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Friday Wrap-Up for Jan 20, 2023 – News from Trailway, Spindrift, Bannerman, Landwash, Lone Oak, Propeller, Port Rexton , Annapolis Cider and more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2023-01-20
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Cider Company, Bannerman Brewing, Chain Yard Cider, Lake City Cider, Landwash Brewery, PEI Beer Festival, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Sourwood Cidery, Spindrift Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Church Brewing Company, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

We’ve made it to another Friday, and for those of us in Nova Scotia, winter is making its first real appearance. Despite half the province jumping at the opportunity to pre-emptively call the first snow day of the year, your favourite breweries, taprooms, bars, cideries and bottle shops across the region remain open with plenty of new releases and old classics on tap and packaged for your enjoyment. So sit back, crack a cold one and wait for your neighbour to fire up their snow blower as you get caught up on this week’s news. 

Some big news from Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing this week that speaks to the way our beer can compete beyond our region’s borders. Some may know of the friendship between Trailway and Lagabière of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, which has been manifest in a couple of home-and-home collaborations over the past couple years. Some may also be aware that Trailway has long hoped to share their beer in the Quebec beer market, which is notoriously competitive and complex for out-of-province breweries, especially smallish craft breweries, to break into. If you put those two things together, it makes perfect sense for Trailway to have entered into a new partnership with Lagabière to have some of Trailway’s recipes brewed at Lagabière’s state-of-the-art brewing facility on a contract basis for distribution within Quebec. This means Quebecers will be able to enjoy Trailway the way it’s best enjoyed, fresh. Congratulations to the Trailway crew on this next step in their growth!

In other big Trailway news is a big beer: Action Phil is a triple IPA tipping the scales at 10% ABV. Named for the action figure that hangs out on the bar at Peppers Pub, who is in turn named after Pepps owner Philip Croft, it’s a Trailway joint and an TIPA so you’ve got to figure there’s some hop action going on in there. Taking a page out of the Dogfish Head manual, this one was continuously hopped during the boil and then dry-hopped “generously” with Columbus, Amarillo, Chinook, and Simcoe, which could easily be referred to as the four horsemen of the dankocalypse. Expect plenty of pine, resin, and citrus oil notes, with some dried stone fruit to boot. On the malt side, rich and toasty is the order of the day, giving much more of a West Coast impression than Trailway’s typically juicy and hazy oeuvre. Look for it on tap at Peppers Pub, of course, but also at the brewery, where you might also grab a can or two of the latest batch of Sabro-loaded double IPA, Ooz.

Speaking of IPAs, head over to Burnside this week and you’ll find a new one pouring at Spindrift. Dubbed Fusion Hazy IPA, it gets its name from the melding of New World IPA techniques with Old World hops. Never fear, however, they didn’t make a noble hazebomb with Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, and Saaz, they used “Old World, New School” varieties Callista, Arianna, and Hallertau Blanc. Built on a base of Pilsner, malted wheat, malted oats, and chit malt, this one came out at 6.9%, with a fairly gentle, but balancing bitterness at 30 IBU. Expect plenty of citrus and tropical fruit, alongside some berry, spice, and white wine notes to complement. It’s available at the brewery, of course, but also at Spindrift’s Oak Manor location in Antigonish and very likely the private stores in the HRM in the coming week or two.

Not to be outdone, Newfoundland gets into this week’s IPA game with the return of a collaboration between Bannerman and Landwash. Originally brewed in 2019, it is conceptually the meeting of two double IPAs: Bannerman’s Island Time and Landwash’s Dream Island. Taking those two recipes into a dark alley with a tube sock ¼ full of dinky cars yielded Dream Time. Fluffy and light, but packing a DIPA-appropriate punch at 7% ABV, it features Galaxy, Eclipse, and BRU-1 hops and a soupçon of lactose to smooth it all out. Both breweries have this one on tap now and cans are available at Landwash’s retail. Wider distribution won’t happen until January turns into February, so you’ll have to head to the source(s) until then!

We couldn’t resist trying to complete the superfecta of an IPA release from each of the four provinces and sure enough, Borden-Carleton’s Lone Oak came through for us. Phancy is a re-release of the brewery’s most popular seasonal to date. A hazy IPA, it was brewed with Phantasm, which you may remember from other ACBeerBlog posts as a powdered product derived from New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc grapes that contains copious quantities of thiol precursors. Those thiol precursors, unlocked by brewing and fermentation techniques can lead to amazing tropical fruit flavors and aromas in the beer. What more could you ask for in a juicy IPA? This one comes in at 7%, is full-bodied, but low in bitterness, and is bursting with passion fruit, tangerine, and grape aromas. You’ll find it at the Lone Oak taproom as well as their Milky Way Brewpub and Cold Beer Store. Note that supply is limited so you’ll want to move quickly!

Switching to a more “seasonal” style, for those who are into tired old rubrics, is Propeller, who have a new pilot batch on tap. Superstition is an imperial spiced stout with cardamom (both black and green by the looks of the insta post). Brewed on Friday the 13th, we suspect this one has been aging since May of last year rather than being served a week after brewing. Expect a complex and full-bodied brew, with a big head, flavours of dark chocolate, and aromas of anise and smoke. Being a pilot batch, supply is limited, and it’s only available on tap. Find it at both the Gottingen and Quinpool taprooms.

Also going dark this week is Port Rexton Brewing, who have brought back their Shoreline salted stout. Featuring salt from the Newfoundland Salt Company, this one carries roasted malt and dark chocolate characters, with some subtle dark cherry and fig notes coming through. Fairly low in ABV at 5.4%, and with the salt providing a minerality that lightens the body a touch, it’s sessionable enough that you can justify having a second one to really appreciate the complexity. It’s available on tap for pints and fills at the tap room and the St. John’s retail shop. Although it’s available in cans as well, we note that PR is filling jugs at a discount this weekend at both locations, with 32oz grunters/squealers being filled for $4.14 + tax and 64oz growlers for $8.24 + tax. That’s a great deal on some fine beer, especially with this new release and also a fresh batch of their OG IPA, Horse Chops available as well!

Switching gears to cider now we’ve got a trio of releases this week, each with something interesting going on beyond plain fermented apple juice. Up first is Annapolis Cider who have something new that’s made from something old: old school apples, that is! Heirloom features a blend of juice from heirloom apple varieties Golden Russet, Spartan, Ribston, and Cox’s Orange Pippin, and fermented in oak, this one brings aromas of the orchard along with a sweetness that masks what a dry cider it is. Finished with a curated blend of juice from some more obscure traditional varieties, the result has a golden hue. Plenty of tannins, from both the apples and the oak, provide some structure and it’s got a refreshing carbonation. Find it by the bottle at the cidery in Wolfville.

Next we have Sourwood Cider, who bring us Ginger, a Northern Spy-based cider with plenty of other things going on. This one leverages malolactic fermentation: the use of Lactobacillus to ferment malic acid (tart) present in the juice into lactic acid (smooth/milky). This type of fermentation is commonly used in winemaking, specifically with Chardonnay; if you’ve ever tasted or heard of a “buttery” Chard, that’s almost certainly due to malolactic fermentation. But that’s not all that’s going on in Ginger, there’s, well, ginger in there, and just like the apples, the ginger is Nova Scotia-grown. Lastly, the cider was barrel aged, no doubt to add some tannins, again, consistent with (oaked) Chardonnay. Finished with a low carbonation for a smooth and soft mouthfeel, you’ll find this one at Sourwood Cider Bar in North End Halifax.

Finishing up on the fun and funky cider tip is Chainyard who bring us the return of King’s Saison. This one started with two heritage apple varieties, King of Tompkins County (also known simply as “King”), a once very popular apple from New York State, and Ribston Pippin, the most famous variety from Yorkshire, UK, and almost certainly the parent of Cox’s Orange Pippin (although it is suspected to ultimately have a French origin). This blend of juices was then fermented with saison yeast, a type of yeast known much more for use in beer than cider, and which provides flavor components in the estery and phenolic (spicy) ranges, but more importantly for cider, also tends to ferment out extremely dry. Intrigued? We sure are. Grab this one in cans to go from the cidery on Agricola Street or stay and have a pint from the taps. This one was on tap at Stillwell last May, so keep your eyes peeled for this 6.6% saison take on the cider. 

Not to be outdone by Halifax, Lake City Cider in The Part of HRM Formerly Known as Dartmouth has a return engagement back on the shelves. Feisty is a collaboration with local chef Renée Lavallée of The Canteen. Made from 100% crab apples, it “celebrates small things that pack a big punch”. Expect plenty of acidity and tannins, with aromas of honeysuckle and apple blossom and flavors of pear and lychee on the finish. This one should pair very nicely with seafood, pork dishes, and roasted root vegetables.

Just one major event to tell you about, but it’s a big’un for folks on the Island.

Fans of good beer in Prince Edward Island can recommence with the rejoicing, as the PEI Beer Festival is back! After the originally scheduled event was cancelled due to Hurricane Fiona’s impending landfall, new dates have been locked in for February 10th and 11th at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown. There will be three sessions in total, one Friday evening from 6:30 to 9:30pm and two on Saturday: afternoon from 2:00 to 4:30pm and evening from 6:30 to 9:30pm. VIP tickets will cost you a little more for any given session, but grant you a 30-minute earlier entry (i.e., 1:30pm on Saturday afternoon or 6:00pm for either evening session) along with a souvenir glass. Designated driver tickets (complimentary non-alcoholic drinks and access to the DD lounge) are also available for all three sessions, which we heartily applaud. All told, including fees and taxes, VIP will cost you $80.67, regular admission $60.94, and DD $13.55. If you purchased tickets back in September your tickets are still good! Otherwise, head over to the Eventbrite page and grab some and plan to experience all kinds of Island and non-Island beers and other drinks, with live entertainment for a convivial atmosphere during the dregs of Winter!

Seems to be a bunch of breweries looking for staff this week; looking ahead to a big summer, we expect!

Wolfville’s Church Brewing is looking for a full-time Brewer to join their congregation. This is a unique opportunity to work in one of the most unique spaces in the region. Experience isn’t necessary for this position (though it would certainly be considered an asset), but a passion for brewing definitely is. Get your résumé in by Monday, January 22nd to be considered for the role! If you’re interested, you can email the head brewer, Steve Crane. 

Over in Burnside, Spindrift is on the lookout for a Tap Room and Retail Associate. If slinging high quality lagers to the thirsty beer drinkers of Dartmouth sounds like your thing, send a resume to kj.dugas@spindriftbrewing.ca

Along the North Shore of Nova Scotia, Tatamagouche is hiring a full-time and permanent position at the brewery. They’re looking for a Store Manager and someone to lead a team, learn about beer, work events and spread that Tatamagoodness. And, it comes with health plan! If this interests you, email Christiane Jost to apply. They’ll be accepting applications until January 31st, and this is a very cool opportunity if you’re nearby Tatamagouche or looking to make a move. 

IPAs and Quebec aren’t the only Trailway news this week. If you remember, they’ve been working on a second location in Saint John, and with Union House nearing completion in early March, they’re excited to be close enough to opening to start hiring. Positions are now available for serving and kitchen roles, on both a full-time and part-time basis. If you’re interested in craft beer and getting in on the ground floor of what’s sure to be a go-to spot in Saint John, send a resume to unionhousebytw@gmail.com. 

You’ve made it to the end! Stay alert, stay safe and cheers from us to you and yours.

Friday Wrap-Up for December 16, 2022 – News from Microbrasseries Ateepic, Gahan, Ol’ Biddy’s, Serpent, Shipwright, Tatamagouche, Unfiltered, Mauzy, Sourwood, Tire Shack, PEI Brewing, and plenty more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2022-12-16
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Breton Brewing, Candid Brewing, Gahan Atlantic Home Brew Challenge, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Good Robot Brewing, Mauzy Cidery, Microbrasserie Ateepic, Ol' Biddy's Brew House, PEI Brewing Co., Serpent Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Sourwood Cidery, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing. Leave a Comment

It’s the most wonderful time for a beer! This week saw much of the Maritimes experiencing its first winter storm. Luckily, our wonderful local producers of fermented beverages continue to pump out tasty new ones to help keep us hydrated during all of the shovelling and cozy inside while we wait for the storms to pass. A friendly reminder that lots of breweries across the region are continuing to offer special holiday discounts in their online stores, along with seasonal gift packs featuring new brews, merch and other goodies. Be sure to keep them at the top of your list as you finish up your shopping over the next few days. A quick logistics note from the ACBB Head Office: with the festive season fully in swing, we’ll be taking a break from publishing next Friday, December 23, with December 30 being a tentative “Go”, but that may change. In the meantime, keep an eye on our Instagram account where we’ll continue to share new releases and other happenings. Happy Festivus to the Rest of Us, and read on for this week’s beer, mead and cider news. 

Congratulations to Microbrasserie Ateepic in Edmundston on now having their own beer available! The Ateepic taproom, located at the Fraser Edmundston Golf Club at 570 Rue Victoria, has been open since May, serving up 20 craft beer from across the province, and now has flexed the capabilities of their Specific Mechanical 1200 litre (10 BBL) brewhouse, and released four of their own beers. Available on draught for in-house or growler enjoyment are Little Gear Pale Ale, Big Gear IPA, Pin Noir Oatmeal Stout, and Party Kolsch, joining the Northwestern NB collab NOir Dessert Stout that Ateepic took part in with Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, Grand Falls Brewing, and Microbrasserie Novum Boreas. While hours may change slightly during the next few weeks due to the Holidays, currently they are open Wednesday 4 – 8 PM, Thursday and Friday 1 – 9 PM, Saturday 1 – 8 PM, and 1 – 5 PM Sunday. Keep an eye on their Fb and Ig pages as they announce new beers or changes in hours. Felicitations encore to Hubert and the Ateepic team!

As all our longtime readers know, the AC Beer Blog’s interest in beer doesn’t end with commercial products, we’re big supporters of the Homebrew scene as well! And with the post-COVID world opening up again we’re starting to see one of our favorite things come back: homebrew competitions. We’re happy to report that after a year off, the 4th Annual Maritime Atlantic Homebrew Challenge (Presented by Gahan House) is back! But first, in the name of unfinished business, is the release of the winner of the 3rd annual competition, held back in late fall of 2020. Hazy McHazeface, a 6.5% Hazy IPA designed by competition winner Trevor McLean, will be available soon (if not already) at all Gahan locations (except Harbourview in St. John’s) packaged in cans, but also on tap by times. Featuring flaked oats for a creamy mouthfeel and tonnes of tropical fruit aromas and flavours thanks to generous post-boil and dry hop additions, it still maintains a clean finish.

If you’re a homebrewer and you’d like to be like Trevor and see your beer brewed for limited release, the 2023 competition is your big chance. As is somewhat traditional for this competition, you’ll be able to enter one of two styles: German Pilsner and Altbier. Both German in origin, and both delicious at their best, the Pilsner sees light and crackery malt profile, a firm hop presence, and a crisp dry finish thanks to lager yeast and a cool conditioning period. At the other end of the spectrum is the Altbier, or “old beer”, not as in “stale” but as in, “the beer that we used to make before we discovered modern malting, lager yeast, and cold conditioning.” Although it’s also on the hoppier side for a Continental beer, malt is still the star of the show, both in terms of flavour and aroma and the deep red color that is a hallmark of the style. The deadline to submit your beer is March 3, 2023, which gives plenty of time to brew and condition either style. The entry fee is $30 payable through Eventbrite. Entries can be dropped off at any of the Gahan locations in the region. Judging will take place in a central location and an announcement of the winning beer will be made shortly thereafter. If you have questions for the organizers you can email them at homebrewchallenge@gahan.ca. Good luck to all who enter!

We mentioned one winner last week, but we now have the full list of Atlantic Canadian winners in the 2022 Canadian Brewers Choice Awards, presented by Brewers Journal Canada. Foghorn Brewing’s Head Brewer Andrew Estabrooks won over the judges with his nomination package to take home Brewer of the Year. In addition to winning Brewery of the Year, Tire Shack Brewing’s own Henrique Soares was shortlisted for Young Brewer of the Year. And New Beer of the Year went to Halifax’s 2 Crows Brewing, for Classic Maritime Dry Stout. Congratulations to the breweries and brewers!

And now onto the new beer news, starting in Lower Sackville’s own Ol’ Biddy’s Brewhouse. If you’re trimming the tree, or watching a yule log burn, it’s always nice to have some liquid accompaniment in your glass. One of those could be their Vanilla Bourbon Christmas Stout. Weighing in at a hefty 7.6% ABV, the notes of vanilla and roast and light bourbon all meld together like a warm beer sweater, a favourite for those of us who enjoy imbibing during this time of year. Joining it is Merry Ryesolution Christmas Ale, the 9.4% ABV bigger sister, featuring rye malt that imparts a natural spiciness to the full-bodied ale. Rye-solution is available in bottles only, while the Bourbon Stout is a draught only release, both available in limited quantities to enjoy at the brewery or to take away.

From the wilds of Spryfield comes a beer with a label that is both wild and refined. Serpent Brewing’s Elementary is an oatmeal stout that arrives on the stronger side at 6% ABV. Chewy, yet still roasty and dry with an assertive bitterness, it was dry hopped with Amarillo to provide a subtle orange marmalade finish. It’s been pouring on the taps since yesterday for pints and growler fills, but you should see bottles in the fridge in the coming days.

Heading down the South Shore of NS to Lunenburg, we find Shipwright Brewing has a new beer pouring for pints to stay or crowler and growler fills to go. Cross Island Common is named for the eponymous island in the approach to Lunenburg Bay. It follows the tradition of the California Common (a.k.a. “Steam Beer”) style with spicy and woody Northern Brewer hops taking center stage on top of a toasty, slightly sweet malt base built with pale, Munich, caramel, biscuit, and chocolate malts. Highly carbonated, with a medium almost creamy mouthfeel, this one is an easy drinking 5% ABV and 30 IBU.

Back up to the North Shore of the province we find that Tatamagouche Brewing has a trio of re-releases available just in time for the holidays. First up is Eventide Vienna Lager, a 4.8% ABV amber lager that’s like a hug in a can. Brewed with all German ingredients, it’s medium-bodied with a crisp finish and flavours and aromas of lightly toasted honey oat bread. Second we have Tata’s wintertime post-activity beer, Apres. A cream ale at 4.5% ABV, it’s designed to be super-easy drinking after clearing the driveway or a day on the slopes or the local pond. And last is Ketch, their Berlinerweiße. Only 3.1% ABV, with the classic bright acidity and subtle funk that the style is known for, expect it to provide a tasty low alcohol option and/or a pleasant way to reset your palate after a bunch of heavier seasonals. Look for all of these to be available for order on the website in coming days or, if you’re in the area, at the brewery; we suspect some cans and kegs will also reach distro in the HRM at the very least.

Speaking of re-releases, in the HRM Unfiltered Brewing has a Christmas miracle on the go in the form of Sparkling Motherfucker, a 4.0% low-calorie (4.5g carbs) beer containing sodium, chloride, and potassium electrolytes. Sound like a sports drink? WELL IT’S NOT. Also gluten-reduced (<10ppm), you’ll find it in 473ml cans at the brewery, perfect for stuffing into stockings or pouring down your throat in an effort to tolerate friends, family, and the holidays in general.

Back in Paradise, Mauzy is releasing the last bottling from its 2021 season. Humbled In Love, is a 6.4% ABV blend of mead and cider . The mead portion features a spontaneous fermentation of Brown’s Family Farm Blueberries and Baccalieu Trail Honey. This was blended (30% mead, 70% cider) with Mauzy’s blend of spontaneously fermented feral and Golden Hornet Crab apples, with the resulting liquid being conditioned on freshly picked white rose petals. Expect lots of blueberry notes, baked berries and a bright acidity. Only 10 cases are available so don’t delay if you’re interested. 

Sticking with blended ciders, next up is Frontenac Gris + Ida Red, from Halifax’s Sourwood. This blend of Front Gris grapes and hand-picked organic apples showcases the complexity that can be achieved when the worlds or cider and fruit wine combine. Bottles of the 9.0% ABV Frontenac Gris + Ida Red are available now at the taproom or through their online store. 

We mentioned Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing above, but they also are celebrating the release of three beers this week in their John Street taproom. Bumbleberry Sour is a sour with a blend of berries reminiscent of the pies or “crisps” of the same name. Cranberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, as well as cherry and pomegranate all went into this 6.0% beer, to amp up the fruit to both complement and enhance the tart base beer. Continuing the long-running series is Hip Hop Vol 8 – Sabro Double IPA. Sabro used throughout the process of this 8.0% beer means it is overflowing with coconut, lychee, with a touch of citrus. And returning to the taps and shelves is Roman Road Italian Pilsner. Crisp and effervescent, Tire Shack’s version has just a touch of hops. If you pop into the taproom Saturday at noon, People for Animal Wellbeing will be onsite to take pictures of your pets to fundraise for their important activities, and selling tickets for The Big Draw for PAW too!

Speaking of our animal friends, PEI Brewing is helping out the PEI Humane Society with the release of Loyalty Brew, a 4.5% Blonde Ale. This limited edition beer is available at the PEIBC Taproom and the Gahan Beer Store in Atlantic Superstore, with $1 from each can going to the shelter supporting lost, homeless, and abandoned animals.

A few short things before we leave you…

Sydney’s Breton Brewing has released Bah Humbug Holiday Bitter, a 4.7% British Bitter featuring Old World/Noble hops lending citrus, berry, floral, and spicy notes, all on a smooth caramel base. Available now at the brewery in cans and on draught.

Candid Brewing in Antigonish released a couple of new beer after we posted last week, so let’s get you up to date… Space Coyote is a 7.5 % Double/Imperial IPA, featuring loads of Comet and Galaxy hops (get it?), ready to shoot you to the moon and beyond. Mango, pineapple, and guava tropical notes and complemented by a solid dank character. And in another vein completely is the 5.2% Golden Pig, a Czech Pilsner. Featuring Saaz hops, GP underwent a six week lagering process, keeping it crisp, clean, and easy drinking. Cans of both beers are available at their taproom on College Street.

Rounding out this week’s news is Good Robot’s latest release, Late Night Milk Stout. In case you were wondering what to leave out for Santa next weekend, perhaps this will fit the bill. At 5.0% ABV, this stout features a lovely addition of lactose (aka milk sugar) to soften any harsh notes, and leave a little bit of residual sweetness in the can. Available at the Robie Street location, and the now-open Elmsdale retail shop. A note on the latter, as they celebrate with a Grand Opening there tomorrow. Open 12 – 8 PM, all beer and merch is 10% off, and there are quirky prizes to be won for those who visit. At 1 PM, there is even a tour of their facility planned, grab your free tickets here. We’ll soon be sharing some info on a tour for those unable to make it tomorrow, so keep your January 21 free if you’d like to hit up a tour in the New Year.

Friday Wrap-Up for October 14, 2022 – News from North, Serpent, Tatamagouche, Half Cocked, Tire Shack, Rough Waters, and more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2022-10-14
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Bishop's Cellar, Bite House, CAVOK Brewing, Half Cocked Brewing, Lake City Cider, North Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Rough Waters Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Sourwood Cidery, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Welcome, welcome, welcome! Is this a natural time for a beer news lull? Maybe! But there is always news out there and we are happy to bring it to you. We feel for our breweries in the Pictou/New Glasgow/Stellarton area that were mostly out of power for over two weeks with Hurricane Fiona. Just as with any of your other local businesses and community members, keep your heart and mind open to all of those around you. You could even bring them some beer, or get some for yourself! Watch the weather, relax after some turkey and drink what you like, or try something new…now onto some news for you!

‘Tis the season, and North Brewing is getting into the Pumpkin SZN swing with Sweater Weather, a Pumpkin Spiced Amber Ale and North’s first ever pumpkin beer! They started out by roasting out those pumpies before adding a selection of seasonal spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and ginger in the fermenter. It came out at 5% and is nicely spiced, malty and drinkable. It’s available now in cans from all North locations and on tap as well. 

Keeping our feet firmly planted in the pumpkin patch we find Serpent Brewing also has a gourdy new release, fresh out of Spryfield. Today they’re releasing Pumpkin König Tripel, sticking with their Belgian-inspired backbone and a mostly traditional Belgian Tripel style, but with the addition of a touch of pumpkin spice. Using traditional amber and biscuit malts, with the aforementioned spices and some simple candy syrup to clean it all up, it’s got a nice body, while staying dry and drinkable. It’s 7.5% and available to go in 500ml bottles and on tap for pints and growlers. This is very limited in bottle stock, so don’t wait for Halloween!. 

Staying in season, Tatamagouche Brewing is bringing back their seasonal Lagerhosen in a 355ml format and with a festive new label. Originally released over 8 years ago(!), you probably already know that it’s an Oktoberfest-themed lager, but were you aware that it picked up silver at the 2014 Atlantic Canadian Brewing Awards? Crisp and refreshing at 4.5% it’s brewed with Halltertau Mittelfrüh hops for classic spicy and floral notes.

Also new and available today from TataBrew, and in collaboration with Derado’s Pizzeria for their anniversary, is Saucy, a Cerveza with a basil addition inspired by the classic pizzeria. The beer is 4.5% and pairs perfectly with all the fare from Derado’s. Both of these releases are available online and in-store. 

Pulling a different thread of connections between beer news items we’ll switch to geography. On the North Shore in the Antigonish area you’ll find Half Cocked Brewing who have a new 4.5% lager-ish release available. Pip is a Pseudo-American Lager that is canned and available now from the brewery in 355ml cans. 

Taking a rip over to Moncton, Tire Shack has their big banger monster sized triple IPA back for Spooky Season! Killed by Death is a 10% TIPA absolutely loaded with a luscious, juicy mix of Citra, Mosaic and Vic Secret hops. Look for citrus and tropical fruit along with some dankness on top of a big body with some alcohol bite. It’s available now in cans and on tap at the brewery. 

Straight out of Deer Lake, NL, Rough Waters has a new Daydreamer IPA out now and soon to spread across the western part of the island. Featuring a powerful hop blend of Vic Secret, Sabro and Mosaic, it’s smooth and balanced with some bitterness but still has a full, hazy body at 5.2%. It’s available from the brewery now and in Deer Lake, Corner Brook and Pasadena over the coming days, with distro to the eastern part of the province in the following week. 

Jumping across to Bay Roberts, Baccalieu Trail is jumping into the low ABV lager game with the release of Baccalieu Light. The brewery has been experimenting with different light lagers over the last 8 months, making tweaks and improvements along the way, and has landed on a recipe worthy of its core lineup. Featuring a grain bill of Pilsner malt and flaked corn and hopped exclusively with Saaz hops, Light comes in at a sessionable 4.3% ABV. The first batch is currently flowing from the taps at the brewery, with a larger run of cans currently conditioning for release in a few weeks. 

In what has the look of an annual event, Sourwood is once again releasing two collabs with Baddeck Forks Chef Bryan Picard of Bite House fame. First up is a Pet-Nat made from a blend of wild apples to the tune of 5.3% ABV. Expect a hint of sweetness and a pleasant carbonation from the bottle conditioning. Field Blend Pet-Nat is available in 375 ml bottles. The pomance from those wild apples was then combined with water to extract the remaining sugars and fermented as a Piquette style cider, with the signature low-ABV of the Piquette method. Feral Apple Piquette features a more neutral acidity and comes in at 1.9% ABV. You can find these two releases at the Sourwood taproom, through their online store or via the fine folks at Bishops Cellar. 

Skipping straight over Hallowe’en and getting an early start on stocking stuffers this year is Dartmouth’s Lake City Cider. Featuring a stocking hat-clad take on their duck logo on the outside of the bottle, the inside looks to bring a taste of winter. Off-dry (or semi-sweet, depending on your preferred terminology), and 6.8% ABV, it’s bolstered by a blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and dried orange peel. A limited edition, Spice Up Your Life is available in 750ml bottles via Lake City’s online store, a great gift for the cider lover in your life, or maybe you’ll want to grab one and dream of cooler nights to come yourself.

Just one event on the go in the next week, as the last (we think!) of the region’s Oktoberfest events 

If you’re in Charlottetown next weekend and you’re looking for something to do involving beer, check out PEI Brewing Co.’s annual Okto-beer-feast celebration. A two-day extravaganza of German-inspired food stations, live entertainment, and activities, tickets are $30 plus taxes and fees per session and include a 24oz. stein and one fill. Friday evening’s festivities run from 5pm – 12am, while saturday’s start earlier, of course, at 2pm and also run until midnight. Beers and ciders will be on tap from Gahan and the food stations will run on a token system. Activities will include some competitions where the winners will receive Murphy Hospitality Group gift cards. Full details for each day can be found at the ticket purchase links for Friday and Saturday.

A few newsbites before we go. 

Upstreet has a fresh batch of Blue Meanie Blueberry DIPA available at its Halifax and Charlottetown locations. Coming in at 8% ABV, expect notes of blueberry jam, lemon, pineapple and a hint of tartness.
We’ll leave you with a quick hit from Dieppe where CAVOK is releasing a lovely new fruited sour, Mission Rhubarbe  Canneberge. This 4.9% sour was fermented on local cranberries and rhubarb and is available now on tap and to-go in growers or crowlers.