Hop in: Still plenty of room in booming brewery business, say insiders

New proposals seem to be coming by the month — but there's still lots of elbow room left in Newfoundland and Labrador's craft beer business, according to brewers.

Yet another brewery proposal sent to government in Newfoundland and Labrador

Garrett Barry · CBC News · Posted: May 07, 2017 3:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 8, 2017

The craft beer and cider scene in Newfoundland and Labrador is looking more and more crowded, with Sam Newman, left, and Chris Adams, right, along with Split Rock Brewing Company, hoping to kick-start their businesses in the near future. Port Rexton Brewing Company has been operating on the province's Bonavista Peninsula. (Split Rock Brewing Co./Facebook, Scudrunner Brewing/Facebook, Submitted)

The number of local brands may be growing by the month, but there's still lots of room to hop around in Newfoundland and Labrador's craft beer world, according to brewers.

Craft breweries in central Newfoundland say they are not worried that the microbrewery boom will push them out of the burgeoning market — which grew by one more entrant this week.

Breweries don't close, for now.- Matthew Vincent

The Killick Stone Brewing Company submitted a proposal to the provincial government, which will conduct an environmental assessment. Their prospective business in Petty Harbour hopes to join already-operating shops in Port Rexton and Pasadena, and a long list of planned breweries that includes operations in Twillingate, Gander, Dildo, Milton and Corner Brook.

For those already on the inside, the news of yet more entrants into the craft brewing scene was welcome.

Chris Adams hopes to pour a lot of cider in the future. He and his business partner Marc Poirier are owners of Newfoundland Cider Company. They are building a factory near Milton in the coming months. (Submitted photo)

"I think it's absolutely fabulous, I think it's great. I think the more the better," said Chris Adams, one of the men behind a planned cider company in Milton. He says more breweries will only serve to spread the word of craft beer and ciders, which will bring people to the table.

Apple of their eye: Cider business sprouting in Milton

That sentiment is echoed by Sam Newman, one of the faces of Scudrunner Brewing, which is hoping to open in Gander later this year.

"The more of it people see, the more they get into it."

Humble beginnings

The last few years have been quite the change in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to Mike Buhler, the province's first beer cicerone — a designation similar to a wine sommelier.

When he first became interested in craft brewing in 2012, he said, it was pretty bare.

Hopping east: Craft brewery sensation moves across Newfoundland

"The market, the consumer base, wasn't really there. It didn't really know a whole lot about what was going on in the world of craft beer," Buhler said.

The number of breweries has grown considerably in that time, but Buhler said the province is still just catching up.

"I think the momentum is just, we got to that critical, critical point. Where everybody is like, 'You know what, I'm going to do this,' and they start putting their applications in," he said.

Buhler said there's lots of room left in the industry for other provincial players — maybe two, three or four more in St. John's — especially if they stick to a small-scale model.

A mockup of Scudrunner Brewery's potential tap house in Gander. While the would-be brewery has arranged its space in Gander, it isn't moved in or producing yet. (Scudrunner Brewing/Facebook)

A neighbourhood plan

That's just what Matthew Vincent, the brewmaster of the planned Split Rock Brewing Company in Twillingate, is counting on.

"In our first year, we don't foresee putting beer in cans or bottles or anything like that," he said.

"It's going to be pints over a bar [that's] really going to be paying our bills, right? I don't see a brewery in Gander or Port Rexton for that matter having an effect on those types of sales."

Twillingate's tourism market will only help him keep his lights on, he said.

In Gander, Scudrunner will be closely associated with aviation and the town's identity, according to Newman. He doesn't see the other regional players as threats either — in fact, he said it is a great opportunity to work together to cut down on shipping costs.

"There's enough demand that our Gander market will be ours, Matt and the guys in Twillingate will have their small market … the girls in Port Rexton [Brewing Company], they are far enough away."

Cash on the table

There is money on the line — both public and private — for the success of these breweries.

Newman said Scudrunner is expecting to receive grants from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. While he expects to keep his job as a pilot, his business partners are looking to go full-time, and hire staff, for Scudrunner.

Sam Newman says his group at Scudrunner Brewing has spent a long time refining their business plan, and is confident they'll be able to swim, not sink. (Garrett Barry/CBC)

Adams said while he is also keeping his job for now, it's still a "big risk" to start down the road towards launching a business.

Buhler's advice to a prospective brewer is simple: make good products.

And the three hopeful brewers? They're confident too.

"Breweries don't close, for now," said Vincent. "I mean, you look across Canada and there's breweries popping up every day and you never hear of one closing."