Mmmmm, bakeapple beer: Newfoundland berries find their way into Halifax mugs

Jeremy Taylor has traded in his rugby shirt for a brewmaster'sapron andberries from Newfoundland and Labrador are his secret ingredient.

Taylor, originally from Vancouver, found himself living in St. John's"about 15 years ago, and probably 50pounds ago," he joked to CBC's St. John's Morning Show.

He playedfor the Rock rugby team for a couple of years, before heading back to Vancouver.

Hopefully the beer does the berries justice, because they really are incredible.- Jeremy Taylor

When one of histeammates, Peter Smith, moved to Vancouver, the two men reconnected, and became closer friends coincidentally, said Taylor, as he was starting to learn how to brew beer.

"I think because he just wants free beer from me," he said.

Smith, from Conception Bay South, suggested usingRubus chamaemorus also known as the bakeapple in a beer, and the two men experimented with different types of brews and recipes.

When Taylor moved to Halifax two years ago to open Two Crows Brewery, he knew what he needed for the grand opening in January 2017. And that's where Smith's dad Paul, an avid outdoorsman, came in.

"When he opened his brewery in Halifax last year, one of the opening features was this bakeapple beer, and it was quite popular," Paul Smith told CBC.

Indeed, said Taylor, who had brewed 80 litres of a beer he called "Cloud 9," after another name for bakeapples: the cloudberry. He credits the berry's "unique, incredible" flavour.

"It was really, really popular. It sold out within the weekend, and people just loved it," Taylor said.

Bigger berry brew

Ask Paul Smith what happened next, and he'll say Taylor asked him for more berries.

"He wanted to do a bigger brew for this year," said Smith.

Taylor's version differs somewhat, saying the Smiths bugged him to pin down the amount of bakeapples he'd need to do a big batch, with Taylor reluctant to do so because he knew Paul Smith would work hard toget whatever he needed.

The berry has a short picking season, and is more susceptible to frost, wind and rain than other, sturdier berries.

Either way, Smith picked around 50 pounds ofbakeapplesa few days worth of work onthe Witless Bay Line, and along Cape Shore and the Southern Shore.

There's now a 500-litre batch that will sit for three or four months in the barrel, and then another couple of months in the bottle, said Taylor.

"It's a slow process, but I'm really hoping it'll be worth it," he said. "Hopefully the beer does the berries justice, because they really are incredible."

Happy to help

Smith said he was just happy to help.

"It's encouraging to know that somebody's going to get the benefit," he said.

"It's probably bringing attention to this province, even though it's in Nova Scotia, and that's good."

Maybe Smith will even cap off a hard day's work berry-picking next year with a glass of the beer he helped create.

"I'm not a big beer drinker, but I guess I will get a sampling of it," he chuckled.

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