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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday Wrap-Up for March 26, 2021 – News from Good Robot, Tatamagouche, Copper Bottom, Upstreet, TrailWay, North, 2 Crows, Crooked Feeder, Village Green, Annapolis Brewing, Tire Shack, Moncton Craft Beer Week, 902 BrewCast, and much more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2021-03-26
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, Acadie-Broue, Annapolis Brewing Company, Bannerman Brewing, CAVOK Brewing, Celtic Knot Brewing, Chockpish, Copper Bottom Brewing, Crooked Feeder Brewing, Flying Boats Brewing, Gahan House (Moncton), Good Robot Brewing, Hampton Brewing Company, Holy Whale Brewing, HopYard, Modern Brewer's Village Green, Moncton Craft Beer Week, North Brewing, O'Creek Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stillwell Beergarden, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Stillwell Freehouse, Tide & Boar Brewing, Tide & Boar Gastropub, Tire Shack Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Great news to lead off today, as Newfoundland & Labrador have loosened restrictions to COVID Level 2, which allows restaurants and taprooms to open for in-person dining and imbibing. Be sure to support (safely) those breweries and great beer bars and restos in whatever way you can, as they surely have had a tough few months. With the recent flare-up in Northwestern NB, we know forward progress can be taken away in a moment. We’re still feeling cautiously optimistic about April 19th, with the probable re-inflation of the Atlantic Bubble. Wear a mask and take care of yourself and others. 🧡

Halifax’s Good Robot Brewing has a brand new release this week, which comes with a mystery they’d love to learn more about. Abigail Price was a widowed free Black Woman who immigrated by boat from New York to Shelburne in 1783, her name appearing in The Book of Negroes. 10 years later, she had a home built on her land in Tusket, where she lived for some 20 years, before selling the property in 1816. After the sale, she moved on, and her life afterward is currently lost from the history books. Today, that property is known as The Hatfield House, an award-winning restaurant. 

Chelsea B teamed up with local journalist (and beer enthusiast) Evelyn C White to develop the recipe and brew Abigail Was Here, a beer to honour Price’s legacy. Light amber and a touch hazy in appearance, this 5.9% ABV Saison was lightly hopped with Lemon Drop, before an extra helping of lemon zest and juice, in addition to a touch of blueberry extract to round out the fruit character. A Saison yeast offers a bit of clove spiciness. The beer’s label was designed by Brent Braaten and Sara Panchaud, and drew inspiration from the earliest photograph available of the original house, as Abigail Price may have left it 200 years ago. The beer is available on tap at the brewery, and in cans to take away or for home delivery.

Tatamagouche Brewing has a new beer designed and brewed by brewer Chad Ellis in a somewhat uncommon style for our region. Black Flower is an American Stout coming in at 5.5% ABV and Chad did his best to lean into the “aggressively hopped” aspect of the style and leveraging American varieties. Starting with some Triple Pearl from HOOH (Harvesters of Organic Hops) in BC that he describes as featuring, “some cool vanilla/black tea aromas,” he blended in some “really resinous” Centennial from local hop farm Wicked Hops in Stewiacke, NS. Completing the hop picture is classic Cascade. With a firm bitterness of 55 IBU established, most of the hops were added in the whirlpool, which should give plenty of hop aroma and flavor showing. On the grist side of things, Horton Ridge pale, some caramel malts (but not too much), and a “punchy” blend of dark malts that included barley, rye, and wheat provide balance to all those hops with roasty, chocolate, and coffee notes. Fermented with S-04 yeast, a British strain, but well-suited to the style, the resulting beer has plenty of citrus peel character, especially on the aroma, with similar flavors as well as dark chocolate, black coffee, and caramel. This one is debuting in cask-conditioned (aka naturally carbonated) firkins at the Stillwell Freehouse in the next few days, with kegs and cans coming to Tatmagouche and licensees next week. Don’t forget you can order online as well, for delivery across Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada.

If you’re feeling that Island life and the warm weather has got you in a tropical mood, Copper Bottom brings a new release available today. Field Trip: Pink Guava is their latest in a series with an eye on experimentation, unconventional and unpredictable, which tend to be tart and fruity. This iteration brings a kettle soured with a grain bill of Shoreline two-row and wheat, a bit of Warrior hops and then a lot of pink guava puree added after the kettle souring. This is available in cans today at 5.0% and it will only be available online and in their taproom, with a few choice Charlottetown accounts. If you’re around the taproom, pop in for some live music and an expanded menu to celebrate the release, with Nick Doneff starting the tunes at 5 PM this afternoon. That expanded menu, btw, has several items curated by the fine folks at HopYard, and still includes the great Handpie Company offerings, picnic baskets, and small snacks, joined by the new epic Spinach Dip, Sausage Roll, and Pepperoni and Veggie Flatbreads. 

We would also like to congratulate the team at Copper Bottom for winning the Excellence in Adaptation & Resiliency Award last night at the Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce President’s Excellence Awards. This award recognizes a business that has shown resilience in the face of adversity by introducing or improving a product/service to better fit the new environment caused by COVID-19. Congrats to the great team there and we’re happy to have been lucky enough to enjoy your fine brews over the last year. 

Rolling right into the same awards ceremony, Upstreet Brewing also took home some hardware, picking up the Workplace Excellence Award at the same Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce awards noted above. This award is given to an organization that, through its innovative human resource practices, provides employees with a positive, healthy and productive workplace. Things are upbeat at Upstreet and we know you’re worthy recipients!

This sounds like the perfect time for a new release, so they’re back with Neon Friday 3.04 New England IPA. First released in November 2020, they’ve tweaked the recipe ever so slightly, to enhance the smooth hop finish with notes of stone fruit and cherries. Still plenty (more, even!) Cashmere, Citra, Mosaic, and Sabro, they adjusted the timing of those additions, along with changes to the water and grain bill to enhance the haze and head retention. Still at 6.5%, this is available in cans and on tap at Craft Beer Corner, their Taproom and online for island wide delivery. And those in HRM/Nova Scotia should see it in the private stores soon. And no spilling the beans just yet, but fans of their Rewind Seltzer take note, as well as those who are digging their Libra line of <1% ABV beers…

Fredericton’s TrailWay Brewing is saying “So Long” (well, “See You Later”) to their Aussie-hopped Dunder Pale Ale, and bringing in a brand new year-round Pale Ale. Day’s Done is a 5.0% ABV American Pale Ale, that features a hop bill of Cascade and Mosaic, but used judiciously in a well balanced and easy-drinking beer. A medium body and soft mouthfeel from the malt bill (mostly Canadian Pilsner) support the hops in this golden ale. Available on tap and in cans at the brewery now, as well as for shipping across Atlantic Canada and Ontario.

You can help them Hooroo to Dunder for the rest of the week by grabbing a pint or growler fill at the brewery, for just $5 or $10, taxes in. Also, for those looking for something in the fermented seltzer vein, best grab their Bubbly seltzer quick before it goes away. They’re not getting out of the Seltzer game completely, as TW will be back with a less-cease-and-desisty name and brand soon.

The team at North Brewing Company is giving us an early taste of summer with their release of Mango Mango, their take on the Fruited IPA style. This one starts off as a west-coast style IPA featuring Lotus and Mosaic hops. It was then referented on 200 lbs of mango pureé (the Totapuri variety of mango from India and Sri Lanka to be exact). 473 ml cans are available now through North’s two retail locations and for delivery through their webstore. You can also find it on tap now at North’s Portland Street taproom and Battery Park. In other exciting news, North posted a teaser on social media this week about their new, third location! Online sleuths quickly identified the location as the Brunello Estates neighborhood in Timberlea. We’ll have more news in the coming weeks on what is sure to be a great addition to the BLT area. 

Although no brewery puts out a new beer every single week of the year, some breweries do seem to aspire to it, which brings us, of course, to 2 Crows in Halifax. Fans of the brewery (and fruited sours) are no doubt familiar with Jamboree, a regular in the 2C lineup, and this week the gang on Brunswick is releasing a sibling beer they’re calling Jubilee. Built on a similar grist of Pilsner, malted wheat, raw wheat and some flaked oats, no hops were added to the boil. Souring was accomplished with Lactobacillus plantarum after which the wort was fermented at high temperature with the Ebbengarden Kveik strain. Post-fermentation it saw fruit, and not a little bit of it: 440 lbs of blackberry puree and 270 lbs of apricot were added to a 2,400 L batch!. After giving those extra sugars time to ferment out, the batch was dry hopped with a little bit of Bru-1 hops. The result is not unlike a smoothie, according to the brewery, as it’s, “fruity, lush, thick, and purple,” and not super sour, but, “kinda tart.” Also of note is that this beer was soured post-boil, so the bacteria used to sour are still alive; this implies that there could be a little bit of aging potential for this one, although probably not super long term as it’s only 4.8% ABV. You can find it at the brewery packaged in cans for a pint or grab some to go, or you can order on-line for delivery.

What better to celebrate Newfoundland and Labrador’s return to Level 2 than the release of a new beer!? On the west-coast, you’ll find the newest offering from Crooked Feeder Brewing Co. Powder Keg is a Cream Ale brewed with Escarpement Lab’s KRISPY Kveik yeast. Developed in collaboration with local outdoor outfitter Rugged Edge, Powder Keg comes in at 4.5% and is currently available on tap and in 500 ml bottles at the Crooked Feeder Gastropub in Corner Brook. 

Cornwall’s Village Green has not one, not two, but three new beers on tap this weekend. First up is their take on a Belgian-Style Tripel. Brewed in January to allow for sufficient conditioning, Tripel was made using Pilsner malt and Perle hops. At 9.4% ABV, it’s the strongest beer made by VIllage Green to date and is currently available in 5 oz pours at the taproom. Keep an eye out for a canned release of Tripel shortly. Next up is Hazy Pale Ale. This one started with two-row, malted wheat and a touch of crystal malt, along with Warrior hops for bittering. The beer was then hit with auditions of Amarillo, Centennial and Citra in the whirlpool and as a dry hop. Expect notes of candied citrus and spruce needs in this 5.8% hazy ale. Finally, for something on the maltier side, keep an eye out for their take on a Brown Ale, also being released at the taproom this weekend.

The Altbier style has been gaining in popularity in our region, with more breweries in the region producing examples of the beer that originated in Düsseldorf, Germany. Annapolis Brewing Company is the latest to release their take on style. Coming in at 5% ABV and 42 IBU, Altbier pours a dark copper colour with a moderate noble hop aroma. Expect malt notes of biscuit and caramel, nicely balanced by the hop bitterness. Altbier is available for pints and growler fills now at the taproom in Annapolis Royal.

Lots of fun news coming out of Moncton this week, as Tire Shack Brewing has a few exciting things on the go. 

First up, they have a special cask release tonight with 20L of their Russian Imperial Stout that has been sitting in cask for 4 months and filled it with cubes of Hungarian Oak to simulate the effects of barrel aging. The oaky flavours should come through and is definitely worth trying if you’re in the neighbourhood, but even if you’re not, it is worth the trip! It’s a doozy at 11.9% ABV, so tread carefully and have a pal take care of transportation! That way you can also enjoy… 

A new release also graces Tire Shack today, they have a Blueberry-Vanilla Milkshake IPA available now. Using Ahtanum hops for a lemony-spicy kick, the sweetness and blueberry come on the finish for an interesting release. This is available today for enjoyment onsite in pints and flights, and in growlers to go, and at just 4.5% ABV, you can certainly enjoy a couple in these warmer evenings. And if we play our cards right, there may be some cans coming in the next few days!

Lastly in some cool news, they’ve extended their Halo donut collaboration through the weekend for Moncton Craft Beer Week. They have two awesome donuts featuring some of their beers. The first features Secret Society Stout icing with Sunny Brae Coffee espresso crumble. The second donut is loaded with Parts N Labour IPA icing with lime zest. Pairing them with their parent beers in the taproom is highly recommended, though they will also be available to go from Halo’s spot at 110 St-George (open 12 – 6 PM all weekend, though no guarantee the donuts won’t sell out earlier!). Lots of great news from Tire Shack and worthy of heading out this weekend if you’re able. 

Speaking of Moncton Craft Beer Week, it wraps up tomorrow with a couple of special events.

Open Brewery Day is happening tomorrow, with free shuttle buses running a loop between connecting the downtown core, Riverview, and Dieppe, with stops along the way. From 11 AM – 5 PM, start your visits at any one of these spots and get a headstart on your Moncton Craft Beer Passport… The first bus leaves at 11:30 in this order, with the others leaving every 15 minutes: CAVOK Brewing (perfect place to grab some Acadie-Broue, Chockpish, and O’Creek), Flying Boats, Pump House Fill Station, Tire Shack Brewing, Tide & Boar Brewing, Holy Whale Beer Hall (just a 30 min walk Celtic Knot), completing the loop at City Hall in the downtown core (quick walk to Gahan Hub City, Pump House, and Tide & Boar Gastropub).

Speaking of Tide & Boar, they are hosting an All IPA Tap Takeover Saturday, with 14 hoppy beauts from the GMA pouring all day long, plus a secret IPA flight, and if you can correctly guess the identity of the beers, you’ll be entered in a draw for a $50 T&B gift card.

And today and tomorrow are your last chances to take part in the Beer Tasting Menu at Clos, the Spring Beer Garden at Euston Park, and the Mac & Cheese & Beer Restaurant Crawl.

In more great news from Newfoundland being at Level 2, if you’re not able to make it there, you can pop down to Stillwell on Saturday for your own fresh sips of Bannerman Brewing! Your fine purveyors of the good stuff bring six fresh pops from the St. John’s brewery. They’ll be open at Noon on Saturday and joining the six draft pours will be fried fish sandwiches flying out of the kitchen. Check out the full tap list below:

Early Rise – Dry-hopped sour w/ lactose, mango, pomegranate – 6.5%
Eclipse IPA – 7%
After Hours DIPA – 8%
Hill O Sips American IPA – 6.8%
Counter Productive Oatmeal Stout – 6%
Better Watch Out Barleywine – 9.5%

Speaking of Stillwell, they are looking for a Few Good Folks to join their Beergarden staff (yup, it’s that time of year!). Experienced Beer- and Food-tenders should apply by email at yo@barstillwell.com.

The job postings keep flowing as Bannerman is looking to add a few new people to their team. In the kitchen, they are looking for a Prep/Line Cook, as well as an Events Manager. In their words, “We’re looking for an energetic, organized individual to take on our ever growing event space. Experience is a must.” If you’re interested, please drop them a line with your resume to info@bannermanbrewing.com. 

We mentioned Village Green’s new releases already, but they are also looking to grow their team with the additions of a Trainee Brewer and part-time Beer Servers at the taproom. They are accepting resumes at villagegreenpei@gmail.com, or if you’re in the area, drop by the taproom for more info. 

In Southern New Brunswick, Hampton Brewing is preparing for the May opening of their brewery and taproom at the Fire Fly Forest Recreation area just outside of Hampton, and they are looking to hire a full-time Server. Thriving in a fast-paced work environment, and creating a great experience for those who drop by for pints or beer-to-go, the right candidate will have the opportunity to grow with the brewery. Send them an email (hamptonbrewingco@gmail.com) by April 2nd with your resume and “Taproom Server” in the subject line, and you can check out the full posting here.

Now that we’ve got you up to date with all of the latest news, how about some more beer stuff for your ears while you drink some beer this afternoon? The fellas from the 902 BrewCast are back on the mics this month after a bit of a break, and are getting you up to speed with what’s new in their beer universe, and answered questions about every little thing from their loyal listeners. Check your podcatcher for the latest ep, or go direct to the source here!

 

Friday Wrap-Up for March 19, 2021 – News from Serpent Brewing, Tide and Boar Brewing, Holy Whale, Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Landwash, Propeller, Truro Brewing, Mountain Meadworks, Delta Force, Tatamagouche, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2021-03-19
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Acadie-Broue, Big Spruce Brewing, Black is Beautiful, Boxing Rock Brewing, CAVOK Brewing, Change Is Brewing Collective, Chockpish, Delta Force Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Flying Boats Brewing, Gahan House (Moncton), Holy Whale Brewing, HopYard Halifax, Landwash Brewery, Moncton Craft Beer Week, Mountain Meadworks, New Scotland Brewing, North Brewing, O'Creek Brewing, Pink Boots, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Serpent Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tide & Boar Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Truro Brewing Company. Leave a Comment

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!