This past week, the Sip Family was away in Halifax, Nova Scotia for a wedding. While on the other side of the country, we got up to our usual brand of mischief, touring the city and a number of fine attractions. Here’s what we got up to in the Maritimes:

Upon arriving late last Thursday, our first order of business was to invest in some beverages for the duration of our stay. With Baby Sip in tow, we were set to do a little more drinking at our AirBnB, rather than out and about, as minors can’t be in breweries or pubs past 9pm in the city. After settling in, we made our way to the nearby NSLC liquor store, where we grabbed a six-pack of Hell Bay Dark Cream Ale and a tall can of Nine Locks Watermelon Blonde. Both beers were good, with the Dark Cream Ale being a new style to me and the Watermelon Blonde being very refreshing in the Halifax heat and humidity.

The next night, we also visited RockHead Wine & Beer Market to pick up more supplies, including J.D. Shore Spiced Rum from Halifax Distilling and a tall can of Tusket Falls Smoked Kiack Smoked Ale. The Spiced Rum went well with a bottle of Dr. Pepper we got the night before with our pizza order, while the Smoked Ale made its way home with us and will be cracked open in the near future.

Earlier on this day, we left our apartment en route to the city’s waterfront area. As we made the 20-minute journey, we stumbled across Propeller Brewing and despite only being five minutes into our walk, the stifling temperature forced us into the brewery for a dose of air conditioning and a flight of beers. Our set included the Stone Fruit Summer Ale, Lemon Pie Sour, Rye IPA and Porter. We had a great time here, chatting with staff and fellow patrons. I was even given bonus sips of the IPA and DIPA, so I could compare all three IPAs on tap.

Since our afternoon had turned into a bit of a brewery crawl, we decided to also pop into the nearby 2 Crows Brewing for another flight. Here, we sampled the Ramble Wild Table Witbier, Good Air Buckwheat Saison, Slam Jam Blueberry Brut IPA and Pollyanna Wild NE IPA. The price for a flight jumped up here compared to Propeller, but to a fare that was more common around the area. The Brut IPA was interesting and seemed to be a popular style in Halifax.

Finally reaching the harbour, next up was a late lunch/early dinner at Waterfront Warehouse. Mrs. Sip and I shared orders of the Lobster Mac ‘N’ Cheese and Fish & Chips, which paired very nicely with my pick of Boxing Rock Hunky Dory Pale Ale. Our meal on the patio was very nice and Baby Sip even got her first taste of Atlantic lobster.

Saturday was highlighted by the wedding, with the ceremony taking place across the water in Dartmouth. Following the nuptials, we explored that city a little bit, first stopping at Ace Burger (also home to North Brewing). We split their Jughead Burger with Spicy Fries, followed by an spectacular Ice Cream Sundae for dessert. For drinks, I selected the North Perseid IPA, while Mrs. Sip went with the Off Track Wheat in the Knees. With a 15% discount at North Brewing, thanks to eating at Ace Burger, we took home a bottle of Midnight Strong Dark Belgian, which also made its way back to Vancouver with us. Mrs. Sip loves her Belgian strong beers, so hopefully this hits the mark once we crack it open.

Before returning to Halifax, we visited New Scotland Brewing, which only opened its doors a month ago. As a result, some of their concoctions were sold out, but we did manage to put together a flight comprised of their Bonnie Kolsch, Strawberry Peppercorn Mead, Beachcomber IPA and All the Fuss Gose. It was interesting to throw the mead in there and it turned out to be my favourite from the collection.

The wedding reception took place at the Waegwoltic Club, which offered an amazing setting to party the night away and celebrate the newlyweds. Among the open bar lineup was the Garrison Tall Ship East Coast Ale, which I indulged in a few times throughout the festivities.

The next day featured our Downtown Food Tour, through Local Tasting Tours. Mrs. Sip and I have grown to love doing organized food tours in the places we travel to and find them to be highlights of any city we visit. This circuit was no different, expertly hosted by our guide, Rachael. The itinerary included seven stops, each with its own special treat for us connoisseurs: Prince George Hotel (Poutine), Tempo (Banh Mi Slider), The Split Crow (Queen’s County Chowder), The Old Apothecary Bakery (Salted Caramel Brownie), World Tea House (Black Tea from Kenya), Snappy Tomato Pizza (Donair), Sugah/Rum Runners (Chocolates, Salt Water Taffy, Sponge Toffee, Rum Cakes). I liked that there was a mix of options, from food to dessert and even a tea break, which Mrs. Sip was really into. The value for this tour was also quite good, as for $50 each, we left comfortably full and with a new appreciation for places around the city.

After letting our stomachs settle and giving Baby Sip a chance to exert some energy and explore at a waterfront playground (she was such a good trooper throughout the food tour), we met with a friend at the Stubborn Goat Beer Garden, along the water. The beer garden has both full-service and self-service sections, with numerous picnic tables for folks to sit at. I started with a tall can of Garrison Jalapeno, which was a little disappointing, as despite a nice pepper taste, there was no heat to the brew. I switched to a Big Spruce Tim’s Dirty IPA for my next beverage, which was good. Mrs. Sip went back to the Propeller Stonefruit Summer Ale and we split a delicious Lobster Roll that was stuffed with meat from the crustacean.

On Monday, we added some more culture to our vacation, with an afternoon spent at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The museum’s most popular collections include one about the Titanic, as Halifax played a large role in the recovery of bodies from the doomed vessel, and the Halifax Explosion, which killed thousands and injured many more. This was a fascinating stop amongst all our eating and drinking.

For dinner, we returned to Tempo, home to my favourite bite from our food tour, the Banh Mi Slider. With Mrs. Sip wanting to return to indulge in their Lobster Dinner special (only $29), it offered the opportunity for me to get a full serving of the dish. We also ordered a serving of their Calamari, which also won us over. For drinks, Mrs. Sip had a small jug of Sangria, while I went with Keith’s IPA from the happy hour menu. The beer really hit the spot, pairing well with my meal.

Following dinner, we travelled to Unfiltered Brewing, which doesn’t do flights, but offers any of their beers in a four-ounce serving. Therefore, we got tasters of the Daytimer Berliner Weisse, Exile on North Street IPA, Marcus Junius Brut IPA, Dementia DIPA and Warning Label Aged DIPA. Unfiltered is known for their IPAs and it showed with how good these options were, my favourite being the Exile on North Street.

Before calling it a night, we made it to Good Robot Brewing before their 9pm curfew for minors. We really enjoyed the brewery’s beautiful outdoor space and also liked that flights were served in muffin tins. Our selections here, included the 5th Chamber Fruit Gose, Sorry Coconut Coffee Blonde, El Espinazo Del Diablo Mexican Lager and Bingo Bronson Chocolate Porter. We also ordered a round of Butter Chicken Nachos to complete the visit.

On our final day, we rented a vehicle and travelled to Peggy’s Cove along with the couple that got married. They also hosted us for a fantastic lobster feast, with bowls full of claws, tails and legs. Mrs. Sip was in seafood heaven and our glasses of mimosas made the meal even more decadent.

Upon returning to Vancouver – following excruciating flight delays and lost luggage (nice try calling it “delayed” luggage Air Canada) – and getting a few hours of sleep, we crossed the border to the United States, so Mrs. Sip could do some shopping for a baby shower she’s hosting this weekend. Taking advantage of the trip to Bellingham, we had lunch at Kulshan Brewing, eating from the Hot Mess Food Truck, which was on-site. We both greatly enjoyed Philly Cheesesteaks, as well as our beverages, a German-Style Kolsch for Mrs. Sip and their Beer Prom IPA for moi.

That wrapped a very busy week for all of us and things heat up again this weekend. On the schedule thus far is a family gathering, the aforementioned baby shower, Caskapalooza 2018 at Craft Beer Market and probably a few events I can’t even remember!