy Bear Brewing, Maybee Brewing, NB HopSpiel, Peppers Pub, Propeller Brewing, Red Rover Craft Cider, Spindrift Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stubborn Goat, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tide & Boar Gastropub, Upstreet Craft Brewing, York County Cider. 2 comments

Happy 2016 everyone! We are starting off the year with one of the longest posts to date, with a new brewery announcement, new inter-provincial beer launches, more than a half-dozen new beers, and the return of some old favourite beers and events. It just goes to show that there is no slowing down the Atlantic Canadian Beer news, and we are sure to stay busy this year, bringing you the scoop!

• We start off this week with the announcement of a new brewery, to open this summer in Smith’s Cove, Digby County, NS. Lazy Bear Brewing is the brainchild of Andy and Erin Norman, a husband and wife team of local homebrewers. They will be focusing on brewing English and American ales on a 3 barrel brewhouse. Both Erin and Andy have been homebrewing for years, Erin’s love of which was sparked during university, while taking a Food Science degree. “That’s where I started to learn about what beer really was. I really got into home brewing a few years ago when I had the space to do so and it has become quite a hobby.” They initially plan to offer direct growler sales, and at the Annapolis Royal Farmers’ Market. Lazy Bear’s name borrows from their proximity to the Bear River and nearby Bear Island, and just taking time to relax, enjoy a beer and your surroundings, and being lazy! Keep an eye on their Twitter and Facebook pages, where they have been posting pictures of their brewery build progress. Welcome to the neighbourhood, Lazy Bear!

• From new brewery to new beer, Propeller has released their newest One-Hit Wonder, an American Amber that showcases a new Australian hop variety, Vic Secret. Vic’s Resolution was brewed with a Pale malt base, along with specialty malts including Crystal, Victory and Chocolate to target an amber colour and provide some malty, caramel sweetness to the beer. Moderately-hopped to 23 IBUs, the late additions of Vic Secret give the beer an aroma of pineapple and pine. Easy-drinking at 5.4% ABV, it’s available for growler fills at both Prop Shop locations, and will be popping up on tap at better beer establishments across HRM. And drop by the Windmill location today from 11-3 to grab some jerk chicken and other island treats from the Jamaica Lee food truck.

• In other Propeller news, they’ve announced the date of their next Prop’r Cask Night; it will be held on Friday, January 29th at the brewery’s location on Gottingen St. from 6-9 pm. While the ticket price includes samples of several Propeller beers, the real star of the show is, of course, the cask. This event will feature a Coffee Porter, which will be tapped at 6:30 pm by one of Propeller’s brewers. Along with the beers, a selection of appetizers from chef Ray Bear of Studio East will be on-hand for sampling. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online.

• After officially launching with their Coastal Lager several months ago, Spindrift is releasing two new beers over the next week. First up is La Niña, a golden, unfiltered Wheat Lager that was sour mashed before being fermented by their house Lager yeast strain. A very small batch (50 L) brewed on their Blichmann pilot system, it’s meant to be a slightly acidic, easy-drinking (4.5% ABV) and refreshing Lager. Dry-hopped with Mandarina Bavaria for “floral and grassy notes” without a lot of bitterness (less than 10 IBUs), it’s the first of their planned weekly series of pilot batches that will be available only at the Spindrift Taproom for growler fills, for a very short time; it will be released this afternoon. The second new beer is The Abyss, a Schwarzbier. A German-style Black Lager, it features “toasted grains, coffee, and chocolate” in the aroma and flavour, leading to an “elegantly smooth finish”, according to the brewery. Hopped with Magnum and German Hersbrucker to 25 IBUs, it was conditioned for 6 weeks to smooth out the flavours even more, and at just 4.2% ABV, should be another easy-drinking beer. The Abyss will be available on tap only at the Taproom and select bars and restaurants Friday, with a sneak peek available during the Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration Thursday. Look for a barrel-aged version of The Abyss in the coming months, which was amped up with a dosing of Coldstream Clear Distillery’s Classic Coffee spirit to enhance the beers character.

• Upstreet has announced some exciting news for beer lovers not living on PEI: they will soon be available in Nova Scotia! Their four bottled beer offerings will be for sale at Bishop’s Cellar next week, including the Commons Pilsner, Rhuby Social, Do-Gooder, and White Noize, and kegs available to licensees through Bishop’s distribution. To celebrate, they’re planning several events to kick off their NS launch:
– Thursday (Jan 14), they’re holding a release party at Stubborn Goat at 10pm. Come meet and greet the Upstreet crew, and learn all about their beer. PEI’sDylan Menzie playing tunes.
– Friday, 12-10pm they will be holding tastings at Bishop’s Cellar. In addition to bottles, Upstreet’s Black Tie Affair Vanilla Cranberry Stout will be available on the growler filling station.
Later on, drop by Stillwell for more pints and fun with the crew, from 7pm to close.
– Saturday, 12-10pm they will be doing more tastings at Bishop’s Cellar.
They will also be taking over the guest taps at Good Robot’s Tap Room, and taking part in a GoodStreet Feats of Strength Mini-Olympics between the two breweries, 2-6pm. Be sure to drop by for this one, as you wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to watch brewers make fools of themselves! If you’re interested in joining a team contact Mikey Woz or Joshua Counsil at the event link above.
– Sunday, they will be holding a beer pairing brunch at Stubborn Goat at 3pm, tickets are now available. Upstreet’s Joey and Hogie will lead a pairing of their four flagship beers with some special food prepared by the Goat’s kitchen.
Keep an eye on their Event Page for further details as they are released.

• With the bottles available at Bishop’s Cellar, this also means beer fans from Yarmouth to Sydney to Amherst can also enjoy bottles of Upstreet. For those who did not know, Bishop’s Cellar offers province-wide shipping on all of their products, and is free for orders over $150 of any combination of beer, cider, wine, and spirits. Keep an eye on their Beer page for the latest new arrivals and the current list of beers on tap for growler fills.

• After a soft launch at the Christmas Beer Garden on December 20th, and a “Meet Your Maker” event at the James Joyce on December 30th, Maybee Brewing now has their initial two beers – Roseway Red and Workhorse IPA – on tap at three locations in Fredericton: the James Joyce, King Street Ale House, and 540 Kitchen & Bar. No official announcement has yet been made as to when the brewery’s taproom will be opening at its location at 559 Wilsey Rd, but the brewery has stated on their Facebook page that both of their initial beers should be available for sale in cans at select ANBL locations by next weekend.

• It’s been just about a year since the James Joyce greatly expanded their tap list and seriously embraced local craft beer, and they’re holding a birthday party to celebrate! Starting at 5 pm on Friday, January 22nd, they will be welcoming everyone to drop in for some birthday cake and happy hour prices on select craft beers. As usual, there will be plenty of beers on tap, with a large emphasis on those produced in New Brunswick, with a strong possibility of a new brewery being present. Cheers to year one, and to many more to come!

• And speaking of the Joyce, they will be welcoming their first kegs from Saint John’s newest brewery, First City, this weekend. Two new beers are being sent for the brewery’s first appearance outside of Saint John: a Chocolate Coffee Stout and DIPA. While both are currently unnamed, we do have the details on each! The Chocolate Coffee Stout was brewed with cocoa powder and Jamaican Rum Butter coffee from Java Moose, and comes in at 6% ABV. The DIPA, while of course a lighter-coloured beer, weighs in at 8% ABV and 112 calculated IBUs; hopped with plenty of locally-grown organic Nugget (from Lunahops in NB) as well as Columbus and Mosaic, expect aromas and flavours that are fruity, earthy, resinous, and herbal. Don’t worry, loyal fans in Saint John – Bourbon Quarter, Lemongrass, and the R Bar are each receiving a keg of the Chocolate Coffee Stout; the R Bar also purchased a keg of the DIPA.

• After some unfortunate delays, Fredericton’s newest cidery, York County Cider, is making more progress towards opening in the near future. All of their brewing, fermenting, and storage equipment arrived shortly before Christmas, and set-up is underway! A juice delivery is planned for the end of this month; product should be following sometime later in the winter. We’ll continue to keep you updated on their progress.

• Unfiltered is releasing another hoppy one-off beer today at noon: REALLY Falc’d Up is a bigger version of their All Falc’d Up, an already-pretty-big beer that was released last October. Like that beer, this one features the fruity and tropical Falconer’s Flight, a West Coast variety actually made up of several different hops. It weighs in at a calculated 100+ IBUs, and is even stronger than the last beer, at 9% ABV.  Drop by the brewery today for growler fills or a pint next door at Charm School.

• Good Robot is continuing their Experimental releases this weekend with the release of Damn Fine Coffee and Cherry Pie Pale (David Lynch tribute), version 2.0. First released in October, 5.8% ABV, 38 IBUs beer features Pilsner and Red X malt to enhance sweetness, and Rye malt for a bit of spiciness. They used the same hops as their Burban Legend APA, for a pleasant citrus, floral, and grapefruit character. To add roast character, this new batch features an addition of two litres of cold-brewed Java Blend Sidamo Guji coffee to the conditioning beer (2lbs of beans in 2.5 litres of water). This technique allows the bean flavour and aromatics to be extracted, without any bitterness or harsh coffee character. As with their other Experimental brews, this will be for on-premise enjoyment at their Tap Room only, and will be out in the next day or two. Keep an eye on their Twitter feed for the announcement.

• The Robots also held their first Tap Room event Wednesday evening, Silent Reading. The idea was to encourage folks to put down their cell phones, cut out the din of loud music and talking, and enjoy some quiet time with their favourite tome. The event was extremely popular, filling the bar to capacity. Look for future Silent Reading events in the future, as it may become a monthly event due to the great community adoption. Again, stay tuned to their social media pages for more events.

• Do you live in New Brunswick? Are you a fan of Big Spruce Brewing? Well, great news! The brewery confirmed on Wednesday that they’re sending kegs of their beer to several beer bars/restaurants in the province, including the King Street Ale House in Fredericton, the Tide & Boar in Moncton, and Peppers Pub and Bourbon Quarter in Saint John. Beers being delivered will include some or all of the following favourites: Kitchen Party Pale Ale, Tim’s Dirty American IPA, Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout, and Regatta Red Ale. They should be available at these locations now (or very soon); welcome to NB, Big Spruce!

• For those in Nova Scotia, Big Spruce will be debuting their newest conspiracy Thursday. JAC the SIPA is a Sour IPA, brewed with homebrewers Justin Clarke and Eric Gautier in early December. The beer was made sour using a kettle sour technique, during which natural Lactobacillus produces lactic acid from the wort in the warm (not hot) kettle; the wort is then boiled to kill the beasts, and then fermented using an ale yeast. This Sour IPA (the province’s first?) weighs in at 6.6% ABV and 55 IBUs, with big Amarillo and Simcoe late-, whirlpool-, and dry-hopping additions for tons of aroma. The beer will debut at the Local Connections event, and be available on tap and for growler fills after.

• Tatamagouche Brewing is in a hoppy mood this month, which is good news for the rest of us! They’re re-releasing two of their more-popular hoppy offerings: Deception Bay IPA was just re-released yesterday, and is available in cans, growlers, and on tap; and Dreadnot India Black Ale will be available again next Thursday, January 14th. This version of Dreadnot will be amped up a bit, as the batch was dry-hopped this time around. Finally, TataBrew is introducing a new beer for the Local Connections event next week: Deadeye DIPA is an Imperial IPA hopped with Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, and Hallertau Blanc… and then double-dry hopped with more Hallertau Blanc, for a big blast of “pineapple, grapefruit, and passionfruit”, according to the brewery. Sounds delicious to us! If you can’t make the event, don’t worry; this 91 IBUs, 8% DIPA will be following on tap and in growlers as well, and in cans shortly after. Also pouring at the Local Connections event will be a cask of Barrel Aged Ging’ Sync, their 5.5% Rye IPA. This is the barrel aged version of the cask that was sent to Cask Days, conditioned in the cask with caraway seeds and fresh ginger. Look for additional opportunities to grab this Barrel-aged version on tap at better bars and restaurants around the province next week.

• The organizers of the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival still have room for more teams at their NB Hopspiel event being held Jan 29-30th at the outdoor rink at Officer’s Square. We have details on the event in our previous post, but as a refresher, your team entry ticket includes lessons and practice Friday night, games Saturday, a lunch of chili and rolls, and access to the FROSTival Beer Garden (Saturday, 12-6 pm), along with tickets for six 4-oz samples from seven breweries pouring ~15 different beers, ciders and mead. For those not interested in the curling, you can now buy a ticket for entry into the Beer Garden alone. This includes your first five samples (9 oz for beer, 7 oz for cider or mead), and additional tickets can be purchased at the event; food can also be purchased from outside the event and brought in. Note that while children are welcome to observe the curling, the Beer Garden is a 19+ only event, and tickets MUST be purchased in advance through the link above.

• And speaking of the FCBF, evening tickets are more than 90% sold out, so grab them now if you would like to attend the evening session. There are still plenty of afternoon tickets available as well; it will be a bit quieter, and a great way to kick off an evening downtown… or maybe even a return to the evening session!

• Garrison Brewing is bringing back their NiT-WiT Belgian Wheat today. This 4.8% ABV, 12 IBUs Belgian Witbier features orange and coriander for an authentic Wit character. First brewed in 2011, it began life as homebrewer Scott Tilford’s winning recipe for Garrison’s Home Brew-Off. Refreshing citrus and tropical aromas meld with a herbal finish. It is available today at the brewery, and will be released to the liquor stores in the coming weeks. And a gentle reminder to homebrewers, the 2016 Home Brew-Off deadline is just one month away, with beers due Feb 11. Be sure to brew your Experimental IPA now, to leave enough time for proper conditioning and carbonating! More details here.

• Garrison is partnering with Board Room Game Cafe, and holding two nights of competitive Catan tournaments at the brewery, Jan 12 & 13. Beginning at 7pm, your $10 admission fee includes entry in the tournament, as well as a sampling of beer. If you are not a Catan person, Board Room will be bringing along lots of other games to play, and their Board Game Bosses to make recommendations and help with the rules. Advance registration is suggested, check their Facebook page for more details.

• We’ve made mention of it several times above, so just a note that there are still a few tickets available for the Local Connections Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration, being held at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront. There will be 19 breweries and cider houses in attendance, many of which will be serving debuting new beers and/or serving special casks during the event. There are also 17 food vendors to keep you happy. With the expanded space at the hotel, this will be an excellent evening. Tickets are only available online.

• With all of the new beers mentioned today, how about a look back at an older one? In a story that first emerged last year, scuba diver Jon Crouse found an intact bottle of beer while diving in Halifax Harbour. He was able to identify the origin by the cork, noting it was from Alexander Keith’s brewery, circa 1870-90. While his original intent was to allow the beer to evaporate, Christopher Reynolds from Stillwell asked for a chance to test, and possibly taste, the beer first! Fast forward to this week, when Crouse and Reynolds visited the Atlantic Canada Fermented Products Institute at Dalhousie University. There, they met with Andrew MacIntosh who extracted some of the beer in a sterile fashion, and has begun analysis on it. In their lab, as well as a partner lab in Scotland, they hope to determine the recipe and brewing techniques used, and MacIntosh and colleagues will be publishing a paper on it in the future. So, how did it taste? “Like beer!” Be sure to tune into Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet on Jan 12 for a look in the lab, and being science nerds ourselves, we’ll be sure to follow up when the results are in.

Phew, that’s all we can muster for this week! In closing, be sure to drop by your local ANBL growler station this weekend, as two NB breweries will be featured: Hammond River‘s Red Coat India Red Ale will be on tap at the KV store, and Flying Boat‘s S-55 Special Mission Pale Ale will be at the other three (Fredericton, Dieppe, and Sackville), while quantities last! Oromocto’s first brewery, Johnny Jacks, has a new beer available on tap at the Sour Grape Cafe; details are slim at the moment, but we can confirm it is a 7.1% ABV American IPA named Trench Fighter. Finally, stay tuned to Red Rover early next week, as they have some big news to announce! Have a great weekend!

Friday Wrap-Up – News and Beers from TrailWay, Tatamagouche, Big Spruce, Bad Apple, Railcar, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-12-19
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Basset Hound Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Garrison 2015 Home Brew-Off Challenge, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, King Street Ale House, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stubborn Goat, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

Welcome to the last Atlantic Canada Beer Blog Friday Wrap-Up for 2014! There’s lots of new beers (many of which are Christmas-themed) and other news this week, before the true craziness of the holidays really begins, so let’s get cracking…

• Fredericton, your wait is over: TrailWay Brewing will be officially releasing their beers to the public this weekend! Beginning with a launch party at the King Street Ale House tomorrow at 7:00 pm (open to all), their beers will then be on tap regularly at the KSAH and 540 Kitchen & Bar. They will be bringing four beers to the launch party on Saturday: a 6% ABV hoppy Amber Ale with lots of finishing hops to boost the aroma; an American Pale Ale that is also heavily hopped, with Cascade and Apollo, and dry-hopped twice; another APA hopped entirely with Comet; and a Coffee Stout brewed in the American Stout style, but with less Roasted Barley than is typical, in order to let the added coffee (from Fredericton’s Whitney Coffee Co.) shine. Sounds like some tasty beverages! They’ll have two of these beers available for sampling, and all four can be purchased as full pours. Hope to see you there! For more on TrailWay, check out our original post.

• Last week, we reported on a collaboration beer being brewed at Tatamagouche Brewing with the folks from The Stubborn Goat in Halifax, for the Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration on January 15th. We know now that the beer in question is an 8% ABV Imperial IPA, featuring large amounts of Centennial, Columbus, and Chinook hops. It is also dry-hopped with a new variety called Azacca (which is very difficult to obtain), which features notes of citrus, melon, orchard fruit, and pine. The beer hasn’t been named yet, and they’re looking for your help! Head to Tata Brew’s Facebook page and submit your goat-themed beer name by commenting on their contest status; if your name is chosen, you’ll win a free party keg rental and a $100 gift card to the Stubborn Goat! The contest closes on December 22nd.

• And don’t forget that the winning entry in the Big Spruce 2nd Annual Homebrew Competition will also be making its debut at the Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration. Homebrewer Eric Gautier just brewed his American Wheat Ale, Bráthair Éric, on the Big Spruce system; along with Simcoe and Cascade hops as late additions in the boil, Eric has also chosen to dry-hop the beer with the Wakatu variety, from New Zealand. Sounds delicious!

• While on the topic of Big Spruce, they just brewed up a new beer to be released in the New Year. The style is Winter Warmer, and it features an interesting ingredient – Gila Squash. This is a type of squash not grown commercially in Canada; however, Michelle Smith of North Wind Farm in Skye Glen, Cape Breton was lucky enough to obtain 21 Gila seeds from the National Seed Bank, according to Big Spruce. After successfully growing over 30 mature squash this summer, Michelle passed on 7 to Big Spruce, where owner/brewer Jeremy White sugar-roasted the flesh and added it to the mash on brewday. This beer also features local hops from Southan Farms, the Doyle Family farm in Nova Scotia, and the farm at the brewery. White plans on adding black strap molasses as well, bringing this monster of a beer to about 9% ABV. Stay tuned for info on the beer’s release over the new few weeks. And look for their Spruce Bringstein to be released today!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse has brewed up another batch of their Barrel-Aged Black & Tackle Russian Imperial Stout, with a different twist. For this batch, the beer spent some time in barrels from Planters Ridge, a winery in Port Williams, giving it a sherry-like finish. This big beer (10.5% ABV) will be on tap only at the brewhouse, and may show up at one or two BAB accounts in Halifax. Owner/brewer Jeff Saunders has also brewed the second version of his Box Cutter IPA, and has assured us it’s even hoppier than the first beer! Look for this one to be available on Boxing Day (just a coincidence). Also, if you happen to see a beer from BAB named Winter Whistler on tap, it’s their Summer Slurper, renamed.

• And speaking of BAB, they’re holding their one-year Anniversary party on December 31st! There’ll be lots going on, including door prizes, gift giveaways, food… and most importantly, a special beer on tap (details TBA in the near future)! Keep your eyes on BAB’s social media pages for more details on the party, soon.

• Railcar Brewing will have two new beers on tap for growler fills starting tomorrow. Both beers were brewed in collaboration with and designed by homebrewer Justin Tompkins of Basset Hound Brewing in Perth-Andover; Justin hopes to go pro sometime in the not-too-distant future, so this is a great opportunity to get a feel for his brewing style early! First up is the  Blonde Ale, brewed with the purpose of transitioning Light Beer drinkers into the world of craft beer. It features a grist of Pale malt and Carafoam, and is lightly hopped with Centennial and Hallertauer. Fermented with an English ale yeast, it clocks in at 5% ABV.  The Cherry Chocolate Stout is at the other end of the spectrum – featuring Roasted Barley and Chocolate malts, lactose sugar, Fuggles and Cascade hops from Southan Farms, “various forms of cocoa” in the mash and secondary fermentation, along with real sweet cherries, this will definitely not be a light-tasting beer (but is still quite sessionable at 4.5% ABV)! Get down to the brewery if you can, these beers won’t be around for long!

• Just in time for Christmas, Boxing Rock is releasing a new beer today that’s perfect for pairing with “Christmas cake and holiday cheer”. Blue Toboggan is a Spiced Winter Ale; the spices in question include ginger and cinnamon that were added in the brewing process. As well, a little Haskap juice – provided by Haskapa, out of Blockhouse, NS – was added to give this pale-straw beer a slight red-blue color (Haskaps are small blue berries, sometimes referred to as “Blue Honeysuckle”). The ginger and cinnamon, combined with the tartness from the Haskap, are supported by the malt backbone, as well as a “mild bitterness and smooth finish”. Sounds like a great take on a Christmas beer! Look for it on tap at the brewery, select bars/restaurants in Halifax, and in 650 mL bottles at the private liquor stores in the HRM starting today; it should also be available at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market tomorrow.

• The newest One Hit Wonder from Propeller is out this weekend. Snowblower Winter Ale is described by the brewery as a “Darkish British-style brew”, a 6.2% ABV malt-forward beer brewed with Melanoidin, Munich and Roast to complement the base malts. English hop varieties, including Fuggles, are used to balance and enhance the flavour and aroma, to 31 IBUs. On tap now at Gottingen, and soon at the Windmill location, this beer is only available in growlers, with a limited number of kegs around the city.

• A reminder that Propeller’s second Lambic release, Blackberry, is being released Monday, Dec 21st. To celebrate, the launch party will be taking place at Stillwell tomorrow, starting at noon. You’ll be able to buy the beer by the glass or bottle, and from 1-3pm will have the chance to sign up for a pre-release bottle to be picked up Sunday (limit one per person). The beer goes on sale Monday at opening at Gottingen (10am) and Windmill Rd (noon), with a strict one-bottle per person limit. Show up early to avoid disappointment, the Framboise sold out within minutes of opening!

• Jake Saunders just took over the role of Brewmaster at Rockbottom in Halifax, and his first creation is already on tap at the brewpub! An Extra Special Bitter, The Loyalist ESB weighs in at 5.2% ABV and 35 IBUs, and was hopped heavily (~8.5 kg) with East Kent Goldings. Copper-colored with an aroma of “toast, honey and pears”, this malty beer features flavors of coffee, toffee, and an earthy, balanced bitter finish. Get down there to give this new beer a try, before it’s gone!

• Grimross Brewing has announced that, inspection and licence-pending, their new location at 600 Bishop Dr. in Fredericton will be open this coming Monday, December 22nd, from noon – 10:00 pm. There should be two beers on tap on opening day: a Belgian Blonde Ale test batch, and one of their popular flagship beers, the Saison Cheval D’or; both will be available for growler fills (750 mL and 1.89 L), and samples or full pours! They’ve also just brewed a batch of their popular  Belgian Rye IPA, which has been renamed Grimross Rye IPA. For the most up-to-date status on their opening, keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter accounts on Monday morning.

• The 2015 Garrison Home Brew-Off site is now live! This is the 7th year for this homebrew competition, with this year’s style being a Robust Porter, a “substantial, malty dark ale with a complex and flavorful roasty character”. Entries are due by February 12th, and will consist of six bottles of homebrew and a $15 registration fee. Taking part gets you entry to the gala and awards ceremony on March 5th, along with a souvenir glass, a Growlito and your first fill. Your homebrew will be evaluated by BJCP-certified judges, and the winning brewer will get to brew a full batch of his or her beer on the Garrison system with brewmaster Daniel Girard. Get brewing!

• Speaking of homebrew competitions, we’re down to the last month before entries are due for the 1st Annual Hammond River Brewing Homebrew Competition. Your Christmas / Winter Specialty Beer entries are due by January 16th. For more info, check out the link above, and our previous post.

• Are you having a big party at your house on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve? Or, maybe you’re just going to be in the mood for some cider and snacks one of those nights, and don’t feel like leaving the house? Well, Red Rover is pairing with Real Food Connections to offer delivery to your home (within Fredericton only). Just follow the directions on this link to make your order; delivery charge will be only $5, and if your order is over $100, delivery is free!

In closing, if you happen to be out skiing at Mont Farlagne this weekend, all three flagship beers from Petit-Sault are now available on tap and/or in bottles at the bar! A reminder that their event at Le Deck on Saturday will feature several special one-offs (check out our previous post for more info). And look for their Louis XVII to be available in bottles in early 2015! Picaroons finally broke ground on their new brewery this week, so they’re on their way to another expansion! For those not able to make it to the Brewtique every day at 4pm to be enjoying their 12 Beers of Christmas, be sure to visit Stillwell on the 23rd to have your pick of them all!

As hinted at above, we will be taking next week off for the holidays. We’ll still be updating our Twitter account with new beer releases and interesting events during the next couple of weeks, but we’ll be sharing the full details with you all when we return in the New Year. In the meantime, drink local… and have a safe, happy, and beer-filled Christmas!