E-Malt.com News article: Canada, AB: Wild Rose Brewery’s new production facility begins brewing

Calgary’s Wild Rose Brewery marked a new chapter in its 18-year history on December 18, as it turned on the taps at its new С$5 million production facility, Calgary Herald reported on December 17.

The 40,000-square foot building in Foothills Industrial Park is five times larger than the Currie Barracks location where Wild Rose has been making its beer since 2006.

“The brewhouse itself is double the size of the facility over there. With all of the tanks, we’ll be able to brew eight, nine times the volume over the course of the year,” said director of brewery operations Brian Smith. “It’s a major expansion.”

The decision to build a new brewery came in part because of the uncertainty surrounding Wild Rose’s previous location. Earlier this year, Wild Rose was told by its landlord, Canada Lands Company, that its lease would not be renewed beyond February 2014 due to the ongoing redevelopment of the community. That deadline has since been extended to 2015, and Wild Rose is now working with Canada Lands to find a permanent location that may allow it to retain its presence in that neighbourhood.

Still, Wild Rose CEO Bill McKenzie said it was time anyway to move the majority of its production to a larger site. Demand for craft beer is increasing, and Wild Rose wants room to grow.

“We needed to have a spot that could meet the demand — that was the bottom line,” McKenzie said. “We’ve been looking at what’s going on in California, and Oregon and Washington, where there’s been a lot more interest in different types of beer. That demand is definitely starting to come up to Canada and now to Alberta. People just want to try something different.”

With the increased capacity, McKenzie said Wild Rose will have the ability to experiment with more brands and varieties. He promised a “freshened-up brand portfolio” as well as a redesigned label and packaging in early 2014.

“Before, we didn’t have the volumes to grow our business, so we had to say no to a lot of opportunities to sell our beer,” he said. “So now, we want to get more involved in a whole bunch of events and things going on in Calgary. Our whole marketing approach is, I think, going to be very unique and fun.”

For now, the new site will serve only as a production facility, though McKenzie said tours will be offered one day and Wild Rose is also considering other options like an on-site retail store.

Wild Rose’s expansion comes at the same time the Alberta government is reviewing its controversial beer taxation structure. The current markup system has come under fire from Alberta craft beer producers who say it effectively “subsidizes” out-of-province beer-makers while putting local craft brewers at a disadvantage. But while a review has been underway since 2012, no decision has been announced.


18 December, 2013