Welcome to the August 19th Nova Scotia edition of the Maritime Beer Report.
Big Spruce Brewing is have another Big Pig Roast on September 4th from Noon to 5:00 PM. They are filling the parking lot with a massive tent, live music, and 2 x 90 lb roasting pigs from Forever Green Organics Farm and they say everyone is invited. Cruisin' Cuisine Food Truck will be here to help them slow roast the pigs, and they'll also prepare a number of locally inspired sides to go with it.
After an explosion and a conversion from gas to electric in the brewhouse Downeast Beer Factory is set to brew this week end. Look for their beers to start flowing in early September.
Gahan House Halifax brewer Kyle Jeppesen has been incredibly busy since taking over the role in May. His current releases on tap are:
Maritime Brine - Gose 3.8% ABV
The Barberrian - Red Ale with Cherries 5% ABV
Summer House Beer - Dry Hopped Hefeweizen 4% ABV
Crosscurrent - APA with Simcoe and El Dorado 5.5% ABV
His releases coming out next week :
New batch of Crosscurrent APA - 5.5% ABV
Night Vision - American Porter 6.2% ABV
This week he brewed the unique historical style Sahti. Taproot Farms helped collect juniper branches in the valley. These were used in the mash to impart juniper character that is traditionally found in Sahti. This beer contains a large percentage of rye and will weigh in at 7% ABV when finished. More details soon.
Lastly if you are interested in keeping up to date on Gahan House beers Kyle has just created an instagram account jep_brews.
Garrison Brewing say Honey Lavender Ale is back. The summertime seasonal clocks in at 6.5% ABV and 16 IBU and is brewed with English lavender harvested from Meander River Farms and wildflower honey from G.G. Smeltzer & Son in Shubenacadie. The strong ale features flavours of malt and honey and aromas of apple pie, honey, and lavender with a subtle flowery finish. It has a sweet honey aftertaste with a light bitterness from the lavender. Available now at the brewery and private stores in 650 ml bottles.
The Auction House's next Beer Academy will be in session Wednesday, August 24th at 7:30 PM with George's Island Brewing hosting this round of beer and knowledge.
Hell Bay Brewing has brought back two of its old favorites. OPA (Oatmeal Pale Ale) returns to bottles and R.I.P. (A) at the brewery retail or on the deck.
North Brewing has a new beer out tomorrow that sounds gnarly dude. Lawrencetown Blonde, a collaboration with stoked surfers Dean Petty and Ian Jackson. Artwork Jill Jackson featuring Anchor Coffee.
Roof Hound Brewing has sold out of Little Pup Pale Ale and now has Rooftop Rye-It. It is a 4.8% ABV and 30 IBU beer to wash down all that awesome looking food.
Propeller Brewing has released its latest One Hit Wonder simple called 1-hop. The unique flavour of this brew comes from a focus on the one-hop approach using Mandarina Bavaria. By letting the distinct essence come through from this single hop, the brew master lets the hopping do the talking. They describe it as a robust IPA with orange and citrus notes that burst on the palette making for a nice, yet bold taste experience. The 6.6% ABV 56 IBU beer is available at both brewery stores to give it a try.
Saltbox Brewery will be open on Saturday August 20th from 10 AM to 4 PM. They will have several styles for you as well as t-shirts and hats.
Unfiltered Brewing is taking the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation to court over a fee that they consider an unconstitutional tax. The fee that is in question is the Retail Sales Mark-up Allocation that the NSLC levies on craft brewers. This fee, that is referred to as the remittance tax by craft breweries, is 50 cents for every liter they sell directly or gives away as a sample. In their filing, that was shared on twitter, they said they paid $24,000 in their first year of operation and says this fee is unconstitutional and equates to a tax that the corporation does not have the authority to levy and collect. The case is scheduled for September 6th at 11:00 AM at the Lower Water Street courts.
I was at the Ladies Beer League Preview Party with 2 Crows Brewing last night. It was a sold out affair with the owners serving about eight beers through the evening. I had a great time and the beers were a hit. I particularly enjoyed the Belgian Sour and Porter. They told me they are still running on schedule with their brewing gear arriving in about a month.
That is it for this week, I am on vacation for a couple of weeks so look for new posts after Labour Day with the weekly reports starting again on September 9th. Enjoy the tail end of summer and make sure to enjoy responsibly.
