Maritime Beer Report - July 31, 2015

Hello and welcome to the July 31st edition of the Maritime Beer Report.

PEI Brewing Company says that even though Reanimator Doppelbock is gone for now, look for a barrel-aged version coming this fall.

Picaroons brewed up an Extra Special Bitter made with all New Brunswick malts and hops. The ESB-231 is a moderately malty, moderately hopped, and extremely tasty all New Brunswick beer. This one-off ESB will get tapped this Thursday at the Picaroons Brewtique in Downtown Fredericton as well at the Alcool NB Liquor Growler Stations around the province. Some select bars and restaurants around New Brunswick will also follow suit so keep your ears to the ground.

Savoie's Brewhouse says the day has finally arrived, they are now listed with NB Liquor. The beers are in a few but growing liquor stores in northern NB. Watch for it near you soon.

Garrison Brewing has two completely different tastes of summer. Trop Yard is a radler made with fresh lime and orange juice and Hop Yard making a delightfully tropical fruity yet still bitter radler. It’s 3.4% ABV and available for Growler / Growlito fills and tasters. Fluffernutter is their Nut Brown infused with real marshmallow, it’s slightly sweet and tastes just like it’s namesake. It’s 5% ABV and available JUST for tasters - in a very limited quantity.

The Nook and Cranny will soon have a new beer on tap. They've partnered with their neighbours to bring you NovelTea Passionfruit Ale. Made with custom designed Satya Tea called Berry Bliss, steeped at the Nook with their wheat beer. With hints of hibiscus, chicory root, chamomile, strawberry, and mango, this summer sipping ale is sure to delight.

Unfiltered Brewing  are open for business and have three hoppy brews on. First is Hoppy Fingers APA that is a sessionable 4.8% ABV and 25 IBUs, next is Exile On North Street IPA that is a healthy 6.5% ABV and 65 IBUs and lastly a sippable DIPA called Twelve Years to Zion that is 8% ABV and over 100 IBUs. I asked if that last one was a religious beer and was told it will bring you to your knees. Unfiltered is open Tuesday-Sat 12-8, Sunday 12-6 and closed Monday.

The brewery and beer list for the Seaport Beerfest was released today. There is about 72 Maritime beers available and lots from around North America and Ireland. Tickets for most sessions are still available but choose carefully if there is a particular brewer you want to see as some are only available at certain sessions. 

This New Brunswick weekend the James Joyce Pub will have all 18 New Brunswick Breweries on tap. This starts today at 3 PM and they are here until they are gone.

The Moncton Beer League is having Flights 'n Bites: NS Craft Beer Edition on Friday, 28 August 2015. They bought extra Nova Scotia craft beer so more of you could try it. This event will be out on the deck again (weather permitting) and will feature 5 beers paired with food samples. Tickets are available now via eventbrite.

Thanks for joining me again this week and enjoy responsibly no matter where or what you do this week end.

Maritime Beer Report - March 13, 2015

Hello and welcome to the March 13th edition of the Maritime Beer Report. 

First I would like to thank everyone one who said hi at the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival. Your support means a lot to me. 

Upstreet Craft Brewing did a small reveal this week. They are a PEI start-up coming on stream this summer. They are owned by Mitch Cobb, Mike Hogan (Hogie) and Joey Seaman and will be at 41 Allen St. You can expect to find them on tap and in bottles in many of your favourite restaurants and bars across the Island. You'll also be able to pop into their tasting room on evenings and weekends. More details will be coming soon.

Picaroons Traditional Ales have you released five different versions of their Timber Hog Stout. Regular Timber Hog, COFFEE infused Timber Hog (12 Beers Of Xmas style), A chocolate and vanilla infused Timber Hog, ginger Timber Hog, and a dry-hopped Timber Hog with Willamette hops. They hope it will last until March 17th. Picaroon’s Yipee IPA was the Category Champion for IPAs at the Northern Lands Festival Craft Beer Competition Awards.

Pump House Brewery released it Red Leaf Lager and is available at the brewery and ANBL growler stations. It is deep red in color, dry hopped with leave hops, medium in bitterness, with all the nut-like malt of their Fire Chief Red but fermented with lager style yeast. Pump House Pilsner was the runner-up at Northern Lands Festival Craft Beer Competition Awards for Pale Lagers & Hybrids.

Bad Apple Brewhouse says its award-winning Mosaic DIPA will be available in bottles, and all forms of fills while it lasts at the brewhouse. They will be delivering it to Toms Little Havana, Stubborn Goat, Lion & Bright, and Stillwell on Monday. It will be brewed a few more times this year, and all the sales will be to send kids to Down syndrome camp for free this year. Camp is in June at Camp Brigadoon.

Garrison Brewing Company released its new In Session ISA. It is hop-driven and big on flavour, but eased back on alcohol at 4.4% ABV. It will be available in six packs throughout Nova Scotia.

Spindrift Brewing released they are opening this summer in Dartmouth Nova Scotia and have Kellye Robertson at the helm as brewer. More details coming out soon.

Fredericton Craft Beer Festival was a great success and with the exciting growth in New Brunswick it will be back next year bigger and better.

NB Beer Tours are going for a road trip to Microbrasserie le Naufrageur - bar & spectacles, with a stop at Shiretown Beer along the way. It is on May 16th and will be an overnight trip. Tickets are available now.

You have a couple of more days to get in NB Craft Beer Dinner presented by Moncton area Beer League. A four course meal paired with New Brunswick craft beer on March 21st.

That is all for this week, thanks for supporting the blog and until next week, enjoy responsibly.

Maritime Beer Report - May 16, 2014

Hello and welcome to the Maritime Beer Report for May 16th 2014

Hammond River Brewing announced they are brewing two summer seasonals. The first one they are currently working on is a Hawaiian Pale Ale brewed with fresh pineapple and they posted a picture of all the pineapples this week. The other is a Blueberry Ale that will be brewed with fresh blueberries. The Blueberry Ale will be a purple beer since it's brewed with real blueberries, so it won't be your typical Blueberry Ale. I can't wait to try it.

Seems like from now until October there will be a beer festival somewhere in the Maritimes. Picaroons' Brewers Bash tickets will be going on sale starting 10 AM on Tuesday.May 20th at the Cedar Tree Cafe in Downtown Fredericton, or online at http://brewersbash.picaroons.ca/. Get them fast as they will not last.

Hell Bay Brewing Company released their latest iteration of R.I.P.(A.) ver. 3.0. This one is supposed to be slightly maltier, with biscuit notes, and citrus on the hop end. It weighs in at 7.2% ABV and 70 IBUs.

Meander River Farm and Brewery's big day is tomorrow. Saturday is your chance to grab Nova Scotia's newest microbrew. They will be selling growlers of their Lunch Box Pale Ale and some of your favourite farm products. For tomporrow only, $5 for a MRFB branded growler and $5 for the fill. They'll be open from 10-5 and I will be there to get some. They also say to be sure to share your visit from Saturday's opening on social media and tag them to receive $1 off your next growler.

Uncle Leo's Brewery says that due to the busy summer season approaching this will be their last weekend at the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. They go on to say "If you bought a growler from us you can either keep it as a keep sake, return it this weekend at the market or keep it and get it filled at another Brewery (call ahead to make sure they will fill another Brewery's growler)." Don't forget you get your Uncle Leo's fix at Premier Wine & Spirits, Bishop's Cellar, Harvest Wines and Cristall Wines.

Halifax Seaport Beerfest, which is August 8 & 9 this year, said that tickets for the 8th annual event will go on sale beginning June 13th. This Atlantic Canada’s largest gathering of craft beer, imports & cider with over 275 unique products available for sampling and discussion. In addition to the beer there is local music, food and new VIP sessions with guided tastings and early entry.

Lastly but not least the oldest beer fest in the Maritimes, the 9th annual Atlantic Beer Fest, is happening in Moncton two weeks from tomorrow on May 31st. I talked to Scott MacLeod, one of the organizers last week and he offer a few tidbits for me to share with you. There is over 175 beers and ciders coming from eastern Canada and New England. There will also be food vendors to for the expected 3000 people that will attend one of the two sessions on the 31st. Scott also shared several brewers coming but asked me to only share a few as a full list will be in the Moncton Times-Transcript on May 24th. There are several exciting brewers for Quebec and Ontario including 10 offerings from a favorite of mine Le Trou du Diable, Muskoka Brewing from Ontario, all the way from BC Howe Sound Brewing, Belfast Bay Brewing bring a Lobster Ale and most exciting for me Smuttynose Brewing Company. There is also free buses to and from areas to Agrena A sponsored by ANBL to provide a safe ride. Something new this year, The Moncton Area Beer League is offering VIP tickets that provide Tapetizers and a couple special beer at Pumphouse, then limos out to a private entrance where you by-pass the line,after the session you get limoed back downtown. As of this afternoon there are four tickets available for $65 per ticket available from The Moncton Beer League. If you have trouble email me and I will forward it to the organizer.Moncton Area Beer League and the Atlantic Beer Festival will donate all proceeds to Support to Single Parents Inc. ~ Support aux parents uniques inc.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my report again this week, enjoy the long week end for my Canadian fans and until next time enjoy responsibly.