The Good Robot FemmeBrew Competition

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With licensees closed or greatly reducing accessibility, the beer and cider producers of the region are changing their approach to getting the good stuff in your hands. Many are offering delivery and curbside pickup to keep employees and drinkers safe. This is the time for local beer and cider, good food, and live music fans to step up and support the community in the ways that we’re able, by continuing to buy product, or ordering giftcards for use in the future, while still protecting ourselves and loved ones. We’ve moved the weekly news from March 20 to the end of the post, so this list is easily accessible.

Here is our unofficial and almost certainly “out of date as soon as we publish” list of what breweries and cideries are up to at the moment. If you have more recent info, PLEASE LET US KNOW, and we’ll update it here.
Last update: 1800 May 21.

New Brunswick

The ANBL is now open 11 AM – 6 PM, Monday – Saturday, other retailers are allowed to set their own hours. They are implementing curbside pickup as well. Uncorked Tours in Saint John is organizing Virtual Tours of the province’s breweries, keep an eye on their social media for the latest info. As of May 17th, some brewery taprooms and better beer restaurants have re-opened. If you go, do so safely, only with your bubble, and only if you feel well, etc, etc… We’ll keep updating this list with the latest delivery options, however!

13 Barrels
13 Barrels is offering free deliveries to the Bathurst area. Email (13barrelsbrewing@gmail.com) or call (506-546-5300) in your order, and they will come to you. List in link.

3Flip Brewing
3Flip Brewing is available on the DrinkNB.ca website for ordering, as well as occasional home deliveries in the Fredericton and Doulgas areas. Email them (3flipbrewing@gmail.com) for the details on what’s available and schedule.

Big Axe Brewery
Big Axe Brewery is open for bottle sales upon request. Call (506-575-1093), email (info@bigaxe.ca) or FB message them with requests.

Big Tide Brewing
Big Tide Brewing is open for take-away 12 – 2 PM and 5 – 8 PM daily.

Brasserie Chockpish
Brasserie Chockpish is only available via draught, and is now being sold through Picaroons, details below.

Brasseux d’la Cote
Brasseux d’la Cote is open for take-away 3 – 6 PM Mar 26-28. Pre-order and information on possible home delivery can be found via email (info@brasseuxdlacote.ca).

CAVOK
CAVOK Brewing is open 3 – 8 PM daily, and also offering free daily home delivery in the Greater Moncton Area. Minimum order of 6 cans ($6 fee, free if more than 24 cans, within 25 km of the brewery), order at their online shop or via email (info@cavokbrewing.ca). Order before 10 AM for same-day delivery. Can also package guest taps, including Grimross, Holy Whale, and O’Creek Brewing at time of publishing, please check social media for updates. Can now order outside of the region, including Canada-wide, shipping pricing varies.

Celtic Knot
Celtic Knot in Riverview has switched to a delivery-only service service the Greater Moncton Area. Text your order (506-988-2579) before 2 PM Wed – Sun, and you’ll receive it that day. $40 minimum, free delivery to Riverview, $5 elsewhere. Payment by EMT only.

Distillerie Fils du Roy
Distillery Fils du Roy has temporarily closed their retail in service of preparing hand sanitizer, but check their FB page for updates, as they are opening occasionally.

DrinkNB
DrinkNB.ca has been established to allow many producers to offer delivery, to Fredericton and Saint John and now Greater Moncton Area, perhaps further afield soon. Follow their IG page for updates.

Flying Boats
Flying Boats Brewing is offering Grab & Go, and Click & Collect options at their taproom. Email (info@flyingboatsbrewing.com) your request, await total to send to EMT to same address, and then pickup.

Foghorn Brewing
Foghorn Brewing is open 12 – 6 PM daily for take-away and pre-orders of bottles, cans, and growler fills. Delivery is also available via online ordering.

Four Rivers
Four Rivers is currently open 12-8 pm M-F and 12-6 pm Sat for beer-to-go purchases (cans and kegs) only.

Gagetown Distilling & Cidery
Gagetown Distilling & Cidery have closed their retail location, but are doing deliveries Tuesdays and Saturdays, via online ordering. They have also produced sanitizer that is available by donation.

Gahan Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John
The three New Brunswick Gahan locations are now open for take-away food and beer, order in advance via the MHG app or chowhound. Can also do online.

Graystone Brewing
Graystone Brewing is offering call-and-collect pickup service of cans and crowlers, Mon – Sat, 12 – 6 PM. Call (506-459-7710) from home, car, or safe distance away to request and pay, and they will bring the beer outside to your waiting vehicle.

Gridiron Brewing
Gridiron Brewing in Hampton is open for growler fills/exchange Thursday – Sunday, 4 – 6 PM. New growlers are available for purchase for $5, and proceeds from new growlers will be donated to the Hampton Food Bank. Deliveries of growlers will happen on the same days, order via email (info@gridironbrewing.com) or phone/text (506-607-3252) before 1:30 PM for same day delivery in the Hampton, Bloomfield, and Darlings Island area, between 2 – 4 PM.

Grimross Brewing
Grimross Brewing in Fredericton is maintaining 12 – 8 PM hours at their retail location, and have recently introduced a contactless pick-up option. Call (506-454-4810) in advance, or from the parking lot, to order, and it will be brought outside.

Hammond River Brewing
Hammond River Brewing is open for retail take-away daily 12 – 4 PM, with bottles, cans, and growler fills. Delivery to the Kennebecasis Valley is also available daily, no minimum, $5 delivery fee waived on orders above $30. Full list and details here, email (shane@hrbrewing.ca) to get your order in!

Holy Whale
Holy Whale Beer and Buddha Bear Cafe are open for pick-up Fridays (3 – 8 PM), and Saturday and Sundays (12 – 8 PM). They are also running occasional deliveries to Sussex and weekly Thursday runs to Greater Moncton Areas, details on their Facebook page. They are also making deliveries of nearby Scow Cider.

King West Brewing
King West Brewing, operating out of RustiCo in Fredericton, has recently introduced canned beer to go and for delivery Mon – Sat. Message them (Fb and Ig) or call in (506-451-3473) your request of beer and/or pizza. Minimum order of 8 beer, free delivery over $50 ($5 otherwise). Deliveries are usually made the same day, 2 – 6 PM (call or message 11 AM – 5 PM).

Long Bay Brewery
Long Bay Brewery is open for curbside pickup of bottles and growler fills, Wed – Sat, 12 – 6 PM. Call (506-847-4677) in advance, and do a no-contact pick up at the brewery later that day (give them at least 15 minutes, please!). Both 4-packs and growler fills are $12, and they are offering discounts on full case orders of beer, just ask!

Loyalist City
Loyalist City Brewing is now operating pickup and deliveries to the Saint John area. Use their online shop to order a growler fill or four-pack of beer, and they’ll bring it to you Wednesday or Friday. For pickup, fire them an email (beerstore@loyalistcitybrewing.ca, can also answer any questions you may have there) to ensure they’re around. Easy as that!

Mama’s Brewpub
Mama’s Brewpub is open for retail beer, and food to to, Tuesday to Saturday, 4 – 8 PM. Call (506-450-4303) ahead for curb-site pickup. Friday afternoon delivery is also available, by emailing (mamasbrewpub@outlook.com) before 10 PM Thursday evening.

Maybee Brewing
Maybee Brewing in Fredericton has closed their taproom and retail shop, however have implemented a delivery option, shipping Canada-wide for free. The way to beer success is via their online ordering page, where you can buy full cases of your fave beer(s), or mix and match to your hearts content. Also available on DrinkNB.ca

New Maritime Beer
Miramichi’s New Maritime Beer now has pickup and delivery options available: local deliveries Wed – Sun, and weekly deliveries to Fredericton on Thursday and Moncton Saturdays. Email (info@newmaritimebeer.com) or call (506-622-1200) your request, and they’ll come to you!

Niche Brewing
Niche Brewing has their latest bottled release, Bridget, available for sale and delivery via DrinkNB.ca. They are now also selling kegs for at-home enjoyment, contact them via Social Media (Fb/Ig/Tw) for the latest beer and price list. There may be some bottles of Bridge or Quintessential at your local ANBLs, too!

O’Creek Brewing
O’Creek Brewing has recently released their Route 117 in cans, and is available for delivery through CAVOK, and the ANBL locations in Richibucto and Dieppe.

Petit-Sault
Brasseurs Petit-Sault have established an online ordering portal, for onsite curb-side pickup and delivery orders. Order before noon for same-day delivery, Monday – Saturday, in Edmundston, Saint-Jacques, Saint-Basile and Verret areas.

Picaroons
Picaroons is now doing beer deliveries in Fredericton, and occasionally to Saint John. Email (BringMeBeer@picaroons.ca) or call/text (506-501-4144) to place an order, delivery runs are done 12 – 6 PM. Minimum order of 4 beer, free delivery above $25 ($6 below that amount). Kegs of their own, and some other breweries, also available, ask them for details.

Pump House Brewery
Pump House Brewery is open at their Fill Station daily for take-out sales of cans and bottles. They are also offering delivery in the Greater Moncton Area daily each afternoon. Order online or by phone (506-830-4677) before 5 PM for same day free delivery ($10 below $50 order, no minimum).

Red Rover
Red Rover still has the CiderHouse open for takeaway products from 3-7 pm M-Sat, and 1-5 pm Sun, but they’re also delivering in the Fredericton area. Delivery is $7 or free on orders over $100; check out their online store.

Brasserie Retro Brewing
Brasserie Retro Brewing is doing deliveries in the Grand Caraquet area: FB message or email (brasserie.retro@gmail.com) your request. 12 can minimum, no delivery fee.

Sussex Ale Works
Sussex Ale Works is open for take-home beers Tues – Sat from 2 – 6 PM. They’re filling single-fill, plastic 32 oz containers that they’re calling prowlers, which you can pre-order online. Delivery is also available in their local community.

Think Brewing
Think Brewing in Tweedside is not normally open for onsite visitors, but they have implemented contactless delivery in their delivery zone! Send them a message on Social Media (Fb/Ig) before Thursday’s deliveries. No minimum order, but depending on your location, fees will be waived above 6 or 12 bottle orders. Details here.

Tide and Boar Brewing
Tide and Boar Brewing is offering occasional bottle and growler deliveries to Moncton, Riverview, and Dieppe while their gastropub is closed. The latest details are available here. Food options are also happening, including firing up their smoker for brisket and ribs. Get on it!

Tire Shack Brewing
Tire Shack Brewing in Moncton is open 2 – 8 PM daily for to-go beers, as well as daily same-day delivery to Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe (order before 2 PM, minimum order of 12 beer, free delivery over 24 cans, $5 below that). Order via email (info@tireshackbrewing.com) with your request from the list here.

TrailWay
TrailWay’s taproom is open for can and growler sales, daily from 12-7 pm. They’ve also started a delivery service in the Fredericton area, for minimum orders of 12 cans and kegs, with free delivery for orders of 24 cans or more (discounts too!). And they are now shipping to neighbouring Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Ontario. Check out their website for all of the details.

Yip Cider
Yip Cider is available for delivery in the Saint John River Valley area via online ordering, or at their location in Long Reach, on – Fri, 1 – 4 PM.

York County Cider
York County Cider has adjusted their retail sales hours (Sun – Tues, 1 – 5 PM, Wed – Sat, 1 – 7 PM), and are also doing home delivery of their products. Call (506-440-5146), email (yorkcountycider@rogers.com) or through Facebook Messenger for deliveries Thurs – Sat. Order before 2 PM for same-day delivery, free on orders over $50 ($5 otherwise).

Newfoundland

Newfoundland breweries are also doing the right thing and closing their taprooms, limiting growler sales to exchanges and/or selling only packaged product. Some are also continuing to ship to the NLC, but be sure to read the first item below on that. Update May 11: Breweries are now allowed to deliver directly to customers, so keep an eye here and on their social media for the latest information on who is going that route.

NLC
The NLC has made the decision to close their stores around the Province to the general public, and implementing online and phone orders for pick-up. Details here. Check out their COVID-19 related updates at their website where the latest news should always be available at the top of the homepage.

Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co.
In Bay Roberts, Baccalieu Trail has closed their taproom to retail sales, but are open Wed – Sun, 4 – 8 PM for pre-ordered curbside pickup. Must order online or by phone (709-788-2090) in advance. Check their Fb Page for updates.

Bannerman
In St. John’s, Bannerman Brewing has closed their taproom, but has in turn launched their To-Go Store, for pickup Thurs – Sat. You can order beer (of course!), but also coffee and food as well. Hit them up on the website, let them know what you want and when you’d like to pick it up, and they’ll get it ready for you. 

Boomstick Brewing Co.
In Corner Brook, recently-opened Boomstick Brewing has closed their taproom, and have implemented curbside pickup options. Open Wed – Sat, 12 – 5 PM, order online at least 24 hours in advance, then head down for a pickup. Double-check their social media (Fb/Ig) before heading out.

Bootleg Brew Co.
Still in Corner Brook, Bootleg Brew Co. has closed their taproom, but are open for curbside pickup. Order via phone (709-634-2964) daily 12 – 6 PM via Credit or Debit, let them know when you’d like to pick up, then head down to grab your request. Bottles and growler fills are both available (exchanged for a freshly sanitized one). Check their social media (Fb/Ig) for updates. 

Crooked Feeder Brewing
Still on the Western side of the Rock, Cormack’s Crooked Feeder Brewing is now closed to the public, but they have brought in contactless curbside pickup on Saturdays. Send an email (cfbcorders@gmail.com) with your request (here’s the latest list) and preferred pickup time. They will confirm the order and total, pickup time, and payment.

Dildo Brewing Co.
Across the way in Dildo, the eponymously-named Dildo Brewing Co. have re-opened their retail locations (at home and in St. John’s) for curbside pickup Thurs – Sat, 2 – 5 PM. Call (709-582-3335 Dildo, 709-221-1099 St. John’s) in advance, then pop by for a safe pickup. Keep an eye on their social media (Fb/Ig) for any updates.

Iron Rock Brewing Co.
In Lab City, Iron Rock Brewing Co. has enabled no contact pre-order pickup, Mon – Sat. Call (709-288-0441⁣), email (info@ironrockbrewing.com⁣), or order online, and then head to the brewery for pickup. Please keep an eye on their social media pages (Fb and Ig) for updates.

Landwash Brewery
Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery has closed their taproom for the time being, and are now offering contactless pre-order pickup, Tues – Sat, 12 – 6 PM. Order in advance, wait for your confirmation email, and show up safely pickup your order. Follow these directions to ensure safety and success. Check their social media (Fb/Ig) for updates. 

Newfoundland Cider Company
George’s Brook-Milton’s Newfoundland Cider Company has implemented a curbside pick-up ordering option, for Friday afternoons. Order in advance online, pop by the retail shop, and call the number on your receipt to collect your order. You can also get delivery in the St. John’s area as well, order through that link!

Ninepenny Brewing
In Conception Bay South, Ninepenny Brewing has begun offering curbside pickup a few days a week. Email The way to beer success is by ordering online, and then waiting for the confirmation when ready for pickup. Their social media (Fb/Ig) accounts have the latest details on offerings and dates. 

Port Rexton Brewing
Port Rexton Brewing has closed their taproom for onsite enjoyment, but to-go beers may be available by emailing (sales@portrextonbrewing.com) to set up contactless pickup. Their St. John’s Retail Shop is also open for contactless pickup, through online pre-ordering. Open Thurs – Sat, 12 – 7 PM, submit your order in advance, and await the confirmation email that it’s ready. Don’t forget to maintain that social distance, so don’t hang about the door, waiting in your car is cool! You can listen to music! And you can now order for delivery within ~20km of the SJRS, for Friday evenings. Sweet!

Quidi Vidi
With the Quidi Vidi Brewing Co. taproom and retail closed, they have set up daily contactless pickup. Call (709-738-4040) between 11 – 4 PM to order and drop by to pick up your beerses that same day (open everday, 11 – 6 PM). You can now order online for pick-up or delivery (Tues – Sat, $50 min order)! Just wait for your confirmation email/time for when it’s safe to pick up!

RagnaRock Northern Brewing Company Ltd.
St. Anthony’s RagnaRöck was hoping to have a plan in place this weekend for call-in to-go sales, but are still working through what that looks like. For now, keep an eye on their Fb and Ig pages for updates in order to find out when you might be able to get their beer again.

Rough Waters
Recently-opened Rough Waters Brewing Co. in Deer Lake has closed their taproom in accordance with Provincial and Federal recommendations and guidelines. They are available for occasional bottle pickups, and now delivery, just send them a message on social media (Fb/Ig) or email (info@roughwatersbrewing.com), where you can also stay up-to-date on any changes. They are still delivering their bottles to NLC locations around the province, however, so you needn’t go thirsty!

Secret Cove
Secret Cove has started a twice-weekly contactless curbside pickup option. Order online in advance, await the confirmation it’s ready for pickup, then pop by Wednesday or Friday for your fix. New growler fills, or exchange, no worries! Order by 1 PM on Wed or Fri for same-day success! Any questions, email (beer@secretcovebrewing.com) is best.

Split Rock Brewing Co.
Way up in Twillingate, though the taproom is now officially closed, Split Rock Brewing Co. has instated contactless pick-up. Send them an email (splitrockorders@gmail.com) with your request Monday to Saturday before 4 PM (5 PM on Saturday), and they should be able to set you up the same day. They have cans as well as growler fills for purchase/exchange.

Western Newfoundland
In Pasadena, Western Newfoundland Brewing will continue with production, but your only way to obtain their beer will be through the NLC.

YellowBelly
YellowBelly Brewery has implemented curbside take-out of their beer as well as food, menu available here. Can order online, call (709-757-3780) or email (yellowbellygm@gmail.com) to order, then pop by to pick up. Food-only orders are available for delivery, too. Keep an eye on their social media (Fb/Tw/Ig) for any updates they might post as to their plans for the next couple of weeks.

Nova Scotia

Big thanks to Kim Hart Macneill for compiling and updating the list of the province’s breweries’ evolving plans, and how we can help them and licensees during this time. As of May 10th, the NSLC has lifted the requirement to stay closed Sundays, and early closure, so breweries are able to once again return to their regular hours. As always, check with the brewery directly before heading there.

2 Crows
2 Crows is only open for online pre-orders (no retail walk-ins) and deliveries in the province (minimum order is 4 cans). Submit your order before 5 PM the day before to ensure success. Click-and-collect, HRM deliveries (free over $50), and free within NS over $75.⁣ Also shipping Canada-wide, Monday mornings.

9zero2 Brewing
9zero2 Brewing, the brewery onsite at Arisaig’s Steinhart Distillery expects to be setting up deliveries soon. In the meantime, they are concentrating on producing sanitizer, as are several of the other NS distilleries.

Annapolis Brewing Company
Annapolis Brewing Company has reduced their retail opening hours to Saturdays, 12 – 4 PM, for bottle sales only.

Annapolis Cider
Annapolis Cider Company has converted their Wolfville location to a Click and Collect pickup-only location Tues – Sat, 11 – 2 PM, available the following day. Online orders can also be shipped Canada-wide (multiples of 6, flat rate $15 over $100, free over $150).

Backstage Brewing
Backstage Brewing is open for retail sales/exchange of their own growlers, Monday – Saturday, 12 – 6 PM. Call (902-755-9371) or DM in advance is preferred, for contactless exchange. Look for bottles coming in the next weeks.

Bent Nail Brewing
Bent Nail Brewery is open daily 11 – 7 PM, and also offering free delivery of beer, with a minimum order of six bottles of their Bent Ridge wine. Details here.

Big Spruce
Big Spruce is open for to-the-car beer service at their retail shop, and is offering delivery Canada-wide (multiples of 12 cans and/or 6 bottles, mixing is OK, free shipping in NS, free above $125 outside of NS). Order online.

Boxing Rock
Boxing Rock is offering delivery daily in the Shelburne and HRM areas, and Wednesday and Friday in between (exact delivery date given after ordering). A minimum order of $50 which gets you free delivery in Shelburne and HRM, and it’s free for orders over $80 elsewhere in their area. Order online or via phone (902-875-2282, between 11 – 7 PM, can also call for pickup). Their Halifax location hosts, Local Source Market, has opened a click-and-collect shop where beer, as well as produce and other items, can be ordered.

Breton Brewing
Breton Brewing is open for retail pickup (or call 902-270-4677 and collect), Mon – Sat 11 – 6 PM (high risk folks may visit 10 – 11 AM). They are also offering next-day delivery Mon – Fri, both within CBRM, and now in HRM. Minimum delivery order is for 12 or more cans, with a $0.50 discount per can if ordering more than 24. For HRM orders under 24 cans, there is a $10 fee. Check here for their full offerings and further details.

Brightwood
Brightwood Brewery is doing deliveries to the Greater Halifax area (including Herring Cove, Fall River, and Porters Lake) Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, no minimum, $4 flat fee. Order online anytime before 2 PM that day for delivery, and use these promo codes for discounts (one per order, can be used on assorted beers, does not need to be all of the same type). Retail is open 12 – 8 PM, Monday – Saturday, 12 – 5 PM Sunday.

Bulwark Cider
Bulwark Cider is offering Canada-wide shipping through their online store, and is also offering pickup in New Ross. Use code SHIP20 to receive $20 off your shipping costs for 12 + bottles or cans.

Chain Yard Cider
Chain Yard Cider is open for retail pickup 12 – 7 PM daily (calling 902 407-2244 first is a good idea), as well as via delivery in Halifax (free over $40 orders), with shipping Nova Scotia (free for orders over $75) and Canada-wide (free for orders $150+). Order here for your apple fix.

Church Brewing
Church Brewing in Wolfville is open for retail sales, 12 – 8 PM daily. Call in (902-542-2337) or do online ordering to speed up the process. Local (daily) and HRM (Thursdays, order before 4 PM Wednesday) delivery is also available, 12 can minimum, delivery fee is waived for orders of $50 or more. Beer options available here.

Corberrie Cider
Corberrie Cider Company  has opened a pickup or delivery option for the Tri-Counties region, order online.

FirkinStein Brewing
FirkinStein Brewing in Bridgewater has teamed up with Fresh Cuts Market to offer delivery of food and beer in their area. Email (devinfraser@firkinstein.ca) for more details.

Gahan House
Gahan House Nova Centre is open for beer and food to go. Order through the MHG App or Chowhound. Can also order online.

Garrison Brewing
Garrison Brewing is open 12 – 6 PM for retail sales at both Seaport and Oxford Taproom on Quinpool, and has implemented Halifax-area delivery. Order online or via email (beer@garrisonbrewing.com) or phone (902-406-2174, can also request an instore-pickup that way), delivery minima and schedule vary. Email or call for anything not on the site (singles, bottles, outside-NS, etc) they may be able to help!

Good Robot Brewing
Good Robot remains open for retail sales, Mon – Fri 2 – 7 PM, Sat 12 – 7 PM. Pickup orders can be placed in advance via phone (902-446-1692). You can now get the Robots to come to you! Online ordering is available for Halifax and Dartmouth, no minimum (free over $40, $5 for orders $20-$40, $7.50 under $20). Same-day delivery if ordered before 6 PM. Can also order growlers, and exchange for your own. Also are fully refundable in person when this whole thing is over, so we suggest doing that. They are keeping their Monday Goodwill Bot is back, with $1 from each delivery and take-out product sold online or via retail that day goes to a worthy cause. Keep an eye on social media for the latest beneficiary!

Half Cocked Brewing
Half Cocked Brewing is implementing a delivery option for those in the Antigonish area. Bottles of their Tarred and Feathered are available, as well as growler fills. Email (halfcockedbrewing@gmail.com) your request and for full details.

Harbour Brewing
The Harbour Brewing is open Monday to Saturday, 11 – 5 PM, for pickup of cans and growlers, and can be pre-ordered via phone (902-410-8918). They are also delivering along the Eastern Shore, from Dartmouth to Sheet Harbour, daily, order by phone as well.

Hardisty Brewing
Newly opened Hardisty Brewing is continuing their no-contact delivery in the Colby Village area Thursday – Saturday afternoons, 4 – 5 PM. Contact them online to set up your delivery!

Hell Bay Brewing
Hell Bay Brewing in Liverpool is open occasional hours for curbside or window service, email (hellbaybrewing@eastlink.ca) or call (902-356-3556) or FB message in advance. Also doing deliveries in the region (within 20km of brewery, $5 delivery charge which is donated) on Thursday and Friday.

Heritage Brewing
Heritage Brewing in Yarmouth is offering delivery in the tri-county area. Order via text (780-274-0616) from the list of cans and growler fills available here, pay via EMT (minimum order $40), and your order will be delivered the following day (or the same day if ordered early enough). Growlers can be exchanged for a new sanitized one. Their taproom is open for retail sales, check social media for the information. They also have a new beer on tap (available in growler fills), Cranberry/Blueberry Sour Wheat, based on their Blueberry Grunt recipe. More next week.

Hill Top Hops
Hill Tops Hops in Newport is open for new/exchange growlers to go, as well as bottles. Wednesday – Friday 2 – 6 PM, Saturday 12 – 6 PM. Can order from the parking lot via phone (902-757-3510). They are also offering free delivery in the Hants County area M, W, F, on orders over $30. Smaller orders, or those outside the County may be available, just fire them an email (brewhouse@hilltophops.ca). They should be adding a shop to their website soon, too!

Horton Ridge Malt and Grain
Horton Ridge Malt and Grain are open Mon – Sat, 10 – 5 PM for to-go beer purchases, and have recently started canning beer to make it easier to enjoy.

Lake City Cider
Lake City Cider‘s retail is open 10 – 7 PM, and are doing free same-day delivery in HRM. Call (902-466-7818) between 10 AM – 5 PM to place an order. Can also order online, with shipping fees waived Canada-wide!

Lazy Bear Brewing
Lazy Bear Brewing is still open for their Thursday Growler nights (5 – 7 PM), Annapolis Royal Market (via pre-order), and has implemented a Thursday delivery service, and Saturday pick-up at Yukiko’s Oishi Sushi via pre-order. Call (902-440-0880) or email (info@lazybearbrewing.ca) or message them (Fb/Ig) for details and to submit your request.

Lunn’s Mill
Lunn’s Mill in Lawrencetown are offering free deliveries in Annapolis and Kings Counties. Order online before 10 PM the night before to ensure beer success the next day. Shipping outside of the region is also happening, with weekly trips on Thursday to HRM (also free!), and Canada-wide via Canada Post.

Maritime Express Cider
Maritime Express Cider in Windsor has implemented local delivery, as well occasional HRM trips. Order online. More on their Social Media (Fb/Ig).

Meander River
Meander River is open weekends for retail sales, as well as click-and-collect and delivery via online ordering. Free delivery Saturdays, and receive a free pint glass with a 12-bottle order.

Mountain Meadworks
Mountain Meadworks has their products available through the online versions of the Truro Farmers’ Market and New Glasgow Farmers’ Market, as well as direct via home delivery to the North Shore and Truro regions, as well as occasionally to HRM. Contact them via email (mountainmeadworks@gmail.com) to learn more and place an order.

New Scotland
New Scotland Brewing is open 11 – 7 PM Mon – Sat for take-away, as well as local same-day delivery (order cutoff 2 PM, minimum $35), order online or via phone (902-406-2337).

Nine Locks
Nine Locks Brewing is open for pre-ordered pickup, Mon – Sat, 10 – 7 PM. Call (902-434-4471) in advance. Free delivery is available in most of HRM, orders of $65 or more only, via their online ordering page.

Noggins Corner Cider
Noggins Cider is available at their market locations around HRM, as well as for delivery via online ordering.

North
North Brewing is implementing a Click & Collect ordering system at their Portland Street location, Mon – Sun. Pre-order online, and the beer will be available for pickup in approximately 30 minutes (wait for that email). Home delivery is now an option, to Dartmouth, Halifax and surrounding areas. Free delivery, $30 minimum order, also seven days a week. And they are now shipping beyond HRM, including Canada-wide! North’s sister bar and resto Battery Park is now open for curbside take-away. The details are on their site, but the Coles notes are you submit your burger and side and beer and wine order via email before 11AM, for pickup that evening, Wed – Sat, 3 – 8 PM.

Off Track
Off Track in Bedford is doing next-day delivery in the Bedford and Lower Sackville area, Mon – Sat. Order online for free next day delivery, minimum order of $28 (about two 4-packs). Their retail location is open for Click & Collect, Fri and Sat, 12 – 2 PM.

Ol’ Biddy’s Brew House
Ol’ Biddy’s Brew House is now open in Lower Sackville, and is offering contact-less Click and Collect service, in addition to in-person ordering. Check out their website for the latest offerings. Open Thurs – Sun, 12 – 6 PM (12 – 8 PM Fri and Sat).

Paddy’s Pubs
Paddy’s Pub in Kentville and Wolfville are offering daily pickup and delivery in their respective regions, 4 – 7 PM. Use the online ordering portal to request both food and beer.

Propeller
Propeller Brewing’s two retail location remain open, while maintaining social distancing. Drop by to order and pick up (12 – 8 PM daily). If you’d like to preorder and pay over the phone call: Hfx: 902-468-1026, Dart: 902-377-4706. Availability listed here. Delivery is also possible within the HRM, free for orders above $65, $5 fee for less than that, free glass for order above $100). Order online for delivery. If submitted before 3 PM, same day delivery in many areas of HRM. Same day for Bedford, Sackville, and Eastern Passage on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. No growler fills at this time, but kegs of your faves may be available for home enjoyment, just email them (michael@drinkpropeller.ca).

Rare Bird
A mixed 6-pack of Rare Bird Beer is available for pickup at the Acadian Maple store in Tantallon, as well as delivered Canada-wide, when ordered through their online portal.

Roof Hound
Roof Hound’s locations in Digby and Kingston remain closed, but they are doing deliveries of full cases all along the 101 to HRM and Yarmouth. Check the link for details.

Route 19 Brewing
Route 19 Brewing in Inverness is offering contactless brewery pick-up options, as well as daily free delivery to the Halifax area, and weekly delivery to the Sydney region. Text (902-258-5374) or email (orders@route19brewing.com) your requests. Both cans and kegs are available, with orders of 24 cans or more getting a $0.50 discount/can.

Saltbox Brewing
Saltbox Brewing in Mahone Bay is delivering within Lunenburg County and HRM several times per week, can be ordered via their online shop.

Schoolhouse Brewery
Schoolhouse Brewery in Windsor is open for Drive-up beer orders, Tues – Sat, 12 – 6 PM: drop by their location and call (902-792-4677), order and pay, and they’ll pop the beer in your trunk. May even be able to pre-order and save that wait time!

Sea Level & Millstone Harvest
Sea Level‘s Port Williams location is closed. Their Millstone Harvest location at 9146 Hwy 221 in Sheffield Mills is open Mon – Sat, 12 – 5 PM, and is also organizing deliveries. Pre-order via phone (902-582-2337), email (sealevelbrewing@gmail.com) or message on FB or IG. Pay by EMT or Card only.

Shipwright
Shipwright Brewing beer is now available to go in crowlers 2 – 7 PM Tuesday – Saturday. Can also call in advance (902-634-3300) for curb-side delivery. They are now doing local Lunenburg deliveries Tues – Sat, as well as a jaunt from Bridgewater to Chester on Fridays, just call in your order! Free delivery for a minimum of 4 crowlers, just $2 otherwise. While their downstairs neighbour Grand Banker is closed, gift cards are available to support and ensure great food in Lunenburg in the future!

Smokehouse
Smokehouse Brewery in Berwick is closed to drop-bys, but open for sales by appointment by calling first (902-680-5198 or 902-680-5243). Deliveries to the local area are also being made, call or email (info@smokehousebrewery.ca) orders for next day delivery (free over $50 orders).

Sober Island
Sober Island Brewing is concentrating on deliveries in their region, as well as further afield. Keep an eye on IG for the latest info, but currently offering free deliveries Wednesday and Saturday along the Eastern Shore (Sherbrooke to Musquodoboit Harbour), and to HRM Thursdays. In addition to their cans, they are offering to pick up groceries and pharmacy needs as well, to encourage social distancing and self-isolation for those at highest risk. Orders must be placed by 10am of the delivery date. Email (rebecca@soberbrewing.ca) or text/call (902-719-9463) requests. They have a temporary portal set up for HRM ordering, while they await a full website.

Sourwood Cider
Sourwood Cider are open for retail sales, as well as doing deliveries via online orders. Shipping is Mon and Wed and Fri, and free above $60, use code APOCALYPSE at checkout. Also shipping Canada-wide.

Spindrift Brewing
Spindrift Brewing is doing free deliveries of full cases of their product in HRM, order online.

Stillwell
Stillwell Brewing is offering free next-day delivery in HRM, 4 bottle minimum. Use code WILDTIME2020 at checkout, and include a number where you can be reached for curbside, contact-free, delivery. They also ship via CP Canada-wide. Just a note that Stillwell Beer Bar and the Freehouse are selling beer from the cellar and snacks via their Corner Store, and gift cards online as well.

Tanner & Co
Tanner & Co in Chester Basin is open for bottle and growler exchanges, and is offering online ordering and delivering to both the Lunenburg to Hubbards area (min. order is 6 bottles, free shipping above $75, $2 fee below that), and to Halifax (minimum order is $50, orders over $75 are free shipping, $5 below that). Both are running Fridays for the time being, submit your order by 12 PM to ensure you have beer that afternoon/evening. Add 6+discount code to your order for a discount on orders above 6 bottles, pickup or delivery.

Tatamagouche Brewing
Tatamagouche Brewing has a walk-up window for retail (Tues – Sat, 10 AM – 5 PM), call (902-657-4000) or email (pickup@tatabrew.com) or order online (and use code BREWERYPICKUP). They are continuing the deliveries Canada-wide through their online store (free shipping over $95).

Tidehouse
Due to their small (some many say tiny) sized taproom, Tidehouse has made the right decision to stay closed, with occasional can releases via delivery or curb-side pickup. Check out their Social Media (Fb/Ig) for details on what and when they’ll have next!

Trider’s
Trider’s Beer in Amherst is open for retail service Tues – Sat, 1 – 6 PM. Can also call in (902-614-8983) or email (contact@triderscraftbeer.com) to organize delivery in their local area.

Truro Brewing Company
Truro Brewing Company is back open again, and offering curbside pickup and NS-wide shipping through their online store. Curbside pickup is available Friday and Saturday afternoons, and province-wide shipping is only $10. Check the link for the latest availability, which currently includes 4 beers, including the return of Trackside Pale Ale.

Tusket Falls Brewing
Tusket Falls Brewing is open for pickup and deliveries. Call (902-648-3340) from the parking lot to order and pay, and they will bring the beer to your trunk. For those in Yarmouth County, free delivery is available (12 can minimum), call or email (info@tusketfallsbrewing.com). Delivery further afield along the 101 and 103 is done occasionally, email for details.

Two Islands Brewing
Two Island Brewing in Parrsboro is open a few days a week for retail sales of cans and growler fills/exchanges. Call (902-728-2221) or email (twoislandspayments@gmail.com) in advance to place your order, which can also include bread from the bakery.

Uncle Leo’s
Uncle Leo’s remains open, and will only be filling their own new growlers, 10 – 4 PM daily. Pre-orders only: Call (902-382-2739) or email (whiffens@eastlink.ca) with your order, and pre-pay via EMT or card. Deliveries now available within Pictou County, contact them for details.

Unfiltered
Unfiltered Brewing’s brewery is open daily 12 – 9  PM for click-and-collect purchases, and is doing free deliveries within ~5km of the brewery Tuesday to Saturday (order before 2 PM for same-day free delivery, $40 min order). 4-packs of cans, bottles, pre-filled growlers, and kegs (including filling your own ball- or pin-locks), online ordering here. May be able to accommodate requests from further afield via email.

Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse
Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse in Burnside has re-opened their doors for beer take-away, as well as take-and-bake offerings from their kitchen. Brisket, ribs, and chicken, plus some yummy sides, with their beers to go in cans and crowlers. Full list of offerings, as well as scheduled pickups, here.

Wayfarers’ Ale
Wayfarers’ Ale Society is open for beer retail and food take-away Mon – Sat 12 – 7 PM, as well as for delivery to the area. Call (902-300-3404) or order online to let them know what you’re craving (beer delivery province wide, delivery minimums and cost vary by region).

Bishops Cellar
Bishops Cellar has closed their retail location, and is offering occasional delivery-within-NS-only mixed cases of wine (and soon beer). Sign up for their newsletters to avoid missing out!

Harvest, RockHead, WestSide
WestSide Beer and Wine remains open 10 – 7 PM (10 – 11 AM reserved for at-risk public), while their sister stores Harvest Wines and RockHead are closed. Delivery is possible throughout NS, with free HRM delivery above $150, $400 elsewhere in the province, order online.

Liquid Assets
Liquid Assets, the Nova Scotia alcohol store at YHZ, has closed their retail location, but is able to do shipping within the province, PEI, and Manitoba, via online order. They will be doing twice-weekly deliveries in the HRM, for $5 fee. Also available by phone (902-873-2275).

Prince Edward Island

PEILCC
With many PEILCC locations closed, they have allowed manufacturers and Agency Stores deliver to consumers. We will update the list below as breweries inform us to their plans, but we think this is a swell idea! The Oaktree, Montague, Granville Street, O’Leary, and Souris stores are now open Monday – Saturday, 11 AM – 6 PM (10 – 11 AM for at-risk members of the public). More details here.

Barnone Brewing
Barnone Brewing is keeping to their Thursday-only schedule for the time, but are asking for orders to be submitted in advance by email (barnonefarm2@gmail.com) or text/phone (902-394-6897) for pre-filling of growlers (details on FB).

Bogside Brewing
Bogside Brewing is adjusting from their winter hours, and is open 1 – 6 PM Tues – Sun for can sales, and is encouraging pre-orders on their site or by phone (902-838-4384).  They are also offering delivery in the Charlottetown and Three Rivers areas Friday and Saturday (order cutoff time in 12), and Kensington and Summerside Thursdays (order cutoff is Wednesday 10 PM). Minimum order of 6 cans, free delivery over $50 ($10 below that) on the Island, and free shipping to NS and NB on orders over $100 (multiples of 12 cans only). The Wheelhouse in Georgetown is operating from their kitchen Wednesday through Sunday, 11:30 – 7 PM, which means the brewery will also be open for takeout with your food! Life Pro Tip: Call (902-652-2474) in your food order in advance!

Copper Bottom
Copper Bottom is encouraging social distancing by directing customers to their website for online orders. Use the code SOCIALDISTANCE2020 at checkout to save 10%, and they’ll bring it out to your vehicle when you arrive (give them about an hour to assemble the order). They also are offering Canada-wide delivery! Free Shipping: PEI: Free over $50. NS & NB: Free over $100. Rest of Canada: Free over $200. Pre-filled growlers are also now available.

Evermoore
Evermoore in Summerside is adjusting their hours and is open Tues – Sat, 12 – 5 PM for backdoor can and growler sales. Keep an eye on social media for updates, and how to take part in their usual Thursday night trivia. They have added online ordering and 7 day-a-week delivery options to their local area. Cans, growlers, and kegs.

Gahan and PEI Brewing Company
Gahan and PEI Brewing are open for retail sales, and the restaurants are on the MHG Delivered app and site. Beer is now available on the MHG app!

Lone Oak
Lone Oak Brewing is open for can sales daily (Mon – Sat 11 – 6 PM, Sun 12 – 5 PM). Now that PEILCC allows it, you can have your online order delivered right to your door, Island-wide. Minimum order of 8 cans, no delivery fees.

Moth Lane
Moth Lane is open daily 12 – 5 PM for retail sales of beer in pre-filled growlers only.

Red Island Cider
Red Island Cider‘s taproom remains closed, but they are offering home delivery in Charlottetown, Stratford, Summerside, Queens County and Kings County. Order online for next-day delivery.

Riverdale Orchard
Riverdale Orchard‘s retail spot in Bonshaw remains open, but they ask for pre-orders at this time to ensure safe distance pickup. Please contact them via email (info@riverdaleorchard.com) or phone (902-218-0580), or via online ordering. They are now offering delivery on the Island, free for orders above $50 ($10 below).

Upstreet
Upstreet Brewing and their Craft Beer Corner location are open 12 – 8 PM daily for retail sales, as well as curbisde pickup. Call in (902-894-0543) or order online. Free same-day delivery to Charlottetown, Stratford and Cornwall ($5 fee below $75 orders), and 1-2 day delivery Island-wide. They have recently implemented the Upstreet Family Rewards, good for cash off future orders. They have also gathered in several other local producers to their online shop, to streamline your ability to stay home and stay safe.

HopYard
Friend of good beer HopYard Beer Bar has closed their taproom to onsite enjoyment, but are doing take-out (call 902-367-2599) with daily specials on their Instagram (and are on the TopServe delivery app), 12 – 8 PM.

New Beer News for March 20, 2020.

It’s not all logistics and “stiff upper lip” today, however; there are a few new beers that we spotted that we wanted to highlight, but let’s lead off with the opening of Nova Scotia’s newest brewery!

Located on the eponymous street in Colby Village (in the Cole Harbour area of the HRM), Hardisty Brewing has launched their product for the first time this week. An all-grain homebrewer for close to two decades, Charlene Robichaud (“everyone calls me Char”) has launched Hardisty to share her beer with her local community. There are cans of two beers available currently: their Block Party SMaSH, a 4.5% ABV, 30 IBU, Pale Ale, brewed with 2-Row and Simcoe, tropical and citrus flavour and aroma with a malty backbone, and Smoked Porter, 4.7% ABV and 26 IBU, with a lovely campfire aroma and light nutty flavour, thanks to Smoked and Chocolate malt additions, and hopped with Northern Brewer and Willamette. Look for more IPAs, Rye ales, and a Witbier to be released in the coming months. Hardisty will be launching their website shortly, where folks can sign up for their CSA-like Community Shared Brewery membership, but in the meantime, reach out to them on Instagram to request beer via their Thursday afternoon deliveries in the Colby Village area. We’ll have much more with Char coming soon! Congratulations!

Across the bridge in Halifax, Unfiltered Brewing has released a new beer this week, continuing in the single-hop series that has brought us DOA, Danko, Deity, Edgy, and many more, comes Satisfaction. Featuring the absolutely phenomenal Sabro hop, Nash used it in quantity throughout the process, for a solid bitterness, as well as a big aroma and flavour in the tropical realm, as well as with some resin and pine, in this 7.5% ABV beer. Available on draught for fills as well as in cans (see below for details on grabbing some).

A short distance away, 2 Crows Brewing has released a new beer this week as well, something a little darker. Counsel is an 8.3% ABV Imperial Stout that was brewed with a wide variety of malts, as is often typical for the style. These include assorted caramel malts, Roasted Barley, Chocolate malt, oats, and flaked barley. The wort was boiled for 24 hours (!!!… we’re well aware of 2 Crows’ extended brew days but this is outright ridiculous!) to greatly increase caramelization, and was then fermented with Oslo Kveik yeast, nice and warm. Once fermentation was complete, the beer was conditioned on French oak and toasted coconut (100 lbs worth), and then finally lagered for an additional 5 weeks. The final beer was canned (in 355 mL cans) and allowed to condition for three months to really have those flavours blend together. It’s tasting “roasty, smooth, and lush” with soft note of coconut, light tannin, and a clean finish. A beer like this deserves a launch party, but alas those days are behind us for now, so it’s available this weekend for delivery in the HRM, click-and-collect, and wider delivery via Canada Post. You can also pick up cans at the brewery to-go. For more info on 2 Crows shipping, check out our handy delivery section below.

Port Rexton Brewing has a new beer they’re releasing today, in the hope of celebrating the spirit of collaboration and community between breweries in this time of uncertainty and difficulties. Brewed with Rough Waters Brewing Co., Iron Rock Brewing Co., RagnaRöck Northern Brewing Company Ltd, Ninepenny Brewing, and Bannerman Brewing Co., it’s a “Nano” Kveik IPA called Next Generation 2020 that rolls in at an extremely sessionable 2.9% ABV, perfect for a little working from home day boil (ssshhhhh)! Lots of Galaxy and Mosaic in the dry hop, this beer is super hazy with plenty of aroma and flavor of light tropical fruit, soft candy, apple and pear, with a touch of a vanilla note on the finish from the Kveik yeast.

Today at noon, Garrison will be dropping Bringing Sexy Bock, the winner of their 2019 Home Brew-Off competition (aka the Good Old Days). The winning homebrewer was David Pepper, who got to brew his recipe on the Garrison system with head brewer Daniel Girard. The grist is nice and complex, with Munich, Aromatic, Extra Special, Vienna, Wheat, and Melanoidin malts all playing nicely together (but hopefully 6 feet apart). Hopped lightly with Hallertau (to 25 IBUs), this dark brown beer has “aromas of malt-rich bread, caramel, and dark fruit”. Over in flavour town, see if you can pick our caramel, pumpernickel bread, and black licorice, all balanced by a light bitterness. This 7.2% ABV brew was packaged in 473 mL cans, which can be picked up at either retail store; delivery is also an option within Halifax and Dartmouth (free if your order is $30 or more).

Rounding out the news this week is a happysad entry from Good Robot Brewing. They held their FemmeBrew competition on the weekend, where brew(st)ers were tasked with featuring local and foraged ingredients in their beer. After much deliberation, the winning beer chosen was a Grisette, brewed by beer writer Kim Hart Macneill, a longtime homebrewer. We *believe* her winning beer will be brewed on GRBC’s big system, just not sure of the timeline. The sad part of this story is that this week marked brewster Kelly Costello’s last week with GRBC, as she is moving onto other pursuits, namely obtaining a law degree. Now she’ll be mixing shit up and kicking butt on a bigger scale! Best of luck to Kello in the future, we’re sure it’s not the last we’ve heard from her!

Okay folks, this will be your COVID-19 joke-free zone for the day, we promise not to make any below. What we will say on the subject is that some breweries are adjusting their growler policies during this time, to reduce the chance of infection of employees and patrons alike, so don’t be surprised by those when you go in looking for a fill this afternoon (some are halting completely, others will only be doing exchanges, both of which we think are smart moves). And with some members of the public going a little over the top in hoarding and needless self-isolation, this could be a trying time for your favourite brewery taproom (not to mention local bars and restaurants), so do continue to support them how/when it makes sense. Perhaps now’s the time to buy yourself or a pal a giftcard for later use? Or take advantage of those breweries that offer online shopping? Here’s what caught our eyes this week, and worth checking out!

After a quick glance through all the info we have for this week, it looks like there’s a lot of hazy-and-hoppy releases, so let’s start off with Big Spruce, because why not? They’ve just released Shrediquette, a 7.6% abv NEIPA hopped entirely with experimental hop HBC-692. There’s quite a few aroma and flavour descriptors for this variety floating around the internet (such as grapefruit, stone fruit, floral, woody, pine, and cream), but Big Spruce is describing this beer as extremely orange-y, with “a subtle, pithy bitterness lingering behind”. Guess you’ll have to taste it and make your own decisions! Look for it at the brewery, or your favourite BS tap accounts, including Auction House, Battery Park, HopYard, and Stillwell in HRM.

Continuing on with hops over in Newfoundland, where Twillingate’s Split Rock Brewing has a Double IPA pouring, Sample Port. Hopped with extremely-high amounts of Amarillo and Chinook throughout the boil, it was dry-hopped with more of the same, plus Mosaic. Medium-bodied and dry, with a hefty bitterness thanks to hefty use of hops (think West Coast style and proud of it), this 7.8% ABV brew got its name from its popularity with the brewing staff, who enjoyed the beer so much that they continued to return to the tank’s sample port for repeated samples. Still on tap at the brewery (until staff gets off for the day!), it is also pouring at Gander Airport’s Union East & Drinks (who are doing a great job showcasing taps from a great variety of the province’s breweries), and should be making an appearance at a couple of the better beer bars in St. John’s before too long. And back after a brief hiatus, and sporting their new house English yeast strain, is ABBA (aka Alli’s Big Brown Ale), their 5.6% ABV Brown Ale. Available at the brewery as well, those of you in St. John’s may have had a chance to try it at the Guv’nor Pub this past week.

Let’s take a break from hops for a moment, but stay on the Rock, East to Quidi Vidi Brewery. Delving into darker territory this week, QV has three of them out in time for next week’s St. Paddy’s Day celebrations. Let’s start light with their Dry Irish Stout. At 4.2% ABV, this beer is brimming with character from the Midnight Wheat, Pale Chocolate and Roasted Barley, complementing the base malts with notes of roast, coffee, and chocolate, with just a touch of balancing bitterness. A medium-light body with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, and a light finish. At the other end of the spectrum is their Russian Imperial Stout, a 10% ABV brute of a beer featuring many of the same dark and roast malts as its little brother, but amped up. Aromatics of dark roast coffee, and sweet dates from the esters and a touch of alcohol, follow to a full, smooth, mouthfeel with more coffee and chocolate on the tongue. And finally, they’ve got the Imperial Coconut Porter, a 9.0% ABV beer with, you guessed it, toasted coconut added to the brew, in addition to cacao nibs for extra chocolatey goodness, as well as vanilla for a touch of sweetness. Chocolate and Pale Chocolate malts colour and flavour the brew, giving the very dark brown beer a lovely beige head, with notes of toast and nuttiness to complement the adjuncts. All three beers are available on draught in the taproom and in cans in the QV Hops Shop now, and keep your eyes open for them on the shelves of select NLCs in your ‘hood.

With their full Tap Takeover at Stillwell happening tomorrow, Tatamagouche Brewing are bringing more beauties than you can shake a stick at, including four new releases on the taps.

  • Eventide, that midway point between day and evening, is also the name of their latest lager, an amber-coloured 4.6% ABV Vienna Lager. With notes of bread and toast on the nose, and following through to the palate with touches of apricot, Eventide is a showcase of the malt variety from Vienna, rich in character but still manages to finish dry, without too much sweetness. Hops take a back seat in this brew, and the lager yeast keeps the beer crisp and refreshing. On draught now, and in cans very soon.
  • Debuting tomorrow is Tata’s Grisette, a 3.4% ABV “small Saison”, which was carbonated naturally in the keg (and bottles, soon). Dry-hopped with Callista, it features bright and fresh aromatics of mandarin with earthy undertones and light floral notes. This one was kept in Stainless Steel during the process, whereas…
  • Remused is a second take on their Muse Flanders Red-inspired beer released in the Fall. Another batch of the sour Red Ale spent another four months on the same cherries as the initial release. Look for bottles of Remused in the next couple of weeks.
  • And finally, it will also mark the debut of the Stilly X Tata collaboration Staffy Kveik Pale Ale, brewed late last month. Featuring the new and exclusive Samba hop (as well as Huell Melon), this juicy Pale Ale with everyone’s favourite Norwegian Farmhouse yeast, is a lesson in tropical and citrus character in a bright and fresh package. After tomorrow’s debut, look for a wider distro of this one, with a canning run happening next week as well.

And with any takeover, you know that Stillwell goes all out with the food, so look forward to fried clams, haddock tips, smoked mackerel dip, and scallop ceviche on the menu. All day.

Ok, back to hops! We’ll dial it back a bit with Roof Hound, who were looking for a beer with lots of hop presence, but less alcohol than your IPAs and DIPAs. Of course, that means Session IPA, so they created a recipe and named the beer Gimme a Hint. Brewed with both Citra and Mosaic hops, they upped the fruit character even more with an addition of fresh orange zest. But this isn’t your “typical” Session IPA… when we think of the style, something in the range of 3.5-5% ABV usually jumps out. Gimme a Hint comes it at an extremely-low 1% ABV, which we guess is why Roof Hound is actually referring to this beer as a “Micro IPA”. This beer isn’t exactly available yet, but look for it late this month directly at the source (we understand if you’re weirded out that we are giving you advance notice on a beer… we’re a little freaked about it, too).

Hanwell’s Niche Brewing has their latest hoppy beer hitting the taps this week after a debut last weekend. Hop Altered is a hazy NEIPA featuring a grist of 2-row, Golden Promise and Munich malts, with flaked wheat and oats providing the requisite protein component. Plenty of Mosaic and El Dorado hops were used in the kettle, with more of the same plus some Enigma in a very healthy dry hop. The picture is completed by the use of the Foggy London yeast strain from Escarpment Labs. Described as “pretty darn juicy” you can expect some tropical notes, a slight dankness and not too much bitterness on the finish of this 5.2% ABV easy drinker. Look for it first at The Joyce and Peppers Pub but we’re sure it’ll be hitting other Niche tap accounts shortly.

Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing has been tearing it up since they opened, with the taproom full most of the time (y’all are thirsty!). Not to let any slumps sneak up on them, they’re releasing a whopping FOUR new beers this weekend! We’ve got a few light details to share with you now, just to get you in the mood to head there right after work, or maybe tomorrow:

  • Dickie Dee – they’re billing this one as an “Orange Creamsicle Dry-Hopped IPA”, so expect a hoppy, slightly sweet, very orange-flavoured beer. Smooth and creamy, and 6% ABV, it has additions of orange and lactose, and was hopped mostly with Ekuanot. Shoutout for the Eighties kids on that name!
  • Weisse Squad – a German Dunkelweizen (think dark Hefeweizen), the use of Weizen yeast for fermentation has added your typical banana and clove flavours, and the use of some specialty malt helps balance with notes of caramel and toast. Just 4% ABV, so definitely safe to have one or two before responsible activity.
  • Rainy Days – a style along the lines of “je ne sais quoi”, they’re describing this as unique, and “a London Fog recreated in a pale beer”. Lots of lactose and Earl Grey tea were added, and it comes in at 4% ABV; better try this one yourself!
  • Hip Hop – the first in a series, this beer is a double-dry-hopped, hazy New England DIPA; coming in at 8% ABV to keep you firmly in your seat, they hopped this one exclusively with Mosaic. Juicy, juicy, and more juicy, don’t pound back too many of these, despite their easy-drinking nature.

All of these will be on tap at the brewery, naturally. Also a note, Tire Shack will be holding a St. Patrick’s Day party next Tuesday; they’ll be opening early (11 am), with live music by Fundy Ceilidh from 7-9 pm and green beer (yep) pouring throughout the day.

We have the latest details on the newest Something Different entry from Annapolis Cider, which is going to be available today. Arctic Kiwi Perry is a blend of a dry Perry (made from Bosc and Bartlett pears) and juice from locally-harvested arctic kiwis. Not familiar with arctic kiwis? Neither were we, but luckily the fine folks at Annapolis Cider inform us that they are “grape-sized kiwifruit grown in northern climates”. (Wiki article) They taste similar to your typical “normal” kiwi, and in this particular beverage offer pleasant tropical notes, all in a medium-bodied, crisp package. As always, $0.50 from each refill will go towards a local charity; in this case, the Free Spirit Therapeutic Riding Association.

Over on the Island, we’ve got news that the winning beer from this year’s Maritime Homebrew Challenge by Gahan/PEIBC was released this past Sunday on International Women’s Day 2020, perfect timing for winning brewer Chelsea Meisner! The beer itself is a stout with a somewhat untraditional ingredient: Sichuan peppercorns! Known for their ability to leave one’s tongue a little bit tingly (or full-on numb, depending on how much is used), they provide plenty of interest to this rich and full-bodied stout that comes in at 55 IBU and a healthy 7.5% ABV. “Tingles the tongue and warms the soul,” is printed on the can and, we suspect, very fittingly describes the experience. Our congratulations again to Chelsea on her winning beer! You can grab pints and cans of Tingles Sichuan Stout at Gahan and PEIBC, and it should also be available in both formats in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia locations as well.

North End Halifax’s Good Robot has, as always seems to be the case, a couple of things on the go this week. First up, the GR team is trying their collective hand at the hard seltzer game with an Alpha batch of one they’re calling, The Fizz. At 4.7% ABV and no IBUs to speak of, they tried to avoid the “boozy carbonated water” and challenge their brewing skills by making the lightest beer they could, cutting it with some water, and adding lemon, lime and lavender. You can try this low-calorie option at the taproom now!

And meanwhile, in BetaBrew land there’s a “baby beta” coming out this coming BetaBrewsday (Tuesday, March 17th) they’re calling Beerbliotheque. Brewed by Kelly and her longtime friend Amy Lorencz, they leaned into Amy’s librarian vocation (and calling) for this one. A big, rich stout, with notes of dried fruit, there’s also plenty of chocolate character. A bit of a big’un at 7.3% ABV and 26 IBU, it sounds perfect for curling up by the fire on one of our still chilly evenings with a lovely book. We also have a PSA for BetaBrew fans, Kelly has advised us that there will be but one remaining BetaBrew. We’ll definitely try to get the full story on that for you next week, but maybe start planning to make it out for the final edition as soon as we advise you when that will be.

Lastly, Kelly is also the guiding light behind the FemmeBrew Homebrewing Competition for Womxn, Trans, Femme, non-binary and underrepresented brewsters in Nova Scotia, and they’ll be celebrating that this coming Sunday at the taproom starting with a private event for entrants (and their +1s) starting at 4 PM. Winners will be announced after 5 PM and then the doors will open to the general public at 6 PM to celebrate the winners, the entrants, and everyone else involved.

Looks like there’s a couple of new beers pouring at Maybee in Fredericton; well, maybe 1.5 “new” beers? The first one is a lighter take on one of their flagship beers, Work Horse IPA. For those of you who have been longtime drinkers of this classic take on an American IPA (or even those of you who may have been newly introduced to it, now that it’s available in NB’s grocery stores), but would appreciate a lower ABV, they give you Work Horse Light. They say it has the same flavour and hop profile as the original, but “with a cleaner finish and less lingering bitterness”. At 5.5% ABV (and 55 IBUs), it’s a bit easier to enjoy a couple of pints. The other beer – Lakeview Amber – is a true newbie, an American Amber brewed in collaboration with Bangor, Maine’s Geaghan Bros. This isn’t the first collaboration between these two breweries, but this is the first to also include Lakeview Hops (out of Harvey, NB). This easy-drinking Amber was hopped with Magnum to 40 IBUs, giving a “short-lived bitterness” in the finish, after hits of “slight caramel on the nose, with notes of light pine and unripe pineapple”. Weighing in at 5.7% ABV, this beer (and Work Horse Light) can be found on tap now at Maybee; good chance you’ll see both beers pop up at local accounts around Fredericton.

HRM’s Propeller Brewing is continuing to play with packaging cans with nitrogen. This week their stalwart Irish Red Ale became available in nitro cans. If you’re interested but not familiar with beers packaged this way, maybe have a boo at Prop’s social media for information on how to best take advantage of this novel packaging (short form: crack it and dump it into your glass with a quickness, but make sure your glass is big enough for a whole pint!). Nitrogen tends to make beers smoother and “creamier,” which should pair nicely with the malty and earthy notes of the style. Still 5% ABV and 25 IBU as always, look for it in cans and on tap at Propeller locations, and they’ve advised us that a few kegs are also available to taprooms that have nitro capability. We’d also like the opportunity to hint that we think it would be awesome if the next beer they tried this with is their classic ESB

We mentioned back at the end of February that Garrison Brewing was brewing up an all-female developed beer for International Women’s Day 2020 and then failed to remind everyone about it in our post last week (yes, we feel appropriate shame). But we’re hoping to make up for that by reminding you about it now and telling you it’s available at both Garrison taprooms (Seaport and Oxford), as well as private stores in the HRM. A Honey Wheat Ale with honey from Meander River Farm, it’s 5.2% ABV and 25 IBUs, you can safely expect an easy-drinking beer with a doughy character, some melon notes, gentle bitterness, and some honey sweetness. And remember that every can and keg sold means donations toward the Women in Trades bursary with the NSCC (which will be more than $1300 once the batch is sold), so maybe take an opportunity to stock up on a few for a good cause, share them around, and celebrate womxn in the brewing industry!

In addition to the events we already mentioned above, just one more that we found on the calendar this weekend…

Wolfville’s Church Brewing Company is taking over the taps at Halifax’s Boxcar Social Saturday evening. From 5 PM until close, they’ll be pouring their super-refreshing Congregation Pilsner, Sanctuary Enkel (think Belgian Singel), Married to the Sea German Porter, Eight Bells Belgo Pale Ale, The Luxury Belgian Dubbel, as well as the very last keg of their Best Kind Kveik Pale Ale, their collaboration with St. John’s Bannerman Brewing. And because one can never have enough variety, they’ll be rounding out the offerings with cans of Mayflower White IPA, and Til Death Do Us Tart Framboise. To amp up the fun even more, Sun Parka will be playing from 7 PM, so be sure to drop in for a pint or two and stay a spell.

And in not-great, but entirely understandable news, the Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia has made the hard decision to cancel the March 21st Nova Scotia Craft Beer Fest. Those who had purchased tickets will receive full refunds. No change to the other events planned in April for #NSCraftBeerMonth, and we’ll have lots more info on those plans in the coming weeks.

Another summer week is in the books and it appears that most of the region is staring down a lovely weekend weather-wise. And what better companion for a beautiful weekend in the shank of the summer than beer? We may be biased, but we can’t think of one. So read on for all the latest beer news in Atlantic Canada and hopefully you’ll find something to wet your whistle on Sunday afternoon.

For those of you who think that Gose is one of the finest warm weather beer styles out there (raises hand), Lunn’s Mill is probably on your side. Well, maybe we’re assuming too much here, but they DO have their own take on the style, How She Gose B’y, currently available on tap at the brewery for pints and growler fills. A classic take on the style, this kettle sour was brewed with a simple grist of Pilsner and Wheat, along with a bit of Acid malt. Hopped very lightly with Hallertauer, they added the usual coriander and sea salt (from local Salt & Light Sea Salt Co.), resulting in a beer with “restrained tartness and mild saltiness”, along with some bright notes of lime from the coriander. Light and refreshing at 4.7% ABV, it’s a great beer to crush and sob into as you contemplate the end of yet another summer. 

Moving to one of the finest Belgian styles, where Big Spruce is pouring their latest Saison at the Sprucetique in Nyanza. L’Été Phone Home (“l’ete” is french for summer, and Saisons have traditionally been brewed for different seasons, with certain techniques and ingredients often used for varying seasons) is a 6.1% ABV Saison hopped entirely with organic Aramis (a variety from the Alsace region in France), and fermented with the Old World Saison strain from Escarpment Labs. The result is a complex beer that is lightly sweet, with stone fruit, white peppercorn, clove, and floral aromas. Golden-coloured and hazy, you’ll find some clove, coriander, sage and marjoram on the palate, according to the brewery. This one is available on tap only; apart from directly at the source, you’ll likely find some showing up – briefly! – at your favourite Big Spruce tap accounts. 

TrailWay Brewing has been extra busy lately as the summer winds down to an end, and as a result they’ve got two brand new hoppy brews out this week, as well as a returning fave. Let’s start with Ooz, their latest DIPA that they hopped with two of their favourite Australian varieties (Ella and Galaxy), no doubt in significantly high quantities. Weighing in at 7.5% ABV, you can expect “overripe tropical fruit, cantaloupe, and mango” throughout, with a very juicy and pungent character, along with an earthiness quality. On tap and in cans at the brewery, with some cans being sent to various ANBL stores across the province. Next up is Half Past, an American IPA that is freshly available as of today at 11 am. Brewed with Lotus, a very new American variety that was previously known as Experimental Hop 06297 (odd that they decided that Lotus was a catchier name, no?). Also hopped with a “supporting variety” that TW felt would complement, the final beer has “massive stone fruit, bordering on a fuzzy peach candy, with a solid amount of straight tropical fruit”. Available on tap, this 6% IPA has also been canned, but these will be available at the brewery only, for the time-being. Finally, the brewery’s New Zealand Pilsner, Emerald – hopped with Southern Cross and Wakatu, it also has an addition of key lime juice and lime zest – is back, also on tap and in cans. 

PEI Brewing Company has released the latest in their After Hours series, where they let the brewers play, experiment, and take their time with beer. Midnight Oil is a beer that certainly fits that description, as this beer began life as a Stout aged in wine barrels full of funky bacteria, before being further aged in Bourbon barrels on dark cherries and raspberries. The 6.0% ABV beer was then packaged and allowed to naturally carbonate in the bottle before release. Bottles can be bought now at the brewery taproom, and will be appearing on shelves at PEI Liquor next week.

The Newfoundland Cider Company is continuing their effort of showcasing local ingredients beyond apples in their products, and have two new expressions coming this weekend. The first is Sparkling Strawberry, a wild-fermented cider made with all local strawberries from Lester’s Farm in St. John’s. At 5.1% ABV, there is plenty of aroma and flavour from the strawberries, in addition to a lovely rose hue. The second new cider is actually a cyser, thanks to the addition of local honey. Honey Cyser weighs in at 5.3% ABV, and uses honey harvested from hives located close to the NCC apple orchards (not too far from their taproom in George’s Brook-Milton), and was also wild fermented. A touch of sweetness, but light and summery, perfect for this time of year. Pop by the taproom for a taste, and then the bottle shop in Shoal Harbour later this weekend to take some home.

Tatamagouche Brewing has another fun collaboration in their Weird Beer line of offerings, this time with Newfoundland’s Port Rexton Brewing. Haven Blended Saison, 5.9% ABV. Primary fermentation occurred in barrels thanks to a mixed bag of yeast, and aged for over a year before a referment on NS Haskap berries and Nfld Partridge berries. Packaged still and bottle conditioned, there are tons of fruit, funk, and lovely parts to pick out of the beer. Bottles are available to take away at the brewery (as well as one keg hitting the taps at some point this weekend), and can also be ordered for delivery Canada-wide at their online bottle shop.

It’s been a little while since we’ve seen Charlottetown’s Upstreet release a beer in their Million Acres series of long-term barrel-aged beers, but if you were waiting with bated breath for the next one, you can finally exhale. Mango & Pink Guava Sour was brewed in fall of 2018 when it was barreled and left to develop lots of character. Shortly before bottling it was transferred to steel where it met up and mingled with lots of fruit for 30 days. Bottled in 500 mL bottles on July 5th, and, we presume, bottle-conditioned, it’s now available for purchase at the brewery and Craft Beer Corner. Mug Club members got a preview of this one yesterday at the Upstreet Taproom, where a single keg was pouring, but the rest of us plebs can have at it now. Expect a fruit-forward beer, juicy, yet with some tannic barrel character and lots of fruity aromas. Weighing in at 7% ABV and a slight 20 IBU, it’s got some weight to it, so be careful!

Corner Brook’s Bootleg Brew Co has a pair of new beers on tap this week, from two different ends of the spectrum. First up is Midnight Snack, a 4.2% ABV English Porter, featuring lovely chocolate and caramel notes, on top of a medium-bodied roasty snack of a beer. Also newly on tap is Charlie Work, a 6.5% ABV Belgian Saison, featuring a load of fresh lemons added to the beer, enhancing the fruity yeast esters, and making this ever-so refreshing and crushable. 

Lots of news from Good Robot in Halifax this week beginning with some packaging and availability news: GR’s Creature Feature series of biotransformation IPAs has been pretty popular over the last while, none moreso, we think, than the original version, Creature Feature I. In recognition of that popularity (hey, give the people what they want!), that beer has been brewed big and packaged in cans that are on their way to the NSLC. Now more folks will have more chances to try this 6.4% ABV and 68 IBU juicy and jazy IPA (and look for GR Brew Queen Kelly Costello and her dog on the can!). If you’re in the city, though, you can also head on down to the GR taproom where they’ve got a new beer on tap. Easy Bruiser is a novel style, a California Common-ish beer taken to the Nth degree. Fermented at a warm temperature with a tolerant lager yeast, it was also loaded up with Mosaic, Ekuanot and Cascade. But lest you think this is just an uncharacteristically-hopped steam beer, check the specs: 8% ABV and 73 IBU. To quote Ted (Theodore) Logan, “Woah.” Be careful with this one, folks, we’re told it’s smooth, fruity, and dangerously drinkable. 

And lastly, but definitely not leastly, GR is giving the femme brewers of the region some extra time this year to get their entries together for the 2020 edition of the Good Robot FemmeBrew Competition by announcing the competition now even though judging will not take place until March. The primary reason for the early opening is this year’s stipulation that entries contain some local or foraged ingredients and, as Kelly succinctly put it, “as it turns out nothing grows in January/February in NS.” We also think that this will give neophyte brewers an opportunity to get a few extra brews under their belts to tweak out process and recipes. Remember, just because you forage an ingredient now doesn’t mean you can’t use it a few months down the line (depending on what it is, of course). Know someone with some hops growing in their yard? That’s local. Dry ‘em, vacpac ‘em, and pop ‘em in the freezer until brewday. There are plenty of flowers, herbs, veggies and fruit about this time of year that will keep in one form or another if you treat them right. As always, the competition is open to women and woman-identifying folks throughout the region who are able to get their entries to GR or their local Noble Grape before March 3rd, 2020. First-time brewer? No problem. Seasoned (pickled?) homebrew veteran? Also no problem. Entering also gives you access to the Three Cheers for the Lady Beers party where the winning beers will be announced. For more information, go to the GR website and click “On Tap” at the top (or click this handy dandy link right here), then scroll down until you see “Femmebrew Competition 2020” where you’ll find a link to the entry form.

Congratulations are in order, as Shelburne’s Boxing Rock Brewing has opened the doors to their taproom at 218 Water Street in the Loyalist Plaza. With ten taps, there is a wide variety of Boxing Rock pouring at any one time, plus there is always room for a guest beer and cider or two, to keep everyone happy. Their retail fridge from their production brewery has also moved over, making it easy to grab bottles to go, and are set up to sell/exchange growlers (filling on demand is coming). Their friends at Finest Kind Food have also moved into the new space, and are celebrating with their first Finest Kind Friday there, with live music this afternoon 5 – 7 PM, and food specials to accompany your pints. And their barrel-aging program has made the move as well, so you can check into what’s bubbling and coming soon from Boxing Rock.

Montague’s Copper Bottom Brewing is hiring someone to play double-duty in the brewery, in a full-time position working both the production side, as well as delivery on the Island. Working with their brewing team, they will be responsible for canning operation and assist in troubleshooting. And then working with delivery of those cans, plus kegs, to the different licensees and retailers in the province, to ensure the freshest and best beer possible gets in your hand. Learn more in their job posting.

A couple of beery things going on this week and next:

Fredericton’s The Joyce is continuing to promote sour beers, as their 3rd Annual sour event is happening tomorrow, August 24th. Tarte Diem III: Bigger, Sour & Untappd is an all-day event (starting at noon when the pub opens) that will feature 20+ taps of some of the finest sour beers from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI. As always, there’s no charge to attend, and you can buy individual beers by the pints or 12 oz pours, as well as flights. And now that their deck is open, you can finally enjoy some of these beers outside!

Tickets for August 31st’s Gros Morne Beer Festival are still available, but are definitely moving quickly. Put on by the fine folks at the Nfld Craft Beer Festival (who ran the events in April in St. John’s and Corner Brook), this will see beer from across the province, Atlantic provinces, and elsewhere in the country, pouring at the Town Hall in Norris Point. There are some pretty special extra options available to enhance your Gros Morne experience, which include taking a Zodiac, Kayak, or SUP tour of the area before the festival, with a beer and food pairing. Peep their Instagram feed for hints as to what you’ll be able to enjoy next weekend, and then grab a ticket here!

And a few last mentions before you get back to your Friday afternoon:

The boys at Off Track Brewing in Bedford found themselves in a bit of hot water this week, as their Damn Skippy Peanut Butter Stout caught the eye of an international peanut butter maker, and they kindly (ya right!) asked them to cease and desist use of their trademark. Rather than let that be a problem, they interrogated their automated-beer-naming-machine and it spat out another moniker fit for the brew. The new name is Illuminutty Peanut Butter Stout, and bottles will be featuring a new label next week. But if you skip to the brewery this weekend, you may be able to find some of the forbidden bottles, and grab them as a keepsake.

Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewing is releasing a new beer today, 16 Tons. a 6.0% ABV Black IPA, it features plenty of roast malt character enhanced by piney bitterness from Cascadeand Amarillo hops. Find it on draught for pints and growlers at the brewery, and may hit the taps at local restaurants and pubs soon!

Tusket Falls Brewing is tapping their latest experimental beer this afternoon. Details are pretty light, but we wanted to let you know about the Blackberry Sour, as these small batch brews rarely last more than a few days. Keep your eyes on their social media to see when the beer is pouring!