by WGO Staff
Five Atlantic Canadian Breweries with histories of supporting the regional arts community announced today that they’ve entered into a historic partnership with the East Coast Music Association (ECMA). The partnership will expand existing ties between the regional brewing and music industries, while further supporting the ECMA’s mission to ensure that its members can sustain careers while based in Atlantic Canada.
The partner breweries each represent one of the five regions where the ECMA holds its annual East Coast Music Awards: Festival and Conference. Each year, the brewery representing the ECMA host region will brew and release a special beer for the Festival and Conference, in collaboration with the other four breweries, as follows:
Breton Brewing – Cape Breton – 2021
Grimross Brewing – New Brunswick – 2022
Garrison Brewing – Nova Scotia – 2023
Upstreet Craft Brewing – Prince Edward Island – 2024
Quidi Vidi Brewing – Newfoundland – 2025
Breton Brewing will brew and release the inaugural beer this April, in the lead-up to the 2021 East Coast Music Awards Festival and Conference in Sydney, Cape Breton, which runs from May 5-9. The aptly named East Coast Music Ale will be available throughout Atlantic Canada, and fifty cents from every can sold will be donated to the ECMA, to help grow and promote music scenes across the region.
“Saying we’re thrilled to be involved in this incredible partnership would be an understatement,” says Cameron MacKinnon, Director of Sales for Breton Brewing Co. “Supporting local music has always been a priority to us, so the decision to come together and partner with the East Coast Music Association was an easy one. As we all know, it’s been a difficult year for the music industry and we view this partnership as a great way to give back to those who have given us so much.”
“This partnership represents the very best of our Atlantic Canadian community,” said ECMA Chief Executive Officer, Andy McLean. “The finest craft beer goes great with the best music in the world, from right here in Atlantic Canada. These creative local breweries continue to support homegrown musical talent and we’re very grateful for their support.”
This group of breweries is already well acquainted with supporting their local arts communities, through their individual efforts of presenting large music events, hosting live music in their taptrooms, and through long-running sponsorships with other festivals. This new partnership will allow them to come together and collaborate on a large project with the regional music industry, after a year of substantial disruption for artists and their supporting communities.
The ECMA will hold a press conference on March 2 at 11:00AM to announce the 2021 East Coast Music Award Nominees, as well as the organization’s COVID-19 plan, ahead of the 2021 East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference in Sydney, NS. The press conference will take place in Sydney and attendance will be limited to organizers and speakers. The entire press conference will be live streamed via the ECMA’s Facebook and Youtube channels.
