PairingwithBeer

Craft Beer Lifestyle Blog

Category: Uncategorized (Page 4 of 9)

SanTur Brewing Company Inc.

July 19, 2019 / / 0 Comments
The sign outside of SanTur Brewing Company Inc.
The sign outside of SanTur Brewing Company Inc.

In search…

“I think there definitely is a ‘craft beer lifestyle’ – and I’m in search of it!” Judah Santos, co-owner of SanTur Brewing Company Inc., proclaimed when I asked him if a ‘craft beer lifestyle’ exists.

Sitting at a four-top table near the production area in the brewpub, Judah then aimed to define it: “My favourite brewery, the MacKinnon Brothers, is totally dedicated to making sure their brewery makes quality products, but at the same time they’re true to their roots… They try to marry great beer in an organic way with the main issues that effect our society.

“And for me – if you were to ask me if that’s what I would dream to do, above and beyond running a successful brewery, that is my next step: to make sure that my business is addressing these main issues – climate, pollution, crime, poverty, supporting the local community…

“That’s one thing that we’ve said from the beginning. In fact, the Kingston police were one of the first guests in here, and they started trying the beers, and then one thing lead to another, and then we were like, ‘Let’s make a beer with the Kingston police.’ All the proceeds can go to local charities to help with drug use, crime, education…

“To me, that’s utopia. That’s a craft beer lifestyle.”

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Kingston Brewing Company

July 5, 2019 / / 0 Comments
The Kingston Brewing Company logo above the front entrance to their brewpub, the oldest brewpub in Ontario.
The Kingston Brewing Company logo above the front entrance to their brewpub, the oldest brewpub in Ontario.

Very open…

Lit by a bright June light coming from a nearby window in the dining area, I spoke with Braden MaCrae, co-owner of Kingston Brewing Company, and asked him whether he could define a craft beer lifestyle.

“The lifestyle is fun,” he began, after a moment to collect his thoughts. “Anyone you talk to in the craft beer industry – there’s a few non-conformists – but typically it is such an open community of people. Everyone is happy to share tips and suggestions and ideas for growth – and collaboration.

“It’s a really cool industry to be a part of because, although there’s a sense of competition, there’s also a sense of betterment for the entire industry, where I think the passion lies…

“Some don’t play by those rules, but a blanket stereotype is just the opposite of them: it’s is very open, and very free.”

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Folly Brewing

June 14, 2019 / / 2 Comments
Looking up at Folly Brewing.
Looking up at Folly Brewing.

The newest thing…

At a high-top table at the far end of the brewpub, I sat across from John Jenkinson, head brewer at Folly Brewing. I asked him what he thought a ‘craft beer lifestyle’ might be.

“There’s this consumer aspect where people always want to try new things,” John told me. “There’s different threads of tension that pull in all sorts of different directions: one is a push to try new things, and so breweries want to have all these innovative new styles – people don’t want to buy the same thing over and over again – so core brands kind of get left behind to a certain extent because the craft beer drinker wants the newest IPA or the newest sour.

“I don’t think everybody’s like that though. People also just want good quality, and something reliable, which is why I always have Wellington Brewery‘s Helles in my fridge – it’s my go-to.

“And then there’s the hyper-locality, trying to support the people around you. Knowing where the money I spent is going. That may be the most romantic, and I like that aspect the most – keeping the dollar in the community… And I see that more and more as more breweries continue to pop up: there’s a greater and greater push towards that locality, and a stronger sense of community because of it.”

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Laylow Brewery

May 31, 2019 / / 0 Comments
Laylow Brewery x Young Animal brewpub.
Laylow Brewery x Young Animal brewpub.

Connecting people…

Sitting at a 4-top table in the front area of the brewpub, I spoke with co-owner and head brewer of Laylow Brewery, Colin Weadick, about what a ‘craft beer lifestyle’ might be.

“I think, the one thing that’s really nice about it is that there’s a sense of community,” he began. “Even here, a lot of people are really surprised that we make the beer in the kitchen. They think beer is made in a factory; it’s like this massive industrial process: it’s not. It’s like food, you can make it at home. I think it’s important that people see the connections between things – where is your stuff made?

“At the end of the day it’s made by people somewhere. With an aspect of local it’s just easier: people can come by and be like, ‘That’s the person who made the beer’… Especially now that our lives are so detached – you can buy everything on Amazon; you don’t think about who makes your stuff or how it gets there – the doorbell rings and there it is.

“It’s just naturally easier to see those connections the more local you are, and the more detached you are, the less you kind of care. It’s so easy to just not care about people and community these days. We live in such an isolating world that it’s important to see these connections when you walk down the street and you see your neighbours, you know?

“You live a better quality of life when you have a more active, social lifestyle, when your connected with your friends and community. A craft beer lifestyle – or craft everything lifestyle – is important because it helps you connect with people.”

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