Uncle Leo’s Brewery

All posts tagged Uncle Leo’s Brewery

With licensees closed or greatly reducing accessibility, the beer and cider producers of the region are changing their approach to getting the good stuff in your hands. Many are offering delivery and curbside pickup to keep employees and drinkers safe. This is the time for local beer and cider, good food, and live music fans to step up and support the community in the ways that we’re able, by continuing to buy product, or ordering giftcards for use in the future, while still protecting ourselves and loved ones. We’ve moved the weekly news from March 20 to the end of the post, so this list is easily accessible.

Here is our unofficial and almost certainly “out of date as soon as we publish” list of what breweries and cideries are up to at the moment. If you have more recent info, PLEASE LET US KNOW, and we’ll update it here.
Last update: 1800 May 21.

New Brunswick

The ANBL is now open 11 AM – 6 PM, Monday – Saturday, other retailers are allowed to set their own hours. They are implementing curbside pickup as well. Uncorked Tours in Saint John is organizing Virtual Tours of the province’s breweries, keep an eye on their social media for the latest info. As of May 17th, some brewery taprooms and better beer restaurants have re-opened. If you go, do so safely, only with your bubble, and only if you feel well, etc, etc… We’ll keep updating this list with the latest delivery options, however!

13 Barrels
13 Barrels is offering free deliveries to the Bathurst area. Email (13barrelsbrewing@gmail.com) or call (506-546-5300) in your order, and they will come to you. List in link.

3Flip Brewing
3Flip Brewing is available on the DrinkNB.ca website for ordering, as well as occasional home deliveries in the Fredericton and Doulgas areas. Email them (3flipbrewing@gmail.com) for the details on what’s available and schedule.

Big Axe Brewery
Big Axe Brewery is open for bottle sales upon request. Call (506-575-1093), email (info@bigaxe.ca) or FB message them with requests.

Big Tide Brewing
Big Tide Brewing is open for take-away 12 – 2 PM and 5 – 8 PM daily.

Brasserie Chockpish
Brasserie Chockpish is only available via draught, and is now being sold through Picaroons, details below.

Brasseux d’la Cote
Brasseux d’la Cote is open for take-away 3 – 6 PM Mar 26-28. Pre-order and information on possible home delivery can be found via email (info@brasseuxdlacote.ca).

CAVOK
CAVOK Brewing is open 3 – 8 PM daily, and also offering free daily home delivery in the Greater Moncton Area. Minimum order of 6 cans ($6 fee, free if more than 24 cans, within 25 km of the brewery), order at their online shop or via email (info@cavokbrewing.ca). Order before 10 AM for same-day delivery. Can also package guest taps, including Grimross, Holy Whale, and O’Creek Brewing at time of publishing, please check social media for updates. Can now order outside of the region, including Canada-wide, shipping pricing varies.

Celtic Knot
Celtic Knot in Riverview has switched to a delivery-only service service the Greater Moncton Area. Text your order (506-988-2579) before 2 PM Wed – Sun, and you’ll receive it that day. $40 minimum, free delivery to Riverview, $5 elsewhere. Payment by EMT only.

Distillerie Fils du Roy
Distillery Fils du Roy has temporarily closed their retail in service of preparing hand sanitizer, but check their FB page for updates, as they are opening occasionally.

DrinkNB
DrinkNB.ca has been established to allow many producers to offer delivery, to Fredericton and Saint John and now Greater Moncton Area, perhaps further afield soon. Follow their IG page for updates.

Flying Boats
Flying Boats Brewing is offering Grab & Go, and Click & Collect options at their taproom. Email (info@flyingboatsbrewing.com) your request, await total to send to EMT to same address, and then pickup.

Foghorn Brewing
Foghorn Brewing is open 12 – 6 PM daily for take-away and pre-orders of bottles, cans, and growler fills. Delivery is also available via online ordering.

Four Rivers
Four Rivers is currently open 12-8 pm M-F and 12-6 pm Sat for beer-to-go purchases (cans and kegs) only.

Gagetown Distilling & Cidery
Gagetown Distilling & Cidery have closed their retail location, but are doing deliveries Tuesdays and Saturdays, via online ordering. They have also produced sanitizer that is available by donation.

Gahan Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John
The three New Brunswick Gahan locations are now open for take-away food and beer, order in advance via the MHG app or chowhound. Can also do online.

Graystone Brewing
Graystone Brewing is offering call-and-collect pickup service of cans and crowlers, Mon – Sat, 12 – 6 PM. Call (506-459-7710) from home, car, or safe distance away to request and pay, and they will bring the beer outside to your waiting vehicle.

Gridiron Brewing
Gridiron Brewing in Hampton is open for growler fills/exchange Thursday – Sunday, 4 – 6 PM. New growlers are available for purchase for $5, and proceeds from new growlers will be donated to the Hampton Food Bank. Deliveries of growlers will happen on the same days, order via email (info@gridironbrewing.com) or phone/text (506-607-3252) before 1:30 PM for same day delivery in the Hampton, Bloomfield, and Darlings Island area, between 2 – 4 PM.

Grimross Brewing
Grimross Brewing in Fredericton is maintaining 12 – 8 PM hours at their retail location, and have recently introduced a contactless pick-up option. Call (506-454-4810) in advance, or from the parking lot, to order, and it will be brought outside.

Hammond River Brewing
Hammond River Brewing is open for retail take-away daily 12 – 4 PM, with bottles, cans, and growler fills. Delivery to the Kennebecasis Valley is also available daily, no minimum, $5 delivery fee waived on orders above $30. Full list and details here, email (shane@hrbrewing.ca) to get your order in!

Holy Whale
Holy Whale Beer and Buddha Bear Cafe are open for pick-up Fridays (3 – 8 PM), and Saturday and Sundays (12 – 8 PM). They are also running occasional deliveries to Sussex and weekly Thursday runs to Greater Moncton Areas, details on their Facebook page. They are also making deliveries of nearby Scow Cider.

King West Brewing
King West Brewing, operating out of RustiCo in Fredericton, has recently introduced canned beer to go and for delivery Mon – Sat. Message them (Fb and Ig) or call in (506-451-3473) your request of beer and/or pizza. Minimum order of 8 beer, free delivery over $50 ($5 otherwise). Deliveries are usually made the same day, 2 – 6 PM (call or message 11 AM – 5 PM).

Long Bay Brewery
Long Bay Brewery is open for curbside pickup of bottles and growler fills, Wed – Sat, 12 – 6 PM. Call (506-847-4677) in advance, and do a no-contact pick up at the brewery later that day (give them at least 15 minutes, please!). Both 4-packs and growler fills are $12, and they are offering discounts on full case orders of beer, just ask!

Loyalist City
Loyalist City Brewing is now operating pickup and deliveries to the Saint John area. Use their online shop to order a growler fill or four-pack of beer, and they’ll bring it to you Wednesday or Friday. For pickup, fire them an email (beerstore@loyalistcitybrewing.ca, can also answer any questions you may have there) to ensure they’re around. Easy as that!

Mama’s Brewpub
Mama’s Brewpub is open for retail beer, and food to to, Tuesday to Saturday, 4 – 8 PM. Call (506-450-4303) ahead for curb-site pickup. Friday afternoon delivery is also available, by emailing (mamasbrewpub@outlook.com) before 10 PM Thursday evening.

Maybee Brewing
Maybee Brewing in Fredericton has closed their taproom and retail shop, however have implemented a delivery option, shipping Canada-wide for free. The way to beer success is via their online ordering page, where you can buy full cases of your fave beer(s), or mix and match to your hearts content. Also available on DrinkNB.ca

New Maritime Beer
Miramichi’s New Maritime Beer now has pickup and delivery options available: local deliveries Wed – Sun, and weekly deliveries to Fredericton on Thursday and Moncton Saturdays. Email (info@newmaritimebeer.com) or call (506-622-1200) your request, and they’ll come to you!

Niche Brewing
Niche Brewing has their latest bottled release, Bridget, available for sale and delivery via DrinkNB.ca. They are now also selling kegs for at-home enjoyment, contact them via Social Media (Fb/Ig/Tw) for the latest beer and price list. There may be some bottles of Bridge or Quintessential at your local ANBLs, too!

O’Creek Brewing
O’Creek Brewing has recently released their Route 117 in cans, and is available for delivery through CAVOK, and the ANBL locations in Richibucto and Dieppe.

Petit-Sault
Brasseurs Petit-Sault have established an online ordering portal, for onsite curb-side pickup and delivery orders. Order before noon for same-day delivery, Monday – Saturday, in Edmundston, Saint-Jacques, Saint-Basile and Verret areas.

Picaroons
Picaroons is now doing beer deliveries in Fredericton, and occasionally to Saint John. Email (BringMeBeer@picaroons.ca) or call/text (506-501-4144) to place an order, delivery runs are done 12 – 6 PM. Minimum order of 4 beer, free delivery above $25 ($6 below that amount). Kegs of their own, and some other breweries, also available, ask them for details.

Pump House Brewery
Pump House Brewery is open at their Fill Station daily for take-out sales of cans and bottles. They are also offering delivery in the Greater Moncton Area daily each afternoon. Order online or by phone (506-830-4677) before 5 PM for same day free delivery ($10 below $50 order, no minimum).

Red Rover
Red Rover still has the CiderHouse open for takeaway products from 3-7 pm M-Sat, and 1-5 pm Sun, but they’re also delivering in the Fredericton area. Delivery is $7 or free on orders over $100; check out their online store.

Brasserie Retro Brewing
Brasserie Retro Brewing is doing deliveries in the Grand Caraquet area: FB message or email (brasserie.retro@gmail.com) your request. 12 can minimum, no delivery fee.

Sussex Ale Works
Sussex Ale Works is open for take-home beers Tues – Sat from 2 – 6 PM. They’re filling single-fill, plastic 32 oz containers that they’re calling prowlers, which you can pre-order online. Delivery is also available in their local community.

Think Brewing
Think Brewing in Tweedside is not normally open for onsite visitors, but they have implemented contactless delivery in their delivery zone! Send them a message on Social Media (Fb/Ig) before Thursday’s deliveries. No minimum order, but depending on your location, fees will be waived above 6 or 12 bottle orders. Details here.

Tide and Boar Brewing
Tide and Boar Brewing is offering occasional bottle and growler deliveries to Moncton, Riverview, and Dieppe while their gastropub is closed. The latest details are available here. Food options are also happening, including firing up their smoker for brisket and ribs. Get on it!

Tire Shack Brewing
Tire Shack Brewing in Moncton is open 2 – 8 PM daily for to-go beers, as well as daily same-day delivery to Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe (order before 2 PM, minimum order of 12 beer, free delivery over 24 cans, $5 below that). Order via email (info@tireshackbrewing.com) with your request from the list here.

TrailWay
TrailWay’s taproom is open for can and growler sales, daily from 12-7 pm. They’ve also started a delivery service in the Fredericton area, for minimum orders of 12 cans and kegs, with free delivery for orders of 24 cans or more (discounts too!). And they are now shipping to neighbouring Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Ontario. Check out their website for all of the details.

Yip Cider
Yip Cider is available for delivery in the Saint John River Valley area via online ordering, or at their location in Long Reach, on – Fri, 1 – 4 PM.

York County Cider
York County Cider has adjusted their retail sales hours (Sun – Tues, 1 – 5 PM, Wed – Sat, 1 – 7 PM), and are also doing home delivery of their products. Call (506-440-5146), email (yorkcountycider@rogers.com) or through Facebook Messenger for deliveries Thurs – Sat. Order before 2 PM for same-day delivery, free on orders over $50 ($5 otherwise).

Newfoundland

Newfoundland breweries are also doing the right thing and closing their taprooms, limiting growler sales to exchanges and/or selling only packaged product. Some are also continuing to ship to the NLC, but be sure to read the first item below on that. Update May 11: Breweries are now allowed to deliver directly to customers, so keep an eye here and on their social media for the latest information on who is going that route.

NLC
The NLC has made the decision to close their stores around the Province to the general public, and implementing online and phone orders for pick-up. Details here. Check out their COVID-19 related updates at their website where the latest news should always be available at the top of the homepage.

Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co.
In Bay Roberts, Baccalieu Trail has closed their taproom to retail sales, but are open Wed – Sun, 4 – 8 PM for pre-ordered curbside pickup. Must order online or by phone (709-788-2090) in advance. Check their Fb Page for updates.

Bannerman
In St. John’s, Bannerman Brewing has closed their taproom, but has in turn launched their To-Go Store, for pickup Thurs – Sat. You can order beer (of course!), but also coffee and food as well. Hit them up on the website, let them know what you want and when you’d like to pick it up, and they’ll get it ready for you. 

Boomstick Brewing Co.
In Corner Brook, recently-opened Boomstick Brewing has closed their taproom, and have implemented curbside pickup options. Open Wed – Sat, 12 – 5 PM, order online at least 24 hours in advance, then head down for a pickup. Double-check their social media (Fb/Ig) before heading out.

Bootleg Brew Co.
Still in Corner Brook, Bootleg Brew Co. has closed their taproom, but are open for curbside pickup. Order via phone (709-634-2964) daily 12 – 6 PM via Credit or Debit, let them know when you’d like to pick up, then head down to grab your request. Bottles and growler fills are both available (exchanged for a freshly sanitized one). Check their social media (Fb/Ig) for updates. 

Crooked Feeder Brewing
Still on the Western side of the Rock, Cormack’s Crooked Feeder Brewing is now closed to the public, but they have brought in contactless curbside pickup on Saturdays. Send an email (cfbcorders@gmail.com) with your request (here’s the latest list) and preferred pickup time. They will confirm the order and total, pickup time, and payment.

Dildo Brewing Co.
Across the way in Dildo, the eponymously-named Dildo Brewing Co. have re-opened their retail locations (at home and in St. John’s) for curbside pickup Thurs – Sat, 2 – 5 PM. Call (709-582-3335 Dildo, 709-221-1099 St. John’s) in advance, then pop by for a safe pickup. Keep an eye on their social media (Fb/Ig) for any updates.

Iron Rock Brewing Co.
In Lab City, Iron Rock Brewing Co. has enabled no contact pre-order pickup, Mon – Sat. Call (709-288-0441⁣), email (info@ironrockbrewing.com⁣), or order online, and then head to the brewery for pickup. Please keep an eye on their social media pages (Fb and Ig) for updates.

Landwash Brewery
Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery has closed their taproom for the time being, and are now offering contactless pre-order pickup, Tues – Sat, 12 – 6 PM. Order in advance, wait for your confirmation email, and show up safely pickup your order. Follow these directions to ensure safety and success. Check their social media (Fb/Ig) for updates. 

Newfoundland Cider Company
George’s Brook-Milton’s Newfoundland Cider Company has implemented a curbside pick-up ordering option, for Friday afternoons. Order in advance online, pop by the retail shop, and call the number on your receipt to collect your order. You can also get delivery in the St. John’s area as well, order through that link!

Ninepenny Brewing
In Conception Bay South, Ninepenny Brewing has begun offering curbside pickup a few days a week. Email The way to beer success is by ordering online, and then waiting for the confirmation when ready for pickup. Their social media (Fb/Ig) accounts have the latest details on offerings and dates. 

Port Rexton Brewing
Port Rexton Brewing has closed their taproom for onsite enjoyment, but to-go beers may be available by emailing (sales@portrextonbrewing.com) to set up contactless pickup. Their St. John’s Retail Shop is also open for contactless pickup, through online pre-ordering. Open Thurs – Sat, 12 – 7 PM, submit your order in advance, and await the confirmation email that it’s ready. Don’t forget to maintain that social distance, so don’t hang about the door, waiting in your car is cool! You can listen to music! And you can now order for delivery within ~20km of the SJRS, for Friday evenings. Sweet!

Quidi Vidi
With the Quidi Vidi Brewing Co. taproom and retail closed, they have set up daily contactless pickup. Call (709-738-4040) between 11 – 4 PM to order and drop by to pick up your beerses that same day (open everday, 11 – 6 PM). You can now order online for pick-up or delivery (Tues – Sat, $50 min order)! Just wait for your confirmation email/time for when it’s safe to pick up!

RagnaRock Northern Brewing Company Ltd.
St. Anthony’s RagnaRöck was hoping to have a plan in place this weekend for call-in to-go sales, but are still working through what that looks like. For now, keep an eye on their Fb and Ig pages for updates in order to find out when you might be able to get their beer again.

Rough Waters
Recently-opened Rough Waters Brewing Co. in Deer Lake has closed their taproom in accordance with Provincial and Federal recommendations and guidelines. They are available for occasional bottle pickups, and now delivery, just send them a message on social media (Fb/Ig) or email (info@roughwatersbrewing.com), where you can also stay up-to-date on any changes. They are still delivering their bottles to NLC locations around the province, however, so you needn’t go thirsty!

Secret Cove
Secret Cove has started a twice-weekly contactless curbside pickup option. Order online in advance, await the confirmation it’s ready for pickup, then pop by Wednesday or Friday for your fix. New growler fills, or exchange, no worries! Order by 1 PM on Wed or Fri for same-day success! Any questions, email (beer@secretcovebrewing.com) is best.

Split Rock Brewing Co.
Way up in Twillingate, though the taproom is now officially closed, Split Rock Brewing Co. has instated contactless pick-up. Send them an email (splitrockorders@gmail.com) with your request Monday to Saturday before 4 PM (5 PM on Saturday), and they should be able to set you up the same day. They have cans as well as growler fills for purchase/exchange.

Western Newfoundland
In Pasadena, Western Newfoundland Brewing will continue with production, but your only way to obtain their beer will be through the NLC.

YellowBelly
YellowBelly Brewery has implemented curbside take-out of their beer as well as food, menu available here. Can order online, call (709-757-3780) or email (yellowbellygm@gmail.com) to order, then pop by to pick up. Food-only orders are available for delivery, too. Keep an eye on their social media (Fb/Tw/Ig) for any updates they might post as to their plans for the next couple of weeks.

Nova Scotia

Big thanks to Kim Hart Macneill for compiling and updating the list of the province’s breweries’ evolving plans, and how we can help them and licensees during this time. As of May 10th, the NSLC has lifted the requirement to stay closed Sundays, and early closure, so breweries are able to once again return to their regular hours. As always, check with the brewery directly before heading there.

2 Crows
2 Crows is only open for online pre-orders (no retail walk-ins) and deliveries in the province (minimum order is 4 cans). Submit your order before 5 PM the day before to ensure success. Click-and-collect, HRM deliveries (free over $50), and free within NS over $75.⁣ Also shipping Canada-wide, Monday mornings.

9zero2 Brewing
9zero2 Brewing, the brewery onsite at Arisaig’s Steinhart Distillery expects to be setting up deliveries soon. In the meantime, they are concentrating on producing sanitizer, as are several of the other NS distilleries.

Annapolis Brewing Company
Annapolis Brewing Company has reduced their retail opening hours to Saturdays, 12 – 4 PM, for bottle sales only.

Annapolis Cider
Annapolis Cider Company has converted their Wolfville location to a Click and Collect pickup-only location Tues – Sat, 11 – 2 PM, available the following day. Online orders can also be shipped Canada-wide (multiples of 6, flat rate $15 over $100, free over $150).

Backstage Brewing
Backstage Brewing is open for retail sales/exchange of their own growlers, Monday – Saturday, 12 – 6 PM. Call (902-755-9371) or DM in advance is preferred, for contactless exchange. Look for bottles coming in the next weeks.

Bent Nail Brewing
Bent Nail Brewery is open daily 11 – 7 PM, and also offering free delivery of beer, with a minimum order of six bottles of their Bent Ridge wine. Details here.

Big Spruce
Big Spruce is open for to-the-car beer service at their retail shop, and is offering delivery Canada-wide (multiples of 12 cans and/or 6 bottles, mixing is OK, free shipping in NS, free above $125 outside of NS). Order online.

Boxing Rock
Boxing Rock is offering delivery daily in the Shelburne and HRM areas, and Wednesday and Friday in between (exact delivery date given after ordering). A minimum order of $50 which gets you free delivery in Shelburne and HRM, and it’s free for orders over $80 elsewhere in their area. Order online or via phone (902-875-2282, between 11 – 7 PM, can also call for pickup). Their Halifax location hosts, Local Source Market, has opened a click-and-collect shop where beer, as well as produce and other items, can be ordered.

Breton Brewing
Breton Brewing is open for retail pickup (or call 902-270-4677 and collect), Mon – Sat 11 – 6 PM (high risk folks may visit 10 – 11 AM). They are also offering next-day delivery Mon – Fri, both within CBRM, and now in HRM. Minimum delivery order is for 12 or more cans, with a $0.50 discount per can if ordering more than 24. For HRM orders under 24 cans, there is a $10 fee. Check here for their full offerings and further details.

Brightwood
Brightwood Brewery is doing deliveries to the Greater Halifax area (including Herring Cove, Fall River, and Porters Lake) Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, no minimum, $4 flat fee. Order online anytime before 2 PM that day for delivery, and use these promo codes for discounts (one per order, can be used on assorted beers, does not need to be all of the same type). Retail is open 12 – 8 PM, Monday – Saturday, 12 – 5 PM Sunday.

Bulwark Cider
Bulwark Cider is offering Canada-wide shipping through their online store, and is also offering pickup in New Ross. Use code SHIP20 to receive $20 off your shipping costs for 12 + bottles or cans.

Chain Yard Cider
Chain Yard Cider is open for retail pickup 12 – 7 PM daily (calling 902 407-2244 first is a good idea), as well as via delivery in Halifax (free over $40 orders), with shipping Nova Scotia (free for orders over $75) and Canada-wide (free for orders $150+). Order here for your apple fix.

Church Brewing
Church Brewing in Wolfville is open for retail sales, 12 – 8 PM daily. Call in (902-542-2337) or do online ordering to speed up the process. Local (daily) and HRM (Thursdays, order before 4 PM Wednesday) delivery is also available, 12 can minimum, delivery fee is waived for orders of $50 or more. Beer options available here.

Corberrie Cider
Corberrie Cider Company  has opened a pickup or delivery option for the Tri-Counties region, order online.

FirkinStein Brewing
FirkinStein Brewing in Bridgewater has teamed up with Fresh Cuts Market to offer delivery of food and beer in their area. Email (devinfraser@firkinstein.ca) for more details.

Gahan House
Gahan House Nova Centre is open for beer and food to go. Order through the MHG App or Chowhound. Can also order online.

Garrison Brewing
Garrison Brewing is open 12 – 6 PM for retail sales at both Seaport and Oxford Taproom on Quinpool, and has implemented Halifax-area delivery. Order online or via email (beer@garrisonbrewing.com) or phone (902-406-2174, can also request an instore-pickup that way), delivery minima and schedule vary. Email or call for anything not on the site (singles, bottles, outside-NS, etc) they may be able to help!

Good Robot Brewing
Good Robot remains open for retail sales, Mon – Fri 2 – 7 PM, Sat 12 – 7 PM. Pickup orders can be placed in advance via phone (902-446-1692). You can now get the Robots to come to you! Online ordering is available for Halifax and Dartmouth, no minimum (free over $40, $5 for orders $20-$40, $7.50 under $20). Same-day delivery if ordered before 6 PM. Can also order growlers, and exchange for your own. Also are fully refundable in person when this whole thing is over, so we suggest doing that. They are keeping their Monday Goodwill Bot is back, with $1 from each delivery and take-out product sold online or via retail that day goes to a worthy cause. Keep an eye on social media for the latest beneficiary!

Half Cocked Brewing
Half Cocked Brewing is implementing a delivery option for those in the Antigonish area. Bottles of their Tarred and Feathered are available, as well as growler fills. Email (halfcockedbrewing@gmail.com) your request and for full details.

Harbour Brewing
The Harbour Brewing is open Monday to Saturday, 11 – 5 PM, for pickup of cans and growlers, and can be pre-ordered via phone (902-410-8918). They are also delivering along the Eastern Shore, from Dartmouth to Sheet Harbour, daily, order by phone as well.

Hardisty Brewing
Newly opened Hardisty Brewing is continuing their no-contact delivery in the Colby Village area Thursday – Saturday afternoons, 4 – 5 PM. Contact them online to set up your delivery!

Hell Bay Brewing
Hell Bay Brewing in Liverpool is open occasional hours for curbside or window service, email (hellbaybrewing@eastlink.ca) or call (902-356-3556) or FB message in advance. Also doing deliveries in the region (within 20km of brewery, $5 delivery charge which is donated) on Thursday and Friday.

Heritage Brewing
Heritage Brewing in Yarmouth is offering delivery in the tri-county area. Order via text (780-274-0616) from the list of cans and growler fills available here, pay via EMT (minimum order $40), and your order will be delivered the following day (or the same day if ordered early enough). Growlers can be exchanged for a new sanitized one. Their taproom is open for retail sales, check social media for the information. They also have a new beer on tap (available in growler fills), Cranberry/Blueberry Sour Wheat, based on their Blueberry Grunt recipe. More next week.

Hill Top Hops
Hill Tops Hops in Newport is open for new/exchange growlers to go, as well as bottles. Wednesday – Friday 2 – 6 PM, Saturday 12 – 6 PM. Can order from the parking lot via phone (902-757-3510). They are also offering free delivery in the Hants County area M, W, F, on orders over $30. Smaller orders, or those outside the County may be available, just fire them an email (brewhouse@hilltophops.ca). They should be adding a shop to their website soon, too!

Horton Ridge Malt and Grain
Horton Ridge Malt and Grain are open Mon – Sat, 10 – 5 PM for to-go beer purchases, and have recently started canning beer to make it easier to enjoy.

Lake City Cider
Lake City Cider‘s retail is open 10 – 7 PM, and are doing free same-day delivery in HRM. Call (902-466-7818) between 10 AM – 5 PM to place an order. Can also order online, with shipping fees waived Canada-wide!

Lazy Bear Brewing
Lazy Bear Brewing is still open for their Thursday Growler nights (5 – 7 PM), Annapolis Royal Market (via pre-order), and has implemented a Thursday delivery service, and Saturday pick-up at Yukiko’s Oishi Sushi via pre-order. Call (902-440-0880) or email (info@lazybearbrewing.ca) or message them (Fb/Ig) for details and to submit your request.

Lunn’s Mill
Lunn’s Mill in Lawrencetown are offering free deliveries in Annapolis and Kings Counties. Order online before 10 PM the night before to ensure beer success the next day. Shipping outside of the region is also happening, with weekly trips on Thursday to HRM (also free!), and Canada-wide via Canada Post.

Maritime Express Cider
Maritime Express Cider in Windsor has implemented local delivery, as well occasional HRM trips. Order online. More on their Social Media (Fb/Ig).

Meander River
Meander River is open weekends for retail sales, as well as click-and-collect and delivery via online ordering. Free delivery Saturdays, and receive a free pint glass with a 12-bottle order.

Mountain Meadworks
Mountain Meadworks has their products available through the online versions of the Truro Farmers’ Market and New Glasgow Farmers’ Market, as well as direct via home delivery to the North Shore and Truro regions, as well as occasionally to HRM. Contact them via email (mountainmeadworks@gmail.com) to learn more and place an order.

New Scotland
New Scotland Brewing is open 11 – 7 PM Mon – Sat for take-away, as well as local same-day delivery (order cutoff 2 PM, minimum $35), order online or via phone (902-406-2337).

Nine Locks
Nine Locks Brewing is open for pre-ordered pickup, Mon – Sat, 10 – 7 PM. Call (902-434-4471) in advance. Free delivery is available in most of HRM, orders of $65 or more only, via their online ordering page.

Noggins Corner Cider
Noggins Cider is available at their market locations around HRM, as well as for delivery via online ordering.

North
North Brewing is implementing a Click & Collect ordering system at their Portland Street location, Mon – Sun. Pre-order online, and the beer will be available for pickup in approximately 30 minutes (wait for that email). Home delivery is now an option, to Dartmouth, Halifax and surrounding areas. Free delivery, $30 minimum order, also seven days a week. And they are now shipping beyond HRM, including Canada-wide! North’s sister bar and resto Battery Park is now open for curbside take-away. The details are on their site, but the Coles notes are you submit your burger and side and beer and wine order via email before 11AM, for pickup that evening, Wed – Sat, 3 – 8 PM.

Off Track
Off Track in Bedford is doing next-day delivery in the Bedford and Lower Sackville area, Mon – Sat. Order online for free next day delivery, minimum order of $28 (about two 4-packs). Their retail location is open for Click & Collect, Fri and Sat, 12 – 2 PM.

Ol’ Biddy’s Brew House
Ol’ Biddy’s Brew House is now open in Lower Sackville, and is offering contact-less Click and Collect service, in addition to in-person ordering. Check out their website for the latest offerings. Open Thurs – Sun, 12 – 6 PM (12 – 8 PM Fri and Sat).

Paddy’s Pubs
Paddy’s Pub in Kentville and Wolfville are offering daily pickup and delivery in their respective regions, 4 – 7 PM. Use the online ordering portal to request both food and beer.

Propeller
Propeller Brewing’s two retail location remain open, while maintaining social distancing. Drop by to order and pick up (12 – 8 PM daily). If you’d like to preorder and pay over the phone call: Hfx: 902-468-1026, Dart: 902-377-4706. Availability listed here. Delivery is also possible within the HRM, free for orders above $65, $5 fee for less than that, free glass for order above $100). Order online for delivery. If submitted before 3 PM, same day delivery in many areas of HRM. Same day for Bedford, Sackville, and Eastern Passage on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. No growler fills at this time, but kegs of your faves may be available for home enjoyment, just email them (michael@drinkpropeller.ca).

Rare Bird
A mixed 6-pack of Rare Bird Beer is available for pickup at the Acadian Maple store in Tantallon, as well as delivered Canada-wide, when ordered through their online portal.

Roof Hound
Roof Hound’s locations in Digby and Kingston remain closed, but they are doing deliveries of full cases all along the 101 to HRM and Yarmouth. Check the link for details.

Route 19 Brewing
Route 19 Brewing in Inverness is offering contactless brewery pick-up options, as well as daily free delivery to the Halifax area, and weekly delivery to the Sydney region. Text (902-258-5374) or email (orders@route19brewing.com) your requests. Both cans and kegs are available, with orders of 24 cans or more getting a $0.50 discount/can.

Saltbox Brewing
Saltbox Brewing in Mahone Bay is delivering within Lunenburg County and HRM several times per week, can be ordered via their online shop.

Schoolhouse Brewery
Schoolhouse Brewery in Windsor is open for Drive-up beer orders, Tues – Sat, 12 – 6 PM: drop by their location and call (902-792-4677), order and pay, and they’ll pop the beer in your trunk. May even be able to pre-order and save that wait time!

Sea Level & Millstone Harvest
Sea Level‘s Port Williams location is closed. Their Millstone Harvest location at 9146 Hwy 221 in Sheffield Mills is open Mon – Sat, 12 – 5 PM, and is also organizing deliveries. Pre-order via phone (902-582-2337), email (sealevelbrewing@gmail.com) or message on FB or IG. Pay by EMT or Card only.

Shipwright
Shipwright Brewing beer is now available to go in crowlers 2 – 7 PM Tuesday – Saturday. Can also call in advance (902-634-3300) for curb-side delivery. They are now doing local Lunenburg deliveries Tues – Sat, as well as a jaunt from Bridgewater to Chester on Fridays, just call in your order! Free delivery for a minimum of 4 crowlers, just $2 otherwise. While their downstairs neighbour Grand Banker is closed, gift cards are available to support and ensure great food in Lunenburg in the future!

Smokehouse
Smokehouse Brewery in Berwick is closed to drop-bys, but open for sales by appointment by calling first (902-680-5198 or 902-680-5243). Deliveries to the local area are also being made, call or email (info@smokehousebrewery.ca) orders for next day delivery (free over $50 orders).

Sober Island
Sober Island Brewing is concentrating on deliveries in their region, as well as further afield. Keep an eye on IG for the latest info, but currently offering free deliveries Wednesday and Saturday along the Eastern Shore (Sherbrooke to Musquodoboit Harbour), and to HRM Thursdays. In addition to their cans, they are offering to pick up groceries and pharmacy needs as well, to encourage social distancing and self-isolation for those at highest risk. Orders must be placed by 10am of the delivery date. Email (rebecca@soberbrewing.ca) or text/call (902-719-9463) requests. They have a temporary portal set up for HRM ordering, while they await a full website.

Sourwood Cider
Sourwood Cider are open for retail sales, as well as doing deliveries via online orders. Shipping is Mon and Wed and Fri, and free above $60, use code APOCALYPSE at checkout. Also shipping Canada-wide.

Spindrift Brewing
Spindrift Brewing is doing free deliveries of full cases of their product in HRM, order online.

Stillwell
Stillwell Brewing is offering free next-day delivery in HRM, 4 bottle minimum. Use code WILDTIME2020 at checkout, and include a number where you can be reached for curbside, contact-free, delivery. They also ship via CP Canada-wide. Just a note that Stillwell Beer Bar and the Freehouse are selling beer from the cellar and snacks via their Corner Store, and gift cards online as well.

Tanner & Co
Tanner & Co in Chester Basin is open for bottle and growler exchanges, and is offering online ordering and delivering to both the Lunenburg to Hubbards area (min. order is 6 bottles, free shipping above $75, $2 fee below that), and to Halifax (minimum order is $50, orders over $75 are free shipping, $5 below that). Both are running Fridays for the time being, submit your order by 12 PM to ensure you have beer that afternoon/evening. Add 6+discount code to your order for a discount on orders above 6 bottles, pickup or delivery.

Tatamagouche Brewing
Tatamagouche Brewing has a walk-up window for retail (Tues – Sat, 10 AM – 5 PM), call (902-657-4000) or email (pickup@tatabrew.com) or order online (and use code BREWERYPICKUP). They are continuing the deliveries Canada-wide through their online store (free shipping over $95).

Tidehouse
Due to their small (some many say tiny) sized taproom, Tidehouse has made the right decision to stay closed, with occasional can releases via delivery or curb-side pickup. Check out their Social Media (Fb/Ig) for details on what and when they’ll have next!

Trider’s
Trider’s Beer in Amherst is open for retail service Tues – Sat, 1 – 6 PM. Can also call in (902-614-8983) or email (contact@triderscraftbeer.com) to organize delivery in their local area.

Truro Brewing Company
Truro Brewing Company is back open again, and offering curbside pickup and NS-wide shipping through their online store. Curbside pickup is available Friday and Saturday afternoons, and province-wide shipping is only $10. Check the link for the latest availability, which currently includes 4 beers, including the return of Trackside Pale Ale.

Tusket Falls Brewing
Tusket Falls Brewing is open for pickup and deliveries. Call (902-648-3340) from the parking lot to order and pay, and they will bring the beer to your trunk. For those in Yarmouth County, free delivery is available (12 can minimum), call or email (info@tusketfallsbrewing.com). Delivery further afield along the 101 and 103 is done occasionally, email for details.

Two Islands Brewing
Two Island Brewing in Parrsboro is open a few days a week for retail sales of cans and growler fills/exchanges. Call (902-728-2221) or email (twoislandspayments@gmail.com) in advance to place your order, which can also include bread from the bakery.

Uncle Leo’s
Uncle Leo’s remains open, and will only be filling their own new growlers, 10 – 4 PM daily. Pre-orders only: Call (902-382-2739) or email (whiffens@eastlink.ca) with your order, and pre-pay via EMT or card. Deliveries now available within Pictou County, contact them for details.

Unfiltered
Unfiltered Brewing’s brewery is open daily 12 – 9  PM for click-and-collect purchases, and is doing free deliveries within ~5km of the brewery Tuesday to Saturday (order before 2 PM for same-day free delivery, $40 min order). 4-packs of cans, bottles, pre-filled growlers, and kegs (including filling your own ball- or pin-locks), online ordering here. May be able to accommodate requests from further afield via email.

Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse
Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse in Burnside has re-opened their doors for beer take-away, as well as take-and-bake offerings from their kitchen. Brisket, ribs, and chicken, plus some yummy sides, with their beers to go in cans and crowlers. Full list of offerings, as well as scheduled pickups, here.

Wayfarers’ Ale
Wayfarers’ Ale Society is open for beer retail and food take-away Mon – Sat 12 – 7 PM, as well as for delivery to the area. Call (902-300-3404) or order online to let them know what you’re craving (beer delivery province wide, delivery minimums and cost vary by region).

Bishops Cellar
Bishops Cellar has closed their retail location, and is offering occasional delivery-within-NS-only mixed cases of wine (and soon beer). Sign up for their newsletters to avoid missing out!

Harvest, RockHead, WestSide
WestSide Beer and Wine remains open 10 – 7 PM (10 – 11 AM reserved for at-risk public), while their sister stores Harvest Wines and RockHead are closed. Delivery is possible throughout NS, with free HRM delivery above $150, $400 elsewhere in the province, order online.

Liquid Assets
Liquid Assets, the Nova Scotia alcohol store at YHZ, has closed their retail location, but is able to do shipping within the province, PEI, and Manitoba, via online order. They will be doing twice-weekly deliveries in the HRM, for $5 fee. Also available by phone (902-873-2275).

Prince Edward Island

PEILCC
With many PEILCC locations closed, they have allowed manufacturers and Agency Stores deliver to consumers. We will update the list below as breweries inform us to their plans, but we think this is a swell idea! The Oaktree, Montague, Granville Street, O’Leary, and Souris stores are now open Monday – Saturday, 11 AM – 6 PM (10 – 11 AM for at-risk members of the public). More details here.

Barnone Brewing
Barnone Brewing is keeping to their Thursday-only schedule for the time, but are asking for orders to be submitted in advance by email (barnonefarm2@gmail.com) or text/phone (902-394-6897) for pre-filling of growlers (details on FB).

Bogside Brewing
Bogside Brewing is adjusting from their winter hours, and is open 1 – 6 PM Tues – Sun for can sales, and is encouraging pre-orders on their site or by phone (902-838-4384).  They are also offering delivery in the Charlottetown and Three Rivers areas Friday and Saturday (order cutoff time in 12), and Kensington and Summerside Thursdays (order cutoff is Wednesday 10 PM). Minimum order of 6 cans, free delivery over $50 ($10 below that) on the Island, and free shipping to NS and NB on orders over $100 (multiples of 12 cans only). The Wheelhouse in Georgetown is operating from their kitchen Wednesday through Sunday, 11:30 – 7 PM, which means the brewery will also be open for takeout with your food! Life Pro Tip: Call (902-652-2474) in your food order in advance!

Copper Bottom
Copper Bottom is encouraging social distancing by directing customers to their website for online orders. Use the code SOCIALDISTANCE2020 at checkout to save 10%, and they’ll bring it out to your vehicle when you arrive (give them about an hour to assemble the order). They also are offering Canada-wide delivery! Free Shipping: PEI: Free over $50. NS & NB: Free over $100. Rest of Canada: Free over $200. Pre-filled growlers are also now available.

Evermoore
Evermoore in Summerside is adjusting their hours and is open Tues – Sat, 12 – 5 PM for backdoor can and growler sales. Keep an eye on social media for updates, and how to take part in their usual Thursday night trivia. They have added online ordering and 7 day-a-week delivery options to their local area. Cans, growlers, and kegs.

Gahan and PEI Brewing Company
Gahan and PEI Brewing are open for retail sales, and the restaurants are on the MHG Delivered app and site. Beer is now available on the MHG app!

Lone Oak
Lone Oak Brewing is open for can sales daily (Mon – Sat 11 – 6 PM, Sun 12 – 5 PM). Now that PEILCC allows it, you can have your online order delivered right to your door, Island-wide. Minimum order of 8 cans, no delivery fees.

Moth Lane
Moth Lane is open daily 12 – 5 PM for retail sales of beer in pre-filled growlers only.

Red Island Cider
Red Island Cider‘s taproom remains closed, but they are offering home delivery in Charlottetown, Stratford, Summerside, Queens County and Kings County. Order online for next-day delivery.

Riverdale Orchard
Riverdale Orchard‘s retail spot in Bonshaw remains open, but they ask for pre-orders at this time to ensure safe distance pickup. Please contact them via email (info@riverdaleorchard.com) or phone (902-218-0580), or via online ordering. They are now offering delivery on the Island, free for orders above $50 ($10 below).

Upstreet
Upstreet Brewing and their Craft Beer Corner location are open 12 – 8 PM daily for retail sales, as well as curbisde pickup. Call in (902-894-0543) or order online. Free same-day delivery to Charlottetown, Stratford and Cornwall ($5 fee below $75 orders), and 1-2 day delivery Island-wide. They have recently implemented the Upstreet Family Rewards, good for cash off future orders. They have also gathered in several other local producers to their online shop, to streamline your ability to stay home and stay safe.

HopYard
Friend of good beer HopYard Beer Bar has closed their taproom to onsite enjoyment, but are doing take-out (call 902-367-2599) with daily specials on their Instagram (and are on the TopServe delivery app), 12 – 8 PM.

New Beer News for March 20, 2020.

It’s not all logistics and “stiff upper lip” today, however; there are a few new beers that we spotted that we wanted to highlight, but let’s lead off with the opening of Nova Scotia’s newest brewery!

Located on the eponymous street in Colby Village (in the Cole Harbour area of the HRM), Hardisty Brewing has launched their product for the first time this week. An all-grain homebrewer for close to two decades, Charlene Robichaud (“everyone calls me Char”) has launched Hardisty to share her beer with her local community. There are cans of two beers available currently: their Block Party SMaSH, a 4.5% ABV, 30 IBU, Pale Ale, brewed with 2-Row and Simcoe, tropical and citrus flavour and aroma with a malty backbone, and Smoked Porter, 4.7% ABV and 26 IBU, with a lovely campfire aroma and light nutty flavour, thanks to Smoked and Chocolate malt additions, and hopped with Northern Brewer and Willamette. Look for more IPAs, Rye ales, and a Witbier to be released in the coming months. Hardisty will be launching their website shortly, where folks can sign up for their CSA-like Community Shared Brewery membership, but in the meantime, reach out to them on Instagram to request beer via their Thursday afternoon deliveries in the Colby Village area. We’ll have much more with Char coming soon! Congratulations!

Across the bridge in Halifax, Unfiltered Brewing has released a new beer this week, continuing in the single-hop series that has brought us DOA, Danko, Deity, Edgy, and many more, comes Satisfaction. Featuring the absolutely phenomenal Sabro hop, Nash used it in quantity throughout the process, for a solid bitterness, as well as a big aroma and flavour in the tropical realm, as well as with some resin and pine, in this 7.5% ABV beer. Available on draught for fills as well as in cans (see below for details on grabbing some).

A short distance away, 2 Crows Brewing has released a new beer this week as well, something a little darker. Counsel is an 8.3% ABV Imperial Stout that was brewed with a wide variety of malts, as is often typical for the style. These include assorted caramel malts, Roasted Barley, Chocolate malt, oats, and flaked barley. The wort was boiled for 24 hours (!!!… we’re well aware of 2 Crows’ extended brew days but this is outright ridiculous!) to greatly increase caramelization, and was then fermented with Oslo Kveik yeast, nice and warm. Once fermentation was complete, the beer was conditioned on French oak and toasted coconut (100 lbs worth), and then finally lagered for an additional 5 weeks. The final beer was canned (in 355 mL cans) and allowed to condition for three months to really have those flavours blend together. It’s tasting “roasty, smooth, and lush” with soft note of coconut, light tannin, and a clean finish. A beer like this deserves a launch party, but alas those days are behind us for now, so it’s available this weekend for delivery in the HRM, click-and-collect, and wider delivery via Canada Post. You can also pick up cans at the brewery to-go. For more info on 2 Crows shipping, check out our handy delivery section below.

Port Rexton Brewing has a new beer they’re releasing today, in the hope of celebrating the spirit of collaboration and community between breweries in this time of uncertainty and difficulties. Brewed with Rough Waters Brewing Co., Iron Rock Brewing Co., RagnaRöck Northern Brewing Company Ltd, Ninepenny Brewing, and Bannerman Brewing Co., it’s a “Nano” Kveik IPA called Next Generation 2020 that rolls in at an extremely sessionable 2.9% ABV, perfect for a little working from home day boil (ssshhhhh)! Lots of Galaxy and Mosaic in the dry hop, this beer is super hazy with plenty of aroma and flavor of light tropical fruit, soft candy, apple and pear, with a touch of a vanilla note on the finish from the Kveik yeast.

Today at noon, Garrison will be dropping Bringing Sexy Bock, the winner of their 2019 Home Brew-Off competition (aka the Good Old Days). The winning homebrewer was David Pepper, who got to brew his recipe on the Garrison system with head brewer Daniel Girard. The grist is nice and complex, with Munich, Aromatic, Extra Special, Vienna, Wheat, and Melanoidin malts all playing nicely together (but hopefully 6 feet apart). Hopped lightly with Hallertau (to 25 IBUs), this dark brown beer has “aromas of malt-rich bread, caramel, and dark fruit”. Over in flavour town, see if you can pick our caramel, pumpernickel bread, and black licorice, all balanced by a light bitterness. This 7.2% ABV brew was packaged in 473 mL cans, which can be picked up at either retail store; delivery is also an option within Halifax and Dartmouth (free if your order is $30 or more).

Rounding out the news this week is a happysad entry from Good Robot Brewing. They held their FemmeBrew competition on the weekend, where brew(st)ers were tasked with featuring local and foraged ingredients in their beer. After much deliberation, the winning beer chosen was a Grisette, brewed by beer writer Kim Hart Macneill, a longtime homebrewer. We *believe* her winning beer will be brewed on GRBC’s big system, just not sure of the timeline. The sad part of this story is that this week marked brewster Kelly Costello’s last week with GRBC, as she is moving onto other pursuits, namely obtaining a law degree. Now she’ll be mixing shit up and kicking butt on a bigger scale! Best of luck to Kello in the future, we’re sure it’s not the last we’ve heard from her!

We certainly had some bracing weather this week in and around the region and wouldn’t you know it, more than a couple of our breweries seem to have just the beers for cold weather coming out right around now. Add to that a couple of openings (one brewery, one taproom), and a slew of events and you’ve got a recipe for a long read today (sorry; not sorry). So without further ado, let’s get to it, shall we?

In case you missed our Profile of Tire Shack Brewing last Friday (ahem, click here now), we can now confirm that they are open and serving beer! Located at 190 John Street in Moncton, the onsite brewery features a large taproom. They have five beers currently on tap to enjoy in their space, which are: The Specialist Blonde Ale (5.0% ABV), Secret Society Toasted Marshmallow Stout (5.5% ABV), Realignment Juicy Pale Ale (6.0% ABV), Full Service Double IPA (7.5% ABV), and Zenith Libation Cardamom Wit Beer (5.5% ABV). While they await the completion of their Retail Space, growlers can be filled at the bar, and cans of The Specialist, Secret Society, and Realignment are available as well. Their kitchen is scheduled to be fully operational in the New Year, so grab take-out from nearby, or order something to be delivered, and check out their new spot! Tire Shack is open 7 days a week: Sun 12 – 10 PM, Mon – Tues 11 – 10 PM, Wed – Thurs 11 – 11 PM, and Fri – Sat 11 – 12AM. Congratulations once again to Alan, Jerica, and Henry!

And speaking of openings, Halifax’s Garrison Brewing is officially opening The Oxford Taproom today! This new location is located at the corner of Quinpool and Oxford, in the space formerly occupied by the Oxford Theatre. The interior is an ode to the former tenant, featuring the original movie projector and plenty of movie-themed design elements. The main level features the pilot brewery with 3 BBL (330 litre) of fermentation capacity (details on future pilot experimental and community releases coming when we have them!), full retail store, and taproom with seating for 60. Upstairs features a quieter space with lounge seating and a boardroom. The taproom features 16 draught lines of Garrison goodness, with the full complement of core and seasonal offerings, including their Brewhouse Cider (a collaboration with Bulwark), and a nitro tap. While they will not have a kitchen, patrons are encouraged to grab something from one of the dozens of nearby restaurants and enjoy it in the Oxford. The taproom and retail is open from noon daily (including today!) until 10 PM, and until midnight Friday and Saturday.

It’s not only new locations for Garrison this week, as they have the return of two bigger spirits-aged beers just in time for the cooler weather. In “the description is right in the name” news, their Barrel Aged Grand Baltic Porter is a 11.0% ABV Baltic Porter aged in rum barrels from Ironworks & Glenora, enhancing the dark fruit and roast character from the base beer with lovely molasses and spirit notes from the barrel. And To Prussia With Love, which is also 11.0% ABV, and is a blend of their Baltic Porter and Barrel Aged Barley Wine, combining for a complex beer. Both beers are in 650 ml bottles, so we suggest finding a friend (or 3) to share the bottle, or else you may find yourself in the hold of a ship headed to Eastern Europe if tackling these alone! And on the lighter side, they have launched a Holiday Mingler 4-pack of tall cans, with Tall Ship, Pucker Up!, Deja Moo, and Irish Red to their retail spots as well as the NSLC, and is currently the only way to purchase cans of the latter two, if you so desire.

St John’s Bannerman Brewing has a pair of new beers on tap this week that we are excited to tell you about. Dial Up is a 5.2% ABV American Pale Ale, featuring a light-malt base of Pils, Oat, and Wheat Malts, and dry-hopped heavily with Galaxy and Simcoe for big notes of stone fruit, mango, and citrus. And just released Thursday afternoon is Scenic Route, a 5.0% ABV sour dry-hopped with Mosaic hops, and conditioned with blueberry puree and fresh mint. Both beers are on tap now in the taproom, and available to go in growler fills and cans.

Upstreet is releasing a VIP 4-pack of the fan favourite Neon Friday brews from this year. Available in the brewery, and Craft Beer Corner, the four-pack features: Neon Friday 2.01: Session IPA (4.5% ABV with Cashmere, Motueka, & Amarillo), Neon Friday 2.03: Pale Ale (5.9% ABV with Waimea, Sticklebract, & Columbus), Neon Friday 2.04: IPA (7.25% ABV with Citra, Southern Cross, Amarillo, & Wakatu), and Neon Friday 2.07: Double IPA (8.0% ABV with Simcoe, Amarillo, & Ekuanot). These packs will also be available at PEILCC locations next week. Also available rotating on tap at both locations, as well as the Upstreet Pour Authority in Founders Food Hall. And you can celebrate the release at the brewery with a Neon Friday Dance Party tonight! From 9 PM, the lights will be turned down low, and the glow will be turned to eleven, so come in your brightest neon outfits and rock out with DJs Ugly James Franco and Dennison.

Fredericton’s Grimross Brewing is returning to their “Belgian-inspired” roots in a big way with today’s release of the Abbey Series, a four-pack of Belgian styles, with all but one beer being completely new brews. Let’s dive in:
Abbey Singel (5.2% ABV, 25 IBUs) – Patersbier (a style often referred to as the “lawnmower beer of Trappist monks”, i.e. this is what the monks drink when they’re putting their feet up, as opposed to actually mowing) brewed with Belgian Pilsner malt and sugar, and hopped with Slovenian Celeia, it was fermented with a Trappist strain. Exhibiting notes of “honey, coriander, and lemon”, it finishes clean and dry.
Abbey Dubbel (7.2% ABV, 20 IBUs) – The one beer in the collection that they’ve brewed before, this iteration does have some differences from earlier releases. The yeast is now a “Chimay-inspired strain”; as a result, the attenuation was higher, resulting in a drier beer. You can still expect “lots of phenols, dark fruit, and toffee character”, however.
Abbey Tripel (9% ABV, 33 IBUs) – Surprised it’s taken Grimross this long to brew a Tripel, but happy to see it! Brewed with a similar – albeit, larger – grain bill as the Abbey Singel, it was also hopped with Celeia and fermented with yeast harvested from that beer. Expect clove, citrus, banana, and some dough character, and higher carb (as is typical for the style).
Abbey Quad (11%, 28 IBUs) – No, that’s not a typo… 11% ABV (and in case you’re wondering, yes, that is the “biggest” beer Grimross has ever brewed). Fermented with that Chimay strain, you’re going to find this a “complex beer full of clove, toffee, plum, fig and banana bread notes”. This full-bodied beer IS boozy, to be sure, but apparently the alcohol is not as pronounced as you’d assume from that 1-1 number. So, go easy!
The four-pack will be available at the brewery today, with select ANBL stores receiving it over the next couple of weeks. All four beers will also be on tap at the taproom for a limited time, and you may see a keg or two pop up at certain Grimross tap accounts, as well.

Over in Cape Breton, Breton Brewing has prepped their annual holiday gift packs for the Christmas season, and they’ve passed on some information on their newest beer, which will be included in those packs. Cranberry Belgian Wit is a 5% ABV, 15 IBUs Witbier brewed with the typical additions of orange peel and coriander; however, it was conditioned on cranberries after fermentation was complete, giving the beer a reddish colour and a slightly tart finish to complement the aromas and flavours of citrus and coriander. While you can find the gift packs at the brewery and NSLC stores, the Witbier can also be found on its own on tap and in single cans at Breton’s taproom.

It’s the season of brewing with grape skins, and Tanner & Co. ain’t gonna be left behind! This week they launched Millot, a Belgian Saison that they fermented on Leon Millot grape skins from Blomidon Estate Winery (in Canning, NS). With about 70 kg of the skins used in the 400 L batch (that’s about 200 grams per litre!), the beer is showing off plenty of “blackberry, blueberry, and dark cherry notes”, with a likely-expected deep red colour. It’s tasting fairly vinous, so this is a great beer for those of you who are also into wine. Coming in at 7.9% ABV and 25 IBUs, you can find it on tap at the brewery right now, and bottles should be available fairly soon as well. 

The Newfoundland Cider Company has a brand new release available in their Shop in Shoal Harbour, the latest in their Forager series. This features local wild blueberries, courtesy of Brown’s Family Farm, with the whole berries fermented with freshly-pressed apple cider. Before transfer and packaging, the blend was then allowed to age on the spent blueberry skins for a month to enhance the colour and aroma. The semi-sweet cider is 5.3% ABV, and is available in kegs as well as bottles at their Balbo Drive location, and soon at NLC locations in the area, joining several other of their offerings.

Boxing Rock Brewing in Shelburne (and Halifax) has several new releases this week, so let’s get right to the juicy details. First up is the winner of their 2019 Black Box Challenge, where amateur brewers are given the same ingredients, but are free to make whatever beer style they’d like. This year’s winning brewer was Jana Dellapina, whose Hello Darkness Schwarzbier took top honours. Dellapina made the trip to Shelburne last month to brew a full batch at Boxing Rock, and now the beer is available for everyone to enjoy! The 5.2% ABV black lager balances the chocolate and roast malt character with a soft bitterness, and a crisp refreshing lager finish. It’s available now in bottles as well as on tap (currently at the tap room in Shelburne). In “now for something completely different” news, BR has a pair of barrel-aged beers in their Fisticuffs line on the shelves currently. Barrel Aged Brett Saison is an 8.0% ABV Saison with “complex, yet approachable” notes of stone fruit and full flavour from the Chardonnay oak barrels. And in turn to the tart and sour, Barrel Aged Over the Top, their cranberry sour beer lived in a barrel for 12 months, and allowed to develop and soak in the wood and wine character. This comes in at 4.2% ABV, and along with the Brett Saison is available in bottles at the taproom as well as Local Source Market on Agricola in Halifax. There you can find the latest Test Kitchen release, Inverse, a white stout, exclusively for growler fills.

Halifax’s Propeller has a couple of new beers hitting the city this weekend, one a returning favorite of sorts and the other a brand new beer celebrating Halifax Taco Week. Russian Imperial Stout was brewed with Propeller’s award-winning Revolution recipe, but is seeing distribution in cans with their modern branding style instead of the old familiar 500 mL bottles with the Soviet-era design. Still boasting a pronounced bitterness at 60 IBU and strong like Russian Bear at 8% ABV, look for a midnight-black pour with an espresso-colored head, with notes of chocolate, dark fruit and coffee and a bit of heat on the finish. And truly new this week is Lima Blonde Lager, which is exclusive to downtown restaurant Antojo Tacos + Tequila. Designed to pair nicely with Antojo’s Taco Week offering, the Maritimer, it’s a light and crisp ale at 4.5% ABV featuring fresh additions of lemon and lime zest. You’ll have to go there to get it though, as this one isn’t being packaged. Lastly, for those who like to visit Prop on Gottingen for a Friday evening tipple, this week’s Cask Friday cask is their Galaxy IPA with an addition of raspberries.

Time to re-enter the world of cider, perhaps? Well, follow us this way to Sourwood Cider, where they’ve just released Wabamo, a “Super-Duper Hopped Cider”. Seems to us that this is a constantly-evolving experiment, but we can tell you that they’re trying different juices as the base, and tweaking the hopping rates, varieties, and temperatures when dry-hopping. For now, this 6% ABV cider is tasting very juicy, with some floral notes joining in. You can find it on tap at the cidery, but if you want to take some cans home, you’ll have to grab them at select NSLC stores soon, or to enjoy with your next meal at Bar Kismet.

Port Rexton Brewing has got a brand new canned beer for ya, The One With the Citra (you Friends fans out there may squeal with delight a little bit louder than everyone else). It’s a 4.8% ABV American Pale Ale that features lots and lots of the always-wonderful Citra hop, which means juiciness galore, or in their more eloquent words, “bright orange, floral, wildflower, and peach skin aroma and flavour”. Bitterness is on the light side, and at that ABV, you can enjoy a couple and not worry about stumbling over yourself too badly (YMMV). Perhaps you should stop by the taproom and grab some cans for the weekend, hmm?

2 Crows has a wide variety of beers that are aging in barrels at the brewery; each beer requires a degree of patience, as any barrel-aged beer isn’t going to have a quick turnaround. But some beers – e.g. those that are slowly soured via microbes such as Lactobacillus and Pediococcus – need quite a bit of time, upwards of 18 months and beyond; but when they come out, they’re usually worth the wait (we think 2 Crows is pretty reliable, anyway). One of these beers is going to be officially released in mid-December, but is going to be making its debut at Stillwell’s Anniversary bash this weekend, so we thought we’d share the details on it now (read: someone here said that we would and now someone ELSE got stuck writing it up)! The beer is Tinto, and it’s a Flanders Red-inspired beer that was brewed in March, 2018. With a grist of Vienna, Munich, Wheat, Spelt, Special B, Special Aromatic, Crystal 65, and Oats, it was hopped in the boil with both aged and new East Kent Goldings, to 11 IBUs. The wort was fermented in freshly-emptied Port barrels with a blend of red wine yeast and the Roeselare blend of Sacch, Brett, and bacteria. After aging for 3 months, dried cherries were added to the barrel (21 g/L), where they sat for over a year. Then, in July, 2019 (~16 months total aging at this point), the beer was transferred to the brewery’s blending tank, where it was allowed to condition on fresh cherries (300 g/L) for 8 weeks, before it was packaged, mostly in 375 mL cork-and-cage bottles. After all this time, the 6.3% ABV beer is “assertively tart, with a touch of acetic character, with very rich and multidimensional cherry character, smooth and vinous”, according to the brewery. There will be a single 20 L keg available at Stillwell for their party Sunday if you’d like a taste before you can finally buy some bottles; it will also be poured from bottles during the Wild and Sour Beer Tasting event (hosted by the Ladies Beer League) at 2 Crows on Tuesday, November 19th

And while we’ve got you focused on 2 Crows, now is a good time to mention that Lil’ Miguel is back! This year’s version is bigger than ever (7.1% ABV), and they’ve increased the amount of peppers (ancho, pasilla, and chipotle) to give the beer even more spicy kick. With a “very smooth chocolate backbone, with just a touch of vanilla and cinnamon”, it has once again been canned on nitro (so pour aggressively!). The brewery is also pouring it on tap on nitro, and other 2C accounts will have it pouring on CO2, if you’re not into the whole stouts-on-nitrogen thing.

Back to cider this week with a late addition from Wolfville’s Annapolis Cider Company, with the latest of their Something Different releases. Haskap & Pear is a blend of the signature dry cider, along with juice from local Haskap berries as well as three varietals of pears, Bartlett, Bosc, and Flemish Beauty. The tart haskaps, similar to blueberries, lend some sharpness to the blend, as well as a lovely rose tint to the 7.0% ABV sparkling cider. As with all Something Different releases, $0.50 from each fill goes to a local charity, this time they are supporting Clean Foundation, whose goal is to create a more sustainable society in Atlantic Canada, through work towards clean water and a cleaner climate.

This past Saturday PEIBC announced the winners of this year’s Gahan Maritime Home Brew Challenge competition, an attempt to find the best home brewers in the Maritimes. Entries came from all over the region, with some 60 beers facing final judging. The big winner this year was Chelsea Meisner, brewing under the moniker Lady Scotia Brewing, whose Tingles Sichuan Stout took 1st place in the Stout category and then went on to take the Grand Champion title (and also “Bravest Beer”). Chelsea takes home the top prize of $1,000 and will see her beer brewed in a production batch for public release. Other category winners were Armadillo from the Green Willy Collective (Jonathan Green, William Panting, Clayton Harding, and Tyler Gallant) in the Mixed Fermentation/Sour category, and Brahair Brother Eric Gautier’s Alien Barbarian in the IPA category. You can find the full list of award-winners at the competition website here. A big congratulations to Chelsea and a promise that we’ll be sure to let you know when her beer becomes available for you to try. Meanwhile, we’d like to acknowledge how cool it is to see another win by a woman in a major regional home brew competition.Though the hobby has a reputation for being male-dominated, this is another reminder that female brewers are on the rise and are kicking ass with creative and tasty brews.

Lots on the go for you this weekend, including the Atlantic Canada Brewing Awards Gala Saturday at HopYard Halifax (tickets available and open to everyone), and Bar Stillwell’s Sixth Anniversary on Sunday. Here are some more things to get you excited (and visiting your local spot)!

It’s the month of anniversaries related to beer, and Copper Bottom is in the mix, as they’re celebrating their 2nd Anniversary tomorrow, November 16th with their 2 Years of Beer event at the brewery in Montague. They’re continuing what they started last year, and launching Birthday Beer 2, a 7.5% ABV Brut IPA dry-hopped with Mandarina Bavaria (last year’s edition was Mosaic). First tastes will be at the party tomorrow; expect “big notes of tangerine and citrus” in a highly-carbonated and dry package. The brewery opens at 3 pm, and that’s when the party starts, with live music scheduled all day. Obviously there’ll be plenty of beer options as well, and food options will include fresh oysters from 4-8 pm, and birthday cake handpies all day/evening.

There’s another brewery birthday going on in Nova Scotia tomorrow as well, with Kentville’s Maritime Express Cider celebrating their first year in business. All day long from opening you’ll find $5 ciders from 10 taps, including Oaked Russet, Sparkling Perry, some experimental batches and, of course, their fan favorites. If you’re planning on stopping by to help them celebrate, bring an appetite, as there’s a good chance there will be some special items coming out of the kitchen as well. Check out the Fb event page for more info!

Nyanza’s Big Spruce is bringing their beer to another special night of food pairings in Halifax with an event entitled “An Organic Evening” going down at the Agricola Street Brasserie (part of their Intimate & Interactive series of events) next Thursday, November 21st at 6 PM. Only 20 seats are available for this celebration of all things organic (including the beer!), so if you’re interested you’d best act quickly. For $100 (includes taxes and gratuity) you’ll get 5 courses from the kitchen, each thoughtfully paired with a beer from Big Spruce. More information can be found on the EventBrite page, where you’ll also be able to secure your tickets.

The Algonquin Resort in Saint Andrews, NB, is holding a Craft Beer Event next Saturday night, Nov 23, featuring breweries from New Brunswick and PEI pouring their best for guests. Breweries on hand will be: Think Brewing, PEI Brewing, Long Bay Brewery, Big Axe Brewery, Picaroons, Trailway Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Off Grid Ales, Pumphouse, Graystone Brewing, Cross Creek Beer, and Grimross Brewing. Your $45 ticket gets you your first ten 6 ounce pours, a souvenir Stein, light snacks, and live music throughout. You’ll also have access to discounted room rates to make a full weekend of it. Check out this link for tickets, rooms, and more.

It’s that time of year again, with the Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival once again hosting their 12 Beers of Christmas fests. Don’t let the name confuse you, there are many, many more than twelve beers available at the fest, with breweries from across the island, and Canada taking part. The West Coast edition of the fest takes place next Saturday, November 23rd at the Corner Brook Civic Centre, while the East Coast edition is a two-day affair Friday Nov 29 and Saturday the 30th at the St John’s Farmers Market. Tickets for both are selling fast, so if you haven’t yet picked them up, delay no longer!

Just a few more things on our desk this week, and then you’re dismissed!

Big Spruce is no stranger to big beers and this week marks the availability of one of their biggest. Coade Word: Snowmageddon 2019 was aged in maple-soaked bourbon barrels (as opposed to the whiskey barrels used in 2018) and features ginger and vanilla. At 10.3% ABV, this winter warmer might be the perfect beverage to soothe your aching bones after a hard shovelling session (or, if you want to raise the difficulty of shovelling, have one before!). As always, brewed in appreciation of meteorologist Peter Coade, who boasted the longest career in the profession as confirmed by Guinness themselves (the record book, not the brewery). Look for it starting this weekend at your favorite place to buy Big Spruce beer.

In Twillingate, NL, Split Rock Brewing Co. is pleased to announce that they’ve packaged some of their beer in cans. Available now at the brewery are Red Sky Red Rye and Nar Dar APA. In coming weeks, with any luck, you’ll also start seeing these both around town and in other parts of the province.

In Pictou County, Uncle Leo’s has brewed up a special beer for the season: Odin’s Winter Ale was made in the Norwegian Farmhouse Ale tradition, with juniper and kveik yeast being key to its production. You’ll find it in the Maritime Craft Beer Countdown Box available at certain private stores in Halifax (hopefully we’ll get some more details on that for next week). But if you can’t wait for the Advent season to try this one, head on down to the brewery or attend the Christmas at the deCoste event going on in Pictou this weekend!

It’s damn near October; how the heck did that happen?! We’ll let you ruminate on that one whilst you peruse our weekly round-up of beer and beer events news in the region. Plenty of new beers on the go this week as breweries continue their transition from, “dear god make it stop,” summer production to, “let’s have some fun in the brewhouse again,” fall shenanigans. Meanwhile, plenty of Oktoberfest events are still going on or yet to come, and though we didn’t have any submissions this week, we know the pumpkin beers are still flowing. Grab one (…or maybe a Pilsner, if that’s what you prefer) and read on!

Tanner & Co Brewing in Chester Basin has packaged a beer released earlier this month, strongly influenced by one of Brewer Dan Tanner’s favourite wines. Pinotage is one of South Africa’s signature grape varietals, a cross of the Pinot noir and Hermitage varietals, developed in the first half of the 20th century. The wines made with Pinotage are dark red, with smoky and earthy flavours, and sometimes having banana, tropical fruit, and possibly acetone/solvent notes (though these are discouraged and avoided when possible). Starting from their base Porter beer, Tanner aged the beer in highly charred barrels that once held Ironworks Dark Rum, with extra fruit notes from Black Raspberry puree, kicked up with fresh Blackberries and Blueberries. With contribution from the base beer, barrel, and fruit additions, look for vanilla, caramel, light smoke, roast, chocolate, with deep berry character. The 6.3% ABV Porter [Oak Aged & Berry Addition] is available at the brewery and farmers markets now in bottles and limited growler fills, and may be one of the offerings at their Chester taproom, poised to open at the end of October. Tanner & Co on Duke will be located (coincidentally, right?) at 59 Duke Street in the Village of Chester, and feature 20 seats, with a whole bevvy of their own beers, complemented by guest taps from the region, and plenty of excellent wine once the licensing is in place. Another of their beers which *may* still be around at the time of celebration is their Double IPA, back in the lineup after a six-month hiatus. Maxing out their larger system this time around, this 8.0% ABV beer features a dry finish, accentuated with lots of kettle and dry hops (their biggest ever!) to the tune of 60 IBU, with Amarillo, Centennial, and Citra throughout, for a citrus bomb with additional floral and earthy notes. Available now at the brewery as well!

We mentioned it was coming last week and now that it’s out we’d like to double-down on a recommendation that you give it a listen. September’s 902BrewCast tasting episode has the gang blind tasting 8 (no wait, 9!) Czech- and German-style Pils(e)ners from around the region (and one from beyond) and documenting their experience as they went. We think it’s an excellent introduction to the practice of throwing away your preconceived notions and tasting blind with others, describing what you’re sensing and talking it through. Whether you’re a budding beer geek or an old palate, it’s an excellent exercise for your senses, your descriptive abilities, and your tasting mindset. It’s also a bunch of fun as you can tell from listening to these jokers do it!

Last Friday Bootleg Brew Co in Corner Brook put on a new beer before closing their doors for the week on Sunday night to head to town for a series of 6 pop-ups on Tuesday at locations around St. John’s. So we’re not entirely sure this beer is still available, but we’re going to tell you about it anyway – if it didn’t sell out, you can go try it, if it did sell out, you know it’s a straight banger and you’ll want to keep an eye out for the next time it’s available. Old Hat is an honest and gimmickless American Pale Ale hopped with Amarillo, Idaho 7, and some BC-grown Cascade. Expect a classic floral, citrus and piney hop character in flavor and aroma, a lowish bitterness and a light body, all in a fairly sessionable 5% ABV package. Only available at the brewery, definitely for fills, possibly for pints.

The bad boys of Niche Brewing in Hanwell have emerged from the summer madness and now seem to be back on the road of new and interesting releases. This week they’ve got one called Colours of Shade hitting the taps, a mixed-fermentation Saison with black currant. As you might expect, this one was fermented with Niche’s own house culture of Saison and Brettanomyces strains, meaning that at some level it’s going to taste like a “Niche beer,” but the very nature of such a blend of microorganisms means that it’s likely to express itself a little differently every time it’s used, so some of the magic is seeing how each beer is different. In this one, the yeast and fruit come together to provide a pleasant tartness, with some Brett funk to complement. The color is a beautiful purple thanks to the addition of black currant puree late in fermentation. Aged briefly in stainless, it comes in at 6.2% and would be a great choice for fruity/funky beer fans and wine lovers alike. Coming soon to  The Joyce Pub, Peppers Pub, Stillwell, The Auction House, Graystone Brewing and the Laundromat Expresso Bar (Marky’s), with a couple of kegs also making their way to the ANBL growler station at their Moncton North store. And if you’re at one of those places you might also find one of the last few kegs of their Intergalactic NEIPA on tap as well! 

Our first Oktoberfest beer this week, as Big Spruce launched Schnitz & Gigglez, their take on the malty-yet-dry amber Lager. Brewed with 100% German malts (including Pilsner, Munich and Vienna) and hopped lightly with GR Magnum and Tettnang, the wort was fermented with Escarpment Lab’s Biergarten (“sourced from a venerable Munich brewery”) and then lagered for about 8 weeks before packaging. With aromas of toffee and brown bread, and “hints of dried apricot and candied orange”, the beer is full-bodied, with a lightly-sweet finish. It weighs in at 6.3% ABV (at the upper end for the style), and is available right now on tap at the Sprucetique in Nyanza (and soon at some of your favourite Big Spruce accounts).  

In Edmundston, Petit-Sault is leaning towards the hoppier side of things with their latest release, Double Vision. This is the brewery’s first crack at the Double IPA style, and it’s a big one at 8.8% ABV. Intensely hopped with Vic Secret, Azacca, Columbus and Mosaic, the beer has plenty of malt backbone to balance, and finishes firmly bitter (60 IBUs). There is only a limited supply available, and it IS in cans… however, the only way to get it is at the brewery, so either get ready for a road-trip, or maybe call in a favour or two to friends/family who live around that area of New Brunswick!

Testify! Stillwell Brewing has announced that their barrel-aged sour beer with peaches, Preach, is being released today. This year’s version is their most peach-saturated batch yet, featuring a whopping 300 g/L of whole peaches. The “base” beer is a blend of four different barrel-fermented Saisons (who gets to decide which Saisons to use in these blends, and is Stillwell Brewing looking to add people into that role? Asking for a friend…), and went through a refermentation on the peaches (that’s 600 lbs!) and continued aging on the fruit for about five months, before bottling at the beginning of the year. They’re describing the final product as “bright, fresh, soft and fun”, and if it’s similar to the last batch, we can confirm that this is accurate! Grab it on tap and/or in bottles at Stillwell today from noon. And with their Beergarden still closed due to the crane issue during Dorian, be sure to drop by and show them some love at HQ.

Few new/returning beers coming out of Propeller today, proving that they’re continuing to stay very busy at the brewery. Returning is Nocturne, their 6.7% ABV Black IPA that is brewed in celebration of Halifax’s Nocturne, “an evening of art and wonder” in mid-October that Propeller sponsors. Luckily they release the beer weeks ahead of time, giving you many chances to consume a pint or two. Speaking of the beer, it is dry-hopped with Amarillo and Falconer’s Flight, giving “complex tropical fruit and pine hop aromas” to go with the flavours of dark chocolate and coffee. Also out today is a tasting-room only beer, Lagered Ale. The name gives you an idea of what this one will be: “easy-drinking, balanced and refreshing”, according to the brewery, and at just 4.5% ABV, it definitely seems to fit the mould. Expect hints of “sweet melon, stone fruits and citrus” in this one. Finally, tonight’s cask is Pumpkin Ale with Vanilla (4.5% ABV), which will be tapped at 5 pm as usual.

Not too far away, Garrison Brewing has a couple new releases of their own, both brewed in celebration of, yep, Oktoberfest. Let’s start with their Oktoberfest/Marzen, Gettin’ Ziggy. Malty and clean, this 5.5% ABV Lager has “grainy and toffee flavours and a quick and soft bitterness”, and pours a reddish-copper colour. Next is a Wheat Ale named It’s a Wienerful Wheat, which they brewed in collaboration with local radio station Jack 92.9. This 4.6% ABV, 12 IBUs golden-coloured brew is light and crisp, with aromas and flavours of “sweet malt and bready wheat, with spicy notes and a mild, citrusy finish”; each can sold will see $0.50 go to the SPCA. Both beers are available now, at the Garrison taproom and private liquor stores in the HRM.

Lots of news from Tatamagouche Brewing this week, with the return of their Lagerhosen as well as two bottle releases on the go. For those who aren’t familiar, Lagerhosen is an amber lager that Tata has been making for quite awhile (our first mention of it was in 2014). Timed for release in the fall during Oktoberfest season, there are two variants, a regular and a dry-hopped. Running at just about 5% ABV, it’s brewed with Hallertauer Mittelfruh hops for spicy and floral notes. The dry-hopped version features additions of both Strisselspalt and Czech Saaz for an even more intense noble character. Find both of these in cans at the brewery for sure, and hopefully also your other favorite locations for grabbing Tata brews. Or, if you’re planning to be at the 40th North Shore Oktoberfest this weekend you’ll definitely find it there!

Meanwhile, those who missed out on the annual Tata Tap Takeover at Battery Park a couple weeks ago may have been kicking themselves when they read our post that week mentioning some of the special kegs that were pouring that night. Well fear not gentle reader, at least some of those beers are being packaged for wider release and the first two, both considered entries in Tata’s “Weird Beer” series, are ready to go this week! First up is a barrel-aged rye (quick! someone call Tony!) saison they’ve named Rooted. All kinds of things went in to this beer, which started with a rye saison with Brettanomyces that was then blended with a neutral Berliner-style sour for some tartness before being barrel-aged. Described as a beer that “connects you to the earth,” you’ll find plenty of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel including some spice from the rye, plenty of tart lemon and other citrus, and a pithy bitterness on the finish. Coming in at 6.6% ABV, it pours a bright banana color, and slightly cloudy, with polka dot lacing; if you get your hands on some expect a complex and challenging experience for your senses. Find it in 750 mL bottles at the brewery and hopefully at private stores in the city as well.

And if you lean more (or also) towards the bigger beer styles, Tata’s also got you covered with their second bottle release of the week, Toro. A massive Belgian Quadrupel bourbon barrel-aged with Brett, it’s a monster at 11.2% ABV and, where it’s been packaged in 500 mL bottles we suggest you bring a friend and/or plan for a night in when you try it (as friends of the blog like to say, a “movie beer”: best enjoyed on the couch while checking out the latest superhero flick). Like the Rooted, there’s lots going on in this deep coppery-orange beer, with plenty of dark fruit flavors complemented by sweet and malty notes and maybe even a little bit of toffee and chocolate presence. Although there’s certainly some heat from the alcohol, it’s not overpowering, as it’s been balanced by the malt profile and caramel sweetness. You can also safely expect some additional oak character from the barrels and some of the notes that only brett can provide. Definitely available from the brewery, we hope it’ll be available in the city as well as time goes on.

Speaking of Oktoberfests in the region, the Mount Pearl Oktoberfest is this weekend, and several of the breweries attending have released beers they’ll be pouring at the event, as well as doing wider releases. First up, host brewery YellowBelly has offered up a Helles named Schweine fliegen (we’ll leave the translation as an exercise to the reader). At 5.2% ABV, it features a simple malt bill of Pilsner, Munich, and CaraPils malts, and hopped entirely with Hersbrucker hops. Filtered clear, as is tradition, the light beer leans towards the malt side rather than hops, though both sides shine through with pleasant biscuit notes and Noble-like earth and spice from the hops. In addition to at the Fest, Schweine fliegen is pouring now at the brewpub in downtown St. John’s.

A short taxi or bus ride from George Street is Quidi Vidi, where the brewery by the same name is fully embracing Fest season by releasing Oktoberfest Marzen.This 5.5% ABV beer is malt-driven, and supremely chuggable. While not available in 1 Litre Maß at the brewery overlooking the gut, it is being released in tall cans there and around town. So grab two and make your own Oktoberfest at home (if you can’t make it out to Mount Pearl)! 

A little further out of town is Port Rexton on the Bonavista Peninsula, who are visiting the Avalon this weekend with their own German beer, this one in the Pilsner style. German Pilsner is a 6.2% ABV crisp and clean beer, using Hallertau Mittelfruh, Tettnang, and Strisselspalt hops, and fermented with Escarpment’s Isar Lager yeast. In addition to the Craft’ernoon Experience tomorrow, it will be available in the PRBC Retail Shop on Torbay Road, keep an eye on their social media for when exactly it is tapped, so you can fill up your Siphon or Stuetzla! 

And a couple more notes about PRBC this week: they are hosting a Brewers Dinner at Peach Cove Inn in nearby Trinity East, on October 11th. Featuring 6 courses of food and an accompanying beer (or is it the other way around?), this will surely be a fun intimate environment to sit down with both chef and brewer to talk about the flavours in both food and drink. Limited to just 20 tickets, best to contact your via phone at 709-436-2069. And if working for a brewery has been on your radar, then look no further! PRBC is hiring a part-time delivery driver to join their team. Looking to fill about 20 hours worth of work, though there may be a potential for more hours in a packaging capacity at the brewery. Send Nicole your resume today, or pop by the brewery to learn more!

And while not out quite in time for the Oktoberfest in their backyard, Landwash Brewery has teased that they will be releasing a Munich-style Helles in the next few weeks. More info on that when the time is right, but in the meantime they’re still bringing the German flair this weekend with their One Wave Blonde (which features lots of German Saphir hops), as well as their Brackish Sour Ale (heavily influenced by the German Gose style). Cans of both are available at the brewery if you cannot get out to the Oktoberfest this weekend.

Today is “Meet the Motherfuckers” day at Unfiltered Brewing in Halifax as they’ve brought back their pair of aggro-named sour beers. Sour Motherfucker is a little different this time around, with no Brett or barrel-aging involved, but it’s still a tart cherry wheat beer that should be plenty refreshing and a little dangerous, weighing in at 6.5% ABV. Fruity Motherfucker on the other hand is described as a 7% ABV “apricot, pink guava and tangerine IPA,” with plenty of fruit and, since it’s coming from Unfiltered and it’s an IPA, no doubt plenty of hops! Find both of these for fills and pints and in cans at the brewery from noon today along with what’s left of the cans of DOA and also some new branded merchandise.

What’s on the go this weekend? Peep here for the fresh info!

Dartmouth’s New Scotland Brewing is making a foray across the harbour today for a takeover at Hop Yard Halifax on Gottingen Street. Featuring 10 taps from the brewery, including Rampant Lion NEIPA, Karate Laser SIPA, Bush Berry Haskap Cider, Taken for Granted Mead, and their brand new Sound Check West Coast IPA there should be something for everyone. Head down for an afternoon pint or plan to stay for several and a meal, there will be live music starting at 8 PM.

Good Robot’s annual celebration of all things puppers is this weekend, with their Hair of the Dog event at the Garrison Grounds in Halifax. From noon daily, there is a beer garden, events throughout the day, food and dog-friendly merchandise and paraphernalia, with the highlight of Saturday night being an airing of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Your $12 entrance fee gets you your first drink (beer or other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage), and access to all of the fun. One of those beers may be the brand new Hope Nation Saison, which we mentioned in last week’s post. Good news for dog Aunts and Uncles, no pupper is required, and please note that entry is restricted to those pups and people who play nice with new friends. 

Just a couple more things before we send you on your way today…

Boxing Rock teamed up with frequent collaborator World Tea House’s Phil Holmans to brew up Citrodora, a 6.5% ABV IPA with a healthy dose of lemon verbena tea. Look for that on tap at the Legendary Taproom in downton Shelburne, as well as the Agricola Street bottle shop in Local Source Market in Halifax. In case you haven’t already grabbed your tickets for the Highway 103 Tap Takeover happening tomorrow, now’s your chance to avoid disappointment!

King Street Beer in Bridgewater is releasing the latest of their Lahave River Beers, collaborations with local homebrewers and fans. Hawaiian Explosion is a Pineapple IPA, featuring moderate bitterness and tropical floral hops. Grab it from 6:30PM tonight!

Fredericton’s Maybee Brewing is Zagging while many are Ziggying (sorry not sorry), and releasing Pony Boy, a British Golden Ale described as “clean and malt-forward beer with a biscuit aroma”. Drop by today to grab a sample, pint, or growler of this one.

Secret Cove in Port au Port Newfoundland is going dark this week, with The Port au Porter. A 6.0% Robust Porter, think chocolate and coffee thanks to the dark German malts used. Smooth as silk, and with a name like that, how can you not take a trip out to grab a pint?!

Sourwood has an interesting new cider available this weekend: Semitone (7.1% ABV) was spontaneously fermented on blueberries that had been used in the making of their last blueberry cider, Denim. Aged on the previously-used fruit for 2 months, it’s tasting slightly acidic, with a “much softer fruiting ad colour profile” compared to the first go-around with the fruit. 

If you’ve been around the Nova Scotia beer scene for a while you know that Uncle Leo’s is known for, among other things, making some fine German-style beers. And if you’re a fan of those you’ll know that this is the time of year when they drop their mixed 4-pack! Featuring Vohs Weizenbier (wheat beer), Nachtical Illusion (Schwarzbier), Ceilidh Ale (Kölsch), and Altbier (Alt, of course!), it’s a pretty great primer for those interested in trying German styles or a treat for those who are already in the know. Find it at NSLC locations in and around the HRM already (hopefully with more around the province added in coming weeks) and, word has it, at ANBL and PEILC locations as well!