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Friday Wrap-Up for October 1, 2021 – News from Candid, Big Spruce, 2 Crows and Bellwoods, Landwash, Rough Waters, Sourwood, Annapolis Cider, Libra, Houblon-Pecheur, and much more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2021-10-01
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Annapolis Cider Company, Bannerman Brewing, Bellwoods Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Candid Brewing, Crooked Feeder Brewing, Flying Boats Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Horton Ridge Malt & Grain, Landwash Brewery, Libra Non-Alcoholic Beer, Master Brewers Association of the Americas, Microbrasserie Houblon-Pechêur, Rough Waters Brewing, Schoolhouse Brewery, Sober Island Brewing, Sourwood Cidery, Stillwell Beergarden, Topside Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

While yesterday Canada took a day of learning and reflection to honour the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, today (October 1st) is Treaty Day in Nova Scotia, when the 1752 Treaty of Friendship and Peace was meant to mark a day of renewing friendship and peace between the Mi’kmaq and the Crown. Today, the purpose of Treaty Day is to promote public awareness about the Mi’kmaw culture and heritage for all Nova Scotians. It also kicks off  Mi’kmaq History Month in NS, but keep an eye out around our entire Atlantic region for how your local beverage providers may be supporting their local own Indigenous people. On top of that, we can also keep celebrating Oktoberfest, as these events are still happening all around the globe. As always, keep an eye out for local regulations, proof of vaccination (October 4th for NS folk!) and stay safe out there, fellow fine drinking (and non-drinking) friends!

Antigonish’s Candid Brewing is celebrating their Grand Opening this weekend with their own Oktoberfest; complete with a brand new beer as well as events today and tomorrow… First the beer, shall we? Oktoberfest Märzen was brewed to honour that most excellent Munich tradition of Oktoberfest, and in the same style as the originals, with the 5.9% ABV beer pouring a deep amber colour and is malt on the nose and the palate, with a smooth, quaffable, finish. A taproom feature, draught pours of the Marzen start at 4PM, as the festivities of the weekend kick into high gear…

Today from 4 PM, door prizes and drink and food specials (The Boneyard food truck is onsite), table-side magic from 5 PM, and a free show from Jud Gunning at 6 PM, ahead of two ticketed shows this evening (The Collective at 8 PM, and Andre Pettipas & The Giants at 9 PM, tickets for your table are available here, and include a stein and first fill for each person).

Saturday’s fun start shortly after opening at 1 PM, with more door prizes and drink and food specials, along with Brewery Tours at 1, 2, and 3 PM, with Kinsmen Radio Bingo at 5:30 PM. The doors close for the ticketed events of the evening, before the Dixie Rovers and then Dead Phish take over for the evening. 

The Antigonish Townhouse is also celebrating Candid’s opening, as they’ll have Marzen on tap to pair with a lovely Currywurst feature, and for those unable to make it to town for the weekend fun, kegs will be available in HRM at TAPestry Beer Bar and Battery Park very soon.

In Nyanza, up on Cape Breton Island, Big Spruce is bringing both a returning favorite and an all-new jam to the taps this week, a double-dose of terroir from our CB friends. Up first is Major Hop Lips, also known as, “the beer what they put all their farm-grown hops in.” Yup, you may be aware that Big Spruce has a hopyard on their property, and, barring major investment in extensive cold storage and/or processing and pelletizing equipment, the absolute best way to showcase those hops is to pick ‘em and immediately throw them into a batch of beer. A pale ale weighing in at 5.7% ABV and boasting a stiff-ish 59 IBU, it cone-tains (hyuk hyuk) Cascade, Mount Hood, Goldings, Chinook, and Centennial varieties for an overall impression of apricot, pine, and wildflowers. Golden in color, with a crispy white head, the can design (and name) will no doubt trigger nostalgia for drinkers of a certain age.

Secondly, in a move that screams, “Summer’s not over yet, dammit!” comes Respect Your Elders, a Berlinerweiße featuring elderberries sourced, you guessed it, on the Big Spruce farm. Spritzy, dry, and just a little bit tart, this 4.5% ABV beer takes a soft pink color and light fruit character from the elderberries, long considered to be medicinal. We’re not sure you’ll see any health benefits from drinking this one, but we’re guessing your taste buds will be pretty happy. Both of these beers are now available in cans (although the Respect Your Elders is a small batch) at the Big Spruce online shop for delivery, for pints, fills, and cans to go at the brewery, and, we suspect, on tap over the coming days and weeks at your favorite BS tap accounts.

It won’t surprise regular readers of this blog (both of you!) that we’ve got news from 2 Crows Brewing this week, although it may surprise you that we’ve only got one thing to mention. And we’re not going to lie, this one might seem like a bit of a tease… You see, 2 Crows has done a home-and-home collaboration with one of Canada’s shining light breweries, Toronto’s Bellwoods Brewing, and the first of those two beers, loosely based on a New Zealand theme, is now available. Crowbar features, of course, a raft of New Zealand hops, including Rakau, Pacifica, and Motueka to provide notes of honeydew melon, strawberry, and sweet tart candies. It’s 7.0% ABV, and it’s been canned for your convenience, but here’s the kicker: this is the Bellwoods half of the collab, so it’s only available from them. That said, if you’ve got any friends in Toronto, or the rest of Ontario, Bellwoods ships province-wide, so now may be the time to call in that favor your childhood friend/college roommate/cousin/aunt/uncle/great-grandmother owes you!! Meanwhile, we’ll have the deets on the 2 Crows side of the collab when it’s released in coming weeks.

Up on the Rock, in Mount Pearl, Landwash Brewery has a brand new beer available, although for frequenters of their establishment it’s not exactly new. Originally brewed as a taproom exclusive, English Harbour is a 4.8% ABV sour that was conditioned on locally-sourced field cucumbers and rosewater. Bright and thirst-quenching, it was such a hit on tap they decided to do up a big ol’ batch. Available as of yesterday for pints, fills, and in cans to go, look for this one (and their recent Kveik-fermented quick lager Sand Dollar) to be available via wider distro real soon now!

Sticking with Newfoundland for a spell, we go west to Rough Waters Brewing in Deer Lake, where they’re rolling out a very traditional Belgian style. Mechan-enkel is the RW take on an Enkel, the low-percentage daily drinker brewed by and for monks that you may also know by the name Patersbier. At 4.3% ABV it’s not going to knock you over if you have a couple of them, but it’s got plenty of bready flavor from a grist of Pilsner and wheat malts, some complex overtones from the Belgian yeast strain, and additional notes of citrus, honey, and white pepper. Brewed in partnership with Rough Waters Gravel Grind, a 40/75km bike ride through the Humber Valley trail systems, we think this will go down very smooth after a trek like that, or just the trek from your house to the taproom. This one is available on tap and in cans from the brewery, where you can also grab their two CBA Silver medal-winning offerings, Selkie Wheat beer, Sou-wester sour, or the rest of their lineup.

Let’s chat cider for a bit, as Halifax’s Sourwood Cider has a special release on shelves near and far these days. Cox Orange Pet-Nat is a single varietal cider made from the eponymous apple, that was spontaneously fermented using only the yeast and microbes on the fruit, and underwent a 3-week maceration period with the apple flesh and skins hanging around the fermenting cider. Considered a Zero / Zero cider, there was no sulfur added to kill natural yeast or bacteria, and so no other intervention with chemicals or filtration. With just 24 cases produced, this is certainly a small batch, but is now available at Sourwood’s location on Cornwallis Street, their online shop, and for those in Ontario, through Grape Witches’ shop.

As mentioned in the intro, it is Mi’kmaq Heritage Month and many establishments will show their support in one way or another. One of those is Wolfville’s Annapolis Cider, who is back with one of their Something Different series, featuring limited releases and new flavours blended with their dry cider. Something Different: Peach and Ginger is a full-bodied sparkling cider that blends their cool fermented dry cider with fresh-pressed Annapolis Valley peaches and a bit of ginger. Using a cryo-exraction process for the peach juice, this brings out some acidity and fuller, roundness of flavour, along with notes of tropical fruit and warm peach pie. Splashed with ginger juice, this is notable with a warming zip on the finish of this 5.7% cider. This is available now in growlers only at the cidery and $0.50 from each refill of Peach & Ginger will support the Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association (NSNWA). NSNWA offers programs, services and advocacy supports to Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people across the province.

Upstreet’s non-alcoholic offshoot, Libra, continues to expand its offerings with the release of two new beers just in time for anyone partaking in Sober October, or just generally looking for a zero alcohol option that still scratches that beer itch. First up is Libra Pumpkin Spice Ale. Expect those classic fall notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Also joining the party is Libra Pilsner. Brewed with lager yeast and Czech-imported Saaz hops, you can expect a crisp drinking experience with some light malt sweetness. Both beers are 0.4% ABV and are available in 12 and 24 packs at the Libra online store (Pilsner is coming back in a few weeks), with the Pumpkin Spice also available at Upstreet’s retail shop and Craft Beer Corner downtown.

Over to New Brunswick, where you might know that in Village-des-Poirier on the Acadian Peninsula you’ll find Microbrasserie Houblon-Pecheur. What you may also find in the waters nearby, as he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave, is a Great White Shark called, of course, “Brunswick,” but not why you think. Originally tagged off the coast of the Southern US, he was named after the folks of Brunswick, Georgia! Guess he heard about the “other” Brunswick and decided to go on a road trip! A young adult, he’s “only” 8’9” and 430-ish lbs of ocean-going killing machine, but we have every faith his time in the region will bulk him up. What better way to celebrate such a visitor than with a beer? And BHP came up with just the thing, an IPA they’re calling, not surprisingly, Brunswick. At 7.7% ABV and packaged in 500 mL bottles, it’s a double IPA that no doubt packs a shark-sized punch. Look for it at ANBL stores in Caraquet, Tracadie, and Shippagan, with other usually Houblon-Pecheur points of distro expected to pick it up soon.

The Oktoberfest events continue, in addition to Candid’s event mentioned earlier, we’ve got news of a few more coming over the next couple of weeks…

If you’re headed to the Valley this weekend, the Oktoberfest tradition will find you there, too! Starting today, Horton Ridge will have a wonderful tap lineup of 3 new Oktoberfest beers, along with their other core beer and other taps from Tatamagouche, Big Spruce and East Coast Cider. The new beers are an Oktoberfest Honig, a 5.2% Marzen with local honey, Labour of Love, a 5% Schwarzbier and Bucked Up, a 5.5% Kolsch. These will be available all weekend at the malt house. 

Down at the Seaport in Halifax, Garrison Brewing has brought back a beer for a very special in-house event going on Tomorrow, Saturday, October 2nd. It’s a Wienerful Wheat is a hazy, crisp, and refreshing beer, 4.6% ABV and 12 IBU, nominally in the German Weißbier style, with a bready wheat character and overtones of spice and citrus. It was brewed in collaboration with Jack 92.9 FM, specifically morning hosts Griff and Caroline. Fifty cents from every can sold will go towards the Nova Scotia SPCA. Tomorrow’s event will celebrate all of that, with a pet-friendly launch party. Drink and merchandise (pet accessories, natch) deals will be going on all day, with locally handcrafted pet goods from Bog Dog and Hide & Paw also on display and the chance to win a prize pack with stuffs from other vendors @bichobandanas, @craftybeastsbrewingco, @thewhiskerstore, @chowtimepetfoods, and more! So get your furry friend(s) prepped and primped and head down to have some beer and maybe spoil them a little (more).

We’ve been telling you all about various Oktoberfest celebrations throughout the region over the past several weeks, including a couple today, but in classic, “last, but certainly not least,” news comes word that Stillwell Beergarden is doing their thing once again this year on Saturday, October 9. The true blue beer geek’s version of the event in our region, they’ve got confirmed taps from a couple of well regarded out of town breweries, namely Sonnen Hill of Caledon, ON, and Tooth & Nail, of Ottawa, ON, along with a raft of Maritime stalwarts: PEI’s Lone Oak and Bogside, New Brunswick’s Grimross, and Nova Scotia faves Tatamagouche, Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Uncle Leo’s, and, of course, Stillwell Brewing. Beers are not all confirmed yet, but you can expect plenty of Märzens/Festbiers along with maybe some Pils, German Lager, Kellerpils, Altbier, and possibly even a Munich Dunkel. No tickets, it’ll be first come, first served, but there will be an entry fee (keep an eye on BG social media for details on that). Beer will be served in ½ L and 1 L steins, and there will be some thematically consistent snacks from HQ chef Joe Martin. So maybe forgo the dirndl and lederhosen and move straight for the drinking pants because this is shaping up to be eine gongshow. 

Just a coupla buncha quick hits this week before we let you go:

Newfoundland isn’t immune to the Fall beer craze either. Bannerman’s Marzen-style lager, Safe Bet, is also available in cans and on tap on Duckworth Street. Their take on the style comes in at 5.5% ABV. Using a blend of Vienna, Pilsner and Caramel malts to produce a beautiful copper colour and provide ample malt sweetness.

In more Newfoundland news, Crooked Feeder has two new releases in its Sour Series. Passion Fruit Sour and Grapefruit Sour are both available at the Cormack taproom and at Marie’s Minimart locations in St. John’s.

If you like your marine vessels to be airborne, Flying Boats has a returning favourite at the brewery and select ANBL stores in a limited release. Red Cap is a 4.8% Peanut Butter Stout using a base of an English-style Double Oatmeal Stout with all-natural peanut butter flavour added in the final stages of fermentation. A mix of peanut butter aroma, flavor with chocolate notes, this is in 473ml cans and on tap and growler fills while quantities last. 

Heading down the river, Rothesay’s Foghorn Brewing Co. is releasing a new Double IPA, Trident to Da Troat. Coming in at 8.5% ABV, expect a deep orange colour, with big hop aroma and flavour from the dry-hopping. Grab it today in cans or by the pint in the taproom.

The Fall beers continue to roll out of brite tanks and canning lines across the region. In Fredericton, Fall means the return of Grimross’ Vienna Lager, King’s Horn. This super clean lager with the style’s signature malt sweetness is available now at the brewtique now on Bishop Drive. 

Windsor’s Schoolhouse Brewery is the fall mood this week as well, as they release Pumpkin Paddler is a 6% Bock with some added pumpkin spice flavour. Try it today at the brewery on Water Street.

We’ll leave you with two final re-releases. Wizzum is back in stock at Trailway. This west coast style IPA has slightly more bitterness than you’ve come to expect from Trailway. Look for a touch of sweet malt flavours and hops that profile the classic pine and resin west coast notes. Finally, on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, Cup O Joe is back at Sober Island. This 5.8% coffee porter features an addition of Trider coffee and is available now in cans. 

One more thing this week…

For those who like exploring a bit of science as they craft, create, or enjoy beer, the Master Brewers Association of the Americas is a great place to start. While membership is reserved for those in the brewing industry, or students who may join later, there are resources available to the general public such as their free weekly podcast, tapping into their industry members to contribute research and knowledge to everyone in the industry (or just interested in learning more!). For the first time, we in Atlantic Canada have a seat at the table, as Blair Tobin, owner and Head Brewer of Topside Brewing, has been elected as the Atlantic Canada Representative of District Atlantic Eastern Canada. With a local brewer/owner on the board, expect to see more MBAA exposure at events in the region, and more resources available to local brewers, from both pure research side of things, as well as from partnering companies in the malt, yeast, and hops world. Congratulations to Tobin on the election! And hey, while we’re toasting Tobin, we’re thinking Topside’s returning Winter seasonal Chaos Stout is as good a choice as any. The 6.6% Oatmeal Stout with dark chocolate notes complementing the bold roasted malt flavours. Find it on tap at Finbar’s Portland Hills today, and you can always reach out to Topside directly for growler fills via Social Media (Fb/Ig).

 

Friday Wrap-Up for August 27, 2021 – News from Port Rexton, Delta Force, Good Robot, Village Green, Tatamagouche, Petit-Sault, Candid, Upstreet, and Breton

Posted by acbbchris on 2021-08-27
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Candid Brewing, Delta Force Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Libra Non-Alcoholic Beer, Modern Brewer's Village Green, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Port Rexton Pride, Tatamagouche Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

We’re trying a bit of a different format with today’s post: with 3 of your 4 faithful authors on much-needed vacation this week, we’re going to keep the news short and snappy to be sure we don’t leave you out of the loop. Tell us what you think of this format: not enough details? Appreciate the snappy reads? Wish we’d ALL taken the week off? And if you’re vacationing in Atlantic Canada this time of year too, be sure to check out our Good Beer Map (or a direct link to open it in Google Maps). See that your local spot is missing, let us know! 

It’s Port Rexton Pride Weekend, which always means a whole lotta fun going down at Port Rexton Brewing Co. They’ve just released their Queer and Saazy, a Dry-Hopped Kolsch, which just so happens to be gluten-free! Brewed with the fine folks of Queer Beer NL, QandS is available on tap and in cans at the brewery now, with $1 of every pint sold going back to PR Pride. There’s plenty of fun going on around town all weekend, including the flag raising today at 4PM, softball tournament, and there may even be a ticket or two available for Sunday’s Drag’d Around the Bay Drag Brunch. Keep those eyes open for the latest of the series, Continuum w/ Motueka, the 5.9% IPA with Motueka, as well as Southern Cross and Ekuanot. This one is also on tap for growler fills at their shop in town on Torbay Road.

Those elusive rapscallions at Delta Force Brewing have another drop this week, including the brand new Operation Tipsy – Spruce Tip IPA. Spruce tips from around the farmshed were added to enhance the citrus and other hop-derived notes, without turning the beer too “woody”. Grab a bottle or two on its own, or part of the Farmshed Summer Sunset 6 Pack, which is on sale now. In it you’ll get Operation Tipsy, Atlantic Time Farmshed Bitter, Pacific Time Brett Bitter, Operation Jug Saison, Operation Sommar Dry Stout, and Anderlecht Farmshed Ale. As always, the only way to order for contactless delivery is via email, and you can check out their How to Buy page for options in and around HRM, and even more beer choices!

Branching out this week is Good Robot, who have released Jetpack, a Rosé cider made using apple juice from Noggins Farm, and saw the addition of rose hips and hibiscus for a lovely hue and enhanced floral and rustic notes. Available on tap and in cans at their spot on Robie Street, as well as for super-quick delivery in HRM. They’ll be holding QUEER PROM in their space Saturday (rain date is Sunday), 6 PM – 1 AM, a fun opportunity to dress up (or down) with plenty of fun loving pals.

Two new beers on the taps (and available to go in cans) at Cornwall, PEI’s Village Green: The latest version of their Weird Clouds series of IPAs, with version 5 featuring Amarillo, Simcoe, and Mosaic, 6.9% ABV with plenty of citrus on the nose with a great complementing bitterness. It joins the brand new Witbier w/Citra, which pretty much gives everything away in the name! A bit of toasted coriander and dried bitter orange peel in the whirlpool of this wheat-heavy beer, which was fermented to encourage the iconic clove notes, before being dry-hopped with Citra before packaging.

Tatamagouche Brewing is continuing their Intertidal series with Intertidal Idaho Gem, the exploration focussing on single hop beers. This 6.4% IPA uses the new-school Idaho Gem and is available at their shop on Main Street Tatamagouche right now, and hitting the virtual shelves of their webstore (for local delivery or Canada-wide shipping) very soon.

Brasseurs du Petit-Sault has a new Gose-inspired beer on tap and in cans this week, in their Epic Series of beers. Starting from the wheat/barley base, clementine and ginger were added after the fact to round out a lovely beer. As they say, “Effervescent, dry, sour, salty and fruity.” Pop by their spot on rue de l’Eglise in downtown Edmundston this weekend!

Antigonish’s Candid Brewing has a fresh batch of their Oasis, a 4.5% Pale Ale that’s part of their Side Door series. Available on tap, and now in cans, pop by their spot every day from noon (except closed Mondays) to grab something to stay or go. And keep your schedule open for their Grand Opening/Oktoberfest, October 1 & 2.

Last news this week is a big one for those who like beer, but want to cut back on the alcohol. Upstreet’s Libra beers are coming the Sobeys stores across Atlantic Canada, making it even easier for you to be able to grab a four-pack while on the go. Both the original Libra Pale Ale and Hazy IPA are hitting the shelves in your area real soon! And look for their Gravedigger Pumpkin Ale to return very soon, signalling the slowing down of summer…

A couple of brewery jobs before we sign off for the week…

Sydney’s Breton Brewing is hiring a full time Delivery Driver / Packaging Assistant, who they’re asking to split their time between organizing and deliveries within CBRM, Cape Breton, and Halifax, as well as helping out on the canning line, cleaning and filling kegs, and generally helping out in and around the brewery. Find out more on their Careers Page, and then email Roman your info!

Tatamagouche is hiring for a full-time/year-round position in their cellar (ie, everything *after* brew day), for the right gal or guy who wants to help keep the great beer flowing. Great wages and benefits, including beer and merch. No brewery experience is necessary, though having a driver’s license is required. Check out this post and then drop off or email Jon your resume!

 

Friday Wrap-Up for July 23, 2021 – News from Stillwell Brewing, Cape Smokey and 2 Crows, Iron Rock, Baccalieu Trail, Propeller, Upstreet, Brightwood, Port Rexton and more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2021-07-23
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Breton Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Brightyard, Cape Smokey, Iron Rock Brewing Co., Libra Non-Alcoholic Beer, Modern Brewer's Village Green, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Stillwell Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Hello Friday! Plenty of great beer released this week, and while the weather continues to stay warm and roadtrips are the name of the game, remember to consider including a small brewery or cidery in your travel plans in the region. Why not check out our Good Beer Map to help with your planning, and please let us know if we’re missing anything so we can help the community.

Let’s start you off with some big news from the team behind Stillwell Brewing, who have been teasing some big news on their IG page over the past two weeks. They are on the move! Having outgrown their gracious hosts at Propeller’s original space on Gottingen Street, they have moved their operations a little further north to 3670 Kempt Road. Having their own facility will allow them greater freedom to set it up exactly as they wish, including a retail and events space, as well as a happy home to their foeders and dozens of barrels full of beer. It has also, just as importantly, afforded them the opportunity to design a brew system all their own! As they explore the intricacies of European Pilsners and other lager styles, they have ordered a 35 hectolitre (30 BBL) system optimized for decoction and other more complicated mash schedules (changing temperatures as well as recirculating during the mash to add complexity not otherwise available from a solely-pilsner malt base). 

While Stillwell’s new spot is not quite open, and delivery of their system is still months away, they are not leaving us drinkers thirsty, as they have released a batch of their Stilly Pils recently for draught at their sister locations on Barrington, Agricola, and Spring Garden, and, for the first time, in tall cans for enjoyment anywhere beer can go. As a reminder, Stilly Pils is their hybrid take on of the best characters of historic Czech Pils, with waves of malt complexity, German Pils, with a dry and bitter finish, and the modern Italian (and the North American beers it influenced) Pils with loads of Noble hop flavour on the nose and palate. However you define it, it’s a quaffable beer with plenty of flavour and aroma, great to either “crush or consider,” as they like to say. So, how to get your hands on these cans? While their retail shop isn’t quite ready to welcome you in person, you can order through their online shop for local delivery every Friday (as well as Canada-wide shipping). If you’re the kind of person who’s looking for a Pils fix right now, head to Bar Stillwell on Barrington or Bishop’s Cellar at Bishop’s Landing for some cans to go. Congratulations to the Stilly Brewing Crew on the new space, new beer, and the great news of things to come soon!

If you’ve been in the Ingonish area over the last 12 months, you’ve probably seen big things happening at Cape Smokey. The ski hill is fully operational, with a gondola set to open later this summer, and an ocean-front marina offering food, beer and live music. More big plans are in store with a treewalk opening in 2022, and of course, the brewery. While awaiting the opening of the brewery, brewmaster Jan Tzril has been busy sharing his knowledge of and passion for Czech-style pilsner brewing, including at least one earlier collaboration brew. This spring, Jan visited the team at Halifax’s 2 Crows Brewing to brew Cape Smokey Pilsner. The result is a 4.9% Bohemian Pilsner that features 100% Pilsner Malt sourced from the Czech Republic, Saaz hops (also from the Czech Republic), and Czech lager yeast. In true Czech style, it was brewed using a double decoction mash to extract as much flavour and richness from the malt as possible. This method keeps DMS and acetaldehyde levels lower than an infusion mash, and has also been known to accentuate bitterness and help with head retention. If you want to sample Cape Smokey Pilsner, the only way to try it (for now) is to make a visit to the Cape Smokey Marina to enjoy a can onsite. Check out Cape Smokey’s blog to learn more about the collaboration, including an interview with the 2 Crow’s talented brewmaster, Jeremy Taylor.

Let’s skip from Cape Breton to Newfoundland and Labrador, where Lab City’s Iron Rock Brewing has recently released an oak-aged Belgian Tripel months in the making. Le Fer Du Monde was brewed with a traditional simple malt bill of Pilsen and Munich, hopped with the Tettnanger and Saaz, fermented with a Belgian yeast. The work didn’t stop there, as the beer was aged on oak for 3 months before being packaged in a cork and caged bottle and allowed to carbonate naturally. Spicy yeast on the full malt character, melds with notes of oak for a sensory experience. And now the beer is available at both their taproom on Humphrey (which is back open today with Trivia and Karaoke tonight!), as well as in St. John’s at Urban Market 1919 and a pair of Marie’s Mini Mart (Kiwanis & Frecker). We suggest grabbing a couple of bottles: one to enjoy now, and one to set aside for further development in the bottle.

The December holiday season has its fair share of beverage-centric traditions; in some parts of Atlantic Canada, one of them involves a boozy concoction, stored in the freezer, usually in a repurposed bucket (salt beef, with its trusty handle, is always a good choice). The recipe for the beloved slush varies from community to community, but usually features frozen juice concentrate, spirits (typically vodka), and some lemon/lime soda for the final drink assembly. Why are we telling you all of this? Well, because Bay Roberts’ Baccalieu Trail Brewing is releasing an ode to the frozen delicacy, in the form of a slush-inspired pale ale. Right Slushed is hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Sultana. To hit those McCain frozen concentrate notes, it was then conditioned on blood orange, pineapple and lemon. The result is a tropical and citrusy pale ale that comes in at 5.5% ABV and is sure to have you searching for your slush bucket in July. Cans are available now at the brewery with pints and fills to follow soon. 

Over at Propeller, they’re back with a new bottle release available today. Black Forest Sour is a barrel-aged kettle sour with (you guessed it) flavours and aromas reminiscent of Black Forest Cake. A mix of different berries was used in a kettle sour base, which was then aged in bourbon barrels for over a year. Through the barrel, notes of oak, bourbon and a touch of smoke joined the fray. Further conditioning was done on fresh vanilla beans and cocoa nibs. All of that together brings that delicious mix of richness, sweetness and notes from a tasty cake, but in a 5% beer! This is a limited release in 500ml bottles available today for $10/btl at the Prop Shops, Bishop’s Cellar and for local home delivery only. Check it out while it’s still available!

In the ever increasing non-alcoholic beer archive of the blog (and also our lives and building some healthier habits), one of the best and most popular local choices has been Upstreet’s Libra brand. With Libra Hazy IPA joining the lineup earlier this month, Libra Pils is the latest release in a trial run today! Using Saaz hops and lager yeast in traditional pilsner fashion, this comes in at 0.4% and 5 IBU. Expect this to have classic Pilsner notes with a floral, grassy nose, joining a touch of bitterness with a light and crisp body. Available at Upstreet’s two Charlottetown locations (Allen Street and Craft Beer Corner), as well as on their online shop very soon for those not in town (shipping available Canada-wide).

If you do pick some of this up, be sure to hit up their social channel or website to leave feedback, as they want to make a delicious local non-alcoholic beer for the masses.

From the darkside (Dartmouth!) comes Brightwood with some great news this week. First up, Loudwater is a new release now available and is a low-bitterness IPA that features Nelson Sauvin hops. This 6% IPA will showcase some white wine flavours, pairing with notes of citrus, nicely balanced with Maris Otter malt. It’s is available in 473ml cans at the brewery or online for delivery. 

In other news, Brightyard is now open! What is Brightyard? It’s an outdoor beer garden on Portland Street in Dartmouth! This is the third location for Brightwood and you can get beer, wine, cider, snacks and BBQ from the mind of Emma Strubank. Check it out around 53 Portland Street in Dartmouth, pretty close to their other two locations! Open noon til 10 PM daily, but check that forecast before heading out, as this is an outdoor space it is weather-dependent.

There’s some big goings on this weekend on the Rock!

Over the last five years, Atlantic Canada has benefited greatly as a region from breweries opening in smaller towns and villages. These businesses create jobs, tourism, economic activity and an incredible sense of community in their local areas. Nowhere has this been more evident than Port Rexton, Newfoundland. Starting from their original taproom/production facility, Port Rexton Brewing has expanded to include a St. John’s retail location and a second larger production facility. More importantly, they have placed Port Rexton firmly on the map of beer destinations in Atlantic Canada, having consistently raised the bar in terms of quality and variety of styles, and having done so while becoming a pillar of their local community, supporting other businesses and community groups through collaborations, events, and pop-ups. This Saturday, PRB is celebrating its fifth anniversary in style with new beers, lots of food options, and a street party featuring live music. 

Let’s start with details on the party. From noon until midnight, the street area adjacent to the brewery will be shut down to create a larger, Covid-friendly space. Food vendors will include the in-house staple Oh My Cheeses and special guests Adelaide Oyster House, Old Dublin Bakery, Danger Giles Fried Chicken and Like Yer Mudders. Live music will entertain the crowd all day long and the first 50 beer drinkers will also receive a free glass. Non-alcoholic beers from Upstreet/Libra will also be available. 

And now let’s get to the beers. Three new ones will be available on-tap and for takeaway in cans. First up is Five, a blood orange IPA. Coming it at 6% ABV, expect a traditional IPA with lots of citrus notes and pithy bitterness. Next up is Summer Anthem, a 6.5% coconut lime milkshake IPA. Expect a combination of sweetness, tartness and bitterness in this one, which features additions of coconut, lime, lactose and vanilla, and a big dry hop. Summer Anthem also includes a link to a Spotify playlist that features some of PRB’s favorite taproom tunes from the last five years. Last but not least, PRB continues its support for gluten free beer drinkers with Kiwi. This 4.5% GF sour features lots of tropical aromatics and a big kiwi flavour. Cheers to everyone at Port Rexton Brewing, including founders Sonja and Alicia, on five awesome years and many more to come. 

We’ve got a few more short beer hits to share today before we dismiss you for the week…

Modern Brewer’s Village Green in Cornwall, PEI, continues their informal Comfortbier series with English IPA, a 5.9% ode to the style. Maris Otter (complemented by a few other English malts) and Bramling Cross (used in both the kettle and dry hop addition) come together for a combination of fresh-baked crusty bread, citrusy marmalade with a touch of floral tea; a quick English Breakfast! Find it on tap on Church Street this weekend, and perhaps in cans to go next week, should there be any left.

The fine folks at Breton are as happy as anyone to be opening up and welcoming guests from near and far, so people can enjoy their beer in CBRM and HRM. Beachside is a new limited release Pale Ale available today. Using a blend of hops for a burst of tropical fruit flavour and aroma, this is a 4.8% summer sipper with a crisp and dry finish. This is available in 473ml cans in the Sydney taproom and also online for delivery.

Wanna work in the world of craft beer and brewing? There’s definitely some spots available right now:

Seeing as how we were just speaking of Breton, let’s start there, where they’re on the hunt for some enthusiastic folks who’d like to join their team as a Bartender in the taproom and help serve up some of that new beer. It’s considered a part-time position, with 20 – 35 hours per week up for grabs, and, as you can imagine, the hours aren’t exactly 9-5, with evenings and weekends being prime time for tap rooms. So if you’re in the Sydney area and interested in breaking into the world of craft beer, more details are available here.

With their burgeoning taproom in full summer swing and their new beer garden now operational (see above), Brightwood is looking to staff up for the rest of the summer with kitchen and serving staff. With 2 full time (40 hrs/wk) and one part time (20 hrs/wk) position available to the end of September, they’re hoping to find some eager folks with previous experience to help them develop a new food concept in house. Check out the full details in the Careers section of their website.

One of the region’s most old school breweries is also looking to fill a position, this one on the back end: Pump House Brewery in Moncton has need of a Director of Plant Operations. This is a position with some serious responsibilities, best summed up as “planning, directing, and coordinating the maintenance and production functions of the brewery.” Given that they’re well-established and fairly sizeable, it should be no surprise that they’re hoping to find someone with significant experience to fill this role. You can find out more, including how to apply, by checking out the full job description posted on Career Beacon.