Maritime Beer Report - January 30, 2015

Hello and welcome to the January 30th edition of the Maritime Beer Report.

Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault is brewing Canon Franchetti, a cappuccino stout brewed in honour of Nicolo Franchetti, pastor and architect of Edmundston's St-John-the-Baptist Church. Coffee used is from Cafe Lotus Bleu, Sucré Salé and the Boutique Au Bout Du Monde's Café, all downtown Edmundston. It will be available the second week of February. 

Picaroons Traditional Ales is hosting their annual Crabbe Mountain Winter Warmer Party on Saturday February 7 with Sugarbomb, details on facebook. They are also bringing back their Beer and Chocolate Dinners. A multi-course chocolate infused dinner with each course paired with Picaroons. This year they'll be alongside Ginette Ahier of Adorable Chocolate. They're presenting one in Downtown Fredericton at 540 Kitchen & Bar on February 10th, and one in Moncton, New Brunswick at the Tide and Boar Gastropub on February 11th. More information to be released soon.

Railcar Brewing Company is continuing to grow with paperwork on the tasting room and work continues on the cold room. Railcar Brewing is having a Home Brew Off. Submit a Scottish Export 2014 BJCP Style Guideline beer for your chance for $100 bucks, bragging rights and produce a full size batch at Railcar Brewing Company. It is open now until March 26th so get brewing.

Big Spruce Brewing will be at Antigonish Winter Farmers' Market this Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm at the Antigonish mall. This market will run into April, and they have committed to doing it every week. Jeremy says "Don't worry Sydney, we will still be doing the Cape Breton Farmers' Market concurrently."

Boxing Rock Brewing will host Andrew Estabrooks, formerly of Picaroons, this weekend. Word is they will be doing a collaboration on a Rye IPA made with New Brunswick grown malt. Boxing Rock says there's twist to this release that they are not ready to say yet, but it will be a cool time for sure.

Garrison Brewing Company is having a Vertical tasting tonight of Ol' Fog Burner and a Cellar sale tomorrow including a barrel-aged Spruce beer. 

North Brewing Company is now 2 years old. They say to come celebrate this weekend as they offer $10 1.89L growler fills Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Peter says year 3 is looking exciting so stay tuned for what's to come...

Uncle Leo's Brewery released their newest offering, the Winterschlaf, which is Winter Sleep in German. It is a German Hybrid Beer. A good beer to hunker down with during the Winter months! 

A new brewery revealed itself this week. Breton Brewing will be opening on Keltic Drive in Sydney this May. Not a lot of details yet on styles etc but they have stated they will be sticking to tap accounts and growlers and not bottling. I will have a report on them this Spring as they ready to open.

For the Halifax peeps the new incarnation of Premier Wine , Rockhead Wine and Beer Market. There is a little less space but it is used more efficiently. The new space is in Sobeys in Windsor and has four taps for growler fills. One will be its house brand pale ale and the others will be rotating. The space is very nice and one perk for me is parking.

Thanks for joining me again this week. I will be away for the next two weeks so the next Maritime Beer report will be February 20th. Until then enjoy responsibly.

Maritime Beer Report - January 23, 2015

Hello and welcome to the Maritime Beer Report.

Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault says  their "royally good'' amber ale, Louis XVII is bottled and will be available in many NB Liquor stores over the coming days and they say if you don't see it on the shelves, ask for it. 

Hammond River Brewing and Saint John Ale House's First Annual Home Brew competition was last week end. The winners were:
1st place Mike Hebert/Jason Dobbelsteyn (Rothesay/Quispamsis)
2nd place Marc Melanson (Moncton)
3rd place Liam Walsh (Quispamsis)
Congrats to all the winners.

Garrison Brewing Company has a couple of great items next week. On Friday there is a vertical tasting of Ol' Fog Burner from 2009 to date excluding last year (wasn't produced). Tickets are $25.00 ans it includes snacks and a special treat from Dee Dee's Ice Cream included. Participates also get first crack at the Cellar Saturday Stock. On Saturday they are opening up their cellar to sell some vintage ales and the new barrel-aged Spruce Beer. 

North Brewing Company announced a couple of new purchases to expand their production.They include a 1300L brite tank that arrived this week. They also have a 2300L fermenter coming in March. Great news for North fans.
They are also hiring a retail management position. Apply with resume and cover letter to info@northbrewing.ca. 

Ladies Beer League is once again collaborating with Boxing Rock Brewing Company for a beer release in March. This beer will be in support of two local women's charities in honour of International Women's Day (March 8). They'll put the Ladies Beer League touch on the recipe, but they would like you to have a say on what type of beer they brew. Check out their facebook page to do the survey.

Stillwell Beer Bar are doing something special for Valentine's Day. They will be hosting Trou du Diable with 12 taps over 3 sessions (12-3pm, 4-7pm and 8pm), It will be by-the-glass pours from their barrel program and representatives from the brewery in attendance. $20 gets you your first pour and an awesome piece of glassware to keep - tickets can be purchased at the bar or reserved via tix@barstillwell.com.

Thanks for joining me again this week and as always enjoy responsibly.

Maritime Beer Report - January 16, 2015

Hello and welcome to the January 16th edition of the Maritime Beer Report

A.W.O.L. Brewery is now incorporated and officially is known as A.W.OL. Brewery Corp. Also they have recently seen a very promising location to begin operations. They say with any luck in a few months beer will be up and running.

Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault released their new IPA this week. Soeur Catherine whose bitterness will bring you to your knees is a 7% ABV and 70 IBUs.

Hammond River Brewing's Breakfast Stout is out. This was brewed with lots of local Java Moose coffee, Oats, and some homemade smoked bacon. The coffee is strong, and at 8% ABV this will definitely get you moving in the morning.

Picaroons Traditional Ales released a surprise beer this week. SS COCOA BEWARE is a Shivering Songs inspired Dark Chocolate Wheat Beer! ~ It's Chocolatey.. It's Biscuity.. It's Dark.. It's Wheat. it is a 4.8% ABV.

Trail Way Brewing Company announced their beer will be served at Vault 29 for the first time this week end! They delivered kegs of Primetime APA to the King Street Ale House and Vault 29 this afternoon.This version of Primetime APA has a bit more hop presence, with aromas and flavours of pineapple and citrus. 

Big Spruce Brewing released two beers this week at the Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration at the Halifax Club. Bráthair Eric American Wheat the 2014 Home Brew Challenge winning beer. It's an easy drinking, citrusy late addition wheat beer hopped with modest amounts of simcoe and cascade. ABV 5.2%, IBU 22. Coade Word: Snowmaggedon - a "tip of the hat" to CBC Meteoroligist Peter Coade, It is truly a "terroir" winter warmer. It weighs in at 8.1% ABV and 25 IBU, 

Garrison Brewing Company was busy with two beer releases and a teaser. Fog Burner is back on shelves at the retail store as is the East Kent Golding One Hop. They say they are releasing information on their barrel-aged Spruce Beer on Monday

Propeller Brewing Company has released their latest One Hit Wonder Series brew – Black Out. At first glance this American Black Ale (a style also commonly known as Black IPA or Cascadian Dark Ales) may lull your eyes into thinking it is a full bodied Stout or Porter, but, appearances can be deceiving. Blackout ABA is a light-medium bodied American ale rich in resinous and piny hop flavour. The dark malts used in this brew add a hint of chocolate and roasty characters that impart a complexity which make for a creamy and delicious pint with a big kick of hops. It is a 78 IBUs and 6.9% ABV.  

Tatamagouche Brewing Company released its collaboration with The Stubborn Goat Gastropub Horns over Hooves DIPA.

Thanks for joining me again this week and until next time enjoy responsibly.

Maritime Beer Report - January 9, 2015

Hello and welcome to the first report of 2015.

PEI Brewing Company released a new and improved Black Banks. It is named after an area in western PEI where the shore appears black from layers of peat moss. Black Banks Cascadian Dark Ale is deceptively dark. It's like a little lie in a glass. At first you might expect strong roasty /coffee aromas, but instead you'll get a snoot-full of bright citrus and tropical hop aromas gliding just above mild but rich chocolate and bread crust aromas. This new brew will be available in their retail area by January 13 on tap and in 473 mL cans at the PEI Brewing Company, the PEILCC locations and ANBL locations shortly after.

Big Tide Brewing Company released some interesting stats about 2014 production. They brewed and served the equivalent of close to 126,000 bottles of beer in 2014 including 26 different beer styles. They say Benedict Arnold Extra Special Bitter and Seaworthy IPA were the most popular.

Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault say as planned that Louis XVII amber that will be bottled next week. Look for that where its other beers are sold soon.

Grimross Brewing Company is brewing away at its new facility. Currently on tap at the Grimross Brewtique and Taproom is Belgian Blonde Ale, in the pipeline are Rye IPA and Pugnacious Porter and brewing Cheval D'or this weekend. Their plan is to building up beer inventory to have five beers on tap.

Hammond River Brewing is busy kegging a batch of Gammie California Common Ale, soon to be on tap in the area. They say Too Hop To Handle Double IPA is now on tap at The Barrel's Head Gastropub and Wine Bar and also Bourbon Quarter Restaurant & Bar. At 8.4% ABV and 162 IBUs it will surely keep you warm. They also have a new beer coming out which sounds delicious. It's a Breakfast Stout that will be 8% ABV and brewed with Oatmeal, lots of local Java Moose Coffee, and their own home smoked Bacon. look for it soon.

Picaroons Traditional Ales are doing something fun. They are brewing a batch of unfiltered Best Bitter on their old Brewtique system in Downtown Fredericton.  They are actually planning on doing all sorts of experiments on this system this year so look out for all sorts of beer.

The Pump House Brewery says that "Atlantic Canadian Brewery Awards" Gold Medal winning Biere de Garde will be on tap at all four ANBL growler fill stations starting yesterday. Great chance to try this award winner.

Railcar Brewing Company has had all kinds of different beers on tap looking for what people like. Recently they had on a Irish Dry Stout at 4% ABV and 37 IBU, American Amber at 4.5% ABV and 18 IBU and a Black IPA at 9.4% ABV and 55 IBU's. Also Mitch says that after being open for two months there are more Tanks are on the way hoping to make more beer for you this new year.

Trail Way Brewing Company has keggied the first batch of their session IPA. Low alcohol % for you can have a couple. They also say that a India Pale Ale is coming in the next few weeks. They say "At about 60 IBUs it will pack a nice bittering, but with just over 1.5 pounds of hops added to the last 10 mins of boil it will have plenty of flavour and aroma to complement"

Big Spruce Brewing has casked the home brew challenge winning ale. Bráthair Eric is Eric Gautier's winning entry in our American Wheat competition. It will be released next Thursday January 15th at the Local Connections Food and Craft Beer Festival in Halifax. Some casks may head to Stillwell.

Garrison Brewing Company says its Black IPA is back, but for the first time in 650ml ‪‎bombers‬. This is a hop forward beer that comes in at 6.2% ABV and 52 IBUs.

Hell Bay Brewing Company has their newest R.I.P.(A.) on for growler fills and say more Chocolat on the way also.

Propeller Brewing Company released their newest One Hit Wonder, Fly Time IPA and is available at their Prop Shoppes for Growler fills. It is an unfiltered IPA that is a heavily dry hopped lighter bodied brew with big hop Aroma. Fly Time is brewed to leave only a hint of residual sugar which accentuates the hop aroma and flavour. The blend of hops used during brewing and cellaring contribute fruity and earthy characters. The use of Pilsen malt adds a dimension of crispness unlike any other IPA brewed at Propeller. It is a 65 IBU and 6.3% ABV.

Schoolhouse Brewery says they are going to maintain their no delivery fee for Falmouth and Windsor growler deliveries. Go our their website to get the details.

Tatamagouche Brewing Company released their latest beer. Introducing Oyster Cloister, an Oyster Stout 5.3% ABV. The Oyster Cloister uses Malagash oysters in the making of this dry stout. Available in growlers and 650mL bottles at the brewery. Their first Tap Takeover is happening on January 16th at the The Board Room Game Cafe! There will be all of your ‪ favourites available in one place; Maple Squash Ale, RR#2 Lager plus 4 other brews.

Uncle Leo's Brewery has finished with the Cream Stout say there will be something new in a couple or three weeks that would be as dark as their Cream Stout.

This week Ladies Beer League had a successful membership launch at Rock Bottom Brewpub this week. Membership gives you discounts and other perks. Looking ahead to next week I will be at the Craft Beer & Local Food Celebration 2015 on Thursday, it was off the hook last year.

Thanks for all the support and until next time enjoy responsibly.

Maritime Craft Beer Outlook for 2015

This is the best information I could gather from public sources as well as a few tidbits from the brewers that were able to reply to me.

New Brunswick

As I normally do lets start in New Brunswick. Last year the province grew by five breweries and will grow again next year with at least two new breweries and several expansions. Distillerie Fils Du Roy who have been making world class spirits in Petit-Paquetville was set to start selling beer in 2014 but was not granted the necessary licence by ANBL, look for their Caraquet Flyer coming early this year. If they bring the same quality from their spirits to their beer we all have something to look forward to. 
Next stop is in Riverview where AWOL Brewery who tried a crowdfunding last year. After regrouping and winning 1st place in the 2014 Sjporr challenge they have been hard at work. January will see them ordering equipment and starting renovations on their new location. If all goes well look for the beer in second quarter 2015.
Picaroons new brewery in Fredericton North will come online this year. Until then it will be business as usual as far as year round beer and seasonals. Look for the odd cask, hopefully a collaboration or two and hopefully adding one more full time beer if the new brewery start up goes well.
Shiretown Beer says they have been having too much fun serving the New Brunswick, they do say they'll continue business as usual as they continue to fulfill the potential of their little brewhouse, believe it or not, still has room to grow. Seasonal and one off's will continue as usual. A few that you can expect this coming year are; Venezuelan Express porter, Hops on for Nowhere IPA, Black Currant Wheat, Honey House Ale and Runnin' down the Road Amber, They also have some great local wild blueberry's that they are real eager to use. 
Lastly one of 2014s start-ups, Hammond River Brewing, which opened in February and had to expand shortly after has a lot of exciting news for this year. They have a couple of collaborations planned, a Black IPA with Railcar Brewing, who announced expansion plans, and and one beer to be named later with Big Axe Brewing. Also, and more importantly, They are in the planning stages of expanding.  The plan is to move to a commercial space and have a 15bbl brewery. HRB says with the size of the size of the project, it's not going to happen overnight.

Prince Edward Island

Not a lot of news from PEI save one big item. A group are opening a new brewery in Charlottetown. I don't have a lot of details but look for Upstreet Craft Brewing coming in 2015.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia grew by by three in 2014 but could easily see double that in 2015. Starting in the Halifax area we have three new breweries. On Robie Street in central Halifax we have Wroughtiron Brewing who hopes to be opening in the spring assuming equipment supplier is on time and operational. For the first few months, they'll just be selling growlers and grunters out of their retail space and come summer, their taproom should be open. 
Around the corner on North Street master brewer Greg Nash and partners are opening a microbrewery called Unfiltered Brewing. It is a 15 bbl system and look for this one opening late second quarter.
Across the harbour look for a new brewery in Burnside with brewer Kellye Robertson, formerly of Garrison, at the helm. There will be more details coming out over the winter with an opening hopefully in early summer. 
Rounding out the province, in the Annapolis valley there are two groups working on breweries, neither of which I currently have a lot of details on. There are a few others working aroun the province but are somewhat doubtful for this year.
North Brewing are at least two expansions last year are planning another expansion in 2015. No details right now but I will keep you up to date.
Boxing Rock Brewing is the king of seasonals and after releasing five since September - Unobtanium Amber, Merci Biere Stillwell Anniversary Ale, The Darkness Cascadian Dark Ale, U-889 Russian Imperial Stout, and Blue Toboggan, they are working on two more seasonals to come out early in 2015.Boxing Rock  recently sent 40 kegs of beer to six locations in New Brunswick, and hope to keep that going.
The newly formed Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia is holding a Craft Beer Week in Nova Scotia from May 8th to the 17th. It is going to include many events including an open brewery day on May 9th and the flagship event on May 16th. 

This year is looking exciting in the Maritimes and I look forward to bringing it to you.