The Bar Towel

Hey Everyone,

If anyone is heading this way just drop me an email and I can tell you where the best places are and answer any questions.

I recommend making some posts! Never hurts to have another member make some recommendations.

(Boy I sure could have used this when I lived in Northern NB)

there has been a few threads on halifax and NS trips... but is there anyone who lives in & around St Johns / the avalon?

I go out there about once a year to visit the in-laws and would like to try stuff other than the NF labatt/molson brands.

Yellowbelly is always good, QV is fair but I've never seen anything else at the NLC. Can you give some tips?

turnleft wrote:there has been a few threads on halifax and NS trips... but is there anyone who lives in & around St Johns / the avalon?

I go out there about once a year to visit the in-laws and would like to try stuff other than the NF labatt/molson brands.

Yellowbelly is always good, QV is fair but I've never seen anything else at the NLC. Can you give some tips?

The only other option is Storm. Though the selection is limited and terribly hard to find, the Irish Red is quite nice and when the Coffee Porter is on... is it ever on.

1892 from QV is my go-to when I'm back home.
Not going to steer your astray, there ain't much going on around the Island. At least the last time I was there.

In Halifax I'd have to say to head over to The Henry House to grab some great food and a couple of Granite pints. The garisson brewery is just around the corner so it is a great spot to eat before/after a trip to the brewery.

The Hart and Thistle must be one of the best places east of Quebec, no?
http://www.hartandthistle.com/

Great blog by the brewer:
http://hartandthistle.blogspot.com/

The Port Gastro Pub sounds good... anyone been?
http://www.theportpub.com/

The Heart and thistle has alright food, but good beer. Never been to the gastropub in the valley, but have been meaning to take a drive down. I also like Rogue's roost here, don't hear much about it, but it's good.

Derek wrote: The Port Gastro Pub sounds good... anyone been?
http://www.theportpub.com/

Went a year or two ago. It was decent, beers were solid and the food was not bad. Definitely a must stop if you are in the neighbourhood but I am not sure I would go out of my way to get to it again if I was not already planning to be close by.

turnleft wrote:there has been a few threads on halifax and NS trips... but is there anyone who lives in & around St Johns / the avalon?

I go out there about once a year to visit the in-laws and would like to try stuff other than the NF labatt/molson brands.

Yellowbelly is always good, QV is fair but I've never seen anything else at the NLC. Can you give some tips?

I live in Torbay. The beer scene here is weak, but I'm happy to say it is improving.
Bartle has summed it up pretty good.The Yellowbelly is one bright spot. Liam has a Christmas beer coming that should be a great one. The Storm Coffee Porter is usually decent, but I have had a few that have been very watery/thin/no flavour. Very limited supply. You can use the Newfoundland Liquor website to track down what they have in stock.
http://www.nlliquor.com/
Storm makes a one-off for the Duke Of Duckworth pub called "The Duke's Own" that is good.
Qudi Vidi is worth a visit. The location is scenic. The function room upstairs is a great spot for a party. I've been there for several parties. Dave Rees, one of the brewery owners, is a fun host/bartender.
When I go to Halifax I always head for the Hart And Thistle. Nash makes great beer.

Cheers
Frank

Thanks for the heads up on storm. I'll definitely look them up.

Quidi Vidi does have a great location, its always interesting to see fishing boats come up through the cut and dock to get their beer. Their custom label system is great for big parties.... we had a few cases of eric's red made up for wedding favours this summer.

Derek wrote:The Port Gastro Pub sounds good... anyone been?
http://www.theportpub.com/

I'd definitely agree that it's a must visit if you're in the Annapolis Valley, but is not enough of a destination from a purely beer perspective to make the drive from say Halifax when you could go to the Hart & Thistle. None of the regular Sea Level beers blew me away, although they were all good. The pub is quite nice though, with a patio that backs on the Cornwallis River - it's quite something (at least for a city boy from southern Ontario) to watch a 'river' that is nothing but mud flats at one point of the day and deep river at another. I make a point of going every summer when I'm out in NS, but it helps that the Valley (esp Wolfville which is just minutes away from Port Williams) has stuff that appeals to other family members.

If you're interested in trying the Sea Level beers but not inclined to make the drive from Halifax, I think the Bishop's Cellar (private liquour store on the waterfront) carries a few of their regular offerings. At least they did in the summer. Their website is a little out of date but suggests they still were listing them as of September