munity. We want to make sure it’s a place where everyone is welcome. We allow kids, dogs… really, anyone is welcome here. It’s a community meeting place as opposed to just a bar.” This community spirit is carried forward into the charity work in which Cannery Brewing participates when called upon. In fact, their proactive contributions include their Wildfire I.P.A., which pays homage to the firefighters that battle the frequent and devastating forest fires in the region. “It’s a fundraiser beer. Our way of giving back to the firefighters. Half of our staff was evacuated from their homes during the last fire season. So, it does hit close to home… the proceeds from Wildfire go toward the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation.” The Cannery tap-room has become a community hub of activity. But it also serves as a yardstick for the brew- ery’s experiments. “One of the coolest things about the tap-room is it has a built-in audience that is willing to try new things,” Dyck points out. And if there is nothing new on tap in a given week, it isn’t uncommon for a Cannery staffer to sneak a pint out of the tanks in the back for a small taste-test among the regulars. Their feedback could very well influence future recipes. Evidence once more that this is a brewery that listens and responds to the community it serves. The brewmasters also loosen their apron strings a bit on Fridays when they typically release a small-batch concoc- tion for their hardcore customers. “We play around a little
hop-forward line-up includes their Trellis I.P.A. (described as ‘Sessionable without compromising complexity’), their limited-edition Wildfire I.P.A., and their Muse & Golden Promise Extra Pale Ale. Cannery Brewing sources their ingredients locally as much as possible, but with such a wide range of flavours and styles in their product line, they seek out the best quality ingredi- ents from world-wide suppliers. “BC has good barley. And in recent years it has become possible to brew a beer with 100% BC ingredients. We have done a couple in the past. “Our number one goal is to make great beer for us, our friends and the community.” And we are very lucky here because about an hour north, we have one of the highest quality malting houses in North America. It’s Gambrinus Malting, and about 50% of our malts come from them. But we also buy German, English and Australian malts as well it depends on what we’re brewing.” That’s not to say the local community isn’t important to Cannery Brewing. In fact, the truth is quite the opposite. Dyck is adamant that a sense of community is first and foremost in every decision they make as a brewery and a business within the Okanogan Valley. “Our number one goal is to make great beer for us, our friends and the com-
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2018
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