Welcome to this very rainy November 18th edition of the Maritime Beer Report.
Big Spruce Brewing has Langered Stook, a hoppy half wit coming out this week end. This Hopfenweisse has made it's way to Stillwell, Battery Park Beer Bar, Lion & Bright Café Wine Bar and select taps near you. It will also be featured Saturday night at the Governor's Pub & Eatery tap takeover taking place after the inaugural Cape Breton Beer Fest this Saturday night.
In other news Big Spruce's 2016 Beer of the Year Ra Ra Rasputin is being barreled for 2017 this week.
Garrison Brewing launched their newest Cellar Series beer, Rum Barrel-Aged Honey Lavender. Unique & truly local, this ale is brewed with hand-cut NS lavender and raw honey, then aged several months in Ironworks Distillery rum barrels for added complexity and smoothness. Rum-Barrel Aged Honey Lavender clocks in at 11% ABV and is an ideal beer for cellaring. Drop down to the brewery to get some of this extremely limited release in 650 ml bottles.
Good Robot Brewing released a new beer today. Extra BIG-ASS Beer. It is a malty lager they say is in the vien of Märzen/Oktoberfest/Munich Dunkel. This beer is loaded with bready flavours and a huge roasted taste. It weighs in at 5.2% ABV and 24 IBUs.
Good Robot Brewing is also hosting another homebrewer takeover, BrewBot: Brathair Brewing Homebrew Takeover will have 5 taps, all designed and brewed on the pilot system by local homebrewers Brathair Brewing (Justin Clarke, Rod McVicar, Jason McVicar and Eric Gautier).
North Brewing has a bunch of beers in the pipeline. They have their Milk Stout aging on cherrywood and blackberries coming out February 2017. Glenora Strong Dark Belgian hits their shelves soon with new labeling. Saison de Pinot, their Benjamin Bridge collaboration will be out December 9th to kick of the first Battery Beer Bar birthday weekend. Lastly on Monday Stillwell 3 will hit be in stores.
Roof Hound Brewing releases Grumpy Cranberry Orange Sour tomorrow. It is a 3.8% ABV beer kettle soured with yogurt and has orange zest at the end of boil and a giant pot of cranberry sauce in the brite tank. Why "grumpy"? it is an homage to the brewer's dad who the grandkids refer to him as that rather than grampy.
Saltbox Brewing and Rebecca's Restaurant are presenting a Belgian Theme Night with Saltbox Beer Pairings on Saturday November 26th. It consists of beer Pairing of 2-3 oz glasses served with appetizers and dessert along with one 12 oz glass served with the main course for $55. Three Course Meal without Saltbox beer pairing is $40.
Sea Level Brewing has its Crossing Muddy Waters Brown Ale now available in growlers and cans.
Uncle Leo's Brewery's Launch Party for Sunburst Beer is on Wednesday at 7 PM at Piper's Landing in Pictou. Come chat with brewmaster Karl, Dave Gunning, JP Cormier & Jamie Robinson over a glass of cask conditioned Sunburst Ale and delicious appetizers from Piper's Landing Restaurant. There will be 5 Uncle Leo's Ales available on tap throughout the night with proceeds going to the Pictou County Christmas Fund. It costs $20 per person; includes admission, a glass of cask conditioned ale & appetizers with only 60 tickets available.
Unfiltered Brewing has Attention: Warning Label DIPA out today. It was conditioned on white oak for approximately eight weeks that they say shows "no sign of its alcoholic content, this DIPA deserves respect" The beer is 10% ABV and 100+ IBUs and available now.
Salvatores Halifax is hosting a tap and menu takeover. They are bringing in Unfiltered Brewing to match up with their menu. Greg Nash is smoking a Getaway Farms brisket to shred on a special pizza along with his sausage for the Hero's, This is happening on November 22 and 23.
Stillwell turns 3 on Sunday and is have a beer offering that is not to be missed. They also have a lot of fun surprises in store. Fun starts at 4 PM and goes to late.
Thanks for checking me out again this week. Care care of each other and I will be back in a week.
Welcome to the November 10th edition of the Maritime Beer Report for New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Upstreet Craft Brewing has another new beer available in the taproom. A Berliner Weisse is available that is a refreshing ale with a soft malt characteristic and soured using naturally-occurring bacteria found in grain. In the coming weeks they will be releasing three more dry-hopped versions.
It is time to release the Black Tie Affair, their vanilla cranberry stout. This year they are excited to be bottling and shipping it to liquor stores across the Island, and to release it they are throwing a party in the taproom on November 17th. The evening will begin at 6 PM with a Black Tie Dinner, a three-course, Prix Fixe menu that highlights the flavours of the beer and features Black Tie Affair in the recipes. Admission is free, but they'll be accepting donations to the Rwanda Craft Brewery Project.
Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault has released Buckdjeuve ([bukdjøve] French canadian slang for jackalope) is now available at NSLC stores. This festive strong ale was a silver medalist of the 2015 Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards is 7.3% ABV.
Mama's Brewpub new beer White Citrus Bomb is on tap. The grist is simple 2 row and flaked wheat and hopped to 18 IBU with two additions of Hallertau. It is a true Citrus Bomb but easy to drink and has become very popular.
Other big news is their Crowler machine and cans arrived this week so expect Mama's Brew Pub to be offering offsite sales very soon.
Maybee Brewing got a 10 BBL fermenter from Trail Way Brewing for their small batches and first runs.
Picaroons says opening later this month The Roundhouse, that is located at the new brewery at 912 Union Street on Fredericton's north side, will offer a local food café and Picaroons taproom and retail shop. The Real Foods Café will offer an ever evolving menu of lighter fare and grab-n-go items, including hearty soups, fresh salads, gourmet sandwiches, Whitney Coffee & espresso, some ready-made meals, snacks, specialty items made with Picaroons, and some other Maritime produced products. The Café will also serve as Picaroons' tasting room and will be pouring full size pints from a wide selection of Picaroons beers plus as much New Brunswick craft beer, cider, and mead as they can get. There will be growler filling and bottles on site to purchase to go. The opening date will be announced soon.
Red Rover Craft Cider made a hibiscus-gin infused cider with a revealing amount of New Brunswick’s Gin Thuya. Trumpty Dumpty is a 7% ABV cider that is on tap now at the Ciderhouse.
Have a great week and I'll be back next week.
Welcome to the November 10th Nova Scotia edition of the Maritime Beer Report.
The Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards were last Sunday. The big winners of the evening were Bad Apple Brewhouse and Big Spruce Brewing each taking four medals with Bad Apple being awarded Brewery of the Year and Big Spruce nabbing the Beer of the Year or "Best of Show" with their Ra Ra Rasputin Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout. Rockbottom Brewpub also had a great showing as well getting a gold for the IPA category and Brewpub of the Year.
The concept was to brew a tasty winter seasonal brew that is distinctly Nova Scotian. To do that they added donair meat. The Battery kitchen meticulously rendered in-house made donair meat, and then dehydrated it and ground it into a powder. It was added in the mash tun, along with all the grain required for an Imperial Stout. Once this beer is fermented, we will slow condition it on raspberries. The name for this Imperial Meat Stout aged on Raspberries is Blood Donair. It will launch on one of Battery's 15 taps in December.
North Brewing released a new beer today, Wiley Boys II. They aged this black saison in Dartmouth for 3 months with Brettanomyces and strawberries and then bottle conditioned for another month. The result is a limited release with deep complexity. Notes of dark chocolate, fruit leather, ripe strawberry and subtle funk. This is drinking great now, but can be cellared to continue evolving. Note it is only available in 650mL bottles.
Garrison Brewing launched two of their winter seasonal beers today, back for the season are Spruce Beer and Winter Warmer.
Local spruce and fir tips from Meander River Farm are combined with Crosby’s blackstrap molasses to recreate North America’s oldest beer style, Spruce Beer. This traditional brew clocks in at 7.5% ABV and 35 IBUs. 650ml bombers will be available at the retail store beginning today, and should shortly be in stock at private stores and will be released at the NSLC starting next week!
Winter Warmer is a strong dark amber beer brewed with spices such as cinnamon and clove. Its warming character makes it a fantastic accompaniment on cold winter nights. Winter Warmer will be a 6-pack at the NSLC beginning next week but is being sold in 650 ml bombers both here at the brewery and in private stores.
Good Robot Brewing are hosting a special Goodwill Bot that will donate $1 of each pint sold to support Wounded Warriors Canada tomorrow from noon to 6 PM. Also all military, former and current, are welcome to congregate and enjoy their first drink at the lowest legal price they can offer. Simply show up in uniform or with valid Canadian Military ID card. Also, $1 of each pint sold that day will go to support Wounded Warriors Canada.
On November 15, they are introducing a new series of events: BrewBot Homebrew Takeovers. 5 taps, all designed and brewed on our pilot system by a local homebrewer. First up is Keith Forbes who is well known in the Halifax beer community and brewed at Good Robot before.
Nine Locks Brewing has a Chocolate Stout coming to be released start of December. This chocolate stout is smooth, dark and full-bodied. Chocolate dominates the palate with notes of coffee and roasted grain. Hopping with East Kent Goldings provides a balanced finish. The beer is 6.1% ABV and 28 IBUs.
Champlains Feast, Royal order of Good Beer Dinner will be at Port Pub on Thursday, November 24 at 6 PM - 9 PM and features Sea Level Brewing. Enjoy a beautifully paired dinner, first course starting with Chedder Beer Soup, complimented with Blue Heron Extra Special Bitter beer. The second course will be Oysters Rockfeller, complimented with Planters Pale Ale. Third course, Duck Confit Poutine will be complimented with Rojo Mojo Red Ale and the fourth course will be Beer Braised Beef cheeks, complimented with Crossing Muddy waters Seasonal Brown Ale. The fifth course, the sweet course will be the Porter Chocolate Truffle Torte, complimented with Port in the Storm Porter.
Unfiltered Brewing released the fourth in theirr series of SMaSH beers. Danko is made with two-row malt and Simcoe hops. Why Danko? Well, "dank" is a common descriptor of Nash's hop-monsters, and Rich Danko of The Band is from Simcoe, Ontario. Danko weighs in at 7.5% ABV and 100+ IBUs.
One Way Brewing is hoping to open next spring on 676 Prince Street in Truro. The 4 BBL operation will also have retail space to buy merchandise and growler fills. The head brewer duties will go to Ryan Blaikie, an International Business student at NSCC, who has been home brewing for 4 years, apprenticed at Sea Level Brewing and currently works at Nook & Cranny. They plan to offer a wide variety of beer including Belgian styles, lagers, IPAs and a bunch of seasonals.
Thanks for checking me out again this week and from me thanks to all who served and continue to serve.
Good Robot Brewing released a new beer today. Extra BIG-ASS Beer. It is a malty lager they say is in the vien of Märzen/Oktoberfest/Munich Dunkel. This beer is loaded with bready flavours and a huge roasted taste. It weighs in at 5.2% ABV and 24 IBUs. 
Salvatores Halifax is hosting a tap and menu takeover. They are bringing in Unfiltered Brewing to match up with their menu. Greg Nash is smoking a Getaway Farms brisket to shred on a special pizza along with his sausage for the Hero's, This is happening on November 22 and 23. 
