Hello and welcome to the March 27th edition of the Maritime Beer Report.
Upstreet Craft Brewing is looking for your help. They say they want to show the world how wise, quirky, insightful and hilarious Islanders are by printing “Islandism’s” under the cap of every beer they bottle and sell. They are calling it #UnderTheCap and they need you to help make it happen. Here’s how it’s going to work:
1) Dig deep in your brain to come up with the best Island phrases, advice, jokes, quirks or quotes you know. Try and keep it short.
2) Share your “Islandism” by commenting on Facebook or Instagram, or Tweet us using #UnderTheCap.
3) They will filter through the submissions and pick the best 250 to be featured #UnderTheCap.
Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault are commemorating, in their special way, the old Lancaster Bomber that's been an icon at the Québec-New Brunswick border for over 50 years. The Lanc will be moved to a museum in Alberta this summer. The "special edition" beer is a marvelous märzen, an amber lager brewed with a different type of yeast usually used by the brewers. The "Lancaster KB882" will be available in limited quantity at the Brewtique as of March 30th. It will also be available in select NB Liquor growler filling stations over coming weeks.
Hammond River Brewing was brewing the first summer seasonal, Hawaiian Pale Ale, brewed with fresh Pineapples. They also brewed season's last batch of Breakfast Stout. Lots of Coffee goodness from Java Moose, Oats, and Cacao Nibs. Even threw in a few eggs to make it complete. The home smoked bacon will be added once fermentation is complete. Finally 16 kegs of Switchback Brown Ale was delivered to the KV ANBL store for Growler fill ups starting yesterday.
Picaroons Traditional Ales' newest beer experiment has landed, Kelp on the Way.This dark and smokey ale has been brewed with a generous helping of real organic sugar kelp harvested off of the shores near St. George, New Brunswick, by way of Dr. Thierry Chopin of UNB Saint John. The Kelp is heavily blanketed by a strong malt backbone of roasted and smoked malts, and balanced out by a gentle hopping of Fuggles and Goldings hops. At 22 IBUs, and 5.8% ABV, it's like drinking a dark, malty, smokey beer, right after a cool brisk swim in the Bay of Fundy. It is available exclusively The Brewtique for Growler fills in Downtown Fredericton while supplies last.
Railcar Brewing Company is a little ahead of schedule and tell me they will be open tomorrow, Saturday, from noon to 10 pm for growler fills. Right now they will only have their Artisan Brown Ale on tap with more beers coming next week. Tasting room should be open in a couple weeks pending inspections.
Big Spruce Brewing was busy zesting 80 lemons and making the first ever lager in Big Spruce history. They're brewing a lemon zest infused Maibock today. It will be boiled and dry hopped on fresh lemon zest. Bavarian 2206 lager yeast is at the ready. Look for it during NS Craft Beer Week in May.
Another beer they are working on is a kettle soured, raspberry wheat coming this summer. It is described as tarty, fruity, complex and every bit what they are intending to brew for a very select and limited summer release. Big Spruce worked with Parks Canada, the Bell Museum, and the upcoming summer production of The Bells of Baddeck: The Alexander Graham and Mabel Bell Story to develop this beer based on a recipe right out of Alexander Graham Bell's notes. Lastly the collaboration between Big Spruce Brewing and Barnone Brewing, Island Conspiracy DIPA has been released and is now available in limited release.
Boxing Rock Brewing Company has released its La Rive Du Sud again, available in 650ml bottles and 1L growlers at their retail store in Shelburne and available in 1L growlers at the Halifax Seaport Market on Saturday. The Next Chapter Rye IPA is available at select ANBL stores, you lucky NBers get it while it lasts.
Garrison Brewing Company says get ready to pucker up. Their newest one off, a Cranberry Hibiscus Wit, coming in at 4% ABV with a wonderfully tart flavour. Available on tap at the brewery.
Granite Brewery released their India Pale Ale last week end in growlers from their brewery on Stairs Street. It is a British style IPA, hopped with Cascade and East Kent Goldings that is a 5.4% ABV and 45 IBUs beer.
Meander River Farm says that back by popular demand, their Smokey Chipotle Porter will be on tap this weekend alongside our new release Cider. Cider you say. Yes they are releasing Nova Scotia’s newest craft cider this weekend at their retail shop in Ashdale. From Meander River “Craft cider, like craft beer, is very popular right now. At the farm, we’ve always used the resources that are available to us seasonally; our pigs to till the land, our hops for the beer, and our lavender for our home and bath products. We live in an area of Nova Scotia where apples are everywhere, so why not make something delicious out of them?” said Alan Bailey, brewer and proprietor of Meander River Farm & Brewery.
The cider is made from a blend of valley apples and has clear Nova Scotia apple and citrus notes. It is dry with a crisp finish. 6.5% ABV. There are 200 litres of cider available for growlers fills from this small batch, the first of many.
A recent expansion in brewery tanks has allowed Bailey to not only brew more beer, but also add this
new cider to the product line. By bringing in two additional conditioning tanks, Meander River Farm & Brewery’s capacity has increased from 15,000 litres per year to 45,000 litres per year, approximately 330 litres per batch. Bailey will double production this coming summer season and triple production by summer 2017."
Propeller Brewing Company says another 4000 HL per year of capacity added to their Dartmouth brewery. Two new fermenters, both are 135 hectoliters (close to 40,000 bottles worth of beer each for perspective). The custom designed tanks were purchased from ABT (Allied Beverage Tanks Inc.) The new tanks will give them much needed additional capacity as they move into "beer drinking season". Growth in the craft beer segment has been exceptional in Nova Scotia over the past few years and it doesn't look like it's going to slow in the near future. Brands like their IPA and Organic Ale are leading the pack for growth. This addition was planned for when they moved into their new facility in 2013 and is the second tank addition, they added a 68 HL tank in 2014 since moving to their new home on Windmill Rd.
Sea Level Brewing are having their first Tap Takeover at The Board Room Game Cafe from March 25-28. They have 7 beers, including the newest batch of El Rojo Diablo.
Speaking of Tap takeovers, on May14th Bad Apple Brewhouse will be bringing a whole lot of beer and a cask to Toms Little Havana. I will bring the tap list when I hear it.
The Townhouse Brewpub & Eatery says every Friday they add a second house-brewed beer to the tap list, Terry's English IPA is on the second hand-pump tonight.
Thanks for joining me again this week, have a fantastic week and until next time, enjoy responsibly.
Thanks for joining me again this week, have a fantastic week and until next time, enjoy responsibly.
