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Craft Beer Lifestyle Blog

Tag: craft beer (Page 3 of 7)

Spearhead Brewing Company

August 2, 2019 / / 0 Comments
Welcome to Spearhead Brewing Company: the sign above the entrance to the brewery.
Welcome to Spearhead Brewing Company: the sign above the entrance to the brewery.

Creativity, passion, and community…

“It’s about harnessing creativity, passion, and community into one thing,” Martin Villeneuve, CEO and managing partner of Spearhead Brewing Company, told me when I asked him about a ‘craft beer lifestyle.’

Sitting at a four-top table looking through large windows into the brewery’s production area, Martin continued: “It’s not an easy lifestyle – it’s hard work… The lifestyle is about finding the right people that have the same connection, but it’s all fuelled by one word, which is ‘passion.’

“That’s the fuel behind every great beer company: people that are passionate about the craft. All the trials and tribulations are really just noise – it’s probably a necessary noise, but it doesn’t matter in the end…

“What matters is when the place is full and someone tells you, ‘This is so great: thank you,’ But that’s really the icing on the cake, and most people don’t see the cake, which takes a lot of work to make. There’s a lot of sweat – and sometimes blood and tears.”

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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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