Dans un brouepub loin de chez vous	Les nouvelles du spore	Mon TOP 25	La remise des gloutons	In a far from you

Pump House Brewery 5 Orange Lane Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 4L6 Tel.: (506) 855-2337 Web: www.pumphousebrewery.ca Open Monday to Saturday from 11am Sunday from 12pm		Distance from Montreal: 947.6km Intercity Transporter: www.smtbus.com Bus Terminal: 961 Main From the terminal to the pub: 0.7km Local Transporter: www.codiactransit-moncton.com

One of the greatest pleasures of "beerhunting" is to discover jewels like the Pump House. This pub, open since September 1999, had already offered a good quality of beer during my first visit in September of 2000, but since 2001 the brewing was entrusted to Daniel Girard from Quebec City who brought much more flavour, taste, and refinement to these same beers.

Cadian Cream Ale, Blueberry Ale, and Burns Scotch Ale are also bottled and are sold in 6-packs at both the brewery and the NB Liquor stores. Please note that 28 New Brunswick bars or bistros are offering the Pump House beers on draught. For the list, press the sponge

The kitchen menu offers several dishes with descriptions which made me salivate, and even drool... Among those were the beer-battered onion rings, the delicious beer bread, BBQ Chicken pizza, Chili simmered in Red Ale, Wood Oven Roasted Eggplant, the Cajun Burger, the BBQ Atlantic Salmon Sandwich, and Alina's Chicken Sandwich. It was actually by reading the latter's description that I went from the "salivating" stage to the "drooling" stage: "Chicken Breast marinated with Pail Ale, lemon juice, garlic and herbs, broiled and served on beer bread with pesto, tomatoes, jalapeno havarti cheese and whole grain mustard mayo". Yet, when I read that they smoked their own turkey breasts over apple wood smoke, I could not resist the opportunity to sample the turkey pizza with sweet red peppers and tomatoes. There is also a club sandwich version with bacon, lettuce, and tomato on beer bread. And if ever the Cajun Beef Pizza is on the menu on the day of your visit, don't resist it as it constitutes a Grand Derangement of emotions! And most of all don't leave the Pump House without bringing back one of their delicious beer bread.

Please note that since the summer of 2004, the Pump House bottling plant, situated at 131 Mill Road, has opened its own restaurant, the Barnyard, which offers the same beers, except for one seasonnal. These beers are offered only in 16-ounce Mason jars (???). No samplers or 8 ounce glasses like at the Pump House. The food from Chef Kurt Wermelinger is really savoury and will certainly please the most demanding carniverous with, for example, the Carolina Pork Pickin' Sandwich, the Texas Beef Brisket, and the Texas Long Horn Ribs, which are served with absolutely delirious sauces! Only the 3 bottled beers (Cadian, Blueberry, and Scotch) are brewed at the bottling plant, the 6 others being brewed at the Pump House itself. The Barnyard is open every day from 11am.

A visit to New Brunswick would not be complete without a stop at a NB Liquor store to purchase beers from the excellent Garrison, Propeller, and Picaroons Breweries, Garrison Irish Red Ale, Propeller Porter, and Picaroons Best Bitter being the best bottles to look for.

After a visit at the Pump House there's a risk that you'll see fire hydrants in a whole different way:

The Sponge Awards

This section aims at honouring the beers which have received my perfect score of 4 sponges at least once during my last 4 visits at that brewery. However the score also takes into account all of the tastings of these same beers during these last 4 visits.

Pail Ale   

A very mild pale ale, slightly hopped, slightly fruity, which suddenly explodes into bitterness with a beautiful caramel finish. What a journey!

Fire Chief's Red Ale   

Slightly fruity, this red ale offers a beautiful bitterness and beautiful flavours of red berries, caramel and vanilla. At times can be quite overwhelming!

Muddy River Stout   

Bewitching and orgasmic smokey flavours in this stout. Incredible! Hummm!

Burns Scotch Ale   

Beautiful smokey flavours with hints of caramel. Halfway between a Rauchbier and a Scotch Ale.

Special Old Bitter   

An ESB offering hop flavours that are quite exceptional, very similar to the Bishop's Best Bitter from the Golden Lion Brewery in Lennoxville.

Strong Scotch Ale   

Very smooth with nice butterscotch flavours, at 7% abv.

Amber Lager   

Fruity, the red berries give the illusion of drinking a bock. We can also detect some maple flavours.

Dark Wheat     

Flavours of brown sugar, caramel and bananas on beautiful smokey notes. "Ooh-Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo! Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good?"

Cadian Cream Ale   

A first appearance in my Sponge Awards for this premium mainstream beer thanks to the February 2006 version which was superbly honeyed and fruity with a beautiful bitterness.

Updated on May 24, 2006