When we first began the search for the brews that would pour from our taps at the Millstone Public House we quickly found one brewery that did things a little differently. In a world of political correctness and clean public images, the guys at Unfiltered Brewing have taken a different, and somewhat unconventional, path. An introductory googling of Unfiltered gets you to their website which sets the tone for the audience; letting folks know where they stand when it comes to what is important. When I asked brewmaster Greg Nash about the colourful language he was unapologetic and with a confident, sincere smile he simply said “This is how I do things. It’s not rude, it’s direct” He went on to explain that when the idea to launch a brewery began to percolate he knew one thing for certain – that it wouldn’t be about flash or marketing or gloss or even mass appeal – “It was going to be about the f*#king beer!!”
Graduating from the American Brewers Guild in California in 1996 Nash apprenticed in three different breweries in Sacramento before heading home to Canada. He made a name for himself around the maritimes working at the Pumphouse Brewery in Moncton and various breweries in the Halifax area before deciding it was time to brew for himself. As any entrepreneur will tell you the trade off in security is the flexibility and autonomy to do things your own way. For Nash, this was a chance to make “really good f*&cking beer that people who know beer will appreciate”. It’s not bubbly and light and fruity; it’s full, rich, earthy and well crafted. It’s made with four simple ingredients. For Nash beer is a food. “It’s got to be done right and taste great! And it has to be fresh..freshness is key”.
While the language Nash uses, and the ironically named Charm School Pub next door, are decidedly potty mouthed the brewery itself is absolutely spotless. There is an obvious pride of operations there and a deep and abiding love of the craft. It’s a nod to the history of the great drink and a local business thriving right here in Nova Scotia. What’s not to love about that?
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We are always serving up cold pints of Unfiltered Brew at the Millstone Public House. But if you want to grab a Growler or enjoy one at Charm School they are located at 6041 North Street in Halifax.
