Even the graphics on the cans are inspired by the mountains. “I wanted our cans to be identifiable. A lot of beers have cool art but you can’t figure out what kind of beer it is and where it is from. On our cans, you see the orange and the mountain peaks and you know that’s Canmore Brewing.” The culture at Canmore Brewing is reflective of the region and of Dunn’s values. “It’s a very family like environment. My wife also works here and all three kids help out in various capacities. We also try to make it like family for the staff and even for customers. We like to sit and chat with regulars when they come in so they feel it’s a place to relax and be welcomed. Our tasting room doesn’t have televisions or distractions.” “We value a lot of things that these days may seem “old school.” Respect, honesty, people. If you’re not making somebody’s day better, why bother,” said Dunn. The outdoor culture is a given. “Being active and part of the outdoors is pervasive through the staff here. Canmore is a place where people come to do outdoor things – skiing, mountain biking, hiking, climbing. The staff is always up to some- thing.”
The brewery uses a 20 barrel system and has already expanded the fermentation cellar twice. “We added fermentation capacity every year and hope to do it again for the next several years. That’s always the limiting factor for new breweries. Fermentation wise, we’re at about 5000 hectoli- ters per year.” The Canmore brewmasters, one trained in Ontario and the other in Europe, share Dunn’s passion for making great beer. “They have the leeway to experiment with the pilot system on brew day as much as they want and can be very creative. Many of those pilot beers have turned into commercial scale seasonal brews. As soon as we smell that mash, all three of us have that same look on our face that says I can’t wait to try it.”
The market has changed in the four years since Canmore Brewing began. “We were brewery number 47 in Alberta. Now there are over 120 breweries. You have to compete for space at bars and liquor stores.” Creating unique beers became a focus for the brewery. “We wanted the beers to be different than mainstream and different from others but not push it too far. We want to be different but to brew something that people like. And we didn’t want to be just a beer with a fancy label that tastes like the one in the can next to it,” said Dunn. Dunn believes that the vast majority of beer drinkers are somewhat afraid of craft beers. “They think the flavors are too bold. Beer is getting more and more neutralized and that’s what people have been drinking. Our job is to build a craft beer that converts them.” With beers named after local landmarks, Canmore Brewing offers five core beers and created their Ten Peaks beer as an introduction to craft beer. “It’s a little malty, a little hoppy - a little more flavor forward – but not enough to punch you in the face.” Named after the Valley of the Ten Peaks, one of the most remarkable views in all of Banff National Park, the beer is their number one seller. The Railway Avenue IPA pays homage to the importance of rail in the coal-mining days and the train that still rumbles through town each day. The spur line that used to go to the coal mines is now the bike bath that runs beside the brewery. “Our Railway Avenue IPA is not just a standard IPA, it’s a rye IPA. It has a little twist, a spicy flavor and a little crispness to it.”
“It’s a very family like environ- ment. My wife also works here and all three kids help out in various capacities.”
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JUNE 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2020
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