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Friday Wrap-Up for August 13, 2021 – News from Rough Waters, Bannerman, Quidi Vidi, Big Spruce, Truro, Gridiron, Good Robot, Lone Oak, Brewdock, North, Village Green, and Propeller

Posted by acbbdevon on 2021-08-13
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bannerman Brewing, Bar Brewdock, Big Spruce Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Gridiron Brewing, Lone Oak Brewing, Modern Brewer's Village Green, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Rough Waters Brewing, Truro Brewing Company. 2 comments

It’s Pride Week around the region with Halifax and Fredericton kicking off their celebrations and Cape Breton just wrapping up theirs. While we featured some Pride themed releases in last week’s post, keep an eye out for other ways you can celebrate! Meanwhile, the beer news doesn’t stop and we’ve got updates from all around the region. Also, it’s Friday the 13th, so kick back this weekend, beat the heat and make sure to check our Instagram stories to see if anyone of us is watching Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan. Meanwhile, read below for ACBeerBlog takes beer news! 

Let’s start today’s new beer news on the West Coast of our Easternmost province. Rough Waters Brewing, in Deer Lake, has a new beer on tap and in cans this week, a low alcohol beer punching well above its weight in hops. Total Eclipse is a 3.4% India Session Ale/Session IPA showcasing the Australian Eclipse hop. TE uses a grain bill with plenty of Wheat and Oats to enhance the mouthfeel despite its lower ABV, and using a lower attenuating yeast (Fermentis SafAle S-33) helps in that department as well, keeping it from drying out too much. But the star of the show are the Aussie hops: while a small addition of Chinook was added for light bittering, the rest is Eclipse, both during the whirlpool (post-boil before complete cooling), as well as dry-hopping in the fermenter. The resulting beer is light and juicy, and full of tangerine and grapefruit flavour. It’s available on tap and in cans at their taproom at 83 Wights Rd in Deer Lake, with cans at Ultramars in town and West Street Corner Brook, as well as Urban Market 1919 and a whole buncha Marie’s Mini Marts in St. John’s!

Bannerman has a new beer out this week that is sure to entice Tobias Fünke and other fans of blue beer from around the Avalon. Surf’s Up is a 6.5% ABV fruited sour that gets its deep blue color the all-natural way, from a blue-green algae called spirulina. Hopped with Vic Secret, and also featuring an addition of lactose, expect bright tropical flavours of passion fruit, lychee, and coconut. This one hit the shelves and taps at the taproom yesterday, but was so popular that cans and growler fills quickly sold out. Swing by Duckworth St. this weekend to try a pint before it’s gone.

Let’s head down the Gut from Bannerman, where Quidi Vidi Brewery has two new releases. First up is Oceanside Session IPA. Brewed in partnership with the Avalon Mountain Bike Association (AMBA), this 4.5% take on the style features notes of citrus and stone fruit, with a hint of vanilla and pine. A portion of the sales of each can will help AMBA improve local trail infrastructure on the Avalon. Oceanside is available now at the hop shop in Quidi Vidi and will be available at NLC locations beginning on Monday. And if you’re making your way to the taproom, you’ll also find a new fruited sour, released exclusively for draft pours: Strawberry Rhubarb Sour combines a jammy strawberry profile with tart rhubarb notes for a drinking experience that the brewery describes as ‘nan’s homemade pie’ in your glass.

Back in Cape Breton, Big Spruce is featuring a new release this week and the return of an interesting seasonal. First up is The Wanderers, a brand new 4.1% ABV golden ale. This sessionable sipper was brewed to provide a crisp and dry drinking experience, with notes of lemon, pear and cracker. A Citra dry-hop also adds some tropical aromatics. The name Wanderers is an homage to the eponymous HRM hiking group (as opposed to the local football club or the classic 1979 film). 

If you’re in the mood for something a bit more complex to consider, check out Hour of Sour, a 6.2% Raspberry Wild Ale. For fans of the ever popular Silver Tart, think of this one as its slightly wilder and funkier cousin. The mixed fermentation provides this one with some subtle funky notes, leading to a beer that drinks like a sparkling rose, with big notes of raspberry. Cans are available now at the Sprucetique and for delivery through their online store.

In Truro, we have some exciting news on two releases after a small hiatus from Truro Brewing Company. After high demand and being out of beer for a few days, they are open now and have a Sabro SMASH IPA on tap. This single malt and single hop IPA features the lovely Sabro hop loaded with stone fruit and melon aroma. It is 5.8% and available only on tap

Second up is a bottle release coming from their Hubtown Homebrew Competition Winner Derek “Woody” Wood, Waynze Grodziskie. A Grodziskie is a traditional Polish wheat beer that is low ABV and crispy but with a definite smoky presence. Imagine a beer that pairs beautifully with a cheese board on a patio on a hot summer day. It may sound odd, but we can assure you it’s delightful, and using 100% oak smoked malt and a low-alpha hop variety the Truro offering is true to style, coming in at 3.8%. Both of these new releases are available today only from the brewery, with the Grodziskie in bottles and the IPA only on tap for pints and fills. Pick them up while supplies last!

Happy news for those in the Hampton, New Brunswick, neck of the woods (or looking for an excuse to head there), Gridiron Brewing has opened their taproom! Located at 1051 Main Street, they’re open from noon daily, and closing at 6ish Sun/Mon/Tues, with later times Wed through Sat (8 or 9). You can check out their current taplist to see what’s available to enjoy onsite or to take away. No better place to enjoy their Beach Road Rhubarb, a hefeweizen infused with loads of locally-grown rhubarb for a fruity and lightly tart summer wheat beer. Congratulations on the opening, and we’ll have details of their Grand Opening in the coming weeks!

Always pushing the envelope of what’s allowable (remember those condoms seized at the border a few years back?), Good Robot Brewing is at it again! Forget paying big influencers to spend a day in the taproom and drinking their beer, and then blowing up their social media, they want to pay YOU to do it! In a world where nearly all of us have a social media presence of some sort, apparently GRBC thinks we can all be microinfluencers… And instead of being paid in 1 Exposure (equivalent to 17 Schrute Bucks or 34 Stanley Nickels), they’ll give you cold, hard, Canadian cash (or EMT equivalent). There is plenty of Fine Print, and Even Finer Print, but the gist is all you have to do is buy one of the beer/seltzers they are looking to promote, post about it, and wait for the cash to roll* in!
* In the name of keeping expectations in line with reality, we note that Loonies are round and thus roll quite well.

As we’ve alluded to a couple of times in the last few weeks, there’s starting to be some actual in-person events going on in the beer scene in our region thanks to the relaxation of restrictions that good behavior and vaccination numbers have been able to afford us. It seems fitting that one upcoming event is one borne out of a collaboration that was significantly affected by the pandemic.

In early 2020, Lone Oak in Borden-Carleton, PE, and 2 Crows in Halifax, NS, decided they wanted to brew a “fun beer” together. Unfortunately, lockdowns hit and their dream of an in-person brewday were scuttled. But ever the creative bunch, they decided to come up with a way to do a remote collaboration that would still give people the chance to taste both of their efforts. Settling on a Wild Ale brewed with rice, each brewery brewed a batch using the same recipe and then fermented in oak with their respective house yeast cultures. When travel restrictions were initially relieved in Summer 2020, 2 Crows sent a tote of their batch to the Island where it was blended with the Lone Oak batch and packaged in 500 mL bottles. Now, a year later, they’re ready to celebrate the release of that blend, Together, along with their own unblended version, Apart.

Today at 4 PM at the Lone Oak taproom you can try both of these beers along with your LO faves and five guest taps from 2C: Fantacity, Matinee, Terry, Dos Cuervos, and Jamboree. There will be live music from 7 – 10 PM, an oyster bar, and some special dishes out of the kitchen from Chef Acorn. There’s no cover, but reservations are recommended due to reduced capacity (call the taproom at 902.729.2228). So if you’re in the area, come on down and have a fun Friday evening trying the new collab beers and some treats from the mainland, or just grab some bottles to go. And for those in Halifax, we’re sure we’ll also see Together at 2 Crows’ Halifax taproom soon along with their own version of Apart soon enough.

And speaking of 2 Crows and Island Tap Takeovers, those in St. John’s should clear their schedule for September 17th, as the birds are flying over to East Duck for the day, with 2 Crows teaming up with the crew at Bannerman Brewing for an in-person collaboration brewday, and then taking over the taps with plenty of faves and even some special brews put together specifically for an evening on the taps at Brewdock across the street. We’ll give you more details as they come into focus, but until then, pencil pen it in the calendar!

A couple more new/returning beer to share before we sign off this week!

Just in time for this ridiculously humid weather, North Brewing is re-releasing Raspberry Plush, part of its Plush series of fruited sours. This one comes in at 4.5% ABV and features big raspberry flavours and a lively tartness. Grab some cans today at North’s two retail locations or through their online store. Raspberry Plush is released once a year, so if you miss out on this batch, you’re out of luck until 2022.

Modern Brewer’s Village Green in Cornwall, PEI, has a new beer on tap and in cans today, Three Oat Stout. At 5.8% ABV, it features Maris Otter as a base, with three different oat variants (malted, flaked, and Golden Naked), plus the necessary dark and roasted malts. Dark chocolate and coffee notes abound with a great mouthfeel. Pop by this weekend to grab a pint and/or can!

Looking to get into the beer biz? This might just be the job for you…

You’ve got big shoes to fill, but if marketing for breweries is your thing, Propeller Brewing in Halifax/Dartmouth is hiring a Marketing Manager to help spread the word of their beer and mixed drinks near and far. Answering to the big cheeses of the company, you’ll have your hands in everything from online, print, radio marketing, handling the Socials, take part in Prop tables and booths at beer fests and other events, and plenty more. If that sounds like your cup of tea, check that link for all of the details, and apply today! Just beware we’ll probably bug you for all the nerdy beer info when it’s time. 😉

Friday Wrap-Up for May 28, 2021 – News from Hampton Brewing Co, Landwash, Candid Brewing, Trailway, Rough Waters, Lunn’s Mill, Village Green, PEI Beer Week, and more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2021-05-28
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bar Brewdock, Candid Brewing, Flying Boats Brewing, Hampton Brewing Company, Landwash Brewery, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, Modern Brewer's Village Green, PEI Beer Guy, PEI Craft Beer Week, Rough Waters Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

It’s the last Friday in May in Atlantic Canada and after a short week thanks to Victoria Day, it’s time to start thinking about the weekend. Somewhat sadly, with the pandemic still upon us, that’s not going to include much in the way of in-person socializing or even, for many, trips to the cabin or cottage or camp or whatever you call it. But there have certainly been some rays of hope this week, with Nova Scotia’s case numbers continuing to drop, recoveries increasing, and vaccinations now open to everyone 12 years of age and older throughout the entire region. And our breweries definitely seem to be getting into a more summery mood as they hope for easing of intra- and inter-province restrictions in time to be slinging suds in person and on premise before our all-too-short warm season is over. Read below for all the news we could find and type up about this week’s releases. We also encourage our Nova Scotia readers in particular to check out the information that’s come out this week regarding the Auditor General’s report on the operations of the NSLC. If you’re a fan of the smaller independent breweries in NS, consider lending your voice to the crowd that’s calling for action by the Provincial Government. We already knew that these folks have been facing an uphill battle with largely antiquated liquor laws and COVID restrictions destroying many business models, but the AG’s report seems to suggest that the operating model of the NSLC does almost nothing to help our region’s local producers, folks who have been entrepreneurial in their communities, generating employment opportunities and keeping cash local. We’d love to see more folks out there amplifying their voices as they lobby the NS Government for change to support our community breweries before we start seeing them have to close up shop.

After contract brewing for the past couple of years, Hampton Brewing Company now has a place to call their own. Located at 64 Robertson Road just outside of town, HBC has set up at Fire Fly Forest Recreation. The taproom and patio are open seven days a week, Mon – Wed 4 – 8 PM, Thurs 4 – 10 PM, today and Sat 12 PM – 12 AM, and Sun 12 – 8 PM. Brewing on a 500 litre (4 BBL) Blichmann Hybrid system, they are currently pouring 5 beers for onsite enjoyment (or to take away), Crush Session IPA, Big Shoes American Pale Ale, Black Door Porter, Chameleon Blackberry Lime Sour, and just tapped for the weekend, Misty Mountain Hops NEIPA. Make the trip out, maybe even stay the night, and support the newest brewery in our region! Congratulations Hampton Brewing Crew!

Our friends at Landwash Brewery have handed over control of their brewhouse – temporarily – to their Packaging Manager, Nardia, to create a one-off beer of her very own. After no doubt hours of deliberation, she desired to brew something inspired by her home country of Australia. April 25th was the annual Anzac Day, a national day of remembrance originally designed to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp. This reminded Nardia of the biscuits that have been produced by ANZAC, which are made with coconut, rolled oats, and golden syrup. So… where were we going with this? Oh right, so the beer, Caribou Hill, was brewed to represent these biscuits! Named after the battle of Caribou Hill in World War I, where ANZAC and Newfoundland troops fought alongside each other, the beer is a 5% “Coconut Biscuit Brown Ale”. We’re betting you can already taste it in your minds (is that a thing?), but rest assured it’s a dark brown brew with notes of coconut, and plenty of biscuity malt character throughout. Cans are available now at the brewery, and if you get there REALLY fast, you may be lucky enough to purchase some of the cookies that inspired the beer! All money raised from cookie sales will be donated to the Canadian Mental Health Association – Newfoundland.

Candid Brewing in Antigonish opened their doors last week for the first of their “retail pop-ups”, and are back at it again this weekend for even more of the same. Joining their Humdinger West Coast IPA are two more of their core beers, namely the No Brainer and Party Line. No Brainer is a 5.2% ABV Pale Ale, with blood orange juice added for an extra citrus blast on the palate. Party Line is a 6.2% ABV Northeast IPA, featuring plenty of tropical and bright citrus character from loads of hops added late in the process, for a smooth and low bitterness beer. All three beers are available at their pop-up shop at 88 College Street today 3 – 6 PM, and again tomorrow 1 – 4 PM. And keep an eye on their and neighbour The Townhouse’s Social Media (IG) for the details on a food and beer pairing take-away bundle available tomorrow and Sunday.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been bringing you news about more and more breweries embracing lower ABV styles in smaller packages, mainly 355ml cans. Trailway is the latest to embrace this trend with the release of Fetch Pale Ale. Let’s start with the packaging. For the first time, Trailway will be offering 12 packs of 355 ml cans. Starting off, you can find them at the brewery, but in a few weeks it will see province-wide distribution through ANBL. Now, onto the beer. Fetch is made using Canadian pilsner malt and hops sourced exclusively from New Brunswick producers. In another first, Trailway is saying goodbye to its trademark haze, and filtering the beer to a high degree of clarity. Expect notes of honey from the malt with floral hope notes and a mild bitterness.

Rough Waters Brewing, up in Deer Lake, NL, has released a new beer in their Neighbeerly series of beers that each support a local charity. This time, they’re benefiting the Islaview Foundation, with $1 from each bottle sold going to that organization. You’ll also find it for sale at Marie’s Mini Mart locations on the East Coast, Ultramar Corner Stores in Deer Lake and on West Street in Corner Brook, and Rudy’s Pub & Grub in Gros Morne. The swank new beer bar in St. John’s, Brewdock, also has it on tap and will also be donating proceeds. So what is the beer, you ask? It’s a fairly self-describing Strawberry Mango Milkshake India Session Ale, of course! At only 4% ABV you should be able to go through a couple of them as you decide whether it’s the Strawberry, Mango, or hops that you like the best.

Continuing to fly under the radar (at least, in our opinion) Nova Scotia bright spot and future destination once things open back up, Lunn’s Mill has a new release this week. Sour Batch Kveiks is a Sour IPA clocking in at 7% on the ABV scale and this style is always a fun one to try. Citrus and stone fruit complement a ripe orange with lime sour taste, reminiscent of Sour Patch Kids. Bringing some bitterness to the finish, this uses El Dorado for the hops and a Kveik yeast from Escarpment Labs. Available now for growler fills and pints at the brewery, cans will be available in the coming weeks at the private stores around HRM. 

Cornwall’s Village Green continues to churn out interesting styles, with two new releases over the last two weeks. First up is Centennial Black Ale. This 7.5% ale features bready notes, chocolate and orange flavours, with enough bitterness from Centennial to keep things balanced. Find this one on tap or for fills at the brewery, as well as cans to go. And brand new this week is West Coast IPA. Coming it at 7.9%, expect more malt character and bitterness than Village Green’s previous IPAs that leaned more into tropical hop notes, thanks to Columbus, Cascade, Amarillo, and Mosaic in the boil, and then a double dry-hopping from a combo of Motueka, Amarillo, and Citra, and later Idaho 7. Hops lovers will want to get out to Cornwall this weekend to snag this before it’s gone!

Chester’s Tanner & Co continues to dip their toes in the mead pool, offering more choices for fans of fermented beverages, especially those seeking a gluten-free option. Their newest release is Oak Aged Raspberry Mead. This one starts with local honey from Cosman & Whidden. Towards the end of fermentation, it was transferred to an oak barrel from Ironworks Distillery, where it finished fermentation with some raspberry purée. This 8% ABV mead has made its way into bottles that are available now at the Duke. St taproom and through Tanner’s online store. 

Spryfield’s Serpent Brewing has a stated goal of focusing on Belgian-inspired beers, and Saison certainly qualifies. Originally brewed on the farms of Wallonia in the winter months with leftover ingredients, and then conditioned for summer consumption, there has always been a wide range of characteristics to what we know as Saison. Of late, and certainly in our region, when most people think of the style they think of a fairly light-bodied spritzy beer with plenty of yeast character, including pepperiness and even some tartness. Those who experienced Serpent’s first iteration of Sprytown Saison back in March know that it was more on another part of the spectrum, with rustic malt character and some deep caramel undertones. Why are we telling you all this? Because there’s a new version available, their Summer Edition, and it’s not so much like the first one. Drier, lighter, and with some definite tart and fruit character, this new 5.5% ABV edition should be an excellent refresher on hot summer days. You can find both versions, Spring and Summer, available from the brewery, just make sure you ask for the one you want. Grabbing one of each would be an excellent way to introduce yourself to the breadth of the Saison style, while giving you something to look forward to, as they plan to brew a different version of this beer for each of the seasons of the year. Pop out to their spot behind Canadian Tire on Dentith this weekend to pick some up, and complete your visit by grabbing something from Jamdouns Food Truck, specializing in Jamaican cuisine, who are onsite 2 – 8 PM Saturday and 2 – 6 PM Sunday.

Want more tiny beers in tiny cans? Check out Tatamagouche Brewing’s newest taste of summer, Dekorum Lime. Tata has added organic lime to its 2.9% light lager for a super sessionable sipper, available in 355 ml cans. If you’re not feeling the lime, check out Arvo, their 4.6% Helles Lager, also back in stock this week. In other Tata news, the brewery’s retail store has reopened for in-person takeaway, with capacity limits in place. Pair that with a 15% discount of Tata clothing (in person and online), and your weekend is set!

Although not specifically mentioned in government reopening plans, the gradual return to normal times means that we’ll surely be seeing more beer events across the Atlantic region. Craft breweries on PEI are kicking off the summer season with PEI Craft Beer week. Running from June 5-12, the celebration of local beer features daily events that include tastings, musical entertainment and food pairings. Check out https://www.peicraftbeerweek.com/ for all of the details, and if you’re on FB, their Events pages. And while you wait for the weekend’s festivities to begin, check out Beer Trivia with the PEI Beer Guy at the Upstreet taproom on Thursday night. Trivia runs from 7-9 PM and you can call the taproom to book your team of 4-6 people.

A couple of brewery job listings for you to peruse before signing off this week.

If you’re looking for an industry job in the Moncton/Dieppe area, check out the jobs page for Flying Boats Brewing. They are currently looking for a Sales Representative to join their team.  The ideal candidate will have an outgoing attitude and a passion for craft beer. Applications for the position close on June 6.

Landwash Brewery in Mount Pearl is hiring a cellarperson to join their team. Mostly working on the “cold side” of the brewhouse, that is, everything after the brewing, tasks include cleaning, transferring, cleaning, packaging (kegs and cans), cleaning, and more cleaning. 😉 But in all seriousness, the position is open to anyone enthusiastic to get into the beer world, but does not require brewing experience, so this could be just the perfect way in for you! Check the job posting on Indeed, and give them a shout before June 1.

 

Friday Wrap-Up for April 23, 2021 – News from Holy Whale, Rough Waters, Propeller, Village Green, O’Creek, Delta Force, TrailWay, Tidehouse, 3Flip, Brasseux d’la Côte, Broue du Païen, and more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2021-04-23
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 3Flip Brewing, Beer Sessions Radio, Big Spruce Brewing, Brasseux d'la Cote, Broue du Païen, Buddha Bear Cafe, Craig Pinhey, Delta Force Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Holy Whale Brewing, Modern Brewer's Village Green, O'Creek Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Rough Waters Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tidehouse Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

And just like that, Nova Scotia is on a 4-week Circuit Breaker/Restore the Arse Shutdown, joining the Edmundston region in New Brunswick. It goes to show how truly tenuous our ability to stay ahead of the pandemic the region is, and the willingness for the region’s governments are to act swiftly and decisively, unlike some *other* places in the country. Despite the strengthening of border restrictions, while inter- (and some intra-) provincial travel is more difficult, and some regions are seeing another halt to in-person dining and drinking, we hope you will support your local brewery, restaurant, and bar, by taking advantage of curbside take-out and delivery options. Many spots have not stopped doing so for the past 13 months, and those returning to it will need every assistance possible to reduce food spoilage and laying off employees. Stay safe, take care of yourself and each other.

Holy Whale Brewery in Alma has released their beer as part of the Celebrating Sisters Beer Project, initiated by the Indigenous Brew Crew and aided by Do Better. Be Better.. 43 breweries across the country and in the UK signed up to the project, with the goal to raise awareness on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada, and to celebrate the strength and power of Indigenous Women. Locally, Holy Whale connected with a local Wabanaki Women’s group to learn from them and will be donating money to further their goals. The Irish Red Ale brewed as part of the project is on tap in Alma and their Riverview location now.

In Deer Lake, Newfoundland, Rough Waters Brewing is opening their taproom today, and celebrating with a new beer! Located at 83 Wights Road, the 27-seat bar will feature 7 taps, as well as a small but mighty menu of dips perfect for pairing with beer (if you want to bring in a Big Mary from down the street that’s OK too!). They also have some cool beer cocktails on the menu, perfect for when you want just a bit *more* with your beer. Retail sales of bottles, as well as a growler exchange program will let you take the beer home with you after you’ve chosen your favourites. They are launching with Friday (4 – 11 PM) and Saturday (12 – 11 PM) hours, but will expand during the warmer months. So what to drink while you’re there? Check out their latest release, Knock Out, a 6.0% Brut IPA. As the style suggests, this is a dry and light-bodied beer, with a clean bitterness, and big citrus flavours, thanks to a healthy dry-hop addition. On draught and in bottles too, if you can’t make it to Deer Lake, you can grab it at your friendly neighbourhood Marie’s Mini Mart, and on tap at the just-now-opened Bar Brewdock in St. John’s. But these all taste better on tap at the source, right? Congratulations to Jennie and Chris on the grand opening!

Continuing to step up their game with summer treats, Propeller has a brand new seasonal release available today. Tropic Haze is a 5% ABV golden blonde ale with some tropical vibes. With flavours of juicy mango, passionfruit and dragonfruit, the grain bill is pale malt and wheat malt, with a hop profile including Warrior for bittering and Citra for aroma. While not a hop forward beer at 8 IBU, the tropical impression of mango, passionfruit, and dragonfruit comes from fruit and flavouring additions. Keep an eye out for this one in cans and draught as you pop-by for a retail grab-and-go, or home delivery, until we can enjoy pints at the taprooms next month.

Our friendly neighbours across the bridge (no, not Dartmouth), Village Green in Cornwall, PEI, is releasing Golden Ale as part of their Comfortbier Series, a family of English inspired session ales. The grain bill of primarily 2-Row and Maris Otter with a bit of flaked corn and double roasted crystal joins a hop blend of EKG and Cascade to bring a nice citrus hop profile that is very well balanced. Fermented with London Ale III, this English ale should be easily drinkable, slightly dry, and slightly bitter at 4.5% ABV and 35 IBU. Look to grab it on draught and in cans directly from the brewery, and if the weather turns a bit warmer, their patio may even be open this weekend!

Keep an eye out for more news from the brewery with future food events with Sneaky Cheats popping up for a big burger cookout on May 1st, as well as the Holy Fox Food Truck returning in a couple of weeks to spend the summer at 30 Church Street. Also, if you’re in PEI and looking for work this summer in the craft beer industry, see below for some job openings with Village Green.  

Staying somewhat close to PEI (depending on your definition of close these days) is O’Creek Brewing in Dieppe, NB. First up, they have fresh kegs at Tide & Boar and CAVOK of their new Mango Oat Cream IPA. This is a full bodied beer, brewed with a huge amount of oats in the grain bill, giving it a full, smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Lactose was then added to the boil to add some sweetness. During secondary fermentation, mango was added to bring some more sweetness and a more tropical flavour at 6.5% ABV.

In other news from O’Creek, they have a Hazy IPA hitting wider distribution this week as Citra in a Galaxy is available at multiple ANBL locations. This is a tropical, juicy, hazy IPA generously hopped with Citra and Galaxy that brings citrus and stone fruit flavours with low bitterness at 6% ABV. It’s available in 473ml cans now across most of New Brunswick, specifically, Fredericton, Saint John, Greater Moncton, Shediac, Richibuctou, Miramichi, Péninsule Acadienne, Bathurst, and Kedgwick.

The fellas behind Delta Force Brewing are back this weekend with release #5 which sees four new variations on their ‘Traditional Farmshed Ale” Anderlect. The base beer is DF’s take on a Trappist single, with some funk from the Brett fermentation. The four variants feature different fruit additions for your drinking pleasure: peach, red currant, sour cherry, and rhubarb. They are available through a Farmshed Harvest pack that includes 500 ml bottles of each fruited variant, alongside the regular Anderlect and Mean TIme, DF’s take on an English Bitter with Brett. Bottles of Anderlect, Mean Time, and their English Barleywine with Brett, Wessex, are also available. As usual, email deltaforcebrewing@gmail.com for ordering details, or to be added to their email distribution list. They are starting deliveries this weekend to those who place orders within a one hour drive of HRM.

Back across the border, Trailway Brewing has a new batch of Hot Sky, a beer seeing just its second release. This hazy IPA celebrates the Aussie hop Eclipse and features flavorus of citrus, pine and a taste that’s gonna move ya (juicy fruit gum, that is). Hot Sky comes in at 6.6% ABV and is available now at the taproom and for delivery across Atlantic Canada. This weekend also sees a return of Good Weather (hopefully not just the beer variety). Look for this 6% IPA featuring Vic Secret hops at the brewery and various ANBL locations. Finally, in exciting news for Nova Scotian beer drinkers looking to satisfy their haze craze, both of these beers are on their way to the NSLC, which we believe is Trailway’s debut at the NS government liquormart.  Expect to see them on the shelves in about two weeks with Hot Sky exclusively at the Port location. 

A few weeks off of their renovation, Tidehouse has a new release for the people to enjoy. A Westward Pine is a 6.5% ABV IPA bringing true west coast IPA vibes. Using crystal malt to give a malt-heavy backbone, Warrior and Idaho 7 hops were used to balance the bitterness and bring some pine flavour and aroma leading to a dry and delicious finish! With the COVID-related closures in HRM, the best way to support Tidehouse and grab some beer is via retail cans, which opens today at 4 PM (Wednesday – Saturday, 4 PM – ?). Keep an eye on their Insta page for updates to that schedule.

Just outside of Fredericton, the fine folks at 3Flip have a seasonal can release available across the province. The Goodest Girl is a pale ale named after their own little doggo: the dog’s name is Citra (!) and so is the main hop in this 5.2% ABV pale ale. Featuring fruity and tropical flavours, it has a touch of balanced malt sweetness and a bit of juiciness as well. It’s available in 355ml cans online and across the province at select ANBL stores and local producers; you can check out the full list here of where to pick this up, as it’s available at some brand new locations for the brewery.   

Up the Acadian Peninsula, Brasseux d’la Cote is releasing a new SMaSH beer that is made with 100% local ingredients. This single malt, single hop ale comes in at 5% ABV and features local grains malted by their friends at Distillerie Fils du Roy. The hops are a locally harvested wild hop that has yet to be identified as a specific variety. Look for notes of stonefruit, specifically apricots and peaches. SMaSH is available now on-tap at the brewery.

A bit further south in Kent County, Broue du Païen is releasing two new beers. FIrst up is Dieppe IPA, the third release of their Kveik-fermented IPA. This one comes in at 6.2% ABV and features an aggressive dry hop, leading to aromas of passionfruit and pineapple. Next we have Shediac Red Ale. Brewed in the Irish Red style, this 4.9% ABV ale features caramel and roasty notes and a smooth mouthfeel. Both beers are available at three ANBL locations – in Moncton, you can find them on Elmwood Drive and Mountain Road, and further north, they’ll be available at the Tracadie-Sheila ANBL.

And last but certainly not least for our main news section this week, host Jimmy Carbone of Beer Sessions Radio sat down (virtually) with a quartet of Atlantic Canadian beer folk this week, as a way to introduce his listenership to the history, present, and future of beer in our region. Tapping Christopher Reynolds of Bar Stillwell and Stillwell Brewing, Craig Pinhey a Beer, Wine, and Spirits Writer, Jeremy White of Big Spruce Brewing, as well as our own @acbbchris, the quadrumvirate chatted up the region’s offerings to Jimmy’s primarily US-based audience. Once travel is a thing again, we’re sure at least 50% of the influx will be due to our waxing poetic on the state of beer in the Atlantic Provinces! Listen to the episode here or in your favourite podcatcher.

No events to talk about this week, for obvious reasons, but here’s your usual quick mentions to complete the beer news:

Always one to bring back nice favourites, Big Spruce has a draught-only return of Hugs Bunny. A dry-hopped gose, this bright, effervescent, salty batch of deliciousness is traditionally made with coriander and French sel de mer and then given a citrus kick with a dry hopping of (this week’s hop of the week) Citra! Lovers of this style will find a slight tartness and a small kick of salt on the tongue for a thirst quenching beer. At 3.8% ABV it’s only available on tap in Nyanza and for a short time only. 

Another returning favourite this week comes from Garrison, as their tasty Italian Pilsner, Tesoro, makes its return. First seen back in 2019, this seasonal release is inspired by the heavily-hopped German-style Pilsners of Italy. With the bitterneess coming in on the stiffer side for a Pilsner at 40 IBU, it was brewed with a base of Pilsner malt, fermented with German lager yeast and then dry-hopped with German Hallertau and Czech Saaz. You can expect this tasty eurotreat to be bready, spicy and boasting a pleasant finishing hop bitterness at 5.0% ABV. Find it in cans at all Garrison locations and keep an eye on the private shops as well.

Rounding out a trio of Nova Scotia craft beer re-releases, Tatamagouche, brings the return of Deadeye, a Double IPA. Also a 2019 initial release, this Double IPA is hopped with Hallertau Blanc giving flavours of passion fruit, grapefruit, and pineapple, with hints of pine and citrus. It was then dry hopped twice using Hallertau Blanc. Coming in at 8.0% ABV, cans are coming *very* soon, and can be ordered from the brewery for nationwide shipping, directly from the brewery, the private shops in Halifax in the next week or so, and NSLC in May. And their 2.9% ABV warm weather crusher Dekorum Lager is now available in short cans for a killer price from the brewery (even more savings!) and for delivery too.

We’ve got a new release from CAVOK in Dieppe! Always excited for this style, Touch ‘n Go (appropriate name for the times) is a Belgian-style IPA – hopped like an IPA but fermented with traditional Belgian yeast – from which you can safely expect some clove, pepper, and fruity aromas and flavours combined with a high bitterness. This 6.8% IPA is available in limited quantities in cans directly from the brewery.

A couple of job postings for you today, in New Brunswick and PEI, for those looking for Front of House positions at a brewery taproom, as well as behind the scenes making the lovely beer…

CAVOK Brewing is looking to hire staff for their Dieppe Brewery Retail and Taproom, as well as for the nearby seaside town of Cap-Pelé. Being bilingual is key, given the number of tourists and locals who speak both official languages, as well as being well-organized, enthusiastic, jovial, willing to learn about and promote local products. Plus you’ll have a blast pouring beer for thirst folks! All shifts are available, and the successful candidates should be available days, evenings, and weekends. Send them your resume to apply (taproom@cavokbrewing.ca), and who knows, you could be pouring one of us a beer before too long!

Cornwall PEI’s own Village Green is looking for some help both in front of house as well as behind the scenes. If pouring beer and chatting with visitors is more your speed, they are looking for some folks to work the taproom which is now open Wednesday through Sunday. And if you want to learn how to make beer, hang with BA in the brewery/cellar to learn the ins and outs of mashing in, vorlauf, spunding, and all the fun in between. They strongly encourage inclusion and diversity, and are looking for all who have a desire to work in the brewing industry to apply, which you can do via email: villagegreenpei@gmail.com.