SpotlightFebruary2020

One night while out having a pint with his father, McKinney pitched his dream of opening a craft brewery in his hometown. His father couldn’t have been more thrilled and the whole family pitched in to provide financial investment to bring McKin- ney’s vision to fruition. McKinney came up with the idea of opening a craft brewery while he was a student out west. The rapid growth of the craft beer industry in British Columbia impressed and excited him. During the years he was away at school, he would travel back to his beloved community in Ontario to spend the summers with his family. It was evident that there was room for growth in the craft beer market in his hometown as there was only one brewery operat- ing, and it became increasingly clear to McKinney that there was a “huge opportunity” awaiting in his own backyard. After developing a business plan, McKinney acquired the building and spent the follow- ing year renovating the space and installing the brewing equipment. Using this time to design and Prince Edward County has been long known for its picturesque scenery, white sand beaches, wineries and as an ideal retirement destination. More recently, the county has seen craft breweries beginning to pop up. Local resident Aaron McKinney talks to Spotlight about his take on the region’s growing craft brewery scene, and how he came to own one of the emerging craft breweries in Prince Edward County.

test beers to add to the company’s core brands. He wanted to build a brand that would appeal to the emerging “youth culture” which was largely an untapped market in the County. McKinney wanted his brand to appeal to a new generation of beer drinkers, customers who are “laid back and accepting of everyone.” “laid back and accepting of everyone.” The brewery had to have a name that would reflect McKinney’s mission to create a casual, fun brand, while also paying homage to his roots growing up in Prince Edward County, an island on the north shore of Lake Ontario. After countless hours of reflection, Prince Eddy’s Brewing Company was born. The name Prince Eddy’s has proved to be a perfect fit. Not only does “Eddy” evoke a casual and easygoing feeling but juxtaposes the more traditional and perhaps stuffy association of the

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JANUARY 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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