YellowBelly Brewery

All posts tagged YellowBelly Brewery

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

Here is our unofficial and almost certainly “out of date as soon as we publish” list of what breweries and cideries are up to at the moment.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

New Brunswick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Newfoundland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nova Scotia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prince Edward Island

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Beer News for March 20, 2020.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Friday folks, and welcome to February! The region is once again under the cold, wet, and unpredictable blanket of winter, with one of our writers struggling to find alternate travel plans south due to flight cancellations. Thankfully, we’re all more than ready for this with our fine ales and lagers that the region’s brewers have on the taps and shelves this weekend. One final reminder that the very fun Craft Beer Cottage Party at the Halifax Seaport is tomorrow, and there are still a few tickets available. We’ll be there taking it all in, and have the important job as one of the judges of the brewery booths (liquid bribes graciously accepted!). Grab your ticket and say Hi! if you spot us.

Speaking of the CBCP, one of the many new debuting beer and ciders will be a collaboration between Lake City Cider and Bishop’s Cellar. Pretty Please is a special blend of cider, wine, and spice, perfect for warming you up and reminding you of cottage weather. Starting with an apple blend base, they added in some house-fermented cherry wine, and steeped the whole thing with a bit of real vanilla bean, for good measure. It comes in at a moderate 5.5% ABV, and is showing “delicate, earthy cherry tones” along with subtle aromas of vanilla, almond, and marzipan. It’s extremely dry, which is going to leave you wanting more. 

And speaking of Bishop’s Cellar, they have dropped six new German beers in the store (online and IRL) from monastery brewery Weißenohe. With a traditional Pilsner, Helles, Dunkel, and more, all of us lager lads and lasses are definitely encouraged to check out this Reinheitsgebot-observing brewery on the shelves in Halifax.

The folks at Upstreet in Charlottetown are also scheduled to be at the CBCP again this year, and here’s hoping they bring some of their new French Saison. Using 5 varieties of malt from Island Malt House (2-row, wheat, rye, oat and amber), it’s got a bit of a New World/Old World hop thing going with Motueka from New Zealand meeting classic Continental varieties Perle and Magnum and a classic dry character from the use of French Saison yeast. Landing at 5.5% ABV and 25 IBU, you can expect a bit of orange zest and a little spicy banana and a big carb to accentuate it all. Only a little is being released to the wild right now, with some staying local at the Upstreet Taproom and Craft Beer Corner and some hopefully making it to Nova Scotia (perhaps Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse for on-site enjoyment, perhaps some other venues), but the bulk of the batch is in for some barrel love, so we’ll no doubt be talking about a different version of this beer in a few weeks or months.

But that’s not all that’s coming out of Upstreet this week. On Tuesday, February 11th, they’ll be hosting a launch party for Island Hop Company, the first commercial-scale Hop Farm ever to be established on the Island. We’ll no doubt have more to say about that in coming months, but for now, get your taste buds ready for the latest beer featuring their hops: YYG Lager. On the grist side of this traditional lager are Pilsner and Vienna malts from another Island producer, Shoreline Malting, with Magnum, Saaz, and Perle comprising the hop side. Full-bodied and substantial, though a fairly light 4.5% ABV, there’s some residual sweetness balanced by 25 IBU. It’s got a deep golden color and a frothy, persistent head, and brings notes of fresh bread and floral hops with a bit of spicy character to balance. Hopefully we’ll see it around the region as well!

Boxing Rock has released another beer that medaled in their annual homebrew competition, the Black Box Challenge. Common Sense, originally brewed by Mike and Brenden (we’re unsure of their last names, unless it’s like a Cher thing?), is a traditional California Common, meaning it was hopped with Northern Brewer (to 29 IBUs) and fermented cool with an ale/lager hybrid strain. This 5% ABV golden-amber beer features some pleasant “minty and pine resin” flavours (thanks to the NB) to go with the toasted malt and caramel notes in the background. You can find it on tap at Boxing Rock and local licensees, and it’s also available in bottles (those of you in the HRM can find these at the private liquor stores).

Up in Deer Lake, NL, Rough Waters Brewing Company is super excited for their WinterFest event tonight as it will represent the first time they’re serving their own beer in the tap room! Starting at 6 PM, there will be live music, charcuterie available, and, of course, beer! And what better way to celebrate than with a brand new brew, one they’re calling Down South. Acknowledging the snow birds who spend their winters in warmer climes, the travelers who manage a week or two’s vacation during the winter months, and the rest of us schmoes who can only dream, this is a moderately bitter IPA coming in at a rather light 5.1% ABV. No dry hops in this one, but there sure is a whole bunch of pineapple for a little taste of sunnier places. If you’re in the Deer Lake area tonight, it sounds like a great time and a fun beer to celebrate with.

Whatcha got for us this week, Big Spruce? Looks like they’ve got not one, but two new beers, both of which involve some barrel-aging, making them good sippers to have on hand for this craptacular weather we’re in the middle of. Let’s start with To Mars ‘N Back Again, a 6.8% ABV Bourbon barrel-aged Marzen.If you’re thinking you haven’t had a barrel-aged Marzen before, there’s a good chance you’re right. This amber lager aged for four months in Buffalo Trace barrels, and is exhibiting plenty of oak on the palate, with “notes of Bourbon, spice, and dried flowers on the nose”. It’s tasting fairly sweet, with hints of vanilla and butterscotch to complement. Bottles and kegs for this one, as it’ll be pouring on tap at the brewery and beyond. The next brew is even bolder: Just Peachy! is a Barleywine aged for over a year in peach brandy barrel.  “Fruity, subtle vanilla notes, and smooth as silk”, it’s big (as expected) at 11% ABV; available in bottles only, you can find it at the Sprucetique, Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market, and Bishop’s Cellar.

Brand new hoppy beer debuting at TrailWay’s taproom in Fredericton today, an American IPA named Perfect Landing. This 6% ABV brew exclusively features a new-to-TW hop variety, Callista. A German hop variety that came on the market about ten years ago, it’s described as “intensely fruity”, making it a natural for IPA styles. In this beer, TW  describes it as providing “huge stone fruit, particularly peach and mango, with plenty of juicy red berries”, with extremely low bitterness. Grab your pints, growlers and cans at the brewery when they open today (weather-permitting, of course). Oh, and while we’re on the topic of ultra-hoppy IPAs, their all-Citra American IPA, Seeing Citra, has made a return and can also be picked up at the taproom; it’ll also be on shelves of select ANBL stores any day now.

If you were a fan of Port Rexton Brewing’s Salted Porter that they released last year, we’re happy to report that it’s making a comeback… albeit with a slight twist. While the base beer is still the same, providing delightful, roasty goodness in a 5.4% ABV package, the salt used is different. It’s still from the Newfoundland Salt Company, but this batch features coffee salt. Yeah, apparently coffee salt is a thing! The addition provides “a subtle minerality”, with “lingering black coffee” notes, to go with the touch of bitterness in the finish. Sounds great to us! If you’re curious too, you can find the beer on tap at the brewery for pints and growlers; you can also grab growler fills at their retail shop in St. John’s.

Barely outside Fredericton, in Douglas, 3Flip Brewing has released their newest beer, El Fuego Chipotle Porter. This dark ale was brewed with a grist of Maris Otter, Caramel malts, and a bit of Chocolate malt, and was hopped with Mt. Hood to 28 IBUs. As you might have guessed from the name of the beer, chipotle peppers were added during the brew process; specifically, the peppers were chopped up, de-seeded, and thrown in at the end of the boil. The peppers provide the roasty malt profile with “just a little heat”, and a touch of smoke in the finish. Weighing in at 5.1% ABV, stay tuned to their social media pages if you’re interested in where you can track some down… we CAN tell you that the first keg is currently pouring at Sussex Ale Works. 3Flip will also be celebrating their 1st Anniversary with an event at The Joyce next Saturday, Feb 15th; there’ll be several of their beers pouring, including El Fuego

And in other 3Flip news, co-owner Alicia (and her beer) will be attending the “Babes and Brews” event tomorrow at Miramichi’s Apero Lounge. She’ll be joining Gill and Erin from the ‘chi’s own Timber Ship Brewing, and highlighting their wares. Hosted by WOMEN of Miramichi, an entrepreneurial and networking group for women in the region. Tickets are available here for the 6 – 9 PM event, with beer and food pairings, tasting notes, learning more about beer in general, trivia, and meeting some like-minded folks. Everyone is invited.

We’re light on the Good Robot news this week, but it’s their fault, we promise! But in all seriousness, they’re prepping hard for their Heat Wave event next weekend (Sunday, February 16th), which will see the release of three one-offs, so rest assured that we’ll earn our stripes with them next week. In the meantime, we do want to remind you homebrewers out there that registration for their FemmeBrew competition will close on February 10th. There’s no set beer style for this one, but you do need to incorporate a “local or foraged ingredient” into your brew. Check out the full form here

It’s not normal for Tidehouse Brewing to release a beer in the middle of the week, but since when has anyone accused Tidehouse of being normal, amirite? Well, they DID release a new beer, Sotil, on Wednesday, and as a result it’s all gone and now I’m typing this as basically an exercise in futility to show you what you may have missed out on and no I am NOT bitter. The beer started as a simple Pilsner wort that was “very lightly soured” with a pitch of Lactobacillus, before being fermented with the lovely French Saison yeast. Once complete, freshly-pressed Marquette grape skins from Bent Ridge Winery were added, starting a secondary fermentation to dry out the beer further. The final beer comes in at 4.5% ABV, that “drinks very much like a hard seltzer”, with hints of blackberry, cherry, and black currant. Oh, did we mention they released it in cans? Well… maybe you know someone who was able to grab a few? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The fine folks at Quidi Vidi Brewing have released the winning beers from their Newfermenters Homebrew Club competition held in the fall. The four top brews are: Half Nelson Sour Lager (4.5% ABV), Mother of Mangoes Farmhouse Ale (6.0% ABV), White Out White Stout (6.0% ABV), and Wild Rover Wee Heavy (8.4% ABV). The beers are available as a mixed four-pack at their retail shop and select NLCs, as well as on draught at the QV taproom and possibly at licensees around St John’s.

Brand new episode from the 902BrewCast fellas today, just how you want to start out your weekend (maybe?)! Listen to them hang and chat with Bishop’s Cellar’s Lucas Mader and Evan Fougere from the Malty Media blog; rumour has it they also drank a buncha beers, so you can live vicariously through them… at least until you get home to your OWN beers and REALLY start your weekend off right! Available right now wherever you listen to your podcasts. 

We’ve got a pair of events to remind/inform you of this week, both happen to be in Newfoundland (assuming you’re able to dig out after today’s dump of ice/snow!).

Don’t forget about tomorrow’s Crafternoon Experience at YellowBelly, where there will be a whole whack of new and old beers pouring, from lots of Newfoundland breweries. We could wax poetic about it, but why not just check out last week’s post? It’s easier! We should also note that there will be an Australian Gose from YellowBelly’s own Nardia.

Do you like to drink beer, listen to live music, and eat tasty food, all while supporting a local ski hill? Hey, good news! The Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival, Port Rexton Brewing, and White Hills Resort are teaming up to present BrewSKI 2020 on Saturday, February 22nd. This is a small event (only 125 tickets available) that will feature unlimited sample pours of beers from multiple Newfoundland craft breweries; sampling will run from 7-9:30 pm, but there will be a cash bar open until midnight, in case you want to keep imbibing! 3 Shades of Gray will provide the live music (right until midnight), and Oh My Cheeses will be on hand to provide you with a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches for purchase. Tickets are $55 (you can grab yours here), with proceeds going to support White Hills, which is a community non-profit.  

And here’s our last few items for the week; drive safe, stay warm, drink beer!

New Scotland has a pair of Lagers out this week to tickle your fancy (or your liver, whichever works). Alderney Dry, a 5.2% ABV, 22 IBUs Zwickelbier, and a currently-unnamed, 5% ABV, 25 IBUs, dark-copper-red-coloured Marzen; both are available on tap at the brewery. 

Niche Brewing has brought back – after a fairly long hiatus – one of their more popular kettle sour releases, Boysenberry Persuasion. This Lactobacillus-soured, 4.2% ABV brew was conditioned on lots of boysenberry puree, giving the final beer a mix of tartness and sweetness. It should be on tap at several of their NB accounts now/soon, and will be making an appearance at Halifax’s Stillwell (along with Ethos and Single Origin).

Tatamagouche Brewing has (thankfully) brought back Square One, their dry-hopped, mixed-fermentation Saison. Great to drink fresh and great to age, you can find bottles right now at Tata, or in Halifax at Bishop’s Cellar. They’ve also re-released super fresh cans of Gold Lotus, an 8% ABV DIPA hopped with Lotus, Citra and Galaxy, at the brewery today; it’ll be heading out elsewhere next Thursday.

Expect 3-4 new kettle sours on tap at Moncton’s Tire Shack this weekend if you’re dropping by; details are slim, but Sour Bite Apricot, Sour Bite Pink Guava, and Sour Bite Kiwi are currently flowing, with Sour Bite Pineapple possibly popping up on tap as well. Details are less than slim, but we’re pretty confident you can guess on what to expect!

Welp, this is it, the end of January. It felt like it lasted 6 weeks, what with the epic snow seen across the region shutting down entire cities, but we’re emerging from our snow forts and thirsty as heck! Thankfully the brewers didn’t miss a beat and have plenty to satiate our thirst. Let’s get your weekend started now with brand new releases across the region this week, and what’s on the horizon.

Thanks very much to those of you who entered our giveaway for tickets to next weekend’s Craft Beer Cottage Party as part of Savour Food & Wine. Congratulations to Andy L who won the two tickets with his picture of Propeller Sabro on IG. For the rest of us, tickets are still available for the Feb 8 event at Halifax Seaport Beer Festival, with more than 30 breweries and cideries from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI donning their best cottage ware and pouring goodies from their booths. We hope to see you there!

Let’s ease you out of Dry January with a beer hitting the shelves in New Brunswick at the beginning of next week. Niche Brewing is continuing their limited bottle releases with a debut almost two years in the making. Taking inspiration from the Oud Bruin/Flanders Brown style originating in the Flemish region of Belgium, Quintessential is a 6.4% ABV beer with plenty of history. Beginning life in April 2018, this Brown Ale underwent primary fermentation in a Cab Sauv barrel with Niche’s house blend of Sacch and Brett yeasts, aided by a new pitch of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacteria for a complex souring profile. Over the next 18 months, they produced not only lactic acid, the same “clean” acidity found in kettle souring, but also some acetic acid character thanks to extra bugs. After bottle conditioning for a few more months, the beer is finally ready. Think rich balsamic acid, dark plum and cherries, with a light oak character. A special beer deserves a special label, so they tapped Maine fine artist Nico Lebarge (no stranger to the beer scene as a designer with Bissell Brothers in Portland) for a painting fit for the release. Bottles of Quintessential will be available at the York Street and Corbett Fredericton ANBLs Monday, and at Dieppe Wednesday. Ask at your local location, and they may be able to bring it in (though with only one barrel of the beer available, there are only so many bottles to go around!). To keep you satisfied this weekend, thankfully, they’ve got a fresh batch of their Single Origin Sweet Coffee Stout pouring around the region. And ready your livers for a tap feature at The Joyce on February 22nd, with twelve Niche beers flowing, including several small batch one-offs brewed specifically for the event. 

Dieppe’s O’Creek Brewing has one new beer and one returning beer on tap this week. Starting with the newbie, which is appropriately named Raspberry Milk Stout. This is a Sweet Stout (meaning it features an addition of lactose powder in the boil) that had raspberry puree added once fermentation was complete. The result is a dark beer with a smooth creaminess, as well as subtle notes of raspberry. Full bodied, with low bitterness, it weighs in at 5.5% ABV. It’s currently available on tap for growler/crowler fills at the Pump House Fill Station in Moncton. Returning is I.P.Address, a very popular NEIPA that was last seen back in June. Brewed with a simple grist of 2-row malt, wheat, and oats, this batch was fermented with a different yeast strain than previous batches. Hopped with Vic Secret, Centennial, El Dorado, and Mosaic, expect “smooth tropical fruit, citrus notes, and a mild bitterness”; it comes in at 6.5% ABV and 60 IBUs. Look for it at the Growler Bar at the ANBL in Dieppe on Regis St, where it should be pouring alongside Raspberry Milk Stout as well.

Despite the extra crappy weather Newfoundland has been seeing this month, Port Rexton Brewing has been keeping themselves busy, with the result being lots of beer news for this week! Let’s start with their latest bottle release, shall we? Cellar Season – 2019 Barrel-aged Gose is just what you’d expect it to be! Once brewed, the kettle-soured base beer was fermented in stainless before being transferred over to a red wine barrel. The Brett D strain from Escarpment Labs was pitched at this point, and the beer was allowed to age (and develop lots of pineapple and funk character) for 14 months. A limited amount of bottles are available (300, with a limit of 2 pp); the 4.1% ABV beer is showing “hints of oak and red wine” to go with the Brett funk, with all of it being “complemented by a touch of minerality and refreshing tartness” before finishing nice and dry. In draught news, the latest in their hoppy Continuum series is out; Continuum w/ Simcoe has a whole lotta Simcoe in the whirlpool, hop back, and dry-hop additions, accompanied by Mandarina Bavaria, giving this 5.6% ABV IPA a “candy-like sweetness on the aroma, with a distinct piney character on the palate”. Finishing moderately bitter, you can find this one right at the source and at their shop on Torbay Road. And coming tomorrow is their latest foray into Gluten-free beer, Coffee Brown. As the name implies, this 6.5% ABV Brown Ale features an addition of coffee, thanks to their neighbours at Trinity Coffee Company. A touch of malt sweetness and a light mouthfeel meld with the strong coffee aroma and flavour to round out the brew. The Retail Shop kegs will be tapped at noon tomorrow, and with the GF pilot system less than 100 litre capacity, it won’t last long, so be sure to drop by early to avoid disappointment.

We may be in the depths of winter, but the gang at Good Robot in Halifax is on a mission to bring some tropical and sunny times our way through February, beginning with a couple of new beers on the go. First up, from brewer and yeast wrangler Gio comes Boom, a “conch style Bahamian lager” at 5.4% ABV and 20 IBU. Gio wanted to make a beer that reflected his two homes, the Bahamas and Canada, and wisely chose to do so through beer. Starting with a crisp lager base reminiscent of Kalik or Sands, he added lime juice and evergreen needles to take it to another level. Expect an easy-drinking beer that still boasts an unexpected kick. And on the Beta system, Kelly was joined with longtime BetaBrew supporters Cindy and Marilyn to put together another beer with inspiration from warmer climes. Inspired by a sauce they’ve been making for years, Island Punch features grilled pineapple, mango and habaneros. No doubt sweet maybe a little smoky, and bringing some heat, this one is 5.4% ABV and 24 IBU and, in accordance with the prophecy as is traditional for BetaBrews, will no doubt be tapped this coming Tuesday afternoon.

Up in St. John’s, where they’re no longer under a state of emergency but are still no doubt digging out from two weeks ago, YellowBelly has leaned into the storm, so to speak, with a beer they’re calling Flurricane 2020. Nominally an IPA, it’s 6.5% ABV, but only 35 IBU, so maybe more of a Pale Ale? No doubt about it, though, this one contains some hops, namely Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic, largely added as late and dry hop additions. Paired with a sturdy malt backbone, the result is a balanced beer with plenty of hop character and a lingering bitter finish. Look for this one on tap at their downtown location and with bottles to go hopefully available by the time you read this; and it will no doubt feature into the Crafternoon for Australia event you can read about below.

Halifax’s Garrison Brewing has been making their biggest beer, a barleywine they call Ol’ Fog Burner, almost every year for a decade now. This year marks the first time, however, that they’ve produced a batch on their “new” system rather than their old plant in the Seaport Taproom. Owing to that difference in production, there’s been a small change in recipe, with some crystal and roasted malt joining 2-Row Maritime Pale Ale malt for the first time. There’s nothing new about the ABV though, it’s still a big bastard at 10.5% ABV or the bitterness, at 70 IBU. Bold spicy and fruity hop flavors from American varieties Columbus and Citra balance warm brandy-like toffee flavors for a very smooth experience with a long-lasting and warming finish. Look for this one to go in the classic 650 mL bombers (maybe plan to share one with a friend) at the brewery and the Oxford Taproom, and possibly other places you go for your Garrison fix.

In the town of Sussex, NB, just about halfway between Moncton and Saint John, there’s been a bit of a hum generated as local folks played up the idea of (ex-)British Royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle maybe choosing the town home base in Canada. After all, they are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are they not? The tongue-in-cheek “movement” now has a liquid manifestation as in-town brewery Sussex Ale Works has put together a beer they’re calling The Duke in honor of its namesake. Featuring a grist of Maris Otter, Vienna, 2-row, and crystal malts along with a bit of roasted barley, all paired with Saaz hops, this red ale is 7% ABV and 30 IBU. To try it you’ll have to head down to Sussex and check out the awesome tap handle they’ve got for pouring it. While you’re there you can also check out their other new beer, Hindsight 2020, a Golden Pale Ale with 2-row and amber malts and Chinook and Cascade hops. Sounding like a bit of a melding of British malts and American hops, it’s 6.2% ABV and 40 IBU.

Coming out of Tatamagouche this weekend is a brand new release featuring the hottest thing going (literally) yeast-wise, but with a cool (also literally) approach. Kveik yeast is known for its ability to ferment relatively cleanly even at temperatures that would make other beer strains produce things you absolutely wouldn’t want in your beer or your mouth. But what happens if you treat Kveik differently and, say, ferment it much colder than all the cool kids have been doing? Tatamagouche Brewing decided to find out! Cripple Kveik used the Halvorsgard strain, which comes from Ål, quite a ways from the epicenters of farmhouse brewing in Norway. Interestingly, it’s not actually called Kveik there, but “Gong,” which means Tata missed a great opportunity to name this beer Gong Show (but we’ll take a reference to The Band any day!) Cold-fermented at 9°C before being bumped up briefly for a rest at 14°C, it was then lagered for four weeks. With all local malt from Horton Ridge and Willamette and Chinook hops from Wicked Hops in Stewiacke, it’s also a very locally-focused brew. Coming in at 4.7% ABV, it’s described as, “clean and crisp, with nice fruit-forward hop character [and] mango aromas.”

We’ve got some good news for you if you’ve been waiting for a new, funky, bottled release from Propeller Brewing, as their latest is just hitting shelves today. Brett Porter is described by the brewery in three words: “Rustic. Roasted. Stubborn”. Brewed in the style of your typical English Porter, it was initially fermented with a British Ale strain; the beer was then transferred to barrels for a secondary fermentation (and 9 month aging period) with Brettanomyces claussenii. Packaged in 750 mL bottles, the final 6.4% ABV, 25 IBUs beer has “layers of rich, roasted malt” with earthy, fruity, and funky characteristics thanks to the Brett. Bottles likely won’t last long, so be sure to pick yours up at either Prop shop sometime over the weekend. 

It’s been a little while since we’ve seen a release from Stillwell Brewing, no doubt owing a little bit to the craziness of cranes and pub openings and such, but also because you can’t rush beer like this, dammit! However, out this weekend is the latest iteration of their Gosh. Starting life amongst the brewery’s first releases, this was originally a red wine barrel-aged farmhouse dry hopped with Mosaic. When it came out several months later, v2 of this one was a blend of several barrels also hit hard with the hops. This time we had to wait a year and a half for v3, but we’re sure it’s worth it. Originally brewed over a year ago, it sat patiently in barrels getting tasty until September when it was dry hopped and bottled. Since then it’s been resting, waiting for the day when CPR pops a bottle, pours a glass, tastes it, considers it, and utters the fateful words, “It is ready.” Or at least that’s the way it happens in our beer dreams. (You know you have beer dreams too.) Anyways, the time is now. Go get some from their Barrington Street location, open today at noon.

What’s on the go this weekend? Here ya go!

Continuing with their trend of mini-tap-takeovers this month, Stillwell on Barrington will surely be making local cider fans happy tomorrow as they put 5 ciders on tap and serve 4 more by the glass from Guelph’s Revel Cider. Although we definitely believe that the cideries of Atlantic Canada are putting out delicious and innovative products, just as with recent beer events featuring top out-of-region producers, we think Revel’s small batch concoctions deserve your interest. Leaning towards the funky, the sour, the herbal and the unusual, there’s some definite delights to look forward to.

On draught:

  • Time & Place – Farmhouse Cider
  • Ostara Yarrow – Cider with Golden Plums and Yarrow Flower
  • Ostara Elderflower – Cider with Golden Plums and Elderflower
  • Cursive – Blend of perry on Riesling skins, cider on blueberries, and Maréchal Foch
  • Sonata – Cider with Montmorency cherries

And by the glass:

  • Soma – Pétillant Naturel apple wine
  • Petrol – Single barrel funky perry
  • Mirabelle – Cider with lemon verbena and strawberries
  • Revdock – A collaboration beer-cider hybrid with Burdock: tannic apple cider blended with an ale fermented on a sourdough culture with corn and spelt

No doubt Chef Joe Martin will have the tasty food coming out of the kitchen to pair with these, and, being a mini-takeover, there’s sure to be beer taps pouring if cider isn’t your bag (but seriously, try these ciders anyway).

Grey Rock Casino, located in Edmundston, NB, is holding a Beer Fest this Saturday, featuring a handful of breweries from New Brunswick, as well as one visiting from Quebec. On hand with be hometown brewery Petit-Sault, as well as Big Axe, Brasseux d’la Cote, Four Rivers, Grimross, SCOW Cider, and Le Caveau from Trois-Pistoles, QC. This event is a fundraising event for the local food bank, Atelier RADO, who will be receiving all of the profits. Tickets are available here, and also get you into the Izzy Ouellet concert after the beer fest is done.

Not to be outdone by their OG location in Charlottetown*, HopYard Halifax is doing their second annual Battle of the Breweries event over the course of the next couple months as a regular Thursday night thing. Fifteen Nova Scotia breweries have been invited to the dance, with three competing each time with three beers each. The opening round will take place each week from February 6th to March 12th with the winning brewery (the one who sells the most pints) moving on to the semi final round. What’s that you say? There’s 6 Thursdays there and only 15 breweries? That’s because there’s going to be a Cider battle on February 20th to change things up a little! With five winners moving forward, they’ll need a sixth for the semis, so the best of the second place finishers in the first round will also move on. We suspect you’ll see the two semis on March 19th and March 26th with the finals on April 2nd, but we’ll be sure to let you know if we find out that changes. It will surely be interesting to see how breweries play this one. Do they bring their usual retail sellers? Introduce new beers? Or debut something that’s been developing for some time? For now, we invite you to check out the upcoming first round battles below and make a plan to support your favorite breweries in this series. 

* The Battle of PEI Breweries continues the next three Thursdays with the Semi Finals and Finals on Feb 6, 13, and culminating on the 20th.

YellowBelly is holding a fundraising beer fest of their own next weekend, February 8th. The Crafternoon for Australia runs from 2 – 5 PM at the Brewery on Water Street. While Snowmageddon 2020 shut down the city temporarily, the fires, and now flooding in Australia are making life unbearable for thousands in the country. All profits from tickets sales will be going toward Australian Red Cross and WIRES Australian Wildlife Rescue Organization. With plenty of new releases and old favourites from Baccalieu Trail, Boomstick, Dildo Brewing, Iron Rock, Landwash, Ninepenny, Port Rexton, Quidi Vidi, Rough Waters, Split Rock, in addition to host YellowBelly’s beers, there are plenty of choices to help do some good. Your ticket includes your first four samples, plus admission to the silent auction of many donated items available.

We first mentioned it earlier in the month, but we have some solid details now on the Spring edition of the Certified Cicerone Exam happening in Halifax. On May 6th, at the Stillwell Freehouse, you will be tested on your knowledge of beer storage and serving, beer styles, and off-flavours. Grab your seat at the table here, and best of luck to everyone! Let us know if you need a drinking partner to help “study”.

New beer on the taps from Hampton’s own Gridiron Brewing. Blind Date Brown is a 5.1% ABV Brown Ale made with 2-Row Barley from Island Malt House, and bumped up in colour and character with Biscuit and Amber malts. Not stopping there, however, they also added dates to the brew for the full experience. Available on tap at the brewery for growler fills now. Join them in celebrating those going on Blind Dates everywhere this weekend with a toast (in fact, that’s how the owners first met)!

Just a couple more things before we let you go this week…

In case we haven’t completely filled up your weekly Beer Reading Time, let us suggest another local beer blog that’s worth your time. Especially for those looking to do that exam in May… Malty Media is written by Evan Fougere, Certified Cicerone, beer educator, and all around good guy, as a way to share information on the ingredients that go into, processes that make it taste great, and the people who make that happen. The latest post is with John Webster of Shoreline Malting, located just outside of Summerside PEI. Give it a read, and follow along with MM’s posts and announcements of classes and events through social media.

We didn’t hear about it in time for last week’s post and it already took place last night, but a big congratulations from us to North Brewing on their SEVENTH anniversary. It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years, and we don’t think we’ve seen any other brewery in the region go through so many changes in that timeframe, from their original little location at North and Agricola (under a different name), to the opening of Battery Park, to their big move to Portland Street and all the various beers they’ve given us in that time. It’s certainly been an odyssey and we’ve been lucky to be able to watch them grow and develop. We share the sentiments of those who toasted them yesterday on social media: “Good Beer made by Good People.”

Quidi Vidi Brewing is looking to hire a Brewer to join their fold, as they ramp up production for a busy spring and summer season ahead of them. Find out all of the details on their job posting. And stayed tuned here next week for the details of the Newfermenters X QV collaboration beers hitting the shelves!

Tidehouse doesn’t have a new beer this week (although they’re promising something “gorgeous” for next week), but there is some news coming out of their Tiny Tasting Room: CANS! They’ve got themselves a single-head canner and will have their first cans available next week. With any luck this will improve on the drudgery and inconvenience of bottling at least a little.

Fredericton’s Trailway  has brought back one of their fruitiest concoctions, Starblast. Sure, it’s got a smattering of El Dorado hops, but what it’s really got is tons of Peach and Raspberry puree and some orange zest as well. “Radler-esque” but still very much beer, it comes in at 5% ABV. In cans and on tap at the brewery.