The Craft Beer industry in New Brunswick hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. It continues to grow, with more breweries popping up, and existing breweries expanding regularly. We keep lists of them, we know. So what happens when you get them twenty-four different breweries together for one big collaborative brew? We’re going to find out on February 16th at Foghorn Brewery in Rothesay.
Craft brewers from across New Brunswick are joining the team at Foghorn Brewing for the first province-wide collaborative brew. While we’d like to imagine it being a massive blending of flavours in the style of a witches brew that would allow us to discern the definitive flavour palette of New Brunswick’s craft beers, it’s really a ‘Collaboration Pale Ale’.
That authentic New Brunswick flavour will, however, come from a healthy dose of locally sourced hops, including Darling Island, Southan, and Moose Mountain. The brewery describes the pale ale as “an approachable 5.5% ABV American Pale Ale, a popular style that all participating brewers could easily agree on.”
“For an industry that’s grounded in creating amazing social situations, we sure don’t get together as a group” says Andrew “Esty” Estabrooks, partner and brewer at Foghorn Brewing.
“Lloyd and I were talking about the upcoming Fredericton Craft Beer Festival and the idea of doing a commemorative beer came up. I figured, why not put the offer out to everyone to participate. The response has been incredibly positive.”
Lloyd Chambers, co-founder of Fredericton’s Craft Beer Festival says that he couldn’t agree more.
“It’s amazing the degree of interest we’ve seen since we started this project” he claims. “It’s truly a testament to the strength and growth of the New Brunswick Craft Beer industry, but also how excited everyone gets when Esty puts a call out to contribute to a special collaboration such as this.”
The beer is being produced and canned in anticipation of the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival on March 10th, 2018 at Fredericton’s Trade and Convention Centre, but will be made available at select ANBL locations prior to the festival.
Participating breweries in the project include Foghorn Brewing Company, Hammond River Brewing, Long Bay Brewery, Bootstrap Brewing, First City Brewery, Loyalist City Brewing Co., Big Tide Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Trailway Brewing Co., Mamas Brewpub, Graystone Brewing, Maybee Brew Company, Grimross Brewing, Niche Brewing, Halfcut Brewing Co. , Big Axe Brewery, Off Grid Ales, Think Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, Pumphouse Brewery, Flying Boats Brewing, Acadie-Broue, Railcar Brewing Company, and Bogtrotter Craft Brewery.