“ We were in our 30s and travel around and bulge view these outstanding farm - to - mesa experience in different places , ” say Melanie MacInnes when she looks back on the formation ofLocality Brewing , a venture she launched alongside her husband , Andrew , in Fort Langley , British Columbia .
“ It was giving more opportunity for folk to sit down and interact with farms and have nice food and beers , ” continues MacInnes . “ We thought that was really great and not something that was really being done in British Columbia with beer . So it was kind of a pipe dream idea . ”
Since fetch Locality Brewing to realization a year ago , the brewhouse has build up a report for craft greatest small - muckle beers that are frequently free-base around the farm - source combination of barley , hop and honey .
Flush from keep the brewery ’s first year anniversary , we talk to MacInnes about the former roots of the speculation and the seamless friction match between bees and brew . We also got the exclusive on borrowing age-old equipment from agriculture museum .
Beginning with Barley & Permaculture Goals
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After decide to experiment with the theme of crafting beer , MacInnes and her hubby began by planting an acre of barleycorn .
“ We ’re in British Columbia , so let ’s see if we can even produce it , ” she call in . “ We also implant 6 acres of hazelnut tree and start beekeeping with an overall permaculture farm - dash finish . We also embed some hop to see how they ’d all grow and what works and what does n’t at first . ”
Read more : At Scratch Brewing Company , forage directs what ’s on tap .
Embracing Vintage Farming Equipment
After that initial 1 acre of barleycorn grew , MacInnes and her hubby were faced with the problem of harvest it all .
“ We went to the British Columbia farm museum and asked , and they had these sometime 1890s wooden metal scythes ! ” she says . “ We hand scythed the acre of barleycorn . Then the next footfall was to convulse them — and again the farming museum had a 1930s threshing machine . ”
Calling on Community
MacInnes says that integrating the local residential area into the farm is a fundamental part of their functioning . early on hop crop event reflected this ideal .
“ We ’d have hop harvests where the community would come and plunk the record hop and have some beer , ” she recalls . “ It was just such a endearing frame-up . So the next logical step would be to start an actual brewery . ”
The Launch of Locality Brewing
Locality Brewing launch last year , with formerSteamworks Brewing Companybeer - shaper and biochemist , Karen Cheshire , entrusted to direct the speculation ’s beer menu .
spotlight a brew that encapsulates the brewery ’s field - to - glass commitment , MacInnes holds up the dearest laager .
“ When we first started , it was the bee and the barley and the hops , so that has all three in there , ” she says . “ It ’s 100 percent from our farm . We do tours where we show people the hop , the barley , the bees and then the malt house and the brewery .
“ Nothing go off the farm ! ”
Connecting Beer to the Land
When asked about the biggest reward that comes with running a farm brewery , MacInnes laughs and says , “ You get to pledge the beer , which helps with the farming ! ”
After a pause she adds , “ It ’s all about the client interaction . My destination is always to link up people to the ingredients of the solid food and the drink that they ’re birth . It ’s going back to that estimation of family hanging out in an open space and being around grass and Tree . ”
