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Friday Wrap-Up for February 5, 2021 – News from Niche, Tanner, Bannerman, O’Creek, Lunn’s Mill and More!!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2021-02-05
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Brewing Company, Annapolis Cider Company, Bannerman Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Change Is Brewing Collective, HopYard, HopYard Halifax, Lone Oak Brewing, Long Bay Brewery, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, Niche Brewing, O'Creek Brewing, Ol' Biddy's Brew House, Propeller Arcade, Propeller Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Church Brewing Company, The Joyce, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

Oh hey, it’s February already! Or should that be, “it’s February, FINALLY?” Depending on which side of that you come down on, we think it calls for a celebratory and/or therapeutic beer! And wouldn’t you know it, our breweries and cideries in the region are all ready to bring some new (or perhaps just new to you) libations this week. We’ve got a little bit from every province this week, but we’ll start it off in New Brunswick, who seem to have mostly turned the corner on the latest wave of COVID restrictions and are largely back to threat level orange.

A bit of news out of Hanwell’s finest (no offence to the golf course!), Niche Brewing is here with a tasty new release and a fresh batch of a not-so-old favourite. First up, not to be outdone by the massive New England IPAs from last week, On My Way is a hoppy beer out today! This New England IPA is hopped with two of our favourite hops, Galaxy and Citra. Added late in the boil and in the whirlpool, we also get a massive addition of Citra after fermentation for some delectable dry hopping with that lovely amazing aroma. This 6.5% NEIPA brings delicious citrus and grapefruit notes on the palate and orange notes through the flavour and aroma. This will be available in kegs at some of the main Niche establishments (The Joyce, Uncorked, Cask & Kettle and Peppers Pub). And for those lucky enough to be within Bar Stillwell’s reach, they’ve got In Other Words NEAPA with Galaxy, Mosaic, and Sabro pouring now!

Secondly, the tasty barrel-aged tropical fruit saison is back! A new batch of Pau Hana will be released over the next week, with a few tweaks from the original release. This Chardonnay barrel-aged beer keeps the same barrel with the same house culture, but instead of pink-guava and pineapple, this batch was conditioned on passionfruit puree. The first one was 5.8% and 500ml bottles of this will be at ANBL stores and some other places around Fredericton/Sussex/Saint John. 

Chester’s Tanner & Co. is expanding their hours again, which is very good news for you thirsty beer lovers in the area! Their taproom will now be open Wednesday to Sunday, and they have a brand new beer available to celebrate, and it’s their first kettle sour brewed on a large scale. Simply named Sour IPA, it was brewed with Maris Otter, Vienna, and Munich malts, along with a small amount of wheat and oats to help build up the body. After souring, the wort was hopped with several additions of an experimental South African variety, KJA2/436 (someone get this hop a real name, STAT!). While the hop may not exactly be music to your ears, it’s giving this beer lovely aromas and flavours of “lemon zest, papaya, cantaloupe and gooseberries, as well as grapefruit rind and a bit of rosewater.” Sounds nice, no? Bottles are available now at the taproom, and can be ordered online as well (order before midnight Thursday for a Friday delivery, between Bridgewater and Halifax).

Not to be outdone on the fruited sour IPA front, Bannerman Brewing in downtown St. John’s has brought one of their own out this week that they’re describing as, “a big, bold glass of juice.” Early Morning started with plenty of dry-hopped Citra and Sabro for those orange-y citrus and tropical coconut vibes, it also features lots of mango and pomegranate as well as a touch of lactose to ensure some balancing body. Part of a balanced breakfast*, it sounds like this one was pretty popular, with the cans selling out rather quickly, but there’s still a chance you’ll find this one available at the brewery for pints on site and growler fills for your drinking elsewhere needs. And if you’re intrigued but missed this batch, do let the brewery know you hope they make another!

* Depending on your definitions of both “balanced” and “breakfast” but also we’re absolutely not judging anyone.

Moving back into New England IPA territory, O’Creek Brewing has a new brew of their favourite style hitting taps this weekend. Outback IPA is your classic O’Creek beer, a super hazy, yellow-coloured beer with a whole whack of tropical and dank flavours thanks to multiple additions of Australian varieties, including Galaxy, Enigma, and Vic Secret. The grist of 2-row, wheat malt, flaked oats and Carapils keeps the hops front and centre where they belong, with the bitterness being quite low thanks to the hop additions being concentrated in the whirlpool and dry-hop. It weighs in at 6.2% ABV, and can be found first at Fredericton’s The Joyce Pub this weekend. 

Over at Lunn’s Mill, they’ve brought back a beverage that we haven’t seen in over a year, and this time it’s available in cans! It’s a Double IPA they’ve named 2×4, and it was brewed with “a sturdy base” that includes some rye malt, for those of you who are craving a bit of that spicy character that the malt can sometimes impart in a beer (paging Tony Important!). Double-dry-hopped with hefty amounts of four different varieties, you’ll notice notes of “resin, orange pith, tropical fruit, and pine” to go along with the big, 8% ABV. You can find it pouring for pints and growler fills at the brewery’s taproom in Lawrencetown, and as mentioned it’s also available in cans for takeaway. 

Flip-flopping back to New Brunswick, where Long Bay Brewing continues their trend of one-off beer releases with Maiden Voyage, their latest. Brewed with a grist made up of Pilsner malt and flaked wheat, it features a large addition of Strata hops in the whirlpool. Lots of bright hop flavours come through with this beer, with their goal being to create a beer that was a “thin-bodied, easy to drink New England style Pale Ale”. It comes in at 5.7% ABV, on the higher end for a Pale Ale, and about 40 IBUs. Grab it on tap at Long Bay’s taproom; it’ll also be pouring at a number of bars and restaurants across the province over the weekend. 

Winter is finally here (maybe?) and we all love our tasty stouts, don’t we? Maybe not, but if you are among those who do, our friends at Propeller have delivered some supply for that demand with S’Mores Imperial Dessert Stout. This limited edition Imperial Stout features roasted malts, chocolate, vanilla beans and lactose to bring that s’mores flavour of sweet, toasty and chocolate treats. This one comes in cans (and at 9% ABV) and is available today at the Prop Shops, in addition to the local HRM private stores.

We also have more info on Propeller’s gruit we teased last week, now that it has been released (and we believe still available). In the grand tradition of historic beers it forgoes hops in place of herbs and botanicals to offer a balance to the malt sweetness, Gruit Ale features sweet fern (foraged by Production Manager Aeneas in Hubbards) and bog myrtle primarily, which lend an earthy aroma, as well as herbal spicy notes and a touch of bitterness. An addition of rose hips imparts some berry esters on the nose. And while a touch of hops were used in the beer for boil stability, the botanicals are certainly the star of the show. The 5.0% brew is available in all three Prop Shops (and online for delivery) in 500 mL bottles.

And big congratulations to the Propeller Arcade who celebrated (safely) their Second Anniversary last weekend. Their recent expansion continues to grow as they bring in more ticket-dispensing games in the second bar area, as well as cycling through more than twenty pinball and cabinet arcade games new and old. 

Tusket Falls Brewing has released a new experimental beer on tap at the brewery, Pina Colada Gose. We’re pretty sure you know what to expect from this one from the name, but hey, we’ll tell you anyway! Or, more accurately, the brewery will: “An initial blast of toasted coconut on the nose, followed by ripe pineapple and citrusy lime”… <checks pina colada info sheet>… yep, checks out. It also has a tartness to it, naturally, which balances the tropical character quite nicely. Pretty big beer, especially for a Gose, at 7.5% ABV, so approach it accordingly! 

Two all-weekend events to tell you about, from sibling HopYard bars in Charlottetown (on Charlottetown? I can never remember) and Halifax: firstly, continuing their first anniversary celebrations from last week, Borden-Carleton’s Lone Oak Brewing has taken over the taps at HopYard Charlottetown, with 9 beers and 1 cider of theirs a-flowin’. Their pals from the Wheelhouse in Georgetown are doing a food pop-up in the space this evening, 4 – 10 PM, with Trivia with Dan & Spencer starting at 8 PM. Due to COVID restrictions, making a reso (902-367-2599) is the way to go… And at HopYard Halifax, they are welcoming a pair of producers from Wolfville to take over their taps starting today. Covering the beer bases is Church Brewing, who are bringing a handful of their flavourful beers, reinvigorated under new Head Brewer Steve Crane. Fellow Main Street business Annapolis Cider Company are also bringing their A (for Apple) game, with a bevy of bevvies available for enjoyment all weekend long. (Give them a shout to book your table too! 902-444-2467)

A few more newsbites and important links to check out before we leave you today. Hope you have a SUPER weekend!

A quick shout out to Annapolis Royal, where the local theatre is celebrating their 100th year. Annapolis Brewing has released a 4-pack of King’s Theatre Centennial Cream Ale in honour of the great milestone. Available only in 4 packs directly from the brewery, $3 from every 4-pack is donated directly to the theatre.

As teased last week, Ol’ Biddy’s has brought back Kicked in the Hops, a 7.7% ABV, heavily-hopped DIPA that has “intense hop flavours with aromas of pine, and tropical and citrus fruits.” Available on tap only, you can find it right now at the brewery for pints and growlers. 

We reported last week that Tatamagouche Brewing had re-released Baltic Porter, originally from their Giant Beer Series. This week, they’re following up with another favourite from the series, Russian Imperial Stout. Dark, rich, and roasty, with flavours of chocolate and coffee, it is indeed big at 8.5% ABV. Perfect for sipping on a cold winter’s night, and a beer style that will age beautifully, grab your bottles at the brewery today.

We leave you today with news from our friends Change is Brewing Collective, who made the trip down the South Shore to Shelburne this week, brewing a collaborative beer at Boxing Rock Brewing. While details on that release are a closely guarded secret until its debut Feb 27, we wanted to highlight another important reason for their trip. The Collective is supporting BIPOC South Shore in their work to create a Retreat and Learning Centre to be located in Birchtown. Incorporating 8 acres of forest, waterfront, and trails, it also includes a stone wall and house foundations likely belonging to original Black settlers of the area, whose history dates back more than 200 years. The Centre will host retreats and learning workshops, classes, and events, led by, and for, BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. You can learn more and take part by contributing to their GoFundMe fundraising effort.

Friday Wrap-Up for January 22, 2021 – News from 2 Crows, Quidi Vidi, Big Spruce, Bannerman, New Scotland, Unfiltered, TrailWay, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2021-01-22
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Beer. Diversity., Big Spruce Brewing, Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge, Copper Bottom Brewing, Lagabiere, Lone Oak Brewing, Moncton Craft Brewers Collective, New Scotland Brewing, Newfermenters Homebrew Club, North Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

It kinda feels like one of those Fridays that doesn’t feel like a Friday, y’know? Maybe it’s because this was the week of Blue Monday (cue New Order), but more probably it’s the dead of winter and there’s some weather in the region and COVID is still a thing. Or maybe the internationally auspicious events in the US this week haven’t completely sunk in yet, although ACBB are all extremely happy about a potential return to something like normalcy down there. So whether you’re toasting to another week of winter gone, or a new administration for our nearest neighbours, or whatever else brings you joy, see below for some notes on some of the beers that our region’s breweries have for you this week and how you can get them!

Those of you in the HRM were most likely at 2 Crows last weekend, picking up your share of their latest brews. We hope you don’t mind making a return trip, as there’s a couple more hitting their shelves today, a newbie and a returning fave. The new beer is Soft Fruits, a beer that makes good use of a brewing technique that has been gaining steam over the last few years. When sour beers are conditioned on fruit and then packaged, there is still quite often a good amount of character remaining in what’s left behind. In this specific case, we’re talking about the raspberry and blackcurrant used in last year’s Zap and Zop, fruited Berliner Weisses. The leftover fruit was transferred to a stainless tank, along with a pitch of malolactic bacteria to soften the acidity of the fruit. While all this sounds wonderful, of course we need BEER to go on there, right? So, they added a low-ABV Lager (brewed with Shoreline Pilsner malt, and flaked rice) onto the fruit, where it underwent a second fermentation (remember, the fruit also had the yeast from the barrel cultures) and seven months of conditioning before bottling. Super drinkable at just 3.8% ABV, this unique beer is “surprisingly clean and bright, with a subdued fruit character and incredible soft acidity”. Very limited supply, so best to grab some while you can. 

And if you like your IPAs Brett-y and extra fruity, there’s a supply of fresh cans (and pints!) of Brettango, 2C’s Brett IPA w/ mango. With a tweaked water chemistry, increased dry-hopping (Citra and Mandarina Bavaria), and a small addition of orange zest in this year’s batch (along with the maybe-pushing-it amount of 420 lbs of mango), this 7.9% ABV brew is plenty tropical, citrusy, and juicy for your needs, along with “a nice little pineapple funk” thanks to the blend of Brettanomyces strains used for fermentation. And keep your eyes peeled here next week for even more releases… The 2C Crew has big plans for what is normally their anniversary party and release, and while things may be a little less “let’s get together and drink” this year, does not mean they’ve done any less work behind the scenes.

Let’s pop over to the Rock for the next announcement, where we hope you were able to shovel your way from your bed to your beer fridge this morning! Quidi Vidi Brewery has released the third installment of their Newfermenters X QV mixed 4-pack this week. This annual competition sees amateur brewers from across Newfoundland and Labrador putting together some epic beers and sharing with their fellow enthusiasts in a massive bottle share and judging event. The all-new mixed pack features:

  • Brothers Scuff, a 4.5% ABV Session IPA from Ben Hussey
  • Lost in Time, a 5.5% Roggenbier from Mark Courish
  • Darkstar, a 6% Coffee Extra Special Bitter by Ralph Pike
  • Sabby Sour, a 4.2% Sour Kveik by Jordan Blake

The mixed pack is available today from QV’s new Hops Shop at 16 Harbour View Ave, and at NLCs and the better convenience stores next week. (Home deliveries are on pause for the time being, but will be returning soon)

And congratulations to the Quidi Vidi family who are celebrating 25 years in business, having opened in 1996. The beer landscape in Newfoundland was quite different back then (all over the country, really!), so while their 1892 Traditional Ale may have been a bit of a shock to the light-lager-drinking public back then, they have stuck it out through thick and thin, and are rocking along in the 2020’s. From one independently-owned brewery to just-under 20, things are looking great in the Newfoundland and Labrador beer scene.

Speaking of Homebrew Competitions, big congratulations to Halifax’s Tim Gregory, who took home Gold in the Eighth Annual Big Spruce Home Brew Competition. From 25 entries, his Sticke Alt recipe and beer grabbed the judges’ attention for its take on the “secret” version of the classic German style. You’ll be able to drink the winner yourself later in the year, once Gregory heads up (down? I can never remember…) to Nyanza and takes part in the brewing of a large batch suitable for distribution. And yes, this “Tim” is the same from the very first Home Brew Competition that brought us Tim’s (Dirty) American IPA, clearly he knows what he’s doing! 

Oh, and speaking of judging, for those looking to get into the homebrewing or judging game in Atlantic Canada, the Brewnosers Homebrew Club will be hosting Tasting and Written exams for the BJCP in the Spring and Summer. If you are looking to start, continue, or elevate your beer brewing and/or enjoyment, the Beer Judge Certification Program, and the studying and tasting sessions surrounding it, are a great way to go. Check out the thread on the Brewnosers, and sign up there or fire us an email to get on the list! While usually self-directed, drinking and filling out scoresheets with pals (even remotely) helps to keep the enthusiasm up!

We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention that Big Spruce also has a couple of returning brewskies for your drinking pleasure. The first is The Hour of Sour, their 6.2% ABV mixed-fermentation raspberry sour. Conditioned on organic raspberries, the brewery likes to describe it as the “cool, grownup cousin of The Silver Tart”. With all sorts of complex flavours and aromas (including watermelon candy, bumbleberry pie, citrus, and funk, to name a few of the descriptors) to go along with the raspberry, it may be just what you need to break out of the winter blues. If hops are more your thing, the delicious-but-not-fun-to-pronounce Brobdingnagian Mosaic DIPA is also back. A big beer at 8.5% ABV, it’s exclusively hopped with the wonderful Mosaic, and boasts “arousing aromas of ripe peaches, apricots, and sticky marmalade”. You can grab both at the Sprucetique while quantities last.

Not to fret if you’re over in St. John’s, reading about DIPAs… your own Bannerman Brewing has actually just released a brand-spanking-new DIPA of their own. After Hours was brewed with lots of wheat malt and toasted wheat flakes, and hopped very heavily with Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy. Notes of “stone fruit, pineapple, and white grape” abound, and the body is full and creamy thanks to all of that wheat. At 8% ABV, just be sure to imbibe carefully! You can drop by the brewery for growlers of this one right now; no cans yet, but it sounds like they hope to have those out at some point soon.

Continuing on the DIPA train, let’s move over to New Scotland Brewing, whose latest beer may have just the hazy, hoppy goodness you’re looking for in the Dartmouth area. Tough Chit is brewed with a grist made with a majority of… can you guess? That’s right, Chit malt, how did you know? Usually used to boost a beer’s body and improve head retention, the chit likely also contributed to the heavy haziness in this brew… especially considering that a higher-than-normal percentage of the grist incorporated it. With heavy late additions of Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops, this 7.5% ABV DIPA has flavours and aromas of “mango, honeydew melon, and pineapple”, along with some dank notes. Available today at the brewery in pints and cans, you may see a few kegs pop up at better beer locations in the area. 

Finally – did we miss a memo or something? – Unfiltered also has a DIPA that just became available at Charm School yesterday. It’s a returning favourite, Here it Comes…, a 7.5% ABV DIPA hopped entirely with Chinook. Available for pours, growlers, and cans just in time for the weekend. 

Making sure we hear a little bit from beleaguered New Brunswick today (hang in there folks!) is Trailway Brewing, who are happy to say that they’ve got cans of their collaboration brew with Lagabière out of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, on the shelves. Originally brewed at the end of 2019/beginning of 2020, De L’Autre Boutte to Here is a 7% ABV Double Dry-hopped IPA brewed with Citra, Simcoe, and Motueka at rates that even Trailway themselves describe as “incredibly high.” The massive level of hops along with extra time cold conditioning results in a very drinkable and soft beer familiar to those who’ve had IPAs from Lagabière before, with zesty citrus, plenty of tropical fruit, and a dank and piney hop backbone. Only available in these parts from Trailway themselves (as far as we know right now), submit an online order for contactless curbside pickup or for shipping anywhere in the Maritimes or Ontario.

A few events on the go, plus a couple more things we want to leave you with today. Happy Friday!

Borden-Carleton PEI’s Lone Oak Brewery is also celebrating their anniversary this month, marking their first year around the sun next week with lots of what they do best: great beer, and hosting amazing artists and serving up excellent food. Two ticketed musical events are on the go from 2 – 6 and 7 – 11 PM, with details available here (and grab your tickets via email here). We’ll have the scoop on the food and beer for you next week, natch!

A quick update to last week’s call out of the Moncton Craft Beer Week. Due to the *ahem* goings ons in the province, it has been pushed back by a month, to March 22 – 27. However, those folks who were eying up the Extreme Homebrew competition are advised that the submission date is still the same, with beers due by Feb 22nd, drop off at the Tide & Boar.

For those who like to consume beery-things with their ears as well as their mouths, Beer.Diversity.’s Ren Navarro has launched a podcast Ren Likes to Talk. The first two episodes are available now, one of which is with North Brewing’s Co-Founder and -Owner Rozina Darvesh! Grab those episodes and subscribe today! (In case you strike out by searching by the name, try including ”Liquid Culture Podcast Network”, or just add it via this direct RSS link: http://liquidculturenet.com/category/ren-likes-to-talk/feed/ [we got you!] )

Copper Bottom is looking to add to its growing production team, specifically someone to operate the canning line and support other production duties in the brewery. If you have a passion for great beer (of course you do, you’re reading this blog!) and are interested in working in picturesque Montague, check out their posting here. 

Friday Wrap-Up for January 15, 2021 – News from Village Green, 2 Crows, Shipwright, Trailway, Garrison, Big Spruce, Tatamagouche, North and Tidehouse

Posted by acbbaaron on 2021-01-15
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Glenora Distillery, Island Malt House, Lightfoot & Wolfville, North Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Shoreline Malting, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tidehouse Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Village Green by Modern Brewer. Leave a Comment

As we wind our way through January, Dry or not, the new beer and returning favourites, continue unabated. Whatever you’re drinking these days (or caching away in the cellar for Feb 1), we think there will be something in today’s post that will tickle your fancy. Let’s get this show on the road without any further ado!

Cornwall, PEI’s Modern Brewer’s Village Green continues to release an onslaught of new beers, as they flex their brewing chops in several different directions. This week’s new bevvy is the simply-named Simcoe Pale Ale. Taking advantage of the iconic eponymous hop’s citrus aroma and flavour (think clementine, VG encourages us), the base is made up of Island Malt House Pilsner, Wheat, and Oat malts, for a light and airy mouthfeel that keeps you going back for another sip. Simcoe is exclusively available on tap for pints or growlers, and in cans at Village Green’s location at 30 Church Street, where you can grab a meal or snack at their pals Holy Fox Food Truck too. And while you’re there, be sure to grab the details on their Draught Beer Appreciation Society, so you can become a member too!

It wouldn’t be a Friday if we didn’t have an encyclopedic amount of information to dump on you about new beers from 2 Crows… seriously, don’t those guys have anything better to do than brew beer? Apparently not, because we’ve got two new ones to report on this week, so best to stop complaining and just get on with it already!

First off is Novello, another collaboration beer brewed with the fine folks at Bannerman Brewing. While not an actual in-person collab, naturally (thanks, COVID!), both breweries were involved in crafting the recipe, which was also very much inspired by their first beer brewed together, Vinello. Originally brewed last summer with Pilsner and Rye malt from Island Malt House, the wort was hopped heavily with Sterling (to 48 IBUs), and then fermented in one of 2C’s foedres with an assortment of their house yeast cultures. It hung out in there for about five months, awaiting an addition of macerated Riesling pomace from Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyards. After the pomace was added, the beer conditioned for another month before being canned and can-conditioned. The final, 4.5% ABV beer is “lively and fresh, with soft Riesling aromatics, a touch of acidity, and snappy funk”. 

Next up is Colourful Language, a solo-brewed beer that also features wine from Lightfoot & Wolfville. Brewed last June with a grist of Shoreline Pilsner, Wheat malt, and unmalted wheat, it was hopped lightly with Sterling and aged noble hops. The wort was fermented and aged in another of the brewery’s foedres with a blend of Sacch and Brett yeasts, as well as Lactobacillus cultures, for approximately four months. In October, about 400 kg of fresh Marquette pomace from L&W was added directly into the foedre, along with 300 lbs of plum; the beer sat for another six weeks to allow the sugars from the fruit to ferment out, before being canned and can-conditioned. The result is a 5.6% ABV beer that is “playful and peppy, vibrant and juicy”, with no doubt some lovely wine and plum character coming through. 

Both of these beauties are available at the brewery starting today. While you’re grabbing some, note that they’ve got a freshly-canned batch of Waltz in their fridges that you should also pick up! This 5.5% ABV German Pilsner is always crisp and refreshing, and a great palate cleanser for some of those more intensely-flavoured beers that are currently surrounding it at the brewery. This batch features a slightly increased dry-hop, bumping the herbal qualities a little.

Lunenburg’s brewing pride and joy, Shipwright Brewing, has two brand new beers pouring at their taproom downtown… and depending on how you look at it, maybe four beers! In this case, we’re referring to their Shifting Tides Berliner Weisse, their take on the classic German low-ABV, sour style. Shipwright brewed theirs with Shoreline Pilsner and Wheat malt, and a very light addition of Hallertau Blanc hops (to only 3 IBUs). Lactobacillus was used to provide some acidity in this 3.6% ABV beer, to go with the light funk present from fermentation. You can enjoy this one as-is, or order it with an addition of raspberry or woodruff syrup, as is often traditional for the style in Germany. Or, order all three!

Next is the brewery’s latest hoppy offering, Seafarer IPA. With a grist made up of Maris Otter, Caramel malt, Rye and Oats, and hopped heavily with Citra and Idaho 7. Weighing in at 6.7% ABV and 65 IBUs, expect some malt character to break through with notes of “light sweetness, bread, honey and spice”, complementing all of that grapefruit, pine, and tropical flavours from all of those hops. As mentioned, both beers are available at the taproom, for pints or crowlers-to-go. 

Fredericton’s hop maestros Trailway Brewing are bringing new batches of a couple of their hoppiest brews today with fresh batches of Green Island and Box Theories hitting the taps and the fridges. Green Island is (one of) their ultra-juicy IPA(s) featuring Idaho 7 and Cashmere hops for notes of pineapple, peach, and sweet citrus in a hazy 6% package. On the somewhat stiffer, but no less hazy or juicy, end of the spectrum is Box Theories, a recipe developed to show off some the new hotness on the hop market, Strata. With some old hotness mixed in as well in the form of Citra and Mosaic, you can expect elements of mango, apricot, peach and nectarine, and perhaps a tinge of blueberry coming through on the finish. This one’s going to hit a little harder, though, at 8% ABV, so rather than planning anything strenuous maybe just sink a little further into that comfy chair and have another one.

In other Trailway news, is something decidedly less hoppy. Not only are they continuing with their foray into the world of German beers, they’ve announced that they are packaging one “for the first time.” We’re guessing that means they’ve forgotten all about their flagship kölsch (pouring in mass quantity at The Drome), Candlepin, and their long-running German Pilsner Yada Yada, but we’ll let that slide because we’re all lager lovers here and MOAR LAGER is a good thing. You won’t be surprised to learn, then, that we’re excited because this new beer, Ramifications is a Helles (German for “pale”) lager. Described as “clean, smooth, round, and soft,” which is everything a Helles should be, you have every right to expect this to be an immensely quaffable beer at 4.3% ABV. Look for it, the above pair of hop monsters, and everything else the gang at Trailway has available at their online shop, where you can order online for contactless curbside pickup or shipping anywhere in the Maritime provinces or Ontario via Canada Post.

It’s cold and only getting colder, but luckily your Halifax friends from Garrison are here with a seasonal release to keep you warm. Wintervention is back! A Russian Imperial Stout, it’s got a lot of chocolate character after being conditioned on cocoa nibs. Coming in at 60 IBU thanks to some well balanced hopping with Millenium, the chocolate, munich and pale ale malts bring the flavour to this 10.5% ABV release. Available in 650ml bottles, you can pick this up from Garrison at both their Seaport and Oxford retail stores. 

Keeping with the theme from above, North Brewing is helping you out with another tasty stout to keep you warm. Another fan favourite is back with the re-release of Twinkle Pony Tiramisu Stout. This 7.5% stout brings sweet and smooth chocolate and coffee flavours, as it’s made with Ladyfingers, chocolate malt, lactose, vanilla and cold brew coffee. There is only a small amount of this that was canned, as the rest is going into darkness for a barrel-aged treat! Order these cans online today or find them at both of their Dartmouth shops. 

Staying right on theme is Nyanza’s finest, as Big Spruce comes back with a limited edition of their Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout. This already tasty smooth and roasty stout is freshly canned for a Glenora Whiskey Barrel Aged version. Aged in local Glenora Whiskey barrels, the roasty, chocolatey & espresso-coffee aromatics are amplified with a complex layer of smooth whiskey and subtle woody notes from the barrel. This is (again) a very limited release, so we recommend ordering it online directly from Big Spruce on their online shop! Get the good stuff before it’s gone!

Traveling down from Cape Breton, Tatamagouche is back with a few fan favourites that make a very tasty duo. First on deck (appropriately) is the return of First Light, a delicious Czech Pilsner. Crispy like the weather, this 4.5% lager is naturally carbonated, brewed with Noble hops and Czech yeast. This is really a tasty, crispy treat.  

First appearing on this blog about two years ago, Kitty Clyde is back! Meow! A Double IPA hopped with two of our favourite Australian varieties, Galaxy and Vic Secret, this 40 IBU hop bomb clocks in at 7.8% ABV. Both of these returning beers are available in cans online and at Tatabrew, and should make their way into the private shops as well. 

Tidehouse is back with a restock with fresh cans of Sotil coming out today, which first came out just before Christmas. This second iteration is a super dry 4.5% Saison made with Horton Ridge malt, with the wort lightly soured with Escarpment labs Lactobacillus rhamnosus/plantarum blend and fermented with French Saison yeast. A late addition fermentation of Marquette grape skins from Bent Ridge Winery brings a Saison-wine like ale that could be described as a “wine-seltzer” by Tidehouse themselves. They’re very proud of this beer and it’s simple, refreshing and dry. 

Just one event to let you know about at this time, but it will be a full-week affair, so strap on your drinking shoes… The Moncton Craft Beer Week is a celebration of all things beery in the GMA, with twelve breweries and scores of local pubs and restaurants taking part in the fun. Running February 22-27, there will be events every day, including the launch of the Moncton Craft Brewery Passport, an Extreme Beer homebrewing competition (more details here, and the winner will get to brew their creation at Tire Shack Brewing!), A Meet the Nano Brewer night at CAVOK, Beer Geek Trivia with acbbchris at the Furnace Room, culminating with Open Brewery Day (with free buses for those wanting to hit all of the spots in Moncton, Dieppe, and Riverview) and an all-local IPA Tap Takeover at Tide and Boar Gastropub on the 27th. Check out their website and Socials (Fb/Ig) for the latest details, and we’ll have more details on it all leading up to the event, natch!