Shoreline Malting

All posts tagged Shoreline Malting

[ed. Once again we’re posting our Friday wrap-up on Saturday. Real Life™ is a thing; whatchagonnado?]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend! There are a lot of events going on at your local bars, pubs, and breweries, so make sure you show them some love instead of just going to the provincial liquor store and grabbing some Guinness! We won’t be listing all of the events and parties for Paddy’s Day (then we would never get out of here!) but be sure to check your local spots on social media to see if they have anything on the go. Let’s dive in!

We’ll start this week in Nova Scotia where the Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia has released their annual fundraising collaboration beer, Together We Brew. This year representatives from member breweries gathered at Stillwell Brewing on Kempt Road in Halifax to brew a Dortmunder-style export lager. Using all-Canadian ingredients from Brew Culture, Shoreline Malting, and Escarpment Labs, it was brewed back in January before being given eight solid weeks of lagering time. Coming in at a comfortable 5.8% ABV, it’s got plenty of malt character, floral hop aroma, and a soft balancing bitterness, and it’s an excellent everyday beer and a great one to share with friends and show off the quality of NS craft beer. It’s available now in 473ml cans at NSLC locations and select breweries around NS.

If you’re the sort who keeps track of these things, or just a long time craft beer drinker in NS, you no doubt know what’s coming next. The release of the Together We Brew beer always heralds the coming of CBANS’ signature event, also called Together We Brew. This year taking place at Pavillion 22 at the Halifax Seaport you’ll find some 40 Nova Scotia craft breweries pouring their wares. Even better, they’re doing away with the tyranny of sample tickets, so maybe you won’t have to pick and choose quite as much (although you’ll still be expected to drink responsibly). Two sessions will be held on April 6th, one in the afternoon from 2 – 4:30pm, and one in the evening from 7 – 9:00pm. As always, VIP tickets are available that allow an extra hour of early tasting and a special souvenir tasting glass, and Designated Driver tickets are also available. All the relevant information and links to ticket purchase can be found on the event page at the CBANS website. Hope to see you there!

In 2022, an open-ended collaboration called Black Is Beautiful was created to support the efforts of the National Black Brewers Association in growing Black brewers across the US (and hopefully beyond). A recipe for an imperial stout was provided to breweries who wished to participate along with additional assets (label design, collateral). Each brewery pledged $1 (or more) from every can sold to the cause. This year it’s happening again, with Weathered Souls Brewing providing the recipe for a hazy IPA, Stout Collective providing the label design, and Blue Label Packaging Co even fronting the labels (breweries need only pay shipping). Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing is the first Atlantic Canadian brewery (that we’re aware of) to sign up and take part. Their version of Black Is Beautiful Volume 2 was released this week, following the published recipe pretty closely on the malt side, with 2-row malted barley, white wheat, Vienna malt, oats, and barley flakes (all organic, natch) building a solid base. Veering a little bit from the spec, the Spruce team went 50/50 with modern classics Galaxy and Mosaic for the hops, all of them added in a post-temperature reduction whirlpool and dry hop. The result is described as, “courage, bravery, and allyship wrapped in an unbelievably badass beer.” True to the spirit of the collaboration, Big Spruce will be spreading the proceeds between NBBA and longtime Big Spruce partner the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition (ANSDPAD). Grab it in cans at the brewery and, we’d imagine, other places you’ve historically found Big Spruce beer.

Missed in last week’s round-up of beers brewed for International Women’s Day was an entry from Breton Brewing in Sydney, NS. Bearing the same name as previous IWD beers brewed at Breton, Waves Rise, it is in the champagne IPA (a.k.a. brut IPA) style, which generally describes a hoppy beer with a rather light body. Leveraging the Pink Boots hop blend from Yakima Chief, it boasts aromas of peach and stone fruit and aims to please both hop lovers and lighter beer lovers alike. Find this 5.8% gem on tap and in cans at the taproom, as well as other fine drinking establishments around the province (we spotted it at The Narrows in Halifax ourselves earlier this week!).

Another IWD beer we missed last weekend is a collab between Truro Brewing and Cole Harbour’s Hardisty Brewing. Wicked Roots is a dark ale that features root beer-inspired herbs and spices, including sarsaparilla, licorice root, star anise, and wintergreen. Hardisty even went so far as to serve it with vanilla ice cream as a float last weekend for their IWD celebration! We’re not sure if that’s still available, but this 5% beer was pouring at both breweries’ taprooms and a  portion was also canned (although we’re not sure if cans went to Hardisty).

In the Burnside Industrial Park area of Dartmouth we find the pseudonymous Burnside Brewing has a new one pouring this week, the latest in their Brew Lab series of smaller batch experimental beers. This time around the Burnside team experimented with a traditional Czech brewing process, namely single decoction, to produce a traditional Czech Pilsner. Also boasting malt from Czechia, Czech Pilsner #1 comes in at 4.6% ABV and is hopped with traditional Saaz, retro Sládek, and new school Bohemie, yielding a spicy, herbaceous, and citrus-tinged hop aroma to pair with its rich maltiness and balancing bitterness. Find this unfiltered and golden beer on tap and in cans at all three Burnside properties.

Village Green in Cornwall, PEI, released a new IPA this week, one that harkens back to the IPAs of yesteryear, with a chewy malt body, plenty of bitterness, and of course, big hop flavour and aroma courtesy of large additions of Citra in the kettle and for dry hop. Dubbed Undead IPA, you shouldn’t find it scary, but you might find it has notes of marmalade, candied citrus, and ripe stone fruit in this 6.8% beer. Find it at the brewery now on tap, and hopefully in cans to go.

Up in Newfoundland, two of the Rock’s best beer spots have teamed up for a collaboration. Bar Brewdock of East Duckworth Street in downtown St. John’s grabbed themselves some tickets to Paradise and visited Banished Brewing. On their mind was brewing up a big ol’ juice bomb to remind themselves of the summer days they hope aren’t too far away. If you’re familiar with the Banished oeuvre, this one started with a similar base to Makes Sense, but amped up to reach double IPA proportions. To that was added Citra, Nelson Sauvin, and Cascade hops, including all three in a double dry hop. Finishing at 8.5% ABV, it’s truly hazy, with bitterness on the low end, a deep orange color, and plenty of citrus character that’s maybe even a little reminiscent of Five Alive™. Find it on tap at the brewery and at Brewdock, of course, and it’s going out to retailers in cans as well.

Staying in Newfoundland, but out to Quidi Vidi, where Quidi Vidi Brewery has a light new hoppy brew available. Glad Hands is the product of the sixth annual collaboration between the QV and Newfermenters Homebrew Club. Starting with a beer competition, it turns into a bottle share where all comers can sample eachother’s wares. Jamie Osborne provided the recipe for this one and it’s an easy drinking session IPA. Smooth and refreshing, it’s got plenty of citrusy aromas from the hops in a, “it’s quite alright to have another,” 3.9% package. It’s a limited edition, so grab it on tap at the QV taproom or pick up some cans to go while you can.

Over to New Brunswick where, in Fredericton, Trailway Brewing has a beer returning that hasn’t been seen in well nigh two whole years. You may remember the moment in the sun of the milkshake IPA, which generally marries the hazy IPA style with fruit and lactose to produce something not quite beer-like, but also definitely beer-like. Not the kind of style you’d find yourself banging four of in an evening, but certainly something that can scratch a (possibly weird) itch. This iteration of Velvet Fog is 6% and features cherry and mango flavors along with the sweetness of lactose and plenty of hops; it’s soft and round, and almost smoothie-like on the finish. Available in cans at the taproom in Fredericton and Union House in Saint John, you’ll also be able to pick this up at ANBL locations in coming weeks as well.

Only one event this weekend, but it’s a doozy and it’s already started!

If you’re in Halifax, you may have seen the news of the triple tap takeover between Tatamagouche Brewing, 2 Crows Brewing, and Lone Oak Brewing a few weeks ago and have been jealous of all that great beer in one place. Well today you get your chance. Starting today at open and running all the way to close, those three breweries will be doing it all again at Battery Park in Dartmouth. Will you find green beer? Probably not. Will you find a selection of fresh and delicious beer from some of the region’s best breweries? You sure will. Maybe we’ll see you there!

And a couple more things afore we go:

You down with P-O-G? Yeah, you know me! [ed. Alrighty there, Milhouse] 2 Crows Brewing has a new version of the Jamboree Sour Series, but this one features passionfruit, orange, and guava additions. Using a puree of passion fruit, pureed mango, orange puree along with the orange zest and juice, this is really just for summer.  It’s 4.8% and canned now, available at both 2 Crows locations and with certain NSLCs will be carrying this as well. 

Moncton’s O’Creek Brewing isn’t taking their foot off the pedal any time soon: they’ve got three new beers pouring this week. Czech Affair is a returning favorite, a Czech pale lager, Kozak Lager, brewed in partnership with the Ukrainian Club of Moncton (some proceeds contributed to the Ukrainian cause), and Sunny Brae Coffee Stout, which was brewed with coffee from local roastery Sunny Brae Coffee. All three are pouring at their taproom, but if you’re in Halifax with no plans to be in Moncton this weekend, you may still be able to sample some O’Creek, as Stillwell HQ has been pouring some of their wares of late.

Unfortunately this week we again need to finish with some sadder news. Off Track Brewing in Bedford announced this week that they will be closing on April 28th (or when they run out of beer). Bedford’s only brewery, they built themselves a taproom on Rocky Lake Drive that fostered a vibrant community spirit. Additionally, The Harbour Brewing Company in Musquodoboit Harbour has announced that they are for sale and will be ceasing current operations once they run out of beer. We raise a glass to the teams at both locations wish them all the best, whatever their futures may bring.

Happy Friday y’all! We’re as excited to start the weekend as you are, so let’s get you out the door and drinking the good stuff quickly! We have a reminder of what’s coming to our region next weekend in the Events section, so be sure to read closely!

Spryfield’s Serpent Brewing has a very special collaboration available now on tap and in cans. Born from a familial connection to Mexico, Serpent invited the crew from Cerveceria Itañeñe into the brewhouse a few months ago. And of course, Rodrigo and Lucia of Itañeñe brought gifts, in the form of their favourite coffee from roasters Ilustre. Pairing that with some locally-harvested Maple Syrup from MacRae’s, and a base English Brown Ale, they thus gave birth to Here Comes Trouble. This 5.9% beer will wake you up and keep you going all day, with the strong malt, coffee, and maple character coming through! Pop by the brewery for a taste and four-pack, and while there, you’ll be able to sample the food new menu put together by Chef Barry Samways. Having worked in kitchens at Hermitage, Elliot & Vine, and most recently at Quinn’s Arms, Chef Samways is focusing on local producers for as many ingredients as possible to ensure quality and freshness. As with any brewery menu, complementing the beer is important, so look for both share-able sizing for when your whole crew is with you, or snacking sizes for solo pop-bys to the space. Homemade pasta, tacos, microgreen salads, and several gluten-free and vegan options are also available!

On Brunswick Street in downtown Halifax, 2 Crows has a pair of new releases out this week. Let’s start hoppy, with Green World DIPA out on draught and in cans now. West Coast-inspired, this was brewed in collaboration with PEI’s Shoreline Malting, who provided the base Pale Malt, which was amped up with a touch of Crystal. This was hopped aggressively with classic American hops from Lakeview Hops throughout, including in the mash, again as the wort enters the kettle (first wort), of course throughout the boil, and again as the beer is cooled on its way to the fermenter. At that point, Escarpment Labs’ House Ale strain took over, fermenting it clean and providing natural carbonation to the finished product. It’s available today at the brewery as well as for online ordering and delivery. If you pop by the brewery, you’ll also be able to enjoy their latest tiny batch release, Multiflora. This beer/wine hybrid is the love child of a 3-year-old Wild Ale blended with fresh rosé piquette, itself made up of pomace from Riesling grapes, plus a small amount of Pinot Noir and Kekfrankos, with some quince from Head Brewer Jeremy Taylor’s backyard. This bright and funky hybrid is available on draught only, and in short supply, so if it sounds as tasty to you as it does to us…don’t delay in visiting!

HRM’s newest source of suds, Party Time Brewing in Mount Uniacke, who we profiled earlier this month, has a couple new beers and a new delivery channel for us this week. Party Time Pilsner is an American Pilsner at 30 IBU and 5% ABV that’s sure to sate your craving for a light and crispy new world crusher and Raft Up is “a beery beer” hopped with Hallertauer Mittelfrüh coming in at 4.5% ABV. Both of these are available for online ordering (althought the Party Time Pils is already in short supply!) for delivery in the general environs of Mount Uniacke, but if you’re from further afield you now have an option for pickup in the parking lot of Uniacke Pizza. You can also try the Raft Up at the Mount Uniacke Pub & Eatery.

Over on the Island, Summerside’s Bogside Brewing has a couple of new offerings this week, one of which won’t get you loaded no matter how much you drink. Bogside Zero is their first foray into the non-alcoholic beer market and they’re happy to report that it, “tastes like a real beer!” Based on their Local Legend blonde ale recipe, they’ve invested in a de-alcoholizer to take the finished beer remove the alcohol. Tasting similar enough to the original that many folks are hard-pressed to tell the difference, it’ll be a welcome option for those who want to taste a beer without having a beer. Also new on the go is a second entry in Bogside’s single hop series, this time using Belma, a bit of an unsung hop that’s been around for a decade or so, but hasn’t gained the mindshare of some of the heavy hitters. Known for providing tasting notes of strawberry and pear in particular, it also has a bit of a citrus kick on the palate and aromas of berries and melon, giving this iteration a little more of a West Coast IPA feel than the previous El Dorado version. Coming in at 6% ABV and 35 IBU, you’ll find this limited edition along with Bogside Zero available in the taproom and for online ordering.

Staying in PEI we land at Lone Oak, who, as mentioned last week, are celebrating their birthday this month. To celebrate they’ve got a brand new beer available, but so far only at Milky Way Brewpub in Charlottetown and in cans to go from their Cold Beer Store. Lone Oak Light does what it says on the tin, a North American light lager at 4% ABV that’s sure to please the beery beer drinkers out there. Simple, crisp and refreshing, it’s sure to pair well with summertime. Keep an eye on the social media for their latest location, the Lone Oak Beer Garden at Cavendish Beach, as it is set to open in the next few weeks.

From the little island we head up to the big one where, in Paradise, Banished Brewing has a brand new beer that they’re calling Baked Ziti. Why the reference to tasty noodletubes, tomato, and cheese? Because it’s an Italian Pilsner, of course! A style that’s been coming on in North America the last few years, the Italian take on a more northern European style features a light, but still malty body, with a firm bitterness and a pungent hop note, always continental and often leaning towards the floral part of the hop spectrum. Unfiltered, as is de rigueur (d’obbligo?) for the style, you’ll find this 5% delight on tap at the brewery and appearing at local retailers as well.

My, b’y, but there’s a lot of new lagers in the region this week and Port au Port’s Secret Cove Brewing has one too. A 4% American Lager they’re calling Cove Lager, it leverages rice as an adjunct to keep the body light and lagered cool to keep it crisp, it’s designed to be super easy drinking through the warmer summer months. Packaged in 355ml cans (with a super classy label) for maximum portability, it’s available now at the brewery and will see retail distribution real soon now.

We haven’t had any news out of Sheffield Mills in a few weeks, but that stops today with Sea Level’s release of Barn Yard IPA. Their take on a hazy session IPA is TRIPLE dry-hopped with Mosaic, Apollo and Comet, giving lots of topical fruit notes. The grain bill features Sea Level’s standard base malt, with an addition of Vienna for a hint of sweetness, with all of the malt coming from nearby Horton Ridge Malt House. Coming in at a sessionable 4.6% ABV, you can find Barn Yard on tap and in cans at both Sea Level locations now. 

Just in time for another sunny Cape Breton weekend, Big Spruce has a new release and the return of one of their all-time crowd pleasers. First up is It Takes Two to Mango, a 5% ABV fruited sour. Look for a pleasing tangy tartness to complement the sweetness of the ripe mangos, with the mangos also imparting their colour to the final beverage. You can find this one on tap in Nyanza. And while we’re at it, the ultimate pairing for Cape Breton summer weather is making its return. Silver Tart, the sour raspberry wheat ale originally brewed in 2015, is back for another season, with its refreshing tartness, berry flavour and deep pink hue. Cans and pints are available now, with the cans already making their way to Big Spruce’s online store for shipping and delivery. 

Did we mention the profusion of lagers this week? Of course we did, and there’s another one to mention from Tire Shack Brewing, the return of their Cerveza Mexican lager. Possibly the most crushable beer they’ve released to date, it’s back on tap and in cans to go as well. Meanwhile, on the “new release” side of things, Tire Shack also has a brand new “AI-designed” beer available. After prompting with the question “What will future beer trends be?” and receiving the response, “Alternative fermentables and herbs,” they further asked for a recipe, which was dutifully provided and dubbed “Garden Party.” They even got it to design a label. Regardless of how you feel about what’s being commonly referred to as “AI” these days, the gang at Tire Shack has dutifully made the 6.0% ABV honey lavender saison from the generated recipe and claim it’s a tasty beer. You’ll have to grab some at their spot in Moncton to find out for yourself!

Still in New Brunswick, but up in Fredericton this time, we see a brand new thang from Trailway. Hoppy? Sure. But this one, from their Main Land series of Belgian-inspired beers, pairs Belgian yeast character with lemony citrus and a grassy bitterness from the noble hops that were used. With a finish that features pear and apple sauce, this hoppy session ale comes in at 4.5% ABV. In returning engagement news at Trailway, their classic summer raspberry wheat, Beyond Reality is available again. At 4% ABV you can plan to enjoy a couple of these fruity delights that boast a touch of balancing tartness. Look for both of these ones, along with the rest of the Trailway oeuvre at a Trailway location near you!

Lots of beery things going on in our region these days, including a lot of summer openings!

Lots of news for you from the Stillwell Family this week, so let’s get you up to speed: The Stillwell Beer Garden at Spring Garden and South Park is open and operating daily from noon til “cold”, with a dozen taps and another dozen different cans from across the region and beyond. The grill is fired up and on the go too, with sausages and dogs, and yummy accompaniments to boot, with ice cream to cap the meal!

One of the beers you’ll find on tap there, as well as Stilly HQ, The Freehouse, and Battery Park, is Stillwell Brewing’s brand new Cream Ale. Eschewing the modern trend towards adjuncts, this is all Pils malt, with a decoction (!), and fermented cool to keep the fruity esters down, it uses a dose of Cascade and Willamette to add a firm bitterness as well as a bit of earth and citrus to the final product. Eminently crushable, you can sense the relationship to Kompact while appreciating the new world hop component. Cans will be coming to the brewery in a few weeks.

Before then, however, Stillwell Brewing is celebrating the opening of their taproom June 3rd. While having been open for retail sales since last year, they have completed the taproom and music system, so it’s time to party! Open from 11 AM to 11 PM next Saturday, Beverly Taco Service (from 4 PM) will be onsite slinging their wares, and there will be live spun records by DJ Douvet and Swee (also from 4 PM) to keep you happy.

Although most folks in the industry have known this for a while, we at ACBB have perhaps been a touch remiss in mentioning that the Canadian Brewing Awards Conference will be in town next weekend, June 1st to 3rd at the Nova Centre in Halifax. A presentation of Taps Media, the CBAC is both a brewing conference and the announcement vehicle for the Canadian Brewing Awards. Judged each spring in Toronto, the CBAs aim to celebrate the best in beer from coast to coast. What does this mean for the humble beer drinker? Mostly that there will be brewery folks from across the country descending on Halifax, sampling our local fare and especially our local beer, and making and rekindling friendships. So don’t be surprised if you find yourself at Stillwell Beer Garden or Hop Yard or any of our brewery tap rooms talking to a brewery owner from Saskatoon or Kelowna or Caledon or St-Jean-sur-Richelieu and feel free to let them know what your favorite locals are! 

Meanwhile, if you’re a hard core beer nerd like us and you’re interested in taking in the conference itself, there will be plenty of sessions of both practical brewing nature and more social responsibility-focused content as well as a conference floor where equipment, ingredient, and service providers ply their wares. Limited (<15!) tickets are still available, with a full ride (conference + gala) going for $400 or separate conference ($200) and gala ($200) options on tap, so to speak. Maybe we’ll see you there!

Our friends at Canadian hop supplier Hops Connect have some news for the local industry this week, as they’re opening up a cold storage warehouse in Montréal next month. If you’re a brewer in Atlantic Canada, this means your orders will get to you that much more quickly and efficiently, and especially when you’re dealing in Southern Hemisphere hops, as Hops Connect does in volume, that can make a big difference. Homebrewers in the region who take advantage of The Brewnosers annual group buys will likely benefit as well. If you’re attending the CBAC next weekend, definitely stop by the Hops Connect booth and find out the finer details (rumor has it there will be a very sensory component to their booth this year as well!!)

Looking for work in the craft beer industry in Moncton? Check this posting out:

After a very successful launch earlier this month, O’Creek Brewing in Moncton is looking to add a Full-Time Taproom Manager to their crew, concentrating on those busy evenings and weekends! If you have experience in that sort of thing, fire Greg an email to let him know you can be the right woman or man for the job! Oh, and while we have you, their on-site kitchen is operating at full speed these days, sending out nachos, quesadillas, pulled pork sandwiches, popcorns, and even serving ice cream from nearby Lost & Found.

Here’s our quick hits this week to finish things off:

The PEI Brewing Company has a new American Pale Ale out. Gahan Longshore is a 5.5% ABV take on the style, featuring notes of citrus, pine and tropical fruit. You’ll find it at the PEIBC Taproom, Gahan Beer Store, and Gahan House locations, and look for it to appear at PEI Liquor and ANBL locations this week.

After taking the winter off, Rose Valley’s Barnone Brewery is open again for the summer. No word yet on their exact opening days/hours, but we can assure you that they are open for at least a few hours today from 5 PM. Pop by their location at 4248 Route 225, Rose Valley/Breadalbane, and let them know ACBB sent ya!

Speaking of openings, The Post Taphouse in Torbay, Newfoundland, opened their doors last weekend. Located at 1412 Torbay Road, they are just a few steps from the East Coast Trail, and offer a lovely view from their patio. Serving local beer from breweries all across Newfoundland and Labrador, they also have a full food menu. They are open 12 – 11 PM daily, rain or shine!

It’s that time of year for the Cellar Slammer to return! This annual collaboration between Tatamagouche Brewing and Bishop’s Cellar is out at both retailers now. This is the 7th year of its release, and this Session IPA / India Session Ale is bigger and better than ever! Clean, bright, citrus, with a touch of white wine grapes, the low alcohol and lighter mouthfeel means this beer can be slammed back all summer long! Just be aware that the can looks a little different this year!

And finishing up with the second in the “new collaborative Session Ale” category is a brand new release from North Brewing. Celebrating their neighbours to their new Timberlea location comes Brunello, brewed with The Links at Brunello. At just 4.5% ABV, it’s lively and bright, refreshing and fun, and perfect to enjoy on your first, ninth, and eighteenth tee-off! On tap and in cans at North’s locations, and of course at the Nineteenth hole at Brunello.

Hey, you’ve made it to another Friday! Glad to hear! You’ve definitely earned a beer or two, so let’s cut the small talk and give you the scoop on the latest releases and events happening in the area!

Let’s kick things off with a few hazy IPAs from Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing. First up is a new release, named in honour of some skilled bowling at the brewery’s Drome location. Bonus Money showcases Falconer’s Flight, El Dorado, Vic Secret and Sabro hops, leading to notes of pineapple, stone fruit, mango and some subtle coconut from the Sabro. Cans of the 5.5% ABV IPA are available now. Trailway is also releasing another batch of Hot Sky Eclipse, their 6.6% ABV IPA that showcases the Australian Eclipse hop. This year’s version saw extra hop additions, earning itself the DDH (double dry hopped) moniker. Expect lots of citrus notes with a hint of pine needles and Juicy Fruit gum (the taste is gonna move you). 

Let’s cross over to Newfoundland, where Landwash and Dildo have teamed up for a fun “Home and Home” collaboration, and now available at both breweries and across the Avalon. Friendly Shores is a 5.6% ABV Amber Ale, that spent some time in each brewery on Amburana wood and vanilla. This “Brazilian Oak” is known to impart savoury and lightly spicy notes, which is complemented by the vanilla, imparting lots into this malt-forward ale. As it was brewed at both spots, it’s available in house and to-go in both Mount Pearl and Dildo, as well as in cans at NLC and Marie’s Mini Mart locations surrounding and between the two participating breweries now.

We mentioned it in our International Women’s Day 2022 feature at the beginning of the month, and now it is a reality, Landwash has released their Brave Noise Pale Ale. Brewed on Pink Shirt Day in late February, the 4.8% Hazy Pale Ale is part of a global movement working towards descrimination-free spaces to produce and enjoy beer. As part of the international collab, Landwash has included a link to their Code of Conduct right on the can, and will be directing proceeds to The Craft Beer Safety Network, supporting marginalized communities in the beer industry. Be sure to grab a four-pack of cans today to help support folks already in, or looking to join, the industry!

For Landwash’s partner in Friendly Shores, this was not Dildo’s only new release this week either, as they’ve released a higher-ABV version of Dildo LagerDry Ice Lager is 6.0%, achieving that extra bit of oomph by using an enzyme to help the yeast chew up every little bit of sugar in the wort, leaving the beer bone dry, with a touch of warming from the higher alcohol. Available at the brewery, their St. John’s retail store, as well as the various gas stations/convenience stores on the East Coast. And back on tap and in cans is 1933 IPA, a 7.0% bitter beer brewed in honour of the giant squid caught in Dildo in its eponymous year. Don’t let this one pull you down to the deep!

The Modern Brewer is up to his usual tricks this week with two new releases at Cornwall’s Village Green. First up is Azacca Gold. This 3.8% session pale ale uses Marris Otter and English Crystal malts in a nod to English pale ales, but takes a more American approach on the hop side with a big whirlpool addition of Azacca hops. The result is a light note of toasted bread from the malt, and some citrusy and stone fruit notes from the hops. If you’re looking for a bit more oomph, check out Other Coast, their take on a West Coast style IPA. This one comes in at 6.9% ABV with plenty of bitterness and hop character from Chinook and Centennial additions. Other Coast and Azacca Gold are draught-only releases for now, so you’ll have to hit up the taproom to try them out. If you’re looking for a to-go option, they’ll be canning another release of their 4.6% Cream Ale, featuring Tettnanger hops, later this week.

Tatamagouche Brewing has the latest release in their Intertidal Series this week, shining the spotlight on singular hops in a variety of styles. The latest is Nugget West Coast Pale Ale, leveraging some BC-grown Nugget in a hop-forward beer featuring big notes of orange rind, with a hint of pine, all on a balancing malt base. Available on tap and in cans at the brewery now, you can place an order for pick-up, delivery, or Canada-wide delivery, and of course check out your favourite NS watering hole the next time you’re in for a pint with your Schmoopie.

In a decidedly different vein is the newest from Dartmouth’s Lake City Cider, Raspberry features local raspberries from Noggins Corner Farm, pressed and fermented on their own, before blending with local apples to bring some lovely apple notes and a touch of acidity to this 6.0% beautifully pink expression. Available in cans and on tap at their spot on Portland Street, and for home delivery in HRM seven days a week!

Jumping back to Nouveau-Brunswick, Flying Boats Brewing is promoting one of its Test Pilot series beers to the full-time lineup. Blood Orange Pixe IPA starts off within some west-coast inspiration and additions of Chinook, Citra and Amarillo giving a resiny hop profile  It then sees the addition of natural blood orange oils to amp up the citrus notes. The 6% ABV IPA is now on-tap and in cans at the taproom and will soon see wider provincial distribution through ANBL. 

We’ve got a combination beer release and party to announce this week, bringing two PEI breweries together for a fun collaboration. Bogside Brewing hosted Moth Lane in the brewhouse previously, and are now ready to release Party Line, a 6.0% ABV Extra Pale Ale. Thanks to local malts from Shoreline Malting, the neutral base beer allows the aromatic hops to blast through, with big aromatics and flavours of mango and pineapple, and supremely quaffable. Cans are available now at the brewery, and may we suggest timing your visit to Montague tomorrow, as you’ll be able to enjoy $5 pints of PL all day, $23 6-packs, live music 3 – 5 PM from Blizzard Goat Band, before the brewery opens up for the Cloggeroo Vibrations and Librations event with Brandon Howard Roy @ 9PM (ticketed event).

Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewery has a couple of somewhat divergent beers to talk about this week, a new release and a returning favourite. First up, the new one is a New Zealand Pilsner, bright and crisp and sure to make you think of patio days to come. Dubbed Good as Gold, it was hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, and Rakau, all Kiwi varieties, of course. Lower on the hop bitterness end and higher on hop flavours, particularly some light tropical citrus notes, than traditional Old- and New-World Pils styles, it comes in at 5% and is available on tap, for fills to go, and packaged in cans.

The return engagement this week is a reflection on the time of year here in our part of the world. Waffle Sauce brings together the wonder that is Grade A dark maple syrup with the classic British-influenced American style that is ESB. With 25kg of syrup provided by local neighbour Briggs Maples, you can expect a 5% ABV brew tilted towards the malt side, with a hint of maple flavour. You can also find this one at the brewery in all formats to stay or go.

Another place you can no doubt try both of these beers, however, is in Fredericton at The Joyce this weekend, as they’ll be hosting a tap takeover (remember those?!) of 12 different Tire Shack beers. For those who haven’t made it to Moncton to try some before as well as those who already know, this will be a great chance to enjoy some “out-of-city” brews. The Tire Shack Team will also be on-site tonight from 5 – 8 PM to chat about beer and answer any questions you might have. Check out the Fb event page for all the relevant details!

A couple more quick hits before we sign off this week…

Big Spruce is rereleasing Hoom Is Where The Heart Is, their take on an English Bitter, just in time to start enjoying a few pints outdoors around their massive custom fire pit. The sessionable 4.9% ale showcases hops harvested from their onsite hop yard and also uses 40% Organic Pale Malt from Horton Ridge. Cans and pints are available now in Nyanza and for shipping/delivery via their online store. 

The mysterious team at Delta Force has a new batch of Baurenhofschuppen with Brett, their spin on a German Marzen, with Brettanomyces added to amp up the complexity during fermentation. They are offering bottles as part of their current IPA sale, giving you the chance to snag 3 bottles of Baurenhofschuppen along with 3 of their Operation Stronghold IPA. Check out their online store for all of the details. 

Looking to join an expanding brewery in PEI, have we got the news for you!

As the weather warms and the visitors start crossing the bridge, things are heating up in Borden-Carleton, and Lone Oak wants to be ready! They are looking to add to their awesome team at their home location, as well as their Brewpub on Milky Way in Charlottetown when it opens its doors later this spring. Hiring for both Front and Back of House, there is something for everyone to find their groove, so send them an email to learn more and apply!