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All posts for the month June, 2020

Happy Friday folks! The region got a dose of great news with the announcement of the Atlantic Bubble coming next Friday, but that doesn’t mean you can forget everything we’ve been doing for the last 3 months (just look South for proof). Keep being smart about how you choose to get together with friends and strangers, and above all, spread love and not the virus. We’re taking next Friday off, so we hope this dose of beer news will keep you satisfied until then. And if not, we promise a full refund. Happy Canada Day, and remember that brewery taprooms, restaurants and bars are operating under different circumstances than usual, so check before heading out, and tip as generously as you can!

We want to start this week off with two brewing initiatives that are poised to make an impact on inclusivity and equity in the local brewing community, and beyond.

Good Robot Brewing Co’s brewer Giovanni Johnson, along with members of the Nova Scotian Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour population have come together to form the Change is Brewing Collective. Their first release will be coming mid-July, named Blackberry Freedom, a Pale Ale with blackberries. The group, and beer, is a challenge to other breweries in the province, dare we say everywhere, “to consider how they can be more inclusive for the BIPOC in their communities”. We can see this as a way of encouraging more breweries to engage members of their local BIPOC community for both staffing or patrons. We can get behind that! Look for Blackberry Freedom in July, and we’ll have a ton more with Gio and the Collective then.

And in an out-of-region initiative, but of utmost importance here, is the Black is Beautiful project. Hosted by Austin’s Weathered Souls, it is a worldwide collaboration for breweries to bring awareness and efforts to overcome injustices that many people of colour face. Over 900 breweries have signed up world-wide for the project, brewing a 10.0% ABV Imperial Stout, and directing 100% of the beer’s proceeds to groups focusing on racial justice, equality, and inclusion. So far in Atlantic Canada, we see two Nova Scotian breweries have stepped up to the plate. Halifax’s Tidehouse Brewing will be donating the proceeds to GameChangers902, a group of African Nova Scotians coming together to promote and mobilize change in the province, centralizing the experience, culture, and history of Black Nova Scotians. Tatamagouche Brewing is taking part as well, as they are committed to continued education, understanding and supporting people of colour, and are directing their proceeds towards groups educating and promoting awareness in the province. We want to encourage other breweries in the region, both small and large, to take part in this collaboration, because, while conversations on and efforts to remove systemic racism may be difficult and feel overwhelming, Black Lives Matter.

We’ve got big news for the island of Cape Breton, where Island Folk Cider House opened their doors last weekend. Located at 52 Nepean St in Sydney, just a stone’s throw from the Big Fiddle, they are open for retail sales of their initial release blends. Open Thursday and Friday, 12 – 7 PM, and Saturday 11 – 4 PM, you can grab cans of their Good Company 6.5% ABV cider, and Rebel Rosé 7.0% ABV blend of cider and cranberry wine. The cans feature artwork by local illustrator and cartoonist Alison Uhma. Their third release, the smaller batch Easy Beezy featuring local honey, sold out in just a few days, sorry, but more blends are on the way! If you can’t get to their retail location, fear not, as the Good Company is available at 14 NSLC locations across the province, from Yarmouth to Sydney, and Amherst to HRM. Plus kegs of both GC and RR are at several bars and restaurants on the Island as well as the South Shore, check out their Fb page for more details. You can also keep up to date on the fun on their Ig page. We’ll have a full Profile with IFCH up in the next couple of weeks, but in the meantime, Congratulations to Jill and team!

After months of preparation and planning, Sackville’s Bagtown Brewing Co. finally opened up their new retail store at 45 Main St. last weekend. The new location is also the new home to the brewhouse, and while just across the street from where they were previously, allows them more space to sell more beer! In addition to Bagtown’s rotating offerings, you’ll also be able to grab cans and bottles from other New Brunswick breweries. If you’re in the area and would like to drop in to check out the new space/pick up some beer, they’re open today (Friday) from 12-6 pm, and Saturday 9am-3pm.  

Upstreet Brewing is celebrating a huge milestone this weekend: their brewery has now been operating for 5 years in Charlottetown, PEI. And while the ongoing need for social distancing means that they can’t throw a massive shindig for all their friends in the taproom, it’s not going to stop them from celebrating. The first aspect of that celebration is now traditional: DeNovo V is, appropriately, the 5th iteration of their mixed-fermentation saison birthday beer. Keeping it local, the grist features Island Malt House Pale, Wheat and Rye and the hop side has Island Hop Company Saaz along with some out-of-province Centennial and Ekuanot. Tasting-wise, it starts with an aroma of peppery lemon meringue accompanied by some mild funk, citrus and herbal notes. Lightly toasted sourdough comes through on the palate, leading to a very dry and crisp finish on this beer that weighs in at 6.5% ABV and 15 IBU. This year they’ve elected to bottle it in 500 mL bottles instead of the 750s used in previous years. If you’re on the Island you can definitely grab this one direct from Upstreet (whether that’s the brewery/taproom or Craft Beer Corner), but it looks like it may also make it to Halifax as well, where we’d imagine you’ll find it at some or all of the private stores in the city in the coming weeks.

The other aspect of Upstreet’s birthday celebration is a contest they announced today on social media: they’re offering folks a chance to win a $500 Upstreet gift card for themselves and $5,000 to a charity of their choice! Entering is easy: Post a photo with your favorite Upstreet beer (or Rewind Seltzer or East Coast Soda Co. Soda) on Fb or Ig, making sure to tag @upstreetbrewing and the charity of your choice and add the hashtag #cheersforcharitypei, then use the caption space to say how that charity is doing good in the community. Multiple entries per person are allowed, although each needs to nominate a different charity. There will be one winner of this contest announced July 10th at noon. So grab yourself an Upstreet beverage and your camera/phone, and get snapping for your favorite cause!

Speaking of 5th Birthdays, Breton Brewing is celebrating their own this Saturday! To help celebrate, they’re going to be releasing five beers as part of an Anniversary Series, with each beer being launched at a different date over the summer. A mixture of brand new beers and returning favourites, they’re starting off with one of the latter, Shipwreck DIPA. Hopped entirely with Mosaic, this 7.4% ABV hop bomb is hazy and pale amber in colour, with “aromas of mango, citrus, and peaches”, and lots more on the palate. Always a requested beer at the brewery, this is the first time Shipwreck has been available in cans. It’s available right now in the taproom, as well as for delivery in the CBRM; look for it to pop up at the private stores in Halifax next week, as well as home delivery in that area. And keep your eyes peeled for their next Anniversary release, which should be early July… we’ll keep you posted!

Now that the Good Robot taproom is officially up-and-running, they’re releasing some beers with feelings of summer – one new, and one returning. Seems natural to start off with the new one, so let’s begin with Fanny Pack, a dry-hopped Lager. Designing a brew for those of us looking for something light and refreshing for summer drinking, but with lots of bright hop character, Fanny Pack was brewed with a simple grist of Pale ale malt and flaked corn. Fermented with the brewery’s favourite Mexican Lager yeast strain, it was lagered appropriately and dry-hopped with Comet and Citra. The 4.8% ABV, straw yellow-coloured beer has citrus on the nose and palate, including notes of lemon and grapefruit, with low bitterness. Crushable as advertised, it’s available in cans at the brewery. And while picking up your cans for the weekend, you’ll notice that Viking Holiday is back, also in cans (and on tap)! This 4.2% ABV Pineapple Wheat beer was fermented with a Kveik strain, giving the brew notes of nectarine to complement the aromas and flavours from the pineapple added to the brew. 

Now that Ol’ Biddy’s Brewhouse is officially at full throttle (it should be noted that the taproom is still open for retail sales only), they’ve gone ahead and added some canned beers to their expanding lineup this week. Those of you who have been following the brewery since their humble, 1-bbl brewhouse days may recognize the names of two of the beers, which were originally released in 2018. The first of these is Orange American Bastard, a 4.7% ABV American Wheat beer that features late-boil additions of orange peel and coriander, as well as a touch of Cascade hops. Crisp, clean, and refreshing, a beer to pound back by your pool, or maybe share with someone ready to dip the toe into the waters of craft beer (“clever” metaphor, not insinuating that the beer is watery). The other returning brew is Call Your Bluff, a 4.9% APA originally brewed in collaboration with Todd Beal that has a “pungent grapefruit character”. 

The new beers are on the darker side of the spectrum, starting with Shady 80, a chocolate stout. Brewed with a variety of dark malts, this 6.3% ABV Sweet Stout has an addition of lactose powder to bump up the sweetness slightly, to balance the roast character in the beer. Rounding everything up is Engine 41, a 6.4% ABV Cherrywood Smoked Porter. “Big on taste, yet balanced and easy to drink”, expect some moderate smoke character, finishing with notes of chocolate and roast. All four of these beers are presently available in cans at the brewery, open regular hours this weekend, and then opening early next week on Tuesday and Wednesday (yes, July 1), 12 – 6 PM, to allow you to stock up for the Canada Day holiday.

Dartmouth’s New Scotland Brewing has a new beer on the radar, a hoppy, hazy APA named Beachcomber. The latest in their small batch series, the 5.5% ABV beer was intensely dry-hopped with Galaxy, Mosaic, and El Dorado. Hard to go wrong with those varieties! They’ve described it as “light-bodied, flavourful, and aromatic”. Available for delivery, and, of course, for pick-up at the brewery.

The crew at Pollen Angels have teamed up with Fils du Roy to produce Fils D’Abeille (Son of a Bee). You may be already wondering if a meadery teaming up with a distillery means mead + spirit(s), and you’d be right! Fils D’Abeille is a blend of Queen’s Nectar mead and oak-aged Gin Thuya, weighing in at a hefty 10.5% ABV. Described as a harmony of “honey, apples, Thuja occidentalis, juniper berry and coriander”, you can find this beverage at many ANBL stores across New Brunswick; be sure to continue to check the ANBL site for which stores are carrying bottles of the product.

A few more newsbites for you today before we dismiss the class…

There’s a new episode from your favourite hosted-by-three-guys, all about local beer, three digit podcast out for download and listenin’ as of earlier this morning. If you guessed 902 Brewcast, good for you! This is a tasting episode/chat about the latest news/answer social media questions episode, so all bases are covered. Download it wherever you normally download your favourite podcasts.

And in more great news, their faithful sponsor, Bishop’s Cellar Bishop’s Cellar Bishop’s Cellar, has re-opened their doors to the public, for in person shopping (Mon – Wed 10 AM – 6 PM, Thurs – Sat 10 AM – 9 PM), as well as online ordering for curbside pickup or province-wide delivery. (dm us for our address to send that cheque)

CAVOK Brewing has a very small, limited batch newly-available on tap, Dents De Lions. Brewed with local dandelions and citrus fruit, this 4.3% ABV, 6 IBUs brew can also be found online, for local delivery. As a side note, we also would like to invite CAVOK to drop by our homes later in the summer, for more dandelion harvesting. Free!

Unfiltered’s super-hoppy DIPA (well, one of them anyway), Fist of God (7.5% ABV) is back for the weekend. Described by the brewery as a “fruity, citrus, tropical, East Coast DIPA w/ West Coast roots”… well, we don’t know what else to say. On tap and in cans at the brewery now, and delivery options are also available (for orders made before 2 pm).

And with the good news happening around AtlCan, we’re seeing some spots hiring and expanding their scope. Here are two such businesses looking to bring some folks onto their team.

Way up (and we mean waaaaaaay up) in Labrador City, NL, one of the region’s newest breweries, Iron Rock, is looking to expand their team in the form of an Assistant Brewer and Cellar Person. This is potentially a combined position, however the immediate need is on the cellaring side, managing inventory and packaging while maintaining the brewery’s dedication to cleanliness and sanitation. Over time opportunities on the brewing side are expected to grow and so the applicant’s previous brewing experience is certainly a relevant factor. A full-time gig in Lab City, hours will definitely vary. If this sounds like you and you’re in town or willing to make a move, maybe check out the full details and job description and throw your hat in the ring!

Also in Newfoundland, Port au Port’s Secret Cove Brewing is looking to fill a position or two… or four, specifically! There’s a wide variety of jobs available, including working right in the brewing side of things (Brewery Operations – Canning and Distribution), into the taproom with the Taproom Manager position, as well as Bartending and Curb Shop staff, and finally, they’re looking for a cook! You need to be motivated and love everything involved with craft beer, and the cook position does require experience. For more details, check out the full info here, and if you’re interested, send a cover letter and resume to beer@secretcovebrewing.com.

We’ve got plenty of great news for you today, as our region continues to make excellent strides in flattening/eliminating the curve of COVID-19, restrictions are being lifted and in turn more breweries and beer bars are re-opening their doors. We all know we’re not out of hot water by any stretch of the imagination, but the recent days and weeks have been very promising. If we keep this up, that Atlantic Bubble will soon be a thing! Let us waste no more of your time and jump right into the good news, so you can enjoy the wonderful weather that we’ve waited a long time to arrive!

We’d like to kick off the main body of today’s post with a big Happy Birthday! to our wonderful friends at Tatamagouche Brewing. That’s right, they’re turning the big 0-6 this week, and when you’re a brewery and have a birthday, you’ve got to celebrate with lots of beer (it’s one of the many/few perks)! In Tata’s case, they’ve got several new brews they’re releasing, along with a great deal on a birthday sixer of new and “old” brews. Let’s start with the new beers, shall we?

Instinct is a 5.4% ABV Brett Pale Ale brewed with the base of their popular Nelson’s Park APA. This one was barrel-aged, however, with a blend of Brettanomyces strains from Escarpment Labs, and was dry-hopped twice (once before going into the barrels, and once after blending) with Vic Secret and Nelson Sauvin; tropical and funky!

Observe keeps the Brett train going, billed as a “Brett Lager”. Coming in at 4.9% ABV and described as “deceptively complex”, the wort underwent secondary fermentation in red wine barrels from Jost Vineyards, with Brett Q and Brett M.

Remused is a different take on another fairly recent release, Muse Sour Red. This time around, the beer was aged in neutral and former red wine barrels, blended, and then aged again, this time on cherries (the same cherries used for Muse). It’s 5.6% ABV, and is tasting very tart, dry and complex.

All three of these beers are available in bottles (Instinct and Remused in 500 ml, Observe is in 650 ml), and can be purchased as a special 6th Birthday 6-pack – along with Muse Sour Red, Ferry Boat Fantasy Golden Sour, and Toro (barrel-aged Quad w/ Brett) – for just $60, a savings of $15! And along with all that, they’ve re-released two popular canned beers, Guava Heist (fruited Berliner Weisse) and Kitty Clyde (DIPA), so you might as well tack those beauties onto your order as well. Happy birthday TataBrew, and here’s to many, many more!

Euston Park Social is back up and running in Moncton, and you couldn’t ask for nicer weather this weekend as an excuse to get outdoors for a local pint or two. Luckily for those of you able to do just that at Euston Park, O’Creek Brewing just released the latest in their DUOH series (that’s Duo Hopped, as in hopped with two different hop varieties), DUOH Mosaic/Idaho 7. With this version of this 6% ABV NEIPA, it’s not just the addition of Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops that’s different – the brewery also fermented this batch with a Kveik strain, to boost those lovely tropical, juicy vibes even further. If you’re a fan of super-hazy, super-hoppy IPAs, we highly suggest you get down there before the beer has kicked and the sun has disappeared!

Speaking of IPAs fermented with Kveik (this is definitely becoming more popular with breweries in our region, and we don’t expect it to change anytime soon), Newfoundland’s Bannerman Brewing has their own available at the taproom in St. John’s. Rhymes With Orange was double-dry-hopped with Citra, which combined with the Kveik fermentation leads to huge flavours of orange, grapefruit, and tropical fruit. This 6.5% ABV haze-bomb is currently available at the taproom for pints, as well as in growlers and cans (limited supply).

Those crazy buggers at Good Robot are officially back… well, ok, maybe they never went anywhere, but the Good Robot taproom and patio (aka Gastro Turf) are officially open to the public, starting today! Certainly, at a safer and more-socially distant capacity, but open just the same, and with this weekend’s weather, they couldn’t have planned it any better. They also have a new beverage to mark the occasion, Mint Berry Fizz. Available in cans only, this 4.7% ABV fermented seltzer is fruity, bubbly, and refreshing. They’ll also have all of their taps flowing, of course, so there will be lots of options!

Your newest hoppy brew, Golden Repair, is freshly available at TrailWay Brewing as of earlier this week. A pale-coloured, hazy American IPA, this 6.6% ABV beer was hopped with a combination of Strata and Vic Secret. Dry-hopped twice with equal amounts of each, the final beer is tasting pretty juicy, “saturated with tropical fruit, with pineapple being the frontrunner, along with citrus and passion fruit”. Available on tap and in cans exclusively at the brewery. 

Sober Island Brewing is celebrating the opening of their Beer Garden this weekend, featuring wide open spaces for you and your pals to enjoy the fruits of their labours. Thursday through Sunday, 12 – 7 PM, both the Beer Garden and indoor taproom are open for on-site enjoyment at 22462 Hwy 7 in Sheet Harbour (BG hours are weather-dependent, natch). Due to the nature of the current restrictions still in place, reservations are encouraged, via phone (902-885-2072), and soon a fancy app! And while you’re there, you’ll be able to enjoy their latest releases, which includes a brand-new IPA, a 6.4% ABV West Coast style IPA (stellar hops like Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe in here), and the return of The Blueberry Express, their 5.0% ABV Blonde brewed with blueberries. Both of these, plus a few more, are also available for home delivery through their online shop.

On the Western side of Newfoundland, Port au Port’s Secret Cove Brewing has a new beer out that should be perfect for warm summer weather. Lingo is named for the well-documented “native-tongue” of the folks in Newfoundland, including their tendency towards turns of phrase not known outside the island. Taking things in a little different direction than a traditional fruited sour, where fruit or juice is added during fermentation, Lingo leverages the Radler style, where fruit juice is blended with finished beer, although generally not a sour beer. In this case, lemon and blood orange were the fruit juices of choice and the result is a refreshing and low-alcohol (3.2% ABV) beverage with plenty of sour bite. This limited batch has been canned and is not available in growlers; you’ll have to hit the Curb Shop to get a hold of this one. Meanwhile, check out Secret Cove’s Father’s Day contest on Instagram for a chance to win some sweet beer swag.

Speaking of fruited sour beers, but bringing it back down to Nova Scotia, Propeller has released Strawberry + Kiwi Sour, a beer that’s bursting with fresh fruit flavors. This was an experimental small batch brewed at the height of physical distancing, but without the taprooms to distribute it, they decided to bottle it up in 750 mL bombers and make it available for purchase hoping folks might be interested in trying it. And boy were they ever: all of the bottles that were available on the website for order have already sold out, but there’s a limited number remaining for sale in the three Prop Shops today (Windmill, Gottingen, and their new Quinpool spot). Light in body, this 4.8% ABV beer has plenty of fruit character and a tart finish. Hopefully the strong interest will lead to this one being made again, possibly in a bigger batch. On the topic of bigger batches, fans of Prop’s Common will be happy to hear that 24-packs of this California Common-style beer will be selling for $39.99 at the Prop Shops and through on-line ordering (shortly) for the duration of the summer. And in another round of great news, the Propeller Arcade in the basement of the Gottingen taproom is open again, Thursday to Sunday, 4 PM until late. Tackle modern and vintage pinball machines, as well as your fave cabinet games too. 

One more trip across the water to The Rock, where Ninepenny Brewing in CBS has released an English Brown Ale. At 5.3%, Old Glory may be a bit higher ABV than more traditional ones, but that just means more fun crammed into every bottle! Malt-forward notes of toffee, biscuit, and touch of dark chocolate, with the Foggy London yeast adding some light fruit character in there as well. Joining Old Glory are two returning favourites, the Route 60 Sour and 12 Bricks Milkshake IPA, with all three, plus a few more, available for order on their webshop for local delivery tomorrow. And if you get your order in before midnight, you’ll be entered in their Father’s Day giveaway!

Let’s say you can’t, or would rather not, make it out to the great restaurants, bars, and taprooms that continue to open this weekend. Fear not, chill you favourite beer, cider, wine, or other beverage, and tune into the Sip Into Summer Virtual Festival event tomorrow. Hosted by the fine folks at Uncorked Tours in Saint John, NB, the event is tailored to anyone, anywhere, to enjoy popping in and out, or stick around for the full 8 hour event. The full schedule is up on their FB page, but starting at 1 PM with some circuit training to get the juices flowing, and then some live music, followed by a tasting of Summer Stouts with Alyssa Donaldson at 3 PM. Craig Pinhey takes over for a New World vs Old World wine talk and tasting, before a tour and tasting at Brasseux d’la Côte and Magnetic Hill Winery. Cap it off with a beer tasting with the Moncton Beer League, and you’ve officially done a tour of the province’s beverages! Grab your tickets through that first link, and happy Sipping!

A few more newsbites for you today before we dismiss the class…

Up in Woodstock, NB, Cross Creek Brewing has a new American IPA called Over Across that features 100% Centennial hops grown locally. At 6% ABV and 60 IBU it sounds to be in the more traditional AIPA vein. Check it out soon on tap at The Joyce in Fredericton with other tap accounts surely to follow. Cross Creek is also planning their first packaged product for this summer, Cross Creek Pale Ale; we’ll let you know when that one makes its debut on the market.

If you’re in Quidi Vidi  this weekend and like sour and/or hoppy beers, you could check out the namesake brewery’s new Sour IPA #2. It’s 6% ABV and canned up for maximum portability. A small batch beer, there are only 300 cans of this one so they’re limiting customers to 2 each. Also available for ordering via their online store.

We’ve mentioned the new meads coming out of Chester Basin’s Tanner & Co. over the past few weeks and there’s another new small/experimental one available this week. Sauvage Sparkling Mead is the result of introducing the Scotia Sauvage yeast strain to Tanner’s mead base and letting it work for a few months. The result was then kegged and carbonated and is now available only at the brewery. Act fast if you’re interested though, there’s literally only the one keg!

Halifax’s tiny Tidehouse has two new ones available for curb-side pickup tomorrow. Sotil 2 is, of course, a remake of their original Sotil, a dry saison with some Marquette grape skin contact and a slight sour character. Not entirely unlike a wine cooler or even a seltzer, but maybe a little more refined. Fjort is a DIPA with plenty of weight (8.5% ABV) and lots of Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops. Canned this week, so super fresh, low on the bitterness and high on pineapple, grapefruit, and melon notes. Give them a call at 902-407-2550 to place your order for Saturday pickup between 12 and 5 PM.

And in the “Hub of Nova Scotia” Truro Brewing Company has a new beer for you to try, a thirst-quenching Berlinner Weiße with Key Lime that they’re calling Summer Crush. Grab a pint at the brewery and/or get a growler to go and enjoy it wherever you like to sit in the sun and have a refreshing beer!

And with the good news happening around AtlCan, we’re seeing some spots hiring and expanding their scope, here are two such businesses looking to bring some folks onto their team.

Word is coming out that there’s going to be a changing of the guard at The Church Brewing Company in Wolfville, as one of Nova Scotia’s larger “rural” breweries is on the hunt for a new head brewer to operate their semi-automated 4-vessel, 35 hectolitre (~30 BBL) system including centrifuge and 6-head canning line. The successful candidate will have at least a few years’ experience in the industry and a willingness to take on the challenge of maintaining and operating the brewery, carrying on the existing brands, and setting the course for the future of the brewery’s beers. This will all take place in support of the distinctive on-site 250-seat restaurant as well as the retail channels through NSLC, other retailers, and tap accounts. If you’re interested, you can go ahead and request more details and/or submit your resume to matt.haysom@churchbrewing.com.

Good friend to great beer Old Road BBQ in Truro is re-inventing themselves yet again after 3 months dedicating their efforts supporting front line workers throughout the province, and beyond. That work continues through Cooking for Canada, and is still worthy of your time and attention. They are poised to re-open their restaurant with an expanded size and breadth of offerings in the next couple of weeks. They have a brand new massive patio, takeout offerings, including locally-produced staples like bread, milk, coffee, and ICE CREAM! To that end, they are looking for a bunch of awesome people to join their team as servers, bartenders, ice cream folks, and prep cooks. Anyone 19+ is welcome to apply, the best way to do that is hit them up via email. And of course we’ll remind you closer to their opening date, which is July 1st! Welcome back Aaron and crew!

Another week of positive news in the region’s response to the pandemic, with very few new and ongoing cases, the provinces continue to relax restrictions and allow more businesses to re-open, including big news from Newfoundland, where they entered Alert Level 3 of COVID recovery this week. That means folks can enlarge their social interactions beyond their double bubble, engage in some outdoor sports and recreation, and restaurants are allowed to open (while still maintaining physical distancing for patrons). This means the local breweries are able to send beer out to licensees, and for those able, can open their own on-site dining and taproom spaces, so be sure to keep an eye on your local’s social media page.

Let’s kick off this week’s post with news from breweries across Newfoundland, including Western, Eastern, and Bonavista regions. Let’s start in Deer Lake, where Rough Waters Brewing calls home. They have just released their first Double IPA, simply named Pandemic. The label sports a picture of The Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Health and Community Services, a name Newfoundlanders have learned over the past three months, giving guidance and advice, reporting on the recovery efforts, and sometimes having to put folks in their place when looking for loopholes. The beer brewed in celebration of Haggie’s efforts is 7.7% ABV, and features loads of Azacca, Centennial, and Chinook, including 3 separate dry-hopping additions, resulting in big tropical and citrus aromatics, and a little bit of haze (that’s how you know it’s working!). This is a limited release, available at their retail shop at 83 Wights Road with new hours established today (1 – 5 PM, Tuesday to Saturday). You can organize a no-contact curbside pickup (email info@roughwatersbrewing.com or message them through Facebook or Instagram), or if you can’t make it there in person, via delivery to Norris Point and Rocky Harbour (reach out the same way), with this week’s deliveries going out Friday (but maybe if you get in ASAP there will be some for the next delivery). Sorry, no Pandemic DIPA heading East, though you can find five other RWBC options at St. John’s NLC locations for purchase.

Let’s head East to the Bonavista Peninsula, where Port Rexton Brewing Company has recently released their version of the All Together world-wide collaboration. Hosted by Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, this New England IPA was conceived with the goal of supporting the service and hospitality industries in breweries’ regions, hit very hard by the closures mandated to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19. PRBC joins TrailWay in Fredericton, and 2 Crows in Halifax to take part (more info on that one below). Read more about it here. Ensuring even more proceeds go to the deserving parties, White Cactus Branding and Maritime Labels donated design and printing of the labels, which features an amazing picture of a recent visitor to Port Rexton, taken by Danielle Lethbridge. Port Rexton’s version stays true to the original, weighing in at 6.5% ABV, and featuring boatloads of whirlpool- and dry-hopping, resulting in massive tropical fruit punch flavour and aroma, with very little bitterness. They have also brought back a few favourites, including a re-stock of their Sea Buckthorn Sour, a collaboration with St. John’s Toslow restaurant. Not sitting on their laurels, the crew added an extra 25% sea buckthorn puree to the beer, giving even more character than the previous batch. And returning after a few months off is Long Trek Lager, their 5.0% ABV Munich Helles, ready to be stowed in your backpack for the adventures ahead. All of these releases are available for ordering and pick up now! A note, there are new instructions for their St. John’s Retail Shop: Online stock is refreshed each Thursday morning, so you can set your order for the weekend, and pick up at  286 Torbay Road Thursday and Friday, 12 – 7 PM, or Saturday, 12 – 5 PM. To grab it at the source, check this link, and pop by Friday and Saturday, 12 – 6 PM. And they are joined once again by Oh My Cheeses! food truck (open the same hours), giving you the perfect lunch or dinner accompaniment. No inside dining for the time being, b’ys!

Let’s head Southeast, to Mount Pearl, to be precise… where Landwash Brewery released a “Tiny Pale Ale” earlier this week, named after some very Tiny Fish. The stickleback, also known as prickly fish, are found all around Newfoundland, hanging out in brackish waters and tidepools, and have spines along their dorsal fins (you know, sticky backs…). Prickly Fish is a 4.5% ABV Session APA/IPA sorta thing, featuring hopping in the boil and conditioning tank with Sorachi Ace, Ekuanot, and Bru-1, giving great harmonious notes of coconut, orange, and other tropical fruit on a hazy base. It is joined by the return of their Green Nap Hazy IPA series, with this release featuring Simcoe and Amarillo hops, giving off dank citrus, mango skin, and dried apricots, with a bit more bite than their That Much Ocean NEIPA. Both are available for order and pickup through their online store, now open 12 – 8 PM Tuesday through Saturday, and we highly recommend coordinating your timing to grab something from Saucy Mouth, who continue their residency at the brewery the same days, 4- 8 PM. And keep your eyes open for news on the in-taproom enjoyment front, as the Landwash folks are busy making some moves in the direction, to be able to welcome you inside real soon.

One last stop on the Rock, as Quidi Vidi has a pair of small batch releases available for sale at their Hops Shop this week. First up is the Imperial Baltic Porter, an 8.0% ABV beast of a beer with plenty of chocolate and roast notes, with a bit of toffee and dried fruit character. Joining it is the Czech Pilsner, a 5.0% ABV continuation of the Continental European styles they’ve been dabbling in lately, opting for an unfiltered version, with light grain notes and a touch of bread crust and toast, with a slightly bitter finish. How do you get hold of these? Head to their online shop and choose “Pick Up Order” (both of these new ones are small batch releases, in the Hop Shop only), fill out your request, give them some time to pack it together, then head down for pick up. They are also running deliveries for other cans and bottles, Tuesday – Saturday afternoons, accessible from the same page, choosing the “Home Delivery Order” button. Be sure to keep any “Pick Up Only” items out of your cart, or you’re gonna have a bad time. 

We’ve heard of a brand new beer in the wild from Hanwell’s Niche Brewing, so let’s get you up to speed on this one. A “return to hoppiness” for them, Peaks Island is a 6.0% ABV hoppy hazy NEIPA. Named after the island in Casco Bay just offshore of Portland, Maine, a town home to many well-made NEIPAs (and sometimes you just need to escape them all for an afternoon!). Starting with a base of 2-row and Pilsner malts, with additions of flaked oats and wheat, as well as a touch of CaraHell, the star of the show is definitely the hops, with a variety used throughout. First hopped in the kettle with Chinook and El Dorado, it was dry-hopped with plenty of Ekuanot and Galaxy. The combination leads to a low- to mid-range bitterness, with a ton of tropical fruit on the nose and tongue, complemented with a bit of green pepper character from the Ekuanot. You can grab the first pints of these in Fredericton at The Joyce Pub and in Saint John at Peppers Pub, and may be picked up elsewhere if you’re lucky!

The worldwide collaboration brew started by New York City’s Other Half Brewing to support hospitality professionals during COVID-19 times, All Together, continues to be brewed by breweries, and late last week 2 Crows is releasing their iteration. This 6.5% ABV American IPA was brewed with 2-row, flaked oats, and Carapils; hopped in the boil with Columbus, and lots of Mosaic and Cascade in the hopback, it was later heavily dry-hopped with more Mosaic and Cascade, along with Simcoe and Citra. As you may be guessing… hoppy juice bomb alert! Specifically, “overripe mango, passion fruit, clementine, papaya, and a touch of pine”, if you’re into that sort of thing (you are). Some of the ingredients in this brew were graciously donated by local suppliers, and a portion of the proceeds from sales will go to Halifax’s Laing House, a non-profit organization that helps youth facing mental health challenges. In addition, 2C is also giving a portion of proceeds to their taproom employees, who have seen a reduction in hours as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. ⁣You can grab it in cans and on tap at the brewery. And in other 2C news, their non-alcoholic carbonated water, Hop Water, is back in stock… refreshing, guilt-free, and with a nice hop presence of Citra, it’ll go down even easier in this warmer weather than it did before!

Elsewhere in the province, Roof Hound’s Kingston location is launching a new beer today when they open at noon, Fuzzy Navel IPA. Inspired by the cocktail of the same name, this hazy, juicy brew was hopped with lots of Summit, and features additions of orange juice and housemade peach purée. It comes in at 6.5% ABV, and is definitely tasting reminiscent of that drink you may have tried when you were younger, only it’s better, because it’s beer, you know? Available on tap and in bottles to go; the brewery is still doing home deliveries, so that’s an option as well.

These Kveik yeast strains are all the rage now, ain’t they? Luckily, there’s lots of good reasons for that, and Hampton Brewing is betting that you’ll love their latest beer, Koselig (pronounced “koos-uh-lee”), which was fermented with the Ebbegarden Kveik yeast from Escarpment Labs. Brewed with the malt base of a previous release of theirs, Mosaic Blonde, they’ve increased the dry hop (we’re betting it’s Mosaic!) with this beer; that and the yeast combine to give “flavours of guava and mango, and aromas of tropical and stone fruit”. Definitely not your typical Blonde Ale! Coming in around the mid-5% ABV range, the first kegs can be found pouring at Grass Roots Grill and the Hampton Golf Course.

In Lunenburg, NS, Shipwright Brewing has a new beer available that they’d love you to try. Shoreline Export Ale is a 5.2% ABV Golden Ale brewed with Pale Ale, Wheat, and Light Munich malts, and hopped with Saaz and Hallertau Blanc. Featuring notes of honey and biscuit, with a balanced bitterness (22 IBUs), it’s meant to be one of those easy-drinking styles, yet with a lovely mix of hop and malt character, all in a clean package. You can grab crowlers to go from the brewery right now, and it should be pouring on tap soon at the Grand Banker

Riverdale Orchard in Bonshaw is open today, and this weekend, for retail sales of bottles and baked goods, and are also running a hot meal take-out special this afternoon and evening, featuring pulled pork in Scottish Rolls. The best way to success is via pre-orders on their site, and you will receive an email with a day/time confirmation. In addition to their award-winning 2 Scots 3 Apples flagship, they now have 2 Scots Go Wild, their low-intervention cider made with solely wild apples grown right on their property, and fermented with the naturally-occurring yeasts during a low and slow process, and has been maturing for 5 months before bottling. No sulphites added either! This 5.5% ABV dry cider features a heavy fruity undertone, letting the apple shine through.

Up in Northern New Brunswick, in Bathurst to be specific, Four Rivers is quite pleased to announce the availability of their first barrel-aged beers. Both based on a stout (the same one, we think), they got different barrel treatments for 7 months before 2 additional months of conditioning in the bottle: La Grande Hermine spent it’s time in a Shiraz barrel and Eau de Vie was cognac. Both beers finished at 5.5% ABV and due to the size of the barrels and the aging process, there’s only 200 (or so) 750 mL of each, so they’ll have bottle limits per customer per day and they won’t be accepting reservations. They will, however, be opening an hour early tomorrow specifically for the release, so if you’re in that area of NB and have a hankering for some barrel-aged goodness a trip to the brewery is probably better done earlier than later!

Let’s end this week’s main stories the same place we started, in Newfoundland! Split Rock Brewing in Twillingate has recently released their newest one-off brew, Dry-Hopped Rye Ale. They started with a grist chock full of rye malt, and added a hefty amount of Willamette and East Kent Goldings hops in the boil. Fermented with the brewery’s house English yeast, the final beer was dry-hopped with more Willamette and EKG, before packaging. At 6.3% ABV, it’s tasting “slick and full-bodied, with notes of spice, earth and honey”. Available right now at the brewery in 473 mL cans.

Well, the week got away from us (Chris!), and we didn’t get to put together the big list of re-openings that we had hoped to. For those in Nova Scotia, please check out Kim Hart Macneill’s guide to brewery reopenings and we aim to add our own deep dive into all Atlantic provinces this weekend. If you want to tell us if we’ve missed anything (y’know, like the entire province of New Brunswick), fire us an email! A few notable spots that popped up on our radar:

Newfoundland:

Bannerman Brewing has opened their cafe and restaurant today, with coffee and beer from 8:30 AM until midnight daily (closed Mon and Tues). Baked goods in the morning, with their kitchen operating with a reduced menu 3 – 9 PM. They have suspended their Curbside and To-Go service, as well as filling growlers (this one should just be temporary).

Dildo Brewing has opened their brewery taproom and restaurant for the year, open daily from 11 AM, closing at 8 PM Fri and Sat, 7 PM Sun – Thurs.

Nova Scotia:

Bar Stillwell Barrington is now open, Tuesday – Thursday 4 – 11 PM, Friday – Sunday 12 – 11 PM. RSVP required (902-421-1672). The Spring Garden Beergarden is also open, weather permitting, 12 – 11 PM daily. No resos needed. Canned beers (and other packaged product) can be added to a takeout food order. No word yet on the Freehouse’s re-opening. 

Battery Park is now open for in-person dining, from 3 PM during the week, and noon on weekends. The North Brewing shop onsite follows the same guidelines, check here for more details.

Big Spruce Brewing is opening their taproom, as well as their on-site food truck today, with pints and flights, as well as a full menu of options.

HopYard Halifax is now open for onsite and takeout, 12 – 9 PM daily. Reservations recommended.

Stubborn Goat’s location on Grafton Street is open from 11:30 AM until late Monday – Friday, and from 10:30 AM on the weekend. Their rooftop patio is open, weather permitting. The Beer Garden is open 11 – 11 daily, weather permitting.

Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse is back open for dining, from 11:30 AM until 8 PM, Tuesday through Saturday (closed between 2 and 4 PM, Tues through Thursday, and open until 9 PM Fri and Sat).

North Brewing has resumed in-store retail purchases, to complement their contact-less pickup and delivery options. The taproom is also open again, for on-site enjoyment and eats thanks to the folks at Side Hustle Snack Bar.

Prince Edward Island:

HopYard is open 11:30 AM – 11 PM daily, for sit-down or take-out options.

Bogside Brewing has re-opened their taproom and patio for onsite dining and imbibing, with The Wheelhouse providing food options for folks. They are open daily (except Monday), 12 – 7 PM.

Lone Oak Brewing has re-opened the taproom for pints and flights, and have the Terry’s Berries Food Truck set up onsite noon til 7 PM daily. And are working towards a more permanent kitchen setup inside, for year-round food service.

And if you’ve been missing the shorter newsbites section you’re in luck, as we’ve got a bunch for you today:

Grimross has a fresh batch of Hop Blonde (6% ABV, 23 IBUs) on tap at the brewery today; you can grab it in prefilled 750 mL and 1.89 L bottles/growlers, and it should also be popping up at restaurants and bars across NB. Look for the next batch to be available in cans.

Lazy Bear just released their latest beer, Balancing Rock Ale, at the brewery for growlers and pints. Brewed with a blend of Vienna malts and lightly-hopped, it weighs in at just 4.5% ABV.

Newfoundland’s Secret Cove Brewing is now canning, and have re-released their Come Home Beer, an Apricot Wheat Ale, with a temporarily-new name, Stay Home Beer (we’re sure you can figure out why). “Tart and juicy”, you can grab cans at the brewery’s Curb Shop, which means you do have to leave home…. *brain explodes*

If you’re looking for a job this summer, why not consider applying at your local brewery for a position? If you leave in or near the Chester area of Nova Scotia, Tanner & Co. is currently hiring for the summer; check out this link for more details.

Timber Ship Brewing has announced that they are re-releasing their popular How She Goin’, a “Honey Session Ale” again very soon (if not now!). Brewed with wildflower honey from My Lil’ Bee Honey Farm in Napan, NB, it’s light and crisp, with some slight aromas and flavours from the honey. 

We mentioned it last week, and now it’s a reality, Upstreet Brewing continues their Million Acres series this week with the release of Gamay Noir Saison, a saison aged on grape pomace. And we also mentioned the introduction of their Rewind vodka soda line of 5% ABV and 100 calorie alcopops; these are now available in 6 packs of 355 mL cans with the initial flavors of Raspberry Lemon Zest and Key Lime Sea Salt available now with Blood Orange Grapefruit coming soon!