Breton Brewing

All posts tagged Breton Brewing

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!

The storm is past us and Oktoberfest events and releases are in full swing. With *that* storm past us, our country saw another storm of hate against our non-binary, queer and trans friends and community. We had a number of breweries and establishments offer support, safe-spaces and community gatherings, so with your likes, with your dollars, your time and effort, be conscious of who you’re supporting. We’ve got a full plate ahead of us this week so let’s get right into it!!

Your Friends in Foam™ at Stillwell Brewing are at it again, bringing you another beer you very well might not have realized was missing from your life. You may recall way back in the early-ish days of Stillwell Beer Bar, they worked with Greg Nash and Bad Apple Brewing (RIP) to work up a house batch of hoppy pale ale for the bar. Intended to be an evolution of what was then known as East Coast IPA (malty, very bitter, not so much with the hops), That’s Falcon Teamwork was paler and more hop-forward, with a balanced bitterness. Fittingly for the Stilly gang, this was ahead of the curve, and the world started seeing a pale ale and IPA trend away from the malt sweetness and the tongue-curling bitterness and towards presenting a fairly neutral slate on top of which all the newest hop cultivars from the Pacific Northwest and the Southern Hemisphere could shine. Fast forward a few years and we saw the rise of the hazies, where bitterness and maltiness dropped to barely perceptible levels and sweetness and mouthfeel went through the roof. 

Although it doesn’t feel like we’re in any danger of a decline in hazy hoppy juice bombs, Stillwell is coming full circle back to a style they themselves moved away from nearly a decade ago. Continuing with their, “what’s on the tin is what’s in the tin,” naming scheme, Stillwell Pale Ale has arrived. Based on a grist of predominantly UK Maris Otter, known for bringing a maltier character than North American two-row varieties, with a soupçon of Crystal 60 to round it out a touch more, it was, of course, decocted (CPR: DECOCTOR OF ALL THINGS) and treated with classic American hops Chinook, Cascade, and Simcoe. The result is a typically quaffable 5.3% ABV beer with some sweetness, balancing bitterness, and a citrusy and slightly dank hop character that’s reminiscent of many beers you may not have had in a long time but you’d probably love if you tried them again. And since you probably can’t get those ones in Atlantic Canada, we encourage you to try this one. On draught only for now at the taproom and Stillwell properties, expect them to put it in cans for wider sale later in the fall. Speaking of cans, if you’ve been missing Stilly Pils, more cans should be available at the brewery by mid-next-week (although many NSLC locations still seem to have decent stock). And lastly, speaking of the brewery/taproom, they’ve really started to hit their stride on events over the past month and if you’re looking for a really fun and chill space with cool things going on, you could do worse than to keep an eye on their Ig feed!

Now we’ll get into the Oktoberfest news, starting in God’s Country (does every island call their homeland God’s Country?), but specifically Sydney, Cape Breton. Breton Brewing has their Oktoberfest Lager out now in a classic Festbier style lager in a 5.8% malty German flavour, yet dry and crisp with enough balancing hop character. This is a new release for Breton, but they have done Marzen style under the same name in the past. The beer is available now from the brewery in pints and cans, and delivery in CBRM and HRM today. They’re closed on September 23rd and 24th, so stock up beforehand if you need to!

Although they’re known more for (very) hoppy things, Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing has been celebrating Oktoberfest for a few years now, and each year with the release of their Festbier. First brewed a couple of years ago, it features a German-style grist comprised of local ingredients and a classic German lager yeast, leaning into the bread dough character and light toasty notes, while leaving a touch of honey-ish sweetness. Rounded out with an herbal hop character and a light bitterness as befits the style, we expect that like all classic examples it very much tastes like another, just maybe be a bit cautious, as it’s 6.3% ABV! You’ll have plenty of opportunity to try it if you head down to the brewery and taproom for their Oktoberfest celebration tomorrow, Saturday, September 23rd, from 11am – 11pm. Beer garden, live music, an appropriately-themed menu from The Kitchen by Trailway, games, giveaways, and, of course, more. 

If easy drinking lagers and lederhosen aren’t your thing though, rest assured that Tw still has you covered with their other release this week, with a beer that’s probably about as far as you can get from that style (at least in one direction), the latest iteration in their series of smoothie sours they call The Blend. This time 5.3% and featuring cherry and raspberry, every can contains nearly 200g of pure fruit. This means a few things: it’s fruity as hell, you’ve got to keep it cold and drink it fresh, and you might want to roll the can around a little before you open it. Possibly for breakfast.

Not to be outdone by the uplanders in Fredericton, Moncton’s O’Creek also has two beers and an Oktoberfest party to tell you about this week. The first beer is, of course, a suitably festy one, their Amber Lager at 5% ABV. Medium-bodied, you can expect some toasty malt notes and caramel sweetness that should pair well with grilled meats (sausages, maybe?) and sharp cheese. You will be able to drink your fill of this one if you grab yourself one of the few remaining tickets to their Oktoberfest party tomorrow, Saturday, September 23rd, from 1 – 5pm. With full Bavarian immersion, your $60ish ticket gets you live music, a t-shirt, a stein, 32oz of beer, and plenty of fun. You can also look for their other new beer, Dry-hopped Saison, to be pouring now and available in cans: this one is suitably dry, with some lovely hop notes from a dry hopping of Citra and Motueka.

The last of our Oktoberfest celebrations to talk about this week is a three-day bash scheduled for Friday, September 29th to Sunday, October 1st at Tatamagouche Brewing on Nova Scotia’s North Shore. With on-site food by Moth and Moon on Friday evening from 4 – 8pm (happy hour from 5 – 7!), fresh pretzels on Saturday from Connie’s Bakery, and more Moth and Moon on Sunday from 2 – 6pm, your need for nibbles will be satisfied as you sip from a weekend-long Oktoberfest-themed tap list. Of course that tap list will feature Tata’s long-running fall seasonal, Lagerhosen. At 4.5% ABV, this is a thirst-quenching lager brewed with Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops for spicy and floral hints. Whether you can make the party or not, this one has also been packaged in cans for your enjoyment at home.

Rolling down to the other end of Nova Scotia, Boxing Rock brings us the last (of this week!) Oktoberfest release, this time featuring the aforementioned Märzen-style classic Bavarian lager. Equinox is their long-running take on the traditional style with a lot of pilsner malt, herbal German hops and bringing together the bready, malty, sweet flavours with a touch of spiciness in a 5% package. An annual release from the Shelburne brewery, you can pick up cans of this one at both locations and online. 

Back to New Brunswick where Rackhouse Brewing continues to release their barrel-aged and -inspired beers. Barrel-Aged Blonde is a flavourful and complex Blonde that spent time in a Brandy barrel, where it picked up notes of the spirit, as well as yeast notes from the Brettanomyces that has made its home in the wood. At 7.1% ABV, it shows both fruity and bitter notes married together. Available at CAVOK Brewing’s taproom in Dieppe, so though in the area should definitely take flight!

Heading up to Newfoundland, we find Baccalieu Trail has a new beer out, albeit a variation on a previous release, but one with a great story behind it. Ediacaran Fuse was a hazy IPA released a couple years ago that celebrated, “the multitudinous fossil discoveries in Newfoundland and Labrador.” Since that time, and somewhat oxymoronically, new fossils have been found in Conception Bay North that have revealed organisms completely new to science. What better excuse than to iterate on that previous beer than in celebration of what is literally a once-in-a-lifetime discovery? Ediacaran Fuse: Origins Edition sounds like it could be a tabletop RPG or a multiplatform video game, but it’s definitely a beer, a beer featuring all kinds of Australian and New Zealand hops, particularly Eclipse, Riwaka, and Strata, this beer offers, “a unique flavour that reflects early life’s journey across continents and epochs,” but also a whole lot of juicy hop character. Packaged in cans, look for this 6.0% beauty at the brewery in Bay Roberts.

Going very much west to Corner Brook, NL, we find Boomstick Brewing with their own variation on a previous release. Strawberry Rhubarb Lone Flamingo pretty much tells you what you need to know, with Boomstick’s version taking the same sour base they’ve used for previous Lone Flamingo batches and treating it to a heavy fruiting with strawberries and rhubarb. They’re pretty pleased with the way the base beer shines through this time, giving a light and bright character to support the ample fruit. It’s on draught in their taproom now, and packaged in cans to go, with further distribution likely in coming weeks.

Down on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, in Lunenburg, Shipwright Brewing has a new beer on the go. Wheels Are Turning is an American Wheat Ale that was treated to a dry hop. Built on a grist of wheat, pale, and Munich malts, it saw Hallertau Blanc and Lemondrop hops in the kettle along with orange peel before fermentation with Vermont Ale yeast from Escarpment Labs. A further dry hop with more Lemondrop tied it all together at the end with a final burst of citrus character. With a creamy mouthfeel balanced by a refreshing bitterness, this is a lovely beer for late summer (please nobody point out that it’s fall!) as you enjoy some cooler and drier air, especially in the evenings. Grab it for pints or crowlers/fills to go at Shipright locations, and also packaged in cans to go from the brewery.

Let’s hop (get it?!) over to PEI where we’ll start with the multi-locationed Lone Oak brewing who are introducing a brand new collaboration with Toronto’s Indie Ale House. Hang Your Hat! is an American style Brett Pale Ale coming in at 5.3%. This beer has additions of fresh Orange zest and peel in the whirlpool, along with orange concentrate during the fermentation with Thiol Libre (a thiol-unbinding yeast blend from Escarpment Labs that can enhance tropical flavours) and Brettanomyces Bruxellensis (a strain of Brett yeast derived from Lambic beers from Brussels, Belgium). The grain bill is Golden Promise along with some oats, and in the kettle, there were Amarillo hops and Phantasm powder (to bring out those Thiols!). There’s a lot going on in this one, and it’s a must try; it’s available while quantities last at all of their locations on tap and in cans to go at the Borden brewery and the cold beer store at their Milky Way location. And a heads up that their Cavendish location is now closed for the season. 

Sliding over to the Eastern part of the Island, Montague’s Copper Bottom is re-releasing the 70 Mile Yard Ale. Brewed in support of the annual 70 Mile Yard Sale, this beer is a celebration of the yard sale and their strong community. A refreshing hazy wheat beer with orange citrus flavour, it was hopped with old school American variety Cascade and is 5.0% and 15 IBU. It’s available only directly from the brewery, grab it right from the source in Montague today!

With some of the fake news that was going around the protests earlier this week, Nyanza’s Big Spruce has re-released their pale ale, Fake News, just in time. This is a bright, juicy pale ale showcasing the tropical and citrus flavours of a single hop, El Dorado! Find this 5.7% release available on tap and in cans at the brewery and also online to order for delivery. 

As the weather turns a little colder each year, Cole Harbour’s North Brewing thinks to bring back their Headline Milk Stout for a smooth, creamy and highly drinkable nightcap. This returning ale has been around since 2016 and is still 5.5% and features three different chocolate malts (including debittered chocolate malt), complemented with toasted nut and coffee notes. The addition of lactose lends a creamy and lightly sweet finish to the beer and it comes in at 30 IBU. Grab it on tap or in cans from all three of North’s locations. 

Sticking with the dark and creamy, Port Rexton Brewing has a similar theme with a truly seasonal release. Having been released in Fall and Spring editions, we see the return of their Fall edition of Shoulder Season, which is a dark cream ale. The beer is big on bready, malty flavour, but still features a crisp finish. Even at 5.5% it still gives some warmth with some toffee and dark fruit characters and a dark ruby red colour. This is available at the taproom this weekend in cans and will be available everywhere you can buy craft beer in Newfoundland in the coming weeks!

Next in this quadrilogy of deep dark returning beers is Propeller’s Nocturne dark lager. Brewed every year in support of the Nocturne: Art at Night festival that takes place in Halifax every fall, this jet black beer with a tan head carries notes of toasted bread, milk chocolate, and coffee, all of which are malt-driven. A lager yeast keeps those characters while ensuring that the beer finishes crisp, dry, and clean. At 5% ABV and 25 IBU, it’s a beer you can savor a few of without worry. Look for it at Prop Shops around the HRM and maybe check out the Nocturne website to plan some (free!) art appreciation in downtown Halifax, October 12 – 15th!

And finally in this group of dark beers this week is Candid’s Antigonight Dark Berry Sour. Brewed to celebrate the ongoing celebration of Art After Dark in Antigonish, this 5.0% ABV sour beer is full of raspberries and dark cherries, for a refreshing and tart beer. Enjoy it any night of the week, or prepare yourself for the celebrations to come later this fall and winter!

We’ll finish the week back in Newfoundland where Banished Brewing in Paradise has a couple of returning beers to tell you about. First up is Jim Time, named for the father of one of the owners, the real life Jim played a big part in getting the brewery up and running, and what better way to celebrate the man than to name a beer (in his favorite style) after him?! Generously hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Cascade in the boil before being even more generously dry hopped with more Citra and Mosaic, this very popular 8% double IPA is in its third, and hopefully best iteration. Joining it for sale this weekend is Portage Pilsner, a beer originally brewed in collaboration with the much-acclaimed Portage Restaurant. A 12º Czech-style Pilsner (so figure somewhere around 5% ABV), it’s an ideal beer for cracking on a cool evening around the campfire. Cleaner than ever, you can grab this one at the brewery, with further distribution to retail locations to come next week.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few quicker mentions to lead into your long weekend:

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

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

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

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