The pursuit of hoppiness
Craft Beer Attraction takes over St. John’s Curling Club
When 10-time Tely 10 champ Colin Fewer travels off the island to compete in a road race, he makes a point of seeking out and sampling the best local craft beers, oftentimes trying to ferret some back to the province to share with friends.
When 10-time Tely 10 champ Colin Fewer travels off the island to compete in a road race, he makes a point of seeking out and sampling the best local craft beers, oftentimes trying to ferret some back to the province to share with friends.
“There’s some delicious stuff out there if you’re open to trying it and developing your pallet,” Fewer said Friday night at the Craft Beer Attraction put off by the NL Artisanal and Craft Beer Club.
“I like a very well-balanced (India Pale Ale) and there’s lots of IPAS out they’re not all made the same. I’ve been lucky enough to sample some of the best made in the world and I’m coming here looking to see who’s getting close to those beers.”
Proof that Fewer is not alone in his appreciation for craft beer were the hundreds who attended the Friday and Saturday night grand tasting events to sample 128 types of beer from 40 craft breweries and microbreweries from North America and Europe.
Among them was Newfoundland’s own Port Rexton Brewing Co., which was debuting a new barrel-aged version of their Mixed Opportunity saison.
“Our beer is still very difficult to access because we’re so small as a brewery, you either have visit us at the brewery or catch some of our beer on tap at a handful of restaurants downtown,” said Sonja Mills, who co-owns the brewery with Alicia Macdonald.
“We’re really excited to be here and get our beer out to a ton of people in St. John’s who love and appreciate craft beer.”
Mills believes many Newfoundlanders beer fans already have a taste for unique products and have been waiting patiently for the province’s craft brewery industry to catch up. “Give it a couple of years and there’s going to be so many more breweries,” she said, noting the dozens of small-scale breweries coming to community across the province. “You’re going to be able to leave St. John’s and visit breweries all across the island until you hit Port Aux Basques or up to St. Anthony.”