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“Friday” Wrap-Up for April 14, 2022 – News from Foghorn, Upstreet, 2 Crows, Big Spruce, Tatamagouche, Delta Force, 902 BrewCast, Battery Park, and more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2022-04-14
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, Battery Park, Big Axe Craft Beer Festival, Big Spruce Brewing, Brew Culture, Change Is Brewing Collective, Delta Force Brewing, Foghorn Brewing, HopYard Halifax, Propeller Brewing, Secret Cove Brewery, Serpent Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tatiana Vasylyeva, Tide & Boar Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Fri   Thursday everyone! We’re hitting you with the news a day early to give ourselves a bit of a break tomorrow, plus allow you to plan your (hopefully) extended weekend around the many events happening across the region.

Let’s start our week off with news of a New Brunswick-based fundraiser with the strongest of roots in Ukraine. Tatiana Vasylyeva was born in Ukraine, and has lived in New Brunswick for 18 years, calling the province her home, while having many friends and family still in her home country. In order to raise funds to help the immediate humanitarian need, as well as the long-term rebuilding, Vasylyeva has teamed up with Rothesay’s Foghorn Brewing to release Razom. Meaning “Together” in Ukrainian, Razom is the embodiment of supporting Ukrainians here and abroad to rebuild and come back stronger than ever. As she is very familiar with the beer of Ukraine, Vasylyeva looked to the country’s breweries for a beer style that would be fitting, and has chosen the Märzen style, a malt-forward lager with restrained bitterness. The Pilsner and darker German malts chosen were donated by Brew Culture (shout-out to Stefan G for the assist), and the wort was lightly hopped to 20 IBU to produce this 5.8% ABV lager. So, how can you enjoy this beer while helping those affected? Foghorn is launching it at their brewery tomorrow at 4 PM, and Vasylyeva will be in attendance to raise a pint (cans are coming next week). And to undergo the full Ukrainian experience, may we suggest visiting Dolan’s Pub Saturday for a fundraising dinner featuring Razom paired with authentic Ukrainian food, such as salo, krychenyky, and more! This is a ticketed event, so be sure to grab yours before they sell out. This event is in support of Aman Lara, a Canadian-based non-profit assisting with evacuation of Ukrainian citizens, focusing on children battling cancer.

After this weekend, kegs and cans will be available province-wide, to magnify the charitable efforts of the beer. We’d also encourage you to check out Tatiana Vasylyeva’s statement on the beer project and current situation in her home country. 

(Oh, and hey, if you’re looking for work in the Quispam/Rothesay area, Foghorn are hiring a full-time position to be split between local deliveries and packaging at their facility. Reach out via email and/or check out the job posting)

Charlottetown’s Upstreet Brewing has a brand new release this week, situated perfectly to fill the “when you want a couple of beer while out and about but don’t want to feel like you’ve drunk a couple of beer” opening in our lives. Parks & Rec Low Cal IPA is just 3.5% ABV, but bursting with tropical and citrus notes thanks to the late addition of Sultana, Calypso, and Trident hops. 2-row and Wheat malts make up the grain bill, and it is fermented quite dry to keep the residual sugar and calories low (9 grams and 100 kCals, respectively). Still hazy and featuring a medium body, there must be some magic in the brewhouse on Allen Street to balance both worlds so well. On tap and in cans at their two C’town locations now, look for it at licensees and the PEILCC shortly, and even available at their BBQ Brewhouse in Burnside soon!

On to our regularly scheduled Nova Scotia Craft Beer Month releases, with plenty of new and returning beers and events to keep you satiated…

Dropping at noon today is 2 Crows’ latest release, Bière de Coupage. Sit back while we spin the tale of a beer two years in the making… Borrowing its name from the technique it employs, with “Coupage” representing a blending (more directly, cutting) of older beer with new, the result elevates the best of both worlds. As fans of 2 Crows know, their brewery is full of barrels, puncheons, and foeders, with a variety of beers in different stages of fermentation and ageing. Tapping into 8 barrels filled with a variety of golden sour beers, having aged in the wood between 15 and 20 months, they found the right balance of acidity, funkiness, earthy notes, and a “zippy”character. To this they’ve added a fresh, hoppy Saison, which started from a malt bill of Shoreline Pilsner, Wheat, and Vienna Malts, hopped assertively with Sterling, Huell Melon, and loads Saaz, to build on the ester and earth character from the aged beer. Dialling it up even further is the combination of 2C’s house Saison strain and Brett Q from Escarpment Labs for a tag-team fermentation. The coupage/blending happened after the young beer underwent primary fermentation, but with residual sugars still in the beer, the fermentation of the resultant melange continued, during which they contained some of the carbon dioxide created during this step, using the technique of spunding, allowing the beer to carbonate naturally without additional CO2 needed. And hey, while you’re at it, why not toss some more hops to the mix? Sure thing! Saaz, Huell Melon, and Bru-1 were added to round out the final product. Available on tap and in cans now, you can grab it in store or order it for local delivery or Canada-wide shipping from their website. 

As if you need another reason to visit their taproom, they’ll be hosting the crew from Big Spruce and Tatamagouche tomorrow for the Cerberus Double IPA launch (more details in a moment), and on Saturday from noon, co-hosting a food, music, and beer event with Change Is Brewing Collective, as they are welcoming R&B Kitchen to their space, serving Rasta Pasta and Jerk Chicken from noon til it’s gone, with DJ Douvet and R$ $mooth spinning beats all afternoon. More information here.

It’s that time of year again when the gang at Big Spruce gets together with some like-minded hop-happy friends from other breweries and brews up a special IPA to welcome spring and NS Craft Beer Week/Month/Fortnight/Moon Phase/etc. Cerberus, named for the mythological three-headed hound of hell that guards the entrance to Hades, can more appropriately in this case be thought of as the three-handed brew team that raids the hops freezer. Over the years several breweries have been part of the club, including Propeller, Sea Level, North, and Church, with Tatamagouche being part of every iteration. This year sees a new player in the game, as Halifax’s 2 Crows brewing decided to join the fun. We don’t have a lot of details on what went into the beer this year, but after 7 years of drinking the various iterations we’re pretty confident in suggesting that it will be juicy and hoppy. You can find out for yourself starting tomorrow, Friday, April 14th, with the launch party mentioned above going down at 2 Crows all day and at Battery Park where they’ll be having a mini tap takeover of the participating breweries. If you can’t get to one of those places, other purveyors pouring include Stillwell (HQ and the Freehouse), Hopyard in Halifax, and TAPestry Beer Bar in Sackville. If you’re more interested in drinking it at home, grab cans at any of the participating breweries as well as at private retailers in the HRM!!

The sneaky folks at Delta Force have a pair of new releases out this week, coupled with a returning fave. First up is Operation Triunfo, a 5.0% Mexican Vienna Lager. Inspiration for the beer came from a friend of the brewery, who misses their favourite beer from back home in Mexico, so the DF crew stepped up! With Vienna malt and flaked maize complementing each other, this amber lager is easy drinking but with some malt character to keep it interesting. Next up is Operation Piwo, in the Grodziskie style (also known as Grätzer), a wheat ale originating in Poland. Despite its malt bill consisting of 100% Oak-Smoked Wheat, this 3.5% ABV beer remains refreshing and light, and decidedly ashtray-free. And returning this week is Operation Jolt, their 4.9% Brett-fermented Pale Ale, which saw the addition of fresh brewed coffee to the beer. All 3 beers are available from their online shop in 500 ml bottles, and they are holding a sale on a six-pack, consisting of 2 of each beer, through their site as well.

After a brief hiatus, the dynamic duo of Tony and Kyle are back with the latest episode of 902 BrewCast. April’s episode is a Tasting one, with them taking on beers from Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Germany all in the service of great drinking suggestions for you to seek out. Plus learn about their next outing in the wild, as they are taking your feedback on which breweries they should feature (and visit) next on the pod! Grab it from their website or in your favourite podcatcher today! Their DMs are open too!

Events, events, events…. If you’re feeling up for it, here are a few other things to get excited for this week and into the summer…

A quick reminder that in addition to Battery Park hosting the Cerberus Launch Party tomorrow, they have tapped 20 breweries from across the province to send in their favourite beers to showcase during their Brewmaster’s Choice event on Saturday, April 16th. And keep your calendar clear for next Saturday, April 23, as Garrison and Propeller share a Tap Takeover to co-celebrate their 25th Anniversary. More info here.

It’s never too early to start making your summer beer plans. If a trip to western New Brunswick is on your radar, may we suggest the Big Axe Craft Beer Festival, taking place July 16th. Tickets are on sale now for what is sure to be a fun event, featuring breweries from across the Maritimes, Ontario, Quebec and Maine. In addition to the beer, there’ll also be food trucks and outdoor games onsite. If you’re thinking of camping in the area, you can arrive in style with water shuttle service from three nearby campgrounds. There’ll also be shuttles available from Moncton, St. John’s, Fredericton, Woodstock, St. Stephen and Harvey. All proceeds from the event will go to charity, including a portion being directed to humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

A few news bites before we take our leave this week…

It may only be Spring, but one of the region’s most summery brews is already hitting the shelves with the return of Propeller’s Lime Lite Lager today! Light and refreshing, with real fresh lime for a citrus kick, at 4.5% ABV it’s a perfect post-mowing crusher. Available in 355mL cans as of today at your usual sources for Propeller brews.

Spryfield’s own Serpent Brewing has a new beer, their Hopical Storm DIPA pouring at their spot on Dentith Road this week. Though it’s 7.6%, it still goes down smooth, with a pungent kick from an intense hopping with Simcoe. Only available on tap for pints or as part of the flight in the taproom, there’s plans to brew a future batch for bottling.

The motley crew at Secret Cove Brewing in Port-au-Port, NL, has a new double-dry hopped double IPA featuring Idaho 7 for big citrus and tangerine notes that they’re calling Shout at the Kettle. This 7% ABV dank number has been canned for maximum portability; you can pick some up at the brewery where there’s still a little leftover from the batch pouring on tap.

Apparently it’s the week of the DIPA, as Moncton’s Tide & Boar has created a DIPA of their own, saying it’s got the biggest malt bill and the most hops of any batch they’ve ever made. Big, thick and fruity, with notes of citrus, mango, and pineapple, Back to Back is a 7% hop bomb with a huge fruity aroma that you’re going to want to drink “back to back.”

Big thanks to those who have donated towards our website hosting fee (did you know we pay $$$ so you don’t have to be inundated with ads?). Feeling generous, here’s a link for you. Much appreciated!

Friday Wrap-Up for February 25, 2022 – News from Barnone, Change is Brewing and North, Lake City, Brightwood, Spindrift, Landwash, Boxing Rock, Brewdock, and much more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2022-02-25
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Bar Brewdock, BarNone Brewing, Boomstick Brewing, Bootleg Brew Company, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Change Is Brewing Collective, Delta Force Brewing, Lake City Cider, Landwash Brewery, Local Source, Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival, North Brewing, Rough Waters Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday Wrap-Up for September 24, 2021 – News from Delta Force, Dildo, Good Robot, Village Green, Bannerman, Spindrift, Tanner & Co, Propeller, Copper Bottom, Saltbox, Boxing Rock, and lots more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2021-09-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bannerman Brewing, Bar Brewdock, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseux d'la Cote, Brightwood Brewery, Brightyard, Canadian Brewing Awards, Change Is Brewing Collective, Copper Bottom Brewing, Delta Force Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Four Rivers Brewing Co., Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, King Street Beer Co., Lightship Brewery, Modern Brewer's Village Green, Moosehead, Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Rough Waters, Saltbox Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery. Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again! Oktoberfest is in the air and COVID cases are rising! With kids back in school, lagers in brite tanks, it feels like we’ve been here before, but this time with vaccinations. There are plenty of events to attend across the Atlantic Region over the next few weeks, but as New Brunswick now has proof-of-vaccination in place and reversal of their mask mandate both there and in Newfoundland, it’s more important than ever to check out your province and establishment protocols. We want to enjoy and celebrate our region as much as possible, so let’s all do it safely, with pretzels in hand!

Nova Scotia’s Delta Force Brewing has emerged from the shadows with a pair of releases today, two takes on an oft-overlooked traditional style. Operation Forge – Stock Ale is being released in both a base version, as well as one that hung out in a fresh oak barrel for a short time, picking up both Brett notes as well as the underlying wood character. These complement the caramel profile in the base beer, thanks to the use of invert sugar, created by converting sucrose to a mix of fructose and glucose. As they do not have a retail location, the best way to grab your Stock Ale, and any of their other 8 offerings available, is to fire them an email to order and request home delivery in HRM or the Hwy 101 Corridor. That same email will get you on the exclusive list to hear about the latest releases before the general public, so don’t sleep on that!

From the rock and one of the loveliest locations in Atlantic Canada, Dildo Brewing has 2 new releases available now. First up is Do-X, named after the series of massive flying boats with a storied past and Newfoundland and Italian connections. In the Italian Pilsner style, a delicious twist on the classic German Pils, it was dry hopped with Noble hops late into the lagering, bringing some spicy, herbal notes making it a very zippy and crisp 5% lager.

Second up this week is the collaboration between Dildo and Burchie’s Gourmet Doughnuts. Donuts for Days is a donut stout using a special donut made just for this beer release. A doughnut/pastry Imperial Stout, this beer was aged on some sweet stuff including raspberries, cocoa, marshmallows and bourbon soaked Madagascar vanilla beans. A welcoming imperial stout at 7.8% it provides rich, sweet, decadent flavours. Both of these new releases are available in 473 mL cans and on draft only at the Dildo brewery and the retail store in St. John’s. 

A few pieces of news from the Good Robot family this week as they have a new beer release and a second location on the way. Golden Juniper is a 5% pale ale brewed with juniper additions and balanced with a piney, resinous hop flavour, this is a beer to enjoy with your forest friends. Low-gluten thanks to the addition of enzymes during fermentation, it is available now for pints in the taproom, and in 473 mL cans to go from the brewery or online for delivery

While news and rumours of Good Robot’s second facility in Elmsdale has been around for a few months, they’re holding a meet (or meat) and greet today, Friday, Sept 24, from 3:30 to 7:30 PM at their new location. At 14 Industrial Way, anyone from the local community is welcome to stop by for a BBQ hosted by the Good Robots themselves. No beer just yet, but check out the Facebook event here and swing by Elmsdale if you can!

Never a stranger to putting out new releases and fresh off a Canadian Brewing Awards win (a bronze medal for their Tripel), Village Green is back with Weird Clouds. Part of an ongoing series, this is version 6, featuring a lovely hop blend with classic American stalwarts Centennial and Simcoe alongside the lovely New Zealand variety of Motueka. This one has a very sweet, fluffy, and tropical flavour and comes in at 6.2%. It’s available now on draft in Cornwall and also in 473 mL cans to go. And while you’re there, you can also grab a tasty favourite (at least of ours!), their Milk Stout, which is available now on tap and in cans. 

Hopping north to another island, St. John’s’ Bannerman is back with a new release. Scenic Route is a blueberry kettle sour ale, made with real blueberry purée and a hint of fresh mint! Dry-hopped with Mosaic, this should have a wonderful aroma and freshness. Pouring with a deep maroon-ish colour it is a 5% ale available today in 473 mL cans only at Bannerman, in addition to being on tap for pints and growler fills. 

After opening the location about 8 weeks ago, Spindrift is launching a beer in honour of Spindrift Oak Manor in downtown Antigonish. According to the brewery, X-Port Ale is an ale/lager hybrid with a lower 5.2% ABV for a more sessionable sipper. And whilst you enjoy this golden straw-coloured beer with a slight grainy and estery aroma, be sure to check out the can design, which features a lovely portrait of Antigonish. Available now in 473 mL cans and on tap in Dartmouth and Antigonish. 

Chester’s own Tanner Brewing has a returning favourite you can get now, Altbier is back and it’s mostly what you’d expect. Always a brewery to put a spin on things, this Altbier is brewed in the Sticke Alt style, a maltier and hoppier version of a traditional Altbier. With a lovely balance of caramel and molasses flavours with bitterness, this checks in at 5.7% and 40 IBU and is a welcome addition as fall arrives and many breweries have their darker seasonals coming back into the fold. Available now in 500ml bottles at both Tanner locations in Chester and Chester Basin; also, they still deliver on Fridays into HRM. 

Ahead of the Nocturne Art at Night Festival, taking place in Halifax October 13 – 16, Propeller Brewing has brought back their annual collaborative fundraising Nocturne Black IPA today. Dry-hopped with Amarillo and Falconers Flight, this black beer has a malty backbone of roast and dark chocolate, melding together for a strong 6.7% balanced brew. Available at their 3 Shops in Dartmouth and Halifax, it is joined by a new release of their Mosaic Pale Ale, now in 6 packs, and heading to select NSLC locations next week.

In mixed good/bad news, unfortunately PEI’s Harvest Home Festival has been canceled, due to rising COVID numbers, to keep everyone involved safe. However, the Copper Bottom Tanglewood Harvest Ale will be released this weekend despite the disappointing news. As they say, the show must go on, therefore the launch will coincide with their regularly scheduled Tunes on Tap event at 3 PM on the 26th. Ward MacDonald, Thomas Harrington, and a few special guests will be entertaining the taproom. Part of their GiveBack Initiative, $1 of each can or pint sold goes toward supporting emerging artists in the province through micro-grants. So, about the beer… Tanglewood is a bright and fresh 5.5% American Pale Ale, featuring freshly-picked Comet hops from Mount Albion’s Island Hop Company’s first harvest! Island Malt House Pilsner malt is at the base, along with Cara and Munich malts for more backbone, balancing some great citrus character from the hops. In addition to cans and draught at the source, keep your eyes peeled in Charlottetown and Halifax for taps pouring the good stuff this weekend.

Lots of news from Nova Scotia’s South Shore this week, with a new beer, new charitable initiative, as well as employment opportunities. Saltbox Brewing in Mahone Bay (and their sister locations King Street Beer bridgewater  in Bridgewater and Lightship in Lunenburg) are celebrating Polish Heritage Month in Nova Scotia with the release of The Big Kowalski. Named in honour of Polish-Nova Scotian author William Kowalski, this 4.7% ABV beer features honey from The Little Bee Farm, bringing floral notes on top of a crisp and light brew. TBK hit the taps at all three locations yesterday at 5 PM, so they’re all ready to accept your pint request!

Saltbox and King Street and Lightship are also looking to expand their growing team, and are in search of some full- and part-time taproom servers to add to the fold. Reach out to Tap Room Manager Natasha to learn more!

The latest in Saltbox’s quarterly charitable efforts has been in support of the Fisherman’s Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, which in turn supports the local healthcare community through bursaries and equipment finance. After donating nearly $1000 through the Fishermans Memorial Golf Tournament this month, they have installed a kindness meter at Lightship to collect donations that will be passed directly to the hospital. Think Social and Drink Local!

The year 2020 was notable and memorable for many things, one of which was the debut of a Pumpkin beer from Boxing Rock. After years of saying they’d never do it (we’ve heard that before from them!), they decided to hop in. Not wanting to drink the “same old, same old” pumpkin spice beer, they put their own spin on it, and came up with Fuego Habanero Pumpkin Ale. Habanero peppers added in the boil give massive heat character, as well as a pleasant flavour, which is complemented by the hints of cinnamon and a touch of black pepper. The result is a mouth-watering beer that is quite drinkable! Cans of Fuego are available at the brewery and retailers now, and it is joined by the latest release of their Back to Birchtown Old Stock Ale, brewed with their (and our) pals at Change is Brewing Collective, in support of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society.

Oktoberfests and events abound this weekend, with Sackville’s TAPestry holding their big celebration this week and next (with Sausages and give-aways Saturday!)…

Special delivery! St. John’s Bar Brewdock has received 6 beers from the other side of the country, with Burnaby, British Columbia’s Dageraad Brewing sending along a mix of kegs and bottles to East Duck. On draught, Dagvar Czech Pils, Burnabarian Table Beer, and Rainshine Blonde. Seven Saison, State of Nature IPA, and Maroc Ale are available in house or to go with food purchase. And keep an eye on their Social Media for more details on their Oktoberfest which kicks off Tuesday Sept 28 and runs all week.

In Dartmouth, Brightwood Brewery, their Waterfront Beergarden, as well as BrightYard will be tapping kegs and casks all weekend to celebrate the season. Sausages from Vessel Meats, special treats from the smoker, and more! Learn more here, and get out to enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts!

While still a couple of months away, tickets for the Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival’s 12 Beer of Christmas are selling fast, so we suggest you grab yours to avoid disappointment… Your ticket for this November 27th event (with includes many more than just 12 beers, btw) gets you into the St. John’s Farmers Market to eat, drink, and be merry!

And while you’re at it, be sure to keep March 25 and 26, 2022 clear, as this is when the NL Craft Beer Festival makes their triumphant return after the setbacks the last 19 months. Tickets for that event are also on sale and will not last much longer, we reckon! Also taking place in the St. John’s Farmers Market, look for a West Coast celebration to be happening in 2022 as well!

Just a coupla quick hits before we let you go:

Concerned by the Proof of Vaccination for Non-essential Activities policy coming to Nova Scotia October 4th? Let Garrison help assuage that a little bit by dropping down to their taproom with a printed copy of your proof of vaccination, and they’ll laminate it for you! No more fears of dropping it in your beer or it getting too wrinkled to read. May we suggest also having a copy in your recent photos on your phone too, just in case…

Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewery is celebrating Oktoberfest this weekend (and next), as well as the return of their award-winning The Wicker Man Pumpkin Lager… And they have even more reason to celebrate, as co-owner Jerrica Kennedy was recognized by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton and the Hub City Young Professionals Network as one of Moncton’s Top 20 under 40! Making a difference in the city through activities inside and out of their business pursuits is what garnered the accomplishment. Congratulations Jer and the entire Tire Shack team!

In case you missed our post Monday, the results from the 19th Annual Canadian Brewing Awards were announced on the weekend, and the region’s brewers did quite well. Punching well above their weight were Prince Edward Island’s Copper Bottom and Village Green, earning 4 medals between them, with Grimross leading the charge for New Brunswick, taking home 3 of the 6 medals in the province (Brasseux d’la Cote, Four Rivers, and Moosehead round out the NB winners). Rough Waters took home half of Newfoundland and Labrador’s 4 medals (Port Rexton and Quidi Vidi grabbed one each), and Nova Scotian medals were evenly split between Garrison, Propeller, Tatamagouche, and Uncle Leo’s. Congratulations to all of the winners!