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All posts for the month March, 2022

Friday Wrap-Up for March 18, 2022 – News from Port Rexton, Bannerman, Tatamagouche, Unfiltered, Garrison, Half Cocked, 2 Crows, and Maritime Spirits

Posted by acbbdamian on 2022-03-18
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Beerocracy, Garrison Brewing, Half Cocked Brewing, Maritime Spirits TV Show, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Tatamagouche Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. 1 comment

Hey folks, it’s the morning after Paddy’s Day and we’re not sure about other places, but in Halifax that means it’s time for everyone’s favourite once-a-year-sport, “dodge the green puddles on your morning walk downtown.” We trust that those young and…er…enthusiastic about St. Patrick and his synonymous day had a good time and nobody was (permanently) injured. We have to admit that despite not partaking of the partying ourselves, between day jobs (that for some of us were night jobs too), travel (business for one, pleasure for another), and small humans in the house, we are a little shy on content this week. That said, it is March break in two provinces and we didn’t see a tonne of new releases out there. So enjoy what we’ve found and trust that, as always, we’ll try to do a little better next week!

Let’s start off in beautiful Port Rexton, where we have a release from last week to update you on and a fresh new collab rolling out this week. Up first is Wild Ale, brewed using Brettanomyces from Escarpment Labs. Along with loads of hops, this one also saw the addition of Sea Buckthorn puree and a hint of lactose, leading to aromas of stone fruit and a hint of Brett funk. The 5% ABV Wild Ale is currently available in cans at the taproom and the St. John’s retail location. Up next is Level Up, a collaboration with the fine folks at Bannerman Brewing. This one features some exciting new ingredients, including Escarpment’s Thiol Libre yeast and Phantasm powder, made from Sauvignon Blanc grape skins. The powder contains something called Thiol precursors, which when added during active fermentation can lead to enhanced aromas of tropical fruit. Combine that with a yeast specifically designed to also amp up the tropical notes from hops and malt, and you can expect a beer that seriously delivers on fruit aromas and flavour. Late hop additions keep the bitterness down in this hazy IPA, which comes in at 5% ABV. Cans are available now at Port Rexton’s St. John’s retail location, and on tap and in cans at Bannerman’s taproom on Duckworth Street as well as in Port Rexton proper.

Tatamagouche Brewing has a new Coffee Porter out this week with the release of Warm Winds. The beer is named after the warm winds that nurture the highland coffee growing region of Guatemala, where the coffee for this beer was grown. The Huehuetenango beans from Aroma Maya Coffee Roasters were selected for their low acidity and flavours of almond, chocolate and caramel, which complement the flavour profile of the base beer. The beer, drawing inspiration from Tata’s Baltic Porter, uses a combo of pale, German Munich, Vienna, caramel and chocolate malts. A small addition of Celeia hops was also added, prior to the beer conditioning directly on the whole beans. The final product is a smooth drinking experience, with a rich malt profile and tons of coffee flavour. Cans are available now at the brewery and for delivery/shipping via their online store. 

We previously blogged about Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing releasing a barrel-aged DIPAto benefit Ukraine relief through the Red Cross. We are happy to report that the release was a massive success, selling out within hours and raising $1345 (supplemented by breaking their “no musical requests” stance to collect donations for the cause). Unfiltered is back at it this week, this time offering a big discount on the stock of 2018 Mise en Garde Barleywine that they’ve been carefully cellaring. Normally retailing for $16/bottle, the brewery has discounted the price down to $10, with half of what you pay going directly to the Red Cross’ efforts in Ukraine. Grab one for your cellar, one for your glass this weekend and contribute to a great cause while you’re at it. Win, win, win. 

Speaking of breweries and support for the Ukraine, Halifax’s Garrison Brewing has stepped up to the Brew For Ukraine initiative in collaboration with Pravda Brewery & Beer Theatre out of Lviv. Growing from the brewing community’s desire to help the embattled country through the illegal invasion by the Russian military, and inspired by Pravda’s pivot from producing beer to producing Molotov Cocktails, over 100 breweries worldwide have signed up for the initiative. Garrison’s participation will see them releasing a limited run of their version of Pravda’s own Putin Huylo Strong Golden Ale, a 7% ABV beer (the name translates roughly to, “Putin is a dickhead,” a sentiment we’re quite firmly behind). Brewed with European and North American malts and hops, it has a medium body and a balanced hop flavour. With a label adapted from Pravda’s own Ukrainian version to fit Garrison’s 600mL bottles, this one will appear at the end of the month at the Seaport and Oxford Taproom location. Only 2,000 bottles will be packaged, and they’ll cost $10 a pop, with all profits going directly to supporting humanitarian efforts in the Ukraine through recognized charities.

Up in Antigonish, NS, or, more specifically North Grant (we can’t pick on Hanwell, NB, anymore so…), Half Cocked Brewing has a brand new beer pouring. Big Hug is both the name of the beer and a lovely sentiment as some of our provinces approach a return to almost zero COVID-related restrictions. We know lots of people who are very much looking forward to being with family in a way that they haven’t been able to in two years. The beer itself is an NEIPA boasting big juicy fruit notes on the nose, with sharp citrus leading on the palate, followed by orange and tangerine. Like many NEIPAs, this one has a slight sweetness on the finish and a smooth, silky mouthfeel. At 7% you might want to be a touch careful because we’re willing to bet it goes down like a beer with a much lower ABV. Look for it at the brewery, but on-tap only as it hasn’t been packaged! We’ll ping you if we see it in the wild across the province!

Our friends (and yours!) at 2 Crows in Halifax don’t have any new beers this week, but they’ve got a new flavour of their refreshing non-alcoholic Hop Water, Cucumber + Mint. Obviously containing cucumber and mint, but also a touch of lemon, the hop in this one is the modern German variety Hüll Melon (also known as Huell Melon) which is known for aromas of honeydew melon and strawberry. Sounds like a lovely pairing to us! And although this is a non-alcoholic beverage and that’s awesome, we can’t help but suspect it might make a nice mixer for a bit of gin. Grab some next time you’re stocking up at 2 Crows and find out!

If you’re looking to travel the Maritime provinces for beer, wine, cider, or booze this spring, and looking for a way to get a head start, be sure to check out Maritime Spirits, which aired on Bell TV1. Brought to you by the same fine folks who brought you Beerocracy, the story of craft alcohol makers in New Brunswick. And those same generous producers have recently uploaded all 10 episodes of Maritime Spirits to YouTube, so we can all check them out, regardless of home TV provider. Visiting Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, New Scotland, Red Rover Cider, Upstreet, and many more from the comfort of your couch, it’s never been easier! Let’s hope we are seeing more episodes in the future! Ask your TV provider to include more local programming…

 

Friday Wrap-Up for March 4, 2022 – News of International Women’s Day releases across the region, including Breton, Foghorn, Landwash, New Maritime, North, Picaroons, Port Rexton, Quidi Vidi, Saltbox, and Upstreet, plus many, many more great beers!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2022-03-04
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Boomstick Brewing, Bootleg Brew Company, Brave Noise Beer, Breton Brewing, Foghorn Brewing, Garrison Brewing, International Women's Day, King Street Beer Co., Landwash Brewery, Loyalist City Brewing Co, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, New Maritime Beer Company, North Brewing, Picaroons General Store, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Quidi Vidi Brewery, RagnaRock Northern Brewing Company, Saltbox Brewing, Secret Cove Brewing, Smokehouse Nano Brewery, Spindrift Brewing, Sussex Ale Works, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Church Brewing Company, TrailWay Brewing, Truro Brewing Company, Uncorked Tours, Upstreet Craft Brewing, Village Green by Modern Brewer, Witch Craft Beer Society, Yip Cider. 3 comments

“In like a lion…” they say about March. Well, it sure is looking that way, given the news of the world. There are bright spots in all of the doom, and hopefully we can offer respite and uplifting news to you, dear reader, as we do the tour de bière in our region this week. We’re kicking it off with a dozen releases coming out in celebration of International Women’s Day, March 8th, all of them featuring a charitable component as well! Let us dally no longer and get right to the great news.

We happily start the run of all the International Women’s Day releases this week with Breton Brewing out of Sydney. Waves Rise is a light and hoppy IPA, brewed to showcase the Pink Boots Society 2022 hop blend. This year’s blend consists of 30% Idaho Gem, 20% HBC 630, 20% Talus, 20% Triumph, and 10% Loral. The beer is 4.6% and 46 IBU and features a light malt base and moderate bitterness that lets the floral and herbal hop flavour and aroma shine. The beer will be released Tuesday for IWD at the brewery and online for delivery or shipping. A portion of the beer sales will be donated to the Every Woman’s Centre. 

Rothesay, NB’s Foghorn Brewing is up to year three for their Sparkölsch IWD brew. As with previous years, this beer was a collaboration with other breweries and organizations in the area, including Big Tide Brewing Company, Loyalist City Brewing Company, Picaroon’s General Store, Sussex Ale Works, Yip Cider, and Witch Craft Beer Society of Saint John. The beer itself is a fan favourite in the kölsch style (a lagered German ale) at 5%, but also featuring food grade glitter added at packaging for a fun visual element. Available on tap at Foghorn, at select tap accounts in Rothesay and Saint John, and a limited number of bottles are for sale at the participating breweries. Proceeds of sales are being donated to the United Way.

Brave Noise is a movement supporting and standing in solidarity with those who shared their stories about mistreatment and who are survivors of gender discrimination, racism, sexual assault, and harassment within the beer industry. It is also an international collaboration of 234 (and counting) supportive and like-minded breweries, committed to sharing (and maybe creating!) their Code of Conduct and donating 100% of the proceeds to women’s charities. Truro Brewing Company had their release in October 2021, with Big Spruce and Spindrift signed up to the project, and we’ll share the details once those beers are available. And there’s still time for others to sign up for the same, hint hint…

One of those “future releases” is from Landwash Brewery in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland. Brewed on February 23rd, Pink Shirt Day, the women and allies of Landwash took the stories amplified by Brienne Allan and Erin Broadfoot to heart, many having experienced or witnessed some form of harassment themselves. Following the Brave Noise suggested recipe, this is a low ABV hazy Pale Ale, perfect for enjoying a few in a session, while taking down the patriarchy. Ahead of the week of March 21nd release will be the publishing of Landwash’s Code of Conduct, visible to all who grab a can or visit their space. Proceeds of the beer will be going to organizations offering mental health support for workers in the craft beer and hospitality industries.

Miramichi’s New Maritime Beer Company is celebrating International Women’s Day on Tuesday with a new beer and event hosted by the Women of Miramichi Entrepreneurial Network (WOMEN). Starting at 6 PM, there will be yoga in the taproom (BYOM), lead by Heather Hutt, which will be followed by a brewery tour. Tickets for this option are available now. And at 6:45 PM the taproom is open to all who wish to taste the beer, and celebrate IWD2022, as Heather will be the special guest speaker for the event. Entry for this is by donation to Miramichi Emergency Centre for Women. About the beer… WOMEN Beer is a Raspberry Blonde Ale, brewed using the Pink Boots 2022 hop blend, which features its own charitable aspect, with scholarship funds directed at lifting up women in the brewing industry. 

North Brewing is releasing their own Brave Noise on International Women’s Day. Keeping with the suggested collab recipe, Brave Noise is a hazy Pale Ale that is tropical and flavourful, while taking it easy on the ABV. Partnering with Shoreline Malting, who donated the base Pilsen and Wheat malts, this is a juicy, light, pale ale with portions of sales going to Adsum House. This 4.5% beer will be available in cans from North’s 3 retail shops, or on tap on Portland Street, on Tuesday, International Women’s Day. 

In Saint John, Picaroons has brewed up their Dame IPA for the second year running. Brewed at Pics by a combined team from Picaroons General Store, Becky from Big Tide, and Gilliane from Uncorked Tours. Although they don’t have a charity component this year, they do have a baby component…Gilliane’s sister and partner in Uncorked, Nathalie, had her baby Jennie on January 17th, and Dame was her first brew. So if you’re grabbing a pint of the Dame, be sure to raise your glass to the little one!

A 100% women-owned brewery with a majority of female employees, Port Rexton Brewing has once again brewed Violet Femmes for IWD. A 4.6% dry-hopped kettle sour with butterfly pea flower to bring a natural purple colour, it is available now. All proceeds from the can, pint and t-shirt sales will be given to the women’s group of First Light and Marguerites Place with the St. John’s Women of Status Council. This is available at their St. John’s Retail shop and the taproom now, and heading to their usual outlets over the weekend.

Sticking in Newfoundland and IWD, Quidi Vidi is releasing Stronger Together, a Strawberry Blonde ale, for the second year in a row. A 5% Blonde ale that has a light malt body and a hop bill to match, this showcases a delicate strawberry aroma and flavour, with a bit of cherry coming through as well. This beer is available now for a limited time from the QV Hop Shops and most NLC locations. Quidi Vidi will also be hosting a Women’s Day mixer on Sunday March 6th from 12 – 3 PM, where we can celebrate together. 

Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewing is building on the popularity of last year’s IWD release, and bringing it back again! The Way She Gose is a gose, not surprisingly; think tart and fresh, with a touch of salt, to which SB added hibiscus for a lovely floral character and pink hue. It will also be sticking around as a spring/summer seasonal, which sounds great, at just 4.7% ABV! And keep an eye on the social media for their sister location, King Street Beer in Bridgewater, as they are releasing a new small batch product early next week to celebrate IWD.

Finishing up our IWD releases brings us to PEI, where Upstreet Brewing has a release of their own. Grisette is (you guessed it!) a grisette coming out on tap and in cans on Tuesday. The beer is sessionable and dry with some softer saison notes and a bit of a wine character on the finish to go with clove and banana yeast character. There is  a launch event at the brewery that you can check out here. They will be supporting  the Trade Herizons program through the Women’s Network of PEI. 

Jumping islands, Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery has a new Italian-Style Pilsner out. Terra is their take on a style that we are keen to see more brewers attempt. Originating with Birrificio Italiano’s Tipopils, the style is known for its crisp and dry body, and the use of dry hopping that differentiates it from its German and Czech counterparts. Landwash’s version uses imported Eraclea barely from Weyermann Specialty Malts, produced near Venice, to create a bready and honey malt profile. Additions of Monroe and Spalter Select hops add some floral and citrusy notes. Coming in at 5.5%, Terra is available now on tap and in cans at the brewery and should start seeing wider distribution this weekend. 

Down in Lawrencetown, Lunn’s Mill is celebrating its 5th Anniversary in style with the release of Cocobolo. This Milkshake IPA features hop additions of  El Dorado, Ekuanot and Sabro, leading to big notes of coconut and tropical fruit. In addition to being on tap all weekend, the 7% ABV Cocobolo is also available for takeaway in cans at the brewery and The Station in nearby Bridgetown. And speaking of the weekend, Saturday will see the crew celebrating the 5th anniversary at the brewery and The Station. The taproom will be serving cake with Jokers Right playing from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Tide and Timbre will be taking the stage at the Station from 7:30 to 9:30 PM. If you’re thinking of heading down, reservations are encouraged to ensure that you can get a seat. Happy 5 years to everyone at Lunn’s Mill from your fans at ACBB! 

Two breweries from Newfoundland’s west coast are also celebrating anniversaries this week and have marked the occasions with the release of a double dry hopped double birthday double IPA. Hoppy Birthday was brewed at Bootleg Brew Co. to celebrate their 4th anniversary, in collaboration with Boomstick Brewing who are ringing in two years in business. The 7.8% ABV leans into the hazy and juicy territory that DDH IPAs are known for, making great use of El Dorado and Idaho 7 hops. Cans are available now at Bootleg and you can likely still find it on tap at both breweries’ taprooms. Congrats to these two west coast gems! 

Jumping to the east coast of Newfoundland, Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co. is releasing Brighouse Irish Red. Brewed in collaboration with The Quay restaurant in beautiful Brigus, this 5.0% ABV ale features subtle notes of toasted bread and caramel. The name is an homage to the town of Brighouse in England, which is rumoured to be the namesake for the Newfoundland town of Brigus. Find it today at the brewery, Marie’s and other finer beer retailers on the Avalon, and of course, on tap at The Quay in Brigus (open until March 12). 

The hop hounds of Trailway Brewing have brought back one of their more unique offerings this week, and one of the few remaining examples of the style in the region these days: Velvet Fog is their Milkshake IPA, packed with hops, of course, but also featuring fruit (raspberry and tangerine this time), lactose, for body and sweetness, and a hint of vanilla. Like all good MIPAs, it’s soft and round with an almost smoothie-like mouthfeel. You’ll find it on tap and in cans from the brewery. 

In other Trailway news, they’ve also got a brand new offering that’s sure to please those looking for something a little lighter in the ABV department while still being heavy on the hops. Hu Jon Hops Light is what it says on the tin; a 4% ABV sessionable version of their long time flagship NEIPA: “Everything that is loved about Hu Jon, but in a smaller percent package!” Expect HJH Light to be a plenty hoppy, but also plenty light beer featuring tropical, fruity, dank, and pine notes. Look for it at the brewery and, we’re sure, wherever else you get your Trailway beer; we suspect this one will be in demand!

Cornwall PEI’s Village Green has another new beer on the taps this week, Other IPA. At 7.2% ABV and “bracingly bitter”, this is not shying away from what the style can offer! Featuring loads of Idaho 7, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Citra, look for citrus, pine, tropical notes, with a kick that will wake you up! Available on tap and to go in cans, along with a fresh batch of Modern Bitter!

Halifax’s Garrison Brewing has released a new sour beer, as well as a fresh batch of an old favourite. Mango & Dragon Fruit Sour is a mildly tart ale, which was blended with an infusion of mango, dragon fruit, and hibiscus to give a lovely blast of tropical fruit with a bold pink colour. For those afraid of the “sour” moniker, fear not, as there is some sweetness here to balance the acidity. At 5.0% ABV, drink a couple of these and you’ll be dreaming of summer before too long! Joining M&D is Pucker Up! Citrus, their kettle sour flavoured with additions of orange, lemon, grapefruit, and lime, in a respectful 4.9% beer. Look for both on tap and in cans at Garrison’s Seaport and Oxford locations, as well as farther afield soon.

New on tap at Lower Sackville’s TAPestry Beer Bar is an exclusive release from Berwick’s Smokehouse Nano Brewery. Smokestry Amber is a 5.8% ABV Amber Ale, showcasing caramel, bread, and toast notes from the malts used, with a balancing hop bitterness (to about 44 IBU), with a smooth and “I’ll take another” finish. Drop by TAPestry today for their Flight School Fridays, where your second flight is half price!

Tatamagouche Brewing is re-releasing its Gold Lotus DIPA. This 8% hop bomb features tons of fruit notes, including grapefruit pineapple, mango, strawberry and candied watermelon. Cans are available now at the brewery and for delivery through their online store.  

While not releasing one of their own beers for International Women’s Day, Good Robot is hosting “Yes We Can” in their taproom on Tuesday. Featuring Atlantic Canadian beers either brewed by women or created by breweries run by women, including Big Spruce, Bootleg, North, Port Rexton, and many more! All are welcome to take part in celebrating the best of the region’s brewing offerings, starting at 4 PM. More info here.

God damned millennials don’t want to work. But if they did, a bunch of breweries are hiring!! In addition to these, we encourage you to search Indeed, as there are even more hiring around the region.
(we’re just kidding about the millennials thing)

Wolfville’s Church Brewing is looking for a full-time Sales Rep/Brand Ambassador to pound the pavement around Nova Scotia (sales vehicle or automobile allowance provided), and occasionally beyond, supporting existing customers and winning new ones. This is definitely a self-starter role, where the successful applicant will be responsible for representing and being a spokesperson for the brand, managing their own administrative and logistical duties, and growing the business. A valid driver’s license and clean abstract is required. They’re looking to have someone in place for April 1, so if this sounds like something you’d like to do, check out the official job posting and get your resume in!

Halifax’s Good Robot Brewing is hiring for a few positions these days, including back of house in their kitchen (Sous Chef and Prep Cook), as well as at the brewery as Marketing Manager. Working with the Marketing Director and rest of the team, the position will support sales, social and creative groups, and collect insight from consumers and customers. This is a full-time permanent position, with benefits, so those who want a chance to do their best work with GRBC should apply today!

Back in Newfoundland, Secret Cove Brewing is hiring part-time bartenders and servers to join its team over the summer. If you’re interested, send a cover letter and resume to beer@secretcovebrewing.com. 

Further up the West Coast (ok, way up the coast) RagnaRöck is also looking to add to its team for the upcoming summer season. Part-time positions are available now for cooks and servers. Email ragnarock2019@gmail.com or drop by the brewery in person to apply.