Annapolis Brewing Company

All posts tagged Annapolis Brewing Company

Happy Friday y’all! We hope everyone has been enjoying the nicer weather this week, and that Hurricane Philippe decides to take even more of a westerly track this weekend! With Monday being Thanksgiving, keep in mind the provincial stores will be mostly closed, and check with your local private stores and breweries to ensure they’re open before heading there. On with the beer news!

We’ll start off this week with 2 Crows in Halifax as this is one of those weeks when they’re looking to cramp our typing fingers with news. Up first is a small-batch collaboration brew with local band Electric Spoonful, the self-proclaimed, “beer drinking, greasy ol’ rock band,” who are celebrating the release of their new EP Still 2 Poor, on Saturday with a party at the brewery. Starting with a North East IPA base, plenty of mangos and oranges were added to bump up the fruit levels in this hazy and super juicy beer. Stop by the brewery on Saturday night to try it and check the band out. This is the second such collab with a band for an album release party in as many weeks at 2 Crows (last week was Peach & Matcha Lager with Crossed Wires); if you’re a local music fan, definitely keep your eye on social media for evidence of more in the works.

Next up is the return of a 2C classic, a beer that has been missed by many for the last year or so, Letná. A Bohemian Pilsner in style, it started with a base of 100% local floor malt from Island Malt House treated to a low oxygen lager mash while also being dosed with a huge amount of Saaz hops. Double-decocted (because Stillwell Brewing’s CPR can’t be the only nutbar in the 902), plenty more Saaz was added in the boil and the whirlpool before it was fermented extra slowly at very cool temperatures with Escarpment Labs’ Czech Lager strain. Naturally carbonated via spunding, it was lagered longer than anybody wanted to have to wait. But it’s out now in tall cans, as well as being on tap at the brewery off the Lukr side-pour faucets.

Lastly, it hasn’t exactly been a well-guarded secret, but 2 Crows will be opening their second location in the coming months, which they’re calling 2 Crows West, near the corner of Oxford and Cork Streets in the West End of Halifax. As such, they’re looking to hire a General Manager to run the place. If you’ve got some hospitality management experience and an interest in beer, you might want to check out the official posting on their Careers page. Meanwhile the rest of us will quietly anticipate what is slated to be a lovely place for a pint in a lovely neighborhood.

Rolling down to the South Shore, Shipwright Brewing has a new beer in their series of Hazy IPAs. Haar and Fret is a fresh release named after the Scottish (Haar) and English (Fret) terms for a cold sea fog. In the recipe for this one, we find a malt bill with pale, Golden Promise, wheat, and honey malts along with flaked oats. The hop bill for featured generous additions in the boil of Bru-1, Citra, Topaz and Galaxy, and the same hops were also used in a dry-hop for some extra aroma and punch on the nose. Bringing it all home was the Vermont Ale strain from Escarpment Labs. If you put all of that together, you get a hazy smooth number, with stone fruit and citrus aromas and flavors coming in in at 6.5% and available at the brewery for pints and to-go crowlers. 

Staying along Highway 103, Tanner & Co Brewing is known for their resurrections of historical and unique beer styles from across the globe, and this week they bring us Kuitbier, an old world beer based on a recipe from two centuries ago in the Netherlands. Traditionally, this is a three grain beer that is malty, amber, and reminiscent of cloudy wheat beers and Tanner stays true with a grist of oats, barley and wheat and maintains the tradition of no fruits or other additions allowed in this 19th century classic style. The result is cloudy, fruity, and crisp, with a distinct aroma. This is 5.3% and 28 IBU and is available at the taproom for pints and to-go.

If we could write about Oktoberfest beers every week, I think we happily would, as long as we get to drink them!

Our friends in Mount Pearl (just Southwest of St. John’s), Landwash Brewery, are releasing Herbst, their festbier, that brings a drinkable, malty, bready pilsner. Herbst is the German word for Autumn, and this is a perfect name for this Munich malt and German noble hop combination. Coming together in a 5% package, this beer is canned, on tap and available now from the brewery and across the Avalon peninsula. It will also be featured at the city’s Oktoberfest happening this weekend with many other craft breweries being featured! 

Though they may be few in this region, those who know the Polish style known as grätzer, also known as Piwo Grodziskie or “Polish Champagne” have reason to celebrate this week. Propeller Brewing in Halifax has released Spark, their take on this centuries-old style, which is generally known for a low ABV, high carbonation, moderate bitterness, and a characteristic smoky flavor. Brewed with the traditional oak-smoked wheat malt, Propeller’s version aims to be, as the best examples are, surprisingly refreshing, at 3.6% ABV and with the distinctive smoky punch being accompanied by spice and floral hop notes. Whether you generally like smoked beers or not we highly recommend giving this one a go, especially paired with food like kielbasa and kapusta kiszona (Polish sausage and sauerkraut), gołąbki (cabbage rolls), or pierogies. It’s available now at your usual sources for Propeller beer.

We’ve got a new beer out of Annapolis Brewing, as they bring the people Cannonball, a Double IPA packed with Columbus, Nugget and Amarillo hops. At 8.3% and 60 IBU, it has a smooth bitterness beneatha bouquet of piney, citrus and some tropical notes. The pilsner malt base keeps it light, balanced, and smooth and it is available today on tap and in cans from the taproom. And be sure to stop into their taproom in downtown Annapolis Royal, as they celebrate their sixth anniversary this weekend! Live Music from 7 – 10 PM both Friday and Saturday, beer tastings, food, and much more! Check out more details here, and congratulations to the Annapolis Brewing team!!

The newly named and rebranded Great Roads Brewing in Lower Sackville have brought back their Vienna Lager, for a bit of a change of pace from their primarily ale-driven brewery. A delicious style, this is a perfect beer for the season. Under the new name of Cobequid Copper Lager, this is a crisp and clean lager with a slight malty sweet flavour and lovely nose. It’s 5.5% and available for pints and growlers right now. This will be canned soon! Hit up your favourite Sackville (Nova Scotia) brewery to try it out.

Back to Newfoundland, where Dildo Brewing has a new beer for your enjoyment this week, a big ‘ol double IPA they’re calling, well, Double IPA. Weighing in at a hefty 8.2% ABV, this one demands some caution as you work your way from the firm opening bitterness, to the classic citrus and floral combo of Cascade and Centennial, and then through to the modern vibrant fruitiness of Citra and Mosaic. It sounds to us like a slow savouring will reward the drinker with plenty of complexity. Head to the taproom to be amongst the first to try this one, as it won’t be packaged into cans right away!

If you’ve been out to one of Garrison Brewing’s spots, either at the Halifax Seaport or on Quinpool Road, you may have heard tell of folks ordering a blend of two of their most OG offerings, Nut Brown and Razzberry Wheat. Although a mixed pint will always remain an option, the brewing team have now taken on the challenge of making it more convenient, including being available for home consumption. With a fruity raspberry nose balanced against notes of nuts and chocolate, PB&J is a limited release at 4.7% ABV and it’s on draught at all Garrison locations as well as packaged in cans to go.

Representing New Brunswick in our pages this week are stalwarts Trailway Brewing, who have one of their favorite seasonals available this week. As always, this is a sour beer, refreshingly tart, with an out-of-this-world blue colour and the flavor of blue raspberry candy. Some folks might find it scary, but we think most will find this 6% ABV beer refreshing and tasty. We’re not big fans of the name (and if you don’t know it shouldn’t take much more than a quick web search to find out why), but if you ask for the “blue one” you’ll probably find what you need at all Trailway locations and ANBL stores in the coming weeks.

A pair of beery events are in the offing, one tonight and one this coming Wednesday.

Once upon a time, Upstreet hosted a party in their taproom every week, whose name coincided with the name of their fun and fabulous one-off Neon Friday releases. Well, the wait is over, as the party is returning this week, and running all through the fall and winter. Drink specials on pints of Commons, Rhuby Social, and Do Gooder, their Rewind Seltzers, and other mixed drinks too. DJs spinning tunes from 9 PM until close, with free cover! And what better time than that to release their latest Neon Friday, 4.01: NEIPA. This New England IPA is their juiciest yet, absolutely filled to the brim with stone fruit notes of peach and mango, and even some funny fruity pebble aromatics! At 6.5% and 25 IBU, there’s just a little bit of bitterness, with a maximum amount of soft, pillowy, texture. You can grab pints and cans at Upstreet’s two locations, and order it for delivery or shipping on their website!

Next Wednesday, October 11th, the Tusket Falls Beer Project on Gottingen Street in Halifax will be hosting a Beer Dinner. With a five course menu set by chefs Keith and Matt, with a beer paired with each course, this will surely be an evening to remember. We’ll let you read the details on the variety of dishes available here, but will tease you with two new beers that are being released that evening to coincide with the dinner. The first is My Friend, a Coffee Porter, which will see a full release on draught and in package next week as well. And those attending will get a sneak preview of Copyright Infringement, Tusket’s latest NEIPA, their first IPA to feature Nectaron hops. That beer will get a full release the following week. To avoid disappointment, call (902-434-2984) or email ryan@tusketfallsbrewing.com today to secure your spot at this special event!

And a couple of final mentions before we leave you to your (hopefully long) weekend!

Halifax’s favorite source for hops and (allegedly) Bad Attitude™, Unfiltered Brewing, has a returning engagement this week, in the form of Here it Comes. A DIPA in the grand NASH tradition, it once again features Chinook hops from Québec’s Duke25 Hops, grab this citrus monster from the brewery starting today!

Unfortunately, we must end this week’s post with some sad news. Serpent Brewing, which opened  in October 2020, has announced their closing. In a post on Facebook, owner Glen O’Keefe outlines some of the reasons behind the closure, which includes the difficulty with expanding their offerings at the NSLC, despite great sales numbers. No word yet on the next project for O’Keefe, or the space in the heart of the Spryfield business district, but we wish all involved well. It’s been said before, but be sure to support your favourite local brewery, restaurant, better beer bar, or other businessperson, as some are holding on by threads at this time…

Another week, another grind, more beer for all of our times. Read below for our weekly update, a share with your friends, we would appreciate. A hurricane is coming, Lee is on the move, buy some beers for the weekend, for you it will behoove. There’s lots of news, so let’s start from the top, beer and events, they never stop!

Up first this week is a beer that we almost told you about last week, but we were advised at the eleventh hour that it could have been a premature…declaration, as a label snafu prevented a timely release. That, however, was sorted and thus the gang at 2 Crows in Halifax has a brand new beer available in their series of consonantly-named juicy hazy IPAs. Perfect Revelation features the same grist that they’ve perfected over the various iterations, namely Golden Promise, flaked oats, wheat malt, and dextrin malt, and it’s also fermented with the same juice-forward yeast. As always, however, they’ve switched up the hops (and the label and the name, natch) and this batch saw massive amounts of Citra, Centennial, and Sultana. It’s safe to expect plenty of citrus, in the form of mandarin orange character, along with some pineapple and melon notes, and even some resinous pininess. You can grab this 6.1% beaut in cans from the brewery.

The team at North Brewing and their friends at Battery Park Beer Bar collaborated on a brew last year that was extremely well-received, at least by the hazy IPA loving portion of the public. Named after BP regular Dave Wilcox, whose own homebrew recipe was scaled up, brewed, and packaged, this one is packed with hops, namely Columbus, Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic. Hazy and definitely as juicy as you’d expect given the name, it’s 6.2% ABV and features the lovely (and/or creepy) mascot of Battery Park on the label. While only available for a limited time, and we believe only at BP and North locations, to celebrate this re-release, the North kitchens in Cole Harbour and Timberlea are putting Soft Pretzel Bites with Hazy Dave’s IPA Cheese Sauce on the menu all weekend.

Nestled in the back of Banished Brewing’s space in Paradise, NL, Mauzy Cidery continues to put out limited edition fun things for local folks to sip on. This week’s offering is the cheekily-named Kissy Kissy Juice, their first foray into the world of grapes. Comprised of a blend of whole cluster De Chaunac grapes from Jenning’s Homestead and Nova Mac and Honeycrisp juices from Mt. Scio Orchard, the resulting wine-cider hybrid was bottle conditioned, as usual, with Baccalieu Trail Honey. Arriving at 5.5% ABV and packaged in 750ml bottles (only 13 cases produced!), you can only find this beautifully pink product at Banished.

Lunenburg’s own Shipwright Brewing has a new release that is something we would like to be drinking as we type this up right now. Litekeeper is a Belgian Grisette (like a lighter version of a Saison) that manages to bring lots of complex flavour and aroma in a lower ABV form. The malt bill for this was Pilsner, wheat, munich and oats and the hops in the boil were Loral and Hallertau Blanc, with a Belgian yeast from Escarpment Labs to bring it together. Finished with a dry-hopping of more Hallertau Blanc, all of it came together to become something very refreshing and fruity with a bit of pepper for interest and a dry finish. The finished product is 3.7% and 28 IBU and can be had today from the brewery for pints on site or to-go in crowlers or growlers. 

A welcome release out of Annapolis Brewing this weekend sees a style perfect for the changing of the seasons (which we’ve been advised is still very much going to happen, eventually). Munich Dunkel is what the beer is named and exactly what it is! A classic Bavarian-style dark lager that boasts flavours of bready malt with a bit of chocolate and caramel, all complemented by a bit of noble hop bitterness, this is an extremely balanced and drinkable style that is perfectly suited for outdoor German beer gardens or your own dwelling. It’s 5% ABV and 23 IBU and is available now in cans and on tap from the brewery in Annapolis Royal. 

Tusket Falls Brewing keeps things busy with their two locations and they’re also keeping it fresh with a brand new release that you can pick up today. Long Way Around is a triple berry sour ale that isn’t your standard kettle sour. They’ve put a lot into this beer (literally), as it’s something that’s been under development for awhile, but has been helped out with a new Lactobacillus blend from the good folks at Escarpment Labs. The bacteria was the souring agent but also provided some guava and lemon aroma and flavour. Smooth mouthfeel and a bit of balancing sweetness was introduced by a lactose addition, and it was all brought together with a hazy IPA yeast strain, as this sour also featured a dry hopping of Strata and Citra, which brought orange citrus and strawberry aromas. And we haven’t even got to the berries yet! Bringing this one home was infusions of real blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry, AND a bit of vanilla bean AND ALSO sea salt! Definitely a brew from the “But Wait, There’s MORE!” category. Arriving in your glass at 6.5% it’s definitely worth grabbing a can or pint at their Halifax or Tusket locations to see how all of those elements meld into a tasty beverage.

Don’t forget it’s Pumpkin SZN, as the kids say, or used to say? Don’t forget, we’re old. In addition to our guardian roundup last week, Schoolhouse Brewing has brought back a seasonal beer with Pumpkin Paddler, their annual pumpkin ale. First released back in 2017, this beer was first introduced to celebrate the annual Pumpkin Regatta in Windsor, Nova Scotia, an event where people hollow out giant pumpkins and race them in the water. When Lake Pisquid was no longer able to provide a home for the race, some enterprising folks up and moved the whole durn thing to the South Shore, where it is now part of the Shelburne County Giant Pumpkin Festival. This year will be the second year on the Shelburne waterfront and if you’re interested in guiding a gourd to glory on Thanksgiving weekend, you can find out more information here. But meanwhile, back to the beer! Schoolhouse had been known to put an entry of their own in the regatta, so the Pumpkin Paddler Pumpkin Ale is a perfect release to remind folks in Windsor of an event that meant a lot to the brewery and community. The beer is 6.0% and featured additions of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg. A mix of noble hops provided the bitterness and balance to this dry and drinkable fall ale. Expect it to show up soon in private stores in Halifax, but rest assured it’s available in cans and on draught at the brewery. 

Over the summer, Landwash’s Czech-style Lager got a bit of a makeover, with a light name change to Landwash Cold Lager. To celebrate the new name and branding, they are holding a launch event tomorrow, Sept 16 in the taproom. All day, they will be offering $5 mugs of Cold Lager in three distinct pour styles straight from Plzeň. Hladinka is a full mug with a full head of dense foam, Snyt is a 50/50 mug with half foam and half beer, and Mliko is also known as a Milk Pour, and is almost entirely foam. DIfferent pours for different situations, we say! They are also taking the opportunity to invite their Friends in Lager on tap for the day, with Bannerman, Dildo, and Port Rexton all pouring lagers too. And from noon until 11 PM, they are giving away a 12-pack of LCL to one lucky attendee every hour, on the hour! And for those unable to attend, look for the new branding of 12 packs of Cold Lager for your very own Beer is Nice crested coaster, which will win you a full flat of Landwash beer of your choosing. Look for those packs at NLCs, and your favourite small retailer.

A few events to tell you about this weekend and the near future! For those in areas affected by Hurricane Lee, be sure to check the conditions, and confirm your spots are opening, before heading out!

Hopyard is hosting Godspeed Brewery Tap Takeover this weekend, with seven beers from the Toronto-based brewery pouring right now. Sklepnik Pilsner (fermented in pitch-lined foedres), Tmavý Ležák 12º Dark Czech Lager, Fukami Munich Dunkel, Arbeit Hefeweizen, Yuzu Saison, Kekkon Raspberry Sour, and Ochame Green Tea IPA. This also marks the return of their original chef Jane Crawford, who is back in the kitchen again, and who has prepared a Japanese-inspired Ekiben meal to fit with the Montreal-to Japan-to Toronto story of Godpseed’s history. The beer and menu will be on until they sell out, so be sure to pop in today to avoid disappointment!

The Lower Sackville beer bar Tapestry Beer Bar kicks off our Oktoberfest news as the official Oktoberfest in Munich is September 16th to October 3rd. Tapestry will be featuring 12 German style beers from 12 different Nova Scotia breweries. If you’re reading this and itching to try some of them before Hurricane Lee hits, you can order a Mystery Flight of the beers. You’ll have to keep track of them manually though, as the full tap list won’t be revealed until later this weekend. The plan is for the event to start on Saturday, but keep an eye on their socials. It’s not looking good for Saturday, and you don’t know what kind of damage could happen with the hurricane, so check out the venue online before heading out this weekend.

Hopping over to Moncton, the wonderful folks at Tire Shack are next on the Oktoberfest lineup. Every Saturday and Sunday this month they’ll have food from Euston Park, special branded 1 litre maß mugs and they’ll be filling them with their delicious Helles Yeah! Munich style Helles lager. They also have a re-release of their award-winning The Wickerman, which is a Pumpkin Vienna Lager that is out today.  Again, this is planned to start Friday, September 15th, to beat the hurricane, but keep an eye out for the rest of the weekend if you plan to head over. 

New to the block but staying true to the tradition, Smokehouse’s new Agricola street location will be doing Oktoberfest beers from September 16th to October 3rd (again, check the weather and their socials for any delays!). They’ve brewed 5 traditional beers for the celebration and will also be planning to serve Brothers sausages on the BBQ. They’ll have special steins for serving the following special pours: Munich Dunkel, Märzen, Bavarian Wheat, Kölsch and a Festbier

Next up we’ve got a familiar pairing from the last few years, as The BG (formerly the home of the original Stillwell Beergarden and previously named the Stubborn Goat Beer Garden on the Halifax Waterfront) and Garrison Brewing are teaming up for their annual Oktoberfest! Just like previous years they’ve got a full menu of German platters (Knackwurst & Schnitzel), snacks and beer. This will be lasting for 10 days and will start on Monday September 18th. On Friday Sept 22nd there will be a big rocking party with Rankin MacInnis too. Stay tuned to their socials for any details or changes.

A few last quick mentions to send you into a (hopefully uneventful) weekend!

Out of Fredericton, Maybee Brewing has a new Double IPA just in time for the weekend. Retrograde is a DIPA that is big on citrus and fruit aromas. Lots of orange and ripe tangerine flavour for a dry finished and drinkable DIPA. At 8.3% you can grab this in cans or on tap from their taproom.

If you’re near Quidi Vidi and have been keeping up with the brewery’s Arts & IPA series, we can tease that the 10th iteration in the series will be available next week. Featuring new can art and featured artists for each release, new hop and flavour combinations are also explored. This Arts & IPAs 10 will feature Idaho 7 hops and will be a 7.5% IPA. Keep an eye out for it next week, featuring artwork from Molly Margaret!

After its launch at the end of last month, the non-alcoholic Nomad Pilsner sold out within days. Good news for those thirsty for more, as it is now back in stock! Brewed by Tatamagouche Brewing, the Pilsner is just the tip of the iceberg in the NA space. Look for several more styles to come through the taps in the next few months. Check their taproom and retail shop on Main Street Tatamagouche, or their online shop for local delivery or nationwide shipping.

Warning, while it is September 1st at the time of writing, below you may experience shock and surprise due to the releases of multiple styles of Pumpkin & Fall type beer releases. We don’t blame you if you want to hold onto the last bits of summer before conceding to the grips of the orange crush, but we’re just here to deliver the news! It seems like these Pumpkin Spice releases are coming earlier each year, is that because of global warming or just September starting on a Friday? We invite you to pour yourself a beer and contemplate. Onto the beer-y news!

Straight outta Burnside (and their Antigonish location), Burnside Brewing has a brand new release from this past week. Beer Can Square Pants is a Pineapple IPA that’s hazy, sweet and tasty with a smooth and creamy pineapple flavour. With a slight addition of real pineapple juice, the main pineapple aroma is from the mix of hops in the boil and the dry-hopping from Azacca, El Dorado and Bru-1. The grain bill of Pilsner malt, flaked oats and honey malted oats brings the sweet and creamy mouthfeel and flavour while Kveik yeast brings all the smooth, tropical flavours together. Coming in at 6.1% ABV, this tasty IPA is available now from both Burnside locations and will be available at private stores all across Halifax (including Liquid Assets!). See below for your chance to work with the Burnside team at their soon-to-open location in Truro!

Hopping over to the Rock, Landwash’s first release of the week was the return of their newsletter after 2 years! Check out their socials and website for how to sign up for their news right from the source. The Landwash Dispatch was packed with content this week, starting with one release available now.

Froze Det is a Cold IPA that brings a light bodied, dry, and crisp IPA to your tastebuds. Featuring some big double dry hopping (DDH!) of Columbus and Cascade, you’ll get grapefruit, citrus, hop spice, and a bit of dankness as well. Fermented with a Kolsch yeast, this one is canned and 6.5% and only available in their taproom and retail shop. 

We’re gonna take this next bit right from their newsletter, hinting at three big releases coming this month. We’ll be there to fill in the blanks as they hit the taps and shelves!

Festbiernew release!
A smooth, malty German lager that’s deep gold in color with an ivory head. Brewed with high quality pilsner and Munich malt. Subtle toasty notes and light, sweet bready flavors are delicately balanced by German noble hops, with mild floral and spice notes rounding out this soft, approachable beer. 5% ABV

Make/Shift Kraken IPAthis is a new one in the Make/Shift series. 
A throwback to the classic West Coast IPA, additions of Chinook and Simcoe hops give healthy notes of pine and citrus, while the generous dry hop addition of Evergreen hops delivers punchy stone fruit and orange zest. This hoppy profile is complemented by a subtly sweet base of Golden Promise and crystal malt. 6% ABV

Smiling Land Lagered Alethis is a returning release. 
Inspired by German Kölsch, Smiling Land is our Lagered Ale. Fermented warm with Kölsch yeast, conditioned cold with love, this crisp and bright beer is hopped with Czech Saaz and German Saphir for notes of spice and citrus. 4.5% ABV

Let us wait no longer, and hit you with a sextet of Pumpkin-related releases from across the region. As they’ve all hit the taps in the last couple of days, let’s get these to you in alphabetical order:

  • Brasseurs du Petit-Sault is bucking the trend with their La Bonhomme Sept-Heures, opting for a higher alcohol content in their pumpkin beer. At 8.5% ABV, this one will warm you from the inside out! Look for it at the brewery shop and taproom in Edmundston, and making its way to your local ANBL reeeeeal soon!
  • Breton Brewing has brought back Spiced Up, their 5.5% ABV amber ale, brewed with more than 75 kg of roasted pumpkin in the mash, with spices added to give the full pumpkin pie experience. Available at their taproom and home delivery, and at NSLCs too.
  • Garrison Brewing released Oh My Gourd! this week as well, their 5.0% ode to the orangest of veggies. Pumpkin puree keeps it authentic, and their use of the spices that many of us love, make for a great fall drink. So good, it was awarded best in the Herb & Spice category at last year’s Canada Beer Cup!. Available now at their two Halifax locations on tap and in cans, with delivery an option as well. Private and government shops in NS, NB, and NL will also be carrying the beer shortly.
  • PEI Brewing Company has brought back their Pumpkin Ale, featuring real pumpkin, a touch of brown sugar, and great spicing to the glass. Available at their PEIBC and Gahan locations across the Atlantic provinces, and on shelves at ANBL and NLC before the end of the month.
  • Back to Halifax, where Propeller continues the tradition of using Howard Dill’s world famous giant pumpkins in their beer for a true taste of the region. Spicing with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, caps off the experience. Available today at their three shops (as well as delivery and shipping across the country), private stores in HRM, and select NSLC locations across the province.
  • And finally, we’re back to the gentle island, where Upstreet Brewing has brought back the spookiest of their offerings, Gravedigger Pumpkin Ale. Amber in colour, and weighing in at 6.5% ABV, the full body and heavy-but-just-right spicing reminds us that maybe pumpkin beers are pretty darn good after all! Hitting the shelves at noon today!

The unstoppable duo of Banished Brewing and Lone Oak have released the first of a Home and Home pair of collaboration brews this week. A tongue-in-cheek ode to their collected history gave rise to the name of a Hazy Triple IPA hitting the taps in Paradise recently, Mustard Pickles. Bright yellow in colour, with a hint of green (thanks to all those Citra and Talus hops used, no doubt!). This bitter, yet smooth, dank, yet citrusy, 10.1% ABV beer is a blast in a glass! It made its debut just in time for last weekend’s Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival in Banished’s newly-opened Beer Garden at their Maverick Place location. The BG will stay open as long into the fall as the weather allows. Speaking of the NLCBF, their 12 Beers of Christmas has been announced for November 17 – 18, with tickets available today! And if you’re into NFL and football pools, you’ll want to check out this page for your way to win free Banished beer for a year, in addition to some sweet perks at their taproom every Sunday during the season. Late breaking news: Lone Oak released their own batch of Mustard Pickles Friday after publishing, so those near Borden can get their fix now too!

Mauzy Cider has another small batch release out now, featuring the use of hyper-local ingredients from Thimble’s Cottage at O’Brien Farm in St. John’s. Thimble’s Own was made with 2022 Season apples from an unknown varietal tree in front of the cottage, affectionately known as Kate’s Apples. Added to that were hops, also of unknown variety, grown at the farm and aged before co-fermentation. Syrup made from maple sap collected at the farm, along with honeycomb from their resident bees added to both the fermentable sugar used in and overall character. Fewer than one hundred 750ml bottles were produced, and they are only available at Thimble’s Cottage, so make your way to this oasis in the city to enjoy a taste of O’Brien Farm.

Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing is continuing their Land series of Belgian beers, with a foray back into the monastic styles. Wood Land is a Belgian Dubbel, a style known for caramel, dark fruit, a bit of spice character, and raisin/date notes from the combination of malt, sugars, and yeast. Darker malts sit on the base grains, with the yeast lending some spice character to complement the Noble-like earthy hop choice. Natural carbonation helps to soften the mouthfeel, and keep the mouthfeel from being too cloying, despite the 7.5% alcohol content. To that end, the Tw Crew made their own dark candi sugar, taking advantage of the science behind the Maillard reaction for a bit “more” from the carbonating yeast and sugar, during the months-long process. Available now at their Main Street location in Fredericton, as well as Saint John’s Union House, plus delivery and shipping through their website.

On the North Shore of Nova Scotia, Tatamagouche Brewing has released a couple of new beers this week, both with a Belgian bent. First up, in a truly classic style, is Waterlily, a Belgian Witbier. Brewed with raw wheat and treated with curaçao orange peel, fresh cracked coriander, and elderflower, though it’s bright and slightly citrusy, you can also expect the soft mouthfeel that a large proportion of wheat brings to a beer. Look for aromas of citrus, pear, and spice, no doubt with some contribution from the yeast. At 4.4% ABV, this one has “a couple” written all over it, especially with this weekend’s pending weather. On the slightly less traditional Belgian side is the latest in the Intertidal series of IPAs: Intertidal White IPA. Pairing juicy tropical hops with the fruit-forward nature of Belgian yeast strains, this one is easy drinking at 5.8% and boasting flavours of pineapple, mango, and mandarin. You can grab both of these beers from the source in cans, via online order, and (maybe not immediately, but soon) from other places where you find Tata brews. Note that these are both seasonals, however, and when they’re gone they won’t be back for a while.

Down in the Annapolis Valley, Sea Level Brewing has a new one on the taps, so new that it doesn’t actually have a name. Going by The New Unnamed Light One for now (we won’t be surprised if that sticks, minus the “new” and maybe the “unnamed”), it’s a clean and crushable American-style light ale. Consistent with American-style lagers, this one is very light in flavour and body, with no significant hop aroma or flavour, and a slight malt flavor. No doubt fermented with a clean yeast, so there’s not likely to be much in the way of esters, what you’re going to find here is “beer flavored beer” in a very crushable 4% ABV package. If this sounds like your jam, check it out on tap for pints and fills or in cans to go at both Sea Level locations.

There’s a couple of beery events on the go for the long weekend in Nova Scotia:

The gang down at Horton Ridge Malt & Grain Co. have big things going on all weekend in the Annapolis Valley with a four-day festival they’re calling the Beer of Fundy Festival that celebrates Nova Scotia’s grain-to-glass experience. Uniquely poised to do so as the producers of the malt, they’ve got quite the line up of events starting tonight, and going right through ‘til Monday. Key to the weekend’s events are six different beers from six different breweries, all of which have been made with Horton Ridge malt, which itself is malted from grain grown along the Bay of Fundy:

There are several ticketed events over the course of the weekend, beginning with the Beer Makers’ Circle tonight, and finishing with the Beer at the Bottom of the Bay event early Monday afternoon, which will see folks transported to the seafloor of the Bay of Fundy during low tide (weather dependent, of course). In between will be a wide variety of talks and workshops, including one on brewing and another on foraging and elixir-making, and musical events. We can’t do them all justice here, so we encourage you to check out the full program. There will also no doubt be updates and additional details available on Horton Ridge’s socials (Fb, Ig). Tickets can be purchased on-site, which will help you avoid some fees. If you’re not up for any of the ticketed events, but want to try the beer, you’re free to come by the taproom all weekend where the featured beers above will be pouring alongside Horton’s regular lineup, with seafood-focused fare from Mega Munchies Food Truck.

[ed. We’d just like to take a moment to give a big shout to Horton Ridge, not just for putting on such a big and varied weekend slate, but for how much info they’re providing, especially the full listing of events with ticket prices and all fees clearly spelled out, and the ability for people to just come by and have a beer as normal at the taproom.]

For those in Halifax (or planning to be in Halifax) tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, September 2nd from noon to close (or sellout), there’s a bit of a thing going on down on Spring Garden Road. Stillwell Beergarden is celebrating the Labour Day weekend with a lovely pairing of liquids and solids. Pouring from the taps will be a delightful mix of hoppy things and sour & fruity things from one of Canada’s best breweries, Bellwoods:

  • Cat Lady IPA
  • Jelly King Cherry
  • Jelly King Pineapple, Tangerine & Grapefruit
  • Jelly King Spicy Margarita
  • Jutsu Pale Ale
  • Roman Candle IPA

To satisfy your need for sustenance, there will also be Korean BBQ Street Food coming off the grill. Dubbed “Bell-Gogi”, no tickets are required, but this event is likely to be pretty popular given the beer and food and the nice weather that’s forecast, so think hard about when you want to get down there to ensure you and your crew get seats!

Lots of jobs for those looking to start, or mix up, their career in the art and science of brewing. Hopefully you’ll find something close to you!

In Sydney, Breton Brewing is hiring a Production Brewer to join their staff.

In Truro, The Common by Burnside Brewing is hiring a Taproom Manager and Associates.

In Elmsdale, Good Robot is hiring a Packaging Associate in their state-of-the-art brewhouse.

In Lower Sackville, Great Roads is looking for an Assistant Brewer to join their team. Experience/education is a must!

Tanner Brewing in Chester Basin is also hiring a Brewer to fill out their roster.

A few quicker mentions to lead into your long weekend:

Moncton’s Tire Shack has a couple customer favourite beers back after some time away. Killed by Death is a massive Triple IPA weighing in at 10% ABV and featuring irresponsible amounts of Citra, Mosaic, and Vic Secret. Having won a silver at the US Open Brewing Championships and a gold at the Canada Beer Cup, it’s earned a spiffy new all-black package. You’ll also find a much lighter brew, the cardamom witbier Zenith Libation available. One of the first beers the brewery ever made, it’s smooth and creamy and 5% ABV with a touch of cardamom spice.

With fall just around the corner, that means “fall beers” other than pumpkin ales (<insert cheering from the anti-gourd crowd here>) are coming around as well. Quidi Vidi’s got their 5.5% Oktoberfest Märzen, featuring a toasty malt profile and a dash of herbal bitterness, available from the source, at NLC locations, and in your favorite convenience stores that stock QV brews.

Halifax’s Unfiltered has a returning engagement for you this weekend: Inducement, their ode to shitty sales practices in the industry, is a classic 7.5% NASH DIPA full of tropical hop flavors. It’ll mostly induce you to have another one. Grab a pint at Charm School (live chill techno Sunday afternoon, 2 – 5pm) or have your growler filled to go, because cans of this won’t happen until next week (but there’s still plenty of DOA cans available, and no doubt other stuff too).

Sad news to end the post this week, but we wanted to pass along our good wishes and kudos to the staff of Hopyard Halifax, who learned of the closing of the establishment at the same time as the rest of us earlier this week. After five years at the Gottingen Street location, there is not (yet) a lot of information on the reasons for the closing, but from our outside view, the staff were always gracious and knowledgeable, most recently demonstrated during this week’s “One Pint at a Time” event co-hosted by the Change is Brewing Collective and Boxing Rock. We’re hoping for quick recovery from this set back, and for bigger and better things for all involved.