Those were the words spoken to Michael Friesen, head brewer at The Patch Brewery in Maple Ridge, by a fellow brewer shortly before their grand opening in August 2024. One year later, as the brewery celebrates its first anniversary, that brewer’s words seem prophetic. I sat down with Michael and co-owner Rebecca Laity to chat about The Patch’s first year and plans for the future.

A Slow Burn: Opening a Farm-Based Family Brewery

Rumours of The Patch were circulating years before their opening day. As other farm brewery owners will understand only too well, the bureaucratic hurdles required to open The Patch were substantial. 

The Laity family has lived and run businesses in the area for generations. However, it wasn’t until around 2017 that brothers Doug and Jeff Laity, along with their wives Kaitlyn and Rebecca, considered the possibility of a farm brewery.  The hard work that Persephone Brewing in Gibsons did to change the laws around agricultural land use inspired them. “We have this land, we could start a brewery!” Rebecca remembers the family thinking.  

It didn’t happen right away. They planted barley and hops and hired an architect to design the brewery buildings, but had to contract-brew out of Taylight and Locality while they slowly hacked away at bureaucratic red tape. At last, in summer 2024, they received final approval for opening their brewery. 

This delay wasn’t all negative, though. Rebecca recalls how those years of planning revealed the welcoming and collegial nature of the craft beer community. She and Jeff visited almost every brewery in the lower mainland – and others overseas – and at each one, Jeff would try to talk to the owner. “Everyone was so open and collaborative,” Rebecca says. “They were all willing to help us out.”

A Year of Challenges and Celebrations

Once The Patch opened its doors, that prediction about a tsunami of people came true. The huge outdoor patio space that welcomes children and dogs, combined with a solid taplist and delicious pizzas, immediately drew in the crowds. On busy weekends, parking attendants were on duty to facilitate the flow of traffic. Speaking as a regular brewery patron myself, I’ve rarely seen this kind of popularity. The Patch must be doing something right.

A large customer base is great, but every benefit has its drawbacks. “There were non-stop adjustments, and staffing was one of our biggest challenges,” Rebecca says. “We had to hire 50 additional staff within the first week of opening.” And the hiring has continued – along with the additional work required for staff training. The hundreds of customer seats available mean that they need more staff if they want to optimize their space. 

Providing efficient customer service as they welcome people in is another priority. The brewery’s popularity required a waitlist system almost immediately. Rebecca remembers that they began with a handwritten waitlist, then moved to a texting system, and now they use an online program. Customers can now add themselves to the waitlist while they’re still at home and check their spot before they head out. It’s been a game-changer.

Once patrons were inside the brewery, there were other difficulties to sort out. The flow of customers from counter to table – and the different options, like table service or counter service – has gone through several iterations. Rebecca acknowledges that this can be frustrating for repeat customers, who may have experienced different “rules” during different visits. It’s also difficult for staff. However, they’ve now found a good balance, and they plan to stick with it.

A final hurdle of their first exciting year was the beer supply. They were selling almost all of their beer directly to customers at the counter. This is great news for any brewery, but it meant that they didn’t have enough beer to fill the cans in their off-sales fridge. Increasing production within their existing brewhouse space required a skilled game of fermentation tank Tetris.  

What Makes The Patch Unique?

A craft brewery won’t find success just by brewing fantastic beer or having a trendy taproom. It needs to hit that perfect balance of high-quality beer (and food, if offered), a welcoming, community-oriented space, and staff who care about the customers. The Patch seems to have found that balance in their first year.

Head brewer Michael Friesen is passionate about this brewery and what it can offer to Maple Ridge. He’s designed the brewhouse for top efficiency, using large serving tanks rather than kegs for the front of house taps (trust me when I say this saves a great deal of time and hassle) and piping the lines underground to feed the taps in the little “Beer Barn” outside. He’s also crafted a taplist that embodies local flavours and histories within a range of beer styles that will appeal to the brewery’s broad demographic. 

It starts with a good lager. “Gotta have a good house lager,” he told me. A lager is a good litmus test for a brewery; you can’t hide any flaws. The Laity Lager is excellent. It’s crisp, clean, and approachable – not too “crafty” for the folks who are used to macro lagers, but a quality beer that craft beer nerds will appreciate. Another popular lager on tap is the 1879 Patch Pilsner, Michael’s twist on a Czech pilsner. It’s named after the year in which the Laity family settled in the region. To Michael, understanding both local history and beer history are crucial if you’re a brewer. “Brewers should have a core knowledge of traditional beer styles,” he says. “They have their foot planted in the past – they know the history. But they should also be aware of innovations happening in beer. Once you know what the rules are, then you can break them.” 

And he’s done a bit of breaking with the 1879 Patch Pilsner. Using imported European floor-malted barley, he puts the wort through an extra-long boil, ages it for three weeks in a foeder (a big wooden barrel), then krausens it to allow natural carbonation, then does a final dry hop. It’s served with a traditional Czech side-pull tap. The subtle vanilla and toffee notes drawn from the wood aging stop it from being a conventional Czech pilsner, but that’s part of its charm; this pilsner is the Laity version of the traditional Czech beer. 

Other core beers, like the Fat Tractor Hazy IPA and the Three Peaks West Coast IPA, evoke local landmarks and sights. Early in our conversation, Michael and Rebecca described the haze that settled over the fields in early August, when the barley was being harvested. I thought of that when I picked up a can of Fat Tractor and looked out the window to see the farm’s tractor sitting in the freshly shorn fields. The rotating taps, including the Sour Patch series and the hefeweizen, reflect seasonal aspects of the local landscape – berries, wheat fields, mountains. 

There are plenty of non-alcoholic options as well, including Phillips Brewing’s non-alcoholic beers, Ole mocktails, and lemonade, iced tea, and Italian sodas. However, one unique inclusion is their coffee bar – a big draw for tired parents who stop by when the brewery opens at 10 am. After discovering an amazing coffee shop on Vancouver Island, Drumroasters, the Laitys went into partnership with the owners. Drumroasters supplies their espresso machine and makes a special roast for The Patch based on Maple Ridge’s water chemistry. You can get anything from a drip coffee to flavoured lattes to matcha to cold brew to hot chocolate.

And finally – food! If you’re in the mood for more than something to sip on, The Patch has you covered with their new menu. While they started with pizza as their mainstay, they’ve expanded to include muffins and pastries, fried chicken, burgers (there are vegan options for these latter two), and salads. A large food truck out back expands their kitchen facilities and helps feed the hundreds of hungry patrons who enter their doors each day.

Looking to the Future

After one year of beautiful chaos and smashing success, The Patch has found its place in the Maple Ridge community. It’s giving the locals something that they’ll come back for repeatedly. Open air, good beer and food, play space for kids and dogs…it’s all here. After a year of consistent pivoting and adjustments to make things work, what does the future look like?

Rebecca feels like they’re just getting started. “We’ve done a lot, but there’s so much more we’d like to do,” she says. “We’d like to expand our food menu and host more events.” An Oktoberfest celebration is currently in the works, although fairly laid-back; business as usual, but with some fun additions. “It’s not a ticketed event,” Rebecca emphasizes, although ticketed events are likely a future possibility. They will also continue to build up their staff in order to ensure quality customer service and good management.

On the brewing side, one thing that isn’t in the immediate future is wider distribution. They’ll continue to focus on selling beer to the customers who come to them for that farm brewery experience. From Michael’s perspective, this is the dream for a brewer. They don’t feel like they’re brewing for a sales team; they’re brewing for their customers, and they’re brewing styles they love. “We can brew the beer the best we can and get instant feedback from people coming in,” says Michael. “We use our passion and creativity.” 

At the same time, as both Michael and Rebecca emphasize, the brewer’s passion must align with the customer base for the brewery. “We had to learn about our audience, and I think we’ve done a great job of making very approachable beers,” says Rebecca. Combining creativity with approachability is something Michael’s done well. He anticipates introducing a barrel-aging program in future, so keep an eye out for that!

A Beer to Celebrate One Year: the Anniversary Brew

Today, The Patch is releasing its much-anticipated first anniversary beer – their “One Year Beer”, a cold-lagered IPA that’s similar to a West Coast IPA but crisper and cleaner. Using a superpowered lager yeast strain (for the brewing science nerds, the superpowers involve biotransformation caused by the release of thiols), Michael brewed the beer with BC-grown Saaz and Cascade hops, fermented it, dry-hopped it with tropical New Zealand hops, aged it in a foeder, krausened it in a stainless steel tank, then double dry-hopped it. 

If that sounds a bit confusing and complicated to make – it is. But it’s definitely worth drinking! This beer has a lager’s beautiful golden clarity, but its fruity aroma and first sip suggest a hazy IPA with melon, grapefruit, guava, and peach notes. Mid-palate, that sip takes a turn to West Coast IPA territory with citrus pith and pine. The finish is satisfying; clean and fairly quick, with just a bit of lingering piney bitterness. As Michael puts it, this beer takes you on a journey. It will sell out quickly, so make sure you get down to the taproom ASAP. 

Congratulations to the owners and staff of The Patch on a brilliantly successful first year. We’re all looking forward to seeing what you do next!

Every Pint Tells a Story

Supporting Local. Celebrating Community.

The post The Patch Brewery in Maple Ridge Celebrates Their First Year in Beer appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

In this 24th instalment, I chat with Josh Vanderheide (aka JV), founder of Field House Brewing in East Abbotsford and downtown Chilliwack.

Josh was chosen by my last guest, Gary Brucker from Barn Owl Brewing, as the next interviewee in this ongoing “tag-you’re-it” style series. Although this was our first time connecting, our conversation via Google Meet felt like we were sharing a beer in person. We covered everything from Field House’s beginnings in 2015 to Josh’s thoughts on the future of BC craft beer.

It’s a longer read, but full of insight — so grab a pint and enjoy.

And if you’ve missed any previous interviews, you can catch up on them here.

Kim: I always find it interesting to hear how people got started in the industry. Josh, how did you get started in craft beer?

Josh: Yeah, you’re right. There are a lot of different pathways to craft beer. Mine started not in brewing but on the marketing side of things. My career was in marketing. It’s what I went to school for, and then I moved into graphic design, then branding, and brand strategy. I had a boutique design studio called Also Known As in Gastown with my business partner Jesse Bannister. We worked with hospitality businesses, and we ended up specializing in consumer products, including wineries, distilleries, and breweries. Early on, we did the branding for Yellow Dog and Twin Sails. We did a rebrand for Fernie. We did some work for Russell and Steel & Oak. We also helped Small Gods with their branding. I suppose I made my way around the industry in this way early on, before I decided to take the leap and start my own brewery.

We were watching this industry evolve, and we were like, man, this looks like fun. One day, we were on a road trip to the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria because our clients were there. On that trip, Jesse asked if there were any breweries in Abbotsford, and when I realized there weren’t any, he suggested that we open one. By this time, I had moved from the city back to Abbotsford with my family, and thought, yes, let’s do this.

So that was really the first conversation about the possibility of opening a brewery. That was in September. I wrote the business plan in November and December, and then my wife, Gina, and I launched the business. Within a year, we found the building, raised the funds, completely renovated an old car garage, and opened Field House.

With my background, I knew what we needed to do to get open and get all of the permits, and I had some great industry connections to help get through the process. At that time, there was a reason there wasn’t a brewery in Abbotsford. It related to an older bylaw that you could have a brewery, but you couldn’t have a tasting room. But then City Council modernized the bylaw, and three of us opened up within about a year. Field House, Ravens Brewing, and Old Abbey Ales.

For me, coming from the brand and marketing side, of course, we needed a great brewer. So, my first hire was Parker, our head brewer, and he’s still with us 10 years later. He’s been an awesome partner and collaborator for a long time now.

What we went through back then is a bit different than what breweries have to go through today to open a new brewery. I feel like everything has gotten a lot more complicated and much more expensive. At the time, we could open a brewery for $600-700K. Now, new breweries are looking at more like $1.5-2 million to open.

Kim: I understand you built your brewery with crowdsourced funding. Tell me more about this.

Josh: We were running a lean budget. We were putting our money into the business, along with money from whoever we could find that would come along with our crazy idea. With my marketing background, we decided to do a Kickstarter to find more people who would be willing to support us. It was really fun. It’s still online and it features my wife’s ‘Dutch Oma’. She’s the main character in the video, and she’s quite a fun person. We intentionally made it look low-budget to actually make it look like we needed the money. The reality is that we didn’t have lots of money, so it was easy to make it look that way.

You can watch the video by clicking here, or click on the graphic below.

If you watch the video, it actually came right after one of our lowest points. We were in the middle of renovating, and we had ripped off the roof. We had this small window to do the repairs and re-roof it. But in that window, it started pouring rain. And we ended up with a foot of rain in our office area the day before we were going to film inside. I knew we couldn’t show this. No one would believe that we could open the brewery because it was so bad.

Kim: So, is crowdsourced funding a model that you would recommend to other breweries? Was it worth it in the end for the investment of time you put into it?

Josh: I do. Our goal was to raise $20K, and we ended up raising almost $30K. We really needed those funds. Other breweries like Firehall, Persephone, and Container have also gone with a crowdfunding model.

We’re actually looking at another one as we expand our business. We’re looking to go back to crowdfunding again to raise capital, but in a different way. I think if you look at the economy right now and the state of the industry, it’s really hard to convince people to invest in a brewery today.

So, yes, I would encourage it. But you need to know that it’s going to take some work and time, but you can reap the rewards of that work and be a bit more efficient from an equity perspective. We did a Kickstarter campaign, which is great for a small crowdfunding project in the $30-50K range. There are other good crowdfunding platforms out there, too. I’d say there’s also been an evolution of crowdfunding. It’s actually a mix of your crowdsourcing campaign, investment from your friends and fans, and also people who are actually real investors that are writing significant cheques.

Kim: Your brewery has been around since 2015. What makes Field House so special?

Josh: Well. Good question. How do I say these things in the most humble way? I’m not the brewer, but I do think our beer program stands out in the industry. We still release one, two, three, or six new beers on a regular basis. We released nine new beers in a week for our anniversary.

Apart from that, every week we have a new beer or two. It might seem exhausting, and I don’t know that there’s anybody else who can keep up with the pace of innovation that our team can.

And again, I say this humbly, but I really feel like with all of those beer releases, none of those beers are ever a miss for me. There’s very rarely a beer that we try and think it is not up to our standards. That’s because the beers all build on each other. We’ve developed expertise in sours and IPAs, and we have good technical expertise with these styles. We are still trying new things and innovating with techniques and ingredients – pushing the limits on flavour and innovation. I’m super proud of the team and how they can continue to innovate at such a rapid pace, while also maintaining quality. I’d say that’s probably why I think we’ve been successful over the last 10 years.

I think what we do is quite unique in the market. I’d say Backcountry is probably similar to us. We probably make about the same amount of beer, give or take. And we probably have about the same amount of new releases, and we make some awesome beers, and kill it on the marketing side of things as well.

In addition, another thing I think makes us special is that we have another whole area of our business. We’re expanding right now and building out our portfolio. We just acquired NiceLife Cocktail Company through a merger last year, and so now we’re doing the same thing with cocktails. We’re releasing innovative, high-quality craft ready-to-drink cocktails under the NiceLife brand. We’ve launched four new brands in the last three months since that acquisition. We have a new tequila RTD line called The Sunrise Hotel. We have a new cider line called Rest & Recreation Cider. We have a new full Gin & Juice line-up with multiple products.

Now we’re building out our non-alcoholic portfolio, which is up next, and we’re really excited about it. We’re a bit late to the party, but we have been testing a lot of things, and we just released our first product.

While we continue to innovate on the beer side, we are pushing the portfolio wider, and in each of those portfolios, we are going deep as well.

Kim: Wow. That is absolutely incredible. Being in the industry myself, I know what it takes to keep releasing new products, and you guys are doing it every week. Are all your new releases packaged, or are some of them draft only?

Josh: There’s the occasional beer that we release from our Chilliwack location, which is our R&D brewery, that we do draft releases only, but it’s usually on top of another packaging release. Otherwise, all the releases are packaged. The team really pushes the envelope of what can be done at that pace and frequency. It’s been cool to watch it and just try to keep up with it. Honestly, I don’t even drink every beer that we release. I can’t even track them all down.

We used to have a really fun program when we had our smaller test system. We called it “crew beers,” and anybody could propose a concept for a beer. Then that crew member would work with one of the brewers to refine the idea and make the beer, so we always had a new crew beer as well, which was really fun. Then, when we released it, we’d have a party, and the crew would invite their friends and family down. It was a really cool program. Unfortunately, it just became inefficient to keep using this smaller test system.

Kim: Not only do you have multiple brands, but you have multiple locations. How do you manage two separate locations?

Josh: Abbotsford is our main production brewery. Our Chilliwack location is more of a smaller brew pub, and this is where we do our R&D brewing. We also have a brewery at our farm. We have a 5-acre farm, 10 minutes from Abbotsford, where we have our barrel room and all of our wild stuff. We also have fruit and various ingredients on the farm, which we use in our beers. Plus, we have wine grapes, which we’ll be using for a new product we are launching this fall. And we also have the NiceLife site in Port Coquitlam. So yes, I guess you could say we have a lot on the go.

Kim: What else are you working on?

Josh: We are creating a new warehouse distribution hub. We’re going to be running a new direct-to-customer online store so people can buy all of our products online and have them shipped direct. It’s sort of a decentralized model, which means we can produce small batches of different products. This gives us a lot of flexibility to run the innovative beer program that we have. We can produce a lot of beer, but it’s not a lot of one beer, and I think this will help us maneuver and be more innovative.

Kim: You talk about being ‘purveyors of the good life’. What does a good life mean to you?

Josh: The good life concept has been part of our concept since day one. Our original tagline was ‘good beers + good times’. We expanded that when we started our food program to ‘good beers + good eats + good times’. And then that became what we referred to as ‘the good life’, so when we combined beer and cocktails and now these new brands, we needed an umbrella name, hence the Good Life Brand Collective – which is how we refer to the portfolio now.

The Good Life brand sits as the umbrella over Field House, NiceLife, Rest and Recreation, Sunrise Hotel, and the new brands that are coming.

Conceptually, the good life for us is the coming together of the simple, but good things in life. If you just need a win during the week and that looks like grabbing a pizza and a beer, hanging out with friends or your kids and family… or bringing your dog down to hang out with, that can be a win … that’s the Good Life. To enjoy simple moments with high-quality products. I feel like it’s really important to create those wins for our community.

Kim: Amazing. So now I want to dig into JV here. So, how do you define a good life for you, personally?

Josh: Well, that’s a good question. I think I’ve had to learn that life is not about silos. If you’d love your work to be here, and your friends to be here, and your family to be there, and you could just focus on those things, that’s one thing. But I’ve learned that life is more like an integrated concept where you flow in and out of things. You can enjoy that thing, but move to the next thing and enjoy that. So, I think that’s how I’ve had to learn to ebb and flow in my life. And I think the good life is being able to do all those things.

For example, I was just at my daughter’s track meet during ‘work hours’, and I was able to work in between her races. I love that my work allows me the flexibility to do that. Sometimes my team needs me, and I say to my family, I know it’s Saturday, but they need some help down at the brewery. So, I think it’s the ability to do the things that are important and move through those things as effortlessly as possible. It’s not always perfect, and sometimes it’s a little bit of a hot mess. Having said that, I’m super grateful for all of those buckets of my life, and how they work together.

Kim: How important is it for you to work with local ingredients and ingredients that you grow yourself?

Josh: Well, we bought a farm in the valley, and we’re in an agricultural and food community. When we built the food program specifically, we realized it wasn’t just about buying local and saying local. We realized we had to understand what that actually means.

Farming is not an easy job, and agriculture is not easy. The original Field House name referred to the house next to the field where you work in the day, then you go back to the house after work. Here you have a meal or a beer, and it tastes so much better because you earned it after a hard day of work.

Our commitment to the farm and understanding what local farms do, and the challenges they face, has really helped us embrace working with other partners and other local suppliers. Because we’ve walked a mile in the same shoes as them, we can tell an authentic story. We can take you to the farm and show you where this stuff comes from, and you can meet the farmer who grows it. It feels really good to go to that level.

We know we’re not going to change farming. We’re not going to change agriculture. We can’t do that. But we believe we can act as a megaphone for why it’s important. I’ll give credit to Josh from 33 Acres. He said something I remember reading years ago, and it stuck with me. He said that beer is part of the conversation, but it’s not the whole conversation. And the conversation’s about community. It’s about food. It’s about culture. It’s about building great businesses that can contribute positively. And beer plays a huge role in that. And if you follow us on Instagram, you’ll see that it’s not just beer. It’s a lot of different storylines around our people, around our community, around our food, around our farm, and around all the things we do.

Being 100% local is not really that sustainable from a business perspective, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. We need to have a balance between running a healthy business and being sustainable, and we want to land somewhere in between.

Kim: Gary mentioned how collaborative you are and how much you are willing to help other breweries. Why do you think the craft brewing industry is so collaborative?

Josh: Yes, it is unique. I think we’ve realized that when you’re not fighting each other, it’s in your best interest to help each other to establish the industry. The other reason is recognizing that the craft beer drinker is not truly a loyal drinker. They don’t just drink one flavour of beer or one brand of beer. So we don’t have to say drink ours and not theirs, and instead we can say you should drink ours and theirs. I think we’re really lucky to be in an industry that allows us to say that, right?

We’re in the collaboration over competition era, which is a healthy model. Craft beer has proven that it works. We wish other people would pay attention to that.

Kim: So, tell me about what’s next for the Good Life Brands?

Josh: We have a lot to say about what’s next. We are coming into our 10-year anniversary, and we had to do a gut check. We had to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, What have we done? What can we be proud of? We had a conversation with our team and said we should high-five ourselves, but not just rest on our laurels. We can’t assume that whatever we did for the last 10 years is going to work for the next 10.

We looked at the shifts in drinking habits and behaviours, and we looked at where the market’s going, and we realized we needed to expand our perspective. So that’s when we got into discussions with NiceLife. This is where we go back to the Jesse Bannister story. Jesse was one of our original investors in Field House. He went on to found NiceLife Cocktails and was doing something great there. Like us, they were focused on innovation and quality. Everything that NiceLife did really aligned with what Field House was doing, so we decided to merge under the same umbrella. But we weren’t doing this to stay static; we did this to grow and create new opportunities.

Very quickly, we integrated the team and then launched these new brands. Jesse is now our Director of Growth and Business Development, and he works with Parker, our original employee number one, who is now our Director of R&D. They work together on all the R&D projects. So, it’s nice having a team that is actively working on what’s next, while we’re working on solving today’s problems.

Originally, our goal was to offer one of the best craft beer experiences in BC. And we worked really hard to hopefully earn our spot there. With the merger, we had to reset, and we asked, “What is our next big goal?”

So, our next big goal is to develop a leading portfolio of brands and beverages across Canada. Over the next 5 to 10 years, we are trying to broaden our portfolio of craft beverage brands, all with a focus on innovation and quality, and then bring those to as many communities across Canada as possible.

While this is a big goal, we know we grow from being in those uncomfortable spots. When we looked at why we should grow, it was because we wanted to take care of our people and their families, give them great jobs, give them a chance to stay in this industry, make a good living, and work for a good company. So, we have to grow to do that. And we’re trying to do it in the most authentic way possible.

The next portfolio for us is non-alcoholic beverages, and we’re definitely behind in that. But we’ve been maxed at production capacity for about 18 months, so we haven’t had any tank space to put out non-alcoholic beers. We’re starting to explore more brewery partnerships to brew liquid in different spaces.

We already brew in a few different contract brewing situations. We realized that we’re not going to be able to make it in-house, so we’ve got to create some good partnerships.

Kim: You talked a lot about what’s happened over the last 10 years. Where do you think the industry is going in the next 5 to 10 years?

Josh: Craft beer has established a foothold, and I don’t think it’s going away. Having said that, I don’t think we’ll have as many independent breweries as we do right now. I think that number will go down because we’ll see some mergers and acquisitions, and there will probably be some fallouts, and the frequency with which people are opening new breweries will go down. With that, I think that the number of craft breweries will normalize to a proper number. You see this in the US as well.

On the beverage side, I think we’ll continue to see innovations. But I’m really curious about what the next big jumps look like. Where does the industry make fundamental shifts, and what are some examples of that? Hazy IPA is a great example. When we started our businesses, Hazy IPA wasn’t the IPA, but it is the IPA now, from a sales volume perspective.

There are lots of theories around what the biggest trends will be. But I think one of the insights I learned about a year ago at the craft beer conference was that we used to think of people as non-drinkers, cocktail drinkers, or beer drinkers, but the actual data is saying that beer drinkers drink cocktails, and cocktail drinkers drink beer, and beer people sometimes choose non-alcoholic drinks. It’s a weird, interesting mishmash, and I really love that.

I think the biggest trend will probably be cannabis-based beverages. If you look down south, there are THC and CBD lifestyle beverages. In BC, those drinks come with a lot of large warning labels. While it’s not my drink of choice, I can see why people are going to it from a health benefits perspective.

I think there will be some notable changes in hospitality as well. It’s been kind of the same for a long time. But we’re seeing a lot of really cool, experiential concepts coming out of the States right now that just haven’t hit Canada yet. I would say a leader in hospitality concepts in BC is BNA Brewing. They’ve been providing really unique experiences in hospitality, and I think we’ll see more concepts like that.

Human beings always want to gather somewhere, and we moved from gathering at bars and lounges to gathering at craft breweries. But I think there will be a new version of gathering. It’ll look different, but the purpose will be the same – for humans to gather. And I think it’s really important in a very digital world that we still gather as human beings, not digitally gather together.

So, I don’t know the answer. If I had it, I’d be building it right now. But I have a notebook of random theories, and maybe one of them is right.

Kim: Tell me about your favourite beer.

Josh: It’s cliche, but I will order an IPA, or a hazy IPA is really my preference. I will usually drink the IPA that’s on tap wherever we are. That’s my go-to. A stand-out for me is Superflux. They have a good reputation for a reason. I also like Small Gods on the Island. Chris has been in the industry forever, and Johnny, who came from Deep Cove, they are so good at what they do, and their products are honestly so good. They had this California IPA that I loved. I think Small Gods is making some of the best beers in BC. They’ve got some great accolades right out of the box, and it’s really fun to see them succeed.

Kim: And when you’re not drinking beer, what are you drinking?

Josh: I love cheap white wine. I don’t like sweet white wines, but if it’s cold and dry and if it’s cheap, I’ll drink it. There are also some adaptogenic soda waters with some interesting flavours and ingredients that I’m interested in.

Kim: What are your thoughts on the non-alcoholic trend?

Josh: I’ll go out on a limb, and it’s okay if I’m wrong, but I think this is more of a trend than a permanent thing. I like to anchor back to things that have been around for decades and decades. Alcohol is one of those things. I think it is somewhat trendy to be sober-curious. But I do think it’s brought about some good alternatives and healthy products. And I think it’s leading to more mindful drinking.

In the non-alcoholic space, we just made our first non-alcoholic Salted Mexican Lime Lager. One of the insights we learned is not to try to make these taste exactly like beers, but rather to make them taste like really good drinks that give you the feeling of drinking a beer. On the craft side, I think it’s really important to look at non-alc, and ask if it’s a good beverage, not if it’s a good beer.

Kim: What do you love about the craft beer scene where you live?

Josh: If you look at Field House and our fellow breweries out here, Farmhouse Brewing and Old Yale, we all have these big open spaces. Whether it’s an indoor play area or a backyard space, the breweries out here give people open spaces to hang out and chill. And I think it’s very reminiscent of having wide open agricultural fields and land, so it kind of fits with that.

Kim: If we step outside the craft beer scene, what do you love about the area that you live in?

Josh: The shift that happened in the last 10 years is that we were moving from these rural areas that were well-designed for families and livability, but they didn’t have any cool businesses. We had the mall, the big box stores, and the strip malls, but we didn’t have cool, trendy things that you would see in Gastown in Vancouver. But now, 10 years later, we have really cool coffee shops, cool breweries, new wine bars, and cool boutiques. We have all the things that Vancouver had. In Vancouver, they have all those things, but they’re not very connected because Vancouver is so big. What’s really unique about the business community we have is that we’re all independent craft businesses, and we’re all very aware of what everybody’s doing. We support each other, tell stories, and recommend each other.

So now we have all the cool businesses, but all those cool businesses are kind of your friends, which is kind of cool.

Kim: And what do you enjoy doing with your family that’s not work-related?

Josh: We definitely have an outdoor playground out here. Chilliwack has this amazing offering of trails, rivers, and mountains. So, in 10 minutes, you can be at a trail head, or you can go to a lake or ride your bike.

I think we can have a really complete community because we are family-friendly, but we also have these outdoor things to do. And now we have these creative businesses that you can go to after a hike for a beer or a great meal.

Kim: Is there anything else you want to share?

Josh: I think it’s important to talk about the fact that it’s been hard for small and medium-sized businesses. I don’t want to be whiny, but it’s been a long haul. It’s been over 5 years since the good old days of 2019. And I think everybody’s tuned out to the support local messaging, which is kind of sad. We’ve all heard it over and over again. But at the same time, if you want to have coffee shops and breweries in your community, a portion of your money has to be spent in these businesses.

The economy has been tough. People are going out less and spending less money, and there are just not enough visits to go around for all the restaurants and the coffee shops that we have. We need to ask ourselves if these businesses build the communities and the culture that we want. That doesn’t just magically happen. If you look at all the businesses closing, there’s only one reason that they’re closing, and it’s because they don’t have enough customers.

It doesn’t really take a lot to be a customer in our industry. A beer is still an affordable luxury.

I don’t want people to feel guilty about shopping at Costco or Amazon, but just make sure that you’re also spending a portion of your dollars locally as well. If we can do that, we’ll be able to save a few more local businesses. So, I think it’s important that people are really mindful of this.

Kim: Anything else you want to put out there?

Josh: We are excited to really start sharing the story about the Good Life Brand Collective in the next six months. Everybody kind of knows Field House and NiceLife, but we’re going to take people on this journey with us. Going back to your earlier question, we started with crowdfunding as a way to take people along on the journey of building a brewery. And we’re planning to do that again with the Good Life Brand. We’re going to use a crowdfunding model and hopefully get people to come along on this next crazy journey with us.

Kim: I would normally end this interview by giving Josh a chance to pick who I will interview next. But this time I’m planning to do something different. Josh is my 24th Hops Among Friends interview since 2017. The next one is the big 25, and I’m going to do something different. A bit of a retrospective. So, the person Josh recommends will be number 26. You’ll have to wait to hear who Josh picks for me to interview once the 25th blog is live.

Stay tuned for the 25th instalment of the Hops Among Friends blog series. Until then, cheers!

The post Hops Among Friends with Josh Vanderheide of Field House Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

While the connection might not seem obvious at first glance, there is a natural relationship between farmers’ markets and the craft beer community – one that we’ve talked about before. Both farmers’ markets and craft breweries share a commitment to supporting local producers, celebrating regional flavours, and fostering genuine connections between makers and consumers. And both represent a shift toward more intentional consumption, where knowing the source of what you’re buying matters as much as the quality itself. Movements like the Canada-wide Glorious and Free collaboration beer (and the growing list of other all-Canadian-ingredient brews) show that craft beer lovers care about supporting local and strengthening communities while showcasing the incredible resources our province has to offer. And farmers’ markets share those same values.

The BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM) is an organization that is “passionate about local food and helping markets, farmers and small businesses grow so local food continues to thrive.” Their member markets take place across BC on the BC Farmers’ Market Trail, some seasonally and some year-round, but all with a “grow it, make it, bake it” philosophy: everything you’ll find at these markets has been grown or crafted by a locally-owned small business.

On the BC Farmers’ Market Trail, you’ll find over 145 market destinations around the province, each with something unique to offer. Not sure where to start? Download the free BC Farmers’ Market Trail app to find the markets nearest you. Just like the BC Ale Trail app*, you’ll find a guide to the markets closest to you and be able to browse regional destinations. You can earn points by checking in when you visit a market, join ‘Taste & Do’ challenges, complete Tasting Passports, all as you discover your new favourite ingredients and products to truly savour the flavours of BC.

*The BC Ale Trail is making it even easier to find farmers’ markets near you that host local craft breweries! On the BC Ale Trail mobile app and on the website, you’ll find local farmers’ markets listed on the Events pages. Your weekend grocery shopping just got tastier!

There are plenty of reasons to make farmers’ markets your go-to shopping destination and become part of this thriving local economy; here are just a few:

Support Local and Strengthen Your Community

When you buy directly from a local farmer, baker, maker, or artisan at a farmers’ market, your money goes straight back to the source and stays in your local economy. This direct-to-consumer model means more of your hard-earned dollars support local families and businesses rather than distant corporations.

But the impact goes beyond economics. Shopping at farmers’ markets strengthens community ties in meaningful ways. The BCAFM collaborates with community organizations and member farmers’ markets to provide farmers’ market coupons to lower-income families, pregnant people, and seniors. This coupon program, supported by the Province of British Columbia and generous community donors, ensures that fresh, local food is accessible to everyone in the community.

By shopping at your local farmers’ market, you’re not just buying food—you’re investing in a more equitable and connected community.

Discover So Much More Than Fruits and Vegetables

While fresh produce might draw you in, BC farmers’ markets offer an incredible diversity of local goods that will surprise and delight you. You’ll find everything from farm-fresh eggs to artisanal dairy products, locally raised meat, golden honey, homemade preserves, and freshly baked bread that puts grocery store options to shame.

The variety doesn’t stop at food. Local markets showcase an impressive array of BC-made products, including things like handcrafted soaps and natural skin care, artisan jewelry, leather or knitted goods, clothing, and beautiful woodworking or pottery pieces. Whether you’re looking for a unique gift or treating yourself to something special, farmers’ markets offer one-of-a-kind items you simply won’t find anywhere else.

Every visit becomes a treasure hunt where you might discover your new favourite local jam maker, the hottest hot sauce to spice things up, or that perfect handcrafted piece for your home.

Sample and Shop Local Craft Beer

Yes, you read that right! Many BC farmers’ markets feature local craft breweries where you can sample the latest releases and pick up a 4-pack or 6-pack to pair with the fresh ingredients you’re gathering. There’s something magical about selecting fresh vegetables, artisan cheese, and locally baked bread, then completing your meal with a craft beer from the same community.

This unique shopping experience lets you create completely local meals while supporting multiple small businesses in one trip. Imagine pairing that farm-fresh tomato and basil with locally made mozzarella and a crisp wheat beer—all sourced within miles of your home.

Dramatically Lower Your Environmental Impact

Here’s a staggering fact: the average North American meal travels between 2,400 to 4,000 kilometres from farm to table, according to one Ontario newspaper. 92% of imported fruit travels more than 1500km, with 22% travelling beyond 7000 km to reach your table, according to a paper by York University.

When you shop at farmers’ markets, you’re buying food that may have traveled just a few dozen kilometers—or sometimes just a few blocks—to reach you. This dramatic reduction in food miles means significantly lower carbon emissions, less packaging waste, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels for transportation. By choosing local, you’re making a powerful environmental statement with every purchase while reducing your personal carbon footprint in a meaningful way.

Experience Seasonal, Fresh Food That Simply Tastes Better

There’s no comparison between a tomato picked yesterday from a local farm and one that’s been shipped thousands of miles and stored for weeks. Farmers’ market produce is harvested at peak ripeness and sold within days, or even hours, of being picked. This means you’re getting maximum nutritional value, incredible flavour, and the freshest possible ingredients. You’ll taste the difference immediately: strawberries that burst with sweetness, greens that are crisp and vibrant, and herbs so aromatic they perfume your kitchen.

Shopping seasonally also connects you to the natural rhythms of your region. You’ll develop a deeper appreciation for what grows when, discover new varieties of familiar vegetables, and learn to create meals that celebrate the best of each season. Not sure how to cook a purple cauliflower? Ask the vendor! Another benefit to shopping directly from the grower is the opportunity to learn the best ways to prepare new foods straight from the pros.

Here are some of the markets around BC where you’ll find your local craft brewery each week, organized by region:

Kootenay Rockies:

• Creston Valley Farmers’ Market
  • Wild North Brewing
• City of Nelson Farmers’ Market – Baker Street Market
  • Nelson Brewing Company

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast:

• Quesnel Farmers’ Market
  • Barkerville Brewing

Thompson Okaganan:

• Celista Hall Farmers’ Market – Celista, North Shuswap
  • Ricochet Brewing
• Kamloops Regional Farmers’ Market
  • Red Collar Brewing
• Penticton Farmers’ Market
  • Tin Whistle Brewing
• Sorrento Village Farmers’ Market
  • Crannóg Ales

Vancouver, Coast and Mountains:

• Abbotsford Farm & Country Market
  • Old Yale Brewing
• Haney Farmers’ Market
  • The Patch Brewery
• Market at the Quay Farmers’ Market – North Vancouver
  • Beva Brewing & Blending
• New West Farmers’ Market
  • Steel & Oak Brewing
• Squamish Farmers’ Market
  • Five Roads Brewing

Vancouver Island:

• Duncan Farmers’ Market
  • Red Arrow Brewing
• Esquimalt Farmers’ Market
  • Driftwood Brewery
• James Bay Community Market – Victoria
  • Herald Street Brew Works
• Qualicum Beach Farmers’ Market
  • Dog Mountain Brewing

Every Pint Tells a Story

Supporting Local. Celebrating Community.

The post The Power of Shopping Local: Your Guide to BC Farmers’ Markets appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

My most recent Hops Among Friends interview was with Alex Jopson from Another Beer Co. At the end of our discussion, Alex recommended that I speak with Melanie MacInnes from Locality Brewing for my next Hops Among Friends interview. Melanie is the owner and general manager at Locality Brewing, which was established in 2021 in Langley on the Langley Ale Trail.

I really enjoyed my conversation with Melanie. She is very passionate about craft beer, relationships within the brewery industry and community, her family, and her role as an Indigenous female farm brewery owner. I hope you enjoy learning more about Melanie, Locality Brewing and her love of the Langley area.

Kim: The MacInnes family has owned and operated a farm for many generations. How did you get started in craft beer?

Melanie: That’s a big question. I grew up on this farm. It was a dairy farm and feedlot. Today, the barn is where our tasting room is located. We sold the cows in 1992 when free trade came into effect, and then we got into horse boarding. Over many years, we kept searching for the best way to operate the property.

One such way was through a government agricultural program to plant cottonwood trees for renewable plant fibre, so we planted 36 acres of the trees. We continued with this until the Scott Paper Mill shut down about 20 years ago, and there was no one to sell the trees to. So, we went back to the drawing board and asked ourselves… what can we do to keep the family farm?

One day, some movie location scouts flew in an airplane over the farm, and they thought it looked like Pennsylvania. They asked if they could film a movie called Scary Movie 4 on the farm. It was intended to mock the thriller movie, The Village. They managed to film over a month of the muddiest, rainiest weather, but it was successfully completed. When they finished filming, like many film sets, they were going to dispose of the buildings in the landfill. We thought these buildings could be reused and perhaps they could be used for some student films and lower-budget productions. Other films did come, one of which was a movie named Beyond Sherwood Forest, directed by Peter Delius. One of the horse wranglers on the production suggested moving the buildings and building a Western Town. We did that and we called it Jamestown. Producers and directors would come and look at it as a possible filming location.

My brother Kevin reached out to Brian Bird, a producer, who was looking for a location to pilot the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart (WCTH). He and Michael Landon Jr. came out and looked at our property, and then decided to film the series here at the farm. Every season, the viewership has increased and although each year has faced challenges, the show has gone on. It’s been 12 years, and it’s still being filmed on the farm. Canadians can watch WCTH on Super Channel via Prime or Cable.

My husband Andrew is from Australia. So, along the way, we ended up living in Australia for three years. While we travelled and worked around Australia, we loved going to breweries and wineries that incorporated open spaces, and the farm-to-table concept. We enjoyed the idea of being surrounded by the ingredients that we were eating. Some of the breweries there had green spaces where families could hang out.

We came back from Australia in 2012 and were surprised that there were not many farm breweries here in BC other than Persephone and Crannóg. We loved the experience of going to wineries and seeing the grapes, but we didn’t see breweries on farm properties with barley and malts showcasing the key ingredients in beer. We thought about opening a brewery at the time, but the idea of opening a farm brewery seemed like such a huge undertaking.

Instead, we kind of decided to trick ourselves by starting small, and we planted some hops and an acre of barley to test it. We hadn’t seen others grow barley in the Lower Mainland, so we wondered if it would work here. We also planted blight-resistant hazelnut trees. Plus, we grafted cider apple trees in 2016.  We also decided to take a beekeeping course and we added honeybees to the farm plan.

The barley grew and turned golden and was ready for harvest, but we didn’t have the equipment to harvest it. So, we went to the BC Farm Museum in Fort Langley and met a fellow named Wally. He grabbed two 1890 scythes from the wall for us. We borrowed them, returned to the farm and hand-harvested the barley. We sent the barley in for testing, and it hit the malting specs perfectly.

So, we planted five more acres of barley. We kept going on the hops. Plus, we had six acres of cider apple trees and six acres of hazelnut trees.

Our friends Richard and Kira introduced us to Iain and Christina from Strange Fellows. (Note from Kim: Iain’s Hops Among Friends article can be read here). Iain was with us when we first planted the barley, and he was very realistic with us. He came out to some harvests as well, and it was very helpful to get his input. Our relationship with Iain started here, and we contributed our malt in a collab with Strange Fellows for a “100-mile beer”.

Andrew, being an engineer, built a half-ton malt house. We were able to hit malting specs. Then we got involved with the Craft Maltsters Guild and we continued to learn. We are one of very few certified craft malt breweries in BC.

By this time, we had the ingredients, and we had the malt house, so now it was time to complete the “Field-to-Glass” journey, and we decided to start the farm brewery. COVID-19 delayed the plans, but we eventually managed to open mid-COVID. We first worked on some pilot trial batches with brewer Nick Hendrickson, currently the brewer at Four Winds, and Erik Jensen. Then we hired Karen Cheshire, a brewer who graduated from Olds University and had a biochemist degree from UBC, who previously worked at Steamworks Brewing. With her help, we finished building out the brewhouse. Then we added some great marketing and front-of-house support. I would like to give a shout-out to Lori Fields and Ivan Eytzen for their help here. We opened our doors at the end of July 2021.

As an aside, as we were working on our own brewery, The Beer Farmers and Barnside Brewing also opened, and they were also growing their own ingredients. We’ve learned it’s really full circle in this industry. We do a collab beer with them every year. It’s called Grainstorm, and 100% of the ingredients come from our three farms.

Around this time, we also met Tim LaHay from The Barley Merchant. We started hanging out with Tim, having long chats in the barley fields as we talked about the struggles and delays we were all facing as we were trying to open our businesses during COVID. We ended up opening within a week of each other, and we’ve had a great relationship with Tim for many years.

Kim: What makes Locality so unique?

Melanie: We are like an onion. Every time you come here, you peel back another layer and learn something new. It’s such a wild place. (As an aside, our location can be difficult to find, so it’s best to use Google Maps GPS and type in Locality Brewing, rather than the address.)

We are fortunate though, as people love our space. We have a pond, and we added a stage on the pond this year for live music events.

Even as a farm, it is a very unique space. We have a trail around the pond where you can take your dog for a walk. We had an otter swimming in the pond this year. There are beavers and hawks and lots of different birds and wildlife. We have Stampede Burger onsite. It is Metis-owned, and you can have a bison burger there. We also host events with the Waceya Metis Society.

Additionally, you can tour the malt house, and you can see the hops growing up the hop bines beside the picnic area.

Tucked behind the hop bines is our indoor “Secret, not-so-secret, Skate Bowl”.  Every year, we host a skate comp with HMI Skate Park Society with Hippie Mike, and we do a beer collab with a skate apparel company. We have worked with Time Bomb, Etnies, Well Kept Sustainables and Devil’s Toys.

We also hosted an awesome evening with GrlSwirl, a worldwide skate club where people can meet up to skate together. I love to surfskate myself. Andrew and I met through our mutual love of snowboarding and surfing, and we love to travel to surf locations. Farming restricts the amount we can travel, so we decided to bring our passion for board sports to the farm. We will be working with Hot Girl Skate, Shred Catz and Surfskate Vancouver to host meet-ups and create a fun, loving, and safe space for people to find community through skating and surfskating.

We are very different and provide very unique experiences; very different than the experiences at most other breweries.

Kim: Tell me about your first collab beer at Locality.

Melanie: My first love of craft beer was because of Trading Post‘s West Coast IPA. People kept suggesting I try lagers, but I didn’t really get into them. Then I tried Trading Post’s Saison, and I really enjoyed it. But then I tried their West Coast IPA, and I realized that this was my beer. That was my moment. The moment when I discovered my love for craft beer.

So, I was very stoked when we did our first collab beer with Tony at Trading Post for a Women’s Day event held at Farm Country Brewing. At the time we brewed the beer for the event, it had to be brewed on a one-hectolitre pilot brew system, so we brought our system to Trading Post. This was right before we opened. We made a table Saison. It was very sweet of Tony to do this with us. He took a chance with us, and it really meant a lot.

It was two years before the Locality/Trading Post collab when I first met Nancy More and other women in the industry. At that time, Lance and Tony hosted women from Kwantlen Polytechnic Univeristy (KPU) and the brewing industry for a Women’s Day collab, only weeks before COVID shut the World down. It was amazing to be so warmly welcomed and to be supported by such legends.

Kim: What do you have coming up at Locality?

Melanie Every year we do a couple of collabs with Barn Owl Brewing from Kelowna. We think they are very cool people. When they come for a visit, we like to brew a collab beer with them.

On their last visit, we brewed a seasonal IPA called Uncle Eddie’s Festive IPA with cranberry and orange peel. It was released in late November, exclusively on tap at the two breweries.

We also have another exciting beer release coming up. This one is a collab with Another Beer Co., (Note: one of ABC’s owners is Nadine, an Indigenous business owner who also owns Heartberry Soda). This collab is a Fresh Hop beer named Askî Oci, which means “From the Land” in Plains Cree. It’s a Brett Saison that is hop forward. It will be coming out in mid-December in 500ml bottles.

Also in December, we are launching a new collab beer called Beer Goggles with Dragon Alliance Canada and Time Bomb Apparel. It’s a hazy, New England IPA (NEIPA) with Cryo Sabro and Elani hops. It’s unfiltered and double dry-hopped, with light bitterness and a juicy finish. We brewed it to enjoy after spending time outdoors this winter. It’s a great choice following a perfect run on the mountain.

Kim: What else are you working on at Locality? 

Melanie: We just launched a Mexican Hot Chocolate Porter. This was a collab with A Rocha Farm Store and we used their hot peppers in this beer.

I should also mention that both our brewers are female. Karen is our head brewer and Emily Comeau is our assistant brewer. Emily went to KPU, so we had a few of the other KPU students out and they brewed a Toasted Coconut Porter.

The other beer that will be back again is our Cranberry Enchantment Sparkling Ale. It’s in Champagne bottles and it’s always a big hit. These beers will be available on-site at Locality Brewing from Thursday to Sunday and at our After Dark In The Lodge from 6-9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at the Thunderbird Equestrian Centre Christmas in the Country and Fort Langley Christmas Market. We just released this for the season. It’s a really limited-release beer, although we did brew a double batch this year.

Kim: What do you love most about the craft beer industry?

Melanie: For me, it’s definitely all about the relationships. The relationships with the other breweries, and our customers, and my family, and neighbours.

Our breweries create community.

I grew up on this farm. It’s beautiful, but it’s also very isolating. Having our brewery here is a way of building community on rural land. I think a farm brewery is like a modern-day community hall. It’s similar to where our parents used to hold farm dances.

Kim: How is it for you as an Indigenous woman working in BC’s craft beer industry?

Melanie: I see being an Indigenous woman business owner as a great responsibility. We were nominated for and won the Indigenous Led Business of the Year at the 2022 BC Food and Beverage Awards. When we were first nominated for this award, we had to really think about accepting the nomination. Winning this award escalated things for me as I wanted to consider the impact of what we are doing going forward. With this award, we now have a platform where we can stand for all Indigenous businesses. I think part of this platform is highlighting Indigenous people.

With regards to Truth & Reconciliation, I believe we have a responsibility to teach and a responsibility to learn. We have an opportunity and a platform to work with each other and boost each other up.

I am fortunate to be connected with other Indigenous-led businesses and businesspeople. For example, Stampede Burgers is Metis-owned. There is also Nadine from Heartberry Soda. I find that working with other amazing Indigenous women is wonderful.

When I think of other amazing connections, I think of Inez Cook from Salmon n’ Bannock. Inez has been such an amazing mentor for me. There are two Salmon n’ Bannock restaurants in Vancouver. One of them is in the International Departures area at the Vancouver Airport. Our beer is there. And that was all created by relationships.

We did a collab beer with Salmon n’ Bannock and Spirit Bear Coffee – a Hazelnut Coffee Cream Ale.

Every time an Indigenous person is connected with another Indigenous person or business, it makes each business stronger. I think of Darnell Stager from Indigenous Tourism BC. He was amazing at connecting us with other tourism-related Indigenous businesses.

I also think back to two of our original connectors: Darian from Jelly Marketing and Bernard from Farm Credit Canada.

I recently went to a fundraiser for Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week which was held in November. It’s open to everyone, and I highly recommend it. I have huge dreams of hosting a future Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week event here at the farm where we have a floating catwalk set amongst the barley. I’m meeting more and more people who are helping me see this as a possibility in the future.

Being an Indigenous female owner of a farm brewery presents me with opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise. What this means to me is that with my role comes great responsibility.

Hearing the different stories from these Indigenous people is really amazing. Today, through learning and connecting, everyone is finding their own way.

Kim: We’ve seen some changes in BC’s craft beer industry lately including some brewery closures. What are your thoughts on this?

Melanie: It is incredibly hard. The cost of everything is up. Consumer buying is down. It seems like we all have to work ten times harder to make the same amount. It’s tragic. With each brewery that closes, it is a community lost. Every brewery is a place where people go, so when a brewery closes, that signifies a loss for that community.

It’s a difficult time for craft breweries. Knowing how much passion each brewery brings; I know it’s never easy to make the decision to close. BC’s craft beer industry will make it through this, but it’s definitely a tough time right now.

Kim: What keeps you up at night?  

Melanie: My kids. Honestly, I’m so busy being a brewery owner and trying to be with my teenage boys, and we’re still working second jobs. Life and family balance is hard. I hope we get there at some point.

It’s becoming evident how quickly time flies now that they are teenagers, and we want to focus on spending more time together with our kids in the year ahead.

My kids are involved in the brewery. One of my sons, Sebastian, helps with the design of the labels. Our other son Lachlan knows how to fix equipment, drive the tractor, fix roofs and more. He’s very much a farm kid. But having said that, they are teenagers, and they have their own interests, and they want to do their own things besides work with us at the brewery!

Kim: You have a huge property. If budget wasn’t an issue, if you could have any musician or band perform on the new stage by your pond at the brewery, who would it be? 

Melanie: I would have said Tragically Hip. But for now, with Andrew being Australian, he has a vision of having Xavier Rudd play here. He’s a very popular Australian one-man band. We saw him in Whistler and he’s amazing. I’ll put that out there because we would love to have him play here.

Kim: What are some of your favourite beers in winter?

Melanie: Going into this season, I am excited about our Beer Goggles collab as we get ready for the snow season up on the mountain. I am a lover of both West Coast IPAs and NEIPAs.

You know how some days you brew the perfect pot of coffee, and you try to replicate that each day? I feel like this about our West Coast IPA. When I drink it, sometimes I just think it’s so incredible, like that was the perfect batch.

Kim: I saw that the 8 Langley Loop breweries and The Barley Merchant are collaborating to feature Langley beers at the Langley Events Centre. Tell me more about this.

Melanie: Yes, it’s really exciting. It’s been in the works for quite a while. Some of the individual breweries have had their beers in the building in the past. A while back, Rachelle Cashato introduced me to Dale Saip, the Senior Vice President of the Vancouver Giants. He mentioned the idea of having a variety of different local beers available at the games. So, for the last year, we alternated between the breweries and would switch beers from each brewery at one of the smaller concession stands.

Since Tim from The Barley Merchant does such an amazing job advocating for Langley breweries, it made sense for him to be the umbrella for this and be the connector that strengthens all of our relationships. It was important that it was Tim from The Barley Merchant, so it’s not a single brewery leading it. Tim really cares about all of the breweries.

Every six games or so, we rotate to a different style of beer. The idea is that with eight breweries, we are each promoting people to go to the home games at the events centre. It’s a cool way to create community there. You can go to the local hockey game and drink amazing local beer. I think it’s the most amazing thing ever.

It was a pipe dream to have more local craft beer presence there, so this is all so very exciting. I could not ever imagine seeing people drink our craft beer in the building. Tim did such a great job working with Dale and Erin to get this across the line. It was a real joint effort. Everyone played a part in getting it to this point.  If you want to come to a Giants home game this season, you can get tickets here and use the discount code: langleyloop.

And speaking of the Langley Loop, we also have Langley Craft Beverage Week in May. This was our second year of running this. We draw a name to see who hosts the collab beer. So, stay tuned for more from the Langley Loop and Langley Craft Beverage Week.

Kim: What are some hidden gems in the Langley area? 

Melanie: I think Fort Langley is just the coolest place. There are awesome coffee shops and great restaurants. It is very walkable. They have night markets on Friday nights in the summer, and it feels like a Hallmark movie. They have a beer garden and artisans selling their arts and crafts items. Also at Fort Langley, there is a restaurant called Tradish the Ancestor Café. They have delicious traditional Indigenous cuisine there like Bannock Tacos.

Plus, there is the historic fort you can go into and see what fort life was like back in the day.

I definitely recommend that people stop for dinner or lunch at The Barley Merchant. It’s also a great way to try all the Langley beers.

There’s also the Historic Otter 248th Trail. There are a variety of cool farms and businesses along the trail. JD Farms Specialty Turkeys has the best turkey sandwich ever. There’s also the Thunderbird Show Park, which is an equestrian centre. Most people don’t realize that you can go and watch incredible show jumping. Plus, Kensington Prairie Farm has alpacas.

There’s also the Circle Farm Tour with so many cool farm businesses to visit. Langley is also a great place to visit in the fall for pumpkins, plus we have lots of cool Christmas tree farms around here.

Kim: What else do you want to share with me? 

Melanie: This really is a family business. My parents Wendy and Rod are a huge part of all of this. I am very lucky that my parents are both alive, healthy and very hard-working. Without their support, none of this would happen. My dad is a powerhouse. The saving grace with my kids is that they have their grandparents around to support them.

My brother Kevin runs the filming side of our business. Both of his daughters, Ivy and Isy have worked at the brewery. It’s a real family affair – we are all working together to make this happen. We couldn’t have done this without all of our family.

Andrew, the Maltster, idea generator, and engineer of the operation keeps things exciting and is very supportive of me running and leading the brewery. Of course, my boys, Sebastian and Lachlan working with us and putting up with the time demands of a family business, they are my world and I love them so much. I also can’t forget Atlas, our family dog and greeter of all. I think more people know Atlas than us and he is also our emotional support dog on those super tough days. I also have a great appreciation for all those who have passed and supported us in life and through spirit after.

We have so many people besides just our family to thank for getting us here today. Our first beer was our Thank You Honey Lager. On our first can, we thanked all of the people who were integral in helping us open the brewery.

Kim: Who in the craft beer community would you like me to interview next?

Melanie: I would like you to speak with Gary Brucker from Barn Owl Brewing in Kelowna next. We’ve been doing collabs together for some time. They are very cool. I pick them because they are so community-oriented, and really good people. I trust them so much. They care about the community, their family, and the beer industry. They came to Langley when we started talking about the Langley Loop to help us and to learn.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of the Hops Among Friends blog series, where I speak with Gary from Barn Own Brewing in Kelowna on the Kelowna and West Kelowna Ale Trail.

Since 2017, this series has showcased more than 20 amazing members of BC’s craft beer community. You can read through all of my previous Hops Among Friends interviews here.

The post Hops Among Friends with Melanie MacInnes of Locality Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

My most recent Hops Among Friends interview was with Tessa Gabiniewicz from Land & Sea Brewing. At the end of our discussion, Tessa recommended that I speak with Matt West-Patrick and Isaiah Archer from Whistle Buoy Brewing for my next Hops Among Friends interview. Matt is Co-owner and Head Brewer, Isaiah is Co-owner and Sales & Marketing Manager at Whistle Buoy Brewing, which was established in 2019 in Victoria on the Greater Victoria Ale Trail.

Matt and Isaiah are doing great things at Whistle Buoy Brewing and it was a really interesting discussion. I enjoyed hearing more about their commitment to featuring local ingredients in their beers.

This interview also reminded me that it’s been too long since I’ve been to Victoria. The last time I visited Victoria, I had the opportunity to peek inside the windows at Whistle Buoy Brewing before it opened in 2019.

I’m super honoured to share that this is my 20th interview in this series over the last 7 years. You can read through all of my previous Hops Among Friends articles here. It’s been an absolute privilege to interview so many amazing leaders in the craft beer industry.

Kim: What was your first experience with craft beer?

Matt: Growing up in Victoria, my first experience with craft beer was seeing Phillips Brewing boom as I came to be of legal drinking age. They were the big player in the craft beer market here and doing lots of great stuff. They were my inspiration to later on chase the craft beer dream.

Isaiah: I moved to Victoria when I was 19. I think my first real craft beer experience was going to Sombrio Beach to surf and driving home through Sooke. We would always stop at 17 Mile House Pub after surfing, and we’d eat chowder paired with Race Rocks. This nice, hearty beer from Lighthouse Brewing was part of the whole experience. It was so different than just drinking a cheaper, commercial beer. Then I got introduced to the different beers in the mixed pack from Phillips and the White Bark Witbier from Driftwood Brewery.

Kim: How did you get started in craft beer together?

Matt: There were three of us that started this project together. We founded the company, and then we brought in two more partners during the process. Isaiah, Iwan and I were the three original founders. We spent a lot of time together in 2016 and 2017. We all really enjoyed the coastal life – freediving, spearfishing and other outdoor activities. I was working at Spinnakers at the time. Isaiah had previously worked with Phillips, and we started talking about opening a brewery.

The three of us started to put together our business plan in 2017. We started going to banks in 2018 once we found the space that worked for us. I am the head brewer, Isaiah handles our sales and marketing, and Iwan looks after business development.

As we were dealing with the banks, we started talking about the need for extra investors, and so we brought on two more partners. Colin and Nina were in Windsor at the time and wanted to move back to Victoria. They came on board and Colin is our front-of-house manager, and Nina handles our financials and HR. In the beginning, though, it was all hands on deck, and everyone helped with everything.

Isaiah: Iwan, Matt and I got together based on our mutual interest in craft beer, playing on the same softball team, and our love of freediving and spearfishing. Freediving is a bit of an obscure sport that all three of us were interested in. That shared interest led the three of us to some fishing trips in Bamfield. We were diving near a spot marked by a nautical beacon, which is called a whistle buoy. That is what inspired our branding and logo.

Kim: Tell me more about the Whistle Buoy theme.

Isaiah: The theme really resonated for all of us because of our love of outdoor adventures and our natural and inspiring environment. Plus, we are located in downtown Victoria, which is also a coastal environment. We are young professionals working downtown in the city, but we also have a keen interest in the outdoor environment. So it’s a balance of opposites. We are all about embracing our vibrant, downtown community, full of culture and hospitality, while also making sure we get outside and explore everything that the outdoors has to offer.

A big part of what we try to get across is reflecting the quality of the place that we are in. We are on the southern part of the island, which is a very productive growing region. We want our beers to reflect the growing climate here, and the variety of things that grow around us. We are looking to connect our brewery and beers to our local community in this way. We look at our taproom as an “experience centre”. People can come and try a taste of Vancouver Island.

We have a clear vision to make sure we are buying ingredients that are grown here first, and we work with a lot of local producers before we go elsewhere. A lot of value that we offer comes from this philosophy. It differentiates and highlights the place we are in. We are a tourism destination and we like to reflect the good stuff that is coming from our community. Our beers are made for the people who live here and our visitors.

An example is using bull kelp in our Under Sea Gose. The kelp is from the ocean just up the road from us. The grain for most of our beers is grown near BC Ferries on the peninsula. For our sour beers and fruit beers, we look for local farmers for these ingredients too. It’s important to us to use quality ingredients that are grown as close to home as possible.

Matt: I was at Field 5 Farm today, which is about 20 minutes away from our brewery. They grow and malt their own grains there for us. About 95-98% of the grains that we use for our beer right now are coming from them.

I think it’s also worth noting that we won two silver medals back-to-back in the 2022 and 2023 Canadian Brewing Awards in the Historic/Regional Beers category for our Backyard IPA and our Garden City Fieldberry. Then we won a bronze at the 2023 Canada Beer Cup for our LoJo Lite in the Canadian Grain-Forward category. These awards reflect our commitment to working with local suppliers and featuring local ingredients, so it’s very cool when we win awards for this reason.

The seed to glass film above talks about Whistle Buoy’s commitment to working with local suppliers.

Kim: What makes Whistle Buoy unique?

Isaiah: Our commitment to local, sustainability and quality are front and centre. Another thing that makes us unique is our location. We are located on the courtyard level of the historic Market Square in downtown Victoria. We are able to have a light industrial business in an urban area, which is quite rare for a brewery. We have 170 seats in our taproom and year-round patio. Most of the beer we produce is consumed in our taproom space, and that is because we are in a high-traffic environment.

Kim: Tell me something you are really proud of at Whistle Buoy.

Isaiah: We are proud of creating an inclusive community space. We’ve had a lot of feedback over the last couple of years that groups of people from different backgrounds say they feel welcome in our space. We have worked towards this very intentionally. We have our values and our code of conduct really clear.

Intolerance and discrimination aren’t welcome here. We have fostered a nice community space where people feel welcome. – Isaiah

I’m also really proud of the progress we have made towards using local ingredients. This doesn’t just happen by chance. It was really intentional. It can be more costly to go with local producers, but we have made some very awesome beers because of that commitment.

Matt: It circles back to the awards that we’ve won for our beers. We set the intention to use as many local ingredients as possible, and we’ve done that. We’ve been lucky to have such great partners, like Field 5 Farm.

In addition to kelp, we also add blue spirulina to our Under Sea Gose. This was a bucket list beer for me to be able to make, and it won the silver award at the 2022 BC Beer Awards. To be able to produce this and have it be an award-winning beer is pretty cool.

Plus, we do all that we do in a very small space. Our production area is only 600 square feet. We really have to utilize our space to maximize output. People are always shocked when they see our small space. I’m pretty proud of how we are able to use our space and produce what we do.

We brew about 1,000 hectolitres a year. We are looking to increase that volume this year with our new single-head canning line. We’ve been running it now for about two months. It does about seven or eight cans a minute. It’s small and slow, but works for us. About 90% of our beer is sold through our taproom, and we intend to keep it that way, but our new canning line gives us more flexibility. Previously we were just doing 1-litre crowlers, so we couldn’t can in a way that allowed us to put cans into liquor stores. This new canning line now gives us the ability to package more of our beers in 473ml cans.

Kim: What do you have planned at Whistle Buoy for this winter? 

Matt: Because we just added our new canning line, we’ve been focusing on getting our core brands dialled in. We’ve had some core, flagship beers like our Coastality Pale Ale, however, most of our beers were previously experimental, taproom exclusives. But with the canning line and the ability to now roll out our beers to stores, we are looking to have more regular offerings of our core beers available to our stores.

We anticipate this continuing for the foreseeable future. With an 8-hectolitre system, our distribution is focused on the Greater Victoria area for now. Our focus is to be in all 50 local liquor stores in our community.

Isaiah: Having said that, we have shipped some beer to the Okanagan with some other small breweries. We will co-ship a pallet to interested stores. So this collective approach is the way that we’ll have beer available outside of the area.

In terms of other activities this winter, we do a lot of activations in our space such as comedy, quiz nights, film screenings and other weekly events. We are focused on staying busy and staying open for the people who are in town and want to come through. We are open every day from noon until late. We are staying open, staying consistent and staying inspired to continue offering people in our community things to do. We are planning for a good year ahead. We are anticipating a busy tourism year in 2024, so we are focused on being steady and being consistent as we plan for a great year ahead. Plus, we’ve got some cool collabs coming up.

Kim: What do you love most about the craft beer industry?

Matt: The community and the people that we get to work with. For me, from the outside looking in, you see the collabs and you see the camaraderie. You don’t see this in other industries. We are competitors that are working together.

Isaiah: For me, it’s the fact that we are able to really grow as people and entrepreneurs. There are so many different demands we face on a daily basis. We deal with logistics and shipping. We are leading hospitality teams and managing people. We are doing graphic design, working on packaging, manufacturing beer, and working with local producers. We are selling merchandise that we are designing. There are so many moving parts that make it challenging and yet also so fun. It’s so dynamic. We have a vision, then we execute it, and we make money doing something that makes people happy. It’s very special in that way.

Kim: What keeps you up at night?  

Isaiah: Lots. There is a lot of uncertainty right now. The industry is changing a lot and there are fewer people buying beer. People are making decisions for their health and drinking less alcohol, and that’s OK. The younger demographic is making different choices, and there is economic uncertainty. We are dealing with these changes and uncertainties while also trying to maintain a healthy business. We are working to keep demand for our products at a point where there will always be a market for what we are doing. I believe we are at a scale where this is sustainable.

I think it’s important to be really present to the changes that are happening, otherwise, the market conditions could change so drastically that if you aren’t paying attention you could really get into trouble. This is certainly an inspiration for us to stay on top of things and know why we exist. I think it’s important to know who your best customers are and what they are looking for. Some businesses let this slip, and they pay the price as they discover that their business models don’t work anymore.

Matt: Through this, we are now doing things like NA (non-alcoholic) beer. Five years ago that wasn’t on anyone’s radar. For me as a brewer, I resisted this.

Now I look at it like how do we make an NA beer the best it can be? It’s an interesting challenge, but I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to produce. – Matt

Isaiah: In our taproom space, we try to welcome all people from different demographics and different interests. So it’s always been a priority that we are a welcoming space with a diverse list of offerings. We have local wine, local cider, local kombuchas, craft sodas from Phillips, cocktails, mocktails and more. Whether you like drinking beer or not, we want everyone to feel comfortable. We want to offer something for everyone, and we want those who don’t drink beer or alcohol to be comfortable. We want to offer something for everyone who wants to be social. We are a hospitality company, so we think it’s important to be hospitable to all.

Kim: If you had one piece of advice for someone wanting to get into the craft beer industry, what would it be?  

Isaiah: Honestly, it would be don’t. If there is a town that doesn’t have a community gathering space, then maybe yes. But otherwise, the market is oversaturated and changing so rapidly right now, that my advice would be to wait until the dust settles on the cycle of what our businesses are in right now. I think it’s a huge risk to enter the craft beer market at this time.

Matt: I agree, especially if you don’t know beer. These days, you have to come with your A-game. The level of beer is so high right now and there is no room to make bad beer anymore. It used to be that you could be a home brewer and open a brewery and just figure it out. Now you need education or experience. You better be good because just making beer isn’t enough anymore.

This is maybe a bleak answer. But it is what we feel right now. Good breweries are closing that made good beer.

Kim: What is your favourite beer to enjoy in the winter?

Isaiah: It’s Stout season. I’ve been drinking our Stouty McStoutface, which is an American Stout, 5.8% ABV. It’s plain and simple, easy drinking. I also go to the Drake a lot, and I enjoy the Old Rasputin, a Russian Imperial Stout on nitro from North Coast Brewing Company.

I also like the 1019 Hazy Double IPA collab from Field House and Town Brewing. It’s really great. I like bigger beers at this time of year.

Matt: We just did a Dark Cold IPA as a collab with Another Beer Co. We used rice and tried to make it as light as possible, and hit it with some dark malts. It’s really interesting and one of my favourite beers of late. It was a challenge for us when we came up with the concept. You don’t see a lot of dark IPAs lately, but I was stoked about it. I like something to chew on in my beers at this time of year.

Kim: It’s dry February. What are you drinking when you aren’t drinking alcohol?

Isaiah: Water or SodaStream water with freshly squeezed citrus. I like lemons, limes and oranges with soda water. Having the carbonation is nice. And of course, there’s always going to be coffee involved too.

Matt: For me, it’s water first. We also have Culture Craft Kombucha on tap at the brewery, and it’s a nice alternative. It gets you and your guts feeling good.

Kim: Festival season is coming. What are your favourite craft beer festivals? 

Matt and Isaiah: Whistlemania. It’s our annual birthday party, which we hold on the last weekend in June. We’ve done two now. We host a small music festival with live, local wrestling. We take over the courtyard of Market Square and we have an all-day festival. We had about 650 people last year. We had food vendors and food trucks, drag shows, live wrestling, and other wacky stuff all day long.

Isaiah: Phillips Backyard weekend is great. It’s a good music event tied to craft beer. It’s a premier event in our city. Plus of course, GCBF is always fun, with breweries from all over BC and beyond. It’s a great way to celebrate the industry and try lots of different beers. It’s really an iconic beer festival.

Kim: If budget and space weren’t an issue, if you could have any musician or band perform at your brewery, who would it be? 

Isaiah: Taylor Swift.

Matt: Taylor Swift and Drake. Funny story. We were in Seattle for a Blue Jays game. Taylor Swift was playing next door that same weekend. The whole town was all about the Blue Jays and the Swifties. The Swifties caused an earthquake that night in Seattle from so many people dancing at her concert. It was registered as the equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.

And funny enough, I was just talking about our new Dark Cold IPA collab with Another Beer Co. We actually called it Friendship Bracelet, and it was inspired by Taylor Swift.

Kim: Can you tell me about some hidden gems in your area? 

Isaiah: We’re on Lower Johnson (LoJo), which is a boutique retail shopping district in Victoria. There are tons of really high-end shops, clothing stores, coffee shops, amazing restaurants and more. Hey Happy is an amazing coffee shop in Market Square that we go to all the time. Some of my favourite restaurants are The Tapa Bar and Wind Cries Mary. Plus there’s Green Cuisine right next door to us. These are all great dining options in Victoria.

Matt: The Drake is a great place to start. You can see our patio from their patio. Eva Schnitzelhaus is 2 blocks away at the bottom of Chinatown, and it’s really great. Shuck Taylor’s oyster bar is really awesome. It’s a seafood restaurant with local oysters, West Coast seafood, lobster rolls, po boys, local beer, wines and spirits.

Isaiah: Beacon Hill Park has a great petting zoo. It’s like the Stanley Park of Victoria. It’s huge and right downtown by the water. I would recommend everyone walking around there and on the breakwater. It’s a protected area, so there are lots of cool fish species to look for.

I also recommend walking around the inner harbour area. Take the seawall walk from James Bay to downtown and you’ll go past the Empress Hotel and the Legislature Parliament Buildings. It’s also cool to check out the buskers and performers. Plus there are lots of great areas to explore by bike, downtown and beyond.

Matt: Oh and lots of breweries. There are 5 breweries within easy walking distance.

Kim: Who else in the craft beer industry do you find interesting and why?

Matt and Isaiah: We want you to talk to Alex Jopson from Another Beer Co. in New Westminster next. We just did a collab beer with Another Beer Co. and Land & Sea Brewing. Another Beer Co. is a super tiny brewery. They are very experimental and they are producing very high-quality beers.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of the Hops Among Friends blog series, where I speak with Alex Jopson, the Co-Founder and Director of Another Beer Co. in New Westminster, on the North of the Fraser Ale Trail. Until then, cheers!

The post Hops Among Friends: Isaiah Archer and Matt West-Patrick of Whistle Buoy Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

My most recent Hops Among Friends interview was with Justin Larter from Barnside Brewing in Delta. At the end of our discussion, Justin recommended I speak with Connor Blanchard from Luppolo Brewing. Connor is the Lead Brewer at Luppolo Brewing, which was established in 2016 in East Vancouver on the Yeast Vancouver Ale Trail.

Luppolo (pronounced loop-o-lo), which is Italian for “hops” is known for their Italian-inspired craft beer and food. Connor and I had a great discussion about craft beer, living life in BC, and our shared love of outdoor adventures in our beautiful province. I really enjoyed our conversation, especially hearing about Connor’s passion for the evolution of the craft beer industry and his commitment to sustainability, supporting local producers, and using locally-sourced ingredients.

Kim: Tell me about how you got started in craft beer?

Connor: I have been going to breweries since I was a kid. My dad was big into craft breweries, and he always took us camping and to craft breweries. I’m from the US, and when I was 18, I was in university, and I met a guy who was home brewing. He brought in some of his beers, and I enjoyed trying them. So, I borrowed a home brewing kit from my cousin, and I fell super deep into home brewing. It was really fun, and a great creative outlet for me. I loved everything about it, and the industry overall. I love the alternative vibe and experimentation in the craft beer industry.

While I was in school and travelling for a couple of years, I’d seek out as much craft beer as possible. I ended up in New Zealand for a year. And from there I was emailing breweries and offering to work for free, although I wouldn’t recommend this approach. This was back when the industry was smaller. Now it’s easier to get your foot in the door. At that time, you had to know someone to get a job in craft beer.

So, I was continuing my homebrewing thing and applying to breweries. By this time, I was living in Victoria, and I applied for a job at Twin Sails Brewing. I was hired as a seasonal Brewery Assistant, so I packed my bags and headed for Port Moody. Mostly I was filling and cleaning kegs and tanks.

Then I talked to Tessa at Land & Sea Brewing in Comox. Right before they opened, I was hired as a Brewer’s Assistant. I worked there for two years. I enjoyed working with their pub-style system. I gained a lot of professional brewing knowledge from Tessa. She’s a very talented brewer. While working at Land & Sea, I met my partner, Lindsay. She was working at the brewery at the time, working in the tasting room. We’ve been together now for four years. It’s a lovely thing.

Beer brought me to my partner.

We decided that we wanted to move to Vancouver, which we did in February 2021. Right away, I got a job at Four Winds Brewing. I was there for about a year as a full-time brewer. I met lots of wonderful people there. However, for a number of reasons, it wasn’t the right place for me. I missed the smaller more experimental brewery setting.

That’s when I stumbled upon Luppolo. I’ve been here for about a year, and I am now the Lead Brewer. My partner, Lindsay is working close to home as the tasting room manager at Brassneck Brewery.

My experience has given me the opportunity to learn lots of different brewing styles in a number of different-sized brewhouses. I’m happy with the way that my career has evolved. In a way, I’ve come full circle back to what really suits me and keeps me inspired.

Kim: What do you love most about craft beer?

Connor: Generally speaking, I think what brought me in was the creativity and experimentation involved in craft beer. It’s a friendly industry to work in, and it is very collaborative. I enjoy the experimentation aspect of making something tangible that I can share with people. I am intrigued by terroir and the use of local ingredients, as I really like tying in the agricultural aspect of brewing. I really enjoy working with my hands. I’m not a person who likes to sit at a desk.

Kim: Why do you think the craft brewing industry became so collaborative?

Connor: I think that that’s kind of the nature of beer. Beer is something to share and bring people together. So that bleeds through into our whole industry. We share ingredients and we enjoy making collaboration beers. Lots of people have been in the industry for some time and are friends. The community spirit is one of my favourite things about the industry. For me, it’s not just about the people drinking the beer, it’s also about the people making the beer.

I also like the symbiotic relationships of the ale trails. We all work together and bring people to the area. We don’t look at each other as competitors like other industries do.

Kim: What do you love most about working at Luppolo?

Connor: There’s a lot. I love the team. It’s small and it really does feel like a family. I think because a lot of the team has been here for three-to-four years plus, I was received with open arms. I love the family environment, and I enjoy getting to know my coworkers really well.

Additionally, our system and brewpub style are perfectly designed to experiment constantly. We are constantly tweaking our beers, even if it’s a beer that we make often, so I really enjoy this aspect of the job. Plus, Ryan, who is our head brewer and owner is super supportive. I feel included and heard in my role.

Kim: Tell me about something you are proud of that you’ve done at Luppolo?

Connor: I’m proud of a collaboration that I brought together with Luppolo and Tessa, my former boss at Land & Sea.

We made an Oyster Pilsner called Mare, which is sea in Italian. We made this beer entirely with local ingredients, other than our house lager yeast. This beer is really special to me because I brewed it with Ryan, my current boss, and Tessa, my previous boss, who really taught me about brewing standards.

It was a great collaboration because Luppolo and Land & Sea’s philosophies are very similar. Mare is a sessionable, nuanced beer with ingredients reflecting BC’s terroir. It was made with grains from Field Five Farm in Saanichton. We used their Pilsner Malt, which is amazing. We liked it so much that we are starting to put this in other beers.

Mare was also made with 100% local Sterling Hops from Justin’s Barnside Brewing hop breeding program. The Sterling Hops were phenomenal and provided this beautiful bouquet of citrus and herbal character.

Tessa came in for the brew day and brought the oysters. She brought them from Fanny Bay, which is just south of Comox Valley. What a unique BC ingredient to be able to tie into and use in this beer.

We used oyster shells to modify the water used in this beer. They are high in magnesium and calcium which lends to the softness of the water profile. The salinity that you get is amazing. We used the oyster shells at the beginning. Then we put a few oysters in the whirlpool at the end, which we ate afterwards, of course.

The beer was really well received. It sold out very quickly on draft at the brewery. So many things about this beer worked out well. The minerals and salinity from the oyster shells provided a fantastic mouthfeel. We also gave it a long lagering time, about eight weeks. We used all-natural carbonation to give a soft fluffy head of foam which was accentuated by our house slow pour. It really had everything going for it. We are looking at making this beer again next year. It was a super fun recipe to design and beer to make.

Kim: How important is it for you to work with local ingredients?

Connor: When looking at recipes, I like figuring out how to adapt recipes to use local ingredients. Finding and using local barley and hops is super exciting for me. We’ve been adapting our European beer styles to showcase more local products, which has been very interesting.

With climate change and the way the brewing industry is going, I believe that the focus on using local products is going to be incredibly important in the next 10-20 years. Having local producers that are making high-quality ingredients locally is amazing. I appreciate being able to make local beers with local ingredients. Therefore, supporting local producers is very important for me and us as well.

Kim: Luppolo has been around since 2016. What makes Luppolo so special?

Connor: Even before I worked at Luppolo, I observed how much care is put into the way the beer is served here. We do slow pours for all of our lagers because we think this is the best way to serve them. We’re talking about a five-to-seven minute multi-stage pour, every single time. This makes the beer so much smoother and frothier. It has a beautiful head of foam. This is a real priority for Luppolo. Even before I worked here, I’d come into the taproom to have a slow pour.

You can make the best beer possible, but it’s also about the service of the beer that truly makes it shine. We serve our beers in a clean glass with a substantial head of foam. Even if it’s a great beer, the way we serve the beer can completely change the experience.

Kim: Tell me about your beer philosophy at Luppolo?

Connor: Beer philosophy for me is all about intent and not rushing things. It’s about taking it slow and being methodical about how you do things and why you do these things.

It’s not just about throwing some random combination of crowd-pleasing flavours into it. I like when I can see all of the little things come together to make one great thing. The things that stand out the most for me are when I can look at how the beer is being served. Is it naturally carbonated? Are they using specific ingredients in a specific way to produce a specific result?

I believe it’s important to always give things time. It’s easy to feel rushed to get something done. There is a lot of pressure to get a beer out, but the beer takes as much time as it takes. If you can be really patient, the beer will tell you when it’s ready, and this can make such a difference.

For example, the old-school European brewing technique called decoction. This is when you take a portion of the mash and boil it and cook it, caramelizing the sugars in the mash, and then reintroduce it. It’s process things like this that really get me excited. Old-school brewers did this to break down the cell walls of under-modified malts in order to allow the enzymes to more easily be able to convert starches into fermentable sugars. We are experimenting with under-modified pilsner malt, specifically from Hogarth Malt in Olds, Alberta. It’s floor malted in a traditional way, and the beer is triple decocted, which adds a lot of richness, body and mouthfeel to the beer.

Kim: Tell me about something you have coming up at Luppolo?

Connor: We are launching a new series at Luppolo called the Forage series. It’s our barrel-aged, mixed-fermentation wild ales that have been conditioned or refermented on locally foraged ingredients.

We are working on the first beer in the series now. It was made this spring, so it is the Spring 2023 Forage series release. It’s a blend of barrel-aged mixed fermentation beer with our fresh Saison. It was steeped on freshly-picked magnolia blossoms from right by Ryan’s house. We were really surprised by this ingredient. There was so much evolution. It was very floral to start, and now there are tropical fruit notes. It’s awesome seeing the way the beer has evolved.

We are bottle-conditioning it now. We anticipate it being released in the fall, once the bottle conditioning has run its course. The beer is not yet named. Watch for it this fall in 750ml green bottles.

Our intention is to release a foraged beer in this series each spring, summer, fall and winter. We’ll be using unique, local ingredients such as dwarf cherries, kousa dogwood and other fun things we can find in and around the city. These are fun blends to showcase a unique piece of our region.

Kim: What is your favourite beer style?

Connor: I like all well-made beers, but I have been coming back to lagers to make and to drink. In general, my favourite beers are sub 5% that are clean, well-made, sessionable beers. I like lagers, pale ales, English pub-style beers, and Saisons, generally in the 3-5.5% range.

More specifically, I really enjoy Barnside’s Farmers Tap. Justin cares so much about what he does, and you can taste it in this beer, which showcases their local ingredients.

I am also often at Brassneck because my partner Lindsay works there. I really enjoy their No Brainer Corn Lager, which is 4.5% ABV. They recently got a Czech side pull faucet that they serve from, which is awesome.

Kim: What are some of your favourite beer festivals?

Connor: Farmhouse Fest is my ultimate favourite. I love the vibe. I love being out on the UBC farm. It is such an intimate and laid-back event, and I love drinking funky, low-alcohol beers. This event always makes me feel inspired.

This year, we are making the official beer of Farmhouse Fest, 2023. We brewed it with the above-mentioned, locally-sourced under-modified pilsner malt from Olds, Alberta. It’s a super rustic, traditional, open-fermented, triple-decocted Czech-style Pilsner based off the original Pilsner Urquell.  We are going to serve this at the event in a gravity keg. It’s a very old school lager but made in Luppolo-style.

Also, when I was living in Victoria, I loved volunteering at Victoria Beer Week. I really enjoyed those events. I like a lot of the smaller beer festivals.

Another is of course our own Luppolo Lager Fest. This is where our local brewery friends come together to showcase lagers. It has real beer garden vibes. It’s a one-day event at the beginning of October featuring locally-sourced lagers. We generally have about seven to eight varieties ourselves, plus another four to six other lagers from other breweries on draft, as well as another four to six different unique lagers in cans. This should be our biggest one yet, and I can’t wait.

Kim: If you aren’t drinking craft beer, what are you drinking? 

Connor: If I’m not drinking craft beer, I’m probably drinking coffee. I love our local coffee roasters. There are some real quality roasters, coffees and baristas here in Vancouver. I’d encourage people to go check out some of our coffee shops, have a nice pour-over coffee, crack open a good book, and take in the views.

Kim: What do you love about the craft beer scene where you live?

Connor: More than anywhere else in BC, I just love Vancouver and my area in East Van. There is an amazing variety of different, focused breweries. They make different styles of beer, but they have a specific character that feeds into all of their beers.

There are some really great breweries really close to us, within a five-minute walk including Brassneck, 33 Acres, 33 Brewing Experiment, Superflux and Slow Hand.

Kim: If you had out-of-town company visiting you, what hidden gems would you recommend?

Connor: I’ve lived in Vancouver for about two years now, so I’m still learning myself. I like to get on my bike and explore. When I’m not working, I’m generally going to the other breweries with my friends on my bike. I really enjoy biking. I actually bike to work most days.

We also have some great parks here. They are great spots for picnics and lawn games. I would also recommend biking along the seawall. I love hiking, and there is quite literally a vast and uncountable number of incredible hikes from anywhere between 30 minutes to three hours away. I go to the Island a lot as I have deep roots there and I really enjoy being out in nature.

I’d also recommend out-of-town company check out our food scene here. We have great food here. There is so much variety with all of the ethnic food options. I’d suggest trying some foods that you may not be able to get in other more rural areas.

Kim: What are your thoughts on the future of the craft beer industry?

Connor: What’s going to be really important as a beer consumer and a supporter of the industry is the shift to thinking smaller. I think the size and scope of your brewery is going to be very important. Think small and think sustainable. Support local producers 100%.

In terms of shifts for the consumer? I think people are getting really excited for easy-drinking, nuanced beers. It’s not about the biggest, boldest beers. It’s about lower-alcohol beers, unique beer styles. Smoked beers and cask beers. I see lots of excitement and joy here.

Kim: Do you have any advice for those thinking about starting a brewery or getting into the industry?

Connor: If you’re in the industry or want to get into the industry, think small and sustainable. And be super thoughtful about how you train your staff and how you treat your staff. It’s tough to live in BC and make a living. So, it’s key that owners train their staff well and listen to their staff and make them feel heard. You can feel this when you go into a brewery. I’d say focus on your staff. Give them the tools, pay them, and support them. This is an industry that’s going to be around for a while.

Kim: Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?

Connor: Well, I really wanted to give a shout-out to my partner Lindsay. It’s so nice to be able to share our love of the industry together.

Kim: Who else in the craft beer industry do you find interesting and why?

Connor: I would love for you to talk to Tessa from Land & Sea Brewing in Comox. She is the Head Brewer at Land & Sea, and she was my former boss. She has over 10 years of experience and is very technical and methodical in her approach to brewing. She really cares about sustainability and using local ingredients in an interesting and unique way. She is also very thoughtful about the way she designs beer, and I think she will bring an interesting perspective about brewing and living in rural BC. I am super grateful for all that she has taught me, and I think you’ll have a great conversation with her.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Hops Among Friends blog series, where I chat with Tessa from Land & Sea Brewing, on the Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part II.

Until then, cheers!

The post Hops Among Friends: Connor Blanchard of Luppolo Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

My most recent Hops Among Friends interview was with Miguel Molina from Boardwalk Brewing in Port Coquitlam. At the end of our discussion, Miguel selected who I would interview next. He chose Justin Larter, the Head Brewer at Barnside Brewing. Established in 2020, Barnside Brewing is in Delta on the South of the Fraser Ale Trail.

As one of only a few BC farm-based breweries, it was fascinating to hear from Justin about Barnside’s philosophy and commitment to using ingredients from their property in their beer. This was a very interesting conversation because Justin talked about brewing techniques and processes that were new to me.

Like Miguel, Justin is also a recent KPU grad. It’s amazing to hear how these new brewers are helping to shape the future of BC’s craft beer industry.

KL: How did you get started in craft beer?

JL: I kind of found my way to craft beer in an unconventional way. I went from high school straight into university where I studied biology. I got my Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from UBCO in Kelowna. After graduating, I worked in the Okanagan wine industry for a bit. I worked for a season doing viticulture at the winery and in the vineyard at Summerhill Pyramid Winery. This experience really opened my eyes to how much fun you can have in the microbiology field producing alcoholic beverages.

From the wine industry, I looked to the craft beer industry. From the outside, craft beer seemed to be creative and open and fun. So, I enrolled in the KPU Brewing and Brewery Operations program in 2018 and graduated in 2020. Starting in the first year of the program, I worked at a couple of different breweries before joining Barnside in August 2020, just about right when the brewery opened. I joined the brewing team, and I was responsible for quality control, yeast management and yeast propagation. I was promoted to lead brewer, and then I was recently promoted to head brewer earlier in 2023.

KL: What do you love most about the craft beer industry?

JL: I really enjoy variety. I enjoy the different experiences of flavour and aroma, the different situations that beer can lend itself to. For example, you can enjoy lagers with a group of friends. You might open a barrel-fermented sour to enjoy with a candlelight dinner. I just find the variety, creativity, and history behind beer all so fascinating.

It’s a great industry to be a part of. There are always new, different, and interesting beers and techniques to discover.

KL: Tell me about one of your proudest accomplishments in craft beer.

JL: Barnside Brewing ended up being the perfect place for me because of my microbiology background. The owners really encouraged me to embrace terroir around here, as we grow our own hops, oats, and barley.

The owners were also really excited when I first talked about collecting our own yeast and bacterial cultures. Within my first year, I was successful at isolating and propagating a wild Saccharomyces strain suitable for brewing from a Chinook hop cone. We lovingly named it Hoppy Cone Surfer. After the isolation, and once we knew we had a viable brewing strain, we banked it with White Labs. It’s a proprietary strain, so we are the only ones who can use it. It is stored and preserved for us there throughout the year. We use it in our Hop Yard Sour and our Fresh Hop IPA.

KL: Barnside Brewing is one of only a few BC farm-based breweries. What does a farm-based brewery really mean?

JL: What it means to me is really embracing terroir. We are one of the few breweries that have a one-mile series: the grains, hops, and yeast that we use in our beers are all sourced from the farm. The owners really embrace this philosophy.

We have a strict rule that in all of our beers, at least 51% of all ingredients must be ours. This is for every recipe in our entire beer lineup.

But in our one-mile beers, including our Fresh Hop IPA and Hop Yard Sour, our local ingredients are much higher than 51%. Plus, both of these beers include the one-mile yeast strain as well.

Our Farmer’s Tap Lager is made with our 100% pilsner malted barley and our hops. It does of course have a German lager yeast strain.

Our Batch 200 Estate Barleywine is also a one-mile beer. It is made with our 100% pilsner malted barley, boiled for eight hours. It was then aged in blackberry brandy ex-Bourbon barrels for 12 months.

KL: What else makes Barnside Brewing unique?

JL: We welded up a “barn-gineered” open fermenter that allows for spontaneous and open fermentation. This vessel gets most of its use in the cooler seasons when temperatures are better for keeping the yeast happy and unwanted microbes out of the beer. We use this vessel to spontaneously inoculate wort for our sour barrel program. We also use it for our open fermented Shingle Mill, which is our “Pub Standard” ESB.

Open-top fermentation takes us back to historical brewing methods. It’s really interesting because this radically alters the tank geometries and flavours of the beer. It creates an environment where the yeast is extremely happy. Because the yeast is moving around more freely, it results in a lively flavour profile in the beer.

We also employ ancient brewing techniques where we brew a turbid mash during the winter and let it cool overnight. Then it’s transferred into barrels (wine puncheons or smaller sized oak barrels) where it ferments for one to three years. This becomes a base vinous sour for some of our different blended sours.

At Barnside, we want to take terroir to the next level. We want to be able to produce beautiful beers, but with historical techniques used in our own way to create modern farmhouse brewing.

KL: Tell me about something new you are brewing right now.

JL: We just released Distant Storm, which is a Double IPA. I had a lot of fun brewing it. While we had this label previously, this is a totally new beer, reimagined from the ground up. It’s a pilsner malt base with lots of wheat. We used mash hopping, and Omega Yeast’s new Thiolized strain, Helio Gazer.

Distant Storm Double IPA is a limited release. It is available on draught and in four-packs of 473ml cans at liquor stores in the lower mainland and on Vancouver Island.

Following the success of this brew, a lot of the techniques we used in this beer will trickle into our core IPA in the near future.

We also just brewed a beer called Spring Blossom Cherry Gose. This uses our house sourdough culture for souring. This was my COVID project. I made sourdough bread using my own wild bacterial culture. After reading about Scratch Brewing using a sourdough culture in their beer, I decided to see how the culture I had created would taste in a beer. It worked great as a souring culture and we now use this in all of our stainless-steel fermented sours. In this beer, we also used local Montmorency cherries. We used all of the cherries, including the pits. The beer has lovely vanilla and cinnamon spice notes from the pits, and a beautiful colour from the juice. It’s not too tart. It’s a sessionable, drinkable sour.

It will be released in early March on draught and in four-packs of 473ml cans at liquor stores in the lower mainland and on Vancouver Island.

We are also making some other recipe tweaks and changes to our core beers. We aren’t changing the bones of the beers, we are just doing a bit of a rework. For example, our Ladner Clay IPA will be a more accurate representation of an IPA with a juicy hop profile featuring our farm-grown hops and thiolized yeast.

KL: What’s your favourite beer style?

JL: I’m a lager man. All this terroir talk aside, I love a well-crafted lager. I enjoy almost any style whether it’s a Vienna lager, a pilsner, or a Czech dark lager. For me, I just love the drinkability of a lager.

I went full circle from lagers through the dark beers, IPAs, and now I’m back again loving lagers.

KL: What are some of your favourite craft beers going into spring?

JL: My favourite beers right now at Barnside are the Farmer’s Tap Lager and the new Cherry Gose. Outside of our brewery, I’m a huge fan of Bellingham, Washington. I love visiting the breweries there and looking for inspiration. They have a really cool lager scene down in Bellingham.

More locally, I love the beers from Strange Fellows and Four Winds. My favourite spot in BC is Luppolo Brewing.

KL: What’s your perfect spring beer and food pairing?

JL: Spring is all about getting the BBQ going. There’s a gentleman who runs Rebel Rebel Barbecue. Every two weeks he comes and smokes meat here at Barnside. There’s nothing better than his tri-tip sandwich, with a glass of lager in hand, soaking up the warm weather and beautiful scenery.

KL: What are some of your favourite craft beer festivals?

JL: My all-time favourite BC beer festival is Farmhouse Fest, followed by Weathered Beer. I love diving into the complexity of wild-fermented beers from across the globe.

KL: Where in BC do you want to travel next to discover their craft beer scene and why?

JL: I really want to head to Tofino and Ucluelet. I’ve been dying to check out both of the breweries there. I’ve been close, but it’s eating me up inside that I haven’t visited yet.

KL: What do you love about the craft beer scene in your area?

JL: I love the area in general. Our neighbours are Four Winds Brewing. They have such beautiful, classic beers. We’ve also got Fuggles Beer close by on the other side of the tunnel. Beyond the beer, it’s also such a gorgeous, natural area. You can look out and see the beautiful coastal mountains. In the summer when there’s a light breeze, you can smell the ocean.

It’s a really unique experience when you come and visit us here. You go from being in the city to open fields, working tractors, and helicopters working in the fields. I love that you can sit down and watch all of the farm work going on while enjoying a crisp, cold lager.

KL: What is a hidden gem in your area?

JL: We have a number of beautiful walking trails all along the inlet. We also have some great restaurants. My favourite restaurant in the area is called Il Posto. They have the best pizza and cocktails in Ladner.

KL: Besides brewing, what else do you enjoy doing?

JL: I love being out in nature. I used to be a passionate mountain biker, but after an injury, I’ve moved to hiking. I really enjoy getting out and hiking around the greater Vancouver area. I also enjoy road trips around BC and the Island. I enjoy adventuring. One of my favourites is paddle boarding at Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. I love the beautiful glacial lake water, the gorgeous vegetation, and the big trees.

KL: Who in the craft beer industry should I interview next?

JL: I want you to interview my good buddy Connor Blanchard, a brewer at Luppolo Brewing. As I mentioned earlier, Luppolo is my favourite local taproom. I love their pizza and their slow-pour lagers. I think you’ll have a good conversation with Connor. Connor is one of the best lager brewers that I know in BC and I’d love for him to spread the word.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of the Hops Among Friends blog series, where I speak with Connor from Luppolo Brewing. Until then, cheers!

The post Hops Among Friends: Justin Larter of Barnside Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

“Yeast” Van, move aside — Langley is one of the newest craft beer hot spots in BC. The agricultural community here is proving to be an eager market for good beer. In summer 2021, after years of preparation, Locality Brewing opened its doors and became Langley’s eighth brewery — but with a twist. Following in the footsteps of such breweries as Pemberton Valley BeerWorks (the “Beer Farmers”), Farmhouse Brewing Co. in Chilliwack, and Barnside Brewing Co. in Delta, Locality is a farm brewery that produces its beers using ingredients grown and processed on-site.

If that sounds like a lot of work and planning — it is! Sitting with me in the scenic picnic area before their opening day, co-owner Andrew Hamer recalled a 2016 walk through the farm property with Iain Hill of Strange Fellows Brewing. Iain, with a realism borne from his years of industry experience, warned Andrew about the workload involved in starting a farm brewery.

“What you’re trying to do, it is not easy!” Andrew remembers Iain saying to him. And that warning proved to be true — Andrew and his wife Melanie MacInnes have had five long years of physical labour and bureaucratic red tape to fight through to turn her family’s farm into a working farm brewery.

“We needed to be passionate about farming,” said Andrew.

“We’d talk about all this stuff around the family dinner table, but we weren’t stubborn enough to be farmers in the early stages.”

Once they invested in the equipment and applied for permits, however, it was clear that Andrew and Melanie were committed to their plan.

Farm history – from bovines to beer

The MacInnes farm is Locality’s home, and the property has been in Melanie’s family for over 45 years. Her parents are active on the farm to this day. The MacInnes family has always been warm and welcoming to others, and the farm was somewhere that Melanie and Andrew (in their younger years) would regularly return to, often bringing their backpacking or surfing friends along. Its 95 acres formerly sustained dairy cows, but now is used to grow barley, rye, hazelnuts, and cider apples. It is also a film set for various productions, including the Hallmark Channel series When Calls the Heart. In fact, the back of the brewery building has been transformed into a fake mountain and mineshaft, complete with a miner’s cabin. Those who dare to enter that mountain tunnel eventually find themselves among fermentation tanks and farm equipment in the barn next to the tasting room.

Exploring is what you’ll want to do at Locality, whether it’s a peek into the fake mine tunnel or a walk around the pond. You might join a walking tour through the hiking trails, beer in hand. Perhaps your kids will try climbing up on one of Locality’s large antique tractors, or maybe you’ll be lucky and catch part of the barley harvest — the first stage of making beer.

Farm Beer, Step 1: Harvesting Barley

Unbelievably, Andrew and Melanie actually hand-scythed their first barley harvest themselves, but they also now use a combine and a 1950s-era antique threshing machine. It’s huge, impressive, and a little scary: a piece of farming history brought to life. As the feeder pulls sheaf after sheaf after barley into its spinning blades, the thresher noisily separates the barley kernels from the stalks, eventually pouring pounds of kernels into waiting bags and spewing clouds of chaff out the other side. The process fills the air with dust and hay, and you’ll be brushing the bits and pieces off your clothes for hours. 

Farm Beer, Step 2: Malting

Once the bags of grain have been collected and cleaned, they are ready for malting. Unlike most breweries in BC, Locality has its own malthouse, tucked away in the back of the brewery building under the fake mountain. 

“So many craft beer drinkers don’t actually know what malt is — or that barley needs to be malted before it can be made into beer,” says Andrew. “So part of what we’re doing here is really offering something educational — something people can learn about.” 

Andrew has taken to malting enthusiastically and expertly guided me through the malthouse, explaining what happens at each stage. The grains are first dampened, or “steeped,” after which they are slowly turned in a large barrel for several days until germination occurs. To halt germination at the right point, the grains must be kilned (heated). The temperature and time of kilning gives the malt its colour and flavour — a Pilsner malt, for example, will be kilned at lower temperatures than a Vienna malt. Although Locality’s malthouse is currently small, Andrew has ambitions to expand his malting program. When you visit Locality, ask him about malting — you’ll doubtless learn something new. Not many breweries out there are malting their own grains, so this is truly a unique feature of Locality.

Farm Beer, Step 3: Hops

Outside the brewery barn and near the soon-to-be food truck location, there are rows of bright green hop bines. 

While Locality does source some specialty hops externally, they grow their core hop varieties themselves and send them out to be tested and pelletized. In fact, samples of all their farm-grown ingredients are regularly sent out for quality control. 

“Garbage in, garbage out,” as Andrew puts it. “We need to make sure we’re meeting all the specs.” 

To encourage a sense of community, Andrew and Melanie invite members of the public to participate in the hop harvests and experience a bit of farm life for themselves. When I arrived to help with some hop-picking, I found various volunteers, from pre-teens to senior citizens, milling around outside the brewery barn happily pulling hop bines onto the tractor, picking hops, drinking coffee and beer, and snacking on the food provided to sustain them through the day. The hop cones were a stunning bright green and left a pungent, fresh smell on my hands. 

Farm Beer, Step 4: Brewing

When hops (fresh or pelletized) are ready, brewing can begin! Head brewer Karen Cheshire came to Locality from a brewing job at Steamworks Brewing Co. and is now enjoying the creative freedom of working for a small brewery. Her skills are evident in the excellent beers Locality has been producing, including a very subtle, clean honey lager, a nicely balanced orange guava gose, a dry Belgian-style saison, and a classic West Coast IPA. Coming this September is a barrel-aged vanilla porter and a black tea-infused black lager, so I recommend getting there soon before they sell out. 

Farm Beer, Step 5: Community

The hops I helped pick on harvest day were Centennials for a special fresh hop collaboration brew with Brookswood Brewing. Brookswood’s founders were there harvesting hops along with everyone else, and they are looking forward to opening their doors nearby in early 2022, with Legit Hops founder Dave Morrish as their brewmaster. This fresh hop ISA collab gestures to the sense of community felt among Langley’s breweries. 

Locality makes beer — and it’s good beer — but community is ultimately what it’s about for Andrew and Melanie. They want people to be involved in the process of creating beer — whether that means helping gather in the barley, pick the hops, or even just learning a bit more about it. They want the MacInnes farm to be the same welcoming hub that it was for them and their friends decades ago, and they seem to be succeeding.

If beer isn’t your thing, quality teas, coffees, kombuchas, and iced teas are on offer, along with charcuterie-style picnic baskets with fresh local breads, cheeses, and meats. Most people will find something they enjoy here. And Locality is a place where time seems to slow down a bit, a place where you are able to savour the full sensory experience of the brewery. So find a spot on the grass, grab a drink, and take a moment to enjoy it.    

The post Beer from Start to Finish at Locality Brewing in Langley appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Craft beer fans typically have a handful of cherished beer memories. You know the kind—the time you went to Oktoberfest when you were backpacking across Europe, or the time you managed to score a rare bottle of something special from your favourite brewery. I’ve got a few, but one of the best was the time in 2008 when my wife and I visited a beer festival in Nelson, New Zealand, and there was a farmers’ market outside—and you were allowed to take your beer outside into the market.

I remember stepping onto the lawn outside the festival and eyeing up carrots and beets, sipping an ale brewed with manuka leaves, and feeling transgressive. You just couldn’t do that in BC at the time.

Stopping by Persephone Brewing’s farmers’ market

Of course, our province’s liquor laws have changed (much for the better) since that time, and now sipping a beverage at a licensed market is completely and perfectly lawful. But it had been a while since I’d done it. So, the other Sunday, I put on my helmet and rode my bike up the road to my local farmers’ market, which just happens to be at Gibsons’ Persephone Brewing Company. I needed something for dinner anyway, and I was thirsty.

Persephone’s 11-acre farm property offers the perfect laid-back setting for a market. On a lawn tucked between a farm field and a pond, a handful of vendors offered a variety of goods that included jams and preserves, wood carvings, wild mushrooms, and, of course, local produce, much of it grown on the same property as the brewery. I parked my bike, bought a pint of Pollinator Pilsner, and wandered, stopping by a booth displaying handmade soaps and body care products to chat with Persephone’s market coordinator, Sophia Ballantyne.

“My favourite part about organizing the market is the vendors,” Ballantyne told me. “They’re always so happy to be here. It’s a fun place to hang out on a Sunday.”

Meanwhile, a growler of Persephone beer was making its way from booth to booth, and as the vendors filled their cups, I could see that this wasn’t empty talk.

Crannóg Ales’ farmers’ market connection is a lifeline

Persephone’s farmers’ market is in good company—many breweries across the province take part in or host their local farmers’ markets. For most, the markets are just one innovative way among many to get their products to thirsty beer fans. But for Sorrento’s Crannóg Ales, farmers’ markets have been critical to the survival of the business.

“The farmers’ markets have been a lifeline to us this year,” explained Crannóg’s co-owner Rebecca Kneen. 

“Normally, most of our beer goes to pubs and restaurants, as we are a rural brewery focused on draught sales and we do not bottle or can. Finding ways to get growlers to people has been huge for us.”

At three weekly farmers’ markets (of which one—the All Organic Farmers’ Market—takes place year-round), Crannóg sells pre-filled growlers, swapping them out for empty ones brought back by repeat customers. The returned growlers get washed and sanitized back at the brewery, refilled, and sold at future markets. This system, Kneen said, keeps growlers from being needlessly discarded, and eliminates much of the waste created from packaging beer in bottles and cans.

Terrace’s Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse and the Skeena Valley Winter Farmers’ Market

Farmers’ markets help breweries reach their customers, but the relationship can be beneficial for the markets too. In 2019, Terrace’s Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse hosted the Skeena Valley Winter Farmers’ Market, providing space in its warehouse for farmers, food stalls, artisans, and live music. Market customers could come in from the snow and warm up in the market area before strolling to the adjacent taproom for a beer. 

During the Northern BC winters, it is far too cold and snowy to have any fresh or artisan items outside for selling. Hosting the market in their warehouse gave local farmers and artisans a chance to showcase their winter wares to the market visitors who may not have been able to get them otherwise.

Since it worked well in 2019, they are also going to work with the farmers’ market team this year to see if they can host the winter market again starting in November or December. Here’s hoping!

Craft breweries and farmers’ markets: A symbiotic relationship

Back at Persephone, I set to work finding things to take home. First I chose a jar of dried morels from Shaggy Jack’s Wild Mushrooms, promising to return the jar next week to recover my $1 deposit. Next, I bought a hefty bag of yellow beans and a smooth, shiny green cabbage that grew a stone’s throw away in Persephone’s market garden. Finally, on an impulse, I picked up two bars of natural soap—they smelled too good to pass up.

I finished my pint, got back on my bike, and, riding away, I reflected that there really is no better way to shop for vegetables than with a delicious craft beer in your hand.

Breweries all across British Columbia participate in local farmers’ markets.  Check this list to find one in your area:

Whistle Buoy Brewing and 3 Victoria Farmers’ Markets

Whistle Buoy Brewing does several Victoria markets! When it’s running, they do the Esquimalt Market on Thursdays, the TOPSOIL Market on Fridays, and the Moss Street Market on Saturdays. 

They will be continuing with the Esquimalt Market for September, and potentially into the winter as well (depending on vendor space as there are fewer spots for the fall and winter). The TOPSOIL market has wrapped up until the Spring, but they will continue to be at the Moss Street Market until the end of October, and potentially through the winter too.

Rustic Reel Brewing Co. and Three Kelowna Farmers’ Markets

Rustic Reel Brewing Co. keeps busy with three Kelowna Farmers’ Markets, which they’ll keep participating in through September and potentially October:

• Kelowna Farmers’ & Crafters’ Market
• East Kelowna Market
• Mission Community Market

Smugglers Trail Caskworks and the Fort Langley Night Market

Smugglers Trail Caskworks is a vendor at the Fort Langley Night Market, which runs Fridays until October 8.

Four Winds Brewing and the Southlands Grange Centre

Four Winds Brewing is involved with the brand new Tsawwassesn farmers’ market at a new development called the Southlands Grange Centre (which is also where Four Winds is planning a new brewery and restaurant). The market takes place every Saturday 10am – 2pm.   In the winter, it will likely move inside a barn.  

Lighthouse Brewing and the Esquimalt Farmers Market

Lighthouse Brewing has a longstanding relationship with the bi-weekly Esquimalt Farmers’ Market, where they have been testing a Beer Garden for the 2022 season! This is a pilot project they’ve been brewing up with the Esquimalt Farms Market.

Lighthouse is working with the market to keep the beer garden going next year, so stay tuned! The beer garden is 19+ only, with beer tickets being sold. All proceeds for beer garden sales go towards the Esquimalt Market, a wonderful not-for-profit organization.

Trading Post Brewing and the Fort Langley Farmers’ Market

Trading Post Brewing participates in the Fort Langley Farmers’ Market at St. Andrew’s Church every Saturday 10am – 3pm, from May until December. They also occasionally participate in the Langley Community Farmers’ Market, which takes place Wednesdays at Derek Doubleday Arboretum from 3pm – 7pm. This market ended September 1st, but keep an eye out next year!

Howl Brewing and Three Victoria Farmers’ Markets

Howl Brewing takes part in three Victoria Farmers’ Markets. They’re at each for at least a couple more weeks and may continue with the Esquimalt Market into the fall.

• Esquimalt Farmers’ Market (Bullen field Thursdays 4:30-7:30) Aug 21, Sept 18
• North Saanich Farmers’ Market (10990 N Saanich rd Sat 9:30-11:30) Aug 26, Sept 9&30
• Peninsula Country Market (Saanich fairgrounds Sat 9:00-1:00) throughout the summer. Sept 4&25, Oct 9

Luppolo Brewing and the Vancouver Farmers’ Markets + the New West Farmers’ Market

Luppolo Brewing participates in the Vancouver Farmers’ Markets, which run at several locations around the city all year round (they reduce to two locations from November to April). They also participate in the New West Farmers’ Market which takes place in Tipperary Park every Thursday, from 3pm-7pm, from April 1st to November 4th, 2021. 

Cannery Brewing and the Naramata Community Market

Cannery Brewing participates in the weekly Naramata Community Market in Naramata. It is organized by the NaramataSlow Society. It runs every Wednesday from 4-7pm all summer long until September 29th.

NaramataSlow is committed to the farmers’ market principles of “make it, bake it, grow it”, the goal is to showcase a variety of in-season fruits and vegetables and locally made food products, as well as convenience meals, snacks and locally crafted goods. 

The post BC Craft Breweries and Farmers’ Markets: A Symbiotic Relationship appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

What started out as a Sunday drive in search of berry farms and lunch with my mom ended up being a foray into exploring part of the Ale Trail, with brewery hopping and feasting on locally sourced fare.

All in Abbotsford you say? Absolutely! 

It didn’t take much convincing to switch plans…

The first exit off of Highway 1 into Abbotsford is Mt Lehman and fortuitously, with little effort we stumbled on our first brewery of the day, Old Abbey Ales.

My mom, being a recent sour beer convert, had to try Old Abbey’s Sour Raspberry Ale which has won the brewery a few awards since it opened in early 2015. I know that early on when they first started making that beer the raspberries were locally sourced, so that counts as having found our berries right?

After a quick taster and a bomber to go, we were onto the next stop.

Committed to working with our neighbours…

Ravens Brewing Co, which opened in June 2015, is just down the road.

Inspired by the agricultural roots surrounding the Abbotsford area, Ravens works with local growers to craft their beers.

“Recently we have switched over all our hops in the West Coast Pale Ale to 100-per-cent Abbotsford hops and whenever possible, source our hops and fruit locally,” explains sales manager John DeJong.

Ravens also works with local businesses on collaboration beers such as the ChocolaTas Hot Chocolate Porter and the Oldhand Coffee IPA. On our visit to the tasting room we found some lovely summer beers on tap like their Strawberry Rhubarb Sour, Raspberry Hefeweizen and Grapefruit Radler, along with the always tasty Dark Mild and previously mentioned West Coast Pale Ale.

To pair with your flights, Ravens offers samosas and pakoras from local business Patna Sweets, along with ChocolaTas chocolates and other beer snacks. In the spirit of giving back to the community, they recently donated a portion of proceeds from their Strawberry Rhubarb Sour to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and raised funds for both Canuck Place and Abbotsford Community Resources. 

Valley in a glass

Hathi Brewing is the third brewery on our tour and conveniently they’re on tap at Ravens, where its beer is currently brewed under contract.

“Ravens Brewing, acting on one of their core tenants of building up the local community, has entered into an arrangement to contract brew while we await final approval on our permanent location,” Hathi’s Instagram profile states.

On this day we had a choice of Mango Bango Hefeweizen and an ISA Test Batch. Sadly, no Coriander Pale Ale that I’ve heard much about, but it’s an incentive to head out again some other time. Co-founder Aman Sidhu shared that they currently source their hops from Chilliwack Hop Farms and BC Hop Co.

Fresh off their Langley Beer and Food Festival “Best Beer” award, Hathi is now on tap and available in packaged product in many places around the Fraser Valley.  You’re also likely to see them out at one of the local beer festivals — you’ll have follow them on social media to find out where.

Field to fist

Our last stop was a few minutes away at Field House Brewing Co., which is quite the destination brewery.

Not only is the tasting room beautiful, fresh and modern, there’s the added bonus of the outside lawn area with grass, picnic tables and lounge space. Since my last visit, they’ve added the Taco Hut, which, along with their tasting room Canteen’s menu, features an assortment of foods made with locally sourced ingredients that embodies the brewery’s “Field to Fist” mantra.

“We source produce from a few local farms right now — Lepp Farm Market, The Local Harvest Market, and our own farm project at JJ Mills,” says chef Bonnie Friesen.

“We’re bringing in peaches and cherries from Lepp for pickles and chutney, as well as a skirt steak for our tacos. From The Local Harvest, we’ve been sourcing beets for pickles, cabbage for our tacos and charred cabbage caesar, basil for our pizza, carrots and onions for stocks and our tomato soup.

“We’re really excited about the huge harvest of tomatillos and jalapenos we’re about to get from JJ Mills for our salsa verde, and there’s been such an abundance of zucchini (as always) that we are featuring a zucchini pizza over the next weeks.”

Hungry yet? On our visit we opted for sharing the prosciutto pizza and a flight featuring Field House’s Radler, Sour Wheat Gose, Light Saison and Dark Brett. Again, a wonderful mix of lighter summer beers with aged complex beers.

Field House was a great spot to linger over lunch, sip our tasters and reflect on a day of spontaneous adventure. We never did make it out to those berry farms, or did we? But so many of the beautiful beers that we tasted featured fresh berry flavours.

Perhaps if we’re feeling more energetic another time we’ll try this Ale Trail loop by bicycle. It’s a moderately difficult urban ride at 20 kilometres… well, perhaps. 

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