Brooklyn Doran and Rory Taillon are two extraordinary musicians from Ontario. Brooklyn is a songwriter of incredible charm and talent, and Rory is a powerhouse vocalist and performer. Their careers has brought them to the East Coast so often that they may as well be honorary Maritimers.
The pair have made a habit of touring craft breweries across the East Coast, exploring the natural synergy between music and craft beer, and have become enthusiastic experts. So, we asked them about their favourite East Coast craft beers and their favourite East Coast craft breweries.
Railcar Brewing Company (Perth-Andover, NB):
Brooklyn: One of my favourite places to visit in the East Coast of Canada is Railcar Brewing Company. Not only is it a beautiful space, but it is helmed by one of the best humans on this earth. Brewmaster, Mitch Biggar, has a passion for brewing, one that is evident in any of the craft pints he serves up on tap. My favourite is the Blonde Ale, my introductory beer in 2018 when I visited Railcar for the first time. This July, I will be brewing alongside him and performing in the taproom afterwards. Come visit us on Monday July 22nd to see what we brew up.
Rory: Oh man, Railcar is so great, it’s always a good time! The Train Wreck IPA that we had on that first tour through when we stopped and played at the brewery was wonderful. A nice hoppy kick in the pint at 7% abv it checks all my boxes. This spot is a must for everyone visiting or driving past Perth/Andover. Mitch and Sarah are wonderful hosts with a lovely brewery to sit and have a pint as you take in the beautiful view of the St. John river! Just watch out for ducks as you go into the brewery, Brooklyn tried to make friends with one on our first trip to Railcar.
Grimross Brewing Company (Fredericton, NB):
B: Grimross Brewing is not only a craft beer staple for the east coast, it is also the home base for both a local and touring music scene. I was first introduced to the Grimross stage as a performer for the Living Roots Music Festival. As a result, I am partial to their Living Roots Lager, but this time I toured through, I fell head over heels for the Scratch #21 Session IPA.
I am normally a big of IPAs, and this one was unique. With a light hop, and a citrusy flavour profile, this one was my choice to bring home with me in my growler.
R: Grimross is one of those places in the east coast that has a special place in my heart. I have played many a show in this brewery, met many of my Fredericton friends there and have had some tasty beers on my many visits to this amazing city. I would have to say that I am a fan of their Maritime Pale Ale, especially when it can be enjoyed on their patio with some vegan tacos. It’s a clean and light easy drinking beer that’s perfect for some sunshine and tour buddies.
Trider’s Craft Brewing (Amherst, NS):
B: OPTION 1) The Mean Joe Bean is absolutely my favourite beer from the Amherst, NS micro brewery, Trider’s Craft Brewing. It is the only Blonde Ale I have ever had that seamlessly blends the flavours of coffee in with their recipe to create a smooth, aromatic experience. I am such a fan of coffee introductions in the world of beer, but before this have only seen them in darker varieties like porters and stouts. This Blonde Ale perfectly captures the essence of coffee, without feeling heavy. Shout out to the album art which features and incredibly tall coffee bean playing a stand-up bass.
OPTION 2) If you are looking for a radler with a high percentage, the 25 to Life is a mean 7.5% and is a crisp, delicious choice that will knock you off of your feet. Described as “prison grog” both the 25 to Life and the 25 to Life (no parole) were the highest percentage shandy or radler that I have ever tasted. Dangerous.
R: Trider’s is one of those places for me that I had been recommended several times by beer drinker friends who saw that I was touring through Nova Scotia. I was never travelling through Amherst, NS at an appropriate time to stop in on any previous tours, but we lucked out with timing this past trip. Am I ever glad that we stopped in! This place is a little off the beaten path, but holy smokes can they brew tasty beers with lots of flavour! Their flight boards are large pieces of a tree trunk with cup spaces carved into the surface of them. For my choice of beer I am going to have to go with the White Ogre white IPA. This was the first time that I had ever tried a Belgian IPA (these are two of my favourite styles of beer) and it was exactly what I was hoping for. The best of both of those styles’ flavours harmoniously mixed into one delicious, hoppy, smooth and slightly sweet beer. Also, the album artwork for this particular beer features an ogre’s face that does not look dissimilar to my own mug. According to Brooklyn, the ogre is also making my “drunk smile” face in the illustration.
Brasseurs Petit Sault (Edmunston, NB):
B: La Renous is one of my favourite discoveries from Petit Sault this tour. Rory and I often like to stop in Edmunston for a flight after a long drive east. What initially drew me to this brewery was their artwork, often depicting characters as clay images on their labels. Until recently, Bob LeBoeuf was one of those beers that I picked up because of its label and then was pleasantly surprised by it’s full-bodied flavour. However, this time through, I was introduced to La Renous, a dopplebock, with a dark malty flavour that carries across the entire pint. Hot tip; next time you stop by the brewery try mixing La Renous with Buckmousse for an entirely new experience. So tasty.
R: For me this time through, the beer I was most attached to was the Spoutnique IPA. This was a collaboration beer that Petit Sault did with a prog-rock band from Edmundston. The beer was a deliciously, crisp, citrusy IPA at 6.2% abv that made me all kinds of happy after the long drive through Québec. Seeing the clay character portrayals of the beer names on the labels was what drew me to this beer initially as well. It’s such an original and entertaining way to brand these bottles. Part of me wants to see these characters in an animation about brewing or maybe in a show about a small beer themed town where everyone has to deal with Bob LeBouef’s absent minded shenanigans on a day-to-day basis.
Pump House (Moncton, NB):
B: I LOVE blueberry beers, and one of my top rated beers of all time is the Pump House Blueberry Ale served onsite with actual blueberries floating inside the pint glass. Not only is this a delicious beer that has held up for me, tour after tour as my absolute favourite from this brewery, but it is also such a fun treat to have actual blueberries inside of the glass. Take a case home and try it for yourself!
R: My favourite thing about this brewery is just how happy and excited Brooklyn gets about the blueberries in her Blueberry Ale. That and their membership mugs that are shaped like fire hydrants.
Maybee Brewing Company (Fredericton, NB):
B: As a fan of IPAs, Maybee Brewing Company’s Work Horse is a stand out. It is hoppy, flavourful, and perfect for a summer’s day on the porch.
R: Maybee Brewing Company’s Elevensies Espresso Stout brings together three awesome things for me: Stout’s, coffee and Tolkien references (if that’s not meant to be a Lord of the Rings reference, I’m still taking it as one). A nice dark stout with delicious coffee flavours that is perfect for a growler fill.
Hammond River Brewing Company (Hammond River, NB):
B: My first time visiting Hammond River Brewing Company was in 2019 on tour with Rory Taillon and I am so sad that I haven’t made it out to the brewery before. Not only is the Blood Orange Hefeweizen one of the most beautiful, tart, crisp, tasty beers in existence; they also have many incredible beers on tap- including a blueberry ale. It is clear to see that this beer is brewed with love and passion. Not to mention, the Assistant Brewmaster is the cutest little doggo I have ever met, and she loves pets.
R: Hammond River Brewing is a brewery for me that I really wanted to get back to. A few years ago when I was touring the east coast by myself I played a gig in Rothesay and I had this incredibly flavourful milk stout. It was just so damn good I had to find out where it was made so that I could take some home to my Ontario beer people to try. After some searching and a chat with the bartender, I found out the name of this brewery and the next day I set out to find this wonderful place. Unfortunately at the time of this tour, the brewery was still in the brewer’s basement at his home and being that I’m a large bearded man who had been on the road for a while, I decided not to terrify the homeowner with an unsolicited knock on his door on a Tuesday afternoon. Hammond River now has a full blown brewery location in the town of Rothesay where you can sit and have a flight, which Brooklyn and I obviously did. This time for me, the Paisley Park sour was a stand out on my flight. A deliciously sour, raspberry infused Berliner Weisse was just what I needed while sitting on that back patio in the sunshine.
On the Road Back Home:
R: As for Ontario breweries that anyone coming here should check out I will give you three. Dominion City Brewing in Ottawa is one of my favourite breweries ever. There is soo much flavour in their beers and they are a politically active community engaging company as well. Check out what they did for the “Buck-a-Beer” initiative alone. I love this place. Their Sunsplit IPA is absolute sunshine in a glass. A perfectly cloudy and citrusy IPA that makes me all kinds of happy. 5 Paddles Brewing Co. in Whitby is a must stop for anyone who enjoys as much flavour in a beer as they can handle. Their Midnight Paddler is a Canadian Imperial Stout that is so dark, thick and delicious you could put it on pancakes. If you can get down around Christmas time, you might even get a wine barrel aged version which is heavenly. These guys are a must stop for me anytime I’m driving the 401. Fairweather Brewing Co. in Hamilton is a newer recommendation from me. I stopped in here on a southern Ontario tour a couple of months ago and was blown away by the flavour and the range in their beers! They have mastered putting flavours that you wouldn’t think would go together in their beer and then blending them perfectly in the most complimentary way. Apsara is a Pale Sour with peach, vanilla and chai that I tried when I was there recently on tour. I honestly thought based on the description of flavours that this beer was not going to be great, but it blew me away!
B: All of those Ontario beers are boss choices, and sound so delicious I could cry. Let me give you another three to round out a visit to our neck of the woods, should you ever venture our way on a beer journey. Firstly, one of Rory’s tour traditions, that over these past million tours we’ve done together, he’s kindly shared with me is a trip to Beau’s All Natural on our way eastward. Based in Vankleek Hill, just outside of Ottawa, the patio is a great first stop on our way to get gas, tour snacks and a few growlers to bring to our east coast pals before we hit the road. My all time favourite beer from these guys is the Blood Simple. Clean, bursting with citrus flavour and that blood orange taste that won’t quit. I could drink this beer for eons, straight out of the tap. Secondly, the High Grass Saison from Second Wedge Brewing Co. is always a beautiful pint that I could empty a keg of so fast. Plus, Rob and Joanne have created an amazing taproom space and are such kind and passionate teammates that elevate the meaning of community in their space, and in all of their programming- including being such an incredible support to independent and touring artists. And for a beer that tastes like you could pour it over ice cream and call it a sundae is the Chocolate Manifesto Stout from Flying Monkeys Brewery based in Barrie, ON. Every year for Christmas I always ask for one in my stocking and it is one of my absolute favourite beers to drink on a cozy evening by the fire.
P.S. Rory also has two collaboration beers with 5 Paddles Brewing Co. that are outstanding. Jukebox and A Reason were both limited edition batches that feature music by Rory Taillon right on the label. I am not joking. You can peel the label right off of your beer and put it right onto a record player – the perfect musical pairing to a delicious pint.
