Friday Wrap-Up – PEI Brewing Co has Grand Opening for New Location, 2014 CBAs to be held in Fredericton, and more

• This Saturday, May 18th, Prince Edward Island Brewing Co. will be celebrating the grand opening of their new location at 96 Kensington Road in Charlottetown. The event will feature live music all day, free hot dogs and sausages, “Beer 101″ with Mike Ross, and more. Brewery specials will include 1/2-priced brewery tours from 12:00 – 5:00, as well as special prices on cask beers. Afterwards, there will be a Hoss’s House of Beer event, with more live music, food and beer. Admission for the evening festivities will be 19+; tickets are 10$ and can be purchased at PEI Brewing Co. and Back Alley Music.

• The Canadian Brewing Awards held last week in Victoria, B.C. were a great success as usual, with several Atlantic Canadian breweries taking home awards. And in further good news for Atlantic Canadian beer fans, it was announced at the event that next year, the awards ceremony will take place in Fredericton! We’re looking forward to reporting on this over the next year, and anxious to see what else we can expect to see as a result (maybe another collaboration beer?).

• For those of you who can’t wait until June to have your first Grimross Brewing beer, there’s a way for you to get it sooner, AND support a good cause! On Friday, May 24th, “Love Your Balls” will be held at the iRock in Fredericton. Tickets are $20 and include all-you-can-eat spaghetti, a Grimross beer (while supplies last),  and music; the event will run from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. The Grimross beer should be either a Belgian Rye IPA or a 100% Brettanomyces beer. Proceeds will support Relay For Life and testicular cancer research; tickets can be purchased here.

• New Brunswick craft beer fans should be seeing two new Picaroons beers available in bottles over the coming weeks. Plaid to the Bone is a “Heather Ale” of ~4.5% ABV; this golden-colored beer brewed with heather was launched last night at a party at the Boyce Farmers Market. The other beer is 104th Regiment, an English Brown Ale that has been available on tap for the past couple of months in Fredericton at various bars. A sessionable beer at ~4.2%, it was originally brewed in February of this year in commemoration of New Brunswick’s 104th Regiment of Foot, from the War of 1812. Check your local ANBL stores over the next few weeks for availability!

• Tickets are now on sale, and the list of brewers and beers is now available for the 2013 NLC Beer Expo, being held at the St John’s Convention Centre, June 14&15. It features many beers not previously available in Newfoundland, some of which will be available at the NLC after the event. The $75 price tag includes a $10 taxi voucher to help get you home safe.

• The latest beer offering from the Beerthief Newfoundland Artisanal Beer Club is closing this weekend. It features five solid beers from Belgium, none of which have been available in Newfoundland (and most of the East Coast!) before. Saison Dupont, De Koninck, Houblon Chouffe, Duvel and Liefmans Goudenband are all on offer, and will be delivered to your local NLC in August. Mike and Tom are working overtime to bring great beer to Newfoundland, great work gentlemen! You can subscribe here.

• Big Spruce has brewed up their first seasonal. Details are sketchy, but we know it is a Red Ale that will be released around the end of the month. Their two regular offerings are now available at Maxwell’s Plum in Halifax.

That’s all the news for now. Enjoy your Victoria Day, and we’ll see you out on a patio some day soon. Cheers!

Picaroons holding Plaid to the Bone launch party tonight

Tonight, at the Boyce Farmers Market in Fredericton, Picaroons will be hosting a launch party for their “Heather Ale”, Plaid to the Bone. Originally brewed in 2012 for the New Brunswick Highland Games, Plaid to the Bone was named in a contest that Picaroons held on Facebook. A golden-colored beer brewed with heather, a flowering plant that grows abundantly in Scotland, Plaid to the Bone clocks in at a sessionable ~4.5% ABV.

There will be three bands playing live music at the event: THE MAHONES, Sprag Session, and Ten Strings and a Goat Skin. The event starts at 7:00 p.m.; early arrivals will have access to some local food provided by Real Food Connections. Tickets are $15, and can be purchased at the door.

Aside from the great music and grub, Plaid to the Bone will be available on tap, as well as Picaroons’ Dooryard, Best Bitter, and Irish Red.

All proceeds will go to The Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew Pipe Band.

More details on Picaroons’ “Brewer’s Bash” in July

In last week’s Friday Wrap-Up, we had a brief post about another upcoming beer festival in Fredericton – the “Brewer’s Bash“, hosted by Picaroons, will feature 60 Canadian breweries and 300 beers on Saturday, July 13th. The event will run from 11:00 am – 11: 00 pm in Officer’s Square; tickets went on sale today for $25. If this wasn’t enough to convince you to attend the event, we now have some more information to share, thanks to Dennis Goodwin, Marketing Director for Picaroons.

The $25 will get you a bracelet that allows admission and re-entry into the festival all day. There will be lots of food options IN the festival, if you choose not to leave. The ticket price includes a 4-oz tasting glass and 6-8 drink tickets that are good for one pour each. After that, you are welcome to buy as many additional drink tickets as you’d like to sample more beers… these will run in the “one-dollar range”. They also plan to have some live bands playing towards the end of the festival.

Some of the confirmed breweries (along with Picaroons, of course) include:

Central City Brewing

Phillips Brewing Company

Driftwood Brewery

Village Brewery

Yukon Brewing

Half Pints Brewing Co.

Bushwakker Brewing Co.

Flying Monkeys

Muskoka Brewery

Dieu Du Ciel!

Pump House

Garrison Brewing Co.

Granite Brewery

Propeller Brewing Co.

Quidi Vidi Brewing Co.

Some great breweries, there… and that’s just a few of them! We’ll release further details and a complete brewery list when they become available. Also, be sure to follow the Brewer’s Bash on Twitter and Facebook. Meanwhile, you can buy your tickets NOW online or at The Cedar Tree Cafe in Fredericton.

2013 Canadian Brewing Award Winners Announced, Several Atlantic Breweries Win Medals

The 2013 Canadian Brewing Awards Gala was held last night, and the winning beers were announced live in person and via livestream (jump to 5min unless you are a Dead Head). Congratulations to all of the winners, and especially to the Atlantic Canadian Winners:

- Acadie-Broue: Bronze in French and Belgian Style Saison (La Tintamarre)

- PEI Brewing Co: Silver in Wheat Beer – North American Style (Sir John A’s Honey Wheat Ale)

- Propeller Brewing Co: Silver in European Style Lager (Pilsner) (Bohemian Style Pilsener)

- Pump House Brewery: Silver in North American Style Amber Lager (Premium Lager), Bronze in English Style Pale Ale (Bitter) (Pail Ale) and Bronze in Fruit Beer (Blueberry Ale)

- Rockbottom Brewpub: Bronze in American Style Black Ale (Insidious IBA)

- Moosehead Breweries: Gold in North American Style Lager (Alpine Lager), Silver in North American Style Premium Lager (Moosehead Lager), Gold and Bronze in Light (Calorie-Reduced) Lager (Alpine Light and Cracked Canoe Premium Light Lager)

Friday Wrap-Up — Picaroons plans “Brewer’s Bash” for July, PEI Brewing’s Beach Chair Lager new package size, and more

Good morning, craft beer fans! Here’s the weekly craft beer news for your reading pleasure:

• Picaroons has just announced they will be holding a Brewer’s Bash on Saturday, July 13th in Officer’s Square in Fredericton. From 11 am-11 pm, this “Canadian Craft Beer Celebration” will involve 60 Canadian breweries  pouring 300 beers. Advance tickets will cost $25, and go on sale May 14th on the event’s website. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available!

• PEI Brewing Company‘s flagship beer, Beach Chair Lager, is now available in a new package size. When originally released in March of 2012, the beer was available in the larger, 473 mL can format only. Responding to customer requests, the brewery is now producing the beer in 355 mL cans as well. Look for both 6-pack and 12-packs of this size at local PEILCC and ANBL stores, as well as NSLC outlets for the first time, starting this week.

• Pump House Brewing has won two awards in the 9th annual Calgary International Beerfest, which was held last weekend. Both the S.O.B. and their seasonal Doppelbock won bronze medals. Congratulations, Pump House!

• We had the chance to drop by Big Spruce this week, and saw that they were expanding their hop field by about 300%. Still the best view from a hopfield I’ve ever seen! And they are brewing like mad men to keep up with demand from their draft clients all across the province. Keep up the great work!

• The Halifax breweries were all represented at the Local Connections “Meet Your Local” Spring Gala last night at the Halifax Club. Bridge Brewing, Garrison Brewing and Propeller Brewing were joined by food truck Nomad Gourmet and Ratinaud French Cuisine in the Craft Brewer’s Party Room.

• Several of our local breweries will be represented at the Canadian Brewing Awards, being held this weekend in Victoria, BC. Check out their gala (viewable by direct stream) Saturday at 10pm. Good luck to all of the brewers!

It’s beginning to look like patio weather, so be sure to get out and support your local brewpub and breweries. Cheers!

Garrison Brewing and Picaroons to participate in national beer collaboration

This weekend, the 11th annual Canadian Brewing Awards will be held in Victoria, B.C. Aside from the usual judging and awarding of medals to various styles of beers entered by many professional breweries across the country, those running the CBAs decided to try something new: Canada’s first ever national beer collaboration.

Involving 25 different Canadian breweries across 7 provinces, this brew will include an ingredient from each brewery that represents the region where they are located. The style is an Imperial Witbier named “Red and White Wit”. When the beer is released in early June, it will be available only on draft in the Victoria area. All proceeds will be donated to a charity that will be announced in the near future.

Garrison Brewing from Halifax, Nova Scotia and Picaroons from Fredericton, New Brunswick will be representing the Atlantic provinces. Garrison Brewing has posted on their Facebook page that they will be contributing 4 kg of Nova Scotia honey from Smeltzer’s. We are not yet sure what ingredient Picaroons will be bringing to the mix.

The actual brew day will take place at Phillips Brewing Co. on Friday, May 10th.

Red Rover Brewing Company – A new cidery coming to Fredericton…

There’s another new craft brewery in the works for New Brunswick! However, this one will differ significantly from the other start-ups in the area – Red Rover Brewing Company will be brewing cider. Owned by Adam Clawson and Nicola Mason, both originally from Leeds, England, Red Rover ciders should be available to the public by late 2013/early 2014. Adam and Nicola plan on opening their cidery in the Fredericton area. I recently met with Adam and Nicola to find out more about their plans for Red Rover.

Can you tell me about how this all started for you? With so many new beer breweries popping up, what gave you the idea of brewing cider professionally?

We grew up with a great selection of ciders and beer and were excited to see what would be on offer in Atlantic Canada. When we arrived in Fredericton five years ago, we discovered a number of really tasty craft beers, but couldn’t find any cider. Once we began to brew our own and started to share it with friends we realized that we weren’t the only ones who missed being able to order a pint of cider at the bar. Those people and others who were new to the drink showed great enthusiasm for it – that was what finally encouraged us to try and brew it professionally.

Do you have a history of homebrewing beer and/or cider?

Yes, we have been brewing both cider and beer for a number of years. Our favorite home-brewed beers are IPAs and Stouts, and we enjoy the challenge of making different types of cider. Although styles have changed slightly as we move from a homebrew to professional setup, the concept has stayed the same: producing a great craft beverage from local, fresh-pressed juice.

What types of cider do you plan on brewing/distributing, and can you tell me a little about them?

We will eventually be releasing three main styles. They are yet to be officially named, but they are brewed to complement three of the four seasons: Spring, Summer and Fall. With the spring comes a fresh, crisp feel in the air; this is reflected in the sweet, crisp flavor of the first cider. Our second cider is dry, fruity and refreshing – perfect for a hot summer’s day. As the season changes, our final style is brewed with spices to warm on the cool fall evenings. We haven’t forgotten about winter and have something extra-special in the works. In addition to regular batches, we plan to produce a series of one-off releases throughout the year, incorporating other seasonal fruits.

What are your plans for distribution?

For the first year, we plan to be distributing in kegs only, at local restaurants and bars. We’ll be brewing two 500 litre batches per month, and probably concentrate on one or two types (sweet cider and dry cider) for the first while. We already have some restaurants/bars confirmed to carry the product, with others definitely interested… it’ll probably be around ten spots that will be serving our ciders for the first year.

Where will you be sourcing your apples?

All of our apples will come from orchards in the Saint John River Valley. As we have gone through the process of planning our business, it has always been clear that we wish to be a local business supporting local growers.

What are some of your favorite apple varieties to use in cider?

The best cider is brewed using more than one apple; we like the golden colours that Macs add to the blend. It’s also important to balance sweet with sharp, so we sometime include a tangy variety called Paula Red.

Have any local brewers helped in the process of getting started?

Yes, Sean Dunbar [of Picaroons] has been a great supporter from the start, with all the aspects of the tangled web that is alcohol production in the Maritimes.

Do you currently have a location for your cidery?

We have been searching for the last year to find a suitable location. We intend to eventually have a property that reflects our local, quality product, such as a heritage building or Dutch barn.

What type of brewing equipment do you plan on having initially?

We intend on having a Spidel hydropress and associated crusher for extracting the juice, and also up to 20 1kL storage vessels for pre-fermented juice, along with an additional five 0.5kL fermenting and racking conical vessels.

Cider brewing generally takes longer to result in a finished product than most beer styles. For your regular-release styles that you plan on releasing, roughly how long will this take per batch?

From juice to lips, the process takes about 2-3 months to mature to a fuller flavour. We will be releasing it at this period, although it is possible to mature it for up to a year or more. Within the next few years, we hope to be producing limited batches which have been matured for 6-12 months.

From whom have you learned the most in respect to brewing?

In terms of general production, Sean Dunbar created the craft scene in Fredericton and we’re glad to be able to learn from that. In terms of cider production specifically, one name above all others comes to mind: Andrew Lea. A retired research scientist who spent the majority of his career studying most aspects of cider, his work has been invaluable to the new generation of cider makers.

You had several free tasting sessions in 2012. Will these continue in 2013, and if so, how does one attend them?

We are currently maturing our first large-scale batch for tastings to be held throughout the summer. The best way to attend a session is to sign up to the mailing list on the website.

What will make Red Rover different from other breweries?

We don’t do Beer! But, in all seriousness, our product will be produced from 100% NB ingredients, will be gluten-free, and be able to be enjoyed by both beer and non-beer drinkers alike.

I notice that you list Red Rover as a “microbrewery”, and not a cidery. Do you have any plans to expand beyond cider?

Not for now.

Are you planning any fundraisers or merchandise sales to help generate income for the brewery?

Very soon people will be able to become a supporter of the brewery; this involves a special choice of t-shirts tailored to the local area. There will also be other items available for purchase, including some more unconventional swag… but people will have to check the website in the coming months.

We’re looking forward to when Red Rover ciders will be available at local bars and restaurants in the area, and wish Adam and Nicola the best of luck with the rest of the start-up process! We will continue to post updates on their progress. Also, follow them on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up on their mailing list to be informed of upcoming tasting sessions.