have had the same idea. So literally within one month, three breweries opened up in Collingwood. So now we have a great beer culture up here. I’m happy about that. And there are more cideries and breweries opening in the near future. It’s great to be a part of the community.” Often, the inspiration behind the types of beer craft breweries develop are driven by popularity and current trends in the marketplace. But Freeman explains that he took a different approach to developing his flagship beer. He was looking for something that was appealing and less represented by the trends. “Whenever you start making your own beer at home, you realize the potential of what you can do with different recipes. So, I started making my own beer, and like most early brewers, it was average to bad. But I was experimenting, so my expectations were in check.” “Honestly, in the end, we make beer that we like to drink ourselves.” He adds, “Actually, it wasmy time at Creemore Springs where I really learned about the art of making beer. It’s one thing to make a recipe off the cuff and make a really crazy tasting beer — that’s a very simple thing to do. The real art in the craft is making a well-balanced beer that you can keep coming back to, and that you can make consistently the same every time.” The now Molson-owned Creemore Springs specialized in very approachable German-style lagers. And that’s where Freeman really grew to appreciate the value of consistency. As he explains, “You can ramp up the hops and other ingredients in certain beers and make them a real punch in the face, and people will say ‘wow what a great beer.’ But they get through one of them and they have to move on to something else.”
Six years ago, this past summer owner, co- founder and brewmaster, Chris Freeman of The Collingwood Brewery made the decision to go into business and bought the building in Collingwood. This past year they celebrated their 5th year of full operations on this past Victoria Day. Five years may not seem like a long time in the grand scheme of things, but in the fast and ever- expanding craft brewery industry, it’s a lifetime. Freeman and his partners jumped in with both feet — a bold decision at the time. “We were quite ambitious with our production facility when we started. We bought the building and sunk a lot of money into it before we even brewed a drop of beer. A lot of people start by contracting their beer production out first, just to get a sales history and get the brand out there before they invest in a facility. So, I guess we were what would be considered ‘old-school’ now. The way the market is now it would seem crazy to do something like that. But it’s just the way we started.” “Our Downhill Pale Ale was actually my final project in college…” Veteran brewers now five years in, and the market is not showing any signs of slowing down or becoming less crowded in Ontario. It is increasingly difficult to secure retail shelf space now in the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) outlets. But Freeman focuses on the positive and touts the Collingwood area as becoming one of Ontario’s latest beer-lover destinations. “The great thing about Collingwood now is that two other groups
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • AUGUST 2019
73 AUGUST 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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