I am going on a New England / Canada Cruise the first and second week of September. With my trip being just a few weeks away I was hoping to get a few ideas of some not-to-be-missed places along the way. I am looking for some cool bottles to ship back (Solstice D'été Aux Framboises?), but more than that just some nice places to get some good ticks along the way. Could be cool beer bars / breweries / bottle shops whatever. Understanding I don't have much time (maybe 8 hours in each location, what is THEE place to hit IYO Thanks!
When I visit Halifax I always head to the Hart and Thistle. Nice scenic location on the waterfront. The brewmaster, Greg Nash, is the Vincent Van Gogh of beer There is always something great to drink at the Hart and Thistle. He also brews at the Rockbottom. Premier Wines on Spring Garden Road has the best selection of bottles in Halifax. Some great Quebec micros there. Lots of good beer options in Halifax. Those are my two favourites. Have fun.
http://www.garrisonbrewing.com/http://www.picaroons.ca/index.asp http://www.granitebreweryhalifax.ca/ http://www.granitebreweryhalifax.ca/ These will be to your liking!
Hart and thistle has been having problem with their glycol chiller and there brewed on site beer has been very inconsistent lately. Rock bottom is a very good choice and always has beers on tap and every Saturday they do a firken around 12 noon. They also do growler fills, but they have to be order a day in advance due to local laws. For bottles to take home I would go to premier wine and spirits, garrison, and propeller.
The Ale House down in Market Square is probably your best bet. May be alot of repeats from Halifax though. I always pick up some Picaroons (brewed in Fredericton) when I am in SJ at the NB Liquor store.
Can anyone speak into the availability of Solstice D'été & Cantillon 'shelf' beers? The day advance growler fills seemed funny to me too - but won't be an issue because I won't be able to do any fills on this trip.
I did the exact cruise you did (out of NY) a couple years ago. Hart & Thistle is a perfect Halifax stop (say hi to NASH if you stop in, great guy). On the way back I picked up a couple bottles at Garrison and did a flight of their beer. In St. John I would recommend the St. John Ale House for lunch. Food was decent and they have Propeller, Picaroons, and other locals to try. Enjoy your trip
If this is a full beer-cation I'd recommend; Halifax - Get off the ship and head up Spring Road to Rockbottom Brewery and sample. Premier Wines is 2 blocks from them and a good bottle shop. Then take a nice walk along the boardwalk (check out the maritime museum?) and continue to Hart & Thistle for lunch a whatever house beer is on tap. Then head back to the ship and check out Garrison Brewery before you board. Their brewery is literally across the gangway, so if time is short you can do that last. Plus its easier to buy bottles of their stuff at the end and not lug them all day. In St. John, I'd look to try Propeller, Picaroons, and any local bottles. Propeller ESB I found to be a nice find. If you did the breweries and Halifax and saved this stop to try the local bottles I think you willl ge tthe most exposure to the beer scene.
