VANKLEEK HILL, ON – The list of breweries taking part in the 4th annual edition of International Gruit Day on February 1st has been announced, and a dozen Canadian breweries are among the participants.
Founded in 2013 by Beau’s All-Natural Brewing, International Gruit Day is “intended to raise awareness of and pay homage to the historical traditions of brewing with botanicals.”
In addition to Beau’s – debuting Tyrannosaurus Gruit, brewed with beets, hibiscus flowers, spruce tips, and juniper berries; and also pouring this year’s editions of Bog Water Gruit and The Bogfather Imperial Gruit – other breweries in Canada that will be releasing a limited edition gruit next Monday include:
- Bicycle Craft Brewery (Ottawa, ON) – Betula Birch, brewed with yarrow, birch leaves and gentian root
- Brasserie Harricana (Montréal, QC) – Saison des Allergies, brewed with carrots and goldenrod and aged in Chardonnay barrels
- Brasseurs du Monde (Saint Hyacynthe, QC) – L’Angelica, brewed with jasmine, yarrow and angelica
- Cassel Brewing (Casselman, ON) – Heather Legend, brewed with heather tips and sweet gale
- Church Key Brewing (Campbellford, ON) – I Am Gruit, brewed with mugwort and curaçao dried orange peel
- Dominion City Brewing (Ottawa, ON) – Meadow & Marsh Gruit Saison, brewed with fresh cranberry, sumac, dandelion and raspberry leaf
- Haliburton Highlands Brewing (Haliburton, ON) – Garden Gate, brewed with honey, yarrow, bog myrtle, and labrador tea
- Manantler Craft Brewing (Bowmanville, ON) – The Gruit Of All Evil, a black gruit ale
- Microbrasserie du Lac St Jean (St-Gédéon, QC) – Cache à Épices, brewed with a spice mixture that comes from the surrounding boreal forest
- Moody Ales (Port Moody, BC) – Wild Soured Hibiscus Gruit, brewed with mugwort and hibiscus
- Wellington Brewery (Guelph, ON) – Gruit Yourself, brewed with chamomile, mugwort, lemon balm, and lemon peel
Breweries from the United States and Europe will also be part of this year’s event. For more information, see the International Gruit Day website, and contact your local participating brewery to confirm release dates for their gruit.