Central Alberta, in Canada’s west, is known for agriculture and oil. But more and more, it’s becoming the newest hot spot for the craft brewing explosion. Leading the charge is Blindman Brewing, a craft brewery located in the small city of Lacombe, just a hop-and- a-skip north of Red Deer. With the local food movement going strong and a large local- business support infrastructure, Lacombe seemed to be the perfect place to set up shop and brew beer. Named after a river that winds its way through Central Alberta, Blindman started with a couple of friends looking for a career change. Founders, Hans Doef and Dave VanderPlaat saw the ‘craft’ trend coming from other areas of North America and decided to pool talents and resources with some business-savvy “beer geeks” toward opening their own brewery. In June 2015, property had been secured and industrial bays were being converted into brewing stations. In August of the same year, equipment began arriving and, within a couple of months, Blindman was selling kegs. Spotlight on Business spoke with Blindman’s Hans Doef and Shane Groendahl about the craft beer scene in Central Alberta, the incredible local support they have received, and their rapid growth in two short years. By John Allaire A s we started up our brewery, we started realizing there was a lot of support for local businesses here in Lacombe,” Doef explains. But just as important to a good local vibe, Lacombe possesses the agricultural infrastructure to support brewing operations. “The federal and provincial wheat and barley research stations are in Lacombe. And the Rahr Malting Corporation is just down the road in Alix. It feels like there is a full circle of connec- tion with barley growing and now our brewing beer with that malted barley.” That connection extends out into the community along- side the role Blindman is playing in educationg people about craft beer. Groendahl points out that he has seen growth in the level of understanding and appreciation for craft brews vis-à- vis macro-brewed beer. “Over the past couple of years, we have grown to become a com- munity meeting place where people come out, meet with friends and talk beer.
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FEBRUARY 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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