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Friday Wrap-Up for April 1, 2022 – Real News, No Joke!, from AWOL Brewery, Broue du Païen, Delta Force, Big Spruce, Spindrift, Garrison, Lunn’s Mill, Sea Level, North and Lake City Cider, and more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2022-04-01
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: AWOL Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Brew For Ukraine, Broue du Païen, Delta Force Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Lake City Cider, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, North Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Pravda Brewery, Sea Level Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tire Shack Brewing, Town Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy April! We promise, this is a prank-free zone, despite the date on the calendar. It also is the first day of Nova Scotia Craft Beer Month, which, given the current COVID situation does not have any major all-encompassing events (hopefully come fall!), though breweries are encouraged to hold their own and highlight some fresh releases (as they do year-round). But let’s kick off the week’s news in New Brunswick, with news of a brewery that has been nearly a decade in planning…

After attempts dating back to 2014, we are thrilled to share that AWOL Brewery in Moncton is now fully licensed and selling beer! Owned and operated by Canadian Army Veteran Robert Black, AWOL operates from a fully-electric 350 litre (3 BBL) system, fed entirely by solar power (with battery backup) in the Greater Moncton Area. Part of the Buy Veteran movement, and living up to their creed of “Serve those who Serve us”, their first licensee is the Moncton Garrison All Ranks Mess Hall, with Marky’s Laundromat Espresso Bar and The Joyce in Fredericton now also serving their beer. Their Tactical Pause American Pale Ale is 5.0% ABV and 36 IBU, with plenty of hops on the palate and nose to allow drinkers a break in their day. And from both German and American influence comes The Smoker, an Amber Ale brewed using Beechwood-smoked German malt, complementing the Canadian-grown base, and featuring American Warrior and Willamette hops throughout. Both beers are available at all three locations, and keep your eyes open here and on AWOL’s Social Media (Fb/IG) for details of their official launch later this month. Congratulations to Robert and the whole AWOL team!

Hailing from Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, New Brunswick, Broue du Païen has released a new beer this week, featuring malt grown and processed by their Acadian Peninsula neighbours Distillerie Fils du Roy. Kent Light is a crisp and light pseudo-lager, and at just 4.0% ABV, perfect for enjoying a couple after work, or while tending to the garden. Fils du Roy’s Pilsner Malt features heavily in the grain bill, imparting just enough character to keep this light beer interesting. BdP are offering home delivery in their hometown, as well as down the shore into the Greater Moncton Area. Hit them up via direct message on Facebook or Instagram to speak up for your own Kent Light, or Bouctouche Pale Ale, Cocagne Chocolate Stout, or Dunkles Bock today!

As today is the start to Nova Scotia Craft Beer Month, let’s get you up to speed with the new releases in the Bluenoser province…

Alright, we promise this isn’t a joke, but with the fellas from Delta Force, it doesn’t hurt to ask first! 😉
Today they have released Operation Bamboozle, a 10% ABV boozer that they’re only describing as a Malt Beverage. Separating this from others in that wide swath of styles is that this underwent a secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces to really dry it out, and lend just a touch of extra estery goodness. Packaged in beautifully ornate double-wax-dipped growlers with custom hand-drawn labels, Bamboozle is only available in very limited supply, so check out their How to Buy page to grab it or another of their current offerings from the Anderlecht Farmshed Ale, Bap Nurungji Lager, or duelling Mean Time and Pacific Time Brett Bitters.

If you are dialled-in to the scientific goings on in the beer world (seriously, this is a thing that happens and has always happened: beer nerds trying to make better, tastier beer!), you may have recently started hearing the term “thiols.” Actually if you’re into wine you might have heard the term quite some time ago, specifically in relation to Sauvignon Blanc varietals, especially those from New Zealand. Thiols are a magic little sulphur-containing hydrocarbon (basically the sulphurous analogue to alcohols) that, like sulphur itself, are exceptionally detectable in aroma and flavour (like, parts-per-trillion). The good news is that they smell and taste nothing like sulphur, oh no, they bring tropical notes reminiscent of gooseberry, guava, and passionfruit! Some hops (notably Citra and Mosaic) contain “free” thiols, but others contain “bound” thiols that are undetectable unless they can be freed. Enter every brewer’s and beer fan’s favourite microbe, YEAST! Several yeast labs are working on products that can release bound thiols and Canada’s own Escarpment Labs is on that list. Escarpment has bred a custom hybrid yeast strain that reliably frees bound thiols in other (much cheaper) varieties of hops like Cascade and Saaz. Called “Thiol Libré,” breweries are lining up to use it in a new beer, most often a tropically fruity hazy IPA, of course!

Enter Big Spruce Brewing in Nyanza, who are the first in the region (that we’ve noticed) to get a beer out using this brand new yeast strain. Enter Alors On Danse, a 7.1% double IPA released not only to show off this new yeast strain, but to help celebrate Big Spruce’s 9th Birthday! (Holy H! Where does the time go?!) Described as “soft, silky, and unapologetically juicy,” should be a tropical fruit bomb in a glass. Look for it on tap at Stillwell, Battery Park, and Maritime Express (and no doubt some other places), in cans at your favourite purveyor who sells Big Spruce, and obviously at the brewery for pints and fills as well as cans. And though there won’t be any big official celebrations (we’re guessing they’re saving up for a 10th birthday bash next year), raise your glass to nine years of Big Spruce!!

Dartmouth’s Spindrift Brewing is releasing Athena Pink Guava IPA today, designed and brewed by the dynamic Brew Team duo of Sophie Zimmer and Kristi White. Originally planned as a release for International Women’s Day, supply chain issues caused delays in the cans, which sport art created by White as well. Now that those are here, the beer has been packaged and is ready for all of us! Featuring fresh pink guava puree and plenty of dry-hopping of New Zealand hops Rakau and Wai-ti, look for massive tropical punch nose and flavour in this New England IPA. Available on tap and in cans at the brewery, and at their regular licensees and retail partners soon! And we’ll have plenty of info on their release of Brave Noise later this month!

We mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, and now it is a reality, Garrison Brewing’s release of Putin Huylo Strong Golden Ale. This is part of the world-wide charitable collaboration with Pravda Brewery of Lviv, Ukraine, Brew For Ukraine, with 100% of the profits going to Ukrainian Relief. Bottles of this 7.0% beer are available today at both of their retail spots (Seaport Brewery and Oxford Taproom), so be sure to pop in and grab a couple tomorrow! [Ed note: originally to be released Friday, but delays mean a delay] And while you’re there, you’ll no doubt spot a new label for the recently re-launched, and now full-time Hoppy Boy IPA. Featuring loads of Azacca, Denali, Idaho 7, and Lemondrop hops, this 6.5% IPA is kinda-sorta a hybrid of the classic American and New England IPA styles. All 2 Row malt fermented with a clean yeast leaves the hops to take centre stage, with floral, tropical, and citrus aromatics. Cans are also rolling out to private stores as well as a few NSLC locations. This 25-year old dog *does* still learn new tricks!

Speaking of Brew For Ukraine, in future beer news, Lunn’s Mill has announced that they will be releasing Red Eyes as part of the fundraising collaboration, and are giving you a chance to put your nickel down to secure yours. An American Red Ale, Cascade and Columbus hops impart plenty of great citrus on top of a well-balanced ruby-coloured beer. As part of the fundraising, the Lunn’s Mill release will see all of the profits going to the effort to Ukrainian relief. Fire up those browsers and show your support by pre-ordering your cans at LM’s online shop!

Three’s a charm this week when it comes to Brews for the Ukraine, as another Annapolis Valley Brewery, Sea Level Brewing in Sheffield Mills has also brewed up a Pravda Beer Theatre & Brewery recipe in support. Mriya is Ukrainian for “dream” or “inspiration” and also the name of the Ukrainian-designed and -built heaviest cargo aircraft ever built, the Antonov model An-225 that was destroyed at Antonov Airport in Kyiv in March. We’re not sure if there’s any connection there, but it’s an interesting sidebar if nothing else. Under the auspices of the Brew For Ukraine program, proceeds from sales of Sea Level’s Mriya will go towards humanitarian support during the invasion crisis. Look for a release date towards the end of April/early May. We’ll try to get all the details for you when that happens!

And why not bring together a pair of Dartmouth favourites once again with Burst SnakeBite. North Brewing got beer in Lake City’s cider, or maybe Lake City spilled cider in North Brewing’s beer…. Either way, the resulting blend is a deadly combination! Alloy Champagne IPA (think dry and hoppy) was blended with Exit 6 Blueberry and Dark Currant cider to birth the 6.5% amalgam, available from both spots right now!

Keep your eyes here for CBANS events as they are announced, but in the meantime, we’ve got one featuring an out-of-province brewery those in Halifax probably won’t want to miss…

Eagle eyes have noticed the Instagram stories of both Stillwell HQ and the Freehouse are featuring Town Brewing out of Whitby, Ontario and an (ominous?) date of Saturday, April 2nd. While we don’t think this is a takeover or anything, it sounds like there will be some new-to-the-region beers available at both locations starting tomorrow. Flats of cans and what looks like evidence of a tap-poured are featured in those stories, so if you’re into checking out some beers that you’d otherwise have to travel a ways for, maybe head down to a Stilly location near you tomorrow for some special treats!

More and more spots are increasing their hiring as the weather warms and the public gets thirstier, so let’s see if we can make a match for you today!

We’ve mentioned their upcoming expansion, and now that it is months away, Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing is ready to get the right people in house to help make that happen! They are looking for a second Brewer to join the team to keep their fermenters fed and happily chugging away to keep the good stuff flowing. Drop Jerica, Alan, and Henry a line via email to learn the ins and outs, and get your name at the top of the list if you say we sent ya! (your results may vary)

PEI Brewing Company is hiring for several positions at their home base in Charlottetown, including a Brewer, Packaging Hand, Delivery & Warehouse Assistant, as well as Beer Guide, or Line Cook. All of the details on these positions, and how to apply (as well as a few other openings across the Murphy Group family of companies) are available on their hiring portal.

 

Friday Wrap-Up for September 17, 2021 – News from Roof Hound, Port Rexton, Tatamagouche, Propeller, Copper Bottom, New Scotland, Secret Cove, and much more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2021-09-17
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bogside Brewing, Breton Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Lake City Cider, Landwash Brewery, New Scotland Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Roof Hound Brewing, Secret Cove Brewery, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. 1 comment

Fall is nearly here, so that means a few things are here with certainty: Oktoberfest (!), Pumpkin Ales and rising COVID-19 cases. As we get excited for new releases and events currently going on, we see rising cases and lockdowns in Alberta. Make sure to enjoy what you can safely for yourself, friends and family and remember to check out all of the latest restrictions as part of your never-ending beer journey. Now, onto the fun stuff!

Let’s kick things off with a brewery that hasn’t graced these pages in a while. Digby/Kingston’s Roof Hound Brewing has released Aurora Haze, a 4% ABV session IPA. The beer gets its name from the Aurora aircraft that frequent the CFB Greenwood, near Roof Hound’s Kingston location. This hazy SIPA exclusively features Amarillo hops, which were only added during the dry hopping phase, keeping the bitterness low while pulling out all of those great hop aromas. Bottles and pints are available now at the Kingston location. 

In lovely Port Rexton, Newfoundland, their hometown brewery continues to release new and returning favourite beers, with a pair of collaborations out in the last couple of weeks. Celebrating the BonRexton GranFondo, which took place in Hurricane Larry’s wake last Saturday, they released Headwind Pale Ale. This 4.8% easy drinking ale is the right balance of citrus and stone fruit, with a touch of bitterness too. Still on tap at the brewery, as well as in cans at their St. John’s Retail Shop. And returning in cans is Shoreline, a Salted Stout, featuring salt from the Newfoundland Salt Company, headquartered in nearby Bonavista. Big roast and chocolate notes are complemented by the light minerality and mouthfeel in the 6.5% beer.

And congratulations to co-owner and Head Brewer Alicia MacDonald who will be in the keynote “Women in Beer – Equity, Inclusion and Solidarity” during this weekend’s Canadian Brewing Awards and Conference. Joined by other women in the beer biz, she’ll be joined by other female brewers and those selling beer, to talk on their experiences and what needs to be done to include more in the beer world. Still awaiting details if it can be streamed or watched later, but keep your eyes on the front page for the streaming of the Awards Saturday night…

Speaking of hometown breweries, Tatamagouche Brewing has released the latest in their Intertidal Series this week, their foray into hop-forward beers. Building on the Ekuanot Rye IPA and Idaho Gem, comes Intertidal Tiny. Living up to its name, this is a 3.5% Session IPA, which Brewer Chad Ellis built to impress from the ground up. Starting with Horton Ridge Pale and Vienna as the base malts, Malted Wheat, Malted Oats, and Chit malt rounded out the grains. Walking the tightrope of low alcohol without being too thin, a hotter mash was used to enhance the mouthfeel. Hops-wise, the fun started with mash additions, followed by big whirlpool and then dry hops after brew day. Focusing on Sabro and Mosaic, with a touch of Citra, the tropical, stone fruit, and citrus are strong with this one, complementing the coconut and lime. On tap at the brewery now, with cans dropping in store and on their webstore any minute now.

Propeller Brewing’s Flat White is back in stock as of yesterday. This white stout features many of the aromas and flavours you’d expect in its darker cousin, but in a format that tricks the eye with its golden colour. Prop’s version uses cold-brewed Java Blend coffee and cocoa nibs, that compliment a creamy mouthfeel and medium body, helped out by the use of flaked oats in the malt bill. Expect lots of coffee and chocolate notes in this 5% ABV take on the style, which also features 30 IBUs to keep those sweeter flavours in balance. Cans are available now at Propellor’s three HRM locations and online for delivery and shipping.

Montague PEI’s Copper Bottom continues their barrel-aged sour program with its latest release this week. Like Bramble and Thicket before it, Empire is a mixed ferm beer that was fermented then aged in oak for six, before being transferred to stainless and hit with loads of peaches before packaging and bottle conditioning. Fruit and funk shine through in this 5.1% beer, which is available in bottles at the brewery and their online shop for delivery Island-wide.

Downtown Dartmouth’s New Scotland Brewing is having some friendly in-house competition between 3 members of their brewing staff. “The Battle of the Brewhouse” is a draught-only competition at their taproom and patio on Alderney Drive. First up, from Lucas, is Rye Not?, a Roggenbier spiced with mace and Kashmiri chili. Roggenbier translates exactly to “Rye Beer”, which typically has a malt profile of at least 50% malted Rye, but can vary as brewers see fit. Lucas’ version uses 50% and comes in at 5% ABV with balanced sweetness and forward nuttiness, and a slight slickness also characteristic of the rye malt. The Kashmiri chili builds slowly for some pepper heat.

Next up from Chris is SORRY DAD, an American Pale Ale hopped with Chinook, Simcoe and Mandarina Bavaria. It has lovely aromas of pine and orange, well balanced with some finishing orange flavours and full bodied maltiness; a 5.6% and 41 IBU offering that might just please everyone. 

The last beer in the Battle is from head brewer Mike, with New Wave, a Gose featuring local smoked sea salt and lemon grass additions. A twist on a traditional gose, this one was done using a sour mash technique with added salt and coriander as tradition would go, but also with lemongrass and smoked sea salt from Dartmouth’s own Maritime Salt. A very fragrant beer with citrus note and slight salinity and smoke from the sea salt, it comes in at 5.2%.

We’re not sure exactly how the competition works or what spoils go to the winner, but we’re sure that in order to participate you’ll need to head down and drink some beer and you’ll be sure to find out the details if you do!!

Port-au-Port’s own Secret Cove (that’s not too far from Stephenville, Newfoundland) has a new canned release available today that should be fairly widely available on the eastern side of Newfoundland for more to enjoy. Pee-Wee German is a Berliner Weiße with lime and is sure to be a refreshing and tasty release. A style that we enjoy all year around, this 3.5% offering should be easy-drinking, with slight sourness with a kick of lime. It is available in 473 mL cans immediately from the brewery, but also look for this in St. John’s at Marie’s Mini Mart, along with a few other offerings from Secret Cove. 

We started with the Oktoberfest info last week (or was it the week before?), but it’s coming hot and heavy now folks!

Last week we teased some details about the Oktoberfest festivities at Lwr Sackville’s TAPestry Beer Bar. The fun kicks off this weekend, with a mystery flight of German style beers for Flight School Friday and the beginning of the official two week celebration tomorrow. Circle Saturday the 25th on your calendar for Celebration Day which will feature a wide selection of German style beers from Nova Scotian breweries, a German inspired food menu and free prizes throughout the day. The festivities wrap up with Closing Ceremonies on Saturday, October 3. Check out TAPestry’s social channels (Fb/Ig) for more details.

Hot off the heels of their big US competition wins we mentioned last week, Moncton’s Tire Shack is starting their three weekend long Oktoberfest celebration tomorrow. Euston Park will be popping up a kitchen to serve some authentic German foodstuffs and, of course, there will be a special brew on the go, a Munich Helles they’ve dubbed Helles Yeah! Each weekend, $20 will get you a 1 L stein you can take home after all is said and done, plus your first fill up. Also, the beer has been packaged, so you’ll be able to grab some cans to fill it up again at home!

Montague’s Bogside Brewing is doing an Oktoberfest celebration with a salty, briny twist on Saturday, October 2nd, when they have their OYSToberfest. Two ticketed events are on the slate that day, the first being a Beer School VIP Brewery Tour and Tasting ($25 – tickets here) from 12:30 – 1:30 PM and the second a Shuck ‘U’ demonstration with John Petcoff ($70 – tickets here) from 2:00 – 3:30 PM. From there you can stick around for the Oyster Bar that runs from 4 – 8 PM and two live music events (Keira Loane from 3 – 6 PM and The Broad Cove Boys from 7 – 10 PM). Meanwhile, the brewery is also running a promo on some of their summer products: 20% off purchases of $75 or more on the following products: six-packs of Radler and singles of Sun of a Beach Hopped Sour, Cranberry Wheat, Spirit of Georgetown Gose, Strawberry Sour. Head down to the brewery or place your online order here.

Also on the Island, and last up (for this week, anyway) on the march to Bavarian bliss, is PEI Brewing Company, who are doing their OktoberFEAST on the weekend of October 8th. Starting Friday night at 4 PM with German-inspired food stations along with some not-so-German games (washer toss, cornhole, axe-throwing, and more), there will also be an old school re-release of Gahan Harvest Gold Pale Ale available on draught. On Saturday, things get underway at noon, with all the same games as Friday (except the axe-throwing), plus some game tournaments and other competitions where you can win some PEIBC gift cards. All ticket holders will also receive a 20oz beer stein and their first fill. Tickets are for Friday and Saturday are separate, and for Saturday there’s also the option to tag on an additional ticket for a post-OktoberFEAST album release show by Andrew Waite starting at 8:30 PM.

And here’s your last few quick hits to help inform your weekend beer purchases:

Earlier this summer, the folks at Breton put together a proper French saison they called Île Royale Saison with the folks from Fortress Louisbourg Association to be served at La Taverne Storehouse. With the season winding down, they’ve packaged what was remaining in cans so folks closer to town can enjoy it. We’ll warn you, though, a very small amount is available, so get yourself to the brewery (or put your online order in) in a hurry if you want to try it!

Lastly, if you missed the previous release, there’s a fresh batch of DOA available today at Unfiltered Brewing on North Street. Grab it in cans to go or find it on tap next door at Charm School now.

And if you’re a big fan of Citra hops but are closer to Fredericton than Halifax, Trailway has got you covered for  a citrus hoppy kick, as their Seeing Citra is also back this week. Sit down in the taproom for a pint, have a growler filled, or grab some cans to go!

Dartmouth’s Lake City Cider has a lovely new liquid out that’s thoroughly Nova Scotia and shows what can happen when producers get together and try new things. Lake City married their classic Darkside Dry cider with Caldera Whisky from River John, NS, to produce Apple Jack, an 8.0% ABV concoction that brings notes of oak and spicy rye with plenty of apple presence. Available now in cans from the cidery.

And finishing up today on the Rock, where Landwash has a new “quick little lager” they produced with the KRISPY kveik lager-targeted yeast blend from Escarpment Labs. Coming in at 4.5% ABV and featuring German Saphir hops, look for a bit of spice and even some candied orange; a nice little beer to see out the summer! Look for it at the brewery now and elsewhere (hopefully) soon.

Friday Wrap-Up for June 11, 2021 – News from Upstreet, Gahan, PEI Craft Beer Week, Serpent, Port Rexton, Bannerman, Tatamagouche, Garrison, Candid, Church, Big Spruce and plenty more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2021-06-11
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Bishop's Cellar, Bogside Brewing, Brasserie Dunham, Bulwark Cider, Candid Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Evermoore Brewing Co, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Garrison Brewing, Lone Oak Brewing, Moth Lane Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., PEI Craft Beer Week, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Serpent Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stillwell Beergarden, Stillwell Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Church Brewing Company, The Stillwell Freehouse, Truro Brewing Company, Upstreet Craft Brewing, Village Green by Modern Brewer. Leave a Comment

If you felt the heat wave earlier this week, we hope you were stocked up with local treats to keep you cool. Or if you live on the Avalon or Labrador, maybe something to keep you warm during yesterday’s flurries! This weekend looks like another sunny one across Atlantic Canada, so why not stock up and enjoy them safely at home or get out on a patio if you’re comfortable! Either way, we know our local libation lovers will support their own establishments as best they can and we’re back again to help spread the news!

As PEI Craft Beer Week winds down this weekend, Upstreet Brewing is launching an annual favourite collaboration with The Inn at Bay Fortune. Fireworks, named after the kitchen at Chef Michael Smith’s on-farm restaurant, is a Farmhouse Ale featuring a whole bunch of local grain, malt, and other special ingredients. Island Malt House-grown and -malted Pilsner, Biscuit, Wheat, Toasted Wheat, Buckwheat, Malted Oats, and Rye made up the grist bill, giving the yeasty beasties a whole bunch of different sugars and other carbs to munch on over the course a several months. After the boil of the wort was completed, Ekuanot and Pekko hops were added to the whirlpool (during a rest before cooling), and once fermentation subsided, Lemondrop was added to amplify a citrus character. During that conditioning time, ingredients straight from the Culinary Farm on Bay Fortune were added, including more than 200 kg of crab apples, dried marigold, and citrus basil, all hand picked and curated by the IaBF team and Upstreet crew. The resulting beer has floral and earthy notes, with barnyard and hay on the nose, with a light acidity and carbonation to keep it refreshing. The beer is debuting tomorrow at the Upstreet tap room on Allen Street in Charlottetown, with a tasting kicking off at 3 PM. Bottles will also be available at their Craft Beer Corner location downtown, and of course at The Inn at Bay Fortune. And those in HRM may soon be able to grab bottles at their Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse in Burnside and private stores as well, so keep your eyes peeled!

Upstreet is also continuing the releases today with the second in their Libra line of non-alcoholic beers, with Libra Hazy IPA. Bumping up the hops from their Libra North Cape Pale Ale, but still in a sub 0.5% ABV package, the beer features loads of Idaho 7, El Dorado, Citra, and Mosaic late in the process, to keep it from being too tongue-coating bitter, while still imparting plenty of great citrus, tropical fruit character those hops are known for. Available in short cans at the taproom, CBC, and online for delivery Canada-wide (soon), as well as other spots in the coming weeks (remember, not alc = wider availability!). Cheers to Mitch, Hogie, and the crew for providing more low- and non-alc beer alternatives to those looking to moderate their intake of alcohol while still having a flavourful drink!

Let’s keep it going with more PEICBW info, as one of the OG PEI breweries welcomes their younger pals to take over their taps tomorrow. The Gahan House will be pouring several of their own After Hours seasonal and one-off brews, while also welcoming Bogside Brewing, Copper Bottom, Lone Oak, Upstreet, and Village Green to pour their latest and greatest beers. Look for new releases, old favourites, and cool change-ups from everyone involved! The pouring starts at 11:30 AM and goes all day and night. And of course be sure to check out the cool new beers and events from Evermoore, Moth Lane, and PEI Brewing Co this weekend, and the rest of the year!

To the mainland we go, stopping in at Spryfield, Nova Scotia’s own Serpent Brewing, with two new beers to tell you about this week. Both are part of their Beer Creation Experience, where the public had a chance to design a Serpent beer, from style, recipe, ingredients, all the way to the label on the bottle. Released last weekend was Pavo Tropical IPA, and while it does not contain any actual fruit, the hops chosen, namely Amarillo, Magnum, and Mosaic, do a fine job of imparting a ton of berry and citrus, with a touch of pine too. At 5.4% and 50 IBU, the hazy IPA (XPA? Big APA?) is perfect for enjoying on their patio this weekend, or in bottles to take away. 

Debuting today is the next in the Serpent BCE, Whatermelon is Wrong Wit You? Taking a cue from NS Premier Rankin’s question to those not following COVID protocol by reducing interactions, this pun-tacularly named beer is a spin on their White Mountain Belgian Witbier, but elevated to the next level. Long-time friend-of-Serpent Nick Sanford has been sampling owner Glen O’Keefe’s homebrew for years, assisted during the brewery construction, and even stepped in to become a Founder of the brewery, and designed Whatermelon based on a homebrew he and Glen had enjoyed on a camping trip years ago. Taking the already flavourful White Mountain recipe as a starting point, even more orange peel was added to brighten the beer, with watermelon added post-fermentation to let the fruit shine through with little distraction. The 5.5% beer is available now in bottles and on draught at the brewery for imbibing on their patio this weekend (and indoors next, Strang-willing). And stop by Saturday and/or Sunday to grab some great Jamaican snacks and meals from Jamdouns Food Truck who will be parked adjacent to the patio!

Heading up to Newfoundland and in particular, Port Rexton Brewing, where the gang have managed to get their beery paws on some 355 mL silver bullets. In celebration of this minor coup (seriously, cans are in wretchedly short supply across North America right now), they’re filling them up with delightfully crushable liquids for your enjoyment. Up first is Whitecap, a bright and refreshing session NEIPA that began its life as a taproom favorite Wet Yer Whistle. With a nice light body and a “sounds like another one” ABV of 3.8%, you’ll find it available today at the PR taproom and also at their St. John’s retail shop. These are only being sold in singles right now and once they’re gone they’re gone until more can stock comes in, as they’re holding some aluminum aside for another light and tasty release next week! And if you’re into beer and outdoor activities in the PR area, you should check out the guided hike around the Skerwink Trail being hosted weekly by PR, Paul Dean and Fishers’ Loft Inn. No fee or registration required, just a desire for a lovely walk and an ear for Paul’s geologic knowledge and stories. The hike will end at Port Rexton where you’ll get your first pint at 50% off. Sounds like a pretty good deal to us! More details available from this Fishers’ Loft Ig post.

Further island vibes from Newfoundland bring a new release from Bannerman this week. Vibe Architect is a 5.0% Witbier which is the first of its kind from the St. John’s crew. Brewed with pilsner malt, flaked wheat, flaked corn and some malted wheat, the hop profile is a blend of European hops that provide great balance. With a true to style flavour profile, expect orange and coriander notes with some nice sweetness from sweet orange peel and spices. This is a renowned and respected style (see: Allagash White) that is complex, subtle and refreshing. This one is available now in cans, on tap at the brewery as well as select Marie’s locations. 

Back down to Nova Scotia, where in the Northern part of the province Tatamagouche Brewing is getting their summer on the go a little early. We told you a couple of weeks ago about the return of Dekorum Lime, which sees their ultra-sessionable Dekorum lager meet treatment with tonnes of lime flavor. Well they didn’t stop there! This week two more variants on that ABV base are available that leverage organic juice concentrates to provide a little summery pizzazz. Dekorum Mandarin and Dekorum Blood Orange are both still 2.9% ABV crushers, each with a slightly different citrus twist. Sounds like an opportunity to grab (at least) 4 cans (OG, lime, and the two debutants) and commence with Dekorum Battle 2021!! That all said, if you’re a Dekorum lover, but not interested in the new fruity variants, check out their current online-only deal, $45 of your finest Canadian dollars for 24 refreshing cans!

Meanwhile, the Tata gang is gearing up for some birthday shenanigans next week as they turn seven years old! We’ll have all the details for you in next Friday’s post, but in advance of that, know that they’ll be running happy hour pricing from Thursday to Sunday on pints at the taproom along with some other on-site promos. There will also be four new beers for you to sample, including two low-abv funky offerings. Check back here next week for the full details on those and maybe keep an eye on Tata’s socials (Fb, Ig, Tw) for more info on the celebrations.

As Halifax and Nova Scotia are getting hopeful with their re-opening plan, Garrison is bringing some new releases for everyone to enjoy. First up, they have a new series called Hop Mess, which will be a mix of summer releases where the brewers will be experimenting with hop stands (adding hops at flameout and letting the hops stand in the hot wort before chilling) and heavy handed dry-hopping. In their own words they want to “create some messy, dank & crazy flavourful IPAs.” The first release of this series is Hop Mess IPA #1:  Aussie Rules, where they’re adding Eclipse, Topaz and Australian Cascade hops post-flameout and in the fermenter. At 6.7% this is going to be hop-forward upfront with low lingering bitterness. This is a limited run that is available now in cans only at their taprooms in Halifax. 

The other new release at Garrison taprooms is a partnership with Bulwark, as their Blush cider will be available in cans at the Garrison Seaport and Oxford locations. Using the fresh juice from Bulwark, this is fermented and canned at Garrison at their locations. If you know Blush, it’s a tasty local cider that balances wild berries and apple flavours at a very drinkable and fresh 5.8%. 

The newest addition to the Antigonish beer scene continues to put out new and interesting beers during their soft opening phase. This week, Candid Brewing Company is releasing Working Joe Breakfast Stout. Described by the brewery as “if cold brew were beer”, this one features Ethiopia-sourced coffee from renowned Halifax roaster, Java Blend. Working Joe is the first release in Candid’s Side Door Series of one-off batches. You can find it today (Friday), at Candid’s weekly pop-up sale (reminder that Candid will be opening for retail hours every Friday from 1:00 to 6:00 PM until it’s grand opening), for takeaway in pre-filled 1L growlers. Cans of their Northeast IPA, Party Line, and APA with blood orange, No Brainer, will also be available. 

From one university town to another, Wolfville’s Church Brewing also has a new small batch release ready for your weekend. Pomona is a cranberry sour that comes in at 4% ABV for your summer session enjoyment. Brewed with barley, wheat, flaked wheat, and oats, and lightly hopped with Magnum to the tune of 8 IBUs, you can expect notes of rhubarb and lemon zest on the nose, with a puckering cranberry flavour and tart finish. Pomona is named after the Roman goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards, something Wolfville and the surrounding Annapolis Valley can boast plenty of. You can grab some today in crowlers from their onsite Beer Market, or enjoy a pint on their expansive taproom/restaurant patio. 

You may recall that we passed on some info last week concerning two brand new Saisons from Big Spruce; well, they’re continuing that trend this week with yet another Saison, Fruit Bomb. Fermented with two different Brett strains (B. anomola and B. bruxellensis), along with a “clean” Saison strain, it was hopped with organic French Barbe Rouge. The yeast and hops blend together to produce “a nose of summer strawberries spilling into a bowl of peach and nectarine”, to complement the floral and spicy flavours you’d expect from any well-brewed Saison. Refreshing and dry, and 6.8% ABV, it’s the perfect warm weather sipper. Look for it on tap right at the source, and at your favourite Big Spruce watering holes across NS; looks like there should be some bottles available, too! 

But that’s not all, as Big Spruce has been busy as usual! They’re also (re-)excited about the first beer that was fermented and aged in their 500 L foedre, which has been fittingly named Début. Now technically this one was released back in April and may have been spotted in the city at Battery Park, but it’s not been seen in the HRM since then, so you could maybe suggest that this week marks a re-debut of Debut, which is debuting at Stillwell Freehouse right now! Described as “crisp and herbaceous,” it’s Oak-fermented, dry hopped with Huell Melon, and 4.9% ABV. Sounds like a debut that’s worth checking out!

Just one event to tell you about (beside the PEI Craft Beer Week goings on above)

Despite having to navigate through closures, pivoting to online sales, reopenings, and managing one of Halifax’s most popular outdoor watering holes, Stillwell continues to bring us the goods from out of province. This Saturday at the Beergarden, they’ll be pouring seven bangers from British Columbia’s Four Winds Brewing. Your intrepid beer bloggers have had the privilege to share several Four Winds bottles over the years, and we can confidently say that the quality is up there with the best that Canada has to offer. The event will feature styles that appeal to every beer palette, including lagers, a variety of IPAs, a table saison, and their flagship dry-hopped sour, Nectarous. Check out Stillwell’s Instagram post for more details on the beers and event. While we’re talking Stillwell, a friendly reminder that the 2021 version of Preach dropped in the Stillwell Brewing webstore and is now available for Friday deliveries in HRM and shipping country-wide. Look for Preach and the newest batch of Stilly Pils on rotation at the Beergarden and the Stillwell Freehouse patio, before indoor enjoyment comes next week.

A couple more things to look out for, before you hit the patios this afternoon…

It’s Pride Month all over the world (though the parade in Halifax this year will be in August) and Truro Brewing Company has something light, fresh and bright to celebrate. Pulp’d Fiction is a Berliner Weisse with Blood Orange. Always a delicious style that is tart and refreshing, this comes in at 4.0% and is available on tap today at the brewery. 

Another quick hitter from Halifax’s own Bishop’s Cellar as they’re bringing in some bottles from Quebec’s Brasserie Dunham. Always a pleasure to see in our local shops, there are 3 new bottles now available at Bishop’s with more releases from Dunham in the coming month. You can pick up a Mata Hari Gose, Berliner Passion Weisse and the classic Saison du Pinnacle on Saturday in-store or online.