Upstreet Craft Brewing

All posts tagged Upstreet Craft Brewing

Happy Friday everyone! We’ve got news about the newest brewery to launch in our region, as well as much more on two new NB breweries launching this fall. Plus our usual rundown of the new beers hitting the taps and shelves in our region. It’s another chock-full edition of the blog!

• Moncton-based Beckwith Road Brewing has launched this week, with a pair of their beers now available on tap in town. Founded by cousins Mark and Mitch Symes, Beckwith Road is named after the farm their family has owned for generations, north of Moncton. Mitch is the brewer, currently using a 1/2 BBL (50L) system, while scouting out locations and equipment for possible expansion in the future. Mark is no beer slouch himself, taking the Ultimate Three Month Beer Road Trip with his dog across North America earlier this year, clocking more than 22,000km. During that time, he explored the best that beer has to offer, and both cousins are working hard to bring that to Beckwith Road’s offerings. They have launched with two beers, Boston George and Aunt Martha. Boston George is a hybrid of their favourite styles, Pale Ale and IPA, straddling the line in both alcohol and bitterness, at 6.3%ABV and 53 IBUS, respectively. Named after their grandfather’s cousin, it features floral and fruit notes, including banana, mango, pineapple and citrus on the nose and flavour. Aunt Martha is a 4.3% ABV, 31 IBUs, American Blonde Ale, named after their aunt who enjoys light lagers, and they have brewed an approachable beer for craft and industrial beer lovers alike. Light hopping from Chinook and Palisade round out the light body and crisp finish. Both beers are currently on tap at the Tide & Boar on Main Street, and will be joined by Campfire, a 5.2% ABV, 40 IBUs, American Amber early- to mid-next week. The use of Pale Chocolate and Crystal Malts impart some roast and sweet character, with notes of caramel being offset with light hopping from the Cascade, Centennial, and Nugget. Congratulations on the launch, and welcome to the wonderful world of Atlantic Canada Beer!

• Two weeks ago, we reported on Fundy Bay Brewco, a new brewery planning to open soon in the town of Sussex, NB. After talking to Paul Robertson, one of the three people who have been working on opening the brewery since last October, we can now confirm that they will be starting out by brewing on a 2 BBL (225 L) Blichmann system. A small tasting was held for local Sussex residents in early July, where their three core brands – an American IPA, Belgian Dubbel, and Session IPA – were sampled (for more info on these beers, check out our previous post); initial plans also involve the release of 1-2 seasonals per season. Their plans right now are to supply local bars and restaurants with kegs, which should hopefully begin sometime in late fall of this year, with the opening of a taproom to follow sometime later. As always, we’ll keep you updated on their progress!

• Rumours have been circulating for months, but it was officially confirmed earlier this week that Foghorn Brewing Company will be opening this fall in Rothesay, NB. Located at 47 Clark Rd., the brewery is co-owned by Business Manager Steve Russell and Andrew ‘Esty’ Estabrooks, who will also serve as brewmaster. The 7 BBL (~800 L) brewery will have an attached taproom for patrons to enjoy a pint and fill growlers to go. Information is a little slim at the moment, but follow along with their Facebook and Twitter accounts as development progresses, and we’ll be sure to post a Q&A with them in the near future.

• After an incredibly busy first week, Digby’s Roof Hound is releasing their second beer this weekend. With just a bit of Lil Pup Pale Ale left (but more coming soon!), Rooftop Rye-It is making its debut. Featuring a load of rye malt for a pleasant spicy character, this 4.8% ABV beer is full bodied and a great complement to the pizzas and sandwiches coming from the kitchen (both prepared with dough made on-site with a touch of beer in the recipe). Drop by daily from 11am.

• There’s not one, but two new beers available now from Nyanza’s Big Spruce. First up is This is Complexified, a big, bold Baltic Porter. A dark beer fermented cool with Bohemian Lager yeast, it was then cold-conditioned for an additional 4 weeks, and then split into two barrels: Bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, and Glenora single-malt whisky barrels. Aged for four months, then blended, the result is a beer that puts the “complex” in Complexified (a perfectly cromulent word)! Your options to try this 11.5% ABV monster are limited: either at the brewery for samples and Yapper fills, or you might be able to get a pour at one of three Halifax establishments – Stillwell, Battery Park, and Good Robot – all of which received/will receive a single, 20 L keg.

• Next from Big Spruce is Dawn Wit Berries, a “Belgian Strawberry Witbier”. Conditioned on 150 lbs of organic strawberries from local Wings of Dawn Farm in Debert, NS, it was fermented with the Fruity Witbier yeast strain from Escarpment Labs, described as producing “lots of complex fruity esters” to go along with the classic Witbier coriander character. This easy-drinking beer will be available at the brewery and at establishments serving Big Spruce beers; at 4.8% ABV and 17 IBUs, it’s a perfect session ale for summer. Drop by this weekend for the “Farm to Fork Food Truck Weekend”, featuring Cruisin’ Cuisine.

• Accidents happen in brewing, as in life, and sometimes they work out for everyone! Good Robot is no exception to this rule, as they proved recently with a new beer, The Fermenter Has Been Drinking. While brewing their Tom Waits For No One Stout, their kettle burner took a turn for the worst, resulting in a lower-gravity wort for fermentation (meaning less alcohol after fermentation). Not to be outdone, the brewing team added some cold-brewed Java Blend Sumatra Gayo coffee, giving a dark-brown beer with notes of roast, dark chocolate, berries, and wood in the aroma and flavour. This American Stout clocks in at 6.7% ABV and 60 IBUs.

• There’s yet another new beer being released at North, Horton Single Malt. This Belgian Specialty Ale was brewed entirely with Vienna malt sourced from Horton Ridge Malt and Grain Co., and dry-hopped with Cascade. Fermented with the Old World Saison Blend (featuring two Saison strains) from Escarpment Labs, it weighs in at 7% ABV. Expect a blend of both fruit and spice, with a dry finish. Look for it to be released today at both their Agricola and Ochterloney locations, and on tap around the HRM.

• There’s a new beer now pouring from Lazy Bear Brewing – Sissiboo Stout was brewed with a variety of both Chocolate and Roasted malts, as well as some oatmeal to boost the mouthfeel. Added to the brew was a portion of Honduran-sourced Tobiatic Wild from local Sissiboo Coffee Roaster; cold-extracted and added after fermentation was complete, this medium-roast coffee contributes a pleasant level of roast flavours (without being overpowering), as well as a slight hint of orange peel, according to the brewery. A small amount of an unnamed hop variety was added near the end of the boil to complement this orange peel character. This 5.5% ABV, ~30 IBUs beer is available this Saturday at the Annapolis Royal Farmers’ Market for growler fills, and will likely show up on tap around Digby in the near future.

• Bore City has released an interesting new beer, Fricot, an homage to a popular Acadian dish. To accomplish this, potatoes were added during the mash, as well as the Summer Savory herb at the end of the boil. This hazy, pale-to-golden-coloured ale was hopped with Hallertau Blanc, and fermented with a “fruity Belgian yeast strain”, for a real blend of flavours! Best-described as a Belgian Golden Strong Ale, it weighs in at 7.1% ABV and 39 IBUs, and will be on tap exclusively at Marky’s Laundromat.

• PEI Brewing Company has put on a brand new cask in their tap room, the brainchild of brewer Spencer Gallant. The Lactic-Soured Peppercorn Wheat builds on the Sir John A Wheat base, but with a sharp, tart character, and pleasant fruit and earth peppercorn flavour and aromatics. This 4.5% ABV, 12 IBU brew is only available for sale at the brewery via handpump, so drop by today for a taste!

• Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing is bringing back an old favourite, with a new twist. All Falc’d Up! Double IPA returns today at noon. This SMaSH of 2-Row Malt features Falconer’s Flight 7C’s hops, a special blend of citrus and fruit-forward hops developed as an ode to Pacific Northwest brewing legend Glen Hay Falconer. The brew was fermented with Vermont Ale yeast for more tropical aromatics, finishing out this 7.5% ABV, 100+ IBUs beauty. Grab a pint or growler of it today from noon!

• Port Williams’ Wayfarers’ Ale Society has released a fourth beer this week. EPA is a traditional 5.0% ABV English Pale Ale, favouring a medium malt backbone with a touch of bitterness (coming in around 30 IBUs). Light esters give a pleasant fruity character, completing the English experience. It joins the Thistle Dew Scottish Ale, Hellene Blonde and Ruby Irish Ale for a full complement of European and UK-inspired beers.

• Attention, Johnny Jacks fans – their beer will soon be hitting select ANBL stores! The Oromocto-based nanobrewery will first be bottling their Trench Fighter IPA, followed by their Viking Ale and Smokin’ Amber. Look for the first bottles to hit the Oromocto ANBL outlet by early fall, with Fredericton and Saint John stores following shortly thereafter. The brewery has recently ordered two 1.5 BBL (175 L) fermentors to keep up with production, so look for more JJ beers to be available soon (including a special, bottle-conditioned beer brewed just in time for Christmas!). In the meantime, their beers can be found on tap at the Sour Grape Cafe, James Joyce, Gray Stone, and the Cask & Kettle.

There’s several beer-related events happening over the coming weeks and months:

• Don’t forget to grab tickets to this Thursday (August 18th) 2 Crows Brewing Sneak Preview Party, hosted by the Ladies Beer League. Tickets are still available, and attendees will be enjoying a half-dozen beers from the 20 BBL (23 hL) Halifax brewery set to open this fall. All ticket proceeds go to Feed Nova Scotia, and they will be accepting further donations for FNS during the event.

• The Upstreet Block Party is returning for its second year on Saturday, August 20th. Featuring plenty of activities, live music, food, and tours at the brewery from 12 pm on, they’ll also be unveiling a new “super-sized beer garden”! As the sun goes down, the party will move into the taproom at about 8 pm for more music (from two local DJs), food, and beer. Admission is free, just drop in anytime to join in the fun!

• Also on August 20th is the next Urban Beer Hike in Moncton, from 1:45 pm-5:30 pm. As always, the walking tour will visit five beer bars in the downtown area of the city, with beer and food samples provided at each stop. Tickets are $49+fees and available here.

• The seventh annual Oktoberfest des Acadiens is scheduled from September 1st-4th, in the village of Bertrand, NB. As always, activities include Bavarian music and dancing, live entertainment, games, and plenty of food and beer for sampling. The event is advertising as having over 100 products available for tasting, including both imported and local beers. Entry to the site is only $5, with beer tickets available for purchase at $1 each.

• Tickets are now on sale for the 2nd annual Atlantic Canadian Craft Brew Oktoberfest, scheduled for Saturday, September 24th at the Moncton Lions Club. Featuring close to 20 breweries from Atlantic Canada, there are three ticket types available, each including unlimited samples: regular tickets include a custom tasting glass and entry from 7:30 pm-10 pm; the VIP session, which begins a half hour earlier; and a VVIP session which begins at 6 pm and includes a special glass, industry panel discussion, and guided beer tasting. Tickets can be purchased online ($58, $68, and $75 for regular, VIP, and VVIP, respectively). Proceeds will go to support the United Way.

• The next Fredericton Poutine Festival is scheduled for Saturday, November 12th, with tickets going on sale earlier today at 11 am. This is the fifth time the event has been held in the city (and the second in 2016), and has sold out quickly each time. Unlimited poutine (~15 different types) from several establishments will be served up as always, at three different sessions: a family session from 11:30 am-1:30 pm (which also includes unlimited water and soft drinks); and an afternoon session from 2:15 pm-5:15 pm and evening session from 7 pm-10 pm. Both of the latter sessions are 19+ only, where you can purchase either a regular ticket (including four 4-oz samples) or “Beer Experience” ticket (twelve 4-oz samples). The 7-10 pm session also has a limited number of VIP tickets, which gets you in an hour earlier, at 6 pm. Ticket-holders can expect over 20 different beers, ciders and meads to be pouring, with most of them from local Fredericton breweries and producers. Get your tickets ASAP (online), and as always, bring your appetites!

– Don’t forget to drop by Tatamagouche for bottles and growler fills of one of their many new releases this week/weekend. Check out last week’s post for the full rundown, and grab some food from The Food Wolf food truck, set up today 12-8, and tomorrow 11-7. The Strawberry Ginger Golden Strong is out today, and the Tatamagouche Tripel is being released Saturday, joining the other Giant Beers, Barrel-Aged Baltic Porter and Raspberry Golden Strong.
– For those who had a chance and loved it, or missed out, Fredericton’s York County Cider has revealed that their unnamed cider, currently pouring for on-site samples only, is Ribes nigrum, aka Blackcurrant. Drop by for more, and fill up on growlers of their multiple offerings.
– Uncle Leo’s in Lyons Brook, NS, has brought back their summer favourite, Voh’s Weizenbier. This 5.0% ABV German Weizen is once again available in bottles at the private stores in HRM, and will be on tap around the province shortly. They have also replenished their bottles of IPA at the brewery, so there are two great reasons to visit!

Welcome once again to the weekend, and the end of another week chock-full of Atlantic Canada beer news! Yesterday, August 4th, was IPA Day, so naturally many breweries in our region released several new IPAs to celebrate this national holiday. Let’s begin with that…

• First off, PEI Brewing Co. has an Oat Session IPA now available, an unfiltered beer that Brewmaster Chris Coles is describing as “cloudy-golden, pungent, and refreshing”. Featuring a simple grist of “mild-ale malt” and Flaked Oats, it’s hopped with Mosaic and Huell Melon, the high majority of which were added as whirlpool and dry hop additions, giving the beer a huge tropical fruit, citrus, and spruce aroma, with just a slightly-bitter finish. Weighing in at just 4.2% ABV and 30 IBUs, look for it at the brewery and at the Gahan House in Charlottetown, and maybe one or two beer bars in the province. It’s also at all five ANBL Growler stations this weekend, so fill up, New Brunswickers!

• Staying on the Island, Upstreet has released their first American IPA, Island Hopspitality. Described as a “West Coast IPA”, the grist is made up mostly of Maritime Malt, with a little Crystal and Melanoidin as well. Four Southern Hemisphere hop varieties (none of which have been used at Upstreet before) were added to the beer: Ella, Sticklebract, Pacifica, and Wai-iti. About 75% of the hop addition was added 5 minutes before the end of the boil, with the rest making up the dry-hop addition, so expect plenty of citrus and floral notes in the aroma and flavour. Look for this 6.5% ABV, 50 IBUs IPA at the brewery now, and at select tap accounts.

• On to Nova Scotia! Big Spruce and Boxing Rock have teamed up to release a collaboration, Shame on You IPA. Brewed to protest “Crafty” beers, and raise awareness of locally-owned and run NS Craft Breweries. Bittered with Bravo, with late flavour/aroma additions of Amarillo, El Dorado, and Centennial, it was then dry-hopped with Chinook and Citra. The result? Plenty of fruity, tropical, piney aromatics and flavours, all in an authentic 6.0% ABV and 41 IBU package. A single batch of 1700 litres was brewed, so be sure to get it while you can. It is available at both breweries now, at this evening’s session of the Seaport Beerfest, and on tap at finer establishments this weekend.

• Meanwhile, Unfiltered has – of course – brewed up a new hoppy beer for the special day. Deity SMaSH DIPA was brewed entirely with 2-row malt and the Columbus hop variety, to 7.5% ABV and a calculated IBUs of 100. Described by the brewery as “massively juicy, with a spicy, herbal nose”, think of this one as the fraternal twin to their popular Double Orange Ale (which features Citra instead of Columbus). On tap now at Charm School and the brewery for pints and growler fills.

• Truro’s The Nook and Cranny has their new IPA out just in time for this week. Coming in at 6.0% ABV, it was dry-hopped with Moutueka and Centennial for a big blast of fruit and citrus in the aroma and flavour, balanced with some malt sweetness to even it all out. Be sure to drop by the brewpub to give it a try while it lasts!

Don’t worry, there’s lots of other beer news that doesn’t necessarily revolve around IPAs!

• Big Tide is celebrating their 7th Anniversary today, and have brewed a new edition of their Anniversary Amber to celebrate! This year’s batch features seven varieties of malt in the grist, and a total of 2009 grams (get it?) of local Cascade and West Coast Willamette hops. Brewmaster Wendy Papadopoulos describes it as “malty with a moderate bitterness of 50 IBUs”, it’s available on tap for pints and growler fills starting today at the brewpub, and clocks in at 7% ABV (naturally). And look for their Valley View Saison to make a return next week, as well as a special raspberry version.

• TrailWay had a special sneak preview of their newest beer earlier this week during the Fredericton Beer Run. Luster is their latest hoppy session ale that the brewery is describing as “hazy and bright, with tropical-juicy hops, and full-bodied with a pillowy mouthfeel” (thanks in part to the generous use of Flaked Oats). Heavily-hopped (all late-additions and dry hops) with Comet, Galaxy and Topaz, it weighs in at a very-low 3.7% ABV and somewhere around 25 IBUs. Available now at the brewery for pints and growlers fills, and on tap at select tap accounts in Fredericton.

• Propeller released their latest One Hit Wonder, Pokemon Pilsner, last Friday afternoon. Billed as an American-style Pilsner, the addition of Acid malt to the grist provides a slight, crisp tartness to the beer, and the Northern Brewer hops give a “spicy, herbaceous profile” to the 5% ABV, 20 IBUs beer. Described as “clean, dry, and super-drinkable, with a creamy white head and balanced taste profile”, sounds like there’s still a little of this left for growler fills at both Prop Shop locations, select private stores, as well as on tap at a few accounts in the city.

• Good Robot is releasing a new beer today, 4th Chamber – Brew-Tang Ale – that they’re calling a Berliner Weisse/Witbier/Gose hybrid. Brewed with Pilsner, Wheat, and Acid malt, it was hopped entirely with Sorachi Ace, and fermented with Abbey IV, a Belgian yeast strain. With the addition of salt, coriander, and Lactobacillus bacteria, the result is a pale, effervescent, fruity, sour beer that is super-sessionable at only 3% ABV. Get down to the brewery to give this one a try!

• There’s lots going on at Tatamagouche Brewing, so let’s get to it! First off, they’re releasing Ace of Lace, a Witbier at their retail store tomorrow, and it’s an interesting one! Brewed mainly with Pilsner malt and Wheat, with a bit of Rye, Queen Anne’s Lace (a medicinal wildflower) and Indian Plum berries were added to the hopback, along with coriander. In addition, the beer was lightly dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace and Amarillo, and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. The resulting beer has herbal tea and orange zest notes in a 4.3%, 18 IBU package. Available in cans and growlers, and hitting tap accounts soon, a cask version will also be tapped this weekend at the brewery.

• In more TataBrewNews, early next week, they will be releasing a second batch of their collaboration with Bishop’s Cellar, Cellar Slammer Summer Session, the 4.4% Session IPA featuring loads of Mosaic, Hallertau Blanc, and Amarillo. Look for it in cans and growler fills (both at the brewery and Bishop’s Cellar), and kegs at your local watering hole. There is also a cask earmarked to be served next Friday Aug 12 at Tata itself, with even more hops added in the firkin. On hand that Friday and Saturday will be The Food Wolf food truck, serving up food to complement to beer sampling.

• And finally in Tata News, look out for several special releases beginning Wednesday of next week. First up, they are releasing a series of Barrel-Aged Belgian Golden Strong ales. The 7.8% base beer was brewed earlier in the year, and had been aging for several months, before fruit was added to each one: Raspberry, Strawberry & Ginger, and Cherry & Blackberry. The first two releases will happen next week, with the cherry & blackberry beer coming a little later. These will be available in very limited amounts for sampling at the brewery, with bottles available for purchase. Joining these will be the next pair of beers in their Giant Beer Series. For the first time in this higher-ABV, bottle-only brews, they are going Belgian, with an 8.4% ABV Belgian Tripel. Brewed with primarily Pilsner malt, and Saaz with a touch of Mallertau Mittelfruh hops for bittering, this beer is bottle conditioned for higher carbonation and to extend the lifetime of the beer. Joining the Tripel is a small release (only 15 cases) of the Barrel-Aged Two Rivers Baltic Porter, the 8.0% ABV big brother to the Two Rivers, which spent 4 months in Ironworks barrels. Look for exact release details on their social media pages, as they roll out beginning Aug 10!

• There are several new beers available now/coming soon at Gahan House – Halifax. First up is Crosscurrent American Pale Ale, which is currently pouring and will be joining the regular lineup at the brewpub. Planned to evolve over time, the beer will showcase different hop combinations while incorporating the same malt bill (Pale malt with small amounts of Flaked Oats and Red Wheat); the current hops being used are El Dorado (whirlpool and dry hop) and Amarillo (dry hop only). Currently 5.5% ABV and 35 IBUs, it has lots of hop flavour, but low bitterness for the style. Also on tap at the brewpub is a new 4.0% ABV wheat House Beer. Brewed in the German Weizen style, with notes of clove and banana, the beer was partially cleared, but still retain some of the characteristic haziness from the yeast and high wheat content in the beer. A dry-hopping with Saaz completes the beer. And next week, the brewery will be releasing Maritime Brine, a Gose described as “delicately acidic, salty, and lemony” that comes in at 3.8% ABV and 8 IBUs.

• After quickly selling out of their last “Something Different” cider, Garden Strawberry, Annapolis Cider Company luckily has brewed up a new entry, Sour Cherry. Made by infusing a dry cider with sour cherry juice – and then sweetening it with a touch of fresh-pressed apple juice – the result is a “fairly dry, very food-friendly cider”. It’s available right now for 750 mL bottle fills; the charity receiving part of the proceeds for this one will be Camp Brigadoon.

• Mill Street St John’s has released their latest beer, Brehm’s Blueprint. Named after the German Brewmaster and architect who designed the Bavarian Brewery on Leslie Street, this German Pilsner features traditional Hersbrucker hops for floral and earthy notes on a crisp base beer. An ode to the familiar Newfoundland brands of Blue Star and Jockey Club once brewed at Bavarian, this 5.0% ABV, 30 IBU beer is available now on tap for pints and growler fills. Keep an eye out for upcoming releases, including an IPA and California Common.

• Garrison has released their latest one-off creation, Peanut Butter Honey Ale. The base beer is their Roggen Dunkel (aka Klingon Warnog), with real peanut butter and honey blended into the beer post-fermentation. This 5.3% ABV beer is only available at the brewery for samples, so you’ll have to visit their Marginal Road location for a taste!

• There’s a new beer available from Big Axe in Nackawic, Sea Buckthorn Golden Sour Ale. As with many Big Axe beers, the beer features an ingredient found in New Brunswick, in this case, Sea Buckthorn. A type of berry that the brewery says has been used as a cure-all for thousands of years, it was used amply in the beer to help result in ale that is “slightly sour, yet refreshing and bitter”. Hopped with Palisade, the beer comes in at 4.8% ABV. Look for it at the brewery now and on tap at several Big Axe accounts; it will also be making an appearance at this weekend’s Halifax Seaport Beerfest.

• Halifax’s Rockbottom Brewpub has a pair of new beers on tap these days, including the 5.0% Blanched Blonde Witbier, brewed in the traditional Belgian style, with low bitterness (25 IBUs), with orange aroma and a slight phenolic spiciness. Also on tap is the Dark Mild, which, when served on nitrogen, has a nice creamy mouthfeel and notes of toast, treacle, and quince fruit from the English yeast-derived esters. Upstairs at sister-bar Your Father’s Moustache, the entire Nine Locks complement is available, including the latest Watermelon Blonde release. And available this afternoon will be a special house-only beer, a 4.1% ABV Berliner Weisse. This traditional style features wheat notes on a sour base, not unlike a tart lemonade with a hint of citrus dry hopping.

• The latest beer from Alexander Keith’s Historic Brewery is now available, Fundy Low Tide White IPA. The 5.7% ABV was brewed with 50% torrified wheat and 50% Golden Promise, for a bready, wheat character, with a solid 60 IBU bitterness from Amarillo, Cascade, Mosaic and El Dorado hops in the boil and dry hopping. 7 kilograms of locally-harvested seaweed was added to the boil, a 50/50 blend of dulse and sea lettuce harvested by Seaboost during low tide off Grand Manan Island. The mild saltiness plays off the bold hop character, with notes of grapefruit rind and melon. It is available on tap at the brewery on Lower Water Street, and at the weekend’s Beerfest.

• Speaking of the Seaport Beerfest, there will be several special casks pouring at the Ladies Beer League / Brewnosers Cask Pavillion, including a special cask of Red Rover Dragon Slayer (featuring local cranberries), named Hop the Magic Dragon, after the hops added to the cask. Also pouring will be some special one-offs from Gahan, Boxing Rock, Garrison and Moosehead. Be sure to check the full beer list here, and we’ll see you there!

A few more parting shots before we call it a wrap:

– Port Rexton Brewing has added a third beer to their lineup this week, the Island Blonde. This 5.6% ABV beer is available on tap, joining their Horse Chops IPA and Night ‘Bous Porter.
– York County Cider is on tap for the first time, with their Like an Academic – a 6.5% ABV blueberry cider – on tap now, and their hopped cider, An Apple a Day, on deck. Drop by the Cidery today for samples of their next special blend, details of which are under wraps.
– Picaroons has re-released their Pride Sally Pride, a 4.5% ABV Pale Ale brewed with Amarillo hops and apricot flavouring; look for it on tap now at the Brewtique and General Store, as well as several Pics accounts.

Hello, and welcome to an early edition of our weekly Friday Wrap-Up! Tomorrow is Canada Day, so we wanted to be sure to catch all of you – and keep you updated on beer info – before the long weekend hits and the beer-enjoying begins!

• Earlier this week, Gahan Halifax released Berliner Weisse, named after the iconic German style known for being lightly sour, refreshing, and easy-drinking. Brewed with a grist of 60% Pilsner malt and 40% Wheat malt, a sour mash was performed to give a light acidity. During the boil, there was a small hop addition of Magnum for a low bitterness (5 IBUs), as befits the style. Described by the brewery as “slightly hazy with a thick white head that dissipates quite quickly”, it exhibits “lemony, citrus notes” to go along with the tartness from the sour mash. In addition, they’ve made a raspberry simple syrup that can be added to the beer (a practice still in use in Berlin today), for those who prefer to cut the acidity a tad. A supremely sessionable 4% ABV, it’s a perfect style for drinking during the summer! Look for more summer-themed seasonals coming soon, all of which are fermented with either their house American yeast strain, or a German Hefeweizen strain. Speaking of which, their summer Beer Bar (extra patio location) is now open, where all Gahan core brands and two Halifax seasonals are available on tap, as well as a limited food menu. As its opening is weather-dependent, be sure to check their social media for the latest news.

• Flying Boats will be releasing a new beer over the long weekend, their first Session IPA. Hopped entirely with Galaxy – a delicious Australian variety with characteristics of passionfruit and citrus – it comes in at an easy-drinking 4.7% ABV, and 44 IBUs. Currently unnamed, it will be on tap this weekend at Marky’s Laundromat, and sometime next week at the Tide & Boar and James Joyce.

• North Brewing is continuing with the interesting beer releases, this time with Wiley Boys, a Black Saison aged on currants that will be released tomorrow. Brewed with Pilsner, Munich, Chocolate, and Black malts, it was lightly-hopped with Galena and Willamette to 20 IBUs. Clocking in at 6% ABV, this one will first be available at North retail locations for growler fills, and on tap at Battery Park, until next week’s release to a few other lucky tap accounts in the HRM. The beer will be launched as North takes over the Battery Park patio at 11:30AM tomorrow, also pouring a pair of special casks of their Stillwell collaboration Gose, one batch aged on barberries, the other on mango, as well as blasts from the past Sauer Sagen Hat Sour and Belgian Milk Stout.

• The Big Tide / Boiling Point Podcast beer that we originally reported on last month is now on tap at the brewpub, and we have all the details. Brewed to celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast that stars Greg Hemmings and Dave Veale, Brewmaster Wendy Papadopoulos was charged by the voting public to brew a beer that was “golden, citrusy, sweet, potent, local, spicy, and sessionable”… not exactly an easy task! Not one to fail to rise to the challenge, however, Wendy settled on a Honey Ginger Ale, named Hemmingsway Vealey Great Ale. Brewed with Pale Ale and Wheat malts, and hopped with all NB-grown varieties (EKG from Southan Farms, and Cascade and Hallertau from Darlings Island Farm), fresh ginger was also added during the mash, boil, and fermentation. Lemon rind, lemongrass, and honey were all added to the boil as well, resulting in a 7.5% ABV, 38 IBUs beer. And good news for those of you attending next week’s Tasting NB in Fredericton – this one may just pop up at the event on Saturday!

• Also last month, Garrison put a call out for all patrons to bring in as much rhubarb as they could, to be used for a special beer, and to be exchanged for brewery credit. That beer – It’s Rhubarb Saison! – is now available as of today. A “refreshing wheat beer brewed in the Saison style”, over 500 lbs of fresh, local rhubarb were added to give a “clean, tart character” to the pale, hazy-orange brew. Available on tap only at the brewery for tasters and growler fills, it comes in at 5.7% ABV.

• Garrison has also released their ACBA Gold-medal-winning Rise n’ Stein Hefeweizen today. This 5.5% ABV classic German style features a significant amount of wheat in the malt bill, and is fermented using a traditional Hefe yeast for notes of clove and banana on the hazy beer with a pillowy white head. The beer is available at the brewery now on tap and in bottles, with bottles also at the private stores, and hitting NSLC shelves in a couple of weeks. The beer was first brewed in celebration of the Halifax Oktoberfest, with this year’s event taking place Sept 16 & 17, 2016. September 17th also marks the first time the Canada Beer Run will hit Halifax. The 11.4 km run starts at Garrison, and features a route that will take racers to Good Robot and Propeller Brewing for bevvies, as well as a “satellite” set up from Spindrift. The run finishes back at Garrison, to take part in the Oktoberfest-ivities.

• Big Spruce‘s “Wheat IPA”, You Spin me White Round, is back for the season. Originally brewed “in conspiracy” with Sawdust City Brewing (Gravenhurst, ON) in February, 2014, it features plenty of malted organic Wheat in a “traditional American-style IPA” grist. First-wort hopped with Magnum, with later additions of Chinook and Amarillo for plenty of citrusy, grapefruit aromas and flavours, it weighs in at 6.5% ABV.

• Halifax’s Good Robot has brought back their popular David Lynch-inspired beer, Damn Fine Coffee & Cherry Pie Pale Ale. While light amber in colour (thanks to a Pilsner base with Rye and Red X malts), the beer evokes thoughts of something darker, thanks to the generous addition of cold-brewed Java Blend Ethiopian Guji coffee. The use of Cascade and Falconer’s Flight hops (to 40 IBUs) and California Ale yeast lends a fruit and berry aroma to round out the beer. The 5.1% ABV beer is on tap at the brewery for pints and growler fills, and will be in the wild shortly.

• We have a bit more info on the Grimross expansion we briefly mentioned last week. They have taken over an additional 4000 sq. ft. of space adjacent to the brewery/taproom, doubling their area to a total of 8000 sq. ft. As they continue to add fermentors to allow them to brew more beer, as well as hosting more events in their taproom, the extra space will be a welcome addition to the brewery. Phase one, the expansion of the taproom and warehouse space, is currently underway, with phase two occurring in the near future, which will result in a greater fermentation capacity, addition of a canning ling, as well as an outdoor patio “overlooking a very scenic marshland”.

• As we mentioned last week, Mill Street Brewpub in St. John’s has released their second beer, Capelin Hound Session IPA. The 4.0% ABV beer features loads of Cascade and Mosaic in the dry-hop to complement the 50 IBUs. Featuring a melon and citrus aroma, with fruit flavour and a light lingering bitterness that keeps you coming back for the next sip. The low ABV is perfect for those who want to enjoy a few while waiting for the Capelin to roll.

• The Murphy Hospitality Group has confirmed in a recent story by The Guardian that they will be opening a new hotel in downtown Moncton, The Wesley Hotel, in late 2017/early 2018 on the corner of Wesley and Queen streets. In addition, the hotel will house another location for the Gahan House Restaurant and Brewery, making it the third brewpub for the company, joining its sister properties in Charlottetown and Halifax. Featuring a 6 bbl (700 litre) DME brewhouse, the brewpub will have indoor seating for 160 patrons, plus an additional 60-seat seasonal patio. We’ll be sure to update with more information as the brewery nears completion.

• For our homebrewing/small commercial brewery readers in the Saint John region, a new brewing store is opening today to meet your expanding needs. The NB Craft Brewers Market is located in Rothesay, and will be carrying grain, hops, and yeast from White Labs. Owner Michael Hebert is very open to bringing in ingredients for the local community, so be sure to reach out to put in your requests. While not a brick and mortar shop, the online store will be launching this afternoon at 6, and orders are available for pickup within a couple of hours of submission.

• The NSLC released their annual report this week, and local beer sales continue to show excellent growth. Small Nova Scotian breweries’ sales rose by more than 25% to $7.6M, significantly outpacing the overall beer growth of 2.1%. The news is heartening, but small local producers still account for just 4% of the NS beer market, indicating that there is lots of room for continued growth in the years to come. Any worry that the market for small and locally-owned breweries is becoming saturated seems unfounded given these numbers. What is frustrating is that by the NSLC’s own report, there are just “more than 40” listings of NS craft beer at NSLC stores, where most packaged product is sold. Improving the number to capture the dozens more styles and offerings from around the province would see local product continue to increase, employing more in the province.

With tomorrow’s holiday a great excuse to grab a local beer, we reached out to the breweries in our region to see what they have planned. We didn’t hear from everyone, so be sure to check social media for their hours of operation:

New Brunswick

ANBL stores will be closed Friday July 1, while some agency stores may be open (contact your local one for the scoop).

– Big Tide will be open Friday.

– Grimross will be open Friday.

– Picaroons’ stores in Fredericton and Saint John will be open regular hours Friday.

– York County Cider will be open Friday, extending their hours to open at noon for growler fills. Stocks of their Sidra, a Spanish-style sour cider, are getting low, so drop by for a growler fill before it runs out.

Newfoundland and Labrador

NLC stores will be closed Friday July 1.

– Mill Street Brewpub will be open regular hours, and have their Long Shore Porter and Capelin Hound Session IPA available for purchase (in addition to the standard Mill Street offerings). They will be celebrating Canada Day with a special offer: 1.89l growler fill and Canada Day t-shirt for $30.

– Quidi Vidi will be open at 11:30 Friday, with tours starting at noon, and a Kitchen Party kicking off at 5:30pm.

Nova Scotia

NSLC stores will be closed Friday July 1. The private wine and beer stores will be open.

– Annapolis Cider in Wolfville will be open regular hours all weekend (10am – 7pm).

– Big Spruce will be open Friday (and the rest of the weekend) 12 to 7pm. Featuring the Cruisin’ Cuisine Food Truck all weekend, there will also be music each day: Friday, fiddle/guitar duo Rosie MacKenzie and Patrick Gillis at 1pm to 3pm and Asaph Deuce from 3pm to 5pm; Saturday is Jordan Musycyn (singer/songwriter, folk/rock) 1pm to 3pm; Sunday is Maxime Cormier (Acadian guitar) 1pm to 3pm.

– Boxing Rock will be open 12-6pm for brewery tours and retail purchases. Call (902) 494 9233 to set up a tour.

– Downeast Beer Factory in Burnside will be open from noon for growler fills of their Lachlan’s Lushious Red and CML IPA beers.

– Garrison will be open for the day, and expanding their taps to more than 15 different brews, including some special one-offs and blasts from the past, including their Cider. They will be expanding their patio seating, and have Maple Bacon Cupcakes from Blue Bird Bakery (plus easy access to the Seaport Market next door).

– Gahan Halifax Harbourfront will be open regular hours Friday, offering a great view of the evening’s fireworks.

– Good Robot will be open regular hours, and will be joined by Rinaldo’s Italian American sandwiches from noon.

– Hell Bay Brewing will be open regular hours, so be sure to drop by and enjoy a pint on their newly-opened patio. They will be serving up Woolly Mountain Farms sausages made with their own English Ale beer, as well as pigs that are fed their spent grain. A beer and sausage will be $10.

– North Brewing will be open and taking over Battery Park’s patio (details above), joined by an Ace Burger pop-up menu, and their Agricola location will be open 12-6pm.

– Propeller’s stores in Dartmouth and Halifax will be open Friday.

– Rudder’s Brewery & Pub in Yarmouth will be open standard hours Friday, and all weekend long. Check out their “Rudder’s Express” train car for some lighter fare and ice cream, now open for the season. And if you are traveling to/from Yarmouth by Ferry, their Blonde Rock Ale is now on tap aboard the Cat Ferry, with plans to increase the variety of offerings in the near future, maybe including the newest batch of their Sweet Georgia Brown Double Chocolate Oatmeal Sweet Stout, brewed this week.

– Spindrift Brewing will be closed Friday through Sunday, so drop by their location today for your liquid refreshment. Their current batch of Abyss Schwartzbier is almost gone, so grab some before it fades to black.

– Tatamagouche Brewing will be open regular hours Friday.

– The Townhouse in Antigonish will be open regular hours Friday, and celebrating with Happy Hour all day.

– Unfiltered’s Charm School will be open from noon for pints and growler fills.

– Wayfarers’ Ale Society in Port Williams will be open for business Friday, with the Hellene Blonde Ale on tap for samples to enjoy on their deck, and to take in growlers, with their The Ruby Irish Red Ale available early this weekend. They will also be open Saturday, and Mon-Sat going forward (11-6 Mon-Wed, 11-8 Thu-Sat).

Prince Edward Island

PEILC stores will be open standard hours, as will the breweries and brewpubs.

More events this weekend:

• Tonight, Lazy Bear in Smiths Cove, NS is throwing open the doors of their retail location for their first Growler Night. From 5-8pm this evening, and future Thursdays, grab refills of their Gut View Amber, and Bear Bones IPA right from the source! They can also be found at the Annapolis Royal Farmers Market Saturday mornings, and have expanded their tap accounts to include Battery Park, where they expect to launch this weekend.

• Also Tonight, Upstreet is launching the first of their Thursday Nights Live, a weekly event featuring live music in the taproom from 8pm-10pm. There’s no charge to attend, just keep checking the brewery’s Facebook page for updated schedules on performing bands.

• The Townhouse in Antigonish is celebrating their Fourth Anniversary this weekend. After Friday’s Canada Day Festivities, Saturday from 4-6pm they will be holding tours of Terry’s Tiny Brewery upstairs, as he puts together the latest brew. Downstairs, they will be holding ‘Appy Hour!, featuring an oyster bar with tastings of three stouts and three Tidal Bay wines. Samples of Terry’s Dry Irish Stout, Granite Brewery Keefe’s Irish Stout, Sober Island’s Oyster Stout, plus 3 oysters, and a pint of your favourite stout, is only $13. The same tasting can be done with the Tidal Bay wines, for those so inclined. And if oysters aren’t your thing, there will be Pulled Pork buns, Lani’s Filipino Ceviché, and plenty of Stout & Ginger birthday cake. After the afternoon events, drop by for $5 pints of craft beer and glasses of Tidal Bay, and celebrate with Vinyl Night. Sunday after 4pm, come back for more birthday cake and Happy Hour, and stick around for the Traditional Irish Music Session and Sunday Roast, starting at 6:30pm. Looks like a fantastic weekend at the Townhouse!

And a few more parting shots before we sign off for a break!

– Pump House has re-released their Weizen for the summer, a 5.2% ABV unfiltered Hefeweizen. Fermented with Weihenstephan yeast, it displays characteristic notes of clove and banana; look for it on tap now at the brewpub in Moncton.
– Upstreet‘s Scottish Export Ale, Eighty Bob, is back after a brief hiatus; a malty brew exhibiting flavours of coffee, caramel, raisins, and a slight nuttiness, it’s smooth and easy-drinking at 4.5% ABV. And in a sign of becoming environmentally conscious, they have partnered with Bullfrog Power, offeting Upstreet’s usage with 100% clean energy.
– Grimross Brewing is looking for a full-time brewer to join their team. Drop off or email a resume today to join the expanding brewery!

Happy Canada Day, and have a great weekend!

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