Happy Friday, folks! Hoping everyone has had a great work week so far, and is gearing up for rest and relaxation this weekend. Let’s give you a few things to seek out to quench that thirst we’ve been building up, from around the region.
Nova Scotia North Shore’s darling Tatamagouche Brewing has a new beer on tap and in cans this week, a zippy citrus Berliner Weiße made with Buddha’s Hand. Not common in these parts, Buddha’s Hand originated in South East Asia, and is striking in appearance, with many outstretched “fingers” of the fruit, giving plenty of surface area ripe for zesting. Using an extremely aromatic puree of the fruit, Team Tata used a low 3.8% ABV base beer, to allow the bright citrus to shine through. Cans of Buddha’s Hand Berliner Weisse are available now at the brewery and online, with draught making its way across the region as well.
And doubling down on the low-ABV but high-flavour beers is the return of their Intertidal: Sabro Session IPA. At 3.5% ABV, you could be excused and think there won’t be much going on, but you’d be sorely missing out! Big flavour and medium body, with massive tropical notes of coconut, stone fruit, and even some mint, thanks to the eponymous hop and using a new-to-Tata yeast, Hydra from Escarpment Labs. Available in cans and on draught now as well! And if you drop by before 5 PM today, you’ll be able to pair your pints with some donuts from Aroma Maya. And look below in the Events Section for even more news from Tata…
Is it IPA Day everyday at Trailway Brewing? We say, “Yes!” This week they’ve got a returning release with big, big energy: Imagination is an IPA packing a mix of IPA flavours in a 5.5% vessel. It’s got a fun mix of hops, including Southern Tropic, Sultana, and Citra Lupomax, enhanced by American Ale yeast which brings a bit of peachy character. Even better, it’s double dry hopped for your pleasure. Available now from the brewery in cans, and in the taproom and around the region on draught, too.
The near-Antigonish folks at North Grant’s Half Cocked have a very tasty release out this week with Sailor’s Delight. This is a Gose with lime leaves and hibiscus, using local salt water from Malignant Cove along with roasted coriander. It’s tart and deep red with a jammy notes and comes in at a highly drinkable 3.8%. This is only available on tap at the brewery for now!
We’re going to hop on the hibiscus train all the way up to Newfoundland with 2 tickets to Paradise! Or more tickets if you want. Banished Brewing is releasing Paddles Up, a beer in support of the community and collaboration with the Avalon Dragons. This group of amazing women have battled breast cancer and have found dragon boating as a way of healthy living, fitness, and community. This 5% beer, a hibiscus and raspberry sour, sees 50 cents from every can sold donated toward the Avalon Dragons. It’s available at the Banished retail shop now and will be available island-wide next week.
We’ve got a returning brew from Propeller this week and it’s a style that’s been popping up more around the region the last year or so. Flat White is a White Stout that brings coffee and cocoa flavours to a more classically pale-coloured ale. Always a bit of a trick on the mind, this is a golden ale with big coffee flavours thanks to Java Blend cold brew and has lots of flaked oats in the malt bill to get a well-balanced body at 5% ABV. Also contributing to the body and providing some sweetness is lactose, which is balanced by 30 IBU. Flat White is available online and at the Prop shops and HRM private stores now, and is headed to select NSLC locations soon.
Hot on the heels of the inaugural release of Best Bitter, Stillwell Brewing has another one of its flagships ready, with cans of Stilly Pils now available at HQ to drink on premises or to grab and go. We expect more than a few folks will be stocking up on this crusher for their weekend enjoyment. Hopefully we’ll see it available for online ordering soon, and we’re definitely looking forward to checking out their retail and event space in the fall!
Also available once again, for the first time this year, we think, is Daytimer Berliner weiße from Unfiltered Brewing. Tart and refreshing, you can enjoy this 4% ABV heat beater on its own or with an addition of traditional woodruff syrup (or any other syrup you might have around, really). For those who need to know, this batch is also gluten-reduced!
Rounding out this week’s news is a brand new release, in a brand new style, for Sea Level Brewing and their Millstone Harvest Brewhouse. Fundy Fog is a 4.5% ABV Hazy IPA, using a whole buncha Belma and Azacca hops to deliver a blast of tropical and citrus directly to your face. Making it to the taps literally this minute at their Millstone location on Highway 221 between Sheffield Mills and Canning, it will be canned and available to take away next week. Get on out for a visit and taste this weekend!
Let’s take a look at what’s on the go this weekend and next in Halifax…
After a busy weekend of rare ciders and a double Bar Volo takeover, Team Stillwell is bringing us two more events to close out the summer. This Saturday (August 20) will see St. John’s Bannerman Brewing taking over the taps at the Beergarden. Saturday is gearing up to be a busy day downtown with great weather in the forecast, the Stanley Cup parade (which goes right by the Beergarden’s Spring Garden Road entrance), and 9 taps of delicious Bannerman beer available. Check out the Beergarden’s social channels for the full tap list which features styles that are sure to please everyone’s taste buds, including lagers, sours, belgian-style ales, and a few hoppy numbers.
Next weekend will see Tatamagouche Brewing taking over the taps at the Freehouse on Agricola, on Saturday, August 27. Team Tata is bringing out the big guns, with a slew of favourites on all 12 tap lines and 6 casks on the hand pumps. Highlights include Observe, their red wine barrel aged Brett lager and Solitude, the 12.6% ABV BA imperial chocolate stout on tap, along with a cask version of their Darling mild that was aged in a second use cognac barrel with brettanomyces. If that’s not enough, they are also pulling a few kegs from the cellar to rotate through the taps during the event, including kegs of RIS, Baltic Porter, Barleywine and Bourbon BA Stouts, that have been getting even better for the past few years.
Cheers