Bilingual brewing: N.L. and Miquelon craft breweries partner for new beer

A Newfoundland and Labrador brewery has teamed up with brewers in St-Pierre-Miquelon to produce what could be the firstcraft beer collaboration between Canada and France.

Sonja Mills, co-owner of Port Rexton Brewing Co., says when she first heard about la Brasserie Artisanale de l'Anse, she knew there was potential for a partnership.

"Collaborations are quite a wonderful thing of the craft beer industry. A lot of the breweries enjoy working together and forming partnerships for different special release beers," she said.

"Before we knew it, we were heading down to Miquelon to meet with the two owners."

Mills and Port Rexton Brewing co-owner and brewmaster Alicia MacDonald spent a full day developing the recipe in the spring with la Brasserie Artisanale de l'Anse brewmaster Gwenal Michel.

The Newfoundlanders broughtDanielle Ambs of tourism organization Legendary Coasts with them to act as translator, but MacDonald said there are some beer terms that can get lost in translation.

"Casting out, graining out, certain things like that are hard to translate," she said.

"There's no French word that she knew when we were trying to do conditioning of a beer, but we had a great laugh about it."

The pale ale was brewed in Port Rexton in the late summer, using mostly French ingredients.

"I would say it's malt-forward. The French malts really give it a distinct flavour," Mills said.

Typically, Port Rexton does American-style ales but French beer,we've never tackled before.- Alicia MacDonald

"There's a nice hop bitterness that balances it all together and stays with you to your next sip."

MacDonald said using the French ingredients made for a beer that is different from whatthey usually brew.

"Typically, Port Rexton does American-style ales," she explained,"but French beer, we've never tackled before."

'A great sharing experience'

The whole brewing process was anopportunity to share information and ideas, Mills said, one both breweries hope to continue.

"I think there's still some more learning to be had, we're talking about doing this again each year," she said.

"It was a great sharing experience."

The new beer sold out in Port Rexton's tap room on Thursday the same day it was released but Mills said they hope to bring more to their retail shop in St. John's next week.

A few hundred cans were also sent to St-Pierre-Miquelon to be sold there.

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