Then there is the Rockwell Pilsner, Collingwood’s third permanent brand. As a familiar pilsner, it is by far their most approachable beer. It was intended to be their big seller, but despite all efforts, choosy Collingwood drinkers have kept it in a close second. “We wanted to get something out there that we thought might overtake Downhill. And the Pilsner is popular on tap, but the Downhill still beats it at the LCBO. It’s our lightest at 4.6% — a Czech-style Pilsner.” Bearing in mind that this is a business, after all, and not just a personal brewing adventure, Freeman admits that they need to wander into the IPA world. “It has taken us a few years, and we were a little hesitant to make it because there are so many out there. Also, I wasn’t sure I would be doing anything different from the other IPAs out there. So, I wanted to design something that was more in line with what I have been doing with the other beers.” He continues, “The result a nice hop aroma, but it’s not in-your-face. And admittedly, part of making this one was to balance the business side with my taste preference.” IPAs tend to be craft brewers’ best sellers, so Freeman figured the company needed an IPA and launched White’s Bay into their fourth beer of their core lineup.
Like most craft breweries, community plays a huge role in the success of Collingwood. “Our goal is to be a community brewery. We even bill ourselves as The Collingwood Brewery. So, it’s really important for us to have ties to all sorts of community groups and support local activities, which we do as much as we can. We are trying to tie that support in with our tap room and give people the opportunity to come and use it for their own activities. Community groups, sports teams, whatever.” Getting the message out to the community is no small feat for the brewery because they are tucked away in an industrial area, a little off the beaten path. However, they often take their activities on the road to spread the good word. Freeman mentions, “There are festivals and a few other types of events that we participate in. And we support lots of charities and community groups through fundraising. Things like sponsoring a hole on the golf course for charity tournaments or donating gift baskets or tap room experiences. We help with fundraisers for schools and churches in Collingwood. We are always trying to leverage our space and resources to help people improve the community.”
So, what’s next? Freeman closes off by explaining that distribution diversification is becoming necessary, just by virtue of diminishing shelf space for retailers. “The market is so crowded now that it is getting tough to find shelf space. When we first started, we could call ten LCBOs in a day and eight of them would take us on. Now we hear ‘call us back in a month’ because space is so limited. So we are trying find other avenues to sell our beer. That’s good news for those of us who love Collingwood’s very balanced flavours, so look for it at when you are at your favourite beer retailer.
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NOVEMBER 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2019
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