Half Cocked Brewing

All posts tagged Half Cocked Brewing

Happy Summer, folks! It’s the last Friday of June, which means many kids are counting down the last days of school for another year. And for those who celebrate, joyeux journée Saint-Jean-Baptiste aujourd’hui! We’ve got plenty of new brews, as well as Anniversary and Re-Opening celebrations for you to attend this weekend. With next week’s Canada Day falling on a Friday, we’ll be sending out the news to you a day early (brewery pals please take note).

The region’s newest brewery, Paradise’s Banished Brewing, has rounded out their offerings with 3 more beers since we shared the news at the beginning of the month. Let’s get you up to speed on what to drink, and where to drink them!

Paradise Town is their 5.5% Fruited Sour, featuring Pink Guava puree added for a tropical kick. Look for more iterations of this beer as they play with the fruit additions throughout the year.

An Elaborate Series of Mirrors is a 5.0% American Lager, crushable, quaffable, however you want to put it, this beer is made for easy enjoyment.

Tall Trees, with a label reminiscent of the Redwoods in the Pacific Northwest, is a 7.0% West Coast IPA. Piney and citrusy, there is a serious bitterness in here to match the aromatics.

All three have been canned, and join Out The Gate Trappist-inspired Single, Space Puffin NEIPA, and NO NO NO YES NO EI Pale Ale at Avalon-area Marie’s, NLCs, and on tap at better bars in town, including Bar Brewdock.

Half Cocked Brewing in North Grant, just outside of Antigonish, is celebrating their Grand Re-Opening this weekend. After undergoing major renovations over the past two years, which saw more than a 20-fold increase in their production capacity, as well as opening a welcoming taproom and patio capable of accommodating more than 100 people, they are ready to toast how far they’ve come! They have released two new beers to toast with, including Almost Friggin’ Famous, a 8.0% Double Friggin’ IPA. The alcohol is tempered by a solid bitterness from the Simcoe and Centennial hops used throughout, which also lend big pine character to the flavour and aroma. Brewed in collaboration with Good Friggin’ Company, an apparel company based in Lower South River. Even friggin’ better is that $0.25 from each can goes to their Small Town, Big Stages bursary, an award given to High School graduates going into a Music program, with 3 awards of $1000 to be distributed this year.

Also new on tap and in cans at Half Cocked this weekend is Something Sour, a 5.0% dry-hopped Sour, featuring the lovely Idaho 7 hop. Refreshing and tart, the hops and Lacto work together for a citrus bomb of grapefruit and tangerine on the nose and palate.

The brewery is celebrating tomorrow from noon ‘til late with The Crafty Cooks food truck running a BBQ all day, and live music starting at 3 PM. The Ceilidhmen are taking the stage 3 – 5 PM, with Jason Spracklin playing 6 – 8 PM, with Mitch (of Good Friggin’ Company) & the Good Company band starting their set at 9 PM (the final set will have a $10 cover, half of which goes to the bursary). As it will be outside, bringing a lawn chair or blanket is a good idea, if you need a break from the dancing. Congratulations to Greg, Nick, and the entire Half Cocked Crew!

Another brewery celebrating this weekend is Charlottetown’s (and Burnside’s) Upstreet Brewing. Hard to believe that it’s been 7 years since they opened their doors on Allen Street, but here we are! As is tradition, they are also taking the opportunity to release their annual De Novo, taking the opportunity to begin anew. De Novo VII is a Mango Apricot Saison, taking up the mantle from last year’s introduction of fruit (absent from the 5 previous releases), and doubling the fruiting rate again. The spicy pepper character from the yeast plays well with the mango character, with the apricot offering a subtle tartness. Neither fruit takes over the beer, and is not at all sweet, as the Saison yeast dried it out nicely. Dry-hopped with German Callista for a bit more stone fruit on the nose. The 6.26% (also their birthdate!) Saison is canned again this year, for sale at all of their locations, and may even be on tap at a favourite Halifax-based bar in the next while.

Joining that is Fireworks 2022, Upstreet’s annual collaboration with The Inn at Bay Fortune, and their Fireworks kitchen. Sourcing Pilsner, Wheat, and Rye malts from Island Malt House, with lime basil and a variety of mints varietals hand picked and dried by Farmer Kevin at the The Inn’s farm. Just a little bit of estate-grown Comet hops were added in the whirlpool. The mints come through on the nose, with the basil complementing the herbal and hay notes of the saison yeast. Packaged in a 500 ml bottle, this 6.0% Saison is available now at the brewery’s spots, with some limited draught as well, and in bottle at The Inn at Bay Fortune, where Chef Michael Smith might even sabre a bottle for you!

What’s the plan for the celebratory weekend, you ask? Well, tonight, Craft Beer Corner is transforming into a late night dance party, which kicks off at 11 PM. Ramzoid and guest will be spinning tunes under the party lights until late. (The CBC will be closed 9 – 10 PM to prepare, with a $10 cover when they reopen).

Tomorrow, the taproom and parking lot on Allen Street will be alive with the sound of music, as acts from across the province will be playing all afternoon and evening, from 3 until 8:30 PM (no charge). Brackley Bay Oyster Co will be shucking all afternoon as well!

Sunday, DJ Nimo is capping the weekend with a set beginning at 9 PM at Craft Beer Corner, so get your groove on to celebrate! No cover charge for this evening’s fun.

Congratulations to Hogie, Mitch, and everyone at Upstreet on the continued success!

Big Spruce’s new releases continue to feature interesting styles, with this week’s release of Altruist showing off their take on the Altbier style. Originating in the German city of Düsseldorf, Altbier is a malt-forward but highly quaffable ale that features sufficient bitterness to keep flavours well balanced, and generally is great with food. Altruist comes in at a sessionable 5% and is available now on-tap in Nyanza. Keep an eye on their online store for a potential release in cans.

In Wolfville, Annapolis Cider is releasing the latest in its Something Different series. This one is a 6.5% wine/cider blend that they’re calling Strawberry Sangria. The cider starts with pressed apple juice and adds fresh-pressed local strawberries and cranberries, along with a dose of orange juice, a traditional sangria ingredient. It is then blended with Riesling from Sainte Famille Wines in Falmouth. The resulting drink pours with a pink salmon hue, and features a pleasing acidity and lots of berry notes. As an added bonus, $0.50 from each bottle sold will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlantic, a great organization that provides accommodations to families with sick children while they access medical care. Bottles of Strawberry Sangria are available now.

Long Bay Brewery in Rothesay NB has a pair of new beers this week that we’re excited to tell you about. First up is Wasted Day, a hazy and flavourful New England IPA, that is the pinnacle of years of experimental brews, with recipe and technical changes made along the way. Loading up the mash with grain and hops that are full of thiol precursors, that the yeast can then liberate into strong tropical aromatics and flavour. When a dry-hop addition comes in during fermentation, this restarts the process, with the more permanent haze being produced. During a final conditioning phase, a big addition of Eclipse to complement with notes of pine and mandarin orange. All in a tidy 6.0% package, Wasted Day is on sale in cans and draught at the brewery now. 

Joining it is The Big Brew, a 5.0% Golden Ale brewed in honour of the 50th Anniversary of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Saint John. Brewed using Bairds 2.0 Malt, a Kolsch-style yeast, and hopped with Mandarina Bavaria, this crisp and clean golden ale is available on tap and in cans at the brewery and select retail and tap accounts. Half of all profits of the brew go towards the organization, helping to connect kids with mentors in the community.

Let’s continue the news with another of Serpent Brewing’s Beer Creation Series releases, Inherited Taste. Chris Carrigan signed up to be part of the supporting community of Spryfield’s brewery, and chose a fruited kettle sour for his beer. The peach kettle sour is actually the brewery’s first foray into that style, and they took hold with both hands. Crisp, refreshing, and tart, with a nice level of the eponymous stone fruit on the palate. Carrigan’s daughter designed the label which adorns the 345 ml bottles, which are available now at the brewery.

Montague’s Copper Bottom is releasing a new beer that they’ve been patiently sitting on for over a year. Tandem is a flanders style brown ale, also known as an oud bruin, with a grain bill featuring 2-row, wheat, chocolate malt, light munich, carafe. This one saw a light hop addition of Centennial and Warrior hops before spending over 12 months in a chardonnay barrel, continuing to ferment with the bugs from the wood, adding a distinct tartness. You can also expect a vinous and oak quality from the barrel, along with rich malt flavours of plum, fig and raisin. Bottles of the 5.1% ABV Tandem will be available soon in Montague or for delivery through Copper Bottom’s online store. 

Annapolis Brewing Company has a new beer pouring, and in cans, at their Annapolis Royal location. Summer Session Pale Ale is a light 3.0%, perfect for imbibing in volume during the warmest season. Barley and Wheat malts make up the grist, with Mandarina Bavaria and Huell Melon hops after fermentation, leading to spicy and floral aromatics, along with melon, stone fruit, and citrus in the glass. Pop by their taproom and retail shop this weekend to grab a few!

Lots of Anniversary celebrations happening in our region this weekend, so get your drinking pants on, and tag in your Designated Driver!

Head up to Sydney tomorrow to help the crew at Breton Brewing to celebrate their 7th Anniversary, complete with special guests, discounts, and music all day! Open from 12 – 10 PM, there will be giveaways happening throughout the day, with limited edition glassware on sale. Little Rolling Bistro will be set up from 2 – 8 PM with a full menu, and there will be live music from Duane Nardocchio (2 – 5 PM) and Curt Dillon & Calum MacPhee (5 – 8 PM). Be sure to pop by, grab some grub, have a pint, then buy some beer to go. One of those to-go beer could be their newly released Bottle-Conditioned Stirling Hefeweizen. The German Wheat beer was one of their earliest releases back in 2015, and they’ve gone traditional with the extra level of natural re-fermentation and carbonation right in the bottle.

A few more parting words today, and sorry for the late release!

As part of their 25th Anniversary celebrations, Propeller put out the call to their fans on what beers they would like to see return. While we were holding out for Sharp Angus, the public has spoken, and Stone Fruit has taken the prize. A can-only re-release, this 5.0% refreshing beer is bursting with notes of peach, apricot, and mango, and probably is the better choice for enjoying on a picnic or at the beach, rather than a Hemp Ale… You win!

Now fully back in the groove of things, the 902 BrewCast have delved into the world of mead for their latest release, sitting down with Eric and Ronnie of the newly-opened Eventide Mead, located in Burnside. They talk all about the sourcing of the honey from a local producer, dip their toes into the different styles of mead (and hybrids), and where they think this naturally gluten-free beverage can go in the province. Listen in for free wherever you grab podcasts (or right here). And since recording, the Eventide crew has expanded their retail store hours to Thursdays and Fridays 11 AM – 6 PM, at their 196 Joseph Zatzman Drive location.

Speaking of 902BC, their faithful sponsors Bishop’s Cellar have a bunch of tasty beers on the shelves today, including some beauties from Brasserie de Blaugies, de Ranke (yes, XX Bitter is on the list), and Drie Fonteinen. Local breweries are getting some love too, as Big Spruce’s Saison Opener Grisette, Propeller’s White Belgian Witbier, the aforementioned Bottle-Conditioned Hefeweizen from Breton, and Tatamagouche’s Cellar Slammer, now in 355 ml cans, ideal for … well… slamming.

One last thing before you go. Miramichi’s Timber Ship Brewing has been in business for 4 years, operated by two dedicated couples, pouring their heart and soul into the operation. Through community and local business support, they have managed to survive during the extremely difficult last couple of years. Given recent changes to their career and family commitments, they have had to evaluate Timber Ship, and are looking to close one chapter, and begin another with respect to the brewery. They are looking for someone to continue the Timber Ship story, whether that means on the same level, or to expand its reach even further. If you are interested, or know of a potential buyer, please check out their post and get in touch!

Hello thirsty readers and happy Friday! After a big May 2-4 weekend of releases and events, the breweries and cideries of Atlantic Canada seem to be resting up in anticipation of the coming summer wave, which means a quieter week in beer news. Fear not though, we still have a handful of new releases and a great event to keep you posted about as you roll into the weekend. 

Out in Lower Sackville, Ol’ Biddy’s Brewhouse is planning a big party to celebrate the nice weather and support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, and how better to do that than with a big party with live music and beer? Tomorrow, that’s Saturday, May 28th, if you head down you’ll find a lineup of 7 musical acts on the patio, each playing an hour-long set starting at 1PM and finishing at 9PM. Meanwhile, you’ll be able to sit and enjoy the tunes while you sip the brewery’s finest, including a new release specifically for the event: Frau Ribbentrop. Part of the #BrewForUkraine campaign, it’s one of the recipes published by Pravda Brewery. A Belgian-style Witbier, with orange peel and coriander, it’s a 4.5% ABV beer with a lovely citrus aroma and subtle bitterness; perfect for sipping in the sun. A portion of sales of this beer from the taps as well as sales from the 2,800 bottles that were packaged will be donated to humanitarian organisations through #BrewForUkraine. So come on down and have a pint and enjoy some tunes; based on a quick peek at the forecast, though, we recommend checking OB socials (Fb, Ig, Tw) for any news of rain plans!!

Chester’s Tanner & Co Brewing released a new Czech-inspired Pilsner last week, and it is available now on tap and in cans. Most is named after the newly-released Czech hop variety of the same name, which is Czech for “bridge”, it is seen as a bridge between the UK and European Union, given the UK’s recent departure from that organization. Developed in the UK but grown in the Czech Republic, it features a rather potent aroma of strawberry and bubblegum, with tropical and citrus undertones, and given its higher acid content, it can be used for both bittering or later in the process, which Tanner took to heart by using it throughout the brewing and conditioning of the beer. The end result is a 5.7% ABV beer, with a healthy 40 IBU of bitterness. Pop down to their brewery or taproom in the Chester area to grab a pint or fill, or you can order cans for delivery anywhere between Bridgewater and Halifax too!

Looking to continue your brewing career and/or looking for an excuse to join the thousands of Canadians who have recently moved to Moncton? Now’s your chance! Tide & Boar Brewing, the hugely popular accompaniment to the Tide & Boar Gastropub in the heart of downtown, is hiring! They are looking for an experienced person to jump right in as Head Brewer, so experience is necessary. You’ll be supporting the local thirst for their year-round faves like Robot Food IPA and Millions of Peaches, and have the chance to develop your own recipes too! Fire an email over to Chad at admin@tideandboar.com with your resume to learn more! If there’s a staff discount on pizza, we may have to apply ourselves!

This spring has seen the return of many beer related events that went on a temporary hiatus due to the pandemic. We are thrilled to see more opportunities popping up for people to get together and safely enjoy some fermented beverages, while supporting our great local producers. If you’re near Western Cape Breton on June 4th, you’ll have such an opportunity with the Brook Village Beerfest and Square Dance. Square dances at the Brook Village hall are a legendary pilgrimage unto themselves, and this event will see the addition of beer, cider and food to sweeten the deal. A ticket gives you access to samples from Boxing Rock, Breton Brewing, Bulwark Cider, Candid Brewing, Half Cocked, Island Folk Cider, Route 19, Tatamagouche, along with the chance to dance some sets to performers Kenneth MacKenzie, Mac Morin, and Pat Gillis. The Stand and Stuff Your Face food truck will also be onsite to make sure you have a sufficient base for all of that beer and dancing. Tickets are available online now or across the road at the Brook Village Grocery, with a portion of the proceeds supporting Atlantic Coastal Action Program of Cape Breton, a non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring coastal ecosystems on the island.

Happy Friday, loyal readers. The signs of summer are everywhere around us. Temperatures in the region are creeping up to 30 degrees, patios are springing up on sidewalks, sessionable crushers are rolling out of tanks, and in the surest sign that the colder months are behind us, the Leafs are about to choke their way to another early exit. With a later release this Friday (we blame the fact that it’s Friday the 13th…), what better time to grab a beer, and get caught up on all of Atlantic Canada’s newest releases and events. Appreciate you sticking around and checking out the news!

Let’s kick things off with a brewery that hasn’t graced the pages of this blog in some time, Loyalist City Brewing, who are embracing the low-alcohol trend with the release of On Call IPA, a 2.5% ABV micro IPA. Special attention went into assuring that despite the low ABV, this one still packs plenty of hop aroma and flavour. Citra and Mosaic hops were used to create notes of stone fruit and citrus, with plenty of balancing bitterness at 35 IBUs. This one is available for a limited time, on tap at the brewery and better beer bars around New Brunswick.

Over in Antigonish County, Half Cocked is rolling out their first ever lager with Ozzy Dunkel, named in honour of the ever popular taproom dog, Ozzy the German Shepherd. This take on the classic German style comes in at 5.4% ABV and features sweet malt notes of biscuits and caramel, along with a hint of black tea. Ozzy Dunkel is available at the brewery for pints and fills, and may get in Halifax County for those imbibing there..

Let’s make a quick jump back to New Brunswick for our next new release, L’érablière 2.0. CAVOK partnered with Chateau Scoudouc Maple to create an amber ale that saw an addition of maple syrup, before being aged on oak chips. The resulting 7.7% ABV ale is available now for pints, growlers and crowlers. And find it at their spot at Cap-Pelé, which is now open for the season! Beach lovers rejoice!

Propeller is mixing things up this week with the release of Saison, their take on the Belgian-inspired style. Expect notes of lemon and spice from the Belgian yeast (with a bit of citrus twist added to send it even higher), with the fermentation also creating lots of carbonation and a dry finish. Cans of the 5% and 20 IBU Saison are available today through Propeller’s online store, their three retail locations, and at the private stores across Halifax.

Up in Nyanza, Big Spruce is celebrating this beautiful May weekend with the release of Stunt Dubbel. The big winner from their 9th Homebrew Challenge held earlier this year, winning brewer Karl Penney made the trip to Cape Breton and helped the Big Spruce Crew turn his 20 litre batch into more than a thousand! As you could probably guess from the name, this is a Belgian Dubbel in style, a malt-forward and super-smooth beer, featuring aromatics and flavours of caramel, toasted brown bread, and even a hint of milk chocolate. The belgian yeast contributes some light pepper spiciness and banana fruity esters, rounding out the 7.2% ABV beer. Available on tap and in cans, whether your travels take you to the brewery, otherwise you can order for HRM or Canada-wide delivery. It’s joined by returning favourite Day 6 with Brett Blueberry, Big Spruce’s tongue-in-cheek ode to Day 6 with Brent Bambury, full of NS-grown Organic blueberries and fermented with the wild Brettanomyces M yeast, for a fruity, funky, full-featured beer.

Tomorrow in the Annapolis Valley, Sea Level Brewing is releasing their Myria IPA in support of the Brew for Ukraine efforts. Ukrainian for “Dream”, Myria borrows the recipe from Pravda Beer, leveraging some great hops to maximise tropical and citrus notes that are reminiscent of passion fruit, melon, peach, and citrus on both the nose and palate. As supplies of this 6.5% ABV beer are limited, cans are available exclusively at the brewery retail store, with the remainder pouring only in their taproom, at 9146 Hwy 221 in Sheffield Mills. Be sure to drop by this weekend to take in the beer, the sights, and the lovely weather!

Up next is an aptly named collaboration between Newfoundland’s Dildo Brewing Company and Church Brewing out of the Annapolis Valley. Sweet Whistlin’ Jaysus is the brainchild of head brewers and former co-workers, Steve Crane and Kyle Jeppesen. Using techniques and ingredients from multiple styles led them to label this 4.6% ABV lager as an Austro-Mexican Lager. The grain bill features a base of Vienna malt, with additions of CaraVienna and corn; Spalter hops were used exclusively, along with an extended fermentation and conditioning with Dildo’s house lager yeast. Keep an eye on both breweries’ social channels for release and retail details. 

Cornwall’s Village Green is back with a new version of their Weird Clouds IPA series, this one features Amarillo, Strata and Azacca hops. Look for notes of peach and berries that complement the notes of fresh dinner rolls from the malt. We’ll also mention that last weekend saw the release of Lil’ Hazy, a 4.2% ABV New England Style Pale ale. This one featured ample late boil and dry hop additions of Citra, Strata and Mosaic hops, providing lots of tropical fruit and citrusy notes. 

Plenty to tell you about at Serpent Brewing, with several new beers and events to keep you busy this weekend. First up, the beer! Last week, they released Espiritus, a 12% Mexican Mole Porter. Their resident designer of labels and murals in the taproom, Mónica, wanted to bring a taste of her hometown of Mexico City 5000 km Northeast to Spryfield. Using authentic Mexican chocolate, spices, and peppers, she prepared a mole, which went into the beer at the very end of the boil of the base Porter, to bring out even more chocolate, as well as pleasant warming from the peppers and spicing. Previously available exclusively on tap, there are bottles of this heavy hitter available at the brewery now. 

Joining Espiritus are three decidedly more restrained beers alcohol-wise, but every bit as flavourful. Dreamer is a 6.0% Raspberry Witbier, where the Brew Crew leverage their yeast and familiarity from their White Mountain Witbier, with the raspberry puree complementing the wheat character, with the beer fermented a touch cooler to keep its esters restrained. Nova Blue is also 6.0%, and just like Dreamer, is best described as a fruited witbier, with locally-grown blueberries lending their flavourful juices to enhance the aroma and taste of the beer. The latest of the Beer Creation Series, where the first boosters of Serpent were able to choose a beer recipe and release it commercially, with beer fan Bob calling the shots on this one.

And finally in new beers is the next in their Beer Creation Series, a small batch beer named Fight Trail. Those of the two wheel variety may recognize the name from a popular trail in the Spryfield area, where Serpent regular Mitch spends lots of time. The beer is a British Golden Ale, that spent some time lagering as well, to mellow out just a touch. Wanting a beer “to crush after crushing the trails”, the 4.7% beer is simple yet complex enough to enjoy while throwing back a couple. A little light for the style, and Simcoe in the dry-hop may not be CAMRA-approved, but these help to keep it interesting and tasty.

All of these beers are on tap, with many also available to go in bottles, from the brewery who are celebrating the opening of their patio this weekend. Dominic’s Cucina Wood Fired Pizza will be slinging pies from 2:30 PM onward, and Nick Hamlyn will be playing live from the patio 3 – 6 PM. Sunday, they will be playing Music Trivia, and you can check out the many events they hold throughout the week!

Three years ago (May 11, 2019 to be exact!) the fine folks at Bannerman Brewing opened their doors and on Saturday May 14th, they’re throwing a big birthday bash at the brewery. Here are some of the highlights from the delicious East Duckworth venue:

  • BEER! Surf’s Up is being re-released on tap only, a tropical blue sour that sold out very quickly. Also, 30% off of pints of all of their core beers that were available 3 years ago. 
  • Island Time, their original launch DIPA, is also available again as of last Friday. This is available widely in cans and at 8% it’s tropical, easy drinking, smooth with nice orange and tangerine flavours. 
  • FOOD! Best Friend Burger is setting up shop all day to serve their smash burgers for dine-in service. Also, they’ll have dinosaur shaped nuggets. 
  • MUSIC! The Dandelion Few will be around from 3pm until 5pm with some deadly tunes. Don’t worry, there’s no cover, so swing by if you can.

That about covers it. They’re very excited to welcome everyone back, have people in person and pay homage to some of their core beers. 

A pre-COVID staple that many of us looked forward to was the great, the bold, the strong, Péché Day! The annual celebration of the Dieu du Ciel! world class ale is finally back in Halifax and Moncton. Saturday May 21 is the day and Bar Stillwell will host in Halifax and Tide & Boar will host in Moncton. Five offerings of Péché Mortel will feature this year, with Bourbon 2021. Tajumulco 2022, Kumquat 2022 and Dulce de Leche 2022 will join the classic offering. Check out the full details here from DDC. 

All this reading making you thirsty to get into the beer biz? We’ve got a couple of options for you to look at this week.

2 Crows Brewing is taking part in the Canada Summer Jobs Program, and hiring full-time Driver / Packaging Assistant to join the mix. The position is for those 19-30 years of age, and they would love to have those from under-represented-in-beer communities apply for the position. Check that link for full details on the position and how to apply!

Speaking of Packaging, those living in Newfoundland, or willing to move there (and why wouldn’t you??), should check out the FB post and details from Dildo Brewing Company, as they are hiring a full-time Brewer’s Assistant/Packaging Technician to help around the brewhouse. While no brewing specific skills are required, a willingness to learn, and work, are key. Plenty more info on their Facebook and via email!