CALGARY, AB – It appears that Big Rock Brewery is planning to bring back Magpie Rye Ale, a beer that was part of their line-up in the past before being retired a number of years ago.
During its original run, Magpie was described as a “full-bodied ale (with) a rich copper colour and a spicy bouquet,” as well as a “must try for the wine enthusiast.”
While no official details have been announced for its return, a tweet from October 13th included a photo of a glass of the beer “straight out of the beer tank”. Watch for further details to be posted here as they are announced.
I was at a tasting last week at Big Rock. They are using the new Kaspar Shulz system to make small batch beers available only in draft. They have a catelogue of 10-12 draft only beers and are looking for 10 Calgary draft accounts to choose 3-4 to rotate as a regular Big Rock tap. Beers include Magpie, Alpha Dog, Dunklewiesen and Scotch. These beers have been added to Ratebeer.com. Also there is a new recipe for the Pale Ale to make it an IPA again. (I really enjoy your blog! Thanks)
Thanks for the info, Trevor. Nice to hear that Big Rock is undertaking an initiative like this.
I first had Magpie Rye in 1999 in Whistler and the next year managed to score some in Jackson, Wyoming. Those were the days. It’s one of my favorite all-time beers. I guess I’ll have to move to Canada to get some–and given the state of things in the U.S., that’s looking like a better prospect all the time. Cheers!