Kris Fischer and Heinz Fischer cleaning during brewing day at Theoretically Brewing on Jan. 21, 2017.
The City of Lethbridge has seen micro-breweries being opened in the past few years.
Due to a law change, these types of breweries can now flourish in Alberta.
Micro-breweries have become a booming market in Alberta and Lethbridge has seen its first couple open up to big success.
After the government changed the law in 2013 to lower the amount of beer a brewery is required to produce, the number of craft breweries in Alberta has more than doubled in two years, expanding from 18 in 2014 to 50 in 2016.
Breweries like Theoretically Brewing Company can now thrive and they say the first year was a good learning experience.
“The first year went pretty good actually. We got into 60 stores and restaurants province wide which is very decent for us, considering we were self-distributing. It was me in my little SUV driving around the province delivering beer,” said co-owner Kelti Boissonneault.
Theory Brew is a small team but have gained traction in the beer scene.
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This is in due part to Brew master and co-owner Kris Fischer who had been home brewing for years.
The two say they first discussed opening a brewery after Boissonneault tried Fischer’s homebrew.
He says it took lots of effort and cooperation with the city to get it opened up.
“About a year and a half of nothing but stress and paper work and wading through regulations to convince the city this is a good idea. It was a lot of work,” he said.
The city had to be convinced by the owners that opening a brewery in Lethbridge was a good idea because there hadn’t been one in several years.
Not only was Theoretically opening but another brewery had been approved to open in Lethbridge as well, but Boissonneault says there’s room for both.
“We’re province wide and both of us are. We’re not competing within the Lethbridge market; we’re cooperating in the Alberta market. That’s what the brewing industry is about. We’re cooperative but competitive,” said Boissonneault.
More breweries are projected to open in 2017 but Boissonneault says they will welcome the new companies just like how they were when they opened.
“Everyone kind of helps each other out, we all communicate it’s a nice industry to be in. When we looked at starting it was nice to get that support from other brewers, go ahead this is what you need,” she said.
2017 may be an even bigger year for the brewing industry in Alberta but the team at Theoretically are ready for another year of brewing in Lethbridge.
