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Saturday Wrap-Up for April 20, 2024 – News from Trailway, Village Green, Tusket, Tanner, Big Spruce, Propeller, Garrison, Lone Oak, and Boxing Rock

Posted by acbbdamian on 2024-04-20
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Lone Oak Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Village Green by Modern Brewer. Leave a Comment

Look at us posting late again. Is it because we were out enjoying all of the lovely beers the region has to offer us? Sadly, no, once again real life intervened. After a lovely week of weather (in Halifax, anyway) looks like we’ll be blessed with yet another rainy spring weekend, as is traditional. So rather than enjoying a cold one or two in the sun while you finish that yard cleanup, maybe you’ll be sipping a couple while you organize your linen closet and wash your walls instead. So it goes. The good news is, there’s plenty of new beers for you to seek out and try this week, so without further ado, let’s tell you about them! Stay tuned to this spot next Friday for some big news from us on the future of the AC Beer Blog.

Big week for Fredericton’s Trailway Brewing, as they release a trio of new beers entering the second half of April. First is the latest in their line of fruit smoothie beers known as The Blend. This week sees The Blend: Mango, Strawberry & Banana hitting the taps and shelves. Each can is absolutely overflowing with more than 200 grams of fruit, pours a thick bright pink colour, and provides all of the vitamins and fibre needed as part of your complete dinner (or breakfast or lunch!). Cans and draught are available at both their homebase and Saint John locations.

Also new on tap and in cans is the bigger sister to the popular Ooz Double IPA… Oozier is the double-dry hopped version, which still clocks in at 8.0% ABV, but has even more hops added after the fact. Look for even more tropical fruit flavors and aromas in the form of mango and peach, coconut and even vanilla! On tap and in cans now. And if you act quickly, you can take advantage of $10 shipping for a 12- or 24-can box, within New Brunswick, as well as Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario. Score! Sorry, The Blend is not shippable due to the fact that it should be kept cold at all times, and neither is the new small batch brew available at the Union House in Saint John, Pilot Project #3, a NEIPA brewed with Cashmere hops. Lucky folks in uptown SJ!

Cornwall, PEI’s Village Green has a pair of new options on draught this week. Released on the weekend was Aussie Haze, a 6.0% Hazy IPA, featuring Australian-grown Ella and Topaz hops (along with a handful or three of Citra). Dank, resinous, and bitter, this IPA has a bit of bite to go with the aromatics and flavour in the glass. And joining it is a return to when things were Fine… This 5.7% Red Ale is a fine alternative to the hoppier side of life, with crystal and chocolate malts reminding us that the grain bill is fiercely important too! On tap, and in cans, so pop out this weekend to get more of the good stuff!

In Tusket Falls, on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, the eponymously named Tusket Falls Brewing is releasing a lager this week. This should not be surprising to anyone who’s been following the brewery as, after hitting the market with a fairly traditional lineup, then expanding their portfolio with a plethora of sours and IPAs (and sour IPAs, natch!), in the last year or so they’ve now doubled down on lager production as well. This latest release is a 4% ABV light German lager, crisp and light, built on a base of crackery Weyerman Pilsner malt and hopped with traditional Tettnanger. Dubbed Industry this one sounds about perfect for your après spring yard cleanup or just a tall cool one after a long work day. Packaged in cans, we reckon you’ll find it both at the home base and at their tap room in Halifax.

Speaking of lagers brewed by South Shore NS breweries starting with the letter ‘t’, up next is a New Zealand Pilsner from Tanner & Co. Brewing in Chester Basin. As is de rigueur for the style, this one comes out with a rich golden color, with a clean malt profile thanks to a grist of local malts, and a hop bill that stresses the wonderful white wine-esque flavors that New Zealand hops are known for. In this case, Motueka and Nelson Sauvin provide notes of lime, gooseberry, and pineapple to balance the malt. Coming in at 5.5% ABV, this one is packaged in cans and is no doubt available both at the brewery and Tanner’s tap room location in Chester proper.

Up in Nyanza, on Cape Breton Island, Big Spruce Brewing is doing that collaboration thing they do so often (and so well), this time pairing up with a pair of local musicians, Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen, to produce Made to be Played, a session IPA. Featuring newfangled experimental hop variety HBC 1019 (the name fairly rolls off the tongue), it boasts light and lively flavors of mango, fuzzy peach, and citrus zest. And at only 4.5% ABV you can safely enjoy a couple while you enjoy some local tunes. Find it in cans direct from the source.

Available new this weekend from Propeller is Prickly Pear Lagered Ale. At 4.8%, the light ale is a perfect blank palette upon which the prickly pear cactus fruit can bring its tart character, fruity ester profile, with a beautiful pink hue. Available on draught at their Prop taps in Dartmouth, Halifax, and Bedford, and in cans there, and soon at the private and government stores too.

Dartmouth’s Burnside Brewing is also releasing a brand new exotic fruit-laden beer this week, in their case melding the musky aromas and sticky sweet tropical notes of pink guava with the stone fruit and citrus tones of New Zealand Wai-iti and Rakau hops for a fruited NEIPA. Athena is hazy and bright, with a firm bitterness of 40 IBU to counter the fruity sweetness and weighs in at a solid 6%. Dosed with pink guava purée for a legitimate blast of fruit, you can certainly expect some tropical punch vibes from this one as you dream of warmer weather. Available now at all Burnside locations, and coming to all the private stores in the HRM in the coming weeks.

Wouldn’t you know it, there’s a third HRM brewery melding fruit and beer this week as Garrison comes at us with Mango Dragonfruit Sour once again. A stalwart summer brew over the last few years, as always it brings real mango and dragonfruit to a sour base built off a grist of Pilsner and wheat malts. At 5% ABV, it’s not going to rock your world with booze, but it might with fruit flavor and a tang. Boasting a rich red-purple color, it’s intended to taste like summer in a can. Look for it in cans at Garrison locations and the private stores in the HRM, and soon at the NSLC, ANBL in New Brunswick and NLLC in Newfoundland as well.

A quick hit from Lone Oak Brewing, who have released Lush West Coast IPA, just in time for 4/20. The first, but probably not the last, of their beers brewed with TERPS, a new strains of yeast from Escarpment Labs, developed to enhance stone fruit and citrus terpenes in the resultant beer. More from Escarpment on the yeast here.

We’re ending the week back on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, where Boxing Rock makes their home. Once fiercely against cans for several reasons, they surprised everyone (or no one) by introducing cans to their portfolio four years ago (coincidentally on April 1st…). Well, they have announced that they are packaging their latest made-for-aging release in the last of the bottles they had remaining in the brewery, so this is your chance to purchase a little bit of history! Clock Work Imperial Stout is big and bold at 10% ABV, featuring rich roast and chocolate notes, and is available in both 355mL and 650mL bottles at both the Shelburne Taproom, as well as their Windsor Street location in Halifax. Keep those eyes peeled for a barrel-aged version to be released at Christmas!

Boxing Rock Shelburne and Halifax also have fresh cans of their Brass Monkey Cold IPA, the winner of their “Legendary Empty Tank” beer competition held in January. This was an “everything but the beer” contest, in that entrants shared their beer recipe, and opined on the beer and its place in the BR line-up, but no actual beers were brewed or tasted. Brad Smith’s winning beer is 6.7% ABV, and can be purchased this weekend!

Friday Wrap-Up for February 9, 2024 – News from Tanner, Tire Shack, Boomstick, Boxing Rock, Banished, Tusket Falls, Breton, Unfiltered, Trailway, Big Spruce, Village, Green, Saltbox and More!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2024-02-09
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Banished Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Boomstick Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Breton Brewing, Burnside Brewing Company, Garrison Brewing, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Saltbox Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Village Green by Modern Brewer. Leave a Comment

We don’t know about you folks, but we blinked and somehow we’re already a third of the way through February; maybe last weekend’s snow did something to accelerate that. Speaking of which, many breweries in the region lost some business days to getting dug out, so bear that in mind when you’re picking up beer for the big foosball game this weekend (see more on that below). Also coming up soon is Valentine’s Day, which really has nothing to do with beer unless you want it to. Anyways, enjoy this week’s round up of beer news in Atlantic Canada.

Chester Basin’s darling, Tanner & Co has a brand new beer available this week, dipping into the dark and delicious end of the spectrum. At 5.7% ABV, Oatmeal Stout is robust, with roast, coffee, and chocolate notes coming though thanks to the dark malts used in the mash. The addition of oats helps smooth out the mouthfeel, lending a wonderful creamy texture. The ensemble will have you looking forward to that next sip (and next pint!). Available now in both their Chester Basin brewery location, as well as their Chester taproom, and for delivery online through their shop, too!

Speaking of dark and roasty beer, Moncton’s Tire Shack has brought back their Belgian Coffee Quad this week. Melding the biggest of the Belgian styles, known for its dark fruit, caramel, and a bit of sweetness, with some great coffee roasted by nearby Down East Coffee. That combination, as well as the 9.0% ABV, will have you praising the heavens for this lovely brew. Pop by 190 John Street to see their recently expanded taproom, and grab a pint and cans before this seasonal disappears.

On to Corner Brook, where Boomstick Brewing calls 55 West Street home. They’ve decided to kick up the hops in a big way with the release of Double Knit ImperialIPA. A light base of Pilsner malt and flaked wheat supports the absolute jumbo weight of hops used in the beer. Idaho 7, Simcoe, and Mosaic have been knitted together for multiple layers of tropical, citrus, resin, and much more. On tap right now, available in cans as well, with those being distributed on the Good Beer Highway across the province soon!

It being February, the annual Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl is up and running on the South Shore of the province, and, as is traditional, the craft brewers in the area are getting involved. This week we can tell you that Boxing Rock Brewing has put together a new brew for the occasion this year, with a name that’s a riff on one of their most popular beers. Shuck Off is a blonde ale coming in at 5% ABV. Although they’re describing it as “LOBSTERIFIC” it contains no actual lobster. That said, with a light and crisp body, it’s the perfect refreshing pairing for rich, and often garlic-butter-soaked lobster! Check out all the events at the official website linked above and grab yourself some Shuck Off at all Boxing Rock locations.

It’s time for the Superb Owl Section of this post. Many breweries have some deals on now until Sunday February 11th. You like deals? We like deals. You like the Superb Owl? We do, too! Check out your favourite local craft breweries offering some special deals for the big game. These deals are directly from the breweries, so go to the source for your stuff if you can. 

Breton Brewing

  • Lager –  Mixed 4 Pack (473ml) for $12
  • Lager – Mixed Flat (24 x 473ml) for $50
  • Black Angus IPA – Two 355ml 6 Packs for $30

2 Crows Brewing

  • AC Light Lager – Flat (24 x 473ml) for $50

Garrison Brewing

  • Tall Ship Light – Case (12 x 355ml) for $25

Propeller Brewing

  • Prime Lager – Flat (24 x 355ml) for $40
  • Azacca – Flat (24 x 355ml) for $50

Burnside Brewing

  • Toller Lager, Gold & Lite – Case (12 x 355ml) for $22

Trailway Brewing

  • Fetch Lager – $4 off a Case (12 x 355ml)

North Brewing

  • 15% Off – Newsletter code

REMINDER: Not every brewery is big enough to produce beers like this that can be brewed in quantity and sold at minimal margin or even a loss to drive cash flow. So by all means, spend some of your craft beer dollars on these deals, but maybe save a couple of simoleons to pick up something from a smaller producer for whom every can counts?

We’ll take a minute to highlight one big party going on Sunday evening, up in Paradise, NL, where Banished Brewing is doing up The Banished Bowl, with tailgate starting at 6pm leading into a private watch party. Tickets for the event are $45 each, which includes entry, 2 beer tickets, 1 meal ticket, a take-home mug, and exclusive access to additional beers from Toronto’s Bellwoods and Halifax’s 2 Crows. One of the Banished joints you’ll be able to enjoy this weekend is the return of Makes Sense, their hazy IPA, which is, “ultra fresh and tasting insane.” So Making Sense is nonsensically good, apparently!!

Here’s our last few quick hits to send you on your way for the weekend. Go Ninefs!! Yay Chiefers!! Happy Tay Tay!!

If you know anything from the last couple of years of craft beer trends, it’s that Lager is Life. Tusket Falls Brewing have two locations in Tusket and Halifax, and both are featuring three new lagers. While they brew up a new one in the tank now, they currently have Czech Pils, German Pils and Helles all on tap. The Czech is featured on a Lukr side pull and all beers are available at both locations. Let your noses and tongues pick up the classic hops of Saaz and Hallterteauer Mittelfruh along with classic continental malts from Raven and Weyermann. They’re hoping to have these available all the time, so check them out if you’re around either location.

As mentioned above, there’s a deal on some Breton Brewing lagers for a football game. If you’ve been following along with their Light Lager series, you’ll be happy (or sad) that this is the fourth and final release. Breton Lager #4 is a Light Lager at 4%. That’s all we can tell you! It’s crisp and light and available now, and as part of one of their Superb Owl deals mentioned above. We’re looking forward to seeing which of the light lager variants will be the go-to for a bigger batch to feed summer thirsts across Cape Breton Island and beyond.

Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing has a re-release a few years after its debut in 2021. This is a memorial brew to the late Paul McKinnon and Battleship PM-67 is back and available now as a tribute and memorial to the brewery’s late friend and patron. This double IPA is made with the Cryo Pop hop blend (from Yakima Chief) and is packed with tropical tastes and flavours, including pineapple, peach, and grapefruit. This is 7.5% and available at the brewery on tap and in cans. 

Break out the Silver and Black (no the Raiders aren’t in the big game!) because Bearstream is back: Trailway Brewing’s tasty West Coast IPA is back with some tweaks. Still using classic West Coast hops, this new batch beefs up the malt bill to add some toastiness and doughy body not traditionally in the style. Still piney, resinous, and citrusy, it still has the West Coast bitterness, but with a bit more malt balance in a 7% package. It’s available now from the brewery and online. 

Faithful patrons of Nyanza’s Big Spruce will be excited about the latest beer returning to taps and cans. Amärzen Grace is back and this Märzenbier is true to the traditional German lager style. German for “March Beer”, this beer is a malty, full-bodied lager that is very drinkable with notes of toffee and dried fruit. It is 6% and available on tap for growlers and pints and in cans from the brewery (in-person or online!).

The returning favourites keep on rolling as Village Green brings back one of their classic brews, Dark Mild. Forever drinkable at 3.5%, the beer has a good body with notes of chocolate and a nice sweet malty-drinkable everlasting flavour. Get this one on tap or cans to go from the Cornwall, PEI brewery.  

From the Saltbox Brewing crew, we’ve got news of a brand new location launching this summer. In addition to their other Nova Scotia taprooms in Wolfville, Mahone Bay, Bridgewater, and Lunenburg, this will be a Tantallon Taproom at the Shining Waters Marina. More details will be arriving soon, but this planned partnership will launch later this year.

Friday Wrap-Up for July 8, 2022 – News from Big Spruce, Candid, Copper Bottom, Propeller, Trailway, Tatamagouche, North, Annapolis, Lunn’s Mill, Shipwright, Village Green, and more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2022-07-08
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, Annapolis Brewing Company, Big Spruce Brewing, Candid Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, North Brewing, Propeller Arcade, Propeller Brewing, Shipwright Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Village Green by Modern Brewer. Leave a Comment

We’re firmly into the throes of Summer here in the Atlantic Provinces, and with some lovely sunny weather and dryer air on the way, you’d be remiss if you didn’t get some beers together to enjoy outdoors (y’know, if you’re into that kind of thing). Luckily, our region’s breweries are also fully into the swing of summer, with new and returning favourites hitting the shelves and the taps this week across the region. So read on and see what new treats might be available at your locals in addition to your usual faves.

Let’s start things off in Northeastern Nova Scotia, where Big Spruce and Candid are releasing a new collab called Talus. This 7.4% hazy double IPA showcases the Talus hop, along with some complementary additions of Sabro and Mosaic hops, leading to prominent citrus notes, including grapefruit. Check out the label art for a fun play on the ever popular Wordle, where the breweries add a few more descriptors of the beer. Cans are available now at the Sprucetique and for delivery via Big Spruce’s online store. In more Spruce news, keep your eyes peeled for a new can design for their Tag! You’re It! IPA, which to date has raised more than $110,000 for the Ocean Tracking Network.

We’ve got a special release out of Montague, PE, this week, as Copper Bottom Brewing releases Betty’s Ale, a Golden Ale that has a lot of heart behind it. From the brewery: “Betty, who was affectionately known as ‘Captain Izzy,’ was one of the first women in Eastern PEI to captain her own fishing boat, had a heart the size of PEI, and was the best doggone biscuit maker this side of Kings County.” This golden ale is 5% ABV, very drinkable and approachable (like Betty!) with flaked rice additions to the malt bill,  this adds to a crispier mouthfeel and dry finish, pairing with balancing Columbus hops at 20 IBU. This beer is also being released to help support emerging female entrepreneurs in PEI, with $1 from every can and pint going towards the PEI Business Women’s Association. This is available now in cans and on tap from the brewery. 

A re-release from Halifax’s Propeller Brewing this week, just after Canada Day, but featuring New Zealand hops. NZ Pils (not to be confused with NA Lager), is a New Zealand Pilsner featuring the pairing of hops, Nelson Sauvin and Motueka, native to NZ.  With a nice malt backbone and citrus and white wine aromas, this is 40 IBU and 5.2% and very nice and crispy. Watch for this in cans and on draught at the Prop Shops, and at licensees around HRM. 

And as they continue to celebrate their 25th Anniversary in 2022, July is the time for events to really ramp up, with 90s Karaoke Night at their Quinpool Tap Room on July 16, Propeller Arcade holding a block party screening of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the parking lot of their Gottingen location (previously Wormwoods Cinema) July 24, and on July 29, you can get the VIP treatment as you tour their Dartmouth brewing facilities to learn about all facets of the design and making of the beer and how it makes it into fridge and/or your glass! Click here to learn more and grab tickets! And hey, if you want to learn about the events, upcoming special release beers, and more, be sure to subscribe to the 902 BrewCast now, so you’ll get the episode with Cam and Pat of Propeller when it drops on #902sday!

In the category of returning beer with a new recipe (new hops, who dis?) we turn to Fredericton’s Trailway, as Shades is an IPA back for another year with a new batch of hops. This year, it’s made with a blend of 100% Aussie hops, using Eclipse, Vic Secret and Topaz which are sure to bring big flavours and aromas of orange, pineapple, pine, with some floral notes as well, in this 6.6% IPA. We can’t wait to stick our noses (with open mouths) in this one. Other people say that, right? Grab this one in cans and on tap at the brewery. 

You may spot this one in the wild this week from Tatamagouche Brewing, Waterlily Belgian Witbier is their take on a traditional Belgian wheat. It’s 4.9% and uses raw wheat, with additions of curaçao orange peel, freshly cracked coriander, and elderflower. Bringing iconic flavours and aromas of citrus and spice, you’ll be able to find this one around the province in kegs and we’ll be sure to keep you updated on any canning and retail releases.

And while we’re talking Tata, a heads up that their collaboration with Dartmouth’s North Brewing, Cool Melon Kolsch, which sees kilos and kilos of fresh watermelon added to the tanks, is set to release at North July 14. To celebrate, North is holding a Tata Tap Takeover at their spot at 899 Portland Street all weekend (while kegs last), with 4 options from the visitors, in addition to the collab beer, and slushies! Stop by to take part in the fun!

It’s Annapolis Royal Pride Day tomorrow, and to celebrate, Annapolis Brewing Company and Lunn’s Mill teamed up to bring us Saisons of Love. A 5.0% Saison with hibiscus, this beer starts in the classic Franco-Belgian style, and then is enhanced with the addition of hibiscus, for floral and fruity notes on the nose (enhanced by the dry-hopping with Mandarina Bavaria), and a lightly tart kick on the palate, finishing dry. Refreshing and fun, the beer is available on tap and in cans today at both establishments.

Let’s head to Nova Scotia’s South Shore, to Lunenburg’s Shipwright Brewing. They have released a cool hybrid of a beer on the weekend, Full Sail Smoked Pale Ale. Drawing on the best of both worlds, Full Sail features Smoked malt in the grist for just a touch of smoke on the palate, while remaining bright and fresh, and at 5.5%, perfect for patio sippin’. Grab it at their spot on Montague Street for pints and cans this weekend!

If you had to pick which brewery has the mostly new releases every week, who would it be? Village Green always seems to be in our weekly posts and this week they’ve got not one, but three! They decided to up the ante on their popular (and tasty!) Modern Bitter, to brew a straight up Extra Special Bitter. ESB is a classic recipe using Maris Otter as the main star of the grain bill, along with crystal and chocolate malts. Balanced with East Kent Goldings and Bramling Cross hops in the boil and then again for some dry-hopping action, this English wonder is 5.3% and available in cans and on tap from the brewery in Cornwall. Joining it is a brand new IPA named Oceanside, weighing at 7.0% and full of classic Cascade, Simcoe, and Amarillo throughout. And for good measure, they’ll be releasing a 5.2% Simcoe Pale Ale this weekend, so be sure to pop by (open 12 – 10 PM today and Saturday, 1 – 6 PM Sunday).

And finally this week, if you recently said to yourself (or your beer buddies) “I need some more short cans for beach/camping/summer/grillin’,” then 2 Crows was listening. Their flagship IPA, Pollyanna is available now in 6-packs in that lovely 355ml format. This beer has evolved over the years, but if you want a 7.3% NEIPA at 64 IBU with mega-juice, haze, and citrus, this one is for you. This 6x355ml format is only available at the taproom on Brunswick Street in Halifax