CREATE - The Podcast

Jim Button, co-founder of Village Brewery, husband, father, builder, and maker of friends, passed away on January 19, 2023. Throughout Jim’s life, he made a huge impact on the craft beer community in Alberta, and touched many individuals. The lessons that he taught are shared, celebrated and maintained every day. In dedication to Jim’s memory, Mark Kondrat (host) created this special series of Rou...

Host: Mark Kondrat Owner & CEO of Alberta Beer Festivals and 'Let's Meet for a Beer' Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kondrat-aab92444 Instagram: https://instagram.com/m.kondrat?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= ABF Website: https://albertabeerfestivals.com LMFAB Website: https://letsmeetforabeer.com Guest: Brent Malysh Co-Owner & CEO of Backroads Brewing Company Website...

Host: Mark Kondrat Owner & CEO of Alberta Beer Festivals and 'Let's Meet for a Beer' Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kondrat-aab92444 Instagram: https://instagram.com/m.kondrat?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= ABF Website: https://albertabeerfestivals.com LMFAB Website: https://letsmeetforabeer.com Guest: Jeff Demaniuk Brewery Operations Manager of Fernie Brewing Co. Websi...

Host: Mark Kondrat Owner & CEO of Alberta Beer Festivals and 'Let's Meet for a Beer' Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kondrat-aab92444 Instagram: https://instagram.com/m.kondrat?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= ABF Website: https://albertabeerfestivals.com LMFAB Website: https://letsmeetforabeer.com Guest: Craig Wood Founder and Co-Owner of Wild North Brewing Co. Website: h...

Host: Mark Kondrat Owner & CEO of Alberta Beer Festivals and 'Let's Meet for a Beer' Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kondrat-aab92444 Instagram: https://instagram.com/m.kondrat?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= ABF Website: https://albertabeerfestivals.com LMFAB Website: https://letsmeetforabeer.com Guest: Matthew Hendriks Owner of ByHendo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com...

Host: Mark Kondrat Owner & CEO of Alberta Beer Festivals and 'Let's Meet for a Beer' Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kondrat-aab92444 Instagram: https://instagram.com/m.kondrat?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= ABF Website: https://albertabeerfestivals.com LMFAB Website: https://letsmeetforabeer.com Guest: Scott Hergott Executive Chef for Pursuit LinkedIn: https://www.linke...

Meet Dave, the dedicated marketing manager of Big Rock Brewery. Having been with Big Rock for 8 years, Dave primarily roles are partnerships, sponsorships and events. One of Dave's favourite events is the Big Rock Barn Burner, an annual summer concert held right at their brewery!  Prior to Big Rock, Dave worked with a funky hat company, evolving from a kiosk to a storefront. The growth of thi...

Meet Sean Pronger, Canadian former professional ice hockey player from Dryden, Ontario. Sean played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks, Penguins, Rangers, Kings, Bruins, Blue Jackets and Canucks.  Tune in to the full podcast for endless hilarious stories about his experience in the NHL and his brother, former NHL player Chris Pronger.  Sean is also the author of Journeyman, a book decided to his stor...

Meet Jane, the owner and founder of Jane Bond BBQ. What started off as a food truck has turned into 2 locations in Calgary, AB. Jenny could not be more excited to share her Texas-style dishes and atmosphere with Calgary, keeping her mission at the heart of every customer experience: “To give your tastebuds a flavour bomb sensation.” Jenny can also be seen on Fire Masters Season 3, showing off her...

Meet Helen and Brad, owners of 4th Meridian in Lloydminster, Alberta. Helen and Brad discovered their love for craft beer after visiting Wild Rose Brewery in Calgary, AB. Once they got a taste of what it would look like to be more involved in the industry, they decided to open up the first ever Lloydminster brewery in 2017. Since then, they have been successful with growth and expansion :beers: As...

Meet Lyle, the co-founder of Rocky View Brewing Co. located in Bearspaw, Alberta.  Lyle enjoyed sharing his homebrew creations with family and friends so much that in 2016, he convinced his wife to expand into a commercial-scale operation so that his brews could be shared with others who enjoy drinking innovative local beer! This family-owned brewery has since expanded their product distribution a...

Our guest on this week’s episode are Geoff and Ty from Two House Brewing Co. This brewery just opened their new location in downtown Calgary in July, 2022. The beer is currently only offered in-house, providing an exclusive beer experience for guests! This revamped location also incudes an in-house Italian pizza restaurant, Acme Pizza, operated by an experienced Italian chef. This makes the perfec...

Our guest on this week’s episode is Rhys, the co-founder and director of Omen Brewing in Edmonton, AB. Rhys has a background in electrical and renovations, explaining that he was able to transfer those skills into the building of the taproom and brewery equipment set-up. He discusses how this family-run business started, beginning with primary dark beer to fill the void in the market. Eventually,...

Meet Cole Boyd, the co-owner of Bent Stick Brewing Co. in Edmonton, AB. Cole discuss the breweries growth, challenges overcome, and plans for the future!

Meet Cameron, the co-owner of Alley Kat Brewing Co. located in Edmonton, AB. Cameron bought Alley Kat in 2020, ensuring to continue the brewery's proud legacy through an aligned passion for premium-quality Alberta-made beer.  Cameron discusses his expansion plans for the brewery's future, while remaining a fresh and innovative force in the industry. Tune into hear more about your favouri...

Meet Raymond, the owner of Bredenhof Hop Farms! Raymond started the farm in 2015 with only 6 acres of hops. After years of upgrades and expansions, they are now the largest distributor of Canadian grown hops. Tune in to hear more about his incredible story! 

Meet Jason Foster! Jason is a CBC Beer Columnist, BJCP Beer Judge, and owner of ‘One Beer’. In summary, he’s the most knowledgeable beer guy in Alberta. You won’t find another person in the entire province that appreciates brews more than he does. Jason discusses the beer industry in Alberta, what captivated him to become involved, and how he uses his knowledge to help shape Alberta’s craft beer i...

Meet Hans, Shane and Kirk from Blindman Brewing! They share how their brewery has grown and succeeded since they were last on the ‘Let’s Meet for a Beer’ podcast. Blindman Brewing has come far since their last appearance on the podcast, winning the “Best Brewery in Alberta” award at the 2022 Alberta Brewery awards. They explain how they transitioned from being mentored, to mentoring new and upcomi...

Meet Bart Watson, the Chief Economist of the Brewers Association. Bart discusses the craft beer market and industry trends, predictions, analysis, and more! Tune in to learn about how the craft beer community in Canada has evolved and how it will continue to develop and expand

Meet Doug, the head brewer at Blind Enthusiasm Brewing in Edmonton, AB.! Doug discusses the brewery’s unique barrel-fermented beer program, dedicated to melding beer with the flavors of wine and spirit barrels. The Monolith is one of a handful of facilities in North America dedicated to this unique style of brewing.  Doug explains how he applies both the art and science of brewing to create beers...

Meet Troy Wassill, the co-owner and head brewer of Longroof Brewing Co. In this podcast, Troy discusses how he transitioned from dedicated homebrewing to owning a successful brewery on 72 Ave NW, Edmonton. Troy is most passionate about the people in the industry, from the customers that have become friends, to the Edmonton breweries that have become family. Tune into the podcast to learn more abou...

Meet Mason and Ryan, the founders and owners of Ale Architect, an upcoming brewery opening in December on 76 Ave NW, Edmonton (Happy Beer Street).  Mason and Ryan discuss the beer culture in Edmonton, the growth, the community, and what they have brewing for the grand opening. After 4 ½ years of planning, their dream is finally becoming a reality. These hands-on founders have completed most of the...

Joining Mark on this week’s episode is Peter Keith, co-founder, and owner of Meuwly’s, an artisan food market on 124 Street, Edmonton’s up-and-coming food destination. Peter discusses their unique business model, striving to always be the first store to take a chance on start-up companies as they move to the next stages beyond the Edmonton food market. Peter also discusses ‘In the Weeds’, a moveme...

Danielle is the Co-Founder of The Pass Beer Co., a new brewery in Blairmore, Alberta. She discusses how her and her husband opened the doors - I mean windows - in 2020 during the pandemic. As they were restricted from allowing guests in the brewery, they started out selling growlers from a pick-up window. The driven entrepreneurs highlight their start-up challenges and successes, noting that they...

Matt Gaetz is an Albertan legend creating the first nano brewery in Alberta, called “The Dandy Brewing Company,” in 2014. Matt hilariously tells the story of how they worked with AGLC and AHS to find answers to revolutionary industry questions, being the first nano brewery.  After 16 years of working with COOP as a district manager, the motivation to not only build Dandy but to guarantee accomplis...