Reviews of Big Spruce Brewing (Gardener)

Allan MacMillan

Always friendly and they have great beer. Very cautious and courteous with Covid protocols which is nice to see in tourism/hospitality in the bubble. Worth the stop on the Cabot tour ????

David MacKinnon

Awesome IPA

MrBlackroc

Staff and service are amazing. Delivery is usually next day in NS. Special edition Cereal Killer (Whisky barrel aged stout) is one of the best beers I've had in my life.

Brent Walker

Amazing spot, really good beer. Especially nice in the summer on the terrace

Comeau Electrical

Great organic beer.

Rory MacLean

Don't miss Big Spruce. If you're in the neighborhood, shame on you if you miss the brew, the crew and the view.

Jo Owens Murray

Mediocre beer at best with a decent customer service. Just feels like one of many small brewery in this country...... nothing stands out. Wasted potential.

Gary Beifuss

Friendly staff, knowledgeable about the product and a nice atmosphere on a rainy day. Would visit again.

Mike Solomon

The best thing with this brewery is that you can have 4 different beer which used organic ingredient for the price of a pint, 8 bucks. I have been drinking beers from this brewery from NSLC or even some pubs and it was always nice. try to some type of beer that you can't try on can.

David B

A great space with some delicious and unique beers.

Stephan Hicks

Beer is awful. The whole company as a whole is disgusting.

Benoit Lalonde

Great beer & wonderful food from their food truck.

Margaret Arndt

Very tasty beer, love the screen room sitting area and support friendly staff. Would be great if you could get a full pour instead of just 4oz tasters

Ryan Sull

One of the best breweries in the province, representative of the phenomenal craft beer comminity

Anthony Rumolo

Very cool location and I look forward to my next visit.

Jenna Peters

Great guys there

Enosh Yin-Cheng

Fantastic local brewery. Thanks to Jeremy, the owner, and Matt the "brewmaster", for the tour and thorough explanation of the brewing process. Too bad we can't get their beer in Ontario.

Martin Blais

Wonderful craft brewery, local, friendly, popular and lots of different types of beers on tap. We bought a few IPA "growlers" in large jugs, they also have tall boy style cans available. At the brewery they have picnic tables as well as a food truck.

Maxmus N

Fantastic beers - I wish it were winter, we could make it into ice and skate on it. Then melt it in the springtime and drink it.

Gabriel Blais

Great bear! Love the option for trying beer here, they have a nice screened in patio to enjoy the view.

Zac Cote

I've tried a fair amount of the local beers and I can say this one is pretty good. Most of them remind me of home brew in my teens yeasty but we drank it anyway. This has that spruce gum flavor I remember as a kid. It may not appeal to everyone but it is authentic and unique and for some reason goes well with the brew. Which I can say doesn't often happen. ????

André Bentivoglio

Beers available that they don't sell anywhere else. Good seating area but gets very busy in summer. Great place to stop off for a break along the way.

Matthew Poirier

Beer is delicious and the viewing is stunning! What more could you ask for?!

Derrick MacDougall

What a great spot! The best scenery you could ask for while sipping a beer but best of all the beer quality is some of the best in NS. Super friendly staff, too. Can’t wait to return!

Dave Culligan

Fabulous fabulous beer. I was so sad I couldn't take most of what I tasted home with me as they only had it in growlers (and we were going back to the US). I very much enjoyed its location and the variety of beers. Also, their banded t-shirts are completely made in Canada. Cheers to that!

Robert Parsons

Very charming microbrewing in Cap Breton island. Beer were amazing

Gordon Kennedy

My top 3 best beers. I love thier product and what they stand for. Amazing hospitality and great business model. Will be following Big Spruce for years to come. Keep up the good work Team! ????????????

Scott Whitehouse

Awesome beer.

Dave Logan

Love seeing this place get bigger every year I come back to Cape Breton. Fantastic staff, beer and fries!

Gladis Lemus

Only went to get some beer to go. Nice selection of swag, all the beer was cold. Friendly staff. A little hard to see it if your coming from the north. Lots from f outdoor space.

Jamie Wang

Must See, Great Spot

Charles Mitchell

Awesome view, awesome beers, awesome people

Michael MacISAAC

Best microbrewery in the Maritimes.

Peter Davies

Worst beer I've ever had in my life.

Jim Beretta

A very nice shop with lots of different flavours of beer and apparel. Recommend to visit here and sample their many products.

Darcy B

really cool place. Lots of outdoor area to drink beer and have fun. There are some yard games set up outside as well. This place is definitely worth a visit.

David Lowe

Cool place. Cool staff. Cool view. GREAT BEER. ????

Andrew Tomlinson

Fabulous service, yummy food and awesome beers...and the view, what a view! This is a 'must' place when in Cape Breton! Cereal Killer is one of the best stouts I have ever tried :)

Courtney Bell

If you are in Cape Breton, this is the place to stop and enjoying some unique and tasty beers! They do growler fill-ups

Ron C.

Really cool place. Lets you taste four different cups of their organic craft beers for the price of a pint glass. One of the few dry places to go to on Cape Breton when it's pouring.

Mary-Jane Wells

Amazing brewery and patio right off highway. The views from the patio are amazing. Highly recommend the Ra Ra Rasputin beer. It’s one of the best stouts I’ve ever had.

Kevin Callaghan

I always have to stop here when I'm in the area. Great staff, super tasty beer. I love that they grow their own hops!

Darcy Worthylake

What an awesome spot. Just outside of Baddeck Nova Scotia.. worth the drive if you are near the area. Beautiful scenery overlooking the Bras D'Or lakes. Sit outside on one of the many picnic tables or sit in a large screened in gazebo if it's raining or if the bugs are bad. Food truck on-site, but we didn't get anything from the food truck. Now to the important part and the reason you came here for.... beer! I'm a stout lover and this brewery makes one of my favorite stouts! I live in New Brunswick and we can't get their beer here, so I picked up a dozen to bring home. The stout is what I dream of.. its an even balance of flavours. Pours nice, carbonated just right.. and it's organic! The staff are super friendly, the location is amazing and they have non alcoholic drinks if you have kids or non booze drinkers. Can't wait to get back to Baddeck or to the nearest Nova Scotia liquor store to pick up some more Big Spruce beer. I wish your beer was available in New Brunswick!

Stephen Waller

You have to make time for this if you're in the area. Beautiful spot, friendly staff, good food, and of course a great selection of beer.

Sergio Z

Great food and even greater beer!

Braden

Beautiful location. Staff are friendly and courteous. Of course the beer is amazing

Adam Goulart (OLAPVP)

Great Oatmeal Cereal Killer Beer. Lots more to choose from at this very popular brewing spot. Who wouldn't want a beer made with raspberries and donair meat. Jeremy is a wonderful host along with a fantastic staff.

Steven

Great beer. Great conversation. Great view. ????

Rhia Perkins

Every single one of their beers is impressive. Nothing to add about the Kitchen Party. But the half-dozen or so beers we tried there were all of very good quality. Try their blood orange IPA if they have it on tap, it's a must. I personally loved their NEIPA and their kolsch.

Tom Lee

This is an awesome spot to sample some great beer. They have a nice outdoor spot plus a food truck to keep you going. It's definitely more than a place to grab beer and go.

Alex Somers Lahr

Big spruce is an amazing find for anyone traveling in cape Breton. If you like craft beer this is the place for you with many unique flavors to sample and enjoy!

Amanda Price

I've been stopping here for a few years now. Absolutely love the Cereal Killer! Great area and really like that they have a food truck there now.

Joakim Norrby

Beautiful view, great service and good organic beer!

Parker Donham

Do a flight and sample a few to find your favourites. They have outdoor tables under umbrellas, and a screened porch. It was a welcome stop on a long hot day.

Steve Bromwich

If I could rate it any lower I would. Horrible experience, I was bullied and judged the entire time. My family went home upset and hurt after our interactions with Big Spruce. Accepting everyone is not a strong suit of this company from what I can tell. I feel shocked that a company could treat customers the way my family was treated and I hope no one goes through the experience I had here and personally I don’t recommend.

Abel Araya II

Awesome beer!!

Robert McSweeney

Great spot to take a break from driving. The beer was good and the hosts were super friendly. My only complaint was we stopped on a holiday Monday for a drink and food and the food truck was closed! That was a big disappointment. Likely would have had more drinks if we had food. Still, I'd stop there again.

John Tino

Good beer, nice set up, great atmosphere and friendly service. Best of all, dog friendly! Can't wait to go back!

Vitaly Gordiienko

I managed to visit Big Spruce while touring Cape Breton. There were no other guests when we visited, so we got a flight of beer and enjoyed the whole enclosed patio and the sun.

Jason Surette

Great beer and great location!

Jessica Pfund

Great afternoon music paired with some great beer!

East Coast Punjabi’s

Second time here. In Covid, this brewery still puts out amazingly good beer, great food, and one if the best views one could ask for. My favorite NS Brewery.

April Crysler

Enjoyed the experience of tasting our flight. And then really enjoyed the oatmeal stout cereal killer with our puddings over the next couple of evenings! Shame we live in the!

Martin Capstick

Friendly staff and great beer. We didn't stay on the tasting patio but it was a wonderful touch to this cheerful local brewery. Would be interested to come back during one of the brewery tour/5 course meal events they host during the summer. Ra ra Rasputin - solid stout with a very interesting whiskey back. A bit too strong for me to drink warm but enjoyable none the less. 4/5 Cereal killer - still drinking my half growler but this is an easy beer to love. Even my non beer drinking wife likes it. A great oatmeal Stout. 5/5

Justin Bean

Always an essential stop in Cape Breton

Vern Mravinec

Very little place to park, bad food, expensive food, took very long for our food to be ready, little space to eat so we couldnt see the live music, the staff are not very welcoming, they got mad at us for being curious about a catapult at the place (we were trying to figure out what it was), it smelled like sewage, even though the beer was not bad (we ended up only liking one of the four samples) the beer was rather expensive and the other non-alcoholic drinks (organic pop basically) were terrible and expensive aswell. I would not recommend that you go to big spruce, it had completely wasted our afternoon. Hope you take the right choice and not ruin yours.

Myles Ross

A Cape Breton gem. Always a fun place to visit, and home to Nova Scotia's finest craft beer, certified organic.

Anne “Wanderingypsy” Vincent

Simply the finest beer on the island, hands down, and a clear front-runner for the province. Stop in for cans, a sample, or a growler fill and you're sure of a warm welcome and access to the season's newest flavours.

jason olsvik

Such a great spot, loads of selection, beauty views.

Lawrence Chan

Great spot for a cold one. Love the ambiance.

Justin Jamieson

Artbyjo touring America and Canada one beer at a time. Great beer

Anthony Wight

Love the food, drinks and the relaxing atmosphere!

Missjessyanne W

Very busy on a Friday afternoon. Friendly staff and some of the best beer in the province!

Nic McPherson

Amazing place would come back in a heart beat

Curtis MacAulay

Amazing spot and friendly staff

Travis Allen

A must-do stop on the way to/from Baddeck to grab some food and excellent beer. Great spot perched above the road with amazing view, picnic tables, wood fire.

John Begley

Great spot, amazing staff ! The food was good and lots of options for beer :)

Bruce MacKinnon

Great selection of beers, and both outdoor and indoor seating options. Staff provided great recommendations.

Pablo Samuel Castro

My wife and I came here twice while we were on vacation in mid October. We loved the outside area for drinks, the bartender was so friendly and helpful.

Marc Mapplebeck

Beers! Glorious beers! Mmmmmmm beers...... *drool*

Werner Betschart

(Translated) Super nice place, so nice atmosphere! People are hospitable. I recommend this brewery for their good beer but also for everything else (Original) Super belle place , ambiance tellement agréable! Les gens sont accueillants. Je recommande cette brasserie pour leur bonne bière mais aussi pour tout le reste

Nicolas Chabot

Full bodied, great taste, and organic!!!

Douglas Ronne

Friendly people. Wonderful beer.

Jason Lake

Great beer in the perfect setting! Super team, service and variety of beers. We had a flight and fell in love with their IPA #5!

David Bleakney

Awful ownership, awful people, awful beer

W Scott McCormack

Amazing view and great beer

Michael Power

Great place. Great view. Great choice of beers.

Lissette Lemus

Great spot with great beer and a fantastic atmosphere. A wicked surprise were the fries from the food truck ????????! I'm not in CB very often, but I'll definitely be back on my future visits.

Thomas Barrasso

Would not reccomend. Beer is to hoppy and overpriced. Addituonally breweries should be concerned about making beer and supporting their local communities, rather than making political statements.

Jenna LeBlanc

Best Beer on the PLANET

Edouard Moisan

Amazing spot to stop for a beer and friendly service! Great variety!

René Enguehard

This is one great brewery doing things right. Garden and view is spectacular... beers amazing as well

Buffy Silver

Loved our time with Big Spruce, both in the taproom and on the road. We look forward to visiting you again. Cheers!

Kyle Morgan

I have been enjoying this beer from the private liquor stores and on tap for a while now, but on a recent trip to Cape Breton I wad able to stop by. These guys have a stunning property with an amazing view, great staff, and you can't make a wrong beer choice. Stop by if you're in the area, make a trip here if you can, and if both of those things fail, order their beer if you see it on tap!

Taylor Broda

Service was too slow. Food was not good at all. Paid for orzo broccoli salad but all i got some lettuce leaves. Beer was quite expensive. It was a total waste of our time

Dean L

Great vibe and amazing beers ???? cheers

louis gravel

(Translated) great, brilliant, cool people, definitely try the tasting set (Original) super, genial, coole leute, tasting set unbedingt probieren

Jeremie Bernardin

Lots of flavours and great staff

Lilly Fredricks

A little off the beaten track but really excellent beer.

Matt Papai

Great beers and good food truck. Enjoyed our visit. July 2019.

mark willson

Love the taste of the beer

thehalligantool !

These guys are at the top of their game. Have yet to have a beer from them that isn’t delicious. Best craft brewer in NS. Cereal Killer is fantastic if you like stouts.

Sarah H

Great tasting organic beer!

George MacLean

Fun spot for a nice brew. Tend to be on the hoppier, more bitter side. Also has a fantastic food truck, music, patio, picnic tables, and sand box.

Laurie Rials

This is my second time at this location @BigSpruce Hotel Alpha Zulu echo Hazy pale ale 5.8% 42 IBU #YouGotToDrinkHere

Alex van den Heuvel

Came all the way from Halifax to visit Big Spruce Brewing. Not disappointed. Will be back again when the weather is warmer.

Rocker 360

I love Big Spruce! Great beer and friendly staff!

Missy Christie

Great spot to try some awesome Cape Breton beers! A must stop if you enjoy like beer.

Robin Klockars

Visiting Big Spruce is always a fantastic experience - great service, great beer and great location. They're also community-minded and are dedicated to building equitable and inclusive communities for everyone. I appreciate the difficult stand they've recently taken in support of marginalized communities. Can't wait to visit when I am back in NS.

Cullan Spears

My favourite is the Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout...although Jilted Blonde was not too shabby either

Greg Caines

The best beer in Nova Scotia, possibly the world (I would need to drink quite a bit of beer to rule definitively). Great locally sourced food from their food truck. Nice Cape Breton countryside and Bras D'or lake view to take in while savouring the beer. Visit.

Iannick Di Sanza

A must stop. Awesome food and drinks. Staff is top notch! Atmosphere and vibes were A+. Thanks!

David Taylor

Beautiful spot, friendly staff, great beer and food!

Reid Palmer

Definitely a spot to stop on the island. Great selection of beers and a beautiful view from the patio screen room. We had a flight, they were all good but our favourite was the screamsicle milkshake, one of the best we’ve had yet. Good selection of merchandise as well. They seem to have underestimated their popularity with a bit of a small parking lot which could be an issue on a nice summer day. We didn’t get the chance to try the food truck as I believe it is only open Wednesday to Sunday but we heard it was quite good as well.

Brandy MacIntyre

I have been a big fan of your Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout for a long time but today I thought I would try your golden ale, Conniption Fit. It was wicked!!! The perfect beer for the patio on a hot sunny day!!! Thanks for caring so much about your product!

Terry garvin

Great view, great beer. Will definitely be back! Food truck tacos also excellent.

marilyn tremblay

Great brew!!!! You gota go!

Bailee MacGillivary-Downs

Magic place and the beer isn't bad either..:)

Lee Tarbox

Very friendly staff serving awesome organic beers, try them all. They’re much cheaper here than if you find them elsewhere at a restaurant or pub, and much fresher. Plus there’s a great waterfront view.

Cheryl & Michael Robinson

Stay out of the politics please.

Kristi Van Kessel

The variety of beer the food truck and the view!!! All incredibly amazing With two tasting rooms and plenty of space outside to enjoy fantastic view And the staff are just the cherry on top!

Patrick King

The beers they had were excellent, very nice diversity of styles. Staff was great. Food truck was very tasty. Ferris & Shauna's music was a real surprise for us.

Gordon Smith

Beautiful view, great food at the food truck!

Champy L.

Lovely beer. Flight of beers went down very well

Helena Larocque

Excellent beer, great bites, a phenomenal view and above and beyond customer service, thank you Jeremy!

Hala Mansour

Beautiful place with friendly people serving great beer.

Rob Einarson

Disappointing political position this business has taken.

Jeff Brennan

Amazing brewery with a huge selection. If you are in the area it's definitely worth stopping, has picnic tables and chairs all around the property with beautiful views of the bras d'or lakes.

john bekkers

Amazing brewery! Awesome beer and stellar location.

Eric Lee

No parking available if more than four cars there. Beer is great but could not get into brewery to sample or buy. Only had it in local restaurants. Should consider making adequate parking lot for customers.

Pat Kline

Wasted potential, too bad this brewery is more concerned with cancel culture and virtue signalling. They have publicly stated they are not interested in supporting first responders. As such, I will never be returning and we'll be taking my business elsewhere

Aaron Greenhalgh

Sour beer is realy good ????

Keane

Awesome place friendly people And funny thank you for the great experience

Kyle Lees

(Translated) A good place to make taste discoveries (Original) Un bon endroit pour pour faire des découvertes gustatives

Ariana Wardwell

Great view and great people. Happened to be here with live music, great atmosphere.

Gary gate

Nice view and great beer

Stephanie Fernandes

Good place !

Derek Mullan

No trip to Cape Breton is complete without a stop at Big Spruce in Nyanza for a flight or Kitchen Party Pale Ale! Owners and staff are invested in the community and represent everything that is wonderful about local business, craft beer, and Nova Scotia!

Bernadette Scott

Awesome beer - Make sure you get your hands on some of the smaller released IPAs that are available at the brewery! Lots of canned options for take away, plus a beautiful view to enjoy while you enjoy some beer and some food from the food truck!

djsparky069

Bestest beer ever,you can taste the clean mountain water and love in every pint

gunnyglock89

Amazing location, fantastic beer, great people, very enjoyable. On a sunny day there's plenty of outdoor seating, nice for the whole family! The good is very straightforward, but absolutely excellent. Best fries I've ever had!

Jon Developer

Totally against their latest brew supporting the MacNeil government. Will never drink big spruce again. It was my favorite.

Emily Smith

Beautiful view, fantastic beer!