Another Unity Brew!!!

The Alberta Craft brewers have once again joined their creative minds in a combined recipe. Last year they launched the idea through the efforts of Michelle Lowney at the Grizzly Paw and created a rye beer. This year was hosted by Neil Herbst of Alley Kat and the collaboration occurred on the 25th and the new amber ale will be released at the SHA-BAM beer festival in Edmonton October 15 and 16th.

Unity Brew 2010 was created with efforts from the brewers from: Wild Rose, Big Rock, Brew Brothers, Brewsters, Grizzly Paw, Roughneck, Jasper Brewing Co., Drummond, Yellowhead, Amber's and Alley Kat.

All the sales of the 650ml bottles will happen at select places in Alberta with the Kidney Foundation getting a lot of the proceeds.

Well done, again brewers!

Congrats Great Western and Bushwakker

The 2010 Canadian brewing awards have come and the winners were announced and there were a lot of great beers that won, but two Prairie boys took home some prizes.

Great Western out of Saskatoon took GOLD AND SILVER in the light lager (calorie reduced). Brewhouse Light took gold followed by Great Western Light in the silver position.

Regina boys, Bushwakker, took bronze in the German hefeweizen, wheat beer category for their summer wheat. This is a tasty wheat beer!

For a list of all the winners go to http://www.canadianbrewingawards.com/?p=60

http://www.greatwesternbrewing.com/ http://www.bushwakker.com/

Half Pints Seasonals

Half Pints in Winnipeg launched two seasonals on September 15th. Humulus Ludicrous is a double IPA playing on the Latin for hops (humulus lupulis) and using "a stupid amount of Centennial and Cascade hops". The second is their Oktoberfest. Using Munich malts and German hops, this lager is sure to put some "oomp" in your "oomp-pah-pah"

Half Pints on the Road

Half Pints brewery out of Winnipeg has decided to hit the prairie road in order to get their beer and name out there. The tour will start in Edmonton and is called "Dr. Half Pints and the Medicine Show. As stated on Half Pints website brewer's blog:

"After being in business for 4 years, we thought it was about time we took the show on the road. We get emails every day saying "we discovered your beer in X town" (not Winnipeg) "and we really wish we'd drank more then or brought more home". Fear not Half Pints lover's, cause we're bringing the Medicine Show to you!"

The tour dates are as follows: September 28 - Edmonton - Cask night at The Sugar Bowl

September 29 - Calgary at Kawa Espresso Bar

September 30 - Lethbridge at Andrew Hilton store

October 1 - Medicine Hat at Medicine Hat Beer Fest

October 2 - Regina at Brewer's Dinner at Beer Bros.

Alley Kat Pumpkin Pie

Edmonton's Alley Kat brewery will be launching its seasonal Pumpkin Pie ale next Friday, September 17th. The launch will be at the brewery and this beer has been released before and if it's the same recipe - it's a gooder. Goes well with Thanksgiving dessert, Halloween parties, walks in the autumn changing foliage, Fridays, Monday lunch breaks ....

http://www.alleykatbeer.com/

Brewster's Seasonal Dunkel

Brewster's Brew Pub chain has a dunkel seasonal out now - but not for very long. The Black Dog Dunkel is a dark brown lager with an aroma of caramel and toasted chocolate. Sounds great and tastes awesome. A great excuse to go out for dinner.

http://brewsters.ca/Beers/seasonal-brews/

Amber's New Website

Anber's Brewing of Edmonton has launched a new website and it looks great. Complete with ads for new coolers and a cinnamon and cardamon beer we have yet to try; it has it all. There's even a section where you can purchase your beer online! Cool.

http://www.ambersbrewing.com/

A Labour Day Classic?

Celebrate 25 years of Big Rock this weekend. As Big Rock turns the big 2 , 5 share in this celebration with one of their beers. They are marking the anniversary by highlighting their Traditional - a brown ale. "trad", as you would order it in Calgary, really is a great beer - one of my "go to's" at the pubs. Have one while you watch the Stamps beat the Eski's (or the Argos beat the cats for that matter)
http://www.bigrockbeer.com/index.php#/beer/traditional