Bootleg Brew Company

All posts tagged Bootleg Brew Company

Anyone else feel like they blinked and suddenly September was gone? Fine weather followed by a straight humdinger of a hurricane will do that, we guess. Apologies for our absence last week, but everyone needs a break sometimes, and frankly we trust that y’all know how to log into Fb/Ig/Tw on your own and troll for beer news. Won’t have nearly as many crappy puns, but we guess that’s what you pay us for! We’d also be remiss not to mention the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and the fact that beer/cider pairs perfectly with preparing, eating and cleaning up after a turkey dinner. So grab your favorite local Pilsner, pale ale, saison or dry cider, start brining your bird, and scroll through for this week’s news.

The very special gang at Delta Force Brewing has something new to talk about this week, and if you guessed it was another Ukraine beer you’d actually be wrong (this time, anyway). What it is, though, is the result of leveraging the age-old technique of parti-gyle brewing whereby two (or more) batches of beer are produced from one batch of grain. The first is a “big beer,” usually high in gravity and robust in flavor, whilst the second is a “small(er) beer,” often a daily drinker type. If you’re a fan of the brewery, you’re probably familiar with Operation Wessex, ∂F’s 8.0% fireside sipper; well the new Operation Lil’ Wessex was produced by rinsing further sugars from an OW mash and fermenting the result to produce a second beer. But wait, there’s more! After undergoing a secondary fermentation with brettanomyces, it was further aged on apple pomace (the stuff leftover after apples have been pressed for cider) to produce a very light but very seasonal tipple at 4.0% ABV. And if small beer meets funk meets cider isn’t your jam, you should know that Operation Triufino, their Mexican-style Vienna Lager is also back in stock. You can buy both of these beers along with many others, including their 3-pack of Baurenhofschuppen Märzen variants (plain, Bretted, and aged on apple pomace), at their online store for delivery in Halifax.

Across the Province from the Annapolis Valley is Chester Basin’s Tanner & Co. Brewing, who are celebrating their 5th anniversary this weekend. Although there are still details remaining to be released, we know that they’re planning a little shindig at the brewery with some special beers, sausages and pretzels from Old Black Forest, and a little bit of afternoon music. You’ll find their Barrel-Fermented Saison on tap and in bottles to go, as well as their Ginger IPA and ESB, both exclusive to the taps. Do check Tanner’s socials (Fb/Ig/Tw) for more details on Saturday’s happenings. Congrats to Dan and the team at Tanner on a fruitful five years, and we look forward to seeing what they develop in the next five. 

From a brewery celebrating five years to one celebrating twenty-five, we find Garrison Brewing with a brand new beer available. Twerp is a “tiny sour IPA” which seems pretty self-explanatory to us. Featuring plenty of hops, with an emphasis on southern hemisphere varieties, including Bravo, (Australian) Cascade, El Dorado, Galaxy, and Topaz, this hazy and golden beer sports a bold bitterness at 46 IBU to balance the hop flavors and the tartness from kettle souring, all in a 3.8% ABV package. You’ll find this zesty and sour brew in cans at all Garrison retail spaces as well as on tap at the Seaport and the Oxford Taproom.

The other NS brewery celebrating 25 years this year is Propeller Brewing and while they’ve not got a new one for us, they do have the return of a special seasonal. Continuing their annual tradition, Propeller is supporting Nocturne Halifax by sharing the proceeds from their annual release of Nocturne Black IPA. Hopped with Amarillo and Falconer’s Flight hops, you can expect an amalgam of tropical fruit and dank piney aromas married to a malty backbone with roasty touches of dark chocolate and coffee. Strong and balanced, but maintaining a dry finish, it tips the scales at 6.7% and is the perfect accompaniment to Art at Night. Check out the festival website to peruse the projects and plan to grab some Nocturne at Propeller’s Gottingen, Quinpool, or Windmill Road locations (or online!) and help support the art and energy of the fest.

Everyone knows that Halifax’s 2 Crows Brewing sometimes takes things to extremes with their brewing, and this week is no exception, with two beers hitting the shelves, both over three years in the making. Up first is Soirée, a barrel-aged sour red beer/wine hybrid. On the beer side, it started with a base batch of Flanders-style red that was brewed in June 2019, and fermented and conditioned in oak with a melange of microorganisms. Then, in fall of 2021, the wine side began when the 2C team visited Carmody Cove Vineyard in PEI where they collected a whole bunch (well, bunches and bunches) of Petite Pearl, Marquette, and Muscat whole cluster grapes. After carbonic maceration, the grapes were pressed on-site and the juice was fermented into wine. This wine was blended with the beer and the two were allowed to get friendly for a while before bottling and bottle conditioning for several months. The result keeps the character of the Flanders Red, but adds subtle wine notes. 

Next up is Grapes! which also began life as a batch of Flanders Red brewed in June of 2019. This one (or perhaps this portion) was aged extensively in port barrels until fall of 2021, when it met a large amount of Marquette pomace from Lightfoot & Wolfville. Melding with the residual sugars, tannins, and acids,  and refermenting over several months, the beer was drawn off the pomace and packaged into cans, which were in turn conditioned for another seven months or so. The result is described as “zippy, jammy, [and] complex,” but also, no doubt, “Grapey.” Both of these delights are available at the brewery now, but we’ll pass on the caution from the brewery: chill them both well before opening as they are both very lively!

Boomstick Brewing in Corner Brook, NL, has a new beer in the taproom, and fans of smooth and creamy stout will no doubt rejoice to find out it’s pouring on nitro! Townsite celebrates Boomstick’s home neighborhood in Corner Brook, where you’ll also find Bootleg Brew Co., making it a very densely crafty place. An Irish Stout at a very sessionable 4.4% ABV, it’s a great after work pint, with the roasty character of the darker specialty grains playing off the velvety mouthfeel imparted by the nitro tap. Try it on tap for best results, but consider grabbing some to go from their West Street retail; it’s not quite the same, but pour it hard and drink it fairly quickly and you’ll still get some of that lovely creaminess.

It’s no surprise that one of our region’s most IPA-focused breweries has a new beer out featuring Phantasm, a Sauvignon Blanc grape-derived powder that brings piles of tropical potential to beer, but it is a little surprising that they took so long to do it! Now available from Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing is Phantasmagoria, a 5.6% ABV IPA packed with plenty of passionfruit, berry, and guava character. Dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Cryo Citra, you can expect a pungent and dank aroma to go with all that fruit, and a soft mouthfeel, but also a dry finish. Grab it at the brewery in cans.

You may have heard that Stillwell Brewing is up and running and making and selling beer out of their new digs on Kempt Road in Halifax (special weekend hours this Saturday from 11 – 4 PM!). You may have even sampled some of those tasty, tasty beers for yourself. But do you have the whole story on how it’s all gone down since the halcyon days of sharing a brewhouse at Propeller’s Gottingen Street location? Probably not. But you could probably learn a lot of that stuff if you tune your podcast-ma-phone to the 902Brewcast and check out their new episode with Chris, Nikki, and Grant from the Stilly B set.

For all we know it’s sold out already, but if you’re looking for a can of something that can take your your brain away (and by away, we might mean, “permanently”), Unfiltered brewed up a batch of the aptly named 10% ABV Warning Label and released it to a post-Fiona world last Friday. Still have some storm-related angst coursing through your veins? This liquid hop candy might be just the thing to quell that. Or at least make it bearable. Available in cans, of course, but also for fills (hahaha, fuck!) to go.

It may be a holiday long weekend, but that’s not stopping breweries, cideries and better drinking establishments across the region from hosting events for their thirsty patrons; hell, it might even be encouraging them! 

First up is a release party for a new cidery out of Paradise, Newfoundland focusing on spontaneous fermentation. The first release from Mauzy is Take Me Away Piquette, featuring apple pomace from feral Burin Bay apple. Naturally fermented to 4.7% ABV, this one was also bottle conditioned with Baccalieu Trail Honey. Bottle pours from the 20 cases they produced will be available throughout the evening at Brewdock on Duckworth Street. We’ll be sure to provide more info on Mauzy’s launch plans as details emerge.

Starting today, two of the lovely, but maybe somewhat lesser known breweries in Nova Scotia are trading their taps for the rest of the weekend! Serpent Brewing out of Spryfield and Lunn’s Mill in Lawrencetown (Annapolis Valley version) are making their beers available at the other’s taproom! At Lunn’s Mill, you’ll find Serpent’s Crystal Crescent Strawberry Kolsch and White Mountain Belgian Whit. At Serpent Brewing, you’ll find two tasty Lunn’s Mill brews, First Cut IPA and Pub Ale ESB.  This is an excellent exchange for two breweries that really support their local communities and we hope this keeps happening throughout our region!

If you’re in Saint John, love beer, and love Oktoberfest, you’ve probably felt a small hole in your heart in past years. Well, Uncorked Tours  is bringing an outdoor, open-air beer event in true Oktoberfest fashion. North Market Street in Saint John will be transformed into a beergarden (biergarten, even!) and to celebrate this inaugural event, they are giving away tickets, drink tokens, and tasting glasses for the event. Check out how to enter here.

Atlantic Canada’s northernmost brewery, Lab City’s Iron Rock, is turning 3 and to celebrate they’re hosting a party at the brewery next Saturday, October 15. The day’s events will include lots of special beers, an appearance from Hurley’s Texas BBQ, a pumpkin carving contest, and a giant jenga tournament (register by October 12 for that one), with donations going towards the Hurricane Fiona Relief Fund. The day will be capped off with an 80s dance party starting at 9:00 PM for which tickets are available at the taproom.

Halifax’s Stillwell(‘s?) continues to spoil Halifax and area beer fans with events and next week is no exception. The crew from Manhattan’s As Is Beer Bar will be in town and they’re somehow planning to sneak 12 kegs and over 25 beers/ciders into their checked luggage. The event will take place Thursday, October 13, with tickets available now. The taplist will feature ciders from New York’s East Hollow and beer styles including IPAs, Kölsch, and sours from some New York state legends, including Grimm Artisanal Ales, Threes Brewing, Evil Twin, Finback, and Hudson Valley. This is the first time that most of these breweries have graced a taplist in Atlantic Canada. Only 20L is available of each of the 12 draught offerings, and for that reason, Stillwell is including an early-bird ticketed event from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Tickets are available now on their website with the option of a seated ($20) or standing ($10) session. At 7:00 PM, the doors will open for the rest of the public to try whatever’s left (which may not be much if your favourite bloggers have anything to say about it).

If you’re like us, you’re enjoying this lovely time of year while the temperatures are warm, but there is a nice crispness in the air. Did that sentence make you think of a Märzen? Oktoberfest? Fall beer gardens? Yes, please, to all of that. As usual, the beer news in the region keeps flowing and you can read all of the latest below. 

From the valley of Nova Scotia, Delta Force Brewing is keeping their contributions to the Make Peace Not War beer project going, just as the war in Ukraine has been going on for over 6 months, there is always a chance to support relief efforts from afar. This sixth release of the project is a Brett Pale Ale. This one is 6% and available in 500ml bottles. As with all of these releases, Delta Force is donating 40% of sales to Red Cross Ukraine. Grab this from the Delta Force online shop today, for delivery in the HRM and Valley. 

Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing teamed up with the force of nature that is Ren Navarro for a collaboration that reminds us that there is still much to be done to improve beer (and the world) for all. Don’t Make Me Tap The Sign is a 6.3% Hazy IPA, fermented with Voss Kveik yeast, and absolutely loaded with Mosaic and Sabro hops. Navarro is the mind behind Beer. Diversity., educating breweries and the drinking public on equitable and inclusive spaces and working to make beer more open to all. One of those ways to be inclusive is to spell it out specifically through breweries posting their values and code of conduct (for employees and visitors alike). And if there was a time that a patron is not respecting themselves or others…. Well…. Don’t Make Me Tap The Sign… Joining this new release is the return of a tasty little number, Lilliputian Nano IPA. Big hop character, thanks to Idaho Gem and Citra, this little cutie is just 3.5% ABV. Both will be in cans this weekend, stop by the brewery or online shop to ensure you get a chance to take some home for yourself!

Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing has a new beer on draught and in cans this week, in the SMaSH category. For those who may not know, a SMaSH beer is brewed using a Single Malt and a Single Hop, a great way for brewers and imbibers to explore what those ingredients bring to the table. For this expression, they went with Vienna Malt and Vic Secret hops. Think a touch of melanoidin apparent sweetness with plenty of lovely tropical notes, all in a 5.7% ABV package. Ready to enjoy or take away from the brewery now, it’s joined by the Aussie fave Dunder, their 4.8% Pale Ale packed with tropical fruit, pine, with a dank and herbal undertones thanks to the Down Under hops. Cans and pints aplenty on Main Street on Fredericton’s North Side.

Down on College Street in Antigonish, it’s only fitting that Candid Brewing has a new release with back to school and hanging on to some of that summer heat. Electro Lite is a light Mango Sour using real mango purée and a bit of sea salt. This is sour, juicy and very drinkable. It’s refreshing and at only 4%, you’ll want to go back for more thanks to its kick of flavour and approachability. This is available today on tap at the brewery and in cans to go. 

Corner Brook’s Bootleg Brew Co has released a new beer in celebration of the upcoming CB Nuit Art After Dark Festival, happening next weekend, Sept 16-18. After Dark is a Dark Sour, with red currants, vanilla, and a touch of lactose to keep the mouthfeel smooth and silky. Big Cherry Cola vibes in this one, and it is available at the brewery, as well as the Humber Gardens NLC and West Street Ultramar.

And if you are looking for a part-time gig while attending college in town, Bootleg is looking for staff behind the bar. While experience is an asset, they’ll get you all trained up in the ways of the beer right quick! This is a part-time evening gig for someone looking to earn a few bucks while slinging beer. Fire them an email or drop by the brewery to learn more.

Barnone Brewery in Rose Valley, PEI, has released a new (chain) banger of a beer celebrating the Disc Golf Canadian Nationals, taking place at a few courses around the Island. Star Frame is a 5.0% ABV Festbier, and is an ode to the rare occurrence that all members of a playing group make a birdie (or better) on the same hole. We think there may be a few Star Frames this weekend, as the nation’s best are in the province to compete. Barnone has extended their hours to accommodate the visitors looking for it on draught or in cans (there’s a disc golf course in their backyard, btw), and those wanting to have a pint elsewhere, check out Charlottetown’s Hopyard, John Brown’s, and The Beer Garden, or 511 West in Summerside.

Getting to the dark stuff, Propeller has a returning beer that’s back now as a seasonal keg for now and hopefully in cans in the coming weeks. Porter  – London Style is a dark and full-flavoured release that is easy drinking with a smooth mouthfeel. This has rich flavours of chocolate and coffee, with lovely aroma and flavour from the roasted malts. This is 5% and 39 IBU and look for this around Halifax for the fall and winter seasons. 

Out in the bustling metropolis of Lower Sackville, NS, Ol’ Biddy’s Brewhouse has a couple of new beers to talk about, both in celebration. First up, local band and friends of the brewery, Callehan are playing a show at Biddy’s for the release of their new single “Canada’s Pirate Queen” and they came down to the brewery and put together a small batch to ultra-personalize their release party. An English-inspired ale with a base of Maris Otter, the grist also included Crystal 75 for some toffee and deep sweetness and chocolate malt for color and a bit of balancing roastiness. The hop side sees American Willamette meeting UK East Kent Goldings for primarily spicy and herbal notes with maybe a hint of citrus and floral overtones. At 5.1% and 23 IBU expect it to be easy drinking for a night of listening to folky Americana, which is what Callehan will be bringing tomorrow night at the brewery. Don’t expect to see too much of it left on Sunday, though. 

Next up is a beer celebrating a person, Biddy’s Brewer Keith Forbes’ Grandfather, known as “Pops,” a kind-hearted gent to whom Keith decided to pay tribute with a beer, and the brewery’s first production lager at that. Just in time for Oktoberfest, Pop’s Pilsner, a 4.7% ABV golden straw-colored lager, slightly sweet and bready, and a light floral hop character. Not too bitter at 29 IBU, a crisp finish should invite another sip. This one won’t be released for general consumption until September 16th, when you’ll find it pouring at the taproom and canned to go, but if you’re a newsletter subscriber you know how you can try it a little early (and if you’re not a newsletter subscriber yet, it’s pretty easy to become on if you just pop on over to their site). Regardless of whether you’re early or right on time to try this one, you should find an easy drinking beer, perfect for sharing with good times with family and friends.

Staying in HRM, Serpent Brewing has two new releases out this weekend. Up first is Townie Overpass Syndrome, a 6.3% ABV NEIPA. Originally brewed for a tap takeover in St. John’s that was unfortunately cancelled, expect a hazy and juicy take on the style, helped out by the London Fog Yeast strain. The hops include Simcoe and Zeus in the boil to the tune of 30 IBUs and a Simcoe and Sabro dry hop. Expect lots of coconut notes from the Sabro but also a touch of pine and other tropical fruit. Next up is Open Road, a 5% ABV lagered ale. Brewed as part of the annual Open Road fundraiser for the BLT multi-purpose trail, this one uses Perle hops and features some fruity esters from the fermentation. Check out the taproom in Spryfield for both beers this weekend. 

Chef Stephen Barrett had a busy spring and summer… he visited 30 Nova Scotia breweries, chatting with the brewers and owners about their journey into beer, and is publishing recipes to pair with the breweries offerings. Folks are encouraged to check out his Pints & Plates series on the Seasoned Plate website, where two new destinations are released every week (the latest with Hill Top Hops and Meander River are particularly spicy!). You can get a small glimpse into Chef Barrett’s process, as a mini-doc highlighting a few stops in the Valley and a day in the kitchen afterwards has been released this week. Keep your eyes peeled on the SP social media for plenty more beery content!

Rolling over to Halifax, we turn to a symbol of constantly delicious, dependably juicy and always a pleasure. Unfiltered Brewing has DOA coming back out tomorrow in cans. This Double Orange Ale, as always, is a single hop Double IPA featuring Citra. This is available Friday September 9th at Noon from the brewery and on-tap next door at Charm School. 

Port Rexton Brewing has a fresh new release celebrating this weekend’s BonRexton Granfondo. Headwind is a 4.8% Pale Ale, easy drinking (a must after a long ride around the Bonavista Peninsula) blast of dank, tropical, and citrus notes on the nose and palate, thanks to plenty of Galaxy, Mosaic, and Columbus hops. Available on tap for pints and growler fills and cans at the brewery, with cans hitting the St. John’s Retail Shop and other retailers next week.

On PEI (or willing to relocate) and interested in working in craft beer? Upstreet is looking for folks:

Charlottetown’s Upstreet Brewing has had a busy summer, and is looking to welcome a couple of people into the brewhouse to keep ahead of the fall and winter… For those already brewing elsewhere, or having graduated from Brewing School, you can hop right into the Brewer position. And for those looking to enter the career, and are willing to learn the ways of the beer jedi, they are also hiring a Brewery Assistant. Check those links and reach out to Hogie & Co today!

We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming bringing you all of the beer news you want (or need?) from around the Maritimes. Today is Earth Day! This is your friendly reminder to recycle your beer cans and bottles, use growlers, drink in the dark, bike to buy your beer, use your beer boxes and cardboard for arts and crafts! In all seriousness, many of our local craft breweries have many green and renewable initiatives that they would be happy to talk about. How you spend your money is important and we’re lucky to have many sustainably conscious breweries available to us. Onto the news!

Let’s kick off the week with a brewery celebrating Earth Day in a few different ways, Port Rexton Brewing. New in cans and on tap today is Discovery Global Geopark Juniper Ale. Named after the UNESCO-recognized Discovery Global Geopark that encompasses several sites on the Northern Bonavista Peninsula, this collaboration beer is 4.2%, and features additions of coriander, orange peel, as well as the eponymous juniper, as well as dashes and drips of honey, cinnamon, ginger, and star anise. The resulting beer is low in bitterness, but with enough fresh citrus and juniper character to contrast any malt and yeast sweetness. Sales from cans and draught (no growlers of this release due to its batch size) will benefit the park, elevating their education and program development.

If you’re looking for the perfect time to visit Port Rexton, btw, today is the day, as they are hosting two big events in the taproom today! At 3 PM, they are hosting their first monthly Pints & Pick-ups event, where they are encouraging folks to help beautify Robin Hood Beach just over the hill from the brewery. Gloves and bags are provided, and those who help pickup will receive a free beer in the taproom for their efforts! Under-age folks are welcome too, there are plenty of non-alcoholic options too. And stick around (Oh My Cheeses will be there!)/come back for Earth Day Trivia in the taproom at 7:30 PM.

The Juniper Ale joins a pair of other new/returning beers to the taps and retail shop this week. The latest in their gluten free line is Gluten-Free Raspberry Sour, a 4.3% sour, chock full of raspberry aroma and flavour, thanks to the additions of the fruit puree to the base beer. The sour joins Whitecap Session IPA, which returns for the Spring after a fall/winter hiatus. Just 3.8% ABV, but full of peach and pineapple aromatics, in a hazy and smooth base. Cans of both of these releases are also be available at their St John’s Retail Shop, open now for the weekend.

The crew at Trailway has a new one out this week and as you’d expect, it’s a hazy, juicy … actually, we are being told that this release is in fact an English-American hybrid take on an amber ale. Chancy’s Pub Ale pouts a deep amber colour with a creamy head. Showcasing malt notes of tasted barley, biscuits, toffee and caramel, you can also expect enough hop bitterness to keep things in balance, but still approachable and sessionable. Chancy’s comes in at 5% ABV and is available now in cans at the brewery. If you’re in Fredericton, drop by the taproom to try half-litre mugs from the side-pour tap and also keep an eye out for it on cask in the near future. And we couldn’t give you the latest TrailWay news without also mentioning the return of one of their most beloved IPAs, Green Island… 6% ABV, featuring hop character of pineapple, papaya, melon, and peach, with a soft mouthfeel. Cans, pints, and growler fills of Green Island are available now!

Back with another release from their ongoing series, Tatamagouche Brewing has released Intertidal: Mosaic this week. A solid IPA built around showcasing the big hop flavours, the grain bill uses Horton Ridge pale malt, along with their malted wheat and chit malt, along with some German Vienna malt to balance and support the heavy handed hopping. For the hop bill, Bramling Cross and Cascade are the mash hops, then Mosaic features in the whirlpool with some small amounts of El Dorado and Cascade to help showcase the Mosaic flavours. Using an English ale yeast to bring up the fruit forward, soft and full bodied, the beer is finally finished with a massive Mosaic dry hop with a touch of Vic Secret as a lifter hop. The end result is a 6% IPA full of bright flavours and delicious aroma of grapefruit, peach, berries and mango. Look for this directly from the brewery, order online or check your favourite private stores for 473ml cans. You’ll probably catch it on tap at some of your favourite Halifax establishments as well. 

The fine folks from Antigonish have two new beers available now for your enjoyment. First up from Candid is a beer release in conjunction with Andre Pettipas and the Giants and a special music event, (that already happened, but the beer is still available!) Live at the Elmo is a beer tribute for the upcoming album release featuring a show from the iconic Toronto music venue, The El Mocambo. The beer is a 4.5% Pale Ale inspired by the tropical palm tree logo from the venue. The beer is tropical in aroma and flavour and nicely crushable at 4.5%. This is available in cans and on tap from the brewery.

Another one available now from Candid’s 88 College Street taproom and retail spot is Zeitgeist! Another one at 4.5%, Zeitgeist is a 4.5% pilsner with some complimentary dry-hopping from a few different German hop varieties. This is also available now in cans and on tap at the brewery. 

Back in New Brunswick, Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing is featuring a new release and a returning favourite. Rolling fresh out of the tanks is Sun Kissed Mimosa Sour. This 6.5% sour ale uses a carefully selected yeast strain to dry out the beer and features additions of fresh orange juice. This week also sees the return of the fan favourite, Killed By Death. This hazy Triple IPA is excessively hopped with Mosaic, Citra and Vic Secret, leading to a 10% TIPA that just begs to be sipped on a lazy Friday night. Check out the taproom now for both of these releases in cans and on tap. 

In Dartmouth, Spindrift Brewing has released the Brave Noise beer that we previously mentioned they were working on. Put in the hands of Sophie Zimmer, their full-time brewer, she and brewer/quality supervisor Kristi White elected to direct the proceeds towards a mental health organisation that provides access to counselling for abuse, specifically men’s abuse of their domestic partners. Look for the beer in cans only at both the Spindrift taproom in Dartmouth and Oak Manor in Antigonish; and also look for a QR code on the can that will direct you to Spindrift’s Code of Conduct, which is part of the accountability aspect of the Brave Noise movement.

Propeller is giving us a little preview of summer this week with the release of Passion Fruit Sour Ale. The kettle sour process gives a tangy profile to compliment that big passion fruit notes. This one is available in cans as of today (Friday) at the three Prop Shop locations around HRM and also for delivery/shipping on their webstore. While we’re talking about Propeller, we should also mention their Azacca Session IPA is back in all of its compact, sessionable glory. Cans of the 4.5% ABV SIPA that showcases the Azacca hop are now available year round!

Let’s kick off our Events section with a reminder of Propeller and Garrison Brewing’s collaborative 25th Anniversary Tap Takeover at Battery Park tomorrow… From opening at 11:30 AM until late, you’ll be able to grab ten different beer from each brewery, including several debuts hitting the taps for the first time, particularly the Battery Park X Garrison X Propeller collaboration that may *only* be available at BP tomorrow due to its size. Look to Propeller’s IG page for more details on this one later today.

East Duck St John’s Bar Brewdock is celebrating their First Anniversary this weekend, after a wild 12 months of pouring the best beer in Newfoundland and beyond, paired with great local fare! To celebrate, they have brought back the Boss Hogg burger that placed third in the Downtown Burger Battle. And of course they are featuring some great thinks to drink from both home and away, including freshies from Lab City to Corner Brook to Quidi Vidi and all points in between. Plus some visiting goodies from Ottawa’s Dominion City, as well as the lovely Pearl Morissette Winery. Check out what’s on tap here, then head in to celebrate with the crew! And more celebrations will be in order soon, as their “cousin” brewery, Banishing Brewing in Paradise, has received most of their brewhouse gear, so will be brewing beer in the coming weeks!

Halifax’s 2 Crows Brewing doesn’t have any new beers to talk about this week, but they’ve surely got some events to talk about, so no respite for our typing fingers. Up first is Bike & Brew, an event that combines two of the 2C team’s favourite activities, cycling and drinking beer. Teaming up with Long Alley Bicycles and Halifax Cycling Coalition, the event will take place on April 30th. A couple of technicians from Long Alley will be on hand from 11AM to 2PM conducting half tunes which run $50 and include your first beer (sending you on the way to being half cut). Only 12 of these spots are available, so head to the sign-up page for full details and to get yourself one of those slots! Tune-up or not, for those who are riding, at 2PM the Cycling Coalition will be leading a 5km community ride around the north and south ends of the peninsula before returning to the brewery for a post-ride beer. If you’re really keen you can RSVP by DM’ing the Halifax Cycling Coalition Ig account or y’know, just show up and get your ride on! 

If you’re not into cycling, but you are into drinking beer, 2C still has you covered, especially on Thursday nights, as they’ve announced that for the foreseeable future the Tube Nights they’ve hosted a couple of times before are now going to be a regular Thursday thing! Show up any time after 5PM, order a tube of AC Light Lager, and ask for a magic coaster. As long as you leave the green side of the coaster facing up, the crew will continue to refresh your 9.5oz tube with more beer. Turn the coaster over to the red side when you need a break or are finished. Staff will maintain the tally and you’ll pay a paltry $3.50 per tube consumed. 

A few short newsbites before we dismiss you for the week…

One of NL’s littler breweries, Bootleg Brew Co in Corner Brook, has a brand new beer to suit your present circumstances: Currant Situation is a black currant and lemon meringue sour with plenty of tartness and a graham cracker finish coming in at 5% ABV. This one appears to have been canned, but we don’t see it available for online orders yet, so for now you’ll have to stop by the brewery to grab some.

Good Robot has brought back their ThemBot beer this week, and it’s bigger and better than ever! The 5.5% Sour Beer features even more guava and blackberry than their initial release last year, and in the spirit of sharing even more love around to everyone, has now upped the release to a 473 ml can. You can pick them up, or enjoy it on tap, from their retail/taproom on Robie Street, or order some online for local delivery! You can also grab a glass or pint at Lower Sackville’s TAPestry Beer Bar, where GR’s Liam will be guest bartending for the evening, ready to share stories from his time working in beer across the world.

We mentioned a couple weeks ago about Lunn’s Mill doing ЧЕРВОНІ ОЧІ (Red Eyes) American Amber Ale in support of the Brew for Ukraine initiative, and now we’re able to tell you the beer is being packaged today and will be available to order through their online store, or directly at their taproom in Lawrencetown and The Station in Bridgetown. While the pre-orders did bite into the availability, there’s still plenty to go around.

The crew at Tusket Falls has a new DIPA release this weekend. Featuring Strata, Mosaic and Citra hops, the 8% ABV Modern Creation, is available on tap and in cans at the Tusket Falls and Gottingen Street locations now. 

Looking to get into the beer business? We’ve got a few options for you this week!

Montague’s Copper Bottom Brewing is gearing up for the summer rush by hiring on folks to fill positions in both the taproom and brewery. Taproom Servers are needed to keep the good beer flowing, and Production Staff are in demand as well, to ensure the taps never run dry! And, for those folks who aren’t able to visit Montague, Summer Sales Representatives are needed to bring on new Island licensees (and keep the existing ones happy). Check their website for all of the details, including how to apply. 

Quinn’s Arms Pub opened on Halifax’s Quinpool Road in August 2021, and has been filling an English-Gastropub-sized hole on Quinpool ever since. They have recently announced that they will be launching a sister brewery, The Brewery by Quinns, just a couple of doors down. Details of the brewing side of things are a little light now (but we’re on the case!), however we do know that they are in the process of hiring folks for both Front and Back of House, as they extend out to a beer garden and keep pouring both their own beer as well as local favourites. Kitchen staff should hit up Chef James Millar, and Front of House should contact Manager Hollee Angelucci.

One more thing this week…

Unfortunately, we have to end the blog on a bit of a sour note this week, as one of Annapolis Valley’s breweries, Hill Top Hops’ Brewhouse was broken into not once, but twice during the last week. After breaking in the door and entering Friday night to size up the place, they returned Saturday night to steal a television, alcohol, destroying the jukebox to extract the money, as well as stealing equipment from the brewery. While the two events were captured on video, that will not restore the lost efforts and sense of safety in the building. We as a brewing community can help, however, by visiting their Brooklyn location (7232 Highway 14 West Hants, adjacent to the Tidal Bore Farm Market), and staying for a beer and buying more to take away. You can read more on their Facebook page. We’re wishing the Peters family a speedy recovery and resolution from this setback!

(Thanks to those of you who pointed out last week that the KOFI link does not get passed on from website to email, so here it is, if you feel like tossing us a few pennies to pay for the hosting and drinking fees the blog requires)