Nobody should argue that it’s OK to drive while impaired, whether due to alcohol, other drugs, gadget distraction, sleepiness or a mental or physical condition. This said, context has been lacking in the recent rollout of revised penalties for people with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent or higher, which are stricter than the […]
Craig Pinhey
Posted inFood + Drink
Hop on board
The best new local food trend is wet hopped beer, and Halifax breweries are hopping on board. Craig Pinhey pours a cold one. A veritable wave of beers hopped with fresh flowers from Atlantic farms hit Halifax this fall, as the local food trend swept through the brewing business. But now we have to wait […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Hot beers
Do you remember when “lite” beer was trendy? Actually, as someone who ignored that trend, I totally don’t. But I am keen on some of the current beer fads. What’s hot changes when you talk to a mainstream beer drinker versus a craft beer fanatic. The big breweries have been pushing “white” beers and fruit-flavoured […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Worldwide wine
If you really want to get to know wine, you’ve got to go where it’s made. That’s why three separate groups of Atlantic wine- lovers headed off to Tuscany in May, all on treks to wine country under the guidance of sommelier Mark DeWolf and his team. In July, DeWolf has a trip to Burgundy […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Pale ales in comparison
After spending a week eating and drinking in Halifax over the holidays, I began to notice a pattern in my beer consumption: I was consistently forgoing extreme brews in favour of lighter, more quaffable pale ales. This is no insult to the highly characterful and bitter IPAs that garner a lot of attention, at least […]
Posted inFood + Drink
South shore seasonal pub tour
Growing up on the south shore and attending school in Halifax, it’s not surprising that this beer and pub lover developed a preference for certain pubs and towns within reasonable driving distance. I got involved with a crowd in university that did an annual “South Shore Drinking Tour,” in which we drove to a bar […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Pete Luckett makes wine
September saw the first release of wine from Pete’s Frootique founder Pete Luckett’s Gaspereau Valley Vineyard. The 2008 Millot was made by Jürg Stutz at Domaine de Grand Pre, outside of Wolfville, but that is just a temporary arrangement—until Luckett’s own winery is built. Luckett’s is a good example of what Nova Scotia has to […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Web to doorstep booze
We’re slowly, inexorably, moving towards a sensible system of buying wine, beer and spirits in Canada, where consumers can go online—or use a phone, if they are dinosaurs—and order a case from anywhere in the world to be delivered to their doorsteps. And why not? Why should booze be any different than books and music? […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Nash talks about his move to Hart & Thistle
Several dozen beer lovers gathered in the side room of the new Hart & Thistle Gastropub at 7 pm last Wednesday to taste the first brews out of the old system that returning brewer Greg Nash used when it was called Shippey’s…in the food court. Nash was on hand to chat with his acolytes about […]
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Catching a draught
Tension builds as Émélie Ouellet approaches the portable Stella Artois bar on the stage of the Halifax Alehouse. She’s won the first two rounds of this regional qualifier for the Draught Master title, and is looking pretty confident for this last round, pitted against New Brunswick’s Gary Burris. Ouellet is a young (but over 21; […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Atlantic wine awards give plenty of coastal gold
Atlantic wine was put on a pedestal this past weekend when results were revealed for the first annual Atlantic Canada Wine Awards. Thirteen wineries walked away with awards and most winners, unsurprisingly, were from Nova Scotia. About two-thirds of the 119 wines entered in the Atlantic Canada Wine Awards won at least a bronze medal, […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Local brewers battle for best bitter
There were cheers and hugs all around when Halifax brew fanatic Brian Harvey won the city’s first-ever Ultimate Brew-Off, sponsored by Garrison Brewery and the Noble Grape last Thursday night. Harvey accepted the award for a beer he co-brewed with friends Justin Lockhart and Steve Trickett. “We never really expected to win the competition. We […]