Brad Goddard, Vice-President of business development at Big Rock Brewery, in Calgary on June 21.Gavin John/The Globe and Mail
Canada’s largest independent craft brewer won’t know for weeks the “real consequences” of cutting down production to help Calgary’s water conservation efforts after a ruptured pipe forced city residents to do everything from taking shorter showers to leaving their lawns to wither in the sun.
Brad Goddard, vice-president of business development at Big Rock Brewery, said they have postponed brewing more than 500,000 litres of beer, amounting to roughly 58,000 cases of product. Because it takes roughly a month for lagers to age – and a great deal of water – choosing which brews to prioritize has been a gamble, he said.
“Everybody’s crystal balls are working overtime to try and make sure that we’re placing the right bets,” he said. “The decisions we’re making today, we’ll have to live with the consequences three weeks from now.”
Residents of Calgary and surrounding communities have been under mandatory and voluntary water restrictions since a pipe burst on June 5, cutting water supply in half. City officials announced earlier this week that repairs should be completed ahead of schedule, with restrictions set to ease by July 5, the same day that the 10-day Calgary Stampede begins.
Big Rock’s water consumption is an order of magnitude higher than that of typical craft breweries. Mr. Goddard said Big Rock uses around 100,000 litres of water daily to brew beer at this time of year, but has reduced usage by between 20 and 40 per cent since the pipe burst. He said it takes about two to four litres of water to make just one litre of beer.
Smaller breweries in Calgary are feeling less of an impact but still doing their part to aid in water-saving measures, such as cleaning of brew tanks less often or reusing water when possible during the production process. Cleaning and serving practices are also being altered to make every drop count, such as running dishwashers only when full and serving water to guests only on request.
Blair Berdusco, executive director of the Alberta Small Brewers Association, said the provincial group has been working collaboratively with its Calgary members to share recommendations on water conservation in taprooms and at front-of-house. She said most breweries in the city have been able to continue operations without much impact, but some may be pushing back seasonal offerings in favour of their core lineup.
Meanwhile, Big Rock is already eating into its buffer supply having not been able to produce as much as normal. Mr. Goddard said they will still be able to fulfill orders to community partners, such as the Stampede, but might need to pinch when it comes to retail.
It will be clear by mid-July if any particular product will run dry – smack in the middle of high season.
“Brewers put a lot of their hopes and dreams and the success of an entire year on June, July and August. Those are your make-or-break months,” he said, adding that 40 per cent of their revenue is generated during these three months.
Mr. Goddard said Big Rock did consider trucking in water from outside the city but ultimately did not want to put the signature taste of their beers in jeopardy. He said a differing mineral content can alter flavours. He’s hopeful the brewery can play catch-up when the water situation stabilizes but said it’s a moving target.
“I am hoping that we’re brewing the right things in the right quantities to just scrape by,” Mr. Goddard said. “The financial impacts would wind up being a loss of wholesale if we run out of brands because we weren’t able to brew, but at the moment, I can’t even wrap my mind around that.”
Don McDonald of Brewsters Brewing said they are working under an on-demand model, only brewing when product is close to gone. “If we don’t need it, we’re not making it,” he said. “It might catch up to us at some point but hopefully these restrictions are resolved by the end of the month. That would be okay with us.”