Halifax Magazine

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Welcome to our first Friday Wrap-up of 2019 (Whoot! Got the year right!!). Although we took last week off, it’s clear that the breweries in our region did no such thing, giving us plenty to catch up on from the holidays as well as news of a few new releases hitting the taps and the shelves this weekend. We’ve also got a couple new breweries open in Nova Scotia and the sad news of the demise of Fredericton’s stalwart craft beer destination, the King Street Ale House. So have a read and plan your purchases for the weekend; it’s fixing to be a snowy one in much of Atlantic Canada, so maybe grab a couple extra this afternoon to help soothe yourself after any shovelling that needs to be done. And breweries take note! Entries are now open for the 2019 Canadian Brewing Awards. This year’s event will be in Toronto, but judging takes place in April. Atlantic Canadian breweries had a strong showing at last year’s event; hopefully we’ll see some of the fantastic brews being produced out East continue that trend in 2019!

Let’s kick off the news with the details of two new breweries opening in Nova Scotia since our last Wrap-up…

Hill Top Hops has operated as a hop farm in Scotch Village, Nova Scotia, since 2016, supplying hops for two  Alexander Keith’s Historic Brewery annual harvest brews (Hants County Wet Hopped Pale Ale in 2016 and Annapolis Hop Field Pale Ale in 2017). Now, the family behind the farm have opened a small brewery to showcase their hops and love of the industry. Located at 7232 Hwy 14 in Newport, their brewery and taproom is now open for pints and growler fills. Operating on a 2 BBL (240 litre) brewhouse, they have currently have six beers available: Blonde Ale, Cream Ale, IPA, American Pale Ale, Pilsner, and Red Ale, as well as a full complement of merch to show your HTH pride. They will be celebrating their Grand Opening January 19th from noon, and until then, the taproom and brewery is open on a “by chance” status as they complete small renos and brew. Best to check with them on social media (Fb / IG / Tw) or by phone (902-791-0776) to be sure. They are currently operating by cash/EMT for the moment, and will update their social media when that changes. Congratulations to the Peters family on the opening, and we look forward to sharing a full Profile with them soon.

Congratulations also go out to the crew at Shipwright Brewing who opened their doors in Lunenburg on December 30th. Owner Adam Bower has long been a fan and promoter of local beer while managing, and then buying, the Grand Banker at 82 Montague Street in Lunenburg. Shipwright Brewing is located in the same building, and Brewer Kellye Robertson is using a 1 BBL (120 litre) system to create their own beers. The brewery and taproom is open 12 – 10 PM daily, and they are currently serving three beers to enjoy onsite or to take away in growler or crowler fills. They can also be enjoyed at the Grand Banker, who recently expanded their all-local draught offerings. Cutwater is a 4.8% ABV and 18 IBU traditional German Kolsch (hybrid of lager and ale), First Sail Banker Roast is a 4.5% ABV and 21 IBU Blonde Ale with coffee beans added, and Icebreaker is a 5.3% ABV and 40 IBU New England Pale Ale. Congratulations to Adam, Kellye, and the entire Shipwright family on their opening! Keep an eye on their social media (Fb / IG / Tw) for more updates.

Let’s get caught up with a few beers that were launched over the last two weeks…

Brightwood Brewery released John’s Punch at their brewery taproom last Friday. This 7.5% ABV NEIPA was generously hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Huell Melon, and is full of citrus and juicy bright notes on the nose and palate. It is currently on tap at the Brightwood Market, with kegs on their way to The Auction House, Battery Park, and HopYard, with cans coming later this month.

Corner Brook’s Bootleg Brew Co released a pair of new beers late last year (we can say that!) that should still be around for your liquid enjoyment. First up is Gin & Spruce, a 5.0% ABV kettle sour, dry-hopped with Citra. However, the real fun is in the other ingredients added to the beer, which were spruce tips and juniper berries, soaked in gin from the Newfoundland Distillery Company in Clarke’s Beach. They followed that release up with another the following day, a style they’ve nicknamed “Snowball Stout”, after the eponymous cookies. In keeping with the rap theme, this one is named Untitled 02 | 12.28.18. The 5.0% ABV stout was brewed with plenty of cocoa powder and coconut to match the baked treat’s flavour profile, on a creamy smooth base. Look for these on draught at their taproom, and keep your eyes peeled in St. John’s at your favourite good beer spot.

Speaking of stouts, Quidi Vidi Brewing released their own back in December, which is back now in a limited re-release. Cappuccino Stout is a 6.5% ABV stout featuring 2-Row and Crystal malts, accented with Flaked Barley, Chocolate Malt and Roasted Barley for a smooth mouthfeel and dark brown appearance, but brought to the next level with the use of lactose (milk sugar) and coffee from Trinity Roastery. These extra ingredients balance each other with sweetness, a touch of bitterness, and nutty dark roast, like a well pulled and blended capp. The beer is available at the brewery now, and at NLCs this weekend.

Earlier in December, Dartmouth’s Spindrift Brewing released Beaufort 10, a 10% ABV, Doppelbock. This traditional German style is malt-forward, taking advantage of the roast, bread, and dark fruit character of the malts used in the mash, while keeping it lightly hopped to just over 20 IBU. A long fermentation period followed by more than a month of lagering lead to a smooth and deceptively easy-drinking beer for the alcohol level, a solid choice for these colder months. Beaufort 10 is available at the brewery and HRM private stores in cans.

Chester’s Tanner & Co. released a new beer over the holidays that’s actually a bit of an older beer, but in a good way. Bottle-aged Wheat Wine is similar to a barleywine in style, big and boozy, but with 50% wheat malt in the grist. Fermented with an American Ale yeast strain, the result is a 10% ABV bruiser with plenty of molasses, caramel and toffee character. Brewed way back in February of 2018, it was bottled and set aside until now, giving it some time to smooth out and for the flavors to come together. There wasn’t a ton of this one available to begin with and it was released just before Christmas, so you might want to check with the brewery before heading down, as that’s the only place to grab this one.

After that wrap-up of previous releases, let’s share some brand new releases with you…

PEI’s Upstreet Brewing has a new beer called Third Place that has nothing to do with winning a bronze medal. When talking about the places in your life, your first place is home, your second place is work, and your third place is “that special haunt where you come together with your community.” Released on January 1st, this beer celebrates those special places that we all (hopefully) have in our lives. An Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV and 60 IBU, it boasts aromas of mango, clementine and peach, with a distinct piney note thanks to hop additions of Ella, Ekuanot, Azacca, and Simcoe. Look for it both in bottles and on tap at Craft Beer Corner and the Upstreet Taproom, on tap at the Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse and select tap accounts, and in bottles at select PEI Liquor stores. And if you’re at the taproom or CBC, you should check out the available bottles, currently including DeNovos I, II and III, and, from their Million Acres series, Bourbon Barrel-aged Apple Brett Blonde, Chocolate Salted Lager, Spruce Tip Wee Heavy, and Chardonnay Barrel-aged IIPA with Belma, Imperial Saison with Nelson Sauvin, Peach Cream Witbier, and Apricot Cream Witbier.

Halifax’s Good Robot has some big news this week as it has been officially announced that they are getting their first listing with the NSLC. El Espinazo del Diablo Mexican Lager is a fan favorite beer for the brewery with an ABV of 5.7% and 14 IBUs and featuring lime and jalapeño peppers on top of a grist that contains a “perfectly reasonable” amount of flaked corn. Like getting your salsa and your chips in a glass. Look for it at NSLC locations across the province and don’t be surprised if you see it joined by other Good Robot beers as 2019 rolls on.

Meanwhile, back at the farm on Robie Street, there’s plenty in the hopper for the first couple weeks of the year, starting with yesterday’s release of the latest in the Creature Feature series of biotransformation IPAs. Creature Feature III was hit with Columbus, Simcoe, and Nelson Sauvin hops for an assertive bitterness and a dank aroma. It’s 6.4% ABV and 51 IBUs and available now in the taproom. The first BetaBrew of the year will be released on Tuesday, January 8th, and it’s one made by GR staffer Drella and her father, Tim. An homage to their family’s Russian heritage and love of spicy things, it’s a chili stout they’re calling A Chili Night in Minsk. Big and bold at 7.5% ABV and 32 IBU, it’s rich, roasty, and spicy thanks to an addition of Bird’s Eye chilis after primary fermentation. And two days after that beer is tapped you’ll see another new one hit the lines at GR: The Humans Are Dead is their latest India Pale Lager with a twist of New Zealand hops, namely Azacca, Rakau, and Topaz. A calculated IBU level of 60 provides firm bitterness to this 6.8% ABV beer. Will it be the perfect accompaniment to your favorite binary solo and/or dancing the Robot or the Robo-boogie (which will be the only remaining dances in the distant future)? Affirmative!

A short distance away, on Gottingen Street comes the latest in the Propeller Small Batch series. A black lager in the Schwarzbier style it is called, most appropriately, Schwarzbier. It’s light in body, but with a flavorful punch of chocolate and toasted brown and finished off with noble hops for a subtle earthiness. Moderately dry, with a crisp and clean finish, it’s 5% ABV and is available in limited quantities for pints and growler fills only. Also in limited supply from Propeller is their El Dorado Brett IPA, which has been aging for the past nine months in red wine barrels. A mixed fermentation of classic ale yeast and Brettanomyces Claussenii have created a beer that is complex, funky, spicy, and a little earthy. Finished with a healthy dry hop of El Dorado for a tropical burst, it’s 6% ABV. We’ve confirmed that some of the very few kegs of this have gone to Hopyard Halifax, Stillwell and Battery Park, so keep an eye out for it at those places. Propeller also intends to tap a keg at their own tasting room on Monday (pints only). And lastly, the team has installed a beer engine in the Tasting Room that’ll be perfect for a traditional cask experience! So it makes sense that tonight’s Friday cask will be twist on a British style, their ESB aged on oak. Look for it to be tapped at 5 PM and to keep pouring through the weekend, as long as it lasts, anyway.

Unfortunately, we close out the news portion of today’s Wrap-up with some sad news. It was announced yesterday that Fredericton’s iconic beer-centric restaurant King Street Ale House, has closed. Opening 10 years ago as the Garrison District Ale House, Doug Williams and then-partner Shane Fraser saw that there was a big hole in the market for beer-focused establishments, and curated an impressive tap and bottle list well before the craft beer explosion hit our shores. After a fire destroyed the GDAH in January 2013, they rose from the ashes on King Street that November, with a renewed focus on local beer and great food. Having poured over 400 different beers from the Maritimes and beyond, the Garrison District and King Street Ale Houses were many first people’s introduction to well-made local beer. In fact, it’s where Shawn and Chris first met all of those years ago; we’ve conducted trivia nights during Fredericton Craft Beer Festival for several years; met countless other beery friends there over the years, and so we sincerely thank Doug, Shane, and the entire crew there for the many years of great beer. We wish them all the best in their next endeavours. For more details, check out this CBC article.

Only a couple of events to mention this week, but they’re a couple of doozies:

There are a handful of tickets still available for next Thursday’s, Jan 10th, Eat. Drink. Local. event at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront. Formerly known as the The Craft Beer & Local Food Celebration, this is an all-inclusive evening of local beer and cider, with fresh and innovative food pairings from local restaurants. The event also serves as the launch to several new beers in our region, including the winner of Big Spruce’s Home Brew-Off, this year’s will be Ian Wheatley’s Hefeweizen. 30 different stations of food and drink, along with live music all evening, will surely keep you happy. Grab your tickets now before they disappear!

Do try to keep your wits about you after Thursday’s event, as you’ll definitely want to pop up to Bar Stillwell on Barrington Street for their Belgian Beer Fest on Saturday, January 12th. From noon, the Stilly crew will be pouring Lambics, Saisons, Flanders Red, and a bevy of style-breaking beers from one of the best beer-making regions in the world. A full dozen taps, as well as more than double that in bottles, will give any novice or veteran beer fan something to fawn over. Check out the full list here, and we’ll see you there!

A few more notes before we leave you today…

Boxing Rock released a new beer brewed in their Halifax Test Kitchen in mid-December. Knitwise is a Christmas Cake- Inspired Scotch Ale, weighing in a 7.5% ABV. It was brewed with Kim Hart Macneill, a home brewer and beer writer for Halifax Magazine. Brewed with Nova Scotia cranberries, blueberries and raisins to enhance that Christmas Cake character. It’s on tap for pints in Shelburne and growler fills at their Bottle Shop at Local Source Market in Halifax!

Distillerie Fils du Roy released a new beer in December, in a style they are calling “Sour Mash Brut”. At 10% ABV, Biere Brut is a heavy hitter, and started using the sour mash technique usually reserved for whisky. Also fermented with whisky yeast, and finished extremely dry, at 1.000 gravity. Described as hazy, with a sourness reminiscent of green olives, light body and high carbonation. Bottles are available at the brewery in Petit-Paquetville.

Sussex Ale Works has a new beer pouring in their taproom these days. Piccadilly Pale Ale is a 5.8% ABV American Pale Ale with notes of citrusy Chinook and Cascade hops. Grab a sample or pint at their spot this weekend!

St. John’s YellowBelly Brewery has released this ode to the season with Twelfth Night Porter. This 6.5% ABV porter features traditional English ingredients such as Bairds Crystal malt and Thomas Fawcett Roast Barley, along with East Kent Goldings used in the boil and dry-hopping. As described by the brewery, it is “spicy, earthy, warming, roasty, and full bodied with a slight hint of phenol/smokiness”. On tap at the brewery restaurant, in growlers at the YB Takeaway, and in bottles shortly.

After an amazing long weekend that saw the first real sign of summer (Stillwell Beer Garden opening in Halifax, of course), we’re back to more typical Spring weather, at least in Halifax, where hot cocoa may be more apropos than a cold beer on this chilly and rainy Friday. But there’s still plenty of beer news to take your mind forward to sunnier and beerier days, so let’s get to it!

• Let’s kick off today’s post with a bit of cider news: after launching their Foundation cider to NSLC and other retail locations earlier this month, Halifax’s Chain Yard Urban Cidery has opened their taproom and retail location on Agricola Street. Pouring a handful of their own ciders, plus a few taps devoted to other guest ciders and beer, the taproom also features a full kitchen (food shots here). At the taproom right now, visitors can enjoy their Foundation, the 6.0% flagship off-dry blend; Intrepid, a 6.0% dry cider made with all Nova Scotian Northern Spy apples; Hopped Up, the dry-hopped version of Intrepid, featuring Cascade and CentennialKings R Wild, a 7.5% wild-fermented blend of King and Russet apples; and sOaked, a lightly-oaked dry cider, featuring Cox Orange Pippin, Jonagold, and Russet. The taproom is open from 11AM daily, closing at 10PM Sunday through Wednesday, with extended hours Thursday through Saturday. Congratulations!

• Saint John’s Big Tide Brewpub has released a new batch of their Tidal Wave Double IPA this week, tweaking the recipe slightly to extract an extra bit of juiciness from the heavy dosing of Cascade and Columbus added during the boil, and then Cascade and Summit added as a dry-hop for serious citrus vibes. The resultant 7.8% ABV beer is 110 IBUs, but still features a well balanced body.

Big Tide is releasing the second collaboration they’ve brewed with Greg Hemmings and Dave Veale of the Boiling Point Podcast. Building on the first release, Hemmingsway Veally Great Ale, version two has been dubbed Boiling Point Honey Ginger Ale. Employing a malt bill of 2-Row, Munich, and Honey malts, the 4.7% ABV beer was hopped to 30 IBUs using Crystal hops from nearby Darlings Island Farm. Fresh ginger root was added throughout the brewing process (during the mash, in the boil, and during fermentation), along with some lemongrass also added late in the process. The resultant beer features lots of ginger flavour and aromatics, with a nice sweet character from the Honey malt. Grab a pint and/or growler today!

• Fredericton’s TrailWay is celebrating their first year of operation at the Main Street location this week, and we’re the ones getting presents! Earlier this week, they dropped a fresh batch of Dunder, their Australian-hopped Pale Ale. The 5.5% ABV brew features tons of tropical fruit aroma and flavour thanks to the generous amount of fresh Southern-hemisphere hops. And launching later today is the latest batch of Hop Stains, their 8.0% ABV Double IPA. Featuring lots of El Dorado hops in the blend, look for a candy/sweet juiciness to balance the bright hop character on the beer, with a lower bitterness than many DIPAs (roughly 50). Available in limited quantities (those hops are expensive!!), and probably not to be brewed again for a while, grab this while it’s hot/cold. Drop by the brewery this afternoon for both beers, as we do not expect them to be available outside of their retail location (another great reason to visit their taproom, which has expanded hours for summer starting this week). Happy First Anniversary!

• Not backing down from their ambitious goal of releasing five episodes this month, the 902 BrewCast crew released another tasting episode on Tuesday. They welcomed special guest Kim Hart Macneill of Halifax Magazine, as well as our own Chris, to chat beer (both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick), homebrewing, and a bit of everything, while sipping on some old standards and brand new releases to our region. Check out Kim’s article in this edition of Halifax Mag while you listen to the episode. And subscribe to 902BC today to get next the #902day release with Garrison Brewing automagically at 12:01AM on the 30th.

• Do you have some rhubarb growing in your garden (or elsewhere on your property) that you don’t have a use for? After the great response they received last year, Garrison in Halifax is once again putting out the call for folks to bring in their extra rhubarb for inclusion in the brewery’s seasonal Rhubarb Saison. It’s got to be fresh (not frozen), local (not store bought) and clean (washed and leaves removed). In return for your haul, you’ll get a free sampler of beer and $1 in-store credit per pound up to a maximum of $10 for 10 pounds. Brewery staff is ready and waiting for your contribution and the brewhouse team is gearing up to start on the beer once they’ve got enough. Meanwhile, we’ll look forward to the final product; we’ll be sure to let you know here when it’s ready.

• PEI’s Moth Lane Brewing has released a new beer this week, which is their first foray into the Tart Side of brewing: a Kettle Sour. Using a Lactobacillus culture, they soured the beer, and then aged the fermented beer on cranberries for several weeks, before adding some hibiscus flowers and a touch of dry-hopping. The resultant beer features a beautiful pink colour, and tart character from the process and berries. The beer is available now, but they need your help naming it! Drop by their Facebook or Instagram page to check out the beer, and suggest a name there. If yours is chosen, you’ll win a ML gift certificate.

Hell Bay Brewing has released a brand new beer this, available only at their Liverpool taproom. Barrel-Aged Brown is a 9.5% ABV that spent time in Bourbon barrels, imparting lots of sweet bourbon and oak flavour and aromatics. This one is on tap for your enjoyment at the brewery, and available to go in small-growler fills.

• Also in Halifax, Propeller Brewing joined some auspicious company this week, becoming the first brewery to ever win an East Coast Music Award! But before you confusedly ask what instrument John Allen plays and when their album drops, we should probably make it clear that they “won” it in a Facebook auction. Local punk band Like a Motorcycle, which features Propeller employee KT Lamond on guitar, decided to make a statement with their 2017 ECMA Rising Star award, pledging to pawn it and put all the proceeds towards Phoenix Youth Programs, a local non-profit that has been supporting youth, families and communities since 1987. A big Cheers to Like a Motorcycle for making such a concrete statement of support for their community and to Propeller for stepping up and making it happen. Organizations like Phoenix always need support, so though you won’t get your own ECMA for it, you’re always welcome to donate some of your beer money to a worthy cause.

There’s a busy weekend of events ahead, check it out!

Northumbeerfest at Pictou Lodge is happening tomorrow evening. Featuring beer from Big Spruce, Garrison Brewing, Good Robot, Sober Island, Tatamagouche, and Uncle Leo’s, there will be live music and food to keep the night going strong. Your $50 ticket can be purchased via email or phone (1-800-495-6343).

Saturday’s Yarmouth Craft Beer Festival is sure to be a fun time. Tickets are now sold out for the Saturday Evening session (with some DD tickets available), but the 2:30-4:30PM Afternoon session are still available. Tickets are $35 for entry, your tasting glass, and first 5 samples (VIP tickets are $50, allowing 30min earlier entry and more tasting tickets).

• Truro’s newest name in beer, Salty Dog Brewing, the new retail name for beer brewed at the Nook & Cranny Brewpub, will be throwing a Spring Block Party tomorrow, May 27th, with their friends from NovelTea Bookstore Cafe and Clay Cafe Truro. From 2:45 to 4:45 you’ll find family fun activities on Prince Street with free admission. At 5pm food trucks will arrive to serve the area and the Salty Dog Beer Tent will open on the street outside Sauced Wood-fired Pizza, Salty Dog’s soon-to-open retail space, and the Nook and Cranny Brewpub with beer, live music from Floodland, Alert the Medic, Adam Baldwin Band and The Town Heroes, and locally-made spirits from Coldstream Clear Distillery. Tickets for the music and beer tent are $20 and are available at The Nook and Cranny Brew Pub and MacQuarries Pharmasave & Home Health Care Centre. The food trucks will be open from 5-11pm and no tickets are required. Also, stay tuned for word of the Grand Opening of Salty Dog’s retail space and patio some time in June, where they’re expecting to have 2 more beers ready to serve and sell!

• The 15th Annual Canadian Brewing Awards are happening this weekend. Breweries from across to country are in Ottawa to attend seminars, exhibits, local breweries, and then the Gala on Saturday. For those unable to attend, but would like to learn about the winners as they are being announced, you can tune into the livestream here. Best of luck to our Atlantic Canadian entrants!

• Next weekend, on Friday June 2nd, the crew from North Brewing and Battery Park will be going to visit their friends at Upstreet in Charlottetown for a taproom and kitchen takeover. Featuring 10 North beers, including mainstays and recent seasonals/one-offs alike (including Betroth Braggot and their barrel-aged Milk Stout), the kitchen crew will also be bringing a taste of the mainland to PEI with some of their own home favourites, as well as some special one-off items especially for the weekend. The event will also serve as the launch party for the collaboration brew that Upstreet’s Mike Hogan brewed when he was in Halifax several weeks ago. And the visit will also mean the chance for North’s Josh Herbin to take a turn at Upstreet and put together a beer. We’ll have more details on both beers next week, just in time to get you thirsty.

• Although they’ve been serving up beers at their new location in Windsor for a few weeks already, Schoolhouse Brewery is finally ready to have their official Graduation event. The Faculty of Schoolhouse would like to cordially invite you to celebrate with them on Saturday, June 17, rain or shine at their new location, 40 Water St. in Windsor, NS. The day will begin at 11am with what is promised to be the biggest Four Square tournament Nova Scotia has ever seen, along with washer toss, music, food, and of course, #NSCraftBeer. The ceremonies will end with a speech by the Principal of Schoolhouse, Cam Hartley, before the official Grad Party begins at 7:30pm. The daytime event is free to attend, but the gang would love it if you’d RSVP at the EventBrite Page for the event. Tickets are also available for the Grad Party, which will feature music by Basin Brothers, Tony Wood Trio & Special Guests, food from some of the finest food trucks in the province, and of course, more beer! A signup for the Four Square tournament will be made available some time in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes on the event’s Facebook page for more!

Just a couple of parting shots today:

Good Robot has added/adjusted the name of the new Dr. Rudi SMaSH release we told you about last week. Now named How Wude, the beer is out now at GR. The SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop) release will be named after bizarre comedians, with this inaugural one paying its respects to Bob Saget (think Full House). And keep an eye open for the latest version of  Dave & Morley Coffee Brown, this version featuring Burundi Kayanza Gacokwe from Java Blend.
– Well, that didn’t take long! After our introduction to PEI Brewing’s Beer Station in last week’s post, they launched this week. Drop by the PEI Factory Shops at Cows Creamery for a pint onsite, or cans or growler fills to go.