New beer pays homage to well-known Saint John restaurateur
The sons of a renowned New Brunswick restaurateur, who helped to shape the uptown restaurant scene in Saint John into what it is today, have introduced a beer to honour his life and his legacy.
The Paul Grannan lager has been launched on what is the 20th year of his passing. His career in the industry started back in the 70s with the opening of the restaurant and bar Pier One.
"He was great at his ability to be a forward thinker," says his son, Jamie Grannan, "He could look forward and see what was trending. He would search outside of the cities and whatnot; he wouldn't be scared to take that risk."
Paul Grannan and his family would go on to open and operate at least a dozen establishments in Saint John – and his son says many of those who work in the industry, learned from and looked up to him.
"A number of the restaurants in Saint John now, the owners and operators used to work for dad, and still talk about him to this day and say that he's been a mentor for many who have gone on to do many great things in Saint John," says son Chris Grannan.
The brothers tapped into the expertise of brewer Matt MacDonald at Gahan House to create and brew the beer, which is described as a dry-hopped lager with citrus notes and floral aromas of honeydew melon.
"We decided on a dry-hopped lager because it toes the line between crafty and non-crafty so it's very approachable."
The beer has also been a way to bring Paul's memory to life – with the brothers getting to hear stories of their father and his impact.
"I walked into a pub into the other day, and as I walked in, people raised their glass and they were drinking the Paul Grannan beer, and it just brought chills -- goosebumps," says Jamie.
"That's been the most exciting part of about this whole process for me and my brother," says Chris, "that his legacy is being talked about more than it has in a long time."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.