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Friday Wrap-Up for March 24, 2023 – News from New Scotland, Bannerman, Banished, Backstage, Propeller, 2 Crows, Rough Waters, Village Green, Tusket Falls, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2023-03-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Backstage Brewing, Banished Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia, Gahan Atlantic Home Brew Challenge, Iron Rock Brewing Co., Modern Brewer's Village Green, New Scotland Brewing, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Rough Waters Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

Another big week for beer releases, with more than a dozen from all four Atlantic provinces gracing our pages; it’s always nice when we can share a little bit of beer love for all of our readers. And remember, for our out-of-region folks, many breweries are still offering Canada-wide shipping, so don’t be shy about clicking through on brewery links to see what they’re offering! Now that we’ve exited the season of deep freezes (fingers crossed), breweries are more inclined to send beer out.

Let’s kick off the week with an overwhelming number of stouts hitting the taps in Downtown Dartmouth. New Scotland Brewing’s Brew Crew has been working overtime the last few months to put together a six-pack of new beers to celebrate “Darkside Days”. On tap tomorrow, you’ll see the return of McCoy’s Contraband, their 8.5% Foreign Export/Tropical Stout. Plenty of malt in here to enhance flavour and body, as was traditional to survive the long voyage from the UK to the Caribbean (just as pertinent now to survive the Halifax-Dartmouth crossings), think molasses and fruitcake, with a hint of sweetness too. While it is on tap now, you’ll be able to enjoy it in cans from the brewery in early April.

Joining McCoy’s are mixed-six of other stouts, in a wide array of flavour alcohol levels. Let’s start with Darkside Sunrise, a 5.2% stout brewed with whole bean coffee (of the “Breakfast Blend” variety), giving major coldbrew vibes with a hint of sweetness complementing the roast from the beans. Continuing the theme is Spread the News, a 5.5% Peanut Butter Stout, the perfect pairing to your morning toast and jam. Hints of dark fruit with a smooth head, and, of course, a nutty finish. It’s time for dessert with Darkside Forest Cake! A 5.5% chocolate cherry stout, blending the best of the base chocolatey stout with a bright fruit character from the cherry addition, it boasts a touch of sweetness and then finishes with tart cherries. 

Continuing your day in this overwrought analogy, let’s gather ‘round the fire for the Gimme Gimme s’more stout. Notes of honey and graham cracker, plus marshmallow vibes, on top of the chocolate and dark fruit from the base beer and a slightly warming 6.5% ABV from this beauty. And finally, coming in from the fire and lounging around the sitting room, it’s time to enjoy a pair of boozier offerings. O Sailor is just 5.5% ABV, but features notes of spiced rum with a touch of vanilla, herbs and spices, plus some black currant too, although this is most apparent on the aroma, rather than any harshness on the palate. Rounding out the group is Anastasia Bluegrass, a Bourbon Wood-aged Russian Imperial Stout. Again shining through in the aroma with vanilla and whiskey being the prominent notes, but not overwhelming the hefty base Imperial Stout, this one is definitely a “sipper” at 9.5% ABV. All six of the brews will debut Saturday at open, and we do not expect them to last the whole weekend, so make trails to New Scotland to avoid disappointment!

St. John’s Bannerman Brewing has a new beer on tap, teasing us with the warmer weather that’s just around the corner (right??). Four-Way Tie is a 5.5% pale ale, dry-hopped with plenty of El Dorado for big notes of pineapple and citrus on the nose and tongue. The grain bill contains a fair amount of both malted and flaked Oats, giving the beer a full body and mouthfeel without significant residual sweetness. Find it, and everything here, on tap and to go in cans at their East Duck location, and coming to local beer stores soon.

Nearby in Paradise, Banished Brewing has a new release that’s all about that feeling at the end of a long workday… Clockin’ Out is a 5.2% Red Ale, perfect for grabbing as you get back home after a day in the mill or on the front lines of retail. Their top-requested style since they opened, they are delivering what the people have demanded! With a touch of roasted barley in the grist to complement the other specialty malts, the German and UK hops provide some light floral and herbal notes on the nose. As always, the cans feature great artwork by Paul George Hammond, with some familiar and new cartoon animals to keep you company as you drown your Sunday Scaries. Available now on Maverick Place, and at the usual retailer spots real soon!

Hey all you Fortunate Sons and Daughters, Look Out Your Back Door, and ask yourself, “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” worse than last night? Well, Backstage Brewing in Stellarton is sure to cancel out any Bad Moon Rising, and make you feel like a Proud Mary (or Marty) with their latest release, the Creedence Coconut Revival IPA. This 5.9% ABV IPA features a bale-full of Azacca, Citra, and Mosaic, with a late addition of coconut right in the boil. Run Through the Jungle, drive through Cotton Fields, and head Down on the Corner to Backstage to grab this beer on tap and in growlers (Hey) Tonight.

Propeller Brewing has been embracing new styles, ingredients, and techniques since their inception in 1996, and their latest release embraces all three! Tundra is a 6.1% ABV Cold IPA, the newish style that was borne out of a bit of a rejection of the super-hazy presentation and full mouthfeel of NEIPA. Using a light grain bill, and fermenting cooler (but not at lager temp), the body is crisp and refreshing. Being an IPA, hops have to be the star of the show and they certainly are here, with the new HBC 1019 hop being used. Notes of Valencia oranges, candied peaches, and honeydew are first and foremost on the nose and palate.On tap and in cans at all Prop Shops now, this beer will also be at some of the private stores soon.

Lots of news from Brunswick Street’s 2 Crows Brewing this week. First up is a remix on the much-loved Jamboree fruited sour, with this version featuring mango, coconut, and vanilla. Starting from the same base of local Pils and wheat malts, in addition to flaked wheat and oats, the beer was first soured with Lacto Plantarum, and then fermented with Escarpment’s Ebbegarden Kveik yeast strain. Post-ferm, a load of mango purée (to the tune of 100 grams per litre!), toasted coconut, and whole vanilla beans were added while it finished conditioning and carbonating. The result is tart, fruity, tropical, and ready for you today! In cans and on tap now, and will be on their slushie machine tomorrow for the full fruit smoothie experience! Sandos will be popping up at noon, with live music in the brewery space starting at 7 PM. More info here.

And in a whole new line for the Dual Corvids is SANS, a line of non-alcoholic beers. They’re dialling in their no-ABV process with two releases this week: the first is Raspberry Sour, which leverages their souring and fruiting experience while producing Jamboree, but on a non-alcoholic base. Lots of raspberry in the glass, for a jammy and tart bevvy. Also now gracing the shelves is Hoppy, a light, fresh, and tropical IPA-kinda non-beer, with lots of Galaxy hops added late in the process to shine through. These are both small test batches, available on tap only, so be sure to pop by soon to test them out and report back to 2 Crows on what you think!

Rough Waters Brewing in Deer Lake has a new beer, named in honour of their Red Heeler Ella, who of course graces the beer’s label. Rascal is a 7.8% Double IPA, packed to the brim with Eclipse and Lotus hops, lending major citrus and pine to the flavour and aroma. Cans are available on the West coast, as well as at their regular distro spots on the Avalon, so head out on an adventure to grab them!

Cornwall, PEI’s Village Green has a new beer on tap this weekend for pints and growler fills, in the perfect “I can drink a couple, yet it has plenty of flavour” category. Polite Pale is a 4.8% pale ale brewed with a blend of English, German, and American hops for a truly complex aroma and flavour. Added to that was a warm ferment of English yeast to express some fruity esters on the nose as well. Pop by tomorrow evening at 7 PM, and you can even try your hand at The Simpsons trivia!

Tusket Falls Brewing has a new beer on tap and in cans this week, available at both their brewery in Tusket and their Halifax Beer Project spot on Gottingen. Differently Wired is a 6.5% Raspberry Sour, fermented using their house sour blend of bacteria, before a hefty dose of Citra and Amarillo was added to complement the vanilla beans, lactose, and the eponymous fruit brought this beauty to fruition (ha!). It features a smooth mouthfeel with a bit of sweetness to balance the acidity from the bacteria and fruit. Head out and grab some today!

Another fruited sour is out in the wild this week, albeit 1,500 km from Tusket, Nova Scotia… Baccalieu Trail Brewing in Bay Roberts, NL is embracing the American Southwest with the release of Cactus Crush. Using Prickly Pear puree, you can enjoy all the flavour of that fruit, without having to pull small needles out of your lips (ask us how we know!). The fruit imparts a lovely pink hue to the beer, and shines through flavour-wise with notes of kiwi, melon, and watermelon, all in a tidy 4.2% ABV package. Available on tap at the brewery now, with cans to go as well at NLC, Urban Market, and Maries in St. John’s today!

Not to be outdone by Backstage and 2 Crows, North Brewing also has a beer this week that features coconut (seems to us some brewers may have been visiting, or at least dreaming of, warmer climes over March break). But there’s more to it than that! Member of the North brewteam Alex Wong was inspired during a trip to Singapore to make Shiok Cream Ale, a cream ale made with coconut and pandan. Pronounced “she-oak” the term is slang for “very tasty” or “delicious” which is what Alex hopes you’ll say about this beer. A tribute to the Singaporean/Malaysian breakfast treat kaya, which is an egg-based custard spread that also features coconut and pandan, this beer aims to be a little sweet but still crushable. Look for a prominent coconut aroma which follows through to the palate along with lemon, nuttiness, and an earthy citrus. Somewhat hazy in appearance, with a slightly-creamy medium body, there’s a light acid balance and a higher-than-usual carbonation as well. This was a pilot batch so it’s limited in quantity and only available on tap at the North taprooms in Cole Harbour and Timberlea.

Fredericton’s Trailway is reminding everyone that they’re not just all about the hops this week with a new batch of Ramifications, their Helles lager. Intended as an all-day easy drinker, you can safely expect a clean flavor profile, round and soft, with some malt sweetness and minimal bitterness in a crushable 5% ABV package. You’ll find this one available at the brewery in Fredericton and in Saint John at the recently opened Union House, as well as in cans to go.

Bucking the recent trend away from mixed fermentation beers are our pals at Tatamagouche Brewing. Trusting their customers will appreciate a well-made example, they’ve brought a second iteration of Glad Alchemy, a mixed ferm pale ale. Described as, “vibrant and bursting with funky flavors,” it is a showcase of the fruity and funky character that can be derived from hops when driven by fermentation with wild yeasts and bacteria. Expect a light and sparkly mouthfeel, a big pop of pink grapefruit, passion fruit, and pineapple, and a bit of vanilla on the finish. This one was conditioned for eight months in neutral oak barrels which no doubt has added a touch of tannins to the mix as well. You can get your hands on this 5.5% beauty in cans at the brewery, and we expect maybe a couple of kegs will make it around the region, but you can also order it online. And to make that even more attractive, Tata is doing free Canada-wide shipping this weekend (March 24 – 26th)!! Just use the code MARCHFREESHIP at checkout.

Rounding out the release news this week we travel to possibly the most remote brewery in our region, Iron Rock in Labrador City. A revised version of the beer they made for Iron Fest 2022, it’s a 3.7% ABV golden-hued ale, a crushable brew that can be enjoyed all afternoon long and into the evening. It’s currently only on tap at the brewery right now, but they’re planning a bigger batch so they’ve got more to share. This one will also be the beer of record at Iron Fest 2023 in August, when Luce Ends, who won the Battle of the Bands event where this beer was released last week, kick off the concert portion of the proceedings.

There’s a big NS beer event on the horizon along with news of a region-wide event that finished up last weekend:

Big congratulations to the winners of last weekend’s 4th Annual Atlantic Home Brew Challenge, by Gahan House. With more than two dozen entries from across the four Atlantic provinces, Al MacLeod reigned supreme with his Herr Dustig German Pils. Al will be brewing a stepped-up version of his brew with Matt at the Saint John Gahan Pub location later this year. Taking First Place in the Altbier category was Ben Hussey with his Atlantic Alt, who also scored some cash for his homebrew. Other successful breweries taking home some dough are Andre Reichel, Robert Schnarr, and Patrick Hogan. Congratulations to Al and everyone who took place, we hear the judging was tight, as the quality of homebrewing continues to elevate across the region!

We’ve got the first beer show of Spring coming up next weekend, with the Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia kicking off NS Craft Beer Month with the Together We Brew Festival April 1. Taking place at Pavilion 22 on Halifax’s waterfront, it will see 40 breweries from across the province together again in one place. This is your best chance to do a “tour de province” under one roof, before you plan your beery travels this summer! There are two sessions happening next Saturday, either 2 – 4:30 PM (VIP can enter at 1 PM) session to kick off your evening, or 7 – 9:30 PM (VIP @ 6 PM) to set your night into high gear. Tickets are available here and your ticket price now includes all samples (no individual drink tickets needed anymore!), and for those interested in volunteering before, during, or after the festival, check out the options and sign up here. More details are available here, should you like to review their safety protocols.

Looking to get into the beer business? Breweries are expanding their workforce as they prepare for fast-approaching busy season!
Chester Basin’s Tanner & Co is preparing for a busy summer by hiring for a seasonal full-time Brewery Production and Cellar Assistant. While no previous brewery experience is necessary, an interest in the field and hard working ethic are going to be key to your success. Could be the perfect job for someone looking to get in the Beer Biz on the South Shore! Check out the full job listing and how to apply here!

Friday Wrap-Up for February 24, 2023 – News from Banished, Iron Rock, Propeller, Tusket Falls, Tire Shack, Port Rexton, Landwash, Gahan, Eventide, Unfiltered, Boomstick, and more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2023-02-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Banished Brewing, Boomstick Brewing, Canadian Brewing Awards, Eventide Mead, Gahan House (Halifax), Iron Rock Brewing Co., Landwash Brewery, Newfermenters Homebrew Club, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Saint-Pancrace, Shipwright Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, The Stillwell Freehouse, Tire Shack Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

Here we are at the tag end of February and for much of the region we’re just now seeing a real tangible bit of winter. With messy weather today throughout much of NB/NS/PE and cold temperatures forecast throughout the weekend, it seems like a perfect weekend to stock up on some bigger brews and hunker down for some fireside sipping. And we’re in luck on that front, with the region’s breweries stepping up with a bunch of new beers on the go this week. So read on, plan your purchases, and be sure to check socials and brewery websites for changes to brewery hours or closures due to weather!! Our next post will be firmly in the warm(er) embrace of March with Spring just around the corner. Right? Right?!!?!

Kicking off the blog this week with two exciting news pieces from Paradise, Newfoundland’s Banished Brewing. Banished Imperial Stout is a brand new 9.0% ABV release, and chock-full of chocolate and coffee notes thanks to the dark and roast malts used in the mash. Full mouthfeel and plenty on the go to fuel your evenings hunkered down in front of the fire. Available at their retail shop on Maverick Place in Paradise, and heading out to retailers this coming week. Otherwise, grab it from Canada-wide shipping on their website.

And making their Mainland debut, Banished has sent over a pallet of kegs and cans to the fine folks at Bar Stillwell and the Stillwell Freehouse. Between the two locations, you’ll find An Elaborate Series of Mirrors American Lager, Groundskeeper’s Best Bitter, Crosstown Cooldown Coffee Porter, Space Puffin NEIPA, and Out the Gate Belgian Single on draught, and cans of Liquorsauce Lager, Paradise Town Tangerine Sour, No No No Yes No Pale Ale, Space Puffin and Intergalactic Puffin NEIPA and Triple NEIPA, Tall Trees WC IPA, and Jim Time DIPA. These debuted yesterday, so get your butt down there soon to avoid disappointment!

Lab City’s Iron Rock Brewing has teamed up with Microbrasserie St-Pancrace, as part of the Quebec Brewery’s 10th Anniversary celebration. While not exactly “close”, Baie-Comeau is only an 8 hour drive from Iron Rock, so that’s about as close as things get in that neck of the woods! Their collaboration is a 6.4% Maibock, a malt-forward lager, with notes of brown sugar and dried fruit with a lovely bready aroma. Available to enjoy at the Iron Rock taproom now! And joining it is the first of IRBC’s Pilot Brews, Peanut Butter Porter. It is what it says it is. 🙂 Enjoy on draught in the taproom or by growler to take away. Check their IG for this weekend’s goings ons!

Halifax’s Propeller has made quite a habit of new and interesting releases over the past couple of years and this week sees another. Lykos is a dry-hopped lager coming in at 5.2% ABV. Crisp and dry, as an easy-drinking lager should be, but with the added interest of a dry hop regimen that provides aromas of orange and apricot and a finish reminiscent of black tea. You won’t have to blow any houses down to find this one, it’s available from the Prop shops, for online ordering and home delivery, and will be at all the private stores in the city in short order.

Speaking of lagers, and sticking in Nova Scotia, Tusket Falls is releasing one of their own. Slow by Nature references the 60-day lagering period that helped bring this German-style Helles Lager to its crispy best. Featuring a balanced palate of honey and malt sweetness paired with dried floral notes, it has the characteristic German Noble hop finish provided by Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. And at only 4.8% ABV it’s very likely to taste like another. Look for it at the brewery down in Tusket or in the city on Gottingen Street; and don’t forget that Tusket does online ordering and country-wide shipping so you can try it wherever you might be.

Hub City’s Tire Shack Brewing has a pair of new releases for us this week. First up is a small experimental release, a Coffee Belgian Quadrupel. Starting with the iconic Strong Dark Belgian beer, which featured some Candi Syrup made by their very own Brewmaster Henry Soares. Complementing and enhancing the already flavourful dark and sweet dried fruit character, coffee from Down East Coffee was added after the fact. At 9.0%, this seems like a beer to either start, or end, your day with! You can pair that with the previously-debuted Mango IPA. Juicy as all get out, the mango further bumps up the tropical notes from a generous dry-hopping of Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe. On tap and in cans at the brewery today. And for those who are looking to spread love and generosity, the Tire Shack Crew are taking part in a 5k charity walk, raising money for Coldest Night of the Year through Youth Impact Moncton. Check out their team page here!

Getting a head start on this year’s International Women’s Day (coming March 8), Port Rexton Brewing has Violet Femmes on the shelves and on draught now. This returning favourite is a 4.6% dry-hopped sour, featuring butterfly pea flower, which is a lovely shade of purple in the glass. As always, the beer is not only a celebration of woman, but also a fundraiser for community groups, and this year is no different. For 2023, PRBC is teaming up with the SaltWater Community Association, with all proceeds of the beer going to their Women’s Shelter in Bonavista. VF is available now at their St. John’s Retail Shop and the Brewery in Port Rexton, with further distro happening shortly! Keep your eyes open for t-shirts with this year’s can design, coming soon. We hope this is the first in many releases to celebrate and contribute to important Women’s causes, as they are important causes for all.

Speaking of PRBC, and looping in Landwash in Mount Pearl, we’ve got another beer to tell you about from the Rock this week and it’s (obviously) a collaboration between the two. Continuing in the Landwash tradition of collab beers with portmanteau names (cf. Dream Time with Bannerman), Blazing Waves is what you might expect to get if Port Rexton’s Blazing Sun and Landwash’s One Wave had an itty bitty barley baby and then raised it on a steady diet of hops. It’s actually not so itty bitty though, stomping through the playroom at a beefy 10% and positively reeking of citrus, stone fruit, and a slight dankness. Very large quantities of Citra, Nelson Sauvin, and Simcoe are to thank for that. This one is only available at Landwash (cans and draught) for now and the quantities are limited while the wheels of distribution turn ever so slowly, but you should start to see it in your usual haunts in the coming week or two.

Back in downtown Halifax, Gahan Nova Centre is releasing a new beer, but an old beer. How does that work? Through the magic of long-term aging in barrels, of course! Originally brewed almost two years ago, Winter Warmer has been quietly maturing in one of Gahan NC’s oaken foedres since then, copping some mild tannic notes from the wood and developing deeper notes of cherry and sweet malt. Not a huge beer by any means at 5.5%, it’s been packaged in 375ml bottles, perfect for a nightcap by the fire on a cold winter weekend. It’s also been shared around the region, so whether you’re in Halifax, Charlottetown, Saint John, Fredericton, or Moncton, you can grab some at your local Gahan location.

Sticking with the winter warmer theme, but flipping the script a little from beer to mead, Eventide Mead has a new one available this week. Winter Warmer is a sparkling mead pumped up a touch with cinnamon for a decidedly spicy presentation that will warm you from inside out. Coming in at 5.7%, it’s been packaged in 500ml bottles which are available at the meadery as well as their stalls at Alderney Landing Market and Seaport Market on the Halifax side.

Always ones to keep things short and sweet (maybe not…), Unfiltered Brewing has announced that this year’s version of their big, bold, brash, and boozy Russian Imperial Stout is available now. Commissar 2023 spent some time aging in oak, is definitely not rum-fortified, and is a whopping 11.5%. 500ml bottles are available for purchase now at the North Street brewery, and available to enjoy in person at Charm School next door.

If you thought we were done with NFLD news today, you’re sorely mistaken; it seems like a boom week for beers up there this week. Across the island from where we last left you, all the way to Corner Brook, we’ve got Boomstick bringing a brand new pale ale they’re calling, Braaap! What the hell is, “braaap,” you ask? We’re just a bunch of mainland city slickers, but we’re pretty sure it’s a reference to dirt bikes, ATVs, and/or, more seasonally, snowmobiles! (Seriously, say it to yourself. Loudly. Again. We bet you just absentmindedly reached for a phantom throttle and said it again.) Anyways, Braaap! is a pale ale at 5.6% with a restrained bitterness but plenty of citrusy aroma and flavor from Citra and Mandarina Bavaria hops. A perfect après sled beer, the key word there is “après,” you dig? You can grab it at the brewery now.

If you’re not from around these parts, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the name of the new beer from Shipwright Brewing as a reference to the MacKay and MacDonald bridges across Halifax Harbour. But locals know that Shipwright is in Lunenburg and there’s no way they’re naming a beer after bridges in the city (and non-locals ain’t reading this blog, we’d wager). What bridges do they mean? Well, we don’t know either. We do know that Two Bridges is a double IPA with a bracing 80 IBU and 8.5% ABV. So if you’re curious about the name, maybe head on in and ask as you sample a pint or grab a crowler to go.

Let’s close out this week’s new beers with one more from the Rock. Continuing their 5-year collaboration with the Newfermenters homebrew club, Quidi Vidi Brewery has released Midnight Poacher Dark American Lager. Brewed by Mark Fitzpatrick, this 5.0% ABV brew has big roast and chocolate flavours, along with some dark fruit and an earthy hop note, with light bitterness. Available now Quidi Vidi’s retail locations, and soon across the Island in NLC and convenience stores. Look for more in that series to be released throughout the year!

OK, one last thing for real this week… In case you didn’t know, Halifax will be hosting the 2023 Canadian Brewing Awards and Conference, happening June 1-3. With thousands of attendees expected from hundreds of breweries across the country, there will be tons going on for the 21st installment of the event, whether as part of the conference, or as hosted by local breweries and good beer establishments around the HRM. To help keep the conference running smoothly, the organizers are looking for some volunteers to assist before and during the event. There are plenty of perks in helping out too, as you can imagine from a beer-centric event! If that sounds like something you’ll be able to assist with, please reach out to Megan and sign up! Let her know the ACBB sent ya!

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!