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Alexander Keith’s brewery unveils Highlands-inspired cans
New Keith’s cans inspired by Cape Breton Highlands.
The Cape Breton Highlands is often described as one of the most enchanting places in Canada.
And now those twisting roads and green rolling hills are featured on a new beer can.
Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery has depicted Cabot Trail scenery on its new pilsner beer logo.
The Highland Pils brew launched about two weeks ago
as a tribute to the brewery’s namesake and its Nova Scotia heritage.
“A lot of what I do at the brewery is about celebrating Nova Scotian community,” said Keith’s brewmaster Stefan Gagliardi.
“We wanted to do something to highlight our heritage, the brewery and the province.”
Gagliardi said the Halifaxbased brewery is one of the oldest in North America that creates both traditional and modern beers.
As part of Alexander Keith’s legacy, the brewery founder is remembered as being a former Halifax mayor, a freemason and entrepreneur.
Keith immigrated to Canada in 1817 and founded his brewing company three years later.
“Mr. Keith moved from the Highlands of Scotland to Nova Scotia, made this his home, and then he shaped history in doing so,” said Gagliardi.
“We chose to use the Highlands that we have in Cape Breton to represent his home country.”
Gagliardi’s recipe for the suds is based on a Czech Republicstyle pilsner with a Scottish influence and modern twist.
“We used Scottish malts, we used traditional hops, but then we also went and found a modern descendant of Czech Republic saaz that has interesting flavours and it’s called motueka hops — and what that makes is a nice, bright, floral lager with some nice lime mojito hop notes balanced with a crispy breadycracker lager fast finish.”
Highlands Pils beer is brewed on site at their Oland’s brewing facility will be available on a yearround basis.
Gagliardi said beer sales have been pretty good to date.
“The numbers are starting to roll in and we’re pretty happy so far,” he said.
“We wanted to reach out to the folks in Cape Breton and give them something their own that was Alexander Keith’s and that was part of the naming.”
Alexander Keith’s Brewery is owned by Labatt Brewing, which falls under the umbrella of Anheuser-Busch InBev — the biggest brewing company in the world.