Moosehead’s Small-Batch Brewery Wins Three Awards

Moosehead’s small-batch brewery has been open for less than a year but is already getting national attention.

Three of its brews were named winners at the 17th annual Canadian Brewing Awards in Toronto last weekend.

Sugar Bush Black Lager won gold in the “Special Honey/Maple Lager or Ale” category, Ten Penny Stock Ale won silver in the “English Style Pale Ale” category and Prairie Honey Wheat took home bronze in the “Special Honey/Maple Lager or Ale” category.

Small batch brewer David Pearn said bringing home this much hardware in their first year is impressive.

“They’re definitely good for business,” said Pearn of the awards. “It raises awareness about what we’re trying to do and it definitely brings some new customers in and shows that were pretty good at what we do.”

Pearn said business has been good at the west Saint John brewery, which opened its doors in June 2018.

He said they have brewed 25 different beers so far and have many new ones coming up soon.

“One that I’m really looking forward to — it should be available in the next couple of weeks — is a Dry Hop Sour,” Pearn said. “It’s nice and tart and really fruity and hoppy. I think it’s going to be a pretty outstanding beer.”

Pearn said the craft beer industry is growing exponentially in New Brunswick with breweries “popping up all over the place” over the past couple of years.

He said there are several things which can draw customers to breweries like theirs.

“You know you’re going to get the beer as fresh as possible when you come to the brewery. Where we have a lot of different options and something new all the time, it’s almost like it’s a different experience every time you come in.”

Three other New Brunswick breweries also took home hardware from the Canadian Brewing Awards, including the Foghorn Brewing Company in Rothesay, which won bronze in the “English Style Pale Ale” category for their Golden Grover.