902 BrewCast

All posts tagged 902 BrewCast

Friday Wrap-Up for May 1, 2020 – News from 2 Crows, O’Creek, Hardisty, Tire Shack, Good Robot, Quidi Vidi, Stillwell, Tidehouse, and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2020-05-01
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, Bannerman Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, CAVOK Brewing, Chain Yard Cider, Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Hardisty Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Lake City Cider, New Scotland Brewing, Newfoundland Beer Podcast, O'Creek Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Shoreline Malting, Stillwell Brewing, Tidehouse Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing. Leave a Comment

We’ve got another full complement of beer and cider news for you today, showing the resiliency of the producers to power through these difficult times, and continue to bring us the good stuff. In case you missed it, we did a Profile with the cats from Delta Force Brewing yesterday, trying to uncover just a bit about them and their beer. They launched their beers yesterday, heading out for delivery today/this weekend, so if you get in touch right away, you may be able to catch them before they disappear back into the night!

More updates to our Delivery/curbside pickup options for breweries and cideries in the region, as Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse in Dartmouth has re-opened (with beer and take and bake food options available), and Truro Brewing Co is trying out curb-side pickup for the first time this week (order in advance online for best results). As always, if we’ve missed something, or just want to chat, get in touch via email or social media (Ig and Tw preferred, but Fb exists too). Take care of yourselves! ?

We’ve got all of the detailed info on 2 Crows latest collaboration, a “Lagered wild ale w/ Riesling piquette”, Vinello. That mini-description right there is already begging for explanation, so don’t worry, we’ve got you covered (thanks to 2C, of course)! Waaaay back in mid-November – you know, about 6 years ago when shaking hands wasn’t weird? – the 2C peoples travelled to the Annapolis Valley to pay a visit to Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyards. Of course they didn’t just drop in to say hello, and ended up leaving with a ton (just about literally) of freshly-pressed Riesling pomace (that pulpy residue leftover after the grapes have been crushed and the juice collected). This pomace was taken back to the 2C brewery and set in their blending tank with water to cover; after a week or so, this liquid had started fermenting with its native yeast. This method, which originated in France, produces a beverage known as piquette… basically a low-alcohol wine. Now that they had this part of the project raring to go, they called on Dave and Phil from St. Johns’ Bannerman Brewing to come over and brew up some wort; specifically, a base of Pilsner malt from Shoreline Malting, along with Spelt and raw wheat. The wort was transferred into one of the 2C oak foedres, along with a pitch of Mad Fermentationist Saison yeast from Bootleg Biology, and the actively-fermenting piquette. After 3 months of development, the beer was transferred to stainless and krausened with actively-fermenting Lager, dry-hopped with Hallertau Blanc and Nelson Sauvin, and lagered for six weeks. The final 4.9% ABV beer was packaged in cans, and is tasting “floral, earthy, with a lively acidity and a ton of complexity”. Check out 2C for more info on how to get your hands on some cans this weekend.

Let’s hop across the border (beer is essential services, right?) to New Brunswick, and more specifically Dieppe’s O’Creek Brewing. They’ve got a handful of beers pouring these days, so let’s get you up to speed! First up is their Raspberry Milk Stout, a 5.5% ABV milk stout, meaning lactose (aka milk sugar) was added to the brew for a touch of non-fermentable sweetness. The addition of raspberry puree during the conditioning phase completes the picture, for a beer reminiscent of a raspberry chocolate coffee cake. Switching to Sours, O’Creek has Berry Mango Sour out currently as well, a 5.0% ABV fruited sour with plenty of lovely tropical fruit character with a tart kick. A return to the hops for them is IPAdemic, a 6.8% ABV Milkshake IPA, featuring heavy handed use of hops, for a tropical note, bumped up with the addition of coconut to the conditioning beer before packaging.

O’Creek also has two beers in completely new styles for them, coming in the next little while. We figure we’d get you all excited for them now, however… The first is Bock, their take on the traditional malt-driven German style. This 5.8% ABV version pours with a dark-brown body and a creamy head. Hop bitterness helps to balance the malt sweetness of the lager. And finally from O’C this week, is their first release in bottles, Beach Fire. This big boozy fella (10% ABV) is a Smoked Barleywine, taking advantage of the absolute beast of a yeast Kveik, to ensure the beer was nice and tasty without finishing too sweet. All of these are available at their neighbour CAVOK Brewing, who are open 3 – 8 PM daily for take-away, or GMA delivery. And, who have a full complement of their own beers pouring and available too!

From one Nanobrewery to another, let’s return to Nova Scotia, where Hardisty Brewing in Colby Village has released their first foray into Imperial IPA territory. Emperor’s New Clothes weighs in at 7.0% ABV, and features a heavy dose of Centennial hops for bittering, to the tune of 61 IBUs, and finished off with Amarillo to complete the picture. Right now, the only way for a Hardisty fix is to be fortunate to live in their Colby Village delivery area (if you don’t currently live there, there are 20 houses for sale there as of today), with more options coming once the current situation eases.

Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing has a new beer to try to help you deal with the madness of self-isolation. Based on the idea that peanut butter is an “eat it anytime” kind of food, they’ve put some into a “drink it anytime” kind of beer. PBP is a peanut butter porter weighing in at 6.2% ABV that’s perfect for having a beer when you don’t even know what time it is. With subtle chocolate flavors from the grist mingling with nutty goodness, expect a smooth and slightly creamy easy drinking beer. Available in cans for delivery along with a bunch of other Tire Shack goodness. Check their social media (Fb/Ig) for appropriate details on getting yourself some!

There’s still some new beers hitting the taps at Good Robot… of course, these will have to be enjoyed in the form of growler fills, likely in your own home, but hey, you can use your imagination and pretend you’re drinking them with friends at the taproom, maybe? This week they have two brand new beers, including Wilson Brown Ale, a 5.2% ABV Brown Ale (!) with notes of “dates, raisins, plums, and brown sugar”, and Blanket Fort IPA, which is 6.9% ABV and “medium-bodied, dank, and resinous”. Both beers are gluten-reduced as always, and join the FrontLiner Golden Ale we told you about last week, which is still available in short supply.

Our friends at Quidi Vidi have a couple of tasty new brews for those of you in their area this weekend. First up is a beer that is near and dear to head brewer Einar Holtet, an Altbier named Rhinegold. This is a recipe that Einar has been brewing since his younger years, when he learned to brew from his father (likely at an age that was just a wee bit earlier than 19!). This is the first time this beer has been brewed at Quidi Vidi, so that the rest of us can officially give it a try. Brewed with a variety of malts including 2-row, Pilsner, Carastan, Melanoidin, Red-X, Chit, and Dark Munich, it was hopped with Magnum, Perle, and Tradition. It comes in at an easy-drinking 5% ABV, and can be ordered online through QV now; it can also be found at select NLCs and convenience stores. While putting together your online order, keep their other newbie in mind, Pineapple Sour. A kettle sour with a grist of 2-row, Wheat malt, Maris Otter and Acid malt, it was hopped lightly with Cluster and features an addition of pineapple puree. At 5.6% ABV, expect some light tartness to complement all of that pineapple character. This one may also make its way to NLC stores next week, but it’s going fast so you’re best off buying it at the source.

If you’re starting to crave a well-crafted Kölsch (we don’t blame you, it is that time of year!), Stillwell Brewing has some exciting news for you! They’ve just canned (yes, their first cans!) Kompakt, a “Kölsch-style ale” brewed with Pilsner from Shoreline Malting. Hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrüh and fermented with Kölsch Ale yeast from Escarpment Labs, the beer was lagered for 2 months before packaging. Everything you want in a Kölsch, it’s tasting “clean, fresh, bitter, slightly fruity, and bready” with excellent foam and lacing (so make sure you pour this one into a glass). Cans of this 5% ABV beauty can be picked up at the brewery (back of 2015 Gottingen) today between 3-4:30pm; send them a DM after you’ve placed your order online so they can put it together and get it to you, contactless style. They’ll also be delivering tomorrow, so that’s an option, too! And while we’re too late to help you out this week, keep your eyes peeled to Bar Stillwell‘s Social Media (Instagram especially) for their return to being able to serve you some tasty food again. Yesterday and today saw Diner burgers, Tokyo fries, etc, etc, being available for curbside pickup, and we imagine the same will be happening next week as well. Plus you can add beer, wine, and cider from their Corner Store to accompany.

Tidehouse will be resuming their curbside pickup option for tomorrow (details on their social media), and they’ve got their popular Hibiscus City (a Gose w/ lime and hibiscus) available, along with two brand new beers. If you’re leaning towards the malty side of things this weekend, they’d like to introduce you to Albert, a “strong Amber ale” that was moderately-hopped with Idaho 7. Weighing in at 7% ABV, expect “deep stone fruit and light pine, backed by a touch of sweetness”. But maybe you’re more in a fruity, hoppy mood? They’ve got you covered there, as well, with Dry the Rain, an “Imperial Milkshake Sour”. Featuring additions of raspberry, blackberry, lactose, and vanilla, it’s 6.8% ABV and has lots of raspberry and vanilla character, with additional sweetness from the lactose. 

Halifax’s Chain Yard has introduced some new shipping deals for online ordering (free shipping for orders over $75 in NS, and free Canada-wide for orders over $150), and even have a couple of new products to help celebrate. First up is Pie Hard 2, a fusion of house-made cranberry and raspberry wine with a “select apple blend”. Coming in at a hefty 7.6% ABV, it was double-fermented and oaked, giving a “lightly sour taste with a burst of berry cider”; available in cans. If you’re looking for something a bit fancier, they have 750 mL bottles of Eper Öak (Strawberry), an 8.6% ABV blend of house-made strawberry wine double-fermented with Northern Spy apple juice. Aged in Hungarian oak for six months before bottling, the final cider is off-dry with notes of strawberry, leather, toffee, fig, and spice. Also keep in mind that if you’re in the HRM, they’ll deliver to your door for free with orders over $40 (check out their website for specifics).

Halifax’s Garrison has a bunch of stuff for us all this week with the results of their 2020 Home Brew-Off and a couple of new beers. Firstly, the competition winners as announced on Facebook last night: congratulations go out to homebrewers Dan McAloney (Honourable Mention), The Bràthair Brewing Collective (3rd Place), Julien Belliveau (2nd Place), and the big winner, Trevor Armstrong. The style this year was New England IPA, an difficult one, particularly for homebrewers, and with 57 entries, taking top prize is a serious achievement. Based on past years, look for Trevor’s beer to be brewed in early 2021 for release in Spring.

Meanwhile, in Garrison beer news, both of their new offerings this week are riffs on the IPA style. First up is one they’re calling Relax!!! a very limited seasonal only available in 473 mL cans at Garrison retail locations (Seaport and Oxford) and for home delivery. Described as “aggressively relaxing,” it was built on a base of Pilsner, Dark Munich and Honey malts, with Citra and Mandarina Bavaria comprising the hop side.The bend in the road comes with the addition of ginger and turmeric, a little bit of yin to the hoppy yang. Expect a balanced beer at 6.0% ABV and 32 IBU, with flavors of ginger and turmeric of course, but also caramel and orange, and a spicy bitterness on the finish.

Also new this week is the latest in Garrison’s Hop Trip series of IPAs: Citrus White IPA. Coming in at 5.5% ABV and 26 IBU, like all “white” IPAs this one is driven by the use of a Belgian yeast strain, which brings a bit of bubblegum and possibly a little bit of spiciness to an otherwise citrusy brew. Simple on the grist side, with just 2-row, wheat, and oat malts, the hops are a blend of Huell Melon, Mandarina Bavaria, and Citra, which along with the addition of orange peel give this beer a citrus kick in addition to some tropical flavors. This one is available in a novel 4×355 mL can format. You can check out one or both of these new beers via your usual means for acquiring Garrison products. And stay tuned, as we have reason to believe there’s another new IPA coming from Garrison soon, a sibling to their ever-popular Juicy IPA.

Back to cider, briefly, where Lake City has the latest iteration in their Alpha Series of hopped ciders. Alpha 4.0 features both El Dorado and Chinook hop varieties, lending some pineapple, citrus, and pine character to the base cider. Check out their delivery details for info on how to give this one a try.

We have some details on the latest from New Scotland Brewing, a Zwickelbier named Alderney Dry. Think of it as an unfiltered Helles, and the smaller brother to Kellerbier. Named after the street they’re located on in Dartmouth, the beer is a 4.9% ABV, easy-drinking Lager that has been available on tap at the brewery for a while, but is now in cans and available to a wider audience. If you act *right now* you may be able to catch their cutoff for Friday delivery, otherwise head to the brewery 11 – 7 PM daily to grab a few.

We’ve got a handful of fruity-adjunct beers (and not) for you today as well, so let’s work our way into those…

Let’s start with Propeller, who have released what will be this year’s summer seasonal, Lime Lite. A Light Lager (4.5% ABV, to be exact) infused with fresh lime (and lemon, apparently), it’s thirst-quenching and refreshing, with “bright citrus aromas and flavours”. Cans are currently at Propeller and some of the private liquor stores in Halifax, and should be hitting NSLC stores very soon.

Going in another direction for a summer refresher are Shelburne’s Boxing Rock who are releasing their The Shandy this week. For those not in the know, a shandy is the British version of a radler, where beer meets fruit juice for a light and hydrating summer cooler. In this case, BR went with the tried and true lemonade (their own), but a bit of a twist by blending it with their cranberry-laden kettle sour Over the Top. The result is a 2.5% ABV quaffer that’s light and tart and perfect for après mow (assuming summer comes eventually). Available 6-packs of cans through their online ordering platform.

And lastly, Hell Bay in Liverpool has decided to hop on the hard seltzer train with Mangoberry and Margarita flavors now available. The former features a blend of 100% unsweetened mango, blueberry and cranberry, while the latter is, we believe, lime and bit of salt. At 5% ABV and 0 IBU, we’re not sure how much, if any, beer character they boast, but if you’re looking for something fruity and don’t care whether it’s beery, these sound like just the thing. Available for growler fills only (with appropriate social distancing and sanitary protocols) from the brewery.

That’s it for the beer and cider and seltzer talk for today, but before we leave you…

In case you haven’t gotten enough beer talk in today, may we recommend some more? The fine fellas over at the 902 BrewCast released a new episode earlier this week, their April Tasting one. They drank, and chatted about, a couple of new releases (North Brewing’s Goin’ Down the Road Helles and Roof Hound’s Gimme a Hint <1% ABV Pale Ale), plus whatever else is grinding their gears this time.

And after a little hiatus, the Newfoundland Beer Podcast has come back in full force, with 4 episodes released in the last month, looking into Food and Beer pairing, kegerator maintenance, the connection of beer and sport, and more!

Friday Wrap-Up for March 27, 2020 – News from The End of the World (tentative), Church, Copper Bottom, Heritage, Sea Level, Sussex AleWorks, Backstage and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2020-03-27
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, Backstage Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Escarpment Laboratories, Heritage Brewing, Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, Off Track Brewing, PEILCC, Propeller Brewing, Sea Level Brewing, Shoreline Malting, Spindrift Brewing, Sussex Ale Works, The Church Brewing Company, TrailWay Brewing.

Well, this is definitely a different week than usual on the blog. First off, for those of you in health care and other essential businesses, keeping us and our family and friends safe, the lights on and trucks moving, a massive thank you from the ACBB family.

For many, beer is a happy diversion from work, while for others, it is their work! Kudos to those who are still able to support the brewers and cidermakers by ordering beer for delivery and pickup safely, but most important at this time is to keep everyone safe and healthy.

A logistical note: to keep from having to update multiple pages several times per day as the situation and the way breweries are dealing with it changes, we’re going to stick to one: last week’s Wrap-Up will be our itemization of what breweries and cideries across the region are doing in light of the current situation. It will be our reference for what’s open and closed, how to safely pick up product from their location, and order beer delivery at home. It’s been updated a ton since we sent it out last week, so do take a look for the latest details. And if there is anything missing or out of date, we’d appreciate a quick nudge via email or social media (Ig and Tw preferred, Fb often gets missed).

Let’s start our day in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where Church Brewing calls home. They are shining a light through the darkness this week with Illuminate Kveik Pale Ale. Light-coloured and -tasting malts offer a base for the bounty of hops used in this beer, starting from a light bittering addition of Magnum, before massive dry-hopping of Mosaic and Vic Secret. These offer big flavour and aroma of citrus, tropical notes of mango and papaya, which are only enhanced thanks to the kveik yeast employed. As a refresher, this family of yeasts originated in Norway, and after thousands of generations of use (yeast, not people), has become something totally distinct from other brewer’s yeast: very high temperature tolerant (traditional ale yeasts tend to give off some unpleasant flavours when fermented too warm, whereas as kveik thrives in it), with some lovely fruity characteristics presented, thanks to its production of esters. This particular yeast was sourced through Guelph’s Escarpment Labs, who have been researching the history and microbiology of this family for a while, and have the nerdy ahem important information on it. This beer used their Voss Kveik which gave them plenty of those juicy characteristics, and stays a bit hazy. At 5.0% ABV, and low bitterness, this is a beer you can use to light your way in these uncertain times… Available at their retail shop for 

Montague, PEI’s Copper Bottom brewery likes to celebrate spring with a saison they call Better Weather. Although they’re not able to celebrate the coming season in the same way as usual this year, they’re still bringing that farmhouse ale to market for folks to enjoy. This year, they went with a French Saison yeast for a very crisp and dry beer, highlighting their use of Shoreline Malting 2-row. With some fruity esters completing the picture, expect this 5% ABV and 25 IBU beer to be refreshing but still interesting on the palate. You can get it from them via their webstore for pickup as well as via walk-in (social distancing enforced) at their retail location. You can also get it via delivery island-wide from their delivery service (check their Fb page for details on that!). And when this whole mess blows over, you can safely expect it to be on the shelves at select PEILC stores too.

In Yarmouth, Heritage Brewing has a new beer available for delivery in the tri-county area. They took their Blueberry Grunt, a lightly sour blueberry ale they released last fall, and replaced a portion of blueberries with cranberries, to give us Cranberry/Blueberry Sour Wheat. A mix of lightly tart and lightly sweet (but tipping more towards tart, thanks to the cranberry addition), this 5% ABV brew is refreshing and light, just the thing to get you into the Spring mood as you sip it on your deck. Check out our details from last week on how you can get some of this brew delivered to your door; their taproom is also open for retail sales.

Sea Level’s Port Williams location may be closed, but they are still working hard to produce great beer at their Millstone Harvest location in nearby Sheffield Mills. The latest to be released is also one of the first that features the sole us of their own malt and hops, grown right onsite. Millstone Harvest Pale Ale uses their own farm grown barley, malted at nearby Horton Ridge malt, to create Pilsner, Pale, and Honey malts. And from their hopfield comes Cashmere, Cascade, and Glacier hops, coming together for a “light, refreshing, everyday beer”. While they will be sending cans to NSLC locations across the province soon, you can grab growler fills at Millstone Harvest at 9146 Hwy 221 in Sheffield Mills today. Just remember to call (902-582-2337), email (sealevelbrewing@gmail.com) or DM them on their social media accounts in advance, and take advantage of their “Card in the Yard” pickup option. Hit them up the same way for more details on their delivery options.

For those of you in Sussex, you may already be taking advantage of the beer-to-go option at Sussex Ale Works. If so, great! If not, we encourage you to do so, and want to take the opportunity to also point out that they are still brewing new beers, and have just released their latest, a Belgian Dubbel named 13 Fathoms. Details on this brew are extremely light; however, we can tell you that they’re describing it as “sweet and smooth”. We wish we had more, but maybe it’s enough to pique your interest? Who doesn’t love a good Dubbel, right? Anyhoo, it’s 7.8% ABV and can be ordered online and picked up at the brewpub; check out last week’s post for further details on making your order. 

Back to Nova Scotia, where Backstage Brewing has launched Photograph, what was supposed to be a new beer for the Nova Scotia Craft Beer Festival. An American IPA hopped entirely with Mosaic, at least those of you in the Stellarton area may be able to give it a try! At 6.6% ABV and 60 IBUs, expect lots of delightful Mosaic character – tropical and stone fruit, citrus, mango, etc. – available for growler exchange at the brewery, 12-6 pm Monday to Saturday. They also hope to have bottles in the near future.

Nothing brand-spanking-new from TrailWay this week, but we will mention that their very popular DIPA, Sensible Nonsense, has been freshly-canned and is now available for delivery to anywhere in Fredericton, or pick-up at the brewery (and further distro across the province soon). Citrusy and dank, 7.6% ABV, and all sorts of hoppy.

In Halifax, 2 Crows Brewing has brought back one of their more subtle beers, the Refresh Lager. This delicate 4.8% ABV lager is a full two month process, starting from Shoreline Malting Pilsner (along with a lil bit of chit malt and flaked rice), dry-hopped with Hallertau Blanc, then krausened (using new beer to give the yeast some reinforcements), before lagering for 8 weeks. Like great BBQ, this one is done low and slow. And like great BBQ, it’s worth the wait! It’s available now at their retail shop with click-and-collect, as well as online delivery within HRM, as well as province-wide, and also elsewhere in Canada (yup!). And for those homebrewers looking to try and recreate this at home, there are no secrets when Jeremy Taylor is behind the wheel, here are all the details you need. Maybe drop him off a bottle/growler when it’s safe to do so, wouldja? Oh, and if you’re looking for a fun way to spend your afternoon, listen to Jeremy and Nick who appeared on the latest episode of Rival & Queen, getting hosts Ashley and Sarah up to speed on all things beer.

Speaking of podcasts, our favourite local beer podcast 902 BrewCast may be respecting the social distancing order, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still releasing episodes! Their March 2020 Tasting Episode is a great summary of how breweries are dealing with the shutdown of their licensee customers, closure of their own taprooms, and change in buying options for customers. Plus, they chatted about dipping into their beer cellars to enjoy something solo or with pals (you know, sometime in the future). You can stream it on their website, or check your favourite podcast app this morning, because you already subscribe to it, right? Right?!?

During all this craziness, expect to see a serious drop in collaboration brews, for obvious reasons! On the bright side, a collab brewed before the sh*t really hit the fan, will be available over the next week. Scotia Lager was brewed as a collaboration between Off Track, Propeller, and Spindrift at Propeller’s brewery. Featuring a simple malt bill of Superior Pilsner and a little bit of Crystal, it was hopped throughout the boil with Loral and Tettnang, to 38 IBUs. Fermented with a classic German lager strain, and then lagered for a period of time, it weighs in at 5% ABV. Expect some spicy, floral, and herbal notes thanks to the hop varieties used, all in an approachable and easy-drinking package. This beer was submitted as the annual Made Here By Us beer for the province; it didn’t get selected, but the breweries decided to brew it anyway, and now you get to try it! It will be available in cans at all three breweries over the next few days (whether for delivery or pickup, however they’re operating), and will be popping up at NSLCs as well, with the official launch coming Monday!

We at the ACBB had been planning to hold a big Trivia Night at the Auction House next Friday, in part to help kick off Nova Scotia Craft Beer Month, but with restaurants and bars closed, we obviously won’t be doing that! However, we still want to get together with all of you, share some beers, give away a ton of prizes, and have a fun time. Sooooo, we’re going to give online trivia a shot! Next Wednesday, April 1st, at 8 PM, we will be holding the trivia remotely/virtually! We’ll have plenty of head scratching questions, of course plenty of amazing prizes from our brewery pals. For those, we’ll mostly be connecting you with the brewery directly, to ensure no contact. OK, the way to win is to sign your team up in advance, and that way we can keep track of everyone. Click the link here! Plus there’s more info on the FB page for the event. We can’t wait to see you Wednesday!

Friday Wrap-Up for February 28, 2020 – News from Truro Brewing, Big Spruce, 2 Crows, Propeller, Trider’s, Niche, TrailWay, Foghorn, Shipwright, 3Flip, Secret Cove, Petit-Sault, and much more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2020-02-28
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 3Flip Brewing, 902 BrewCast, Antigonish Townhouse, Big Spruce Brewing, Bishop's Cellar, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Chinched Meats, Escarpment Laboratories, Flying Boats Brewing, Foghorn Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Harvest Wines, Landwash Brewery, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, Maritime Express Cider, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Newfermenters Homebrew Club, Niche Brewing, NLC, Propeller Arcade, Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Secret Cove Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Grand Banker, The Joyce, The Stillwell Freehouse, TrailWay Brewing, Trider's Craft Beer, Truro Brewing Company, Valonray Farmhouse Brewing. Leave a Comment

The last gasps of February have brought some truly awful weather to Atlantic Canada, but as we all know, March can always be counted on to be worse, right?! Well, wetter, for sure. And if that thought leaves you crying a little bit, might we suggest you acquire for yourself a suitable beverage in which to capture your tears? You might not be surprised to learn that for this purpose (and pretty much all others), we favour beer. Fortunately, we’ve got all kinds of breweries kicking out choice liquids in our region, and plenty of them have something new to tell you about today. We’ve even got another all-new brewery and a solid slate of beer-related events! So quit your crying and start reading; but definitely do what you can to get beer involved in your weekend!

Great news for those looking for beer in downtown Truro, you now have a great brewery to visit! Truro Brewing Company, located at 53 Inglis Place, is just a stone’s throw from Victoria Park and the Prince Street main drag. Opening their doors to the public today (and every day except Monday) at 2 PM, you can pop in for pints of their Willow Street Wheat, a 4.0% ABV American Wheat Ale, Hub Town Honey Brown, 5.2% ABV, Cobequid Bay IPA, 6.3% ABV, and Exit 14 Porter, 4.6% ABV. We are also offering Trackside American Pale Ale, 4.9% ABV, and then grab growlers of any of those to take away, to keep the good beer vibes humming. To learn more about Jana and Trish, the dynamic duo behind the brewery, check out the Profile we ran on TBC yesterday. Congratulations!

Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing has a big beer out this week to help us shake off the late-February ice and snow. The name VSOP rightly conjures ideas of spirits, specifically Cognac, with special care taken to the selection and age of the liquor in the bottle. The same goes with Big Spruce’s VSOP, which is a Cognac Barrel Aged Barleywine, their first release of the kind. The deep amber beer features massive aromatics of oak and spirits thanks to the aging process in the freshly-emptied barrel, and follows through on the tongue as well, with a sweet warmth from the 11% ABV, finishing with dark fruit notes. VSOP is available on draught at the brewery, and soon in 330 ml bottles, the perfect size for tackling this big beer solo in front of a cozy fireplace. And yes, Halifax peoples, bottles will be heading your way in the near future.

Brand new big, super-hoppy beer debuting at 2 Crows tomorrow, if you’re into that sort of thing (newsflash: people are!). Bedlam Bridge Double IPA was brewed with a grist of 2-Row, Golden Promise, Flaked Oats, and Wheat malt. Mash-hopped and first-wort-hopped with Columbus, a “hefty dose” of Azacca was added in the hopback as well. Of COURSE there are dry-hop additions in this beer: first, one with more Azacca during fermentation with Foggy London, a hazy IPA strain from Escarpment Labs, and then two more afterwards, with even more Azacca, along with Citra and Vic Secret. So yeah, triple-dry-hopped, so just get ready to hand over your money. You may be expecting a juicy beer, and you wouldn’t be wrong! Look for notes of “pineapple, mango, tangerine, and grapefruit”, and more. It weighs in at 8% ABV, and is on tap and in cans at opening Saturday. They’ll also be hosting a Real Fake Meats popup at 4 pm at the brewery, and live music at 8 pm. Hops = party!

We’ve got a pair of hoppy beauts to tell you about from Propeller Brewing this week. The first is the latest release from their Pilot system, which is soon to be installed at the Quinpool Road location opening this Spring. With their success in the hazy IPA genre with Galaxy and Sabro DIPA, this release is a return to the old school with West Coast IPA. Describes as “crisp, clear, and assertively bitter”, it was hopped early with Simcoe and Amarillo to a hefty 78 IBU, and these hops shine through in both flavour and bitterness, with citrus, pine, and floral notes from later additions of Citra and Centennial. As this is a small batch release, it is on draught only, and currently, the sole point of sale for this 7.2% ABV beer is in the Propeller Arcade in the basement of their Gottingen Street taproom. Old School Beer with Old School Games, sounds like a great match to us! And if you’re visiting the Gottingen Street taproom today, keep an eye open for their weekly cask release, which is Porter with Cardamom added. Brewer Denys used a delicate approach to the addition, but it is still present and shines through, sure to satisfy even the most savage beast.

And in “returning beer news” from Propeller, they polled the audience late last year to find out which beer they should bring back in February, and the winner is Sasquatch Pale Ale! Featuring the first Canadian-patented hop by the same name, Sasquatch is a medium bodied hazy and juicy pale ale featuring plenty of tropical mango and pineapple character, with just a touch of cedar and fresh grapefruit. Catch a can or fill, while you’re able, at both Prop Shops now. 

And for those Propeller fans not in HRM, we kindly direct you to visit the Antigonish Townhouse for a Propeller Tap Takeover. From 4 PM, Prop will be pouring 8 different beers on draught, including the aforementioned Galaxy and Sabro, as well as a special cask for the event, Porter aged on rum-soaked oak. Pop in and stay for a while! 

Amherst’s Trider’s has taken their first crack at brewing a lager, a “Japanese Lager” they’ve named Dry Senso. Brewed with a “healthy” amount of rice in the grist, it was hopped entirely with Sorachi Ace. Fermented slowly over a period of a couple weeks with the S23 dry Lager yeast, it was then lagered for two more weeks before packaging. Easy-drinking and fairly dry, it comes in at 5.5% ABV. This one will be available on tap only, both at the brewery (where you can also purchase growlers) and select licensees, this coming Tuesday (Mar 3), and for those attending the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, they’ll be pouring it next weekend as well! 

Speaking of the Capital Region, Niche Brewing has a brand new release they’re touting this week, Kashmir. A new addition to their family of mixed-fermentation beers, Kashmir started life with a base malt blend of Pilsner and 2-Row, along with CaraHell and Wheat malts for fuller body/sweetness, and mouthfeel/head retention, respectively. Lightly hopped in the boil with Hallertau Blanc, the wort underwent fermentation with their house culture of Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces strains. With ferm complete, they dry-hopped with loads of Cashmere, to grab all of that melon, tropical, and citrus character. Paired with the tart and funky base beer, this is a winning combination. Kegs of Kashmir are out in the wild in New Brunswick, and loyal Niche fans in HRM will soon be rewarded for their patience, as we understand that and a couple other kegs will be on the board at Stillwell at some point late next week.

Two of New Brunswick’s breweries have come together to create a collaboration beer to showcase a new, experimental hop variety, HBC 586, that they obtained from Hops Connect. Foghorn and TrailWay developed the recipe together and brewed the same beer at each brewery. A 6.5% ABV American IPA brewed with a majority of 2-row malt and a touch of Munich, Undercover Hop was hopped exclusively with HBC 586, and fermented with an American yeats strain. The beer is exhibiting notes of “mango, mandarin-citrus, beerries, and a white wine-like fruitiness”, according to TW. There will no doubt be one or two minor differences in each brewery’s release, as technique/equipment/etc plays a role, so best that you compare the two, if possible! TW is launching theirs today on tap and in cans at the brewery; look for Foghorn’s version to hit their taps sometime early next week.

And while visiting TW, why not grab cans or fills of their latest batch of Good As? Featuring NZ darling hop Motueka, with a touch of Citra added, this 6.6% ABV beer throws off massive citrus zest and stone fruit character. On tap and in cans at the brewery now, it will also see limited distro to ANBLs in the region next week, so pop in and check/demand it!

Back to Nova Scotia, where Shipwright Brewing has an American Brown Ale on tap. City Bound was brewed with a blend of Golden Promise, raw oats, and roasted malts, to the tune of 5.2% ABV. Hopped with Simcoe and Eureka (to 32 IBUs), the final beer has “aromas of coffee, molasses, and toasted bread”, along with more coffee (and some brown sugar) on the palate, and finishes with a firm bitterness. This beer was originally launched at the Craft Beer Cottage Party in Halifax a few weeks ago, but it’s now on tap at Shipwright and the Grand Banker in Lunenburg. 

Those of you in the Fredericton area can keep your eyes peeled for a newish beer from 3Flip Brewing next weekend; we say “newish” because it did make an appearance at the brewery’s 1-year birthday party at the Joyce a couple of weeks ago, but the rest of the kegs will be popping up next week. Roggen-Roll All Night Long is the brewery’s take on a Roggenbier, a German rye beer. It’s traditional for beers of this style to be brewed with a minimum of 50% rye malt; for those of you who have brewed with rye before, you will know this is not an easy feat, as more rye typically translates to a higher chance of a stuck sparge (basically meaning that your transfer of wort from your mash tun to your boil kettle slows down… or even stops; lots of swearing usually ensues). 3Flip also incorporated 2-row, Munich and some specialty malts into their grist, and lightly hopped the wort with Willamette (to 16 IBUs). Fermented with a Hefeweizen yeast strain, the final beer has a little sweetness from the malt, some clove and banana, and a “spicy and almost sour-like rye character, with a slightly bitter finish”; it weighs in at 6.3% ABV. 3Flip is also releasing the second batch of their Pilsennial SMaSH IPA, an all-Pilsen malt, all-Centennial hopped, 5.3% ABV brew.

International Women’s Day is just around the corner (Sunday, March 8th), which means we’re starting to see some info trickling in from the annual brewdays to celebrate this day. Halifax’s Garrison Brewing has given us all the deets for their entry, The Bees Knees, a Honey Wheat Ale. Brewed with honey from Meander Farm, this 5.2% ABV, 25 IBUs beer has aromas of “soft, sweet melon, and doughy wheat characters”, accompanied by flavours of honey, melon, wheat, and berries. Finishing with a mixture of light bitterness and honey sweetness, it’s easy-drinking and refreshing. You’ll be able to find it on tap at both Garrison locations in the city starting next Friday, as well as in cans; some cans will also be sold at Bishop’s Cellar and Harvest Wines & Spirits. Look for the beer’s official launch to happen on March 8th; they’ll be hosting some local women vendors at their Seaport taproom for a Makers and Vintage market. Garrison will also be donating $0.50 from the sale of every can to create a Women in Trades bursary with the NSCC. And be sure to stop and admire the artwork on your can of beer, as it was designed by local artist Rachel Brisson. 

Newfoundland’s Secret Cove Brewing has two new fruited beers for you heading into the weekend, both part of the brewery’s new Petite Pilot Program, allowing them to play a bit and exhibit some fun, small batch beers. First off is A Night at the Raspberry, which was released last night. This is a Raspberry Wheat Ale that features an addition of local wild raspberries; it clocks in at an easy-drinking 5.1% ABV. Next up is CherryOake (rhymes with “karaoke”) a beer that will be dropping at the brewery tonight at 9 pm. This is another wheat ale, however, it’s a little more complex than the first beer we mentioned. The beer was aged briefly in a French Oak barrel, along with dark tart and red sweet cherries that had been soaked in Newfoundland Distillery Company gin. This 5.2% ABV beer is tart and fruity, with a slight touch of oak. This one will be available for pints only at the taproom.

Looks like Petit-Sault is having fun playing with hoppy beers lately, as they just released their latest at the brewery, Oat Saint-Jean IPA. This beer is a collaboration with one of the brewery’s original brewers, Jason Dionne, who is currently working at Maine’s Urban Farm Fermentory. Brewed with very high amounts of both malted and flaked oats (so you know this one is going to be hazy), a whole whack of Citra, Vic Secret, and Simcoe hops were used in the brew. The result is a beer chock-full of fruity goodness, including aromas of “citrus, pineapple, and passion fruit”. You can find it on tap at the brewery today, with bottles following sometime next week.

Quidi Vidi Brewing has a new release this week, just in time for the weekend. Session Lager aims to be what it says on the tin, an easy drinking lighter 3.9% ABV beer that’s going to be refreshing regardless of what you’re doing. Light grain character with a frothy white head, sounds like a killer sipper to us. Don’t think that means they’ve just dashed it out, though, this one has been in development at the brewery for over a year! QVBC has done something new with this release, with the addition of Clarex. This additive serves two purposes in the brewing process, by increasing the clarity of the beer by dropping out gluten-containing molecules. While Quidi Vidi has the lab work back to prove gluten is below the normal threshold for detection (less than 5 ppm), they do caution that as it was made from gluten-containing barley, it cannot be considered gluten-free. This means it’s fine for those of you watching your gluten intake, but those with celiac should take heed (we know mileage varies greatly with this disease). What it does mean, however, is more beer for more people! Look for it in QV’s Hop Shop today and NLC locations as early as tomorrow. The brewery would definitely love if those who try it would provide a little feedback on the beer, which can be done by following this link right here.

And submissions are open for their second year of the Home Chef/Home Brew dinner. They are looking for four amateur chefs to create a small plate to pair with their recently released four-pack of beers chosen in the Newfermenters homebrew competition. These chefs will pair up with the brewers to create plates that will be served at Chinched April 2nd. Submit your recipe entry via email to Chinched, and we’ll remind you of the tasting event closer to the date!

The gang’s all back together again! 902 BrewCast has released their February Tasting Episode this morning, just in time for your commute to/from work this chilly Friday. Catching up on the various ailments and maladies they’ve been feeling the last couple of months, ranting about the impending doom by the name of White Claw hitting the shelves in the region, as well as chatting up their recent foray into beer reviewing. Oh, and they drank some beer on the podcast, too! Listen in to hear what they’re digging, or not, these days, and what’s coming next from them.

Lots of things for beer lovers to do this weekend:

Good news if you’re in Kentville and a big fan of both cider and beer… Maritime Express Cider is hosting a mini-tap-takeover today, with six of their taps going towards beers from Lunn’s Mill. Don’t worry, there will still be Maritime Express cider available, so you’re getting the best of both worlds! They’ll be giving out some prizes as well, so be sure to drop by if you’re in the area.

We’re all for any excuse for a new beer from Tatamagouche Brewing, and with 2020 being a Leap Year, they’ve brewed a new Weird Beer to be released at the brewery tomorrow, February 29th. We have all the info on this newbie, but they don’t want us to give too much away, so too bad! Hmm, let’s see, what to tease… well, it’s big (ABV-wise), it’s barrel-aged, it’s beer… I guess that’s it! You’re just going to have to drop by Tata yourself tomorrow; they’ll launch it at 2 pm and have live music to help celebrate until 5 pm. The official event page is here, but it doesn’t reveal anything more about the beer, so don’t get too excited!

Bar Stillwell in Halifax has a weekend full of fun and cheer, with events both Saturday and Sunday. From noon tomorrow, they are welcoming Toronto’s Blood Brothers Brewing in the house, who will be making their debut on the taps in a big way, bring 9 draught and a handful of bottled offerings. Featuring Blood Light, Inner Eye, and Blood Brotherhood, the wall will also showcase four beers in their Paradise Lost sour series, including Guava, Apricot-Plum, Spiced Cherry, and Blueberry-Vanilla-Spice. And what’s great beer without killer food? In addition to their regularly scheduled menu, Stilly’s Joe Martin will be bringing the heat with a full Southern BBQ feast featuring Briket, Pork Ribs, Crispy Fried Chicken, Cornbread, and more! Check the FB Event for more beer and food detes.

The fun at Stilly continues Sunday, with “Wild West Brunch Bonanza”, the latest event from the Cahoots Cooks Collective. Attendees can expect 6 courses from 6 amazing local chefs who head up or support incredible kitchens in the HRM. Your ticket also includes a bourbon or beer (and then it’s order whatcha’d like from the taps or cocktail menu), plus live music from The Big Country Ramblers. This event is by reservation only, so email Sam to book your seats for the event! Doors open at 12:30, with the food starting at 1 PM.

Dieppe’s Flying Boats Brewing is hosting their second annual Homebrewers Meet & Greet at the brewery tomorrow, Feb 29th. From 2 – 5 PM, it will be a casual drop-in event where you can come chat with other local homebrewers, pick their brains on the latest recipes and gear purchases, as well as see how things are different, and the same, when scaling batches from 20 litres to 2000 litres. Guided brewery tours will take place at 3 and 4 PM, there are door prizes, and no charge for the event.

One final reminder to our pals who live/will be in Fredericton next Thursday. We will be taking over the mics at The Joyce Pub in the Crowne Plaza for everyone’s favourite event, Beer Trivia! Thanks to our amazing brewery friends, we will once again be overflowing with prizes for the brainiest of the bunch of you, and if you’ve been reading the blog for a bit, you’re sure to do well (hint, hint!). If you are still on the fence, here’s what will definitely get you in the door: Halifax’s 2 Crows Brewing is in town, and bringing a dozen beers to pour from the taps that evening, a mix of their core beers, beers from the cellar, as well as at least one brand new release even WE don’t know about yet (shocking)! Peep the FB Event to learn more. And we’ll see you all on Thursday, March 5th! And for those breweries looking to donate swag to this fun event, please hit us up on social media or via email!

And a few last brief (or maybe not so brief) things to mention this week before we leave you to it (whatever “it” may be…):

Though they’ve been hinting at it for a couple of weeks, Boxing Rock made it official this week that they’re getting into the cider game. You’ll find their as-yet-unnamed cider on tap and as growlers to-go at Local Source in the city as well as at the tap room in Shelburne. And about that “as-yet-unnamed” bit, they’d love to have some help giving it a moniker; hit them up on social media with your best ideas! They also released The Publican Bitter to Local Source neighbours, the Stillwell Freehouse, earlier this week. Described as, “a 5% balancing act,” with a hint of sweetness and a lingering bitterness, if you’re lucky it’s still pouring there.

Landwash, in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, has reached their hundredth mash! Which is different from their hundredth batch in ways that only a brewer would appreciate… Anyways, their Green Nap, a hazy IPA that sees a rotating variety of hops came back just in time for you to toast this milestone along with them. Plenty of orange, mango skin, and apricot notes bloom from a combo of Simcoe and Amarillo hops. We suggest if you’re a hophead and can get your hands on this one you do so with a quickness. And even if you’re not a hophead, you should check out the current offerings, as their Sour and Salty Brackish is also back, and you can also pick up Smiling Land (Kolsch-style Ale), Home and Away (APA), That Much Ocean (NEIPA), Hazures Rock (Breakfast Stout), and Rock and Willow (Rustic Saison) all at the brewery on tap for growler fills and pints and in cans.

With all of the good news of new breweries and new releases, it’s important to keep grounded: the brewery business in the Atlantic Provinces is healthy, but that does not mean there will not be closures. Whether related solely to the business side of things or not, we understand now that Valonray Brewing in MacDougall Settlement has closed. The brewery was an ambitious project that opened in Spring 2018, with the goal of brewing beer in the Belgian tradition with ingredients grown on their farm. We had recently reported on their foray into the Flanders Red style, but with their social media, website, and email no longer functioning, we are not able to update on its availability, nor track the age of these previously released bottles at the ANBL, and whether they are still good. Learn more about their plans in our profile of them from March 2018. We wish the Fontaines all of the best with whatever they choose to do next!