Toast of the town

From micro-brewery to wine bars, Fredericton has plenty to ‘cheers’ about

Booze is big in Fredericton, and rightly so. Businesses like Picaroons have been scooping up awards and getting noticed. Last year, this micro brewery waltzed away from the Canadian Brewing Awards ceremony (held in Toronto) with the big catch – Brewery of the Year – and won several other awards including two gold medals for Timber Hog Stout and Best Bitter beers.

Mastermind Sean Dunbar and his team work very hard to get the community involved with their brand. For example, fans and friends have been invited to do everything from helping the Easter Bunny find painted kegs to coming up with a mug shot of their cat in aid of creating a label for Picaroons Melonhead beer.

Wine also shares the lamplight in Fredericton. Doug Williams at the Garrison District Ale House features the largest selection of specialty beer in the province, including exclusive products with exotic names like Affligem Dubbel, Don de Dieu and La Terrible. He’s always looking for new ways to engage customers, the most recent being a beer and food pairing with a certified cicerone (sort of a sommelier for beer).

A year ago he opened Up Wine Bar featuring varieties that most mortals rarely see. Right now he’s focused on summer wines and predicts that Deakin Estate Moscato from Australia (low alcohol, fruity, light, sweet, and easy on the pocket book) will be popular. Asked about his personal favourite (and most sexy win) Williams says, “I always reach for Pinot Noir. My current favourite is Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir from Dundee, Oregon. A bit on the pricy side but worth the splurge.”

The newest kid on the block is Meaghan Barry who opened a wine bar last July called Corked. She says, “Fredericton has the perfect downtown for places like these to thrive. There are thousands of people working within the three block radius. Each place provides a different experience – as they should – and this allows people to feel as though they’re living in a bigger urban center.”

Then there’s Frank Scott over at The Lunar Rogue Pub – arguably the hottest whisky joint in Canada – and a story for another time.

By Sandra Phinney