Horton Ridge Malt & Grain

All posts tagged Horton Ridge Malt & Grain

Hello Beer, Cider, and Mead fans! We hope you’ve had a great week and are able to look forward to a restful weekend. For those in Nova Scotia, may we give you some insider information that this weekend’s Saltscapes Expo may be the least expensive booze-fest going, as your ticket inside will allow you access to dozens of Maritime producers pouring samples of their wares. Just watch out, you may end up buying a hot tub or booking a ticket to Saint-Pierre et Miquelon while there!

One of the attendees at Saltscapes will be Propeller Brewing, who will no doubt be featuring their brand new fruited lagered ale. Tango is a tropical twist on the Kölsch style from Cologne, fermented as an ale, but conditioned cool, a.k.a. lagered, to ensure a crisp finish. Dialing up this beer even further is the addition of tangerine and pineapple extract, along with even more tangerine goodness via concentrate. The result is a juicy and citrus fruit-forward 4.8% beer that remains light-bodied and thirst quenching. Available in cans and on tap at Propeller’s three locations. And soon to be Four locations, as construction at their new taproom and retail spot on the Bedford Highway continues at breakneck speed!

Fellow “Class of ‘97” brewery Garrison Brewing has brought back a super-popular fruited sour in the hopes of ushering summer in just a little bit early. Mango Dragon Fruit Sour pretty much lays it out in the name, but let’s get you a bit more info…starting from a light base of Pilsner and wheat malts, after the souring and fermentation, mango and dragonfruit flavours were added, along with hibiscus, for a vibrant colour, to give you a fruit-salad-worthy experience of both light acidity and a sweeter finish. Cans of this 5.0% creation are available at their shops, the private stores in town and at the airport, and coming soon to the NSLC.

A pair of new releases from Mount Pearl’s Landwash this week, starting with the release of their International Women’s Day beer, Aunt Nance. Brewed on March 8th with the many women of Landwash, this 6.0% sour IPA was hopped with Cashmere, Monroe, and Barbe Rouge. Named after Nancy Riche, a social activist and labour organizer from Newfoundland, who was recognized as an Officer of the Order of Canada, and an all-around fighter for the under-heard and -represented. Proceeds from the beer are going towards local organizations that help women and marginalized people fight barriers to success, as Aunt Nance would want. Cans and draught available now!

A two-fer from Landwash as they have another new release named after another famous Newfoundland resident, Titus the Bear. Currently residing in the Durrell Museum in Twilingate, where Head Brewer Alex hails from, who also designed the beer recipe. This Pale Ale is chock-full of Citra and Columbus for major pine, citrus, and even a bit of dank character (4/20 was yesterday!) from terpenes. Again, grab cans and draught from the brewery, and at better beer shops in the area.

Miramichi’s Timber Ship Brewing has plenty of news for us today, so let’s get right to it! First up is a brand new beer release, Sister Marie Raspberry Sour. This 4.3% sour is bright red and filled to the brim with flavour from the eponymous fruit, all on a lively tart and refreshing base. Named after Sister Marie Inconnue, who arrived at French Fort Cove to help those displaced during the Acadian Expulsion. Caring for those ill and wounded, Sister Marie was also trusted with families’ valuables, hiding them from the British. While she was ultimately caught and interrogated to give up the details, she never did, and was unfortunately murdered by beheading. It is thought that she still roams French Fort Cove in search of her head. Wherever the truth of that lies, we can tell you that her beer is available at Timber Ship’s location at 2374 King George Highway, Unit 2 (around back, aka Below Deck) now!

And big news for fans of Timber Ship is that they have recently upscaled from their original brewkit to a larger 3.5 BBL (400 litre) Blichmann Engineering system, allowing them to more than double their capacity. Look to their social media as they post updates on their first brew session (maybe even today!), as well as the build-out of a patio to soak up the sun this summer. They will be extending their hours of operation too, of course, with those coming together in May!

Continuing their Category line of IPAs, Good Robot has released Category 6 IPA this week. Think traditional American IPA, slightly hazy, and full of citrus, melon, and peach. Leaning on Idaho 7, Amarillo, and Topaz hops to do the heavy lifting in this 6.0% ABV beer, the bitterness helps to cleanse the palate, so try pairing it with spicy food or the BBQ. Keep your eyes peeled here for the details on Category 7 coming next week, completing the Perfect Storm 4-Pack!

Back to Newfoundland for a pair of Dildo releases. First up is Tropical Smoothie Sour, a 4.3% sour beer absolutely crammed full of mango, pineapple, and passion fruit purees. It also saw the addition of homemade marshmallow fluff to give it a bit of sweetness and body. Closer to drinking a fruit smoothie than beer, but we’re here for it! Grab it on tap at their spot on Front Rd in Dildo, as their St. John’s location is closed for a bit of renovation. And keep your eyes open for their new Hoppy Mixed Pack, which includes the Tie One On WC IPA, 1933 New England IPA, as well as a couple more!

Horton Ridge is known for their Malt house, and their own beers reflect that… Except when Al is out of town, then Connor and Steve can brew whatever the heck they want! Hence the birth of Al’s Away IPA. The latest version of this IPA is out now, and you can even keep tabs on Al and Jan as they enjoy Barcelona, on the Al’s Away IG page. Cheers to still having fun in the brewhouse (and away from it)!

Baccalieu Trail Brewing in Bay Roberts has a new low ABV beer on the taps and in cans today, perfect for refueling at the end of a morning of surfing or hitting the trails. Hang Tight is a 3.5% ABV hazy Session Pale Ale, inspired by the local surfing community. Featuring Mosaic, Idaho 7, Simcoe, and Sultana hops used late in the kettle, pineapple and citrus are the name of the game as you grab the next wave before the sunset. Available in cans at Marie’s and the other private shops on the Avalon.

Halifax’s Chain Yard Urban Cidery has a new cider on tap and in cans this week. Using a blend of cider apples from the Annapolis Valley, blended with a separately-fermented Dolgo crabapple, and allowed to condition for twelve months before packaging. Plenty of ripe apple aromatics meld with some floral notes, on a medium tannin base. Cans of this 6.3% cider can be purchased directly from their Agricola Street taproom today!

Finally, in Rothesay, Long Bay is releasing a hybrid beer, using a lager yeast, fermented at warmer temperatures traditionally used for ale yeasts. This beer then went back to the lager route with an extended cold conditioning, before seeing a generous dry-hop of a new experimental hop from Washington State’s Yakima Valley. The best part of all of this is that the final beer comes in a tiny 3% ABV package, meaning you can easily enjoy more than one, and all of the mango, guava and citrus notes from that dry-hop. Mild Sedation is available now at ANBL stores in the Saint John area, and should see distribution across the province later next week. 

Get out for a hike or bike ride this weekend, and bring some local craft beer along. If you’re looking for events, here are a few for ya!

Sober Island in Sheet Harbour is celebrating their 7th Anniversary tomorrow, April 22nd, with live music, a pizza truck, and plenty of great beer a-flowing! Located right on Highway 7, their taproom will be hopping from noon onward, and they are welcoming Dominic’s Cucina to set up in their lot to sling some freshly-made pies from 1:30 until 6:30 (or until sold out). Also at the brewery is Andre Pettipas, who will be playing 2 – 5 PM. Congratulations to Becky and the whole SIBC crew!

A reminder about the Godpseed & CODA Ramen takeover at the Stilly Freehouse event this Sunday, April 23rd. While the Ramen Reservations from 5PM are sold out (sorry!), those who are looking primarily for beer satisfaction can rejoice that the Freehouse will still be opening at noon and pouring draught and cans from Godspeed. And before the kitchen transforms into a boiling ramen factory, you can enjoy your faves from their regular menu too. Also, it’s Cellar Sunday, with 25% off bottles from the cellar. Gather a group to try a few of the cool lambics or stouts from away, or do your own vertical of some local beers. We may even see you there!

And next weekend, you’re going to want to be on East Duck to celebrate the Second (or is it Third?) Anniversary of Bar Brewdock. They are pulling out all of the stops for this April 29 event, as they have brought in great beer, wine, and cider from across the province and Canada, as well as lambics from Belgium, for an evening of great cheer. This is a one-price, drinks included, ticketed event, so be sure to grab yours before they are sold out!

We’ve got a few job postings today, both on the mainland and Newfoundland, so if you’re looking, hopefully something tickles your fancy!

Banished Brewing is looking to hire an Assistant Brewer to help out Head Brewer Duncan. You’ll be involved in all aspects of the beer production, including cleaning, packaging, cleaning, transferring, cleaning, brewing, and cleaning. Sounds like a great gig! You could even become a famous Instagram Star! Reach out to Banished via the interwebs, or better yet, pop by the brewery/taproom on Maverick Place this weekend to learn more and submit your resume.

Hell Bay Brewing in Liverpool has recently celebrated their 12th Anniversary (Congratulations!), and they are looking for someone to join their ranks for the summer. If you’re interested in both the Front- and Back-of-House life in a brewery, this may be just the job for you: the successful candidate will be working as a Server and working retail, assisting on packaging days during the canning, labeling, as well as filling and cleaning kegs. Reach out via email to learn more!

Just down the road in Yarmouth, Heritage Brewing is also looking to add to their team, with two positions currently open. They are looking for a versatile person to work in the brewery, as well as a delivery driver and to attend events around the province. They are also looking to add to their taproom/retail crew, to take on those responsibilities. Drop by the brewery at 250 Main Street to submit your resume.

A few more quick hits before we dismiss you for the week!

Speaking of Banished above, they have released a fresh and ever-so-slightly tweaked Space Puffling this week. Part of their Puffin New England IPA branding, this is just 4.0% ABV, but punches well above its weight in flavour and aroma, this one is on tap and in cans at their shop and at better spots around the city. Banished has also decided to release one of their brewhouse projects to the rest of us… Sparkling Water is something the folks have been enjoying for a while whilst working, taking their local Paradise water, double-filtering it, and adding some salts and a touch of acid, before carbing it up. Think of it as Newfoundland mineral water! No extra flavouring added to the current batch, but they are definitely considering that in the future.

Tatamagouche has brought back the Kitty Clyde Double IPA. At 7.8% ABV, this Double IPA is light on bitterness, but full of citrus, peach, and passion fruit from Vic Secret and Galaxy. Draught and cans from Tata’s taproom, online shop, and private stores soon.

Fredericton’s Trailway has brought back their Urban Sabrero, a 6.0% Double Dry Hopped IPA. As the name implies, this is made exclusively with Sabro hops, so think pina colada in a can! On draught and in cans at your usual haunts.

We’ve kept you long enough, Dear Reader, so please go out and enjoy your beer!

As we roll through another mix of strange temperatures and precipitation in the Atlantic Provinces, our local breweries keep trucking along and bringing out the news and brews to serve the people. In more general beer news, one of the classic pairings of Beer and Football will be featured on this Sunday’s Superb Owl! If your chief priority is to get some beer stocked up for the weekend, then your eagle eyes should look no further than some of the new releases and news below. 

We’re kicking off this week with some beer-adjacent news and the importance of celebrating African Heritage Month. The PEI-based folks at Upstreet have been working since the fall with the Black Cultural Society of PEI on a collaborative drink to honor and raise funds for the organization. The theme of the month for PEI’s month-long programming of events is Sankofa, a Twi (primary language in Ghana) word, meaning, “to look back into the past to guide the future.” Sankofa Tropic Punch  is also the name of the resulting drink collaboration between Upstreet and BCS! This is a 5.5% ABV cocktail which brings in big flavours of banana, grenadine, and passionfruit. 10% of all sales of the cocktail will be donated to the Black Cultural Society. You can grab this sweet and juicy cocktail on tap at the Upstreet Taproom and Craft Beer Corner in Charlottetown. Be sure to check out all the events this month from the BCS of PEI and try to engage in-person or online if possible. And if you’re not on PEI, check out your own provincial or municipal events to celebrate African Heritage Month now or anytime throughout the year. 

Keeping up with another collaboration, the Valley folks of Horton Ridge Malt House and Annapolis Brewing Company have teamed up to bring you Valley Helles. This is a Valley-based take on the German style Helles Lager but is made with local barley, of course. This crisp and refreshing lager brings classic notes of bread and crackers and a bit of malt sweetness with a very clean finish. It comes in at 4.3% and 16 IBU and is available in cans and on tap at both breweries. 

From the Fundy shores over to the Northumberland Strait of Nova Scotia, Tatamagouche Brewing has a new release to get your hands on. Zin Gin is a grapefruit and rosemary saison that’s been waiting to come out of the barrel for a while! The main brew started out in the kettle where Mistral and Chinook hops were joined by grapefruit peel and fresh rosemary. For fermentation, the wort was inoculated with a blended culture of French saison yeast and some Brettanomyces to bring out more herbal and citrus character. After primary fermentation, the beer went into gin-infused Zinfandel wine barrels for 8 months of maxing and relaxing, while making some botanical flavor friends along the way. After barrel-aging, it was blended with a neutral sour beer and then racked onto a dry hop of Saaz and more grapefruit peel. The beer was then can-conditioned and is available to you now. There is a dry and bitter profile to this one, but the sour component and racking really help balance this one out for a very complex and refreshing brew at 7% ABV. Find this one now in 355ml cans at the brewery or online. (and potentially on tap and in cans around Halifax). 

Another new release this week comes from Spryfield’s own Serpent Brewing. Available on Saturday, February 11th, Tanks but No Tanks is a Pale Ale that’s been boosted up with floral, citrus, and pine character while remaining well-balanced with toasty and sweet malt notes. Boasting a generous dry hop of Amarillo, this 4.4% beer is packed with flavour and should be a refreshing and juicy brew as we struggle with “will they or won’t they” Winter. This will be available in cans and on tap directly from the brewery.  

Someone’s been busy on Quinpool Road recently and that’s the Garrison brew team on their pilot system at their Oxford taproom. They’ve got not one, not two, but three small batches for you to sample and savor this week. Up first is Nuts about Honey, a peanut butter and honey (natch) ale. Starting with a base of Pilsner, with biscuity Victory and sweet crystal specialty malts, it was was bittered with Bravo and, we believe, saw additions of both peanut butter and honey, yielding a creamy smooth, sweet, and nutty final product at 6.3%. A variation on that theme arrives with the second beer, Nuts About Molasses. This one is 5.2%, and was largely Munich malt in the mash with a bit of Victory for character, Bravo again for bittering. This time to go with the peanut butter there was molasses, which gives some dark fruit, and some spices for clove and nutmeg notes. Lastly, we’ve got what they’re calling a “Red Hot IPA” that they’re calling Caliente. Pilsner, dark Munich, crystal, and chocolate malts come together in this one to provide a platform for hops and spice. Bravo was used here too, for bittering, but the stars of the hop show were Citra, Cascade, Mosaic, and Simcoe. To that very citrusy and no doubt dank base was added habanero, which bring characteristic flavors and, of course, a lingering heat. All three are available only at the Oxford taproom.

Never let it be said that Trailway is unwilling to experiment, even with the tried and true. After the rousing success of their Hu Jon Light variation of their OG Hu Jon Hops IPA, they decided to attempt a yin to that yang and are now releasing Hu Jon Heavy. Boasting the same hop varieties as its smaller siblings, you’ll get the same fresh tropical fruit, sticky pine, and kushy dankness, but with a fuller flavor and body. Probably no need to mention this one hits quite a bit harder as well at 8% ABV. You can grab it now at the brewery, and, we expect, this one will probably see some wider distro; you can also keep your eyes peeled as kegs have been released into the wild as well.

Whether you’re way down in the Southwestern Nova Scotia, or in the HRM, you have the chance to try a new one from Tusket Falls. An American Porter (think English Porter with a higher ABV and more hop character), Original Experience comes in at 6% and brings with it a full body and rich mouthfeel along with a creamy head. Old school c-hop Columbus adds a firm bitterness along with some earthy and citrus character that balance the malty, roasty, nutty, and chocolatey flavors provided by the specialty malts used, namely roasted barley, chocolate malt, Golden Naked Oats, and crystal malts. Grab it now in cans or on tap at either of their locations, in Tusket or on Gottingen Street in Halifax.

Let’s jump up to Newfoundland for the first time this week, starting with Bannerman who are releasing a new lager, Aces High.  Coming in at 4.5%, it’s essentially a light lager, aided by the addition of toasted rice. A Sorachi Ace dry-hop provides notes of peach, lemongrass and tea to keep things interesting. It’s on tap and in cans now at the brewery on Duckworth St., with cans also hitting NLC locations today (Friday) and Bannerman’s other retail spots later this weekend. 

You already knew that Moncton’s Tire Shack can bang out the dessert stouts, with their toasted marshmallow stout, Society, being a mainstay in their core offerings. They’re doubling down on those credentials this week with the release of Peanut Butter and Chocolate MIlkshake Stout. This one takes its chocolate notes from substantial quantities of dark malts, sees an addition of over 25 kilos of peanut butter, and also incorporates Lactose for added sweetness and mouthfeel. 

But if boffo big sweet stouts aren’t your thing, and you like to play more on the lighter side, or perhaps you’re more of a beer curious cocktail lover, Tire Shack also has you covered for that. Previously done as a pilot batch that was so popular it had to be scaled up and banged out in quantity, Cosmopolitan Sour is what it says on the tin: a beer version of the classic citrus and cranberry cocktail. You’ll find this one and the Society both now available in the tap room for pints and growler fills and also in cans to go.

Staying in the Moncton region of NB, but just down the road in Dieppe, CAVOK has a long-term project coming to light this week. Vega is named for the brightest star in the constellation Lyra (“the Lyre,” of course), a once (14,000 years ago) and future (in another 14,000 years or so) pole star, fifth-brightest star in the night sky, and one corner of the famed Summer Triangle asterism. But enough about the name, what about the beer? A raspberry pale ale that was fermented with Brettanomyces and aged in an oak foedre, at 5.3% you should find it a light and refreshing variation on an aged beer, which are most often bigger beers. You can confirm or deny this by visiting the brewery and grabbing one or more, either on tap or in 750ml bottles to go.

One of the region’s longest-running Homebrew Competitions, the Big Spruce Homebrew Challenge wrapped up this past weekend, as always at the Wooden Monkey in Dartmouth. This year’s event harkened back to the first edition of the competition, with a single wide-open IPA category where anything goes, and if you thought that an open IPA competition in 2023 would see a podium full of hazybois you’d be (⅔) wrong. In third place was Leo Arsenault and Jonathan Gavel of Antigonish with a British IPA, a rarer than hen’s teeth style in this day and age, but a very interesting and satisfying one. In second was Ryan Swinamer of Hammonds Plains, who had the requisite Hazy IPA. And coming in first place was Alex Hunt of Halifax, with another rather rare style (although familiar to longtime Spruceheads), a Cascadian Dark Ale, better known to many as a Black IPA. Congrats to all who placed and indeed, all those who entered, and thanks to Jeremy White, the team at Big Spruce, and the judging crew for putting on another great competition. Look for Alex’s winning beer with be scaled up and brewed for inclusion in the BS 10th Birthday Beer Box for April 1st!

We’ve only got one event for you this week, and it’s a ways away, but the sweet cheap tickets are on sale this weekend only!

No events to announce for this weekend, but we want to share some exciting news about an April event whose tickets are going on sale today. Together We Brew NS will take place on April 1 at Pavillion 22 at the Halifax Seaport. The event is being hosted by CBANS (replacing the Full House event from previous years), and will see over 50 CBANS members proffering their beers and ciders for sampling. Expect more than 250 locally produced beverages, live music, fun & games, and a bunch of different food options. Early bird tickets are available this weekend (only Sunday at midnight), with VIP tickets also available that will earn you extra samples and facetime with the brewery crews. Check out their website for more details on what is sure to be one of the highlights of the craft beer calendar this year. 

Looking for a little work in the beer industry? See below.

The gang at Stillwell Brewing is looking for a little hand with their retail, with casual Saturday morning market hours and other retail/taproom hours coming available in the near future. If you love beer and love sharing your love for beer with the public at large, why not get paid for it? You can reach out to nikki@stillwellbrewing.com for more information.

…aaaaand we finish with a couple of quick newsbites you can wash down with your first beer of the weekend.

Fans of Good Robot may have noticed a distinct lack of some of their favorite GR brews in the last little while. The truth is, they’ve been focused on volume lately, what with their big shiny new brewhouse and plenty of orders to fill for their core brands. But this week sees the first of what they’re intending to be a trend in their offerings, the return of Tom Waits Imperial Stout. Still big, still dark, still dangerous. Only on tap at the GR Robie Street taproom.

As mentioned in our intro above, fans of American football know what weekend it is, and unless you’ve got your head in the sand you know Tuesday is also everybody’s most favorite* Hallmark Holiday, Valentine’s Day! Both of these events, tending to occur in the deep of winter, often see breweries offer special products, special deals, or special events and this year is no exception. Check out your favorite brewery’s or bar’s socials and websites and see whether they might be offering a bundle deal like 2 Crows with their AC Light Lager flat of 24 for $50 or a Valentines package like Breton Brewing’s Valentine’s Day Beergram Package, or an event like Bar Stillwell’s Loner’s Valentine. We’ve seen some offerings in these veins from Lake City Cider, Landwash, and Garrison as well. Now is probably also a good time to remind you that the easiest way to find out about these sorts of things is by signing up for your favorite producers’ email list, which will often get you access to early and/or special purchases, occasional discounts, and more (always MOAR!).

* “nobody’s most favorite” and “everybody’s least favorite” are also possible.

Happy Labour Day Weekend! As visions of Back to School dance through your heads, we hope you enjoy your mostly-clear-looking 3 days off, before going back to the grindstone Tuesday. Be sure to check the opening hours at your local brewery or ciderhouse, just in case they are taking a much-needed break Monday. Just in case, stock up/place your online orders now to avoid disappointment! Here are a few new and returning beer, ciders, and everything in between, to get you through the next week. And stay tuned all the way to the end for details on how you can win your way into a beer fest later this month. Cheers!

Half Cut Brewing has been slinging beer (and Detroit-style pies thanks to their taproom pals Coastline Pizza) from their Northside Fredericton taproom for just about a month now, and are ready to release their newest one-off beer. Joining the Charlie Horse Kolsch, Jackhammer APA, and Tickle Fight IPA is Moustache Ride. This 6.5% New England IPA is brimming with hops on both the tongue and nose with citrus and stone fruit taking centre stage. Straw in colour with the iconic hop-full haze, the pillowy head keeps all those volatile terpenes and fruity esters locked in until you’re ready to imbibe. This is a taproom draught exclusive, so you’ll have to head over to 67 Main Street at 4 PM for a Ride and a slab to kick off your long weekend.

Big week for the folks on the North Shore, as Tatamagouche kicks off the long weekend with a trio of releases. Returning is the Intertidal: Idaho Gem, their continued exploration of hop-feature IPA recipes. Planting itself firmly in the traditional American IPA category at 6.4% ABV, it stays true to that style with North American-grown Idaho Gem and Chinook hops (with assists with some other old school varieties). Layering berry and citrus on top of pine and resinous, thanks to the multiple cones added throughout the process, including both hot- and warm-temperature whirlpool additions (post-boil/pre-transfer), before two rounds of IG dry-hopping late and then after fermentation. Pale, wheat, chit, and oat malts from Horton Ridge Malt & Grain support the hops with a full mouthfeel without getting bogged down. 

Switching gears completely is a pair of bottled releases months (years?) is the making. Starting from a blend of multi-month- and multi-barrel-aged Golden Sours (with a never-to-be-replicated amalgam of yeast and bacteria), it was then blended with many kilos of raspberry, strawberry, and dark cherry purees. The sugar introduced by the fruit kicked off another round of fermentation, with the Brettanomyces waking up and chewing through that, while giving off some more lovely berry notes of its own, as well as some light hay. The acidity from the bacteria keeps it zippy and clears the palate for a clean finish. Bottles of Monarch have been corked and caged for a while now, allowing them to condition and carb in the bottle, so we suggest grabbing a couple: one to enjoy now, and another one (or more) to try in a few months.

The second mixed fermentation sour from Tata this week is Iphias, a blend of older and new barrel-aged Golden Sours, which were combined and then conditioned with peach puree and ginger juice for a secondary fermentation period. Solid funk and barnyard from the oldest beer meld with the peach fruitiness and spice from the ginger, along with the young beer to soften the blend. This 6.3% ABV beauty has also been allowed to bottle condition for a few months, and with cork and cage, will keep for years. Cans and bottles of all three new releases are available in Tata’s retail store, as well as online for NS delivery and nationwide shipping.

Propeller’s 25th Anniversary year continues with another new release that sees the brewery exploring the area between truly low-alcohol (as defined by the gummint, anyway) and the 3 – 3.5% ABV range we used to call “sessionable.” Coming in at 2.5% is this new one “sub-sessionable”? That doesn’t sound right because it would be more sessionable, right? Maybe “super-sessionable”? Or you could just call it what Prop does, given that it’s a hop-forward beer with smooth mouthfeel and pleasant bitterness, and go with “Nano IPA.” Officially dubbed Big Tiny, it’s available now in 473ml cans from all Prop locations; look out for flavours of melon, grapefruit, and maybe even a soupçon of gooseberry. We’ll also remind you that Prop has cask nights at their Gottingen Street location every Friday starting at 6 PM where you’ll find a cask of one of their beers that’s usually undergone some sort of experimental addition. This week it’s their Prime Lager treated with watermelon and hibiscus. Head on down and enjoy one on their new patio!

The pride of Burnside and Antigonish, Spindrift Brewing, has two new releases to ring in September. First up is Soundtrack Peach and Apricot Sour. This kettle sour started with a base of Pilsner malt and malted wheat and saw additions of Magnum hops before fermenting on peach and apricot puree. Expect notes of tropical and stone fruit to compliment the tart character produced by the Lactobacillus. Soundtrack comes in at 5% ABV and 10 IBUs.  Also out is a new spin on their flagship Toller lager, Toller Red. Taking inspiration from the German Rotbier style originating in Nuremberg, it sees the addition of Munich and Caramel Munich to the usual Pilsner malt, giving it a darker colour, some fruit character and a hint of caramel. Also hopped with Magnum, Toller Red comes in at a sessionable 5.0% ABV and 19 IBUs. Both are out now in cans or for fills at Spindrift’s two locations, with Toller Red also seeing distribution through the NSLC in the coming weeks.

Spryfield’s Serpent Brewing has a few new and returning goodies this upcoming week. First up is their first Irish Red, being released tomorrow (Sept. 3). Their take on the style, it uses Red-X malt to deliver the di rigueur toasty and caramel notes. Can-conditioned this one will be available for taproom pours or to-go. Tuesday (Sept. 6) will see the release of Long Lake Lager, their take on a Czech-style lager using Pilsner malt with a touch of crystal malt, and a lager yeast propagated from their friends at Church Brewing. This one will be on tap and available to-go in cans. Finally, this week also saw the return of their Farmhouse Cider, The Bite. This batch is slightly different, with the saison yeast they used leading to a drier cider with some tart and funky notes and a 5% ABV. It’s available now at the brewery on tap and in cans.

Sticking with cidery news, Sydney’s Breton Brewing and Island Folk Cider House have teamed up once again to create Moxie Graf, a co-fermented apple juice beer. Graf is a style of beverage with 9,000 (!) year-old origins, that involves blending apple juice with beer wort and then fermenting with an ale yeast. The name is a homage to Moxham Castle, the creepy castle in downtown Sydney that was destroyed by fire in the 1960s. Expect a crisp drinking experience with notes of baked apple and caramel. Moxie Graf is available now at the Breton and Island Folk taprooms, and for delivery via Breton’s online store.

Does it feel like Fall to you? It was certainly cooler in Halifax this morning, but we wouldn’t go so far as to hasten the coming of the Autumn season when there’s officially three weeks left of Summer and hopefully even more weeks of patio beer viability yet to come. That said, though some will celebrate while others shake their fists in scorn, the first of the region’s harbingers of Fall is here, and it’s a two-fer: Upstreet now has both their Gravedigger Pumpkin Ale and their Libra Pumpkin Spice available as of yesterday. Gravedigger has been a stalwart since Upstreet’s first year, we believe, and features a deep copper color and aromas of pumpkin pie in a 6.5% package. It’s little sibling, as with all Libra brands, is a low-alcohol brew at 0.4% ABV and aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg. Look for these wherever you usually buy your Upstreet and/or your Libra.

Speaking of Libra, Kyle and Tony (or is it Tony and Kyle?) from the 902 BrewCast sat down with Mike Hogan (“Hogie”) of Upstreet and Libra to talk about the Libra brand, how it came to be, and how it’s doing in the market along with some discussion about no-/low-alcohol beers and Upstreet in general. You can check it out on your favorite podcast app or get it directly from the source. (Pumpkin beer haters worry not, we have reason to believe that this was recorded a little while ago and should be free of any gourdian content).

And speaking of Fall, that’s when the world’s largest celebration of beer takes place, in Germany and across the world: Oktoberfest! To celebrate their own Oktoberfest being held at the Beer Garden on the Waterfront (Sept 23 – Oct 2), Garrison has released their Hefe Weizen this week. Leveraging a bit of Aussie Cascade in this Wheat- and Yeast-driven brew, it features a touch of clove spice and banana on the nose and palate, perfect for enjoying a Maß or three. Cans and pints are available now at their Seaport and Oxford locations.

This week’s Newfoundland content comes to us from Boomstick Brewing in Corner Brook who partnered with music industry and community group Music NL to bring you Every Inch a Sailor, a blood orange and tangerine sour with a name that’s sure to resonate not only with Newfoundlanders, but with anyone who’s lived in Atlantic Canada for very long (or grew up listening to Sharon, Lois, & Bram and/or Fred Penner). Pretty much what it says on the tin, this is a kettle sour to which the team added blood orange and tangerine, producing a beer that is, “bright, light, and drinkable!” Surely one to enjoy while you’re doing some toe tappin’ to the strains of some Newfoundland music. Look for this one packaged in cans at the brewery, the Ultramar next store, and at Humber NLC. And don’t forget Music NL’s Music Celebration Week 2022 coming in late October to Corner Brook!

After a couple of years off (I wonder why??), the Nova Scotia Craft Beer Festival is back! Presented by the Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia, which represents breweries from all across the province, 40 breweries from Yarmouth to Sydney, Amherst to Sheet Harbour, will be putting their best foot, and beer, forward, September 16 and 17 on the Halifax Waterfront. Taking place at the Salter Block at 1521 Lower Water Street, this outdoor event will have something for everyone into well-made local beer, plus live music and DJ sets, axe throwing, and with the new ticketing system, the ability to exit and grab food from the Salt Yard vendors next door. There are three sessions (Friday evening, and Saturday afternoon and evening), and we are looking to give away a pair of tickets to the session of your choosing! All you need to do is post a picture, video, reel, whatever you prefer, of the NS craft beer you’re enjoying this weekend on Instagram, and be sure to tag the brewery, us, and CBANS (@ACBeerBlog and @NSCraftBrewers). No limit to those entries, but be sure that we can see it and share! We will do a random draw Tuesday at 9 AM. But for those of you who may not win, please be sure to grab your tickets soon to avoid missing out!

Ending off the week with a job posting, for those looking to join, or supplement, their Career in Beer. Lower Sackville’s TAPestry Beer Bar is looking for a beer slinger to join their ranks in a weekend part-time position (with more shifts as biz increases). A love of beer (hey, if you’re reading this, you’re already part way there) and preferably with some industry experience already, are key to success. Drop by the bar at 833 Sackville Drive to drop your resume and chat with Ian and the gang.