Cochrane’s first microbrewery is preparing to pour its first jug.
On National Beer Day – April 8 – the Eagle checked in with Cochrane’s brewing family and the progress of the future brewery.
The family behind the project is patiently waiting for barley from Germany and Belgium to arrive at the Half Hitch Brewing Company so the brewsters can start making test batches.
“Right now, we are focusing on three different types of beers right off the bat, but we might look into a fourth and pick up seasonal flavours as well,” said Chris Heier, brewery president.
The idea for the brewery began in 2011. The family bought the land in early 2013, and construction began in August 2013. Since then, most of the industrial equipment has been bought and the family will now focus on completing the rest of the interior design while they start crafting the recipe for the perfect brew.
“We have a few other odds and ends but we are just about good to go. We should start test batching this month,” Heier said.
Farmer’s Daughter Pale Ale, Fire N’ Fury Red Ale and Shotgun Wedding Brown Ale will be the first beers on offer once the recipes are perfected.
“We’ve been seeing an up-kick with support from local communities” Heier said. “It is not hard to make different beer, there is so much variety. We want to be good and as long as the beer is not too offensive then we should be good.”
Heier’s brews have received acclaim in the past. His recipes won four medals at the 2012 Cowtown Homebrew Roundup at the Wild Rose Brewery including a gold for his imperial stout.
With six fermenters, the brewery is equipped to brew one million litres of beer a year. While the plan for Half Hitch is to be a brewery and restaurant, Heier said getting the beer to market is priority one.
“We are building this as a multi-phase project but it is more important to get the product out. Once we start selling our beer, we can start making dollars and get the rest of the stuff ready for the restaurant,” Heier said.
Once open, Half Hitch Brewery, which is located at the corner of Griffin Road and Griffin Industrial Point, will be the first brewery to offer craft beer from Cochrane.
