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Friday Wrap-Up for March 11, 2022 – News from Upstreet, Tanner, Iron Rock, Unfiltered, Garrison, Gridiron, Tatamagouche, Propeller, Grimross, Annapolis, Serpent, Ol’ Biddy’s, 2 Crows, Novum Boreas, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2022-03-11
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Annapolis Brewing Company, Garrison Brewing, Gridiron Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Iron Rock Brewing Co., Novum Boreas Brasserie, Ol' Biddy's Brew House, Propeller Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Hey hey, fellow beer aficionados in Atlantic Canada, we’ve got a rip snorter of a day going through most of the region and if it weren’t for these pesky day jobs we’d have posted earlier and bagged off down the pub for a pint or four. Sadly, day jobs pay for our beer and without beer we’d have a much harder time ignoring terrifying world events, gas prices, and inflation. Wheeeee! Although March Break is coming to an end in New Brunswick, it’s just getting underway in Nova Scotia and PEI (sorry Newfoundlanders!!) so there’s likely to be plenty more traffic in travel corridors and lots of out of towners about. Be nice, drive safe, be safe, support local (wherever you happen to be) and enjoy the new and returning beers our producers have put out as we start to believe that Spring might be a thing.

We’ll start this week’s news on Prince Edward Island, where Charlottetown’s Upstreet Brewing has a couple of new things on the go this week, starting with the first entry in their Million Acres series of barrel- and foeder-aged beers that we’ve seen in quite a while. Million Acres Peach Witbier is a 6% ABV and 5 IBU witbier (surprise!) featuring 2-row and wheat malts from Island Malthouse and Island-grown peaches from Bearing Fruit Acres Farm. To complete the local connection, it was aged in a foeder from New World Foeders. Dark yellow in colour, with a light haze, there’s plenty of peach and sweet aromatics on the nose along with some oak. On the palate, look for a light body and low carbonation, with subtle sweetness. Packaged in 500mL bottles, it’s available now at the brewery and Craft Beer Corner, and it’s expected to make its way to Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse in HRM by next weekend.

For those on a low- or no-alcohol program can also look forward to the latest trial batch in Upstreet’s Libra line of ultra-low ABV beers, Libra Cherry Sour. Tangy and fruity, with some elements of pie crust, and spicy cherry character courtesy of Montmorency cherries, it’s only 0.4% ABV and 30 calories (6g carbs)! Look for this one at the brewery and CBC this weekend and again, BBQ Brewhouse next weekend. And a reminder that if you’re looking for a Paddy’s Day tipple that won’t leave you painting the town green, the award-winning Libra Non-alcoholic Stout is widely available at Sobeys locations in Atlantic Canada and select liquor stores and independent retailers across the country!

Down in Chester, Nova Scotia, Tanner & Co. have a new beer available featuring everyone’s favourite regionally native yeast, Escarpment Labs x Big Spruce Brewing Scotia Sauvage. Part of a series of beers Tanner has been making with that yeast, Sauvage Gose is what it says on the tin, er, bottle, a tart and slightly saline 4.8% brew with additional hints of coriander. Also featuring local malts in the mix, with Shoreline Pilsner and wheat, you’ll find it at the brewery, at the Tanner taproom in Chester proper, and tap accounts as well. And look for another Sauvage beer to be released in a couple weeks as well!

Way (way!) up in the Big Land, Lab City’s own Iron Rock Brewing has a brand new concoction they’re calling Hyperbole and it’s no exaggeration that this one is chock full of stuff: it’s billed as a double dry hopped passion fruit milkshake IPA at 6.2% ABV. Featuring plenty of mouthfeel and creaminess from flaked oats and lactose, Citra was added in the kettle and tropical El Dorado and Sabro at dry hop, with plenty of passion fruit puree bumping up the fruity component and vanilla bean smoothing it all out. Sounds like quite a ride for your tastebuds. Degree of difficulty? This one’s only available on tap at the brewery, so only local palates need apply.

Continuing their long tradition of partnering up with local sports teams and organisations, Halifax’s Garrison Brewing has a new beer out in association with the newest league in town, the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association and also in celebration of International Women’s Day. Introduced at Garrison’s Seaport location on IWD, Courtside ISA is an India Session Ale described as a “sip of sunshine.” Built on a base of 2-row and Carapils malts, and hopped with Azacca, Topaz, and Idaho 7 varieties, it comes in with low bitterness and a lovely and light 4.3% ABV. And with $0.50 from every can sold going to the MWBA, you can doubly justify having a few! Look for it at the brewery and wherever else you get your Garrison brews.

Although you’ve already missed your chance to get it, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing brought out a very special beer yesterday with a very special cause. Free Ukraine! is/was a small-batch of 9% barrel-aged DIPA designed to be consumed both now, in solidarity, and later to celebrate the end of the conflict. Selling for $10/can, half of that was donated to Red Cross Ukraine Relief. If you didn’t get your hands on some, there’s more good news, however, as we’ve got a new batch of a single-hop DIPA from Unfiltered to tell you about as well. Featuring Idaho 7 hops, known for very tangerine-like character, slightly sweeter and more round than Citra, but still with some bite, Positively Shocking is almost certainly in the vicinity of 7.5% ABV and also no doubt a worthy entry in the series. And if you did miss the Free Ukraine!, maybe grab some Positively Shocking and throw a few bucks at Red Cross Ukraine Relief anyway!

Heading over to New Brunswick, where Gridiron Brewing in the Kennebecasis Valley has a new beer pouring. Midterm is just in time to celebrate the end of NB’s March Break, although it sounds like it’s going to be a regular brew on the roster. Tropical and hazy, it’s an NEIPA at 6.8% ABV and 36 IBU, just enough bite to keep from being cloying. You’ll find it already pouring at the brewery and it appears there are cans to go as well; look for it to also start appearing at Gridiron tap accounts in the region.

Back to NS and the North Shore of the province, where Tatamagouche Brewing has another new lager for us to enjoy. Kyral Maibock is a little early for Spring, when the Maibock style was traditionally ready after a winter of lagering, but we’re not complaining. Bigger, darker, maltier, and hoppier than most of the lagers North Americans are generally used to, it’s a burly 6.6% ABV built on German Pilsner malt with a bit of Munich and Pale malts to add some depth and then hopped for balance with Hallertauer Hersbrücker and Saaz. Fermented low and slow using a Czech yeast strain from Escarpment Labs, it’s a bright amber colour with tasting notes of cereal and honey, finishing with a restrained malty sweetness. Look for it in cans from the brewery or wherever you get your Tata, and don’t be surprised to see it on tap at your favourite Tata tap account as Spring arrives in earnest.

You may recall a few months ago that Propeller dipped its toes into the Cold IPA style with the release of Talus. This take on IPA uses a cooler fermentation temperature to mimic the crispy drinking experience more commonly associated with lagers or lagered ales. Their next iteration of the style is out today with Eclipse Cold IPA. Look for lots of citrus notes, including mandarin, and a hint of fresh pine from the Eclipse hops. Coming in at 6.1% ABV, it’s available now at all three Prop Shops, for shipping/delivery through their online store, and will also be at Bishop’s Cellar next weekend. 

Up in Fredericton, NB, Grimross Brewing has put together their first full-time IPA after several years of business. Keeping ingredients as local as possible, they’re calling it an “East Coast IPA with a Maritime and Grimross twist.” At 6.5% ABV and 60 IBU, they focused on drinkability with this one, as you’d expect for a beer they’re planning to keep available year round. Look for Maritime IPA to appear any day now at the brewery on tap and in cans to go.

We tend to focus on ale, lager and cider in our weekly posts, but there’s a fourth variety of fermented beverage that ACBB is also happy to see occasionally hit the tap lines of the Atlantic provinces. That beverage is mead, and Annapolis Brewing Company is releasing their first take on the category this weekend. Royal Mead is a sparkling standard mead that uses locally sourced honey. Drinking more like a wine, meads are often higher in alcohol than beer or cider, and this one is no exception, coming in at 9% ABV. Many meads are also served still, but this one has been well carbonated to give it that sparkling quality. Expect notes of honey, flowers, lemon and melon, and a slightly tart finish. Royal Mead is on tap now in Downtown Annapolis Royal and has also been bottled to take home with you.

Spryfield’s Serpent Brewing has a new release out this weekend from its Beer Creation experience. Mannenknot (Dutch for man bun) is their take on the Dutch style of Lentebock. A style that we can’t recall seeing released in the Maritimes before, originally quaffed for nutrition by monks during their lenten fast, Lentebock most closely resembles a Maibock, but finishes with a more pronounced bitterness. Serpent’s version comes in at 6.4%, pouring a dark caramel colour and featuring light notes of roasted malt. Find it on tap and in to-go bottles today. If you’re thinking of grabbing a pint, the Hodadds will be playing tonight (Friday) at 8:00 PM. Dominic’s food truck, serving up awesome pizza, will be there for lunch Saturday at noon, and to top it off, Sunday night will feature music trivia, beginning at 6:30 PM.

Just in time for Paddy’s Day, Ol Biddy’s is re-releasing Molly Johnson, their Dry Irish Stout. Coming in at a sessionable 4.3% ABV, look for notes of chocolate and coffee, with enough bitterness at 33 IBUs to keep things nicely balanced. Sticking with the Irish theme (and naming scheme), Patrick O’Neil Irish Red will also be returning to the taproom. Finally, keep an eye out for Biddy Light, which will soon be available at NSLC locations across HRM. 

Only one event to chat up this week, but it’s a fun-looking one!

Although we’re not quite in Phase 3 yet here in Nova Scotia, 2 Crows Brewing can’t help themselves but start bringing people together again; and what better reason to do so than to drink beer? Está bien, they’ve come up with a super novel and fun way to enable some quality beer drinking: enter The Tube Gala! Having acquired for themselves some delightful 9¼ oz (275-ish ml) glassware with a distinctive tube shape, along with some jaunty wooden carriers, their staff is ready to “keep ‘em coming.” If you’re up for participation, let your bartender know and you’ll be issued a coaster with a green crow side and a red crow side. Simply keep your green crow facing up as long as you’d like them to continue to replace your empty tube with a fresh full one and flip it over (red side up) when you’d like the tube train to stop. Your bartender will keep track of how many you’ve had and at the end of your session you’ll pay $3.50 per tube consumed. Sounds like efficient beer delivery to us!! What will be in those tubes, you might ask? Why AC Light Lager, of course! This first edition of what we expect will be many Tube Galas will take place tomorrow, Saturday, March 12th, starting at noon and running until close at 10 PM. To top it all off, Luke’s Fried Chicken (of Luke’s Small Goods fame) will be popping up to provide you with some of the finest fried chicken the city has to offer along with a few other select menu items. Running during the Tube Gala from 12 noon, they’ll stop when they sell out, which based on experience is likely to be earlier rather than later. Beer (in TUBES!!) Fried Chicken!! What more could you ask for?!

Let’s end this week’s news with word of a brewery that has opened recently, serving the thirsty folks in Saint Quentin, New Brunswick. Novum Boreas opened its doors in late February, welcoming locals and visitors alike to their taproom and retail spot at 249 Rue Canada. Launching with Feelin’ Light, a 5.0% ABV Blonde featuring all New Brunswick grown and processed at the nearby La Maison Fils du Roy malt house, and Igniferous Double-Dry Hopped 6.5% American IPA (brewed with Idaho 7, Mosaic, and Citra, and fermented with new fave Verdant yeast. And launched this week is a New England IPA Kombucha Radler, a NEIPA blended with GreenWhale Raspberry and Mint Kombucha. Also on tap currently is Petit-Sault’s Saison. Novum Boreas’ taproom is open from 4 PM Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 PM Fridays and Saturday from noon, so pop by and wish a warm welcome to the newest brewery in our region!

Friday Wrap-Up for February 18, 2022 – News from Lone Oak, Gridiron, Landwash, Truro, Baccalieu Trail, Propeller, Tanner, RagnaRock, and more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2022-02-18
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Gridiron Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Landwash Brewery, Lone Oak Brewing, Propeller Brewing, RagnaRock Northern Brewing Company, Tanner & Co Brewing, Truro Brewing Company. Leave a Comment

Sorry we’re late this week folks, sometimes work and life have a way of interrupting the truly important things like blogging about beer. We’re happy to say that we’ve once again got news from all four Atlantic Provinces this week, including an entertaining slate of new beers that show that our brewers are definitely already looking forward to warmer weather. Now that we think about it, it’s brilliant: a way to enjoy the taste of a warm-weather style without the oppressive heat and intense production schedules of the summer months. So grab one (or more!) of those summery beers this weekend, close your eyes, and let yourself dream a little.

In future brewery news, we’ve got a big one for our fans on Prince Edward Island! Lone Oak Brewing, the darlings of Borden-Carleton, are expanding their reach in a big way, as they look to open a brewpub location at 15 Milky Way in Charlottetown. Set to open late Spring next to Receiver Coffee’s spot, the new location will feature all of the great beer that visitors and locals have enjoyed in Borden, along with great food, live music, and a cozy atmosphere in the 70-seat taproom, as well as extensive cobblestone patio overlooking the North River. Residents will now be able to enjoy a pint or two without making their way to the bridge! Stay up to speed with their progress by checking out their Instagram and Facebook for the new location. And hey, while we have you… their Otis Foeder-Aged Grisette is back on tap and in cans this week. Light and spritzy, a little tart and a lot of refreshment in just 3.5% ABV, it is available in cans and on tap at the brewery, and will be available further afield in better beer bars soon!

In New Brunswick’s Kennebecasis Valley, Gridiron Brewing is putting out a really hopeful-sounding beer for the middle of February, but we’ve got to say we like their optimism. T-Shirt Weather is billed as a “Hefeweizen-style Dampfbier,” which brings a bit of obscurity to the fore, as Dampfbier is a very traditional, but little-known, style from Bavaria. Pairing an all-barley malt bill with a Weißbier yeast and fermented warm to encourage some phenols, this one was also hit with some bitter orange peel as well as some Mandarina Bavaria hops to promote even more of a citrus presence. At 3.9% ABV you’ll be able to sip several of them and consider that combination without worrying about being able to walk afterwards. Look for it on tap at the brewery in Hampton.

Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery has a new sour on tap and in cans this week. Ruby Line is a Raspberry and Lime Sour, bursting with flavour from both fruits, on top of a super-tart 4.5% base beer. Who knows, maybe you even took Ruby Line to get to the brewery that day! You can enjoy it on draught in samples and pints, grab a growler to go, or snag a single or four-pack of cans from their retail side. Also hitting the shelves at Marie’s (where you’ll get a free glass if you’re one of the first 24 to grab a four-pack), NLCs, and other retailers as we speak! And hey, if you’re up for it, drop by the taproom tonight where Robert Russell will be playing live, from 7:30 PM.

In the hub of Nova Scotia, Truro Brewing has a new one out with a name that might help you hearken back to the 90s (y’know, if you’re old and into great tunes). Under the Pink is a sour wheat ale with a lovely hue provided by a generous addition of local haskap berries. Is this another beer this week that’s dreaming ahead to summer? You bet your life it is! Light and tart, 4.0%, this one’s only available at the taproom, where we suspect you just might hear some Tori Amos on the sound system as you sip away.

In Bay Roberts, NL, Baccalieu Trail Brewing continues the apparent trend of this week’s post, as they have a brand new gose on the go. And nothing says, “the depths of winter,” like a gose, right? Right?! Well perhaps they took inspiration from the state of Atlantic Canada’s roads right now (salty and everybody’s sour about them) in coming up with Sea Spray. Or maybe they just wanted to make a tasty sour beer with notes of sea salt and coriander, in this case tarted up by the addition of tangerine, key lime, and grapefruit for a real citrus kick. Unfortunately you won’t be able to enjoy this one on tap at the source, as they’re still working on an HVAC issue in the taproom that’s keeping them closed, but you can grab some to go or look for cans already on the shelves at Marie’s and select NLC locations as well as Needs on the Avalon.

In Halifax, Propeller Brewing has a new beer out and would you believe it’s a dry-hopped sour that should have you thinking of warmer, brighter days ahead? Arcane hit the shelves today at all Prop shops as well as most of the private stores in Halifax. Tart and juicy, it was hit with what they’re describing as an “elusive” hop blend which is probably brewer code for either, “we don’t remember,” or, “you’ll never get me Lucky Charms.” You’ll just have to try to suss it out as you savour this 4.8% ABV sour and the citrus and tropical hop notes it features.

If we told you that Tanner & Co. Brewing in Chester, NS, had a new saison out this week, you might think that we’re finally getting away from the “summer style beers in winter” trend, and if that’s the case, allow us to tell you a little bit about Belgian Saison… Originally brewed by farmers in winter and spring, then cellared until they were provided to workers in the summer, they’re known for rustic grist, yeast driven character notes, and a thirst-quenching dry finish. Tanner’s new Belgian Saison utilizes two Belgian yeast strains, first one known for peppery/spicy phenols, then a second, added at roughly 50% fermentation, that tends to favour a more citrus-forward character. Sounds like a tasty combination to us; look for this 7.2% ABV strong beer in bottles at both Tanner locations or order online for delivery.

We started with news of a new taproom opening in our region, and let’s finish the news section in the same vein. After closing their taproom for a couple of months, St. Anthony’s RagnaRock Northern Brewing is opening back up next Wednesday, February 23rd! You should know that masks and vaccine passes are still the order of the day (Provincial rules, of course) and capacity will be limited to 50% for now, expecting to be back to full houses when restrictions lift on March 14th. For now, they’ll be open Wednesdays to Saturdays, 4 PM to 10 PM (occasionally later). So head on down and grab a pint of freshly kegged beer and something off their new Pub Grub menu and welcome truly local craft beer back to St. Anthony!!

And we’ll finish with a trio of hop-forward quick-hits to take you into your weekend.

Starting on the small side, Candid Brewing in Antigonish, NS, has an aromatic and citrusy classic American Pale Ale that they’re calling Dr. Strangelove. Balanced and dependable, it’s a 5.0% ABV easy drinker that will help you learn to stop worrying and love the hops. 

Stepping up the hops, and the ABV, we have Fredericton’s Grimross Brewing with the latest in their Scratch series of IPAs. This is Scratch 26, with a bit of a west coast vibe at 6.5% ABV and 55 IBU, featuring aromas of grapefruit and sweet citrus, with some lighter tropical, pine, and floral notes completing the picture. 

We wind up the week with not just a big’un, but a sweet, smooth, fruity, and boozy big’un. Tusket Falls Brewing has released Blueberry Milkshake IPA, a bit of a crazy one that saw lemon rind, cinnamon, vanilla bean, blueberries, and graham crackers in the mix along with, we’ll warrant, a whole bunch of hops! Look for aromas of grape gummies and flavours of blueberry pie in this 7.5% conflagration.

Friday Wrap-Up for January 14, 2022 – News from Truro Brewing, Port Rexton, Tanner & Co, Quidi Vidi, Grimross, Propeller, Tusket Falls, Trailway, 2 Crows and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2022-01-14
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Battery Park, Beerlab, Grimross Brewing, GTFO Adventure Club, HopYard Halifax, Lightfoot & Wolfville, Newfermenters Homebrew Club, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Tanner & Co Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Truro Brewing Company, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

We’re heading for a weekend of weather and COVID restrictions across the Atlantic region, so we strongly encourage you to read quickly and make your moves if you haven’t already stocked up on beer for the weekend. After you’ve checked your fave brewery’s social media to make sure they’re open, of course. Hopefully they are, because plenty of them have new beers on the go that you’re sure to want to try. So read on!

Kicking off this week is an inter-provincial collaboration between two breweries with deep, interconnected roots. Alicia MacDonald of Port Rexton Brewing grew up in Truro, and in fact had originally planned to open a brewery in the town, before co-founding PRBC in 2016. While returning to the area this Labour Day, MacDonald spent the day at Truro Brewing Company with Jana Dellapina, concocting something for the coming months. The result of that wondrous day is available now! Quiet Company is an English-style Barleywine, where the hops take the back seat to bold caramel and malt notes. After fermentation, it spent several weeks in a Bourbon barrel from Raging Crow Distillery in nearby North River, where it took on plenty of great vanilla and spirit notes. Originally conceived as an accompaniment to the Matt Anderson song of the same name, Quiet Company is available now in bottles at TBC’s Inglis Place location.

Tanner & Co Brewing in Chester has a brand new hybrid release available exclusively in their Duke Street taproom/retail spot this week. Maybe even a hybrid of a hybrid, as one half of Ambrosia began life as their Kuhlmann featuring Rye and Vienna malts complementing the base Pilsner malt, which was fermented with the natural wild yeasts of the Lucie Kuhlmann grape pomace that was added to the wort. While some was drawn off for the original release, this portion was allowed to age for an additional year on the skins, grabbing more complexity and drying the beer out further. Blended to it was Original Mead, and the resulting assemblage allowed to develop for longer still. As there were only a few cases of Ambrosia produced, you’ll have to go straight to the source to grab them, but we can attest that the visit is worth your time! Also on the shelves and draught is the returning Dunkelweizen, their take on the classic dark wheat beer, featuring banana and chocolate notes.

Quidi Vidi Brewing is celebrating the latest release in their on-going series of homebrewer contest winners from the Newfermenters competition. Wisdom and Wit is the winning beer from Howard Haby, and is true to the original Belgian Witbier style as it features notes of Coriander and citrus, with a hint of chamomile. This 4.1% ABV can is available at their Hops Shop as well online for same-day delivery. 

Also available online now are memberships for Flight Club. Limited to fewer than 200 people, this membership will allow folks early (and sometimes exclusive) access to new and returning beers, their own 20oz mug (to be stored at the taproom), as well as five private events throughout the year. Check that link for more details!

Not many details on this one, but Grimross Brewing has released the latest in their Scratch series this week, Scratch 26: IPA. At 6.5% ABV, this looks to be a West Coast style IPA, with grapefruit, pine, and floral notes coming through. Also out now is a collaboration with the GTFO Adventure Club, Local Legend. $1 from every pint of this juicy pale ale poured will go to their “Give The F Back” Fund. While the taproom may be closing due to return to Level 3 restrictions, both of these are available for growler fills to take away. Stay safe, NB pals!

Propeller Brewing has three pilot-batch beers out now/coming soon, so let’s get you up to speed with them. Available in growlers today at all three of their retail locations, as well as on tap at the newly-reopened Gottingen Street taproom, is Vic Secret Dry-Hopped Sour. This 4.8% tart and refreshing sour ale features loads of fuzzy peach, tangerine, and grapefruit notes thanks to plenty of Vic Secret hops added post-fermentation, on top of a clean acidic base.

Coming soon to the taps are a couple more from their Quinpool Road 300 litre pilot system, in two totally different styles. Bru-1 IPA showcases the hop of the same name, with a fruit salad of flavours like pineapple, melon, and strawberries, and thanks to the Sacch Brux yeast, it finishes fruity, dry, with a hint of acidity. At 6.0% and 70 IBU, rest assured there’s a lot packed into this one! And at the other end of the spectrum is Pineapple & Banana Hefeweizen, a 4.5% switch on the traditional German wheat style, as it was fermented on pineapple puree to bring out that fruit and complement the banana notes from the yeast. Hopyard Halifax has picked up a keg of this to pour soon, and Dartmouth’s Battery Park has grabbed all three to be tapped sometime soon.

Tusket Falls has a new one out this week in their Experimental Beer series, for fans in both Yarmouth County and HRM. The mysteriously nameless Session IPA comes in at 4.6% and features lots of tropical fruit notes from the auditions of Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe and Columbus hops. You can also expect notes of melon, pear, lime zest and stone fruit to accompany a soft body and moderate finishing bitterness. This one is on tap-only at Tusket’s two taprooms. 

Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing is ringing in the new year by revisiting one of their core brands with a bit of a refresh. You might have noticed over the past few months that many of Trailway’s products have received the proverbial “lick of paint” in terms of their branding. Today we can tell you that one of their original core brands, Rype has had that treatment, but also a modification to what’s in the can. The name “Rype” was a play on rye malt, which was originally one of the ingredients. Well no more! Both the rye malt and the crystal malt previously present in the recipe are no longer there, and you can think of “Rype” as a nod to the ripe fruit notes provided by the showcased Mosaic hops. A little drier than it was, thanks to the lack of crystal and the addition of bready Munich malt and some wheat as well, and more refreshing, look for the same tropical fruit notes and dankness, but with a more pure hop expression. Look for it to start appearing wherever you get your Trailway fix, it’s already on the shelves at the brewery.

We’ll leave you today with a ton of news coming to you from Brunswick Street in Halifax, as 2 Crows Brewing celebrates their 5th Anniversary this month. Not ones to do anything in half measures, they are releasing 9 new beers in celebration of their Wood Anniversary (fitting, as several of these will have spent time in their barrels and foedres). The first to be released are a pair of grape-heavy beauts, Bunch and Tobeatic Wild. Bunch is a Berliner Weisse, that is a low abv (3.2%) wheat beer, low in hops, and co-fermented with Lactobacillus to give an acidic kick. Starting life back in February 2020 (ah, the Before Times), the beer lived in its Port barrel primary fermentation vessel until the end of the year, when it was transferred to stainless to rest, before the addition of pureed Concord grapes in the summer. After a couple of months on the fruit, the beer was bottled and allowed to carbonate naturally in the bottle. The resultant beer shows a lovely purple hue, is zippy and spritzy due to the acidic component, with the grape notes shining through. Available in 375ml bottles in store and online now.

Tobeatic Wild is also available now, but in the 355ml can format. Its history is a little more recent, starting from the same base beer as Molten Mirrors, a recently-released collaboration with London’s (ON) Beerlab!. MM was billed as a “Saison/Lager hybrid”, with base grains of Pilsner, rice, and spelt, hopped with Saphir and Huell Melon, and fermented with their house Saison culture. After completion, the temperature was lowered, and an actively-fermenting lager yeast was added (krausening technique) and the beer allowed to further condition and develop at cold temperature. After removing the bulk of the volume to package Molten Mirrors, the several hectolitres left were hit with 800kg of freshly-pressed L’Acadie grape skins (aka pomace) from the Valley’s Lightfoot & Wolfville winery. With plenty of sugar and tannic acid still left in those skins, it also picked up a touch of wild yeast which will no doubt show through the delicate 5.4% beer. Carbing was also done in-can, so expect a little bit of (safe to enjoy) yeast residue at the end. Spritzy Saison/Grisette citrus vibes galore with floral and honey aromatics as well. Like Bunch, TW is available for ordering and pick up today. For more on their love affair with grapes, and L&W, check out this post.

2 Crows have also shown their hand for the rest of the Anniversary releases, which can be consulted on their IG page. As a few of them are extremely limited, they opened up early pre-order access to their newsletter subscribers. So if you are keen on getting early/first access to other releases, we figure it’s the second-best beer list you should subscribe to. For those who want to grab one of each of the Anniversary releases (minus the pastry stouts) in a bundle, you can order yourself a bundle now. Note that the bundle is not available for pickup, delivery, or shipping until January 28th, when the final beer will be released. And if you become a subscriber, you can unlock the Newsletter-only version of that bundle, which features a special branded Arome glass in the box.

“Pastry Stouts?”, you say? Yup! Next week will see the release of two extremely limited Pastry Stouts based on Big Turk and Nanaimo bars, both topping the scale at “11.9%” ABV. While half of the bottles were offered and snapped up by newsletter subscribers, the other half (16 bottles of each) will be available at noon, January 20th, split evenly between online and in store options. Think grape, cherry, and chocolate with Big Turk, and vanilla, coconut, and chocolate for the Nanaimo offering. Also releasing on the 20th is Mountain Shadow, a 10.3% Baltic Porter, which was conditioned with Marquette grape pomace, and features cacao nibs for extra dark chocolate character. 355ml cans of this will be available both online and in store.

Let’s bring this in for a landing with their plans for the final weekend of the month. On Saturday, Jan 29th, they will have a food pop-up in the brewery, as RNB Kitchen serves up some warming and satisfying soul food, with both dine-in (assuming regs allow it) and take-out options available 2 – 7 PM that day. And the oft celebrated (and almost as oft maligned the next morning) Sour Sunday will be Jan 30, with a full board of recent and returning favourite sours on draught, plus shots of Pepto and Tums in case anyone needs them.