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Friday Wrap-Up for November 17, 2023 – News from Stillwell, 2 Crows, Banished, North, Shipwright, Quidi Vidi, Lake City, Propeller, Hardisty, Truro and More!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2023-11-17
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Banished Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Cask in the Sticks, Garrison Brewing, Hardisty Brewing, Lake City Cider, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Schoolhouse Brewery, Shipwright Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stillwell Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Truro Brewing Company, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

We are getting back into the swing of things with another post on time! As we are back to our regularly scheduled programming, this is an exciting time of year as we start to see anniversaries, seasonal releases and holiday excitement fill the air. Speaking of anniversaries, check out our post from earlier this week highlighting the incredible Bar Stillwell opening 10 years ago, where we shared the taplist for the two day event. These blog boys have spent more time at Stillwell (all locations!) than we could count and everyone in the region is happy to have them showcase drinks from near and far. Of course, there is always news from all across Atlantic Canada, so take a read through our updates below and as always, cheers!

Of course you’ll find Stillwell Brewing Co beer pouring at the Bar Stillwell birthday party today and tomorrow, and in addition to some regulars and some rarities, that also includes a brand new release. Born from inspiration gained during brewer CPR’s trip to Czechia in 2022, Stillwell 13º is a Czech-style dark lager. While you may be familiar with the German take on the dark lager style, known as schwarzbier, the Czech, properly called tmavé pivo (“dark beer”) isn’t even that common in its home country, making up only about 3.5% of Czech beer production these days. Not unlike the difference between German and Czech Pilsners, the Czech version is rounder on the palate, with more malt body and some sweetness to balance the back-end roasty notes. At its best, featuring a big and creamy head of foam, it invites both careful consideration and eager enjoyment, somehow managing to be both chewy and rich as well as dry and crisp at the same time. Does Stillwell 13º live up to that? We think so, but now you can judge for yourself. Check it out at the party this weekend at HQ, from the Lukr side-pull taps (always a different experience) at the Stillwell Freehouse and the Brewery on Kempt Rd, and now in cans to go as well. Speaking of cans, if you’re down at the brewery you’re also going to find Stillwell Pale Ale is now (finally!) available in cans as well!

Another brewery on tap at Stillwell HQ this weekend will be 2 Crows, who will be debuting/sneak peeking at least two new beers on Barrington Street. Debuting at noon today is an as-of-yet-unnamed new IPA (ask Josh for the name when you pop in), in the juicy and hazy vein of the series kicked off by Perfect Situation back in 2018. Wheat and Oats help to keep a lovely smooth mouthfeel, as does capturing the carbon dioxide given off during fermentation using a spunding technique. That base beer is a fluffy pillow to allow the hops to shine through, mainly Columbus added during the mash and early boil, then Citra, Hallertau Blanc, and Nelson Sauvin added as the wort was cooled post-boil, with more Citra and then Rakau added during active fermentation. Speaking of, a blend of Verdant Thiol Libre yeasts were used, the latter unlocking the much sought-after biotransformation of the hop aromatics to give super-tropical notes. Pop by this afternoon to avoid disappointment!

As the initial kegs are kicked at Stilly, one of the next to be tapped is a sneak peek at one of 2 Crows’ anniversary beer, officially coming in early 2024. Alright Alright Alright is a follow-up to their OK OK OK, the Fruited Farmhouse beer released last year, featuring NS Sea Salt from the folks at OK Sea Salt. Once again, this year’s version spent plenty of time in a foedre, allowing those funky and tart notes from their house cultures to work their magic. Massive amounts of raspberry purée, complemented by freshly zested and juices limes, plus the aforementioned OK Salt, round of the flavour before packaging for natural carbonation in the can and keg. You’ll be the first to try it at Stilly this weekend, so keep an eye on their and 2C’s social media for the bat signal.

Never slowing down, the 2 Crows Brew Crew have once again traded places with their Front of House staff for the second of their Brewed by Servers, Served by Brewers release. Tonight at 6PM in the 2 Crows taproom, Everett, Miles, and Jeremy will be pouring up Brother Jiles, a Cranberry and Orange Hefeweizen, the recipe designed and brewed in October by Declan, Leandra, Esmé, and Tessa. The small batch of this light, zesty, and juicy beer is only available on tap, and probably will not last all evening, so be sure to drop by to give those brewery recluses a fun time. 🙂

2 Crows teamed up with their pals at Banished Brewing in Paradise Newfoundland, for a pair of collaboration beers, with 2C’s half hitting the taps this weekend. Home & Home is the absolutely fitting name for the beer on both sides of the water, with a base of barley, wheat and oats, and layers upon layers of hops. With the Halifax version seeing additions of Columbus, Citra, Hallertau Blanc, and Nelson Sauvin before fermentation, with more of the same early- and post-fermentation with the same hops (plus Enigma). As they are wont to do, the brewing team at 2 Crows pulled in another Nova Scotia producer for an added level of complexity and flavour, as they collected freshly-pressed red wine skins from Annapolis Valley’s Lightfoot & Wolfville, and rehydrated them to create a piquette. Blending that into the beer offers a bit more fermentable sugar for natural carbonation just before packaging. Big notes of red fruit, blackberry, and of course grapey goodness, with the big hop aromatics to match. Home & Home is available now on tap and in cans on Brunswick Street, and the 2 Crows Crew is also celebrating with a Launch Party at The BG Halifax, the waterfront beer garden at Summit Plaza tomorrow. Front 12 – 5 PM, there will be samples flowing during their Sip & Shop market, plus treats from Vandal Doughnuts.

More on the story of Home & Home, is the great collaboration between Banished’s long time label collaborator Paul G Hammond and 2 Crows’ pal Alex MacAskill of Midnight Oil, who themselves collaborated on the labels for the releases in Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia. The folks behind the marketing and social media have also banded together, and you’ll see plenty of fun posts coming from Tessa and Jason in the coming days. Banished’s release will be coming next week, with their Home staying in the straight Hazy IPA style with citrus, tropical, and stone fruit flavour profile from the hops used throughout. It must be hazy season in Paradise, as H&H will join the recently released Makes Sense and Occasionally Hazy IPAs, for an all-out hoppy good time.

Cole Harbour’s North Brewing has made a name for themselves in social and community involvement over the years they’ve been in operation and this week they continue their work in that vein. Not surprisingly, there’s a beer to talk about, as they’re releasing All-In, a (very) light beer at 3% ABV. A limited release, it was brewed in collaboration with United Dartmouth Football Club (UDFC) as part of their event entitled, of course, “ALL-IN” that runs this weekend and features Canadian Olympic soccer gold medalist Erin McLeod. W-Inspire was started by UDFC as a full-day conference in Nova Scotia with a vision to empower female leaders in sports. ALL-IN is the latest event in its evolution into a, “platform for women and gender-diverse individuals in soccer to connect, learn, and inspire one another.” North has pledged $0.50 from each can of the refreshing All-In beer sold to UDFC to help continue the W-Inspire program; you can grab it at all North locations or order online. You can read more about this weekend’s event at UDFC’s site.

Small but mighty Shipwright Brewing Co in Lunenburg, NS, punches above their weight again this week with a brace of new releases. Up first is Rye’T Aweigh, a “session rye ale” that marries a slightly sweet rye malt profile with an array of modern hop varieties, namely Topaz, Ella, and Loral, which bring citrus (lime), melon (honeydew), and tropical (papaya) notes. With a coppery red color, it’s lovely to look at and at 4.6% you may find it tasted like another. Also available is the latest American IPA from Shipwright, one they’re calling Shore Thing. Golden Promise malt is the bulk of the malt side of this one, with some Vienna added as well. The hops are stalwart Citra and modern continental variety Huell Melon. Fermented with their house Kölsch yeast, this one definitely brings the citra character, but with some sweet melon notes for balance. A firm bitterness of 56 IBU keeps things in check and it weighs in at 6.9% ABV. Both of these beers are available on tap for pints and crowlers to go at the brewery, and expect them both to be available at the Shipwright Taproom as well, where you can pair it with your favourite pizza.

Despite the shared UK roots across the Atlantic region, it’s pretty safe to say that only Newfoundland & Labrador keeps alive the tradition of mummering. It can, in fact, be argued that NL is the modern home of the tradition such as it stands in the world today. More intense than caroling, and with plenty of room to get fun and/or weird, it’s mostly a means to have a good time and be sociable with one’s neighbours, whether they be next door or a ways down the road, and possibly while wearing your underclothes on the outside. To celebrate the grand tradition, Quidi Vidi is releasing Mummer’s Cream Ale, a simple and easy-drinking brew that, at 5.3% ABV, should allow you to have a couple without getting yourself into too much trouble. You can grab it at the brewery or at select NLC’s and convenience stores next week to celebrate the 15th annual Mummer’s Festival which starts next Saturday. You’ll also be able to enjoy it at Quidi Vidi for their costume party on December 1st, right in the middle of the festival; grab your tickets on the brewery website.

In cider news, Lake City Cider of Dartmouth continues to put out releases targeted at the holiday season, and with our friends south of the 49th parallel heading into their big turkey weekend next week, it’s the perfect time for Cranberry Cider. Made with cranberries from Terra Beata Farms, this 6.8% rosé cider is a perfect accompaniment to turkey dinner and/or pumpkin pie. Find it in cans in their shop on Portland Street and at some of the private stores in Halifax as well, or order it for delivery within the HRM or shipping to the rest of the country.

Of the major beer families of the world, the ones that seem to be found the least in these parts over the last few years are the B’s: the British and the Belgians. Despite three breweries having opened in the region specifically targeting Belgian styles, none managed to make that work, so we’re left with the occasional singel, dubbel, or tripel, plus whatever saisons are around and the occasional long-term sour. On the British side, sure, we’ve got some porters about, but especially since the demise of Granite Brewing, the great traditions of Bitter and Mild are not terribly well-represented (though we nod to Tatamagouche and Sober Island, who’ve done both). Enter Propeller Brewing in Halifax, who recently brought back their London Porter, we note, and who are now releasing Dark Mild. True to the style, this is a small beer, at only 3.5% ABV, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s low on flavor. Plenty of roasted malt flavours marry with balancing sweeter notes of toffee, caramel, and dark fruit. Easy-drinking and with a deep mahogany color, you’ll find it packaged in 473ml cans at all the Prop Shops as well as the private stores in Halifax that don’t start with ‘B’.

Why yes, there are events happening outside of Halifax this weekend! Truro Brewing is throwing it way back this Saturday with a Medieval Renaissance. The day will feature vendors and friends featuring handmade goods and services. The music will be folk and Celtic themed and you’ll be encouraged to dress in theme to partake in the ale and mead at the brewery. This is an all ages event and is free to enter!

And in Annapolis Royal, Annapolis Brewing is hosting the 2023 Cask in the Sticks event. With eight breweries from across the province bringing forward their wares in this traditional serving format, you’ll be able to enjoy traditional as well as innovative offerings from Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, East Coast Cider, Horton Ridge, Lunn’s Mill, Roof Hound, Schoolhouse, Sober Island, Tatamagouche. The event starts at 7 PM tomorrow, so grab your ticket today to avoid missing out!

The Cole Harbour brewery, Hardisty Brewing, is moving to a new home on 958 Cole Harbour Rd, to have their own space open to the public in a little strip mall. They’re in the last stages of construction, having moved their brewing equipment this week, and are gearing up their food offering, consisting of charcuterie boards and other snacks. Stay tuned here and to their socials for the latest updates, but we are excited to have the nano-brewery get a little bit bigger!

Now into the returning beer section! Unfiltered is proud to bring back the wonderfully named RSMA! Of course, cheekily named in jest of Nova Scotia’s lovely provincial Retail Sales Markup Allocation, this is a big Double IPA single hopped with Mosaic for tropical flavours and backed with 2-row and cara-pils malt. It’s 7.5% and should be just as delicious as you remember. It’s available now directly from the brewery and on tap at their Charm School next door.

While snow and skiing will be coming soon, so will Martock IPA from Schoolhouse Brewing. Previously known as Private Session,  this is a West Coast Session IPA  featuring a combination of juicy, citrus, grapefruit and a light haze. This 5.3% IPA should be available next week at the brewery at NSLCs in the Valley area of Nova Scotia. And of course you’ll be able to get it at Ski Martock when they open up for the season. 

Staying with the theme of returning brews from Nova Scotia breweries, Big Spruce brings back One Hundred. This is a 100% local to Nova Scotia beer with the yeast, malt and hops all originating from the home province of Anne Murray. This is a wild ale thanks to the wild yeast strain from Big Spruce’s certified organic farm in Nyanza. The beer itself is 4.9% and has wonderful floral and sweet candy aromas, backed with a light, effervescent and well carbonated feel. This is available now in cans from the brewery, home delivery or shipping Canada-wide, and watch for it around private shops in HRM.

‘Tis the season for one of our favourite styles as Garrison Brewing is bringing back All Lit Up, a Winter Warmer (or Festive Strong Ale as it says on the can) that brings the warm flavours for the cold season. The beer is lightly spiced with notes of brown sugar, cinnamon, clove and strawberry jam, but is predominantly a rich caramel flavour with a warm finish. The malt bill brings together Pale, Munich, Caramel and Chocolate malts with Brewer’s Gold hops bringing the low bitterness at 20 IBU. It’s 7% so it’s still drinkable and a nice slow sipper. This will be at all of the private shops in HRM and provincial stores in Newfoundland, PEI and Nova Scotia. 

If you’re in the mood for a tasty treat anytime of the year, let’s remember that it’s always Lager Season. Tatamagouche Brewing has a returning beer that’s back in cans and kegs. Arvo is a Helles Lager with traditional German Pilsner malt with a bit of hops to balance it out and keep it bready, spicy and floral. Arvo is 4.6% and available now!

Friday Wrap-Up for October 6, 2023 – News from 2 Crows, Shipwright, Tanner, Landwash, Propeller, Annapolis Brewing, and More!!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2023-10-06
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Annapolis Brewing Company, Dildo Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Great Roads Brewing, Landwash Brewery, Propeller Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday y’all! We hope everyone has been enjoying the nicer weather this week, and that Hurricane Philippe decides to take even more of a westerly track this weekend! With Monday being Thanksgiving, keep in mind the provincial stores will be mostly closed, and check with your local private stores and breweries to ensure they’re open before heading there. On with the beer news!

We’ll start off this week with 2 Crows in Halifax as this is one of those weeks when they’re looking to cramp our typing fingers with news. Up first is a small-batch collaboration brew with local band Electric Spoonful, the self-proclaimed, “beer drinking, greasy ol’ rock band,” who are celebrating the release of their new EP Still 2 Poor, on Saturday with a party at the brewery. Starting with a North East IPA base, plenty of mangos and oranges were added to bump up the fruit levels in this hazy and super juicy beer. Stop by the brewery on Saturday night to try it and check the band out. This is the second such collab with a band for an album release party in as many weeks at 2 Crows (last week was Peach & Matcha Lager with Crossed Wires); if you’re a local music fan, definitely keep your eye on social media for evidence of more in the works.

Next up is the return of a 2C classic, a beer that has been missed by many for the last year or so, Letná. A Bohemian Pilsner in style, it started with a base of 100% local floor malt from Island Malt House treated to a low oxygen lager mash while also being dosed with a huge amount of Saaz hops. Double-decocted (because Stillwell Brewing’s CPR can’t be the only nutbar in the 902), plenty more Saaz was added in the boil and the whirlpool before it was fermented extra slowly at very cool temperatures with Escarpment Labs’ Czech Lager strain. Naturally carbonated via spunding, it was lagered longer than anybody wanted to have to wait. But it’s out now in tall cans, as well as being on tap at the brewery off the Lukr side-pour faucets.

Lastly, it hasn’t exactly been a well-guarded secret, but 2 Crows will be opening their second location in the coming months, which they’re calling 2 Crows West, near the corner of Oxford and Cork Streets in the West End of Halifax. As such, they’re looking to hire a General Manager to run the place. If you’ve got some hospitality management experience and an interest in beer, you might want to check out the official posting on their Careers page. Meanwhile the rest of us will quietly anticipate what is slated to be a lovely place for a pint in a lovely neighborhood.

Rolling down to the South Shore, Shipwright Brewing has a new beer in their series of Hazy IPAs. Haar and Fret is a fresh release named after the Scottish (Haar) and English (Fret) terms for a cold sea fog. In the recipe for this one, we find a malt bill with pale, Golden Promise, wheat, and honey malts along with flaked oats. The hop bill for featured generous additions in the boil of Bru-1, Citra, Topaz and Galaxy, and the same hops were also used in a dry-hop for some extra aroma and punch on the nose. Bringing it all home was the Vermont Ale strain from Escarpment Labs. If you put all of that together, you get a hazy smooth number, with stone fruit and citrus aromas and flavors coming in in at 6.5% and available at the brewery for pints and to-go crowlers. 

Staying along Highway 103, Tanner & Co Brewing is known for their resurrections of historical and unique beer styles from across the globe, and this week they bring us Kuitbier, an old world beer based on a recipe from two centuries ago in the Netherlands. Traditionally, this is a three grain beer that is malty, amber, and reminiscent of cloudy wheat beers and Tanner stays true with a grist of oats, barley and wheat and maintains the tradition of no fruits or other additions allowed in this 19th century classic style. The result is cloudy, fruity, and crisp, with a distinct aroma. This is 5.3% and 28 IBU and is available at the taproom for pints and to-go.

If we could write about Oktoberfest beers every week, I think we happily would, as long as we get to drink them!

Our friends in Mount Pearl (just Southwest of St. John’s), Landwash Brewery, are releasing Herbst, their festbier, that brings a drinkable, malty, bready pilsner. Herbst is the German word for Autumn, and this is a perfect name for this Munich malt and German noble hop combination. Coming together in a 5% package, this beer is canned, on tap and available now from the brewery and across the Avalon peninsula. It will also be featured at the city’s Oktoberfest happening this weekend with many other craft breweries being featured! 

Though they may be few in this region, those who know the Polish style known as grätzer, also known as Piwo Grodziskie or “Polish Champagne” have reason to celebrate this week. Propeller Brewing in Halifax has released Spark, their take on this centuries-old style, which is generally known for a low ABV, high carbonation, moderate bitterness, and a characteristic smoky flavor. Brewed with the traditional oak-smoked wheat malt, Propeller’s version aims to be, as the best examples are, surprisingly refreshing, at 3.6% ABV and with the distinctive smoky punch being accompanied by spice and floral hop notes. Whether you generally like smoked beers or not we highly recommend giving this one a go, especially paired with food like kielbasa and kapusta kiszona (Polish sausage and sauerkraut), gołąbki (cabbage rolls), or pierogies. It’s available now at your usual sources for Propeller beer.

We’ve got a new beer out of Annapolis Brewing, as they bring the people Cannonball, a Double IPA packed with Columbus, Nugget and Amarillo hops. At 8.3% and 60 IBU, it has a smooth bitterness beneatha bouquet of piney, citrus and some tropical notes. The pilsner malt base keeps it light, balanced, and smooth and it is available today on tap and in cans from the taproom. And be sure to stop into their taproom in downtown Annapolis Royal, as they celebrate their sixth anniversary this weekend! Live Music from 7 – 10 PM both Friday and Saturday, beer tastings, food, and much more! Check out more details here, and congratulations to the Annapolis Brewing team!!

The newly named and rebranded Great Roads Brewing in Lower Sackville have brought back their Vienna Lager, for a bit of a change of pace from their primarily ale-driven brewery. A delicious style, this is a perfect beer for the season. Under the new name of Cobequid Copper Lager, this is a crisp and clean lager with a slight malty sweet flavour and lovely nose. It’s 5.5% and available for pints and growlers right now. This will be canned soon! Hit up your favourite Sackville (Nova Scotia) brewery to try it out.

Back to Newfoundland, where Dildo Brewing has a new beer for your enjoyment this week, a big ‘ol double IPA they’re calling, well, Double IPA. Weighing in at a hefty 8.2% ABV, this one demands some caution as you work your way from the firm opening bitterness, to the classic citrus and floral combo of Cascade and Centennial, and then through to the modern vibrant fruitiness of Citra and Mosaic. It sounds to us like a slow savouring will reward the drinker with plenty of complexity. Head to the taproom to be amongst the first to try this one, as it won’t be packaged into cans right away!

If you’ve been out to one of Garrison Brewing’s spots, either at the Halifax Seaport or on Quinpool Road, you may have heard tell of folks ordering a blend of two of their most OG offerings, Nut Brown and Razzberry Wheat. Although a mixed pint will always remain an option, the brewing team have now taken on the challenge of making it more convenient, including being available for home consumption. With a fruity raspberry nose balanced against notes of nuts and chocolate, PB&J is a limited release at 4.7% ABV and it’s on draught at all Garrison locations as well as packaged in cans to go.

Representing New Brunswick in our pages this week are stalwarts Trailway Brewing, who have one of their favorite seasonals available this week. As always, this is a sour beer, refreshingly tart, with an out-of-this-world blue colour and the flavor of blue raspberry candy. Some folks might find it scary, but we think most will find this 6% ABV beer refreshing and tasty. We’re not big fans of the name (and if you don’t know it shouldn’t take much more than a quick web search to find out why), but if you ask for the “blue one” you’ll probably find what you need at all Trailway locations and ANBL stores in the coming weeks.

A pair of beery events are in the offing, one tonight and one this coming Wednesday.

Once upon a time, Upstreet hosted a party in their taproom every week, whose name coincided with the name of their fun and fabulous one-off Neon Friday releases. Well, the wait is over, as the party is returning this week, and running all through the fall and winter. Drink specials on pints of Commons, Rhuby Social, and Do Gooder, their Rewind Seltzers, and other mixed drinks too. DJs spinning tunes from 9 PM until close, with free cover! And what better time than that to release their latest Neon Friday, 4.01: NEIPA. This New England IPA is their juiciest yet, absolutely filled to the brim with stone fruit notes of peach and mango, and even some funny fruity pebble aromatics! At 6.5% and 25 IBU, there’s just a little bit of bitterness, with a maximum amount of soft, pillowy, texture. You can grab pints and cans at Upstreet’s two locations, and order it for delivery or shipping on their website!

Next Wednesday, October 11th, the Tusket Falls Beer Project on Gottingen Street in Halifax will be hosting a Beer Dinner. With a five course menu set by chefs Keith and Matt, with a beer paired with each course, this will surely be an evening to remember. We’ll let you read the details on the variety of dishes available here, but will tease you with two new beers that are being released that evening to coincide with the dinner. The first is My Friend, a Coffee Porter, which will see a full release on draught and in package next week as well. And those attending will get a sneak preview of Copyright Infringement, Tusket’s latest NEIPA, their first IPA to feature Nectaron hops. That beer will get a full release the following week. To avoid disappointment, call (902-434-2984) or email ryan@tusketfallsbrewing.com today to secure your spot at this special event!

And a couple of final mentions before we leave you to your (hopefully long) weekend!

Halifax’s favorite source for hops and (allegedly) Bad Attitude™, Unfiltered Brewing, has a returning engagement this week, in the form of Here it Comes. A DIPA in the grand NASH tradition, it once again features Chinook hops from Québec’s Duke25 Hops, grab this citrus monster from the brewery starting today!

Unfortunately, we must end this week’s post with some sad news. Serpent Brewing, which opened  in October 2020, has announced their closing. In a post on Facebook, owner Glen O’Keefe outlines some of the reasons behind the closure, which includes the difficulty with expanding their offerings at the NSLC, despite great sales numbers. No word yet on the next project for O’Keefe, or the space in the heart of the Spryfield business district, but we wish all involved well. It’s been said before, but be sure to support your favourite local brewery, restaurant, better beer bar, or other businessperson, as some are holding on by threads at this time…

Friday Wrap-Up for September 15, 2023 – News from 2 Crows, North, Mauzy, Shipwright, Maybee, Annapolis Brewing, Tusket Falls, Schoolhouse, Landwash, Hopyard, Tapestry, Tire Shack, Smokehouse, Garrison, and more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2023-09-15
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Annapolis Brewing Company, Bannerman Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Godspeed Brewery, HopYard, Landwash Brewery, Mauzy Cidery, Maybee Brewing, North Brewing, Oktoberfest, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Schoolhouse Brewery, Shipwright Brewing, Smokehouse Nano Brewery, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tire Shack Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

Another week, another grind, more beer for all of our times. Read below for our weekly update, a share with your friends, we would appreciate. A hurricane is coming, Lee is on the move, buy some beers for the weekend, for you it will behoove. There’s lots of news, so let’s start from the top, beer and events, they never stop!

Up first this week is a beer that we almost told you about last week, but we were advised at the eleventh hour that it could have been a premature…declaration, as a label snafu prevented a timely release. That, however, was sorted and thus the gang at 2 Crows in Halifax has a brand new beer available in their series of consonantly-named juicy hazy IPAs. Perfect Revelation features the same grist that they’ve perfected over the various iterations, namely Golden Promise, flaked oats, wheat malt, and dextrin malt, and it’s also fermented with the same juice-forward yeast. As always, however, they’ve switched up the hops (and the label and the name, natch) and this batch saw massive amounts of Citra, Centennial, and Sultana. It’s safe to expect plenty of citrus, in the form of mandarin orange character, along with some pineapple and melon notes, and even some resinous pininess. You can grab this 6.1% beaut in cans from the brewery.

The team at North Brewing and their friends at Battery Park Beer Bar collaborated on a brew last year that was extremely well-received, at least by the hazy IPA loving portion of the public. Named after BP regular Dave Wilcox, whose own homebrew recipe was scaled up, brewed, and packaged, this one is packed with hops, namely Columbus, Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic. Hazy and definitely as juicy as you’d expect given the name, it’s 6.2% ABV and features the lovely (and/or creepy) mascot of Battery Park on the label. While only available for a limited time, and we believe only at BP and North locations, to celebrate this re-release, the North kitchens in Cole Harbour and Timberlea are putting Soft Pretzel Bites with Hazy Dave’s IPA Cheese Sauce on the menu all weekend.

Nestled in the back of Banished Brewing’s space in Paradise, NL, Mauzy Cidery continues to put out limited edition fun things for local folks to sip on. This week’s offering is the cheekily-named Kissy Kissy Juice, their first foray into the world of grapes. Comprised of a blend of whole cluster De Chaunac grapes from Jenning’s Homestead and Nova Mac and Honeycrisp juices from Mt. Scio Orchard, the resulting wine-cider hybrid was bottle conditioned, as usual, with Baccalieu Trail Honey. Arriving at 5.5% ABV and packaged in 750ml bottles (only 13 cases produced!), you can only find this beautifully pink product at Banished.

Lunenburg’s own Shipwright Brewing has a new release that is something we would like to be drinking as we type this up right now. Litekeeper is a Belgian Grisette (like a lighter version of a Saison) that manages to bring lots of complex flavour and aroma in a lower ABV form. The malt bill for this was Pilsner, wheat, munich and oats and the hops in the boil were Loral and Hallertau Blanc, with a Belgian yeast from Escarpment Labs to bring it together. Finished with a dry-hopping of more Hallertau Blanc, all of it came together to become something very refreshing and fruity with a bit of pepper for interest and a dry finish. The finished product is 3.7% and 28 IBU and can be had today from the brewery for pints on site or to-go in crowlers or growlers. 

A welcome release out of Annapolis Brewing this weekend sees a style perfect for the changing of the seasons (which we’ve been advised is still very much going to happen, eventually). Munich Dunkel is what the beer is named and exactly what it is! A classic Bavarian-style dark lager that boasts flavours of bready malt with a bit of chocolate and caramel, all complemented by a bit of noble hop bitterness, this is an extremely balanced and drinkable style that is perfectly suited for outdoor German beer gardens or your own dwelling. It’s 5% ABV and 23 IBU and is available now in cans and on tap from the brewery in Annapolis Royal. 

Tusket Falls Brewing keeps things busy with their two locations and they’re also keeping it fresh with a brand new release that you can pick up today. Long Way Around is a triple berry sour ale that isn’t your standard kettle sour. They’ve put a lot into this beer (literally), as it’s something that’s been under development for awhile, but has been helped out with a new Lactobacillus blend from the good folks at Escarpment Labs. The bacteria was the souring agent but also provided some guava and lemon aroma and flavour. Smooth mouthfeel and a bit of balancing sweetness was introduced by a lactose addition, and it was all brought together with a hazy IPA yeast strain, as this sour also featured a dry hopping of Strata and Citra, which brought orange citrus and strawberry aromas. And we haven’t even got to the berries yet! Bringing this one home was infusions of real blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry, AND a bit of vanilla bean AND ALSO sea salt! Definitely a brew from the “But Wait, There’s MORE!” category. Arriving in your glass at 6.5% it’s definitely worth grabbing a can or pint at their Halifax or Tusket locations to see how all of those elements meld into a tasty beverage.

Don’t forget it’s Pumpkin SZN, as the kids say, or used to say? Don’t forget, we’re old. In addition to our guardian roundup last week, Schoolhouse Brewing has brought back a seasonal beer with Pumpkin Paddler, their annual pumpkin ale. First released back in 2017, this beer was first introduced to celebrate the annual Pumpkin Regatta in Windsor, Nova Scotia, an event where people hollow out giant pumpkins and race them in the water. When Lake Pisquid was no longer able to provide a home for the race, some enterprising folks up and moved the whole durn thing to the South Shore, where it is now part of the Shelburne County Giant Pumpkin Festival. This year will be the second year on the Shelburne waterfront and if you’re interested in guiding a gourd to glory on Thanksgiving weekend, you can find out more information here. But meanwhile, back to the beer! Schoolhouse had been known to put an entry of their own in the regatta, so the Pumpkin Paddler Pumpkin Ale is a perfect release to remind folks in Windsor of an event that meant a lot to the brewery and community. The beer is 6.0% and featured additions of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg. A mix of noble hops provided the bitterness and balance to this dry and drinkable fall ale. Expect it to show up soon in private stores in Halifax, but rest assured it’s available in cans and on draught at the brewery. 

Over the summer, Landwash’s Czech-style Lager got a bit of a makeover, with a light name change to Landwash Cold Lager. To celebrate the new name and branding, they are holding a launch event tomorrow, Sept 16 in the taproom. All day, they will be offering $5 mugs of Cold Lager in three distinct pour styles straight from Plzeň. Hladinka is a full mug with a full head of dense foam, Snyt is a 50/50 mug with half foam and half beer, and Mliko is also known as a Milk Pour, and is almost entirely foam. DIfferent pours for different situations, we say! They are also taking the opportunity to invite their Friends in Lager on tap for the day, with Bannerman, Dildo, and Port Rexton all pouring lagers too. And from noon until 11 PM, they are giving away a 12-pack of LCL to one lucky attendee every hour, on the hour! And for those unable to attend, look for the new branding of 12 packs of Cold Lager for your very own Beer is Nice crested coaster, which will win you a full flat of Landwash beer of your choosing. Look for those packs at NLCs, and your favourite small retailer.

A few events to tell you about this weekend and the near future! For those in areas affected by Hurricane Lee, be sure to check the conditions, and confirm your spots are opening, before heading out!

Hopyard is hosting Godspeed Brewery Tap Takeover this weekend, with seven beers from the Toronto-based brewery pouring right now. Sklepnik Pilsner (fermented in pitch-lined foedres), Tmavý Ležák 12º Dark Czech Lager, Fukami Munich Dunkel, Arbeit Hefeweizen, Yuzu Saison, Kekkon Raspberry Sour, and Ochame Green Tea IPA. This also marks the return of their original chef Jane Crawford, who is back in the kitchen again, and who has prepared a Japanese-inspired Ekiben meal to fit with the Montreal-to Japan-to Toronto story of Godpseed’s history. The beer and menu will be on until they sell out, so be sure to pop in today to avoid disappointment!

The Lower Sackville beer bar Tapestry Beer Bar kicks off our Oktoberfest news as the official Oktoberfest in Munich is September 16th to October 3rd. Tapestry will be featuring 12 German style beers from 12 different Nova Scotia breweries. If you’re reading this and itching to try some of them before Hurricane Lee hits, you can order a Mystery Flight of the beers. You’ll have to keep track of them manually though, as the full tap list won’t be revealed until later this weekend. The plan is for the event to start on Saturday, but keep an eye on their socials. It’s not looking good for Saturday, and you don’t know what kind of damage could happen with the hurricane, so check out the venue online before heading out this weekend.

Hopping over to Moncton, the wonderful folks at Tire Shack are next on the Oktoberfest lineup. Every Saturday and Sunday this month they’ll have food from Euston Park, special branded 1 litre maß mugs and they’ll be filling them with their delicious Helles Yeah! Munich style Helles lager. They also have a re-release of their award-winning The Wickerman, which is a Pumpkin Vienna Lager that is out today.  Again, this is planned to start Friday, September 15th, to beat the hurricane, but keep an eye out for the rest of the weekend if you plan to head over. 

New to the block but staying true to the tradition, Smokehouse’s new Agricola street location will be doing Oktoberfest beers from September 16th to October 3rd (again, check the weather and their socials for any delays!). They’ve brewed 5 traditional beers for the celebration and will also be planning to serve Brothers sausages on the BBQ. They’ll have special steins for serving the following special pours: Munich Dunkel, Märzen, Bavarian Wheat, Kölsch and a Festbier. 

Next up we’ve got a familiar pairing from the last few years, as The BG (formerly the home of the original Stillwell Beergarden and previously named the Stubborn Goat Beer Garden on the Halifax Waterfront) and Garrison Brewing are teaming up for their annual Oktoberfest! Just like previous years they’ve got a full menu of German platters (Knackwurst & Schnitzel), snacks and beer. This will be lasting for 10 days and will start on Monday September 18th. On Friday Sept 22nd there will be a big rocking party with Rankin MacInnis too. Stay tuned to their socials for any details or changes.

A few last quick mentions to send you into a (hopefully uneventful) weekend!

Out of Fredericton, Maybee Brewing has a new Double IPA just in time for the weekend. Retrograde is a DIPA that is big on citrus and fruit aromas. Lots of orange and ripe tangerine flavour for a dry finished and drinkable DIPA. At 8.3% you can grab this in cans or on tap from their taproom.

If you’re near Quidi Vidi and have been keeping up with the brewery’s Arts & IPA series, we can tease that the 10th iteration in the series will be available next week. Featuring new can art and featured artists for each release, new hop and flavour combinations are also explored. This Arts & IPAs 10 will feature Idaho 7 hops and will be a 7.5% IPA. Keep an eye out for it next week, featuring artwork from Molly Margaret!

After its launch at the end of last month, the non-alcoholic Nomad Pilsner sold out within days. Good news for those thirsty for more, as it is now back in stock! Brewed by Tatamagouche Brewing, the Pilsner is just the tip of the iceberg in the NA space. Look for several more styles to come through the taps in the next few months. Check their taproom and retail shop on Main Street Tatamagouche, or their online shop for local delivery or nationwide shipping.