Reading Time: 5 minutes Kari and Brent Tarasoff had no intention of opening a brewery when they began growing hops in Penticton, B.C. four years ago. But their five-year plan got thrown out the window last year when they opened Siding 14 Brewing Company in Ponoka with two partners. And pretty soon, they’ll need to toss out their new […] Read more
Ponoka microbrewery eyes world domination
Supreme Court finds for provinces in ‘Free the beer’ case
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s top court on Thursday ruled against a New Brunswick man who had argued he had the constitutional right to buy beer more cheaply in a neighbouring province, saying that the law does not impose absolute free trade across the country. Dubbed the “free the beer” case in Canadian media, it […] Read more
Sleeman investing to bring back production from U.S.
Canada’s third-biggest national brewer plans upgrades at its southwestern Ontario plant, with which it plans to bring back some production it now contracts out to a U.S. brewery. Guelph-based Sleeman Breweries, owned since 2006 by Japanese brewer Sapporo, announced Monday it will invest $6.61 million to expand packaging capability, put up new beer tanks and […] Read more
Trying to grow malt barley can make you cry in your beer
There’s way more money in malt than feed, but just 20 per cent of growers capture 80 per cent of malt sales
Reading Time: 4 minutes Kevin Sich thinks malt barley could give canola a run for its money any day of the week — even if market share doesn’t reflect that. “Malt barley is probably one of your most profitable crops. Return on investment is probably very strong,” said Sich, Rahr Malting’s grain department manager. “But if malt barley is […] Read more
Canadians spent $5.7 billion on cannabis in 2017
Ottawa | Reuters — Canadians spent an estimated $5.7 billion on cannabis in 2017, Statistics Canada said on Thursday, with the country on track to legalize recreational use of the drug nationwide later this year. About 4.9 million Canadians between the ages of 15 to 64 purchased both medical and non-medical cannabis last year, the […] Read more
It’s tiny now, but fledgling hops sector is taking flight
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s no doubt that the craft brewing industry in Alberta is hot — and that’s sparking a mini-boom in growing hops. “We know of 12 producers in Alberta, but that does not account for farmers who haven’t engaged with us,” said Wade Bendfeld, president of the Alberta Hop Producers Association, which was formed in March […] Read more
Demand is there, but jumping into hops isn’t easy
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you’re wondering if hops might be something you’d like to try, Ontario’s Ag Ministry’s website has a powerpoint primer called Local Hops: A brewing industry. Even though the presentation is barely a year old, Alberta doesn’t even make the list of hops-growing provinces. The owners of Northern Girls Hops west of Edmonton actually started […] Read more
Alberta’s newest meadery takes a different approach
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta’s newest meadery is doing things a little differently. Along with a traditional honey wine, Tamarack Jack’s Honey and Meadery also produces a variation that might tempt those who prefer a brewskie to the so-called ‘drink of the gods.’ “We are a small apiary turned into a meadery just recently,” Katie Kingdon, manager of the […] Read more
Farmers’ markets allowed to offer local beer
Craft breweries and local distilleries excited by the chance to introduce their products to a wider range of Albertans
Reading Time: 2 minutes Shoppers at provincially approved farmers’ markets can now crack open a brew or sip a bit of vodka. “We’re really excited with the news. It offers us the chance to expand our customer base and reach out to different sales channels,” said Marty Shaw, general manager of Ribstone Creek Brewery in Edgerton. The move puts […] Read more
Hop in: Growing craft brewery market drives demand for local hops
The startup costs are significant, but demand for Alberta-grown hops is growing fast, and there’s money to be made for enterprising producers
Reading Time: 5 minutes A visit to an old grape orchard in the heart of B.C. wine country last summer has inspired two southern Alberta producers to try their hands at a different kind of viny crop — hops. “That was really the seed that started it all,” said Randy Adams, who owns and operates Pair O’ Dice Hops […] Read more
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