Bar Brewdock

All posts tagged Bar Brewdock

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One more thing this week…

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

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

We come to you with mixed emotions this week, as it was a big week in news for our Maritime region with COVID restrictions. With target dates for all restrictions being announced for all 4 of our provinces, you, me and all of our friends and family will feel some type of way. Regardless, we’re here to bring you the news from ales, lagers, ciders, meads and events as we try to do every week and a pandemic hasn’t changed that. More than ever, you’ll need to check your provincial restrictions but also the business’ own restrictions, as some establishments may still choose to keep their own policies. Be kind, be prepared and support your favourites and newly discovered places as safely and comfortably as you can! 

Some great, if unexpected news, from Rose Valley, PEI, this week, as Barnone (Bar None? Barn One? That joke never gets old) has announced they are back in business! After closing in 2021, Don Campbell teamed up with a group of local beer fans to bring life back into the hop farm-based brewery and the fruit of their labour is hitting taps around Charlottetown now! Their IPA, decidedly bitter and in the West Coast style, as well as their Milk Stout, are available on tap at The Olde Dublin Pub, The Claddaugh Oyster House, and The Local Pub, with plans underway to re-open the taproom (aka, the second floor of the brewery/barn), expand their brewery capacity, and get into canning in order to bring the good beer to you! Keep up to date on their progress on their Fb page, and we hope to have a full Profile with Campbell and Co once they are fully open and ready to rock!

Getting together for their second collaboration, Change is Brewing Collective and North Brewing have a new release you can get today. Deep Rooted is a 5.7% Brown Ale inspired by the classic African Nova Scotian cookbook, “In the Africville Kitchen: The Comforts of Home”. A brown ale made with brown sugar and molasses, it has sweetness from honey malt as well, bringing the classic malt flavour and smoothness from a brown ale.  North will be donation a portion of each sale of the can directly to Change is Brewing Collective and also offering 2 specials in the North Kitchen (Molasses BBQ Wings and Ice Cream Sandwiches with ginger molasses cookies and rum raisin ice cream), with proceeds from those sales going to the collective, as well. This is available in cans and on tap at North. 

Staying in Dartmouth, but switching to cider, Lake City has their annual seasonal coming out to get you excited for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Green Ginger starts with their dry cider and sees additions of fresh pressed ginger root and a touch of chlorophyll to give it a festive green hue. Check out their webstore for a St. Patrick’s Day special featuring the 5.5% ABV Green Ginger and their Mac G fresh pressed cider. 

Staying close to Lake City (literally, next door), Brightwood Brewery released two new test batches on Tuesday, a.k.a. Twosday, a.k.a. 2/22/2022. Named after the infamous Top Guns, Maverick and Goose IPAs use the same recipe, except for the single hop varieties that they each showcase. Maverick features the Idaho 7 hop, leading to citrusy aromas like tangerine. Goose uses the Ella hop and leans more towards stone fruit notes such as apricot.  Both beers come in at 6% ABV and are only available on tap on Portland Street. Brightwood plans to iterate on this single hop series, with next week’s version showcasing Aramis hops, and future plans to use Bravo and Ariana. 

Let’s finish off this Dartmouth streak with a new release from Spindrift. Cardinal Red IPA features 100% Red X Malt, giving a deep crimson hue. Brewed in the west coast style (more malt character and bitterness), it uses a combo of Centennial, Citra, Comet and Vic Secret hops. Coming in at 5.5% ABV, you can expect notes of piney resin and citrus, all wrapped around a firm malt backbone and topped off with some fruity esters from the ferment.  Cardinal is currently available at the original Burnside location and their new taproom in Downtown Antigonish. 

Bringing a spin to a previous release, Landwash has made a sweater treat out of their Hazures Rock stout, adding an inspired sweetness to the coffee and ice cream or gelato Italian Affogato dessert. Affogato Hazures Rock is a 7% Coffee and Ice Cream Stout, featuring coffee from Cafe Terra Nova with lactose and vanilla additions. Do we need to say anything else? This sounds sweet and delicious. Adding to the fun, Landwash will be serving beer floats with this beer using ice cream from Cove Creamery. Cans are available now from the brewery, along with the usual Landwash retailers such as Marie’s, NLCs, Needs, Orange Stores, Urban Market, and more!

In “Coming Soon” news, Shelburne’s Boxing Rock has announced that they will be expanding their Halifax Test Kitchen in the spring, when Local Source opens their second location at the corner of Windsor and Almon. This will be a new and expanded space for both businesses, and allow BR more room for brewing up their small (120 litre) experimental brews, homebase for their extremely popular local delivery service, as well as a new hybrid e-commerce/in-person retail model. Keep an eye here, and on BR’s social media (IG/Fb), to be the first to know when their doors are open. Congratulations to Emily, Henry, and the entire BR team!

Let’s get you back to Newfoundland for this week’s Upcoming Events features!

Bar Brewdock, in St. John’s East Duck area, is hosting a trio of West Coast breweries this weekend, to give the East a better introduction to the West. Boomstick Brewing, Bootleg Brew Co, both of Corner Brook, and Deer Lake’s Rough Waters Brewing, have sent ten beer between them to showcase the best offerings in the region. Joining them is Chef David Vatcher of Best Coast Restaurant in Corner Brook, who is doing a Brunch Takeover of the kitchen 10 AM – 3 PM today and Saturday. Featuring his famous Eggs Benedict, Vatcher and Co will share his passion with those in the big city, who may even want to book a visit out to CB. To sweeten the pot, those visiting Brewdock today and tomorrow can enter in a draw for a prize package from the breweries, restaurant, Hew and Draw Hotel, and Marble Mountain, for a full weekend of fun!

And those in Corner Brook will be able to taste Brewdock without the travel, as Chef Chris Mercer will be making the trip to Best Coast Restaurant, March 4 & 5. And to return the favour, he and the Brewdock Crew will be bringing a van-load of East Coast beers to sling in the restaurant and Boomstick taproom. Mark your calendars now!

One of the signs of things starting to get back to normal-ish is the return of beer festivals and the Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival is leading the charge, starting with their East Coast event at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market on Friday, March 25th, and Saturday, March 26th from 7-10 PM. There are still tickets available for both sessions, and they’re hoping for some nice weather to ring in the spring season. Both days have a VIP option, which includes an extra hour of tasting starting earlier at 6 PM. All tickets include your beer samples (including new-to-market beers) and tasting glassware for you to use and take home afterwards. Tickets are $65 plus fees for the standard session and $75 plus fees for the VIP session and can be purchased through Eventzilla. There are also Designated Driver tickets (sold out for the Saturday session, sadly) at $10 plus fees. And if you’re a beer fan in NL but nowhere near St. John’s, look for the NLCBF West Coast version to happen in Corner Brook and the NLCBF Big Land edition to happen in Lab City on June 4th and June 11th, respectively; both are already 50% sold, so if you’re interested you should probably click the ticket purchase link above sooner rather than later.

In the grandest of grand traditions, here are this week’s quick hit newsbites:

Kicking off the quick hits to end this week’s post, Tusket Falls Brewing has a new batch of their excellent Hazy IPA, Control The Tempo. Typically brewed with a hop bill of Cascade and Citra, this time they’ve added some Simcoe to the recipe. This is 6.2% and available in cans at both of their locations. 

Unfiltered is back with a tasty re-release, Isolator, an oak-aged Doppelbock is back in cans and on tap. At 11.5% this is a slow sipper (or drink it however you please!) bringing warmth, sweet rich and malty flavour. Get it while you can!

No stranger to this blog in 2022, Delta Force Brewing is keeping up with the quick newsbites. The farmshed crew has put together a sale for the next 5 weeks on their take on a classic West Coast IPA, Operation Stronghold. If you buy a 4 pack, you get $6, bringing it to $22. Visit their website or email them to place an order now, or before the end of March. 

Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing has brought back their Stormy Weather IPA, just in time for this week’s next round of the white stuff… At 6.0% ABV, this hazy beaut features loads of Vic Secret, with the assist by Mosaic, for a face full of tropical fruit in the name of peach, pineapple, and berries. Available on tap at the brewery now, with cans and growlers to go, plus look for it on the rotating taps at better beer bars in the region soon.

It’s that time of year, as breweries are in build-up mode, getting ready for what will surely be an extremely busy spring and summer. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for job openings, and encourage those with job postings, or looking to get hired at a brewery to reach out, maybe we can help make a connection!

The crews at 2 Crows Brewing are looking to fill a part-time position as soon as possible. Helping with Packaging and Bartending at the taproom is the job and they are full on board with accessibility and inclusivity. Check out the full info from the Crows here or check the Careers page on their website

And back to Mount Pearl, where Landwash Brewery are gearing up for more fun in the taproom, and bringing on a Taproom and Events Manager. Juggling those all-important Beertenders as well as scheduling the fun events and activities that bring folks in, and back, for pints, it’s no small feat! Check the job listing and apply today!

Happy Friday folks! You did it! You survived 2021! We hope you were able to figure out on your own what/where to drink these past few weeks as your faithful blog authors took a much-needed break. With big weather hitting the entire region this weekend, let us get you up to speed on what’s newly and recently released in the region from the great breweries and cideries keeping our fridges and bellies well-stocked. With the latest wave hitting our region hard, consider grabbing something quickly from their curbside or take-out options, or take advantage of the local delivery or shipping options some producers have returned to/never stopped.

Let’s start you off with one of those breweries offering local delivery to the HRM region, Delta Force Brewing. Their latest release of Operation Stronghold is available for contact-free delivery right now. First brewed early 2020, and again in 2021, this quasi-West Coast IPA weighs in at 6.0% ABV and features a load of hops throughout, for citrus and tropical aromatics and flavours on a sufficiently bitter base. Grab a few to take advantage of their free-within-1hr-radius-of-HRM delivery, or better yet, build yourself a mixed 6-pack with the other beer available on their site. And a reminder that The Other Bean and Bishop’s Cellar are also carrying a variety in stock, so support those fine folks at the same time. 🙂

Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing is continuing their Hip Hop Series today with the release of Hip Hop Version 7: Azacca. This series keeps it simple, focusing on a single hop per release, to allow it to shine through unfettered, allowing both the brewery, and we drinkers, to get a better idea of what it offers. Azacca is coming in hot, with massive flavour and aromatics of mango, pineapple, and other tropical fruit, with a hint cayenne spice. It’s available today at the brewery on tap and to go in cans and growlers. Check their site for their other offerings too!

Catching up on some recent releases from Halifax’s Propeller Brewing, who finished the year off strong with two releases in the second half of December… First released in early 2021, their Denali IPA is back again. Featuring the eponymous Denali hop, think massive citrus character, with a hint of pine, while remaining smooth and drinkable at 6.0% ABV. And surpassing even that massive peak is Leviathan Triple IPA, a 10% beast of a beer, in the extra-big-Hazy style. Tropical and dank on the nose and tongue, its aggressive bitterness is mellowed with the addition of lactose. Both are available in cans at all three Propeller locations and for local delivery and Canada-wide shipping (taprooms are currently closed). Also look out for them at private stores, with the Denali on NSLC shelves any day now.

Tatamagouche Brewing is celebrating the return of ski season at their local Ski Wentworth with Apres Cream Ale. At just 4.5% ABV, it’s supremely quaffable in volume, especially while soaking those sore joints in a hot tub. Available at their shop as well as for delivery and shipping online.

St. John’s Bar Brewdock has a tap feature on the go from Fredericton’s own Trailway Brewing. With 8 different options pouring this weekend, they are featuring those from their hazy/hoppy line (Luster, Hu Jon Hops, Day’s Done), as well as fruited and darker options like Velvet Fog and Beans. Plus Brewdock has the East Duck Block Party 2.0 collab a-pouring, the tea flower Saison, brewed with their pals across the street at Toslow and Bannerman Brewing. You can always check what’s pouring on their website!

Attention Homebrewers, it’s time for another competition! Smokehouse Nano Brewery in Berwick is hosting their inaugural Homebrew Competition, inviting all amateur brewers in the area to put together their best Strong Bitter (BJCP 11C) beer. Your signup gets you a tshirt, glass (full, natch), and 5kg of Maris Otter malt, thanks to their sponsor, Brew Culture. Check out the details on their website, and good luck to all entrants!