North Brewing Announces Major Expansion

(Halifax, NS) - North Brewing announced that it is expanding to a larger production facility at 899 Portland Street and will include a 5000 sq foot production space and 100 seat taproom with a full kitchen. 
In addition to a new space North Brewing is launching the “North Brewing Co. Conservation Initiative” (NBCI), a fundraising effort to acquire and protect ecologically significant land in Nova Scotia in partnership with the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. North Brewing is launching the NBCI with a beer named ‘Blanc’. “Blanc is a grisette fermented on Sauvignon Blanc grape skins from our friends at Benjamin Bridge,” said Josh Herbin, co-owner of North Brewing. “It’s a unique and beautiful beer.  We’re excited for people to try it and to learn more about what we are working to achieve with the NBCI. Fifty cents from each can of Blanc sold will be donated to the Nature Trust to kick off our larger fundraising efforts” said Herbin.
Construction at 899 Portland St. is scheduled to begin in December and the North Team is targeting a late spring/early summer opening for its taproom. North Brewing will be closing its Agricola Street production space and retail store in the winter/spring of 2019.  
Josh Herbin owner and head brewer said: “We will dearly miss working in the neighbourhood that raised us as a business, but are beyond excited to outfit a new space that will allow us more capacity and flexibility in production moving forward. When people come into our current location and see how little room we have to work, they are always amazed by the volume and quality of beer we are able to produce. Our new production location and adjoining taproom will allow us to consistently keep our core brands in stock, while satisfying our unending desire to experiment with one-off brews, wood-aged beers, and wild fermentations. We can’t wait to see you all there!”

North Brewing Releases Champagne IPA

Photo from North Brewing

(Halifax, NS) - How does North Brewing celebrate winning three Canadian Brewing Awards? By releasing a champagne IPA. Alloy Champagne IPA will be released this Friday June 1st in 473 ml cans at both North bottle shops. Alloy is made with Pilsner malt and Ariana hops (in the boil and dry hopped) and boasts an ABV of 6%, IBU of 23 and FG is 0. The IPA will also be available on tap at Battery Park and a few other select bars. 

Five Nova Scotia Brewers Win At The 2018 Canadian Brewing Awards

Photo from 2 Crows Brewing 

(Halifax, NS) - The 2018 Canadian Brewing Awards were held in Halifax on May 26th with five Nova Scotia brewers taking home nine awards in eight categories. All the winners are in the new wave of brewers starting in the last five years. 

New comer 2 Crows Brewing have been amazing beer lovers in Halifax won a gold Bonanza! Foedre Aged Wheat Wine in the Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer category and two silvers for Dynamo Rustic Saison in the French and Belgian Style Saison category and   Never Again Foedre Aged Brett Pale Ale with Peaches  in the American-style Brett Beer category. 

Photo from Boxing Rock Brewing

Photo from Tatamagouche
Brewing

North Brewing, who have won several CBAs peviously, added a silver in the Kellerbier/Zwickelbier category for its Little Beast, a silver in the  Belgian Style Abbey Ale/Pale Ale category for it perennial favourite Gus’ 65m Ale and a bronze for Oh My Darlin’-Clementine Brett Pale Ale in the American-style Brett Beer category. 

Photo from Meander
River Farm & Brewery

The other winners was Tatamagouche Brewing's Giantess Barley Wine taking silver in Barley Wine-Style Ale – American-Style, Boxing Rock Brewing took a silver in North American Style Amber/Red Ale for Temptation Red Ale and Meander River Farm & Brewery won bronze for its Smoky Chipotle Porter in the Experimental Beer category. 

Full results for the 2018 winners available here.

North Brewing Releases 2017 Saison de Pinot

Photo from North Brewing 

(Halifax, NS) - North Brewing is releasing its collaboration with Benjamin Bridge for a second year. They are releasing Saison de Pinot 2017 edition on Thursday December 28th. This year’s version was made with Pinot Meunier must from the vineyards of Benjamin Bridge in the Annapolis Valley. North says the tasting notes are "honeydew, strawberries, tart orange, rose hips and a light funk". 
The bottles will be available at both North Brewing retail locations and on tap at Battery Park Beer Bar. 

North Brewing Marks Battery Park's 2nd Birthday With Beer Release

Photo from North Brewing

(Halifax, NS) - North Brewing will mark Battery Park Beer Bar's 2nd birthday this Saturday, December 16th, with the release of their barrel aged 2016 Saison de Pinot. This beer was originally made in the fall of 2016, using estate pinot noir grape must from Benjamin Bridge. They tucked away 220 L of this beer in a red wine barrel from Benjamin Bridge, and let it age for 4 months. The beer was then conditioned in the bottle. They packaged 258 bottles that will be available in both the Halifax and Dartmouth shops. 
On Saturday Battery Park Beer Bar will offer bottle pours of both the 2016 Saison de Pinot and the 2016 barrel-aged version as well as the 2016 Saison de Pinot being available on tap.

North Brewing Releases Baldrsbräu Rustic Saison on December 14th

Photo from North Brewing

(Halifax, NS) - North Brewing Company will be releasing the next installment in their Finite Series on Thursday December 14th. Baldrsbräu is a rustic saison made with hay and chamomile and conditioned in the bottle. North describes it as "Herbal, floral, delicate and refreshing". There are 720 bottles packaged and will be available at both bottle shops and on tap at Battery Park this Saturday.

North Brewing Announces Return of Two Seasonals and a New Release

photo from North Brewing

(Halifax, NS) - North Brewing has been very busy and has three beers available. They released Midnight, their Canadian Brewing Awards Gold Medal winning beer for 2017. It is the first pass of their Strong Dark Belgian aged in freshly drained Glenora Whiskey barrels, guaranteed to warm you up. 

Dartmouth Dark Lagered is making its return with a fresh new can design. The 4.5% ABV ale was first brewed to celebrate the opening of Battery Park Beer Bar in Dartmouth. Dartmouth Dark is a lagered ale infused with cold-brewed Cannon Espresso Blend from Anchored Coffee.

photo from North Brewing

Lastly, the next installment in the Finite Series will be released. Reverb is a red wine barrel aged American style wheat beer. This beer was brewed with Horton Ridge Malt & Grain malted wheat, and aged for two months in a red wine barrel from Benjamin Bridge. The beer was then conditioned naturally in the bottle for just over 4 months. Tasting notes are "Lemon, peach, a little funky with a refreshing effervescence". There will be 292-750 ml bottles of Reverb available. 
All three releases will be available in the bottle shops with Midnight available now and Dartmouth Dark available on Thursday and Reverb out on Friday November 24th. 

North Brewing Releasing Ensō, Barrel-Aged Sour Brown

(Halifax, NS) - North Brewing says on Friday they will be releasing Ensō, barrel-aged sour brown ale. This beer was aged in oak barrels for four months and then bottle conditioned. Four unblended barrels were packaged and have notes of stone fruit, tart pear, vanilla and molasses. Ensō will be available in 650mL bottles in both North Brewing shops. 

NSLC hosts Local Craft Beer and Cider Series in October

(Halifax, NS) - NSLC is hosting some of the top craft beer and cider makers in Nova Scotia over four weeks in October. Beer and cider have become increasingly important in our economy over the last few years. Beyond the pure monetary impact Nova Scotians have embraced the personalities and culture of these companies while enjoying their fantastic ales and lagers. 
The four-week educational series will be held at The Port by the NSLC throughout the month of October.
The series kicks off on October 4th with Bulwark Cider's maker Alex Boivin talking about Bulwark’s cider-making process in which they ferment and bottle freshly pressed Annapolis Valley apples at their cidery in New Ross, Lunenburg County. He’ll present some fall food pairings and mix up some delicious cider cocktails. Peter Burbridge of North Brewing Co. and Mark Huizink of 2 Crows Brewing join the series October 11 to talk about how the unique character of wood is imparted on barrel-aged brews. In week three, Boxing Rock Brewing Company co-founders Emily Tipton and Henry Pedro will talk about autumn seasonal beer varieties then ask everyone to think outside the box as they try some of their beer. The series wraps up October 25th when Big Spruce Brewing Company founder Jeremy White discuss all about his certified organic brewery and his use of locally grown hops and local mineral-rich water to brew hoppy, dark beer.
Tickets are available online at Eventbrite or in person at The Port by the NSLC on 5485 Clyde Street in Halifax. The series is $60 and runs from 7-8:30 PM each evening.

North Brewing Releasing Clementine Pale Ale

(Halifax, NS) - North Brewing will be releasing Oh My Darlin' Clementine Pale Ale on Friday August 18th. This will be the second release in their Finite series,  Ask and Embla were released late last year. Beer will be available on tap at Battery Park and Stillwell while supplies last and for sale in both North shops for $9.75 per bottle.
This beer was made with a secondary fermentation in stainless with Brettanomyces Claussenii for six months, dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and then bottle/keg conditioned for another 1.5 months. This is a limited release with only 3 kegs and 850 bottles produced.

NSLC Sees Large Influx of Local Craft Beer to Stores

(Halifax, NS) - The NSLC is excited about the development of the Nova Scotia craft beer industry and are preparing for a tidal wave of local beer hitting their shelves. By May they will have 42 Nova Scotia Craft Beer listings from 18 breweries in stores. Listings include many first time appearances including established brewers Big Spruce Brewing and North Brewing and many new brewers including Trider's Craft Beer, 2 Crows Brewing, and Downeast Beer Factory. The NSLC will also have Nova Scotia specific beer sections in stores. 
When the new listings are added Nova Scotia Craft Beer will constitute 19% of all NSLC beer listings. Currently local craft beer is 65% of their total craft beer sales and 3% of total beer sales overall. 
This move is great for all involved with local beer fans having greater access to regionally available brands, giving the brewers better access to consumers and the NSLC supporting and encouraging local brewers. 

Good Robot and North Brewing release Moo Nay Tripel

(Halifax, NS) - Good Robot Brewing released Moo Nay (Tripel), a collaboration with North Brewing Company and is a tribute to the farm that reuses their spent grain. With North's Belgian expertise and Good Robot's experimental flair, they designed and brewed a beer that feels awfully appropriate for the farmers it's named for. They say it is "soft and approachable at the forefront, then hard and boozy at the finish, with a white wine character this province is famous for thanks to the healthy addition of Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand". On tap at taproom and store. It is 8.5% ABV and 30 IBUs.

North Brewing releases Golden Stout

(Halifax, NS) - North Brewing released its Golden Stout (6.7% ABV) yesterday. Made with cocoa nibs from Rousseau Chocolatier and cold brew from Java Blend Coffee Roasters. The stout has chocolate and roasted character without the colour imparted by dark roasted malts. Available now at North in Halifax and Dartmouth and select taps.  

North Brewing releases Sauer Sagan Hat

(Halifax, NS) - North Brewing released a new one off sour ale, Sauer Sagan Hat. The beer is a kettle soured smash beer that clocks in at a 4% ABV and 15 IBUs made with Pilsner Malt and Sorachi Ace hops. 

It sports splashy new labels designed by local graphic designer John Newgard. It is on sale now at the breweries and other usual spots.

Dartmouth from craft beer have not to craft beer have lots

Dartmouth seemed to have been left behind as across the harbour Halifax rode a craft beer wave that grew and grew. Let me first go back a dozen and a half years to get a little history.

Back in 1998 when Nova Scotia craft brewing was still quite small Maritime Beer built a very large brewing facility and restaurant on Windmill Road. Unfortunately it declared bankruptcy in 2000 and the assets eventually were purchased by Sleemans later that year. The plant operated for several years until it was shuttered in 2013 and the brewing gear sent to Collective Arts Brewing in Hamilton.

Shortly before the Maritime Beer facility was shut Propeller Brewing opened it new production facility on Windmill Road. This made them the lone craft brewer in Dartmouth until they were joined by Spindrift Brewing in Burnside in September this year with its production facility, retail store and tap room. 

Earlier this month North Brewing moved its 5 BBL system to Battery Park Beer Bar, their collaboration with Brooklyn Warehouse. They also put in fifteen taps at Battery Park of which thirteen pour Nova Scotia craft beer for Dartmouthians as well as an outstanding small plate menu. 

More good beer coming it 2016, Nine Locks Brewing is opening at 219 Waverley Road in Montebello with its 20 BBL facility, 6 flagship beers and a retail store in January. Harold MacKay, who was a major player in Maritime Beer, is bringing  Downeast Beer Factory a production brewery with a taproom back to where he started at 612 Windmill Road. 

So needless to say Dartmouth has quickly become a beer city in the Nova Scotia  craft beer revolution.

Maritime Beer Report - September 11, 2015

Hello and welcome to the September 11th edition of the Maritime Beer Report.

PEI Brewing Company says their Vic Park Pale Ale is now in 473ml cans. Brewed with Citra hops for those sunny September days. They also say Pumpkin Ale and Rogues Roost IPA are expected to be out this month. The biggest news is the announcement of a barrel-aged bock titled "HELL STREET". Based on a local boxing legend, this brew will offer a similar smack to the face. Stay tuned for more information on their social media channels.

Upstreet Craft Brewing says White Noize is back for a very limited time grab it fast.

Big Axe Brewery revealed a new beer this week. Therapy Session IPA is now on tap. They say "Beautiful aroma of citrus and passion fruit from Topaz hops," It is a 5.2% ABV beer.

Big Tide Brewing have got Cascade, Nugget and Hallertauer hops from Dunhams Run Winery that will all be used over the next week for their special Indian Beach brews. Watch for them coming soon.

Half Cut Brewing Company have released a slightly boozier version of the of their Alter Ego. The newer one comes in at 6% ABV and is now at the Brewtique.

Picaroons Traditional Ales were bottling their Harvest Ale this week. Look for these popular brews coming soon.

Savoie's Brewhouse have already done one build out on the brewhouse by making a separate fermentation room and they tell me looking to move up from 20 gallon system to 45.

Big Spruce Brewing released a new beer and as always the name is exceptional. Ivana Drinkalot is a new IPA, available at the brewery and soon to arrive Bar Stillwell and The Stubborn Goat. It weighs in at a hefty 7.1% ABV and 89 IBUs. Big Spruce says "Deeply aromatic, and lots of gooey hoppy flavour. We intended to brew Crazy Ivan DIPA, but let's just say that we made a few mistakes."

Garrison Brewing says lasts years popular collaboration with Beau's Brewing, Sweet Rye'd Harvest Wheat Ale is back today, Look for it on sale now.

North Brewing was travelling this week visiting PEI to pick up gear for their brewhouse expansion. They are doubling the size going from a 5 BBL to 10 BBL. 

Propeller Brewing says its seasonal Nocturne Dark Lager has returned to its shops. This beer is in support of Nocturne: Art at Night that returns on October 17th.

Rudders Brewpub in Yarmouth tells me they hope to put together a new IPA in a couple of weeks if the hops are available.

Uncle Leo's Brewery brewed their first ever fresh hop beer this week. They got Cascade, Centiennial and Magnum hops from Bramble Hill Farms and Wally Moser. In about two weeks they should have the first limited quantity Wet Hopped Pale Ale. Karl has been busy, he also brewed a German Altbier. That will also be available in two weeks.

Lots of exciting events happening for Sausagefest coming next week end. Two of the beers I spoke about a few weeks ago are in the wild. Boxing Rock Kerfuffle APA and Propeller Wind Swell Wheat are now available.

Thanks for joining me again and until next time enjoy responsibly. 

Maritime Beer Report - August 28, 2015

Welcome to the August 28th edition of the Maritime Beer Report.

PEI Brewing Company says with the return of the Harvest 4-pack comes the return of Harvest Time lager - super crisp, great hop aroma and finish to it. Available in the retail store at the brewery now and soon in the 4-packs to PEILCC and Alcool NB Liquor stores

Upstreet Craft Brewing have released the details on their collaboration with Emily from Boxing Rock Brewing. The new India Pale Lager known as Rumble in the Alley: Round 1 is set to release on September 5th, the day of the Block Party. The Block Party will be on September 5th and is a free outdoor event in their parking lot from 12-8pm, with an after party in the taproom following the event. This party will feature local food vendors, live musical performances, a pop-up barber shop, lawn games, activities, and more. Upstreet will also be doing guided brewery tours throughout the day. 

Pump House Brewing tells me that they will be making their Stone Fire Ale again this year, and hopefully every year, on September 3rd to celebrate their anniversary. Look for this beer in the special 750 ml bottles in October. They are also releasing SPCA IPA this fall in support of the animal charity, expect this one to be good and hoppy.

I tweeted this week that Shiretown Brewing has closed its doors. Sad news but the brewer is still working in the industry as a sales rep for another craft brewer.

TrailWay Brewing's two brewers' wives took over for a brew and it is now ready. It is called "Better Half" and is a 4.5% ABV Blueberry Lime Ale brewed with real lime and local blueberries. Sounds like a nice summer beer.

NB Liquor is celebrating the winners of this year’s Canadian Brewing Awards by offering a selection of 38 varieties of beer and one cider from among the medal winners. Participating corporate stores will have the brands available starting on August 31st, I have seen some of these beers already appearing in some stores.

Big Spruce Brewing will be harvesting their hops for a Community Harvest IPA next week, Jeremy assures me it will be a hoppy brew, watch their facebook page for updates. They also announced The 3rd Annual Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge. First, Second and Third Place will be announced in each of the 3 styles, plus there will be a declared overall "best in show" winner. Entrants that place in each of the style categories will each win a swag package, and the Best in Show winner will also be given the opportunity to brew their beer at Big Spruce Brewing for release in January 2016 at the 3rd Annual Craft Beer and Local Food festival put on by Local Connections in Halifax. The selected beer styles for the competition, per BJCP Style Guidelines 2015, are:
1) 21B. Specialty IPA - Red IPA
2) 7B. Altbier
3) 3D. Dark Czech Lager
All the details are available now so get brewing.

The Garrison Brewing collaboration brew they did with Great Lakes Brewery and Metalman Brewing earlier this month has a name. Not So Gentle Tickle IPA is being described as a monster of a IPA. Garrison also announced Hop’n’Brats happening on September 25th from 6 PM until 11 PM. They say breweries from across the province will be there to present their top brands, while enjoying your favorite Sausage themed food with live music. Entry is $16 which includes 5 sample tickets and a souvenir sample cup.

Boxing Rock Brewing and North Brewing were busy this week harvesting and brewing their annual Many Hands collaboration beer. Look for details and release date in the coming weeks on version 3.0.

Gahan House Halifax has a couple of interesting beers to look for. Karen Allen was visiting Emily from Boxing Rock last week and she was kind enough to let her harvest some Cascade and Chinook hops from her back yard. Karen will be doing a wet-hop pale ale with them that will be released the last week of September. Also being released that week will be an Oyster Beer to promote the Oyster Festival on October 4th. It`s fairly experimental, but the plan is for it to be an ultra pale ale with lemon and sea salt. Going to throw a bit of rye malt in there for a touch of spiciness. The plan is for it to pair well with oysters and it will be on tap at Gahan the whole week leading up to Oyster Festival.

Thanks for following along this week and until next time enjoy responsibly.

Maritime Beer Report - August 14, 2015

Hello and welcome to the Maritime Beer Report for August 14th.

PEI Brewing Company says they found 40 bottles of Ice Boat Barrel-Aged Stout. If your lucky enough to be in the area drop in to the brewery and see if you can grab some.

Upstreet Craft Brewing and Boxing Rock Brewing Company worked on a collaboration brew that they will be releasing in a couple of weeks. Keep your eyes peeled for Rumble in the Alley: Round 1.

Acadie-Broue says Le Gaboteuse is currently available at The Tide and Boar in Moncton. This beer is a Belgian IPA brewed in collaboration with Big Tide Brewing.

NB Beer Tours is doing their River Valley again on October 17th. It leaves at 9:00 AM from King Street Ale House and returns at 6:15 PM. Includes beers at Petit-Sault, Railcar Brewing and Big Axe Brewing with samples on bus and a box lunch. Get tickets now. 

Breton Brewing is hiring, they are looking for retail, delivery and assistant brewer positions. If you are interested send a resume to bretonbrewing@gmail.com or drop by the brewery.

Garrison Brewing says Honey Lavender Ale is back,in 650ml bomber bottles. Available at the brewery and it weighs in at 6.3% ABV.

Good Robot is having a Dog Wash on Sunday August 16th. Get your dog pampered by All 4 Paws Pet Services, grab a custom-made T DOGS hot dog, 12 ounces of beer and jam to some Snoop all for 20 bucks with some of the proceeds will be going to ElderDog.


North Brewing and Brooklyn Warehouse released more details on the new joint venture, Battery Park, that is opening in October. As far as food Chef Mark Gray will be designing an ever-changing menu of snacks, small plates to share, and other surprises. North will have its beers on tap as well as one offs that will be brewed on site. North will also have a retail shop for growler fills. This is another step on North becoming a zero emission brewery by powering the new brewhouse with spent cooking oil. Lastly, as Brooklyn did, they are using crowdfunding as a means to finance this project. 

The owners of Paddy’s Pub in Kentville and Wolfville will add a new location on Cole Drive next to the Super 8 Hotel in Windsor. They hope to open by the Spring of next year and the new building will contain Paddy’s Pub, Rosie’s Restaurant, a 15 barrel brewery and a banquet hall. Long term plans include canning at the site as well. 

Unfiltered Brewing is releasing a new seasonal, Daytimer, a 3.4% ABV kettle-soured Berliner Weisse dry-hopped with plenty of Mosaic for a serious kick of tropical fruit. Available at the brewery now. 

On September 1st Bar Stillwell will be hosting brewers from Jester King and Brasserie Dunham as part of a celebration of the release of their new collaborative brew. Tickets to the 6 PM - 8 PM session will allow early access to the limited supply of draught and bottles and a piece of glassware to commemorate the event. Chef Graeme Ruppel will be cooking up some special dishes. Tickets available now.

That is all for this week, until next time enjoy responsibly. 

Maritime Beer Report - July 10, 2015

Hello and welcome to the July 10th edition of the Maritime Beer Report.

Big Tide Brewing Company put a new beer on tap called Marée Montante (Rising Tide) that is a Gose. It is the most recent collaboration with Patrice Godin from Acadie-Broue. A light 4.6% ABV sour mash, refreshing ancient German style ale. Lightly hopped, 15 IBUs and flavored with coriander and none other than straight from the Bay of Fundy salt water collected from Seely's Cove as the tide was rising. Won't last long, and available in-house only. 

Flying Boats Brewing says they will be serving at the Capitol Complex - Tasting NB event this Saturday. They are bringing Humpyard Steam Ale that has a nice malty caramel flavour balanced with Northern Brewer hops and a crisp finish taste that comes in at 5.8 ABV and 46 IBUs. Also Stove Pipe Gang Black IPA, which is a full flavor dark malt IPA with plenty of hops (4 varieties) including a dry hop for aroma. It comes in at 6.9% ABV and has 96 IBUs.

Hammond River Brewing was busy brewing  they're Hop Flash IPA and a brand new beer, a 10.5% Belgian Quad.

Boxing Rock Brewing Company put its new session ale out this week. Introducing Bottle Blonde Rye Ale. The description from Boxing Rock is as follows "It's malty. It's got that spicy hint of something in the background you just can't put your finger on. The hops are there and signal their presence but in a way that lets the malt come through. And with over 35% rye malt, it's different enough to grab your attention." Available now at the brewery and private stores.

Breton Brewing Company put on its third brew this week, Sons of Hector Brown Ale is now on tap at the brewery.

Garrison Brewing Company has a new session ale out, the Seaport Blonde is here now. A 4% ABV crafted light ale that they say is perfect for summer.

North Brewing Company has released its popular Halifax Common ale again this summer. Currently available at the brewery.

Rock Bottom Brewpub has a has a couple of beers to announce. They have a new Oatmeal stout on nitro tap. Raisin Hell is a dark, rich and chocolaty with coffee and cream notes and a bittersweet finish reminiscent of oatmeal raisin cookies. Aromas of roasted grains, vanilla and cheerios. This Traditional English Stout is brewed with steel cut oats, which provide a full, velvety body. It is 5.5% ABV and 35 IBUs. 
Also on Wednesday they'll launch the Ladies Beer League collaboration brew, Fizzgig. It is a big, bold, and hoppy Imperial Red ale that is a marriage of dark English crystal malts and bright punchy New Zealand hops. Ruby coloured with aromas of blackberry and cut grass. Long bitter lemon-lime finish. It is a hefty 7.5 ABV and 80 IBUs.

Finally Unfiltered Brewing ‏is brewing beer so look for it on the streets of Halifax later this month.

Thanks for joining me again this week. I am in the Nova Scotia bush for a week so next weeks blog will be delayed a  day or two. Until next time enjoy responsibly.

Maritime Beer Report - June 19, 2015

Hello and welcome to the June 19th edition of the Maritime Beer Report.

The latest Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation annual sales information released this week shows continued exceptional growth for Nova Scotia made craft beer. According to the NSLC, Nova Scotia craft beer sales grew last year by 25.4% compared to 22% the year before. This growth is even more significant given the 1.2% decline in sales in the beer category overall. Overall, the Nova Scotia Craft Beer industry grew 35.9 % last year, including more than $10 million in direct sales from breweries and the private wine stores, in addition to the over $5 million of sales through the NSLC retail outlets. 

Big Spruce Brewing is having a food truck party every Friday throughout the summer and next Friday, June 26th is the first  first day. The folks at Free Range Bio Farm will be there with their custom Big Yellow food truck, featuring some of their on-farm raised/processed, German style, Berkshire pork sausages. There will be potato salad, sauerkraut, chili, and lots of other delicious local treats. 

Boxing Rock tells me that the last batch of Sessionista is ready to be released. Sad news but they are brewing a new session ale on Monday and rumor has it there will be rye in it. Stay tuned for details.

Garrison Brewing says they are pouring "Brewhouse Cider" in conjunction with their friends Bulwark Ciders, and produced right in the old seaport brewery. Also Garrison's Coast to Coastless Imperial ESB will be released on Monday. This is a strong 7.6% ABV and 50 IBUs beer and was made with Philips Brewing, Flying Monkeys Craft Brewing and Trou du Diable. This will be available at the brewery, bottle shops and NSLC eventually.

Granite Brewery was brewing Honey Ginger this week. It should be available next week end and for the rest of the summer.

North Brewing Company has produced "Hang Ten" birthday beer for The Local Source and will be out this Saturday in their store and Lion and Bright. It is a 4.5% ABV hybrid lager dry hopped with Wakatu and Columbus. 

Rare Bird Pub opened yesterday for the summer season on the Guysborough waterfront. A great place to have a Rare Bird Craft beer. 

The Gahan House says they are heading to the Cavendish Beach Music Festival. Located at the top of the festival grounds will be the Gahan at the Beach Pop-up Restaurant featuring handcrafted ales on tap, beer and food demos, a pig roast and so much more.

Join the Ladies Beer League at their Second Beerthday Party on June 27th at The Wooden Monkey Restaurant in Dartmouth. They will have four special casks made by some of our favourite local craft breweries.
Tickets are $25 and include five 5 oz cask samples, a belly full of the Wooden Monkey's amazing pizza and - of course - birthday cake.
To celebrate their second year there are new Ladies Beer League swag. Come out to celebrate, hang out with awesome people, share ideas for future events, or just come for the beer. 
The casks include: 
- Boxing Rock is bringing Rule 42, which is an English IPA collaboration with Hell Bay, Sea Level and Gahan House.
- Big Spruce is doing up a Pump Le Mousse Grapefruit Wheat. 
- Garrison firkin and North Brewing cask, 
In celebration of their 2nd birthday they want to know where you have gone with the Ladies Beer League. Post a picture of you in your LBL shirt before Friday June 26 and you could win one of their new shirts designed by Dartmouth Clothing Company. Check on the facebook for details.

Tasting NB is bringing together NB craft alcohol producers of all varieties for the first time. This early evening outdoor event takes place across The Capital Complex patios and surrounding area. Producers include Picaroons Traditional Ales, Big Axe Brewery, Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, TrailWay Brewing , Grimross Brewing , Railcar Brewing, The Pump House Brewery and Restaurant, Belleisle Winery, Red Rover Brewing, Pollen Angels Meade and Fils du Roy Spirits. Additional producers still to be announced. This is taking place Saturday July 11, 2015 from 7PM - 10PM.

Thanks for joining me again this week and until next time enjoy responsibly.