While on tour our guides get asked a lot of questions from our curious guests, and one that we
hear often is “how can there be room for so many new breweries in Vancouver?” It is true, our scene has undergone exponential growth in the last 5 years and sometimes it seems like there isn’t any room left for new entrants. But healthy competition between the breweries has been good for the consumer, and it also forces those that are thinking of entering into this competitive market to be truly innovative and stand out to appeal to an increasingly more sophisticated craft beer consumer. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to Temporal Artisan Ales, someone who we feel is shaking things up a bit in our local scene.
With an innovative business model and plans to produce some truly unique beers, we caught up with Temporal Artisan Ales Owner Tristan Stewart to learn more about his plans.
So who is Temporal Artisan Ales?
Temporal Artisan Ales is a new brewing and blending project dedicated to 100% oak fermentation. It’s a sole proprietorship, which means I am the one and only owner/brewer/blender. I’ve been working in the craft beer industry in BC for 6 years, which has given me experience working in a variety of roles. I’ve done purchasing for a small craft beer bottle shop, managed a tasting room, been a bartender, and brewed commercially.
What inspired you to start Temporal Artisan Ales?
To put it very simply, my inspiration is the beers that I love to drink. Beers that have a wonderful aged character, developed over time in a barrel or foeder. During my time working in the craft beer industry, I have spent many hours researching market trends both locally and globally. I believe that I can bring something new to our local market by focusing solely on barrel-aged beers.
You introduced the community to Temporal Artisan Ales through an Indiegogo campaign, how was your idea received?
I was blown away by the support of the local community to the crowdfunding campaign. I spent a lot of time organizing perks that I thought people would get excited about, and we raised almost $9,000! I still have people messaging me asking if they can still contribute to the project even though the campaign is over, but it wouldn’t be fair to my backers to extend those perks past the campaign limit.
With that being said, I do still have slots available for membership to the 2018 Cellar Society. The Cellar Society is a yearly membership granting members access to 2 bottles of 6 different exclusive, member-only, larger format beers. There are additional perks to being a member including special glassware, the ability to reserve bottles from regular releases, and first right of refusal on subsequent years membership. If you’re interested in becoming a member you can read more about it on my website and get in touch with me via email.
You are currently brewing and renting space from Luppolo Brewing on Venables, what made you choose Luppolo as your home?
I have been working at Luppolo for about 8 months. I started as a bartender in the tasting room but have transitioned out of that into working in the brewery primarily. The owners are good people and we share the values of quality and commitment to the craft of brewing. It was a natural choice, and since moving into the brewer position I have become very familiar with their brewing process and brewhouse. They also happened to have a nice little slice of warehouse space, nestled alongside their own barrel program, which they were willing to rent to me to help me get started.
We have seen a rise in the number of aspiring brewers partnering with and renting space from established brick and mortar breweries. What is it about this model that you were attracted to?
The main attraction of this type of model is cost. It takes a huge amount of money to renovate a building, purchase a whole brewing setup, fermenters, construct a tasting room, obtain the necessary permits/licenses, etc. By utilizing space in another brewery I was able to cut that start-up cost down to a small fraction of what I would have needed.
In addition to this, my focus is on fermentation and “cold-side” experimentation. I won’t be using the space at Luppolo forever, I would like to eventually take over a warehouse to use as my own production space. I’ll likely never purchase my own brewhouse, I would prefer to buy wort from other breweries that is brewed to my own recipes and specifications, and then take it back to my warehouse for barrel fermentation and aging.
What types of beers will you be producing?
There are two main avenues that barrel-aged beers tend to fall into – mixed fermentation sour and/or funky beers, and strong “clean” beers. Typically the former is fermented in neutral wine barrels, while the latter are usually laid down in used bourbon, rum, or scotch casks. The mentality of using a barrel as an ingredient, rather than just a fermentation vessel, is something that really fascinates me and something that will be prominent in my beers.
Another major focus in my process and finished beers is blending. Each barrel I fill will be getting its own unique set of yeast and bacteria, which means I will have one batch of beer producing 6 different finished beers. This allows me to blend portions of different barrels to “build” a final beer. Blending is somewhat of a lost art when it comes to brewing, with roots in traditional brewing going back centuries.
My cellar of barrels at Luppolo consists of French and American oak barrels, previously containing bourbon, tequila, and different varietals of red and white wine from vineyards in the Okanagan, California, and Italy. The beers I will be producing at Luppolo will be exclusively sour and mixed fermentation beers. One day when I have my own warehouse facility I will expand to brew big clean beers like bourbon barrel-aged stouts, barleywines, etc but the risk of contamination of these clean beers with unwanted sour or funky microbes is higher in such a small area and without additional equipment.
How, where and when will we be able to buy your beer?
I will be releasing the first bottles in early 2018, with a production goal of 3 released beers each month. For the first beers, I have designed the recipes and selected microbes to intentionally have some beers that mature in a shorter amount of time. Due to the nature of these types of fermentations only time will tell when they are ready for packaging and release.
My bottles will be available for sale in the Luppolo Tasting Room, where I will also have one beer on tap at a time. In addition to this I will be sending a very limited amount of cases to a small handful of stores and – if you’re lucky – you might catch a keg on tap in a few very select craft-focussed bars in town.
Any advice for home brewers like yourself who are thinking of approaching local breweries to rent space and do something similar to you?
Nail down your business plan to the best of your ability and have it professionally reviewed. Sit down and talk with a business advisor and figure out how to make it all work. Being a good homebrewer isn’t enough, you will need to learn and understand how businesses are run and be willing to dump endless hours of time into making it all come together. This type of model is not for everyone, and it may be difficult to find a brewery with extra space they are also willing to rent to you.
If this is your dream, stay determined and focussed, work hard, and make it a reality!
How can we follow your progress and get in touch?
You can follow my progress and reach out to me with any questions on social media:
Instagram: @Temporalbeer
Twitter: @TemporalAles
Facebook: facebook.com/TemporalAles
A catalog of finished beers and information about the project can be found on my website, http://www.temporalales.com/
Coquitlam Craft Beer Festival
/in Brewery ToursCoquitlam Craft Beer Festival
If you’ve been looking for the next amazing beer festival to attend, look no further than The Coquitlam Craft Beer Festival! Set to take place on March 9th and 10th, 2018 the popular annual event will be held at the Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club. 40+ local BC breweries will be participating, which means more than 120 unique beers will be offered! Food from some of the best local restaurants and caterers will also be included in the ticket price.
New to the festival this year will be a Cask Corner with a select number of unique casks. Confirmed casks as of January 10th include; A Frame Brewing, Bomber Brewing, Coal Harbour Brewing, Fuggles & Warlock, Off the Rail, Stanley Park, Strathcona Beer Company and Twa Dogs.
Coquitlam got its first craft brewery in September of 2017 when Mariner Brewing opened their doors. Opening soon will be Port Coquitlam’s first, Northpaw Brew Co. Neighboring Port Moody has seen a recent burst of four new breweries since 2014, and the area they reside in is now referred to as Brewers Row.
The Coquitlam Craft Beer Festival is proud to partner with Team Taylor of the The Ride to Conquer Cancer, benefiting the BC Cancer Foundation. There will be a silent auction, as well as a grand prize draw, with 100% of proceeds raised going to Team Taylor, plus different gifts and merchandise from the breweries.
Details:
Coquitlam Craft Beer Festival 2018
Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club
3251 Plateau Boulevard, Coquitlam
Friday March 9, 7pm-9:30pm – $59
Saturday March 10, 12pm-2:30pm – $49
Buy Tickets Here
The Right Way to Drink Craft Beer
/in Brewery ToursYou’ve just got home from your local liquor store with a sweet haul of your favourite craft beers and you’re ready to crack a few open. Before you do, did you know that with just a few basic tips you can get the most out of your sampling experience? Vancouver Brewery Tours Lead Tour Guide Rachel Riggs knows a thing or two about the subject and has put together a 3 part series of some VERY helpful tips on the Right Way to Drink Craft Beer.
What Glassware is Best for Craft Beer?
By Rachel K. Riggs – Lead Tour Guide
First of all, craft beer should always be poured into another vessel, whether it’s glass or plastic or even a coffee cup (though glass is ideal). One of the reasons we pour beer is to develop that foamy head, where tons of the aroma lies. If you can’t smell what you’re eating or drinking, you will not experience its flavor to its fullest potential.
Use a room temperature glass (more on temperature in Part 3 of this blog post series).
Now, which glass to choose: Shaker pint? Tulip? Pilsner? Just like in the wine world, there’s a lot of options when it comes to what type of glass to pour your beer into, and it varies with the style of beer.
Tulip Glasses – The tapered shape focuses aroma both produces and maintains a foamy head. Good for Saisons, Belgians, IPAs.
Weizen – Tall and with a wide upper portion to accommodate a large amount of head. Best choice for wheat beers.
Snifter – tapered mouth is ideal for beers with strong flavors and aromas. Good choice for barleywine and imperial stouts.
Pilsner – narrow shape shows off color and clarity. Good for, you guessed it, pilsners, as well as other light styles like lagers, blonde ales, and kolsches.
Flute – long and narrow to maintain carbonation. Good for: Goses / Gueuzes, kettle sours, fruit beers
Shaker Pint or Nonic Pint – versatile & inexpensive. Good for pale ales, brown ales, porters, English bitters
Note that it is NOT necessary to own every possible style of beer glass out there! Some glasses are more versatile than others and work well for a range of different styles.
Next Up:
The Right Way to Drink Beer – Part 2
Timing – When should I drink my craft beer?
Vancouver’s Newest Brewery – T&B Brewing Co.
/in Brewery ToursSome exciting news to share out of the historic Brewery Creek neighborhood. Tap and Barrel has recently announced the takeover of the Opsal Steel Building (formerly Steel Toad Brewing Co.). It will soon become Brewhall
Tap and Barrel has released the following statement:
For Immediate Release
TAP & BARREL TO LAUNCH INNOVATION BREWERY SPRING 2018
VANCOUVER, BC, JANUARY 18, 2018 – Vancouver’s Brewery Creek neighbourhood is about to welcome an exciting addition that will change the landscape of the province’s Craft Beer scene with the Spring 2018 launch of Tap & Barrel owned T&B Brewing Co., which will house their Brew Lab, dedicated to craft beer product innovation. This small batch brewery located at 97 East 2nd Ave., (formerly Steel Toad Brewery) in the heritage Opsal Steel building, will collaborate with other breweries as a platform to showcase great local talent and push the boundaries on small batch product development in BC’s burgeoning craft beer scene.
T&B Brewing Co. will house a large format modern-day beer hall, showcasing exclusive and innovative products both on tap, and on plate, including locally distilled barrel-aged cocktails and partner brewing collaborations called collabobeers. “We are very excited about taking our collabobeers to a whole new level; we see this as a natural strategic step in our company’s evolution. We are heavily invested in the local craft beer industry in this province. This gives us the ability to take our collaborations and innovations to an unprecedented level, while deepening our relationships with our brewery partners,” exclaims Ryan
Craig, Tap & Barrel’s Beverage Director.
Pilot brewing will commence in early February. “We have an amazing opportunity to work with the community, collaborating with others in the area and focusing on creating an exciting and changing line up,” exclaims Kerry Dyson, Head Brewer of T&B Brewing Co., former Head Brewer of Bridge Brewing Company. “Working with innovative styles and bringing others together for collaborations will keep our beers fresh, local and exciting.”
Tap & Barrel launched its first restaurant five and a half years ago as the anchor tenant in False Creek’s Olympic Village neighbourhood, only two blocks away from the soon-to-open brewery. “Tap & Barrel has played a pivotal role in raising the awareness for the local craft beer industry through their restaurants. They have always been innovators, and this Innovation Brewery is sure to push not only Tap & Barrel but the industry to a new level. I’m excited to see the great collaborations our members will be creating with the T&B Brewing Co. team,” exclaims Ken Beattie, Executive Director of the British Columbia Craft Brewers Guild.
Vancouver born and bred, Tap & Barrel has quickly grown to five landmark BC locations. “Our mainstay has always been to celebrate our partners, and we are so blessed to be living in such a bountiful province fueled by passion and creativity,” states Tap & Barrel founder and CEO Daniel Frankel. “Our guests know that our restaurants offer the taste of here – the best that our local purveyors have to offer. Now we are able to deepen our reach as we enter this exciting new chapter and collaborate with our brewing partners at a deeper level.” Tap & Barrel plans to open the new brewery and beer hall concept this coming spring. Details of the concept are forthcoming, but Frankel promises “there is nothing else like it in Canada.”
About Tap & Barrel
Daniel Frankel opened the first Tap & Barrel in July 2012 in Vancouver’s Olympic Village. Feeling that too many restaurants offer the same experience, Frankel wanted to create and curate the best of local, where guests can always try something new and truly experience “the taste of here.” As its namesake suggests, Tap & Barrel is heavily focused on a sustainable bar program, exclusively serving local independent craft beer and premium wines on tap. Today Tap & Barrel sells more local craft beer than any other restaurant in the province. Tap & Barrel is for people who love to tap into everything local, from culinary through beverages and culture. Driven by passion, this local Vancouver company has grown to five locations, which includes two smaller TAPshack concepts, and is planning continued growth.
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East Van Craft Brewery and Food Tour – Dine Out 2018
/in Brewery ToursDine Out Vancouver 2018 – East Van Craft Brewery and Food Tour
Each year we have the opportunity to participate in Dine Out Vancouver, an annual event that showcases the best of Vancouver’s culinary scene with an impressive selection of special events, restaurants and much more. Dine Out attracts thousands of locals and visitors from all over the world and encourages people to explore our local food scene at a traditionally slower time of year.
For 2018, we decided to go back to our roots and pay homage to the very first tour we offered 5 years ago in 2013, but with a new twist. Our first tour, the “East Van Craft Brews and Culinary Tour” was in partnership with local food tour company Off the Eaten Track who introduced our guests to a few local foodie gems because back then, you could barely find any food at our local breweries beyond a few bread products and pepperoni sticks! Fast forward 5 years, and the culinary scene inside our breweries has changed dramatically and we’d like to show you just how far it’s come.
Now in our 5th year with Dine Out Vancouver, we’re proud to present the “East Van Craft Brewery and Food Tour“ where we’ll be highlighting not only some of the best beers of our craft beer community, but also some of the best culinary dishes available inside our east van breweries for Dine Out 2018. The tour takes place in the iconic East Van neighbourhood, or as it’s affectionately known in the beer community “Yeast Van”.
We’ll be visiting three of our most popular East Van breweries starting off at the award winning Strange Fellows Brewing. Guests will go behind the scenes to learn brewing 101 before sampling a few beers. Next up is Luppolo Brewing Co, fresh off of celebrating their one year anniversary in November 2017, guests will not only enjoy a flight of Luppolo beers but also a dish that celebrates the Italian culture and heritage that inspired the brewery. And finally, we head further into East Van to the vibrant yellow building on Powell that Andina Brewing Co. calls home. After a flight of Andina beers we’ll also enjoy a dish that showcases the spirt of the Columbian roots of the owners of Andina.
Each tour is 3.5 hours long and includes all beer flights, and food dishes at our final two stops. Transportation including pick up and drop off will be included as well as behind the scenes brewery tours at each stop.
Join us on our East Van Craft Brewery and Food Tour during January 18th to February 3rd, 2018.
For more information, and to reserve your seats, please visit the Dine Out Vancouver Website at https://www.dineoutvancouver.com
Cheers!
The Vancouver Brewery Tours Team
Vancouver Brewery Tours Named One of North America’s Top Tours
/in Brewery ToursWe’re pretty excited and humbled to be listed as one of North America’s best tours for 2017 by our friends at the Flight Network! There’s no shortage of great things to do as you travel around our beautiful continent and thankfully the good folks at the Flight Network put together a comprehensive list of must do experiences that includes not only our brewery tours but also our local friends at Vancouver Foodie Tours, Forbidden Vancouver Tours and even our pals down south in Portland at Brewvana Brewery Tours!
Check out the entire list here https://www.flightnetwork.com/blog/42-north-american-tours-dont-want-miss-year/#Vancouver%20Brewery%20Tourswww.flightnetwork.com/blog/42-north-american-tours-dont-want-miss-year/
Here’s what the Flight Network had to say about our Vancouver Brewery Tours:
Dates: Year round
Prices: $79.99 CAD
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Website: www.vancouverbrewerytours.com
Ready to drink like a local? Then the experts at Vancouver Brewery Tours have your back. These city-wide tours not only showcase Vancouver’s most unique and popular local craft breweries, but highlight some of the best and most historic neighborhoods along the way. Although it’s dubbed the ‘Portland of the north’, you’ll leave this tour with the firm belief that this city can hold it’s own — especially when it comes to craft beers.
Barrels and Behind the Scenes – A Vancouver Distillery and Brewery Tour
/in Brewery ToursNEW TOUR! Announcing Barrels and Behind the Scenes
We’re excited to announce that we have a new weekly tour available to the public. For over 4 years we’ve toured Vancouver’s best craft breweries several times a week, however there’s another vibrant and rapidly growing industry in Vancouver – craft distilling – and we’d love to introduce you! Once only available by request for our Private Group Tours, we’ve made Barrels and Behind the Scenes available to the public. The tour combines the best of both worlds on this exciting Vancouver Distillery and Brewery Tour.
We’ve partnered with the multi-award winning Vancouver distillery Odd Society Spirits on this tour. Located
on Powell Street in East Vancouver’s port district, Odd Society is a craft distillery dedicated to combining Old World traditions with New World ingredients and ingenuity to create a family of spirits that includes Vodka, Gin, Cassis, Sweet Vermouth, Amaro, Oak Aged Vodka, Mongrel and now Whisky! They’ve also been collaborating with local breweries to create barrel-aged beers using their barrels. It’s a match made in heaven!
Each tour will start at Odd Society Spirits to learn about craft spirits, the distillation process and of course enjoy a few samples. Next up is Powell Brewery for all things beer and finally ending at Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers. At each stop we’ll introduce you to the barrel ageing process and its importance to both industries.
When: Our new tour will be running Thursday evenings from 5pm – 8pm.
Itinerary: Stops on tour will include Odd Society Spirits, Powell Brewery and Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers. Pick up and drop off is from Waterfront Station.
Cost: The cost per person is $89.99 plus GST. Includes transportation, grain to glass explanation of the distilling and brewing processes, FREE beer glass and all of your samples and more!
Getting Wild on the North Shore with Wildeye Brewing
/in Brewery ToursNorth Vancouver’s (Soon to be) Newest Brewery – Getting to Know Wildeye Brewing
An enthusiastic group of friends and family that love the beer (and food) industry are genuine about creating a space that’s comfortable with a lively vibe, different but for the right reasons, welcoming to everyone and most of all, somewhere you’re going to get awesome beer and food each and every time.
When is your expected open date?
We are working hard to finalize all of our permits. We have plans to start construction in December and open in the late spring or early summer 2018.
What is the story behind the name Wildeye Brewing?
The name is really a year long process in which we were searching for a name that fits who we are and what we are looking to portray. We tossed around literally hundreds of names, took votes, sent them to marketing teams, friends, family and general public and eventually rested on Wildeye Brewing. There was also a vision for a logo to go along with the name. Together, we wanted something that was different, something nobody had ever seen before, unique almost unrecognizable. This way, once you’ve seen it for the first time, there’s no doubt left as to where you now know it from. Both the name and our logo needed to have a bit of ‘edge’ a bit of risk and just plain cool factor. At the end of the day, we are very happy with our branding, and look forward to having some fun with the name and the one-eyed creature.
Why did you choose North Vancouver as a home for Wildeye Brewing, and where is the brewery located?
The process by all means was not easy. It took us over year to find the perfect location. We were looking for a space that would check as many boxes on our list as possible. The space needed to be sized right first and foremost. One that would allow us to have all aspects of a brewery in one place. A tasting lounge, large inviting bar area, some functional private and entertainment space, ample space to house our equipment and all the supplies. We also wanted somewhere we could grow into as volume increases and features of the brewery begin to take shape like our plans for a full service kitchen and games area. Lastly, we wanted high traffic and high visibility. By getting the 1389 Main St location in North Vancouver, we accomplished everything we were looking for.
Does Wildeye Brewing have a head brewer?
We do. We’ve hired a rock star who really knows his stuff. He took us on a small journey of his portfolio and wow were we impressed. We’re not quite ready to let the cat out of the bag yet on just who this guy is, but we’re more than excited to get him in his lab whipping up some amazing pints.
What beer styles will you be focusing on initially and what would you like to do in the future?
We are starting with the core beers- IPA, Pilsner, Ales, and Stout. We will start with 5-6 core beers but will also have a variety of ‘tasting room only’ and ‘seasonal’ beers. Our final tap will be named ‘tap 51’ which will always be rotating. This will be a very fun and adventurous tap to really let the head brewer play around with recipes, have some fun and show everyone his skills. It may be a secret tap where by we let the consumer try and guess whats in it.
How will we be able to get Wildeye Beer?
When we first open we will only be packaging the core beers. You will be able to find us on tap and in private liquor stores, and of course in our tasting room.
We have plans for a large tasting room that has a rustic industrial feel to it. Our plans include comfortable seating and couches and hopefully a games room. We are also including a growler system that purges oxygen from the growler and replaces it with CO2. This results in a growler that can last up to a month unopened. You will also be able to purchase off sales from our tasting room. Our longer term plans are to include a kitchen along with a unique menu that ties into the west coast food styles.
How can people follow your progress?
Follow us on Instagram @wildeyebrewing or check us out on our website wildeyebrewing.ca to follow along with updates. Twitter and Facebook handles to follow soon.
What else would you like people to know about Wildeye Brewing?
For us, its all about the experience, the service, the details of what makes something different, exciting, energetic but comfortable and inviting all at the same time. Our team is hungry, we’re business people, but most of all were passionate beer folks who want to have a great time growing a brewery and tasting room for everyone to come to, feel like they’ve just had an experience for the first time, shared it with their best friends or family and if all goes according to plan, its somewhere you can say you’ve never been before, every time you come
Book Your Holiday Staff Party Brewery Tour!
/in Brewery ToursVancouver Brewery Tours Top Tips for Planning a Successful Holiday Staff Party Brewery Tour
We know how it works. Each year a lucky staff member gets the task of finding options of holiday staff party ideas for the annual holiday staff party, and while the search can be fun it can also be a bit challenging with so many things to do in Vancouver! Where to start? First of all, we suggest choosing Vancouver Brewery Tours for your staff party this year and take advantage of our years of expertise in delivering the ultimate craft beer experience in Vancouver. Craft Beer + good times = the perfect networking event for your staff and company.
So what exactly is a holiday staff party brewery tour and how does it work? We know organizing can be a lot of work so we’ve put together a handy list of things to consider when planning a staff or corporate brewery tour to get you started.
1) Choose Craft Beer
There’s no shortage of options for holiday staff party ideas, so check with your staff and ensure everyone’s into craft beer and a brewery tour, or if not, take note of how many wine or spirit lovers there are and keep this in mind for later. Check out our Private Tour options on our website to get an idea of your options with Vancouver Brewery Tours.
2) Food or Not to Food
Eating a meal before, during or after a brewery tour is a must, so also think about how you’re going to incorporate food into your holiday staff party. With a full meal included, our popular Craft Beer and Food Tour is worth keeping in mind when you contact us for your holiday staff party.
3) Set a Budget
what is your per person budget? Do you have a maximum you’re able to spend on a holiday staff party?
4) Pick a Date
Are you flexible on dates, or is there only one day when everyone is available? Either way, make a list of all available dates and times when your staff are available for a holiday staff party
5) Request a Holiday Staff Party Tour and Availability with Vancouver Brewery Tours
Let’s get started! The first step is to complete our convenient online brewery tour request form for your holiday staff party as early as possible. You don’t have to know all the details of your request, or even the exact date, but getting your request in early gives you an idea of cost, the options available and most importantly if your dates are available for your holiday staff party. Phone calls are also welcome if you prefer some human contact!
6) Review the Options
Vancouver Brewery Tours will respond to your staff party request within 24 hours providing you with everything you’ll need to make an informed decision on whether a brewery tour is right for your staff party.
7) Pull the Trigger
You’ve talked it over with your boss, you’ve got some excitement going with your work friends so keep the momentum going! Remember, while we may originally say yes to your request, holiday and corporate holiday brewery tours can fill up fast meaning availability can change. Do your best to get back to us as soon as you can and say beer me! We’ll then send you an invoice for the tour deposit that once paid, locks down your date and time.
8) Relax!
Your work is now done, so relax, enjoy a beer and let us take over and guide you through to a successful holiday staff party brewery tour!
Have questions, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out anytime and we’ll gladly support your planning and give your more info on our holiday staff party brewery tours!
Cheers,
The Vancouver Brewery Tours team
Request a Holiday Staff Party Brewery Tour HERE
Welcoming Temporal Artisan Ales
/in Brewery ToursWhile on tour our guides get asked a lot of questions from our curious guests, and one that we
hear often is “how can there be room for so many new breweries in Vancouver?” It is true, our scene has undergone exponential growth in the last 5 years and sometimes it seems like there isn’t any room left for new entrants. But healthy competition between the breweries has been good for the consumer, and it also forces those that are thinking of entering into this competitive market to be truly innovative and stand out to appeal to an increasingly more sophisticated craft beer consumer. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to Temporal Artisan Ales, someone who we feel is shaking things up a bit in our local scene.
With an innovative business model and plans to produce some truly unique beers, we caught up with Temporal Artisan Ales Owner Tristan Stewart to learn more about his plans.
So who is Temporal Artisan Ales?
Temporal Artisan Ales is a new brewing and blending project dedicated to 100% oak fermentation. It’s a sole proprietorship, which means I am the one and only owner/brewer/blender. I’ve been working in the craft beer industry in BC for 6 years, which has given me experience working in a variety of roles. I’ve done purchasing for a small craft beer bottle shop, managed a tasting room, been a bartender, and brewed commercially.
What inspired you to start Temporal Artisan Ales?
To put it very simply, my inspiration is the beers that I love to drink. Beers that have a wonderful aged character, developed over time in a barrel or foeder. During my time working in the craft beer industry, I have spent many hours researching market trends both locally and globally. I believe that I can bring something new to our local market by focusing solely on barrel-aged beers.
You introduced the community to Temporal Artisan Ales through an Indiegogo campaign, how was your idea received?
I was blown away by the support of the local community to the crowdfunding campaign. I spent a lot of time organizing perks that I thought people would get excited about, and we raised almost $9,000! I still have people messaging me asking if they can still contribute to the project even though the campaign is over, but it wouldn’t be fair to my backers to extend those perks past the campaign limit.
With that being said, I do still have slots available for membership to the 2018 Cellar Society. The Cellar Society is a yearly membership granting members access to 2 bottles of 6 different exclusive, member-only, larger format beers. There are additional perks to being a member including special glassware, the ability to reserve bottles from regular releases, and first right of refusal on subsequent years membership. If you’re interested in becoming a member you can read more about it on my website and get in touch with me via email.
You are currently brewing and renting space from Luppolo Brewing on Venables, what made you choose Luppolo as your home?
I have been working at Luppolo for about 8 months. I started as a bartender in the tasting room but have transitioned out of that into working in the brewery primarily. The owners are good people and we share the values of quality and commitment to the craft of brewing. It was a natural choice, and since moving into the brewer position I have become very familiar with their brewing process and brewhouse. They also happened to have a nice little slice of warehouse space, nestled alongside their own barrel program, which they were willing to rent to me to help me get started.
We have seen a rise in the number of aspiring brewers partnering with and renting space from established brick and mortar breweries. What is it about this model that you were attracted to?
The main attraction of this type of model is cost. It takes a huge amount of money to renovate a building, purchase a whole brewing setup, fermenters, construct a tasting room, obtain the necessary permits/licenses, etc. By utilizing space in another brewery I was able to cut that start-up cost down to a small fraction of what I would have needed.
In addition to this, my focus is on fermentation and “cold-side” experimentation. I won’t be using the space at Luppolo forever, I would like to eventually take over a warehouse to use as my own production space. I’ll likely never purchase my own brewhouse, I would prefer to buy wort from other breweries that is brewed to my own recipes and specifications, and then take it back to my warehouse for barrel fermentation and aging.
What types of beers will you be producing?
There are two main avenues that barrel-aged beers tend to fall into – mixed fermentation sour and/or funky beers, and strong “clean” beers. Typically the former is fermented in neutral wine barrels, while the latter are usually laid down in used bourbon, rum, or scotch casks. The mentality of using a barrel as an ingredient, rather than just a fermentation vessel, is something that really fascinates me and something that will be prominent in my beers.
Another major focus in my process and finished beers is blending. Each barrel I fill will be getting its own unique set of yeast and bacteria, which means I will have one batch of beer producing 6 different finished beers. This allows me to blend portions of different barrels to “build” a final beer. Blending is somewhat of a lost art when it comes to brewing, with roots in traditional brewing going back centuries.
My cellar of barrels at Luppolo consists of French and American oak barrels, previously containing bourbon, tequila, and different varietals of red and white wine from vineyards in the Okanagan, California, and Italy. The beers I will be producing at Luppolo will be exclusively sour and mixed fermentation beers. One day when I have my own warehouse facility I will expand to brew big clean beers like bourbon barrel-aged stouts, barleywines, etc but the risk of contamination of these clean beers with unwanted sour or funky microbes is higher in such a small area and without additional equipment.
How, where and when will we be able to buy your beer?
I will be releasing the first bottles in early 2018, with a production goal of 3 released beers each month. For the first beers, I have designed the recipes and selected microbes to intentionally have some beers that mature in a shorter amount of time. Due to the nature of these types of fermentations only time will tell when they are ready for packaging and release.
My bottles will be available for sale in the Luppolo Tasting Room, where I will also have one beer on tap at a time. In addition to this I will be sending a very limited amount of cases to a small handful of stores and – if you’re lucky – you might catch a keg on tap in a few very select craft-focussed bars in town.
Any advice for home brewers like yourself who are thinking of approaching local breweries to rent space and do something similar to you?
Nail down your business plan to the best of your ability and have it professionally reviewed. Sit down and talk with a business advisor and figure out how to make it all work. Being a good homebrewer isn’t enough, you will need to learn and understand how businesses are run and be willing to dump endless hours of time into making it all come together. This type of model is not for everyone, and it may be difficult to find a brewery with extra space they are also willing to rent to you.
If this is your dream, stay determined and focussed, work hard, and make it a reality!
How can we follow your progress and get in touch?
You can follow my progress and reach out to me with any questions on social media:
Instagram: @Temporalbeer
Twitter: @TemporalAles
Facebook: facebook.com/TemporalAles
A catalog of finished beers and information about the project can be found on my website, http://www.temporalales.com/
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