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Friday Wrap-Up for May 12, 2023 – News from Party Time, Coldstream Clear, Serpent, Annapolis Brewing, Ninepenny, Trailway, Lazy Bear, North and more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2023-05-12
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Brewing Company, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Battery Park, Beer. Diversity., Coldstream Clear, Lazy Bear Brewing, Ninepenny Brewing, North Brewing, Party Time Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Ren Navarro, Serpent Brewing, Trailway. Leave a Comment

Happy almost-Mothers Day to all of our readers who are mothers, moms, mums, aunts, female role models, and awesome beer, cider, and mead-enjoying women! We at ACBB appreciate and salute you for everything you do day in and day out. We also understand this can be a hard time for people as well based on their relationships, grief or whatever else can be wrapped into what you’re feeling. Whatever you’re feeling this weekend, we’re with you and will always raise a glass to you and yours❤️. Onto the news!

In case you missed it, Mount Uniacke’s first professional brewery is now open and selling beer to the public. Party Time Brewing is (currently) a one-person operation, selling beer in cans and growlers to those fortunate enough to live nearby. We published a full ACBB Profile with James Marshall earlier this week to learn about the man behind the beer. Since Wednesday, we’ve heard that the first kegs of PTB have been ordered, and are now pouring on draught in the wild! Battery Park on Ochterloney in Dartmouth has purchased both the Garage Party Blonde and Polar Dip Cold IPA. The Blonde is 4.5% ABV, and features a touch of Honey and Crystal malts to complement the Pale and Pilsner malt base, with a robust addition of Willamette to keep it interesting. The Polar Dip is staying true to the new Cold IPA style: the use of flaked corn keeps the body lighter than a traditional IPA, while plenty of Cascade and Citra are used in the whirlpool and dry hop. Congratulations again to Marshall!

In more “New Nova Scotia Brewery” news, Coldstream Clear Distillery has released a beer in their extensive portfolio of spirits and RTD bevies. Nova Scotia Lager is a 5.0% American Lager, ultimately brewed to be crisp, clean, and supremely enjoyable. Using their in-house pilot system, they brewed many trials of ingredients and techniques before being satisfied with the current recipe. Their 2000 litre brewhouse features a mash filter system, a rarity in Canadian Craft Beer, allowing for excellent control and 95% efficiency in the brewing process. Look for 12-packs of cans at Coldstream Clear locations in Stewiacke, Antigonish, and Dartmouth Crossing, as well as province-wide at NSLCs from Yarmouth to Sydney. Congratulations to Coldstream Clear on the launch of NS Lager, and we hope to share more about the brewery and expanded offerings soon!

A bit of (good and beer related) news out of Spryfield, as Serpent Brewing has a limited release out now. Riff is a Belgian Table Beer that’s 5% ABV and has a very complex profile. Bringing some flavour of peach, field berry, white pepper and white tea, this features some good partnerships we need to highlight! First, the beer is created as a celebration for NovaFest, as NSCC students will be doing musical performances at the Serpent taproom every Tuesday night in May. The beer also features Peach White Tea from World Tea House, along with a blend of fieldberries as an addition to the beer. Lastly, the more standard beer ingredients feature a Belgian yeast from Ardenne to bring the white pepper notes, along with biscuit malt to have a nice, balanced backbone for the ale. There is a lot to chew on here and we can’t wait to try it. This is currently available on tap at the brewery for pints only (no growler fills) and this weekend there will be a small can release. The kitchen and patio will also be opening this weekend, so there’s even more reason to head to the brewery!

If you’re tied into the beer scene in the Annapolis Valley you might be aware that Annapolis Brewing picked up some fermentation vessels from the (sadly) defunct Bad Apple Brewhouse. What you might not know, however, is that the recipe and naming rights for BA’s classic West Coast IPA, Boxcutter, was also part of the deal. Not only that, but they’ve already gone ahead and put a batch together that’s available now! Although he wasn’t on-site for the brew, Bad Apple’s Jeff Saunders was heavily involved in the process of scaling the recipe to Annapolis’ system and ensuring that the water profile and ingredients were the same. That said, beer can vary from batch to batch even within the same brewery, so while it may not be exactly as you remember, it’s certainly made with the same spirit as the original! Coming in at 6.9% ABV, expect a resinous hop character with notes of pine and citrus paired with a balancing malt backbone. Fans of this beer were sad to see it disappear; you can find out why for yourself by visiting the Annapolis taproom in Annapolis Royal for a pint. You can also expect to see it appear in beer bars around the province and hopefully, in the future, at retail as well!

There may still be snowfall warnings in parts of Newfoundland, but there is new beer, too! Ninepenny Brewing out of St. John’s (more specifically CBS, as the locals would tell us!) has a new release in their hop series. The second release of their NPT Experimental IPA Series, M2 is a Voss Kviek IPA. This one is a big deal for the Ninepenny crew, as they’re calling it their haziest, juiciest and dankest beer, yet. Packed in the boil are Mosaic and Cascade hops, then Idaho 7 and Cryo Pop join the fray for some dry-hopping. This is the first time they’ve used any sort of Cryo hops and they’re thrilled with the result. The Cryo Pop blend is designed to bring a big dry-hopped punch of citrus and tropical and stone fruits. The beer has low bitterness and comes in at 4.7% to be juicy, hazy and enjoyable. This is canned and available now at the brewery and some local distribution in the coming week. There were only 90 flats of cans produced here, but it is also available for pints in the taproom.

Trailway Brewing news out of Saint John (still gotta get our heads around that), as Union House by Trailway has a new beer in cans and on top. Pipe Dream is a Session IPA that is brand new and inspired by Pipe Mania, the old video game. This is a dank, fruity and flavourful Session IPA that packs a lot into its 4.8% body. Fermented with Verdant yeast (a balanced yeast that brings a bit of body and highlights some apricot notes) and features a hop bill of Citra Cryo, Topaz and Idaho 7. This beer is clean, fruity and refreshing and is available now from the Saint John location, and of course their HQ in Fredericton.

Other news out of Trailway is around that food truck they bought and they need some attendants and cooks to work in it! If you’re interested in talking to customers, cleaning, stocking and working with a fun team on Main Street Fredericton, send your resume in here. 

Congratulations are in order to Lazy Bear Brewing of Smiths Cove, as they celebrate their Seventh Anniversary this month. Next Friday, May 19, they will be firing up their on-site pizza oven, and for the rest of the summer Firebox will be operating both Thursdays and Fridays. Lewis Hodsgon will be providing live music that evening, and of course, there will be great beer flowing! You will be able to try the new Coastal Light 4.0% lager, as well is their new 3.5% ABV Hard Ginger Ale. Oh, and their house-made gelato, too! And don’t forget that they attend the Annapolis Royal Farmers Market held every Saturday, with May 20 being the first of the outdoor markets for the year.

Scholarship alert! North Brewing is back with their Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship which includes $1500 renewable for up to 4 years plus guaranteed summer employment for the duration of their education. Presented and founded with Beer Diversity (and the wonderful Ren Navarro) and Change is Brewing Collective. If you know someone of age and interest, please pass this along to apply, as the deadline is July 31. This is incredibly important work and we need it to facilitate change within our society. Many students are not very familiar with the craft beer industry or the harassment and problems within it. Support North, support change and help spread the word on this important scholarship. Check out the link here for more details. 

We’ve got a short and sweet (but the cans are tall) update from Propeller Brewing, Tropic Haze is back. This is a summer ale that is now a staple in Prop’s seasonal rotation. Bringing big flavours in a refreshing summer ale, this wraps up flavours of mango, passionfruit and dragon fruit with a golden blonde and hazy package. Coming in at 5% and 473ml cans, this is available in the 3 Propeller shops, online for delivery, private stores in Halifax  and certain NSLCs. 

Before we end this week, we are compelled to remind our readers, and ourselves, that despite the many exclamations of “Good Job!”, “High Five!”, and “We Rock!” we all want to share, Beer is not yet for Everyone. After a particularly jarring and problematic session and interactions at this week’s Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, there was a distinct lack of proactive support for those affected. Not to mention the choice to hold the conference in Tennessee, a state that is absolutely unwelcoming, sometimes dangerous, to the LGBT2S+ community. We encourage members of provincial and national brewery associations to reach out to their groups to see what they are doing to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Canadian Craft Brewers Association. CBANS. CANB. NLCBA. PEICBA. (The fact that we cannot find a public link to the latter two is disturbing in its own right…)

Friday Wrap-Up for December 2, 2022 – News from Good Robot, Trailway, Uncle Leo’s, Breton, Copper Bottom, 2 Crows, Half Cut, Tanner & Co, Propeller, Half Cocked, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2022-12-02
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Battery Park, Big Spruce Brewing, Breton Brewing, Candid Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Delta Force Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Half Cocked Brewing, Half Cut Brewing, Lazy Bear Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tapestry Beer Bar, The Stillwell Freehouse, TrailWay Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery. Leave a Comment

Happy December, y’all! Bit of disappointment as our Men’s team has exited the World Cup this week, but at least we will not have to wait another 36 years to cheer on Les Rouges, as the Women’s World Cup is in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, and then the men’s team co-hosts with Mexico and USA in 2026. Grab a beer and read along to see all of the new releases the breweries from across all four Atlantic provinces have for us this week.

Good Robot Brewing continues to flex the versatility of their new Elmsdale brewing location, complete with mash filter and expanded fermenting capacity, with plenty more new beers rolling off the line. B.F.Hef. (aka Best Friends Foreverweizen) is the latest, their foray into the German Hefeweizen Wheat Beer style. Featuring loads of wheat in the malt bill, the 4.8% beer also uses a specific Ale yeast to give off a pleasant blend of citrus and clove aromatics, with a hint of banana on the nose. Mandarina Bavaria hops enhance that citrus aroma even further. Cans are available at their original Robie Street location, as well as their newly-opened retail shop at the Elmsdale facility. Open Wed – Sun from noon (10 AM on the weekend), visitors to 14 Industrial Way will be able to purchase from the entire GRBC portfolio in can and growler fill, as well as their branded merch.

And good news for those looking to continue or start their career in beer, as Good Robot is hiring! They are looking for help both in their Elmsdale brewery and beyond, as they beef up their Brew Crew as well as those who help sell the resulting beer. They are looking to fill the following positions: a Shift Brewer, expected to have at least a couple of years professional brewing experience, a Junior Brewer (no pro experience necessary, but that’s definitely an asset), as well as a Sales Rep in the HRM/Nova Scotia region. Check out their job postings here.

Trailway has been busy this fall as well, and have a quartet of new releases available at their Main Street Fredericton location, and for local and AtlCan- & Ont-wide delivery from their website. Returning to the taps and shelves is their Beans Coffee Oatmeal Stout, a 6.8% stout brewed with a batch of freshly roasted Winter Solstice beans from their pals at Mill Town Roasters. For our coffee nerd brethren, WS is a blend dark roast blend of beans from Sumatra, Peru, and Columbia, with notes of bitter chocolate, molasses, and a warming spiciness, pairing perfectly with the beer’s malt-derived roast and full mouthfeel from the oats. Available on tap and in cans now, they have also leveraged the capabilities of Craft Coast Canning to package a Nitro version of the beer! Lower carbonation, but that means a little shake and a hard pour from height into a glass will show off a lovely cascading action as the beer settles. Due to the special nature of this version, Nitro Beans is a can-only release, but still orderable online.

Trailway has another pair of beer ready to purchase now… Merry Very is returning again for the cooler months. This is a 5.0% White Chocolate-Orange Stout… Think big chocolate, roast, coffee, a hint of citrus, but in a pale colour, something your buddy Terry would really enjoy! Locally kilned cacao nibs from McGuire Chocolate enhance the malt’s chocolate flavour, with the citrus brightening and contrasting the dark character, with a touch of vanilla. On tap and in cans now.

And finally, a debut beer from Trailway, Event Horizon. A massive 11.0% ABV imperial stout, with strong caramel, coffee, and chocolate notes, it also spent time in a 15-year Glen Breton Single Malt Whisky barrel, picking up strong vanilla and whisky notes to complement. Obviously a bit warming at 11.0% ABV, and as it’s available in 500ml bottles, we suggest grabbing a couple for sharing with friends and families a few times over the coming winter.

Uncle Leo’s Brewery in Lyons Brook has a new beer on tap, on their shelves, and for delivery, this week. Misty Morning is an aggressively-late-hopped New England IPA, absolutely brimming with tropical notes of passion fruit, citrus, and peach. All that Galaxy and Citra used late in the brewday, as well as in the tanks after the fact, mean this 6.0% beer is not bitter, but rather has a smooth mouthfeel. Their online shop has free delivery within Nova Scotia and beyond, just need to hit a very reasonable minimum value.

A pair of beers from Sydney’s Breton Brewing this week. First released is the return of an old favourite, their take on the German Kölsch. A beer where drinkability and enjoyment are top of mind, these are fermented with an ale yeast, but usually at cooler-than-normal temps, to keep the fruity esters at bay, before a long nap at even cooler temps for a conditioning/cleanup rest. At 4.0% ABV, this is low enough to pair well with appetizers, main course, or even dessert.

And debuting later in the week was Champagne IPA, wherein Breton brewed a light-bodied beer (with some rice in the grist), and used an American Ale yeast, coupled with an enzyme to extract every last bit of sugar from the wort, to finish with a bone-dry beer. Mix in the Ariana and Mosaic hops in great volume, and you’ve got a solid bitterness as well as aroma. Look for both of these limited releases in cans, on draught, and for delivery now!

Fresh off their win of the Hopyard Battle of the Breweries, Montague’s Copper Bottom Brewing is bringing back a blast from the past today, complete with a party to help celebrate! Charlie is an English-style Brown Ale, and despite being only 4.5% ABV, is brimming with malt-derived toast, biscuit, caramel, and nuttiness. To celebrate its release on draught and in festive 355ml cans, they are hosting Loaf & Ladle Food Truck serving up comfort food from 2 until 8 PM this afternoon, Craig Fair on the piano from 6 – 8 PM, and keeping the patio nice and toasty warm. Pull that Ugly Sweater from the closet and make a night of it!

In Halifax on Brunswick Street, 2 Crows has brought out the latest entry in their now long-running series of irresponsibly-hopped hazy IPAs (fun(?) party game: try to name all the previous ones!). Permanent Vacation is described as having been “absolutely saturated” with Talus, and Vic Secret hops, but with a touch of Galaxy as well. So a little bit of “the Pacific Northwest battles Australia in a tropical fruit stand, but Australia brought backup.” Expect a smooth and creamy presentation with plenty of sweetness, leading with notes of pineapple (canned), overripe mango, and a bit of coconut. Given that there’s Talus in there we’d expect a bit of the dankness as well, but you’ll have to try this 6.1% juice bomb for yourself to confirm. The 2C gang did point out that this is a smaller batch than previous entries, so if you’re a fan of the series and/or hoppy hazies in general, you’ll want to get your orders in!

On Main Street in Fredericton, NB, Half Cut Brewing has a new IPA of their own out, a double IPA, really. Continuing their trend of “juicy beers with weird f’n names” is Deep Pockets IPA. Described as being “like that uncle who never grew up,” this one’s a heavy hitter, arriving at 8% ABV and 40 IBU. You’ll find it in cans at the brewery and (soon, if not already) on the shelves of an ANBL store near you.

As is their wont, Tanner & Co Brewing in Chester Basin, NS, continues to bring beers in styles that aren’t terribly common in these parts. This week they’ve got a twist on the German style, Rauchbier. Pronounced “rowsh-beer” rather than “rock-beer”, it is traditionally made with a very large portion (up to 100%, even) of smoked malt in the grist. This can often lead to folks who are not big fans of smoke to find the beer “too smoky” so Tanner took their foot off the gas on this one and aimed for a more mellow presentation. To ensure there would still be plenty of complexity, they then took advantage of their oenological bent to age this one in oak wine barrels for a few months. The result is a 6% ABV beer that no doubt has plenty of smoke, but also some tannins and acidity for balance. Look for it packaged in bottles at both of Tanner’s locations and online for delivery.

Fans of both dessert and beer have reason to celebrate in Halifax this week as Propeller Brewing has released a beer that ticks both boxes this week. Nanaimo Imperial Dessert Stout is a pretty self-explanatory name, we think, but if you’re somehow not in the know about the classic Canadian dessert, we’d better provide some detail anyway. Built on a base of cocoa and coconut, with a layer of vanilla custard and a topping of milk chocolate, Nanaimo bars are one of the great bake sale traditions from coast to coast. Propeller’s beer version aims to hit all of those notes and meld them together with a roasty, but still sweet imperial stout. With all of that going on and it coming in at 10%, this rich and creamy number has “danger” written all over it. Grab it now directly from the source at your favourite Prop Shop, or look for it at Bishop’s Cellar or the other private stores in Metro.

Half Cocked in North Grant has a pair of returning favourites now pouring at their taproom, and in cans for the first time. Braeside Bitter showcases their English side, with lightly-coloured malt bringing out notes of biscuit and caramel, with a blend of hops showcasing lemon, tea, and honey, to complete the experience. 5.5% ABV. The Darkest One is of another category entirely, a big brash American Stout, blasting the nose with dark chocolate, and filling the palate with roast, finishing with some bitterness on the back end. 355 ml cans for this one as well, only at the brewery. Why not drop by tomorrow, December 3rd, for Holiday Market on the 245, which they are co-hosting with Teasdale Apothecary from 3 – 6 PM. And after the vendors have packed up, there will be live music from Leeboy!

Spryfield’s own Serpent Brewing has a new beer out for the festive season with a release that reflects their continued quest to bring the best of Belgian styles to Dentith Road and environs. Described as a Belgian Golden Strong Christmas Spiced Ale, it’s got a much more compact (and fun) name: Jurassic Jesus. Although it weighs in at a hefty 7.5%, it’s deceptively easy to drink, with subtle malt undertones beneath a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg spice. Cookie and caramel along with some fruity ester notes from the yeast complete the picture, as there’s little to no hop presence detected or expected in a style like this. On tap tomorrow at the brewery, you’ll also be able to grab it in 375ml bottles to go. And if you do visit, don’t forget that Spryfood, their in-house kitchen, is now up and running at full bore.

Smiths Cove is deep in the Annapolis Valley, not too far from the ferry to Saint John, so quite accessible for people in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. And their very own Lazy Bear Brewing has a new beer on tap and in bottles this week, a big bold beer ready to be enjoyed around a cozy fire. Assassination of a Wise Man is a 10.0% Barleywine, with rich caramel notes shining through, balanced with just-enough hops to keep it from being too sweet. Finished with molasses, some dark notes of raisin, with a lighter vanilla hint also coming through on the nose. The bottles were sealed with wax, minimizing any oxygen from sneaking in during their (possible) long cellaring period. We suggest grabbing a couple, one to enjoy now, and one later, if you happen to miss it on tap. Not overly bitter, on draught and in bottles at Smiths Cove, keep your eyes peeled to their social media for availability beyond their location, but a visit out there is a great idea, during their Thursday night taproom evenings (and maybe by appointment if you reach out early enough)!

You can tell winter is coming, as Big Spruce is holding the release party for their annual Barrel-aged Imperial Stout this weekend. Battery Park will be the gracious hosts of the two variants of the 2022 edition, as well as sharing kegs dating all the way back to 2018. However, there is a major, and welcome, change in the beer name and design this year, that we’re excited to tell you about. Kobzar Imperial Stout, is named in honour of writer Taras Schevchenko, considered to be the father of modern Ukrainian literature, with profound effects on the language and culture of his home country. Banned and exiled from Ukraine due in part to his push for Ukrainian independence, still inspiring Ukrainians more than 150 years after his death. Kobzar is both a collection of poems written by Schevchenko, and the nickname given to him, meaning “bard” in Ukrainian. Kobzar the beer will be familiar to long-time Big Spruce fans, with massive coffee and dark chocolate notes with a touch of hop bitterness to balance. This year’s releases were aged in two distinctly different barrels, imparting plenty of the character of its previous residents. Jamaican Rum Kobzar and Glenora Whisky Kobzar both clock in at 11.0%, and in a change, will be available in cans this year! Making them a little easier to stack in the basement cellar, we suspect… You can enjoy the first tastes of Kobzar tomorrow at Battery Park from 11:30 AM, where they will be pouring both 2022 versions of the beer, as well as four previous releases of Ra Ra Rasputin, including 2021 Tawny Port, 2019 Cognac, 2019 Peach Brandy, and 2018 Glenora Whisky. Cans of Kobzar (as well as a few bottles of previous releases) are available at their shop in Nyanza, on their website for delivery and shipping, Bishop’s Cellar, with the 2022 Jamaican Rum Kobzar available in cans at Bar Stillwell and Stillwell Freehouse.

There’s not only breweries getting into the festive season, Tapestry Beer Bar in Lr Sackville is filling their dance card with a range of events this month. Tomorrow, Dec 3 at 5 – 9 PM, they are hosting a Christmas Market with their nextdoor neighbours Apartment 3 Espresso Bar. On Dec 8, they are hosting a Beer & Cheese Pairing with Smith & Hartlen Fine Cheese (grab your tickets ahead of time). There are plenty more events leading up to a Bar Olympics on Dec 31, check this page for more details!

Just a few more notes before we let you go this week….

Antigonish’s Candid Brewing has a new release today, which will be complemented by at least a couple more before the weekend is done. With 3 weeks out until the official celebration on December 23rd, they’re debuting Festivus IPA. A 6.5% ABV with plenty of late-addition Barbe Rouge and Belma hops, offset with a touch of lactose, drive a few of these into you before the Airing of Grievances or Feats of Strength.

Lunenburg’s Shipwright Brewing has a new beer on tap and for crowler fills late this week.Their first Cold IPA, they’ve named it the appropriately punny Thawless Victory. A hefty 6.5% ABV and respectable 35 IBUs, look for it on tap at their tiny taproom, and maybe downstairs at the Grand Banker too!

We’re ending this week with a bit of sad news, hopefully not a “Goodbye” but a “See You Later”, from Delta Force Brewing. The always elusive crew, brewing out of an undisclosed location in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, has announced that they are closing out Phase 1, Alpha Team if you will, of the brewery. As they say, opening a “farm shed brewery at the beginning of the brewery was a bold move”, and they have pushed through with 30 different releases over the past couple of years. To toast the possibility of Phase 2, they are holding a sale on their remaining stock, so we encourage you to grab a case and enjoy them this month. Cheers fellas!!

Friday Wrap-Up for June 17 2022 – News from Tatamagouche, North, Landwash, Bogside, Lunn’s Mill, Delta Force, Ninepenny, Tire Shack and much more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2022-06-17
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bishop's Cellar, Bogside Brewing, Candid Brewing, Delta Force Brewing, Dieu du Ciel, Escarpment Laboratories, Lagabiere, Lake City Cider, Landwash Brewery, Lazy Bear Brewing, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, Ninepenny Brewing, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing. Leave a Comment

We’re just over halfway through June and as we officially roll into Summer, you may be throwing a Summer Solstice party, planning something special for Father’s day (or, Fadder’s Day) or looking for some cool new things to do. While it’s hard for us to capture absolutely everything that’s going on in Atlantic Canada, hopefully we can point you in the right direction with places to try, beers and ciders to look for and help with summertime plans. Even on those rainy days, you may be listening to some Alan Jackson, and want to sip on some new and local beers. We are here to help, especially when Alan Jackson comes to the Chattahoo…erm, New Brunswick in November!

Let’s kick off this week’s news and fun with a whole lotta goodness flowing from the North Shore of Nova Scotia. There you’ll find Tatamagouche Brewing, who opened their doors in June of 2014, and are celebrating their birthday this weekend. They’ve released a whole whack of beers since they launched with Hippie Dippie Pale Ale and Butcher Block Red (shout out to us at the blog for having that info at launch!), and have won a slew of local, national, and international awards since then. You’ll be able to grab some of those award-winning beers in a Birthday Surprise Beer Box, specially curated by co-owner Matt Kenny, which includes award winning brews, special one-time releases, and early Weird Beer and Giant Beer releases from as far back as 2015! Due to the nature of the low supply, there were only 10 cases available and some have already been claimed, your best bet for success is to DM Tatabrewco on Instagram or drop by the brewery today to grab the case! Popping by the brewery will also reward your ears, thanks to Live Music from Jamie & Jonny today 5 – 7:30 PM, and tomorrow with the Brew Boys taking the stage from 1 – 4 PM.

A brewery can’t have a birthday celebration without new releases, of course, and Tata is not shying away from their “responsibility” in that department this week. First up is Tempest, a blended Imperial Stout, and a hefty one at that! Starting life as two distinct beers, the first was brewed with a traditional grain bill, and aged in peat-heavy Scotch barrels for a year, picking up smoke, vanilla, and a touch of booze from its temporary home. Blended with that is another “large and in charge stout,” this one not having spent any time in wood, but sporting a touch of smoked malt. The amalgamation of the two features the best of both worlds, in a sneaky 12.2% package! Think chocolate, toasty graham crackers, and rich dark fruits. Available now online and in store in a 500ml bottle.

Also debuting this weekend is the continuation of their Solera program, where young beer is added to a vessel when part of the aged beer is removed, to keep the hungry yeast and bacteria well fed with new starch and sugars, and extend the flavour profile of the offerings. Enter Foeder 3, the second release from one of their Red Wine foeders, which is a blend of 3-year old and 1-year old wort. There’s no shortcutting this sort of beer, as the Gueuze producers of the Zenne River Valley will attest! The red wine that was previously held in the wood is long gone, but just a touch of its essence remains, with the main character from the yeast and bacteria coming through with light notes of acidity, highlighted by plum and lychee and hay. Look for more from this vessel too!

Also fresh off the canning line this week are returning favourites Saltwater Cowboy, the 4.4% Tequila Barrel-Aged Gose, and Skiff, their 3.3% Grisette (think Saison’s little sister). And why not hit a banger of an Italian Pils, with their Pausa Pranzo available online and in the shop now, as well as Square One, the 6.1% Dry-Hopped Saison. Phew, what a list! Big congratulations to the TataBrewCrew on 8 years of fun times and great beer, and here’s to many more!

Out of their Dartmouth brewery, North Brewing, has a new release today that is not your standard release, Kem Cho? Which means “How are you?” in the Gujarati language. a 4.5% spiced Pale Ale, it’s spiced with additions of saffron, cardamom and lemon zest additions.  Using Cashmere hops to provide a delicate, but lemon-friendly flavour and smooth bitterness, it seems to be balanced in all the right places. This beer is available on tap at the brewery and Battery Park for pints, and both locations and Timberlea have 473ml cans available.

We are stoked to announce a big collaborative offering from Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewing this week, perfect for grilling season (whether that’s in the summer or year-round!). Their Mixed BBQ Pack has been released at the brewery and Marie’s shops today, and features four crushable beers for any and all occasions. Anchoring the pack is Tidepool Pilsner, their 5.0% German-inspired pils, crisp and refreshing with just a touch of German hop bitterness. New on the scene are 3 releases, brewed in collaboration with St. John’s based restaurants and meat shops, including Newfoundland Sausage Company. Their team came out to Mount Pearl and brewed up a Vienna Lager, which at 5.2%, is the most malt-forward of the bunch, but thanks to a long, cold, conditioning, is super-smooth, with the Saaz and Spalter Select hops used keeping it bright and balanced. Vienna…Sausage… we’re not the only ones making that connection, right? 😉

Restaurant and Deli hybrid Chinched got into the game too, opting for a New Zealand Pilsner for their collab beer. Kiwi-grown Nelson Sauvin and Wakatu hops impart a Sauvignon Blanc vibe, with tropical notes, in this super-refreshing 6.0% Pils. And finally, the kitchen crew from Mallard Cottage made the trek from QV to MP, and, with guidance from Landwash’s Nardia McGrath, put together a lovely Australian Sparkling Ale: at 4.9%, it used an English Ale for primary fermentation, followed by an extended lagering period to tamp down the fruit esters. Instead, thanks to the Aussie-grown Ella, look for a touch of spice and floral on the nose, with a bright and crisp finish, super-easy drinking.

The BBQ Packs are available at the brewery right now, and rolling out to Marie’s Mini Marts as you read this, in their slick new “Can-teen” display cases, ready to grab a flat and go! Check out the fun quotes stamped on the bottom of the can with their date codes… The 8-pack joins their just-released-yesterday Bungle Rye, a 6.8% Rye IPA. Leveraging the spiciness of that malt (both flaked and malted rye were used in the mash), Galaxy, Vic Secret, and Mosaic hops were used throughout to balance that malt backbone with pine, citrus, and tropical fruit. Head Brewer Alex crafted this one, and raided the hop freezer to make it happen! FYI, the name of the beer is inspired by the ballad of the same name, the tale of being sold a baby instead of a bottle of rye! What a switcheroo! Maybe Alex will perform the song at next Wednesday’s Open Mic…. 

Let’s shine the spotlight on another island, with two new releases out of Montague, PEI, where Bogside Brewing has a few can releases from their anniversary bash a few weeks ago. First up, Lunchpail Lager! This is the first rice lager from the brewery and is crisp and easy drinking, with an IBU of 9, it’s intended as a mainstream style for all around crushability. It’s 5.5% ABV and available in cans and from the taps.

Next up, another easy drinker with some fruit and lower ABV, Strawberry Sour makes its return as a Berliner Weisse-style release, using real strawberries for a 4% small sour featuring the quintessential summery berry of PEI. Get this one in cans or on tap from the brewery as well.  

Up in Lawrencetown, NS, (no not the beach, the other one) Lunn’s Mill has a new seasonal that’s, uh, perfect for the season. Patio Saison is a Saison Table Beer that is 3.7%, perfectly sessionable and dry with a bit of spice. Using African Queen hops (the most popular South African houblon) for a dark fruit flavour, along with an Old World Saison yeast blend, the balance of smooth, sweet, and spicy pairs well with the style of beer. This is available in cans and on tap from the brewery, on tap at The Station in Bridgetown and Battery Park has a keg tapping soon, too!

Continuing with their newfound frequent release schedule and also their continued contributions to the Make Peace Not War beer project, Delta Force Brewing has a fourth release featuring two new beers available now on their online shop. Cucumber Farmshed Sour is 3.8% and Red Currant/Rhubarb Saison is 7.8%. Both of these are available in 500ml bottles today from their online store, and just like all of the previous releases, 40% of the proceeds will be donated to Red Cross Ukraine. 

We head to CBS (Conception Bay South, b’y) in Newfoundland for Ninepenny Brewing’s collaboration with the Baymen Rugby Club. The beer, The Baymen, is named after the team and they wanted to make a flavourful, refreshing beer and ended up making a blueberry and raspberry 5.3% fruited sour. Members of the club joined for the brew day and the label is inspired by their jerseys. Pints and cans are available now and will be available at Marie’s as well.

Moncton’s Tire Shack has some news for you this week, as they have two of their favourite and popular beers returning this week, along with a Sunday event! Love at Midnight is a returning 7% IPA, dubbed a Piña Colada IPA, this beer was conditioned on lots of pineapple and coconut. Bringing big tropical vibes this sounds delicious. Also returning is Mexican Lager Cerveza, a 5% crisp lager that is one of the favourites The Shack team has released, and, as they say “quite possibly the easiest drinking beer we have ever made”. Both of the beers are available at the brewery in pints, growlers and cans. Why not check them out on Sunday, when they are hosting Ricky Burger for a Father’s Day burger pop-up? It starts at 1 PM on Sunday June 19th and what better way to treat Dad than burgers and beer? 

Where else to drink this weekend? Let’s get you up to speed!

One of Lower Sackville’s beer destinations, TAPestry Beer Bar is celebrating their first year in business and they’ve got something planned for each day of the celebratory weekend. Today, June 17th, they’ve got Flight School Friday, where you can buy one flight and get the second one for half price. Also, for the first 25 customers of the day, there will be a special sweet treat (Vandal Doughnuts). On Saturday, music will be keeping the party going with a 3 PM to 6 PM show from Cas Rio McCrea and then 6 PM to 10 PM will feature the MacGillivray Boys.
Sunday is more beer-focused with Happy Hour through the entire day, but from 12 PM to 2 PM, there will be a private event just for their SackVegas Beer Club. Members only, as they say. When they open up to the public at 2 PM, happy hour will be there for everyone. Be sure to check out their beer bar this weekend if you have the chance!

This Sunday, Propeller is celebrating their latest collaboration with Barkeep Cocktails with a Patio Party at the (Barkeep affiliated) Dear Friend Bar in Dartmouth. Celebrating the releases of Paloma and Cucumber Rickey, these canned cocktails will be joined with food and drink specials, giveaways, music and free gifts for the first 30 people. Check it out at the bar on Sunday, June 19th, from 12 PM until 3 PM. And check out the just-released Yuzu Fruited Ale, a draught-only release at Gottingen and Quinpool, for growler or pints!

Very big news for breweries (and, assuming the lessons are learned and applied, beer drinkers!) as Escarpment Labs is headed to Nova Scotia (North Brewing in Dartmouth, specifically) for a series of one day courses about Yeast Quality Control. In July there are 2 sessions for “Quality Control in the Brewery” and will cover quality control and setting up your own yeast lab for your own brewery. Check out all of the details here.  

A few short pieces before we dismiss you this week. Have fun and take care of each other!

While it’s still Pride month (and Halifax Pride comes in July), one of the best local drinks you can buy and support for Pride is from Lake City Cider and their District Pride Rosé. This is a delicious cider that is dry with Nova Scotia applies and multiple tart berries. $0.25 from every can is donated to Egale, who focus on Legal Advocacy, and their vision of “a world, without homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and all other forms of oppression so that every person can achieve their full potential, free from hatred and bias.”

Another cider you can get now is Canoe ‘22 (named after the 2022 Canoe World Championships coming to Dartmouth in August). With this release, LCC ran a contest where local artists could design the can. The winner of the contest was the talented Anisa Francoeur, so check out the can here. The cider is Lake City’s Crisp Apple, refreshing and clean for sitting around Lake Banook in August and watching some elite talent.

Lastly for Lake City, today (Friday) is Oyster Night and Saturday afternoon is another Oyster Pop-Up! $2 per oyster or a dozen for $20. Friday is from 4 PM until sell-out and Saturday is from 4 PM until they’re all gone. To top off their weekend, Sunday features Vandal Doughnuts with $3 donuts starting at 11am. Lots on the go for the fine cider folks, so support them now, soon, or later!

One thing we love to see here is breweries teaming up and supporting their local regions and communities. In this spirit, Candid Brewing has a new collaboration out with the very fun and amazing Keppoch Mountain (only a 17 minute drive apart!). East of Awesome is an easy-drinking Cream Ale to celebrate a love of recreation and the outdoors. There is a mountain biking cross-country bike race on Sunday June 19th and the Candid crew will have a pop-shop on site. The beer is available now at the brewery for cans to go, along with growlers and pints on tap. 

Like last week, we’ll finish off with a rundown of some of the new treats hitting Bishop’s Cellar this week. A global favourite from Montreal, Dieu Du Ciel! have sent two new imports into Halifax this week. Blanche du Paradis is a 5.5% Belgian Wheat Ale and Sentinelle is a Kölsch-style Blonde Ale. Sticking in Quebec, there are 3 new fresh brews available from Lagabière. Their flagship beer is Ta Meilleure, a 7% New England IPA and brings a big bouquet of citrus and juicy hops. Second up, Ta Plus Meilleure, a twist on the aforementioned, brewed with the same base and hops, with added peach and passion fruit puree, making it an 8% Double NEIPA. Also, Tiki Sour: Cucumber and Lime Gose (an annual 4% Gose-style summer release) is also available now. On the local front, check out Gut View, a 4.9% Amber Ale from Lazy Bear Brewing. Order online or visit Bishop’s Landing in Halifax in store!