Ever hear the one about the banker and pilot? Probably not but here it is. They both turned a side passion project into a profession. Parker, the pilot, and Richard, the banker, have been friends for years. Pilot Parker, having already started a micro, at-home brew of his own, had his banker friend over one evening and they started chit-chatting over the homemade cold ones. “That was the big tipping point,” Richard recalls. “When we had a couple beers and talked about where the industry was going with craft beer and knew there was an opportunity to take this to the next stage and that’s how we got onto this craft beer journey.” “When we had a couple beers and talked about where the industry was going with craft beer and knew there was an opportu- nity to take this to the next stage and that’s how we got onto this craft beer journey.” Jump ahead to present day and meet S.Y.C. Brewing Company, who is about to celebrate its one-year anniversary this January. The stars aligned after that fateful evening and three friends – and their skillsets – came together seamlessly. Parker brought his brewing knowhow out of the basement, his wife, Andrea, “the design genius” made easy work of their branding, and Richard rounds out the company overseeing the books; dotting I’s and crossing t’s. “We all kind of have our strengths and come together and see what we can bring to the team and help us grow.” True to craft culture, Richard and folks at S.Y.C. knew they needed to stay true to quality over quantity. Smaller batches that displayed simple
flavours rooted in research of what could be found in their own backyard – a fact that many, as Richard explains, is hard for local Albertans to grasp. “People don’t know what is actually found in Alberta. We know our farmers, where to get the best grains, and we know they ship these products to well-known brands right from our backyard,” Richard said. “Ask ‘where is best single malt whiskey from?’ You’ll know the country and region; it’s similar with red wine. It could soon be,
‘where do you get the best beer?’ It’s Alberta because that’s where the ingredients are grown. [Craft culture] is about breaking those paradigms, exciting people and getting themmore engaged.” To that end, the idea of a flagship beer is taboo in the craft beer industry. Gone are the days of having one-of-two options in a case or flat, now the market dictates what the brewer produces, as
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2020
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