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Friday Wrap-Up for November 26, 2021 – News from Lone Oak, 2 Crows, Propeller, North, Tanner, Bannerman, and More!!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2021-11-26
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, Bannerman Brewing, Beerlab, Breton Brewing, CAVOK Brewing, Delta Force Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Lone Oak Brewing, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Sourwood Cidery, Storm Brewing in Newfoundland, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Willibald Farm Brewery. Leave a Comment

Hey hey hey, it’s 5PM on a Friday and we’re just getting you your beer news now? What gives? Well, as much as we love beer and talking about beer and writing thousands of words about beer on the weekly, Real Life™ sometimes can’t be denied and you, dear reader, end up having to wait a few extra hours for your beer news. We also know that we weren’t quite able to get everything into the post this week that we knew about; we’ll do our best to cover all those bases next week! Or maybe the week after!! By Christmas we’ll be caught up FOR SURE.

If you’re thinking a trip to PEI is in order, or if you’re in PEI and wanted to make a little getaway to Borden-Carleton, we highly recommend dropping in for a visit to Lone Oak. Ok, sure, we’d recommend that at any time, really, but this weekend they have three new beers available on tap – one that is a returning favourite, and two that are just outright brand new. Let’s get right into all three, shall we?

The first newbie is S’well, a 4.4% ABV Brett Lager. The base beer is a Lager brewed with Pilsner malt from Shoreline Malting, and hopped with noble hops. A two-year-old barrel-aged Brett beer was blended in (at about 15% volume) to give the final brew a nice hit of funk, with the whole thing getting a final dry-hop with the always-lovely New Zealand variety, Nelson Sauvin.  

Next up is one of those beers that is conveniently named in a way that really gets to the heart of the beer… Belgian Table Beer with Marquette Grapes. Another easy-drinker at just 3.8%, it has a grist of PEI Pilsner, spelt, and wheat. Hopped with Mistral, a French variety, the beer was aged on Marquette grapes locally-harvested from Carmody Cove Vineyards (Marshfield). Dry, effervescent, with plenty of citrus and sweet fruit character throughout, this and S’well are both available on tap only, at the brewery.

Finally, returning to local taps (and cans, in the near future) is Boat Traffic, a Foeder-aged Oatmeal Stout that has been tweaked slightly, since its last release. With a little less roast and a little more chocolate than last time, this 5% ABV brew was aged in oak from PEI’s own New World Foeders. Sporting a full body, some roast character, and “notes of chocolate and undertones of coconut and vanilla from the oak”, you’re not going to want to wait on picking some of this up when you can, as it’ll be just perfect for sipping on a hot Christmas morning this year!

Last week we wrote a mini-essay about North Brewing because they had so many things going on. We even took a minute to poke fun at 2 Crows for being outdone. HAHAHA. BOY ARE WE DUMB. Seems like the gang at 2C has been up to further collaborative shenanigans with a couple of Ontario breweries and now we have to type it up so you know what to get excited to drink.

First up is fermented beverage nerd alert (we are beer nerds after all). There’s a product new to the market out of New Zealand that they call “Phantasm” and it’s a powdered Sauvignon Blanc grape derivative that happens to be very rich in thiols. “But ACBB,” you say, “that sounds like a wine thing.” Well, yes, Sauvignon Blanc is grapes, but thiols are one of the (naturally occurring) chemicals that give hops (and grapes, and cannabis) their fun fruity aromatics. So what do you think 2C did when they got their hands on some of this stuff? They put it into some beer! They also had some L’Acadie grapes available from their friends at PEI’s Carmody Cove Vineyard, where the team traveled to pick about 500lbs and put it through carbonic maceration, before pressing it (thanks to a hand from Sourwood Cider’s press) and fermenting with wine yeast. The result of that went into the beer too! But what beer? Well, back to the beer brewing part, they collaborated with Ayr, Ontario’s Willibald Farm Brewery (‘member them from the Stillwell takeover a few weeks ago?) to make a super pillowy IPA from Pilsner and Golden Promise malts, raw wheat, and Golden Naked Oats, a lot of mash hops, and some late kettle hopping with Bru-1, Hallertau Blanc, and the aforementioned Phantasm. Once fermentation was complete, they hit it with intense amounts of Nelson Sauvin, Citra, and more (MOAR!) Hallertau Blanc and Nelson Sauvin. When you consider that Hallertau Blanc and Nelson are two of the hops known for their “wine-iness” you can imagine that this is an IPA that fairly reeks of that character: “grapey, [with lots of] gooseberry, citrus, and tropical punch vibes.” Cans of this one, known as L’Acadie Draw will be available to the general public tomorrow, Saturday, November 27th, at noon!

So that’s this week. Next week comes another collaboration that 2C put together with Beerlab from London, ON. Billed as a “Saison/Lager hybrid,” Molten Mirrors sees the ester profile of a Saison married to the dry crisp finish of a lager, with the overall drinkability of both styles well represented. Made from local barley, some rice, a little spelt, and hopped in a restrained fashion with “modern Continental” varieties Saphir and Huell Melon, it was fermented fairly warm with their house Saison yeast which, if you’re familiar with the properties of various yeast strains, is going to give you a rather estery and somewhat phenolic (spicy) character, but it’s not likely to be what you’d call “dry.” So then the beer was chilled down to the sort of temperature that lager yeast likes (10ºC-ish) and it was krausened, which is basically the German way of saying, “we added some more actively fermenting beer to it.” That beer was a smaller volume of the same beer, but one that had been fermenting with a nice clean German lager yeast. After giving the result time to completely ferment out, the temperature was dropped again, this time to long-term lagering temperatures, where it stayed a full 8 weeks. The result is crisp and dry, with some saison spice and fruitiness. This one will be on sale to the general public next Thursday, December 2nd at Noon, but newsletter subscribers will already have received an email with a special code allowing them to get it early by ordering online for delivery or pickup. If you’re not a subscriber, but would like to get access to new beers from 2C before everyone else does, you’d best be signing up right here.

Those of you who remember a little show called The Raccoons, raise your hands. Haha, you people are old! For the rest of you, this beloved Canadian animated show debuted in 1985, and was about the exploits of several raccoons in the wilderness and their run-ins with a local greedy industrialist, uh, aardvark… wait, what was the point of that show, again? Either way, it was truly loved there for awhile (even if it IS still difficult to get this news story out of your head, from long after the show ended), and Propeller has teamed up with their EQUALLY-beloved Propeller Arcade for a collaboration beer brewed in honour of this Canadian treasure. The beer is named Run With Us (go ahead, hum it, we won’t judge), a 4.8% “Watermelon and Cherry Sour”. Fermented with Escarpment Labs’ Lactic Magic – a wild, sour yeast strain – the beer has flavours and aromas of, yes, watermelon and cherry, complemented by some tartness. This refreshing brew is on tap exclusively at Propeller Arcade, with 500 mL bottles also available at all three Prop Shops (and online home delivery). 

We’re used to seeing collaborations between North Brewing and Benjamin Bridge; these beers have covered a wide range of styles, and sometimes some of the releases are brewed again, so that we have another chance to experience them with some light changes. This week, they’ve brought back Musqué DIPA, an 8% DIPA that is re-fermented with Chardonnay Musqué grapes from BB. This year’s batch also features some more hop varieties than last time, with Vic Secret being joined by Galaxy, Callista, and Enigma. Expect lots of tropical fruit qualities, balanced by a “delicate acidity” thanks to the grape skins. You can grab some bottles at all of the North locations (remember, there’s three of them now!); save some for Christmas gifts, and some for drinking all by your lonesome!

It’s a big weekend in Chester, as the Chester Village Christmas weekend kicks off over the next three days, Tanner Brewing has a few things on the go. On Friday, they’re releasing their annual barrel reserve beer in store on Friday. The brewery got some fresh barrels from Ironworks and this will be a taproom release on Friday and available all weekend. This year it’s Oak Aged Porter with Berries releasing in Chester and available for delivery. They used their usual recipe for their hour Porter but fermented on black currant and blueberry puree. After fermentation, they used the fresh Ironwork dark rum barrels to age through the fall and summer. Ths beer, available in 500ml bottles is 6.2% ABV and 25 IBU. They’ll also have Cove FM on-site Friday evening with Trip Hazard broadcasting in the taproom. On Sunday, their usual friends from The Old Black Forest little German restaurant will be doing a pop-up for a nice Sunday dinner. 

As Cape Breton and the Northern part of Nova Scotia still recover from the storm earlier this week, Breton Brewing is hoping to bring some Caper pride to the region. Partnering with Cape Breton University, CBU Lager is a light and crisp lager in honour of the whole CBU alumni and family. A portion of the sales from each beer is donated towards student programs and scholarships at the university. At 4.0% and 20 IBU this is crispy and refreshing and available in 473ml cans. Today (Friday) may be the last day you have to get this delivered or online, otherwise, you’ll have to check the brewery and also the Pit Lounge on CBU campus. 

Breton has another limited release available now with their first offering from their holiday lineup, Transatlantic IPA is a blend of English and American IPAs, trying to balance the malt and hop flavours, yeast flavours and bitterness for a full bodied, delicious ale. Using English ale yeast and a complimenting hop aroma, this clocks in at 5.8% and 50 IBU. This is available now in 473ml cans and pints in the taproom, but also home delivery via the online Breton shop. 

Bannerman Brewing just keeps on pumping out the new beers, with this week’s release moving away from the hoppy stuff with Rise or Shine, a Coffee Bock. Taking the standard Bock – a dark, strong Lager – and adding lots of coffee to it sounds like a perfect match to us! Speaking of the coffee, its Heritage, the signature roast from Pilot Coffee Roasters, and it’s giving Rise and Shine “notes of toffee, honey, chocolate, and coffee”, all complemented by a lovely, full body. You can find it on tap and in cans at Bannerman, very soon. 

Back in Halifax, Garrison has a very cool release for the holiday season. If you’re a fan of the classic chocolate minty, chocolatey and delicious After Eight chocolate mint thins, the team at Garrison is brewing you, After Dark, a mint chocolate porter! Using natural mint additions, real chocolate powder and cocoa nibs, you should already have a (delicious) expectation of how this should taste like! Using a malt blend of Pilsner, Munich, Chocolate and Crystal, Magnum hops join the party to balance it all out. This should be a perfect balance of dark chocolate sweetness, slight bitterness and mint freshness and bite. At 5.0% and 18 IBU this beer is available now in 473ml cans at the Oxford taproom and the seaport Garrison HQ, and check out their website for delivery right to your door!

In the wonderful world of cider, Sourwood has a delightful-sounding beverage out now, that you may want to seriously consider adding to your large assortment of beers for the weekend. Juicehoney is a cider aged on Cabernet Franc skins for three months, and was then packaged (in June, 2020!) with raw honey. Naturally carbonated and weighing in at 6.6%, they’re billing this beauty as a pure lactic acid experience: “Think Warhead candies and smooth creamed honey at a rave” was how they started the description… that should give you an idea, no? Only one way to see for yourself, so drop by Sourwood this weekend and grab some cans!

The fine Dieppe folks at CAVOK are hitting us with Reduced Visibility, a brand new New England IPA. Bringing a nice aroma of pineapple and floral notes, leading into a delicious flavour of tangerine, lime and mango with a bit of spice on the finish. With a base of Foggy London yeast to bring it all together and keeping the smooth mouthfeel, a hop profile of Azacca and Idaho 7 to bring the 6.0% IPA to fruition. Available on tap and in 473ml cans at the brewery, this will also be available at ANBL locations across the region. 

We’ve got a treat from Mount Pearl’s Storm Brewing, as they have Newfoundland & Labrador IPA (NLIPA) available now. A bright, bitter and dry-hopped IPA, strongly features homegrown hops from Storm’s our hopyard, they’re calling them Veva hops. Bringing subtle floral, and vibrant pine, citrus aroma and flavor. Bright, bitter and brilliant, this is available in 650ml bottlesat 5.5% this is available at Caine’s, Hallidays, Needs on Miltary and Urban Market.  

Whether it’s an actual Black Friday special or not, you can’t deny a good deal, especially when it comes to beer. Greenwich’s own Delta Force Brewing has got such a deal with the Oak Trio 3-pack, allowing you to grab a 500 mL bottle of each of three of their newest barrel-aged brews for $25 (that’s a savings of $5). Included in this little package is Barrel-Aged Wessex, an English Barleywine that was aged in a mixed culture barrel; Operation Forge!, a Stock Ale that was brewed with invert sugar and aged in a fresh barrel with Brett; and Quercus, a mixed-fermentation, barrel-aged “Super Saison”. Send your order requests to deltaforcebrewing@gmail.com to set up your delivery in the HRM.

Here’s your quick hits on the way out the door!

Grimross’s Abbey Dubbel is making its annual return to Fredericton residents (and across NB, as well) this week. This 7.2% Belgian Dubbel, featuring “strong dark fruit and intense brown sugar flavours” arrives just in time for the holidays, and is available in cans and on tap across the province, and directly at the brewery.

In the Annapolis region of Nova Scotia, Lunn’s Mill has a familiar beer available, SOMA, is a Single Malt and Single Hop IPA, full of juice and double-dry hopped. Using Mosaic hops and Maris Otter as the malt, this is a flavour bomb at 6.6% and 82 IBU. This is available in cans directly from the brewery. 

Tusket Falls is back with one of the tastiest treats you can imagine, as Once Blind, Now I See Clearly is back on tap. This is a Czech-style Pilsner lagered for 90 days and back and tasting better than ever. Crisp with Saaz hops and perfectly balanced at 5.0%, this is available on their side pull tap for that nice, pillowy and soft texture in both their brewery taproom as well as their Halifax location on Gottingen.

One last thing before we send you off this week. Kyle and Tony of 902 BrewCast have released not one, but two episodes this week, as they dig into their fridges and cellars to enjoy some recent, and not-so-recent, beers from North Brewing and Bad Apple Brewhouse. Grab the episodes in your favourite podcatcher, or direct from the website. Congratulations on 5 years, fellas! Here’s to another five! 😘

Friday Wrap-Up for October 15, 2021 – News from Dildo, Big Spruce, Secret Cove, Tatamagouche, Tire Shack, Copper Bottom, Village Green, Ninepenny, Trailway, 2 Crows and Bellwoods, and much more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2021-10-15
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Bar Brewdock, Bellwoods Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Bishop's Cellar, Copper Bottom Brewing, Delta Force Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Ninepenny Brewing, Secret Cove Brewing, Stillwell Beergarden, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Stillwell Freehouse, Tire Shack Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Village Green by Modern Brewer. 1 comment

With the summer rush officially behind us, breweries across Atlantic Canada are turning their attention back to new releases and fun events to keep thirsty beer fans across the region happy.  Last weekend saw many breweries and beer drinkers partaking in the final Oktoberfest celebrations, soaking up the great weather and general good vibes. This week, we’ve got a bunch more new releases and some great events in Halifax and St. John’s to help you plan your weekend. This week is also the kickoff of the infamous Burger Week in HRM. A friendly reminder – be courteous and patient as your favourite beer bars and taproom restaurants deal with the onslaught of burger fans and do their part to keep us safe with the new vaccination mandates. Take a look below at what’s new this week and make some plans to grab some burgers, peep some leaves, and drink some tasty fermented beverages from your favourite breweries and cideries this weekend. 

Starting out on one of our favourite islands, Dildo Brewing had a few new releases over the last few weeks. We’re here to get you caught up to speed and help you quench your thirst for Atlantic Canadian beer! First up is Lassie, a Dildo take on a classic Northern English Brown ale. This dark ale has caramel hues of reddish-brown but well balanced with hop flavour and malt character. Very light and drinkable at 4.5% this beer uses a mix of English pale, biscuit, brown and caramel malts, all blending for a nice roasty flavour with some nutty and biscuit malt notes. Additions of fancy molasses helped develop a deeper colour and balance of sweetness, producing a lovely beer that pairs well with this season.

Second up from Dildo, Bitter Cold is another malt forward, easy-drinking ale. A 4.0% ordinary bitter, it has classic English flavour notes of orange pekoe tea and toasted biscuits. Both of these new brews are available in 473ml cans at the brewery, St. John’s store, and Marie’s, this should also be popping up at Orangestores around the province. 

Heading to another island (and another beer release last week), Big Spruce Brewing has a canned release of a beer that was at the Stillwell Beer Garden Oktoberfest. Festfriends is a German Festbier perfect for the time of year. This German-style lager is just what you’d want for your crisp beergarden bevvy taking you straight over to Germany. Featuring some toasted malt and biscuity notes from Pilsner malt, this 5.8% beer is available now in 473 mL cans directly from Big Spruce at the brewery or online. 

Back to the Rock, where just west of Stephenville, you’ll find lovely Port au Port and Secret Cove Brewing. Flake & Gunnels is a Double IPA named after classic Atlantic fishing terms (a “flake” is a platform to dry and preserve your catch and, if you were lucky, you were loaded to the Gunnels) this beer represents the families that harvest from the sea. Packed with those classic American “C” hops (Cascade, Centennial, Columbus, Chinook and Citra) and adding creaminess and body with flaked oats and flaked barley, this hop-forward, smooth beer brings flavours of juice, citrus, resin and pine. At 7.6% ABV with high juiciness and bitterness, cans should be available today from the brewery. We’ll end this blurb with a note straight from the brewery (and because this beer sounds so delicious) “Cod may be God, but We Love and Pray Hops.”

Aaaand back to the mainland for a pair of new releases from Nova Scotia’s North Shore at Tatamagouche Brewing. Their Intertidal line of hop-centric beers continues with Intertidal Eclipse + Galaxy Pale Ale, leveraging both of these tropical and citrus hops in a Pale Ale. Available on draught at the brewery, and soon at better bars in HRM and beyond, cans should be hitting their shelves (virtually and on Main Street Tatamagouche) in the next week.

Available now in bottles is another in Tata’s exploration of barrel-aged beer, Petite Milo. Beginning life as a Golden Ale that was fermented and conditioned in some funky barrels for several months, it underwent a secondary fermentation with the addition of locally-grown Petite Milo grapes. More time means more character when it comes to these mixed fermentation beers, and PM is no exception. A touch of barrel pokes through the bright and tart beer, with vinous character from the grapes also making their presence known. Bottles are now available at the brewery and online, with just a few kegs available, so it should be popping up in the wild soon.

Never one to shy away from our weekly updates, Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing has a very special release for a good cause today. A special freshly picked wet-hopped IPA is a brew for goodwill with all profits from sales being donated to the Moncton SPCA. It’s is 6% and the hops were hand-picked locally in Moncton by Tire Shack employees. While you can never be sure with backyard hops, the fine folks at the brewery believe it is mostly Cascade. There are only 100 litres of this beer and it will be available for pints only at the brewery, so stop by this weekend if you get the chance! 

On to another island, Montague, PE’s Copper Bottom is back with a fresh entry in their Flux series, a single hop feature constantly changing with new releases. This edition is Flux: Azacca a Session IPA clocking in at 4.2% and 20 IBU. This is hazy and sessionable, with the Azacca hops bringing out bright citrus notes along with stone fruits like mango and peach. Soft and smooth it has just enough bitterness to balance the grain bill of 2-row malt, wheat, and flaked oats and it’s available today in 473ml cans only at the brewery. 

Staying on PEI, another brewery with frequent releases is back with another one (DJ Khaled!). Village Green brings us Wheelie’s Hazy Pale Ale, a hop filled pale ale named after PEI’s famous haunted childrens toy (this is news to us, but it’s definitely creepy!), it features Citra, Mosaic, and Chinook hops (enchanted by the brewers to make it extra spooky). With that combo you can safely expect bold fruity, citrus-y, and piney flavours and a strong hop aroma. This beer release is paired with an event today at the brewery from 4:30 – 6:30 PM where you can see Wheelie there in the flesh (!) and $1 from every sale of the beer will go towards the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation. 

And one more time up to NL, where Ninepenny Brewing in CBS has also released an ode to a local celebrity (of sorts) this week, in collaboration with the Manuels River Interpretation Centre. MR1 is a 500 million year old trilobite fossil found along Manuels River by Dr. Riccardo Levi-Setti in the 1970s; it is one of the best preserved specimens of this species, and is proudly displayed at Manuels River. The beer is a kettle sour, conditioned on locally grown blackberries and blueberries from Walsh’s Farms in Colliers, as well as wild river mint foraged from near the site of the fossil discovery. At 4.9%, it’s tart, fruit, and refreshing, reminiscent of a fruited mojito. You can grab it on tap and in cans at the brewery, and can even grab cans at the Manuels River Interpretation Centre. And speaking of, the Centre is hosting their own Oktoberfest next Friday, Oktober 22, with a German-inspired menu, flights of Ninepenny, and live music. Check out their events page for more information and to book your spot!

As we transition from Oktoberfest to Spooky Season all across the region, Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing has decided that St. Patrick’s Day shouldn’t be the only holiday to have questionably colored beer and have accordingly released a Halloween-themed beer that looks like a witches’ brew! Spooky is a Raspberry sour that is very green (in colour, not flavour!), a 6% sour ale that is dosed with blue Spirulina powder to turn it into a hazy shade of green. Tasting both sweet and sour, reminding you of Halloween candy, it’s full of raspberry flavour and a bit of acidity and it’s available now in 473ml cans only from the brewery. 

Big news out of Greenwich/Halifax’s most clandestine brewery, Delta Force. For the first time, their beers are available via retail. The fine folks at Bishops Cellar will be stocking Anderlecht Farmshed Ale and Atlantic Time Bitter. Anderlecht is their Brett-forward nod to Orval, in the Trappist single style. Atlantic Time is an English-style bitter featuring PEI-grown malt and Delta Force’s own hops from the Greenwich area. To celebrate their retail debut, DF is offering a limited quantity 6-pack of some of their greatest hits, spanning several styles for your drinking pleasure. Home deliveries are available within a 1 hour radius of HRM. Hit up their online store for more details on how to order. 

And lastly for our news section (but bleeding into our events section), did you think you were going to get through a Friday Wrap-up without news from 2 Crows? Psshhhht; silly beer lover. We told you a couple weeks ago about the home and home collaboration between 2C and Bellwoods Brewery, including teasing you about the BW side of the release, the Crowbar IPA that was only available in Ontario. We also talked last week about the recent trend in lagers at 2C and specifically the Harrington released last week that was named after the variety of barley malted by Shoreline Malting and used in that beer. Would you believe all that naturally leads us to this week’s new release, almost as if someone had cunningly planned it that way?

Birds and the Bells is a “New Zealand Pilsner” which is the recent industry term for a Pilsner that’s hopped a little more than average, often late, and always with New Zealand hop varieties. Leveraging the same hop combo that was used in the Crowbar, this beer also exclusively uses the Shoreline Harrington malt. Mashed with their recently adopted regimen that promotes big and long-lasting foam, they really leaned into the hop side of things, with Rakau and Motueka added in the mash, at first wort, and then late. Fermented low and slow with Escarpment Labs’ Isar Lager, it was krausened and assertively dry hopped with plenty more Motueka and Pacifica plus a little bit more Rakau before being lagered for 5 weeks. At 4.4% ABV and 35 IBU, the result is a maximally crushable ultra crisp beer with some lovely and zippy hop notes, including lime and apricot, and big beautiful foam. Find it at the brewery or for online orders via their web shop, or, you could head down to 2C tomorrow (Saturday, October 15) from noon to 5 PM for the release party! There will be hand pies from Humble Pie Kitchen, bottle pours of some Bellwoods bangers courtesy of Bishop’s Cellar, and, of course, plenty of fluffy-capped Birds and the Bells streaming from the side pour tap.

A couple of things to tell you about today before we send you off to the great unknown…

St John’s Brewdock Beer Bar has always had gluten-free options on tap and on the food menu, but they are pulling out all of the stops this weekend, dedicating three of their draught lines to GF options (which is infinitely easier these days, with Port Rexton having a dedicated line of truly gluten-free options, including the recent Gluten-Free IPA and the newest Gluten-Free Sour, featuring a boat-load of Haskap berries). And Chef Chris Mercer and team in the kitchen have created more than a dozen GF food items, including baking and refining their own potato bun that is the base of either a beef or spicy cod burger. And in chatting with the Brewdock team, they expect to have a few of these items (and beer) on all the time going forward, giving those who live with Celiac Disease, or who just want to reduce their gluten ingestion, more options in their glasses or on their plates.

Mark your calendars for next Saturday, October 23, as the Stillwell Freehouse will be welcoming Microbrasserie Les Grands Bois, located in Saint-Casimir, Quebec. Founded in 2016 in a movie theatre built in the 1940s, Les Grands Bois has a wide portfolio of beer in house, and are sending ten of them to Agricola Street. From Grisettes, Kolsch, Pils, to New England and American IPAs, there promises to be something for everyone that day. And with it being the last day of Burger Week, you can try Chef Graeme’s house-made-beef-bacon- and cheddar-sauce-topped creation one last time… And in “It’s That Time of Year Again”, remember that the Stillwell Beergarden on Spring Garden is winding down for the season Sunday, October 17, so grab those afternoon and evening pints and Beverly Taco Service eats before they close the metal gates for another year. The good news is that Beverly are expected to be back slinging tacos from Sourwood Cider’s location on Cornwallis later this month.

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!