Traded as TSX: BR Founded 1985 | Industry Alcoholic beverage Founder Ed McNally | |
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Key people Robert Sartor (Chief Executive Officer) Production output 181,951 hL (2015)168,268 hL (2014) Revenue C$39,594,000 (2015)C$36,755,000 (2014) Stock price BRBMF (OTCMKTS) US$ 4.64 0.00 (0.00%)28 Feb, 4:00 PM GMT-5 - Disclaimer CEO Robert Sartor (15 Mar 2012–) Profiles |
Big rock brewery calgary true canadian beers
Big Rock Brewery is a Canadian public company with offices and a brewery located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Big Rock distributes its products in Alberta and several other Canadian provinces.
Contents
- Big rock brewery calgary true canadian beers
- Big rock brewery 30 years of brewing
- History
- Premium beers
- Value Beers
- Cider
- Contract brews
- Seasonal brews
- Discontinued brews
- Marketing
- References
Big rock brewery 30 years of brewing
History
The brewery was founded in 1985 by Ed McNally.
A lawyer by trade, McNally was representing a group of barley growers in a legal action against the Alberta Wheat Board in the 1980s. Through the course of the legal action, McNally learned that the Alberta climate produces 2-row barley that is ideally suited for malting, and had access to glacial water from the nearby Rocky Mountains.
At the time, most barley production in Alberta was used as cattle feed. With an entrepreneurial background, McNally decided to open a craft brewery. The name "Big Rock" was chosen from a large glacial rock located outside of the town of Okotoks, 18 km (11 mi) south of Calgary.
The first brewmaster was Bernd "Peppy" Pieper, a German brewmaster for Heineken International. In the summer of 1986, when Big Rock had been in production for only a year, there was a strike at the Molson and Labatt, the two largest domestic breweries. This proved to be a windfall for Big Rock, as it was the only beer available in Alberta that summer. The brewery operated around the clock to meet demand for the entire summer, and sales doubled.
The second brewmaster was Larry Kerwin, a former brewmaster for Molson. Kerwin started as a brewer at Big Rock under Pieper in 1994, and took over as brewmaster in 1998 when Pieper retired.
The third (and current) brewmaster is Paul Gautreau. Gautreau joined Big Rock in 1986 as its fourth employee, and worked in marketing and operational capacities before replacing Kerwin as brewmaster.
In 2008 Big Rock Brewery had 520 employees and 54 million CAD market capitalization.
Ed McNally, who was made a member of the Order of Canada and awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005, later retired from day-to-day operation of the company, retaining the ceremonial title "Chairman Emeritus" until his death in August 2014.
In order to serve the growing market in the province of British Columbia, a new brewery was built in Vancouver, and is expected to start production in 2015.
Premium beers
Value Beers
Alberta Genuine Draft, Bow Valley Lager, Bow Valley Strong are inexpensive beers brewed for their alcohol content.
Cider
Contract brews
Big Rock brews beers for restaurants in Western Canada, including:
Big Rocks brews the President's Choice beers (PC Dry, PC Honey Red, PC Pilsener, and PC Light) for Loblaw Companies Limited in their western Canadian markets (The Real Canadian Liquorstore)
Seasonal brews
Discontinued brews
Marketing
In 1993, the Big Rock Brewery started "The Big Rock Eddies", a promotional contest to encourage beer drinkers to make the advertisements for Big Rock. The contest later included a Student category that allows post-secondary students to compete with their peers for prize money. The red carpet events, many organized by Calgary's Event Group, have grown from one event in Calgary Alberta, to four events across Canada: Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto.