This month Steel & Oak turns 2! For a company as young as ours we’ve been lucky enough to have enjoyed many fantastic moments and have been able to cram what feels like 10 years worth of learning into 24 months.
As a 2 year old in a relatively young industry I feel like we now get included in the “veteran” category of local breweries. So with that being said I figured it only makes sense to spit some wisdom at you.
Here are 10 Things We’ve Learned Since Opening a Craft Brewery.
- Beer really does cause you to gain weight. However, I always figure for each pound gained we’ve made 10,000 people smile while enjoying one of our beers. So I’m more than happy to buy bigger pants for the greater good of humanity.
- The majority of people can’t pronounce Roggen Weizen. Thus, causing them to order it in lower numbers no matter how good you think the beer is.
- Making beer is boring to watch, but incredibly fun to drink.
- You will never be able to brew enough Red Pilsner.
- Beer under 25 PSI of pressure is strong enough to knock you backwards. It is also extremely hard to get under control once it’s begun spraying everywhere.
- If you own a brewery, The Drake in Victoria will allow you to dance on their bar.
- Everyone loves a Smoked Honey Doppelbock.
- You don’t need to make an IPA to thrive in the BC Beer Industry. However, you will be reminded every day by everyone that you should brew one anyways 🙂
- A great way to run out of beer fast is to start canning it.
- You legally can’t sell stuff that says “Brewing Co.” to kids. However, Steel & Oak Lemonade Co. tees are now available in the Tasting Room.
I can’t tell you how incredible this industry has been to us and how grateful we are to get to brew beer for a living. Making a product that is subjective is always difficult and challenging and I want to raise a glass to all of the other breweries in our community that are making high quality beer and always innovating.
Cheers to 2 wonderful years!
Jorden
