Pitcher perfect: Saskatoon brewery preparing for expansion

A Saskatoon brewery is hopping to raise the bar and lower its carbon footprint while staying focused on its hyper-local appeal with a new expansion.

Michael Brennan, president and CEO of Great Western Brewing, spoke about the project in Saskatoon on Thursday during a luncheon hosted by the North Saskatoon Business Association.

Brennan reflected back to 1988 when Molson and Carling O’Keefe were the two giants of beer. Their merger around that time is when Great Western Brewing was founded by 16 employees who approached Molson about buying the local brewery.

The result has been so successful that to this day the Molson Coors team will no longer sell its breweries, Brennan said.

March of 1990 saw the first Great Western beers appearing on the shelf, and the subsequent problem for the brewery was finding enough bottles to meet the incredible demand. Brennan said the original 16 founders — who now have a Great Western beer named after them — were going door to door and convincing people to give them their empty bottles.

The company soon expanded to Manitoba, California and Alberta.

It’s now time for its Second Avenue location in Saskatoon to grow and reflect the growing needs of the company, Brennan said. Despite interest in beer declining, the CEO said the company has seen seven to eight per cent growth over the past three years.

Half of all premium beers sold in Saskatchewan are Original 16s, Brennan said.

With a growing local focus, Brennan said the brewery is seeing the benefits of people discovering their own drinks and not just staying with the beer they saw their dads drinking.

“I think people should be proud that there’s a local brewery,” he said. “Having a Great Western Lite or an Original 16 supports this local economy.”

Brennan touted the company expanding its products to include larger packs and, more recently, ready-to-drink 306 Mix — a 120-calorie drink that comes in four flavours.

A large part of the company’s success has come from partnerships and seeking opportunities tied to having a beer, like memorable nights out at a Saskatoon Blades or Saskatchewan Rush game, Brennan said.

Great Western is now the official beer of Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome, with 196 taps in the building for Calgary Flames fans and visitors to enjoy.

It’s an “opportunity to drink a great beer while you watch an OK team,” Brennan joked, adding he’s also trying to reach Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds just in case he purchases the Ottawa Senators.

As of April, Great Western is also the official beer of Prairieland Park.

All that growth means it’s time to expand the brewery, Brennan shared.

A new facility is set to be built at Great Western Brewing’s existing location, attached to the southeast corner of the current building. All parts of the original brewery constructed in 1927 will remain intact, Brennan said, though two portions that were built later will be demolished as part of the construction.

Brennan said it’s an investment that’ll cost up to $40 million while making the company significantly more sustainable. The upgrades will cut the brewery’s water consumption by 90 million litres each year and reduce its energy consumption by 60 per cent, he said.

Noting how happy he is to stay in this “fantastic” city, Brennan said the expansion guarantees Great Western will remain in the province for the next 100 years, when many of the largest brewers in the world left Saskatchewan years ago.

Brennan emphasized the importance of keeping the brewing industry in Saskatchewan alive. The added jobs and economic impact — like using local inputs in the form of barley from Biggar in its beer — is something Brennan said he’s proud of.

The expansion is set to take between a year and 14 months. By this time next year, Brennan said the commissioning phase for brewing equipment will be underway, “getting ready for beer season.”
There may be some traffic restrictions on Second Avenue between this fall and next due to the construction, and Brennan apologized in advance for any disruptions.

“We will try and make it as limited as possible,” he said.