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Friday Wrap-Up for November 4, 2022 – News from North Brewing, Tatamagouche, Landwash, Banished, Propeller, Trailway, Tire Shack, Bannerman, Tusket Falls and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2022-11-04
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Banished Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Benjamin Bridge, Bishop's Cellar, Cask in the Sticks, Dildo Brewing, Landwash Brewery, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Church Brewing Company, Tire Shack Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

Greetings, beer fans. It’s Friday and the weather is looking niiiice this weekend, so get into those outdoor drinks while you can. Can you believe it’s November?! If you’ve got some Halloween treats kicking around, there will be many drinks to pair up with some sweet and salty leftover treats. Let’s truly get into fall, transition to winter and bring on the warmer, boozier, darker beers, but also, it’s always lager season. Basically, as always, drink what you want and it never hurts to try something different, so let’s get onto some new stuff!

We’re starting off this week with one of our favourite annual releases. North Brewing’s Saison de Chardonnay (2021) is available now! Remember when this used to come out right before Christmas? While we know the aging process dictates release dates, so let’s talk about it! As always, this is a collaboration with Benjamin Bridge. North brewed a Saison with the addition of Chardonnay grape juice from the 2021 crop from the winery. Brewed last year, this was conditioned for 7 months in stainless. After that, it was bottled and conditioned for another 5 months and it’s ready for release! Getting beautiful notes of lime zest, tangerine and apricot, we already recommend picking up a few of these for special events and holidays. This is 7.6% and available in 750ml bottles at all 3 of North’s locations, online and on tap at all 3 locations as well. 

Heading north (from North), Tatamagouche Brewing has another release in their Intertidal series. This time, they’re heading west to feature Ekuanot hops grown in Yakima Valley in Washington. Intertidal: Ekuanot West Coast Pale Ale is a west coast inspired Pale ale which is crisp with some orange citrus flavour with a bit of cedar and a well balanced malt backbone. This is available now at the brewery and online at 5.3% and in 473ml cans.

We’ll head out to Newfoundland this week, and we’re starting out with Dildo Brewing and some barrel aging to start us off right! Barrel-Aged Export Stout is coming at you (and all of us!) this weekend. A base stout starts with a nice mix of caramel and roasted malts before we bring the barrel into play. Post-fermentation, the base stout spent 11 months in American oak bourbon barrels. Bringing out flavours of vanilla, caramel and a deep toastiness, let this one warm up as you sip on it. Still quite drinkable at 6.8%, this one is available at the brewery in Dildo or the St. John’s location now in 473ml cans. It will be available in wider distribution across the island in the coming weeks, as well. 

Staying on The Rock, Banished Brewing has a brand new release joining their Puffin lineup. Interplanetary Puffin is a Double New England IPA, being a beefed up version of Space Puffin, their 6% NEIPA. Interplanetary Puffin comes in at 8% and is currently available at the brewery and will be available at retailers across Newfoundland late next week. Completing the Puffin line is the Session NEIPA, Space Puffling at 4%, so grab all 3 if you can!

Rounding out the Newfoundland trio this week is a new beer and a launch party at Landwash Brewery. Fitz’s Cold Lager is an ode to an iconic St. John’s sign that used to reside on Topsail Road. The sign read “Fitz’s Cold Beer” and the folks at Landwash won a charity auction and now they’ve had it cleaned up, refreshed and re-wired and is in the taproom. To celebrate, Landwash is having a beer launch this Saturday featuring the Fitzpatrick family themselves coming to officially light up the sign at 2 PM.  They’ll also be pouring $6 pints all day of the lager.  The beer is a light and crisp Czech-Style pilsner, coming in at 4.4%. The Newfoundland water is soft and should feature nicely for this style. The beer will be available in 8x355ml cans or 4 packs of 473ml cans and is available at the brewery Saturday, but will launch across the rest of the province and local shops and NLC later next week.

Hopping down to Fredericton, those IPA loving folks at Trailway Brewing have a true-to-style West Coast IPA launching this week! Bearstream is a departure from the brewery’s signature hazy IPA and is a classic, clear, golden IPA with those notes of pine, resin and nice bitterness, with some nice orange and lemon profile as well. Hopped up with Cascade, Chinook, Columbus and Amarillo, Bearstream is 7% ABV. This is available now on tap and in cans and will be available across the ANBL and other locations on tap over the coming weeks.

Lawrencetown’s Lunn’s Mill Beer has a new release this week, ready for you to enjoy this after. It’s a Double IPA … pretty much says it all in the name, doesn’t it? This is release #2 in the Lazy Brewer (Lazy Beer Namer, maybe?) series, as they work their way through some classic styles. Big hop usage in this 7.5% beer, with Cascade enhanced by Mosaic and Citra late in the boil and again in a generous dry-hopping. Available on tap and in cans right now, for enjoyment/pick-up at their taproom, or for local delivery or Canada-wide shipping via their website.

Elsewhere in the Annapolis Valley, Church Brewing Company has a pair of releases gracing their taps for the first time this week. First up is a collaboration with their friends at Serpent Brewing in Spryfield, and keeping in their communal wheelhouse, it’s a Belgian beer. Growing out of the long friendship of Head Brewers Steve and Glen at Church and Serpent, respectively, this 12.0% Quadrupel was brewed back in April, and has been hanging out for the right time for release. And that time is now! Belgian Strong  is light amber in colour, and thanks to the malts and yeast used, features dark fruit, molasses, and spice aromatics, with a touch of alcohol heat (unsurprisingly). It is available on draught in the Church taproom, and to go in growler fills. No word yet if it is also on at Serpent’s location. 

Also new and available on tap and in cans now is a Church exclusive, Forgive Me Father, a 5.9% Coffee Stout. The beer saw the addition of cold-steeped coffee from T.A.N. Coffee from just down Main Street, to enhance the already-present roast character from the malts. Not yet on their website, so best to call in, or better yet, pop by their Main Street Wolfville location to ensure you don’t miss out!

Back in HRM, Propeller is releasing another drop of its 10% TIPA, Leviathan. Previously released last year, you can expect big notes of tropical fruit, higher bitter (to the tune of 100 IBUs), but also a smooth and rounder drinking experience from the addition of lactose. Cans are available today at Prop’s four retail locations and will soon see distribution on some NSLC stores.

St. John’s’ Bannerman Brewing is leaning into the Fall season with two releases this week. First up is a taproom only dark ale called Past Tense. This one was made with a grain bill of Pilsner malt, flaked corn and some caramel and roasted malts, leading to notes of toffee and raisin. A light dry hop with some German noble hops also lends some herbal/spice notes. You can grab Past Tense on tap at the brewery now. And while you’re down there, why not check out the return of their Marzen-style lager, Safe Bet. Using a blend of Vienne, Caramel and Pilsner malts, this one packs a ton of nutty and sweet malt flavours in a sessionalbe 5.5% ABV package. Cans of Safe Bet are available now on Duckworth Street. 

Tusket Falls Brewing has a returning favourite releasing this week. First released last year,  While You’re Waiting is back! This peach, mint, Sour IPA has a lovely tropical profile and features Motueka, Galaxy and Citra hops. With additions of real peaches, spearmint, vanilla bean, sea salt and lactose, this is packed with refreshing notes with a smooth mouthfeel coming in at 6.5%. This is available now at the brewery in Tusket and the Tusket Falls Beer Project in Halifax on tap or in cans. It is also available online for shipping across Canada. 

In “coming soon” beer news, Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewery is celebrating their Third Anniversary this coming Wednesday, November 9th. Pints are on sale all day, and they are of course releasing a new beer to celebrate. Teaming up with nearby business, and frequent collaborators Halo Donuts, they have brewed Cel-O-Bration, a Birthday Cake-flavoured beer that included 20 kilograms of Birthday Cake donuts from Halo! Wow! Wednesday will be a blast, with a balloon drop and prizes that evening, and the party will continue on the weekend (Nov 11 & 12), as they have a pop-up kitchen visit by Euston Park, more donuts, and even a visit by a miniature horse (named Lil Sebastien, we hope). And congratulations to Henry and the TS crew for their Gold medal win in the Canada Beer Cup Triple IPA category, as their Killed by Death took home top honours. There are a few cans left, so grab them now before they’re gone for another year.

Tomorrow marks the return of the Cask in the Sticks event, a community-led beer festival that moves around to different regions of rural Nova Scotia. Sober Island Brewing in Sheet Harbour is hosting this year’s event, and they are hosting Big Spruce, Breton Brewing, The Harbour Brewing, Lunn’s Mill, Tatamagouche, Uncle Leo’s, as well as a pair of homebrewers, all showing off their best beers in casks. In addition, as this is an outdoor event, there is a onesie competition, free event toque (have to stay warm, right?), a S’more station, and more fun! Grab your tickets here.

A few more newsbites before we let you go today…

If you’re around downtown Halifax soon, they have some new releases in stock and some nice beer news they’ve passed along to us. New in the shop this week are the following:

2 Crows –  OK OK OK,  5.1% Farmhouse Ale

2 Crows –  Classic, 4.1% Maritime Dry Stout, in a new format! 6x355ml.

Garrison –  Dunkel Breaking My Heart, 5.1% Dunkel, Dark German Lager

Schoolhouse – Principal Ale, 4.7% Pale Ale  (now a regularly stocked beer)

And for some importing updates, you’ve seen Samuel Smith ales in stock over the past year or so at Bishops, and they’ve got Oatmeal Stout and Chocolate Stout are back again for the winter.

A pair of returning favourites from Nyanza’s Big Spruce to close out this week. The Respect Your Elders BerlinerWeisse with Elderberry is back, made with berries harvested from their own farm, and added early in the brewing process to allow them to ferment with some Brettanomyces yeast for a melding of funk and tart in this dry seasonal beer. And kicking it to the West Coast is Old School, as West Coast IPA with big malt and hops both getting equal billing, At 8.0% ABV, the malt definitely shows up to support the massive hop additions throughout the brew, for a serious bitterness on the palate. Both beers are available on draught and in cans at the brewery, online ordering, and coming to better beer establishments across the province.

Friday Wrap-Up for January 28, 2022 – News from Sourwood, Village Green, Sussex Ale Works, Dildo, Smokehouse, Boxing Rock, Tatamagouche, 2 Crows, Bannerman, Delta Force, Rough Waters, Truro, and more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2022-01-28
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, Bannerman Brewing, Benjamin Bridge, Boxing Rock Brewing, Bulwark Cider, Delta Force Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Field Guide, Libra Non-Alcoholic Beer, Lightfoot & Wolfville, Modern Brewer's Village Green, Rough Waters Brewing, Smokehouse Nano Brewery, Sourwood Cidery, Sussex Ale Works, Tatamagouche Brewing, Truro Brewing Company, Tusket Falls Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

While it’s still January (how?!), there continues to be updates and changes with guidelines and restrictions across Atlantic Canada. Breweries are opening taprooms again, upgrading their online stores and may have changed deliveries. As always, it’s important to check out the social media from your favourite breweries and keep an eye out for any deals, as our breweries are trying to keep business going. Please support as you can and live within your means! Lastly, if you’ve been saving up your drinks for Dry January (that’s how it works right?), hopefully you’ll enjoy these updates below so you can line up your Wet February. 

Let’s kick off the week’s news with some cider from Halifax, courtesy of Sourwood Cider. Kissabel is a red-fleshed apple that the Sourwood crew have used in ciders before, namely their Kissabel Pet-Nat, a low intervention spritzy cider made with the 2020 harvest and released last year. After removing the cider for that release, Jake wasn’t done with the leftover fruits just yet, adding some water to the pomace and allowing another fermentation to take place. The result is Kissabel Piquette, a 3.0% low abv release that is bubbly and light, while still allowing the fruit flavour to shine through. Grab this at their store on Cornwallis, or for local delivery or shipping.

We’ve got a pair of treats coming out of Cornwall, PEI. Village Green brings out two new ones, marking their first releases of 2022. Starting out, we’re going with a throwback to the west coast days of C-hops and Crystal malt. Winter Classic IPA is a Classic IPA at 6.5% featuring Crystal malt and Chinook and Centennial hops. With plenty of IBUs and 6.5%. Featuring citrus and pine notes with a great hop bite. This is available in cans now from the brewery.

Second up, a nice alternate to the West Coast IPA, we get a Vanilla Milk Stout also available now. A sweet and roasty Milk Stout, conditions on Madagascan Vanilla Beans for a nice sweetness, this comes in at 5.6% available in cans today. And a big HBD to Head Brewer and Keg Washer Bryan Carver, who celebrates the big 4-0 today. While you can’t enjoy a pint at VG this weekend, at least pop by for some growler and can fills and toast the fella!

From Sussex, New Brunswick, the crew at Sussex Ale Works is re-releasing a hit from last year’s Valentine’s Day with Tarts Content, a raspberry sour taken after the Berliner Weisse style.Using the classic German-style ale recipe with added raspberry puree gives a nice sweet and tart flavour, with the right amount of pucker. This is 5% and 8 IBU. This is available today in crowlers for pickup and delivery from the brewery. 

Another brewery bringing back an old favourite is Dildo Brewing, straight out of Dildo, Newfoundland. Bitter Cold is an Ordinary Bitter style that is light, malt forward and delicious. At 4%, this brings notes of orange pekoe tea, sweetness like marmalade and toasted biscuits. Highly drinkable at anytime, this is available in cans today from the brewery and their St. John’s shop, along with a few NL Liquor Express, Marie’s and Orangestores.

Berwick’s Smokehouse Nano Brewery celebrated Robbie Burns day this week with a release paying tribute to the Scottish poet, Grandfather’s Tartan. Delving into the Scottish Wee Heavy style, this 7.8% beer is malt-forward, with plenty of rich caramel and toasted notes, while remaining smooth, despite its higher alcohol content. You’ll have to find your way to the Annapolis Valley for this one, as it’s only available on tap at their spot at 134 Union Street!

Straight out of Shelburne, but available province- and Canada-wide, is the latest offering from Boxing Rock Brewing. Perfect for the apres-shovelling crowd and cold nights we’re experiencing, is a big and hearty stout, and it doesn’t get much bigger than 9.0% ABV. Proletariat Russian Imperial Stout is full of dark malts to bring massive notes of roast, coffee, chocolate, with a fine level of bitterness to balance its full mouthfeel. Released in 473 ml cans, it’s joined on the shelves by the returning Unobtanium Intrepid Amber Ale, ready for pickup or delivery. Speaking of, a reminder that Boxing Rock is doing free daily delivery in HRM and Shelburne, on a minimum order of just $50. And those who live between Halifax and Shelburne can take advantage of free weekly delivery with orders over $80. Check their website for more details.

From the South Shore to the North Shore of Nova Scotia, we head to Tatamagouche Brewing, who have a brand new beer coming out that’s been a little while in the making. Starting its life as a pale ale built on pale malt and both raw and malted rye, hopped quite heavily with classic Cascade and Centennial late in the boil, it was initially fermented with wine yeast to encourage biotransformation, the release of bound hop oils, and ester production. It was then transferred to neutral wine barrels where it was further inoculated with Escarpment Labs’ Mothership Blend of Brettanomyces strains and allowed to condition for six months, giving the brett time to convert the majority of the banana and bubblegum esters to more desirable pineapple and citrus aromas. A dry hop with new variety Elixir completed the picture before packaging. Sounds like some science! to us, so it’s fitting that it’s been named Glad Alchemy. Coming in at 6.1% ABV, it’s funky, with citrus and pineapple up front and a little lingering banana in the background, with a suitably dry brett finish. You should be able to buy it early next week in cans from the Tata web shop, and possibly at other places that carry your favourite Tata brews in the coming weeks. Also, look for the returns of fan-favourites Sero Czech Dark Lager, Haywain English Bitter, Après Cream Ale, and First Light Czech Pilsner all either newly- or soon-to-be-canned and available for purchase.

The gang at 2 Crows Brewing in Halifax has been in the news (sometimes literally) over the past couple of weeks talking about the way they’ve managed to minimize some of the effects of the beer ingredient supply chain issues that have been affecting the industry. It’s nothing complicated, they just started sourcing more things locally! If you’ve been following the brewery for the past few years you already know that they’ve not been shy about integrating local ingredients, but they’ve now taken that to the nth degree and made a mainline beer using Shoreline Malting Pilsner malt from PEI, Lakeview Hops from New Brunswick, and crisp, clean Halifax water. AC Lager is maybe your new go-to for a light and refreshing banger, perfect for après ski/hockey/softball/etc., watching sportsball on a Sunday afternoon, lawn mowing, or any other traditional or non-traditional beer time!! At 4% it’s not going to knock you over if you have a couple, and at $2.09 per 355mL can (that’s $12.51 for a six, or $50 for 24), it’s not going to break the bank either. And look at that label: puffins!! Read more about the journey to this beer on the 2C website and then put your order in!

Also coming out of Brunswick Street this weekend is the return of Space Words, or, as those who remember the first batch might refer to it, Rocket Fuel!! A 10.1% trip to parts unknown, it’s packed with Galaxy, Eclipse, and Comet hops and it was co-fermented with a yeast that evolved to make nectar attract pollinating insects (Metschnikowia reukaufii). To quote the brewery, “Tastes like some kind of galactic mango juice.” We don’t think much more needs to be said. Find it in 473mL cans at the brewery now.

We also mentioned that this would be the weekend of the 2 Crows 5th Anniversary Celebration at the brewery and boy howdy are they planning some things. Bearing in mind that all in-person events are subject to Provincial COVID regulations, including social distancing requirements, you might still want to head down and check out what’s going on at the taproom this weekend. Saturday will see NS Winery and frequent 2C collaborators Lightfoot & Wolfville in the house from noon to 2 PM for beer/flight pairings, followed by R&B Kitchen with some sweet, sweet soul food from 2 – 7 PM. The first 50 folks in the door will receive a free anniversary glass as well. Then on Sunday is the return of SOUR SUNDAY. There will be 8 rotating taps of sour beers, including Five Petals, Terry (2018), Dandy, Good Air, Cloud 9, Deux II, Surefire, and Hoopla, with complimentary shots of Pepto Bismol available at the bar. For your snacking pleasure, Gingerbread Haus will have Bavarian soft pretzels on the go. This is all from noon to close; maybe some of us will see some of you there!!

Some parting shots with returning beers …

We’re happy to report that St. Johns’ Bannerman Brewing has opened their doors once again for in-person dining and drinking. Open 7:30 AM – 11 PM weekdays, and 8:30 AM – 12 AM on the weekends, start your day with a pour-over and scone, and then transition to beer and food from the talented Nam Jim crew preparing Thai-inspired plates in the kitchen. Local delivery (of both food and beer) is still available, including the freshly-canned Only Shadows, a light, toasty, and chocolatey Dark Lager, also pouring for pints, of course!

A bit of news from the Farmshed crew at Delta Force, as they updated their website with a new online store and payment portal. They’re “How to Buy” section is always very useful with where to buy their beer and now there’s a link to their online store with direct delivery, where you can grab their latest releases like Tom Hardy English Barley Wine and Bap – Nurungji Lager, inspired (and featuring) Korean toasted rice. Use those mice and keyboards, or thumbs to check it out!

Deer Lake’s Rough Waters Brewing is thinking back to summer with this week’s re-release of Lock and Key. A mojito-inspired beer, it features mint and lime on a tart refreshing base. No need to wait 4 months to be drinking in summer when you can grab some now! Available at their taproom and Corner Brook NLC.

Speaking of returning beers, Truro Brewing has a fresh batch of their Cobequid Bay IPA on tap now. At 6.3% ABV and brimming with bright citrus and pine hoppy goodness, you can grab a pint or fill your growler today at their spot on Inglis Place!

A few job postings for you as we settle up this week’s news, plus a bonus for your ears …

The fine folks at Upstreet are putting out a call to hire a Lead Production Brewer as they’re looking to expand in 2022. Check out the link here for the full job description and how to apply. 

The fine folks at Field Guide in the North End of Halifax are looking for an experienced bartender to fill their Head Bartender position. They’ve got a great reputation for cocktails and their drinks, so it’s a good opportunity for someone with a lot of passion. They’re encouraging people to reach out in person, email or send a DM on Instagram, but be sure to have a resume and cover letter on hand. 

Another one in the North End is the second location from Tusket Falls. Their Beer Project on Gottingen is looking for an Assistant Kitchen Manager! Check out the full details in the post here, and send them an email if you’re interested along with your resume and a bit about yourself. 

We mentioned it at the top of the post, so let’s close out with a movement that’s been gaining momentum over the last few years, Dry January. If that’s your thing, know that your bloggers support you 100%. And so do the fellas over at the 902 BrewCast, who did a deep dive into all things non-alcoholic this week. Their latest tasting episode features non-alcoholic beer from Propeller and Upstreet, as well as Benjamin Bridge Piquette Zero, and Bulwark’s Original NA cider. Give it a listen for inspiration on what you could keep in your fridge for when you’re feeling like drinking a beer, but don’t exactly want a *beer*.

 

Friday Wrap-Up for December 3, 2021 – News from Beausoleil, Propeller, Annapolis Cider, Ol’ Biddy’s, Serpent, Lake City, Big Spruce, Landwash, North, Tide & Boar, Annapolis Brewing, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2021-12-03
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Annapolis Brewing Company, Annapolis Cider Company, Antigonish Townhouse, Beausoleil Farmstead Cider, Beerlab, Benjamin Bridge, Big Spruce Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Candid Brewing, East Coast Cider Company, Glenora Distillery, Good Robot Brewing, Harpoon Brewing, Lake City Cider, Landwash Brewery, North Brewing, Ol' Biddy's Brew House, Propeller Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Tide & Boar Brewing, Willibald Farm Brewery. Leave a Comment

Well, you’ve done it! You’ve survived another month of wild weather in the region, with snow, rain, wind, rain, snow, and even t-shirt weather for a short blink of the eye. As the weather turns and stays colder, the breweries and ciderhouses continue to change their focus to products with a bit more heft, so keep those eyes peeled for the bottles and cans below, as well as the many others on the shelves and taps in Atlantic Canada this month!

Why not start this week with some cider love? Beausoleil Farmstead Cidery & Vineyard is located on Church Street in Port Williams, a short drive from the centre of town. A small but mighty family team oversees the cider (and wines) coming together, from tree (and vine) to fruit to glass, keeping true to their philosophy of sustainable farming and cellar experimentation. They are celebrating their First Anniversary this weekend, and releasing two new blends to mark the occasion. Oak’d is a 6.8% barrel-aged cider made from a blend of Annapolis Valley-grown apples, including McIntosh, Cortland, and Golden Russet. After six months of aging in French oak barrels, it was finished with just a touch of fresh-pressed juice, to bring some soft tannins and hint of acidity to the rich notes of toasted spice and baked apple in the base cider. Taking a different approach for the second new release is Mimosa, Beausoleil’s take on the popular brunch (or anytime!) drink. Starting with base of Chardonnay wine, it was infused with fresh oranges, blended with Annapolis Valley cider, and given a touch of effervescence to enhance the experience. Wine, cider, and citrus never tasted so good! Both Oak’d and Mimosa are available this weekend at their tasting room (open 1 – 4 PM both Saturday and Sunda), as well as their online shop for local delivery.

Dark beer lovers rejoice! Propeller Brewing is continuing their foray into the dark and festive beers with the latest take on their Porter, Chocolate Orange Porter. Building on the full-bodied and roast-filled original, the addition of chocolate and orange makes this a lovely festive beer. Available on tap now at the two Propeller tap rooms, cans are also available at their retail locations, online for local delivery and Canada-wide shipping, as well as the private stores in town and at the airport (including in the Harvest Beer and Cider Advent Calendar, where you’ll be drinking that later today [sorry for the spoiler!]).

Back to cider, as Wolfville’s Annapolis Cider Company has the latest in their Something Different Series this week, Arctic Kiwi Rosé. Locally-grown Arctic Kiwis (think miniature hairless kiwis that are capable of handling the local cooler climate) were juiced and fermented with ACC’s signature dry-fermented base, offering bright tropical notes and a little body. This blend was finished off with fresh-pressed Geneva crab apple juice for a bit of acidity and astringency, as well as the signature rosé colour. Available now at their tasting room on Main Street, each bottle refill of the 6.1% sparkling Arctic Kiwi Rosé sees $0.50 donated to support the Wolfville Area Food Bank.

Sackville, Nova Scotia’s very own brewery, Ol’ Biddy’s, has both brew and news for you this week. On the beer side, Merry Rye-solution is, beyond its tortured name, a re-release of a holiday treat from years past. Featuring plenty of rye for a characteristic spiciness along with some demerara sugar to provide seasonal notes of molasses and toffee, it was bittered to 26 IBU to ensure some balance and has a drying finish. Deep copper in color and weighing in at a burly 9.4% ABV, it’s not to be trifled with; you’ll find it at the brewery, of course, along with select NSLC locations. On the news side, the gang at OB is happy to report that they’re going to be making it easier for you to get their beer this busy season by bringing it directly to you! For the next three Saturdays, starting tomorrow, if you’re within 10km of the brewery, you’ll be able to place an order for local delivery. In addition to the 10km limit, you’ve got to be spending $24 to qualify for $5 delivery or $50 for free delivery (we don’t know about you, but we don’t find it difficult to turn a $25 order into a $50 order when beer is involved!!) You’ll also need to be of appropriate drinking age (19, last we checked) and home, with ID handy to accept the delivery. Your order must be received by 6 PM the Friday before the delivery date to qualify. Look for the new “delivery” option when ordering on their site and follow the prompts! You can also order kegs for delivery, but you’ll need to call them brewery directly and talk to Chris about that. Lastly, if you do decide to drop down to their taproom for a pint or to pick some stuff up, why not bring a donation for Feed Nova Scotia? You’ll be doing needy folks some good and meanwhile enter to win a Weber Kettle BBQ.

From Sackville to Spryfield, where Serpent Brewing is releasing a big holiday brew of their own in the next week. Three Kings is a rum barrel aged beer in the Belgian Dark Strong style. “What’s a Belgian Dark Strong,” you ask? Well, it uses Belgian yeast for characteristic spicy and estery character, it’s dark in color, and b’y, she’s strong, at 11% ABV. Aged in barrels from Compass Distillers, it’s got notes of pepper, dark fruits, wood-aged rum, and plenty of warmth. There are three different labels coming for this, and by all means, collect them all, but we wouldn’t recommend drinking them all in one night. Or even one weekend, really. Check Serpent socials (Ig/Fb/Tw) for more on when this one is released.

Dartmouth’s Lake City Cider is celebrating the season with the return of their collaboration with Change is Brewing Collective. A little refresher on this one, the fine folks of Change is Brewing visited the Portland Street taproom to put together a winter seasonal to perfectly pair with a hearty holiday meal. Enter Forest Glory, a blend of all Nova Scotian apples and cranberries, infused with locally-grown rosemary, thyme, and juniper. Herbaceous and tart, this 6.8% cider is available again for purchase in the retail store as well as online for local delivery or shipping. All proceeds of sales go toward community-lead non profit organizations working to create space and opportunities for the BIPOC community, both in and out of the drinks industry.

It’s a Big Week for Big Spruce, as they have two new releases to tell us, and y’all, about! Building on the popularity of last year’s From Nova Scotia with Love Collaboration with Boston’s Harpoon Brewery, they’ve done it all over again! For anyone not in the know, after the Halifax Explosion, hundreds of support workers from Northeast US came to help with medical treatment and support. In recognition of that, each year the province of Nova Scotia sends down a Christmas tree to the city of Boston. In 2020, Big Spruce and Harpoon came together for an epid Whiskey Barrel Aged Abbey Ale (read more about it here), and they are one-upping themselves this year, with the Bûche de Nöel Imperial Milk Stout. Taking cues from the holiday Yule Log dessert, the beer itself is big and bold, with plenty of rich Belgian chocolate and fresh-roasted coffee, with cacao nibs and a hint of juniper. Oh, and all of that was aged in a Glenora Single Malt Whiskey Barrel! Cans are available at the Sprucetique and online for delivery now, with kegs delivered and pouring now/shortly at Battery Park, HopYard Halifax, and Bar Stillwell!

Returning favourite, and only available on draught, is Fou D’Amour, a Barbe Rouge-solo-hopped Double IPA. Weighing in at a hefty 8.0% and XXX IBU (your guess is as good as ours!), this French-grown hop is known for tropical and citrus notes, think strawberry and grapefruit and kumquat! Built on a hazy and pillowy base, you’ll be able to grab a pint in Nyanza this weekend, and coming soon to Battery Park and Stillwell at any moment.

Heading from one island to another, up on The Rock in Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland (& Labrador!) Landwash Brewery has a hoppy new brew hitting the taps this week. Frozen Coves is a DIPA in their Limited Series that they’ve hopped generously with Bru-1, Ekuanot, and HBC 586 to give this 7.2% banger a fruity punch of peach, pineapple and tangerine. Available at the brewery for pints to stay and in cans to go, it’ll also be showing up at Marie’s Mini Mart locations and NLC over the next week or so. If hops aren’t your thing, and you lean towards the deeper, darker beers, have no fear, Landwash has you covered there too. Cake Tray, 2021 edition, was inspired by the good old classic Newfoundland Snowball, which if you’re not familiar means you ought to expect lots of chocolatey and coconut character. A stout, of course, plenty of dark malts give it color and body and coconut gives it, well, what you’d expect. At 7% it should have a touch of holiday warmth for you as well. Available now at retail, but if you’ve got a few minutes to sit and enjoy one in the taproom you’ll be rewarded by a pour off the nitro tap, which will impart a super-creamy body that you can’t get any other way. You’ll see this one at Marie’s soon as well.

Now is the time to enjoy the fruits of the annual collaboration between North Brewing and Benjamin Bridge Winery. We told you about these a couple weeks ago (did we jump the gun on that? Ooops!) but we’re sure they’re both available now at all North retail locations. Musqué is a big ‘ol double IPA at 8% fermented on Musqué grape skins, of course, and Blanc is a much smaller and more delicate Grisette fermented on Sauvignon Blanc skins. We recommend experiencing both yin and yang by grabbing both of them. Even better, $0.50 from each can sold of both beers goes to the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. Meanwhile, North also has two other beers back this week for repeat engagements. Midnight Figgy Pudding is a batch of Midnight, their strong dark Belgian that was split between 4 Glenora Distillery whiskey barrels for over two years before being blended with figs, dates, and vanilla. Be gentle with this one as it’s 10.5% ABV, perfect for an evening by the fire wrapping presents, we’d bet! And if you’re looking for something a little more breakfast-y, Stack o’ Pancakes might have you covered. Nominally a pastry stout (we all agree pancakes are pastry, right? Like, “cake” is right in the name and everything!!) this imperial-strength (9% ABV) beer featured plenty of chocolate malt in the grist for roasty chocolate flavors as well as maple syrup (of course), vanilla, and salt! Grab these two beasts from North the next time you’re there or order for curbside pickup, local delivery, or nation-wide shipping. If you’re a fan of North you may also want to grab one of their Holiday Boxes: 12 North beers (oh, fine, eleven beers and one seltzer), including the exclusive Eisbock, a lovely glass stein from which to enjoy them, and a holiday card and some custom wrapping paper.

Moncton’s Tide & Boar Brewing has a big and bold beer out today, their first special release from their new brewhouse at 1355 Main Street. In A Beautiful House continues their tradition of massive pastry stouts first started from their 1 BBL brewhouse in their original Gastropub location. Brewed with lactose (aka milk sugar), this 11.9% ABV beer was conditioned on toasted marshmallows and Madagascar vanilla beans, to get all of the sticky sweetness and bold flavours. Only a few flats available at the time of publishing, you’ll want to get down there ASAP to avoid disappointment!

Annapolis Brewing in Annapolis Royal has brought back their Fundy Haze, their house New England IPA. Absolutely overflowing with Galaxy, Sabro, and Mosaic, this hazy beer is juicy, tropical, and ready to go now! And their sister cider company, East Coast Cider Company has released a new perry this week named Pear Cider. Made with locally-grown pears, the perry features delicate floral and fruity notes, with a touch of honey-like sweetness. Available at their taproom on draught and in cans.

Good Robot Brewing is celebrating a mainstay of Enfield, Curly Portables, with their new Curly’s Amber. Building on the legend of woodsman Curly, born in Rawdon Hills in 1895, who went on to invent the triple-bit axe and other fantastical feats, Curly’s features biscuit and caramel malts to balance the light hop bitterness, and made for enjoying a few after splitting and stacking wood. Keep your eyes here and on their IG for more details on Good Robot’s progress in Elmsdale, just down the road from Curly’s. And if you are looking to give back this holiday season, drop off donations for the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre at their Robie Street taproom, full details available in this post. And check out their Holiday Gift Pack for the person who has everything/nothing!

A reminder that both of the recent Ontario Collaborations hosted by 2 Crows in Halifax are now available, the L’Acadie Draw Sauvignon Blanc IPA with Willibald Farm Brewery and Molten Mirrors Saison/Lager hybrid with BeerLab!. And if you need a reminder on what exactly those are, we gave you all the info you need in last week’s post. Also worth your time is that 2C is having a sale on select 355ml cans in their fridge, which means you can get a flat of Matinee, Tiny Dancer, or Dos Cuervos for just $50. Create your own Advent Calendar on the cheap! Deal is available at the taproom, as well as their online shop, which means free HRM delivery!

Dartmouth’s Spindrift has engaged in a bit of a reinvention over the last year or so, as they pivoted from being the “(almost) all lager, (almost) all the time” brewery to a bit more of an industry standard product range where the primary focus is on ales (don’t worry, though, folks, we’re pretty sure your Toller, Toller Gold, and Toller Light aren’t going anywhere). In the process of these moves they’ve also taken the time to reinvent their branding; you may have noticed their slick designs on the shelves and not realized, at least right away, that you were looking at Spindrift offerings (their old branding was pretty iconic too). Anyways, a few of the things they’ve had come out in the last while that you might keep your eyes out for include:

  • Horizon Blonde Bitter – a light and approachable beer in the classic style, coming in at 4.3% ABV and 27 IBU, with classic British hopping from Northdown and Challenger and notes of orange, tea, and a touch of stone fruit.
  • Grapefruit Spaceship Grapefruit IPA – does what it says on the tin, of course, at 6% ABV, with some very tropical and citrusy hops, namely Galaxy, Comet, and Eureka, boosted by plenty of grapefruit juice, and all balanced with classic West Coast IPA-style sweetness from caramel malt and a blast of bitterness (53 IBU). 
  • Queen Bee Honey Brown – lots of “honey browns” out there, but this one distinguishes itself by being both properly brown and through the use of actual Canadian honey; expect this 4.8% ABV and 25 IBU easy-drinker to be lighter in body than the appearance would suggest, with notes of coffee, toffee, chocolate, and nuts along with a bit of honey on the finish.

Antigonish powerhouses Candid Brewing and Townhouse Pub have come together for a fun collaboration. Kanpai is a Japanese-style Rice Lager, weighing in at a respectable 4.0% ABV. Light, refreshing, and super-crushable, it has a clean and dry finish, making it the perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of dishes, which is right up the alley of these two neighbouring businesses. Find it on tap now at both locations, with cans dropping mid-month.

Back to Portland Street for a new release from Brightwood Brewery. Shy Guy is a flavoured Gose dreamed up and executed by Assistant Brewer Noah, who took a base of a belgian-yeast-fermented wheat ale, with the addition of blackberry puree, orange peels, and a touch of Himalayan salt. Pouring now in their taproom, cans of Shy Guy should be hitting the shelves any minute now!