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Friday Wrap-Up for March 4, 2022 – News of International Women’s Day releases across the region, including Breton, Foghorn, Landwash, New Maritime, North, Picaroons, Port Rexton, Quidi Vidi, Saltbox, and Upstreet, plus many, many more great beers!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2022-03-04
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Boomstick Brewing, Bootleg Brew Company, Brave Noise Beer, Breton Brewing, Foghorn Brewing, Garrison Brewing, International Women's Day, King Street Beer Co., Landwash Brewery, Loyalist City Brewing Co, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, New Maritime Beer Company, North Brewing, Picaroons General Store, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Quidi Vidi Brewery, RagnaRock Northern Brewing Company, Saltbox Brewing, Secret Cove Brewing, Smokehouse Nano Brewery, Spindrift Brewing, Sussex Ale Works, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Church Brewing Company, TrailWay Brewing, Truro Brewing Company, Uncorked Tours, Upstreet Craft Brewing, Village Green by Modern Brewer, Witch Craft Beer Society, Yip Cider. 3 comments

“In like a lion…” they say about March. Well, it sure is looking that way, given the news of the world. There are bright spots in all of the doom, and hopefully we can offer respite and uplifting news to you, dear reader, as we do the tour de bière in our region this week. We’re kicking it off with a dozen releases coming out in celebration of International Women’s Day, March 8th, all of them featuring a charitable component as well! Let us dally no longer and get right to the great news.

We happily start the run of all the International Women’s Day releases this week with Breton Brewing out of Sydney. Waves Rise is a light and hoppy IPA, brewed to showcase the Pink Boots Society 2022 hop blend. This year’s blend consists of 30% Idaho Gem, 20% HBC 630, 20% Talus, 20% Triumph, and 10% Loral. The beer is 4.6% and 46 IBU and features a light malt base and moderate bitterness that lets the floral and herbal hop flavour and aroma shine. The beer will be released Tuesday for IWD at the brewery and online for delivery or shipping. A portion of the beer sales will be donated to the Every Woman’s Centre. 

Rothesay, NB’s Foghorn Brewing is up to year three for their Sparkölsch IWD brew. As with previous years, this beer was a collaboration with other breweries and organizations in the area, including Big Tide Brewing Company, Loyalist City Brewing Company, Picaroon’s General Store, Sussex Ale Works, Yip Cider, and Witch Craft Beer Society of Saint John. The beer itself is a fan favourite in the kölsch style (a lagered German ale) at 5%, but also featuring food grade glitter added at packaging for a fun visual element. Available on tap at Foghorn, at select tap accounts in Rothesay and Saint John, and a limited number of bottles are for sale at the participating breweries. Proceeds of sales are being donated to the United Way.

Brave Noise is a movement supporting and standing in solidarity with those who shared their stories about mistreatment and who are survivors of gender discrimination, racism, sexual assault, and harassment within the beer industry. It is also an international collaboration of 234 (and counting) supportive and like-minded breweries, committed to sharing (and maybe creating!) their Code of Conduct and donating 100% of the proceeds to women’s charities. Truro Brewing Company had their release in October 2021, with Big Spruce and Spindrift signed up to the project, and we’ll share the details once those beers are available. And there’s still time for others to sign up for the same, hint hint…

One of those “future releases” is from Landwash Brewery in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland. Brewed on February 23rd, Pink Shirt Day, the women and allies of Landwash took the stories amplified by Brienne Allan and Erin Broadfoot to heart, many having experienced or witnessed some form of harassment themselves. Following the Brave Noise suggested recipe, this is a low ABV hazy Pale Ale, perfect for enjoying a few in a session, while taking down the patriarchy. Ahead of the week of March 21nd release will be the publishing of Landwash’s Code of Conduct, visible to all who grab a can or visit their space. Proceeds of the beer will be going to organizations offering mental health support for workers in the craft beer and hospitality industries.

Miramichi’s New Maritime Beer Company is celebrating International Women’s Day on Tuesday with a new beer and event hosted by the Women of Miramichi Entrepreneurial Network (WOMEN). Starting at 6 PM, there will be yoga in the taproom (BYOM), lead by Heather Hutt, which will be followed by a brewery tour. Tickets for this option are available now. And at 6:45 PM the taproom is open to all who wish to taste the beer, and celebrate IWD2022, as Heather will be the special guest speaker for the event. Entry for this is by donation to Miramichi Emergency Centre for Women. About the beer… WOMEN Beer is a Raspberry Blonde Ale, brewed using the Pink Boots 2022 hop blend, which features its own charitable aspect, with scholarship funds directed at lifting up women in the brewing industry. 

North Brewing is releasing their own Brave Noise on International Women’s Day. Keeping with the suggested collab recipe, Brave Noise is a hazy Pale Ale that is tropical and flavourful, while taking it easy on the ABV. Partnering with Shoreline Malting, who donated the base Pilsen and Wheat malts, this is a juicy, light, pale ale with portions of sales going to Adsum House. This 4.5% beer will be available in cans from North’s 3 retail shops, or on tap on Portland Street, on Tuesday, International Women’s Day. 

In Saint John, Picaroons has brewed up their Dame IPA for the second year running. Brewed at Pics by a combined team from Picaroons General Store, Becky from Big Tide, and Gilliane from Uncorked Tours. Although they don’t have a charity component this year, they do have a baby component…Gilliane’s sister and partner in Uncorked, Nathalie, had her baby Jennie on January 17th, and Dame was her first brew. So if you’re grabbing a pint of the Dame, be sure to raise your glass to the little one!

A 100% women-owned brewery with a majority of female employees, Port Rexton Brewing has once again brewed Violet Femmes for IWD. A 4.6% dry-hopped kettle sour with butterfly pea flower to bring a natural purple colour, it is available now. All proceeds from the can, pint and t-shirt sales will be given to the women’s group of First Light and Marguerites Place with the St. John’s Women of Status Council. This is available at their St. John’s Retail shop and the taproom now, and heading to their usual outlets over the weekend.

Sticking in Newfoundland and IWD, Quidi Vidi is releasing Stronger Together, a Strawberry Blonde ale, for the second year in a row. A 5% Blonde ale that has a light malt body and a hop bill to match, this showcases a delicate strawberry aroma and flavour, with a bit of cherry coming through as well. This beer is available now for a limited time from the QV Hop Shops and most NLC locations. Quidi Vidi will also be hosting a Women’s Day mixer on Sunday March 6th from 12 – 3 PM, where we can celebrate together. 

Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewing is building on the popularity of last year’s IWD release, and bringing it back again! The Way She Gose is a gose, not surprisingly; think tart and fresh, with a touch of salt, to which SB added hibiscus for a lovely floral character and pink hue. It will also be sticking around as a spring/summer seasonal, which sounds great, at just 4.7% ABV! And keep an eye on the social media for their sister location, King Street Beer in Bridgewater, as they are releasing a new small batch product early next week to celebrate IWD.

Finishing up our IWD releases brings us to PEI, where Upstreet Brewing has a release of their own. Grisette is (you guessed it!) a grisette coming out on tap and in cans on Tuesday. The beer is sessionable and dry with some softer saison notes and a bit of a wine character on the finish to go with clove and banana yeast character. There is  a launch event at the brewery that you can check out here. They will be supporting  the Trade Herizons program through the Women’s Network of PEI. 

Jumping islands, Mount Pearl’s Landwash Brewery has a new Italian-Style Pilsner out. Terra is their take on a style that we are keen to see more brewers attempt. Originating with Birrificio Italiano’s Tipopils, the style is known for its crisp and dry body, and the use of dry hopping that differentiates it from its German and Czech counterparts. Landwash’s version uses imported Eraclea barely from Weyermann Specialty Malts, produced near Venice, to create a bready and honey malt profile. Additions of Monroe and Spalter Select hops add some floral and citrusy notes. Coming in at 5.5%, Terra is available now on tap and in cans at the brewery and should start seeing wider distribution this weekend. 

Down in Lawrencetown, Lunn’s Mill is celebrating its 5th Anniversary in style with the release of Cocobolo. This Milkshake IPA features hop additions of  El Dorado, Ekuanot and Sabro, leading to big notes of coconut and tropical fruit. In addition to being on tap all weekend, the 7% ABV Cocobolo is also available for takeaway in cans at the brewery and The Station in nearby Bridgetown. And speaking of the weekend, Saturday will see the crew celebrating the 5th anniversary at the brewery and The Station. The taproom will be serving cake with Jokers Right playing from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Tide and Timbre will be taking the stage at the Station from 7:30 to 9:30 PM. If you’re thinking of heading down, reservations are encouraged to ensure that you can get a seat. Happy 5 years to everyone at Lunn’s Mill from your fans at ACBB! 

Two breweries from Newfoundland’s west coast are also celebrating anniversaries this week and have marked the occasions with the release of a double dry hopped double birthday double IPA. Hoppy Birthday was brewed at Bootleg Brew Co. to celebrate their 4th anniversary, in collaboration with Boomstick Brewing who are ringing in two years in business. The 7.8% ABV leans into the hazy and juicy territory that DDH IPAs are known for, making great use of El Dorado and Idaho 7 hops. Cans are available now at Bootleg and you can likely still find it on tap at both breweries’ taprooms. Congrats to these two west coast gems! 

Jumping to the east coast of Newfoundland, Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co. is releasing Brighouse Irish Red. Brewed in collaboration with The Quay restaurant in beautiful Brigus, this 5.0% ABV ale features subtle notes of toasted bread and caramel. The name is an homage to the town of Brighouse in England, which is rumoured to be the namesake for the Newfoundland town of Brigus. Find it today at the brewery, Marie’s and other finer beer retailers on the Avalon, and of course, on tap at The Quay in Brigus (open until March 12). 

The hop hounds of Trailway Brewing have brought back one of their more unique offerings this week, and one of the few remaining examples of the style in the region these days: Velvet Fog is their Milkshake IPA, packed with hops, of course, but also featuring fruit (raspberry and tangerine this time), lactose, for body and sweetness, and a hint of vanilla. Like all good MIPAs, it’s soft and round with an almost smoothie-like mouthfeel. You’ll find it on tap and in cans from the brewery. 

In other Trailway news, they’ve also got a brand new offering that’s sure to please those looking for something a little lighter in the ABV department while still being heavy on the hops. Hu Jon Hops Light is what it says on the tin; a 4% ABV sessionable version of their long time flagship NEIPA: “Everything that is loved about Hu Jon, but in a smaller percent package!” Expect HJH Light to be a plenty hoppy, but also plenty light beer featuring tropical, fruity, dank, and pine notes. Look for it at the brewery and, we’re sure, wherever else you get your Trailway beer; we suspect this one will be in demand!

Cornwall PEI’s Village Green has another new beer on the taps this week, Other IPA. At 7.2% ABV and “bracingly bitter”, this is not shying away from what the style can offer! Featuring loads of Idaho 7, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Citra, look for citrus, pine, tropical notes, with a kick that will wake you up! Available on tap and to go in cans, along with a fresh batch of Modern Bitter!

Halifax’s Garrison Brewing has released a new sour beer, as well as a fresh batch of an old favourite. Mango & Dragon Fruit Sour is a mildly tart ale, which was blended with an infusion of mango, dragon fruit, and hibiscus to give a lovely blast of tropical fruit with a bold pink colour. For those afraid of the “sour” moniker, fear not, as there is some sweetness here to balance the acidity. At 5.0% ABV, drink a couple of these and you’ll be dreaming of summer before too long! Joining M&D is Pucker Up! Citrus, their kettle sour flavoured with additions of orange, lemon, grapefruit, and lime, in a respectful 4.9% beer. Look for both on tap and in cans at Garrison’s Seaport and Oxford locations, as well as farther afield soon.

New on tap at Lower Sackville’s TAPestry Beer Bar is an exclusive release from Berwick’s Smokehouse Nano Brewery. Smokestry Amber is a 5.8% ABV Amber Ale, showcasing caramel, bread, and toast notes from the malts used, with a balancing hop bitterness (to about 44 IBU), with a smooth and “I’ll take another” finish. Drop by TAPestry today for their Flight School Fridays, where your second flight is half price!

Tatamagouche Brewing is re-releasing its Gold Lotus DIPA. This 8% hop bomb features tons of fruit notes, including grapefruit pineapple, mango, strawberry and candied watermelon. Cans are available now at the brewery and for delivery through their online store.  

While not releasing one of their own beers for International Women’s Day, Good Robot is hosting “Yes We Can” in their taproom on Tuesday. Featuring Atlantic Canadian beers either brewed by women or created by breweries run by women, including Big Spruce, Bootleg, North, Port Rexton, and many more! All are welcome to take part in celebrating the best of the region’s brewing offerings, starting at 4 PM. More info here.

God damned millennials don’t want to work. But if they did, a bunch of breweries are hiring!! In addition to these, we encourage you to search Indeed, as there are even more hiring around the region.
(we’re just kidding about the millennials thing)

Wolfville’s Church Brewing is looking for a full-time Sales Rep/Brand Ambassador to pound the pavement around Nova Scotia (sales vehicle or automobile allowance provided), and occasionally beyond, supporting existing customers and winning new ones. This is definitely a self-starter role, where the successful applicant will be responsible for representing and being a spokesperson for the brand, managing their own administrative and logistical duties, and growing the business. A valid driver’s license and clean abstract is required. They’re looking to have someone in place for April 1, so if this sounds like something you’d like to do, check out the official job posting and get your resume in!

Halifax’s Good Robot Brewing is hiring for a few positions these days, including back of house in their kitchen (Sous Chef and Prep Cook), as well as at the brewery as Marketing Manager. Working with the Marketing Director and rest of the team, the position will support sales, social and creative groups, and collect insight from consumers and customers. This is a full-time permanent position, with benefits, so those who want a chance to do their best work with GRBC should apply today!

Back in Newfoundland, Secret Cove Brewing is hiring part-time bartenders and servers to join its team over the summer. If you’re interested, send a cover letter and resume to beer@secretcovebrewing.com. 

Further up the West Coast (ok, way up the coast) RagnaRöck is also looking to add to its team for the upcoming summer season. Part-time positions are available now for cooks and servers. Email ragnarock2019@gmail.com or drop by the brewery in person to apply.

 

Friday Wrap-Up for February 25, 2022 – News from Barnone, Change is Brewing and North, Lake City, Brightwood, Spindrift, Landwash, Boxing Rock, Brewdock, and much more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2022-02-25
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Bar Brewdock, BarNone Brewing, Boomstick Brewing, Bootleg Brew Company, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brightwood Brewery, Change Is Brewing Collective, Delta Force Brewing, Lake City Cider, Landwash Brewery, Local Source, Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival, North Brewing, Rough Waters Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

We come to you with mixed emotions this week, as it was a big week in news for our Maritime region with COVID restrictions. With target dates for all restrictions being announced for all 4 of our provinces, you, me and all of our friends and family will feel some type of way. Regardless, we’re here to bring you the news from ales, lagers, ciders, meads and events as we try to do every week and a pandemic hasn’t changed that. More than ever, you’ll need to check your provincial restrictions but also the business’ own restrictions, as some establishments may still choose to keep their own policies. Be kind, be prepared and support your favourites and newly discovered places as safely and comfortably as you can! 

Some great, if unexpected news, from Rose Valley, PEI, this week, as Barnone (Bar None? Barn One? That joke never gets old) has announced they are back in business! After closing in 2021, Don Campbell teamed up with a group of local beer fans to bring life back into the hop farm-based brewery and the fruit of their labour is hitting taps around Charlottetown now! Their IPA, decidedly bitter and in the West Coast style, as well as their Milk Stout, are available on tap at The Olde Dublin Pub, The Claddaugh Oyster House, and The Local Pub, with plans underway to re-open the taproom (aka, the second floor of the brewery/barn), expand their brewery capacity, and get into canning in order to bring the good beer to you! Keep up to date on their progress on their Fb page, and we hope to have a full Profile with Campbell and Co once they are fully open and ready to rock!

Getting together for their second collaboration, Change is Brewing Collective and North Brewing have a new release you can get today. Deep Rooted is a 5.7% Brown Ale inspired by the classic African Nova Scotian cookbook, “In the Africville Kitchen: The Comforts of Home”. A brown ale made with brown sugar and molasses, it has sweetness from honey malt as well, bringing the classic malt flavour and smoothness from a brown ale.  North will be donation a portion of each sale of the can directly to Change is Brewing Collective and also offering 2 specials in the North Kitchen (Molasses BBQ Wings and Ice Cream Sandwiches with ginger molasses cookies and rum raisin ice cream), with proceeds from those sales going to the collective, as well. This is available in cans and on tap at North. 

Staying in Dartmouth, but switching to cider, Lake City has their annual seasonal coming out to get you excited for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Green Ginger starts with their dry cider and sees additions of fresh pressed ginger root and a touch of chlorophyll to give it a festive green hue. Check out their webstore for a St. Patrick’s Day special featuring the 5.5% ABV Green Ginger and their Mac G fresh pressed cider. 

Staying close to Lake City (literally, next door), Brightwood Brewery released two new test batches on Tuesday, a.k.a. Twosday, a.k.a. 2/22/2022. Named after the infamous Top Guns, Maverick and Goose IPAs use the same recipe, except for the single hop varieties that they each showcase. Maverick features the Idaho 7 hop, leading to citrusy aromas like tangerine. Goose uses the Ella hop and leans more towards stone fruit notes such as apricot.  Both beers come in at 6% ABV and are only available on tap on Portland Street. Brightwood plans to iterate on this single hop series, with next week’s version showcasing Aramis hops, and future plans to use Bravo and Ariana. 

Let’s finish off this Dartmouth streak with a new release from Spindrift. Cardinal Red IPA features 100% Red X Malt, giving a deep crimson hue. Brewed in the west coast style (more malt character and bitterness), it uses a combo of Centennial, Citra, Comet and Vic Secret hops. Coming in at 5.5% ABV, you can expect notes of piney resin and citrus, all wrapped around a firm malt backbone and topped off with some fruity esters from the ferment.  Cardinal is currently available at the original Burnside location and their new taproom in Downtown Antigonish. 

Bringing a spin to a previous release, Landwash has made a sweater treat out of their Hazures Rock stout, adding an inspired sweetness to the coffee and ice cream or gelato Italian Affogato dessert. Affogato Hazures Rock is a 7% Coffee and Ice Cream Stout, featuring coffee from Cafe Terra Nova with lactose and vanilla additions. Do we need to say anything else? This sounds sweet and delicious. Adding to the fun, Landwash will be serving beer floats with this beer using ice cream from Cove Creamery. Cans are available now from the brewery, along with the usual Landwash retailers such as Marie’s, NLCs, Needs, Orange Stores, Urban Market, and more!

In “Coming Soon” news, Shelburne’s Boxing Rock has announced that they will be expanding their Halifax Test Kitchen in the spring, when Local Source opens their second location at the corner of Windsor and Almon. This will be a new and expanded space for both businesses, and allow BR more room for brewing up their small (120 litre) experimental brews, homebase for their extremely popular local delivery service, as well as a new hybrid e-commerce/in-person retail model. Keep an eye here, and on BR’s social media (IG/Fb), to be the first to know when their doors are open. Congratulations to Emily, Henry, and the entire BR team!

Let’s get you back to Newfoundland for this week’s Upcoming Events features!

Bar Brewdock, in St. John’s East Duck area, is hosting a trio of West Coast breweries this weekend, to give the East a better introduction to the West. Boomstick Brewing, Bootleg Brew Co, both of Corner Brook, and Deer Lake’s Rough Waters Brewing, have sent ten beer between them to showcase the best offerings in the region. Joining them is Chef David Vatcher of Best Coast Restaurant in Corner Brook, who is doing a Brunch Takeover of the kitchen 10 AM – 3 PM today and Saturday. Featuring his famous Eggs Benedict, Vatcher and Co will share his passion with those in the big city, who may even want to book a visit out to CB. To sweeten the pot, those visiting Brewdock today and tomorrow can enter in a draw for a prize package from the breweries, restaurant, Hew and Draw Hotel, and Marble Mountain, for a full weekend of fun!

And those in Corner Brook will be able to taste Brewdock without the travel, as Chef Chris Mercer will be making the trip to Best Coast Restaurant, March 4 & 5. And to return the favour, he and the Brewdock Crew will be bringing a van-load of East Coast beers to sling in the restaurant and Boomstick taproom. Mark your calendars now!

One of the signs of things starting to get back to normal-ish is the return of beer festivals and the Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival is leading the charge, starting with their East Coast event at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market on Friday, March 25th, and Saturday, March 26th from 7-10 PM. There are still tickets available for both sessions, and they’re hoping for some nice weather to ring in the spring season. Both days have a VIP option, which includes an extra hour of tasting starting earlier at 6 PM. All tickets include your beer samples (including new-to-market beers) and tasting glassware for you to use and take home afterwards. Tickets are $65 plus fees for the standard session and $75 plus fees for the VIP session and can be purchased through Eventzilla. There are also Designated Driver tickets (sold out for the Saturday session, sadly) at $10 plus fees. And if you’re a beer fan in NL but nowhere near St. John’s, look for the NLCBF West Coast version to happen in Corner Brook and the NLCBF Big Land edition to happen in Lab City on June 4th and June 11th, respectively; both are already 50% sold, so if you’re interested you should probably click the ticket purchase link above sooner rather than later.

In the grandest of grand traditions, here are this week’s quick hit newsbites:

Kicking off the quick hits to end this week’s post, Tusket Falls Brewing has a new batch of their excellent Hazy IPA, Control The Tempo. Typically brewed with a hop bill of Cascade and Citra, this time they’ve added some Simcoe to the recipe. This is 6.2% and available in cans at both of their locations. 

Unfiltered is back with a tasty re-release, Isolator, an oak-aged Doppelbock is back in cans and on tap. At 11.5% this is a slow sipper (or drink it however you please!) bringing warmth, sweet rich and malty flavour. Get it while you can!

No stranger to this blog in 2022, Delta Force Brewing is keeping up with the quick newsbites. The farmshed crew has put together a sale for the next 5 weeks on their take on a classic West Coast IPA, Operation Stronghold. If you buy a 4 pack, you get $6, bringing it to $22. Visit their website or email them to place an order now, or before the end of March. 

Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing has brought back their Stormy Weather IPA, just in time for this week’s next round of the white stuff… At 6.0% ABV, this hazy beaut features loads of Vic Secret, with the assist by Mosaic, for a face full of tropical fruit in the name of peach, pineapple, and berries. Available on tap at the brewery now, with cans and growlers to go, plus look for it on the rotating taps at better beer bars in the region soon.

It’s that time of year, as breweries are in build-up mode, getting ready for what will surely be an extremely busy spring and summer. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for job openings, and encourage those with job postings, or looking to get hired at a brewery to reach out, maybe we can help make a connection!

The crews at 2 Crows Brewing are looking to fill a part-time position as soon as possible. Helping with Packaging and Bartending at the taproom is the job and they are full on board with accessibility and inclusivity. Check out the full info from the Crows here or check the Careers page on their website. 

And back to Mount Pearl, where Landwash Brewery are gearing up for more fun in the taproom, and bringing on a Taproom and Events Manager. Juggling those all-important Beertenders as well as scheduling the fun events and activities that bring folks in, and back, for pints, it’s no small feat! Check the job listing and apply today!

Friday Wrap-Up for February 4, 2022 – News from Good Robot, Annapolis Cider, Flying Boats, Tire Shack, Tanner & Co, Topside, Tusket Falls, Tatamagouche, and more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2022-02-04
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Cider Company, BLK Women in Excellence, Flying Boats Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, O'Creek Brewing, Sea Level Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing, Topside Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy First Friday, Beer fans! We’ve made it through January, and have been welcomed into February with yet another blast of weather. As they shovel out, or contend with icy conditions, be sure to check your favourite brewery, cidery, or good beer resto’s social media to ensure they’re open before heading out. And even if they are, take your time out there! 

Good Robot Brewing has teamed up with BLK Women in Excellence to release their latest Goodwill Partnership beer. Tia Upshaw is empowering and educating Black Women in business in Nova Scotia and across Canada, through her non-profit’s courses and mentoring partnerships. The Goodwill Beer Cherry Vanilla Porter is a vehicle to spread the word of Upshaw’s efforts, it also brings in $0.50 per can for BWiE’s programs. And the folks at GRBC got in on helping directly in the community in December, as they delivered turkeys and holiday care packages to residents in Mulgrave Park, helping Upshaw in her endeavours. Working with Upshaw on the recipe formulation, the Cherry Vanilla Porter builds on a hefty 7.0% chocolatey and toasty Porter base, with light notes of vanilla and cherry completing the full package.Goodwill Beer is available online and at their retail shop in cans right now, including in their Valentine’s Day Box, and on tap as Good Robot is celebrating the re-opening of their taproom today (check their IG for any weather-related changes), we can all do our part to elevate, amplify, and make room for more voices in the beer community.

This week’s cider news of note comes from Annapolis Cider Company where they’ve released a new entry in their long-running Something Different series. Cranberry Mule is ACC’s answer to the Moscow Mule cocktail, but with a twist. All the classic components are there: a cool-fermented cider provides the booze and the bubbly base, some ginger juice and a squeeze of lime the spicy and tart notes. The departure from the norm is the addition of fresh-pressed local cranberries that provide a little more tartness and some cranberry flavour along with a lovely scarlett hue. If you want to be completist about it, floating a mint leaf or two on top wouldn’t be a bad idea, but we’re sure this 6.1% ABV light-bodied, clean-finishing cider will be plenty pleasing on its own. As with all Something Different entries, $0.50 of each growler fill will go towards a charity; this time it’s B for Kai, an organization encouraging education around Meningitis B and raising vaccination rates against it.

Dieppe’s Flying Boats has released their latest seasonal beer, British Bulldog Best Bitter. Despite the name, this is not an overly bitter beer, but rather a New World interpretation of the classic English style. At 4.6% ABV, the style is a favourite of pub goers out for a session, with a moderate malt character and a balancing hop presence (Flying Boats has opted for local- and US-grown hops for a bit of a twist). Taking the opportunity to give back to their community, sales of British Bulldog will go towards Youth Impact Jeunesse, a Moncton-based charity supporting young adults with social, emotional, and behavioural challenges. Merchandise featuring Leroy Brown, the bulldog featured on the label, will also be available to collect even more for programming at YIT. Available in cans, pints, and for growler fills at the brewery, the ANBL will be stocking cans as well.

Starting an almost unnerving run of news from breweries whose names begin with the letter ‘T’, Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewing has two new ones for us this week, both of which look well-suited to a winter weekend when you’re not going much of anywhere. Up first is Banana Bread Brown Ale, which is, as you’d expect from the name, an homage to the not-quite-a-dessert-but-not-supper-either foodstuff that has saved a million bananas from the compost heap. With some spicy elements in the grain bill and some rum for good measure, it was conditioned on 35kg of puréed bananas. Expect this one to lead with maltiness, with some sweetness from the banana and a bit of zip from the specialty grains. Coming in at 6.0% it’ll probably have just a little bit of a warming kick to boot. Available from the brewery for pints as well as fills and cans to go.

Moving from a very traditional beer with a bit of a twist to a very modern beer but also with a bit of a twist we have Chocolate-Lavender White Stout. This is the second time they’ve made this beer, the first being a small batch on their pilot system last fall that led to rave reviews and justified a full production run. A basic white stout (if such a thing exists), where the light colour belies the gentle roasty character it exhibits on the palate, it was sweetened and smoothed by additions of lactose and vanilla before conditioning on 30kg of cacao nibs and lavender. How much lavender? Literally ALL the lavender that was available in the Moncton region (seriously, hope you’re not looking for lavender in Moncton right now). Not too light, but not too heavy at 6% ABV, you can rightly expect this one to provide comfort and warmth in the middle of this weekend’s weather (assuming you can get some in time). Grab some cans or a fill to go or sit and reflect on a pint in the taproom. And, having just looked at the weather, you’re probably waiting until next week on this one. But there’ll probably be another storm then? 

Things tend to slow down a bit during Atlantic Canada winters, giving some breweries a chance to experiment with new styles or to fill their tanks with something that might take a bit longer to see a glass. Chester’s Tanner & Co. Brewing is doing just that with the release of Brut IPL. This cold-fermented lager uses a special enzyme to give the carbonation a champagne quality. Expect tropical and berry hop aromas and flavours from whirlpool and dry-hop additions of Motueka & Nelson Sauvin. Tanner has packaged this one in bottles, coming in at 6.3% ABV and 20 IBUs. It’s available now at their two retail locations and for delivery via their online store. 

Bedford’s Topside Brewing has news of their latest draught release, coming to better beer bars (or possibly your home fridge!) very soon. The Old Buffer is a 5.5% English Strong Ale, named after Topside’s owner Blair Tobin’s Chief Boatswain Mate during his time in the RCN. And much like its namesake, it is strong and tough, featuring big malt notes of dried fruit, toffee, and a touch of Noble hop grassiness. In addition to kegs, we hear that a cask of The Old Buffer will be pouring at The Henry House before too long, and may even be bottled for at-home enjoyment. Reach out to Tobin to learn more about keg options for both home and restaurant!

Tusket Falls Brewing has the latest in their Experimental series this week with a 6.0% Coffee Porter now pouring both at the brewery and at their Gottingen Street Beer Project locations. Featuring plenty of Counter Culture “Fast Forward” beans in the beer, taking on a distinct flavours of roast, nutty, and even a touch of biscuit on the palate. As with all of these small batch releases, you’ll have to make your way to the source as these are draught-only and in very limited supply!

And we’ll finish spilling the ‘T’ this week with Tatamagouche Brewing, who have a super special treat for us this week, a beer in the classic Belgian Oud Bruin style they’re calling Reverie. The base for this one was brewed a couple of years ago, starting with Pilsner and Munich malts, but with plenty of specialty malts to provide deep notes of caramel, chocolate and dark fruit, a touch of Saaz hops provided the finishing touch. It was co-fermented with the clean Arset Kveik strain alongside Escarpment Labs’ Belgian Sour Blend, a mixed culture of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. Left to develop for over two years in red wine barrels, it was packaged and bottle conditioned for an additional six months. Tasting notes from the brewery suggest it’s developed a pleasant acidity, with deep notes of fruit, including cherries and plums, and plenty of rich malt character. Available from the brewery in 500ml bottles; we recommend getting a couple or three, as Oud Bruin is a style that tends to continue to develop in the bottle!

KV’s Hammond River Brewing is celebrating the return to Level 2 with a new beer this week. The Same One is described as a “New England Session IPA”, as it takes the best bits of the New England Style, but in a sub-5% package. Hopped exclusively with the Aussie Eclipse hop, the 4.9% ABV beer is full of citrus and fruit notes, with a lighter mouthfeel to keep you coming back for another (you know, the same one). Available on tap for pints and growlers at the brewery now, with kegs heading out across the province to their licensees shortly. If cans are more your style, they’ve got those too!

A few returning favourites to close out today…

Dieppe’s O’Creek Brewing has another big, bold release in their line of pastry stouts, namely the Mascaret. Featuring cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and coconut, this 11.0% beer is a bottled-exclusive, available in limited supply at Dieppe’s CAVOK Brewing, Grimross and Picaroons in Fredericton, and Sussex Ale Works.

A new drop of fresh hoppy goodness is becoming the norm for Friday’s at Unfiltered Brewing. Cans of their Fist of God DIPA are back in stock today and it’s also pouring next door at Charm School. You know the drill: 8.0% ABV, face-punching hop character, cans, pints, fills, etc.

Not to be outdone, New Brunswick’s own hop hawkers, Trailway Brewing, are also re-releasing a well-loved IPA today in the form of the latest batch of Urban Sabrero. This time leveraging a Lupomax™ version of tropical and coconutty Sabro for maximal juicy hop character, this 6% low-bitterness beer is bursting with sweet tangerine and piña colada flavour and aroma.

Sea Level Brewing has a couple of return engagements this week: longtime brew El Rojo Diablo, a red ale at 7.666% and newer school Light in the Dark Kölsch-style session ale at 4%. Both are available at their Millstone Harvest Brewhouse location packaged in cans or available for fills to go, as well as for pints to sit and sip.