Grimross Brewing

All posts tagged Grimross Brewing

Hello loyal beer news fans! Apologies for the lack of news last week, we decided that with 4 of us travelling, it was a bit too much to get a post together that day. But we’ve more than made up for it this week, with news from every Atlantic province and surely a beer, cider, or event that everybody will enjoy, although we were obviously challenged in getting it put together in a timely fashion. So let’s get right to it!

The summer of Propeller Brewing’s 25th Anniversary celebration continues this week as they took the opportunity on yesterday’s IPA Day to release 25K IPA. This 6.1% Double Dry-Hopped IPA leverages Amarillo and Cryo Citra for an intense melon and citrus hit on the nose, with a solid West Coast character in the glass. Available on draught at Propeller’s three locations, as well as at licensees around the province (if you don’t see it, ask!). Also available in cans locally through Propeller and the Harvest Wine group, as well as local delivery and nation-wide shipping. Enticing us even more is what the “25K” name represents: teaming up with industry partners, they will be donating 100% of the proceeds of the beer to Feed Nova Scotia, which will exceed $25,000! More than just a food bank, Feed Nova Scotia’s goal is to increase food security through food distribution, education and collaboration throughout the province. We can certainly get behind that! Check out Jenell and Pat on Global with more on the beer and charitable component.

Let’s keep the charitable beers rolling this week, with Big Spruce in Nyanza releasing their 2022 Black is Beautiful beer, Toasted Coconut Jamaican Rum Barrel-Aged Foreign Extra Stout. Wow, quite a mouthful! And the beer is too, with this Foreign Extra Stout (think full-body and bold) seeing toasted coconut in the boil, and then hanging out in Jamaican Rum barrels for more than 6 months, picking up both wood character as well as plenty of rum booziness from its previous tenant. 100% of the proceeds of Black is Beautiful are going to African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent, a coalition building strength and health across African Nova Scotian communities and working to forge a renewed working relationship with government that creates conditions for all African-descended people in Nova Scotia to thrive. And you can learn more about Black is Beautiful, the international charitable collaboration entering its third year, in this short documentary. Only available through Big Spruce, pop by their taproom and retail shop overlooking the Bras D’Or lakes, or for home delivery (nationwide shipping too) on their website.

While you’re there, also check out their other new release, Ykpaïha. Styled after a classic European Pilsner, Ykpaïha features Zlato Polissya hops throughout, grown in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. Those hops lend fresh herb and light floral notes with a slight earthy undertone, reminiscent of Noble hops grown elsewhere in Europe. Available now in cans and on draught. 

Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery released a funky beer, months in the making, in late July, and we want to be sure we told you about it ASAP so you don’t miss out… Funk Island 2022 began life as a pale wheat ale back in the winter, which then had a second round of fermentation in wine barrels with Brettanomyces, a familiar yeast to those into traditional Belgian or French beers. With the light base beer giving the yeast a lovely stage upon which to shine, it features notes of hay, orange blossoms, and strawberries. And as the 4.9% beer was packaged with a bit of yeast and fermentable sugar present, it has developed a lively and tight carbonation in the bottle, and will be perfect for storing to see how it further develops. Currently only available at the brewery on Commonwealth Avenue, it should be available at a few other retail shops in the region in the coming weeks.

And just released this week in celebration of Regatta Day (sorry to those who may have lost at Roulette Tuesday night/Wednesday morning!), is Pearl Swirl, their new Milkshake IPA series. The first release is Pearl Swirl: Lemon and Apricot, which is chock full of lemon, drinking like a lemon meringue pie! Named after the Mount Pearl Curl hairstyle, look for this on tap at Landwash now, with cans coming next week. 

From one island to another, Lone Oak Brewing, based in Borden-Carleton (and now Charlottetown with their Brewpub location), has released a charitable and collaborative beer in Monarch Kolsch. The 4.7% ABV lagered ale is light and refreshing for these warmer months, with a touch of fruity esters with a hint of spicy character. Every can sold will see $1 donated to the Island Nature Trust, whose mission is to protect natural beauty and habitat on the Island, including the land and flora that the Monarch Butterfly loves. Pop by the Brewery or Brewpub (the only places Monarch is available) this weekend to grab a four-pack, drinking for a great purpose!

Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewery is releasing a new beer they’ve been tweaking behind the scenes since January.  Strawberry Vanilla Shake IPA is a 100% vegan take on a milkshake IPA. Milkshake IPAs typically use lactose sugar to add sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel. Tire Shack has replicated that with a secret ingredient that opens the beer to a wider audience of drinkers. Dry-hopped with Enigma, expect big notes of strawberry jam and vanilla ice cream, but without having to worry about popping a couple of Lacteeze first! Available now at the brewery on tap and in growler fills and cans to go!

Back to Newfoundland and the Avalon Peninsula, Bannerman Brewing is releasing Future-Proof, the brewery’s first cream ale. This one started with a grain bill of Pilsner malt, flaked barley and corn before a light hopping with several European hops. Cream ales combine the fruity esters from an ale yeast fermentation, with the crisp drinking experience of a lager. Future Proof, coming in at 4.8% ABV, is available now at the brewery on Duckworth. While you’re there, you’ll also find Eclipse, their Sabro/Eclipse hopped IPA, back in stock. And finally, don’t forget to bring your Newfoundland and Labrador Craft Brewery Passport for a stamp. Bannerman is participating in the promotion this summer, along 18 other breweries and 1 cidery and 1 distillery, as part of the province’s Come Home 2022 Summer.

Halifax’s, and now Elmsdale’s, Good Robot Brewing has a new beer on their Drinkubator line, a Milk Stout. Leveraging their taproom visitors’ opinions and enthusiasm, the Drinkubator program lets folks vote and decide which beers will get a bump up from a small pilot batch to a more wide release. Notes of coffee, chocolate, and vanilla abound in this beer, maybe great for enjoying around a summer evening fire (when allowed, burn safely, folks!). On tap on Robie Street only, for now…

And while you cannot (yet) grab this one at their Elmsdale Beer Garden location, a reminder that it is open and ready to serve its thirsty neighbours. Located at 14 Industrial Way, the Beer Garden is open Friday to Sunday, noon to 11 PM (noon to 10 PM Sunday). Their retail shop out there is set to open soon, operating Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 8 PM (opening at 10 AM Friday and Sunday).

Heading west to the “other Lawrencetown”, Lunn’s Mill has two new releases to share with you. First up is It’s A Session IPA, which as you may have guessed, is a session IPA. Coming in at 4.3%, it is the first release in their new Lazy Brewer series. Up next is Not Your Bock, their take on a German Maibock. Expect some grainy sweetness and a hint of spice, along with an ample 7% ABV. Both beers are being released next Wednesday, August 10, at the brewery’s Lawrencetown and Bridgetown locations. These two will also be on tap for pints and growler fills.

Lunenburg’s Shipwright Brewing has released Bell Ringer Red, in support of the campaign to save the bell from the iconic Lunenburg Academy. This one was designed by Shipwright owner Adam Bowers, who also happens to be a former student of the academy. Look for a malt-forward drinking experience that includes notes of caramel and toffee. Bell Ringer is available now at the brewery on Montague Street.

Back to the Avalon one more time, where in Paradise, NL, new brewery Banished has a brand new DIPA pouring from the taps. Jim Time is an ode to the man who was responsible for keeping their opening as close to on-schedule as it could be given the pandemic circumstances. Described as a, “tractor driving, F1-watching, Adirondack-sitting, BBQ-loving legend,” Jim was also known for only drinking DIPAs, which made it an easy decision as to how to honour him. At 8% ABV, it’s got some serious kick, and no doubt a pretty significant hop kick as well. Packaged in cans, you can grab it from the brewery and other places where you find Banished beers.

Some beery things happening in the big city this weekend and next:

As things continue to return to something like the normal we knew before the pandemic, we’re starting to see the return of such novelties as big beerfests. First out of the gate in that regard, at least in the HRM, is the Seaport Beerfest, back for the 12th iteration of the event, 14 years after the first one in 2007. This year taking place entirely out of doors in front of Garrison Brewing’s Seaport location, 25 Maritime breweries are represented (19 from NS, 3 from NB, and 3 from PEI) along with some treats from Ontario, Quebec, Europe, and Maine. There are also cideries and meaderies represented, and this year sees the advent of FizzFest, which means you’ll find a wide selection of Ready-to-Drink hard seltzers, sodas, and cocktails as well: plenty of options for the non-beer drinkers in your social circle as well. The first of four sessions was held last night and was attended by our own Aaron and Chris, who can attest to it being a great time. If you’re looking for a way to beat the heat and taste some beers (or other beverages), tickets are still available for the three remaining sessions, tonight, 7 – 10 PM, Saturday afternoon 2 – 5 PM, and Saturday evening, 7 – 10 PM. Lots more information, including a link to a list of everything that will be pouring, is available in the FAQ section of the event website.

Next Friday, August 12th, a reunion of sorts will take place in Halifax, as Stillwell will welcome their old friends from legendary Toronto beer destination Volo. As many know, some of Stillwell’s leadership learned the ins and outs of the industry at Volo, laying the groundwork for the creation of the Stillwell Empire. Since that time Volo has begun making their own beer and wine and they’ll be bringing a bunch of it for us to try and enjoy. The event will run from open to close at both The Freehouse and HQ, with slightly different taplists at each spot. You can find a full list of what’s available in this Ig post.

As is often the case at this time of year, lots of our region’s purveyors are looking to supplement their staff during the busiest season for suds.

Up first is Tusket Falls, who are looking to add a combination role of Server and Social Media Manager to the team. If this combination sounds like it would be a fit for you, you can send in your resume via email. Next up, one of the region’s oldest breweries, Picaroons, is looking for a Production Brewer for their Roundhouse location in Fredericton; full details are available here. Tatamagouche Brewing is hiring both Cellar and Store positions, part-time and full-time, year round and seasonal. No experience is required, just a great attitude; you can learn more by emailing for full info or just go ahead and submit a resume. Landwash is hiring multiple folks on a part-time basis for their taproom and events; they’re hoping to people who have availability during afternoons and weekends. Full details are available at this link. And lastly, but not leastly, Bishop’s Cellar is looking for both full and part time staff to join their warehouse team. Benefits include a staff discount on wine, beer, and spirits; find out more or send in your resume using this address.

Being off meant we missed a couple of things last week; here’s a couple that should still be around:

Grimross Brewing in Fredericton has a beer made from in-province ingredients. Spring Runnings has malt from Maison Fils du Roy, and Mt Hood hops from Lakeview hops. Packing a bit more punch than usual for a blonde ale, this one comes in at 6.5% ABV.

In Wolfville, Annapolis Cider has a new one, aptly named Blueberry Crabapple. A sparkling, off-dry cider coming in at 7.4% ABV it’s features fresh-pressed local blueberries and a splash of tart hyslop crabapple juice to balance the sweetness. Even better, $0.50 from every refillable bottle sold will go to the Nova Scotia Nature Trust.

Happy Friday Beer Fans! We’ve got a busy release for you today, as breweries continue to pump out the good stuff in our region, now that patio season is in full effect. And lucky us, as we have an extra day to enjoy it this weekend! Let’s just hope Mother Nature got the memo too… Be sure to check your local breweries’ social media to confirm they are open Monday if you are in the mood for a pint or retail stop that day. Now, on with the new beer and cider news, and check the end for the Atlantic Canadian brewery performance in the Canadian Brewing Awards!

We’ll start out with a gold-medal winning brewery this week, as Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing have scaled up a small batch hit for wide release. Not a stranger to mango purees and sours in the past, this Mango-Guava Milkshake Sour is absolutely filled to the brim with both mango and guava purees, some lactose (aka milk sugar) that is acidified to keep it balanced and super-drinkable. Think fresh-pressed juice or smoothie, and you’ll be in the right mindset! Also keep an eye out for their new Peach Seltzer available now in cans, pints and growlers. 

As for the brewery itself, we’ll give a special shoutout to Alan Norman who was named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOS of 2022 in Atlantic Business Magazine. We’ve seen Mitch Cobb from Upstreet on this list before, so we’re glad the great work these breweries are doing is getting recognized. Other big news for the team is that they picked up a Gold at the Canadian Brewing Awards for their Helles Yeah! Oktoberfest Munich Style Lager.

Deer Lake’s Rough Waters Brewing Co. has a new release in its Neighbeerly series. For this one, they are partnering with Quadrangle NL, an organization working to create a 2SLGBTQIA+ community centre in Newfoundland, and with NL Beer Fans mosaic.wit on Instagram. They’ve teamed up to create a Mosaic Wit, combining the citrusy and coriander notes of a witbier with the fruity and tropical notes that come from a dry-hopping with Mosaic. This one is only available at the taproom for now, but should see distribution through Rough Water’s typical retail spots on the east coast and Avalon next week. One dollar from every can sold will go directly to Quadrangle. Check out @mosaic.wit’s Youtube channel for a behind-the-scenes video of the brewday and what they’ve been getting up to in homebrewing as well!

North Street’s favourite brewery, Unfiltered, has a few newsbites for the weekend. Up first, Double Orange Ale (affectionately known as DOA) is the wonderful 7.5% Double IPA loaded with Citra. It’s as amazing and delicious as ever. Next up, a new release, Sparkling Motherfucker, is a sparkling rosé refermented on raspberries. It comes in at a highly drinkable 4%, is low-carb, gluten-reduced and also has a bunch of electrolytes (sodium, chloride and potassium) but as they’ll tell you, it’s not a sports drink. Both of these are available on tap and in cans today. 

Hopping over to Newfoundland, Landwash also has some returning beer and some new news in the last week. First up, Caribou Hill is back in a limited release but with wide availability. This beer is a ANZAC Biscuit Brown ale in memory of the Newfoundland troops that fought years alongside the Australian New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC). The troops had special cookies that they would get from Australia. The beer itself is 5.2% with coconut additions and is widely available at the brewery, NLC and Convenience stores.

Another returning beer is Silvern Voices. This is a dry-hopped sour that is a rotating seasonal release. A few changes for this release include the removal of lactose and really upping the Cashmere dry-hop and adding some Galaxy into the mix. They’ve even switched up their lactobacillus from their other sours to make this stand out even more.  This is 4.9% and very hoppy, bright, tart and refreshing for the summer. This is available now across the island and at the brewery. 

Lastly, but not leastly, their spring Make/Shift collaboration series released with Mysa. Mysa is the beer name, too and is a juicy double dry-hopped IPA featuring Cascade and Nelson Sauvin hops. Using the Escarpment Labs Thiol Libre yeast, expect lots of tropical, fruity flavours like from this 7.4% IPA. This beer is also available now at the brewery, NLC stores and convenience stores across Newfoundland. 

Beausoleil Farmstead, the cidery/winery out of Port Williams, teamed up with Saltbox Brewing Company for a new release last week. Hibiscus is a 6.7% ABV blend of cider and chardonnay that has been infused with hibiscus, giving the final product a subtle pink hue. Cans are out now, following a release at last weekend’s Appleseed Cider Fest in Mahone Bay. 

Celebrating their Third Anniversary last weekend, East Duckworth’s Bannerman Brewing quietly released a month-appropriate lager, Full Bloom Maibock. Brewed in the cooler months, with the plan to release in spring, the Maibock is light in colour and higher in alcohol than traditional year-round German lagers, with Bannerman’s sporting a 6.5% ABV. Leveraging the herbal and spice notes from traditional Noble hops, perfect for the malt-favouring base beer. Available in cans in house and at shops around the Avalon, and pouring on tap for pints and growlers too.

Bannerman is also wading into the Cold IPA frey, with the release of Negative Space Cold IPA. While big variations to the pseudo-style exist, at least we can get behind the end result, a tasty hoppy beer! Their take on it uses a similar malt and hop profile as a more traditional IPA, but fermented cool and undergoing an extended conditioning phase like a lager. After primary fermentation, Cascade, Centennial, and Citra were added for dry hops, giving it a distinctly West Coast vibe, with a clean and crisp fermentation profile. Draught and cans are available from the brewery now, with cans probably seeing distribution before too long.

Breton Brewing is back with some long weekend, summer-themed fun with some updates to some of their more popular offerings. Let’s Jam Sour has a new flavour, as Let’s Jam: Blueberry Pomegranate is available now. The current Strawberry Rhubarb offering has been widely available across the province for a few years and this one will also be 4.0% and available at most NSLCs. In other NSLC news with Breton, Seven Years Pale Ale is now available in 6-pack 355ml cans. 

The Dartmouth-Timberlea connectors that are North Brewing have a new release that could be a first for the brewery. Let the Gold Times Roll is a 6.0% Golden Stoute featuring some help from Rousseau Chocolatier for the cocoa nibs and Roastery 46 for some cold brew. Always a fun style that features chocolate, coffee and classic stout flavours, it pours as a golden, clear ale. This is available at all three North locations and available online for delivery.

Halifax’s own Garrison Brewing is celebrating a massive anniversary, as they’ve hit the quarter-century mark. Celebrating 25 years of beer sligning, they’ve got a new beer and a fun contest with the Halifax Wanderers. The beer is  25th Anniversary Pale Ale, a 5.5% hazy beer with a nice mix of malt and fruit-forward hop flavours. This is in a special can and available now.  Check out the Garrison IG for details on their contest valued at $2000 running until May 26th. 

Antigonish’s Candid Brewing Company is celebrating one year in business with the release of 2021. This one is an ode to classic West Coast IPAs, featuring dank, citrusy and pine notes in a 7% ABV package. Speaking of the package, fans of a certain Dr. Dre album will enjoy the label artwork produced by Maritime Grime. In addition to the release, Candid will also be celebrating with live music tonight (Friday) at their College Street taproom. Happy Anniversary from all of us at ACBB!.

Up in the Valley there’s beers afoot, especially in Wolfvegas (that’s Wolfville to non-Acadia students), where Church Brewing decided to do all the things at once, including two collabs! First up, continuing their established history of putting out styles with high drinkability, is Marie, a 4% American Cream Ale, which means it’ll be light, crisp, and fairly dry, perfect for crushing after a hard afternoon of yard work. Then comes Pilsberry, a cranberry Pilsner, combining another very dry and crisp style with the lovely thirst-quenching tartness of cranberries in a 4.5% ABV package. Expect this one to have a hint of pink and to pair well with sitting in the sun on a patio. Also bound to be a hit with the patio drinking crowd is Life After Death, a collaboration with Avondale Sky Winery. Dubbed a “sparkling rosé sour” it’s a beer fermented with Champagne yeast for an ultra dry presentation, and then a conditioning on pinot noir grape skins from the winery. Tart, with some cherry pie flavours, the draught version of this one is quite different in ABV from the bottle conditioned version, with it pouring at 5.5% off the taps and more like 6.2% out of the bottle. You’ll have to visit the brewery to try a pint and then compare with some bottles you buy to take home! Lastly, the other collaboration this week is with up-the-Valley neighbours Schoolhouse Brewing in Windsor. Combining both breweries’ penchant for good beer with fun names they’ve come up with Bible School Dropout, a German Bock. Like all good Bocks, this one leans heavier on the malt side than the hops, and at 6.5% that’s going to mean sweet and smooth on the palate, but it’s also a lager, so you can still expect a fairly dry finish that beckons another sip. You can grab this one in cans from both breweries.

Big congratulations to Lone Oak, who open their Lone Oak Brewpub location at 15 Milky Way in Charlottetown today at 5 PM! With seating for more than 150 inside and out, there is sure to be room to accommodate all drinkers this fine weekend. While reservations are not being taken during the busy season, a quick call to check capacity as you’re headed out the door (and to be put on the waitlist) is a good idea and encouraged (902 892 0600). The brewpub is open from 11 AM seven days a week, and operating until 10 PM or later (the kitchen closes an hour or two before the pub). When visiting, you will be hit with the familiar aromas of the same crew behind The Abby kitchen at their Borden Brewery location, aka Terry Nabuurs and Co. Live music and fun all weekend long, with Matt Hannah and Jeff Doherty taking the stage this evening. Keep an eye on their IG page for more details. Congratulations to Dillon, Jared, Spencer, and the Crew on today’s opening!

A few quick hits from the old crows today, 2 Crows Brewing, ever the supporter of the Halifax classic Bluenose Marathon race weekend, will be opening early on Saturday (10am) and Sunday (11am) to host any post-race celebrations and gatherings. Pastries, coffee and beer, will join a new Electrolyte-based Hop Water in addition to Letna being back and widely available through the summer.  The new Hop Water will only be available at the brewery. 

New Scotland Brewing has a returning cider this week as Barracks is back in a small batch release. This is a 6.2% dry English cider using apples from the Valley. Get this one directly from the brewery! And congrats to the New Scotland Crew who announced that they will be making the move to a new location, offering more space for production, taproom, and music performances. Details coming soon!

Let’s leave you today with results from the Canadian Brewing Awards, announced in Calgary on the weekend. The region’s brewers did quite well, with more than a dozen breweries, representing every Atlantic province, bringing home the hardware. The full results are available here, and be sure to pick up a bottle or can of these beers the next time you stop into your local brewery!

  • 1. European Style Lager (Pilsner)
  • 2. European Style Amber to Dark Lager
    • Silver – Uncle Leo’s Altbier
  • 4. Kellerbier/Zwickelbier
  • 8. Baltic Porter
  • 11. Belgian-Style Abbey Ale/Pale Ale
  • 15. German-Style Sour Ale
  • 17. Porter
    • Bronze – Grimross Brewing Co. Pugnacious Porter
  • 19. Irish and Scotch Ales
  • 21. English Bitters
  • 24. Dry Stout
    • Silver – Tatamagouche Brewing Co. Hierlihy Irish Stout
  • 27. North American-Style Lager
  • 33. North American-Style Blonde or Golden Ale
  • 35. North American-Style Pale Ale
  • 37. American-Style India Pale Ale
  • 40. American-Style Imperial India Pale Ale
    • Gold – Copper Bottom Brewing Parkman Ave
  • 43. American-Style Sour Ale
  • 51. Barley Wine-Style Ale

What a difference a week makes! While last week’s post was a quick aperitif to your weekend of cider and beer fun, today’s edition is looking like the 200+ producers in our region are awakening from their winter hibernation, and ready to roll with dozens of new releases. We’ve done our best to grab the info you’re looking for, and as always, hit us up on our Socials to ping us if there’s a great new spot or beer release you’d like us to highlight.

Nova Scotia Craft Beer Month is picking up speed, so let’s start you off with some news from Scotia, with details on some events you’ll want to be sure to check out over the next few weekends!

Tomorrow, Saturday April 9, Dartmouth’s Battery Park is hosting a New Kids tap takeover. Featuring those Nova Scotian breweries who have opened in the last 2 years, this is the first time seeing many of these breweries on tap in Dartmouth. Candid Brewing in Antigonish, Half Cocked Brewing from North Grant, Ol’ Biddy’s Brew House of Lower Sackville, Serpent Brewing hailing from Spryfield, Truro Brewing out of Truro, as well as Island Folk Cider from Sydney, may not have had the chance to ever have a full “Grand Opening” experience due to the pandemic, so this is your chance to try their beer, and maybe even chat with the owners or brewers. The kegs hit the taps at 11:30 AM opening tomorrow, and will pour all day. There will be three different offerings from each producer, so there will definitely be something right up your alley!

Mark your calendar for next Friday, April 15, as Battery Park will be hosting the release of the 2022 edition of Cerberus, the annual All-Organic American IPA release. Always bitter, unlike the breweries who produce it, this year’s three-way conspiracy saw host brewery Big Spruce welcome perennial partner Tatamagouche, and for the first time, 2 Crows Brewing. To make this a three-headed day of fun, each of the trio will also be bringing another few beers to fill out the taps, so if IPAs aren’t your thing, fear not! Again, the fun kicks off at 11:30 AM and lasts all day.

The following day, Saturday, April 16, Battery Park Beer Guru Marc Wilson tapped more than a dozen Brewmasters and Head Brewers of Nova Scotia to think about the singular beer they wanted to share, representing any combination of “what they want to drink after work”, “what represents their brewery”, “what was their first brew ever”. We’ve heard there will be quite a wide selection on the board, so again, make plans to head in there!

The following Saturday, April 23, Class of ‘97 Alumni Garrison Brewing and Propeller Brewing are teaming up for a look back, and forward, as they celebrate 25 years of slinging beer in Nova Scotia. Each brewery will be taking over half the taps with some blast from the past, current beauties, several new-beer-debuts, with a Battery Park X Garrison X Propeller special collaboration brewed just for the event completing the line-up.

And sneaking in just before the end of NS Beer Month, is the annual Halifax Burger Bash (previously known as Burger Week). Running April 28 – May 7, this is a fundraiser for Feed Nova Scotia presented by The Coast. As Saturday April 30th falls right in line with both Beer Month and Burger Bash, Battery Park is hosting a Burgers ‘N Lagers event, with nine different lagers from across the province pouring, so you’ll be sure to find a beer that pairs with their Green Chili Cheeseburger.

Doing the Good Work out in Lower Sackville, TAPestry Beer Bar is celebrating NS Craft Beer Month with plenty of great things on the go. All month long, visit their spot at 833 Sackville Drive on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Sunday, and receive a ballot to win a mixed 24-pack of Nova Scotia Craft Beer. 2 drink minimum on this, but we’re sure there’ll be plenty of great choices enticing you! 

And why wait for Sunday if you’re thirsty tonight, right?! As if you need another reason to visit, Bryan, the Head Brewer from Antigonish’s Candid Brewing will be slinging beer and telling stories this evening at TAPestry, the first in a series guest bartenders from across the NS Beer industry to be dropping in and holding events this month. Keep your eyes peeled on their Facebook and IG page for the latest news, where you’ll be the first to peep their “Meet the Brewers” series, short videos on the history, present, and future of breweries in the province being released this month.

Phew! So, that’s every weekend sorted for the next month, how about today, what should you be ordering or picking up for the weekend ahead? Here are a few more ideas for you…

Speaking of Propeller Brewing, their Wild IPA is back on the shelves and taps today. This 6.2% funky friend is a blend of Brettanomyces-fermented IPA that has been hanging out in oak barrels for months, plus a freshly-brewed IPA chock-full of Nelson Sauvin hops. The resulting hybrid is overflowing with white wine and gooseberry notes thanks to the hops, with plenty of funky hay notes from the Brett-aged beer. On tap and in cans at all three Propeller locations (Gottingen, Windmill, and Quinpool), online for delivery and Canada-wide shipping, as well as at the private beer stores in the province, and even to some better ANBL locations. Score!

Proving that there are no size restrictions on trying to do some good in the world, one of the region’s smallest breweries, Delta Force Brewing in Greenwich, NS, a highly confidential location, is gearing up to participate in the Make Peace Not War Beer Project, an initiative where breweries pledge to share (at least) 10% of the proceeds of the sales of a given beer to charity and in return they get to use the super spiffy label provided. In this case, the folks at ∂F have elected to share 40% of the proceeds with the Ukrainian Red Cross. Since this is a no-recipe collaboration project, the brewery gets to brew what they want. In this case, it’s a dry hopped farmshed sour, coming in at 4.2% ABV and 5 IBU. Order it online and drink now for the hoppiest possible experience, or, better yet, order a couple (or a few!) and let one sit for a little while (up to two years, they say) and see how the Brett develops! Available now from the ∂F webstore for delivery. 

Dartmouth’s Lake City Cider has two new releases this week for cider fans. First up is Vanilla, a 6% ABV cider using all Nova Scotia apples, that includes an addition of steeped vanilla beans. This one features notes of cream soda and a lingering vanilla flavour. Next up is Black Currant, weighing in at the same ABV, but this time featuring pressed and fermented black currants. Expect more tannic notes from this full bodied cider that pours a delicate pink colour thanks to the fruit. Check out the taproom on Portland Street for both of these newbies.

On North Street in Halifax, Unfiltered Brewing is totally getting into the spirit of things by making sure to release a batch of their tropically delicious Inducement DIPA in time for you to enjoy during Craft Beer Month. Nobody’s going to pay you to drink it, and no, they’re not even going to give you any Airmiles for buying it (that sounds soooorta like a bit of an…inducement to us, how about you?). They’re just going to give you delicious hoppy as hell beer in return for your hard earned cash (or filthy lucre, if that’s all you’ve got). If you’re going to celebrate something about craft beer, that’s probably as good a place to start as any. Available today at noon at the brewery and for pints at Charm School.

Dartmouth’s Spindrift Brewing has queued up a new release for both their shelves at the Brewery and tasting room in Burnside as well as their taproom in Antigonish. Seeker Vanilla Stout is pretty self-descriptive, taking the coffee and chocolate notes of their Seeker Espresso Stout and upping the ante with a “massive” dose of vanilla, yielding a, “smooth, cozy, and incredibly drinkable treat.” Built on a base of Pilsner malt, with chocolate malt, Carafa III, CaraMunich, Amber, and Double-roasted Caramel specialty malts providing deep colour, richness, and roastiness, it was hopped with classic German varieties Magnum and Perle. Coming in at 6.3% ABV, it’s got some bite, but we’ll warrant that the vanilla smooths it right out. We believe this one’s been canned, so you’ll be able to grab some to go!

And just so you don’t think that all the beery fun is going down in Nova Scotia this week, here’s a smattering from at least two of the other three Atlantic Provinces!

Over to Borden-Carleton PEI for a new release that hit the taps and shelves late last week. Lone Oak Brewing plugged into Czech inspiration to create Cervene, an Amber Lager. Brewed with malt from Shoreline Malting just down the road from them, and hopped with Saaz grown by Lakeview Hop Farm of Harvey Station, New Brunswick, Cervene is Amber in appearance with a lovely Noble hop character and a floral finish, on a moderately bitter base. The beer was lagered for 6 weeks and naturally carbonated, sealing in that precious carbon dioxide for a smooth and crisp take. Available on tap and in cans at the brewery, and on draught at beer beer bars on and off the island soon.
Lone Oak has a full weekend of events, including Family Feud tonight, Live Music tomorrow, and a Sunday Brunch with live music. More details here. And for those wondering, the Milky Way Brewpub in town renovations are moving along nicely, and they are aiming for an opening in about 6 weeks. Keep an eye open here and on their SM account for the exact details, and there may even be a special cross-Confed Collab release hitting the shelves at the same time! 😉

Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing is continuing to brew up new and interesting beers to complement their standard lineup. This week’s example is Concord Grape Sour, which they hope proves that grapes aren’t just for wine. Look for notes of that nostalgically familiar “grapiness” that you know and love from Grape Crush, Grape Freezies, and Grape Popsicles (or, as Homer Simpson so eloquently put it, “Mmmmmmm…..Puuuuurple.”) Available both in cans and on tap, you can sit at the taproom and have a pint or grab some to go. Also, if you’ll remember last week we told you that Tire Shack is expanding and are consequently looking for additional staff. They’ve let us know they are accepting resumes until the end of the month and to keep ‘em coming folks!!

Charlottetown’s Upstreet Brewing has a new version of a previously released beer for you this week, their Major Tom Watermelon Sour. Still 5% ABV and 12ish IBU, the change might not be immediately noticeable to the drinking public, but we’re pretty sure it’s quite a change for the brew team! Instead of souring the beer in a traditional way, brewing a wort and then letting it sour over a period of hours before running it off or introducing Lactobacillus-producing bacteria before or after regular fermentation, this beer leverages a new yeast that produces both lactic acid and alcohol at the same time! With watermelon concentrate providing a fruity and summery feel, this 5% ABV and 12 IBU beer should have you in mind of a Jolly Rancher with a little bit of malt presence from plenty of 2-row malt and Centennial hops to remind you it’s a beer. Grab it at the Brewery, CBC, Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse in Burnsdie, and, we presume, other places where you find Upstreet products.

Next month will see the 2022 edition of the annual East Coast Music Awards taking place in Fredericton from May 4th to 8th, and for the second year running, a special beer will be brewed to both celebrate and slake the thirst of attendees. This year’s beer is once again a collaboration between a consortium of breweries, with each Atlantic province represented: Garrison Brewing and Breton Brewing from NS, Quidi Vidi from NL, Upstreet in PE, and this year’s “host” brewery, Grimross from NB, who brewed the beer. Dubbed ECMAle Track 2: Fredericton, it’s a delightful light Pale Ale, from which proceeds will help to grow and promote our amazing music scene in this end of the country. Look for it to appear region-wide as the festival nears.