Archives

All posts for the month February, 2022

Friday Wrap-Up for February 25, 2022 – News from Barnone, Change is Brewing and North, Lake City, Brightwood, Spindrift, Landwash, Boxing Rock, Brewdock, and much more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2022-02-25
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Bar Brewdock, BarNone Brewing, Boomstick Brewing, Bootleg Brew Company, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Change Is Brewing Collective, Delta Force Brewing, Lake City Cider, Landwash Brewery, Local Source, Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival, North Brewing, Rough Waters Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

We come to you with mixed emotions this week, as it was a big week in news for our Maritime region with COVID restrictions. With target dates for all restrictions being announced for all 4 of our provinces, you, me and all of our friends and family will feel some type of way. Regardless, we’re here to bring you the news from ales, lagers, ciders, meads and events as we try to do every week and a pandemic hasn’t changed that. More than ever, you’ll need to check your provincial restrictions but also the business’ own restrictions, as some establishments may still choose to keep their own policies. Be kind, be prepared and support your favourites and newly discovered places as safely and comfortably as you can! 

Some great, if unexpected news, from Rose Valley, PEI, this week, as Barnone (Bar None? Barn One? That joke never gets old) has announced they are back in business! After closing in 2021, Don Campbell teamed up with a group of local beer fans to bring life back into the hop farm-based brewery and the fruit of their labour is hitting taps around Charlottetown now! Their IPA, decidedly bitter and in the West Coast style, as well as their Milk Stout, are available on tap at The Olde Dublin Pub, The Claddaugh Oyster House, and The Local Pub, with plans underway to re-open the taproom (aka, the second floor of the brewery/barn), expand their brewery capacity, and get into canning in order to bring the good beer to you! Keep up to date on their progress on their Fb page, and we hope to have a full Profile with Campbell and Co once they are fully open and ready to rock!

Getting together for their second collaboration, Change is Brewing Collective and North Brewing have a new release you can get today. Deep Rooted is a 5.7% Brown Ale inspired by the classic African Nova Scotian cookbook, “In the Africville Kitchen: The Comforts of Home”. A brown ale made with brown sugar and molasses, it has sweetness from honey malt as well, bringing the classic malt flavour and smoothness from a brown ale.  North will be donation a portion of each sale of the can directly to Change is Brewing Collective and also offering 2 specials in the North Kitchen (Molasses BBQ Wings and Ice Cream Sandwiches with ginger molasses cookies and rum raisin ice cream), with proceeds from those sales going to the collective, as well. This is available in cans and on tap at North. 

Staying in Dartmouth, but switching to cider, Lake City has their annual seasonal coming out to get you excited for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Green Ginger starts with their dry cider and sees additions of fresh pressed ginger root and a touch of chlorophyll to give it a festive green hue. Check out their webstore for a St. Patrick’s Day special featuring the 5.5% ABV Green Ginger and their Mac G fresh pressed cider. 

Staying close to Lake City (literally, next door), Brightwood Brewery released two new test batches on Tuesday, a.k.a. Twosday, a.k.a. 2/22/2022. Named after the infamous Top Guns, Maverick and Goose IPAs use the same recipe, except for the single hop varieties that they each showcase. Maverick features the Idaho 7 hop, leading to citrusy aromas like tangerine. Goose uses the Ella hop and leans more towards stone fruit notes such as apricot.  Both beers come in at 6% ABV and are only available on tap on Portland Street. Brightwood plans to iterate on this single hop series, with next week’s version showcasing Aramis hops, and future plans to use Bravo and Ariana. 

Let’s finish off this Dartmouth streak with a new release from Spindrift. Cardinal Red IPA features 100% Red X Malt, giving a deep crimson hue. Brewed in the west coast style (more malt character and bitterness), it uses a combo of Centennial, Citra, Comet and Vic Secret hops. Coming in at 5.5% ABV, you can expect notes of piney resin and citrus, all wrapped around a firm malt backbone and topped off with some fruity esters from the ferment.  Cardinal is currently available at the original Burnside location and their new taproom in Downtown Antigonish. 

Bringing a spin to a previous release, Landwash has made a sweater treat out of their Hazures Rock stout, adding an inspired sweetness to the coffee and ice cream or gelato Italian Affogato dessert. Affogato Hazures Rock is a 7% Coffee and Ice Cream Stout, featuring coffee from Cafe Terra Nova with lactose and vanilla additions. Do we need to say anything else? This sounds sweet and delicious. Adding to the fun, Landwash will be serving beer floats with this beer using ice cream from Cove Creamery. Cans are available now from the brewery, along with the usual Landwash retailers such as Marie’s, NLCs, Needs, Orange Stores, Urban Market, and more!

In “Coming Soon” news, Shelburne’s Boxing Rock has announced that they will be expanding their Halifax Test Kitchen in the spring, when Local Source opens their second location at the corner of Windsor and Almon. This will be a new and expanded space for both businesses, and allow BR more room for brewing up their small (120 litre) experimental brews, homebase for their extremely popular local delivery service, as well as a new hybrid e-commerce/in-person retail model. Keep an eye here, and on BR’s social media (IG/Fb), to be the first to know when their doors are open. Congratulations to Emily, Henry, and the entire BR team!

Let’s get you back to Newfoundland for this week’s Upcoming Events features!

Bar Brewdock, in St. John’s East Duck area, is hosting a trio of West Coast breweries this weekend, to give the East a better introduction to the West. Boomstick Brewing, Bootleg Brew Co, both of Corner Brook, and Deer Lake’s Rough Waters Brewing, have sent ten beer between them to showcase the best offerings in the region. Joining them is Chef David Vatcher of Best Coast Restaurant in Corner Brook, who is doing a Brunch Takeover of the kitchen 10 AM – 3 PM today and Saturday. Featuring his famous Eggs Benedict, Vatcher and Co will share his passion with those in the big city, who may even want to book a visit out to CB. To sweeten the pot, those visiting Brewdock today and tomorrow can enter in a draw for a prize package from the breweries, restaurant, Hew and Draw Hotel, and Marble Mountain, for a full weekend of fun!

And those in Corner Brook will be able to taste Brewdock without the travel, as Chef Chris Mercer will be making the trip to Best Coast Restaurant, March 4 & 5. And to return the favour, he and the Brewdock Crew will be bringing a van-load of East Coast beers to sling in the restaurant and Boomstick taproom. Mark your calendars now!

One of the signs of things starting to get back to normal-ish is the return of beer festivals and the Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival is leading the charge, starting with their East Coast event at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market on Friday, March 25th, and Saturday, March 26th from 7-10 PM. There are still tickets available for both sessions, and they’re hoping for some nice weather to ring in the spring season. Both days have a VIP option, which includes an extra hour of tasting starting earlier at 6 PM. All tickets include your beer samples (including new-to-market beers) and tasting glassware for you to use and take home afterwards. Tickets are $65 plus fees for the standard session and $75 plus fees for the VIP session and can be purchased through Eventzilla. There are also Designated Driver tickets (sold out for the Saturday session, sadly) at $10 plus fees. And if you’re a beer fan in NL but nowhere near St. John’s, look for the NLCBF West Coast version to happen in Corner Brook and the NLCBF Big Land edition to happen in Lab City on June 4th and June 11th, respectively; both are already 50% sold, so if you’re interested you should probably click the ticket purchase link above sooner rather than later.

In the grandest of grand traditions, here are this week’s quick hit newsbites:

Kicking off the quick hits to end this week’s post, Tusket Falls Brewing has a new batch of their excellent Hazy IPA, Control The Tempo. Typically brewed with a hop bill of Cascade and Citra, this time they’ve added some Simcoe to the recipe. This is 6.2% and available in cans at both of their locations. 

Unfiltered is back with a tasty re-release, Isolator, an oak-aged Doppelbock is back in cans and on tap. At 11.5% this is a slow sipper (or drink it however you please!) bringing warmth, sweet rich and malty flavour. Get it while you can!

No stranger to this blog in 2022, Delta Force Brewing is keeping up with the quick newsbites. The farmshed crew has put together a sale for the next 5 weeks on their take on a classic West Coast IPA, Operation Stronghold. If you buy a 4 pack, you get $6, bringing it to $22. Visit their website or email them to place an order now, or before the end of March. 

Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing has brought back their Stormy Weather IPA, just in time for this week’s next round of the white stuff… At 6.0% ABV, this hazy beaut features loads of Vic Secret, with the assist by Mosaic, for a face full of tropical fruit in the name of peach, pineapple, and berries. Available on tap at the brewery now, with cans and growlers to go, plus look for it on the rotating taps at better beer bars in the region soon.

It’s that time of year, as breweries are in build-up mode, getting ready for what will surely be an extremely busy spring and summer. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for job openings, and encourage those with job postings, or looking to get hired at a brewery to reach out, maybe we can help make a connection!

The crews at 2 Crows Brewing are looking to fill a part-time position as soon as possible. Helping with Packaging and Bartending at the taproom is the job and they are full on board with accessibility and inclusivity. Check out the full info from the Crows here or check the Careers page on their website. 

And back to Mount Pearl, where Landwash Brewery are gearing up for more fun in the taproom, and bringing on a Taproom and Events Manager. Juggling those all-important Beertenders as well as scheduling the fun events and activities that bring folks in, and back, for pints, it’s no small feat! Check the job listing and apply today!

Friday Wrap-Up for February 18, 2022 – News from Lone Oak, Gridiron, Landwash, Truro, Baccalieu Trail, Propeller, Tanner, RagnaRock, and more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2022-02-18
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Gridiron Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Landwash Brewery, Lone Oak Brewing, Propeller Brewing, RagnaRock Northern Brewing Company, Tanner & Co Brewing, Truro Brewing Company. Leave a Comment

Sorry we’re late this week folks, sometimes work and life have a way of interrupting the truly important things like blogging about beer. We’re happy to say that we’ve once again got news from all four Atlantic Provinces this week, including an entertaining slate of new beers that show that our brewers are definitely already looking forward to warmer weather. Now that we think about it, it’s brilliant: a way to enjoy the taste of a warm-weather style without the oppressive heat and intense production schedules of the summer months. So grab one (or more!) of those summery beers this weekend, close your eyes, and let yourself dream a little.

In future brewery news, we’ve got a big one for our fans on Prince Edward Island! Lone Oak Brewing, the darlings of Borden-Carleton, are expanding their reach in a big way, as they look to open a brewpub location at 15 Milky Way in Charlottetown. Set to open late Spring next to Receiver Coffee’s spot, the new location will feature all of the great beer that visitors and locals have enjoyed in Borden, along with great food, live music, and a cozy atmosphere in the 70-seat taproom, as well as extensive cobblestone patio overlooking the North River. Residents will now be able to enjoy a pint or two without making their way to the bridge! Stay up to speed with their progress by checking out their Instagram and Facebook for the new location. And hey, while we have you… their Otis Foeder-Aged Grisette is back on tap and in cans this week. Light and spritzy, a little tart and a lot of refreshment in just 3.5% ABV, it is available in cans and on tap at the brewery, and will be available further afield in better beer bars soon!

In New Brunswick’s Kennebecasis Valley, Gridiron Brewing is putting out a really hopeful-sounding beer for the middle of February, but we’ve got to say we like their optimism. T-Shirt Weather is billed as a “Hefeweizen-style Dampfbier,” which brings a bit of obscurity to the fore, as Dampfbier is a very traditional, but little-known, style from Bavaria. Pairing an all-barley malt bill with a Weißbier yeast and fermented warm to encourage some phenols, this one was also hit with some bitter orange peel as well as some Mandarina Bavaria hops to promote even more of a citrus presence. At 3.9% ABV you’ll be able to sip several of them and consider that combination without worrying about being able to walk afterwards. Look for it on tap at the brewery in Hampton.

Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery has a new sour on tap and in cans this week. Ruby Line is a Raspberry and Lime Sour, bursting with flavour from both fruits, on top of a super-tart 4.5% base beer. Who knows, maybe you even took Ruby Line to get to the brewery that day! You can enjoy it on draught in samples and pints, grab a growler to go, or snag a single or four-pack of cans from their retail side. Also hitting the shelves at Marie’s (where you’ll get a free glass if you’re one of the first 24 to grab a four-pack), NLCs, and other retailers as we speak! And hey, if you’re up for it, drop by the taproom tonight where Robert Russell will be playing live, from 7:30 PM.

In the hub of Nova Scotia, Truro Brewing has a new one out with a name that might help you hearken back to the 90s (y’know, if you’re old and into great tunes). Under the Pink is a sour wheat ale with a lovely hue provided by a generous addition of local haskap berries. Is this another beer this week that’s dreaming ahead to summer? You bet your life it is! Light and tart, 4.0%, this one’s only available at the taproom, where we suspect you just might hear some Tori Amos on the sound system as you sip away.

In Bay Roberts, NL, Baccalieu Trail Brewing continues the apparent trend of this week’s post, as they have a brand new gose on the go. And nothing says, “the depths of winter,” like a gose, right? Right?! Well perhaps they took inspiration from the state of Atlantic Canada’s roads right now (salty and everybody’s sour about them) in coming up with Sea Spray. Or maybe they just wanted to make a tasty sour beer with notes of sea salt and coriander, in this case tarted up by the addition of tangerine, key lime, and grapefruit for a real citrus kick. Unfortunately you won’t be able to enjoy this one on tap at the source, as they’re still working on an HVAC issue in the taproom that’s keeping them closed, but you can grab some to go or look for cans already on the shelves at Marie’s and select NLC locations as well as Needs on the Avalon.

In Halifax, Propeller Brewing has a new beer out and would you believe it’s a dry-hopped sour that should have you thinking of warmer, brighter days ahead? Arcane hit the shelves today at all Prop shops as well as most of the private stores in Halifax. Tart and juicy, it was hit with what they’re describing as an “elusive” hop blend which is probably brewer code for either, “we don’t remember,” or, “you’ll never get me Lucky Charms.” You’ll just have to try to suss it out as you savour this 4.8% ABV sour and the citrus and tropical hop notes it features.

If we told you that Tanner & Co. Brewing in Chester, NS, had a new saison out this week, you might think that we’re finally getting away from the “summer style beers in winter” trend, and if that’s the case, allow us to tell you a little bit about Belgian Saison… Originally brewed by farmers in winter and spring, then cellared until they were provided to workers in the summer, they’re known for rustic grist, yeast driven character notes, and a thirst-quenching dry finish. Tanner’s new Belgian Saison utilizes two Belgian yeast strains, first one known for peppery/spicy phenols, then a second, added at roughly 50% fermentation, that tends to favour a more citrus-forward character. Sounds like a tasty combination to us; look for this 7.2% ABV strong beer in bottles at both Tanner locations or order online for delivery.

We started with news of a new taproom opening in our region, and let’s finish the news section in the same vein. After closing their taproom for a couple of months, St. Anthony’s RagnaRock Northern Brewing is opening back up next Wednesday, February 23rd! You should know that masks and vaccine passes are still the order of the day (Provincial rules, of course) and capacity will be limited to 50% for now, expecting to be back to full houses when restrictions lift on March 14th. For now, they’ll be open Wednesdays to Saturdays, 4 PM to 10 PM (occasionally later). So head on down and grab a pint of freshly kegged beer and something off their new Pub Grub menu and welcome truly local craft beer back to St. Anthony!!

And we’ll finish with a trio of hop-forward quick-hits to take you into your weekend.

Starting on the small side, Candid Brewing in Antigonish, NS, has an aromatic and citrusy classic American Pale Ale that they’re calling Dr. Strangelove. Balanced and dependable, it’s a 5.0% ABV easy drinker that will help you learn to stop worrying and love the hops. 

Stepping up the hops, and the ABV, we have Fredericton’s Grimross Brewing with the latest in their Scratch series of IPAs. This is Scratch 26, with a bit of a west coast vibe at 6.5% ABV and 55 IBU, featuring aromas of grapefruit and sweet citrus, with some lighter tropical, pine, and floral notes completing the picture. 

We wind up the week with not just a big’un, but a sweet, smooth, fruity, and boozy big’un. Tusket Falls Brewing has released Blueberry Milkshake IPA, a bit of a crazy one that saw lemon rind, cinnamon, vanilla bean, blueberries, and graham crackers in the mix along with, we’ll warrant, a whole bunch of hops! Look for aromas of grape gummies and flavours of blueberry pie in this 7.5% conflagration.

Friday Wrap-Up for February 11, 2022 – News from Propeller, Bannerman, Baccalieu Trail, Rough Waters, Delta Force, Serpent, Tanner, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2022-02-11
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Bogside Brewing, Breton Brewing, Delta Force Brewing, Modern Brewer's Village Green, Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Rough Waters Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing. Leave a Comment

Wa-hey, we’re almost halfway through February and with the little bit of unseasonably nice weather that most of the region is seeing this weekend it’s almost enough to have one believing that winter’s almost over. We suggest not falling for that, but maybe a teensy tiny little bit of joy and hope for just this weekend won’t hurt. And speaking of weekend joy, it’s both the weekend of the “Big Game” and also annual Hallmark Holiday #1, so you might find some seasonably appropriate specials going on from your favourite locals; we cover some of those below, but we might have missed something (let’s be honest, we always miss something) so do check out what’s advertised on socials!

Let’s start off in Halifax, where Propeller Brewing is releasing Earl Grey Pale Ale. The addition of Earl Grey tea adds floral and citrus aromas from the bergamot, along with some more tannic notes reminiscent of black tea. These meld nicely with the additions of cookie and red malts, which Prop says gives a ‘tea and biscuits’ experience. To remind you that this is still a pale ale, the beer features Idaho 7 and Citra hops, two hops that showcase citrus notes, complimenting the bergamot. Coming in a 5.5% AVC and 39 IBUs, Earl Grey Pale Ale. Cans are available today at the Prop shops and online for home delivery or shipping. For those outside of HRM, this one will be hitting NSLC shelves on February 21.

While our last beer featured cookie malt, Bannerman Brewing is taking things one step further, by adding ‘buckets and buckets’ of actual cookies, to its newest beer, Sweet Tooth. This “Cookie Stout” uses cookies (chocolate chip by the looks of the brew day photos) from Craig’s Cookies, dumped into the hopback allowing the beer to recirculate and pick up as much cookie essence as possible. The beer features a blend of caramel and dark malts and also saw additions of cacao nibs and Tahitian vanilla beans. Cans of this 7.5% treat are available now on Duckworth Street and for delivery through Bannerman’s online store. 

We’re going to stay in Newfoundland for the next few releases, and Baccalieu Trail is up next! With a new release available now, Hopinion Piece is a Hazy IPA that features a mix of hops, using some strong opinions of their own! This will be a recurring release, featuring different combinations of hops each time. While we’re not sure exactly which hops you’ll see in this first release, we’re sure that with a name like that they won’t be subtle. This 5.5% beer is available today from their website and taproom. It will reach their other retail locations and carriers next week.

Over to Deer Lake, Rough Waters also has a new limited release! Commander Coconut is a coconut milk stout that brings the flavour and drinkability. Using their base milk stout, coconut additions were made through the brew and also for conditioning. Due to the massive amounts of coconut used in this recipe, it was quite difficult to brew, so this one will not be coming out again anytime soon! This comes in at 5.4% and is smooth, coconut-y with a nice balance of milk chocolate flavours. This is available now from the taproom and distribution will be coming to the rest of the island over the next two weeks. 

One of the littlest breweries (in terms of size, anyway) in NS has three beers coming back to their oeuvre this week, one of which features a pretty significant change from previous batches. Delta Force Brewing, the “traditional farmshed brewery” in Greenwich, has Operation Jaromir Lagr, a Czech Dark Lager, and Operation Bap, a Nurungji Lager available once again (what’s nurungji? It’s Korean scorched rice!). Additionally, Operation Barrow, which in its previous incarnations was an English IPA with Brettanomyces added after primary fermentation, tasted so good this time that they decided against the Brett addition and to just bring it to you, dear drinker, in its pure and unadulterated form. You can order these ones up along with plenty of other δF favourites by visiting their online shop.

In Halifax, Spryfield’s finest Serpent Brewing brings Northumberland Strait Sunset to the people. A Session IPA, this was brewed with Owen, one of their Founders Club members, taking them on a quest for tropical flavour in a small package. Using tons of Mosaic for dry hopping, this 4.4% stunner features lovely stone fruit flavours and aromatics, with a touch more fruit and earthy notes from the English Ale yeast. Grab it at their spot behind Canadian Tire/adjacent to Mary Brown’s today at noon, for enjoyment onsite or to go in growlers and bottles.

It’s not just Superbowl Sunday this weekend, Valentine’s Day is Monday!  Down in Chester, Nova Scotia, Tanner Brewing has a very special release. Cranberry Amarillo is a Sparkling Mead made from their house sparkling mead recipe, but with a light hand of cranberry purée before fermentation and then dry hopped with Amarillo hops. This brew is delicate, lightly pink and a dry finishing mead available in 500ml bottles at 5.8%. 

And here’s your quick hits on the way out the door to buy beer!

Our weekly post wouldn’t be the same without something from 2 Crows! Keeping up their annual football deal, they put some of their 355ml flats on for $50. Joining Matinee and Dos Cuervos on the Deal Train is the newly released AC Light Lager. Make sure you check their delivery dates if you want to get it for SuperbOwl Sunday! Also, these are stellar “stock” beers to keep in your fridge anytime of the year. 

In St. John’s, Quidi Vidi Brewing has a big’un back on the go for your winter sipping needs. Imperial Coconut Porter, a burly brew at 9% ABV has returned, with notes of dark caramel and chestnut leading the way, with a lingering element of toasted coconut providing the back end. Available in 473ml cans now at their (new) Hops Shop, you should also see this one appear at NLC locations in the coming week.

In Montague, Bogside Brewing has a returning favourite that is back in stock. Wheat Kings County is their traditional-style Wheat Beer (remember this won silver at the 2020 Canadian Brewing Awards). Keeping with tradition, this is a classic style made true to its German roots. Using a grain bill of Wheat, Pilsner and Munich malts, along with classic hop additions of Hallertau Mittlefruh and Hersbrucker. It is 5.7% and available on tap and online in 473ml cans for pickup or delivery. 

Sydney’s Breton Brewing announced this week that it’s expanding to a second location. While their original taproom on Keltic Drive has a great atmosphere and lots of tasty beer options, it’s a bit of a hike from the downtown core. Their new location, coming later in 2022, is right in the middle of the action, located across the street from the Holiday Inn (and its epic waterslide) on the Esplinade. The plan for now is calling for a taproom and pilot system. Keep an eye on their social channels for more updates as they progress towards opening the new space.

Cornwall’s Village Green is releasing Version 9 in its series of Weird Clouds IPA. This one is showcasing notes of fruit cocktail and grapefruit thanks to hop additions of Azacca, Strata and Citra. As an added bonus, cans of Version 9 feature the full pull-back pop top, allowing more of those hoppy aromas to hit the ol’ olfactory nerve if you’re drinking straight from the can. Cans are available now at the taprom.