Distillerie Fils du Roy

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Friday Wrap-Up for March 22, 2024 – News from Brightwood, Happy, Half Cut, Dildo, Trailway, Tide & Boar, Tatmagouche

Posted by acbbchris on 2024-03-22
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Brightwood Brewery, Dildo Brewing, Distillerie Fils du Roy, Half Cut Brewing, Happy Craft Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tide & Boar Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. 1 comment

What will we talk about to open up this post? The weather, of course! Spring has sprung and with beer events around the corner and new beer releases continuing, we are all here for local craft beer to spring eternal. Join us on a journey as we welcome the season of renewal with a pint in hand (while watching some March Madness basketball too). Honestly the NCAA Women’s Tournament may be better than the Men’s this year!). But not all news is good news, so let’s get into it.

After finishing last week’s post with sad news, we unfortunately need to start this week’s in the same way. This week Brightwood Brewery announced that they will be closing the doors of their taproom on Sunday, March 31st. This isn’t necessarily the end of the business, as they are committing to an attempt at restructuring, but it does mean that possibly your last chance for a pint at their well-loved spot on Portland Street in downtown Dartmouth is just over a week away. As has been the case with other closures, retail sales have been down over the winter; in Brightwood’s case, they also faced forced price increases at the NSLC and the loss of two of their three listings there. Between inflation, the recent influx of ready-to-drink products, and a general trend away from alcohol consumption, small producers have the deck stacked against them these days. While galaxy-brained folks are quick to shout, “It’s just proof that we had way too many breweries, it wasn’t sustainable!” we beg to differ. The state of Maine (amongst others) has a much higher breweries per capita than any province in Canada let alone Atlantic Canada. But breweries there have more options for retail channels (although we’re sure folks still complain a little about their distro system). They don’t have to deal with the same kind of constant regulation, especially as pertains to pricing. Given the state of the post-COVID economy, everyone knew it was probably somewhat inevitable that there would be a contraction of brewery numbers in our region. But the way it’s been shaping up over the past little while, we’ve got worries that the craft breweries that are going to survive are the big ones that can withstand losses for a longer period. The smaller, more hyperlocal ones, the ones that have built vibrant tap rooms and vital communities, are the ones that are most at risk. No offense to those brands that have built themselves as (or built themselves up into) going concerns, with lots of NSLC/ANBL/NLC/PEIBC listings and maybe even out-of-province sales, but it’s the neighbourhood breweries we think folks will miss the most. So we say again, as we have said before, and yes, with full understanding of the economic climate we say it in, support your local brewery if you can, folks, they’re probably riding a knife edge right now. We also say best of luck to Brightwood: they had a great story of going from basement/garage to downtown taproom; we hope to hear of their resurgence in the not-too-distant future.

Pals from way back, the owners and brewers of Moncton’s Happy Brewing and Fredericton’s Half Cut recently got together in the Hub City to brew up a beer appropriate for this time of year… a Cold IPA! Space Case started with a base of Pilsner malt, with the addition of toasted flaked rice to help it ferment dry and keep the body light (and true to the Cold IPA style). Lager yeast kept just a touch warmer than usual means the bugs fermenting the beer keep their aromatics in check while chomping away, allowing the bitterness and big flavour from NZ-grown Nectaron to shine through in the form of pineapple and lychee. This 6.3% beer is on tap at both of the Main Street Fredericton and Main Street Moncton locations today, and will be in cans in early April in both cities (and perhaps better can shops across the province too!).

Up in Newfoundland, Dildo Brewing has brewed a special brew to celebrate a special crew. The Newfoundland Highlanders Pipe Band is celebrating 50 years of piping tradition and Dildo has produced a traditional Scottish Wee Heavy Ale to mark the occasion. Featuring a classic mahogany color and a creamy tan head, you’ll find toffee and caramel aromas leading to flavors of dark fruit and some earthy bitterness. Sip carefully, though, the “heavy” part of the name is no joke, with the beer coming in at 8.6% ABV. If you’re in Newfoundland, at least the St. John’s area, you can experience the Newfoundland Highlanders this Saturday at 7:30pm playing alongside the Royal Newfoundland Regimental Band at the Salvation Army Temple. Admission is free, but they ask that you bring a donation for local food banks. As for the beer, it’s been canned, so no doubt you can find it at the brewery and their St. John’s Water Street Bottle Shop, but also likely through retail channels in the coming days.

Speaking of big ol’ beers, we turn back to New Brunswick, where Trailway has a monster of their own that’s been some time in the making. Smoke & Mirrors is both a local and international brew, featuring malt from Distillerie Fils du Roy Malthouse along with Scottish peated barley. This 11.1% imperial smoked stout was aged for twelve weeks in whisky casks from Distillerie Fils du Roy, it picked up additional layers of flavor including more smoke and malt character as well as some oak notes. With a soft carbonation, this thick beer boasts warming alcohol that complements the smoky profile and finishes with subtle vanilla and oak. Find it in at the Trailway taprooms in Fredericton and Saint John, and cans will also see distro to ANBL locations in the coming weeks.

Monctonites! Get ready to reunite with a returning variant from Tide & Boar Brewing. Their Sour Otis series of sour ales features different fruit additions and flavours, and this week Sour Otis: Watermelon Dole Whip is back in cans. If you’re unfamiliar with Dole Whip, it’s a Disney theme park staple that featured pineapple juice and chunks, that is dairy free and and like soft serve ice cream. Available in a few flavours now, folks make this at home and the watermelon version from T&B brings a great blend of acid and sweetness, like a slightly sour watermelon candy. This is canned, 6.0% ABV, and available now from the brewpub!

There’s one other one from T&B to tell you about and this one will tickle your tastebuds in a different way. Melting Mountains is a new Triple IPA that is big and hazy. Featuring the hop trio of Citra, Mosaic, and Idaho 7 it is big on citrus and drinkability in a 10% body. Check this one from the taproom!

TataHeads (or fans of Tatamagouche Brewing, which is everyone) have a full year of enjoyment ahead of them as the brewery slow rolls their 10th anniversary celebrations over the year. On social media they’re going to be running polls for the next week in their own March Madness style showdown. They’ll be posting 16 beers from the Tata Brew Archives and followers will have a chance to vote on what beer makes a triumphant return. Check their Instagram stories and post for a little trip down memory lane. We certainly have our favourites, so go check out the contest and vote with your heart!

Friday Wrap-Up for May 21, 2021 – News from Half Cocked, Candid, Landwash, O’Creek, Boomstick, Port Rexton, St. Andrews, and more!!

Posted by acbbchris on 2021-05-21
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Antigonish Townhouse, Au Bootlegger, Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Banished Brewing, Bar Brewdock, Big Spruce Brewing, Bishop's Cellar, Boomstick Brewing, Brasserie Retro Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Brasseux d'la Cote, Candid Brewing, CAVOK Brewing, Distillerie Fils du Roy, Escarpment Laboratories, Euston Park Social Beer Garden, Folly Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Half Cocked Brewing, Island Hop Company, Landwash Brewery, Lone Oak Brewing, Microbrasserie Houblon-Pechêur, New Maritime Beer Company, O'Creek Brewing, Port Rexton Brewing Co., RagnaRock Northern Brewing Company, Red Herring Pub, Saint Andrews Brewing Company, Serpent Brewing, Shoreline Malting, Sirènes en Cavale, Sussex Ale Works, The Joyce, Toporama Prints, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy May Long Weekend, beer pals! While not every brewery can be open and welcoming folks in their taprooms and patios, we do hope you’re able to support them with curbside and delivery purchases. In Nova Scotia, many restaurants and bars are struggling due to being quick to follow government regulations and closing in-person service for everyone’s safety, but inaction and lack of support from the Province could see them suffering permanent losses. Be sure to check in to see if your favorite spot is offering ordering and delivery or curbside pickup and try to support them however you can; it could make the difference between them reopening when this mess is all over and, well, not.

And more universally, there has been a reckoning of late, bringing to the forefront shocking events of harassment and assault directed toward women, non-binary folks, people of colour, and others under-represented in the beer business. Those in positions of power, whether they be brewery owners or management, festival organizers, or patrons in bars, breweries, or at festivals, have been the beneficiaries of a “code of silence,” but we say with some hope that it appears that silence is starting to break thanks to a myriad of people stepping forward to report, support, and amplify. We believe when people tell us what they have experienced, and we support them. We believe that all businesses and organizations in this industry should have guidelines on conduct and safety posted in their establishment and online, so that all can feel safe and free from reprisal in reporting any of these acts. And now is the time for those in the beer (and wider) world to speak out about this topic and take action if witnessing any harassment. We believe that these actions will improve Beer for everyone, allowing more to feel welcome and bring their passion to the industry.

Let’s start the news with a one-two punch of new and returning breweries in the Antigonish area. After closing in early 2020 to complete major renovations in their brewery and taproom, Half Cocked Brewing in North Grant has opened their doors once again. Located 7 minutes north of downtown, Half Cocked is located in a former chicken farm building on Highway 245. Expanding their brewing capacity from 50 litres to 1200, they have fully stocked their fridge, ready for their thirsty fans. They have eight beers currently available for draught sales via growler purchase (either bring your own clean glassware, or you can purchase one of theirs): returning favourites are Pete’s Sake Blonde (4.7%), Darkest One American Stout (6.0%), XPA American Pale Ale (6.0%), and Cock of the Walk Black IPA (6.5%). And debuting this week are Sunrise Session Ale, a 4.4% crushable lawn mower beer; White Whale Pale Ale, at 6.6%, floral, punchy, and dry; Haze Fatigue IPA, a 7.7% bitter and brite IPA with a citrus finish; Wait For It Double IPA, 8.3% well worth the wait! Half Cocked’s retail spot is open 4 – 7 PM from Wednesday – Friday and 12 – 7 PM Saturday and Sunday. When restrictions are lifted, you’ll be able to sit inside or out on their massively expanded taproom and patio, with some special pop-ups and events planned, as well as enjoy pints at the local beer hotspots, including the Townhouse, so keep your eyes peeled here and on their Social Media (Fb/Ig/Tw)! Congratulations to Greg, Matt, and the whole Half Cocked Crew!

Back in the heart of town, Candid Brewing is not quite ready to open their retail location, but they *are* ready to get some beer in your hands! Located at 88 College Street in downtown Antigonish, they are doing a Pop Up today 3 – 6 PM, and again tomorrow 1 – 4 PM, slinging two canned beers curbside. First up is Humdinger a 6.7% West Coast IPA, featuring bold citrus and pine flavour with a full body that balances the bitterness. It is the first of Candid’s five core beers available in the coming weeks. Also available is a collaboration with their pals at Big Spruce Brewing in Nyanza, Skeptical Vibes. This 4.9% red lager was cold conditioned before receiving a generous dry-hopping with New Zealand’s Motueka, for a bright citrus nose on a crisp and dry base. Available in cans at both participating breweries, as well as online for delivery and shipping from the Big Spruce store. We’ve heard tell of lots more from Candid, and we’ll be sure to share when we can! Their space will feature a large taproom with plenty of room for bubble distancing and events galore. Those in the area should sign up for their Membership to get early access to the news and releases, plus some slick deals when the taproom and retail are open full-time. Congratulations Bryan and team!

Off to Mount Pearl for another new release, this one from Landwash Brewery. Their first bottle-conditioned beer, Saison Da Pearl is reminiscent of when Brewster Christina Coady was heading up the program at Toronto’s Folly Brewing, where Farmhouse beers were the focus. Now they’re bringing that to Da Pearl! The focus is on the yeast, with the pale malt and muted hops taking the backseat, giving rise to notes of pepper, spice, and even a touch of vanilla, thanks to a warm fermentation allowing the yeast to express itself. That yeast also plays double-duty, after finishing the beer fermentation, a dose of sugar just before bottling brings it back to life, and has the yeast naturally carbonating the packaged Saison. Closing your eyes, you may even be transported to a Wallounian farm after a hard day’s work! This 7.0% 500 mL bottle is available exclusively at the brewery’s retail location (for now, it may be available elsewhere if there’s any left in June).

O’Creek Brewing may be most known for their super hazy, super hoppy IPAs (and with good reason!), but sometimes they like to branch out a bit and play with other beer styles. One beer in particular was brewed back in March, and is finally hitting taps any day now. The beer is Doppelbock, and we’re betting you can probably guess the style! That’s right, this one is a Doppelbock, a high alcohol, dark brown, malty Lager that originated in Germany many years ago. O’Creek’s version was brewed with lots of Munich malt as the base, along with Pils, and Carapils, CaraMunich and Chocolate malt thrown in for colour and character. Hopped with Saaz and East Kent Goldings, it was fermented low and slow with Isar Lager yeast from Escarpment Labs, and allowed to lager for weeks longer. Coming in at 7.6% ABV, it’s sweet and malty, with “hints of dark fruits and light toast”, with very low bitterness. It’s currently on deck at CAVOK and The Joyce, so keep your eyes peeled for when it goes on tap!

Wait wait, don’t worry hopheads, O’Creek has you covered as well! Their latest hop bomb is Elevated, a 7.6% ABV DIPA that is bright, hazy, and flavourful. Hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Idaho 7, Mosaic, and Centennial, it’s smelling and tasting exactly as you probably expect – tropical and citrusy, with notes of mango and passion fruit. First kegs of that one will be popping up at The Joyce, Euston Park, and Au Bootlegger (if it’s not on tap already).

Camping season is fast-approaching/here – YMMV! – and Boomstick Brewing has thus been inspired to brew a beer that they feel pairs perfectly with the great outdoors: a Session IPA named Gravel Pit. An easy-drinking-yet-flavourful beer hopped with a large amount of Galaxy, it’s got tropical fruit aromas abound, and at just 4.8% ABV, is a great brew to enjoy during or after a hike, campfire, etc. It’s available right now at the brewery’s West St. location in Corner Brook on tap and in cans, and should already be on NLC shelves by now as well. 

Out Port Rexton Brewing way, they have teamed up with Toporama Prints in nearby English Harbour for a beer and art collaboration. An artist-run screen printing and design shop, Toporama has designed a unique piece that melds perfectly with beer, and limited prints of it will be available in posters, t-shirts, and on glassware, as well as adorning cans of a new beer release. Although we don’t know what it’s called yet, coming out today at noon is a 5.3% combo of sour ale and New England IPA, featuring a blast of mango and peach, and everything tropical, with a moderate acidity and light bitterness. A limited run, it’s available exclusively from their taproom in Port Rexton this weekend (maybe elsewhere in the off chance it’s not all gone!). We think planning a visit out is a super-great idea, as Toporama will be setting up their screen printing gear Sunday afternoon and creating tote bags right in the taproom!

After a super-successful launch earlier in the month, Saint Andrews Brewing is back with another new release this weekend, in celebration of Paddlefest 2021. That’s a Paddlin’ is a kölsch-style lagered ale that has been allow to cellar condition for 3 months, allowing the iconic yeast to do its thing and bring together notes of both lager and ale, on a German Pilsner base with plenty of Czech Saaz to balance. Cracker malt character with some spicy hoppiness, all in a spritzy package. It joins Wharfbound Hazy Pale Ale and Herringbone Pub Ale at the Red Herring Pub, where all three will be pouring this weekend. As with all SABC releases, these are quite small, so be sure to show up early (and often) to avoid disappointment!

Heading north up the Acadian Peninsula, four breweries in North-Eastern New Brunswick have collaborated with their own local mountain biking club. Brewed at host Distillerie Fils du Roy, brewers from Brasseux d’la Cote, Microbrasserie Houblon-Pêcheur, and Brasserie Retro Brewing were brought together by Mountain Bike Atlantic and local bike clubs. Sirène is the brewery’s take on a Vienna Lager, which they are calling a Vienna Acadienne in a nod to the local barley used to make the beer. Sirène is technically a SMaSH beer as it showcases 100% Vienna malt and Saaz hops. The malt comes from the Fils du Roy maltery in Petit-Paquetville and uses barley grown exclusively on the Acadian Peninsula (hence the Vienna Acadienne). The malt lends a copper red colour and a rich malt character, with notes of caramel, that are complemented by a medium hop bitterness that comes in at 20 IBU. With an ABV of 4.5%, Sirène is plenty sessionable to enjoy after a nice mountain bike ride. The beer is named after the collaborating bike club, Sirènes en Cavale, a women’s mountain biking club on the Acadian Peninsula. Cans are available now through the collaborating breweries and look out for more releases in the series in the coming weeks. 

Continuing the beer and biking collaborations theme is Sussex Ale Works in Southeastern New Brunswick, who teamed up with the neighbours at The Outdoor Elements to brew a beer fit for enjoying after (or while) hitting the local trails. LBS Kölsch is clean and refreshing lagered ale that comes in just shy of 5% ABV. The name is a nod to Local Bike Shop, and Outdoor Elements can’t get much more local as it shares a building with Sussex Ale Works. LBS Kölsch is available this weekend at the taproom on Main Street. 

And would you believe we’re not yet done with the brewery and cycling connections in New Brunswick? In Fredericton, Grimross Brewing is releasing Monkey Business, a Session IPA brewed in collaboration with River Valley Cycling, Mountain Bike Atlantic, and NB Brews. Named after a well-known mountain bike trail in the city (well-known to mountain bikers, anyway!), it’s a light and sessionable 4.5% ABV brew, built on a grist of pale malt and rolled oats, with low bitterness (6 IBU) and plenty of hop aroma (Vic Secret, Mosaic, and Idaho 7), designed to be the perfect cap to a hard session on the trails; but best be sure you’re finished your ride, as it’s likely that the first one will quickly lead to another. If this sounds on-brand for you, you’d best get on your (chromoly) horse, as this is a summer seasonal and once it’s gone, it’s gone! 

In other news out of Grimross, they’ve got another new small batch from their Scratch Series hitting the taps today, and it’s a special one for the brewery. It would seem that some extra microbiology has been going on within the walls at the brewery, as they’ve managed to discover a yeast strain unique to their premises. And what’s a brewery going to do when they discover a new yeast in their brewery? They’re going to brew with it, dammit!! SMaSH House is a single-malt and single-hop (well, sorta) beer using pale malt from Shoreline Malting and the Grimross Hop Blend from  Island Hop Company. Fermented with the aforementioned yeast (name and trademark to be determined, no doubt 😉 ), it has a subtle malt presence and notes of citrus and spice all leading to a crisp finish; perfect for all things summer. Check it out at the brewery today when you’re stocking up for the long weekend.

Edmundston’s Brasseurs du Petit-Sault has a new release in their Epic Series this week, chock full of bright and vibrant fruit. Simply named Ale aux Fraises et aux Framboises, the most learned among us recognize that it features strawberry and raspberry on a smooth and velvety, yet slightly tart base. Cans of the 5.2% beer are available at the Brewtique now, with growler fills next week.

Back in Halifax, Unfiltered Brewing is doing their best to lift the lockdown blues for thirsty beer drinkers, courtesy of a brand new release! Positively Shocking is a new SMaSH DIPA featuring Idaho 7 hops, that follows the same technique of Greg Nash’s other beloved SMaSH DIPAs. Look for piney and tropical notes from the hops with a pithy and bitter finish. Cans and fills of the 7.5% DIPA are available today on North Street. 

New Brew from Baccalieu! Hitting their shelf in Bay Roberts today is Hot Spot, a 5.5% Tropical Smoothie Sour, absolutely chock-full of dragonfruit, passion fruit, and pineapple on a tart base. And kicking it up to the next level is a generous dry-hop of citrus darling Mandarina Bavaria. Cans are available today and all weekend at 1 Conception Bay Highway in Bay Roberts, keep your eyes peeled at the better beer retail spots across the Island to snag yours later.

Inception, Trailway’s ode to the Falconer’s Flight hop blend, is making its return this weekend, this time as a 6.5% DDH IPA. Look for lemon-lime citrus notes, subtle notes of pine and a punch of dank hop character. Cans are available now at the taproom and through Trailway’s online store. 

A few weeks ago we teased a new Belgian Saison from Lone Oak Brewing Co. Lupin comes in at 6.5% and features classic Belgian notes of bubblegum, clove and spice. It is now available in bottles at the taproom in Borden Carleton and for island-wide delivery. 

And in another “reminder of a previous beer”, the 2 Crows Czech Pilsner, Letná, has been released to the masses this week. Available at the brewery in cans for retail, curbside, and delivery now, it is also available at Bishop’s Cellar for the same treatment. Joining the 355 mL can is a branded 500 mL mug, tall enough to be able to give it a proper pour with a couple of inches of tight foam to protect the liquid’s refreshing carbonation. Delivery and curbside pre-ordering is the way to go for this and other 2C orders, given the current restrictions.

Spryfield’s latest addition, Serpent Brewing, has a new beer and a virtual event on the go this long weekend. First up is the beer: Days End is a top-fermented, cold conditioned beer in the style and spirit of the city of Köln in Germany (such beers produced there are properly called Kölsch, of course). A perfect beer to cap a long day of work or to sip on a warm summer patio, it comes in at 4.6% and, we’re sure, has a slightly grainy malt backbone, with a slight fruity presence and a balancing bitterness. They’ll be celebrating the release of this one with a Virtual Tasting Event via Facebook Live tomorrow evening at 7 PM (time subject to change, so keep an eye on that event page). Growler fills and crowlers of this one are available, but bottles are still listed as “coming soon.” So make some plans to grab some Days End and/or some of the other Serpent offerings, and plan to hunker down tomorrow evening to share it virtually with other like-minded folks while learning a little from the team about the beers and how they’re made. 

Spring is in the air in Newfoundland. And at the Northern tip of the island, at the end of Highway 430, you’ll find Saint Anthony, home of RagnaRöck Northern Brewing Company. While they’ve been churning out the great beer non-stop since their opening in 2019, they did pause the taproom for the winter to re-configure and add a canning line to the mix. Well, with this unofficially official start to summer, they are looking to welcome folks back in the taproom starting Thursday, May 27. Open Thursday through Saturday from 5 PM til 11 PM (10 PM Thursday), they’ll be pouring a half dozen beers from the taps, plus have a great selection of beers to takeaway in cans. With a summer perfect for domestic/close to home travel, this is the time to get out and see *all* of your home province, so be sure to make all the way North! Located at 223-227 West Street, pop in while exploring L’Anse-Aux-Meadows or Grenfell Museum. 

And rounding out the news this week is Mirimachi’s New Maritime Beer Company, who are releasing a brand new beer inspired both by a trip to Mount Everest Basecamp by two of the brewery’s owners as well as their experience navigating the difficult waters as a new brewery during this past year’s pandemic craziness. Three Little Birds is named after the Bob Marley song, and if you know it, you’re probably already singing softly to yourself that every little thing gonna be alright. Considered by the brewery to be a New Zealand Pale Ale, owning to the exclusive use of NZ hop varieties Rakau and Motueka, it features aromas and flavors of stone fruit and citrus zest along with some tropical vibes. At 5.5%, it’s pretty light and crushable, and perfect for a carefree summer afternoon on a patio somewhere. Get it now at the brewery, on tap for pints, or to go in growlers or crowlers.

Not a whole lot of events going on in the region, for obvious reasons, and we encourage you to stay home, stay cool, and drink some beer; meanwhile, if you’re an experienced brewer looking for a job in and you’re in the St. John’s area (or willing to move there), check this opportunity out:

Banished Brewing will be opening in early 2022 in Paradise, Newfoundland. Co-owner Craig Farewell (of the newly opened and busy as heck Bar Brewdock, in St John’s East Duck area) is joined by Tom Williamson and Jamie Clarke in this new venture, sure to add great beer and cheer to the burgeoning Newfoundland and Labrador scene. Wanting to start things off running at full speed, they are looking to hire an experienced Head Brewer to join and lead the production team. Check out the job posting on their website, and drop them a line if you’re the right person for the job! Ed note: We had incorrectly identified the partners in Banished, our apologies for the incorrect information.

Friday Wrap-Up for March 12, 2021 – News from Upstreet, New Scotland, Annapolis Brewing, Brasseux d’la Cote, Bannerman, Good Robot, 2 Crows, Gahan, Lunn’s Mill, Brightwood, TrailWay and Blood Brothers, Big Spruce, and much more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2021-03-12
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Annapolis Brewing Company, Bannerman Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge, Blood Brothers Brewing, Brasserie Retro Brewing, Brasseux d'la Cote, Breton Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Distillerie Fils du Roy, Good Robot Brewing, International Women's Day, Lake City Cider, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, Microbrasserie Houblon-Pechêur, New Scotland Brewing, Paddys Irish Brewpub, PEI Brewing Co., Pink Boots, Propeller Brewing, Sea Level Brewing, Sussex Ale Works, The Church Brewing Company, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

As sometimes happens with nearly 200 breweries and ciderhouses in the region, a few things fall between the cracks. Wel, that happened last week as we were touting the awesome beers and brew days that happened in celebration of International Women’s Day. Let’s get you up to speed with a few more releases and brew days that happened across the region Monday:

The women of Charlottetown’s Upstreet Brewing came together in late February to design and brew Shine!, an American Pale Ale. Using the Pink Boots hop blend of Ahtanum, Cashmere, Citra, Loral, and Sabro, the beer features massive citrus and tropical notes, but low on bitterness. With a clean, light body with a silky mouthfeel, the beer also has a touch of herbal notes poking through as well. The Pink Boots blend supports scholarships and educational efforts to increase numbers and improve representation of women in the beer sector, and Upstreet is also making donations locally to the PEI Association of Newcomers to Canada, in support of their Women’s Group. You can grab Shine! on tap and in cans at the brewery taproom and Craft Beer Corner, and check out the IWD 2021 playlist DJ Grace put together so you can rock out to some awesome tunes at home enjoying the beer. Shine On!

In Downtown Dartmouth, two women of New Scotland Brewing designed, brewed, and released Divine, now on draught at their taproom. Already heavily involved in the brewing process since the brewery opened in 2018, Jan Gillespie teamed up with newer member of NSBC, Charlie Parent, to bring to life this Session IPA. Dry-hopped with Galaxy, Mosaic, and Sabro, tropical notes of pineapple and a hint of coconut dance on the palate. Taking this 4.0% ABV beer to the next level are additions of dragon fruit and hibiscus flower, for a bright orange hue and even more tropical fruit. Currently on tap at their spot at 91 Alderney Drive, there should be some kegs in the wild around HRM soon.

And in “coming soon” IWD brews, Annapolis Brewing Company hosted an official Pink Boots Brew Day, inviting women from Church Brewing, Lunn’s Mill, and Sea Level to their brewery in Annapolis Royal. Using the Pink Boots Hop Blend, they put together a stronger New England IPA, big on flavour but low on bitterness. We’ll have the full details when the beer is released later this month, of course!

Same for the crew at Brasseux d’la Cote, who invited in three other Acadian Peninsula breweries and MTB group Sirènes en Cavale in to brew a beer made with barley grown and malted on the Acadian Peninsula thanks to the new facilities at Distillerie Fils du Roy, who also participated in the brew day along with Houblon-Pêcheur and Brasserie Retro.

Avaloners (Avalonians?) looking to celebrate the move down to Level 4 can check out Bannerman Brewing Co. for their new pilsner, Casual Acquaintance. Their take of the German-stule of pilsner features Saaz and Ella hops that lend grassy, herbal and fruity notes. Coming in at 5% ABV, you can find it now in 16 oz cans and for growler fills at the brewery, and cans may be making it to some of the better beer stores around the peninsula too!

The joyful droids at Good Robot are releasing a crisp beer this week that is true to the Halifax water, true to their roots, and is a lovely release for our warming weather. Introducing the Ten Thousand Pound Pilsner is a 4.5% ABV Czech Pilsner, which should be very true to style due to the Halifax water profile being so similar to that of Pilsen, Czech Republic. Hopped with Perle and achieving 31 IBU, this should have a classic floral taste with a mild cracker sweetness with a crisp and palate cleansing mouthfeel. Pick this one up today from the retail shop or order online. And they’re pleased to announce that as of today, their taproom has reopened with everything you’d expect from the Robie Street space. Starting this weekend, they’ll be doing a small brunch as well for all future weekends. 

Never a stranger to new releases, Brunswick Street’s brewery, 2 Crows, brings a new release available now. Starflight is an oak fermented saison at 4.4% ABV and 28 IBU. Brewed last July with a base of Shoreline Pilsner malt and hopped with Sterling and Bramling Cross, it was then dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Sterling. After 6 months it came out of a large oak foedre and was allowed to naturally carbonate and can condition for 4 more months before being ready to release to the public. Pick this one up from the taproom or order online for shipping all over the country. 

Back on the sunny shores of the Island, PEI Brewing Company is releasing a beer to help ease us into the warmer weather (it’s coming, right?). Gahan’s Beacon Blonde Ale comes in at 4.5% ABV and is lightly hopped to the tune of 12 IBUs. Expect a medium to high carbonation level, a crisp mouthfeel and some light sweetness in the finish. Beacon is available now in 4 packs of 355 mL cans at PEI BC’s three Charlottetown-area locations with wider distribution through PEI LC and ANBL coming soon. 

We’ve got a fun one from one of the hidden gems of the NS beer scene: Lunn’s Mill is releasing a saison this week. Le Domaine is a strong 8.2% saison that is fruity, spicy with a smooth caramel finish. Brewed with Pilsner, Munich, wheat and rye malt. Fermented with Escarpment Labs Old World Saison blend, this has a slightly floral aroma with a touch of a boozy finish. This one is available now in the taproom for pints and growlers. This will be released in cans in coming weeks. 

Dartmouth’s Brightwood Brewery has a new hazy IPA out this weekend with the release of Expat. This is a double dry hopped version of the style, made exclusively with Eclipse hops from Australia. Look for a hazy, yellow appearance and big citrusy aromas of mandarin and oranges on the nose, along with some pine notes. Expat comes in at a reasonably sessionable 6% ABV. Cans, fills and pints are available at the Portland Street taproom today with a release through the NSLC by the end of March. 

Let’s head to Fredericton next for another hazy IPA from, you guessed it, Trailway Brewing. For it’s newest release, Trailway teamed up with Toronto innovators, Blood Brothers Brewing. The two breweries collaborated virtually to design Whales All Day Double IPA. Coming in at 8.5%, this DIPA features Citra, Sabro, and the experimental hop HBC 630. Look for lots of tropical notes, with Sabro’s signature coconut profile, along with mango, tangerine, stone fruit, vanilla and bubblegum. You can find it now in cans and on tap at the brewery, or for delivery via their webstore. 

We’ve got another release this weekend that will be soon packaged for distribution, but this one is from the Homebrew Competition winner, Tim Gregory. Famous for his other Big Spruce canned staple, Tim’s American IPA which won the inaugural Competition in 2013, Tim comes back with Das Schmeckt Gut!, a Sticke Altbier at 6.7%. This delicious beer style has a nice copper appearance with a great balance of malt and hop bitterness. Available now on tap in Nyanza, this has been released in 650ml bottles and will be available online, with other keg accounts confirmed at Battery Park and Hopyard. 

In a normal year this would be a post chock full of news and brews about St. Patrick’s Day (or Paddy’s Day, but please not St. Paddy’s Day, and absolutely-goddamn-not St. Patty’s Day). Such are the times upon us, however, that one of Halifax’s most notorious nights of celebration won’t be nearly as messy as in “normal” years. For those of us who walk downtown that means not having to remember to be extra observant of where we step the next morning, but it’s certainly a downer for those of Irish descent (or “Irish for the day,” in many cases) that they won’t be able to get their big drink on this coming Wednesday night. Bless ‘em, our local Irish Pubs are doing the responsible thing and not making a big deal of it, with The Old Triangle and Durty Nelly’s going so far as to be closed that night. Because these folks are losing what is traditionally an excellent night of business, Propeller Brewing is stepping up to help them out a little by giving away 7 gift packs, each containing a 4-pack of Prop’s seasonal Irish Red (in the form of a gift card) plus a $50 gift card to a local Irish Pub (Durty Nelly’s, The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse, Seamus David’s Pub, Jamieson’s Irish Pub, Celtic Corner, Finbar’s Irish Pub, Finbar’s Portland Hills). To enter all you’ve got to do is like the Ig or Fb post, follow Propeller on that platform, and cheers a friend in the post’s comments.  You have until 11:59 PM on Monday, March 15th, to enter; winners will be determined via random draw and announced on Paddy’s Day (Wednesday, March 17th). And whether you win or not, or in Halifax or not, do keep your local Irish-flavoured watering hole in mind over the coming weeks; like everyone else in the food service and hospitality industry, they could use some help right now. And speaking of the contest’s sponsor Propeller, they have just reduced the order size needed to qualify for free delivery in HRM. That means you can have a flat of their Prime Lager delivered to your home for just $40! Peep their online shop for that and other options. Delivery is just $5 if under the threshold.

In other seasonally-tinted news, we told you a couple of weeks back about Lake City Cider’s new Kombucha/Cider blend, Green Ginger Cider, well this week they’re offering that up as a package with two 750 mL bottles and a 16oz Lake City stein from which to drink them for $35, a $5 savings. If you can’t get your St. Patrick’s Day on downtown, might as well sip some cider in style at home.

Big congratulations to Paddy’s Brewpub who are celebrating their 20th Anniversary at their Wolfville location, with a 5-day Ceilidh from now until St Patrick’s Day! Live music each evening at 7 or 8 PM, and a special Irish menu includes Boxty, Irish Cream Bash Cheesecake, and of course a proper Irish Red Ale. More details on their Facebook page.

Your weekly reminder of fresh, hoppy goodness at Unfiltered Brewing. This week, you can find the return of the infamous Double Orange Ale, a 7.5% DIPA. Cans are available now on North Street. 

In the job hunt news, the season is picking up and so are some jobs in a fun industry. In Sydney, Breton Brewing is growing and have two positions they’re currently looking to fill. Both seasonal positions, they’re looking for an Assistant Brewer and a Packaging Assistant. Check out the link here to apply and the deadline to apply is Friday March 26th. 

As they prepare for the busy spring and summer season, Sussex Ale Works is bringing on a Craft Beer Adventure Guide to their team. Probably the coolest job title we’ve heard of (except maybe professional beer and cheese taster, anyone hiring?), as their guide you’ll be working in the taproom serving up pints to visitors, telling the stories behind the beers, and making the overall SAW experience a great one for those popping in, or staying for a session. After you read through the above posting, apply here!

Rounding out the jobs today is back where we started, Upstreet Brewing in Charlottetown PEI. They are looking for an Account Manager to join their team, working with retail and licensee customers to keep them up to date on the latest and greatest releases, and seek out new spots to carry Upstreet on the Island, as well as across the Maritimes. If you love beer, and love helping sell it, this is the job for you! Check out the full job description here, and apply right meow!