During the recent visit to Wood Buffalo Brewing Co., CEO Brett Ireland gave us insight into the operations and shared the company’s goals for distilling in this short interview: 2014 in numbers of beers and spirits at Wood Buffalo Brewing Co.? 11 beers, from German Lagers to American Pale Ale and Dry Irish Stout, including 2 specialty beers with sales supporting local sports teams and a cancer treatment for a local young woman. 5 spirits, including rum, 2 whiskeys, vodka, and gin. What’s the best thing about doing brewing and distilling together? The crossover of equipment and techniques between the two disciplines are most enjoyable. The whole company also appreciates the learnings that come with exploring distilling. Wood Buffalo’s most popular beer is…? Wood Buffalo Pale Ale. It has a distinct flavor and a crisp hop finish that set it apart from the more conventional North American lagers. This is a very encouraging trend for us in the blossoming craft beer industry as it illustrates that customers are moving in the direction towards full flavored beers. What does Wood Buffalo want to be known for in the spirits category? Elevating the local consumers’ education and understanding of the vast spectrum of spirits. Ultimately, we want to be a part of a strong craft distilling industry and community that uses Alberta grown raw ingredients to produce world class spirits, particularly whiskeys. Alberta has this potential. Wood Buffalo’s plans for 2015? We hope to continue training our team and learning more about spirits. Its vastly different from beer. Craft distilling is just starting to evolve in North America, and we hope to be a part of Albertas opportunity to utilize the immense amount of premium base ingredients grown in the province to become a global leader in this field in the next 15-20 years.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 16:43:20 +0000