Hop City Barking Up A New Tree This Fall

Award-Winning Amber Lager Barrels Into Eastern & Western Canada

TORONTO, Sept. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - Things are definitely getting squirrely this fall, as Hop City Brewing Company's flagship beer, Barking Squirrel Lager, enters both Eastern and Western Canada, with distribution in British Columbia, Alberta Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia rolling out in the Fall of 2012.

Hop City an award-winning craft brewery, is the brainchild of brewmasters Kevin Gray and John Gagliardi, two longtime brewers who created Hop City's first recipe, Barking Squirrel Lager, in 2009. They were thirsty for a tasty brew that was flavourful and complex, yet sessionable at the same time. After making its mark in its hometown, the guys feel that now is the time to hop across the country and share the brew with beer lovers across Canada.

Introducing the head Squirrels: Kevin and John
Kevin and John craft beer that's as dynamic as they are.  They're as comfortable coming up with new recipes as they are sweeping the brewery floor, ensuring their zeal comes through in each Barking Squirrel pour.

Things you didn't know about Kevin:

• Applied for a job at a brewery after completing his biology degree because his mother deliberately asked him not to
• Loves the satisfaction of creating a delicious end product, seeing its transformation from start to finish
• Hates the title brewmaster

Fun Facts about John

• Started as a home brewer at the young age of 19, non-coincidentally, the same age he was legally allowed to drink
• Grows Hallertau hops in his backyard, which he still uses in his home brews today

"We didn't start brewing beer to win awards," says Kevin, "but the fact that Barking Squirrel is being recognized worldwide as a quality beer is pretty cool.  We never imagined that one day our beer would be available across North America."

Adds John, "We have to thank Hop City drinkers for our success. We're so lucky to have the job that we do, coming to work every day and doing something we love."

What makes the squirrel bark

• 5% ABV, 24 IBU amber lager with a distinct rich burnt orange color
• Noble hop aroma and bitterness from a blend of Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Saaz hops
• Perfectly balanced by a caramel malt sweetness from Canadian Pale 2 Row, Crystal and Munich malts

Accolades … in a nutshell

• 2011: Two Grand Gold medals at the Monde Selection in Brussels, Belgium
• 2011: Best Standard Lager that same year at the 2011 World Beer Awards

Going nuts for it
Craft brewing is booming in North America:

• According to the Brewers Association, "growth of the craft brewing industry in 2011 was 13% by volume and 15% by retail dollars."
• In an August 2012 report by BMO Nesbitt Burns, "Craft beers and specialty imports are gaining a greater share of the (North American) market from traditional breweries, catering to specific niche tastes and consumers' growing desire for discovery."
• According to The Canadian Brewery Industry - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) "Canadian-brewed products have an excellent reputation that should help to strengthen their presence in global markets. The demand for new products, especially those produced by micro-breweries, seems to be increasing in the U.S. (and in global markets)."

Hop To It

Watch for Barking Squirrel Lager as it rolls out throughout Fall 2012, available in British Columbia (BCLDB), Alberta, Saskatchewan (SLGA), Manitoba (MLCC), Nova Scotia (NSLC), Prince Edward Island (PEILCC) and New Brunswick (NB Liquor), along with select bars and restaurants throughout all seven provinces.

An Acorn Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

About Hop City
Hop City Brewing Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada's Moosehead Breweries Limited. Independently operated as a craft brewer, Hop City's focus is to create and sell world-class quality beer while having as much fun doing so. Today, Hop City brews four beers: Barking Squirrel Lager, Lawn Chair 'Classic' Weisse, Happy Hour Pale Ale, and Mr. Huff Persuasion Pilsner. For more information on Hop City Brewing Company visit
www.hopcity.com or at www.facebook.com/HopCityBrewingCo

About Moosehead Breweries
Moosehead Breweries is a Canadian leader in beer sales and marketing, representing a diverse portfolio including Moosehead, Cracked Canoe, Tennent's, Magners Cider, Samuel Adams, Paulaner, Twisted Hard Iced Tea and Hop City Brewing Co. In the United States, Moosehead Breweries distributes its flagship lager, along with Hop City's Barking Squirrel Lager. For more information on Moosehead Breweries, visit

www.moosehead.ca or www.facebook.com/moosehead

Video with caption: "Video: Meet Kevin and John from the Hop City Brewing Company". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/v/0lxglqlyxck?version=3&hl=en_US

Image with caption: "Hop City Barking Squirrel Lager (CNW Group/Hop City Brewing Co.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120927_C2162_PHOTO_EN_18563.jpg

Image with caption: "Hop City's flagship lager Barking Squirrel (CNW Group/Hop City Brewing Co.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120927_C2162_PHOTO_EN_18564.jpg

SOURCE: Hop City Brewing Co.

Media contact:

elevator communications inc. - 416.363.6444

Geoff Vokes x233 - [email protected]
Alexandra Sockett x228 - [email protected]