Mountain Meadworks

All posts tagged Mountain Meadworks

Bubble bobble, it’s time for our weekly hobble! Terrible jokes aside, we’re all looking forward to the reestablishment of the Atlantic Bubble in a month. There have been many tasty treats through our great region and we’re happy to have it coincide with the warmer weather (those in Nova Scotia ignore that part). Hope is in the air and beer news is down below!

After a pop-up retail tease in the fall, Spryfield’s brewery, Serpent Brewing, is opening on a permanent basis this weekend. Located at 16 Dentith Rd, the taproom and retail spot is located just off Sussex Street under the Canadian Tire (and next door to the future home of Mary Brown’s Chicken). While they received some less-than-great news that their taproom permits have been delayed due to a hand-off from the NSLC to Alcohol and Gaming (thanks NS gummint!), there is beer in kegs and bottles so they are opening their retail store for take-away Saturday at noon, and Sunday at 2 PM. Next week and going forward, they are open Wednesdays 2 – 8 PM, Thursdays through Saturdays 12 – 10 PM, and Sundays 2 – 8 PM. Their 5 BBL (600 litre) brewhouse has been working overtime to prepare the 7 Belgian-inspired beers available on draught and in bottles. Those who visited the pop-up in 2020 have already had a chance to try their Patey’s Bier, their 4.6% ABV Singel/Patersbier, Eden, their 6.0% ABV Belgian IPA, and White Mountain Witbier, coming in at 5.5% ABV. These three are available to go in bottles as well as growler fills (and pints soon enough). Add to that Medusa, a 7.4% ABV Dubbel, and 33, their 8.0% ABV Tripel, completing the trifecta of Monastic beers. Both of these, as well as The Bite cider are available in bottles this weekend.

Serpent’s first Founders Club release is also available, this one being a taproom exclusive due to its limited nature… Chocolate Lake Chili Porter was brewed with Rob, one of the early adopters to their Beer Creation Experience, allowing members to conceive the beer, help with the brew day, and even work with their designer on the label artwork. While all of those memberships for the 2021 edition have been snapped up, there are still some spots in their Brew Club, the 24 month membership which provides you with a Serpent growler and your choice of a growler fill, two bottles, or two pints per month, discounts on growler fills on Thursdays, a t-shirt, 2 beer glasses, and vouchers for 4 pints and 4 flights to be used personally or shared with friends. Details on this can be found on their website. Look for more Beer Experience releases in the coming months, as well as plenty more Belgian-, and non-Belgian-, inspired brews to be pouring. Keep an eye on their social media (Fb/Ig/Tw), and we’ll be sure to give you lots of fun information about their taproom once it opens in a few weeks. 

In more opening news, Moncton’s Tide & Boar Brewing has finally opened their doors this week, after months of delays due to the COVID pandemic. However, they soldiered on and have had a very successful launch just in time for Moncton Craft Beer Week (more on that below). While owner Chad Steeves began brewing on a small kit in the basement of the Tide & Boar Gastropub at 700 Main Street, they have graduated to a much larger brewhouse down the road at 1355 Main Street. Their attitude has not changed, however, concentrating on modern hazy New England IPAs such as Uncut Hops, Special Blend #10, Pow Pillow Rakau, as well as their Sour Otis line of fruited sours. This expanded capacity has allowed them to offer cans to go on a permanent basis, in addition to being enjoyed at their space. The taproom is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 4 PM (until 11 or later), features a full kitchen (open from 4 – 10 PM during the week and from noon to 10 PM Saturdays), and the Duo Cafe is open 7 AM – 1:30 PM Mon – Fri (can also buy retail beer during those hours). Congratulations to Steeves and family on the opening!

And in coming soon “new” brewery news, the fine folks near Fundy, Alma’s finest, Holy Whale is the second New Brunswick brewery to purchase a bowling alley! The owners have taken possession of the Parklane Bowling Alley at 28 Biggs Drive in Riverview, New Brunswick. Not too far from their beer garden location, the lanes are located about 70km from their spot in Alma. They will be starting renovations shortly and aiming to have a beer garden and lanes open in August. For the Parklane fans, fear not, the lanes will definitely remain the focal point of the space, with the beer hall taking over other space in the building. They’ll also be moving their pilot system from Alma for on-location brewing, so you can expect some fun beers to come from there. Beer and bowling, yes please! Throughout the process of idea to realization, the Holy Whale gang have had a number of people help them, none more than the TrailWay Brewing crew who successfully opened The Drome in Fredericton a couple of years back, but keep an eye on their Facebook for further details and their full list of shout outs. Their Beer Hall down the way at 391 Coverdale Road in Riverview will remain open during the construction.

Big Spruce Brewing has released a brand new and important beer this week, as part of Black is Beautiful, a world-wide collaboration to raise awareness of the injustices that People of Colour face daily. Breweries take part to lift up, empower, and give real (aka monetary) support to Black organizations to continue the fight. Big Spruce has has pledged to donate 100% of the proceeds of their release to the The African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition, whose member groups work in the province to see that African Nova Scotians have a voice in the planning of, and access to, improved community services, health care, and reform of the justice system. Big Spruce’s version of Black is Beautiful is a Whiskey Barrel Aged Foreign Extra Stout coming in at 6.9% ABV. Beginning life as a bold black beer featuring dominant notes of chocolate and roast coffee, the barrel aging process brings vanilla, red fruit-like cherry, and a lovely whiskey nose. The beer finishes dry and with a touch of bitterness, and leaves you wanting more. Available in cans from their retail shop in Nyanza and online for delivery in Nova Scotia and beyond, several restaurants and bars across Nova Scotia have also taken kegs to help expand the reach (including Bar Stillwell, Battery Park, Bitten Moon Pub in Glace Bay, Grand Banker in Lunenburg, Maritime Express in Kentville, Nook and Cranny in Truro, and The Townhouse in Antigonish). Be sure to grab some cans or pints to support this important initiative!

It’s been a few weeks since its initial release, but for those who’ve yet to come across it, Boxing Rock has a new Best Bitter available called Perfect Pint. This 4.3% ABV take on the style features Maris Otter and crystal malts, and is hopped with the classic English Goldings hop. Expect some fruity esters, with caramel and stone fruit coming through on the palate. Perfect Pint is available now in 491 mL cans through Boxing Rock’s sales channels, including their Local Source Market location. 

Moving on to a slightly larger rock, Landwash Brewery is releasing the first beer in its new Limited Series, with Cuslett. This IPA pays homage to the west coast version of the style with a malty backbone and hefty bitterness. Named after the village along the Cape Shore of the Avalon, Cuslett comes in at 7.0% ABV and is available now in cans for pick-up at the brewery in Mount Pearl, as well as the better corner stores in the region.

Joining Cuslett is Landwash Dark, a pitch-black Lager reminiscent of the Schwarzbier style, featuring plenty of chocolate and dark malt character, but with a crisp and dry finish, setting it apart from stouts and porters. This 5.0% ABV beer lets the malts shine through, giving the hops a rest for another day… With the current Level 4 restrictions on the Avalon, their taproom remains closed, but the retail side is still able to sell fresh cans to go, and check out your local corner store too!

Halifax’s Propeller Brewing has something new for those who both like their hoppy beer and who also are trying to satisfy their craving for hops without getting into big and heavy IPA territory. Taking the notion of “Session IPA” almost to an extreme, or at least as far as we’ve seen it taken around these parts, Micro IPA weighs in at a paltry 2.8% ABV. That said, it still manages to be hazy and full-bodied, and, of course, hoppy! Featuring Nelson Sauvin and Idaho 7 hop varieties for aroma and flavor notes of “mango, gooseberry, and stone fruit, with a subtle backdrop of black tea and spice,” this one was a small batch on their Quinpool pilot system, so quantities are limited. Available in 500 mL bottles from all Prop Shops and through online ordering for pickup or home delivery.

And meanwhile, with COVID restrictions starting to ease up a little more (but please, let’s keep up with the mask-wearing and social distancing where appropriate!), the Prop gang is happy to announce the return of Community Cask Nights. Twice a month at their old school tap room location on Gottingen Street, you’ll find a special cask tapped on Friday evenings starting at 5 PM with proceeds going to a local charity. Check it out today, when you’ll find a cask of their S’Mores Imperial Dessert Stout (a special treat, as cans of that one are sold out) with Marshmallow Fluff. This one will be pouring in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association of Halifax Dartmouth.

Truro Brewing Co has a new release this Friday straight out of the Hub! Released in collaboration with nearby Mountain Meadworks, Ostara is a Saison-style Braggot (a beer and mead blend). Brewed with Shoreline Malting pale malt, honey, and juniper berries, it is the second collaboration between the two companies and should please all types of drinkers, bringing flavours of spice, honey, banana and juniper. Coming in at 7.6% ABV, it’s available in 650 mL bottles today directly from the brewery, and this weekend from Mountain Meadworks’ table at the Truro Farmers Market as well as the online Truro and New Glasgow Farmers Markets.

Delta Force Brewing is back with its fourth release, featuring some returning favorites, new twists on previous releases, and some brand new beers for their fans to try.
First up is a fun two-pack that provides the opportunity to compare and contrast two different strains of Kveik yeast in the same base beer. Operation Assay is an American-style pale ale coming in at 4.6% and 4.9% ABV for the two strains. These versions feature the Ebbegarden and Voss strains of the yeast. We recommend finding a pal and opening both bottles at once for a side-by-side.
Staying with pale ales, Operation Jolt combines three loves of many a beer drinker – hops, coffee and funk! This 4.9% APA with Brett also features an addition of brewed coffee.
Next up, we have Baurenhofschuppen with Brett. This one started life as a Märzen, which appropriately enough is German for March Beer, but was also fermented with Brett to a final ABV of 6.6%. Expect the bready malt notes you’d usually find in a Märzen, with a funky finish from the Brett.
We also see a new twist on Wessex, the barleywine from their third release. Wessex with Brett is, you guessed it, a version of their original barleywine with an addition of Brett to add some funk that compliments the rich malt notes.
This release also sees the return of their ‘traditional farmshed ale’ Anderlect. This Trappist single-style beer is available as a two pack the features vintages 1 and 2, or as single bottles of the second release. Finally, Mean Time, their English Bitter with Brett, also makes a return. Like Anderlect, you can choose a two-pack of multiple vintages or singles of the newest release.
All beers are available for weekend deliveries within 1 hour of HRM. Contact the boys at deltaforcebrewing@gmail.com to place an order or for more info, and to be added to the mailing list and be the first to learn of when new beers are available. 

Today’s weather got you craving a rich, warming stout? Look no further than Tatamagouche Brewing’s release of Solitude, a 12.6 ABV% cognac barrel aged imperial stout. This one starts with a base of Horton Ridge Pale malt and Munich malt, with smaller additions of chocolate wheat and Caraaroma malt. To balance the sweetness from the big malt bill, Centennial hop bittering additions were added to the tune of 70 IBUs. For more sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel, lactose was used during the boil, with the final addition of Cholaca liquid cacao once fermentation was complete. The beer then spent 10 months in cognac barrels before packaging. Expect big chocolate notes, dark fruit and a notable barrel character, all balanced nicely by the higher bitterness. Solitude is available now in 500 ml bottles and also found its way into a few kegs (including one being tapped in the Tata taproom at some point in the upcoming week). If you’re looking to grab a bottle in the HRM, they should be available at Bishop’s Cellar shortly. 

New from the South Shore of Nova Scotia this week, Home Port is a pale ale that is available now from Shipwright Brewing Company. This hazy pale ale has a grain bill of Shoreline Pale, Munich and Weyermann Dark Wheat was hopped in the kettle with Citra and Loral, and dry hopped with Idaho 7. Fermented with their house Kölsch yeast, it has a great profile and should be crisp, stone-fruity and showing some great bitterness at 5.2% and 45 IBU. Only be available on tap at the brewery and for growler fills and crowlers to go. 

It may not be very Summer- (or even Spring-) like out there today in the HRM, but Cole Harbour’s North Brewing is (re-)releasing a beer that should put you in mind of better weather: Sparrow Pilsner, their classic German-style lager, is available again now at the tap room, Battery Park, and online for pickup or delivery orders. Joining it is a new package for their Strollin’ Down Baldwin Street New Zealand Grisette, now available in 6-pack 355 ml cans, perfect for one or two of the 3.0% ABV refreshers at the end of the day.

Rounding out the news this week is New Scotland Brewing in Dartmouth, who have put together a special brew for a special cause. Those familiar with New Scotland may know that they have a particular connection with Multiple Sclerosis and that they’ve released exclusive products in the past with the goal of raising $10,000 for the MS Society of Canada. This year on the brewery side they’ve brewed up a special batch of beer they’re calling All Together, an easy-drinking red ale with a graham-crackery malt character and fruit-forward hop presence from Amarillo and Galaxy hops. You’ll find this available in 4-packs at the taproom and online for pickup, local delivery, or shipping. And on the apparel side, they’ve got brand new Red Lion t-shirts and hoodies available from their online store. Says New Scotland co-founder Kevin Saccary, who brewed this beer with Mike Gillespie in February and who himself was diagnosed with MS 12 years ago, “In Atlantic Canada, we rank higher than anywhere else in the world with over 7,000 diagnosed cases. Tremendous progress is being made – and we want to keep the momentum going in the right direction. We really do believe that we can make a difference in understanding, awareness, compassion and quality of life for those affected.” We don’t know about you, but we certainly appreciate the opportunity to support a noble cause, and when that can involve beer, even better! And congratulations to the other Saccary brother, Scott, who was part of Team Nova Scotia at the 2021 Brier Cup in Calgary earlier this month!

Late addition to the blog is a new one from TrailWay that has us looking forward to spring, but available now… Brewed for JH Sports, the region’s first indoor golf center, perfect for keeping on your game while the fairways and greens take a break, Mully is a 4.0% ABV light beer brewed to be super crisp and refreshing, and perfect for a sip in between holes. On tap exclusively at JH Sports for now, it will soon be in cans, featuring a label sporting a local golf course, so you’ll be able to Take a Mully at local courses once they start opening this spring. 

The Moncton Craft Beer Week is happening March 22 – 27, with more than a dozen breweries, restaurants, and bars getting in on the fun. There are events happening all over the GMA, with the Moncton Craft Brewery Passport debuting Monday, and running all year long. CAVOK, Flying Boats, Gahan House Hub City, Holy Whale, Pump House, Tide and Boar, and Tire Shack Brewing are all taking part in this initiative, with visitors getting a stamp after they grab a pint at these taprooms, and a full passport earning an entry to win a massive prize pack. Monday evening, drop by CAVOK to Meet the Nano Brewers in the area, with the folks behind Acadie-Broue, Chockpish, Grand Monk, and O’Creek Brewing on hand with their beers pouring. Tuesday’s Yoga and Beer event at Holy Whale is sold out, but that’ll be a great chance to check out either the Mac n Cheese n Beer Restaurant Crawl or the Moncton Craft Beer Tap Takeover at The Furnace Room, both of which are running the entire week. Wednesday is busy with a Halo Donuts pop-up at Tire Shack Brewing, and then Beer Geek Trivia that evening at The Furnace Room (sadly, due to COVID restrictions, acbbchris will not be able to host this, but did send along some questions for the capable crew!). Wednesday also marks the start of the Moncton Craft Beer Tasting Menu at Clos, which runs until Saturday (RSVP here). Thursday sees another fun event with a Beer and Cheesecake pairing at Flying Boats, who are having Cheesecake Garage pop up in their space that evening. Friday is a comedy and beer evening at Pink Flamingos, Craft Beers and Laughing Tears, with the Winter Beer Garden kicking off at Euston Park earlier that day. The Beer Garden continues Saturday, which also marks Open Brewery Day, with buses taking visitors to the breweries and taprooms in the Greater Moncton Area. It is also made for hopheads at Tide & Boar Gastropub is hosting an All IPA Tap Takeover starting at noon. As you can see, there’s something for everyone who’s into beer, so be sure to check their website, Facebook, and Instagram pages for more details and take part in one or more events to celebrate the great things brewing in Moncton!

Another few job postings for you this week, breweries and beer bars looking to round out their crews for the spring and summer.

The fine people at Truro Brewing Company are looking to hire a few taproom servers for the summer. These are part time positions and no prior experience or beer expertise is required. If you’re interested please email your resume to TruroBrewCo@gmail.com

In other seasonal staffing news, Dildo Brewing is hiring kitchen Staff, taproom Servers, cashiers, and host and hostess roles. Big stuff! Included in there are cashier roles for the St. John’s store. If you’re Interested, please email your resume to dildobrewingcompany@gmail.com and specify the location you are applying to.

HopYard Hali is looking for more Front of House staff at their Gottingen Street location, perfect for the beer enthusiast, or someone interested in learning more. Fire them an email at hopyardhalifax@gmail.com with your resume to learn more and apply!

And finally today, massive congratulations to Shekara Grant on being named to the first Board of Directors of Pink Boots Society Canada! You will recognize Shekara’s name as one of the founders of the Change is Brewing Collective, who have done several beer and cider collaborations in Nova Scotia, partnering to inspire and increase representation of the BIPOC community in the industry. She is also part of the Road to 100 Initiative, led by Black Beer Chick Eugenia Brown to increase representation of Women of Colour in beer. Follow Shekara as she continues to disrupt the current beer industry, opening doors and breaking down barriers. Congratulations again, Shekara!

 

Seeing as how we’re running a little behind, most folks reading this will already be past the halfway point on their last Friday of February, which in a normal year would feel like enough of an accomplishment in our region, but where March will also mark an entire year of pandemic, it feels even more like something to celebrate. Fortunately, there’s lots to tell you about this week in regards to boozy beverages in our region that can help you with any celebrations you choose to do. With community spread in evidence, folks in NS are encouraged to consider the possibility that we may see some tightening up of the restrictions again in the coming week and to add that to the factors that inform their purchasing this weekend. Producers in all four provinces are doing a great job making their products available through responsible means, whether that’s Atlantic-, province-, or local area-wide shipping, curbside pickup, or socially distanced retail. We’re all for rewarding that consideration and effort whenever possible and helping all these breweries, cideries, and meaderies survive to see the end of this madness!

The Change is Brewing Collective is launching their 5th collaborative product this weekend, partnering with Boxing Rock in Shelburne to release Back to Birchtown, a 6.4% ABV Old Stock Ale. Amber in colour, this is a modern take on what may have been available during the days of the Black Loyalists who settled in the region – malty and smooth now, and designed to stand up to aging quite well. The beer is being debuted at the Boxing Rock Taproom at 218 Water Street in Shelburne, with the event kicking off at noon on Saturday, February 27th. Members of Change is Brewing will be joined by Emily Tipton of Boxing Rock, Sheila Scott of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society, Vanessa Hartley of SEED Shelburne, Lauryn Guest of the Buy Black Birchtown Campaign, to learn about their groups’ history and future. All proceeds from the collaboration are being donated in support of Change is Brewing and the Black Loyalist Heritage Society.

Due to COVID restrictions, reserving a seat in advance is required, 902-875-2282. And for those not able to join in person, the event will be live-streamed through the Collective’s Instagram and Facebook pages, so be sure to tune in! Those in attendance are invited to visit the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in nearby Birchtown, who are opening their doors that afternoon, 2 – 4 PM. The beer can also be ordered today on the Boxing Rock webstore, where the full package includes a fabric mask commemorating the collaborative brew, and a ticket for entry to the Heritage Centre to be used in the future.

Don’t forget that this is also the last week to donate to Change is Brewing in their support of BIPOC South Shore’s “Buy Black Birchtown” campaign, in support of an 8-acre Retreat and Learning Centre in the community, a place for people of colour to “rest, resist, and organize for Black liberation and Indigenous sovereignty”. They are ¾ of the way to their goal of raising $20,000 (as of publishing), which has allowed the CiBCollective to become full members in the Centre, and sponsor membership for two more groups, working towards a third, before the end of February. If you have the means to donate, or just want to learn more, please check this link.

First opening their brewery and retail space in 2019, Smokehouse Nano Brewery has now opened a taproom in the heart of Berwick, Nova Scotia. Located at 134 Union Street, the taproom and retail spot is open from noon daily, closing at 6PM Sunday through Thursday, and 8PM Wednesday through Saturday. A full dozen beers are on tap for enjoyment in house, with most available in growlers or cans to go once you’ve chosen your favourites. One of those favourites may be Noonan’s Pride, a 4.2% ABV Dry Irish Stout, featuring massive coffee flavour and aroma, with a smooth mouthfeel and dry finish. Sadly, due to its small batch size, this one is an in-house-only treat! Smokehouse’s website social media (Fb/Ig) has their latest offerings, perfect to get you salivating now!

With several successful breweries and cideries already present on Prince Edward Island, it was only a matter of time before somebody got the mead bug (bee? Hah!). And while we don’t have our finger on the pulse so much with honey beverages, we did manage to notice the opening of Horns of Odin Craft Brewery on St. Peter’s Road in Mount Stewart (sharing a building with the Bedford Irving). Owner Chuck Gallison decided to start the business after a fateful trip to Iceland a few years ago, and as you may be able to tell from the name, he’s very much aware of the connection between Vikings/Norsemen and mead. The term “mead” at its most basic means a fermented honey beverage and covers a fairly wide variety of liquids ranging from still to sparkling and dry to sweet, possibly containing herbs, spices, and/or fruits, and with ABVs from low single digits all the way up into the teens. That said, for the pedants amongst us there are usually specific terms for these variations. Right now the brewery is focussed on producing melomels, which generally refers to fruited meads (although there’s even more terminology for particular fruits), and currently they’re coming out in a wine-like 8 – 12% ABV. Their current lineup of available products includes Hopped Crabapple, Strawberry, Mixed Berry, Hopped Mixed Berry Beet, and Cherry, but they’ve also had Mountain Ash and a Pomegranate is said to be in the works! You can read more about the brewery in this Saltwire article, or stay tuned to this space where we hope to continue to cover new and interesting products coming from Horns of Odin. Skol!

Amazingly, we’ve got even more mead news for you this week, as Mountain Meadworks has teamed up with Compass Distillers in Halifax on a special collaboration brew that takes mead making to the Nth degree with the assistance of distillation. The starting point was a Mountain Meadworks mead that was sent to Compass to be distilled with a variety of Nova Scotia botanicals, including juniper, spruce tips, yarrow, and chanterelle mushrooms. The result was then used to fortify a new mead that had itself been infused with rhubarb, lemongrass, and spruce tips. The result is “a complex and harmonious drink” that comes in at an ABV of 7.5% and features a variety of flavor and aroma notes including citrus, juniper, and rhubarb. They’ve called this beverage Ouroboros, after an ancient symbol dating back to the Egyptians, but also found in many other traditions including Norse, Hindu, and Mesoamerican, among others. Usually a snake (or a dragon!) swallowing its own tail, it is sometimes also depicted as two (or more!) creatures swallowing each others’ tails in a loop. Intended to reference eternal renewal and how things may change form and yet never disappear, we think this is a poetic name for a very intriguing mead. To get it you’ll want to check out their Facebook page to see whether they might be at a farmers market in your area any time soon or to contact them to place an order.

An annual fall release from Trailway has been their Rascal Imperial Stout. Sadly, the beer’s namesake, a very good doggo, passed away this year. In a fitting tribute to a brewery dog, TW took their existing recipe and made it even more awesomer: after making the base beer, they aged it in Heaven Hill bourbon barrel for 7 months! Ode to Rascal was barrel aged with coffee from Milltown Roasters and some vanilla. This beer is full, complex and filled with notes of oak, dark chocolate, and espresso with a sweet vanilla finish. This 8% ABV tasty treat is only available from the brewery (no shipping options) and is only in 500ml bottles. 

In other news from Trailway, they’re hiring a full time marketing and digital content manager. Check out the complete job posting on Career Beacon

The new releases keep coming from Tatamagouche Brewing and they continue to draw inspiration from across the Atlantic, this time with an English Bitter. Haywain is a 5.3% ABV take on the style that starts with Horton Ridge pale malt, Caramel 60 and CaraAroma.  Bramling Cross and EKG hops were used to the tune of 37 IBUS, with some non-traditional late and whirlpool additions to amp up the aroma. There are a variety of ways to try out this beer, but we suggest trying to track this down on cask for the optimal drinking experience. Pins have been sent to the Stillwell Freehouse. You can also find it at other Tata tap accounts and at the brewery in cans and for fills.

Your visits to the Saint John City Market are about to get even better! Uncorked Tours opened their tasting room and meeting space in the market last year, with a patio and dedicated entrance at the corner of Germain and North Market streets. They’ve just announced they will be releasing their own branded Howlers (0.95 litre growlers) next month, and kicking off their Growler program. After coming in and enjoying a sample flight or pint, visitors can fill a growler of their favourite beer for enjoyment at home. Pair that with some fresh produce, cheese, or cured meats from one of the other Market vendors, and you’ve got yourself a perfect afternoon or evening in! In addition to the sweet howler designed by Owner and Tasting Room Manager Nathalie Nadeau, featuring their doggos Penny and Ruby, visitors can bring their own clean 0.95 or 1.89 litre (32 and 64 oz) growlers to fill. And if you’re in a pinch, they have 1 litre plastic containers to fill too. Pre-order your howler now for its first fill March 17th, or if you can’t wait that long, pop by next week for a fill of your own vessel.

To Moncton! To The Shack! Tire Shack Brewing has a few new goodies for those of you in the area. First up, their Hip Hop Series returns with its fifth iteration, each of which showcases a Double IPA that’s massively dry hopped with a single hop variety. Hip Hop Series: Volume 5 showcases Cashmere, a hop that brings great flavours of melon, peach, lemon, lime and a hint of coconut. It comes in at 8% ABV but the smooth drinkability makes it very (dangerously) crushable. This is available for cans, pints and growlers from the taproom today.

Also out this week, they are bringing the spice to the taproom releasing Mango-Habanero Sour, a 3.5% ABV fruity sour with a touch of heat. This one is only available for pints and growler fills at the taproom. 

Staying near Moncton, Flying Boats Brewing is releasing Red Cap, a Peanut Butter Stout. This was a taproom favourite that is now coming out in 473ml cans. Using as its base an English-style double oatmeal stout, it adds the natural peanut butter flavour in the final stages of fermentation. With a strong peanut butter aroma and notes of chocolate, it’s a sweet sipper at 4.8% ABV. Find it at select ANBL locations and the brewery; enjoy it while it lasts!

The City of Lakes’ own Lake City Cider brings a few pieces of news this week. Cardi P is a cider with Nova Scotia plums house-fermented to a rich wine and then blended with a selection of Nova Scotia apples before being rested with cardamom spice. This cider is 6.8% ABV and available in 750ml bottles from the brewery or online for delivery today. 

Also releasing this week is Green Ginger, a cider collaboration with Pop Culture Brew Co. This cider release is a blend of their Darkside Dry cider and the Ginger Kombucha from Pop Culture. This will have flavours of fresh apple with some floral notes and slight ginger spice on the finish. It is also available in 750ml bottles and is a 5.5% ABV blend available only from Lake City’s Dartmouth shop.

Back to a Nova Scotian cider for our next release, as Halifax’s Sourwood Cider has a funky new apple/wine hybrid available this week. And when the perfect name appears, why fight it? Hence, Hybrid, a blend of apples from a 100-year old Golden Delicious that underwent a 4-week maceration period, along with Marquette grapes picked from a vineyard on the Northumberland Strait that underwent an 8-week maceration period before pressing. Neither ferment saw any external yeast added, it was all thanks to the wild beasties already living on the fruits. After blending, a small amount of actively fermenting Northern Spy juice was added to allow a natural carbonation in the bottle. Only 50 cases of this special 10% ABV cider and wine hybrid were produced, so best make your way to their retail/taproom today to secure yours!

Over to Newfoundland, as we continue our journey across the region, for a re-release of a favourite beer, but with a new name and label to support an important cause. Port Rexton Brewing has teamed up with St. John’s Toslow for a few years now, producing a collaborative Sea Buckthorn Sour celebrating the downtown cafe/good beer bar. For this release, however, their efforts have shifted to supporting a group looking to make major changes in the food security of Newfoundlanders. Food First NL works with communities in Newfoundland and Labrador to improve access to affordable, healthy, and culturally-appropriate food. $2.00 from each can of Hold Fast will be going to Food First, with the goal to raise over $5,000. And of course a special release deserves a special label, which was designed by talented local artist Jenna-Wade. You can do your part by grabbing the beer from PRBC’s St. John’s Retail Shop, or at the Foodex in Port Rexton, this weekend, with more locations in between receiving deliveries in the next couple of weeks. You can also donate directly to a food bank or support group in your local region, check out their partners here (also the same list if you are experiencing food insecurity yourself). 

Staple of the rock, Quidi Vidi Brewing brings a new release to their Brewers’ Original series. Nathan’s Kveik Pale Ale is a dry-hopped pale ale with great flavours of honeydew melon and pineapple. Balanced, with a nice graham cracker malt flavour, it is fruity and easy drinking at 5.5% ABV. Available in 473ml cans from the brewery and online, it’s available today.

And speaking of Newfoundland Craft Breweries, their taprooms are currently closed due to the province being in COVID Level 5 (aka, now in the “Restore the Arse” phase), but that does *not* mean they aren’t able to get some tasty beverages in your hands!

  • Bannerman Brewing has recently commissioned a high-speed 16oz/473ml canning machine, meaning they won’t be running out of offerings any time soon. Hit up this page for curbside pickup options.
  • Landwash Brewery is also doing curbside pickup, and have been delivering to many locations on the Avalon. Check their Distro map to find a spot near you!
  • Baccalieu Trail has a pair of newbies on their virtual shelves this week, with Ediacaran Fuse NEIPA and Love Potion 709, a mixed-ferm champagne-inspired Brut ale both available at their retail as well as Marie’s Mini Marts in the area.

In Coming Soon news, Spryfield’s Serpent Brewing is closing in on the completion of their tap room located at 16 Dentith Road, which features plenty of seating, a dozen taps, a stage for live music, and a Mary Brown’s Chicken opening soon next door! To keep the beer a-flowin’, they are looking to hire both Full- and Part-Time Servers to round out their team. Beer knowledge, or willing and interested in learning some, is a major plus, as is being able to work on your feet to keep everyone happy in a soon-to-be-busy spot. The full details of the positions is on their website, and you can fire off your cover letter and resume to Matt@Serpentbrewing.com before the end of the weekend. 

A couple of rare in-person events to mention this week along with a more typically 2021 virtual one!

Modern Brewer’s Village Green is taking over the taps at HopYard Charlottetown today, showcasing 9 fresh and fun beers from the small brewery in downtown Cornwall. The taplist includes favourites found on tap already, like the Sabro Pale Ale and Bitter, as well as plenty of new beauties like NorCal Pale Ale, Dark Mild, and Lagered Ale, and will even mark the debut of the brand new New Zealand Pale Ale. As the name implies, this 5.0% Pale Ale features hops from the land of the kiwis, namely Nelson Sauvin and Motueka. This brew won’t be available in Cornwall until next week, even! On the “what to eat to pair with your beer” tip, HopYard has debuted the “Hola Amigo” menu this week – check out this post for the latest food options! And with just one keg of each offering on tap at the ‘Yard, you’re well advised to head there sooner rather than later!

We told you about this event last week, but a quick reminder about Belgianfest 2021 at Stillwell HQ this Saturday and Sunday. From noon til 10:00 PM both days, Stilly will be pouring some classic and rare Belgian treats with a great mix of kegs and bottles. The team in the kitchen will also be pushing out some Belgian dishes. Check out Stillwell’s social channels for more info.  If you happen to drop in on Saturday you may even see a few of your favorite intrepid bloggers.

For something a little different, tune into a free public lecture from the Nova Scotia Institute of Science this Monday, March 1st. Dr. Gordon McOuat, Director of the History of Science and Technology Program at University of King’s College, will be presenting The Science and Culture of Beer. From McOuat, “This talk will explore those key moments in the long relationship between beer, civilization, and science”. The full details of how to tune in are on their website, so grab a can or bottle of your favourite beer from your local brewery, and get your beer learnin’ on!

And a last few items for your perusal before you get on with your day:

If you’re more in the mood for cider this weekend, head to Truro Brewing Company to check out Cide Hustle. Using freshly pressed juice from Stirling Farms in Greenwich, Cide Hustle comes in at 6.0% ABV, features a hazy appearance and a semi-dry body. Find it on tap at the brewery on Inglis Place today. 

St. Patrick’s Day is mere weeks away, which can only mean one thing – the return of the Irish seasonals! Propeller is first out of the gate with their Irish Red Ale. Their take on the style comes in at a sessionable 5% ABV and combines roasty malt notes with an earthy hop character. Look for it through Propeller’s online store and three taproom locations this weekend.

Fans of good beer in the environs of Windsor, NS, have reason to cheer this week, as the Schoolhouse Brewing taproom is back after a COVID-related hiatus. Look for new things coming out of both the brewery and the kitchen as they get back to business, including a new Russian Imperial Stout on tap that will be benefiting their local food bank. 

Over at Unfiltered, Fist of God is making its return. This 8% DIPA is available now on North Street in cans and via fills if you have Unfiltered glass to exchange.

Well lookie here, it’s October! One more month closer to this debacle of a year being over! That’s how it works, right? We get through a couple more months of this goat rodeo and then everything magically goes back to something like the normal we knew one or ten or twenty-five years ago? No? Well then, that must be why we have beer, folks. In the interest of helping you maintain your sanity (ours is a lost cause), here’s what you need to know to keep your beer levels up, thanks to all the latest news we could find this week about breweries, beers, and beery events in Atlantic Canada.

Halifax is getting a little more beery next week, when Serpent Brewing has their first beers available! While their taproom and retail shop is slated to open later this month, curbside pick-up and local delivery to the Spryfield/Armdale/Cowie Hill/further afield area will be available beginning Monday, October 5th. We’ll have a full Profile with them early next week for you to read while you sip on the beers, but in the meantime, be sure you hit their website to order their bottles. Serpent is a Belgian-inspired brewery, and their first three offerings certainly reflect that. White Mountain is a 5.5% Belgain Witbier, with strong clove spiciness, plus notes of orange and pepper thanks to the addition of bitter orange peel and coriander in the boil. Patey’s Bier is a Belgian Singel (aka, Patersbier), the lower alcohol brother of the monastic Tripel, light-coloured and 4.6% ABV with notes of floral and fruity malt and yeast. And finally, a hybrid of sorts, Eden Belgain IPA; 6.0% ABV, with a neutral Ardennes strain of yeast and a simple malt bill, allow the Amarillo hops used throughout to shinr through, with citrus and fruit in spades. All three are in 500 mL bottles, with online ordering still available!

We teased last week that we’d have more details on Siren, the “Tripel-style Braggot” collaboration between Truro Brewing and Mountain Meadworks, and since that’s right there in virtual ink on the internet… well, looks like we have to actually follow through on that promise! Brewed at TB, they mashed in with Pale malt from Shoreline Malting, and added local honey (from Tatamagouche) late in the boil, giving a 50:50 ratio between malt and honey. A splash of Hallertau Blanc hops were added in the boil, and the wort was fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. Finishing very dry and at 7.8% ABV, it’s pouring a light golden colour with aromas of “bright apple, honey, bubblegum, and banana”, with the malt coming through a bit more in the flavour, along with a bit of hop character and white wine notes. Siren officially launches at Truro Brewing today at 6 PM, with more details available on the party at the FB page

This week in “postcards from the edge” we got an update from one of our region’s most northerly breweries, RagnaRöck Northern Brewing Co. way up in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, who will be rounding the corner into their second year of operation come November. Like some other breweries that opened late in 2019, we’re sure they didn’t have any idea what was in store for 2020, but so far, thanks to the support of both their local community and the folks that found a way to make it up to the island’s Northern Peninsula, whether from the rest of the Province or from within the Atlantic Bubble. Originally opening with four ‘basic’ beers, Da Bold and Beautiful Blonde Ale, Boggy Bottom Brown Ale, Red Rover Red Ale, and Bit Snatchy Belgian Wit, they expanded the lineup to include an IPA called Hela’s Fury and a kettle sour known as Jormunder’s Sour thanks to the popularity of those two releases. Since re-opening post-COVID shutdown, they’ve also had a couple more beers on regular rotation, namely another sour, this one with cherries, called Surt’s Flaming Sabre, and a Session IPA they’ve dubbed Freyja’s Feathered Cloak. If you’re getting the feeling from these beer names that they’ve really leaned into the Norse Mythology connection implied by their name and logo, you’d be right! If you can get your hands on some of these beers, they’d make an excellent pairing for an evening of reading up on the Æsir and the Vanir. Meanwhile, some of the biggest news from the brewery is the addition of a canning system to the facility. For now they’ve been canning their Blonde and Sour and selling them from the brewery, but as we move into Winter, the system should allow the brewery’s beer to get a little bit of local distribution and possibly even travel a little further to the rest of Newfoundland and maybe even beyond!

Good news for you hopheads living in Miramichi – Timber Ship Brewing has released what they’re calling their most hop-forward beer-to-date, a New England IPA they’re calling Farewell Buoy. Named after the familiar opening words (well, familiar to those of you from Miramichi, anyway!) of the late “Hoppy” Dunn, a local sports broadcaster (“From the headwaters of the Miramichi to the farewell buoy…”), the beer features hops, hops, and more hops. Specifically, plenty of late-in-the-boil additions of Mosaic, an early dry-hop of Citra, plus a double-dry-hop of more Mosaic, as well as some Galaxy. Coming in at 6.2% ABV and 40 IBUs, expect plenty of citrus and pineapple, all in a hazy package. And in more good news, this one won’t be available just on tap; they’ve started canning some of the beers, including Farewell Buoy. Look for this one and a couple of their flagships in cans soon, at Carroll’s Distillery and Bakery in Douglastown. 

Looks like Grand Falls Brewing has added a new beer to their taproom lineup, with an American Pale Ale named High Five. Brewed with a grist of 2-Row, Oats, and Wheat, the wort was hopped with Cashmere and Vic Secret (emphasis on the Vic), before being fermented with a Norwegian Kveik yeast strain. Dry-hopped with more of both varieties, the final 5.25% ABV brew is full of citrusy, tropical flavours, with low bitterness and a soft mouthfeel. This one will be on tap only, for both pints and growlers, and is available now, so be sure to drop in over the weekend!

Dieppe’s CAVOK Brewing has just released the latest in their “Star” series, bottled beers that they’ve named after stars with Latin names. Their first, released in late December, 2019, was Alpha Canis Majoris, for example. The newest is Upsilon Ceti, a 6% ABV, 52 IBUs “Oak Aged Rye Ale”. We don’t have too many details on the beer, unfortunately, but we can assume that there was a proportion of rye malt used in the grist, and the beer was aged in oak for 3 months before being packaged in 750 mL bottles. Very limited quantities are available; you can pick yours up at the brewery today. There’s also a bit available on tap, if you’d like to give it a taste before committing to a bottle purchase!

Congratulations to Grimross Brewing owner Stephen Dixon on completing the multi-day Tri for Housing First 290 km Triathalon last weekend. Supporting the Fredericton Housing First endeavour, supporting those experiencing homelessness by providing permanent shelter first and foremost, allowing people a solid platform from which to concentrate on other aspects of their health, wellbeing, and livelihood. Just shy of $15,000 has been raised thus far, and you can continue the great work by donating at the link above. Grimross is continuing the good works by donating 100% of their cans of Radler to the cause, if you’re looking for a way to satiate your thirst while also providing assistance to those in need. And look for cans of their Oktoberfest Marzen to be hitting the shelves of their retail store and ANBL stores across the province in the next few weeks.

After the very successful launch of The Cherry Brook Wheat earlier this week, brewed in collaboration with the Change is Brewing Collective (more details in last week’s post), North Brewing has hit us with a second new release this week. Strollin’ Down Baldwin St. is a 3.0% Grisette (think Saison’s little cousin), brewed with Shoreline Malting Pilsner malt, lightly hopped with New Zealand Wai-ti and Wakatu hops, and fermented with Escarpment’s Old World Saison blend. Light and spritzy, lemon, peppery, with some tropical fruit and notes of hay, this is a lovely refresher in a tiny package. Grab both SDBS and The Cherry Brook Wheat at either North location, or for home delivery or shipping at their website.

Port Rexton Brewing is teaming up with the ever popular downtown St. John’s boutique Johnny Ruth to celebrate the store’s 15th anniversary. Win Hop Amber Ale comes in at 5% ABV and features the staple caramel malt flavours of the style (perfect for the Fall weather), with a herbal hop character that leads to a dry finish. Grab it in cans now at the brewery in Port Rexton or the St. John’s retail store. If you stop in to celebrate at Johnny Ruth, keep an eye out for the beer in a special gift pack. 

Halifax’s Propeller Brewing is bringing out their annual Nocturne Black IPA beer today, available in cans for home delivery and at the three Prop Shops in Dartmouth and Halifax. This 6.7% beer features significant dry-hopping from Amarillo and Falconer’s Flight, for tropical fruit, pine hop aromatics to complement the roast, chocolate, and coffee notes from the base beer. $1.50 from each can sold goes directly to the Nocturne: Art at Night festival, which is running October 12 – 17. While portions will be moved to the online sphere, there is an installation behind Propeller’s Gottingen Street location after 6 PM on the 17th. And there is also a mid-week Virtual party on the 15th, hosted by HEIST, featuring a DJ, live performances, Lip Sync Roulette, and prizes. It’s free, just requires advance registration.

Tis the Season for Oktoberfests! In addition to Tire Shack Brewing in Moncton and Garrison Brewing X Stubborn Goat Beer Garden events we’ve told you about previously, we have a few more to tell you about this week. However you celebrate, please do so responsibly! 

In Fredericton, TrailWay Brewing is holding their first Oktoberfest, which started yesterday and continues until Saturday, October 3rd. In addition to Milda’s Pizzas being on site (with homemade pretzels available on Saturday), TW is also debuting a new beer, Festbier. Similar to the Oktoberfest style of beer, but less richly toasted, TW’s take “has a caramel and honey-like sweetness, with some subtle breadiness” while remaining dry and crisp. No, it was not dry-hopped with 13 tons of the latest tropical hop variety, but it does have a touch of floral hop character. At 4.5% ABV, and served in pints from their new toy, a Euro-style side-pull tap, it’s intended to be consumed in quantity… hey, they ARE celebrating Oktoberfest, after all! No cans of this one, only available on tap, while it lasts. 

A reminder of the Stillwell Freehouse X 2 Crows Tiedhouse event is tomorrow, which will be the only place to grab a couple of special releases from the brewery, made especially for the slick cask facilities the Freehouse employs. While brewing into cask is outside of their normal wheelhouse, 2 Crows are never ones to back down from an opportunity for experimention. First up is Dulwich, an English Golden Ale, with a base of Shoreline Pilsner malt and a bit of flaked rice. Foggy Lodon Ale yeast did the heavy lifting, and the beer was dry-hopped with Centennial and East Kent Golding before conditioning in the cask. The result is a lower alcohol, bright fruity, floral, herbal and citrus ale, reminescent of those served across the pond. Also debuting is Aquifolium, a wild-ferment Saison, featuring captured yeast harvested from under a holly tree in Sackville, NS. After conditioning for several months, it was dry-hopped with Chinook before completing its life in the cask. Dry, light esters, earthy character, a lovely mix of features. Other casks include a Cask conditioned version of their Refresh Lager, and Paper Airplanes Brown Ale. The full draught lineup is available in last week’s post.

And the Stilly related events keep coming, so be sure to make plans to head up to the Stillwell Beergarden next Saturday, October 10th, for their annual Oktoberfest celebration. A little different than in previous years, tables must be reserved in advance, so grab your bubble buddies and set down your Euros to take part in the fun. In addition to the great food that will be available, the star of the show will be Delta Force Brewing’s first appearance on tap. After two quickly-sold-out bottle releases since Spring, this will be a great way for fans to enjoy a few pints of the brewery’s offerings. Bauernhofschuppen Märzenbier is 5.0% ABV, and as is tradition, was brewed at the end of winter (hence the name representing the month of March), and lagered ever since. This long process chilling out allows the bread and toast of the malts to shine though, but with the beer having plenty of time to develop a crisp finish to leave you wanting another! We’ll leave it as an exercise to the reader to find out what that name means (first person to hit us up on twitter, Chris will buy your first pint!). Attendees will see some goodies from Toronto’s Godspeed Brewery pouring that day, but you’ll have to show up to find out which! Keep an eye on Stilly’s social media that day if there are changes to the program/last minute seats opening up!

Those wanting to experience a taste of Ocktoberfest in the Saint John area should circle October 17 on their calendars. Uncorked Tours is transforming North Market Street into a German biergarten for the day, and featuring a Bavarian inspired food menu to go along with a selection of New Brunswick’s finest German inspired beers. Expect live music, patio heaters and good times all around. Keep an eye on the Facebook event page for more details. 

Quite a few quick hits this week as we leave you to your afternoon:

Keep an eye out for Cross Creek Pale Ale. Cans of this 5% ABV APA  are starting to hit ANBL shelves. Cross Creek Brewing’s first packaged offering is now available at agency stores in Woodstock in Fredericton, with wider distribution to follow throughout the month. Expect lots of citrus notes from the Citra and Mosaic hops used.

The annual return of Meander River’s Wet-Hopped Ale is here. This year’s version features Chinook, Centennial, Fuggle, Newport, Nugget and Galena hops, all grown at Meander River’s onsite farm. Available now in bottles and growlers at the brewery in Ashdale.

O’Creek Brewing continues to add to their evergrowing list of hoppy beers that they’ve brewed with their latest NEIPA, Skyrats. Hopped with Citra, Sabro and Simcoe, along with some Nelson Sauvin in the dry-hop, it’s 6% ABV and no doubt juicy and tropical af. You can find it on tap at CAVOK, Le BarBu, and Euston Park. They’ve also got more of their Route 117 IPA available in cans at local Moncton and Dieppe ANBLs, and some even made it to Fredericton York St. ANBL this time!

Bedford’s Off Track Brewing added a new beer to its lineup this week. Bullseye Red Ale comes in at 5.4% ABV and features notes of caramel, toffee and toast.  Swing by Rocky Lake Drive to try a pint or grab a growler to go.

Secret Cove Brewing has a new beer out, affectionately named after a local mountain, The Cabox. In terms of the beer, The Cabox is an 8.1% ABV West Coast DIPA that features multiple hop additions, including Columbus in the kettle, Citra, Simcoe and more Columbus in the whirlpool, as well as some Summit (natch) in the dry-hop. Available now. 

Know anyone who loves clean beer lines and meeting a lot of great people? They might be interested in this position:

Looking for a way into the beer industry, and have a need for clean? Great news, Nova Scotia’s BeerTech is hiring! They have a couple of openings to join their ranks, to keep brewery taprooms, restaurants, and bars, draught lines squeaky clean, so you and I can keep drinking fresh beer! It’s not only cleaning, however, as installs, maintenance, and updates are also important parts of the draught world. There will be a job posting soon, but in the meantime, reach out to Ken via email or social media (Fb / Ig / Tw) to learn more. See the region, one bar at a time! 🙂