This past weekend was kind of a big deal for the beer scene in Alberta. Friday and Saturday saw the 10th anniversary of Calgary Beerfest. Thousands of fans of craft beer had the opportunity to sample hundreds of beers from around the world. I know, because I was pouring. The Olds College Brewery was on hand to dispense our efforts to a very receptive crowd. I got to talk to hundreds of people over the two day event about our program and our beers. One of the beers we brought with us was brewed specifically for the event; a brown ale with roasted pecans. I'm a fan of it and I certainly wasn't alone. That brew won us the gold medal in the "Rookie of the Year" category. On top of that, our booth was the one with the collaboration beer, Night Owl. We were nestled right in between Big Rock and Toolshed, so we all got to talk about the wonderful beer as people were drinking it. I was even asked to participate in a couple of seminars where the collaborators took to the stage to talk about the whole process to an interested crowd. Normally, I am not much of a public speaker but after hearing once again, the enthusiasm of the other brewers I couldn't help but embrace the joy of the moment. Thanks to all who attended and fielded questions, it was fun.
The buzz over Night Owl and our student brewed beer kept us pretty busy the whole time. During one of the brief lulls in the crowd, I was able to look around and take a moment to soak it all in. The entire hall was filled with the overlapping voices of revellers, brewers, and dispensers of craft beer. That is when I remembered the words of one of the many brewers that spoke so openly with our class. He warned us that having a brewery was hard. It involves so much more than just coming up with a recipe and brewing beer. "Be prepared to get out there," he said, "you'll spend your week making beer and running your business and your weekends at shows; on your feet all day, talking to hundreds of people just trying to get your name out there." That is when it occurred to me, that was exactly what I was doing. I had come right from my job at a brewery to spend my own free time talking to strangers about the beers I had been involved with. "So this is what you wanted?" I asked myself, "Yes, yes it is." The thought put the smile back on my face and enabled me to stand there, footsore, exhausted, and hoarse, and answer with honesty to anyone who asked how I was doing: "Fantastic!"
So until next time,
Cheers!
