Atlantic Canada Beer News

This past weekend was a big one in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as breweries and brewing industry folks descended into town bringing welcome gifts in liquid form, not unlike the rain pouring down to quell the nearby wildfires. It was a weekend that people could get together within the industry to celebrate, learn, and grow against a backdrop of some good ol’ East Coast hospitality, for the second time in 5 years. 

While we celebrate all the winners across the 59 categories of the Canadian Brewing Awards, your pals here at the ACBB are here to bring you the AC summary of the CBAs. Last year, we had 19 Atlantic Canadian award-winners across all categories and this year we’ve added eight more on top of last year’s tally. In total, 18 different breweries from our region brought home accolades.

Here’s a breakdown by province of the 2023 award winners:

Starting at the top of the table, New Brunswick hit big with three gold winners in the following categories:

The other gold on the board came from a big weekend winner out of Newfoundland:

Secret Cove, specifically out of Port au Port, also brought home another 2 awards, to complete the trifecta.

  • Irish And Scotch Ales – Red Vinyl , Secret Cove Brewing – SILVER
  • American Style Imperial India Pale Ale – The Great Auk, Secret Cove Brewing – BRONZE

Two other Nova Scotia breweries also scored a treble, interestingly enough, these two just released the Twin Shores collaboration beer together. 

  • Belgian-Style Sour Ale – Barrel Aged Lambic Style Ale, Propeller Brewing – BRONZE
  • English Style India Pale Ale – India Pale Ale, Propeller Brewing  – BRONZE
  • American-style Brett Beer – Wilder Brett IPA, Propeller Brewing  – BRONZE
  • Baltic Porter – Two Rivers Baltic Porter, Tatamagouche Brewing – SILVER
  • Cream Ale – Apres, Tatamagouche Brewing – BRONZE
  • Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – Tempest, Tatamagouche Brewing – HON. MENTION

We had a few breweries bring home a pair of awards as well and one of them has a Gold listed above, so we’ll list the rest of those doubles below:

  • Oatmeal Stout – Boat Traffic, Lone Oak Brewing – HON. MENTION
  • Low Alcohol Beer – Noble, Lone Oak Brewing – SILVER
  • Barley Wine-Style Ale – Ol’ Fog Burner, Garrison Brewing – BRONZE
  • Historic/Regional Beers – Spruce Beer, Garrison Brewing – BRONZE

Here is the full list of winners broken down by Province for the Atlantic Canadian winners:

New Brunswick

  • English Style Pale Ale – Golden Grover, Foghorn Brewing – SILVER
  • French and Belgian Style Saison – Cheval D’or, Grimross Brewing – GOLD
  • Porter – Black Door, Hampton Brewing – BRONZE
  • European Style Lager (Pilsner) – Operation Feed Pilsner, Long Bay Brewery – BRONZE
  • Cream Ale – 8 Secondes, Novum Boreas – GOLD
  • Belgian-Style Brett Beer – Into the Wild, O’Creek Brewing – BRONZE
  • Belgian-Style Sour Ale – Pretty Please, Trailway Brewing – SILVER
  • Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – Event Horizon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Trailway Brewing – GOLD

Newfoundland & Labrador

  • Session Ale – Liquid Sunshine, Boomstick Brewing – HON. MENTION
  • Gluten Free Beer – Gluten Free Lager, Port Rexton Brewing  – BRONZE
  • Irish And Scotch Ales – Red Vinyl, Secret Cove Brewing – SILVER
  • North American Style Blonde or Golden Ale – James Blonde 00709, Secret Cove Brewing – GOLD
  • American Style Imperial India Pale Ale – The Great Auk, Secret Cove Brewing – BRONZE

Nova Scotia

  • Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – Bière de Coupage, 2 Crows Brewing – SILVER
  • North American Style Amber/Dark Lager – Toller Red, Burnside Brewing – BRONZE
  • Barley Wine-Style Ale – Ol’ Fog Burner, Garrison Brewing – BRONZE
  • Historic/Regional Beers – Spruce Beer, Garrison Brewing – BRONZE
  • German-Style Sour Ale – Girl, Hold My Earrings, Lunn’s Mill Beer Company – BRONZE
  • North American Style Amber/Red Ale – Right Some Red, Nine Locks Brewing – BRONZE
  • Belgian-Style Sour Ale – Barrel Aged Lambic Style Ale, Propeller Brewing – BRONZE
  • English Style India Pale Ale – India Pale Ale, Propeller Brewing – BRONZE
  • American-style Brett Beer – Wilder Brett IPA, Propeller Brewing – BRONZE
  • Baltic Porter – Two Rivers Baltic Porter, Tatamagouche Brewing – SILVER
  • Cream Ale – Apres, Tatamagouche Brewing – BRONZE
  • Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – Tempest, Tatamagouche Brewing – HON. MENTION

PEI

  • Oatmeal Stout – Boat Traffic, Lone Oak Brewing – HON. MENTION
  • Low Alcohol Beer – Noble, Lone Oak Brewing – SILVER

Congratulations to all of our winners and we hope all who visited Halifax for the awards and conference enjoyed our part of Canada; we hope that our readers can mark these breweries and beers for further exploration during their travels!

For the full gamut of winners from coast to coast, head on over to the Canadian Brewing Awards

On Saturday September 18, 2021, the Canadian Brewing Awards and Conference got back to business with their 19th annual ceremony. This year’s event was held in Quebec City and breweries from all across Canada were represented. While we congratulate all breweries from across our great nation (and look forward to visiting many of the winners), we’re going to highlight our medalists from our Atlantic Region. Below is a summary of categories and winning beers from our Atlantic Canadian friends:

Wheat Beer – North American Style

GOLD – BarramBrasseux d’la Cote

SILVER – SelkieRough Waters Brewing

North American Style Pale Ale

GOLD – BroadsideCopper Bottom Brewing

American Style Imperial IPA

GOLD – Parkman AveCopper Bottom Brewing

Smoked Beer

GOLD – Smoked PorterUncle Leo’s Brewery

German-Style Sour Ale

SILVER – Sou’WesterRough Waters Brewing

Sweet or Cream Stout

SILVER – Deja Moo!Garrison Brewing Company

Gluten-Free Beer

SILVER – Gluten-Free PorterPort Rexton Brewing

New England Style IPA

SILVER – Galaxy IPAPropeller Brewing

Oatmeal Stout

BRONZE – Ken’s StoutCopper Bottom Brewing

North American Style Amber/Red Ale

BRONZE – Havre St-PierreFour Rivers Brewing Co

Baltic Porter

BRONZE – Baltic PorterGrimross Brewing

French and Belgian Style Saison

BRONZE – Cheval D’orGrimross Brewing

Cream Ale

BRONZE – Maritime Cream AleGrimross Brewing

Belgian-Style Tripel

BRONZE – TripelModern Brewer’s Village Green

Imperial Stout

BRONZE – Russian Imperial StoutQuidi Vidi Brewery

Barley Wine-Style Ale

BRONZE – Giantess Barley WineTatamagouche Brewing

 

What a showing! We are proud of our region and encourage you to get out to try any of these if and when possible. For those keeping track, that’s 5 medals (1 Gold and 4 Bronze) for New Brunswick breweries, 4 medals (2 Gold and 2 Bronze) for Prince Edward Island Breweries, 4 medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) for Nova Scotian breweries, and 4 medals (3 Silver and 1 Bronze) for Newfoundland and Labrador breweries.

If you want to check out a full event livestream (Runtime: 80min, hosted by Garrison Brewing’s own Daniel Girard), check out the link here.

Also be sure to check out the CBA website for all the winners from years past as well. The full list of 2021 Winners has not yet been published as of the timing of this post, but we expect them any minute.

In 2022, the CBAs will return to their regular May timing with Calgary as the host city.

 

ACBA Beer Event Logo 2019

The 2019 edition of the Atlantic Canadian Brewing Awards were announced at a gala event earlier this evening, in front of a full house at HopYard Halifax. 56 breweries and cider houses from across the Atlantic provinces took part, with a total of 400 beers and ciders entered for consideration in 15 different categories. 31 judges from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick tackled the enormous variety of entries, with the following beers and ciders recognized for their performance. In case you’re wondering how you can get a sweet gig like that next year, check out the Beer Judge Certification Program, and sign up to be part of a study and exam group, run through the Brewnosers homebrew club. Now, on to our winners!

1) North American & European Style Lager
Gold: Spindrift Brewing – Beaufort 10
Silver: Bannerman Brewing – Safe Bet
Bronze: Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault – La Kedgwick

2) German Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Bogside Brewing – Lighthorse Lagered Ale
Silver: Uncle Leo’s Brewery – Altbier
Bronze: Bogside Brewing – Wheat Kings County
Honourable Mention: North Brewing – Gus’ 65m Ale

3) UK Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Breton Brewing – Red Coat Irish Red Ale
Silver: Graystone Brewing – Into the Woods Brown Ale
Bronze: Trider’s Craft Beer – Rod’s Red

4) North American Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Tatamagouche Brewing Co. – Giantess Barleywine
Silver: Copper Bottom Brewing – Centennial Stock
Bronze: Big Spruce Brewing – Bitter Get’er India
Honourable Mention: Boxing Rock Brewing Company – Dark as Keji

5) Belgian Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Upstreet Craft Brewing – FireWorks Farmhouse Saison
Silver: Les Brassers du Petit Sault – John Baker
Bronze: Grimross Brewing – Abbey Dubbel
Honourable Mention: Upstreet Craft Brewing – De Novo IV

6) North American Style Amber / Red Ale
Gold: Bogside Brewing – Brudenell Brown
Silver: Quidi Vidi Brewery – 1892 Traditional Ale
Bronze: Boxing Rock Brewing Co. – Temptation Red Ale
Honourable Mention: Hill Top Hops’ Brewhouse – Red Tail Red Ale

7) Fruit & Field Beer
Gold: Good Robot – El Espinazo Del Diablo
Silver: Nine Locks Brewing – Harvest Pumpkin
Bronze: Boxing Rock Brewing Company – Arnold’s Apricot Wheat

8) Pale Ale
Gold: Graystone Brewing – Patagonia Pale Ale
Silver: Trider’s Craft Beer – Scotian Pale
Bronze: PEI Brewing – Vic Park Pale Ale
Honourable Mention: Roof Hound Brewing Co. – Ear to the Street ESB

9) Stout / Porter
Gold: Spindrift Brewing – Neat
Silver: Big Spruce – Cereal Killer
Bronze: Big Spruce – Blood Donair
Honourable Mention: Grimross Brewing – Pugnacious Porter

10) India Pale Ale
Gold: Copper Bottom Brewing – Parkman Ave
Silver: Propeller Brewing Company – Galaxy IPA
Bronze: Lunn’s Mill – Purple Grain

11) Experimental Beer
Gold: Moosehead Breweries – Small Batch Rauchbier
Silver: Bogside Brewing – Pitcher in the Rye Roggenbier
Bronze: Alexander Keith’s Brewery – Bisset’s Fancy
Honourable Mention: Tatamagouche Brewing Company – Feronia

12) Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer
Gold: Nine Locks Brewing – Barley Wine – 2018 Whisky Barrel Aged
Silver: Big Spruce Brewing – Ra Ra Rasputin – 2019 Whisky
Bronze: Nine Locks Brewing – Russian Imperial Stout – 2018 Bourbon Barrel Aged

13) Sour Beer
Gold: Landwash Brewery – Brackish
Silver: Tatamagouche Brewing – Spring
Bronze: Alexander Keith’s Brewery – Backyards
Honourable Mention: North Brewing – Breakwater Mango Sour

14) Standard Cider and Perry
Gold: No Boats on Sunday – Original Cider
Silver: Sober Island Brewing Company – Army Cider
Bronze: Saltbox Brewing Company – Old Orchard Cider
Honourable Mention: Riverdale Orchard Ltd. – 2 Scots 3 Apples

15) Specialty Cider and Perry
Gold: Gagetown Distilling and Cidery – Hopped Cider
Silver: Red Island Cider – Ghost Ship Wild Briar
Bronze: Chain Yard Urban Cidery – Hopped Up
Honourable Mention: Saltbox Brewing Company – Haskap Cider

Brewery of the Year
Bogside Brewing (Montague, PE)

New Brewery of the Year
Bogside Brewing (Montague, PE), with a shoutout to Landwash Brewery (Mount Pearl, NL)

Cider House of the Year
Tie between No Boats On Sunday (Truro, NS) and Gagetown Distilling and Cidery (Gagetown, NB)

New Cider House of the Year
Red Island Cider (Charlottetown, PE)

Beer of the Year
Gold: Small Batch Rauchbier – Moosehead
Silver: FireWorks Farmhouse Saison – Upstreet
Bronze: Neat – Spindrift

Cider of the Year
Hopped Cider – Gagetown Distilling and Cidery

Congratulations to all of the winners!

2019 Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards by the numbers:
346 Beer entries from 45 Breweries and Brewpubs
54 Cider entries from 11 Cider Houses
31 BJCP National, Certified, Recognized, and Novice Judges
8 dedicated stewards behind the scenes
16 hours of judging
1750 cups of beer and cider sniffed, swigged and sampled

1 Great Industry Worth Celebrating!