by Christi Rideout HAWK TAIL BREWERY A lberta is home to many farmers who produce a variety of grains that they supply for beer to beer producers all over the world. Back at the start of summer we chat with Anthony Goodwin and Randall Vandenhoven, two of the five co-owners, of Hawk Tail Brewery about why they got into the industry and how they draw inspiration from the Alberta’s wild to fuel their col- lective passion for making amazing craft beer for the people of Alberta and beyond. “Our beer is a celebration of the abundance of community agriculture and wilderness around us,” said Anthony Goodwin when he recently spoke with Spotlight on Business magazine.
posted by Derek and Angela who were also looking for a partnership.
After forming their alliance and creating a business plan, the next order of business was to name the new brand. They all agreed they needed a label that would capture the “spirit of Alberta.” Hawk Tail Brewery was the perfect choice, as the group desired a name that would signify strength and dom- inance, as well as draw attention to the abundance of community agriculture in the province. The brewery’s website states, “Not only does Hawk Tail have a rather nice ring to it, but it also is a call to the Albertan wild which is a constant inspiration.” Vandenhoven adds, “Hawks are one of the few species of wild animals that have found greater success due to agriculture, which happens to be a requirement for brewing itself.” The Hawk Tail brand boasts four core beers including Golden Ale, Rye Milk Stout, India Pale Ale and Amber Ale. In addition, they also brew wild seasonal creations. These offerings include Cerveza, Winter Stout, Double IPA and Ginger Lime Kumbucha Ale. The company develops a different style of beer each month. The first new flavour they created was in collaboration with Wild Brewing Kumbucha. This partnership between the two companies also highlights Hawk Tail’s commitment to using local ingredients in all their products.
BREWERS DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THE ALBERTA WILD
Located in Rimbey, Alberta, Hawk Tail Brewery was founded in December 2018 by five owners with a collective passion for craft beer. Anthony and Allison Goodwin, Randall Vandenhoven, and Derek and Angela Nordstrom are a group of small-town proud Albertans who took a chance and are now finding great success in the industry. Vandenhoven describes their collaboration, “Everything came together at the right time. It was serendipitous really.” The serendipity Vandenhoven mentions included a combination of chance, advertising and a change in laws in Alberta that made it feasible for small brewers to enter the market. All five partners had their sights set on starting up a brewery, and just needed the right people to collaborate with and the resources to bring their dream to fruition. It was almost fate that Randall Vandenhoven and the Goodwins happened to be discussing the idea of starting a business and then days later saw the ad
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DECEMBER 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020
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