Friday, September 27, 2013

Maritime Beer Report - September 27, 2013.

Hello and welcome to the September 27th edition on the Maritime Beer Report.

Barnone Brewing's limited release IPA is now available at the brewery at 4248 Route  225, Rose Valley, PEI. 

Gahan Pumpkin Ale has been released by the PEI Brewing Company on PEI and will be in New Brunswick next week you luck bums!

Big Axe Brewery, Bistro and B&B in Nackawic NB has posted pictures of their new brewing gear. The are hoping to have the beer following next month, I'll keep you posted.

As mentioned last week Big Tide Brewing Co. in Saint John NB has their Indian Beach Harvest Ale, the first of this season's fresh hopped offerings, available. It is brewed with Hallertau, Cascade and Nugget hops from Dunham's Run Winery. Tomorrow they will be brewing Pumpkin Ale - with pumpkins grown on the Kingston Peninsula and more fresh hops. Sounds awesome.

Celtic Knot Brewing noted that the Dark Passage Oatmeal Stout is getting rave reviews at The Tide & Boar in Moncton. It will be arriving at Marky's in the near future.

Grimross Brewing said their Rye IPA is conditioning on hops and will be ready in about a week and a half.

Picaroons is celebrating Organic Week. Celebrate all things ORGANIC and fill up on some certified organic DOORYARD SUMMER WHEAT ALE, and certified organic DARK & STORMY NIGHT. Both on tap right now at the BREWTIQUE in Downtown Fredericton! They also said that their Upstream Ale is almost gone.... get it while it's here. Help support the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation! Harvest Ale is on shelves now

Big Spruce Brewing annouced another beer this week. The Bitter Get'er India, a black IPA. An extreme beer for extreme hop heads and beer fans  at 124 IBU and 6.6% ABV. It is available this weekend at Big Spruce and at the CBFM. 

I asked Bridge Brewing how much of the Many Hands Wet Hopped Imperial Pale Ale is left and they think this might be the last weekend for the Many Hands. So don't delay your purchase. They will always be releasing their new staple next week which will be a saison similar to their Summer Ale.

Boxing Rock Brewing Co. announced the Vicar's Cross Double IPA is back. It will be availbale at the brewery and Farmers Markets as well you should be able to find some at Premier, Bishop's, Harvest and Cristall this weekend.

Garrison Brewing has launched its 3 Fields Harvest Ale. "This smooth, seasonal ale is brewed with 100% maritime malt & Nova Scotia Hops. It is available now at the brewery. On Saturday, they'll be tapping a firkin at 11:00 AM. They also  re-launched FIRKIN NIGHTS at HMCS King's Wardroom! They tapped two casks - Harvest Wheat & Peanut Butter Nut Brown! I can say I am jealous.

Sea Level Brewing released its HOPFAZUPFA wet-hopped IPA on tap at Port Pub. No word yet on if any will make it to Halifax.

Uncle Leo's Brewery revealed they have a Smoked Porter in the fermenter. They brewed last Sunday and they said it "Smelled like a campfire in here!". Look for it to be available around the week end of Oct. 5th.

Pub Magazine - Atlantic Canadian Edition is holding a contest. Tell them in a minimum of 200 words and two or three photos about your favourite Atlantic Canadian pub, restaurant, beer, brewery, craft brewery, bartender, server, manager, owner, cook, chef, dishwasher or fellow customer. Send submissions to info@thepubmagazine.com You could win 2 balcony tickets to see The Irish Rovers - Band at the Rebecca Cohn Theatre on October 19th you will also receive a pint and pilsner glass from Nova Scotia Crystal in their fantastic Titanic pattern. Entries close Tuesday October 15th at 7PM. Winner announced Wednesday October 16th at 9pm. Offer open to residents of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI only, 19 years of age and older. No cash value. Cheers!

Finally ConnectionsHFX's Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration early bird ticket are gone, the Early bird tickets are now available until Oct.31. Two rooms have been announced. Room 1 THE SWEET ROOM will have chocolate porter beer cakes from Scanway Catering, Cake & Pastry Shop Halifax and beer-infused ice cream from Dee Dee's Ice Cream. Room 2 THE ORCHARD ROOM will be a showcase of NS cider and NS pork, and our friends at the The Stubborn Goat Gastropub will be entertaining our palette in this room full of culinary delights. Get your tickets, it is not to be missed.

Thanks for joining me this week. Please send any feedback or comments to toddthebeerdude@gmail.com. Until next week, enjoy responsible

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Beer Review - Garrison Harvest Wheat Unfiltered Ale

I stopped by the brewery and tried a glass of their seasonal on tap there. 

It is straw colored, cloudy and the head quickly dissipates. It has a light grassy/citrusy aroma. It was light-bodied and a medium carbonation in the mouth and a very slight tartness in the aftertaste. This is a light, clean and easy drinking beer. 

The beer uses 40% wheat malt, pilgrim hops with a 23 IBU and 4.7% ABV. It is also vegan friendly.

Drink up and enjoy.


Friday, September 20, 2013

Maritime Beer Report September 20, 2013

Hello and welcome to the September 20th edition of the Maritime Beer Report

Another harvest beer has popped up. Bigtide Brewing Co. ‏in Saint John has a new Indian Beach Harvest Ale made with local fresh hops!

Picaroons announced this week the launch of its Harvest Ale(s) will be Thursday Sept. 26th from 4PM-7PM,  at the Alcool NB Liquor Train Station, on York Street in Downtown Fredericton. Go have a FREE taste of this 100% fresh locally hopped Pale Ale, and learn about your hops, your farmer, and your beer.

Shiretown Brewery "Runnin Down the Road" is coming soon with Wild Charlo Hops! Also Shiretown's Blonde du Quai Beer available in all Moncton & Dieppe NB Liquor stores and in Fredericton at York St. & Prospect. 

Pump House Brewery ‏posted a picture of Glenn is transferring his Russian rye ale, into Glenora casks for conditioning. 

Barnone Brewing IPA will be avialable next week in the brewery.But to those going to Kegs Corks and Oysters in Summerside Saturday they will be there for its first tapping.

Big Spruce Brewing announces a new tap at Ceilidh's Pub in Dartmouth. This week they were alse dry hopping some Kitchen Party with some hops grown for us by the folks at Southan Farms in NB.

Garrison Brewing Harvest Wheat is here! Now pouring at the brewery this is an unfiltered wheat beer with a German spin is the perfect kick-off to Halifax Oktoberfest! Don't forget tomorrow is Oktoberfest tomorrow, they are tapping a keg of 3 FIELDS HARVEST!

Hell Bay Brewing announced fall/winter hours this week Tues. - Sat.: 12pm -5pm and closed on Sunday and Monday

Propeller Brewing now has Nocturne Dark Lager available in 500ml bottles at our retail stores in Halifax & Dartmouth. Growlers were ready this afternoon.
   NOCTURNE: ART AT NIGHT is a fall festival that brings art and energy to the streets of Halifax between 6 p.m.-midnight. The 2013 event will take place on Saturday October 19th. The completely free, sixth annual event showcases and celebrates the visual arts scene in Halifax. Nocturne, designed and planned by volunteers, is an opportunity for everyone to experience the art of Halifax in a whole new light. 
   The beer is a Munich Style Dark Lager inspired by Nocturne: Art at Night. The brew features deep mahogany hues with a clean lager nose. The flavours are rich and malty, accompanied by traditional German Noble hops gently asserting themselves while balancing the malt profile. The long aging period or "Lagering" and low bitterness make this brew very smooth and drinkable. Proceeds from each beer sold will be donated to Nocturne Halifax! 
   Propeller also tweeted that it had its first brew in at the Dartmouth brewery yesterday and guess what, it is an IPA

Sea Level Brewing HOPFAZUPFA I.P.A. its next seasonal creation is on its way.

That is all for this week, please enjoy resposible and we'll see you next week

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Beer Review - Sea Level Brewing New Scotland Heather Ale

The latest harvest time beer I am reviewing is Sea Level Brewing's New Scotland Heather Ale. It is 5% ABV and uses fresh heather in the process grown in the valley at NSCC in Kentville NS. 

The brewery calls it a hybrid as they use a pilsner malt. It was a straw to yellow in color with very little head and light carbonation. I had difficulty identifying the aroma. At times I got an almost apple like smell but the rest was something I never encountered before. 

 The taste is very light and clean with a little carbonation and a nice finish. It is a nice easy drinking beer without any dryness or hoppiness. A great and interesting beer for sure. 

 Add this to your list of harvest beers to try this fall if it is available in your area.




Saturday, September 14, 2013

Many Hands Wet Hopped Imperial Pale Ale Review

     The beer is a collaboration between Bridge Brewing Company and Boxing Rock Brewing. The beer uses 100% vienna malt and 110 pounds of wet hops (cascade, chinook and williamette) from Lazy Acres of Gaspereau Valley.

     On pouring, the beer was a nice clear golden color with a nice thick head. It has a very nice hop aroma. 

On tasting there was a fair amount of carbonation on the tongue. At 55 degrees it the bulk of the taste was hoppy and a dry resiny finish. As the beer warmed up to around 65 degrees I noted the peachy grapefruit and some of the malt. The finish was slightly dry and of course hoppy but not overwhelming. 

     This harvest beer collaboration was a great effort and rewarded us this this delicious beverage.  It is available from September 14, 2013 until it runs out.



Friday, September 13, 2013

Maritime Beer Report - September 13, 2013

Hello and welcome to the September 13th edition of the Maritime Beer Report. Tonight's report is once again Nova Scotia heavy.

PEI Brewing released a teaser on Tuesday "Who's excited for our Pumpkin Ale? Available soon at 96 Kensington Rd! Stay Tuned" I will do that.

Hell Bay Brewing has its Dark Cream Ale in bottles again and say get it while it lasts. It is available at the brewery in Liverpool and soon at  Premier Wine & Spirits and Bishop's Cellar in Halifax. 

The labels are in and Sea Level Brewing has the New Scotland Heather Ale in cans. 6 Packs are at Sea Level Brewing and in Halifax at Bishops Cellar, Cristall and Harvest wines.

Hoppily Married, the Big Spruce Brewing harvest IPA, made with their fresh farm grown organic hops, is now on tap at the brewery. It is also soon to be on limited release at Townhouse Brewpub and Eatery in Antigonish. Looks like I will need to make a trip to get a taste of this one.

Are you an early riser? Garrison is looking for one Halifax Oktoberfest volunteer to help with set-up from 8:00 am to noon. Then you're free to stroll Oktoberfest, feast on a big roast & enjoy our craft beer :) Better yet, volunteers receive a complimentary ticket to the evening component (7:00-midnight), and a drink & food ticket. Email marketing@GarrisonBrewing.com 

Propeller was brewing up some DIPA, one of my favorites, today so look for it coming soon 

Many Hands Wet Hopped Imperial Pale Ale, wet hopped collaboration brew between Boxing Rock and Bridge Brewing will go on sale tomorrow. Bridge Brewing stated " Our brewer Josh Herbin grew the hops. We used 110lbs of his hops in one batch brewed down in Shelburne. We had a lot of fun making this beer. Thanks to everyone involved!" Bridge Brewing will have it on sale at its brewery and exclusively on tap at Brooklyn Warehouse. Boxing Rock will have 1L Growlers on sale at the Brewery store, the Seaport Market in Halifax, the Shelburne Farmer's Market and the Yarmouth Farmer's Market. The tasting notes on this are biscuits, toffee, grapefruit, peach. a dry finish and lingering hop resin  7.3% ABV. Watch channel for upcoming review.

Tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at the Rockbottom Brewpub, they will have a  20 L PIN of ginger beer. Deadwood Wheat refermented and conditioned on 8 oz of fresh ginger. Should be a stunner!

The Ladies Beer League after being quiet for a while announced its events for October. On the 10th from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, join your LBL friends at Rockbottom for a night of house-made suds. There will be drink & food specials, and a guest appearance from Mr.Greg Nash. The following week on October 17th, they'll do it over again down Spring Garden at Rogues Roost.
The details are both events will be pay-as-you-go, and they can have up to 40 women attend. They'll likely fill the house, so please RSVP to LadiesBeerLeague@gmail.com to get your name on the list for either or both events.

Tonight I am enjoying a Many Hands Wet Hopped Imperial Pale Ale. That is all I have for this week. Please send all comments, suggestions and tips to toddthebeerdude@gmail.com. Until next week enjoy responsibly.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Seaport Beer Festival 2013 Impressions

This was the second year I attended the Seaport Beer Festival (SBF). It moved to the Cunard Centre this year. In my opinion it lost some of its informal character but gained weather predictability. The admittance to the Centre was well managed and fast. The centre itself is a good venue, it is cavernous and the space was well used but there was a few bottlenecks around the local beer area with a lot of congestion. The only other item was it was way to warm in the building on Friday, I am not sure if that can be remedied.

The beer that were hilights for me that I got to try:
- Big Spruce Brewing Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout
- Boxing Rock Temptation Red Ale
- Garrison Comet to the Moon DIPA (special cask)
- Picaroons Yippee IPA

I tried a variety of other brews from Ontario, Quebec and Ireland. They was some great beers but I like to stick to local. At SBF there was four food vendors The Food Wold, Q BBQ, Bramoso Pizza and Stubborn Goat. I have to say they were all delicious and great offerings in the five dollar range.

I was a bit disappointed, my own fault as it was advertised, that some of the local vendors I was really looking forward to were there on Saturday only. I will have to remember that for next year. Another thing that happened was some of the beers I was looking forward to trying were gone in an hour into a two and a half hour event.

Over all it was a good event anfd I look forward to next year.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Maritime Beer Report September 6, 2013

Welcome to the September 6th edition of the Maritime Beer Report. Tonights report seems a bit Nova Scotia heavy but that is the way it goes some time. 

Atlantic Beer Blogger reports two new beers from Celtic Knot Brewing should be available soon. Dark Passage Oatmeal Stout and Dubh Loki, Black IPA,are currently going through the listing process with ANBL. Batches are standing by, and will likely be pouring at The Tide & Boar and Marky’s Laundromat in Moncton very soon.

As I reported last week the two major craft beer events in Fredericton have new venues. The Delta Fredericton for the Fredericton Beer Run on August 4th 2014 and the Fredericton Convention Centre for the 2nd annual Fredericton Craft Beer festival March 8th 2014. So save those dates

As we ease out of summer expect some of our brewers to change their hours. Uncle Leos did just that changing their hours beginning this week for the Winter. They are:

Monday & Tuesday CLOSED
Wednesday 2:00PM to 6:00PM
Thursday 2:00PM to 6:00PM
Friday 2:00PM to 7:00PM
Saturday 2:00PM to 7:00PM
Sunday 2:00PM to 6:00PM

Big Spruce Brewing was brewing their  first black IPA today. 124 IBUs of deliciousness. I sure hope I get to try this one

Hart & Thistle kicked off September by releasing a new beer in their pub. It is TubberRoe. It is a robust porter described as lightly acrid, burnt, black malt notes with dark chocolate, fruit, spice and hops finishing with a roasty dryness. Luscious, hoppy black beer. it is 5.9% ABV and 43 IBUs. Sounds awesome.

If you are in the Annapolis Valley this week end Sea Level Brewing has the much anticipated, beautifully crisp, NEW SCOTLAND HEATHER ALE is now available in 1 litre refillable growlers.

Speaking of this week end Bike to Bridge is happening on Sunday 2:30-6pm in the Bridge Brewing Company parking lot, There will be live music, The Food Wolf and Bridge Beer on tap. Proceeds go to the Halifax Cycling Coalition. Please bring cash only

Garrison now have Halifax Oktoberfest tickets available at our retail store - $12.00 gets you through the gate from 7:00 pm to midnight for a rocking evening of live music & craft beer! We'll also be selling them at the gate. 

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX is hosting Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration at the Halifax Club on January 16th, 2014. This event will be another "7 Rooms, 7 Experiences" event under the Meet Your Local banner, with full details becoming available October 15, 2013.

Lastly The Local Traveller asked if there was any new news on the new brewery in Lunenburg. What I was able to find out is that YARDARM Brewery was registered with Registry of Joint Stocks but the property still hasn't been purchased from the municipality as yet but it is still in the works. Stay posted.

Please send any comments or suggestions to toddthebeerdude@gmail.com . That is all for this week, remember to enjoy responsibly.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

MARITIME BEER REPORT - August 30, 2013

Welcome to the August 30th edition of the Maritime Beer Report.

As reported a couple of week ago, Picaroons has returned Upstream Ale to select ANBL stores for a limited time to raise funds for the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation. It is a 4.5% pale ale that was released for the first time last summer and is available in 500 ml bottles until the promotion ends on September 29th or while supplies last.

Picaroons also announced this week that it is teaming up with the New Brunswick Craft Brewer's Association for the New Brunswick Home-Brew Challenge.The invitation is out to home brewers to submit their versions of a Standard/Ordinary Bitter. You must register by November 1st, and have your entry delivered to Picaroons Brewtique by November 15th.  The winner will be picked by  a panel of beer tasting experts and the winner will be announced at a gala event at the Picaroons brewery on December 1st. The  winner will be awarded the opportunity to brew a full batch of their beer for release via the Brewtique, plus a free one year NBCBA membership. For full details visit  NBCBA.org

Fredericton Beer Fest announced they are very excited to have confirmed new venues for Fredericton Craft Beer Festival 2014 on March 8 th and Fredericton Beer Run on August  4th. I asked for some details but they don't want to release them just yet.

PEI Beer Fest is a week away and looks to be shaping up to be awesome. They reminded everyone on their site that "Your tasting session ticket includes all of your beer samples plus a sample from each of our food pairings and more food samples can be purchased". Wish I could go, hopefully next year.

Big Spruce is sharing lots of pictures of their initial Hop Harvest IPA, I am really looking forwrd to it and hope some makes it down my way

Full prep is on at Sea Level Brewing for the next seasonal special brew -the popular NEW SCOTLAND HEATHER ALE. The countdown is on! I also notced that Sea Level recieved and installed a larger canning machine this week which is good news for their fans.

Hell Bay brewing is working on their next seasonal for the fall, it is probably going to be a bitter, stay tuned for further details.

Boxing Rock announced its Temptation Red Ale is now available at the Hart & Thistle in Halifax and the next batch of the Vicar's Cross double IPA is hitting the shelves today. "There is a very limited supply though...so get yours early! We have a little bit at the store in Shelburne and there will be some tomorrow morning at the Seaport Market. You should also be able to get some at Harvest, Cristall, Bishop's and Premier later today...and soon in the NSLC too!". Boxing Rock welcomed the Bridge brewing boys this week to work on a collaboration wet hop brew. It is Vienna IPA that will be available at both locations in the near future. I for one am looking forward to this one.

I dropped in to Rudders in Yarmouth, Hell Bay and Boxing Rock this week to say hi, very friendly people in all locations.

Garrison mentioned today that to celebrate Labor Day they were announcing that a COLAB beer on tap called "Le Diable d'Halifax" it's a colab with Micro-brasserie Le Trou du diable from Shawinigan Quebec. It's a tasty hopped up German Lager! Available in EXTREMELY limited quantities, for sample only... Sorry, no Growler / Growlito fills this time guys! They also said they were collecting hops for their 3 Fields Harvest Wet-Hopped IPA. Look for this in a few weeks. 

MSN Travel listed 10 must visit Canadian brew pubs of which Le Trou du diable was listed, In our region The Gahan House in PEI, Pumphouse in Moncton and Rockbottom in Halifax all made the list. Congrats guys

Final item tonight is from The Atlantic Canada Beer Blog. Meander River Farm, which has supplied hops and other ingredients to a number of breweries in the area, will soon be brewing its own beer.The farm has been waiting for a number of months to get approval to operate a small on-site brewery, and with that approval recently received, preparations have started to build a 3 barrel brewhouse that is planned to be producing beer before the end of the year.Meander River Farm intends to offer Community Supported Brewery shares that will allow the public to pay an up-front amount in exchange for beer over time. Good luck guys.

Whats new for maritime beer reviews on youtube - elhalock reviews Boxing Rock Vicars Cross DIPA and Maxwell Star reviews Ol Fog Burner. Check them out

That it all for this week. Until next time enjoy responsibly.

MARITIME BEER REPORT - August 26 2013

Welcome to the August 26th edition of the Maritime Beer report. Sorry for the delay but I was travelling and the connections were not so great. 

There doesn't seem to be a lot of news this week but I noticed the local brewers are out harvesting hops with some special some special wet hopping concoctions being brewed. 

One such wet hop brew is at Big Spruce. Big Spruce Harvest Series of single batch craft ales is kicking it off by brewing a hop harvest IPA. They plan to continually wet hop the beer as they brew it with fresh hops from their yard - in the mash run, the kettle, and again post boil through a hop back they are rigging up. 

Hart & Thistle is now offering Hop Candy II. It is a 6.5% IPA and 57 IBUs. 

Grimross Brewing now has Bayard Belgian Blond is in growlers now. Stop by the Picaroons Brewtique to get yours. Nice light, floral nose, clean straw at 7%.

I got a nice message from LocaltravelerNS "Just want to say how much we are loving your maritime beer report. Great changes this week, I really like the new intro. Re. Rogues, turns out(according to garrison) that the raspberry wheat is actually a collaboration between the two breweries, and is the same beer. This is according to the garrison twitter account but having tasted both I can believe it. Looking forward to next weeks show!" Thanks for the compliment and passing on the information.

That's all for this week thanks for stopping by and drop me a note at toddthebeerdude@gmail.com

MARITIME BEER REPORT - August 16th , 2013

Welcome to the August 16th edition of the Maritime Beer Report

PEI Brewing company reported in a press release "For the first time in history, beer brewed in Prince Edward Island is heading to Alberta."

The Prince Edward Island Brewing Company announced today that Gahan Ales and Beach Chair Lager will be available for sale this week throughout the Province of Alberta.

"We are very pleased to announce that PEI beer has arrived in western Canada!" said Jeff Squires, President of the PEI Brewing Company.  "We are working with Thirsty Cellar Imports, a highly regarded sales agency in Calgary to represent our brands in the Province of Alberta", says Squires. 

Marlene Howard, President of Thirsty Cellar Imports, is excited about the opportunity.  "We have been looking for a quality line of craft beer to add to our portfolio", says Howard.  "Gahan Ales and Beach Chair Lager are the perfect fit.  They are handcrafted, premium quality, and they are made in PEI -- all attributes that Albertans value.  We also know that there are many Maritimers currently working in our region.  They will be happy to see a great Maritime beer available in Alberta", says Howard.

The partnership of Thirsty Cellar Imports and the PEI Brewing Company is off to a great start.  Sobeys Liquor will be offering the beer in 39 Sobeys stores in Alberta. "PEI products are known for their quality, and we were impressed with the brands brewed by the PEI Brewing Company", says Pierre Corriveau, Category Manager - Sobeys Liquor.  "Sobeys is pleased to welcome the PEI Brewing Company as one of our newest suppliers".  

Gahan Beer announced that their Sir John A. Honey Wheat Ale is making it's way to Nova Scotia and is in some NSLC stores right now!! 

PEI Beer fest now has their up-to-date beer listing on their website www.beerfestpei.ca . I currently see about 74 beers listed .

The Atlantic Canada Beer Blog reports  "Bruce Barton of Celtic Knot Brewing has brewed another pilot batch of a new beer that will hopefully be available in the near future. We don't have many details on the "Dark Passage Oatmeal Stout" yet, but keep it in mind if you're in the Moncton area and are keen on some new Celtic Knot beer! "

September is back to SCHOOL month, and Picaroons are REELING back Upstream ale at ANBL in support of the The Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation. The ale is a 4.5%  ABV "very palatable golden/pale-ish ale".

Hell Bay Brewing's  latest seasonal is now available in growlers at the brewery! An India Brown Ale, weighing in at 6.8%abv, it's sweet and malty upfront then lends way to hints of rum and molasses and finishes slightly dry. Medium hopped despite it's style.

Uncle Leo's is saying they will have red and IPA available on Saturday so get there early.

Big Spruce in Cape Breton is saying they have lots of Regatta Red available and a small amount of the last of the Tip of the Spear, their spruce tip IPA. There will be some Kitchen Party available but Cereal Killer will not return in growlers until next week.

Rogues Roost in Halifax released a Raspberry Wheat Ale. They say is a "light and refreshing wheat ale with a generous addition of natural raspberry juice, reddish in color and not as sweet as you would expect." It comes in at 5.2 % ABV and 30 IBU.

Ladies beer League is being secretive while they get details together but keep your calendars open for Thursday September 12th. They are "planning something ubber social on Spring Garden!" More details as I get them.

Thanks for watching on youtube or listening to me on itunes. Drop me a note at toddthebeerdude@gmail.com with any comments

Until next week enjoy responsibly.

MARITIME BEER REPORT - August 9th 2013

Hello and welcome to the August 9th edition of the Maritime Beer Report.

Grimross Brewing has added Ben's Bitter Pale Ale to its growing line up of offerings joining the Cheval D'Or and Destrier Farmhouse Stout. It is a Belgian Pale Ale with more bittering hops, according to owner/brewer Stephen Dixon. It will come across as quite floral, with earthy and citrus-fruit tones, and a lasting bitterness in the finish. It is currently available in refillable growlers at the Picaroons Brewtique.

Prince Edward Island Beer Festival is just around the corner and will be happening Friday and Saturday September 6th and 7th. Details that I know of currently is that there will be over 75 different beers available, from breweries such as Amsterdam, Garrison, McAuslan, Hop City, and Erdinger. There are several tasting sessions planned and ticket prices will be in the range of $20 to $120, depending on the session. Stay tuned here for further updates or them out on facebook and twitter.

Barnone Brewing in PEI has has announced they started filling growlers. On Thursdays between 6:00 and 8:00 pm they will be filling at the brewery in Rose Valley both their Pale Ale and Summer Sessions.

Sea Level Brewing has extended the hours at their retail store in Canning. They are now open Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday 10 am-5 pm, and Sunday 12 pm-5 pm. I would like to give a shout out to Jessie who took care of me last Sunday, I am enjoying the Blue Heron. 

Uncle Leo's Brewery announced this week both their Red Ale and IPA are now available in 650 mL bombers at Premier Wine & Spirits on Dresden Row in Halifax.

Bridge Brewing announced that they are now offering 19.5 L party kegs for sale based on avaialability. There is a $100 refundable keg deposit, and pricing will be $105 for the Gus or Summer Ale, $110 for the Farmhouse, and $120 for the Strong Dark not including applicable taxes. Call them to order yours today.

There is a new brewery opening in the Falmouth NS area in April of next year. I met Cam and Jen from Schoolhouse Brewery who are busy readying the nanobrewery to produce a couple of beers,a chocolate porter as well as a hopped cream ale to supply two pubs in Wolfville and Windsor and eventually growler fills at the farmers market once a month. They have a website, schoolhousebrewery.ca as well as a facebook page. I will report more on this as I get more information. All the best guys.

It is a great week end to be a beer lover in Halifax.

Rockbottom Brewpub announced there is some special tappings today. There will be "X", an Imperial Brown Ale aged 18 months on cedar wood 11% ABV. "Vintage Wreckoning",a Russian Imperial Stout fortified with Macallan single malt whiskey 11% ABV, the regular "Wreckoning" Russian Imperial Stout 10.5% ABV, the "Oaked-Aged Double Hoppelganger" DIPA 10% ABV and "Barrel-Aged Desecration", an Imperial Red Ale 11% ABV. These special taps will only be available for this week end only. 

The Hart & Thistle will be putting on Nashfest with several Greg Nash beers available. Listed on their blog was "Columbus DIPA" 9.1% ABV, "Commissar" a Russian Imperial Stout fortified with Bulleit bourbon 11% ABV, "Hop Mess Monster v3.0″ a DIPA 10% ABV, "Old 87″ an American IPA 7% ABV and "Kneecapper" an India Red Ale 6.1% ABV. As with Rock Bottom  it starts today at 4:00 p.m. and ends at close on Sunday.

Seaport Beer Festival starts today, which I attended. Watch for a special report next week. But as a result  several craft brewers will not be in their usual spots in Farmers markets this week end. Bridge brewing and Big Spruce released announcements that they will not be at their respective markets because of their committments at Seaport.

That is it for this week. For questions and comments please drop me an email at toddthebeerdude@gmail.com

Until next week enjoy responsibly.

MARITIME BEER REPORT - August 2nd, 2013

Happy International Beer day and welcome to the Maritime Beer Report for August 2nd 2013.

Yesterday was IPA Day and several breweries celebrated by having special offerings and releases. 

Greg Nash brewed an Oak-Aged Double Hoppelganger that was served at Rockbottom in Halifax. It was DIPA with a 10% ABV and a calculated IBUs of 305.

Nash also brewed up something special for the Hart & Thistle. An American IPA called the old 87. This one came in at 7% ABV and about 50 IBUs.

Across the Fixed Link the PEI Brewing Co. showcased IPA all day at their brewery in Charlottetown. Their original 1772 was available on tap and in bottles and two special cask versions were available for anyone looking for more of a hop fix.


News of the week 


Hell Bay Brewing will have a new beer coming out soon. The beer described as an Indian Brown Ale, it will have an ABV of 6.7% and 45 IBUs. According to the brewery, "this hoppy beer will also accentuate the malt flavors, along with chocolate and molasses". The beer will will be available in limited quantities but will be at the Seaport BeerFest in Halifax next weekend. It should be on tap at select locations too so be on the look-out.
Hell Bay also announced new hours Sun., Mon., Tues. 12 - 5pm CLOSED Wed.Thurs., Fri. 12 - 6pm and Sat. 10am - 6pm

Seaport BeerFest has their impressive list of breweries and beers on their website; There are 110 breweries and 267 different beers, including 13 breweries and 50 beers from the Maritimes, 17 ciders and 7 gluten-free offerings. This is a substantial increase over last year. I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday night.

The nanobrewerey Celtic Knot has a black IPA in the works called Loki, It is thought to come in about 70 IBUs and have an ABV of 6%. Brewed with Chinook, Centennial, and Citra hops -- it should be available soon at Marky's Laundromat in Moncton.

Boxing Rock Brewing's finally announced the release yesterday of its DIPA, Vicar's Cross. According to the brewery, it should be making its way to Halifax today. Look for it in at Premier, Bishop's Cellar, Harvest & Cristall in its 650 ml bottles. It will also be available at the Seaport 
Farmer's Market, and coming soon to select NSLC stores.

Picaroons is re-releasing 506 Logger in honor of New Brunswick Day (Monday, August 5th). From facebook "In the patriotic spirit of New Brunswick / Nouveau-Brunswick Day, The 506 LOGGER will be ON TAP at THE BREWTIQUE in Downtown Fredericton, this weekend only! 
First keg will get tapped this afternoon (Friday) around 3. Come and get it"

On Wednesday Uncle Leo's said they were sold out of everything. In a statement "We will re-open the weekend of August 9th if not sooner".

Big Spruce stated they "will only be selling Tip of the Spear IPA at the brewery for a couple of days. As we are in peak season for tap demand, we are having to dedicate the majority of our production to thhis component of the business. Our apologies. We are brewing at maximum capacity so as to minimize the effect to our growler customers. Thanks everyone!"

If you have any questions of ideas comment below or email me at toddthebeerdude@gmail.com

Thanks and enjoy responsibly