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Friday Wrap-Up for October 22, 2021 – News from North and Paisley Notebook, Truro Brewing Company and Brave Noise Beer, Port Rexton and Adelaide Oyster House, Half Cocked, Secret Cove, Lake City Cider, New Scotland, and more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2021-10-22
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Adelaide Oyster House, Brave Noise Beer, CAVOK Brewing, Flying Boats Brewing, Half Cocked Brewing, Lake City Cider, Modern Brewer's Village Green, New Scotland Brewing, North Brewing, Notch Brewing, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Secret Cove Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, The Carleton, The Paisley Notebook, The Stillwell Freehouse, Tire Shack Brewing, Truro Brewing Company, Tusket Falls Brewing. Leave a Comment

We’re officially a month into fall, although you might not know it with the weather in most of the region over the last couple of weeks, and our breweries seem to have firmly turned the corner from traditional end-of-summer burnout to finding a second (third? seventh?) wind and stomping into the leaf pile with fun new liquids for all of us to enjoy, especially so-called “cooler weather styles.” With all four Atlantic Provinces now requiring patrons of indoor public spaces to be vaccinated, we remind you to make sure your documentation is in order before heading out for a pint and to above all, please have patience with (often understaffed) restaurants and bars as they continue to navigate a bunch of new processes and procedures that they never asked for, but have no choice but to participate in. In HRM especially, as we come to the end of burger week, remember that it’s been extra crazy here and maybe some additional patience (and generous tips!) are in order. And with that, here’s what you need to know about this week’s new beers and upcoming beery events.

Although the news hasn’t been super regular coming out of North Brewing in Dartmouth over the past few months, that doesn’t mean things haven’t been going on! An Insta update this week shows lots of progress on their new Halifax-side-of-the-harbour location in Timberlea, fuelling hopes that folks can be buying beer there before the holidays and making it a destination for a sitdown pint in the new year. Meanwhile, at their primary facility, they’re settling into fall and continuing to put out interesting beers – two weeks ago we told you about the Coco Pony and Beernana releases (which we’ve heard blend quite nicely together) – like this week’s new one, Chai Wala Stout. Partnering with Aman Dosanj of Paisley Notebook and, more appropriate to our purposes, small batch spice blend purveyor Edible Adventures, this one does what it says on the tin, pairing warm and comforting chai spices with a deep and dark malty beverage. Starting on the malt side with healthy doses of oats for mouthfeel, chocolate malt for color and roastiness, and lactose for some residual sweetness, the first dose of chai was added in the kettle during the boil (not unlike making tea), with a second extraction taking place on the cold side. As you might imagine, the result is a “rich, spiced stout, reminiscent of a sweet cup of masala chai.” You can find it in cans to go (and pints to stay!) at North’s Portland Street location and Battery Park, or for online ordering. And if you go to the source, and you find yourself thinking, “I’d like to have some of this spice blend that’s not already in beer,” you can buy pouches of this limited release blend at the brewery.

Truro Brewing Company has released a new Hazy Pale Ale this week, and are taking part in the world-wide Brave Noise Beer collaboration. In May 2021, Brienne Allan of Notch Brewing in Salem, MA, shared her story of descrimination and misogyny while working in the beer industry, and asked other women in beer to share their own. This launched wave after wave of people sharing their experiences, and ignited a flame to call out bad actors in the industry, and make beer safer and more welcoming to all, including women, LGBTQIA, and non-binary individuals. The Women of the Bevolution, Allan (who has since left Notch to pursue other endeavours), and Notch are hosting the collaboration to continue the momentum, and make real changes by encouraging breweries around the world to brew the beer, promote the movement, and donate funds to groups supporting related organizations. TBC’s Brave Noise Beer is a 4.5% ABV Hazy Pale Ale, featuring a base of Pils malt, with Oats to bump up the mouthfeel, with Sabro and Mosaic hops added late in the boil and whirlpool to contribute more aroma and flavour than bitterness. Bottles of Brave Noise are available now on Inglis Street in Truro, where it can also be found on tap for pints. TBC is donating proceeds from this beer to The Lotus Centre, a non-profit resource for women in Truro, offering counselling, programming, clothing, hygiene products, and much more, all free to their clients. While they are the first brewery in the region to take part in collaboration, we hope they are not the last! Interested breweries can sign up at the link above, it’s not too late!

Up in Port Rexton, the eponymously named brewery has a new beer released last weekend to celebrate friends and long time PR tap account, Adelaide Oyster House in St. John’s, who are celebrating their 7th birthday. It’s a Vibe is a mango guava wheat beer, super fruit-forward and decidedly crushable. Containing both mango and guava, of course, it gets an additional citrusy tropical boost from a small dry hop of Galaxy and Azacca hops. Finishing dry and coming in at a very quaffable 4.5% ABV, it’s the kind of beer one might expect could pair very nicely with oysters. Look for it packaged in cans at both of Port Rexton’s locations (HQ and the St. John’s Retail shop), and on tap at PR and Adelaide, of course.

Fully loaded with a new release this week is Antigonish’s Half Cocked Brewing with Braeside Bitter. Named after the once famed Antigonish bowling alley, “Braeside Lanes”, the bowling alley not only lends its name to this Bitter style ale, but the wood from lane 2 was donated to the brewery to create their bar top. It sounds like it’s going to permanently join the lineup at Half Cocked as this classic style is always a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re in England or Antigonish. Using all English ingredients to stay true to style, they just had to tweak their local water a bit to get what they were looking for. Bringing traditional flavours of a biscuit and caramel malt body, you’ll get notes of honey, lemon and tea based on their hop blend. This is available now on tap and for growler fills at the brewery. 

Always keeping us on our toes (and wishing that we could get there and try their beer!) Secret Cove Brewing is releasing Scoff, a 3% table beer.  As always, they keep with Newfoundland and Labrador themes and pride with their releases, staying true to their terroir, values and traditions. Made for gathering and doing things themselves, this beer welcomes all in a true East Coast spirit. This table beer is brewed with a variety of English hops bringing herbal and earthy notes, pairing with Vienna, rye and flaked barley in the grain bill. There is a lot in here for “just a 3% beer” to pair nicely with all your fall Newfoundland traditions of Jiggs dinner, deer, moose and game season. This is available in 473 mL cans from the brewery today and will likely make its way at various locations across the island in the coming weeks.

From the Lake City (Dartmouth), Lake City Cider has a new release in their Vine Series with Strawberry Pinot Grigio Sparkling Cider. In this series, they use their normal base of Nova Scotia apples for cider, but infuse wine elements from different grapes and sometimes fruit additions. In this release, the apples are complemented with Niagara Pinot Grigio grapes and local Nova Scotia strawberries. The result is a light and refreshing sparkling cider pairing well with many different foods. It’s available now in 355 mL cans and is 9%. You can find this at the cidery or online, and they deliver 7 days a week!

Staying in Dartmouth, New Scotland Brewing is embracing the fall weather by releasing Old Buzzard, a dry Irish Stout. This is a traditional dry Irish Stout with a bit of a twist (we’d expect nothing less from these brewers!) in the addition of locally roasted organic coffee and organic cacao nibs to enhance the flavour. Light in the mouth, dark in the glass, with lovely coffee and chocolate sweetness, it’s a lovely ale for the time of year. A special shout-out to Scott, a co-founder of the brewery (Mike is another founder and Head Brewer), who brewed this beer alongside the production team. It’s been awhile since Scott has been in the brewhouse, so definitely give him a shout-out if and when you try this one on tap. This beer is a very sessionable 3.7% and is available starting today (Friday) only on tap at their Downtown D-town brewery. 

Halifax beer drinkers have been spoiled with another great taproom addition, the Gottingen Street location of Tusket Falls Brewing Co. This week sees the release of Predictable Chaos, available in cans and for pints now. This 7.1% beer is being called a Blackberry Cinnamon Sour Crunch (queue the BJCP style writers scratching their heads). The kettle sour features additions of blackberries, cinnamon, vanilla bean and their in-house baked granola, which in our books, also makes this a perfectly acceptable breakfast beer. And for those on the South Shore, their brewery location is also carrying the Chaos.

Over on the Island (Prince Edward Island, that is), Modern Brewer’s Village Green in Cornwall has a brand new IPA to tickle your tastebuds and satisfy your hop cravings. Coastal avoids the great IPA beef of the 2010s by being “not quite East Coast, not quite West Coast, but definitely wet.” Leveraging classic citrussy Cascade, pithy, piney and resinous Chinook, and stone fruity and slightly tropical Amarillo, it’s got a classic aroma and moderate bitterness in a 6.1% ABV package. It’s already on tap for pints and in cans to go at the tap room in Cornwall; and if you decide to head down and try it or grab some to go, maybe give a thought to trying/grabbing some of their super-sessionable, eminently quaffable 3% Dark Mild.

In other Village Green new, they’re looking for part time bartenders. VG’s beertender/assistant brewer/tastemaker Mark Misener is heading to the Big Smoke to work at Bar Volo, and so there are big shoes to be filled! “Celebrating inclusion and diversity in both people and beer”, all are welcome to start or continue their beer career, by reaching out via email. And Misener will be pouring his last beers in Cornwall next Friday, so be sure to pop by for a visit before then to see him off!

What’s on the go this weekend? In HRM, tomorrow is the last day of Halifax Burger Week, so be sure to get out and support your local restaurants, breweries, and Feed Nova Scotia all in one trip! 

Some Moncton news from a brewery that always has updates for our readers, Tire Shack Brewing has a new beer release and a food event on Sunday. First up, the beer! We’ve had a few white stout releases over the last few months and Tire Shack is joining the fray, releasing Lavender-Chocolate White Stout today! At 5%, this is a white stout featuring both a flavour pop and smoothness from a mix of lavender and chocolate additions. Don’t let the appearance fool you, as this isn’t a classically dark stout, but it tastes like it could be! A limited release as it was brewed on their pilot system, it is only available for pints and growlers at the brewery. Come try it out on Sunday when they’ll be hosting Birria Dave’s at 1pm for Mexican street tacos. Last time they hosted this pop-up event, all the tacos sold out in 90 minutes!  

A friendly reminder that Halifax’s Stillwell Freehouse is hosting a tap takeover by Microbrasserie Les Grands Bois tomorrow. More details on the tap list and fun are available in last week’s post, and their IG page. And keep your calendar free for next Saturday, October 30th, as Stillwell on Barrington hosts Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery from Ayr, Ontario, bringing a full dozen taps of beer, ranging from lagers to sours, stouts to Triple IPAs, with the folks from Willibald in the house to chat all things beer. We hear there will be some special food coming out of the kitchen too, so come both thirsty *and* hungry!

Those who have attended one of the many Craft Draught Showdown events at the Carleton in Halifax over the past few years know that they’re a great way to not only sample a bunch of tasty beers and enjoy some excellent food but to also have some fun in the process. So whether you’ve been and are looking to go again or haven’t and are excited to try it, you should be aware that these events are back, with one of the HRM’s newest breweries, Serpent Brewing out of Spryfield, taking on one of the oldest craft breweries in the city (and the province, and the region, really), Propeller Brewing on Wednesday, October 27th at 7 PM. As always, five food courses from chef Mathias Probst will be paired with a 4oz pour of a beer from each brewery. Patrons will vote for the most successful pairing with each course, with a winner declared at the end of the night. Tickets are $75, which includes tip but not HST ($86.25 all in) and, conveniently, can be ordered online. Seating is limited, as always, so we’d recommend getting your tickets soon if you want to attend this one!

We have a couple of quick hits from Dieppe before we dismiss you for the week. Be sure to visit your fave local good beer bar, restaurant, or brewery this weekend, to help them keep the great stuff pouring!

Up first is Flying Boats Brewing with Evil Lover, an 8% ABV Double IPA from their Test Pilot Series. This one features large hop additions for bittering (82 IBUs), and also during the whirlpool and dry hop to amp up the aromas of citrus, berries and apricots. Cans of Evil Lover are available now at the Dieppe taproom and through their online store. 

We’ll leave you with a new kettle sour from CAVOK Brewing. Long Weekend is a low bitterness and sessionable take on the style, with only 6 IBUs and 4.7% ABV. It’s available now in cans and on tap for pints or growler fills.

Friday Wrap-Up for October 8, 2021 – News from Church, Unfiltered, North, Bannerman, Quidi Vidi, Baccalieu Trail, Boomstick, Good Robot, Meander River, Tatamagouche, Port Rexton, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2021-10-08
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Bite House, Boomstick Brewing, Breton Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Hampton Brewing Company, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Modern Brewer's Village Green, Moth Lane Brewing, North Brewing, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Queer Garden, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Saltbox Brewing, Schoolhouse Brewery, Shoreline Malting, Sourwood Cidery, Stillwell Beergarden, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Church Brewing Company, Tire Shack Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Thanksgiving Friday! Fall has definitely sprung in the region, with the leaves changing colours and cooler evenings, and our already-short patio season quickly drawing to a close (don’t fear, there are a few outdoor events to tell you about down below…). With the holiday Monday, be sure to check ahead for the opening hours of your favourite local brewery or ciderhouse before heading out, as they may be altered for the day (Sunday too!). Solid representation from all four Atlantic Provinces this week, hopefully satisfying everyone tuning in. And remember that many breweries are shipping within, and outside of, their respective provinces, so be sure to ping them if you read about something here. Be sure to tell them the ACBB crew sent ya! As always, keep drinking the good stuff, supporting your local growers and producers, and we’ll see you again next Friday (if not sooner…)!

Church Brewing in Wolfville released a quad-fecta of new beer last weekend, so let’s get you up to date with those draught-only (pints or crowler fills) offerings. Phantom Altbier is the first of the bunch, a 5.5% Altbier, which is a traditional German hybrid or “lagered ale”. Malt-forward, the beer features some yeast-derived esters (think light apple and banana) on top of the toast and bready notes from the grain bill. A pair of beers in their new IPA Series are Saint John and Saint Paul, named after two members of the iconic Tragically Hip band. Saint John (Fay, drummer) is a 5.8% American IPA, weighing in at about 50 IBU thanks to Magnum, Azacca, Simcoe, and Amarillo added throughout the brew, lending plenty of grapefruit and lime citrus notes with a lingering pine finish. Saint Paul (Langlois, guitarist) is an in-between American and English IPA, again leaning on Magnum for bittering to 50 IBU, with Azacca, Simcoe, and El Dorado finishing off the hop-heavy-lifting. Smooth bitterness, with the sweeter malt notes poking its way through as well. And finally, in a complete left turn, Got You Bae is a 4.0% dry-hopped Sour, leveraging the citrus and tropical notes of Azacca, Simcoe, and Amarillo to differentiate from their Salt Water Joys Gose. All four are pouring at Church now, and are available to go in crowlers from their retail shop on-site.

Just in time for the long weekend, Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing is releasing a new DIPA, Battleship PM-67. Brewed in memory of Unfiltered-friend Paul McKinnon, this 7.5% DIPA is made with the Cryo Pop hop blend, giving tropical notes including pineapple, stonefruit and grapefruit, finishing with a distinct bitterness. Cans and pints (next door at Charm School) are available now. A portion of the proceeds from the beer will be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation in memory of Paul.

Although they’ve got quite a bit on the go these days, with a kitchen to set up at their Cole Harbour location and an entire new taproom going in out Tantallon way, North Brewing is still putting out the good stuff, including a brand new one, a special version of a previous seasonal, and the return of a much anticipated banger. Let’s start with the brand new one, a variation on a classic style dreamed up by Kolapo, who runs the brewery’s lab QA program, looks after the yeast stores, and is also one of the production brewers on the team. Starting with a classic German Weizen, featuring plenty of wheat and classic German noble hops, to amp up the banana character associated with the style (and no doubt the haziness!) this beer underwent a secondary fermentation on 60 kg of banana purée. The result is “banana-y, wheaty, refreshing and crisp” and comes in at 5.5% ABV. It’s name? Beernana, of course!

In the “special re-release” category, this week sees the return of Coco Pony the barrel-aged version of North’s dessert stout, Twinkle Pony. Early in 2021, they took 800 litres of the original beer, made with lady finger cookies, cold brew coffee, lactose, and vanilla, and spread it amongst 4 whisky barrels from Glenora Distillery, where it sat for several months, picking up plenty of oak and whisky notes. From there it was brought back to stainless, where it was aged on plenty of roasty cocoa nibs from Rousseau Chocolatier and toasted coconut. The result is a burly brew, where sweetness and roastiness meet big chocolate flavor, topped with boozy barrel character, all with a subtle hint of coconut all the way through. Smooth, rich, and decadent, ideal for enjoying slowly on a cool fall evening; but be careful, it packs a wallop at 9% ABV!

And lastly, fans of crispy brews can rejoice, as one of the best in the region is back this week. Sparrow is the brewery’s lovely little bird of a German Pils, a crushable 4.8% grainy beauty that still packs a bit of a punch on the hop side to help keep the finish dry and bringing you back for more. All three of these have been packaged in cans (473 mL for the first two, 355 for the Sparrow) and all are available at the brewery or for online ordering. Speaking of online ordering, they’re running a promo this weekend; if you’re a subscriber to their email list, make sure you check out this week’s email for 15% off orders placed before Sunday at 11:59pm! They’ve also got some sweet new swag up, including Dartmouth Dark socks!

Heading up to the Rock, Bannerman has another release (do we say that every week? Keep the good stuff coming!) available now. Bruised Ego is a DIPA that is smooth and fruity. Made with flaked and malted oats for a creamier, smoother mouthfeel, this used dry hops of Mosaic and Barbe Rouge. The beer was then conditioned on lots of raspberries to bring some jam and bold fruitiness. It is available today in cans, on tap and growlers at the brewery and cans at Marie’s and Urban Market.

Staying in Newfoundland, we have a pair of new brews from Quidi Vidi. Starting in the taproom, they’ve got Junior, a super session IPA that keeps it tasty and hoppy. At a paltry 2.3% it still manages to pack a punch of hop flavours bringing in candied orange, citrus fruits, some dark raisin, and a little bit of mint. This one is available only on tap in the taproom.

Reaching further onto the big screen, the brewery has partnered with the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival for the third straight year. Director’s Cut: Strawberry Kiwi Sour is a 5.8% sour that will be featured at NLCs and convenience stores across the province. For the third year in a row, the labels on the cans are done by 32 female artists from Newfoundland and Labrador, so there are 32 different pieces of artwork from female creatives for the same beer release. The Film Festival runs from the 13th until the 17th of October, but the beer is available today, and in stores starting October 11th.

Three in a row for Newfoundland, as Bay Roberts’ Baccalieu Trail Brewing has a limited release available now. Dyes for it is a lagered ale, Kolsch-style ale brewing with Pilsner and Munich malts and balanced with late additions of German Hersbrucker and French Strisslespalt hops. This 5% crispy, lager-like beer will have great Noble Hop aromas and is a label and name conceptualized by one of their employees, packaging technician extraordinaire Haley. It’s available in 473ml cans at the brewery, at Marie’s locations. 

Go for it, Connect Four with Newfoundland breweries, as Boomstick Brewing brings an Oktoberfest release to Cornerbrook. Dunkelweizen is a dark wheat beer featuring smooth, maltiness, with great aromas of fruit and spice. This is a 5% release that is well balanced and is easily drinkable. You can find this on tap at the brewery or in 473ml cans in Corner Brook and will soon make its way to the St. John’s area.  Be sure to check out the brewery’s Oktoberfest celebrations this Saturday October 9th.

Heading back down to NS, where Good Robot has a new Goodwill Partner (formerly Goodwill Bot) in the form of The Limestone Group. You may know the LG from previous Good Robot joints, or that GR’s own Giovanni Johnson is one of the prime movers of the group. In short, they’re a group of native Bahamians living in Halifax who love nothing more than to share their Caribbean culture through tropical beverages (most often beer and beer-adjacent) and good times. Based around the idea of a “switcha” which is a heat-beating citrus beverage from the Bahamas powerful enough to make you “switch up” your face, Hard Limeade Switcha is a fruited radler, which means there’s some beer in there as well. At 5.7% ABV, it’s a bit heartier than your average radler, but we’re guessing that’s to help it bear up against the citrus punch. Being part of the Goodwill Partner initiative, proceeds from this one will go towards the good work of the Limestone Group. Although you can grab cans of Switcha now, you might also want to consider checking out the official launch event happening on October 23rd at GR; keep your eyes peeled on GR/LG social media for more info on that!

The pride of Ashdale, just east of Windsor, Nova Scotia, Meander River Farm and Brewery has a fresh seasonal release, their 2021 Homegrown, a wet-hopped ale. Each year the hops in this release change and this year brings  a light, zesty, sessionable ale made solely with hops from their farm, namely the Galena and Newport varieties. Having a slightly hazy appearance and boasting zesty and wild berry aromas, this 4.5% session ale has medium bitterness with plenty of grassy notes and a crispy finish. Take a lovely fall drive to pick it up from the farm or order online. 

Tatamagouche is famous for its annual Oktoberfest celebration, and coinciding with this year’s modified events, Tatamagouche Brewing is releasing the Sepia Marzen. This version relies primarily on Munich malt with a touch of Vienna and malted wheat, plus some small volumes of speciality malts for colour. The boil stage of the brewing process was extended to extract as much malt character as possible. This is a style that requires enough hop character and bitterness to balance the delicious, bready, sweet malt. Tata used Magnum hops for bittering and some Mittelfruh and Tettnanger as late additions. A partial natural carbonation was also used to create a drinking experience that screams “one more”. Per the style, expect notes of bread crust, toast and malt. We know that this one will be on tap at the Stilly BG event this Saturday, but you’ll likely be able to find it at the brewery soon as well. Keep an eye on their online store for availability in cans later this month.

Newfoundland seekers of gluten-free beers should check out Port Rexton this weekend for a fruited take on their Gluten-Free Sour. This version includes the elusive haskap berry, giving notes of jelly beans, blueberry and some sour apple. Haskap berries are gaining popularity as a superfruit for their antioxidants and other health benefits (don’t @ us blueberry lobby groups). The sour comes in at 5% ABV and is available now in Port Rexton on tap or in cans. Look for it to hit the shelves at the St. John’s retail location next week.

We’ve only got one New Brunswick brewery to mention in this section this week, but they’re making up for the slow NB news week with the release of two beers. Up first for Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing is Killed by Death a 10% Triple IPA. This TIPA features a massive dry-hop of Mosaic, Citra and Vic Secret. Expect tons of tropical and citrus aromas in this big hazy IPA.  Up next is Cherry Pie Sour, a 6% kettle sour featuring pie cherries and the addition of some species to give a hint of graham cracker. Both beers are available now in cans/growlers to go and on tap for pints.

Although their oeuvre remains vast and varied, you may have noticed over the last year or more that Halifax’s 2 Crows Brewing has put some real emphasis on their lagers. From the traditional continental stylings of Letna and Waltz and Milosh and the recent smoky Signals, to the new world and old world with a twist entries like Dos Cuervos, Vitis, and Refresh, if you’re a lager lover it’s been a great ride. And that ride continues with this week’s new entry, a “rustic lager” they’ve dubbed Harrington. What’s a rustic lager, you may ask? I’m not sure we know either, but what we can tell you is that it’s got an interesting story behind it. PEI maltster Shoreline Malting decided to explore the malt variety of the same name this year, a variety that was incredibly popular from the mid-80s to the late-90s and then all but disappeared. Interested in seeing how it compared to more modern strains, they arranged to get some, PEI grown, and put it through the malting process. And where Lagers tend to be somewhat better styles for showing off the character of malt, it should be no surprise that they chose 2 Crows to put the malt through its paces. But that wasn’t the end of the fun: 2 Crows were not alone in this brew, they brought in another one of Canada’s best breweries to share the fun, Indie Alehouse out of Toronto. Of course, all the malt in this brew was the Shoreline Harrington, to which some raw wheat was added, and the grist was mashed with a schedule designed to maximize foam and stability. A little bit of Mandarina Bavaria and Diamant hops were added to provide the requisite balance, and the resulting wort was fermented low and slow with Escarpment Labs’ Isar Lager yeast strain. Post-fermentation this was was lagered long and low, resulting in a 3.9% ABV and 20 IBU beer where fresh, bready malt is the star of the show, with some subtle floral notes, and an ultra crisp finish. Out now in cans available from the brewery, there will be a launch party for it tomorrow evening (Saturday, October 8) from 4 – 10 PM as part of the Patio Lanterns Festival, with DJ CPR, Disco Stu, DJ Douvet, playing tunes, soft pretzels for snacking from Gingerbread Haus, and plenty of Harrington to drink! 

A couple Oktoberfest reminders, an Anniversary celebration, book and cider launch, plus a few more things to get you out the door this weekend!

If you’re in Charlottetown and not ready to be done with Oktoberfest yet, we remind you that PEIBC is doing their OktoberFEAST this weekend. See our post from September 24th for the info and some links to more!

And if you’re in Halifax (or planning to be tomorrow), a reminder that the Stillwell Beergarden is celebrating Oktoberfest tomorrow, from noon until *chilly*, with ten German-inspired beers on tap, plenty more in cans and bottles, including the Tata Sepia Marzen above and plenty more from NS, NB, and PEI, plus imports from Ontario (Sonnen Hill and Tooth & Nail). Sausages and pretzels, roving live music, and plenty more! Check this IG post for the full taplist, and we’ll see you there! 

Cornwall’s Village Green is celebrating their one year anniversary this Saturday (October 9) with food, music and of course, great beer. Let’s start with the beer. In addition to their core lineup, VG will have a new release, a sneak peek at a full upcoming release, and returning favourites. Up first is a new version of Cream Ale. Coming in at 5.2% ABV, this one features Pilsner malt, malted wheat and flaked corn in the malt bill, and a touch of Perle hops to round things out. Cream Ale will be on tap and has also been canned if you’re looking to grab something to go. Look for the sneak peek at Wheelie’s Hazy Pale, inspired by the creepyful antique toy discovered in the province last year, which took the internet by storm. We’ll have full details on it, and its launch event with PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, next week. This weekend’s celebration will also see the return of fan favourite Tripel. This one was brewed and first released back in the Spring, but one keg was cellared for the anniversary. The 9.4% take on the style recently won a Bronze medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards and will be on tap for 5 oz pours. Food will also be available on-site starting at noon care of Sneaky Cheats in the form of smoked bologna and tofu sandwiches. Freshly shucked PEI oysters will also be available. This fully-vaxxed event goes from 12 to 9:00 PM. Cheers to the Modern Brewer and everyone at Village Green!

Another event combining great food and fermented beverages is happening Saturday at the Sourwood taproom. Bryan Picard, owner of The Bite House in Big Baddeck, Cape Breton, will be releasing his new cookbook and conjunction with some new cider releases. For those who don’t know, prior to Covid, The Bite House was an extremely sought after restaurant on Picard’s property that typically sold out a year’s worth of reservations within minutes each year. Since then Picard has been focusing on catering, pop-ups, developing the cookbook and doing cool collabs, like this one with Sourwood. Let’s get to the ciders. First up are two made from an unknown variety of yellow apples from a 100-year old tree on the Bite House property. Unknown Legend is a piquete style cider made with the apples. Juice from the same apples was then combined with Bite House water to make a smaller piquette-style version, Petite Legend. Both will be available on Saturday in bottles. The release will also include Field Blend, a canned cider using a variety of apples foraged from the Bite House grounds. Swing by Sourwood from noon to 4:00 PM on Saturday to grab a cookbook, meet the author, and enjoy some interesting ciders.

Spreading joy to all and creating safe spaces is exactly what beer and society should be. Queer Garden is a cooperative in North End Halifax that is a backyard feel establishment with food, drink and more! Available by reservation only, check out their website and their Instagram page for more info. They’re currently featuring some beer from Upstreet, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. They are launching a fundraiser for a permanent more inclusive location, and are holding two events this weekend to see that come to fruition. Sunday, Oct 10, from 2 – 8 PM, they are holding a “Goodbye Summer” event at their location. DJs all day, great fun and booze!

Here’s the quick hits portion of our program for this week, with a bunch of new releases around:

The leaves are changing, which can only mean two things in Cape Breton – traffic jams on the Cabot Trail and Fall seasonal beers. Breton Brewing is getting in on the action with the return of Maple Lager and Oktoberfest Lager. The former is made with maple syrup sourced from the island, and features notes of caramel, bread and maple with a 5.5% ABV. Oktoberfest is a 5.3% Märzen-style lager brewed in collaboration with Saltbox Brewing. Per the style, look for a big bready malt profile with enough bitterness to keep things balanced. Cans of both are available at the taproom now and for delivery in HRM/CBRM.

In New Brunswick (between Quispamsis and Sussex), Hampton Brewing has a new release from their new brewery. Straddling the Fence is a Session Ale featuring their newest recipe with a low bitterness, smooth finish and flavours of passionfruit, strawberry mango and citrus. Different base malts were used here, with honey malt adding a bit of sweetness. This is available now only from the brewery. 

If you’re near Moth Lane Brewery on PEI, make sure you check out Stargazer, a new 5% seasonal fall release with fresh hops right from the Island. Well-balanced and a delicious sipper, it is available now from the brewery. 

Over in Windsor, Schoolhouse Brewery is back with a new release from their Local Hop Series, Freshman is a NEIPA in its 2021 iteration. Made with the freshest possible hops (not dried, freshly picked wet hops) is a 5.9% hazy New England IPA that is available today in 473ml cans. 

And lastly, but not leastly, there’s beer to be made and somebody’s got to do it. Could that person be you?

If you’re looking for a brewing position in our region you could do worse than the gorgeous South Shore of Nova Scotia. Fortunately, if that’s your bent, there’s one available! Saltbox is looking for someone to brew in their 10 BBL brewhouse and take part in the production of their beers, ciders, and RTD products to feed their distribution channels including local sales, the NSLC, private stores, and tap accounts. As head brewer, you’d lead recipe formulation, yeast management, ordering, and coordinating distro. There’s also a SABCO system for experimental brews, as well as the smaller systems at King Street Beer in Bridgewater and Lightship Brewery in Lunenburg. A real soup to nuts opportunity! Look for all the details, including how to apply, at this link.

Friday Wrap-Up for September 24, 2021 – News from Delta Force, Dildo, Good Robot, Village Green, Bannerman, Spindrift, Tanner & Co, Propeller, Copper Bottom, Saltbox, Boxing Rock, and lots more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2021-09-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bannerman Brewing, Bar Brewdock, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseux d'la Cote, Brightwood Brewery, Brightyard, Canadian Brewing Awards, Change Is Brewing Collective, Copper Bottom Brewing, Delta Force Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Four Rivers Brewing Co., Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, King Street Beer Co., Lightship Brewery, Modern Brewer's Village Green, Moosehead, Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Rough Waters, Saltbox Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery. Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again! Oktoberfest is in the air and COVID cases are rising! With kids back in school, lagers in brite tanks, it feels like we’ve been here before, but this time with vaccinations. There are plenty of events to attend across the Atlantic Region over the next few weeks, but as New Brunswick now has proof-of-vaccination in place and reversal of their mask mandate both there and in Newfoundland, it’s more important than ever to check out your province and establishment protocols. We want to enjoy and celebrate our region as much as possible, so let’s all do it safely, with pretzels in hand!

Nova Scotia’s Delta Force Brewing has emerged from the shadows with a pair of releases today, two takes on an oft-overlooked traditional style. Operation Forge – Stock Ale is being released in both a base version, as well as one that hung out in a fresh oak barrel for a short time, picking up both Brett notes as well as the underlying wood character. These complement the caramel profile in the base beer, thanks to the use of invert sugar, created by converting sucrose to a mix of fructose and glucose. As they do not have a retail location, the best way to grab your Stock Ale, and any of their other 8 offerings available, is to fire them an email to order and request home delivery in HRM or the Hwy 101 Corridor. That same email will get you on the exclusive list to hear about the latest releases before the general public, so don’t sleep on that!

From the rock and one of the loveliest locations in Atlantic Canada, Dildo Brewing has 2 new releases available now. First up is Do-X, named after the series of massive flying boats with a storied past and Newfoundland and Italian connections. In the Italian Pilsner style, a delicious twist on the classic German Pils, it was dry hopped with Noble hops late into the lagering, bringing some spicy, herbal notes making it a very zippy and crisp 5% lager.

Second up this week is the collaboration between Dildo and Burchie’s Gourmet Doughnuts. Donuts for Days is a donut stout using a special donut made just for this beer release. A doughnut/pastry Imperial Stout, this beer was aged on some sweet stuff including raspberries, cocoa, marshmallows and bourbon soaked Madagascar vanilla beans. A welcoming imperial stout at 7.8% it provides rich, sweet, decadent flavours. Both of these new releases are available in 473 mL cans and on draft only at the Dildo brewery and the retail store in St. John’s. 

A few pieces of news from the Good Robot family this week as they have a new beer release and a second location on the way. Golden Juniper is a 5% pale ale brewed with juniper additions and balanced with a piney, resinous hop flavour, this is a beer to enjoy with your forest friends. Low-gluten thanks to the addition of enzymes during fermentation, it is available now for pints in the taproom, and in 473 mL cans to go from the brewery or online for delivery

While news and rumours of Good Robot’s second facility in Elmsdale has been around for a few months, they’re holding a meet (or meat) and greet today, Friday, Sept 24, from 3:30 to 7:30 PM at their new location. At 14 Industrial Way, anyone from the local community is welcome to stop by for a BBQ hosted by the Good Robots themselves. No beer just yet, but check out the Facebook event here and swing by Elmsdale if you can!

Never a stranger to putting out new releases and fresh off a Canadian Brewing Awards win (a bronze medal for their Tripel), Village Green is back with Weird Clouds. Part of an ongoing series, this is version 6, featuring a lovely hop blend with classic American stalwarts Centennial and Simcoe alongside the lovely New Zealand variety of Motueka. This one has a very sweet, fluffy, and tropical flavour and comes in at 6.2%. It’s available now on draft in Cornwall and also in 473 mL cans to go. And while you’re there, you can also grab a tasty favourite (at least of ours!), their Milk Stout, which is available now on tap and in cans. 

Hopping north to another island, St. John’s’ Bannerman is back with a new release. Scenic Route is a blueberry kettle sour ale, made with real blueberry purée and a hint of fresh mint! Dry-hopped with Mosaic, this should have a wonderful aroma and freshness. Pouring with a deep maroon-ish colour it is a 5% ale available today in 473 mL cans only at Bannerman, in addition to being on tap for pints and growler fills. 

After opening the location about 8 weeks ago, Spindrift is launching a beer in honour of Spindrift Oak Manor in downtown Antigonish. According to the brewery, X-Port Ale is an ale/lager hybrid with a lower 5.2% ABV for a more sessionable sipper. And whilst you enjoy this golden straw-coloured beer with a slight grainy and estery aroma, be sure to check out the can design, which features a lovely portrait of Antigonish. Available now in 473 mL cans and on tap in Dartmouth and Antigonish. 

Chester’s own Tanner Brewing has a returning favourite you can get now, Altbier is back and it’s mostly what you’d expect. Always a brewery to put a spin on things, this Altbier is brewed in the Sticke Alt style, a maltier and hoppier version of a traditional Altbier. With a lovely balance of caramel and molasses flavours with bitterness, this checks in at 5.7% and 40 IBU and is a welcome addition as fall arrives and many breweries have their darker seasonals coming back into the fold. Available now in 500ml bottles at both Tanner locations in Chester and Chester Basin; also, they still deliver on Fridays into HRM. 

Ahead of the Nocturne Art at Night Festival, taking place in Halifax October 13 – 16, Propeller Brewing has brought back their annual collaborative fundraising Nocturne Black IPA today. Dry-hopped with Amarillo and Falconers Flight, this black beer has a malty backbone of roast and dark chocolate, melding together for a strong 6.7% balanced brew. Available at their 3 Shops in Dartmouth and Halifax, it is joined by a new release of their Mosaic Pale Ale, now in 6 packs, and heading to select NSLC locations next week.

In mixed good/bad news, unfortunately PEI’s Harvest Home Festival has been canceled, due to rising COVID numbers, to keep everyone involved safe. However, the Copper Bottom Tanglewood Harvest Ale will be released this weekend despite the disappointing news. As they say, the show must go on, therefore the launch will coincide with their regularly scheduled Tunes on Tap event at 3 PM on the 26th. Ward MacDonald, Thomas Harrington, and a few special guests will be entertaining the taproom. Part of their GiveBack Initiative, $1 of each can or pint sold goes toward supporting emerging artists in the province through micro-grants. So, about the beer… Tanglewood is a bright and fresh 5.5% American Pale Ale, featuring freshly-picked Comet hops from Mount Albion’s Island Hop Company’s first harvest! Island Malt House Pilsner malt is at the base, along with Cara and Munich malts for more backbone, balancing some great citrus character from the hops. In addition to cans and draught at the source, keep your eyes peeled in Charlottetown and Halifax for taps pouring the good stuff this weekend.

Lots of news from Nova Scotia’s South Shore this week, with a new beer, new charitable initiative, as well as employment opportunities. Saltbox Brewing in Mahone Bay (and their sister locations King Street Beer bridgewater  in Bridgewater and Lightship in Lunenburg) are celebrating Polish Heritage Month in Nova Scotia with the release of The Big Kowalski. Named in honour of Polish-Nova Scotian author William Kowalski, this 4.7% ABV beer features honey from The Little Bee Farm, bringing floral notes on top of a crisp and light brew. TBK hit the taps at all three locations yesterday at 5 PM, so they’re all ready to accept your pint request!

Saltbox and King Street and Lightship are also looking to expand their growing team, and are in search of some full- and part-time taproom servers to add to the fold. Reach out to Tap Room Manager Natasha to learn more!

The latest in Saltbox’s quarterly charitable efforts has been in support of the Fisherman’s Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, which in turn supports the local healthcare community through bursaries and equipment finance. After donating nearly $1000 through the Fishermans Memorial Golf Tournament this month, they have installed a kindness meter at Lightship to collect donations that will be passed directly to the hospital. Think Social and Drink Local!

The year 2020 was notable and memorable for many things, one of which was the debut of a Pumpkin beer from Boxing Rock. After years of saying they’d never do it (we’ve heard that before from them!), they decided to hop in. Not wanting to drink the “same old, same old” pumpkin spice beer, they put their own spin on it, and came up with Fuego Habanero Pumpkin Ale. Habanero peppers added in the boil give massive heat character, as well as a pleasant flavour, which is complemented by the hints of cinnamon and a touch of black pepper. The result is a mouth-watering beer that is quite drinkable! Cans of Fuego are available at the brewery and retailers now, and it is joined by the latest release of their Back to Birchtown Old Stock Ale, brewed with their (and our) pals at Change is Brewing Collective, in support of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society.

Oktoberfests and events abound this weekend, with Sackville’s TAPestry holding their big celebration this week and next (with Sausages and give-aways Saturday!)…

Special delivery! St. John’s Bar Brewdock has received 6 beers from the other side of the country, with Burnaby, British Columbia’s Dageraad Brewing sending along a mix of kegs and bottles to East Duck. On draught, Dagvar Czech Pils, Burnabarian Table Beer, and Rainshine Blonde. Seven Saison, State of Nature IPA, and Maroc Ale are available in house or to go with food purchase. And keep an eye on their Social Media for more details on their Oktoberfest which kicks off Tuesday Sept 28 and runs all week.

In Dartmouth, Brightwood Brewery, their Waterfront Beergarden, as well as BrightYard will be tapping kegs and casks all weekend to celebrate the season. Sausages from Vessel Meats, special treats from the smoker, and more! Learn more here, and get out to enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts!

While still a couple of months away, tickets for the Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival’s 12 Beer of Christmas are selling fast, so we suggest you grab yours to avoid disappointment… Your ticket for this November 27th event (with includes many more than just 12 beers, btw) gets you into the St. John’s Farmers Market to eat, drink, and be merry!

And while you’re at it, be sure to keep March 25 and 26, 2022 clear, as this is when the NL Craft Beer Festival makes their triumphant return after the setbacks the last 19 months. Tickets for that event are also on sale and will not last much longer, we reckon! Also taking place in the St. John’s Farmers Market, look for a West Coast celebration to be happening in 2022 as well!

Just a coupla quick hits before we let you go:

Concerned by the Proof of Vaccination for Non-essential Activities policy coming to Nova Scotia October 4th? Let Garrison help assuage that a little bit by dropping down to their taproom with a printed copy of your proof of vaccination, and they’ll laminate it for you! No more fears of dropping it in your beer or it getting too wrinkled to read. May we suggest also having a copy in your recent photos on your phone too, just in case…

Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewery is celebrating Oktoberfest this weekend (and next), as well as the return of their award-winning The Wicker Man Pumpkin Lager… And they have even more reason to celebrate, as co-owner Jerrica Kennedy was recognized by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton and the Hub City Young Professionals Network as one of Moncton’s Top 20 under 40! Making a difference in the city through activities inside and out of their business pursuits is what garnered the accomplishment. Congratulations Jer and the entire Tire Shack team!

In case you missed our post Monday, the results from the 19th Annual Canadian Brewing Awards were announced on the weekend, and the region’s brewers did quite well. Punching well above their weight were Prince Edward Island’s Copper Bottom and Village Green, earning 4 medals between them, with Grimross leading the charge for New Brunswick, taking home 3 of the 6 medals in the province (Brasseux d’la Cote, Four Rivers, and Moosehead round out the NB winners). Rough Waters took home half of Newfoundland and Labrador’s 4 medals (Port Rexton and Quidi Vidi grabbed one each), and Nova Scotian medals were evenly split between Garrison, Propeller, Tatamagouche, and Uncle Leo’s. Congratulations to all of the winners!