2 Crows Brewing

All posts tagged 2 Crows Brewing

Happy Friday y’all! Another great week for beer in Atlantic Canada, with the official Launch Party of Moncton’s AWOL Brewery happening tomorrow (more info on the brewery and event in yesterday’s post), updates and first looks from Lone Oak’s Brewpub coming soon to Charlottetown’s Milky Way, and new beers for us to tell you about from all four provinces. We are bursting at the seams with content, so let’s dive right in!

Let’s start this week’s news with a reminder that this is the last week and weekend of April, CBANS’ Nova Scotia Craft Beer Month. Tomorrow is Open Brewery Day, with breweries across the province holding special events , brewing demonstrations, new beer launches, and live music in their spaces, there is sure to be something for everyone everywhere to enjoy. As you make your way to a new or favourite brewery, there will be plenty of new beers pouring and available to take away, including…

Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing, who have released their Brave Noise Pale Ale. A reminder that Brave Noise is the worldwide movement and collaboration to create inclusive and safe spaces for women, LGTBQ+, and BIPOC, namely anyone otherwise underrepresented or made to feel less than welcome in the beer industry. Big Spruce brewed the suggested 4.5% ABV American Pale Ale recipe on International Women’s Day, and are ready to release it to the world now. Available on tap for pints and fills at the brewery now, it is also packaged in 473ml cans in their retail fridge, for home delivery, and at the freshly stocked fridge at Warehouse Market at 2867 Isleville Street in Halifax. Proceeds from the sale are being donated to a Cape Breton-based Women and Children’s shelter.

Big Spruce has also released That’s So Bougie this week, a Foedre-Fermented Wild Saison. Leveraging hints of oak from the wooden vessel it fermented and conditioned in, this 7.0% pale-coloured saison is bursting with ester and spice and floral notes, on a lively effervescent base, all thanks to the multifaceted wild saison yeast(s) used to ferment. Cans only for this release, look for it in the usual spaces you’ll find Big Spruce beer.

Fresh off celebrating their Sixth Anniversary last weekend (Congrats to Becky and her team!) Sober Island Brewing has a new light beer on the taps and in cans, to celebrate the coming warmer months. Expect to see a different beers in this category from SIBC in the coming months, with the first of those being a 4.3% light ale, dry-hopped with Azacca for a citrus and tropical vibe without being too heavy or filling. Look for future iterations to inch lower in ABV while incorporating more local malt. No official name yet, as that will be revealed with the label design inthe summer. Just ask for the Light Beer and they’ll steer you right! May we suggest dropping by tonight around 7PM, as Shannon Dalberg from Mountain Meadworks will be onsite doing a guided tasting of five of her meads, to showcase the flavours available in this honey-derived beverage. And big things are happening on the Eastern Shore, as Sober Island prepares to open their Musquodoboit Harbour Beer Garden May 19th, and in June, Andre Pettipas and the Giants will mark the opening of their home base outdoor beer garden space. More on those events closer to the dates.

Greenwich’s Delta Force Brewing has brewed and released a second and third beer in the Make Peace Not War beer project. Joining the Dry-Hopped Farmshed Sour are the Valley Lager and Farmshed Tripel. Both available in 500 ml bottles, and 40% of all proceeds are being donated to Red Cross efforts in Ukraine. Easy drinking, fizzy and pale, the Valley Lager is no nonsense and straight to the point at 5.1% ABV and 33 IBU. On the other end of the spectrum is the Farmshed Tripel, at 9.8% ABV, quite dry, with plenty of citrus esters from the style-accurate yeast.Learn more about the beer and project, and order yours today from their website!

Straight out of Annapolis Royal, Annapolis Brewing has a trio of new beers available on draught and in cans this week to tell you about. The inaugural brew on their new brewhouse, Maiden Voyage Kolsch is a 5.5% crisp and easy-drinking hybrid beer, highlighting the straw and bready character from the malt, and just a touch of fruit ester character imparted by the yeast. A light balancing of hops helps to round out the entire package. Maiden Voyage joins their Northern Lights White IPA, which has been tweaked ever so slightly to continuously improve the recipe. 5.0% ABV Wheat Ale, featuring a full mouthfeel and great head retention, with additions of Citra, Amarillo, and Simcoe dry-hopping further enhance the coriander and curacao orange peel used in the boil (along with enough bittering hops to get up to 50 IBU). And finally, Annapolis have released their collaborative Brew for Ukraine Putin Huylo Golden Ale, with all proceeds from can and tap sales going to relief and recovery efforts in Ukraine. Tweaking the original Pravda Brewery recipe slightly, their 5.0% Golden Ale is dry-hopped with Cascade to impart some great citrus aroma and flavour.

Hot off the press (cold off the canning line?) today is the latest “locals [ingredients] only” beer from Halifax’s 2 Crows Brewing. Terra is a classic American Pale Ale, using only Maritime-grown and -processed ingredients. Starting from a base of Shoreline Pale and Pilsner malts, along with Toasted Wheat and Amber Malt from fellow PEI-based maltsters Island Malt House. Tapping into the fine growers at Lakeview Hops in New Brunswick, whose Chinook hops ended up in the mash and during first wort transfer, aided by more Chinook and now Cascade in the whirlpool post-boil. Fermented with a clean ale yeast strain to let the malt and hops take centre stage, the actively fermenting beer received even more of both hops for some lovely bio-transformation of the aromatic terpenes. Using the yeast burps of carbon dioxide to their advantage through the technique of spunding (keeping the CO2 in the vessel to naturally carbonate the beer), and adding just a touch more sugar to complete the carbonation in the can. Think West-Coast-y Pale, with flavours of grapefruit and pine with a solid bitterness to boot. This 5.8% ABV Pale Ale is on shelves at 2 Crows now, and at the NSLC in your neck of the woods real soon.

And if you can’t find a designated driver to take you around to all of the breweries in the province, may we suggest taking in the Tapped Truro Beer Fest, where about 20 breweries will be pouring their wares, plus food vendors, games, and you can even upgrade your ticket to include a shuttle back to your house, hotel, or AirBnB to arrive safely. Grab tickets here!

There is lots of action happening in Deer Lake, as Rough Waters Brewing has a bunch of new releases! Starting with Priestess, a fruited milkshake NEIPA that is fruity, full bodied, and a bit sweet. At 5.9% with additions of cherries and blueberries and a big dry-hopping of Lotus, it sports a delicious aroma with a slightly berry-forward flavour. Another new release is Knock Out. This is a 6% Brut IPA, following the dry champagne style packed with dry hops to bring topical citrus notes and a dry finish. Third on the list is one of their new Sour Series, Spiced Grapefruit! What is the spice? Ginger root! What is the grapefruit? Grapefruit puree! The base of the sour series is a Berliner Weisse and is a tweak of their Canadian Brewing Awards Silver Medal winning Sou’wester beer. All three of the releases above are available in 473ml cans at NLC stores across Newfoundland and different stores around St. John’s, too.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen the release of several IPAs that are pushing as much fruit character out of the hops as possible using specialised yeast strains or Phantasm (extracted from Sauvignon Blanc grapes). The name of the game here is freeing thiols, aromatic compounds that punch above their weight when it comes to tropical fruit character. PEI’s Lone Oak Brewing is the latest to hop on the thiol train with the release of Phancy. The 7% ABV hazy IPA is low on bitterness, but high in fruit flavour and aroma, including notes of passion fruit, tangerine and grape juice. Phancy is available now at the taproom in Borden or for delivery via their online store.

Over in Mount Pearl, the team at Landwash is teaming up with St. John’s tech company, CoLab Software, for the first release in their Make/Shift series. Collab CoLab, Citra Citra Citra is a hazy DDH IPA, that Landwash is calling one of the most juicy, assertive IPA they’ve brewed to date. It features several iterations of the citrusy Citra hop, including the OG Citra T-90 pellets, an addition of T-45 Citra and Citra Spectrum during fermentation for the biotransformation effect, and a final dry hop with more hop pellets. Citra Spectrum is a newer product that uses the essential oils from the hops. Since it comes in liquid form, it can add a lot of hop character without impacting yields at all. Collab CoLab, Citra Citra Citra is available now at the taproom and should also be hitting the shelves at Landwash’s retail partners across the province this weekend.

A couple of short newsbites before we let you go for the week…

As mentioned in last week’s post, Lunn’s Mill was just packaging up ЧЕРВОНІ ОЧІ (Red Eyes) American Amber Ale in support of the Brew for Ukraine initiative, and now we’re able to tell you the beer is available now to order through their online store, or directly at their taproom in Lawrencetown and The Station in Bridgetown.

In the category of “coming soon”, Lunn’s Mill has a new release in collaboration and support of Annapolis Royal Pride, the brewery is looking for submissions to design a label for Saisons of Love. All submissions must be in a high resolution format and submitted by May 1st to annapolisroyalpride@gmail.com for a chance to win some prizes from the brewery.

Trailway continues its streak of non-hazy releases with the return of Emerald. Their 5% ABV take on a New Zealand style pilsner features Nelson Sauvin hops and additions of lime juice and zest. Cans of Emerald are available now.

Staying in Fredericton, Maybee Brewing Company is releasing Paddle On Pale Ale. This one is lower on ABV at 4.5%, but plenty bitter at 45 IBUs. Expect a light body and notes of grapefruit and peach. Find it on tap at the brewery today.

As part of their 25th Anniversary celebration, Propeller Brewing has released the latest new beer in their portfolio, Guavarama Summer Ale. Featuring loads of juicy guava, as well as plenty of blackberries, this 4.8% ABV beer is a lovely glimpse of summer to come with tropical vibes and just a little tang, hazy pink in the glass. Find it on tap and in cans at all three Propeller Shops in Dartmouth and Halifax, online for local delivery or shipping, and at the private stores in HRM and at the airport.

A short drive from Antigonish, Half Cocked Brewing has a new release joining their tap lineup. Lemon Lime Farmhouse is a refreshing release leading into the warmer weather. Using additions of kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass to a slightly tart 5% ABV base, these add lighter flavours instead of the actual peel or fruit. This beer is available starting today on tap or growlers to go.

Church Brewing has a new release out now, with Blonde available from the brewery and online now in 473ml cans. This is a 5.0% classic blonde ale with some light fruitiness, a gentle hap flavour and medium body. This will be available soon in the NSLC and if you liked their previous blonde release, In Your Honour, from a few years ago, we imagine this will be right up your alley!

Looking to get into the beer business? Read on!

We’ll close with a job posting on Nova Scotia’s beautiful South Shore. The team at Hell Bay Brewing is looking to grow with the addition of full-time Assistant Brewer. Prior brewing experience is an asset, but a passion for beer and willingness to learn may get you in the door if you’re lacking experience. Apply via hellbaybrewing@eastlin.ca or by dropping by the brewery in Liverpool.

We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming bringing you all of the beer news you want (or need?) from around the Maritimes. Today is Earth Day! This is your friendly reminder to recycle your beer cans and bottles, use growlers, drink in the dark, bike to buy your beer, use your beer boxes and cardboard for arts and crafts! In all seriousness, many of our local craft breweries have many green and renewable initiatives that they would be happy to talk about. How you spend your money is important and we’re lucky to have many sustainably conscious breweries available to us. Onto the news!

Let’s kick off the week with a brewery celebrating Earth Day in a few different ways, Port Rexton Brewing. New in cans and on tap today is Discovery Global Geopark Juniper Ale. Named after the UNESCO-recognized Discovery Global Geopark that encompasses several sites on the Northern Bonavista Peninsula, this collaboration beer is 4.2%, and features additions of coriander, orange peel, as well as the eponymous juniper, as well as dashes and drips of honey, cinnamon, ginger, and star anise. The resulting beer is low in bitterness, but with enough fresh citrus and juniper character to contrast any malt and yeast sweetness. Sales from cans and draught (no growlers of this release due to its batch size) will benefit the park, elevating their education and program development.

If you’re looking for the perfect time to visit Port Rexton, btw, today is the day, as they are hosting two big events in the taproom today! At 3 PM, they are hosting their first monthly Pints & Pick-ups event, where they are encouraging folks to help beautify Robin Hood Beach just over the hill from the brewery. Gloves and bags are provided, and those who help pickup will receive a free beer in the taproom for their efforts! Under-age folks are welcome too, there are plenty of non-alcoholic options too. And stick around (Oh My Cheeses will be there!)/come back for Earth Day Trivia in the taproom at 7:30 PM.

The Juniper Ale joins a pair of other new/returning beers to the taps and retail shop this week. The latest in their gluten free line is Gluten-Free Raspberry Sour, a 4.3% sour, chock full of raspberry aroma and flavour, thanks to the additions of the fruit puree to the base beer. The sour joins Whitecap Session IPA, which returns for the Spring after a fall/winter hiatus. Just 3.8% ABV, but full of peach and pineapple aromatics, in a hazy and smooth base. Cans of both of these releases are also be available at their St John’s Retail Shop, open now for the weekend.

The crew at Trailway has a new one out this week and as you’d expect, it’s a hazy, juicy … actually, we are being told that this release is in fact an English-American hybrid take on an amber ale. Chancy’s Pub Ale pouts a deep amber colour with a creamy head. Showcasing malt notes of tasted barley, biscuits, toffee and caramel, you can also expect enough hop bitterness to keep things in balance, but still approachable and sessionable. Chancy’s comes in at 5% ABV and is available now in cans at the brewery. If you’re in Fredericton, drop by the taproom to try half-litre mugs from the side-pour tap and also keep an eye out for it on cask in the near future. And we couldn’t give you the latest TrailWay news without also mentioning the return of one of their most beloved IPAs, Green Island… 6% ABV, featuring hop character of pineapple, papaya, melon, and peach, with a soft mouthfeel. Cans, pints, and growler fills of Green Island are available now!

Back with another release from their ongoing series, Tatamagouche Brewing has released Intertidal: Mosaic this week. A solid IPA built around showcasing the big hop flavours, the grain bill uses Horton Ridge pale malt, along with their malted wheat and chit malt, along with some German Vienna malt to balance and support the heavy handed hopping. For the hop bill, Bramling Cross and Cascade are the mash hops, then Mosaic features in the whirlpool with some small amounts of El Dorado and Cascade to help showcase the Mosaic flavours. Using an English ale yeast to bring up the fruit forward, soft and full bodied, the beer is finally finished with a massive Mosaic dry hop with a touch of Vic Secret as a lifter hop. The end result is a 6% IPA full of bright flavours and delicious aroma of grapefruit, peach, berries and mango. Look for this directly from the brewery, order online or check your favourite private stores for 473ml cans. You’ll probably catch it on tap at some of your favourite Halifax establishments as well.

The fine folks from Antigonish have two new beers available now for your enjoyment. First up from Candid is a beer release in conjunction with Andre Pettipas and the Giants and a special music event, (that already happened, but the beer is still available!) Live at the Elmo is a beer tribute for the upcoming album release featuring a show from the iconic Toronto music venue, The El Mocambo. The beer is a 4.5% Pale Ale inspired by the tropical palm tree logo from the venue. The beer is tropical in aroma and flavour and nicely crushable at 4.5%. This is available in cans and on tap from the brewery.

Another one available now from Candid’s 88 College Street taproom and retail spot is Zeitgeist! Another one at 4.5%, Zeitgeist is a 4.5% pilsner with some complimentary dry-hopping from a few different German hop varieties. This is also available now in cans and on tap at the brewery.

Back in New Brunswick, Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing is featuring a new release and a returning favourite. Rolling fresh out of the tanks is Sun Kissed Mimosa Sour. This 6.5% sour ale uses a carefully selected yeast strain to dry out the beer and features additions of fresh orange juice. This week also sees the return of the fan favourite, Killed By Death. This hazy Triple IPA is excessively hopped with Mosaic, Citra and Vic Secret, leading to a 10% TIPA that just begs to be sipped on a lazy Friday night. Check out the taproom now for both of these releases in cans and on tap.

In Dartmouth, Spindrift Brewing has released the Brave Noise beer that we previously mentioned they were working on. Put in the hands of Sophie Zimmer, their full-time brewer, she and brewer/quality supervisor Kristi White elected to direct the proceeds towards a mental health organisation that provides access to counselling for abuse, specifically men’s abuse of their domestic partners. Look for the beer in cans only at both the Spindrift taproom in Dartmouth and Oak Manor in Antigonish; and also look for a QR code on the can that will direct you to Spindrift’s Code of Conduct, which is part of the accountability aspect of the Brave Noise movement.

Propeller is giving us a little preview of summer this week with the release of Passion Fruit Sour Ale. The kettle sour process gives a tangy profile to compliment that big passion fruit notes. This one is available in cans as of today (Friday) at the three Prop Shop locations around HRM and also for delivery/shipping on their webstore. While we’re talking about Propeller, we should also mention their Azacca Session IPA is back in all of its compact, sessionable glory. Cans of the 4.5% ABV SIPA that showcases the Azacca hop are now available year round!

Let’s kick off our Events section with a reminder of Propeller and Garrison Brewing’s collaborative 25th Anniversary Tap Takeover at Battery Park tomorrow… From opening at 11:30 AM until late, you’ll be able to grab ten different beer from each brewery, including several debuts hitting the taps for the first time, particularly the Battery Park X Garrison X Propeller collaboration that may *only* be available at BP tomorrow due to its size. Look to Propeller’s IG page for more details on this one later today.

East Duck St John’s Bar Brewdock is celebrating their First Anniversary this weekend, after a wild 12 months of pouring the best beer in Newfoundland and beyond, paired with great local fare! To celebrate, they have brought back the Boss Hogg burger that placed third in the Downtown Burger Battle. And of course they are featuring some great thinks to drink from both home and away, including freshies from Lab City to Corner Brook to Quidi Vidi and all points in between. Plus some visiting goodies from Ottawa’s Dominion City, as well as the lovely Pearl Morissette Winery. Check out what’s on tap here, then head in to celebrate with the crew! And more celebrations will be in order soon, as their “cousin” brewery, Banishing Brewing in Paradise, has received most of their brewhouse gear, so will be brewing beer in the coming weeks!

Halifax’s 2 Crows Brewing doesn’t have any new beers to talk about this week, but they’ve surely got some events to talk about, so no respite for our typing fingers. Up first is Bike & Brew, an event that combines two of the 2C team’s favourite activities, cycling and drinking beer. Teaming up with Long Alley Bicycles and Halifax Cycling Coalition, the event will take place on April 30th. A couple of technicians from Long Alley will be on hand from 11AM to 2PM conducting half tunes which run $50 and include your first beer (sending you on the way to being half cut). Only 12 of these spots are available, so head to the sign-up page for full details and to get yourself one of those slots! Tune-up or not, for those who are riding, at 2PM the Cycling Coalition will be leading a 5km community ride around the north and south ends of the peninsula before returning to the brewery for a post-ride beer. If you’re really keen you can RSVP by DM’ing the Halifax Cycling Coalition Ig account or y’know, just show up and get your ride on!

If you’re not into cycling, but you are into drinking beer, 2C still has you covered, especially on Thursday nights, as they’ve announced that for the foreseeable future the Tube Nights they’ve hosted a couple of times before are now going to be a regular Thursday thing! Show up any time after 5PM, order a tube of AC Light Lager, and ask for a magic coaster. As long as you leave the green side of the coaster facing up, the crew will continue to refresh your 9.5oz tube with more beer. Turn the coaster over to the red side when you need a break or are finished. Staff will maintain the tally and you’ll pay a paltry $3.50 per tube consumed.

A few short newsbites before we dismiss you for the week…

One of NL’s littler breweries, Bootleg Brew Co in Corner Brook, has a brand new beer to suit your present circumstances: Currant Situation is a black currant and lemon meringue sour with plenty of tartness and a graham cracker finish coming in at 5% ABV. This one appears to have been canned, but we don’t see it available for online orders yet, so for now you’ll have to stop by the brewery to grab some.

Good Robot has brought back their ThemBot beer this week, and it’s bigger and better than ever! The 5.5% Sour Beer features even more guava and blackberry than their initial release last year, and in the spirit of sharing even more love around to everyone, has now upped the release to a 473 ml can. You can pick them up, or enjoy it on tap, from their retail/taproom on Robie Street, or order some online for local delivery! You can also grab a glass or pint at Lower Sackville’s TAPestry Beer Bar, where GR’s Liam will be guest bartending for the evening, ready to share stories from his time working in beer across the world.

We mentioned a couple weeks ago about Lunn’s Mill doing ЧЕРВОНІ ОЧІ (Red Eyes) American Amber Ale in support of the Brew for Ukraine initiative, and now we’re able to tell you the beer is being packaged today and will be available to order through their online store, or directly at their taproom in Lawrencetown and The Station in Bridgetown. While the pre-orders did bite into the availability, there’s still plenty to go around.

The crew at Tusket Falls has a new DIPA release this weekend. Featuring Strata, Mosaic and Citra hops, the 8% ABV Modern Creation, is available on tap and in cans at the Tusket Falls and Gottingen Street locations now.

Looking to get into the beer business? We’ve got a few options for you this week!

Montague’s Copper Bottom Brewing is gearing up for the summer rush by hiring on folks to fill positions in both the taproom and brewery. Taproom Servers are needed to keep the good beer flowing, and Production Staff are in demand as well, to ensure the taps never run dry! And, for those folks who aren’t able to visit Montague, Summer Sales Representatives are needed to bring on new Island licensees (and keep the existing ones happy). Check their website for all of the details, including how to apply.

Quinn’s Arms Pub opened on Halifax’s Quinpool Road in August 2021, and has been filling an English-Gastropub-sized hole on Quinpool ever since. They have recently announced that they will be launching a sister brewery, The Brewery by Quinns, just a couple of doors down. Details of the brewing side of things are a little light now (but we’re on the case!), however we do know that they are in the process of hiring folks for both Front and Back of House, as they extend out to a beer garden and keep pouring both their own beer as well as local favourites. Kitchen staff should hit up Chef James Millar, and Front of House should contact Manager Hollee Angelucci.

One more thing this week…

Unfortunately, we have to end the blog on a bit of a sour note this week, as one of Annapolis Valley’s breweries, Hill Top Hops’ Brewhouse was broken into not once, but twice during the last week. After breaking in the door and entering Friday night to size up the place, they returned Saturday night to steal a television, alcohol, destroying the jukebox to extract the money, as well as stealing equipment from the brewery. While the two events were captured on video, that will not restore the lost efforts and sense of safety in the building. We as a brewing community can help, however, by visiting their Brooklyn location (7232 Highway 14 West Hants, adjacent to the Tidal Bore Farm Market), and staying for a beer and buying more to take away. You can read more on their Facebook page. We’re wishing the Peters family a speedy recovery and resolution from this setback!

(Thanks to those of you who pointed out last week that the KOFI link does not get passed on from website to email, so here it is, if you feel like tossing us a few pennies to pay for the hosting and drinking fees the blog requires)

Happy ~~Fri~~ Thursday everyone! We’re hitting you with the news a day early to give ourselves a bit of a break tomorrow, plus allow you to plan your (hopefully) extended weekend around the many events happening across the region.

Let’s start our week off with news of a New Brunswick-based fundraiser with the strongest of roots in Ukraine. Tatiana Vasylyeva was born in Ukraine, and has lived in New Brunswick for 18 years, calling the province her home, while having many friends and family still in her home country. In order to raise funds to help the immediate humanitarian need, as well as the long-term rebuilding, Vasylyeva has teamed up with Rothesay’s Foghorn Brewing to release Razom. Meaning “Together” in Ukrainian, Razom is the embodiment of supporting Ukrainians here and abroad to rebuild and come back stronger than ever. As she is very familiar with the beer of Ukraine, Vasylyeva looked to the country’s breweries for a beer style that would be fitting, and has chosen the Märzen style, a malt-forward lager with restrained bitterness. The Pilsner and darker German malts chosen were donated by Brew Culture (shout-out to Stefan G for the assist), and the wort was lightly hopped to 20 IBU to produce this 5.8% ABV lager. So, how can you enjoy this beer while helping those affected? Foghorn is launching it at their brewery tomorrow at 4 PM, and Vasylyeva will be in attendance to raise a pint (cans are coming next week). And to undergo the full Ukrainian experience, may we suggest visiting Dolan’s Pub Saturday for a fundraising dinner featuring Razom paired with authentic Ukrainian food, such as salo, krychenyky, and more! This is a ticketed event, so be sure to grab yours before they sell out. This event is in support of Aman Lara, a Canadian-based non-profit assisting with evacuation of Ukrainian citizens, focusing on children battling cancer.

After this weekend, kegs and cans will be available province-wide, to magnify the charitable efforts of the beer. We’d also encourage you to check out Tatiana Vasylyeva’s statement on the beer project and current situation in her home country.

(Oh, and hey, if you’re looking for work in the Quispam/Rothesay area, Foghorn are hiring a full-time position to be split between local deliveries and packaging at their facility. Reach out via email and/or check out the job posting)

Charlottetown’s Upstreet Brewing has a brand new release this week, situated perfectly to fill the “when you want a couple of beer while out and about but don’t want to feel like you’ve drunk a couple of beer” opening in our lives. Parks & Rec Low Cal IPA is just 3.5% ABV, but bursting with tropical and citrus notes thanks to the late addition of Sultana, Calypso, and Trident hops. 2-row and Wheat malts make up the grain bill, and it is fermented quite dry to keep the residual sugar and calories low (9 grams and 100 kCals, respectively). Still hazy and featuring a medium body, there must be some magic in the brewhouse on Allen Street to balance both worlds so well. On tap and in cans at their two C’town locations now, look for it at licensees and the PEILCC shortly, and even available at their BBQ Brewhouse in Burnside soon!

On to our regularly scheduled Nova Scotia Craft Beer Month releases, with plenty of new and returning beers and events to keep you satiated…

Dropping at noon today is 2 Crows’ latest release, Bière de Coupage. Sit back while we spin the tale of a beer two years in the making… Borrowing its name from the technique it employs, with “Coupage” representing a blending (more directly, cutting) of older beer with new, the result elevates the best of both worlds. As fans of 2 Crows know, their brewery is full of barrels, puncheons, and foeders, with a variety of beers in different stages of fermentation and ageing. Tapping into 8 barrels filled with a variety of golden sour beers, having aged in the wood between 15 and 20 months, they found the right balance of acidity, funkiness, earthy notes, and a “zippy”character. To this they’ve added a fresh, hoppy Saison, which started from a malt bill of Shoreline Pilsner, Wheat, and Vienna Malts, hopped assertively with Sterling, Huell Melon, and loads Saaz, to build on the ester and earth character from the aged beer. Dialling it up even further is the combination of 2C’s house Saison strain and Brett Q from Escarpment Labs for a tag-team fermentation. The coupage/blending happened after the young beer underwent primary fermentation, but with residual sugars still in the beer, the fermentation of the resultant melange continued, during which they contained some of the carbon dioxide created during this step, using the technique of spunding, allowing the beer to carbonate naturally without additional CO2 needed. And hey, while you’re at it, why not toss some more hops to the mix? Sure thing! Saaz, Huell Melon, and Bru-1 were added to round out the final product. Available on tap and in cans now, you can grab it in store or order it for local delivery or Canada-wide shipping from their website.

As if you need another reason to visit their taproom, they’ll be hosting the crew from Big Spruce and Tatamagouche tomorrow for the Cerberus Double IPA launch (more details in a moment), and on Saturday from noon, co-hosting a food, music, and beer event with Change Is Brewing Collective, as they are welcoming R&B Kitchen to their space, serving Rasta Pasta and Jerk Chicken from noon til it’s gone, with DJ Douvet and R$ $mooth spinning beats all afternoon. More information here.

It’s that time of year again when the gang at Big Spruce gets together with some like-minded hop-happy friends from other breweries and brews up a special IPA to welcome spring and NS Craft Beer Week/Month/Fortnight/Moon Phase/etc. Cerberus, named for the mythological three-headed hound of hell that guards the entrance to Hades, can more appropriately in this case be thought of as the three-handed brew team that raids the hops freezer. Over the years several breweries have been part of the club, including Propeller, Sea Level, North, and Church, with Tatamagouche being part of every iteration. This year sees a new player in the game, as Halifax’s 2 Crows brewing decided to join the fun. We don’t have a lot of details on what went into the beer this year, but after 7 years of drinking the various iterations we’re pretty confident in suggesting that it will be juicy and hoppy. You can find out for yourself starting tomorrow, Friday, April 14th, with the launch party mentioned above going down at 2 Crows all day and at Battery Park where they’ll be having a mini tap takeover of the participating breweries. If you can’t get to one of those places, other purveyors pouring include Stillwell (HQ and the Freehouse), Hopyard in Halifax, and TAPestry Beer Bar in Sackville. If you’re more interested in drinking it at home, grab cans at any of the participating breweries as well as at private retailers in the HRM!!

The sneaky folks at Delta Force have a pair of new releases out this week, coupled with a returning fave. First up is Operation Triunfo, a 5.0% Mexican Vienna Lager. Inspiration for the beer came from a friend of the brewery, who misses their favourite beer from back home in Mexico, so the DF crew stepped up! With Vienna malt and flaked maize complementing each other, this amber lager is easy drinking but with some malt character to keep it interesting. Next up is Operation Piwo, in the Grodziskie style (also known as Grätzer), a wheat ale originating in Poland. Despite its malt bill consisting of 100% Oak-Smoked Wheat, this 3.5% ABV beer remains refreshing and light, and decidedly ashtray-free. And returning this week is Operation Jolt, their 4.9% Brett-fermented Pale Ale, which saw the addition of fresh brewed coffee to the beer. All 3 beers are available from their online shop in 500 ml bottles, and they are holding a sale on a six-pack, consisting of 2 of each beer, through their site as well.

After a brief hiatus, the dynamic duo of Tony and Kyle are back with the latest episode of 902 BrewCast. April’s episode is a Tasting one, with them taking on beers from Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Germany all in the service of great drinking suggestions for you to seek out. Plus learn about their next outing in the wild, as they are taking your feedback on which breweries they should feature (and visit) next on the pod! Grab it from their website or in your favourite podcatcher today! Their DMs are open too!

Events, events, events…. If you’re feeling up for it, here are a few other things to get excited for this week and into the summer…

A quick reminder that in addition to Battery Park hosting the Cerberus Launch Party tomorrow, they have tapped 20 breweries from across the province to send in their favourite beers to showcase during their Brewmaster’s Choice event on Saturday, April 16th. And keep your calendar clear for next Saturday, April 23, as Garrison and Propeller share a Tap Takeover to co-celebrate their 25th Anniversary. More info here.

It’s never too early to start making your summer beer plans. If a trip to western New Brunswick is on your radar, may we suggest the Big Axe Craft Beer Festival, taking place July 16th. Tickets are on sale now for what is sure to be a fun event, featuring breweries from across the Maritimes, Ontario, Quebec and Maine. In addition to the beer, there’ll also be food trucks and outdoor games onsite. If you’re thinking of camping in the area, you can arrive in style with water shuttle service from three nearby campgrounds. There’ll also be shuttles available from Moncton, St. John’s, Fredericton, Woodstock, St. Stephen and Harvey. All proceeds from the event will go to charity, including a portion being directed to humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

A few news bites before we take our leave this week…

It may only be Spring, but one of the region’s most summery brews is already hitting the shelves with the return of Propeller’s Lime Lite Lager today! Light and refreshing, with real fresh lime for a citrus kick, at 4.5% ABV it’s a perfect post-mowing crusher. Available in 355mL cans as of today at your usual sources for Propeller brews.

Spryfield’s own Serpent Brewing has a new beer, their Hopical Storm DIPA pouring at their spot on Dentith Road this week. Though it’s 7.6%, it still goes down smooth, with a pungent kick from an intense hopping with Simcoe. Only available on tap for pints or as part of the flight in the taproom, there’s plans to brew a future batch for bottling.

The motley crew at Secret Cove Brewing in Port-au-Port, NL, has a new double-dry hopped double IPA featuring Idaho 7 for big citrus and tangerine notes that they’re calling Shout at the Kettle. This 7% ABV dank number has been canned for maximum portability; you can pick some up at the brewery where there’s still a little leftover from the batch pouring on tap.

Apparently it’s the week of the DIPA, as Moncton’s Tide & Boar has created a DIPA of their own, saying it’s got the biggest malt bill and the most hops of any batch they’ve ever made. Big, thick and fruity, with notes of citrus, mango, and pineapple, Back to Back is a 7% hop bomb with a huge fruity aroma that you’re going to want to drink “back to back.”

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2 Crows Brewing

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Friday Wrap-Up for April 29, 2022 – News from Nova Scotia Open Brewery Day, Big Spruce, Sober Island, 2 Crows, Rough Waters, Lone Oak, Landwash, and plenty more!

Friday Wrap-Up for April 22, 2022 – News from Port Rexton, Trailway, Tatamagouche, Candid, Tire Shack, Spindrift, Propeller, Garrison, Battery Park, Bar Brewdock, 2 Crows, and much more!

“Friday” Wrap-Up for April 14, 2022 – News from Foghorn, Upstreet, 2 Crows, Big Spruce, Tatamagouche, Delta Force, 902 BrewCast, Battery Park, and more!

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