Friday Wrap-Up

Friday Wrap-Up for December 1, 2023 – News from Artisan Brewing, Tanner & Co, Port Rexton, Bannerman, Breton, Great Roads, Boomstick, Seasoned Plate, Candid, Trailway, Sea Level, Copper Bottom, and Landwash!

Posted by acbbchris on 2023-12-01
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Artisan Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Boomstick Brewing, Breton Brewing, Candid Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia, Great Roads Brewing, Landwash Brewery, Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Sea Level Brewing, Seasoned Plate, Tanner & Co Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

Welcome to December in Atlantic Canada, or as we like to call it, Decembeer! Cheesy puns aside, we know that with the turn of the month comes the real ramping up of the holiday season, and breweries are working to get their end-of-year seasonals and special releases out of the tanks and into our eager hands, so we anticipate plenty of new releases to talk about over the next few weeks. We’ve also got a new spot open in New Brunswick and a couple of anniversaries to tell you about this week, so without further ado, let’s get to it!

Felicitations! Artisan Brewing at 66 Roseberry St. in Campbellton is finally serving their own beer! After being open for for over a year, and offering the largest selection of NB-brewed beer in Northern New Brunswick, their long term plan of brewing in-house is now a reality! They have launched their menu with four beers created on their 600 litre DME system: Original Lager, La Blonde a Jo Blonde, North Shore Session IPA, and Buck Fever White. The brewing team brings decades of experience to the table, led by Elise Cornellier Bernier, co-Founder and Head Brewer of A l’abri de la Tempete on Iles-de-la-Madeleine, with Zach O’Kane and Marc LeBlanc in the brewhouse. The taproom shares space with Smoke on the Water BBQ, and features two dozen more taps from their NB brewery pals. Growlers can be filled with your favourite beer, after enjoying a pint onsite.

From Northern NB to Nova Scotia’s South Shore, Tanner & Co Brewing has the latest release as they continue to explore historical styles. Princesse is an historical style from the Netherlands, created in tribute to Anna van Honnover, Princess of Oranje-Nassau in the 1700s. With a base of Horton Ridge Munich malt, the beer uses a combination of coriander, licorice root, and orange peel to deliver very special aromatics and flavour, fit for royalty. Cans and draught of this 4.1% ABV beer are available from both Tanner locations, and cans are available for delivery across the province and beyond.

Port Rexton Brewing is taking a decidedly hazier route this week, as they bring back their Continuum Series. Focussing on hop-forward, often single hop beers, the latest beer of the bunch is Continuum with Zappa Hops. Yes, named after *that* Zappa, these hops are grown exclusively in Washington’s Yakima Valley, but originated several thousand km south growing wild in the mountains of New Mexico. As such, the hop itself is dichotomous, with tropical fruit and fruity pebbles on the nose, yet the flavour leans toward pine and a touch of spice. Used throughout the boil, cooling, and fermentation, the 6.4% ABV beer has a medium-high bitterness to match the malt. Available on tap and in cans at the taproom, in cans at their St. John’s Retail Shop, and at better beer merchants very soon.

It seems in recent months as though more breweries in the region are starting to explore the saison style a bit again after what seemed to be a bit of a lull; and we’re all for it! Bannerman Brewing in St. John’s is the latest to release one, and it’s a doozy. New Perspective was brewed with cardamom and allspice, then conditioned on pear juice to bring a fruity character to match with those spices as well as the characteristic flavour contributions of the saison yeast strain. The result is a 5.0% beer that is complex, but also dry and refreshing. Also brand new from Bannerman is another twist on an established style, concocted with Selina from The Merchant Tavern down the block on Water Street. Hot Take is nominally an IPA, but one that was conditioned on pineapple and Thai chilis, which imparted both a slight fruity sweetness and a bit of spicy heat. You’ll find this super smooth 6.2% beauty on tap exclusively at Bannerman and The Merchant; cans are already available at the brewery and are being released into the wild next week.

Embracing the season is Breton Brewing, who have brought back their Gingerbread Holiday Ale. Based on the London ESB style, this 5.5% beer saw additions of ginger, cinnamon, all spice, and nutmeg to heighten the experience. If that weren’t enough, they’ve got a new release as well that’s also got “holiday” written all over it. A Munich Dunkel-style lager, with plenty of toasty malt and a lovely dark brown color with deep red overtones, it was infused with chestnut flavor. Sounds to us like a great beer to enjoy by the fire. Chestnut Lager is 5.4%, and it and the Gingerbread Holiday Ale are available at the brewery, and for home delivery and shipping across the province through their online shop. 

A quick one-two punch of Blueberry beers returning to the region: Great Roads Brewing in Lower Sackville, NS, has brought back their Blueberry Wheat Ale, a 4.1% light bodied beer with just enough blueberry to get the point across. Meanwhile, in Corner Brook, NL, Boomstick Brewing has brought back Nan’s Puddin’, encompassing all of the goodness of traditional baking, with blueberry, lemon, and vanilla in a tight package. Both spots have their beer on tap and in cans to go!

Our good pal Chef Stephen Barrett at Seasoned Plate continues to highlight the great independent breweries in Nova Scotia through a variety of avenues, including videos, posts, and now, a series of Holiday-themed beer and food pairings. These recipes are ones you can create at home, with Barrett highlighting a brewery and/or beer that will complement or contrast what’s on your plate. With seasonal recipes paired with beers from Yarmouth to Sydney, Chester to Tusket, they will be accessible to all! Keep an eye on SP’s Instagram page for the details as they drop, with the first video featuring Sober Island coming tomorrow!

In Antigonish, NS, Candid Brewing Company is celebrating their community with a benefit beer they’re calling Village. A light lager at 4.0% ABV, $1 from every pint and $2 from every six-pack sold throughout the month of December will be donated to the Antigonish Community Fridge. It’s already on tap at the brewery and will be available in cans to go next week.

Trailway’s Union House Taproom in Saint John took a bit of a hit recently, with an overzealous transport trailer taking out their sign. Apparently the driver missed the No Left Turn sign… Rather than get upset, the Tw Crew has made the most of the situation, and are releasing No Left Turns IPA today, to really drive the point home. As they wanted to match the smashing of their sign with some of equal power, they have released it as a SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop), featuring their house Pale malt, and all El Dorado hops throughout, the beer shows citrus, lemon, and tropical vibes. Cans and draught of the 5.6% IPA are available in Fredericton and Saint John now, keep your eyes peeled for them to hit the shelves elsewhere in the province as well.

Last week we mentioned that Sea Level Brewing out of Port Williams, NS, is celebrating their 16th anniversary and the 4th anniversary of their Millstone Harvest Brewhouse location and we’ve got news of a special beer release to toast with at their Anniversary Celebration that’s happening today. Buffalo Bourbon Barrel Blend is an excellent case of “does what it says on the tin” excepting that it’s not actually been canned. A blend of Sea Level’s Port in the Storm Porter and High Street Wee Heavy was pumped into a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel and left to condition for 13 months. When it came out, it had picked up oak and whisky characters as well as a smoky finish from the barrel to pair with the rich and smooth chocolaty flavours inherent to the beer. Coming in at 7% ABV, it’s only available at the taproom for pints and a very limited run of 118 bottles (sporting a lovely label and wax seal). Head on down and toast the crew to help celebrate their anniversary and maybe grab one for the beer lover on your holiday shopping list (if you’re like us, that beer lover might be you!)

Happy Sixth Birthday to Copper Bottom in Montague! Celebrating tomorrow with live music from 1 PM, there will be an oyster bar onsite, and happy hour pints. One of those could be Birthday Beer 6, an 8.0% Imperial Peanut Butter Stout. Featuring Chocolate Malt, real peanut butter, and milk sugar, this beer features a rich and full bodied mouthfeel, with the flavour of Reese Peanut Butter Cups. Come on out to party with the CB crew, and big congratulations from the ACBB Family!

It’s also that time of year for Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery to celebrate their opening, which happened in December 2018. The Newfoundland Beer Scene has exploded since then, with a handful of openings since then, and a handful more expected by December 2024. In the meantime, let’s get you sorted for the fun in Mount Pearl! Wednesday, December 6th, marks their actual 5th Anniversary, and as such, they are giving everyone a deep discount on their beer, which includes a pair of holi- and birth-day themed debuts. Time Capsule is a Imperial Fruited Sour, absolutely full of puree from grapefruit, lime, mango, orange, and tangerine, and rounded out with some lactose, for a real fruit smoothie/juice box kinda vibe! But sporting an 8.0% tag means this is for adults only (but still fine for weekend breakfast/brunch). Their other new release will be Unrequited Dreams, a 10.0% Mint Chocolate Milkshake Stout. It’s pretty much all there in the name, but let’s give you a little more detail. Featuring cacao nibs from JACOBEAN Craft Chocolate, and vanilla beans, lactose, and peppermint added right in the fermenter, think After Eight, but in liquid form. Cans and draught of both of these will be available Wednesday Dec 6, so hold tight until then! Keep an eye on Landwash’s IG for all of the Anniversary fun next week/end.

Friday Wrap-Up for November 24, 2023 – News from Revelry, Bannerman, Trailway, Iron Rock, Mauzy, Baccalieu Trail, 2 Crows, Battery Park, Sea Level, and The Common by Burnside!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2023-11-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Battery Park, Bellwoods Brewery, Bishop's Cellar, Burnside Brewing Company, Iron Rock Brewing Co., Mauzy Cidery, Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, Revelry Brewing, Sea Level Brewing, The Brewery by Quinn's, The Common by Burnside, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Last Friday of November to you and yours! And/or Happy Black Friday Deals if you’re into that kind of thing. Though the big holiday is south of the border and most of the really good deals with it, you might find your local producers and retailers throwing a cheeky bone in the form of a modest sale, so be sure to check your social feeds for opportunities. With that said, it’s a somewhat quiet weekend in regional beer news (not that we’re complaining!) but we expect it’s just one of those “calm before the storm” weeks before the big holiday season is upon us.

We’re starting the week with a bunch of beers in Halifax from a brewery we haven’t featured much in the blog. Opening just over a year ago, we wrote about The Brewery by Quinn’s opening up with their own beer and other local fare. The other locations for Quinn’s beers, under the Revelry Beer Company brand, at Quinn’s Arms and the two Brown Hound Locations (Agricola Street and Hollis Street), under the same ownership. Primarily, all of the Revelry beer will always be available at The Brewery by Quinn’s, while Quinn’s Arm and the Brown Hound locations serve a smaller selection, but still feature other local breweries. 

Now with that covered, let’s hit you with four new beers releasing on December 1st at The Brewery by Quinn’s (anyone else want some BBQ after reading this?):

  • Sailors Delight – Fruited sour with Raspberry, Passion Fruit, & Ginger  –  4.4%
  • Pyrocumulus – Strong stout with Toasted Coconut and Tonka Bean –  9.0%
  • City of Stone – Dry Stout (on nitro) – 4.0%
  • Nomitomodachi – Rice Lager 5.0%

On top of this, they are aiming to keep a rotating small batch Farmhouse ale on tap from Wild Sour to their Classic Saison. For an upcoming tease, the brewer is currently working on a longer term production of a Wild Sour after a successful stint as a test batch. We have a lot of details on this one that we will save for later, but it will feature fruit, a mixed yeast culture that’s been propagated and kept up for almost 15 years, and some cellarring for at least 3-6 months, maybe longer. We will keep you updated on this brewery for future releases to come as these beers will be more available around their Halifax locations in the coming months. 

Bannerman Brewing, in St. John’s, NL, has a couple of things to talk about this week. Up first is Spice World 2, a place where the Munich Dunkel style meets lemongrass and ginger giving you an opportunity to spice up your life. Deep malty flavors of molasses, caramel, and bread crust meet subtle lemongrass and not-so-subtle ginger, yielding an overall impression that you might find reminiscent of ginger snap cookies. An ABV of 5.3% gives you some room to have a couple and appreciate the composition. Grab it in cans from the brewery and the usual spots. Also new from BB this week, and of particular note, is the first beer to come out of their long in-the-works aged beer program. The first beers to be released will be a series they’re calling “Epiphany” and the first release will be, fittingly, Epiphany No. 1. A simple Golden Ale that has matured in white wine barrels for six months, it is the tabula rasa upon which the future releases in the series will be based. You can expect notes of pepper, stone fruit, and lemon peel, a gentle bitterness, dry finish, and some barrel notes as well. They’re doing a very limited release of this OG ale, so if you’re looking to get in on the ground floor of the Epiphany series, you’ll want to act fast; it’s been packaged in 750ml bottles and is only available at Bannerman.

Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing has a pair of new releases for you this week, so let’s get you up to speed! Vibe Check is a 6.0% American IPA, brewed with a touch of wheat to round out the mouthfeel, and a bit of haze. Of course, the hops take centre stage, with big citrus notes of orange, some apricot and pear, with a medium bitterness finish. Available in pints and in cans to go at both their Main Street Fredericton taproom, as well as the Union House in Saint John. And vibing along with this new release the return of the seasonal Hu Jon Holiday, their ode to the festive season. Think of their flagship Hu Jon Hops, but with the added flavours of locally-harvested fresh spruce tips lending a resiny and sprucey character. Cans are available today!

Headed way up to Lab City, Iron Rock Brewing has a big release to share. Bringing a local spin to their pale ale, this one features hops grown in Labrador. Fresh Hop is a Labrador Pale Ale (not to be confused with their Large Day American Pale Ale) that uses hops grown in their Community Gardens over the summer.  Some community members grew the hops and then helped with the brewing, too. The hops were harvested by the Iron Rock team and used in a wet hop brewing method of using the whole cone, fresh hops directly in the brewing process. This is test batch number one from them and it’s available on tap at the brewery. Go give it a try! As a sneak peek, test batch number two will be another wet hop release, but featuring hops from Goose Bay. 

The little cidery in Portugal Cove, NL, Mauzy Cider, has another small batch complex concoction for the enjoyment of those who can get their hands on it. Starting with feral Russet and Mcintosh apples from the Southern Shore and Mount Pearl, respectively, fermentation took place on lees of Williams Pride from Jefford’s Orchard. Once complete, golden plums from Campbellton’s Farm were introduced and eight months of maceration later, it was bottled in 750ml bottles and conditioned with Baccalieu Trail honey. Arriving at 6.3% ABV, only 33 cases of Diabolically Quenched were produced. It’s only available for local delivery or shipping from their website.

Out in Bay Roberts, Baccalieu Trail Brewing has a new release this week, perfect for enjoying in front of a roaring fire, for those of us adventurous enough to get out and enjoy the brisk fall evenings. Campout is a 6.0% S’mores Stout, brewed using Mecca Grade Opal 22 malt, known to impart both graham cracker and cocoa character to the final beer. Enhancing it even further is the addition of real cacao, for an even bigger nose and flavour of chocolate. Homebrewer Ralph Pike partnered with BaccTrail for this brew, which is out now on draught and in cans at the brewery and St John’s Maries too!

Great news for those in Dartmouth, or nearby, as 2 Crows Brewing are taking over the taps at Battery Park Beer Bar all day today. Sixteen draught and cask taps will be a-flowing all day and night, with OG favourites like Pollyanna, Fantacity, three different variants of their Jamboree Fruited Sour (Blueberry & Lemon, Strawberry & Guava, Watermelon & Kiwi), as well as the newly released Home and Home Hazy IPA with Grapes collab with Banished Brewing (as well as the non-graped Battery Power that debuted last week). And never stopping, never stopping, there are a pair of brand new beers on the board today, Guv Dark Mild and Feral Fawn Wild Ale with Apricot. Full draught and cask list available here. Battery Park is open 11:30 AM until late, and you’ll have a good chance of running into some of the Crows themselves when you pop by to embibe!

Big congratulations are in order to the team at Sea Level Brewing, as they celebrate their Sixteenth Anniversary this weekend! The beer scene was quite different back in 2007, with Sea Level (and their partners at Port Pub) being one of only a handful independent breweries in the province. There have been plenty of changes since then, both at Sea Level, and in the region, so this seems like a great reason to celebrate! Drop by both their Sea Level and Millstone Harvest Brewhouse locations to toast the crew in person!

The wait is just about over for folks thirsty for more beer in Truro, as The Common by Burnside Brewing is super-close to being fully open. While their retail shop at The Hub Shopping Mall has been open for a couple of weeks, their ability to pour pints has been delayed by various levels of red tape. We have word that samples can now be poured, and pints will soon be possible in their cozy space too. Located near Philthy Philly’s and Wung Express, The Common welcomes folks to bring in food to enjoy while in the space. In addition to their standard lineup of beer, look for pilot batch brews done onsite, by long-term and multi-award winning homebrewer Mark MacKay, who has been brewing for more than a decade in the province. Keep your eyes on their social media for the announcement, expected before the end of next week.

Down on the Halifax waterfront, Bishop’s Cellar has a fresh drop of Bellwoods Brewery treats. In addition to the somewhat regular classics on offer, namely, Bellwether Pilsner, Jelly King (OG version), and Roman Candle, they’ve now got three new non-alcoholic brews as well, Jelly King NA Blackberry/Raspberry Sour, Jelly King NA Dry Hopped Sour, and Stay Classy NA IPA. But wait! There’s more!! Also on the shelves are Cat Lady IPA, a less bitter, juicy and tropical answer to Roman Candle, and the beloved and rare Milkshark Tripleberry Milkshake IPA. These are all available now, but we expect many of them will go quickly; if you’re in the area from 1 – 3pm today you can drop by the shop and try them with Bishop’s Beer Baron Lucas Mader!

Friday Wrap-Up for November 17, 2023 – News from Stillwell, 2 Crows, Banished, North, Shipwright, Quidi Vidi, Lake City, Propeller, Hardisty, Truro and More!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2023-11-17
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Banished Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Cask in the Sticks, Garrison Brewing, Hardisty Brewing, Lake City Cider, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Schoolhouse Brewery, Shipwright Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stillwell Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Truro Brewing Company, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

We are getting back into the swing of things with another post on time! As we are back to our regularly scheduled programming, this is an exciting time of year as we start to see anniversaries, seasonal releases and holiday excitement fill the air. Speaking of anniversaries, check out our post from earlier this week highlighting the incredible Bar Stillwell opening 10 years ago, where we shared the taplist for the two day event. These blog boys have spent more time at Stillwell (all locations!) than we could count and everyone in the region is happy to have them showcase drinks from near and far. Of course, there is always news from all across Atlantic Canada, so take a read through our updates below and as always, cheers!

Of course you’ll find Stillwell Brewing Co beer pouring at the Bar Stillwell birthday party today and tomorrow, and in addition to some regulars and some rarities, that also includes a brand new release. Born from inspiration gained during brewer CPR’s trip to Czechia in 2022, Stillwell 13º is a Czech-style dark lager. While you may be familiar with the German take on the dark lager style, known as schwarzbier, the Czech, properly called tmavé pivo (“dark beer”) isn’t even that common in its home country, making up only about 3.5% of Czech beer production these days. Not unlike the difference between German and Czech Pilsners, the Czech version is rounder on the palate, with more malt body and some sweetness to balance the back-end roasty notes. At its best, featuring a big and creamy head of foam, it invites both careful consideration and eager enjoyment, somehow managing to be both chewy and rich as well as dry and crisp at the same time. Does Stillwell 13º live up to that? We think so, but now you can judge for yourself. Check it out at the party this weekend at HQ, from the Lukr side-pull taps (always a different experience) at the Stillwell Freehouse and the Brewery on Kempt Rd, and now in cans to go as well. Speaking of cans, if you’re down at the brewery you’re also going to find Stillwell Pale Ale is now (finally!) available in cans as well!

Another brewery on tap at Stillwell HQ this weekend will be 2 Crows, who will be debuting/sneak peeking at least two new beers on Barrington Street. Debuting at noon today is an as-of-yet-unnamed new IPA (ask Josh for the name when you pop in), in the juicy and hazy vein of the series kicked off by Perfect Situation back in 2018. Wheat and Oats help to keep a lovely smooth mouthfeel, as does capturing the carbon dioxide given off during fermentation using a spunding technique. That base beer is a fluffy pillow to allow the hops to shine through, mainly Columbus added during the mash and early boil, then Citra, Hallertau Blanc, and Nelson Sauvin added as the wort was cooled post-boil, with more Citra and then Rakau added during active fermentation. Speaking of, a blend of Verdant Thiol Libre yeasts were used, the latter unlocking the much sought-after biotransformation of the hop aromatics to give super-tropical notes. Pop by this afternoon to avoid disappointment!

As the initial kegs are kicked at Stilly, one of the next to be tapped is a sneak peek at one of 2 Crows’ anniversary beer, officially coming in early 2024. Alright Alright Alright is a follow-up to their OK OK OK, the Fruited Farmhouse beer released last year, featuring NS Sea Salt from the folks at OK Sea Salt. Once again, this year’s version spent plenty of time in a foedre, allowing those funky and tart notes from their house cultures to work their magic. Massive amounts of raspberry purée, complemented by freshly zested and juices limes, plus the aforementioned OK Salt, round of the flavour before packaging for natural carbonation in the can and keg. You’ll be the first to try it at Stilly this weekend, so keep an eye on their and 2C’s social media for the bat signal.

Never slowing down, the 2 Crows Brew Crew have once again traded places with their Front of House staff for the second of their Brewed by Servers, Served by Brewers release. Tonight at 6PM in the 2 Crows taproom, Everett, Miles, and Jeremy will be pouring up Brother Jiles, a Cranberry and Orange Hefeweizen, the recipe designed and brewed in October by Declan, Leandra, Esmé, and Tessa. The small batch of this light, zesty, and juicy beer is only available on tap, and probably will not last all evening, so be sure to drop by to give those brewery recluses a fun time. 🙂

2 Crows teamed up with their pals at Banished Brewing in Paradise Newfoundland, for a pair of collaboration beers, with 2C’s half hitting the taps this weekend. Home & Home is the absolutely fitting name for the beer on both sides of the water, with a base of barley, wheat and oats, and layers upon layers of hops. With the Halifax version seeing additions of Columbus, Citra, Hallertau Blanc, and Nelson Sauvin before fermentation, with more of the same early- and post-fermentation with the same hops (plus Enigma). As they are wont to do, the brewing team at 2 Crows pulled in another Nova Scotia producer for an added level of complexity and flavour, as they collected freshly-pressed red wine skins from Annapolis Valley’s Lightfoot & Wolfville, and rehydrated them to create a piquette. Blending that into the beer offers a bit more fermentable sugar for natural carbonation just before packaging. Big notes of red fruit, blackberry, and of course grapey goodness, with the big hop aromatics to match. Home & Home is available now on tap and in cans on Brunswick Street, and the 2 Crows Crew is also celebrating with a Launch Party at The BG Halifax, the waterfront beer garden at Summit Plaza tomorrow. Front 12 – 5 PM, there will be samples flowing during their Sip & Shop market, plus treats from Vandal Doughnuts.

More on the story of Home & Home, is the great collaboration between Banished’s long time label collaborator Paul G Hammond and 2 Crows’ pal Alex MacAskill of Midnight Oil, who themselves collaborated on the labels for the releases in Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia. The folks behind the marketing and social media have also banded together, and you’ll see plenty of fun posts coming from Tessa and Jason in the coming days. Banished’s release will be coming next week, with their Home staying in the straight Hazy IPA style with citrus, tropical, and stone fruit flavour profile from the hops used throughout. It must be hazy season in Paradise, as H&H will join the recently released Makes Sense and Occasionally Hazy IPAs, for an all-out hoppy good time.

Cole Harbour’s North Brewing has made a name for themselves in social and community involvement over the years they’ve been in operation and this week they continue their work in that vein. Not surprisingly, there’s a beer to talk about, as they’re releasing All-In, a (very) light beer at 3% ABV. A limited release, it was brewed in collaboration with United Dartmouth Football Club (UDFC) as part of their event entitled, of course, “ALL-IN” that runs this weekend and features Canadian Olympic soccer gold medalist Erin McLeod. W-Inspire was started by UDFC as a full-day conference in Nova Scotia with a vision to empower female leaders in sports. ALL-IN is the latest event in its evolution into a, “platform for women and gender-diverse individuals in soccer to connect, learn, and inspire one another.” North has pledged $0.50 from each can of the refreshing All-In beer sold to UDFC to help continue the W-Inspire program; you can grab it at all North locations or order online. You can read more about this weekend’s event at UDFC’s site.

Small but mighty Shipwright Brewing Co in Lunenburg, NS, punches above their weight again this week with a brace of new releases. Up first is Rye’T Aweigh, a “session rye ale” that marries a slightly sweet rye malt profile with an array of modern hop varieties, namely Topaz, Ella, and Loral, which bring citrus (lime), melon (honeydew), and tropical (papaya) notes. With a coppery red color, it’s lovely to look at and at 4.6% you may find it tasted like another. Also available is the latest American IPA from Shipwright, one they’re calling Shore Thing. Golden Promise malt is the bulk of the malt side of this one, with some Vienna added as well. The hops are stalwart Citra and modern continental variety Huell Melon. Fermented with their house Kölsch yeast, this one definitely brings the citra character, but with some sweet melon notes for balance. A firm bitterness of 56 IBU keeps things in check and it weighs in at 6.9% ABV. Both of these beers are available on tap for pints and crowlers to go at the brewery, and expect them both to be available at the Shipwright Taproom as well, where you can pair it with your favourite pizza.

Despite the shared UK roots across the Atlantic region, it’s pretty safe to say that only Newfoundland & Labrador keeps alive the tradition of mummering. It can, in fact, be argued that NL is the modern home of the tradition such as it stands in the world today. More intense than caroling, and with plenty of room to get fun and/or weird, it’s mostly a means to have a good time and be sociable with one’s neighbours, whether they be next door or a ways down the road, and possibly while wearing your underclothes on the outside. To celebrate the grand tradition, Quidi Vidi is releasing Mummer’s Cream Ale, a simple and easy-drinking brew that, at 5.3% ABV, should allow you to have a couple without getting yourself into too much trouble. You can grab it at the brewery or at select NLC’s and convenience stores next week to celebrate the 15th annual Mummer’s Festival which starts next Saturday. You’ll also be able to enjoy it at Quidi Vidi for their costume party on December 1st, right in the middle of the festival; grab your tickets on the brewery website.

In cider news, Lake City Cider of Dartmouth continues to put out releases targeted at the holiday season, and with our friends south of the 49th parallel heading into their big turkey weekend next week, it’s the perfect time for Cranberry Cider. Made with cranberries from Terra Beata Farms, this 6.8% rosé cider is a perfect accompaniment to turkey dinner and/or pumpkin pie. Find it in cans in their shop on Portland Street and at some of the private stores in Halifax as well, or order it for delivery within the HRM or shipping to the rest of the country.

Of the major beer families of the world, the ones that seem to be found the least in these parts over the last few years are the B’s: the British and the Belgians. Despite three breweries having opened in the region specifically targeting Belgian styles, none managed to make that work, so we’re left with the occasional singel, dubbel, or tripel, plus whatever saisons are around and the occasional long-term sour. On the British side, sure, we’ve got some porters about, but especially since the demise of Granite Brewing, the great traditions of Bitter and Mild are not terribly well-represented (though we nod to Tatamagouche and Sober Island, who’ve done both). Enter Propeller Brewing in Halifax, who recently brought back their London Porter, we note, and who are now releasing Dark Mild. True to the style, this is a small beer, at only 3.5% ABV, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s low on flavor. Plenty of roasted malt flavours marry with balancing sweeter notes of toffee, caramel, and dark fruit. Easy-drinking and with a deep mahogany color, you’ll find it packaged in 473ml cans at all the Prop Shops as well as the private stores in Halifax that don’t start with ‘B’.

Why yes, there are events happening outside of Halifax this weekend! Truro Brewing is throwing it way back this Saturday with a Medieval Renaissance. The day will feature vendors and friends featuring handmade goods and services. The music will be folk and Celtic themed and you’ll be encouraged to dress in theme to partake in the ale and mead at the brewery. This is an all ages event and is free to enter!

And in Annapolis Royal, Annapolis Brewing is hosting the 2023 Cask in the Sticks event. With eight breweries from across the province bringing forward their wares in this traditional serving format, you’ll be able to enjoy traditional as well as innovative offerings from Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, East Coast Cider, Horton Ridge, Lunn’s Mill, Roof Hound, Schoolhouse, Sober Island, Tatamagouche. The event starts at 7 PM tomorrow, so grab your ticket today to avoid missing out!

The Cole Harbour brewery, Hardisty Brewing, is moving to a new home on 958 Cole Harbour Rd, to have their own space open to the public in a little strip mall. They’re in the last stages of construction, having moved their brewing equipment this week, and are gearing up their food offering, consisting of charcuterie boards and other snacks. Stay tuned here and to their socials for the latest updates, but we are excited to have the nano-brewery get a little bit bigger!

Now into the returning beer section! Unfiltered is proud to bring back the wonderfully named RSMA! Of course, cheekily named in jest of Nova Scotia’s lovely provincial Retail Sales Markup Allocation, this is a big Double IPA single hopped with Mosaic for tropical flavours and backed with 2-row and cara-pils malt. It’s 7.5% and should be just as delicious as you remember. It’s available now directly from the brewery and on tap at their Charm School next door.

While snow and skiing will be coming soon, so will Martock IPA from Schoolhouse Brewing. Previously known as Private Session,  this is a West Coast Session IPA  featuring a combination of juicy, citrus, grapefruit and a light haze. This 5.3% IPA should be available next week at the brewery at NSLCs in the Valley area of Nova Scotia. And of course you’ll be able to get it at Ski Martock when they open up for the season. 

Staying with the theme of returning brews from Nova Scotia breweries, Big Spruce brings back One Hundred. This is a 100% local to Nova Scotia beer with the yeast, malt and hops all originating from the home province of Anne Murray. This is a wild ale thanks to the wild yeast strain from Big Spruce’s certified organic farm in Nyanza. The beer itself is 4.9% and has wonderful floral and sweet candy aromas, backed with a light, effervescent and well carbonated feel. This is available now in cans from the brewery, home delivery or shipping Canada-wide, and watch for it around private shops in HRM.

‘Tis the season for one of our favourite styles as Garrison Brewing is bringing back All Lit Up, a Winter Warmer (or Festive Strong Ale as it says on the can) that brings the warm flavours for the cold season. The beer is lightly spiced with notes of brown sugar, cinnamon, clove and strawberry jam, but is predominantly a rich caramel flavour with a warm finish. The malt bill brings together Pale, Munich, Caramel and Chocolate malts with Brewer’s Gold hops bringing the low bitterness at 20 IBU. It’s 7% so it’s still drinkable and a nice slow sipper. This will be at all of the private shops in HRM and provincial stores in Newfoundland, PEI and Nova Scotia. 

If you’re in the mood for a tasty treat anytime of the year, let’s remember that it’s always Lager Season. Tatamagouche Brewing has a returning beer that’s back in cans and kegs. Arvo is a Helles Lager with traditional German Pilsner malt with a bit of hops to balance it out and keep it bready, spicy and floral. Arvo is 4.6% and available now!