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Delta Force Brewing of Annapolis Valley, NS Launches First Beers Today

Posted by acbbchris on 2020-04-30
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Delta Force Brewing. 1 comment

Delta Force Logo

Despite the difficult times we’re currently experiencing, there are plenty of good news stories to be found in the beer industry these days. From the expansion of delivery options available (well, 3 outta 4 provinces ain’t bad), to the community coming together to support each other even more often, more is often being done with less. One of these good news stories is the continued steps toward opening by breweries in all four Atlantic provinces, with the latest being in Nova Scotia. Delta Force Brewing is today’s Good News Story, as they launch their brewery and beer store. Just like the US military group of the same name, they are shrouded in secrecy, but we managed to pull back the veil just enough to bring you more information. Best to destroy this device after reading, though, lest they come after you!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
We are basically the brewing equivalent of an elite special forces team – fly by night secret brewing missions conducted by mysterious operators. The world will know when beer is available to buy, but no clue who, how or where it came from.

How did you get into the world of beer?
Each of the mysterious people involved first became interested in beer while at University. Brewing was a result of, well, wanting cheap beer! Kit and kilo was the name of the game back then. One of us started making our swill with their father, the other with a guy named Brian (who was actually named Geoff). Eventually the two became united in their production of swill – shortly thereafter it was decided to learn to make good beer or quit. The rest is history.

What made you decide to take the steps into opening a brewery?
Well, at a certain point we realized if we didn’t just open a brewery, then we’ve wasted a hell of a lot of time.

Delta Force Recruitment Poster

What is the culture or ethos of the brewery?
Fly by night and keep your friends close, but enemies closer.

Can you tell us about the beers you have launched with today?
We have two beers that we intend to release regularly. Anderlecht is a 6.0% ABV Belgian single that goes through secondary fermentation/conditioning with Brettanomyces Lambicus. Mean Time is a 4.8% ABV English bitter, dry hopped with hops grown at the brewery. It also goes through secondary fermentation, though the strain of Brettanomyces is going to change batch to batch.
We will also continuously be experimenting with what we call our Operation series. The first of which is Operation Stronghold – a West Coast IPA with more than a dozen different hop varieties. Lots more to come!

Enough talk, how can people get your beer? On tap at licensees? In a secret unmarked location? Bottles via non-contact drone delivery?
When was the last time you went to a bar? Yeah, they’re all closed. Sigh. Given the current state of the world, who really knows. Our focus will be bottled product, with at least our first release distributed via home delivery.

3-Pack of Beer

Have you had any assistance from other breweries/people in Atlantic Canada (or elsewhere)?
Not directly, but we’ve been around the industry for many years and learned from many, many different people along the way.

Where do you hope to see your brewery in the next 2-3 years?
Ideally on top a mountain of skulls collected from our vanquished foes. You know, the usual.

Do you have an approximate opening date?
Now…..ish. [ed note: duh]

DF Apr 2020 Bottle Release

Let’s get nerdy! Tell us about your brewhouse and facility? What size/manufacturer/type of system are you be brewing on? How about expected output?
We like the folks at this blog, and to tell you… well I think you see where this is headed.

We appreciate that! We’ll just say “brewing in a farmshed, somewhere in Nova Scotia”. How about your brewing history?
This is our first official commercial venture, but we’ve been kicking around the HRM homebrew/beer judging scene for over a decade.

Do you have a favorite beer style, beer, or brewery you enjoy drinking?
Fortunately, there are far too many good local breweries to list and we wouldn’t want to leave anyone out. As far as styles, we’re down to clown with anything well made.

How about favourite style or ingredient to brew with?
We brew exclusively with traditional farmshed ingredients.

Thank you to G and J from Delta Force for the fun Profile. As you can tell, these guys list to joke around (it IS beer, after all), but we can tell you that their beer is no joke, and worth grabbing. Those in HRM (this delivery area may be a bit flexible, reach out them them!) can take part in the fun by jumping on the launch beers, available as a trio, delivered to your door this weekend for $25. Just fire them an email (deltaforcebrewing@gmail.com) with your request, name and address, and they’ll let you know the total, and the schedule. Keep an eye on their website , as well as Social Media (Fb, Ig, Tw) for the latest news, plus we’ll do our best to keep uncovering the mystery and sharing it with you all!

Friday Wrap-Up for April 24, 2020 – News from Truro Brewing Co, Niche, 2 Crows, Garrison, Spindrift, Brightwood, Good Robot, Hardisty, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2020-04-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, ANBL, Big Spruce Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Hardisty Brewing, NBCAPA, New Scotland Brewing, Niche Brewing, North Brewing, Pink Boots, Propeller Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Truro Brewing Company, Uncle Leo's Brewery, Uncorked Tours. Leave a Comment

As anyone in the region is most certainly aware, it has been an extra-trying week at this end of the country, especially in Nova Scotia. Our hearts go out to all those affected by the unbelievably tragic events of last weekend; to have to deal with this in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis is that much more brutal. We know that we can all endure and survive tribulations like these through sharing strength and supporting our neighbours and we know that that’s what Nova Scotians and Canadians will do. But we absolutely wish there wasn’t a need to do so. 

With that all said, we suspect you didn’t come here to read more about that, but to maybe take your mind off it and think of more pleasant things, like beer. And in that respect, you’re in luck, as there is plenty of news to share with you this week regarding new releases, re-releases, and everything else we could find. Read on; and stay safe!!

We continue to make updates to our delivery/curbside pickup options for breweries and cideries in the region, and there were plenty this week! We also took the time to update our full list of breweries and cideries in the region, as well as our Good Beer Map, useful for trip planning when it’s time to get back on the road and support breweries in person. Until then, let them come to you (where possible)! As always, please let us know via email or social media (Ig and Tw preferred, but Fb exists too) if anything is out of date.

Let’s start the week’s news on a happy note in the Hub of Nova Scotia. Truro Brewing Company opened their doors at the end of February, and were therefore hit hard by the current pandemic, being a taproom- and growler-only brewery. After pivoting, they have now brought in a single head canner and established an online store, so they once again have a way to sell to their wares. They launched this week with three brand new offerings, available for local delivery in Truro, as well as through an HRM tomorrow (so get your orders in today!), with shipping available across the province and beyond as well. First up is a special version of their Exit 14 Porter, their 4.6% English Porter, but with this version, was dosed with coffee thanks to their friends at Aroma Maya Coffee. The chocolate and roast malts in the base beer pair perfectly with the freshly-roasted beans added to the brew. Next up is the Old Barns Farmhouse Ale, a 5.0% ABV Saison, modeled after the beer given to farmhands in the Belgian and French fields. Crisp, spicy, fruity, and highly carbonated, it uses the Escarpment Labs Saison Maison yeast to achieve all of these refreshing characteristics. And finally is the Daytripper Session Ale, a 3.9% ABV sessionable ale, with low bitterness, mild flavour, and featuring a nice dose of Amarillo hops at the end of the boil, for aroma and flavour. Take a gander at Truro Brewing Company’s store for the options for delivery in your neck of the woods!.

Hanwell’s Niche Brewing released their Bridget Rhubarb Sour last week, which is still available at a couple of the ANBLs in Fredericton and Dieppe, and should be returning to DrinkNB.ca soon, but now they have another beer available to those looking to have Niche on tap at home. Those in Fredericton with kegerators or jockey boxes can order 20 litre kegs of a couple of their beers, including a brand new release, Empty Garden. This 5.4% ABV American Pale ale is hazy, juicy, and full of tropical notes, thanks to the late and dry-hopping with loads of Enigma, Galaxy, and Nelson Sauvin. Helping it out even more was the extra punch of warm fermentation thanks to the Kveik Ebbegarden yeast strain, for more fruity ester goodness. Low bitterness (think mid-20s IBUs) and lots of juiciness, for a great return to the modern NEIPA form for the Niche crew. To order your kegs, get in touch with Niche via email (nichebrewing@gmail.com ), or DM on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, and they’ll share the fine details with you there.

Two brand new releases from 2 Crows this week to help you keep your head up! The first was designed and brewed by Assistant Brewer Miles; Special features a grist of Pilsner, Wheat malt, raw wheat, and a touch of flaked wheat, and was hopped in the boil with aged East Kent Golding, Hallertau Blanc, and Sterling. With an addition of 85 kg of warmed Nova Scotia honey in the hopback, the wort was then transferred to one of their oak foedres, where it was fermented with a blend of the brewery’s house cultures (all sorts of funky stuff in there, we can assure you). Once fermentation was complete, 5 kg of honeycomb were added to bump up the honey notes. The beer continued to age for another four months, and was then transferred back to stainless, primed with fresh honey, and packaged in cans where it was allowed to condition. The final beer, a 4.4% ABV Biere de Miel, is tasting very floral and funky; “dry as a bone, with a soft honeycomb base, subtle petrichor and herbal aromatics.” Check in with 2C to arrange pickup of your cans, or arrange for delivery.

And new to their webstore this morning is Carica, another walk on the wild site from the dual corvid crew… Starting from a complex malt base including Vienna, Wheat, Special Aromatic, Biscuit Malt (from Red Shed Malting), as well as Caramel malts, for a darker-coloured wort. Primary fermentation was done directly in a Port barrel, with a blend of their house yeast and Lactobacillus cultures. After 9 months (!!), 15 kg of dried Mission figs were added to the barrel, soaking up the beer and giving the bugs some more sugar to munch on. After that fermentation was complete, 10 kg of freshly-roasted black walnuts were added for an additional wait time, before packaging in bottles still (flat), and undergoing a final conditioning and carbonation. Phew, that was a mouthful! This dark sour has plenty of jammy fruit notes from the fig and port formerly in the barrel, and “bright and zippy” kick from the yeast and Lacto culture, plus earthiness from the walnuts. As mentioned, this joins Special, and almost a dozen more beers, now available for pickup or delivery Canada-wide, on the 2 Crows webstore.

For fans of Garrison’s Pucker Up series of “flavoured kettle sour” beers, they’ve got a new one out this week, Pucker Up Citrus. Brewed with a simple grist of 2-row and Wheat malt, the soured wort was fermented and then infused with a blend of lemon, lime, grapefruit and orange extract. Also, some green tea, hibiscus and Stevia were added. This 5% ABV brew has no bitterness (no hops!), and is meant to be a refreshing beer with aromas of all four fruit additions, as well as a touch of vanilla, with “bold citrus flavours and a tart finish”. Look for cans and one-way growlers at both Garrison locations (as well as home delivery) starting today; cans will also eventually show up at the NSLC, as well as ANBL and NLC outside the province. 

Dartmouth’s Spindrift Brewing continues to pursue a market segment not usually targeted by craft breweries with this week’s addition to their Toller family of affordable American-style Lagers. Beer-wise, Toller Gold comes in at 5.0% ABV and 12 IBU, leveraging malted barley and corn on the grist side, and a smattering of Saaz and Hallertau Mittelfrüh for hops to yield a golden-colored, slightly sweet yet still crisp brew. Price-wise, it comes in at about $23 for a 12-pack, which is actually cheaper than many huge multi-national brands that you’re familiar with! Get it now from the brewery or look for it starting May 4th at NSLC locations around the province. We also wouldn’t be surprised to see it pop up at certain private stores in Halifax as well. Also, we’ve had word from the brewery that they’re moving their core brands away from single serve to exclusively multi-packs for the foreseeable future; so if you’re big on playing mix ‘n match with Spindrift tallboys you might have to sideline that for a little while.

Fellow Dartmouth spot Brightwood Brewery has launched a new beer this week as well, an ode to the great hops grown in the Maritimes. Backyards is a 4.5% ABV hazy Pale Ale, a zesty and light-bodied beer with great tropical notes from the Centennial, Columbus, and Cashmere hops. The plan for Backyards is to continue to showcase the hop growers of the region, so the hop bill may change with availability, with the ultimate goal being all-NS supplied. This is the first Pale Ale for Brightwood, and are excited to play in that format, with plenty of fun ideas still to come. Cans of Backyards are available for window-pickup at their Portland Street shop, as well as for delivery through their webstore, along with a trio of other beers, including their dry-hopped Pilsner, now renamed to Pillowy Pils. Isn’t it ironic, dontcha think?

Good Robot has brewed up a new beer as a way of showing thanks to all of you working on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic. Aptly-named FrontLiner, it is a 6.0% Belgian Golden Ale. Taking a bit of a left-turn from traditional is the additional dry-hopping step, helping to expand upon the yeast and malt character, bringing it bright tangerine and peach notes in the aroma. Good Robot is pairing with My Home Apparel, they are donating 50% of all proceeds to the QEII Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which will help purchase necessary medical supplies for patients and healthcare providers. Available in grunters and growlers only, check out their online shop to see how you can order Frontliner, and others, for pickup or delivery.

Recently-opened Hardisty Brewing, in Colby Village, Dartmouth, has a new beer available for ordering this weekend. Rye IPA is a 5.0% ABV India Pale Ale, featuring a nice addition of Rye malt to the bill, for a bit of spicy character, and built with a nice 35 IBUs of bitterness thanks to Northern Brewer and Willamette hops. Rye IPA joins Block Party SMaSH as available for delivery in the Colby Village area, check their website and Instagram for the latest info.

A bit of a return to the norm on the blog this week with our “Newsbites” section returning (aka beers we don’t know enough about or are returning and we think you’d like to know about them)

  • Big Spruce’s Tag You’re It! 2020 edition, is back, featuring, as always, a new can design (this time a righteous Right Whale) and also, as always, brewed to help support the Ocean Tracking Network ($0.50 from every can sold). We’re going to speculate that also, as always always, it’s a tropical juice-bomb in the NE IPA style and that if you’re a fan of hoppy beers it’s worth your time to check it out.
  • Dartmouth’s New Scotland released the latest in their Small Batch Series this week, a 9.5% ABV Double IPA named Pink Boots. Using the Pink Boots hop blend available from Yakima Chief, with some of the proceeds going to support the Pink Boots Society, with the goal to “assist, inspire, and encourage women beer professionals through education”. Berry, fruit, and herbal flavours come through, it’s a classic Double IPA, golden in colour with some nice bitterness. As the name implies, it’s a small batch, so it looks like it may already be sold out, but you can catch a half-dozen more in New Scotland’s online store for pickup or delivery, including another batch of their Fresh Start IPA. Ed note: edited with more info after publishing.
  • North Brewing in Cole Harbour (still feels kinda weird typing that) has a couple of faves returning to the shelves this week. Their Sparrow German-style Pilsner and their Lawrencetown Surf Session Ale. The former is a rather faithful take on a classic European-style, while the latter is definitely more of a modern North American jam. Each has their place but they’re both pretty damn tasty. Hit the brewery up to get yours!
  • Those who love it know that this is the time each year when Propeller in Halifax brings out their tried and true seasonal Irish Red. Previously seen a few weeks ago in a sort of pre-release with a small run of nitro cans, this is a non-nitro version for the traditionalists amongst us. Also of note out of Prop is that not only is their local favorite NE IPA Galaxy available once again, but it has now been promoted to the status of “core brand,” which means you should now be able to find it year round! If you’re a fan of one or both of these beers, you can expect to find them at the brewery now.
  • Lyons Brook’s Uncle Leo’s Brewery has brought back their Odin’s Summer Ale, in the hopes of seeding that idea with Mother Nature. Let’s hope it works! Their Sunburst Pale Ale is also newly available, and these can both be ordered via phone, email, or direct message. Full details here.

A few more notes to close on today, all coincidentally from New Brunswick:

Saint John’s Uncorked Tours is working hard to get their SJ City Market storefront ready before the tourist season begins, whenever that may be, but they certainly have not been slowing down their online presence in the meantime. They have been running great live Virtual Brewery Tours on their Instagram page that we encourage everyone to check out, and there are more than a dozen available for replaying here. They are now offering you a way to taste your way around the city, and province, from home as well. Firstly, they have created a Taste of the City Market “picnic basket”, with cheese, cured meats, breads and other goodies, delivered to your home in Saint John (for now, hopefully expanding the region soon) each Thursday. Order by 8PM Wednesday evening to secure your spot. As well, they are fully embracing the current situation by running some live beer tastings via Facebook Live/Zoom. Saturdays at 8 PM, drink along with Gilliane as she enjoys beers from across the province. They have also teamed up with DrinkNB to make it easier to get those beers in your hand, so don’t be shy and order them now (or in time for next week’s). The Uncorked NB Facebook page is the best way to keep up with everything happening (plenty more we couldn’t fit in here!), so you can still feel connected to the producers in the province. And if you’re able, and appreciate the content, there is a Tip Page that would help out.

The ANBL is attempting to alleviate one of the major pain points with reduced hours and the need for physical distancing at their locations, and is implementing a curbside pickup option for orders. Look here for the full details, but in short, you can now submit an order via phone (1-877-779-7878) or email (e-Commerce@anbl.com) using the product’s catalog number, wait for confirmation, and then pick up in person without needing to enter the store or wait in line.

And finally, the NBCAPA, the New Brunswick Craft Alcohol Producers have selected a new Executive Director. Christine Comeau will be doing advocacy work on behalf of the producers in the province, to increase the awareness of the province’s breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries, to the government (yay!), in the region, and to those looking to visit when it’s safe to do so. Congratulations Christine!

Friday Wrap-Up for April 17, 2020 – News from Delta Force Brewing, Chain Yard, North Brewing, Tidehouse, Tanner & Co., Holy Whale, and More!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2020-04-17
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Battery Park, Chain Yard Cider, Delta Force Brewing, Escarpment Laboratories, Feed Nova Scotia, Holy Whale Brewing, Island Hop Company, Jym Line Glassware, Meander River Farm and Brewery, North Brewing, Other Half Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Shipwright Brewing, Shoreline Malting, Spindrift Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tidehouse Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

Hi again. At least the weather is getting better? Y’know, as if we were allowed to go out and really enjoy it? Welcome to week 5 (or is it 6?) of COVID-19-related isolation and social distancing. At this point we figure most people are either totally fed up with being alone or totally fed up with the people they’re living with. And everybody’s fed up with the rules. That all said, we’re pretty sure that beats the hell out of getting sick and our sympathies go out to anyone who’s directly dealing with COVID-19 in their lives, whether it be themselves or a friend or a family member. And a huge thanks to all of those front line personnel who are keeping things going in these difficult days.

On that happy note, please find below all the new news we could find for you this week. Plus, we’ve done a total update across the entire region on our delivery/curbside pickup options for breweries and cideries. We think we’ve hit every producer out there who has changed their practices since last time! So spread a little love to them, if you’re able, and we’d appreciate a quick nudge via email or social media (Ig and Tw preferred) if anything is out of date.

The Delta Force is an elite and elusive group, composed of only the top members of their chosen field, who use whatever means necessary to fulfill their mission. For some, that may be military in nature, extracting key targets and keeping the world safe. In today’s world, having great beer flowing could perhaps be considered a critical need, hence the upcoming launch of Delta Force Brewing. Comprising a small yet capable team, Delta Force will soon be launching their first beers to the public, brewed at a classified location in the Annapolis Valley. To maintain that Top Secret information, they will however be able to bring their beer to you. For those in the Wolfville and Halifax regions, and along the 101, they will be doing deliveries once the beer is available, in the coming weeks. We will also be revealing what we can about the beers, the team, and their plans for world domination (currently on hold) sooner to launch, but you can keep an eye on their website and social media to see if any more can be deciphered. Dismissed!

Those of you who participated in donating some of your homegrown (whether intentionally or not!) apples to Chain Yard Urban Cidery last fall for a special cider… your waiting for the final product is over! After many generous donations from a variety of orchards and yards, The Backyard Project – a 6.4% ABV wild-fermented cider – is ready. Chock-full of “ripe orchard fruit and a crisp, dry finish, plus lingering herbaceous and earthy notes,” it’s a great expression of the many varieties of apples that Nova Scotia has to offer. And aside from being able to drink it, you’ll also be supporting Feed Nova Scotia, which will be receiving a portion of the proceeds. Check out their online store to order your 750 mL bottle(s).

The folks at North Brewing have been keeping busy in order to keep the beer flowing and our mouths/livers happy, re-brewing favourites such as Malternate Reality, Lawrencetown Surf Session, and others. While you can expect to see these canned and released again in the near future (MR hits the shelves yesterday), they DO have a brand new Double IPA available as of this week, HiFi. More of a West Coast take on the style as opposed to the super-hazy, less-bitter New England versions, HiFi was brewed with a large amount of Maris Otter base malt. Dry-hopped with El Dorado and Chinook, the total IBUs come in at around 65-70. Full of citrus and pine character, with a “balanced bitterness”, it weighs in at a hefty 8.5% ABV. Available at the brewery for ordering online now, it should also be at close to forty NSLC stores throughout next week. And a quick note that 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.

As we mentioned on social media earlier this week, Tidehouse has a couple of new beers canned and out for delivery today (yes, they’ve hopped onboard the home delivery train, to make sure you can get your TH fix even easier than before). The first beer is TV Party, a 7% ABV American IPA hopped with Idaho 7, Galaxy and Mosaic. With a firm bitterness in the finish, expect lots of orange notes, some juiciness, and a little bit o’ pine. Next is Shrug Emoji (you know, this thing ->  ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯), an American Pale Ale moderately-hopped with Czech Saaz. Meant to be a crushable beer to enjoy while you wait this all out (you may want to buy a few, then), it comes in at 5.6% ABV. This post is a little late to get you beer today, as you’re meant to call in your order on Thursday for Friday delivery (free for orders of 4+ cans), but … Great news, as there’s just enough leftover to run their curbside pickup tomorrow! Starting at noon at their spot on Salter, call (902-407-2550) and then pop your trunk to accept the beer!

Chester Basin’s Tanner & Co brewing are continuing to put out new beers and make them available despite current challenges. They also continue to leverage the oenological knowledge of head brewer Dan Tanner and take inspiration from wine styles around the world. This time up, the inspiration came from the Torrontés wines of Argentina and they’ve elected to express it in the Brut IPA style. TM Brut weighs in at 6.9% ABV and features notes of lime, pineapple, grapefruit and lychee thanks to plenty of Topaz and Motueka hops. No hops were added in the kettle until the very end of the boil, ensuring low bitterness (15 IBU) but plenty of flavour! More of the same hops were also added in not one, but two dry hop additions. This one is now available for pickup, delivery, and growler fills; check their online shop for more information on grabbing this one for consumption.

Alma, New Brunswick’s Holy Whale Brewery and Buddha Bear Cafe have been taking the opportunity to experiment in the brewery a little more these days, and have a quartet of sour beers available this week. Playing in the Cocktail realm, they took inspiration from four popular drinks, all starting from a Berliner Weisse base. Their Bellini Sour features loads of peach, thanks to the addition of white peach puree, and some Prosecco for a little extra zip. Not surprisingly, the Blue Lagoon Sour owes its colour to some Blue Curacao, and is extra citrusy thanks to orange zest added to the batch. Pina Colada Sour saw the addition of pineapple puree to this iteration, as well as coconut for the full “down South” drink, and finally Guava Sour, which showcases the puree of the eponymous fruit. All of these are 4.0% ABV, and are in short supply, so we suggest grabbing the one based on your favourite cocktail(s), or better yet, get a couple of each for a full Tiki Bar night in! Their Alma location is open for pre-order and pick up Friday to Sunday, and they are also running deliveries Thursday to the Greater Moncton Area, or pick up at their Riverview bar, via pre-order, with the details on their FB event page.

If you’re in St. John’s, you should check out Quidi Vidi’s online store to order up cans of their latest New England IPA, Unlucky #13. While we can’t provide details on where the name came from (something tells us there’s a story there), we can tell you that it was brewed with a grist of 2-row, Maris Otter, Flaked Oats, Wheat malt, Honey malt, and Acidulated malt. Hopped with a wide variety of… varieties, including Cascade, Cluster, Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe, we don’t have official tasting notes on the beer, but can assume it’s a hazy one with tropical and citrus notes, as well as some pine and dank character. It weighs in at 6% ABV and 28 IBUs, keeping the bitterness on the lower end, as is typical for the style. 

Ashdale Nova Scotia’s Meander River Brewing has a new beer out this week, and another set to launch next week, so we figured we’d give you a double dose today. First up is the return of Sour Mood, their dry-hopped sour. This 4.2% ABV golden beer was soured with Lactobacillus before completing fermentation with a traditional yeast, and then was dry-hopped with Citra hops (their previous version had used Mosaic). Thanks to both the souring and the hops, there’s plenty of great notes of tropical fruit like passion fruit, mango, and lemon, with a refreshing kick. And coming out soon, is Ploughman’s Pilsner, MR’s entree to a light and easy drinking lager, perfect for those looking for an accompaniment to a simple lunch enjoyed in the field, taking a break between working the rows of vegetables or grain. Another 4.2% ABV brew, the pale brew was hopped with New Zealand-grown Pacific Gem hop, a higher alpha acid (higher potential bitterness) relative of the classic Cluster and Fuggle hops. This one will hit the virtual shelves soon, but the Sour Mood, as well as a half-dozen more beer and cider, are available for ordering now on their online shop, and could be part of their Saturday delivery in HRM, Truro, Wolfville, and most parts in between, as well as for safe pickup.

We all suspected it was only a matter of time before Shipwright Brewing released their first Lager, being that their head brewer, Kellye Robertson, was originally with Spindrift back in their Lager-only days. Kellye was finally able to delve into that realm again when she brewed Peninsula Pilsner, a German-inspired Pils brewed with Pilsner and Chit malt from Shoreline Malting. Hopped to 32 IBUs with Magnum and Tradition from Island Hop Company, the beer was fermented with the Autobahn Lager strain from Escarpment Labs, and lagered for 7 weeks. At 5.2% ABV and 32 IBUs, the Pilsner has a “distinctive grain profile” with some floral notes from the hop additions, as well as a moderate bitterness in the finish. They’re offering this one in crowlers at the brewery to-go, or for delivery within Lunenburg (with options for Chester to Bridgewater likely coming next week). Rest assured there’ll be more Lagers from Shipwright in the future, but don’t miss out on your chance to try their first! 

Tusket Falls Brewing is continuing to release new canned beers (such as their Strawberry Milkshake IPA, which unfortunately – or not, depending on where you’re standing! – sold out in less than 24 hours), but they’ve also added a growler fill option. They’re selling pre-filled growlers from the taproom, and if you have a TF growler already, you can exchange yours for a full one for a cheaper price than buying a new one. They’ve got a brand new Session IPA – hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Motueka – available right now for you to test out; at just 4.6% ABV, and with flavours of lemon and white grape, sounds like a good way to creep into your weekend, no?

Fredericton’s TrailWay Brewing has taken part in a worldwide collaboration kicked off by Brooklyn’s Other Half Brewing, where all breweries taking part brew the same American IPA recipe to raise funds for local hospitality professionals. Appropriately-named, All Together is a 6.5% ABV brew hopped with Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe and Cascade. Cans of this juicy, fruity beer will be available next Wednesday, with 30% of the proceeds of TW’s version going to the Fredericton Resilience Fund. The FRF will be allocating this donation specifically to those in need within the hospitality industry (of which there is no doubt many). You can do your part next week by grabbing some cans; remember that TW is doing deliveries within Fredericton at certain days of the week, so check out their website for more details.

Lots of folks are getting into the swing of trying to bring a little levity to this lonely hellscape difficult time that we’re living in and we especially like to see it when it benefits a good cause as well. Enter Elmsdale’s Jym Line Glassware, who are stepping up with both. As we’ve mentioned in the past, Jymline are one of the businesses that helps make our regional industry what it is: even if you’ve never heard of them directly, chances are you’ve drank from a glass or poured from a growler that was branded in their facility. They’ve got a new glass they’re making available with a somewhat NSFW image and the now-ubiquitous slogan, “Stay the Bl?zes Home!” And lest you think this is merely a cynical cash-in, they’re donating $5 from every glass sold (that’s half the proceeds) to various charities around Elmsdale. The first batch of glasses sold out in a day, which means $535 is going to Caring & Sharing/Angel Tree Foodbank. They’re doing another run, though, that they’re hoping to have ready for next Thursday. No shipping is available, just contactless pickup at the shop in Elmsdale. Glasses are $10 and you can order yours by emailing dale@jymline.com; payment is by e-transfer to that address.