The Beer Brief is a round-up of all the local beer news we think you should know about. Got news brewing? Send it to thalia [at] scoutmagazine.ca and we’ll do our best to include it!

DRINK THIS | It’s fresh hop season! Now is the time of year when freshly harvested local hops tend to take the starring role on brewery tap lists and liquor store beer shelves — but only for a very limited time. One such rare sighting is Main Street Brewing’s “Screaming Sasquatch” Fresh Hop Tart IPA. True to its name, this big and juicy beer is made using “Sasquatch” hops – Canada’s first patented hop – which were flash-frozen with liquid nitrogen before being smashed in order to capture their best qualities. “Screaming Sasquatch” is currently available on tap at MSB and roaming some liquor store shelves. Find out more.

BEER MAGNET | The pull towards The Magnet is strong. Pun aside, the beer-centric restaurant has been back in business pouring delicious brews since September 18th. They’d been ruminating long and hard about how to re-open and have made a few COVID-inspired modifications, including a new off-sales system for Brassneck brews, in case you need to tear yourself away to enjoy your quaffs at home. Find out more.

AFTERMATH | Looking for an alternative to a turkey dinner this weekend? Good news: Powell Brewery has you covered! For one day only, on Saturday, they’ll be hosting Aftermath BBQ and Handtaste Ferments for a very special bird-less BBQ collaboration. Each meal includes ribs, a banh mi sandwich, kimchi, pickles and cornbread, and is sized for two…”or 1 if you’re crazy hungry”. Pre-orders for the Korean inspired comfort food feast are currently being accepted. Place yours here now. And don’t forget to pick up some beer while you’re at it!

THANKSGIVING | It’s almost Thanksgiving. Regardless of the state of the world, one thing I’m sure all readers are thankful for is our amazing local beer! If you’re looking for a special bottle to accompany (or replace) your regular Thanksgiving bottles, consider Dageraad’s Amber Kelderbier. This super limited (only 40 cases) bottle was just released on October 1st and has been aging for almost three whole years! From Dageraad: “It’s a deeply complex beer with a strong malt character bolstered by the fruit and funk of the brett.” If you’ve decided that you have to have one for your centrepiece, don’t wait because these bottles are guaranteed to go quickly! Get yours here.

EAT | If you care as much about what you eat with your beer as what’s in your pint glass then you might want to take note of a few menu updates at these local breweries and beer-drinking establishments: Portland Craft has just rotated in some new seasonal dishes to their food menu, including their famed comfort food staple, Chicken & Waffles.

For the past month or so, Luppolo Brewing has been collaborating with new Italian restaurant Mordimi to serve up some stellar sounding pizzas that combine local and authentic Italian ingredients, like “The Italian Table” with pomodoro, plums, Coppa DOP (from Lombardia) and piave vecchio DOP.

If you’re in Abbotsford and seeking some end-of-the-week midday fuel to get you through, head to Ravens Brewing Company for their just launched Chili Fridays — because it doesn’t get much better than warm chili and cold beer on a damp October day!

NEW WEST LOVE | Steel & Oak recently kicked off their “Good Things” campaign, wherein they’ll be showcasing a bunch of fellow New West companies that are doing good in the community. They’ve already collaborated with Patterson Brands to make these limited edition t-shirts and hats (which have since sold out) so don’t miss out next time. Keep a close watch on the S&O Instagram feed for future “Good Things” announcements. Find out more.

ICE CREAM | Rain or Shine has a new monthly flavour featuring Twin Sails’ “Cookie Jar” oatmeal fudge stout with added oat cookies baked in house. I can’t think of a sweeter way to segue into the Fall season! (Except maybe by making it a beer float…) Available at various Rain or Shine locations. Find out more.

LADNER | We looked to Ladner to provide the inspiration for our most recent Beer Atlas entry, Barnside Brewing. Located amidst generations of family run crop fields (which supply the majority of the ingredients for their beers), Barnside is obviously so much more than just a brewery! Who wants to take a trip to the farm? Find out more.