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Friday Wrap-Up for March 3, 2023 – News from Trailway, Island Folk, Truro, Hardisty, Big Axe, Rough Waters, Half Cut, Tire Shack, and plenty more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2023-03-03
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Axe Brewery, Bishop's Cellar, BrewHQ, Candid Brewing, East Coast Cider Company, Fairweather Brewing, Gahan House (St. John's), Half Cut Brewing, Hardisty Brewing, Island Folk Cider House, Maritime Express Cider, North Brewing, Rough Waters Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tire Shack Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Truro Brewing Company. Leave a Comment

Could this be our last weekend of winter? It just might be! The clocks change again soon, we’re in the midst of a snowy weekend and it will be March Break before you know it. Are we always talking about the weather? Sometimes! But let’s start talking about the wonderful beer and news from across our region! Let’s kick it off with a few releases celebrating International Women’s Day 2023, which is being marked next Wednesday.

Let’s start our day in Fredericton, where Trailway Brewing is celebrating IWD2023 with the release of Physica Raspberry Cream IPA. Named after the text written by Hildegard Von Bingen in the 12th century, she is thought to be the first to add hops to beer (much more on Von Bingen and Physica in this article). Walking in Von Bingen’s, and the thousands of women instrumental in the evolution of beer over the centuries, steel-toed rubber boots are the women of Trailway who designed, produced, and packaged Physica. Using plenty of hops (namely El Dorado and Mosaic), the IPA was conditioned on Raspberry, giving it plenty of fruit, light sweetness, and a lovely creamy mouthfeel. Physica is out now at the brewery on draught and in cans, and look to local licensees to enjoy in your neighbourhood. A portion of the profits will be going to Women in Transition House in Fredericton and Cloverdale Centre for Women in Saint John. Donations are also being collected all month long for these organizations, at their Fredericton taproom, and the soon-to-open Union House Taproom in Saint John. Give early, and often!

Sydney’s Island Folk Cider House is also celebrating and supporting women with an IWD2023 release, Embrace Equity. This Honey & Lavender Cider is available at the taproom for samples, pints, and in bottles to take away. Part of the proceeds are being donated to Every Woman’s Centre, a non-profit promoting, developing and supporting the enhancement of women’s lives in Cape Breton Communities. Drop by Island Folk’s spot on Nepean Street to imbibe and support today!

On to the Hub of Nova Scotia, where Truro Brewing Company recently hosted Char of Hardisty Brewing for a brewday to celebrate Queer Women in the NS Brewing Industry. Taking inspiration from another popular fizzy drink, root beer, Char’s wife and business partner in Hardisty, Laura, put together an appropriate blend of spices and herbs to best recreate the in a beer. On the brewday, Jana of TBC hosted Char to make the final product a reality. The result is Wicked Roots, a 5.0% ABV Dark Ale. Heavily spiced both in, and after, the kettle, to bring out a vibrant root beer character. The beer is dropping early next week, it will be available on tap and in cans at Truro Brew Co, cans from Hardisty, and on tap at better establishments in the region, including Battery Park and Good Robot’s Robie Street taproom. [Ed note: we originally wrote that Laura was with Truro Brewing Company, and apologize for that mistake]

Switching to another charitable release, Big Axe Brewery has released Big Axe Bitter. Owner Peter Cole was prompted by drinks writer Craig Pinhey to brew the style, after the two had been speaking of their mutual loss of a parent to Alzheimer’s Disease. Pinhey spoke highly of the UK Bitter style, recalling the time he and his brothers took his father back to his hometown of Blackawton in England, and sharing pints in the many old pubs of the region, shortly before his father’s passing. Starting from a well-developed homebrew recipe provided by Pinhey, Cole made it BA’s own, but certainly kept the backbone of the original style, including some flaked maize and Maris Otter and Special B malts. A portion of the can sales will be going to Alzheimer Society of New Brunswick, and you can learn more from Cole himself in this video clip.

Heading up to Newfoundland, and Deer Lake in particular, we find that Rough Waters Brewing Company has a new beer on the go. Definitely not so seasonable with the weather in our region this weekend, but maybe a nice inspiration to think of warmer times ahead, Tangled is a lime gose that was brewed with both lime and sea salt, which should give you some margarita vibes even if laying on a beach chair right now is not an option. In keeping with Rough Waters’ overall environmental awareness it’s also a beer with a cause, with $1 from every can purchased going to the Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative and specifically their Zero-Plastic Waste Gros Morne program. Look for it at the brewery now, in Deer Lake at the Big Stop and Corner Brook at the NLC and it’ll be available on the East Coast in the coming weeks!

Fredericton’s Half Cut Brewing has a dark and roasty beer out this week, perfect as a morning pick-me-up or to finish off your day. Tire Fire is an Irish Dry Stout, and served on Nitro at the brewery, so you can enjoy the lovely cascading bubbles™ (probably) as the beer settles. Your patience will be rewarded with big roast and chocolate notes, along with a touch of earthiness from the hops. That nitro treatment means it is both creamy and dry at the same time, enticing you to take another sip (or pint).

Stop in at Moncton’s Tire Shack today, and you’ll see something distinctly aquamarine pouring from the taps. Channeling the blue waters of an island paradise where there isn’t 25 centimetres of snow on the ground, Brewers Henry and Murray cooked up a 5.0% Mango and Guava Sour, bursting with tropical stone fruit and citrus aromatics. But why the blue-green colour? Spirulina, a flavourless algae that is thought to be high in antioxidants, and even higher in happiness-inducing power. Grab Santorini on tap and in cans to go this weekend, before it sails away for good!

In Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley we’ve got a couple of new ciders to tell you about. Up first, in Kentville at Maritime Express, is the latest in their STORM series, this one inspired by Hurricane Fiona last fall, which had a devastating effect on the Valley’s apple crops, with 10-30% of apple crops lost to wind. Leveraging these storm-caused “drops” from local farmers has two impacts: it helps the farmers get some return on what would otherwise be lost crop, and it also has an impact on the cider itself, because early season fruit has less sugar and more tannins. Made from Honeycrisp and Gravenstein apples, this one is semi-dry and comes in at 5.8% ABV. It’s also got a charitable angle, with $0.50 of each 750ml bottle sold going towards The Portal Youth Outreach Association, “a safe space for youth to receive support and access programs.”

Meanwhile, in Annapolis Royal, East Coast Cider Co has a new cider of their own as well, a semi-sweet cider that wears its blueberry content proudly with its pale purple color. Featuring a subtle blueberry flavor and aroma, but maintaining a crisp finish, you’ll find this 6% ABV beauty, known simply as Blueberry Cider on tap and in cans at the brewery/cidery.

Antigonish’s Candid Brewing is trying to keep your identity (and dance moves) safe from the prying eyes at TikTok, by releasing Californication this week. Straight from Silicon Valley, this Pale Ale is solidly in the “West Coast” style, favouring hop bitterness and crispiness, over the haze and soft mouthfeel. At 5.4% ABV, it certainly punches above its weight. Grab it in cans, as well as on draught, at their taproom on College Street today.

The Year of North Brewing continues tomorrow, March 4, as the Cole Harbour brewery takes over the dozen taps at Barrington Street’s Bar Stillwell. From noon til sell-out, there will be a full complement and variety of styles on display, from their old-school Gus’ Blonde, Pip Pip Cheerio English Porter, Pear Core Values Cider, and a special release debuting tomorrow, Larger Than Larry. Keen-eyed Beer Detectives may be able to sort out what this beer is all about, taking inspiration from their Lawrencetown Session IPA, but increasing the alcohol and hops, to produce a 6.0% New England IPA. Look for this to be available on cask for enjoyment all day!

Great news for beer lovers in St. John’s, the Gahan Harbourview has now become fully operational, and is selling their own in-house brewed beer! Head Brewer Jordan is ready to show off what he’s been doing with a Behind the Brew event next Wednesday. Join Jordan in trying more than a half-dozen beers across the flavour spectrum, while pairing it with different food stations, including oysters, fish tacos, sliders, and more! This is a ticketed event, so grab yours today!

A couple more things before we dismiss you this week…

As they’ve done a couple of times previously, the homebrew-heads at BrewHQ in Burnside are selling some fresh, pre-made wort, for those of you looking to brew your own at home. As it is the season, and you could turn it around in a couple of weeks, they have cooked up an Irish Stout just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day. The specs are ~1.045 Starting Gravity, with an expected Final Gravity of 1.011 (YMMV, of course), for a 4.5% ABV Stout. Low bitterness, to about 30 IBU. Check their social media to be sure everything goes without a hitch this morning, then pop by to grab your aseptically-sealed bag o’ wort (bringing a milk crate or something similar will help with transportation).

Finishing up the week with some out-of-town brewery news, Bishop’s Cellar has brought in a fresh shipment of goodies from Fairweather Brewing of Hamilton, ON. Five beers are in the fridge as of today, including a Schwarzbier, Pale Ale, IPA, Fruited Sour, and a dessert Imperial Stout. Check BC’s page for the full rundown, and to order yours for NS-wide shipping or delivery!

Thursday Wrap-Up for November 10, 2022 – News from Rough Waters, Shipwright, Bogside, Copper Bottom, TrailWay, Mauzy, Banished, Breton, Propeller, Quidi Vidi and plenty more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2022-11-10
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Banished Brewing, Bogside Brewing, Breton Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Island Folk Cider House, Mauzy Cidery, Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Rough Waters Brewing, Route 19 Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Church Brewing Company, TrailWay Brewing. 1 comment

Happy Thursday evening! We’re a day early, but a few hours late. But better late than never, right pals? We’ve already used all of our best material below, so let’s just stop the lame jokes and get right to the good stuff!

Deer Lake’s Rough Waters released their first lager last weekend, which is now available at their local good beer shops, and now outside of their region. Perfectschen-lager is an Amber lager, inspired by the German Munich Dunkel style. While light in body, the specialty malt lends a light toast and caramel note, shining through the crisp and clear yeast profile. While their taproom is closed for the season, the RW Crew are still working hard to put out new and exciting beers for you!

Lunenburg’s Shipwright Brewing is making the most of a logistics miscommunication this week, with Exit 8 Hoppy Mistake. What began as a request for Maris Otter malt while in town, turned into a purchase of Munich malt instead, which was not discovered until Exit 8 of the 103 Highway! No need to panic, new Brewer Jason Crozier was able to turn that into a great beer nonetheless! An American Amber Ale, with plenty of toast, dried fruit, and caramel from the malt, with a healthy bitterness from Cascade and Topaz hops, all in a 6.5%/44 IBU package. Available at their taproom on Montague Street for pints, crowler, and growler fills all weekend.

Bogside Brewing has a pair of releases out now, one holding out on summer, the other foretelling of the cooler months ahead, available just in time for the weekend. Gone Coastal American IPA is 6.5% ABV, and bursting with loads of citrus and honeydew melon, thanks to the additions of Callista and Huell Melon late in the process. And in a completely different vein, Stocking Stuffer Winter Wheat is a Belgian Witbier, whose subtle hints of orange and spice may even work as a mulled beer choice as the nights become longer and cooler. Both are available through their online shop for delivery, or in their taproom. Both of these can also be found in their 24 Day Holiday Advent Calendar, available for pre-order now, and delivered PEI-wide Nov 23. Insider scoop, there will be one beer exclusive to this Calendar, available nowhere else!

Staying in Montague, PEI for a little bit, we have a pair of upcoming releases from Copper Bottom to let you know about. Debuting this Saturday is Eclipse, a 6.5% Black IPA. Melding lovely citrus and pine aromatics from the Cascade, Simcoe, and Galaxy hops used late, along with the dark roasted and coffee notes from the malt, all in a lovely alluring dark package.

Next Saturday, November 19th, is Copper Bottom’s Fifth Anniversary, and of course they are throwing a party to celebrate! Live music all afternoon, turning into a dance party that evening, Pizza Box Food Truck and Oyster shucking all day, plus a new beer release, how could you miss it?? Speaking of, Birthday Beer 5 may be their most ambitious yet: an 8.0% Pastry Stout, complete with toasted coconut flakes, cacao nibs, and lactose for a touch of residual sweetness. The Chocolate Malt complements the Roasted Barley for plenty of flavour, with oats to help with mouthfeel. Details on the music lineup and party are available here!

Let’s jump to our only news from New Brunswick this week. Trailway is releasing The Blend, their first take on a style that’s growing in popularity outside of the region, the Smoothie Sour. Part beer, part fruit smoothie, these thick and creamy soured ales incorporate fruit and other additions to push the limits of beer styles and draught lines alike. And because of the unfermented fruit additions, these cans MUST be kept cold, unless you want to kick start a refermentation and have the tops start blowing open on your drive home. This first run of The Blend is a limited release, with cans of the 5.3% sour available at the brewery now.

A few weeks ago, we mentioned the launch of Newfoundland’s newest cidery, Mauzy, which focuses on wild fermentation methods. This Saturday (November 12), they’re releasing their newest product in Mt. Pearl at the Landwash taproom. Willie is a spontaneously fermented cider t\that showcases Williams Pride apples from nearby Kelligrews. This one was aged for eight months prior to bottling and then bottle conditioned with honey from Baccalieu Trail Honey. Bottle pours will be available at the Landwash taproom beginning at 5 pm. For those not otherwise able to make it to the celebration, online ordering is also available.

Paradise’s other purveyor of fermented wares, Banished Brewing, also has a new release out this week with another iteration of Paradise Town, their rotating line of fruited (or not) sours. This latest version is Tangerine, with this 5.5% sour featuring massive notes of sour tangerines and yummy citrusness. You can find it now at the brewery in Paradise, and keep an eye on their social channels to see if it will hit the wider distribution network on the Avalon.

Let’s cross the Strait to Cape Breton, where Breton Brewing is partnering with Cape Breton University Alumni Association  for the release of Now & Forever CBU. This 4% ABV lager is a light and crisp crusher with enough bitterness at 20 IBUs to draw you back in for more. A portion of the sales will go to student awards and scholarships at CBU. Cans are available now at the two Sydney locations, or through their online store for delivery.

We told you all about Propeller Brewing’s Wild IPA release back in April, and the brewing crew at Propeller have something special available for us today… Wilder IPA! Choosing a specific white wine barrel from their inventory, this Wild Ale was fermented with Escarpment’s Mothership Brett Blend and hung out in that same barrel for two and a half years, allowing some massive bold fruit and funk character to develop. The beer was then blended with some freshly brewed IPA with Nelson Sauvin, Citra, Vic Secret, and Galaxy hops, which kicked off a secondary (or tertiary) fermentation that was captured during the can conditioning phase. The resulting beer features plenty of tropical and citrus notes from the fresh beer and ingredients, which allowing the tart and complex Brett notes to complement. This 6.2% meeting of old and new is available in cans at all 3 Prop Shops now, for home delivery and Canada-wide shipping, and there will be a little launch at Bishop’s Cellar on Saturday to celebrate its arrival!

Speaking of sours, let’s head back to The Rock to Quidi Vidi, who have released the collaborative Hard Ticket Fruit Punch Sour this week. Teaming up with the imaginative folks at Saltwater Designs, the Hard Ticket is juicy, creamy, and tart, with tropical fruits like pineapple and peach coming through in spades. Head down to the gut or their Hop Shop, or check out your local NLC or convenience store to grab some.

Sydney NS’s Island Folk Cider House has a returning favourite this week, with a brand new seasonal name. Sweater Weather is here, and it’s their Cranberry Cinnamon Cider in a brand new label and name. 100% NS-grown apples and cranberries in the can, with a touch of cinnamon to complement the fruit blend. At 6.5%, you’ll be warmed up in no time! Grab it from their taproom today!

A bit of a preview for you beer wonks who are tuning in on Thursday afternoon… Tatamagouche Brewing has a sneak peek of a brand new English Ale that will soon be in advent calendars around the region. Flintshire is 4.0% ABV, which means it can be consumed in quantity without too much work. And what better way to enjoy this blend of toast and caramel malt notes with the earthiness of Fuggles (with a dash of Cascade for some citrus brightness) and fermented with an iconic English ale yeast than on a handpump aka beer engine? I can’t think of one either, so we’re thrilled to share that the first releases of Flintshire will be debuting on cask at better beer bars in the province (and possibly beyond!), saving you the cost of a plane ticket to jolly old England.

Dartmouth’s Spindrift Brewing is pushing the Toller line above and beyond this week with their release of Toller Ice. Doesn’t seem like this one was Cold Filtered For Maximum Punch, but at 6.0%, it is the highest ABV of the Toller family. Eschewing the rice and corn found in the other members of the ensemble, this is an all-malt brew, with a hint of Melanoidin sitting on top of the base of Pilsner malt. A small addition of Warrior hops ensure it does not finish too sweet. Toller Ice is available now at both the Dartmouth and Antigonish Spindrift locations, and at the NSLC.

As a small follow-up to last week’s announcement of the Belgian Strong, the collaboration between longtime friends Steve Crane and Glen O’Keefe of Church Brewing and Serpent Brewing, respectively… We mentioned that we were unsure where/when it would be available in HRM. Well, we can report that if heading to Wolfville is a bit far, then Serpent’s Spryfield taproom is pouring the 12% Quadrupel today, so gird your loins and head over now! And if we are lucky, it will be available in cans later in the Fall.

Just one event to warn you about as we close out the blog for another week… A reminder that the provincial liquor stores, and some breweries, will be closed or adjusting their hours tomorrow, in honour of Remembrance Day, so check first before heading out.

2 Crows is releasing a super-small-batch, taproom-only beer next Friday, and having a bit of a party to go with it. SCOOPS is a 9.3% Imperial Pastry Stout, brewed with coffee, vanilla, graham cracker, cocoa, and to top it off, vanilla soft serve (lactose-free). To celebrate this unholy and sacrilicious melding of flavours, the 2C Crew is hosting Dartmouth Doom Metal band Skullocybin in the taproom Nov 18 at 8 PM. Also, SCOOPS will be available as an Ice Cream Float all day with more of that lactose-free soft serve for those chasing the full experience.

Two Nova Scotia Breweries are for sale, read on for a bit more info…

If you are looking to get into the beer business by purchasing a turn-key operation, complete with multiple locations and NSLC listings, someone in Nova Scotia is ready to help you make that dream happen. Check the sales listing here.

And if you are looking to make a play with a brewery and its real estate in a high traffic area, albeit seasonal, those with deep pockets should check this listing to see if this tickles their fancy.

Friday Wrap-Up for September 2, 2022 – News from Half Cut, Tatamagouche, Propeller, Spindrift, Serpent, Breton, Island Folk, Libra, Upstreet, 902 BrewCast, Garrison, Boomstick, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2022-09-02
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 902 BrewCast, Boomstick Brewing, Breton Brewing, CBANS, Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia, Garrison Brewing, Half Cut Brewing, Horton Ridge Malt & Grain, Island Folk Cider House, Libra Non-Alcoholic Beer, Nova Scotia Craft Beer, Propeller Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

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.