Chain Yard Cider

All posts tagged Chain Yard Cider

Happy Friday and welcome to what looks like the first decent stretch of weekend weather this summer (at least for us crazy cats in HRM). We’ve got a bunch of new releases, a handful of events, and what seems like a record number of job postings heading your way. Sit back, relax and crack open your favourite local beverage as we bring you up to speed on all things beer/cider related in Atlantic Canada. 

In case you missed the news, big changes have been happening during the last twelve months for Good Robot Brewing, and we wanted to give you an update. We’ve previously mentioned their plans to open a production facility in Elmsdale, and as they celebrated their Seventh Anniversary in May, they were also packaging their last cans at their original Robie Street location (more on that in a second). Having now moved their brewing equipment off Robie Street and out to Industrial Way, the new facility has offered the capability of new equipment and capacity. One of those new pieces of equipment is a mash filter. Taking the place of a lauter tun (or the combo mash/lauter tun most often seen in local craft breweries), it allows quicker separation of wort from the grain, and more efficient recovery. Neat! They have also added an upgraded canning line, including a tunnel pasteurizer to help keep product shelf stable These additions, as well as more and larger fermenters, will allow them to brew up to 10 times their current capacity, allowing them to expand their reach further outside of Nova Scotia. And while specifics are still under wraps for now, they are interested in partnering with other breweries or drink manufacturers to allow them an opportunity to co-package/brew when capacity allows, giving the opportunity for others to create or scale up production on Good Robot’s facilities. More on that as we learn!

As mentioned above, with the move of the main production facility to Elmsdale, they have also moved their canning line. To mark the end of an era on Robie Street, they set aside the last can of Creature Feature IPA to come off the line, and are auctioning it off for charity. You can bid on the can here (the auction closes June 24th), and all of the proceeds will go to Blk Women in Excellence, their most recent Goodwill Beer partner. Bid early and bid often! Learn more about it here.

And finally, with the expansion to Elmsdale, they will be opening both a retail space and Beer Garden in the coming months, and are adding to their team of misfits. Check the Job Posting info below to learn more, and you may even have a chance to join our pal Kellye Robertson, who has joined GRBC’s Brewing Crew. Congratulations, Kellye!

Delta Force Brewing is back with a third contribution to the Make Peace Not War beer project. Joining the Dry-Hopped Farmshed Sour, Valley Lager and Farmshed Tripel are two more releases, a Farmshed Kvass and a Goose-Shake IPA. The Kvass is a lager beer/kvass hybrid with obvious bready notes due to the Kvass element. This beer is 6.0% and 25 IBU and available in 500ml bottles.

Goose-Shake is an IPA packed with gooseberries, with additions of lactose and vanilla to up the sweetness. This one is also 6.0% and is 17 IBU, also in 500ml bottles. 40% of all proceeds are being donated to Red Cross efforts in Ukraine for this series of beer. Learn more about the beer and project, and order yours today from their website! They’ve also got two beers back in stock, the Operation Sommar Dry Stout and Operation Barrow English IPA. 

Back with a new release out of Cornwall, Village Green has a new IPA out. Delightful! Is an IPA with a blend of classic American “C” hops (Chinook, Centennial, Columbus, Cascade and maybe even some Citra?) and a lovely British yeast to play on all the malt and hop flavours. This 6% IPA is available now from the brewery in cans and on tap.

One of the benefits of being located so close to our ‘Murican neighbours is the opportunity to make a quick trip across the border to sample the vast selection of beers that are available. Up until recently, the pandemic had put a kibosh on this, leaving fans of New England classics like Allagash White high and dry. If you count yourself in that category, you’ll be pleased to hear that Atlantic Canada is getting a new take on the Belgian Witbier with Propeller’s release of White. Available starting today, Prop’s take on the style comes in at 4.8% ABV and 30 IBUs. Expect the hallmark style notes of orange and coriander in what is sure to be a patio favourite. Cans are available now at Prop’s three retail locations, via their online store and at a handful of private stores across HRM.

Lunenburg’s own Shipwright Brewing proudly presents Day Sailor! This new release is a 4.5% easy drinking, crisp, clean Golden Ale, named after a relaxing pleasure-craft. It’s available now in cans and on tap for pints and growler fills from the brewery. 

Be sure to keep an eye on what they’re putting together next door (the old Big Red’s Restaurant), an addition to their existing taproom and brewery. They’re going to expand production, food offering and also a private booking space on the top floor. Stay tuned to their social media for updates. 

The crew at Unfiltered Brewing brings back a fan favourite this week with a banger. Here It Comes is a Double IPA (classic Unfiltered!) featuring Chinook hops. Chinook brings a wonderfully delicious citrusy flavour and aroma to this 7.5% DIPA. All of the hops in the batch are from Duke25, a Nova Scotia- and Quebec-based hop producer. This is available today in 473ml cans, growler fills and pints from Charm School. 

Next up, another returning beer, but this time out of Port Rexton Brewing. Last available in 2018, Flight of the Mango is back! This is a fruited ale made with mangue purée and lactose added. The beer is big on mango for aroma, taste and some nice sweetness throughout. This beer is 4.5% and available from the taproom for pints and also in cans from the brewery and St. John’s retail shop on Saturday. It will also be widely available across Newfoundland next week.  

In cider news, Kentville’s Maritime Express has joined a few other producers in our region in marrying up gin and cider for a refreshing herbal kick. Going the route of ageing the cider for six months in French oak that had previously held Compass Distillers’ gin, you should find this one smooth and crisp, with aromas of fresh apple and juniper. On the palate you might sense some cotton candy and pine as well. This one packs a bit of a punch at 8.3% and has been bottled in 750ml bottles; we suspect this is a limited batch, so if you’re interested it’s best you get to grabbing some.

Up in Bay Roberts, NL, Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co has been busily working away on a top secret project for months, but with the first delivery hitting store shelves, they’re ready to blow the covers off the thing. Inspired by the importance of tourism to the NL economy, BTB partnered up with four unique restaurants in four unique tourism regions in the province to create four sessionable beers that celebrate the beauty and history of Newfoundland. This isn’t just about brewing up some beers and naming them, the label artwork is designed to highlight the attractions of each region, and there’s a QR code on every can that you can scan to be taken to a portal where you can explore those attractions and see food menus for the partner restaurants. The four beers are available as a four-pack, with a very reasonable asking price of $21.50, taxes in. It should be available Island-wide in the next week or so, from many of your favourite craft beer sources. We don’t have information about the beers, but that will be part of the fun for those who grab themselves a set. We can, however, tell you that the partner restaurants are The Old Store Café in Norris Point, Ragged Rocks GastroPub in Bonavista, The Quay Restaurant in Brigus, and The Hub of the North Restaurant and Suites in Greenspond. Whether you’re a Newfoundlander who would like to explore your home province a little more or a visitor looking for beautiful and historic places to go, we suggest grabbing yourself a pack and doing some virtual exploration while you sit and sip!

Let’s give you a few reasons (and ways!) to celebrate this weekend…

After months of planning and preparation, Boxing Rock’s new Test Kitchen and Retail Shop is opening today! Located at 2790 Windsor Street in Halifax, the Test Kitchen shares space with Local Source Market, and will feature a retail space for bottles, cans, and merchandise, as well as growler fills (remember those?). They will also be doing small batch brewing here, testing out new recipes and collaborating with the community to keep bringing you the good stuff. Drop by today after 11 AM to check out the new space, fill up your lifetime-discount orange growler, and if you sign up for their loyalty program, you will be entered into a draw to win one of your own! Plus you’ll have the chance to vote on what you’d like to see brewed on their 100 litre system.

Folks close to the QV Gut can rejoice, as the Quidi Vidi Wharf is opening today for the season. Open 12 – 9 PM daily, from now until Labour Day, visitors can grab beer from Landwash’s slick beer trailer, and pair it with food from Johnny & Mae’s, Quidi Vidi Fish & Chips, and QV Sweet Spot too! And for those not in the gut, there is a shuttle to/from the wharf all day, every day, with hourly runs from the Pedestrian Mall/Alt Hotel, right to the Sugarloaf parking lot (and every 20 minutes to the Dominion on QV Lake).

There’s a fun little tap takeover this Saturday if you’re around St. John’s. The sweet folks from Chain Yard Cider are visiting Bannerman Brewing and bringing 4 of their favourite ciders to share on the rock. They’ll have four ciders on tap (Pink Tartan, Hazy Fraisy, Hopped Up and Foundation) and also some packaged products for sale (King’s Saison, Espionage and more!) at the brewery, as well. 

We mentioned 2 Crows’ The Agenda Grapefruit and Basil Radler last week, but wanted to remind you of the Rhinestone Cowboy-themed release party happening Saturday. From 1 PM, Cafe Aroma Latino will be popping up in the taproom Latin-inspired dishes, with DJ EFFA keeping the party going spinning Honky Tonk tunes from 7 PM until close. Dress up in your favourite outfit and get on down to party!

All this reading making you thirsty to get into the beer biz? We’ve got a bunch of options for you to look at this week.

Montague’s Copper Bottom Brewing is hiring a Production and Operations Manager to join their team. They will be responsible for overseeing the planning, brewing, storage, and shipment of beer across the province (and beyond). While not directly brewing, this person will be helping with planning, forecasting, and making sure everything is running smoothly! Check the link to learn more and apply!

In Cornwall PEI, Village Green is hiring folks to help out in both front and back of house. If you are interested in slinging beer to thirsty patrons, and/or helping to can up beers for folks to take home, this is the right job for you! Especially if you love beer, and are looking to learn more and get your foot in the door. Fire them an email to learn more and apply!

Half Cut Brewing is opening their own taproom on the North Side of Fredericton this summer, and they are looking for folks to sling some beer! Opening in July at 67 Main Street, the taproom will have seating both inside and out, a dozen taps, and also share space with 11th Mile’s Coast Line Pizza, providing Detroit-style pizza and salads. Interested folks should get in contact to apply!

With their big move to Elmsdale, Good Robot is hiring folks to work both in retail and the beer garden. There are about ten openings between the two positions, and you should check out their Indeed postings to learn more and apply!

With school winding down, it is scholarship season for many folks and North Brewing is accepting applications for their 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship. Always advocating and working to be an ally for their community and the wider brewing and craft beer community, this scholarship is wide ranging for any students entering programs related to the brewing industry. The scholarship includes the monetary reward but also guaranteed summer employment at North for the duration of their education. Applications are open until the end of July, so check out the link here and share with any friends and families with students that can apply!

If you’re in Bay Roberts (or know someone who is nearby!) Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co. is seeking a responsible and friendly individual to be a Beertender for the summer. If serving beer to friendly folks is up your alley, you have until June 14th to apply. 

The successful applicant will enjoy serving craft beer to thirsty customers while receiving competitive tips/pay, and working at an awesome brewery in Bay Roberts!

If interested, send a resume via email and a short sentence or two detailing why you’d be the perfect fit for Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co. Or, just drop off a resume in person at the Taproom. 

And a couple last quick mentions afore ye go:

The 902 BrewCast fellas sat down with Michelle Tham, a Certified Cicerone, while she was in Halifax recently, to learn about her lightbulb moment beer, why she hates describing beer as “hoppy”, and how she is using her beer education to travel across the country (and beyond). Grab the latest episode on the 902BC website or in your favourite podcatcher.

Speaking of 902 Brewcast, one of our favourite sources for beers of all kinds is Bishop’s Cellar on the Halifax Waterfront (if you don’t understand the connection there, you should definitely listen to the podcast!). Of course they stock all kinds of tasty beers, ciders, and meads from around Nova Scotia and the rest of the Atlantic Provinces, but they are also a source for beverages from the rest of Canada and beyond, providing us with a chance to sample quality products here at home. This week they’ve got some treats from Germany, largely lagers, in the form of AyingerJahrhundert, an Export Helles, Pinkus Müller Altbier, a “pale” (and slightly tart) Altbier, Pinkus Müller Ur-Pils, an unfiltered German Pils, SchanzenbräuHelles, and Schanzenbräu Rotbier, a red lager. Grab yourself a mixed pack of those and some brats ‘n buns and you can have yourself a proper Deutsch treat!! We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention they’ve got Serpent Brewing’s Mexican Mole Porter in stock!!

Let us be the last to welcome you to December, folks. In a year that feels a decade long, we’re rounding the corner to what wild and wonderful things 2021 has in store for us. No matter what, there will be great beer and cider, so at least we’ve got that going for us! A full complement of new and returning options for you to seek out this weekend, and remember that many places are on reduced operations due to COVID restriction, so you’ll want to do a double-check before hopping in your car to visit. Better yet, when possible choose contact-less delivery from those breweries and restaurants offer it, and tip generously. Be kind and drink well, friends!

The Change is Brewing Collective is back with their latest collaborative release, this time with Dartmouth’s Lake City Cider. Forest Glory is a 6.8% ABV blend of many different fruits and herbs all grown or foraged in Nova Scotia and featuring contributions from Stirling Fruit Farms, Terra Beata, East Coast Wild Foods, and Riverview Herbs. Starting with a blend of apple and cranberry juices fermented dry, it was infused with a tincture of juniper, thyme, and rosemary — we hear that the blending and herb selection day was a feast for the senses, as evidenced by the social media posts. Not only does the cider taste great, but it looks great too! Collective member Amber Zaza created a festive and meaningful design featuring the ingredients in a repeating wreath pattern, inclusive of the season, and for whatever reason you choose to celebrate. Proceeds of sales are going to a local non-profit supporting BIPOC youth and community-building.

From Change is Brewing, they “are more motivated than ever to continue promoting diversity & inclusion in the craft beverage industry, and exploring the different opportunities available to BIPOC folks in this province,” so keep your eyes peeled here and on their Social Media (Fb/Ig) for their next Brewing 101 and other events and releases. Grab Forest Glory at Lake City’s retail location, and/or for delivery in HRM, right now! Their in-person event planned for this Sunday is on hold due to COVID restrictions, but they’ll be doing a virtual event later in the month.

Like several areas of New Brunswick, the Moncton region remains in the Orange zone, but that isn’t stopping some of the local breweries from helping you get your beer fix! CAVOK Brewing, still open for pints with your bubble members, as well as takeaway beers, has a brand new New England IPA for the weekend. Got Wings? was brewed with a grist of 2-row and CaraRed malts, along with some oats, and was hopped with a wide variety of hops, including Chinook, Magnum, Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo. Conditioned on tangerine and pineapple purée “for a sharp, upfront taste of bitter oranges and some fruit sweetness”, you can naturally expect even more citrus, fruity, dank aromas and flavours from the hop additions. With a fairly-low-for-an-IPA ABV of 5.8% ABV, you can find this medium-bodied hop bomb right now at CAVOK on tap and in cans.

Mount Pearl, Newfoundland’s Landwash Brewery is celebrating their Second Anniversary this weekend, and are releasing two new beers to mark the occasion. Awesome! Fresh off the canning line just this morning is the latest in their exploration of the American IPA style, Anchor Rode. This 7.2% IPA features a heavy dose of Strata hops, a newer variety related to Perle, and features a dank character along with plenty of juicy tropical notes of passion fruit, grapefruit, and strawberry. Cans, pints, and fills are available now!

And for those digging a big bold barreled beer, enter Landwash’s The Barrelman. Locals will recognize who this is referring to, but for the rest of us, The Barrelman was the name adopted by Joey Smallwood during his history and culture radio show broadcast in the 1930s and 40s. The beer stands as tall as the man, an American Barley Wine that spent 8 months in Bourbon barrels (American Oak, natch), taking on plenty of vanilla and a touch of booze, along with plenty of toffee and dried fruit character from the base beer. At 10% ABV, it’s perfect for nights huddled around the radio. Cans are also available in their retail shop now, and it’ll also be on draught when the taproom opens at 3 PM. Congratulations on your first two years, Landwash Crew, you have lots to celebrate, and more great things coming! Check their Social Media for details of events they’re holding over the next few weeks, including Slay Belles Drag Brunch next Sunday, as well as plenty of live music.

Tonight you will be visited by three spirits … ok, maybe it’s too early to start reciting Christmas Carol lines, but if you’re in the mood for a spooky beer, check out Good Robot’s release of Uncle Giggle’s Hazy APA. This 5.1% juicy pale ale is an homage to Disney’s Haunted Mansion which inspired the many of the design aspects of GR’s upstairs bar, the MouseTrap. Expect citrusy aromas with floral and grapefruit flavours from the Magnum, Citra and Equinox hops, which were paired with a grist bill featuring pale malt and flaked wheat. Grab some today from the Robots at their retail store on Robie Street or stay home and order delivery through their webstore

Over in PEI, Montague’s Copper Bottom is happy to announce the latest entry in their Field Trip series, consisting of kettle-soured, fruited beers. Field Trip: Tangerine was brewed with a very simple recipe of Shoreline Malting 2-row, soured with Lactobacillus, and fermented with a clean ale yeast strain. Conditioned on loads of tangerine puree, the resulting 5% ABV brew is tart and sessionable, with “a moderate tangerine and tangerine pith character”. You can find it in the brewery’s taproom, online for pickup and delivery options, and in this year’s Advent Calendar from Harvest Wines. And if you were a fan of CB’s NorthPaw Rye IPA (6.5% ABV) when they first launched it, good news, as a fresh batch is now available! Hopped with Amarillo and Cascade to 40 IBUs, this time around it’ll be available at select PEILCC locations, as well as at the brewery and online.

If you’re feeling more in a Lager-ish kinda mood, Tatamagouche Brewing has you covered with their latest, Arvo, a Helles Lager. A style brewed to be clean, easy-drinking, and a showcase for good malt and noble hops, Tata’s take on the style features a grist of mostly Pilsner malt, with a little bit of Honey malt and Carapils thrown in for good measure. Mash-hopped with Czech Saaz, more Saaz and some Hallertau Mittlefruh were added in the boil, for a total calculated IBUs of 26. Fermented with the Isar Lager strain from Escarpment Labs, the final beer is right where you’d want it at 4.6% ABV, and is just what you’re looking for when you need a beer that is approachable, sessionable, and flavourful… without smacking you in the face too hard with, well, anything! Available at the brewery store for growlers and cans, and of course you can order it online (lots of great shipping options for all around the country!).

TataBrew also has a couple of other favourites returning: Elixir, their Pale Ale fermented with the Krispy Kveik yeast and hopped with Elixir and Mistral, two French varieties, is currently available on tap and in cans; and Giantess, their award-winning Barley Wine, a big (11% ABV!!), bold, delicious beer, can be found in store/online in 650 mL bottles. Two completely-different beers, yet both tasty as all get out!

Cole Harbour’s North Brewing has had a big couple of weeks, what with the release of Stack o’ Pancakes and their new and vintage collaboration beers with Benjamin Bridge, all of which we’ve mentioned over the past couple of weeks. This week saw the release of another beer we mentioned two weeks ago as on-the-way, SoP’s “sister” beer, Cinnamon Bun Stout. But they haven’t stopped there! Out today is a very special version of their original pastry stout, Twinkle Pony. For those who remember, this was a stout brewed with Tiramisu components, including ladyfinger cookies, vanilla, and coffee, as well as plenty of chocolate malt. As a special treat for all those folks who continue to ask for it, they not only made more, they made it MORE. Two barrels worth of a previous batch of this beer were socked into whiskey barrels for a solid 10 months before being blended with some newer stout then conditioned further on toasted coconut, cocoa nibs from Rousseau Chocolatier, and more vanilla. The result is a 9% ABV beer that will no doubt twinkle your pony. They’re calling it Coco Pony and if you’re into it, you should act quickly: only 900 cans have been produced! Grab it through on-line ordering for curbside pickup or delivery, or responsible socially distanced retail!

This is the time of year when some of you start craving certain Christmas candies, which inevitably means that similarly-themed beers will follow. With Dieppe’s Flying Boats, they’ve added a new beer to their Small Batch Brewing series, Midnight Express, a “Double Chocolate Orange Porter” which most likely is inspired by the popular stocking stuffer, Terry’s Chocolate Orange. The beer is brewed in the English Porter style, with a grist that contains two different Chocolate malt varieties. East Kent Goldings hops were added in the boil, along with additions of bitter orange peel. More orange was added to the beer in the form of orange puree during the conditioning phase, with the end product showing off a “full-bodied dark chocolate flavour, hints of orange zest, and a nice, creamy finish”. It’s 6.2% and 28 IBUs, and was packaged in 750 mL bottles for purchase at the brewery, as well as select ANBL stores. 

Need a break from beer? Well, don’t forget that there’s lots of great, local cideries around Atlantic Canada now, with Halifax’s ChainYard being an excellent option. And hey, they’ve got a brand new cider currently available in cans, Cran’d Ole Hopry. This one is a cider made with Northern Spy apples that was dry-hopped with Cascade and Mosaic, and then aged on the cidery’s house-made cranberry wine. Lots of hop aromatics with this beauty, as well as a tart, refreshing finish of cranberry. It weighs in at 6.4% ABV; grab your 4-packs at CY right now!

Quidi Vidi has a few new beers in their Hop Shop and hitting NLCs and convenience stores this week. First up is Infinity Skull IPA, a juicy Idaho 7-heavy American IPA, featuring notes of apricot, lime, and pineapple. This collaboration was done with local tattoo artist Murray Brokenshire from Trouble Bound Studio, and of course features a pretty sick can design. Their Sofa Sours Series continues with the return of Strawberry Guava Creamsicle. Bright ripe strawberry and guava, with a touch of lactose to balance the acidity, makes for a refreshing, light, and fruity extension of the beer line. And finally, Imperial Black Forest Stout! As the name implies, lots of chocolate in the can, along with cherry and vanilla that will have you thinking of this heavenly dessert. Check their website for availability for pickup and delivery, in addition to those sent to the other retail locations.

As the holidays draw nearer, Atlantic Canadian beer drinkers collectively seek out a beer that is socially acceptable to crack open before noon (or is that just us?). Look no further, as Propeller is rereleasing its Mocha Oatmeal Stout. Brewed with chocolate and locally roasted coffee, expect flavors of espresso, milk chocolate and brown sugar in a 5.5% ABV package. As an added bonus, this year’s cans are of the nitro variety, leading to a creamier, smooth mouthfeel and the classic cascading head caused by the nitrogen. The kegged version was carbed using CO2, so grab a growler while you’re at it to compare and contrast the two styles. Available today at Prop’s three HRM locations are via home delivery through their webstore.

Not to be outdone by all the other breweries doing some kinda boxy bundley thingy for the holidays (just a little late to the party 😘), 2 Crows Brewing in Halifax is stepping up the local content with theirs, calling it the Local Crate. Of course you’re going to get some lovely liquids from Brunswick Street, including 8 beers, 2 cans each of Refresh and Fantacity, 1 Laurel, 1 I Love You, and a bottle of Terry (the last two are exclusive early releases!) as well as 4 cans of Hop Water and a lovely limited release 2 Crows Arome beer glass to enjoy them all with. But you’ll also get a loaf of sourdough bread, a bag of granola, and an enamel pin from Birdies Bread Co., and Milosh Mustard (yep, mustard made with 2 Crows Milosh Helles-style lager) and Apple-Shallot Chutney from Good Luck Café & Pantry. Check out the pretty pictures at their web store, but don’t spend too long fawning, if you want one of these you need to place your order by December 10th; they’ll be ready for pickup or delivery on December 12th. 

Nothin’ doin’ this week in terms of beer-related events, but let’s be honest, that’s very much the way it should be. As we adapt to increased restrictions, though hopefully not for too long, we’ll likely see some virtual beer events pop up again, which we’ll be happy to tell you about. And with that, here’s the traditional batch of shorter items to send you on your way to plan your weekend beer(s)!

Breton Brewing’s latest seasonal is a NEIPA named Into the Haze (6.6% ABV) that was brewed with Wheat malt from Shoreline Malting and plenty of delicious hops to give “notes of pineapple on the nose, and flavours of grapefruit, lemon, mango, and cantaloupe.” Available for pickup at the brewery, and online for delivery/shipping across Nova Scotia. 

If you’re interested in trying some cellared beers, particularly those of the higher ABV variety, check out Garrison’s Cellar Celebration.  Featuring releases going as far back as 2015, you’ll find long-time favorites like Spruce Beer, Ol’Fog Burner Barleywine, Wintervention and Baltic Porter. Check out Garrison’s webstore for all of the details.   

Grimross Brewing has brought back their Abbey Dubbel (pronounced “double”, not “doobel”!), but this time, the Belgian Dubbel is available in cans. At 7.2% ABV, and with “notes of dark fruit, banana, and allspice with toasty malt and a drying finish”, it’s just what you need for sipping on a cold (or, lukewarm?) late-fall night. 

Maybee Brewing has their own returning Belgian staple, Stone House Tripel. This pale-coloured, 8.4% ABV Belgian Tripel was originally one of the brewery’s flagship beers; if you’ve been missing it, you can grab it on tap and in cans at the brewery.

Halifax hop heads rejoice! Double Orange Ale is back at Unfiltered Brewing. The 7.5% DIPA you know and love is available now in cans and growler fills (Unfiltered glass only) on North Street, or via home delivery.  

Happy Friday everyone! Another week in the bubble, and we hope to give you a few solid ideas on what/where to enjoy a beer or cider this weekend! Be sure to say “Hi!” if you see us out, or tag us in your beery posts this weekend, we love to see what you get up to! Now, without further ado, today’s post!

Let’s start off with our fine friends at Tatamagouche Brewing, where they continue to experiment with Kveik yeast strains (is there any better way to experiment than with yeast? Serious question…). Their latest Kveik (or is it Kviek😘) beer is On Task Export, a beer brewed with Pilsner malt and a bit of Vienna, and hopped with Tettnanger and Hallertau Mittelfruh. This one was fermented with Escarpment’s KRISPY, a blend of two Kveik strains rumoured to produce “Lager-like beer in Ale time”. Lagered for a couple of weeks, the beer definitely still has some fruity Kveik characteristics, so while not completely Lager-ish, it’s tasty and easy-drinking. Designed by the brewery’s cellar crew – with a special shoutout to “packaging wizard” Jony Riley – with the idea of brewing a new beer perfect for summer work around the house, it’s a reasonable 5.5% ABV. Available in cans and kegs at the brewery now, with the same heading to the HRM next week, and always available at their online shop

And if classic English beers are more your cup of Earl Grey, we encourage you to seek out some of Tata’s English Bitter, a 4.1% brew with Pale malt for the base, a mixture of caramel malts, and a little bit of Chocolate malt, and hopped with East Kent Goldings and Fuggles. A beer just made for being served on cask, you can indeed find it just so at your favourite cask-serving-location (we’ve seen it at the Stillwell Freehouse recently), and kegs will be also hitting bars this week. Finally, Tata is also re-releasing Salt Water Cowboy, their 4.4% ABV Tequila barrel-aged Gose w/ lemon zest; look for kegs and 500 mL bottles to make their appearance over the coming weeks. 

For those of you who adore your hoppy Belgian beers (which truly are a beautiful thing, when you find a proper one), you’ll be happy to read about Stillwell Brewing’s latest beer, Dry. Designed with the intention of bringing you a low-ABV (4.2%, specifically), bone dry beer, it’s a mixed-ferm Saison that was dry-hopped with plenty of fresh Saphir. Packaged and can-conditioned in April, the dry-hop character is coming through at its peak now, giving the beer “a big, grassy, herbaceous character that plays well with the floral Saison fermentation notes”. A touch of tartness is present as well, with a firm bitterness in the finish. All three Stillwell locations will have cans of Dry available to drink on site, with HQ having plenty on hand for retail sale so you can enjoy one or six on your deck some hot, sunny day. Go!

Continuing with more mixed-fermentation fun elsewhere in Halifax, 2 Crows has the latest in their series of cocktail-inspired beers with Negroni. Named after and based on the dark red, Italian cocktail of the same name, this particular beer is actually a blend of three unique beers (very fitting, considering a proper Negroni cocktail typically is made with three different liquors/liqueurs). All three beers feature a golden sour base, but here’s where they differ: one was aged for 9 months in a freshly-emptied Amaro (ex-Bourbon) barrels; one aged in fresh Vermouth barrels; and finally, one aged in a gin barrel. Once all three were blended, 2C conditioned the final beer on a “complex” combination of botanicals (we think they’re being modest with the word complex!): fresh bitter orange peel and lemon peel, dried wormwood, calamus, fennel, sage, orris root, rosemary, cinnamon, clove, thyme, marjoram, juniper, coriander, as well as some hibiscus from World Tea House. At 5.5% ABV, this brilliant red beer is meant to resemble a proper Negroni cocktail, and it sure sounds like it does – the brewery describes the final product has having “orange and grapefruit zest leading the aroma, followed by a serious bitter kick and subtle herbal and woody aromatics”. Look for bottles of this beauty at the taproom starting tomorrow; they’ll also have a single keg pouring, which we recommend trying as well! You didn’t need us to recommend that, but we’re sticking to it.

There’s still plenty of summer left, and Spindrift has announced the details on their summer seasonal for this year, Sundaze Session Ale. Featuring a grist of Pilsner, Maris Otter, and Chit malt, it was hopped late in the boil with a healthy amount of Centennial and Galaxy, and whirlpool-hopped with Galaxy and Sabro. Fermented at cool temps with a neutral ale yeast, the beer was dry-hopped (midway through fermentation) with Centennial and Sabro. Coming in at a sessionable 4.5% ABV, the resulting beer shows off both the malt side (with biscuity characteristics) and the hop side (with “big notes of passion fruit, coconut, and tangerine”); expect little bitterness in the finish (20 IBUs, if that’s your thing). You can find 6-packs of Sundaze at the brewery, and in NSLC stores soon. If you’re nearby, they’re having an official launch party at the brewery tomorrow from 11 AM – 3 PM, with Buttered Bliss joining them to pair some scrumptious chicken sandwiches with their beer ($5 pints all day, and $1 off all sixers and growlers). 

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Milkshake IPAs are still a thing, and Big Spruce has brewed some tasty ones in the past. They’ve got a brand new one out right now, Tiguido, which is the French Canadian phrase for “just peachy” (we’ll have to trust them on that one). As you may have guessed, this release is a Peach Milkshake IPA, which was hopped and dry-hopped with a proprietary blend of Cryo hops from Yakima Chief (that means it’s a blend where we’re not exactly sure which varieties are used!). Brewed with lactose powder, and conditioned on vanilla and peaches (all organic, natch), it weighs in at 7% ABV and is “super fragrant, bursting with fresh peach flavour, and finishes soft and sweet”. Available right now at the Sprucetique in growlers, pints, and bottles, you can also find it on tap at Battery Park and the Stillwell Beer Garden. And if you’re looking for more fruity IPAs, Big Spruce has also got a new batch of Guava Get Me Some available in a limited supply; El Dorado and Mosaic hops, and lots of guava, all in a 6.4% ABV package.

Douglas, NB’s 3Flip Brewing has just launched the latest in their Rock God of Summer beer series, Limes Ulrich. This 6.5% American Wheat Ale was brewed exclusively with malt from PEI’s Island Malt House, and late-hopped in the boil with Amarillo. Conditioned on fresh lime zest in the fermentor, the final beer is light and crisp, “with a bright citrus lime flavour and aroma”. It’s billed as a crusher, but we recommend going easy at that ABV! Kegs should be hitting accounts any day now, and bottles will be available as well; keep an eye on their social media accounts for more details. 

We just told you about Shipwright’s first kettle sour last week, and they’re keeping the train rolling in that department, as their second sour just went on tap a couple of days ago! Surf Side is a 5% ABV kettle sour that was brewed with Pale Ale, Wheat, and Honey malt, and once soured and fermented, was dry-hopped with a 50:50 blend of Bru-1 and Citra. Featuring “aromas of grapefruit and lychee, leading to pleasantly-tart flavours of peach, citrus and pineapple”, it’s currently pouring at Shipwright’s taproom, and available to take-away in crowler format. 

Dieppe’s O’Creek has three brand new beers being released this week, providing two completely different tastes for the senses. First up are two of the latest in their DUOH series (NEIPA hopped with two varieties), DUOH: Nelson/Galaxy and DUOH: Sabro/Enigma. Both beers were fermented with the Foggy London strain, and hopped and dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy, and Sabro and Enigma, respectively. Both are 6% ABV, hazy af, and showing off big hop aromas and flavours (of course, with those varieties!). Look for DUOH: Nelson/Galaxy at CAVOK Brewing and Euston Park Social, DUOH: Sabro/Enigma at Traffik in Shippagan. And if hoppy beers aren’t your thing, their next beer is Czech Affaire, a 5.5% ABV Czech Pilsner brewed with Pilsner malt and a bit of Munich and Carapils. Hopped with Sladek and Saaz, it was fermented with Escarpment’s Premium Pils, and lagered for over 2 months. Tasting clean and crisp, with a “fresh, bready aroma” and a firm bitterness, you can find it on tap soon at CAVOK. 

Propeller has gone ahead and released their IPA Day (Aug 6 this year) beer a little early, and it’s a tweaked version of one of their classics. They’ve taken their IPA recipe and double-dry-hopped it with Ekuanot and Citra, to give you DDHIPA. It’s still 6.5% ABV like before, but with the dry-hop additions it’s showing off aromas and flavours of pine, mango, and citrus, with a “slightly herbal taste and smooth, citrus finish”. It comes in their 360° cans, where the lid can be removed and the can used as a glass, and should be available at all three Prop shops today (and online for home delivery).

Head a bit further North in Halifax, and you’ll pass Good Robot Brewing on Robie Street. They are taking full advantage of their new canning system by packaging up another fresh batch of their award-winning El Espinazo Del Diablo Jalapeno and Lime Mexican Lager, as well as a brand new release, Purple Haze. The latter is a 5.9% American Pale Ale starting life as any other, but received a dosing of terpenes at packaging to skyrocket the smell and flavour to the next level. What are terpenes, you may be asking? These are the super-aromatic naturally occurring compounds that give pine needles, citrus fruit, lavender, etc, etc, their distinctive character. They’re also found in hops (a lot of the time when we talk about “biotransformation”, it’s these terpenes being transformed into another form), and its funkier and more potent cousin, cannabis. Centering on these, a blend of terpenes was used in this beer to mimic the distinctive aroma of the Purple Haze and Grandaddy Purp strains of weed, producing great aroma but without the high (sorry!). Think pine, citrus, melon, field berry on the nose, bumping up the contribution from the hops already in the beer. Cans of Purple Haze are available now in their retail shop, and online. And while you’re checking them out, keep in mind that there’s still a bit of their Blackberry Freedom Ale available, brewed with the Change is Brewing Collective, and benefiting BIPOC groups in the community. And there are more great beers coming from the Collective, but we’ll keep those under wraps for now.

Let’s hop across the water for our last brewery visit this week. In Deer Lake, Rough Waters Brewing celebrated the opening of their patio yesterday, at their 83 Wights Road location. Expanding their seating capacity just means more room for you all to visit on your way to/from Gros Morne, but also worthy of a visit specifically, of course! Plus, you can bring your pup to hang out with Ruffwaters’ own mascot. So, what can you be enjoying while there? Well, they released Wanderlust, a 5.0% Blonde Ale, featuring delicate floral aroma dancing on the light malt, in a crisp and refreshing package. Next up is the continuation of their Sour Series, this being Sour IPA. Galaxy hops lend a load of citrus and tropical fruit to the beer, with the clean acidity cleans the palate and keeps you coming back for more! This fella is 5.3% ABV, and available both on tap and in bottles, but for sale only at the brewery. And finally, just back today is Down South, their Pineapple Pale Ale, featuring 20 kilograms of pineapple puree added during conditioning. Again, exclusively available at the brewery, so we think you’d better start making your plans now! The retail, taproom, and patio (weather depending, unless you bring your ‘brelly) is Thursday through Monday, 2 – 10 PM.

On the cider side of things, Annapolis Cider has the details on the latest one-off in their Something Different series, Strawberry & Mint. Created with the intention of celebrating the Valley’s berry harvest season, it’s a blend of their dry-fermented cider with a “splash” of Perry, along with freshly-pressed strawberry and apple juices. Infused with locally-grown mint, this 6.2% ABV sparkling cider has “a bright effervescence and balanced acidity”, and is chock-full of strawberry and mint flavours for a very refreshing beverage. For this week’s release, they will be donating $0.50 from each refill of Strawberry & Mint to the Valley Regional Hospital Foundation

Not one, but TWO Beer Gardens opened this week!

Dartmouth’s Brightwood Brewery has opened up their Waterfront Beer Garden at Alderney Landing, adjacent to the Alderney Gate ferry terminal. Featuring seating for 64 (plus dogs!), the converted shipping container has both a draft system for draught sales to be enjoyed on-site, as well as a retail side with cans to take-away. For those grabbing pints, it is a BYOF establishment, with Brightwood is teaming up with Port City Cafe to offer bar snacks like nachos and dips to be ordered from their website and enjoyed there. In addition to Brightwood’s full complement of beers, the container bar will also be serving their new house cider, Brightyard. This single varietal (Northern Spy) is a semi-dry cider produced with Chain Yard Urban Cidery, where the cider starts life in Halifax before finishing up in Dartmouth. And look for super-special releases coming from the water-side ½ barrel, 60 litre, system also hanging out in the shipping container. The Waterfront Beer Garden is open 11:30 AM til 11 PM daily until the end of September, weather-dependent, of course.

And Bedford just got a little more beer-y with the opening of Birch and Anchor yesterday. Open 11 – 11 daily, the former site of China Town restaurant has been transformed into a sprawling beer garden with 15,000 square feet of space, a dozen draught taps (Breton, Garrison, Propeller are on the board currently) and two dozen varieties of bottles and cans. The food is prepared on-site, with pizzas, charcuteries boards, and BBQ courtesy of Asado Wood Fired Grill.

Just one event to tell you about this week!

Normally held in March, Péché Day is the celebration of Dieu Du Ciel!’s Péché Mortel, a 9.5% ABV Russian Imperial Stout with coffee. Since *something* got in the way of celebrating 4 months ago, the Stillwell Freehouse is taking another stab at it tomorrow, July 18th. Pouring PM plus 5 variations, including a Bourbon-barrel aged version, “Mexican Stout” (ancho & guajillo peppers with cinnamon and vanilla), Cassis (black currants), “Sidama” (infused with Ethiopian Sidama Howolso coffee), and Nanatsu No Taizai which is Péché Mortel fermented with lager yeast, rather than ale. Complementing these big coffee beers will be another touch of Montreal, with Smoked Meat Toasties, and a bring-your-own vinyl DJ situation, all kicking off at noon. No tickets, no reservations, so we suggest arriving promptly to secure your spot!

A couple more beer and brewing related job postings this week, for those looking to get into the industry!

Inverness, Nova Scotia’s Route 19 Brewing is looking for a motivated individual to join their team, working in two key roles as both a Brewery Assistant and Delivery Driver. In the brewery, assisting Head Brewer Dallas in all aspects of brewing, including recipe planning, ingredient handling, brewing, fermenting, conditioning, packaging, and everything in between. And then you’ll be able to help get that beer to customers across the province as a cargo van delivery driver, servicing Cape Breton and the Halifax region. While no formal brewing training is required, a thirst for knowledge is key! Fire an email with your resume and questions to Stefan Gagliardi. And for those who recognize that name, Stefan has joined Route 19 as the CBO, Chief Beer Officer, overseeing all things beer from Brewing Operations to Sales & Marketing. Congratulations, Stefan!

And on the serving side of things, Dartmouth’s Battery Park Beer Bar is looking to add some permanent part- and full-time servers to their team. Must love beer! Learn more here, and send along your resume!

And in “so you want even more beer details and information in your life” for this week

The fellas of the 902 BrewCast made a run for the border (and bridge) last weekend, visiting the other 902 province, Prince Edward Island. While there, they managed to fit in a handful of brewery, malting, and hop operation visits and interviews in just a couple of days. The first interview, with Spencer Gallant of Lone Oak Brewing in Borden-Carleton, hit the virtual airwaves earlier this week. Learn about his progression through the local brewing industry, the latest release of theirs (the Duet Saison that we are still in search of), and what can be expected from the tanks and barrels the rest of this year. Better than waiting for us to tell you about the latest Eps (or in this case, forgetting!), be sure to subscribe however you listen to podcasts. Find out how on the link above!