CAVOK Brewing

All posts tagged CAVOK Brewing

Here we are most of the way through February and it feels a little like there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. With both the big sportsball game and everyone’s (least?) favourite Hallmark holiday firmly in the rearview mirror, a three-day weekend coming up for many, it feels like maybe we’re on our way to surviving another winter (unless you’re in Cape Breton, maybe, where they’re probably on the fence about that). Pull up a chair, grab yourself a pint, pat yourself on the back, and read on for all the news we could find in Atlantic Canadian Beer for this week.

We’ll start this week on the South Shore of Nova Scotia where Tanner & Co Brewing in Chester Basin has been quite busy of late. Two weeks ago we told you about their new Best Bitter, made with a new malt (the Maris Otter-esque “The Otter Guys” from the folks at Horton Ridge). Last week it was their new dark and creamy Oatmeal Stout. This week they match those two with a brace of new releases. Up first is Hazy Belgian IPA, which marries the yeast-driven aromas of a Belgian ale with the juicy hop presence and haze of an NEIPA. Coming in at 6.8% ABV, you can safely expect Tanner’s usual care and attention to finding a balance between these two bold characters. This one is 6.8% ABV and 60 IBU and has been canned, but the labels were storm-delayed until yesterday; hopefully it’ll be available later today, but it could be a little later this weekend. On the other end of the spectrum from a hoppy beer intended to be consumed young is their other new release, a dark beer that’s already been hanging around for six months. Tanner’s stalwart Porter has been around for over five years now and features plenty of dark malt character with roasty chocolate and coffee notes balanced against sweeter caramel and malt flavors in a 5.7% package. Last fall, 100 liters or so from a batch of that Porter was fed into a Hungarian oak barrel from Grand Pré Winery that was previously used to age apple brandy. This week that beer came out of the barrel so that it can be enjoyed. What will six months in oak, no doubt with a touch of apple brandy, do to a Porter? The only way to find out is to try it!

That brings us neatly to our last piece of Tanner news, that they will be featured from open ‘til close tomorrow at Battery Park in Dartmouth for a tap takeover. Tanner has one of the broadest oeuvres of any brewery in the region and their full range will be on display. Foch saison fermented on grape skins, German styles, British styles, Belgian styles, and meads will all be represented. This will also be the first opportunity to try the barrel aged Porter (although some will also be canned for release, possibly as early as next week). A full tap list can be found here. Hope to see you there!

Labrador’s Iron Rock Brewing has a returning beer out this week, the annual seasonal they call Banishment. An oat stout that’s been aged in Bourbon barrels, giving the chocolatey notes of the base beer a boost with vanilla and oak, it’s quite smooth, maintaining plenty of body and roast character, and weighing in at 6.0% ABV and 32 IBU. This year’s batch has been crafted in honour of the 2024 running of Cain’s Quest, the world’s longest snowmobile endurance race that covers more than 3,000km around some of the world’s toughest Northern terrain. This year’s race kicks off on March 3rd with 37 teams set to compete. Maybe some of them will relax with a Banishment at the end of it all… we know the spectators will definitely be enjoying a few to keep warm!

Lone Oak of Borden-Carleton, PEI, is coming in hot this week with a brand Double IPA, Elysium. Sneakily debuting at their Battle of the Breweries at Hopyard Beer Bar earlier this month, this 9.1% ABV beast is now available to everyone everywhere all at once. While the yeast is not always the star of the show when it comes to IPAs, it’s definitely worth noting here, as this beer was fermented with the experimental Elysium by yeast darlings Escarpment Labs. Developed in their Guelph facility to promote pineapple aromatics and flavour, that was only enhanced at Lone Oak by their use of Sultana hops as the major addition, to keep the tropical vibes going. On tap and in cans at their four locations across the island (Borden Taproom, Milky Way Brewpub and Cold Beer Store, and Stratford Fox Meadow). If you’re interested in more about Escarpment’s yeast offerings, including Elysium, its new “sister” yeast, Pomona, and how they can help create standout IPAs, check out their latest blog post.

Moncton’s O’Creek Brewing put out a cheeky one earlier this week just in time for Valentine’s Day. HibisKiss is a pale ale low in bitterness at 15 IBU and light on hop character in order to make room for flavors of lemon and hibiscus. Featuring a gorgeous red color, it’s described by the brewery as, “romance in a glass.” But if that’s not your speed and you’re looking for something a little hoppier, check out their Riwaka Loral Hazy Pale Ale. Riwaka is a New Zealand hop variety known for imparting heavy tropical and passion fruit vibes, and Loral is a recently developed American hop that brings citrus and floral character with some peppery spice and some herbal notes. Paired together in a 5%, 25 IBU and very hazy package, we suspect it will be a winner with the hop head crowd. Our best understanding is that both of these beers are draught-only at the taproom, at least for now.

The burgeoning trend towards non-alcoholic options in beer has been progressing nicely for the last couple of years, with some local breweries having strong entries in the segment already. It seems only fitting that the local cideries join the party and recently Halifax’s Chain Yard became the second that we’re aware of. Anytime is a non-alcoholic cider that, like all CY ciders, starts with 100% Nova Scotian apples. All the way down in true NA territory at 0.5% ABV, it’s refreshing and balanced, featuring notes of ripe apple and honey balanced by hints of light citrus and floral overtones. Find it at the tap room for now, but hopefully soon at other places where you find your non-alcoholic options.

One of the other trends that the global beer world has seen in the last while, but that hasn’t had a whole lot of local representation is the “low-carb” offering. Dominated by industrial breweries with equipment that isn’t generally accessible in the craft brewing space, we know of only a couple entries in the category from Canada. Them? Notsomuch with the “craft.” Their parent companies? Notsomuch with the Canadian. Enter Good Robot Brewing, boldly going where very few other craft breweries anywhere have gone. Ultra Light is…ultra…light? A measly three grams of carbs per serving and 4% ABV, but without compromising on flavor, this one is coming out of their state of the art facility in Elmsdale where truly impressive things are possible. You can grab it in 355ml tall cans (the “svelte” ones, natch) at the tap room or order it for home delivery now, or you can wait for it to appear at the NSLC once they’ve got their packaging sorted out.

In addition to the Tanner Tap Takeover at Battery Park tomorrow, there’s some other events coming up shortly.

Eagle-eyed social media savants may have noticed a month or two back some Insta clips featuring the brewers of Tatamagouche Brewing and 2 Crows spending some time with the team at PEI’s Lone Oak (eventually, once everyone had their breakfast and stuff). The result of that collaboration is now ready to share. Taking some cues from an all-world beer, Taras Boulba by Brussels’ Brasserie de la Senne, this beer features the use of three yeast strains: Foggy London by Escarpment Labs, a French Saison blend to finish and dry the beer out, and the White Labs product Metschnikowia reukaufii, a yeast that has evolved to specialize in consuming nectar, but which also provides enhanced aroma and modulated bitterness in malt co-fermentations. Hopped generously with three Alsatian varieties, Aramis, Mistral, and Barbe Rouge, it saw additions in the mash, the kettle, the whirlpool, and a dry hop as well. Finishing at 5.5%, and somewhat hazy, it’s almost certainly a beer without too many analogues in the region. Bière d’Amis hits the taps next Thursday for the first time amidst a tap takeover featuring all three breweries at HopYard in Charlottetown on Thursday, February 22nd. Three beers from each brewery plus the collab will be on offer, and folks from all three will be in attendance as well. This event is the perfect kick-off to what will almost certainly be a fun- and beer-filled weekend for PEI Beer Fest.

Wait, did we say, “PEI Beer Fest?” We sure did! This year’s event will go down at the Delta Prince Edward by Marriott next weekend and will feature three sessions, one on Friday evening, one Saturday afternoon, and one Saturday evening. For general admission, evening sessions are three hours, Saturday afternoon is two and a half but there are VIP tickets available offering a start time 30 minutes earlier and a take-home souvenir glass. There are also, appropriately, Designated Driver tickets available to ensure that folks can plan a team effort in getting home safely. Some twenty-five producers across beer, cider, and ready-to-drink spaces will be represented. There will be live music and local food pairings as well. Tickets are still available for all sessions, although VIP for Saturday evening is now sold out. You can find out more about the fest, the breweries that will be represented, and find links to purchase tickets at the PEI Beer Festival Official Website.

A few more things before we sign off this week. Thanks, as always for reading!

In Big Spruce news, on the heels of the judging of their 11th annual Home Brew Challenge (results next weekend!) is the re-release of last year’s winning beer, Alex Hunt’s Under the Mountain, a cascadian dark ale (aka “Black IPA”) at 6.8% and packed with Chinook, Simcoe, and Centennial hops. Grab it from the source now, and we suspect other places where you find Big Spruce in the coming weeks.

Heading down the 104 we get to Truro, NS, where Truro Brewing Company has their annual collab with Port Rexton Brewing back on the go. Quiet Company is a Bourbon Barrel-aged Barleywine tipping the scales at a hefty 9% and packaged in 650ml bombers, you’ll probably want to take this one on sitting down. Rich and boozy, there’s plenty of malt there to sip quietly, perhaps by a warm fire with the best of friends. Also available by the pint at the tap room.

Continuing down that very same highway, we reach New Brunswick, and then Dieppe in particular, where CAVOK has a new twist on a hazy style this week. Soleil  is a New England-style hazy pale ale aged with Brettanomyces in an oak foeder. Hops and brett can go together beautifully in our opinion, and the oak should provide some lovely tannic contrast. Check out this 4.8% ABV number for yourself at the source.

Up in St. John’s, NL, Bannerman has their cold IPA back on tap and in cans. Negative Space is brewed and hopped like an IPA, but fermented and conditioned like a lager, giving a crisp and clean finish beneath a generous hop character. Cascade, Centennial, and Citra, make sure you’re getting your classic West Coast hop character in this 6.0% beer.

!!Attention all Atlantic Canadian Homebrewers!! You are just a couple of weeks out from the deadline for the Fifth Annual Atlantic Homebrew Challenge, your chance at hundreds of dollars in prizes, and seeing your beer being brewed and distributed by Gahan Beer across the region. This year’s beer styles are Best Bitter and Spice, Herb, and Vegetable, so you truly do have time to brew one or both styles in time for judging later in March. Visit the website above for all of the details on styles, rules, and be sure to drop off your beer before March 2nd at your local Gahan pub!

And we’ll finish the week back in Halifax with a bit of a PSA. 2 Crows is recalling cans of one of their anniversary beers, Alright Alright Alright due to some issues with can liners. If you’ve got some on hand you’re advised to empty and dispose of them, but also to reach out to eric@2crowsbrewing.com to arrange a refund or replacement with an alternative product. Kudos to the 2C gang for doing the right thing for their customers in response to a quality issue.

Happy Friday and hello Summer! The wildfires in Nova Scotia seem to be under control and our prayers for rain were answered. With a little more mental and emotional capacity, we can focus on lots of beer news as we ramp into the busy season for your favourite beer-y locations.

The beer landscape in Newfoundland is getting a little busier, as a new brewery opens on the Northern tip of the Avalon. Bay de Verde is a community of 400 people located at the mouth of Conception Bay, about 2 hours from downtown St. John’s. And on Noonan’s Lane in BdV is the Bay de Verde Brewing Company, who are opening their doors today! Launching with a handful of beer, named in honour of the area they call home: Backside Blonde (4.5% ABV) is named after one of two harbours encompassing the town of Bay de Verde (the other being the eponymous Bay de Verde); Barter House Red (5.5%), named in honour of the building that the brewery calls home. Also available is Trail Time, an Apricot Sour. These first three will be available on draught in their taproom, as well as in cans to go. Joining them on draught only is Speckle Trout Stout, for those looking for something a little darker. And launching next week is Island Pond Ale, an IPA. The brewery is open today from 3 PM, and again tomorrow 12 – 10 PM, and Sunday 2 – 8 PM. In addition to cans and growler fills to take away, you will be able to enjoy their beer in the taproom! Much more with Kim and Co of Bay de Verde soon! We\ve updated the Good Beer Map with all of the details you need to plan your weekend adventure!

This weekend the gang at Tatamagouche Brewing is celebrating nine wonderful years of providing some of our favorite barley-based liquids (and other liquids as well!), and of course that means some celebratory releases! First up is this year’s iteration of Saltwater Cowboy, their tequila barrel-aged gose. Expect perhaps a bit less acidity this year than in previous batches, but that same touch of salinity and hint of lemon to go along with the tequila character from the barrel. Next up is a pair of dark beers with a common starting point, a big, rich porter. Beginning with a grist of Horton Ridge pale malt, Munich, and Vienna, the brew team added some caramel malts for sweetness and body, and chocolate wheat and Carafa Special III for balancing roastiness. It was bittered with Magnum to the tune of about 30 IBU and dosed later in the boil with unsung hop variety Celeia before heading to the fermenter where, rather than the lager yeast used in their multi-award-winning Two Rivers Baltic Porter, it was inoculated with good ol’ US-05, but fermented cooler than usual for a still clean, but quicker result. Half the batch then went into Knob Creek Bourbon barrels while the other half was destined for Foursquare Rum barrels where they slept soundly for a year or so, picking up hints of their respective spirits and their wooden sarcophagi. After packaging, they were laid down again for a few months to take the slightly boozy edges off. At 10.1% and 9.8%, respectively, Lilith (Bourbon) and Lila (rum) are big beers, but you can still expect plenty of subtlety in their depths. Expect a smooth integration of the Bourbon in Lilith and some fruit and baking spice character in Lila, whilst both exhibit oak tannins and vanilla from the barrels. Our recommendation is to get a couple (or more!) of each, sharing and contemplating the complexity of one with friends now, and coming back again in a year or two to see how they’ve evolved. Lastly, fans of Tata’s ongoing Intertidal IPA series can rejoice, as there’s a new one hitting the shelves. Using one of the hottest new hops on the market (so new it hasn’t been given its proper name yet), this one is called Intertidal HBC 1019. While that may not quite roll off the tongue, the beer itself will likely roll smoothly down your gullet. Built off a pretty standard NEIPA grist, with pale malt and Vienna, but also haze-friendly malted oats, wheat, and rolled barley, it was mash hopped with Cascade, whirpooled with HBC 1019 along with another newer variety, Nectaron and old school Chinook, before being fermented with a yeast blend (S-33 and K-97) and then hammered in the dry hop with more HBC 1019. Expect a luscious mouthfeel, medium bitterness, and a smack in the mouth of oranges that give way to peach, melon, and hints of vanilla and coconut. All of these beers are available now at the brewery in cans or for online ordering. Even better, if you spend $95 or more within the Maritimes, or $150 or more elsewhere in Canada (except the Territories and Manitoba), you’re eligible for free birthday shipping! And if you happen to be in the environs of the brewery this weekend, definitely plan to head down and check out their on-site celebrations all weekend long.

Back in Newfoundland, Bannerman has a new tap-only release. Picture This is a cream ale that started with a base of Pilsner malt, flaked corn, caramel malt and a touch of ground coffee from Cape Broyle’s Cape Coffee roasters.  It was then dry-hopped with a blend of British and French hops before being conditioned on more coffee, this time using cracked beans. Using coffee in a lighter beer allowed more subtle coffee notes like fruit and honey to come forward, without being overpowered by the roastiness. The 4.8% ABV Picture This is on tap on Duckworth Street now for pints and growler fills, with cans coming next week.

Staying with the lovely B breweries on the Rock, Banished Brewing has released Little Jim, a Session IPA, a 4% version of their Jim Time DIPA which was dedicated to their friend that helped get the brewery up and running. This smaller version keeps the same flavours of notes of citrus, melon, and mango. It is available now in cans and on draught at the brewery and will likely be available at the shops across Newfoundland as well. But we suggest getting it at the source and trying the newly opened Best Friend Burger food truck located at the brewery to feed both your mind and soul!

Hitting the treble for the Newfoundland B breweries, Bootleg Brew Co has a new brew celebrating 20 years of Cycle Solutions serving the cycling community of Corner Brook. 20 Years Sippin’ Beers is a Hazy IPA brewed for Pete and the Cycle Solutions crews. The name comes from the anniversary shirt from the store that is a play on ”20 Years Changing Gears” shirt and the beer is a New England style IPA that is very juicy and packed with Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo hops. This is canned and available on tap from the brewery. 

The Tusket Falls crew has a new iteration of Next Phaze available now. A Hazy IPA release where they continually iterate, this is the second batch (can stamp is 06/05/23) and still focuses on the Phantasm additions. For this release there is no mash hop addition, but Citra and Riwaka are otherwise featured throughout. Using a base of a thiolized Cosmic Punch yeast to unlock that Phantasm, this should bring some big aromas of citrus and tropical fruit in a 6.4%  This is canned and available at both locations (North End Halifax and Tusket). 

We’ve got a new one from New Brunswick’s CAVOK Brewing, as they’re bringing the light and refreshing drinks for the coming season. La Coast is a light lager with lime additions at 4.3%. Perfect for the summer! This is a light lager with fresh lime puree added for secondary fermentation. This is available directly from the brewery on tap for growlers and pints and also in 473ml cans!

Chef Stephen Barrett at Seasoned Plate is kicking off the second season of Pints & Plates this week, as they release recipes for food that can be made at home, showcasing a Nova Scotian brewery and beer to pair. This week is a feature with Truro Brewing Company, using their Willow St Wheat in a cucumber salad, and pairing it with their Trackside American Pale Ale. The full recipe and story behind the brewery is out now, and check out the documentary of Pints & Plates, featuring several of this season’s breweries (plus a unique beverage with history from the other side of the world, brewed in Nova Scotia!). 

Speaking of TBC, they will be moving from their current location just down the street to 72 Inglis Place in downtown Truro. Today is their last day in their current location, so help drink them dry, so they have fewer kegs to move! The new location will be opening July 8th, and therefore some events that were planned for late June have been postponed. We’ll have lots more on their new spot in early July.

For those looking to dip their toes into homebrewing, or take a breather from the tough job of making wort and stick to straightforward fermentation, BrewHQ has the answer for you! This week, they used the system at their Burnside location, which also serves as the brewhouse for Arcade Brewing in the same space, to brew up a bright and bitter wort for you to take home. Packaged in aseptic bladders, you’ll want a milk crate or other appropriate container to handle it safely for the trip back to your fermentation vessel. With an OG of 1.062, and expected FG of 1.013 (yeast and temp dependent, of course), you’ll have yourself a 6.5% ABV, 50 IBU IPA hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe, for tropical and stone fruit characteristics. They are also brewing up a wort for a Blonde Ale today, so you may be able to feed two birds with one seed with a visit to 80 Thornhill Drive this afternoon! And if you prefer to visit your local homebrew shop, you should be able grab the IPA now, and Blonde later this weekend, at Noble Grape locations in Bayers Lake, Coldbrook, and Cole Harbour.

In addition to Tata’s birthday bash this weekend there’s something afoot in NS for next weekend too.

Just one event to tell you about today, but we want to be sure you grab tickets before they sell out! Lunn’s Mill is hosting a Drag Trivia Night next Friday, June 23rd. With performances from Queera Bangs and Hellebore Mandrake in between rounds of trivia about Drag, Pride, and LGBTQ+ history and culture, it is sure to be a super fun evening. And of course, Lunn’s Mill is releasing a new beer to celebrate, Peachy Queen! Based on their Charming Molly Blonde, PQ was aged on peach puree for a vibrant colour and loads of stone fruit character. You’ll have to wait until next Friday for the beer to launch at trivia, so be sure to grab your tickets today to avoid missing out!

A couple breweries in the region are looking for staff; maybe you’re the one?

The PEI folks at Barnone are hiring a Bartender and Manager, so if you’re handy to that area of the Island and love beer, shoot them a resume here. They also appear to have a new Coffee Blonde on tap, and are open Friday night (5-10 PM) and Saturday afternoon (1-5 PM) this week.

Staying with the PEI hiring news, Upstreet Brewing is hiring in Charlottetown. They’re looking for a Brewery Assistant in a full time position, welcoming people new to the industry as well as those already having worked in beer. The job is described as having the opportunity to grow with the company and experience with brewing industry jobs. Check out the listing and full details here

And here are your last beery bits before you go forth and stock up for the weekend:

The robots have been busy in Halifax, as their third location is ready to roll! Good Robot Commons is opening this evening directly across from the Halifax Commons specifically on North Park and Nora Bernard (formerly Cornwallis). The new, dog friendly, inclusive, outdoor, food-offering, beer-offering space opens up at 6 PM today (Friday, June 16). You can follow the fun at their location’s brand new IG handle.

Lone Oak continues their expansion across the Island on Monday, as they open their Lone Oak Beer Garden at Avonlea Village in Cavendish. The location features seating for more than 100, with most of it being outside on their partially-covered patio. All of the beer you’ve grown to love in Borden-Carleton, Charlottetown, and Fox Meadow in Stratford, is now close to the beach at Cavendish! Keep an eye on things through the Beer Garden account

We’ve got a few needles of news dropping out of Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing this week. Guava Get Me Some is a returning favourite IPA that doesn’t shy away from the guava flavour and aroma, as it uses real guava puree along with El Dorado & Mosaic hops . This is zesty, bold and refreshing. Get this one (and it’s always lovely can design) from the brewery or online. It’s 6.4% and 62 IBU. and available now.

In other news, we’ve got the first non-alcoholic beer coming out from them with Kitchen Partly. Yes, you read that right, Kitchen Partly, not Party! This is absolutely trying to match Kitchen Party note-for-note, but in a 0.5% version. This could be pretty huge for the non-alc drinkers who struggle to find their go-to NA offering, especially on the hoppier side. Look for itonline and at the brewery now, but it will also be rolled out to restaurants and other shops across the province. 

Propeller has a new pilot beer on draught at their Gottingen and Quinpool taprooms today. Brewed on the small system on Quinpool Road, Propeller Gose stays true to the German style, incorporating lots of wheat in the grain bill, light acidity from Lacto, and salt to keep the beer refreshing. Low in alcohol and bitterness, this could be a summer sipper, however it won’t last that long, so pop by either/both locations this weekend!

Chris from Brew York visited our neck of the woods last weekend, as he made a tour of a half-dozen breweries in the St. John’s area. He has highlighted them on his Instagram, as well as included a cheeky ranking of the five macro-brewed-Newfoundland-exclusive beers in this week’s Substack. Read more there!

It’s the weekend folks, and we’re totally being teased with a bit of summer. While we’re not in the Big Smoke with the dome open watching the Jays, we have had some 15ºC temperatures and sunny days that pair perfectly with April patio days. We’ve got news below from all four of our Atlantic provinces and some Canada-wide news too. Take a read, share with a friend and don’t be a stranger on our Twitter and Instagram!

Starting our week on PEI, Lone Oak has a small-batch cider release to kick off the fun. Starting from freshly- pressed Cortland and Mac juice from Red Shore Orchards, the Lone Oak team added a hybrid of Saison yeast and Brettanomyces, and allowed the little beasties to do their thing! Taking the low, slow, and hands-off route, the yeasts chewed away until very little residual sugar was left, resulting in a dry, lightly funky, and flavourful cider that has been bottled still (no carb). No burps or bloating, nice! Due to its small scale, the 6.0% ABV Farmhouse Cider is only available from Lone Oak’s Borden-Carleton Brewery and Milky Way Brewpub locations.

Over in Paradise, Banished Brewing has just celebrated the opening of their taproom (open Wed-Sun), and have followed it up with the release of a collaboration with downtown St. John’s Portage Restaurant. Melding minds with Portage’s Ross Larkin and Celeste Mah, they have developed a supremely food-pairable Czech Pilsner, Portage Světlý Ležák 12°. When designing their brewhouse, the folks at Banished wanted to be able to brew a wide variety of beer styles using the proper techniques, which paid off in spades for the Pils, as they were able to use the traditional decoction techniques believed to bring out the complexity of the Pilsen Malt from Czechia. Of course, they also sourced Saaz grown in Czechia, and fermented cool with Isar Lager from Escarpment Labs. Pale in colour, full of character, and ready to take with you on your canoeing adventures this summer! Thanks to the folks at Bines and Vines, to celebrate the launch the Czech Ambassador to Canada, Bořek Lizec, visited the brewery and celebrated the strong ties between Canada and Czechia. Portage is available on side-pull now at both the restaurant and brewery, as well as good beer bars and retailers (cans) around the city.

We’ve got a very cool release coming straight out of George Street! Yellowbelly Brewery has a new release named after the famed pub in downtown St. John’s (which they are part owners of). O’Reilly’s is a Lagered Ale dry-hopped with Cashmere that brings big notes of citrus, melon and peach. Packaged in 500ml bottles with an O’Reilly’s themed label, this very drinkable 4.7% ABV beer is available now in wide release at certain NLC Stores (cans) and at the source (pints and fills).

Up the road to Mount Pearl we find Landwash Brewery, who have teamed up with Andersons Butcher located on Water Street St. John’s. Butcher’s Brew is a 5.0% Vienna Lager, which is a style known for a hint of malt, but still being crisp and clean. Great with a cold cut sandwich or backyard BBQ, we figure! Landwash’s take on the style started out in last summer’s BBQ Mixed Pack, and has graduated to stand on its own. Grab it at the brewery this weekend.

Also new from Landwash is Field Day, their first foray into a Wheat-forward beer. Inspired by the Belgian Witbier style, this unfiltered wheat beer was fermented with an appropriate yeast to give a hint of phenolic spiciness, enhanced by the coriander, as well as orange and grapefruit peel added to the brew. The resulting beer is bright and refreshing, and at 4.8%, a nice complement to your day exploring the fields near you! Available at the brewery and their regular retail partners shortly.

Moving to Moncton (something you may actually hear people say!), Tire Shack Brewing has a brand new beer to pair up with the warming weather. Dry-Hopped Sour is exactly what you’d expect, but trying to bring those IPA flavours to a tart and sour beer. Soured with a Lactobacillus strain, and subsequently dry-hopped with Simcoe and Mosaic, expect the sour and tart flavours of fuzzy peaches, blueberries and a subtle aroma of bubble-gum. It’s an easy drinking sour with an ABV of 7.1% and is available now in cans and on tap. Also, this weekend at the brewery, there’s a 2pm to 8pm pop-up kitchen from Euston Park both Saturday and Sunday for a beautiful weekend! Ed note: this paragraph was left out of the original version of this post. Sorry!

Staying near Moncton (which you don’t hear a lot of people say), Dieppe’s CAVOK Brewing has a brand new big release that’s been aged to perfection. E-CLIPSE is a bourbon barrel-aged stout that spent its time in a Buffalo Trace barrel for 6 months. Featuring complex flavours with a smooth bourbon flavour of vanilla and a bit of molasses, this is 10.8% and packaged in 750ml bottles. Bottles are limited (145 or fewer!) and it’s also available on tap at the brewery right now!

The fine folks at Good Robot are continuing to up the intensity with this week’s new release, Tropical Storm Category 5. The 2nd release in the Tropical Storm series, this is an IPA that aims to tone down the bitterness from typical IPA’s and up the fruity flavours. Using a hop bill of Falconers Flight, Sabro and Vic Secret, these hops bring notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, and coconut. Expect a hazy, tasty 5% approachable IPA available online, and at both Good Robot locations. 

Also new in Robot news, Uncle Giggles has a new entry on its family tree. Great Uncle Giggles is a new pale ale release that both maintains and changes the recipe from the original Uncle Giggles. Since moving brewery locations to Elmsdale, the Robots have started using a piece of equipment called a Hop Egg that can handle yeast pitching, mixing, adjunct blending, dosing and other cellar additions, but which also works great for dry-hopping, as it eliminates the need to open the tanks for additions. Aiming to keep the clean, orange citrus and crisp flavours, they’re leveraging the hop egg for this new beer. This is the only recipe Good Robot has that uses hop oil and they’re trying to get this beer staying fresher for longer. It comes in at 5.1% and it’s available online and at both Robie Street and Elmsdale locations. 

Over in Spryfield, Serpent is releasing a Belgian inspired take on a NEIPA with Space Cadet. The Belgian influence comes via a Witbier yeast, leading to lots of fruity esters. A generous dosing of Ahtanum, Amarillo, and Mandarina Bavaria hops adds some additional citrusy notes. This one comes in at 6% ABV with a moderate bitterness of 45 IBUs. Cans are available this weekend at the brewery. And if beers aren’t your thing, they’ll also be releasing their first seltzers in cans and on tap this weekend.

There’s a few beery events coming up in the next month and a bit to tell you about, including one of the beeriest events in the Canadian Beer Calendar:

Another reminder that Halifax is hosting the Canadian Brewing Awards Conference June 1 – 3, and there is still time to take part! Tickets are available to purchase now, and they are still putting out the call for volunteers to help keep everything moving smoothly. There are lots of opportunities for those looking to take part, all day and evening Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3, at the Halifax Convention Centre. Registration of attendees, prepping swag bags, set-up of rooms, bar service, preparing trophies, and much more! We probably don’t need to tell you that there are lots of beery perks to this gig! If you are interested and available, contact Megan to sign up!

A little sooner than that is a Brewer’s Dinner at Seaport Social, located in the Westin Hotel at the South end of Hollis Street. On April 30th, Jeremy Taylor of 2 Crows will be leading a tasting menu of dishes prepared by Chef Jason Townes and his team. Five courses will be served, with beers to complement and/or contrast and the stories behind them all. As this is a special event, reservations ahead of time are required. Please call 902-240-7608 to grab a seat at the table!

The week before that, you should be at the Stillwell Freehouse for a Trio of Powerhouses, as Toronto’s Godspeed Brewery and CODA Ramen take over the taps and kitchen on Agricola Street April 23. Look for well-crafted European-inspired lagers and flavourful broths and dishes, all in a relaxing atmosphere. Reservations will be required, look to Stilly’s IG feed for details when they go live, later today.

A couple last quick mentions to inform your beer buying for the weekend!

It’s not just the weather that’s been feeling the siren call of summer, a couple of HRM-area breweries are already bringing back their summer après softball crushers.  Propeller’s Lime Lite is back, baby, and so, too, is Toller Lime from Spindrift. Both are crisp, clean, and refreshing with a touch of extra thirst quenching citrus. The former can be found at all Prop shops and online for Canada-wide delivery. The latter is available, of course, at Spindrift’s locations in Burnside and Antigonish for pints to stay and fills or cans to go. Both are available at Harvest Wines, Rockhead, and West Side, with Toller Lime also expected to be at Bishop’s Cellar. Maybe grab some of each and A/B them, or at least figure out which one will be your go-to for summer electrolyte replenishment!

Fredericton’s Half Cut Brewing has something freshly canned for your weekend pleasure. Fanny Pack is an India Session Ale, coming in at a light ‘n lovely 4.5% ABV with plenty of hop character. Only available at the brewery for now, it sounds like an ideal beer for hopheads on a sunny weekend in April.

Bootleg Brew Co in Corner Brook has a new tiny beer available in cans, and on draught soon, at their retail shop. The 2.8% ABV Near Near – Boot Lite is sometimes exactly what you’re looking for in a beer: cold, wet, and close to water.