Lots of news to catch you up on as we flip our calendars over to September. The busy summer season is coming to a close and our local craft brewers have begun releasing their fall seasonals. Plus, signs that Sasktachewan in in the throes of a mini-boom in new breweries.

Following my post last week profiling the plans of Black Bridge Brewery in Swift Current, watchful readers drew my attention to not one, but THREE other Saskatchewan startups in the planning or about to launch phase. Farthest along is Prairie Sun Brewery in Saskatoon, which reportedly opened its doors officially last week. They are launching with three beer at first: (306) Urban Wheat, Prairie Lily Lager and Crazy Farm Farmhouse Ale. [Edited to add names of the beer.]

Next closest – and one I had been hearing rumours about for some time – is District Brewing in Regina. They had hoped to be up and running in the spring, but a series of delays, including a fight over ownership of the building they are leasing, pushed the launch into the fall. Apparently the first batch is now in the fermenter. For the moment they plan on making a single beer, a pale lager called Mus Knuckle (there is supposed to be an umlaut over the ‘u’ in Mus), served in green bottles (eekk!!). They bill it as a beer that will won’t “scare away” Molson and Labatt drinkers.

Finally, and more mysteriously is a production license granted to something called Bin 306 Brewing, also based in Swift Current. No website and, as of the moment, no contact with the owners, so I have little else to share, although I did confirm that someone is actively planning something.

In other news:

• Remaining in Saskatchewan, Great Western Brewing has partnered with the Canadian Football League to create a CFL beer, named unsurprisingly, Great Western CFL Beer. The brewery indicates it is a “wheat beer in the kristal tradition” (in other words, filtered). It is already available in Saskatchewan and will be released in Alberta and Manitoba later in September.
• In Alberta, Alley Kat last week released its latest version of Pumpkin Pie Spiced Ale, their pumpkin beer. This year they have released it as the latest in the Big Bottle series.
• Also last week, Wild Rose’s latest seasonal was announced. It is a white IPA called White Shadow, which adds one more entry to this rapidly exploding style.
• In the coming days Big Rock’s latest beer in their Brewmaster’s Series will be launched. Life of Chai is a spiced amber ale.
• Tool Shed Brewing now has its three beer on Alberta liquor store shelves (brewed for the moment at Dead Frog in B.C.). More on this when I get a chance to try the beer.
• Finally, ShaBam Beer Tasting Festival, an annual fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation, will take place on Friday, September 27 from 7-10 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance. A good excuse for a night out sampling some craft beer and helping support a charity at the same time.

I have no doubt there are other juicy tidbits of news lurking out there that simply haven’t lapped the shores of this humble website yet. More news as developments warrant.