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Friday Wrap-Up for March 29, 2019 – News from Brasserie Chockpish, Port Rexton, 2 Crows, Brightwood, Tidehouse, Nine Locks, Schoolhouse, and more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2019-03-29
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Leave a Comment

It’s another Friday in Atlantic Canada and that means more news of all things beer in the region. We’ve got a brewery opening, a brewery re-opening that’s in the works, and, sadly, a brewery closing (but up for sale). We’ve got all manner of new beers and a few events as well. As a heads-up to our loyal readers, our web hosting has been…less than satisfactory of late and it’s entirely possible that the site will continue to be up and down today and tomorrow. We know for sure that it will be down tomorrow night as there’s an upgrade happening that will hopefully prevent future outages. Our fingers are crossed (but we’re evaluating other options too). And with that, let’s get to the stuff you came here to read.

New Brewery Alert! Brasserie Chockpish launched last Saturday at Marky’s Laundromat Expresso Bar, with their flagship Chockpish Pilsner. A 5.0% ABV Bohemian Pils with Czech noble hops (to the tune of 40 IBUs) and lagered for 3 months, the beer was brewed using traditional techniques, resulting in a medium body with bread crust notes, and a smooth and dry finish. Brasserie Chockpish is currently a part-time endeavour for Yves Martin and his wife, brewing 600 litres (5 BBL) batches in their garage in Dieppe. As such, the brewery is not open to the public, and on tap around Moncton is the only place to try their beer. Keep an eye on their Facebook page as they announce more locations to grab a pint. Felicitations Brasserie Chockpish!

We’re happy to pass on that Port Rexton Brewing has released this year’s entry in their Ten Eighty series, an annual release of a single batch of an imperial beer. You may recall that last year’s beer, Ten Eighty 2018, was an Imperial Saison. Well, while that specific beer was bottled and sold, the rest of the batch was aged for the last year in grape brandy barrels with Escarpment Labs’ Brett Q yeast. The result is Ten Eighty 2019, a 10.2% ABV beer with a “bright, fruity and funky Brett aroma”, and “an explosion of apple, grapeskin, and brandy character” on the palate. There’s some alcohol warmth to go with it, naturally, as well as some oak. Sounds like a great beer to stock up on, some to drink now, and some to save! Grab some bottles (limit of 2 due to the small batch size) at the brewery or Retail Shop ASAP.

Our buds at 2 Crows are launching a new beer tomorrow, and it’s sounding delightful af (that’s what the kids say, right?). Getting There is a Golden Sour, brewed a year ago with barley and raw wheat in the turbid mash style, creating a very starchy wort (basically to give plenty of sugars for the yeast to chew on over time). Hopped with aged hops (to keep the IBUs low so the Lactobacillus bacteria aren’t inhibited), the wort was fermented in one of the brewery’s foedres with a multitude of cultures harvested from a variety of Belgian sour beers. The beer spent ten months conditioning, before being packaged in cans with priming sugar and fresh yeast, where it was allowed to carbonate for 2 months. A can-primed sour beer, sounds wonderful to us! Expect “a bright minerality and notes of lemon sherbet, hay, and a subtle barnyard funk”. This 5.6% ABV brew was actually on tap, briefly, for the brewery’s 2nd Anniversary party last month; grab cans of Getting There tomorrow from opening.

We’ve got some info on the latest beer coming out of Dartmouth’s Brightwood Brewery this week, Ben, a Brett IPA. Fermented with a variety of yeasts – London Ale, US-05 (a clean, American strain), and Escarpment’s New World Saison and Brett D – it was hopped with Citra and Palisade, and dry-hopped with Bramling Cross. Think apricot and blackcurrant, with a slightly tart finish.It comes in at 6.6% ABV; drop by the Brightwood Market taproom this weekend for a taste, or check out your favourite Brightwood watering hole in the HRM. In addition, their California Common, Minutes, should be available in cans by today or tomorrow.

Staying on the dark side, yesterday Nine Locks released their first ever beer in the Pilsner style. Brewer Connor MacLeod brought a recipe they’re describing as an “off-dry” variation on the classic German Pils. Bright and golden with a lasting head, it keeps the noble hop character of the parent style, but with less bitterness, a little more body and a slight sweetness. Feinherb is 4.8% ABV and 35 IBU and is available in a limited release at the brewery’s retail store in handy can format.

Moving across the bridge to Tidehouse, who launched their latest bottle release, Spruce, yesterday at the brewery. Brewed with Pale malt, Wheat malt, and Melanoidin, they hopped the wort with Azacca and Simcoe as a whirlpool addition. Fermented with Brett C, and then dry-hopped with Amarillo and “a small pitch” of spruce tips from East Coast Wild Foods, the 5.7% ABV beer was finally packaged and bottle-conditioned. With “notes of apricot, orange, and grapefruit” from the hop additions, the brewery claims there’s enough spruce character to appreciate, without being overly harsh or sappy. Bottles available, as mentioned, at the brewery only.

Schoolhouse Brewery has teamed up with Ski Martock to brew Private Lesson: Slope Style Ale, what they’re referring to as a “blend of New England IPA and West Coast IPA/Pale Ale”. Brewed with pale malt, wheat, and flaked oats, there were several additions of Galaxy, Amarillo, El Dorado, Citra and Galena, late in the boil, in the whirlpool, and in two separate dry hops. Coming in at 5.3% ABV and 40 IBUs, there’s plenty of peach and tropical fruit flavours in a “dry, refreshing” package. Head to the Schoolhouse taproom today for a pint and/or growler. Or better yet, drop by Ski Martock this weekend as they celebrate the end of the season. They are holding a Slush Cup from 1 – 3 PM (registration opens at 9 AM), with live music before and after. More details here!

It’s only been a couple weeks since their latest Scratch series beer, but Fredericton’s Grimross just released another one, Scratch #19: Czech Lager. Inspired by a recent trip to the Czech Republic by owners Stephen and Dawn Dixon, the beer was brewed with all Bohemian Pilsner malt and hopped with Saaz (to 28 IBUs); no salts were added to the brewing water for this brew. Fermented with the brewery’s house Lager yeast, the final product weighs in at a supremely-sessionable 3.8% ABV, and comes across as “really soft, floral, and grassy, with a clean bitterness”. Look for it on tap at Grimross and their local accounts; it can also be found in cans at the brewery, and at select ANBL stores next week.  

If you’re around Good Robot this weekend and are craving something hoppy, they’ve brought back Creature Feature I, their “Biotransformation IPA” hopped with Cascade, Amarillo and Citra (6.4% ABV, 68 IBUs), and they still have some of their Rake n Scrape, a 6.9% ABV, 70 IBUs DIPA with mango and pomegranate (which launched during last weekend’s FlavaBot). Finally, look for a fresh batch of Damn Fine Coffee and Cherry Pie to pop up at the taproom next week.

Dartmouth’s New Scotland Brewing celebrates their love of both beer and music, often inviting musicians into the taproom, and even gracing the stage themselves (they are accomplished musicians in their own right!). Tonight, they are playing host to Adam Baldwin as he launches his new EP “No Rest for the Wicked”. The solo show starts at 7:30, and is free. And what better way to toast the new EP release than with a new beer? Sharing a name with one of Baldwin’s songs, and brewed in collaboration with the singer, Half a Mind is light yellow in colour, pouring with a thick white pillowy head. With a base of Pilsner and Vienna malts, and lightly hopped to 24 IBUs with Mandarina Bavaria and Saaz, the 4.0% ABV beer has a delicate malt character and light bitterness and aroma, making it a winner for an entire recording session. Drop by this evening to grab a pint and an EP, and enjoy the show!

A much-anticipated update for our friends in St. John’s (and the rest of Newfoundland!), Bannerman Brewing at 90 Duckworth Street is getting into the final stages before opening, and are looking to round out their family. The brewery, taproom, cafe, and kitchen will need awesome people who want to build community and be a part of this brand new business, so get in touch with Laura via email to submit your cover letter and resume.

Lower Sackville’s Ol’ Biddy’s Brew House has been a little quiet lately, but only because they’ve been planning something very big… They’ve announced that they are moving out of the basement, and into a stand-alone building in Lower Sackville. Expanding from their current 120 litres to a 1200 litre (10 BBL) system, they will also be adding a taproom and retail shop to their location. Look for this new location to open in the fall!

After a couple months of shuttered doors and whispered rumours, we now have official word from the owners that Scudrunner Brewing in Gander has closed and is for sale. While low sales are being blamed, we do not believe that is the whole story, and this is not a signal of the slowing down or saturation of the local beer market. As one of the larger towns in Central Newfoundland, and one with an airport, we still believe Gander is the right place for a brewery run by those passionate about the craft, giving meaningful employment, and spreading the Good News of #NLCraftBeer.

This week’s shamefully late notification of a beer release comes from Shipwright Brewing in Lunenburg who yesterday released a brand new one called Rye’T On! An American pale ale featuring rye, it comes in at 5.4% ABV and a solid 40 IBU. Three varieties of rye in the grist should ensure that this one has plenty of complexity and a hint of that somewhat spicy quality that is the hallmark of that grain. Hop-wise, equal amounts of Simcoe, Mosaic, and Topaz provide notes of mango, pine and citrus. Look for this one in the tap room for pints, growler fills and crowlers to go; you can also grab a pint downstairs at the Grand Banker.

A couple of events coming up this coming week and beyond that you might want to plan for:

Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia’s Lunn’s Mill Beer Co. has been open for about two years now, but they have yet to hold a tap takeover. Well, that’s all about to change come Thursday, April 4th, with a Lunn’s Mill Tap Takeover at Battery Park. The all-day event will feature 14 beers from the brewery, and several brewery representatives will be there to meet you and answer any questions you might have. The beer starts flowing at 11:30 am; stay tuned to the event site for updates on which beers will be available, in addition to other info.

Next Saturday, April 6th, is Round One of this year’s Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival. Being held at the Corner Brook Civic Centre (Pepsi Centre), they are bringing in the best beer brewed in Newfoundland (we expect all Newfoundland breweries will be in attendance!), as well as some great beers from elsewhere in the Atlantic provinces and Ontario, plus live music, we’re sure this event will be a blast! Tickets are still available for the April 6th Corner Brook event. And for those on the Avalon, they will be doing it all over again out your way, as they take over the Legion on Quidi Vidi Lake for Friday April 12th and Saturday April 13th. Tickets for Saturday are already sold out, but there are a few left for Friday’s event. We can’t wait to attend it again this year, after having lots of fun at the 2018 edition. Your ticket includes unlimited samples, a map/passport to keep track of the beers you’ve tried, your tasting glass, and the live entertainment.

There’s another Craft Draught Showdown happening at The Carleton in Halifax on Thursday, April 11th. As always you’ll find 5 courses from Chef Dolente paired with 5 beers each from two breweries with a bit of friendly competition involved as diners vote on the winning beers. Let’s be honest, though, everybody wins when they get a great meal and 10 different beers to try with live music going on Carleton-style at the same time! This edition of the event will see two breweries from East of Halifax Harbour squaring off, Eastern Shore’s Sober Island and Downtown Dartmouth’s Brightwood. Tickets are $60 per person and are available online at the Carleton Website.

Fredericton’s The Joyce Pub has the latest in their Meet the Maker series of events coming up on Saturday, May 4th. At these events you get to not only try several beers from a particular brewery, but you also get to meet the folks who made the beer. This edition will feature the beers of Niche Brewing in Hanwell, NB, and you’ll have a chance to talk to both Rob Coombs and our own Shawn Meek, or at least after you’ve navigated your way through the thronging crowd of fanatics and hangers on, endured a quick pat down by their security detail, and had your interest vetted by their publicist, you might get to ask them a quick question. But seriously, come out, sit down, have a beer with Shawn and Rob, and listen to them wax eloquently on matters of hops and yeast and, “Why Hanwell?” The event starts at 4 PM, with the brewers in the house from 7 on. We’ve been advised that there will be 10+ Niche beers available on tap, with at least a couple of never or rarely seen before brews in the mix. Keep your eyes on Niche social media (Fb/In/Tw) this coming month for more information about exactly what will be pouring; we’ll be sure to update you as the date approaches!

And a few last mentions before we let you get on to the weekend:

Hammond River is now pouring the latest in their single-hopped, single malt American IPA series, The Vegas SMaSH IPA (Ella edition). Ella, an Australian hop variety, is giving “wonderful tropical flavours and aromas, along with grapefruit and a hint of star anise” in this 6.5% brew, according to the brewery.

Check out Tusket Falls this weekend if you’re in the area – they have a new Robust Porter, Buy it on Rumour, on tap at the brewery. It has “lots of roasted flavours, with caramel and toffee notes”, and comes in at 5.2% ABV.

For the third year running, Big Spruce is releasing a collaboration NE IPA with the Ocean Tracking Network called Tag! You’re It. We’ve heard a rumour that the recipe might have been tweaked a little this year, but we’re sure it’s for the better if you’re into hazy, hoppy delights. And $0.50 from every can goes to support ocean research. Like the ocean? Perfect excuse to DRINK MOAR BEER!! Look for it in familiar blue cans (this year featuring an Atlantic Salmon) at the private stores in Halifax real soon now.

For the first time (that we know of, anyway), Bagtown Brewing in Sackville, NB, has packaged some beer in 473 mL cans! You can stop by their location to sample their wares and then grab a few to go.

Secret Cove Brewing in Port au Port East, Newfoundland

Posted by acbbchris on 2019-03-25
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Secret Cove Brewing. 1 comment

Jason Hynes and his wife Sheila Dwyer were marking the third month of operation as I visited Secret Cove Brewing in Port au Port East on a cold and windy March evening. Having just taken a walk on The Gravels Trail at the start of the Port-au-Port Peninsula, I was ready to come in out of the cold and have a pint. Thankfully, there were five Secret Cove beers on tap ready to slake my thirst. With so many to choose from, a flight was in order; but before I even had a chance to take off my coat and put in my request, a local already at the bar had deftly extracted my name, hometown, what I did for a living, and my reason for being there. This is the sort of hospitality I’ve come to love about Newfoundland: folks want to know all about you, so they can make you part of the family. As a CFA (Come From Away), I was well used to it, and happily played along.

Sample Flight

Once I was thoroughly vetted, I got down to the serious business at hand, enjoying this beer from the extreme West Coast of Newfoundland. Pouring that evening were James Blonde 00709, Malt Water Joys Brown Ale, When in Stout, Hop a Ryed in my Dory Double IPA with Rye, and Hard Case In Your Face Double IPA. The taps also showcased a pair of beers from another Newfoundland brewery, Cormack’s Crooked Feeder Western Brook Wheat and White River Wit, but those would have to wait for another evening.

Music Stage

Secret Cove’s tagline is “Where Locals Play” and I soon learned why. A stage is setup near the door, outlined by a stack of kegs, with a backdrop of whale bones (donated by a local) and the last of the St Patrick’s Day decorations (I could only imagine the party that night!). The donated pieces don’t stop there, with the the decor showcasing fishing and navigation with industrial accents, including a dory and lobster trap, Hynes’ father’s fishing jig and reel, plus a chunk of purpleheart wood Dwyer’s father gathered on Chacachacare, while sailing between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. That same wood is used, unstained, as the accent on their locally-crafted tap handles.

Hynes and his father spent 13 months renovating the former Viking Lodge, which had sat empty and unused for several years. Tearing up the original carpet and wood, opting for poured concrete in the brewery and Newfoundland hardwood in the taproom, floor boards became accent walls, former walls became accent door frames. The back rooms, used for dry storage, and soon a kitchen where they will be preparing food for visitors, are still largely untouched, a gentle reminder of the building’s former tenant.

Looking into the brewery

The walls feature pictures of the Vikings hardball team, a throwback to the strong American influence in the area, thanks to the American base in nearby Stephenville, which operated 1941-1966. The airmen were there protecting the Straight of Belle Isle, among other tasks, but still had plenty of time to leave base and interact with the locals, bringing their national pastime to this corner of the world. We can imagine some family in Kentucky enjoying fish and brewis thanks this this cultural exchange.

Brewhouse

The brewery is visible through the windows of the large taproom, and Hynes will often take curious folks back there for a closer look. The brewhouse is a 10 barrel (1200 litre) system from DME Brewing Solutions, which they received just a couple of months before that PEI business went into receivership, meaning the Hynes men were mostly on their own installing and commissioning it (DME’s brewery equipment operation has recently been purchased and is working at getting back to capacity). They also faced a shortage of local tradespeople, as many of those trained were working on the mainland, in the Maritimes, Ontario, or Alberta, which strained the local companies to provide service in a timely manner. This pushed their opening date to later than anticipated, into December, rather than Summer, which is a common refrain heard from local breweries.

Coldroom door

Secret Cove is a Newfoundland good news story in the age-old style, as Hynes grew up in here Port au Port East and left for schooling at Memorial University before leaving the province for work, but has come home to open his brewery. While living in Nova Scotia he witnessed the explosion of craft beer and had taken up brewing as a hobby, amassing a book full of recipes honed during years of practice. After many years away, his line of work was no longer rewarding, so coming back home with his wife meant becoming his own boss, and turning his passion for beer into a professional reality. While the number of hours spent working may not have diminished, being in control and seeing the immediate positive impact his handiwork has had on his community is worth it. The stage has played host to countless musicians since the brewery’s opening on December 19th, with a mix of touring professionals and “kitchen party” fiddlers and guitarists playing their first paid gig, always with a happy audience ready to sing and dance along. Secret Cove truly is a place where locals, and CFAs, play.

Decorations

Secret Cove is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 4 PM (2 PM Sundays). They feature five or six of their own beers (two additional serving tanks are on their way to increase availability), with a few guest Newfoundland craft beers rounding out the offerings. Growler fills are available, with canning a possibility in Fall of this year. Food service is not yet available, but food can be brought along or ordered in. They often host live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, check their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

Malt Water Joys

Friday Wrap-Up for March 22, 2019 – News from Petit-Sault and Big Tide, Hampton Brewing, Lazy Bear, Niche, Boxing Rock, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2019-03-22
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 902 BrewCast, Agricola Street Brasserie, Annapolis Cider Company, Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Tide Brewing, Bootleg Brew Company, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Dieu du Ciel, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, Geaghan Bros Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Hampton Brewing Company, Holy Whale Brewing, Landwash Brewery, Lazy Bear Brewing, Limestone Group, Local Source, Newfoundland Cider Company, Niche Brewing, NSLC, O'Creek Brewing, Oh My Cheeses, Paddys Irish Brewpub, Péché Day, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Roof Hound Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Split Rock Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, The Church Brewing Company, The Core by Bad Apple, Tide & Boar Gastropub, Town of Wolfville, Unfiltered Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy Spring Everyone! Now we just need to tell Mother Nature that! But it will be nice to see the snow eventually receding so that you have a big more time to dodge the potholes. A handful of new beers and events this week, so grab that coffee, or coffee stout, and get up to speed on the beer news. As always, if you have beer info you’d like us to share, please don’t hesitate to send it along! We’re always happy to spread the word about the great beer in our region.

News concerning collaboration beers brewed for International Women’s Day keeps trickling in; this week, we can fill you in on the one released by Petit-Sault and Big Tide. Brewed at the Petit-Sault brewery in Edmundston, Brighid is an 8.8% abv “Strawberry Brut IPA”. Hopped with Mosaic and Lemondrop, enzymes were added to help the beer dry out as much as possible, as is typical for the Brut IPA style. During fermentation, strawberry puree was added (to the tune of 300 lbs), giving the beer a hazy, pinkish hue. Tropical, juicy, and super-dry (as expected), it’s currently available on tap only, at both breweries. Look for 750 mL bottles to appear at both locations next week, as well.

One of New Brunswick’s newest breweries (for a little while longer, anyway), Hampton Brewing, dropped a new beer release in time for St. Patrick’s Day last weekend. Ol’Marley is a Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, brewed with a mixture of Roasted Barley and Chocolate malts to impart plenty of roasted, coffee-like character in the aroma and flavour. The beer also features the addition of rum-soaked, organic cacao nibs, adding even more chocolatey goodness to the finished product. Weighing in at 5.5% ABV and 32 IBUs, it has a medium body and moderate bitterness in the finish. Look for it on tap at your favourite Hampton Brewing account.

Let’s move back to Brut IPA territory; specifically to Smiths Cove, NS, where Lazy Bear Brewing has released their very own. Simply named Brut IPA, it was dry-hopped with Ariana, Callista, and El Dorado; we’re going to assume no hops were added during the boil, as the brewery lists the IBUs as “very low to none”. The beer comes in at 7% ABV and finishes very dry (again, thanks in part to the addition of enzymes); it’s available on tap at the brewery during the Thursday Growler Evenings and the Annapolis Royal Farmers Market, with kegs possibly being sent elsewhere soon.

Hanwell, New Brunswick’s Niche Brewing has a new beer out this week that hopefully will put you in mind of warmer days to come. A grisette, In Limbo was brewed with primarily Pilsner malt, with plenty of spelt and both flaked and malted wheat rounding out the grist, and it was hopped lightly with classic noble Saaz before being fermented with Niche’s house culture. The result is a beer with a light body and a pleasant lemon presence that’s definitely on the funkier side of the style, but which certainly doesn’t bash you over the head with yeast character. Easy-drinking and refreshing, at 4.2% ABV you can have a few and without worrying you might dart out in front of an oxcart during the festival of the vernal equinox! Look for it at Niche tap accounts around NB and, if the folks in Halifax are lucky again, maybe some will come to that city as well.

We warned you a month ago to keep your eyes out for a beer featuring carrots, and sure enough, it has come to pass as those crazy kids at Boxing Rock in Shelburne, NS, have pushed the boundaries yet again with 14 Carrot Gold. This beer is a collaboration with Square Roots, a brand that encompasses a pair of projects under the aegis of Enactus SMU that aim to help reduce food waste and eliminate food insecurity in our communities. One way to address the former is to find uses for the less pretty produce that might not be sold if it were put on the shelf. So this beer isn’t just full of carrots, it’s full of ugly carrots, carrots that might roll a rabbit in a dark alley, carrots that you wouldn’t bring home to meet your Mom, but carrots that taste just fine. The juice of these carrots was added to the mash, joining a grist that included some honey malt to encourage some balancing malt sweetness. Into the kettle the wort went, to be hopped up (sorry*) with Calypso, Magnum, and Hallertauer Mittelfruh. The overall result is a clean and refreshing rather orange pale ale that is herbal and slightly spicy, but which also definitely tastes of carrots. You can find it already in 650 mL bottles at the brewery, Boxing Rock Bottle Shop at Local Source and private liquor stores in Halifax, and it will also be on the shelves at NSLC locations starting April 1st. Maybe grab an extra to put out for the Easter Bunny to enjoy? And speaking of the bottle shop, thanks to the associated Test Kitchen, they’ve also got a brand new one on the taps: FLEX IPA clocks in at a hefty 7.3% ABV and sports plenty of Falconer’s Flight, Centennial, and Simcoe hops. Stop by to grab a growler if you’re in the North End.

* totally not sorry

Spindrift Brewing has their latest entry in their Out of the Hold series bottled and available for sale, FIKA. This one is a 10% ABV Imperial Stout that was fermented in stainless, and then transferred to a French oak barrel for months of aging. Once it was ready to be packaged (in 500 mL bottles), the beer was infused with espresso beans, vanilla, and cardamom (in essence, now making it an Imperial Coffee Stout). Wondering about the beer’s name? Well, “fika” is apparently the Swedish word for “coffee break”, and the espresso beans were bought from IKEA (which we’re sure we do not have to explain to you what that is). You can pick up your bottles at the brewery’s taproom right now; check out the HRM’s private liquor stores in the near future as well. Note that this beer was brewed with lactose, just in case you’re intolerant of such things!

Halifax’s Garrison brewed up a special collaboration with the staff of Agricola Street Brasserie that made its debut last week at their beer dinner at that restaurant. How Dairy?! is a one off draft-only release available for now at the brewery for samples, pints, and growler fills, although it’s expected to be sent out to a few tap accounts as well. A stout weighing in at 4.7% ABV, it was built on pale ale and Munich malts, with oats, crystal malt and roasted barley rounding out the grist. Hopped to 32 IBU with Millennium, it also contains lactose, which very well might take it into the sweet stout or milk stout category. You can make that determination for yourself if you head down and give this smooth and full-bodied beer with notes of coffee and chocolate a try.

Bryan Carver, certified Cicerone, former Brewmaster at PEIBC, and former employee in the technical services department at DME Brewing, will be opening his own brewery – Modern Brewer’s Village Green – in Cornwall, PEI, this summer. Located at 1 Cornwall Rd, the building currently houses a dentist’s office which is relocating at the end of this month. While his equipment has not been ordered yet, as he’s waiting for the building to be rezoned, Carver plans to brew on a 2 bbl (240 L) system, to concentrate primarily on serving the 25-seat taproom. Locals can expect to try beers that they may not have tried before, as Carver plans to focus on styles that may not be easily-accessible to the area. We will have much more with Carver on Village Green as the project progresses.

We’ve got a few events to tell you about this week, definitely worth leaving the March Madness behind for a few hours, we reckon!

We mentioned it a few weeks ago, but here’s your reminder that this year’s Péché Day will be happening tomorrow and folks in our region are lucky enough to have two options available: Stillwell in Halifax and Tide & Boar in Moncton. Péché Day celebrates Péché Mortel, a Imperial Coffee Stout from Dieu du Ciel! that continues to be one of the finest beers in the country year after year. There will be seven variants on offer this year, all boasting an ABV of 9.5%:

  • Péché Mortel – the original
  • Péché Mortel Bourbon 2018 and 2019 – two different vintages aged in bourbon barrels
  • Péché Mortel Cerise – brewed with cherries
  • Péché Mortel Coconut – matured on toasted coconut
  • Péché Mortel Islay 2019 – aged in Islay Scotch barrels
  • Péché Mortel Moka – brewed with cacao

If you’re at all a fan of big, dark boozy beers, especially those featuring wood aging or other additions, you might want to find a way to check it out. You might also want to strongly consider 5 oz tasting glasses if you want to run to try them all!!

Last week we gave you the full rundown on the Flavabot: Rake ‘n Scrape event being thrown down on Sunday by the Lime Stone Group at Good Robot in Halifax, but we thought it prudent to give you a little reminder that there will be four brand new beers available, all with a Caribbean influence:

  • Rake ‘n Scrape – 6.9% ABV Tropical IIPA with mangoes & pomegranate, 70 IBU
  • Blackbeard’s Amber Ale – 4.5% ABV, Blackberry Amber Ale, 30 IBU
  • Pineapples & Coconut … Bro – 5.6% ABV, Pina colada Wheat Ale, 27 IBU
  • Passion Bliss – 5.5% ABV, Passion fruit Pale Ale, 50 IBU

Brunch starts at 10 AM but the party goes ALL DAY. That said, only the Rake ‘n Scrape is a full-size Alpha batch, so if you want to increase your chances of tasting the other three best get there early.

Digby’s Roof Hound Brewing is celebrating the release of a brand new beer Sunday, a collaboration with the Hopped Up Gaming East (HUGE) podcast. Button Masher is a 7.0% Cherry IPA, featuring loads of Citra hops for a hazy, aromatic and bitter IPA, that was then “juiced up” with black cherries. Keeping with the mutual love of video games and beer, the teammates will be launching the beer at the Board Room Cafe on Barrington Street in Halifax. From 7 – 9 PM, there will be Video Game Trivia, with the beer pouring all evening. Drop by to grab the first pints and take part in the fun, and then look for it on tap around Halifax, with bottles of Button Masher coming next week.

Next Saturday, March 30, White Hills Resort in Clarenville, NL, will be celebrating BrewSKI 2019! With Beer Yoga kicking off the day at 10 AM, to a fun ski & snowboard race at 12 PM, to the BrewSKI Craft Beer Fest starting at 7 PM, there is a whole day of fun to be had on the ski hills. The evening’s festival will feature beer from 8 Newfoundland breweries and cideries: Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co (Conception Bay), Bootleg Brewery (Corner Brook), Landwash Brewery (Mt Pearl), Port Rexton Brewing Co (Port Rexton), Quidi Vidi Brewery (Quidi Vidi), Split Rock Brewery (Twillingate), YellowBelly Brewery (St. John’s), plus the Newfoundland Cider Company (Milton). There will be live music by 3 Shades of Grey and The Dimaggios, and food from Oh My Cheeses. Tickets for the day’s events are available now, grab them and find your best retro snowsuit to fit right in with the crowd.

Just a few more notes to pass along this week!

We mentioned it briefly in yesterday’s post with His Excellency Pavel Hrnčíř, the Czech Republic’s Ambassador to Canada, but wanted to remind you that the 902 BrewCast has dropped their March Tasting Episode today, and it covers all things Fredericton Craft Beer Festival. In addition to that interview, they spoke with Geaghan Brothers, Holy Whale, and O’Creek Brewing. Listen in!

Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery has brought back their Brackish, a 4.8% ABV Sour Ale that features Newfoundland Sea Salt, their take on a German Gose. With draught, growlers, and cans available at the brewery now, we suggest popping by to grab some. And to celebrate its return, the folks at Landwash have a couple of fun things on the go. They actually brewed a second full-sized batch, and added mango puree to it, and so Mango Brackish is pouring (and available to go in growlers) at the brewery now. And, also, too, they’ve cask conditioned 20 litres of the unfruited Brackish, and swapped out the standard sea salt for Newfoundland Salt Company’s Juniper Smoked Salt, for a floral and herbal cousin of the original. This one is in short supply (and we’re not even positive it’s still available!), so if that sounds like something you’d like, be sure to pop by the brewery today when they open at 4 PM.

Propeller Brewing has brought back a favourite from the fall, their Galaxy IPA. This 6.5% hoppy, hazy, and juicy IPA feature a ton of the great Aussie hop Galaxy added in the kettle and fermenter, for tropical, citrus, and stonefruit character. Back now on tap and in cans, with four-packs available at the NSLC for the first time next week.

Unfiltered is bringing back their Fist of God DIPA again, a “fruity, tropical, soft, and delicious” 7.5% ABV hop bomb. Available today at the brewery in pints, growlers, and cans. So is their Citra bomb DOA which came back last week. If you love some hops, you know where to go.

In a case of a community doing the right thing, the Town of Wolfville agreed Tuesday to amend their Land Use Bylaws and Municipal Planning Strategy to explicitly allow breweries to operate and sell beer off-site. This is great news for Church Brewing, who continue construction of their on-premise brewery at 329 Main Street in the town, to complement the already thriving restaurant. If struck down, it would have severely handcuffed them from the start, and had the unintended consequence of hurting other craft alcohol producers in the same zone, including Annapolis Cider Company, Bad Apple Brewhouse, and Paddy’s Pub.