Uncorking the #FredTapTrail
Since 1995, Fredericton has been home to craft breweries offering New Brunswickers full-flavoured beer in an ever expanding list of styles and producers. Today, over 25 local craft alcohol producers call Fredericton home, 11 of which in partnership with the Fredericton Tourism came together to offer you everything you need for an adventure-filled, beer-and-cider-infused, cultural week(end) in the Capital.
The best place to start planning your Fredericton Taproom Trail trip is online. Check out the map and photos and choose your accommodations. The Southside and Northside both have good options for walking, but I chose to stay downtown at the Crowne Plaza Lord Beaverbrook to take advantage of easy access to The Joyce, which regularly features over 30 New Brunswick craft taps. The Joyce is also the pickup location for your #FredTapTrail t-shirt, which you can collect after receiving 8 stamps on your passport.
For the sake of covering all of the breweries in this post, samples were taken at each location. It is recommended that you spread your taproom adventure over several days or a couple of weekends to fully enjoy it. Don’t forget to drink responsibly.
Read on for my tips for making the most of your #FredTapTrail experience.
TIP #1 - Plan Your Attack
Once you have your map in hand, take a few minutes to figure out where you want to visit and when. I decided to plan on a walking day and a cab day. Renting a bicycle is a fun option with many breweries easily accessed by the trail network.
My first stop was Maybee Brewing Company where I was warmly greeted by the team. Paul, Mitch and John offered up big smiles and poured my first flight of the trail. I was so excited chatting with them, and destroying three tacos from Gastrognomes paired with the Lazy River Lager, that I forgot to get my Tap Trail stamp. Guess I’ll have to go back ;) Maybee also features a rotating guest tap that is worth checking out. They plan to feature brews that are a bit harder to come by in Fredericton.
Next I popped up to Grimross, known for their Belgian influence and live music. They invited me to tap a keg of cask conditioned Hop Blonde, super tasty after spending time ageing with nectarines. Fredericton taprooms are pulling out all the stops when it comes to hospitality and creativity to continue sharing their love of good beer and cider.
Third stop of the day, and the first one I remembered a stamp for, was York County Cider. A flight of ciders and a chat with Ed on the deck was great. York County is playing with all kinds of flavoured and infused ciders, many are limited editions. My favourite was definitely the Ginger Peach, a sweet and spicy concoction.
TIP #2 - Plan your Meals
I saw food trucks parked at Maybee, Trailway, Grimross, York County Cider, and Graystone, all delicious and all offering the perfect beer (or cider) pairing snacks and meals. While stops like King West, Gahan, Red Rover and Picaroons all have restaurants on site.
I checked into the hotel before my dinner at Mama’s Brew Pub and had a few minutes to kill so wandered down to The Joyce to order a half pint of Niche Grisette. This is a style I’m only just becoming familiar with and hope to see more of.
Final stop of the night was dinner at Mama’s Brew Pub. The Pub has been around for over 20 years, but 5 years ago the current owner decided to expand the business by adding a brewery. They’ve been brewing steadily and now have 7 or 8 beers available on the regular. I enjoyed a full flight with the Beef Dip, one of my favourite pub meals.
TIP #3 - Plan your ride
Calling it an early night I called a cab and made my way back across the river. Tomorrow is a big day. Most breweries downtown are walkable and the Bill Thorpe walking bridge makes Picaroons Roundhouse easy to visit.
TIP #4 - Work up a thirst
Fredericton has an amazing riverside trail network that you can use to visit many of the taprooms on the trail. Second Nature Outdoors is an adventure operator offering guided paddling excursions and bicycle rentals. Fredericton is also home to the popular Fredericton Beer Run that usually takes place during the New Brunswick Day long weekend.
I’m more of a runner than a cyclist, so I decided to start the morning with a quick (short, not fast) jog across the bridge to Picaroons. Their huge outdoor beer garden allows for plenty of guests to enjoy pints and flights at the water’s edge.
With my morning exercise out of the way I was ready to sample Fredericton’s downtown taprooms. It’s going to be a full day!
TIP #5 - Pace yourself and drink water
There are many breweries coming up, so bring a water bottle with you. By staying hydrated, planning your taproom trail experience over multiple days and taking breaks between beer and cider stops, you’ll be able to enjoy yourself much more.
King West Brewing has been making beer for a couple years, paired awesomely with their neapolitan-style wood-fire pizzas. They now offer 10 house-made brews along with a cider brewed only for them.
Next up was a quick stop at Graystone Brewing. Best known for their Patagonia series of beers, I really enjoyed their blueberry sour and smoky red ale on their sunny patio.
Lunch was at Gahan Riverside, my first time there and definitely not the last. They offer upscale pub food and a selection of oysters on the half shell. Their back courtyard is a hidden gem definitely worth discovering. I decided to try a flight of their seasonal beer, with the Juicy IPA being a perennial favourite of mine.
TIP #6 - Track your favourites
Using an app like Untappd allows you to keep track of what you love. It will also send you notifications about beer you might like in the area and where to get it. It’s a popular social beer platform that already has many users and verified venues for your drinking pleasure. If you want to see my ratings for all the beers I tried, follow me on Untappd @Gillerz.
My next stop was at The Cap, Fredericton’s newest nanobrewery with two house brews on tap. Part record store, part music venue, part brewery, this is a spot worth checking out. Plenty of outdoor seating on two patios and live music regularly.
Making my way back to the hotel, my final stop before dinner was The Red Rover Ciderhouse. They have a great selection of ciders made by Red Rover and Coastliner. Another flight of deliciousness which included Hedgerow, a strawberry rhubarb cider, that screams New Brunswick.
I went back to the hotel to catch a quick nap before meeting friends for dinner at The Joyce. I finally tried the Big “Mac”Leod, a house version of a popular fast-food burger with a similar name. There is nothing better than a fresh ground beef burger cooked to medium, so good.
On Sunday, I woke excited to visit the final taproom on the trail. Aptly named, Trailway Brewing, specializes in hazy, full-flavoured IPAs. Very popular among locals, the patio was already filling up when I arrived a few minutes before noon.
Two new brews I was looking forward to trying were Throwin’ Blueberries, conditioned for six months on wild blueberries, and Candlepin Lager. Both are delicious deviations from their traditional brewing lineup.
TIP #7 - Don’t forget your swag
There are fun prizes available for you if you complete the Taproom Trail. After 8 stamps you get a t-shirt, and after you collect all, you can enter into the grand prize draw!
One thing that came up over and over as I spoke with owners, brewers, taproom managers and brewery staff was a forward-looking mindset that will help this industry through these changing times.
After hitting so many fabulous taprooms and restaurants I called it an early night but for those looking to keep the party going, some taprooms stay open until midnight with events and live music. Make sure to visit each taproom’s website and social media pages to plan your route and make the most of your #FredTapTrail Trip.
Gilliane Nadeau is the president of Uncorked Tours, a New Brunswick food tourism company specializing in group tastings and experiences featuring local beer, wine, cider and spirits. Follow her on untappd @Gillerz and on Instagram @gillianenadeau.
