We’re rolling into another weekend and it’s going to be a deep freeze across the whole region. First and foremost, prepare for that Saturday cold and keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Once that’s sorted, you won’t have any trouble keeping your beer cold. With most people bundled up Friday night into Saturday night, make sure you’ve got some treats for yourself tucked away, or grab some craft bevvies before the cold plunge hits!
This week we are starting in Fredericton where IPA legend, Trailway Brewing, is back with a few updates for us. Starting out with a new (you guessed it) IPA, Work Flow is a juicy IPA packed with aromatic and tropical fruity hops, inspired by the sick flow co-owner Jakes has been sporting recently. This 6% IPA is loaded with Eclipse, Topaz, Idaho 7 and Sabro hops, this is backed with a British-style yeast to keep some malty sweetness for balance. This is available now in cans and on tap.
Next up is a new release that should be available early next week. Some Fun is an Oat Cream IPA. This style typically takes an American IPA with oats and lactose to make a hazy, sweet, smooth and creamy body. This is a brand new style for Trailway and it will be canned this week for wide distribution across ANBL locations.
We’ve got one more release from Trailway, and it’s a new twist on The Blend, their Smoothie Sour. This release is jammed with peach, mango and banana, and should have roughly 200 grams of pure fruit in each can! This is 5.3% and in cans at the brewery now. This is thick, thick, thicc and we advise you to keep it cold and drink it fresh! You may want to give it a few rolls to mix it all together and be careful opening as well.
Sticking in New Brunswick, we take a short trip over to Moncton where we have another trio of new beer news from Tire Shack. First up, it is stout season and they’re bringing you Peanut Butter and Chocolate Milkshake Stout. This is highly flavourful and drinkable, as the beer got to condition on 25 kilograms of peanut butter, which imparted some nice peanut flavour. A mix of dark malts brings the chocolate flavour and lactose brings the milkshake. All together, you get some bitter chocolate, sweet, creamy and nutty flavours and mouthfeel. If you like peanut butter cups, this should be right up your alley. This is only 5% and available in cans, pints and growlers from the brewery.
Next up, a Cosmopolitan Sour and this is a full release of the beer following a small batch sell out last month. Think just like the Cosmo cocktail and flavours of cranberry, lime and Cointreau to bring some bitter orange. This is a big batch and a wide release, so it is available in cans, pints and growlers, coming in at 5% for your sour cocktail needs.
Going back to their pilot system, Tire Shack has a Guarana Black Lager available on tap. Starring the Guarana fruit from Brazil, it’s high on coffee and antioxidants and has a bit of cola flavour. Darker malts are used here for a slight dark bitterness to balance the refreshingly light fruity flavour. Sounds like a fun one to try, and just the latest by Head Brewer Henrique Soares to use ingredients from his native Brazil. And just like the other two beer releases above, this is 5% on tap only since it is a pilot batch. If it sells out like the Cosmopolitan Sour, you may see it in cans later on, but don’t wait to try it.
For those looking to extend their dry January, or a safe bet in the fridge after an evening of full-bodied stouts, the locally-produced Non-Alcoholic options keep expanding. Building on their NA Lager released previously, new from Propeller Brewing is NA Hazy IPA. A full flavoured and aromatic New England-style IPA, featuring all of the tropical and juicy character you would expect, with 0.5% ABV. No side-eyes if enjoying on the ski/snowshoe trails this weekend! Available now at their three Prop Shops, online for local delivery or Canada-wide shipping, as well as some of the local private beer and wine shops.
At the other end of the (alcohol) spectrum, you’ll find Unfiltered Brewing’s Double Orange Ale. More commonly known as DOA, this all-Citra hop bomb Double IPA is citrus all over, in a very tasty 7.5% ABV package. Fresh batch out now on tap and in cans!
The 10th Anniversary celebrations continue for North Brewing, as they have a fresh release of their Belgian Blonde beer. Named Gus 65m, for the distance between the doors of Gus’ Pub and then-known-as Bridge Brewing on Agricola, the North family decided it needed a little bit of updating. As their main facility is now across the bridge in Cole Harbour, a slight adjustment was needed, hence today’s release of Gus 8600m. Fermented with the same strain of yeast they used 10 years ago, the wheat-heavy grist has an ever-so-slight sweet side to it, complemented by Noble hop varieties and the aromatics of banana and clove from the yeast. Available on tap and in cans at their taproom and retail locations now (and for home delivery too)!
New beer release from the West Coast of Newfoundland, namely Deer Lake’s Rough Waters Brewing. Wannabe is a Grapefruit Blonde that you’d swear is a radler, given the sheer juiciness and great refreshing character. And at 4.2%, you’re probably gonna wanna drink a few of these! Available at RWBC’s usual retail outlets on the West Coast now, and heading East early next week!
For our homebrewing (or homebrew-curious) readers, Burnside’s BrewHQ is offering up Wort Wednesday on February 8. Using their on-site brewing system (normally available on tap as Arcade Brewing), they will be brewing up 400 litres of British IPA wort. And using their aseptic packaging system, they will be selling the fresh wort the those looking to ferment and enjoy a batch of their own. For $55, you’ll get the wort, a pint of beer and a few tokens to enjoy their pinball machines while you wait! Contact them on IG, via phone, or drop in to 80 Thornhill Drive to secure your spot!