Wednesday, September 10, 2014

We're open!!!

Please check out our new website at www.squaretimber.com

Cheers!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

We've been asked several times to explain what are beer names mean so here goes!

Timber Crib Pale Ale: 
We've been brewing this beer for many years and it's still going strong!
The Ottawa River was the easiest way of transporting logs from the Ottawa Valley to Quebec, using timber cribs or rafts. Huge logs were squared in the bush and then assembled into cribs, on the river.  Each crib would consist of about 25-30 logs. Then the cribs, up to 100 of them, were then joined together into a long raft.  These rafts were where the lumbermen lived during their long journey down the river to Quebec City. These trips could take 1 or more months depending on many factors including the size of the rafts, weather, etc.  

Cant Hook IPA:

A cant hook is a traditional logging tool with a wooden handle and a metal hook at one end.  They are used for handling and moving logs.

Whippletree Extra Pale Ale:
A whippletree is a swinging wooden crossbar that is attached to the traces of a horse to pull logs, plow, carriage, etc.


Big Pine IPA:
Not much to say about this one, except our Pines are big.

Crosscut Stout:
A crosscut saw is designed for making cuts horizontally through a log. They can be used for cutting either standing trees (felling saw) or already downed trees (buck saw).

Deacon Seat Hefeweizen:
A deacon seat was a half log bench running the length of the bunkhouse.  It is rumoured to get it's name from the travelling deacons who would use the bench to preach to the lumbermen.


Saison Des Chutes:
In some parts of the Ottawa River, rapid or falls would hinder the progress of the timber cribs.  The crews built slides or chutes for the logs to travel through in order to continue their journey downriver.  One of the more famous chutes was the Chutes Coulonge in western Quebec, not far from our location.

Big Pine IPA:
Not much to say about this one, except our Pines are big.

Pointer Boat Porter:
Pointer boats were designed by John Cockburn and built in Pembroke, ON from the1850s to the late 1960's. They were used in the logging trade on the Ottawa River and helped the loggers guide their timbers down the Ottawa River.  These long boats were famous for their ability to travel in very shallow water because of it's flat bottom.  The pointer boats were double ended so it didn't matter which way the boat was facing and the men could still do the job at hand.  They could carry up to 8 men and still only need 5" of water.

Valley Blu:
Just the name for our Blueberry Wheat.

Crooked Pine IPA:
A variation on our Big Pine IPA with different dry hops.

Little Trees Little Beer:
This is a low alcohol beer at 2.5% so we thought it should have a little name.

Spile Driver Maple IIPA:
A spile is a small spout used to take the sap from a Maple Tree.  They are now generally made of metal or plastic and are hammered into the tree after the hole has been drilled.  A bucket hangs off them to catch the sap dripping from the tree.  

Shack Maple Brown Ale:
The Sugar Shack is where the Maple Syrup is made. mmm...maple syrup.

Mhailpe Maple Irish Red:
Mhailpe is the Gaelic (Irish/Scottish) word for maple.

Belgian Waffle (Maple Belgian Strong Ale):
This is a Belgian strong ale made with maple sap.

Matrimonial(kāk) Stout
Our favourite dessert is Matrimonial Cake.  Where we grew up (in Saskatchewan) this is what we called date squares.  We believed if we could make a beer that tasted like that, we'd would win life.  So far, so good.






Tuesday, August 21, 2012

We're Baaaaack!

Wow.  Here we are.  Back from the presumed dead!  There are no good excuses as to why we've been away for so long.  Let's just say "it's a long story" and move on from there.

The past few years have been difficult ones but we are back and ready to get this brewery off the ground.  Roll up the sleeves and all the rest of the metaphors you want.  We want to get this project moving again and are ready to do it.  One this we have been doing since our last post is brew beer.  We have brewed a tonne of beer.  We've been perfecting out flagship beers as well as experimenting with new ones all the time.  We will be launching a website soon in order to increase our web presence.

Not much else to say right at this moment but we promise to keep you all up to day as often as we can.

Cheers!

Square Timber Brewing Company

Monday, August 24, 2009

We are going to the Great American Beer Festival!

We have finalized our travel plans to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO Sept 24-26. There will be over 400 breweries from across the US serving over 2000 beers!! Yes, I said 2000!! Watch for updates here and on Twitter during the weekend. We are also attending a very special event on the Friday afternoon. We are in full support of "Pints for Prostates" which raises awareness encourages men to have regular prostate health screenings and PSA tests. My father is a Prostate Cancer survivor and a very close friend of ours is currently in the fight of his life against this awful disease (Go Mac!). What better way to contribute to this cause than buying a pint or two??

We are very excited about our trip to Denver and we'll tell you all about it.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Tweet-l-dee!

We have been tweeting for sometime now and plan to do more in the upcoming months, especially when we go to GABF in September. You can see our 5 latest tweets on the right side of this page or you can follow us on our Twitter page. Please join us!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

We're Baaack!

Hello everyone. I know it's been a long time since our last post, but we've been super busy doing a bunch of different things from wrapping up the music biz to building the mega-deck and screened porch on the house. There has also been some golf, fishing and a bit of camping thrown in for fun. :) We will be regulars here from now on so keep checking in on us.

Thanks for your patience over the last 6 months and here's to the future!!!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Hello to some and farewell to others...

I know, it's been way too long since my last post. I was away for most of January and February and was very busy with my other job. If this is the first time you visit our Square Timber Brewing Company blog, Welcome! As some of you may know, I am full-time touring musician with the April Verch Band and we are always on tour. In the last few years we've averaged 250 days a year on the road and it has hampered somewhat my work on the brewery. But, as some of you also know, I am retiring from the band at the end of this next tour, on May 5. I guess this could be considered my farewell tour. :) It has become too difficult working on opening this brewery while being on the road away from home so much. I'm really looking forward to being home and getting the brewery off the ground. So, if you happen to live in an area where we are touring for the next couple of months (AB, Australia, MN, IA, MO) come out and see the show as it will most likely be the last time you see me on stage. Well, that's not quite true because we plan on putting a small stage in the taproom and you might see me on that one, but you know what I mean.

As for the brewery work... We have spent a considerable amount of time working on the numbers (rev/exp projections, construction budget, etc) and are still lining all of our ducks up in a cute little row. We are trying to get a lot of different pieces into place at the same time. I guess normally they would go in sequence but given our situation we are having to work on the simultaneously. No shortage of work, that's for sure.

One of the pieces we are working on is a "survey" of sorts with local licensees to gauge interest and sales potential. I have already met with a couple of people and the excitement level is very high, to say the least.

So, stay tuned. We have more exciting news to announce shortly but can't let the cat out of the bag just yet. Take care.

ps. we extended the time to vote in our poll to the day I retire from the band. PLEASE VOTE! :)