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Friday Wrap-Up for June 24 2022 – News from Banished, Half Cocked, Upstreet, Big Spruce, Annapolis Cider, Long Bay, Serpent, Copper Bottom, Annapolis Brewing, and more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2022-06-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 902 BrewCast, Annapolis Brewing Company, Annapolis Cider Company, Banished Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Breton Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Eventide Mead, Half Cocked Brewing, Long Bay Brewery, Propeller Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Timber Ship Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Summer, folks! It’s the last Friday of June, which means many kids are counting down the last days of school for another year. And for those who celebrate, joyeux journée Saint-Jean-Baptiste aujourd’hui! We’ve got plenty of new brews, as well as Anniversary and Re-Opening celebrations for you to attend this weekend. With next week’s Canada Day falling on a Friday, we’ll be sending out the news to you a day early (brewery pals please take note).

The region’s newest brewery, Paradise’s Banished Brewing, has rounded out their offerings with 3 more beers since we shared the news at the beginning of the month. Let’s get you up to speed on what to drink, and where to drink them!

– Paradise Town is their 5.5% Fruited Sour, featuring Pink Guava puree added for a tropical kick. Look for more iterations of this beer as they play with the fruit additions throughout the year.

– An Elaborate Series of Mirrors is a 5.0% American Lager, crushable, quaffable, however you want to put it, this beer is made for easy enjoyment.

– Tall Trees, with a label reminiscent of the Redwoods in the Pacific Northwest, is a 7.0% West Coast IPA. Piney and citrusy, there is a serious bitterness in here to match the aromatics.

All three have been canned, and join Out The Gate Trappist-inspired Single, Space Puffin NEIPA, and NO NO NO YES NO EI Pale Ale at Avalon-area Marie’s, NLCs, and on tap at better bars in town, including Bar Brewdock.

Half Cocked Brewing in North Grant, just outside of Antigonish, is celebrating their Grand Re-Opening this weekend. After undergoing major renovations over the past two years, which saw more than a 20-fold increase in their production capacity, as well as opening a welcoming taproom and patio capable of accommodating more than 100 people, they are ready to toast how far they’ve come! They have released two new beers to toast with, including Almost Friggin’ Famous, a 8.0% Double Friggin’ IPA. The alcohol is tempered by a solid bitterness from the Simcoe and Centennial hops used throughout, which also lend big pine character to the flavour and aroma. Brewed in collaboration with Good Friggin’ Company, an apparel company based in Lower South River. Even friggin’ better is that $0.25 from each can goes to their Small Town, Big Stages bursary, an award given to High School graduates going into a Music program, with 3 awards of $1000 to be distributed this year.

Also new on tap and in cans at Half Cocked this weekend is Something Sour, a 5.0% dry-hopped Sour, featuring the lovely Idaho 7 hop. Refreshing and tart, the hops and Lacto work together for a citrus bomb of grapefruit and tangerine on the nose and palate.

The brewery is celebrating tomorrow from noon ‘til late with The Crafty Cooks food truck running a BBQ all day, and live music starting at 3 PM. The Ceilidhmen are taking the stage 3 – 5 PM, with Jason Spracklin playing 6 – 8 PM, with Mitch (of Good Friggin’ Company) & the Good Company band starting their set at 9 PM (the final set will have a $10 cover, half of which goes to the bursary). As it will be outside, bringing a lawn chair or blanket is a good idea, if you need a break from the dancing. Congratulations to Greg, Nick, and the entire Half Cocked Crew!

Another brewery celebrating this weekend is Charlottetown’s (and Burnside’s) Upstreet Brewing. Hard to believe that it’s been 7 years since they opened their doors on Allen Street, but here we are! As is tradition, they are also taking the opportunity to release their annual De Novo, taking the opportunity to begin anew. De Novo VII is a Mango Apricot Saison, taking up the mantle from last year’s introduction of fruit (absent from the 5 previous releases), and doubling the fruiting rate again. The spicy pepper character from the yeast plays well with the mango character, with the apricot offering a subtle tartness. Neither fruit takes over the beer, and is not at all sweet, as the Saison yeast dried it out nicely. Dry-hopped with German Callista for a bit more stone fruit on the nose. The 6.26% (also their birthdate!) Saison is canned again this year, for sale at all of their locations, and may even be on tap at a favourite Halifax-based bar in the next while.

Joining that is Fireworks 2022, Upstreet’s annual collaboration with The Inn at Bay Fortune, and their Fireworks kitchen. Sourcing Pilsner, Wheat, and Rye malts from Island Malt House, with lime basil and a variety of mints varietals hand picked and dried by Farmer Kevin at the The Inn’s farm. Just a little bit of estate-grown Comet hops were added in the whirlpool. The mints come through on the nose, with the basil complementing the herbal and hay notes of the saison yeast. Packaged in a 500 ml bottle, this 6.0% Saison is available now at the brewery’s spots, with some limited draught as well, and in bottle at The Inn at Bay Fortune, where Chef Michael Smith might even sabre a bottle for you!

What’s the plan for the celebratory weekend, you ask? Well, tonight, Craft Beer Corner is transforming into a late night dance party, which kicks off at 11 PM. Ramzoid and guest will be spinning tunes under the party lights until late. (The CBC will be closed 9 – 10 PM to prepare, with a $10 cover when they reopen).

Tomorrow, the taproom and parking lot on Allen Street will be alive with the sound of music, as acts from across the province will be playing all afternoon and evening, from 3 until 8:30 PM (no charge). Brackley Bay Oyster Co will be shucking all afternoon as well!

Sunday, DJ Nimo is capping the weekend with a set beginning at 9 PM at Craft Beer Corner, so get your groove on to celebrate! No cover charge for this evening’s fun.

Congratulations to Hogie, Mitch, and everyone at Upstreet on the continued success!

Big Spruce’s new releases continue to feature interesting styles, with this week’s release of Altruist showing off their take on the Altbier style. Originating in the German city of Düsseldorf, Altbier is a malt-forward but highly quaffable ale that features sufficient bitterness to keep flavours well balanced, and generally is great with food. Altruist comes in at a sessionable 5% and is available now on-tap in Nyanza. Keep an eye on their online store for a potential release in cans.

In Wolfville, Annapolis Cider is releasing the latest in its Something Different series. This one is a 6.5% wine/cider blend that they’re calling Strawberry Sangria. The cider starts with pressed apple juice and adds fresh-pressed local strawberries and cranberries, along with a dose of orange juice, a traditional sangria ingredient. It is then blended with Riesling from Sainte Famille Wines in Falmouth. The resulting drink pours with a pink salmon hue, and features a pleasing acidity and lots of berry notes. As an added bonus, $0.50 from each bottle sold will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlantic, a great organization that provides accommodations to families with sick children while they access medical care. Bottles of Strawberry Sangria are available now.

Long Bay Brewery in Rothesay NB has a pair of new beers this week that we’re excited to tell you about. First up is Wasted Day, a hazy and flavourful New England IPA, that is the pinnacle of years of experimental brews, with recipe and technical changes made along the way. Loading up the mash with grain and hops that are full of thiol precursors, that the yeast can then liberate into strong tropical aromatics and flavour. When a dry-hop addition comes in during fermentation, this restarts the process, with the more permanent haze being produced. During a final conditioning phase, a big addition of Eclipse to complement with notes of pine and mandarin orange. All in a tidy 6.0% package, Wasted Day is on sale in cans and draught at the brewery now. 

Joining it is The Big Brew, a 5.0% Golden Ale brewed in honour of the 50th Anniversary of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Saint John. Brewed using Bairds 2.0 Malt, a Kolsch-style yeast, and hopped with Mandarina Bavaria, this crisp and clean golden ale is available on tap and in cans at the brewery and select retail and tap accounts. Half of all profits of the brew go towards the organization, helping to connect kids with mentors in the community.

Let’s continue the news with another of Serpent Brewing’s Beer Creation Series releases, Inherited Taste. Chris Carrigan signed up to be part of the supporting community of Spryfield’s brewery, and chose a fruited kettle sour for his beer. The peach kettle sour is actually the brewery’s first foray into that style, and they took hold with both hands. Crisp, refreshing, and tart, with a nice level of the eponymous stone fruit on the palate. Carrigan’s daughter designed the label which adorns the 345 ml bottles, which are available now at the brewery.

Montague’s Copper Bottom is releasing a new beer that they’ve been patiently sitting on for over a year. Tandem is a flanders style brown ale, also known as an oud bruin, with a grain bill featuring 2-row, wheat, chocolate malt, light munich, carafe. This one saw a light hop addition of Centennial and Warrior hops before spending over 12 months in a chardonnay barrel, continuing to ferment with the bugs from the wood, adding a distinct tartness. You can also expect a vinous and oak quality from the barrel, along with rich malt flavours of plum, fig and raisin. Bottles of the 5.1% ABV Tandem will be available soon in Montague or for delivery through Copper Bottom’s online store. 

Annapolis Brewing Company has a new beer pouring, and in cans, at their Annapolis Royal location. Summer Session Pale Ale is a light 3.0%, perfect for imbibing in volume during the warmest season. Barley and Wheat malts make up the grist, with Mandarina Bavaria and Huell Melon hops after fermentation, leading to spicy and floral aromatics, along with melon, stone fruit, and citrus in the glass. Pop by their taproom and retail shop this weekend to grab a few!

Lots of Anniversary celebrations happening in our region this weekend, so get your drinking pants on, and tag in your Designated Driver!

Head up to Sydney tomorrow to help the crew at Breton Brewing to celebrate their 7th Anniversary, complete with special guests, discounts, and music all day! Open from 12 – 10 PM, there will be giveaways happening throughout the day, with limited edition glassware on sale. Little Rolling Bistro will be set up from 2 – 8 PM with a full menu, and there will be live music from Duane Nardocchio (2 – 5 PM) and Curt Dillon & Calum MacPhee (5 – 8 PM). Be sure to pop by, grab some grub, have a pint, then buy some beer to go. One of those to-go beer could be their newly released Bottle-Conditioned Stirling Hefeweizen. The German Wheat beer was one of their earliest releases back in 2015, and they’ve gone traditional with the extra level of natural re-fermentation and carbonation right in the bottle.

A few more parting words today, and sorry for the late release!

As part of their 25th Anniversary celebrations, Propeller put out the call to their fans on what beers they would like to see return. While we were holding out for Sharp Angus, the public has spoken, and Stone Fruit has taken the prize. A can-only re-release, this 5.0% refreshing beer is bursting with notes of peach, apricot, and mango, and probably is the better choice for enjoying on a picnic or at the beach, rather than a Hemp Ale… You win!

Now fully back in the groove of things, the 902 BrewCast have delved into the world of mead for their latest release, sitting down with Eric and Ronnie of the newly-opened Eventide Mead, located in Burnside. They talk all about the sourcing of the honey from a local producer, dip their toes into the different styles of mead (and hybrids), and where they think this naturally gluten-free beverage can go in the province. Listen in for free wherever you grab podcasts (or right here). And since recording, the Eventide crew has expanded their retail store hours to Thursdays and Fridays 11 AM – 6 PM, at their 196 Joseph Zatzman Drive location.

Speaking of 902BC, their faithful sponsors Bishop’s Cellar have a bunch of tasty beers on the shelves today, including some beauties from Brasserie de Blaugies, de Ranke (yes, XX Bitter is on the list), and Drie Fonteinen. Local breweries are getting some love too, as Big Spruce’s Saison Opener Grisette, Propeller’s White Belgian Witbier, the aforementioned Bottle-Conditioned Hefeweizen from Breton, and Tatamagouche’s Cellar Slammer, now in 355 ml cans, ideal for … well… slamming.

One last thing before you go. Miramichi’s Timber Ship Brewing has been in business for 4 years, operated by two dedicated couples, pouring their heart and soul into the operation. Through community and local business support, they have managed to survive during the extremely difficult last couple of years. Given recent changes to their career and family commitments, they have had to evaluate Timber Ship, and are looking to close one chapter, and begin another with respect to the brewery. They are looking for someone to continue the Timber Ship story, whether that means on the same level, or to expand its reach even further. If you are interested, or know of a potential buyer, please check out their post and get in touch!

Friday Wrap-Up for June 3, 2022 – News from Banished Brewing, BarNone, Bannerman, Tanner & Co, Quidi Vidi, Breton, Serpent, Trailway, 2 Crows, Big Spruce, Landwash, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2022-06-03
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Banished Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, BarNone Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Bishop's Cellar, Boxing Rock Brewing, Breton Brewing, Candid Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Landwash Brewery, O'Creek Brewing, Off Grid Ales, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Quidi Vidi Brewery, Saint Andrews Brewing Company, Serpent Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, The Church Brewing Company, TrailWay Brewing. 3 comments

Greetings, June bugs. Outside (and really, inside) of beer, it’s an important month for inclusivity, equity, celebration and learning. It’s National Indigenous History Month in Canada and Pride Month is widely-celebrated in North America in June as well. We don’t want to get on the soap-box too much here, but supporting your local, independent, craft brewers is always important, but we do encourage you to know where you’re putting your dollars. Some may use this special month as a chance to change a can design or change their branding or logos to have rainbows or Indigenous support, but please try and support those that really want to make a change for their communities, their breweries, their employees and everyone they serve. Some breweries just simply care, and we know most of our readers do, too. Now, onto the sunshine and beer news!

As we like to do, let’s kick off the post with details of a new brewery opening in our region. Banished Brewing, located in Paradise, Newfoundland, has sent the first few kegs of their beer out this week. Kegs of the initial trio of releases are pouring now at Bar Brewdock in East Duck, with cans coming to local distribution at Marie’s, Ultramar, and NLC locations next week (and soon their own retail shop at 9 Maverick Place, but keep an eye on IG for those details). So, what can you expect to drink from Banished? First up is Out The Gate, the fittingly-named Belgian Single/Singel, at 5.3% ABV, with a light malt and hop character, with a nice yeast-derived bubblegum note, while remaining refreshing. Up next is Space Puffin, a 6.0% ABV New England IPA, juicy, hazy, and full of citrus and tropical goodness for the warmer months ahead. This is the first in the “Puffin” line, keep an eye out for many more! And the newest kid on the block is NO NO NO NO YES NO. Cheeky label, eh? Big props to Paul George Hammond for this and all of Banished’s branding! This EI (Employment Insurance) Pale Ale is 4.5% ABV, light enough in alcohol to warrant having a few in the afternoon while you wait for your check to come in! These are all pouring now at Brewdock, with the Out The Gate making its way to Port Rexton Brewing on their guest tap in the next few days. And those on the West Coast will be able to get their first tastes of Banished at tomorrow’s Newfoundland & Labrador Craft Beer Festival in Corner Brook. And those in Lab City still have time to grab tickets for June 11th’s Big Land beer festival at the Legion. Congratulations to Craig and the team at Banished, we’ll have plenty more from them next week (more new beer and nerdy details and their plans for the summer!).

And speaking of new breweries, we have word that the under-new-ownership BarNone Brewing will be holding their first event at Barn One tomorrow! Doc MacLean will be blowing the roof off the joint, and there will be plenty of beer pouring to accompany that. They may even be set up to fill some growlers, just like the old days! This is a ticketed event, so email them for more details and to get your name on the list!

Bannerman Brewing, fresh off its inclusion in the list of the Top 50 Bars in Canada, is releasing a new pale ale, in collaboration with Iceberg Quest. Designed as a more sessionable offering, Undertow comes in at 5.5% ABV, perfect for sipping while out on the water searching for bergies (did we mention it will be available on-board Iceberg Quest’s tour boats?). Flaked and malted oats were added to the malt bill to give a soft mouthfeel, with dry-hop additions of Galaxy and Strata leading to hop notes of tropical and overripe fruit. In addition to being available onboard, cans and pints of Undertow can also be found at Bannerman’s taproom.

Tanner Brewing is back and these Chester brewers never disappoint with new styles, flavours and doing their own thing. They’re featuring a new hop variety, Harlequin, in their new beer of the same name. A UK hop that is very fruity with big passionfruit, peach and pineapple flavours and aromas, the Harlequin IPA features this hop in the boil and for dry-hopping. It is available in 500ml bottles and is 6.5% and 60 IBU. Get it from their stores and online for their weekly deliveries. 

Quidi Vidi is partnering with Jordan Blake, a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Homebrew Club, the Newfermenters, for the release of Catharina Sour. The crew is getting creative with flavours and styles, concotting what they are calling a strawberry coffee sour. Cans of this 5.5% ABV sour are available today at the hop shop in Quidi Vidi and will see broader distribution to QV’s other retail partners next week.

In Sydney, Breton Brewing has a new seasonal release available now. Bringing the classic style to Nova Scotia (and we want more of it, whenever we can get it), West Coast Pale Ale is exactly as advertised. This clear, golden, fruity, citrus, hoppy and bitter pale ale is a treat, popping with a generous dry hop of Simcoe and Cascade. This 5.4% and 45 IBU IPA is available in 473ml cans from the taproom and also on tap; it’s also available online for delivery in CBRM and HRM. 

Spryfield’s Serpent Brewing is staying busy over the upcoming week with three new releases! Each release is a small batch run that will be available in cans only (no kegs or bottles). First up is Crystal Crescent Strawberry Kolsch. Named for the famous beach(es) (IYKYK) in nearby Sambro, this 5.9% take on the style sees an addition of strawberries to their Days End Kolsch. Next up is Cosmic, a Strawberry Guava IPA. Also coming in at 5.9%, this ale features a blench of kolsch and English yeasts to amp up the fruity esters. Expect lots of guava character along with grapefruit and jammy berries. Finally, we have Foiliole, a 5.9% hoppy witbier. This one combines a Belgian Witbier yeast with large dry hop additions of Citra and Simcoe. Expect the classic spice notes from the yeast, along with plenty of fruit character from the dry hop. Keep your eyes on Serpent’s social channels for the exact release dates throughout the week as these small batches are likely to move quickly. 

Would you believe that Fredericton’s favourite hop hustlers, Trailway Brewing, have now turned SIX? We do because we found out about it last weekend after we posted our Friday Wrap-up, and as punishment/penance, they’ve given us a fully 2 Crows-sized release to write up. The short version is, they released FOUR new beers (IPA variants, natch) all with a bit of a naming theme, and packaged them as a four-pack for maximum delight.

Up first is Tubesock Tanline, a West-coast IPA weighing in at 6.4% ABV. Not in the usual TW wheelhouse of juicy hazies, this one presents prominent biscuity and toasty notes that balance a dank, floral, and spicy hop profile and, of course, a firm old school bitterness. Sounds pretty textbook to us!

Next comes Soul Patch, an IPA made with newish hop variety Zappa and arriving at a hefty 7%. Also not in the totally typical Tw style, this one saw additions of tangerine purée and lactose to bring it into the Milkshake IPA territory. Featuring notes of passionfruit, stone fruit, and sweet citrus (maybe even reminiscent of fruity pebbles) thanks to the aforementioned Zappa plus some Citra and Cashmere, you can expect it to be pillowy soft and sweet-ish, with plenty of pungent hops.

Third in the mix is Turtleneck Tanline, representing a style they’re calling Piña Colada IPA. This 5.9% juice bomb (almost literally) was hopped nearly to death with Sabro and Vic Secret before being refermented on pineapple juice and then cold conditioned on coconut flakes. The result does what it says on the tin, and you might even think about pouring it into a poco grande glass and garnishing it with fruit!

Last in the four-pack comes Rattail Tanline, a double dry hopped IPA with one of the highest hopping rates that the gang at Trailway has ever smashed into a beer (and folks, that’s saying something!). With stalwart hazebomb varieties Citra, Galaxy, and Sultana, leading the way, there’s also a brand new variety from South Africa called Southern Sublime in the mix. Look for notes of Juicy Fruit™ gum and tropical fruit alongside floral and dank kush-like notes from this 6.5% hopjuice.

We know that these four-packs were sent out to Picaroons Saint John and CAVOK Brewing in Dieppe last weekend, but we don’t know how much is left there or at Trailway’s own taproom. You’ll just have to hope on your drive over. Meanwhile, kegs of all of these beers have been sent around the province, including Attepic in Edmundston. Hopefully those of us in the other Atlantic Provinces will get a chance to sample some of these hoppy delights as well! Happy Birthday to Trailway and here’s to another six years!

In Halifax, 2 Crows has a new beer out this week that’s intended to both represent and give back to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. In order to do that, they teamed up with queer members on their staff, Mairi, Mairi, and Tessa, who helped put it together. The Agenda is a grapefruit and basil Radler with a splash of orange and 100% of the proceeds from its sale will be donated to South House Halifax, Kjipuktuk/Halifax’s only full time gender justice center. To celebrate this release in style, the brewery will be having a party with a Rhinestone Cowboy theme next Saturday, June 11th, with tasty morsels from Cafe Aroma Latino and DJ EFFA spinning (country-tinged?) tunes from 7PM to close. So grab your favourite stetson and a bolo tie and head on down to maybe do some line dancing and familiarise yourself with The Agenda.

Nyanza’s finest, Big Spruce Brewing,  is back with a new brew for June! Saison Opener is a perfectly named beer as we roll into summer. A foedre-fermented Saison brings classic saison flavours with a touch of funk. Finished off with a dry-hopping of Huell Melon, you’ll get nice aromas of melon and spice in this lovely 4.9% summer sipper. This is available on top now at the brewery, different outlets and will be canned next week. 

Island-hopping from Cape Breton to Newfoundland, up on the Avalon Peninsula in Mount Pearl Landwash Brewery has brought back their Prickly Fish “tiny” pale ale for the summer. Named for the wee little stickleback fish that heavily populate the brackish waters and tidepools around Newfoundland, the beer is as adorable as the little fishies it’s named after. Coming in at 3.2%, it’s got some hop pop with a lemon/pineapple/fruit cup vibe and a hazy appearance. Rolling out to all the regular spots where you find Landwash beers, including their own spot, this is a limited release, so don’t wait too too long before grabbing yourself some!

Further north on the Rock, we find Port Rexton Brewing, where they’re releasing a brand new beer in a brand new packaging format. Small Trek is a 4% ABV light lager that they’re calling “the perfect summer sipper”. You can safely expect this one to be clean, crisp, and refreshing, but also convenient. Available, like most other PR brews in 473 mL cans, this one is also being packaged in 355 mL cans that are available in 6-packs (with compostable rings!), a first for the brewery. Already available at the tap room, it should also have appeared on the shelves of their Saint John’s Retail Shop by the time you read this, and will see wider distro through the usual channels in the coming days and weeks.

Sticking with the island theme a little longer, Montague, PEI’s Copper Bottom Brewing is celebrating the arrival of patio season with their new Sour IPA. Part of their Field Trip series of fruited sour beers, this one also brings some hops. Which one(s)? You’ll have to taste yourself and try to figure it out. Bright, tart, and tropical, this beer is 5.0% ABV and available at the taproom for pints, and in 473 mL cans to go, for online orders, and at select PEILCC locations starting this weekend.

Wolfville’s Church Brewing Co. is jumping on the easy drinking lager train in time for summer. Atlantic Lager is a 5% ABV lager that features Pilsen malt alongside Magnum and Saphir hops. Expect herbal notes, alongside floral or lemony aromas. Keep an eye on Church’s social channels for release details.

O’Creek Brewing in Dieppe, New Brunswick, has a new canned product out this week! Paradox Ale is a New England IPA, full of big tropical punch notes of citrus, mango, and pineapple, with a touch of coconut in for good measure. This is a limited release, so head to CAVOK Brewing and Dieppe and Greater Moncton-area ANBL stores to grab cans of this 6.0% summer sipper today! And we may be letting the cat out of the bag a little early, but big things are oming for O’Creek in 2022, with a larger system, larger space of their own, and wider distribution of more beer on the horizon! We’ll be sure to pass along the important information as soon as we have it!

While we here at ACBB like to focus on informing you about locally produced beverages from across the Atlantic Provinces, we’d be remiss not to occasionally mention when some really cool beer from outside of the region becomes available (especially when it is purveyed by fine folks like Bishops Cellar). Average weeks of anticipation (you’re damn right we are constantly checking the new releases page), three releases from Toronto’s Bellwoods Brewery are hitting the shelves in 473 ml cans. Head on down to BIshops (or order online) for your chance to grab Ratclops Pale Ale, Roman Candle IPA and Jelly King today. It’s a real treat to be able to enjoy fresh hoppy beers from Bellwoods without making the trip to the Big Smoke. Kudos to Bishops for figuring out the logistics of getting the freshies here under cold storage, which is more than we can say for a certain government monopoly. For a more local option, Tanner’s Wheat Beer is making its return to Bishops as well.

If you’re reading this before Sunday, June 5th, Candid Brewing has a contest and a new beer to go along with it! First up, the beer (of course)! Twist My Arm is a 5% pale ale, starring Cascade hops that is intended to be easy-drinking with a nice punch of flavour. The contest is for an upcoming show on Saturday June 11, as The Fabulously Rich play a 3-hour set dedicated to The Tragically Hip. The winner will also win a prize pack from the brewery in addition to the tickets. Check out their social media for contest details.

Just in time for summer, tourists, and NBers travelling around their own province, the lovely St. Andrews in New Brunswick is home to a brand new brewery space and taproom that is now open. Right downtown, Saint Andrews Brewing  is open with 12 taps, a big patio and some snacks. Don’t worry, though, they will also still be on tap at other local establishments in Saint Andrews. While we will have more news coming, we can tell you they’re open 7 days a week with their favourite English-inspired ales and more.

Staying in New Brunswick, Off Grid Ales changed ownership after the the former owners followed through on plans to sell the brewery about a year ago. While Off Grid is known for being entirely self-sufficient (and tasty!), their 15-barrel production system powered by solar panels and wind turbines will be moving into a bigger space and switching to cans later this month. The move to Magaguadavic (only 20min west from the current Harvey Station location) will also see an increase to a 30-barrel system. The move is planned to be complete in early August following the New Brunswick long weekend. Check out the full news article here. 

A few bits of news out of Boxing Rock, as they’ve rebranded their 6.6% IPA and it’s available now at most NSLCs in 4x473ml packs. Also, those of you in Halifax may not have known about their location on Agricola within Local Source. The pairing has been hard at work moving to their bigger and better location at the corner of Windsor and Almon, so keep an eye out for their official opening date. 

Friday Wrap-Up for May 13, 2022 – News from Loyalist City, Half Cocked, CAVOK, Propeller, Big Spruce, Sea Level, Dildo and Church, Village Green, Serpent, Bannerman, and much more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2022-05-13
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, CAVOK Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Half Cocked Brewing, Loyalist City Brewing Co, Péché Day, Propeller Brewing, Sea Level Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, The Church Brewing Company, Tide & Boar Gastropub, Village Green by Modern Brewer. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, loyal readers. The signs of summer are everywhere around us. Temperatures in the region are creeping up to 30 degrees, patios are springing up on sidewalks, sessionable crushers are rolling out of tanks, and in the surest sign that the colder months are behind us, the Leafs are about to choke their way to another early exit. With a later release this Friday (we blame the fact that it’s Friday the 13th…), what better time to grab a beer, and get caught up on all of Atlantic Canada’s newest releases and events. Appreciate you sticking around and checking out the news!

Let’s kick things off with a brewery that hasn’t graced the pages of this blog in some time, Loyalist City Brewing, who are embracing the low-alcohol trend with the release of On Call IPA, a 2.5% ABV micro IPA. Special attention went into assuring that despite the low ABV, this one still packs plenty of hop aroma and flavour. Citra and Mosaic hops were used to create notes of stone fruit and citrus, with plenty of balancing bitterness at 35 IBUs. This one is available for a limited time, on tap at the brewery and better beer bars around New Brunswick.

Over in Antigonish County, Half Cocked is rolling out their first ever lager with Ozzy Dunkel, named in honour of the ever popular taproom dog, Ozzy the German Shepherd. This take on the classic German style comes in at 5.4% ABV and features sweet malt notes of biscuits and caramel, along with a hint of black tea. Ozzy Dunkel is available at the brewery for pints and fills, and may get in Halifax County for those imbibing there..

Let’s make a quick jump back to New Brunswick for our next new release, L’érablière 2.0. CAVOK partnered with Chateau Scoudouc Maple to create an amber ale that saw an addition of maple syrup, before being aged on oak chips. The resulting 7.7% ABV ale is available now for pints, growlers and crowlers. And find it at their spot at Cap-Pelé, which is now open for the season! Beach lovers rejoice!

Propeller is mixing things up this week with the release of Saison, their take on the Belgian-inspired style. Expect notes of lemon and spice from the Belgian yeast (with a bit of citrus twist added to send it even higher), with the fermentation also creating lots of carbonation and a dry finish. Cans of the 5% and 20 IBU Saison are available today through Propeller’s online store, their three retail locations, and at the private stores across Halifax.

Up in Nyanza, Big Spruce is celebrating this beautiful May weekend with the release of Stunt Dubbel. The big winner from their 9th Homebrew Challenge held earlier this year, winning brewer Karl Penney made the trip to Cape Breton and helped the Big Spruce Crew turn his 20 litre batch into more than a thousand! As you could probably guess from the name, this is a Belgian Dubbel in style, a malt-forward and super-smooth beer, featuring aromatics and flavours of caramel, toasted brown bread, and even a hint of milk chocolate. The belgian yeast contributes some light pepper spiciness and banana fruity esters, rounding out the 7.2% ABV beer. Available on tap and in cans, whether your travels take you to the brewery, otherwise you can order for HRM or Canada-wide delivery. It’s joined by returning favourite Day 6 with Brett Blueberry, Big Spruce’s tongue-in-cheek ode to Day 6 with Brent Bambury, full of NS-grown Organic blueberries and fermented with the wild Brettanomyces M yeast, for a fruity, funky, full-featured beer.

Tomorrow in the Annapolis Valley, Sea Level Brewing is releasing their Myria IPA in support of the Brew for Ukraine efforts. Ukrainian for “Dream”, Myria borrows the recipe from Pravda Beer, leveraging some great hops to maximise tropical and citrus notes that are reminiscent of passion fruit, melon, peach, and citrus on both the nose and palate. As supplies of this 6.5% ABV beer are limited, cans are available exclusively at the brewery retail store, with the remainder pouring only in their taproom, at 9146 Hwy 221 in Sheffield Mills. Be sure to drop by this weekend to take in the beer, the sights, and the lovely weather!

Up next is an aptly named collaboration between Newfoundland’s Dildo Brewing Company and Church Brewing out of the Annapolis Valley. Sweet Whistlin’ Jaysus is the brainchild of head brewers and former co-workers, Steve Crane and Kyle Jeppesen. Using techniques and ingredients from multiple styles led them to label this 4.6% ABV lager as an Austro-Mexican Lager. The grain bill features a base of Vienna malt, with additions of CaraVienna and corn; Spalter hops were used exclusively, along with an extended fermentation and conditioning with Dildo’s house lager yeast. Keep an eye on both breweries’ social channels for release and retail details. 

Cornwall’s Village Green is back with a new version of their Weird Clouds IPA series, this one features Amarillo, Strata and Azacca hops. Look for notes of peach and berries that complement the notes of fresh dinner rolls from the malt. We’ll also mention that last weekend saw the release of Lil’ Hazy, a 4.2% ABV New England Style Pale ale. This one featured ample late boil and dry hop additions of Citra, Strata and Mosaic hops, providing lots of tropical fruit and citrusy notes. 

Plenty to tell you about at Serpent Brewing, with several new beers and events to keep you busy this weekend. First up, the beer! Last week, they released Espiritus, a 12% Mexican Mole Porter. Their resident designer of labels and murals in the taproom, Mónica, wanted to bring a taste of her hometown of Mexico City 5000 km Northeast to Spryfield. Using authentic Mexican chocolate, spices, and peppers, she prepared a mole, which went into the beer at the very end of the boil of the base Porter, to bring out even more chocolate, as well as pleasant warming from the peppers and spicing. Previously available exclusively on tap, there are bottles of this heavy hitter available at the brewery now. 

Joining Espiritus are three decidedly more restrained beers alcohol-wise, but every bit as flavourful. Dreamer is a 6.0% Raspberry Witbier, where the Brew Crew leverage their yeast and familiarity from their White Mountain Witbier, with the raspberry puree complementing the wheat character, with the beer fermented a touch cooler to keep its esters restrained. Nova Blue is also 6.0%, and just like Dreamer, is best described as a fruited witbier, with locally-grown blueberries lending their flavourful juices to enhance the aroma and taste of the beer. The latest of the Beer Creation Series, where the first boosters of Serpent were able to choose a beer recipe and release it commercially, with beer fan Bob calling the shots on this one.

And finally in new beers is the next in their Beer Creation Series, a small batch beer named Fight Trail. Those of the two wheel variety may recognize the name from a popular trail in the Spryfield area, where Serpent regular Mitch spends lots of time. The beer is a British Golden Ale, that spent some time lagering as well, to mellow out just a touch. Wanting a beer “to crush after crushing the trails”, the 4.7% beer is simple yet complex enough to enjoy while throwing back a couple. A little light for the style, and Simcoe in the dry-hop may not be CAMRA-approved, but these help to keep it interesting and tasty.

All of these beers are on tap, with many also available to go in bottles, from the brewery who are celebrating the opening of their patio this weekend. Dominic’s Cucina Wood Fired Pizza will be slinging pies from 2:30 PM onward, and Nick Hamlyn will be playing live from the patio 3 – 6 PM. Sunday, they will be playing Music Trivia, and you can check out the many events they hold throughout the week!

Three years ago (May 11, 2019 to be exact!) the fine folks at Bannerman Brewing opened their doors and on Saturday May 14th, they’re throwing a big birthday bash at the brewery. Here are some of the highlights from the delicious East Duckworth venue:

  • BEER! Surf’s Up is being re-released on tap only, a tropical blue sour that sold out very quickly. Also, 30% off of pints of all of their core beers that were available 3 years ago. 
  • Island Time, their original launch DIPA, is also available again as of last Friday. This is available widely in cans and at 8% it’s tropical, easy drinking, smooth with nice orange and tangerine flavours. 
  • FOOD! Best Friend Burger is setting up shop all day to serve their smash burgers for dine-in service. Also, they’ll have dinosaur shaped nuggets. 
  • MUSIC! The Dandelion Few will be around from 3pm until 5pm with some deadly tunes. Don’t worry, there’s no cover, so swing by if you can.

That about covers it. They’re very excited to welcome everyone back, have people in person and pay homage to some of their core beers. 

A pre-COVID staple that many of us looked forward to was the great, the bold, the strong, Péché Day! The annual celebration of the Dieu du Ciel! world class ale is finally back in Halifax and Moncton. Saturday May 21 is the day and Bar Stillwell will host in Halifax and Tide & Boar will host in Moncton. Five offerings of Péché Mortel will feature this year, with Bourbon 2021. Tajumulco 2022, Kumquat 2022 and Dulce de Leche 2022 will join the classic offering. Check out the full details here from DDC. 

All this reading making you thirsty to get into the beer biz? We’ve got a couple of options for you to look at this week.

2 Crows Brewing is taking part in the Canada Summer Jobs Program, and hiring full-time Driver / Packaging Assistant to join the mix. The position is for those 19-30 years of age, and they would love to have those from under-represented-in-beer communities apply for the position. Check that link for full details on the position and how to apply!

Speaking of Packaging, those living in Newfoundland, or willing to move there (and why wouldn’t you??), should check out the FB post and details from Dildo Brewing Company, as they are hiring a full-time Brewer’s Assistant/Packaging Technician to help around the brewhouse. While no brewing specific skills are required, a willingness to learn, and work, are key. Plenty more info on their Facebook and via email!