Tusket Falls Brewing

All posts tagged Tusket Falls Brewing

Happy mid-February! Not surprisingly, we’re in the midst of some wild weather swings, with dumps of snow followed by double-digit sunny days, leading into some nasty freezing rain type of thing. Don’t let the weather get you down, we’ll soon be free of the frozen stuff and carrying an umbrella full time (no thanks, says this writer!). Enough pitter patter, let’s get to it!

Big news from Prince Edward Island to lead off this week. As the province kicks off hosting duties for the 2023 Canada Games (running tomorrow until March 5), there’s lots of recent and coming-soon news from The Official Beer Sponsor of the Games, Lone Oak! Let’s get you caught up with two new special beer releases first… Homestead is the first beer made on PEI from all Island ingredients. Starting with a mash full of Pilsner and Oats from Island Malt House, the wort was then hopped with plenty of Ultra hops grown by Island Hop Company of Mount Albion. Once chilled, the fermentation took place using a wild yeast isolated from wild Blackberries on co-owner and Head Brewer Spencer Gallant’s family’s farm. Definitely a first for the province! Homestead is 5.0%, dry, floral, and features a moderate bitterness in the 355mL can. Available only at their Brewery, and Milky Way Brewpub and Cold Beer Store locations.

Also brand new is Biere D’Amis, the Beer of Friends! Brewed in collaboration with their pals at Tatamagouche and 2 Crows, this French Pilsner features a base of French-grown Pils malt, and hopped with Noble-like Aramis and Strisselspalt (aussi de France), lending a solid bitterness and floral character to the beer. At 4.9% ABV and 35 IBU, these short cans are a nice light beer when you’re looking for a bit “more” from a Pils. Better act fast, as Biere D’Amis, like Homestead, was a small batch, and only available at their locations on tap and in cans.

And in important coming soon news, Lone Oak has announced the second of two new locations opening in 2023. We already shared news of Lone Oak Beer Garden, set to open in June in Avonlea Village in Cavendish. A massive beer garden and patio location, complemented by some bar seating inside. A full kitchen will serve those who stay a while, with a retail spot available to those who are just passing through. And opening ahead of it in May is Lone Oak Fox Meadow. As the name implies, it will be at the Fox Meadow Golf Course in Stratford, and will feature a full-service restaurant, as well as an Event Centre. And even better, it will be open year-round! Congrats to Spencer, Jared, and Dillon, and the whole Lone Oak team on the upcoming expansion!

Halifax’s Propeller Brewing opened their Quinpool location in July 2020, which features a full retail location, taproom with seating for 40, as well as a small brewhouse that is used occasionally for experimental brews. The latest release from that kit is Smoked Wheat Ale, based on the Polish Grodziskie style (or Gratzer in German parlance). Using oak-smoked wheat as the only grain, one would think you’d be burping up clouds of smoke after imbibing, but there’s something about the refined smoke level and light kilning that offers a seriously refreshing character in a highly carbonated 3.6% beer. In fact, it is commonly referred to as “Polish Champagne”! Due to limited volume at their pilot brewery, Propeller’s SMA is available on tap only at their Gottingen and Quinpool locations for pints and growler fills.

Staying in the Halifax region, North Brewing has been bringing the flavour in their latest Timberlea location kitchen and their takeover of their Portland street kitchen. Keeping up with their ingredients and Indian inspiration, they’ve released Chalo Chalo, a brand new brown ale available now. For the naming of this beer, we can’t say it any better than North themselves “The word “Chalo” (ch-AH–low) means “let’s go” in several languages spoken on the Indian subcontinent including Urdu/Hindi/Gujarati/Punjabi.” For the beer itself, the key to this beer is additions of Jaggery (an unrefined sugar product made in Asia and Africa with big molasses and brown sugar flavor) and a big 25 litre splash of fresh pressed ginger juice. The sweet from the Jaggery and the warming spice of Ginger works perfectly in the winter and the brown ale is a perfect vessel for these flavours. This beer is 6% and available from the three North shops and online for home delivery.

Paradise Newfoundland’s Banished Brewing has a new release this week, a throwback to the many years of homebrewing co-owner Craig Farewell spent before scaling up to commercial size. Makes Sense is a hazy-as-heck 6% IPA, in the New England IPA category. Taking inspiration from the many hazy breweries in the US Northeast, this beer looks like OJ and smells like it too! Using Solero, Nelson Sauvin, and Citra hops late and often, they come out more on the nose and palate than a bitter hop bomb. Makes Sense is available at their retail shop now, and heading to local retailers in the next few days.

After some setbacks earlier in the year, Baccalieu Trail has been able to re-open their taproom recently, and has a new beer to celebrate! Helles or High Water is a Munich Helles, natch. Light in colour, and with a clean malt and restrained hop flavour, it is the perfect post-shoveling beer! Available at the brewery and at Marie’s and other retailers now.

We’ve got a new one from Big Spruce Brewing this week, as Belgian Strong is coming in hot (and strong). This is a Belgian style Strong Ale with some classic flavours for the style. At 8.8%, this brings out the fruity esters and some spice, along with some nice sweetness and boozy warmth. Used with West Abbey yeast (which fits big, bold and dark Belgian beers very well) and additions of Light and Dark Belgian Candi sugar (also traditionally used in higher ABV belgian beers to keep high alcohol content without adding a lot of sweetness), this is a well balanced, big drinker. This comes out this weekend from the brewery in cans and will be available online as well.

Continuing their phase change (any fellow chemistry or physics nerds out there?) Tusket Falls Brewing has released the latest in their evolving series of hazy IPAs. Next Phaze v2 (look for the Feb canning date) sees a switch in hops, dropping the Mosaic and Phantasm, and adding Citra and Idaho 7 to complement the Riwaka. Keep your eyes peeled for the March release, which will see the return of Phantasm, but in an even more generous amount!

Fredericton’s Half Cut Brewing has new beer for folks looking to imbibe, but are still not exactly sure about all of this craft beer stuff. Cold Lite is a 3.6% American Light Lager, brewed with a grist of German Pilsner with rice for a bit more oomph without much body. The hops are light in bitterness, but present, with an earthy and floral aroma, with a touch of spicy finish. Grab a Cold Lite at their taproom on Main Street, and while you’re there, grab a slice or three from taproom-mates Coastline Pizza.

Cornwall’s Village Green has a new release and just as the weather turns colder and we get some weather, they’re bringing you a perfect release for the weekend. Oatmeal Stout is available now and is true to style in a smooth, drinkable stout with notes of dark roast coffee and cocoa. With a malt bill featuring Maris Otter and 2-row, with some helping hands from English Crystal, Roast Barley and Black Malt. That’s a big backbone for a smooth 5.2% stout. This is available now in pints and cans from the brewery.

Serpent Brewing is back with another new release this week, and if you hear Spryfield and Bitter, you may have a few thoughts (or beers) come to mind, but the Spryfield Brewery is releasing Spryfield’s Best Bitter this weekend. This beer will be on a little stronger end of the bitter scale, as it is more dark and rich than an Extra Special Bitter, this is balanced and has those toasty caramel flavours. A malt bill of British Pale Ale malt, Crystal and Grist Rye balance with a blend of UK hops but also some CTZ hops (Columbus, Tomahawk and Zeus) thrown in for some bittering. The final result is a 6.5% and 50 IBU, medium to full bodied, drinkable beer on the lower end of carbonation with a dry finish. Pick this up directly from the brewery on Sunday before the holiday Monday! (And make sure you check their hours if you want to get some on Monday).

This week’s final release comes in the form of a 3% ABV Berliner Weisse from Bannerman. Late Sunset is a light wheat ale with a hint of tartness from the souring bacteria. This one is unfruited, representing a great opportunity to experiment with adding your own fruit syrups (no judgement if you go the Purity syrup route), which is how this style is commonly served in Northern Germany.

Just one event reminder for you today!

A reminder that Bar Stillwell and Tide & Boar Gastropub are both hosting the Dieu Du Ciel! Péché Mortel Day this Saturday. In addition to the original Imperial Coffee Stout, they will be pouring Péché Latte, an Imperial Milk Stout; Péché Mexican, the original with spices & chilies, Péché Bourbon, a Bourbon barrel-aged version of the OG, and Péché Special Edition, brewed using Colombian Sierra Nevada coffee beans in place of the original. Good thing both bars will be pouring flights of these 9.5% brews! The fun kicks off at noon at both locations, and Stillwell is firing on all cylinders, as they will be featuring a Montreal Smoked Meat poutine feature that day. We suspect T&B will be pulling out all the stops for fun pairing too!

Before we let you go…

While our main purpose for existing is to keep informed about what’s happening in Atlantic Canada, we are occasionally compelled to spread the word about interesting beer and cider from outside the region when it hits local taps and shelves. That’s what’s happening today at Bishop’s Cellar where five beers from Scotland’s Tempest Brewing Co. are dropping. Swing by the store on Lower Water Street in Halifax or check out their online store to check out the five different styles from one of RateBeer’s top 100 best breweries in the world. While you’re there be sure to check out their other new imports including Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout, Ayinger Celebrator and a nice selection from Bellwoods and Dieu du Ciel.

As we roll through another mix of strange temperatures and precipitation in the Atlantic Provinces, our local breweries keep trucking along and bringing out the news and brews to serve the people. In more general beer news, one of the classic pairings of Beer and Football will be featured on this Sunday’s Superb Owl! If your chief priority is to get some beer stocked up for the weekend, then your eagle eyes should look no further than some of the new releases and news below.

We’re kicking off this week with some beer-adjacent news and the importance of celebrating African Heritage Month. The PEI-based folks at Upstreet have been working since the fall with the Black Cultural Society of PEI on a collaborative drink to honor and raise funds for the organization. The theme of the month for PEI’s month-long programming of events is Sankofa, a Twi (primary language in Ghana) word, meaning, “to look back into the past to guide the future.” Sankofa Tropic Punch is also the name of the resulting drink collaboration between Upstreet and BCS! This is a 5.5% ABV cocktail which brings in big flavours of banana, grenadine, and passionfruit. 10% of all sales of the cocktail will be donated to the Black Cultural Society. You can grab this sweet and juicy cocktail on tap at the Upstreet Taproom and Craft Beer Corner in Charlottetown. Be sure to check out all the events this month from the BCS of PEI and try to engage in-person or online if possible. And if you’re not on PEI, check out your own provincial or municipal events to celebrate African Heritage Month now or anytime throughout the year.

Keeping up with another collaboration, the Valley folks of Horton Ridge Malt House and Annapolis Brewing Company have teamed up to bring you Valley Helles. This is a Valley-based take on the German style Helles Lager but is made with local barley, of course. This crisp and refreshing lager brings classic notes of bread and crackers and a bit of malt sweetness with a very clean finish. It comes in at 4.3% and 16 IBU and is available in cans and on tap at both breweries.

From the Fundy shores over to the Northumberland Strait of Nova Scotia, Tatamagouche Brewing has a new release to get your hands on. Zin Gin is a grapefruit and rosemary saison that’s been waiting to come out of the barrel for a while! The main brew started out in the kettle where Mistral and Chinook hops were joined by grapefruit peel and fresh rosemary. For fermentation, the wort was inoculated with a blended culture of French saison yeast and some Brettanomyces to bring out more herbal and citrus character. After primary fermentation, the beer went into gin-infused Zinfandel wine barrels for 8 months of maxing and relaxing, while making some botanical flavor friends along the way. After barrel-aging, it was blended with a neutral sour beer and then racked onto a dry hop of Saaz and more grapefruit peel. The beer was then can-conditioned and is available to you now. There is a dry and bitter profile to this one, but the sour component and racking really help balance this one out for a very complex and refreshing brew at 7% ABV. Find this one now in 355ml cans at the brewery or online. (and potentially on tap and in cans around Halifax).

Another new release this week comes from Spryfield’s own Serpent Brewing. Available on Saturday, February 11th, Tanks but No Tanks is a Pale Ale that’s been boosted up with floral, citrus, and pine character while remaining well-balanced with toasty and sweet malt notes. Boasting a generous dry hop of Amarillo, this 4.4% beer is packed with flavour and should be a refreshing and juicy brew as we struggle with “will they or won’t they” Winter. This will be available in cans and on tap directly from the brewery.

Someone’s been busy on Quinpool Road recently and that’s the Garrison brew team on their pilot system at their Oxford taproom. They’ve got not one, not two, but three small batches for you to sample and savor this week. Up first is Nuts about Honey, a peanut butter and honey (natch) ale. Starting with a base of Pilsner, with biscuity Victory and sweet crystal specialty malts, it was was bittered with Bravo and, we believe, saw additions of both peanut butter and honey, yielding a creamy smooth, sweet, and nutty final product at 6.3%. A variation on that theme arrives with the second beer, Nuts About Molasses. This one is 5.2%, and was largely Munich malt in the mash with a bit of Victory for character, Bravo again for bittering. This time to go with the peanut butter there was molasses, which gives some dark fruit, and some spices for clove and nutmeg notes. Lastly, we’ve got what they’re calling a “Red Hot IPA” that they’re calling Caliente. Pilsner, dark Munich, crystal, and chocolate malts come together in this one to provide a platform for hops and spice. Bravo was used here too, for bittering, but the stars of the hop show were Citra, Cascade, Mosaic, and Simcoe. To that very citrusy and no doubt dank base was added habanero, which bring characteristic flavors and, of course, a lingering heat. All three are available only at the Oxford taproom.

Never let it be said that Trailway is unwilling to experiment, even with the tried and true. After the rousing success of their Hu Jon Light variation of their OG Hu Jon Hops IPA, they decided to attempt a yin to that yang and are now releasing Hu Jon Heavy. Boasting the same hop varieties as its smaller siblings, you’ll get the same fresh tropical fruit, sticky pine, and kushy dankness, but with a fuller flavor and body. Probably no need to mention this one hits quite a bit harder as well at 8% ABV. You can grab it now at the brewery, and, we expect, this one will probably see some wider distro; you can also keep your eyes peeled as kegs have been released into the wild as well.

Whether you’re way down in the Southwestern Nova Scotia, or in the HRM, you have the chance to try a new one from Tusket Falls. An American Porter (think English Porter with a higher ABV and more hop character), Original Experience comes in at 6% and brings with it a full body and rich mouthfeel along with a creamy head. Old school c-hop Columbus adds a firm bitterness along with some earthy and citrus character that balance the malty, roasty, nutty, and chocolatey flavors provided by the specialty malts used, namely roasted barley, chocolate malt, Golden Naked Oats, and crystal malts. Grab it now in cans or on tap at either of their locations, in Tusket or on Gottingen Street in Halifax.

Let’s jump up to Newfoundland for the first time this week, starting with Bannerman who are releasing a new lager, Aces High. Coming in at 4.5%, it’s essentially a light lager, aided by the addition of toasted rice. A Sorachi Ace dry-hop provides notes of peach, lemongrass and tea to keep things interesting. It’s on tap and in cans now at the brewery on Duckworth St., with cans also hitting NLC locations today (Friday) and Bannerman’s other retail spots later this weekend.

You already knew that Moncton’s Tire Shack can bang out the dessert stouts, with their toasted marshmallow stout, Society, being a mainstay in their core offerings. They’re doubling down on those credentials this week with the release of Peanut Butter and Chocolate MIlkshake Stout. This one takes its chocolate notes from substantial quantities of dark malts, sees an addition of over 25 kilos of peanut butter, and also incorporates Lactose for added sweetness and mouthfeel.

But if boffo big sweet stouts aren’t your thing, and you like to play more on the lighter side, or perhaps you’re more of a beer curious cocktail lover, Tire Shack also has you covered for that. Previously done as a pilot batch that was so popular it had to be scaled up and banged out in quantity, Cosmopolitan Sour is what it says on the tin: a beer version of the classic citrus and cranberry cocktail. You’ll find this one and the Society both now available in the tap room for pints and growler fills and also in cans to go.

Staying in the Moncton region of NB, but just down the road in Dieppe, CAVOK has a long-term project coming to light this week. Vega is named for the brightest star in the constellation Lyra (“the Lyre,” of course), a once (14,000 years ago) and future (in another 14,000 years or so) pole star, fifth-brightest star in the night sky, and one corner of the famed Summer Triangle asterism. But enough about the name, what about the beer? A raspberry pale ale that was fermented with Brettanomyces and aged in an oak foedre, at 5.3% you should find it a light and refreshing variation on an aged beer, which are most often bigger beers. You can confirm or deny this by visiting the brewery and grabbing one or more, either on tap or in 750ml bottles to go.

One of the region’s longest-running Homebrew Competitions, the Big Spruce Homebrew Challenge wrapped up this past weekend, as always at the Wooden Monkey in Dartmouth. This year’s event harkened back to the first edition of the competition, with a single wide-open IPA category where anything goes, and if you thought that an open IPA competition in 2023 would see a podium full of hazybois you’d be (⅔) wrong. In third place was Leo Arsenault and Jonathan Gavel of Antigonish with a British IPA, a rarer than hen’s teeth style in this day and age, but a very interesting and satisfying one. In second was Ryan Swinamer of Hammonds Plains, who had the requisite Hazy IPA. And coming in first place was Alex Hunt of Halifax, with another rather rare style (although familiar to longtime Spruceheads), a Cascadian Dark Ale, better known to many as a Black IPA. Congrats to all who placed and indeed, all those who entered, and thanks to Jeremy White, the team at Big Spruce, and the judging crew for putting on another great competition. Look for Alex’s winning beer with be scaled up and brewed for inclusion in the BS 10th Birthday Beer Box for April 1st!

We’ve only got one event for you this week, and it’s a ways away, but the sweet cheap tickets are on sale this weekend only!

No events to announce for this weekend, but we want to share some exciting news about an April event whose tickets are going on sale today. Together We Brew NS will take place on April 1 at Pavillion 22 at the Halifax Seaport. The event is being hosted by CBANS (replacing the Full House event from previous years), and will see over 50 CBANS members proffering their beers and ciders for sampling. Expect more than 250 locally produced beverages, live music, fun & games, and a bunch of different food options. Early bird tickets are available this weekend (only Sunday at midnight), with VIP tickets also available that will earn you extra samples and facetime with the brewery crews. Check out their website for more details on what is sure to be one of the highlights of the craft beer calendar this year.

Looking for a little work in the beer industry? See below.

The gang at Stillwell Brewing is looking for a little hand with their retail, with casual Saturday morning market hours and other retail/taproom hours coming available in the near future. If you love beer and love sharing your love for beer with the public at large, why not get paid for it? You can reach out to nikki@stillwellbrewing.com for more information.

…aaaaand we finish with a couple of quick newsbites you can wash down with your first beer of the weekend.

Fans of Good Robot may have noticed a distinct lack of some of their favorite GR brews in the last little while. The truth is, they’ve been focused on volume lately, what with their big shiny new brewhouse and plenty of orders to fill for their core brands. But this week sees the first of what they’re intending to be a trend in their offerings, the return of Tom Waits Imperial Stout. Still big, still dark, still dangerous. Only on tap at the GR Robie Street taproom.

As mentioned in our intro above, fans of American football know what weekend it is, and unless you’ve got your head in the sand you know Tuesday is also everybody’s most favorite* Hallmark Holiday, Valentine’s Day! Both of these events, tending to occur in the deep of winter, often see breweries offer special products, special deals, or special events and this year is no exception. Check out your favorite brewery’s or bar’s socials and websites and see whether they might be offering a bundle deal like 2 Crows with their AC Light Lager flat of 24 for $50 or a Valentines package like Breton Brewing’s Valentine’s Day Beergram Package, or an event like Bar Stillwell’s Loner’s Valentine. We’ve seen some offerings in these veins from Lake City Cider, Landwash, and Garrison as well. Now is probably also a good time to remind you that the easiest way to find out about these sorts of things is by signing up for your favorite producers’ email list, which will often get you access to early and/or special purchases, occasional discounts, and more (always MOAR!).

* “nobody’s most favorite” and “everybody’s least favorite” are also possible.

Friday Wrap-Up for November 18, 2022 – News from Western Newfoundland, Good Robot, Limestone, Trailway, Tanner & Co, Serpent, Big Spruce, Tusket Falls, Smokehouse Nano, Petit-Sault, Grand Falls, Novum Boreas, Ateepic, and much, much more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2022-11-18

Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, BarNone Brewing, Battery Park, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, BrewHQ, Copper Bottom Brewing, East Coast Conch, Four Rivers Brewing Co., Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Good Will Beer, Grand Falls Brewing, Harpoon Brewing, Limestone Group, Microbrasserie Ateepic, Novum Boreas Brasserie, Serpent Brewing, Smokehouse Nano Brewery, Spindrift Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, The Oxford Taproom, Trailway, Tusket Falls Brewing, Western Newfoundland Brewing. Leave a Comment

The cold weather is finally here, so let’s gather ‘round to read about beer. The nights are dark and shorter, so pour yourself a porter. We’ve got lots of news about local brews, so don’t linger any longer!

Exciting news on the West Coast of Newfoundland, as Pasadena’s Western Newfoundland Brewing Company has announced a big upgrade to their system. Opening six years ago with a 50 litre Sabco BrewMagic system, they have upgraded in a big way to a steam-fired three vessel capable of more than 1000 litres per batch. Drop by Thursday through Saturday to grab cans from their fridges as well as merch or kegs for your next get-together. One of those cans is the brand new charitable release, For Ukraine With Love. Brewed with 100% Ukrainian-developed and -grown hops, Promin and Zagrava, this light Euro Lager allows them to shine through with a light resinous character. Sold at the brewery and making its way Island-wide in the coming weeks, $6.00 of the $10.00 price tag is being donated to the Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter of the Association For New Canadians. Be sure to pick up a can or two to support this worthy cause!

Good Robot is back with another Goodwill Beer release and earlier this week, United Way IPA was released in collaboration with and in support of United Way Halifax. United Way Halifax has a few campaigns kicking off this week to help support the housing crisis, as United Way is a donor-funded organization that is always advocating and helping those in need of housing.The beer itself is an approachable IPA that is a blend of citrus, sweet and wheat, thanks to the hop bill of Comet, Idaho 7 and Lemondrop. 50 cents from every beer sold in the taproom or anywhere, goes directly towards United Way Halifax. You can get this one in cans or on tap at Robie Street, or order online for delivery.

Limestone Beverages, a group of Bahamian-Haligonian folks sharing the love of their homeland, have a pair of new beers available now. They are hosting a tasting (and more!) event at East Coast Conch restaurant Sunday to showcase the releases, both alcoholic and non-, with some food pairings and live music to accompany. Pina Colada Wheat Ale is a 5.0% ABV with mild pineapple notes, with a creamy coconut rum-like mouthfeel, which will have you transported to the Caribbean with the waves lapping at your toes. Paired with Beef Sliders in coconut buns topped with mango and bacon jam.. East Coast Flamingo is a 4.8% Watermelon and Kiwi Ale, with plenty of the named ingredients on the nose and palate, enhanced by hibiscus flower for a lovely pink hue and floral character. ECC is pairing a Snapper Taco with this drink. For those looking for great fruit character without the alcohol, Limestone also makes Switchas, the Bahamian lime-ade. The name comes from the fact that the drink is both sour and sweet, switching up your brain as to what it’s tasting! There will be Lime and NS Blueberry Switcha pouring as well. And to really top Sunday evening, Limestone will have some Junkanoo performances, with live music and dance, so be sure to visit!

Strap in for a trio of Trailway releases, as they’ve got two holiday releases and one returning collaboration all available now. Earlier this week, Hu Jon Holiday is their classic Hu Jon Hops recipe with some extra piney hops and spruce tip additions. This is a much more piney and resinous version of their flagship IPA and is 6.6%. It’s available now at the brewery, select ANBL stores and will be available at Harvest Wines in Halifax this weekend or early next week.

Second up from their holiday release is Facts, an American Barelywine. This 11.9% banger brings the deep, rich flavours of caramel, dried fruit, toffee and nice rich malt character with that right hop balance. This is releasing in a sensible 355ml can format, available now at the brewery, and *may* be seen a little further afield.

Finally, a collaboration with Lagabière rounds off Trailway’s release news. De L’autre Boutte to Here is a Double Dry Hopped IPA that is absolutely packed with Citra, Simcoe and Motueka. This is very bright with citrus zest flavours and a powerful punch of tropical fruit and dank pine. This nice 7% release is available now in kegs and cans as well.

All of these three releases can also be ordered online for delivery or pick-up.

All aboard the mead train! Tanner & Co Brewing has a pair of sparkling mead releases new this week. First up, Barrel Fermented Sparkling Mead is their house sparking mead with some citrus rind and cinnamon added during the boil and then put into French oak barrels. This one fermented outside through the wacky Nova Scotia weather and returned back to stainless for carbonation. The result is a 6.8% sparkling mead and is packaged in 500ml bottles.

Second on the mead train is a new release that follows in the footsteps of one of their beers. Muscat Sauvage Sparkling Mead uses Muscat grape skins from Grand Pré Winery and the same yeast as their Sauvage Saison beer. Local honey was used from Little Bee Farm to keep it all within the province. This is a nice and dry finishing brew and the grape skins add a great flavour and aroma to the mead. This one comes in at 5.6% and sounds very drinkable.

Both of these meads are available at the brewery and taproom and available for delivery through their online store.

Spryfield’s Serpent Brewing has a new release out this week, another in their foray into the lager style. This 6.0% Amber Lager features a mix of Munich malts (Cara and Light, in addition to the standard Munich malt), offering a touch of colour and a hint of toast and roast notes. The German lager yeast used keeps it clean and crisp without any sweetness, balancing with the ever-so-light hop profile. Available on draught and in cans now at their spot on Sussex, just behind Canadian Tire/beside Mary Brown’s.

Out today is a beer celebrating the special relationship the province of Nova Scotia has with the city of Boston. Thankful for the massive support the city offered after the Halifax Explosion, since 1971 the province has been sending down the city’s Christmas Tree, harvested from somewhere in Nova Scotia. This year’s tree hails from Christmas Island, and is stopping in Halifax before it continues its journey South. The third year of From Nova Scotia With Love is out today, a collaboration between Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing and Boston’s Harpoon Brewery. This year’s release is Whiskey Barrel Aged Fat Archie Molasses Cookie Imperial Stout… Featuring spruce tips, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove, this 11.0% beast of a beer is a melding of flavours that will have you looking for another sip! Cans are available at the brewery now, should be heading to some better beer bars in the province, and on their online shop for delivery or shipping real soon.

Sticking in Nova Scotia, Tusket Falls Brewing is releasing Next Phaze, a Hazy IPA. This is packed with hops and a big tropical punch in each sip. Featuring a hop blend of Rikawa and Cryo Mosaic , and that magical Phantasm as an adjunct addition (extracted from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, bringing mega thiol freedom!), this brings the big tropical notes with some pine, citrus and a creamy bitterness. This is 6.4% and available at both brewery locations, online and will be headed to the NSLC at some point.

Smokehouse Nano Brewery in Berwick is celebrating the town’s centennial with a release showcasing their appreciation and pride in their home. Centennial Pale Ale is a 5.0% ABV light and refreshing pale ale, which features, not surprisingly, Centennial hops! With a label featuring the Greetings From Berwick 100th Year Mural recently unveiled in town, cans are available at their taproom location, and will also be for sale at this evening’s Valley Wildcats home game!

Edmundston’s Petit-Sault recently hosted three Northwest New Brunswick breweries for a dark and dangerous collaboration in their brewhouse, which was released this week. NOir is an 8.5% ABV Pastry Stout, made with chocolate, vanilla, and maple syrup. Folks from Grand Falls Brewing, Novum Boreas in Saint-Quentin, and the soon-to-open Microbrasserie Ateepic in Edmundston all took part in the fun, and will have the beer available at their taproom/retail shops, with limited selections making it to ANBL stores as well.

Spindrift Brewing has a nice release for the colder weather. Goldilocks is a Nitro Oatmeal Stout, bringing some nice roast, smoke, cocoa, and high drinkability to the style at 4.8%. Working with Craft Coast Canning and their Nitro dropped, so definitely pour this one into a glass and get that nice cascade effect. This smokey oatmeal stout has a lovely malt bill of Superior Pilsen, Carafa III, Chocolate Malt, Flaked Oats, Golden Naked Oats and Honey Oat Malt. Balanced up with Warrior hops up to 25 IBU, this is a full stout that deserves a full pour! This beer is available now at the brewery in Dartmouth and should be available over the weekend in Antigonish.

Spindrift also has a returning favourite, in what could be its last hurrah. Hurricane IPA is their West Coast IPA that’s coming out in a nice smaller 6 x 355ml format. This is available now at the brewery in Dartmouth and will be in Antigonish next week.

Last month we told you about a brewery hosting their first homebrew competition, and this week we get to tell you that another brewery is hosting their TENTH annual* competition. Those who’ve taken part in the past know that Big Spruce’s Home Brew Challenge has been one of the most fun comps to both participate in and to judge and we suspect that this year will be no exception. Throwing it back to the competition’s first year, they’re calling for brewers to assemble and brew their best IPA across all BJCP 2021 IPA Categories: 21A American IPA, 21B Specialty IPA, 21C Hazy IPA, 22A Double IPA and X2 IPA Argenta (we’re guessing the inclusion of that last one may have been a clerical error unless someone’s got a line on Argentinian hops). That also includes all of the sub-categories of 21B, so Belgian IPA, Black IPA, Brown IPA, Brut IPA, Red IPA, Rye IPA, and White IPA (insert Forrest Gump shrimp GIF here). Key to note, however, is that there will not be separate judging of sub-styles: all entries will be judged side-by-side in a true winner-take-all Hollywood blockbuster-style shootout, just with hops being the weapon of choice. The winner, as always, will see their winning recipe brewed on Big Spruce’s 7BBL pilot system and distributed throughout the region. Two runners up (2nd and 3rd) will receive a swag/merch and beer box. All participants will be invited to the gala on February 5th, 2023, at the Wooden Monkey in Dartmouth for the big announcement. You can find additional details in this Ig post, and you can express your interest in competing (or ask additional questions) by emailing info@bigspruce.ca.

* There might have been a year missing there for COVID; we can’t remember 😬

We already told you about the 2 Crows SCOOPS event and release, happening tonight from 5 – 11 PM (Stout pours and Ice Cream Floats!, with live music from 8 PM), but let us not skip over the fact that they have a beer on the other end of the spectrum pouring this week, and will still be available tonight… Zig is a Berliner Weisse style beer, think light and tart, this one has seen the addition of prickly pear to the batch. Those who remember Zip, Zap, Zop, and Zoup will see this fit in nicely to the family. On tap only as it is a small batch, but it may pair/contrast nicely with the SCOOPS you’re going to try.

Don’t forget to get out to your local brewery, cidery, or good bar this weekend. We’ve entered the slow season, and they can use all the support we can throw at them! We already told you about Copper Bottom’s Fifth Anniversary, and accompanying beer last week, here are a few other spots to visit if you’re in HRM…

Garrison Brewing’s Oxford Taproom, located at the corner of Quinpool and Oxford Streets in Halifax, is celebrating its Third Anniversary this weekend. They’ve got loads of beer specials, releases, and pop-ups planned for the entire weekend, including gluten-free empanadas from Verano tonight, handpies from Humble Pie tomorrow. Saturday late morning, The Oxford will host a yoga session, followed Sunday by a pop-up shop with local artist Peter Roth, and the evening is capped by stand-up comedy hosted by Dan Hendricken. Plus beer and coffee specials all weekend! It’s all too much to share here, so check this IG post for all the fun details! One of those beers is the return of their winter seasonal, All Lit Up. This 7.0% Winter Warmer Strong Ale was lightly spiced and features more of cinnamon, clove, raisins, and even some apricot, on top of the rich malt caramel flavour. Available on tap and in cans at their retails spaces now, it will also be at both private and provincial stores very soon.

The BrewHQ Retail Store is holding their Grand Opening this Saturday, November 19th. Located at 80 Thornhill Drive, this beer-making-centric store has tons (literally!) of ingredients, equipment for homebrewers of all sizes (and even small commercial outfits), as well as a few other draws that make them unique in the region (if not the world!). First and foremost is the fact that they have two house-brewed beers available on tap, allowing folks browsing the store something to sip on while they shop. Brewed on their 350 litre (3 BBL) system, they are concentrating on English Real Ale styles, working with naturally-carbonated beers, and handpump faucets to deliver the beer. Pouring right now are Extra Special Bitter and Traditional Mild. And if you like what you have in-store, you can even get a growler or PET bottle fill to take home. Enhancing the taproom feel is a full complement of pinball and Arcade machines (on Free Play all day during the party!), hotdogs and sausages and popcorn and soda while you browse and chat beer and brewing with the staff. Speaking of brewing, there will be a Grainfather Brew School happening tomorrow, an example of the weekly classes held at BrewHQ. For those interested in getting into the Homebrewing hobby, the Grainfather allows folks to do a full Grain brew (for ultimate control over the recipe, unlike pre-fabbed wort or the “kit and kilo” of years ago). Those who visit can enter in some door prizes (including the chance to win a Grainfather!!), and there are pop-up events happening throughout the day. What a way to spend your Saturday, for those already brewing at home, looking to learn more about the hobby, or just wanting another spot to enjoy a pint while playing pinball!

The good beer events continue into Sunday, as Barrington Street’s Bar Stillwell celebrates its Ninth Anniversary of slinging the good stuff. Look for special beers from the cellar (think Stilly Brewing Preach v.2018), freshies from south of the border (a Fruited Sour DIPA from Hudson Valley Brewing), and of course some great Belgian sours (Hof Ten Dormaal anyone?). As always, the food will be off the hook, and bumped up even more as Chef Joe Martin is putting an Italian-American spin on the menu, bringing some Saucy Meatball Sandwiches to reality, along with the usual hits from behind the protective cage. Plus birthday cake! Open from noon til midnight Nov 20, so plenty of time to enjoy, so we suggest pacing yourself.

Details are light on this one, but clear your calendar for Saturday November 26th, as Dartmouth’s Battery Park is hosting a complete Tap Takeover from Tatamagouche Brewing. 17 taps a-flowing means a few originals from back in the day, some recent hits, and at least a couple of brand new releases! We hope to have even more info for yas next week!

A couple more things before we let you go this weekend…

It has been a year since Barnone Brewery in Rose Valley re-opened their barn under new management. Dozens of brews and Growler Nights and events have taken place over the course of the last twelve months. Due to the colder weather, they are closing the barn for winter, aiming for re-opening in early March. However Barn One fans, fear not, as plenty of spots on the island are carrying their beer, including HopYard, Abbiato, Olde Dublin, Pilot House, Red Shores, Olde Triangle, 511 West, and plenty more. Just ask at your favourite watering hole, and if they don’t already have it on tap, insist they bring in a keg!

Bathurst’s Four Rivers Brewing has a returning seasonal back this week, available on draught and in cans across the province’s liquor stores. Pa Rum Pum Pomander is perhaps a departure from the dark and roasty seasonals other breweries have put out, as this is a festive New England IPA featuring loads of citrus and just a touch of clove character. Medium bodied, creamy mouthfeel, and a 6.0% ABV may just make this a favourite of Old Saint Nick next month!

We close out this week’s blog with a salute to our Beer-Pals-In-Arms at 902 BrewCast, whose podcast explored the world of Atlantic Canadian (and beyond) beer, cider, and mead, over the past 6 years, recording more than 150 episodes. Tony, Kyle, and Phil were there in 2016 before 2 Crows Brewing opened their doors (starting the joke of a 902BC Curse…), put IPAs through a torture test to see how they held up in various extreme environments, and became one with the land in PEI as they drove through barley fields… They’ve decided to say so long to the podcast, but you know that won’t mean the end of their love for all things fermented, so you’ll be seeing them at beer-y events and releases in the future. Download “Tomorrow” right now and crack a beer to drink with your friends.

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