The slogan “Life is a Riot” perfectly suits the team that will be Riot Brewing Company in Chemainus BC….most of the time. At the moment the entire crew is up to their eyeballs in drywall dust, paint and sweat. Although you can really see how awesome the brewery will be when it is finished these guys have a long way to go. They are currently setting up the brew systems, painting and cleaning. Next they will need to do bathrooms, floors, lighting, bar building, fridge installing and more cleaning. It is a rediculous amount of work to open a brewery! If you have the skills to help with any of these projects feel free to head on down and introduce yourself, they can use all the help they can get to keep things on a scheduled timeline. They are also great people to spend some time with and I am sure it can’t hurt to have a brewer owe you a favor! They would like to start brewing as soon as possible to ensure the people of Cowichan Valley will be drinking good beer by summer.
It is an impressive building already. Situated on Oak st in Chemainus BC it is a west coast small town vibe of a building that sits across the street from local fire, ambulance and police stations. The cedar beams used throughout the entire plaza are sharp looking and it has also been used on the patio to act as an arbor for the hops to grow on the outside of the building. The seating capacity that has not yet been officially approved for Riot Brewing allows for an ample patio space to enjoy the BC sun all summer long. Although they are not sure exactly what the menu will consist of, food will also be available at Riot as well as a growler fill station, tasting room and retail store. They are hoping to be open for business in early July although no exact date has been chosen as of yet.
You can see the shape of what this brewery will house coming together. It is hard not to be excited while talking to co-owner Aly Tomlin about what is happening here. They have thought of everything. When you have a group of experienced brewers and beer enthusiasts all coming together on a project like this it is no surprise that this is one of the most anticipated brewery project in BC currently. With four other breweries set to open on the island alone, BC is experiencing unprecedented growth in the craft beer industry. Aly Tomlin, Ralf Rosenke and Morgan Moreira as well as head brewer Fabian Specht of Central City Brewing fame, make up the owners of Riot Brewing Company. Connor and I have been added to the team to assist in any capacity they see fit. We will also be hiring closer to opening day. The styles of beer that will first be produced have already been chosen and packaging designed. I have to tell you, they have knocked it out of the park on this one. The move to choose an American company for marketing and design was smart. They will have a product that will look different than anyone else on the shelves….that’s all I can say but keep your eyes open and your mouths thirsty because Riot Brewing Company is coming beer lovers!
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