Today I just have a quick run-down on some of the latest and upcoming releases from around the prairies. Just in time for the real return to spring. Without further ado:

Alley Kat Brewberry is back once again as of this week. This has become one of the Edmonton brewery’s best selling seasonals. It is, naturally, a wheat ale with blueberry added. Available in six-packs, it will be around through the summer, I suspect.

Wild Rose will soon be releasing its Hop Smashed In Belgian Style IPA. This one sounds intriguing. No exact release date yet, but looking at the timing of their current seasonal, the Foothill Pilz, I predict it will be near the end of April.

What is unquestioningly the most interesting beer release this month is from Paddock Wood. They have produced Sine Nomine (Latin for “Without a Name”), which is a Belgian strong ale (8% alcohol) produced using the Methode Champenoise – the labour-intensive traditional way to produce champagne. It involves natural carbonation, inversion, freezing, sediment extraction and re-sealing. [Correction: PW tells me they didn’t have the capacity to freeze and blow out the plug – but they did pursue the rest of the process] This is the same approach taken for Deus and Charlevoix’s Dominus Vobiscum Brut. Sadly (for anyone not in Saskatchewan) the only place to buy Sine Nomine is the brewery itself. No store sales this time. Get ready for a road trip, devotees!

In other miscellaneous beer event  news, I know that the next Continental Treat beer dinner (which they are now doing monthly) will be with Rogue Brewing on May 1. The next “real” cask (as opposed to Keg night) at the Ale Yard will be April 26 with a cask of Alley Kat Full Moon. I didn’t make it to the first cask last week, so if anyone has a review, feel free to post it. No word yet on what the beer for the Sugar Bowl cask on April 19 will be.

There you have your Easter beer round-up. Better than a hollow chocolate bunny, if you ask me.