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Friday Wrap-Up for September 29, 2023 – News(bites) from Trailway, Big Spruce, Battery Park Beer Bar, Lunn’s Mill, Breton, Schoolhouse, and more!!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2023-09-29
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Battery Park, Big Spruce Brewing, Bishop's Cellar, Breton Brewing, Godspeed Brewery, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, Propeller Brewing, Schoolhouse Brewery, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

Welcome to the “Oops All Newsbites!” version of your favourite Friday newsletter. Plenty of new beer to share with you, and not a lot of time, hence the shortened format. Please remember that tomorrow, September 30th, is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a time for all to reflect on the atrocities of the past, and how we can make Canada more equitable for all, especially First Nations. Some breweries and retailers will be closed Saturday, in observation, so check first before heading out.

Trailway on Fredericton’s North Side received a pair of unusual visitors earlier this month, and while they didn’t stick around long, the video evidence is quite funny! Embracing the fun, Trailway has released On The Loose West Coast IPA. 5.5% ABV, with a healthy bitterness and aromatic in all the ways a great piney, resinous, WC IPA should be. This beer was a small batch, so you’ll want to head to the brewery locations in Fredericton and Saint John to grab cans before they flee too!

Those reading this Friday can still make it down to Battery Park in Dartmouth for a Big Spruce Tap Takeover. With 20 beers available on tap, there is a healthy mix of core favourites, seasonal releases, as well as at least one new one. Let’s tell you about Trop Style, an oak-fermented Saison. Bright and refreshing, there are notes of pepper and herb, as well as a bit of funk and wood from the foedre aging process. You’ll also be able to grab cans of Trop Style at the brewery and for delivery and shipping! A-Marzen Grace, their Marzen/Festbier also makes its debut for the year on tap at BP (as well as Horton Ridge and the Stilly Beergarden for their Oktoberfest celebrations Sunday). The Wanderers Citra Session IPA makes its return this week as well, on tap and in cans at better establishments.

Lunn’s Mill Beer is celebrating with an Oktoberfest party tomorrow, and they have a new beer to mark the occasion! Brewer Jörg has put together a Red Wheat Ale, using traditional German and American hops, and the classic German Weiss yeast for a touch of banana and clove. Grab a Maßkrug of Maldix tomorrow during the party, and a couple more in cans for the road! And all the Oktoberfest details are right here.

If you’re a fan of Breton Brewing, you know doubt already know their long-running Black Angus IPA and its “big” brother, Crazy Angus DIPA. This week they introduced the “little” brother of those two, Tiny Angus. Just 4.5% ABV and a crisp, citrus taste, just not as big. Find it at the tap room and online shop for delivery in the CBRM and HRM starting next week.

Also returning from Breton this week is a former seasonal that has earned a callup to the full-time lineup. Irish Stout is just that, a 4.2% beer that’s as dark as coal, with plenty of roasted coffee flavor and a smooth chocolatey finish. This one is also available at the taproom and via the online shop, but is also seeing wider distribution via select NSLC locations throughout the province.

Perhaps the first of this year’s fresh-hopped beers is pouring now at Schoolhouse Brewery in Windsor, NS, their Freshman Fresh Hopped New England IPA. Sourcing hops from Wicked Hops in the Valley, more than 20 kilos of Cascade, Chinook, and Centennial were used during the whirlpool to impart major aromatics of pine, citrus, and even a touch of freshly mown grass. Using a yeast that encourages a bit of haze just means there’s more flavour in every glass, so be sure to drop by the brewery this weekend to get it while it’s fresh!

We promised we’d keep it short and sweet, so let’s be sure we keep you to your schedule as we round out the news!

Tatamagouche has brought back Peppy Pink Peppercorn & Rose Hip Saison, a 7.1% Belgian Saison that really is exactly as described on the can. A bit of pepper character from the yeast is complemented by the pink peppercorn, and floral notes abound, from the late addition of the rose hips. Darling English Dark Mild has also returned this week, a favourite of cask-ale drinkers across the province, so look for this 3.6% beauty on hand pumps at better locations in your neighbourhood.

Propeller Brewing has decided it’s Stout Season, and we agree! However, they are putting their own spin on it with the return of Flat White, their White Stout. The beer is golden in colour, but if you closed your eyes, you’d swear it was jet black, thanks to the addition of cold-brewed coffee from Java Blend and cacao nibs. Loads of flaked oats help increase the body and mouthfeel, and impart a lasting, frothy head. On tap and in cans now at all of the Prop Shops across HRM!

And finally, our friends from away at Godspeed Brewery have sent four tasty offerings to Halifax Waterfront’s Bishop’s Cellar. Yuzu Saison, Ochame Green Tea IPA, Sklepnik Czech Lager (fermented in pitch-lined foeders), and Arbeir Hefeweizen (a collaboration with Michael Hancock, of Dennison’s). Drop down this weekend, or place an order for delivery or shipping Nova Scotia-wide!

Friday Wrap-Up for August 25, 2023 – News from Tatamagouche, Tanner & Co, Big Spruce, Trailway, Propeller, O’Creek, Change is Brewing, Boxing Rock, Hopyard Halifax, and Bogside!

Posted by acbbchris on 2023-08-25
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Bogside Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Change Is Brewing Collective, Enjoy Nomad, HopYard Halifax, O'Creek Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

Ahoy-hoy beer fans of Atlantic Canada. With the region still in full-on summer mode, and often bound for the beach, it also means that many breweries are primarily focused on pumping out as much of their core lineups as they possibly can to keep up with thirsty patrons. Between that and our own busy schedules we’ve only got a handful of new releases and re-releases, but hopefully it’s enough to pique your interest and wet your whistle. Read on for your weekly dose of beer news.

Big news on the North Shore of Nova Scotia this week, as Tatamagouche Brewing has launched their non-alcoholic line of beers with Nomad Pilsner. Taking a different tack than many breweries to produce their alternative beverages, they’re confident Nomad Pilsner, and further releases to come, will have the quality and flavour that you’d expect from Tata products. Their novel approach will also allow for some additional future bevvy possibilities so stay tuned for more to come. Meanwhile, you can get all the latest news by following the Nomad brand specifically at their new website and on Fb and Ig (and possibly other socials that we’re too old to be hip to).

We’ve long appreciated Tanner & Co. Brewing in Chester Basin for their quality beers, but as true beer geeks we also appreciate their tendency towards experimentation. Sure, if you know owner/brewer Dan Tanner’s extensive wine background the integration of grapes makes sense, and they’ve put out plenty of honey-bearing liquids as well, but they’ve also spent time and effort unearthing and recreating lesser known (some might even say “forgotten”) styles. Kotbusser, Dampfbier (German Steam Beer), and Rauchbier are just a few examples of the unique styles they’ve brought to market. That continues this week with the release of Princesse. The style Princessebier was first mentioned in the mid-1700s as a Dutch beer made for shipping long distances. By 1900 the beer had pretty much disappeared from production, but has seen some revival from breweries like Tanner who appreciate the finer details of beer history and styles. This take on the style was infused with orange peel, coriander seed and licorice root, resulting in a blend of “royal” flavours. It’s currently on tap at the Duke Street taproom for pints and growler fills.

Up in Cape Breton, Big Spruce is rolling out another sessionable release with Hoppily Ever After. This 5% ABV session IPA has a touch of malt sweetness, but the real star of the show is on the hop side, with notes of mango, passion fruit and some piney resin. This one should be making an appearance on-tap this weekend and check out the Sprucetique or their online store for 473 ml cans.

A quick hit in Fredericton where Trailway has brought back their fruited wheat beer and tribute to local junk removal service Fredericton Dumpster Services, Dump Run Saves. This time the beer saw additions of apricot and mango before a dry-hop of El Dorado. Check out the brewery today to try the 4% ABV DRS. They have a $10 Shipping Special this weekend to celebrate!

Be careful while close to water this weekend, as Propeller’s Leviathan Triple IPA is back again! Absolutely loaded with tropical hops, this 10.0% beast is tropical, dank, and while bitter, is mellowed by just a touch of lactose to smooth it out. Available in tall cans at all of their shops in Halifax, Dartmouth, and now Bedford, it can also be ordered for local delivery and Canada-wide shipping, or at your favourite private shops like Bishop’s Cellar, and even some select NSLC locations!

Moncton’s O’Creek Brewing continues to flex their new-brewery-muscles with the release (and canning) of two beers this week… Corigan Pale Ale returns, and Czech Affair is a new Czech-inspired Pale Lager, made with authentic hops and malt from its homeland. Stop by their spot on Barker Street for a mug, pint, or four-pack to go! Their food partners, The Craft Canteen, have extended their hours to now serve lunch, and have added a few things to the menu, too!

If you’re in Halifax this coming week, we recommend checking out HopYard Halifax on Gottingen Street on the evening of Tuesday, August 29th, at 7 PM, where the Change is Brewing Collective will be hosting an event in association with Boxing Rock and HopYard. “One Pint at a Time” is an award-winning documentary that aims to shine a light on Black & Brown-owned breweries in the US, who make up less than 1% of the 9,000 breweries in the country, and the challenges they have faced in an industry that, on the whole, has thus far failed at diversity. In addition to a screening of the film, there will be a beer tasting and plenty of dialogue about creating an inclusive and equitable craft beer & hospitality industry. Admission is pay what you can, with proceeds supporting CiB initiatives. A limited release Change is Brewing x Boxing Rock x HopYard collaboration will also be on tap for the event. One Pint Wheat Ale is a 4.5% ABV wheat featuring Shelburne County strawberries from Loré’s Farms, as well as locally foraged rhubarb. A beautiful pink hue to the beer invites folks in for a mix of fruity and light tartness, reminiscent of a strawberry rhubarb pie! Brewed at their Windsor Street Halifax small batch brewery, after the event, it will be available while supplies last at Hopyard and Windsor Street.

Fun in the sun in Montague tomorrow, as Bogside Brewing is hosting a Summer Block Party all day. They are launching the latest in their Single Hop Series, Calypso, with live music from 4 PM all evening, and oyster shucking by Colville Bay Oysters from 4:30 PM. More details on raffle and door prizes on their IG page.

Friday Wrap-Up for August 18, 2023 – News from Bannerman, Trailway, Port Rexton, Big Spruce, Breton, Baccalieu Trail, Tusket Falls, Shipwright, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2023-08-18
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Breton Brewing, Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, y’all! A bit of a late release to the blog today, you’ll have to excuse us as we are traveling across the East Coast this week and next, sipping and savouring what the breweries in the region have to offer. We’ve got plenty of new releases and events to let you know about, let’s get you up to speed. As always, feel free to tag us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to share what you’re enjoying this evening! We’re @ACBeerBlog on all of them. Cheers!

We’ll start this week in the East End of St. John’s, NL, where Bannerman has a new summer beer on the go. Curb Appeal, a dry-hopped and fruited sour, saw four different types of oranges added (kumquat, tangerine, blood orange, and standard orange) before it received a dose of Eclipse hops and was then conditioned on orange peel. Sounds like they may have been going for some citrus notes? The only way to be sure is to grab some of this dry and highly-carbonated brew on tap, as this one isn’t going in cans (but you can grab a growler fill if you need it to go).

In Fredericton, NB’s harbingers of hoppery, Trailway Brewing, have a returning engagement this week in the form of Inception, one of their double-dry hopped IPAs, this time hopped with Motueka, Topaz, and El Dorado. Coming in at 6%, it sees thick and sweet malt meeting a juicy burst of ripe tropical fruit and citrus from the hops, for a full-bodied mouthfeel with minimal bitterness. Available now on tap and in cans to go at TW’s Freddie and Saint John locations.

Back to the Rock, where Port Rexton Brewing has brewed up a special batch of their Golden Ale that they’re calling Bonavista Biennale after the event of the same name. An “innovative, rural-based, public art event occurring every two years on the Bonavista Peninsula, it provides a unique platform for artists and audiences to explore, exchange and challenge different ideas and perspectives.” With over 20 unique sites over a 165km route, running from August 19th to September 17th, it brings new meaning to the term, “exploring art.” You can find out more at the Bonavista Biennale website. Meanwhile, PR’s beer would be the perfect tipple to celebrate and rehydrate after a day’s art appreciation. You can find it in cans and on tap at the taproom, to go from the PR SJ retail shop, and many of your other craft beer sources in the area next week.

From one island to another, we find ourselves in Nyanza, Cape Breton, where Big Spruce continues to put out new beers despite the busy summer season. You Gotta Keller with Kindness is a kellerbier, a perfect offering for this time of year when tank space is at a premium and lagers take “too long.” Make no mistake this is a beer brewed as a lager, with caramel-infused maltiness and delicate hop bitterness, but if you pour it into a glass you might notice it’s not crystal clear and there’s definitely still some tooth to the body. “Kellerbier,” as we’ve probably mentioned at least once, translates to “cellar beer” as in, “we brought this up from the cellar; it’s not quite ‘done’ yet, but it still tastes great!” A classic style from Europe brought to your glass in the New World. Find it at the brewery in cans to go, their online shop, and likely at many of the other places you go to get your BS fix.

Continuing in Cape Breton, and on the lager tip, we find Breton Brewing in Sydney, who have brought back their lightest and crispest summer offering, Breton Light Lager. At only 4% ABV, and incredibly light and drinkable, you can plan on crushing a couple, a few, or a bunch after a hard day mowing lawns, out on the trails, or playing softball. Or maybe just grab one of their convenient 6-packs of 355ml cans and hit the hammock for the afternoon. Available at the taproom and also online for home delivery in the CBRM and HRM. It’s a limited release, so grab it now if you want some!

Back to NFLD as there seems to be a lot of new up there this week. This time it’s Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co. bringing up a new entry in the Summer of Sours. Radler-inspired, Strawberry Lemonade Sour tips the scales at a measly 3.5% ABV, but delivers on flavor and refreshment. A big effort from the brewing and packaging teams to ensure that the strawberry and lemonade infusion both tasted right and was packaged properly, your job is simply to grab some from your local craft beer purveyor (exclusively in Marie’s Mini Marts in the St. John’s Metro Region) and enjoy the fruits (and lemonade) of their labours.

On the South Shore of Nova Scotia we find Tusket Falls Brewing continuing to iterate on their Next Phaze hazy IPA in an effort to learn more about the style. This time around they almost completely nixed the Phantasm powder, focused on Citra in the whirlpool, and used a little more Citra along with tonnes of New Zealand hop varieties Riwaka and Motueka for the dry hop, at very high rates. We have no doubt that in doing so they’ve produced another hazy and juicy hop monster ready to satisfy your lupulin cravings. We expect you can find this one in both Tusket as well as the TF Beer Project in Halifax.

Lunenburg’s Shipwright Brewing has a fresh batch of their Whitecap Belgian Witbier on this week. Featuring loads of wheat to complement the pale pilsner malt, the beer saw generous additions of coriander, both sweet and bitter orange peels, as well as grains of paradise in the boil. A bit of Hallertau and Loral hops were used to balance the beer and enhance the flavours. Using a proper Belgian yeast sets the aroma and taste firmly in the classic style, with spicy, floral, and citrus notes flowing out of this fluffy and refreshing 5.0% ABV beer. Available on draught and in crowlers to go at both of their locations on Montague Street!

A couple of events happening over the coming weeks that you’ll want to keep on your radar…

Since opening their doors a few weeks back, staff at the Propeller Bedford location have been perfecting the space, adding in some Prop touches, and service folks both in the taproom as well as their Drive Thru retail shop. They are ready now for the full Grand Opening, which is happening Sunday, August 20th. From 1 – 5 PM, they are making it a full family affair, with cornhole and other games, face painting, balloon animals, as well as pop-ups from The Kon Dog and Vandever Pizza to keep tummies young and old satisfied. They’ll even be bringing in a few arcade games from the Propeller Arcade location to keep your Street Fighter skills honed! And just in case you missed it, the Bedford location is open from noon ’til 10 PM (later on Fri & Sat), and while their own kitchen partner is not yet operational, food can be brought in to enjoy. And while you’re there you’ll be able to grab their Galaxy IPA in the new small can twelve-pack, when you’re looking for just a small bit of hops to keep you satisfied during the week. Of course, tall can four-packs and singles will continue to be available.

A head’s up that there’s only a week until the Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival, being held at Banished Brewing next Saturday, August 26th. You’ll be able to enjoy beer and cider from thirteen producers from Newfoundland and Labrador, all in one evening! Tickets are still available here, check the updated beer list at the link above, and if you’re looking for information on safe transportation to/from Paradise, then check out this IG post.