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Friday Wrap-Up for October 6, 2023 – News from 2 Crows, Shipwright, Tanner, Landwash, Propeller, Annapolis Brewing, and More!!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2023-10-06
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Annapolis Brewing Company, Dildo Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Great Roads Brewing, Landwash Brewery, Propeller Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday y’all! We hope everyone has been enjoying the nicer weather this week, and that Hurricane Philippe decides to take even more of a westerly track this weekend! With Monday being Thanksgiving, keep in mind the provincial stores will be mostly closed, and check with your local private stores and breweries to ensure they’re open before heading there. On with the beer news!

We’ll start off this week with 2 Crows in Halifax as this is one of those weeks when they’re looking to cramp our typing fingers with news. Up first is a small-batch collaboration brew with local band Electric Spoonful, the self-proclaimed, “beer drinking, greasy ol’ rock band,” who are celebrating the release of their new EP Still 2 Poor, on Saturday with a party at the brewery. Starting with a North East IPA base, plenty of mangos and oranges were added to bump up the fruit levels in this hazy and super juicy beer. Stop by the brewery on Saturday night to try it and check the band out. This is the second such collab with a band for an album release party in as many weeks at 2 Crows (last week was Peach & Matcha Lager with Crossed Wires); if you’re a local music fan, definitely keep your eye on social media for evidence of more in the works.

Next up is the return of a 2C classic, a beer that has been missed by many for the last year or so, Letná. A Bohemian Pilsner in style, it started with a base of 100% local floor malt from Island Malt House treated to a low oxygen lager mash while also being dosed with a huge amount of Saaz hops. Double-decocted (because Stillwell Brewing’s CPR can’t be the only nutbar in the 902), plenty more Saaz was added in the boil and the whirlpool before it was fermented extra slowly at very cool temperatures with Escarpment Labs’ Czech Lager strain. Naturally carbonated via spunding, it was lagered longer than anybody wanted to have to wait. But it’s out now in tall cans, as well as being on tap at the brewery off the Lukr side-pour faucets.

Lastly, it hasn’t exactly been a well-guarded secret, but 2 Crows will be opening their second location in the coming months, which they’re calling 2 Crows West, near the corner of Oxford and Cork Streets in the West End of Halifax. As such, they’re looking to hire a General Manager to run the place. If you’ve got some hospitality management experience and an interest in beer, you might want to check out the official posting on their Careers page. Meanwhile the rest of us will quietly anticipate what is slated to be a lovely place for a pint in a lovely neighborhood.

Rolling down to the South Shore, Shipwright Brewing has a new beer in their series of Hazy IPAs. Haar and Fret is a fresh release named after the Scottish (Haar) and English (Fret) terms for a cold sea fog. In the recipe for this one, we find a malt bill with pale, Golden Promise, wheat, and honey malts along with flaked oats. The hop bill for featured generous additions in the boil of Bru-1, Citra, Topaz and Galaxy, and the same hops were also used in a dry-hop for some extra aroma and punch on the nose. Bringing it all home was the Vermont Ale strain from Escarpment Labs. If you put all of that together, you get a hazy smooth number, with stone fruit and citrus aromas and flavors coming in in at 6.5% and available at the brewery for pints and to-go crowlers. 

Staying along Highway 103, Tanner & Co Brewing is known for their resurrections of historical and unique beer styles from across the globe, and this week they bring us Kuitbier, an old world beer based on a recipe from two centuries ago in the Netherlands. Traditionally, this is a three grain beer that is malty, amber, and reminiscent of cloudy wheat beers and Tanner stays true with a grist of oats, barley and wheat and maintains the tradition of no fruits or other additions allowed in this 19th century classic style. The result is cloudy, fruity, and crisp, with a distinct aroma. This is 5.3% and 28 IBU and is available at the taproom for pints and to-go.

If we could write about Oktoberfest beers every week, I think we happily would, as long as we get to drink them!

Our friends in Mount Pearl (just Southwest of St. John’s), Landwash Brewery, are releasing Herbst, their festbier, that brings a drinkable, malty, bready pilsner. Herbst is the German word for Autumn, and this is a perfect name for this Munich malt and German noble hop combination. Coming together in a 5% package, this beer is canned, on tap and available now from the brewery and across the Avalon peninsula. It will also be featured at the city’s Oktoberfest happening this weekend with many other craft breweries being featured! 

Though they may be few in this region, those who know the Polish style known as grätzer, also known as Piwo Grodziskie or “Polish Champagne” have reason to celebrate this week. Propeller Brewing in Halifax has released Spark, their take on this centuries-old style, which is generally known for a low ABV, high carbonation, moderate bitterness, and a characteristic smoky flavor. Brewed with the traditional oak-smoked wheat malt, Propeller’s version aims to be, as the best examples are, surprisingly refreshing, at 3.6% ABV and with the distinctive smoky punch being accompanied by spice and floral hop notes. Whether you generally like smoked beers or not we highly recommend giving this one a go, especially paired with food like kielbasa and kapusta kiszona (Polish sausage and sauerkraut), gołąbki (cabbage rolls), or pierogies. It’s available now at your usual sources for Propeller beer.

We’ve got a new beer out of Annapolis Brewing, as they bring the people Cannonball, a Double IPA packed with Columbus, Nugget and Amarillo hops. At 8.3% and 60 IBU, it has a smooth bitterness beneatha bouquet of piney, citrus and some tropical notes. The pilsner malt base keeps it light, balanced, and smooth and it is available today on tap and in cans from the taproom. And be sure to stop into their taproom in downtown Annapolis Royal, as they celebrate their sixth anniversary this weekend! Live Music from 7 – 10 PM both Friday and Saturday, beer tastings, food, and much more! Check out more details here, and congratulations to the Annapolis Brewing team!!

The newly named and rebranded Great Roads Brewing in Lower Sackville have brought back their Vienna Lager, for a bit of a change of pace from their primarily ale-driven brewery. A delicious style, this is a perfect beer for the season. Under the new name of Cobequid Copper Lager, this is a crisp and clean lager with a slight malty sweet flavour and lovely nose. It’s 5.5% and available for pints and growlers right now. This will be canned soon! Hit up your favourite Sackville (Nova Scotia) brewery to try it out.

Back to Newfoundland, where Dildo Brewing has a new beer for your enjoyment this week, a big ‘ol double IPA they’re calling, well, Double IPA. Weighing in at a hefty 8.2% ABV, this one demands some caution as you work your way from the firm opening bitterness, to the classic citrus and floral combo of Cascade and Centennial, and then through to the modern vibrant fruitiness of Citra and Mosaic. It sounds to us like a slow savouring will reward the drinker with plenty of complexity. Head to the taproom to be amongst the first to try this one, as it won’t be packaged into cans right away!

If you’ve been out to one of Garrison Brewing’s spots, either at the Halifax Seaport or on Quinpool Road, you may have heard tell of folks ordering a blend of two of their most OG offerings, Nut Brown and Razzberry Wheat. Although a mixed pint will always remain an option, the brewing team have now taken on the challenge of making it more convenient, including being available for home consumption. With a fruity raspberry nose balanced against notes of nuts and chocolate, PB&J is a limited release at 4.7% ABV and it’s on draught at all Garrison locations as well as packaged in cans to go.

Representing New Brunswick in our pages this week are stalwarts Trailway Brewing, who have one of their favorite seasonals available this week. As always, this is a sour beer, refreshingly tart, with an out-of-this-world blue colour and the flavor of blue raspberry candy. Some folks might find it scary, but we think most will find this 6% ABV beer refreshing and tasty. We’re not big fans of the name (and if you don’t know it shouldn’t take much more than a quick web search to find out why), but if you ask for the “blue one” you’ll probably find what you need at all Trailway locations and ANBL stores in the coming weeks.

A pair of beery events are in the offing, one tonight and one this coming Wednesday.

Once upon a time, Upstreet hosted a party in their taproom every week, whose name coincided with the name of their fun and fabulous one-off Neon Friday releases. Well, the wait is over, as the party is returning this week, and running all through the fall and winter. Drink specials on pints of Commons, Rhuby Social, and Do Gooder, their Rewind Seltzers, and other mixed drinks too. DJs spinning tunes from 9 PM until close, with free cover! And what better time than that to release their latest Neon Friday, 4.01: NEIPA. This New England IPA is their juiciest yet, absolutely filled to the brim with stone fruit notes of peach and mango, and even some funny fruity pebble aromatics! At 6.5% and 25 IBU, there’s just a little bit of bitterness, with a maximum amount of soft, pillowy, texture. You can grab pints and cans at Upstreet’s two locations, and order it for delivery or shipping on their website!

Next Wednesday, October 11th, the Tusket Falls Beer Project on Gottingen Street in Halifax will be hosting a Beer Dinner. With a five course menu set by chefs Keith and Matt, with a beer paired with each course, this will surely be an evening to remember. We’ll let you read the details on the variety of dishes available here, but will tease you with two new beers that are being released that evening to coincide with the dinner. The first is My Friend, a Coffee Porter, which will see a full release on draught and in package next week as well. And those attending will get a sneak preview of Copyright Infringement, Tusket’s latest NEIPA, their first IPA to feature Nectaron hops. That beer will get a full release the following week. To avoid disappointment, call (902-434-2984) or email ryan@tusketfallsbrewing.com today to secure your spot at this special event!

And a couple of final mentions before we leave you to your (hopefully long) weekend!

Halifax’s favorite source for hops and (allegedly) Bad Attitude™, Unfiltered Brewing, has a returning engagement this week, in the form of Here it Comes. A DIPA in the grand NASH tradition, it once again features Chinook hops from Québec’s Duke25 Hops, grab this citrus monster from the brewery starting today!

Unfortunately, we must end this week’s post with some sad news. Serpent Brewing, which opened  in October 2020, has announced their closing. In a post on Facebook, owner Glen O’Keefe outlines some of the reasons behind the closure, which includes the difficulty with expanding their offerings at the NSLC, despite great sales numbers. No word yet on the next project for O’Keefe, or the space in the heart of the Spryfield business district, but we wish all involved well. It’s been said before, but be sure to support your favourite local brewery, restaurant, better beer bar, or other businessperson, as some are holding on by threads at this time…

Friday Wrap-Up for September 15, 2023 – News from 2 Crows, North, Mauzy, Shipwright, Maybee, Annapolis Brewing, Tusket Falls, Schoolhouse, Landwash, Hopyard, Tapestry, Tire Shack, Smokehouse, Garrison, and more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2023-09-15
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Annapolis Brewing Company, Bannerman Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Godspeed Brewery, HopYard, Landwash Brewery, Mauzy Cidery, Maybee Brewing, North Brewing, Oktoberfest, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Schoolhouse Brewery, Shipwright Brewing, Smokehouse Nano Brewery, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tire Shack Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

Another week, another grind, more beer for all of our times. Read below for our weekly update, a share with your friends, we would appreciate. A hurricane is coming, Lee is on the move, buy some beers for the weekend, for you it will behoove. There’s lots of news, so let’s start from the top, beer and events, they never stop!

Up first this week is a beer that we almost told you about last week, but we were advised at the eleventh hour that it could have been a premature…declaration, as a label snafu prevented a timely release. That, however, was sorted and thus the gang at 2 Crows in Halifax has a brand new beer available in their series of consonantly-named juicy hazy IPAs. Perfect Revelation features the same grist that they’ve perfected over the various iterations, namely Golden Promise, flaked oats, wheat malt, and dextrin malt, and it’s also fermented with the same juice-forward yeast. As always, however, they’ve switched up the hops (and the label and the name, natch) and this batch saw massive amounts of Citra, Centennial, and Sultana. It’s safe to expect plenty of citrus, in the form of mandarin orange character, along with some pineapple and melon notes, and even some resinous pininess. You can grab this 6.1% beaut in cans from the brewery.

The team at North Brewing and their friends at Battery Park Beer Bar collaborated on a brew last year that was extremely well-received, at least by the hazy IPA loving portion of the public. Named after BP regular Dave Wilcox, whose own homebrew recipe was scaled up, brewed, and packaged, this one is packed with hops, namely Columbus, Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic. Hazy and definitely as juicy as you’d expect given the name, it’s 6.2% ABV and features the lovely (and/or creepy) mascot of Battery Park on the label. While only available for a limited time, and we believe only at BP and North locations, to celebrate this re-release, the North kitchens in Cole Harbour and Timberlea are putting Soft Pretzel Bites with Hazy Dave’s IPA Cheese Sauce on the menu all weekend.

Nestled in the back of Banished Brewing’s space in Paradise, NL, Mauzy Cidery continues to put out limited edition fun things for local folks to sip on. This week’s offering is the cheekily-named Kissy Kissy Juice, their first foray into the world of grapes. Comprised of a blend of whole cluster De Chaunac grapes from Jenning’s Homestead and Nova Mac and Honeycrisp juices from Mt. Scio Orchard, the resulting wine-cider hybrid was bottle conditioned, as usual, with Baccalieu Trail Honey. Arriving at 5.5% ABV and packaged in 750ml bottles (only 13 cases produced!), you can only find this beautifully pink product at Banished.

Lunenburg’s own Shipwright Brewing has a new release that is something we would like to be drinking as we type this up right now. Litekeeper is a Belgian Grisette (like a lighter version of a Saison) that manages to bring lots of complex flavour and aroma in a lower ABV form. The malt bill for this was Pilsner, wheat, munich and oats and the hops in the boil were Loral and Hallertau Blanc, with a Belgian yeast from Escarpment Labs to bring it together. Finished with a dry-hopping of more Hallertau Blanc, all of it came together to become something very refreshing and fruity with a bit of pepper for interest and a dry finish. The finished product is 3.7% and 28 IBU and can be had today from the brewery for pints on site or to-go in crowlers or growlers. 

A welcome release out of Annapolis Brewing this weekend sees a style perfect for the changing of the seasons (which we’ve been advised is still very much going to happen, eventually). Munich Dunkel is what the beer is named and exactly what it is! A classic Bavarian-style dark lager that boasts flavours of bready malt with a bit of chocolate and caramel, all complemented by a bit of noble hop bitterness, this is an extremely balanced and drinkable style that is perfectly suited for outdoor German beer gardens or your own dwelling. It’s 5% ABV and 23 IBU and is available now in cans and on tap from the brewery in Annapolis Royal. 

Tusket Falls Brewing keeps things busy with their two locations and they’re also keeping it fresh with a brand new release that you can pick up today. Long Way Around is a triple berry sour ale that isn’t your standard kettle sour. They’ve put a lot into this beer (literally), as it’s something that’s been under development for awhile, but has been helped out with a new Lactobacillus blend from the good folks at Escarpment Labs. The bacteria was the souring agent but also provided some guava and lemon aroma and flavour. Smooth mouthfeel and a bit of balancing sweetness was introduced by a lactose addition, and it was all brought together with a hazy IPA yeast strain, as this sour also featured a dry hopping of Strata and Citra, which brought orange citrus and strawberry aromas. And we haven’t even got to the berries yet! Bringing this one home was infusions of real blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry, AND a bit of vanilla bean AND ALSO sea salt! Definitely a brew from the “But Wait, There’s MORE!” category. Arriving in your glass at 6.5% it’s definitely worth grabbing a can or pint at their Halifax or Tusket locations to see how all of those elements meld into a tasty beverage.

Don’t forget it’s Pumpkin SZN, as the kids say, or used to say? Don’t forget, we’re old. In addition to our guardian roundup last week, Schoolhouse Brewing has brought back a seasonal beer with Pumpkin Paddler, their annual pumpkin ale. First released back in 2017, this beer was first introduced to celebrate the annual Pumpkin Regatta in Windsor, Nova Scotia, an event where people hollow out giant pumpkins and race them in the water. When Lake Pisquid was no longer able to provide a home for the race, some enterprising folks up and moved the whole durn thing to the South Shore, where it is now part of the Shelburne County Giant Pumpkin Festival. This year will be the second year on the Shelburne waterfront and if you’re interested in guiding a gourd to glory on Thanksgiving weekend, you can find out more information here. But meanwhile, back to the beer! Schoolhouse had been known to put an entry of their own in the regatta, so the Pumpkin Paddler Pumpkin Ale is a perfect release to remind folks in Windsor of an event that meant a lot to the brewery and community. The beer is 6.0% and featured additions of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg. A mix of noble hops provided the bitterness and balance to this dry and drinkable fall ale. Expect it to show up soon in private stores in Halifax, but rest assured it’s available in cans and on draught at the brewery. 

Over the summer, Landwash’s Czech-style Lager got a bit of a makeover, with a light name change to Landwash Cold Lager. To celebrate the new name and branding, they are holding a launch event tomorrow, Sept 16 in the taproom. All day, they will be offering $5 mugs of Cold Lager in three distinct pour styles straight from Plzeň. Hladinka is a full mug with a full head of dense foam, Snyt is a 50/50 mug with half foam and half beer, and Mliko is also known as a Milk Pour, and is almost entirely foam. DIfferent pours for different situations, we say! They are also taking the opportunity to invite their Friends in Lager on tap for the day, with Bannerman, Dildo, and Port Rexton all pouring lagers too. And from noon until 11 PM, they are giving away a 12-pack of LCL to one lucky attendee every hour, on the hour! And for those unable to attend, look for the new branding of 12 packs of Cold Lager for your very own Beer is Nice crested coaster, which will win you a full flat of Landwash beer of your choosing. Look for those packs at NLCs, and your favourite small retailer.

A few events to tell you about this weekend and the near future! For those in areas affected by Hurricane Lee, be sure to check the conditions, and confirm your spots are opening, before heading out!

Hopyard is hosting Godspeed Brewery Tap Takeover this weekend, with seven beers from the Toronto-based brewery pouring right now. Sklepnik Pilsner (fermented in pitch-lined foedres), Tmavý Ležák 12º Dark Czech Lager, Fukami Munich Dunkel, Arbeit Hefeweizen, Yuzu Saison, Kekkon Raspberry Sour, and Ochame Green Tea IPA. This also marks the return of their original chef Jane Crawford, who is back in the kitchen again, and who has prepared a Japanese-inspired Ekiben meal to fit with the Montreal-to Japan-to Toronto story of Godpseed’s history. The beer and menu will be on until they sell out, so be sure to pop in today to avoid disappointment!

The Lower Sackville beer bar Tapestry Beer Bar kicks off our Oktoberfest news as the official Oktoberfest in Munich is September 16th to October 3rd. Tapestry will be featuring 12 German style beers from 12 different Nova Scotia breweries. If you’re reading this and itching to try some of them before Hurricane Lee hits, you can order a Mystery Flight of the beers. You’ll have to keep track of them manually though, as the full tap list won’t be revealed until later this weekend. The plan is for the event to start on Saturday, but keep an eye on their socials. It’s not looking good for Saturday, and you don’t know what kind of damage could happen with the hurricane, so check out the venue online before heading out this weekend.

Hopping over to Moncton, the wonderful folks at Tire Shack are next on the Oktoberfest lineup. Every Saturday and Sunday this month they’ll have food from Euston Park, special branded 1 litre maß mugs and they’ll be filling them with their delicious Helles Yeah! Munich style Helles lager. They also have a re-release of their award-winning The Wickerman, which is a Pumpkin Vienna Lager that is out today.  Again, this is planned to start Friday, September 15th, to beat the hurricane, but keep an eye out for the rest of the weekend if you plan to head over. 

New to the block but staying true to the tradition, Smokehouse’s new Agricola street location will be doing Oktoberfest beers from September 16th to October 3rd (again, check the weather and their socials for any delays!). They’ve brewed 5 traditional beers for the celebration and will also be planning to serve Brothers sausages on the BBQ. They’ll have special steins for serving the following special pours: Munich Dunkel, Märzen, Bavarian Wheat, Kölsch and a Festbier. 

Next up we’ve got a familiar pairing from the last few years, as The BG (formerly the home of the original Stillwell Beergarden and previously named the Stubborn Goat Beer Garden on the Halifax Waterfront) and Garrison Brewing are teaming up for their annual Oktoberfest! Just like previous years they’ve got a full menu of German platters (Knackwurst & Schnitzel), snacks and beer. This will be lasting for 10 days and will start on Monday September 18th. On Friday Sept 22nd there will be a big rocking party with Rankin MacInnis too. Stay tuned to their socials for any details or changes.

A few last quick mentions to send you into a (hopefully uneventful) weekend!

Out of Fredericton, Maybee Brewing has a new Double IPA just in time for the weekend. Retrograde is a DIPA that is big on citrus and fruit aromas. Lots of orange and ripe tangerine flavour for a dry finished and drinkable DIPA. At 8.3% you can grab this in cans or on tap from their taproom.

If you’re near Quidi Vidi and have been keeping up with the brewery’s Arts & IPA series, we can tease that the 10th iteration in the series will be available next week. Featuring new can art and featured artists for each release, new hop and flavour combinations are also explored. This Arts & IPAs 10 will feature Idaho 7 hops and will be a 7.5% IPA. Keep an eye out for it next week, featuring artwork from Molly Margaret!

After its launch at the end of last month, the non-alcoholic Nomad Pilsner sold out within days. Good news for those thirsty for more, as it is now back in stock! Brewed by Tatamagouche Brewing, the Pilsner is just the tip of the iceberg in the NA space. Look for several more styles to come through the taps in the next few months. Check their taproom and retail shop on Main Street Tatamagouche, or their online shop for local delivery or nationwide shipping.

Friday Wrap-Up for September 8th, 2023 – News from Tatamagouche, Tusket Falls, Quidi Vidi, PEI Brewing, North, Keith’s, Saltbox, Barnone, Stillwell Brewing, Dildo, and Hardisty

Posted by acbbdevon on 2023-09-08
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Alexander Keith's Historic Brewery, Bannerman Brewing, BarNone Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Hardisty Brewing, North Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Quidi Vidi Brewery, Saltbox Brewing, Stillwell Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

School’s back in session around the Atlantic provinces, as kiddos, teens, and university dreams are all in classes. As we start to see the fall roll in with spiced ales and Oktoberfest fun, we’ve still got lots of summer weather and patios to enjoy through September. We’ll be with you through all of the ebbs and flows of the craft beer news and events, so make sure you give us a follow on Twitter (or, X now, right? Does anyone say that?) and Instagram or maybe even like our Facebook page (yes, we’re THAT old). Onto the news below!

Hitting the taps and shelves this weekend is a brand new release from everyone’s favourite brewery in Tatamagouche, Tata Brew Co. Returning to a tried and tested technique of theirs, they brewed a base beer using both Maritime-grown malt and hops before storing it away in barrels to further develop. These Sauvignon Blanc barrels contained Brettanomyces yeast, who worked their magic for eight months before packaging. These bugs imparted some citrus and stone fruit ester character, melding with the wine and grape, as well as wood notes, to complete the package. Ersa, at 4.5% ABV, is available in small cans from the brewery and for province- and Canada-wide shipping from their website now.

Tusket Falls Brewing, are back with their 3rd iteration of Next Phaze. The first one featured a good amount of Phantasm (thiol-laden Sauvignon Blanc grape-derived powder) along with Citra and Riwaka hops, while the second release turned the Thiols way down, and this current release gets rid of Phantasm completely. This one changes the yeast in this Hazy IPA to A38 Juice from Imperial Yeast. This yeast really showcases the new world hop profiles in New England-style hazy IPAs. The Citra and Riwaka hops stay the same in the whirlpool and the dry-hopping. At 6.4% ABV this sounds like a must try if you’re a fan of the series. It’s only been 4 weeks since the last release, so talk to your staff and check the canning dates! This one is available now at their Tusket and Halifax locations in cans. 

Up to St. John’s, Quidi Vidi Brewing has another release from their Sofa Sour series. This series focuses on bringing new flavours with old elegance to a well balanced base sour beer. This Blackberry Rosemary Sofa Sour features a delicate blend of blackberry and rosemary additions to balance the tartness and bring a bit of sweetness on the finish. The beer is vibrant in colour with a red/purple mix and a light pink head. This one is canned at 5% and is available at NLCs, convenience stores, at the brewery and online!

Over to Prince Edward Island for our next release, where PEI Brewing Co is celebrating Lead Brewer Tim’s birthday, albeit a few months late… OK, let me explain. For a few years, Tim was sitting on a receipt for a Baltic Porter, and the opportunity to brew it finally came up earlier this year, on his birthday! Rich in chocolate, fruitcake, and cherry notes, the 7.0% Tim’s Birthday Baltic Porter is only available on tap at the PEIBC Taproom, and for a limited time. Happy Birthday, Tim!

Instead of the pumpkin spice, North Brewing is bringing back a release from last year with Kem Cho? This is a Spiced Pale Ale whose name means “How are you?” in Gujarati (an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat). Spiced with saffron, cardamom and some lemon additions, with the Cashmere hops complementing these adjuncts. At 4.5% this is a complex yet approachable beer that is available now at all three of the North shops or online for delivery. 

Hardisty Brewing, a nano brewery in Colby Village, recently released a special brew, a return to earlier ways of brewing, before hops were used. Gruits used other herbs and roots to impart bitterness as a way to flavour and balance the sweetness, and Char from Hardisty followed that same procedure with their most recent release. A pale malt bill was used, and lemon balm, mugwort, and yarrow were used in the boil in place of hops. The 4.3% ABV ale was such a hit with both sour beer and cider fans that it sold out at their Seaport Farmers Market table last Saturday! But worry not, there will be more Gruits, with unique herb combinations, coming soon! This Saturday, visitors to the Market will be able grab Hardisty’s Pilsner, American Pale Ale, Rye IPA, and Porter. And in the next couple of months, their storefront at 958 Cole Harbour Road will be open for pints and flights, paired with sweet and savoury charcuterie boards, as well as retail cans to go!

Hot (well, cold) off the canning line is the latest from the darling of East Duckworth Street, Bannerman Brewing. Overripe is a Sour IPA, brewed with the new HBC 1019 hop from Hop Breeding Company, imparting a lovely fuzzy peaches character to the previously soured ale. Cans are literally coming off their line at the time of publishing, so head down to East Duck this afternoon, and you’ll find no fresher beer in the province!

This weekend sees the first Halifax International Fleet Week celebrating our Royal Canadian Navy with events, tours and displays all weekend long. While there will be discounts all around at some breweries if you show your military ID, Alexander Keith’s Brewery has also brewed a Fleet Week Pilsner for the week, a classic pilsner in celebration of the Canadian Armed Forces. Coming in at 5% this is a limited edition canned release that you’ll be able to find at the bottle shop down at the old Halifax Brewery Market and also available on tap at limited bars and restaurants around Halifax. 

In a move to reduce the waste footprint of beer and its packaging, the folks at Saltbox Brewing in Mahone Bay have purchased a Hinterkopf can printer, allowing designs to be printed directly on cans, without the need for labels or sleeves. And with that, they have launched Saltbox Print Works, opening up the same possibility to breweries across the region. While direct printing was previously available, the minimum order needed to make it viable were out of reach to all but the largest craft breweries, necessitating a purchase of many pallets of cans up front. So much for changing your ABV or recipe! With the local printer, much smaller runs can be performed, allowing for flexibility in seasonal, or one-off releases, without the massive investment needed ahead of time. Speaking of time, as the steps from design to printing are extremely quick, within a matter of days or weeks, not months, the turn-around could be as quick as from between brewday when the beer details are set in the design, to the cans arriving by canning day. Currently, SPW can accommodate standard 355 and 473 ml cans, as well as slim designs. If demand from customers is there, they may consider other sizes (we vote crowlers!). While their full website is still in the works, interested breweries can check this press release, and reach out to SPW to learn more!

A few events to tell you about this weekend and the near future!

In Rose Valley, PEI, Barnone Brewery is playing host to the Disc Golf Pro Tour Discmania Open this weekend. Players from around the world are onsite to compete for thousands in prizes, and the public is welcome to come out and get in on the action! Food trucks, live music, and extended hours at the brewery all weekend. Plus, as a celebration of the PEI Disc Golf community, Barnone has released Comebacker Lager. After being hit extremely hard by Hurricane Fiona, they came together to rebuild the province’s courses. That work has paid off, as the first ever stop on the DGPT in Canada is in Rose Valley. Grab pints and cans of the 4.5% ABV Lager at the brewery all weekend. Looking to visit the course yourself after the weekend’s fun winds down, here are the details! 

Fans of Craft Beer, Tacos and Dance Parties need to look no further for a special day at Stillwell Brewing. Exploria (a Halifax based dance collective) is hosting Reverie, an all day dance party featuring some of the collective’s artists. Long-time Stilly friends Beverley Taco Service will be coming back for this event too, so there will be something for everyone. This is a ticketed event, so hit the link here to register for the event on Saturday September 16th. 

Beer and running, this is a match made in heaven! Dildo Brewing is hosting their 3rd annual community fundraiser in November, as they’re putting on The Run for Beer. This is an 8km walk/run event with the aim to engage the community and raise funds to put back into helping the town. Check their social media post here for all of the details. Registration is open now and the Dildo event will take place on Saturday, November 4th.