Big things are happening at the Walkerville Brewery.
Workers at the brewery last week were installing a 100-hectolitre fermentation tank, which looks like a two-storey pressure cooker. The massive silver tank was shipped in from Europe and arrived in the middle of the night. It was so big, there were concerns it would have trouble fitting in place.
“Our canning line has spurred the growth of the brewery and the demand for our beer,”said Mike Brkovich, the brewery’s president. “The consumers in Essex County really support the brand and the product, so it required us to expand and hire more people.”
The company’s Honest Lager, sold in 473-mL cans at all local LCBO outlets, is spurring this growth. After the February launch of the cans, sales have exceeded expectations, Brkovich said.
The Walkerville Brewery’s recent success has given the Windsor, ON. company an opportunity to expand. A huge fermentation tank was delivered this week. Jeffrey Craig, an employee at the brewery checks out the new tank on Friday, August 7, 2015. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star)
“People will call us at the brewery and say, ‘The Amherstburg LCBO is out of your beer, where can I get it?’” Brkovich said.
Once the tank is set up, the brewery will be able to increase production by about 100 barrels every five weeks. This is following a similar expansion in March, when the company purchased a 75-hectolitre tank.
“We need more tank space to meet the demand for the lager,” Brkovich said. “We’re probably going to order another tank shortly because we’re growing at a good clip. The brewery’s expanding and we look forward to purchasing more tanks.”
These latest additions are only one measure of the company’s recent growth. They’ve installed a retro neon sign on the front of the brewery and sponsored a five-kilometre community run over the weekend, becoming a fixture Walkerville, he said.
Mike Brkovich, president of the Walkerville Brewery, is pleased with the success his company has had over the last few years. The Walkerville Brewery has installed a huge fermentation tank, which was delivered last week. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star)
Walkerville Brewery is also part of a beer revolution going on throughout Ontario.
Overall, craft beer made up 10 per cent of sales at the LCBO and are the fastest growing product at the provincial liquor retailer, said Keeley Rogers, an LCBO spokeswoman.
“Craft beer did really well last year and is on track to have another record year this year,” Rogers said. “We’re seeing a lot more breweries and brewery growth is driving sales.”
The LCBO recorded $68.3 million in craft beer sales in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, a 36 per cent increase from the $50.2 million in 2013-2014.
Windsor and Essex County isn’t missing out on this boom. There are already six breweries established in the area and there are firm plans for five more within the next year.
“It’s great. We’re really happy there are a number of microbreweries opening up in Windsor,” Brkovich said. “It’s going to be good for us and the public will benefit. A lot of the operators are good people, so for our industry as a whole, it’s very healthy.”
The Walkerville Brewery’s recent success has given the Windsor, ON. company an opportunity to expand. A huge fermentation tank was delivered this week. Shown is a label for the Scotch Ale brew. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star)
Workforce Windsor Essex is in the middle of a yearlong study on the local brewing and distilling industry. It wants to find the skills potential employees need to take advantage of this growth and get a job in the industry.
Heather Gregg, who heads up the project, said there’s still potential for growth in Windsor’s brewing and distilling sector.
“We’re hoping to learn from the people on the ground. What the most in-demand jobs are, what are the hardest to fill jobs and what they predict in the future,” Gregg said. “We want to see from the experts where the industry is changing and growing.”
Walkerville Brewery’s expanded its workforce along with production, recently hiring two more people. It now employs 20 people at the brewery — in beer production, delivery, marketing and serving.
Most of the employees are recent graduates and Brkovich said he prides himself on bringing younger employees in. As long as growth continues, he expects to keep hiring.
“Ian (Gourlay) and myself are the old dogs, but it’s great working around these motivated, energetic people,” Brkovich said. “It’s local people brewing for local people.”
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