PEI

New brewery planned for Montague, P.E.I.

Eastern P.E.I. is getting its first brewery — Copper Bottom Brewing plans to move in to the Eastern Graphic building in Montague in February and open its taps this summer, offering locally-brewed beer.

Ashley Condon and husband Ken Spears to open Copper Bottom Brewing this summer

Ken Spears and Ashley Condon plan to have Copper Bottom beer flowing by this summer. (ACOA)

Eastern P.E.I. is getting its first brewery — Copper Bottom Brewing plans to move in to the Eastern Graphic building in Montague, P.E.I., in February and open its taps this summer, offering locally-brewed beer.

The operation will join four other Island breweries: the P.E.I. Brewing Company and Upstreet Craft Brewing in Charlottetown, Barnone Brewery in Rose Valley and Moth Lane Brewing in Ellerslie, P.E.I. 

Well-known P.E.I. folk singer-songwriter Ashley Condon and her husband Ken Spears are the team behind Copper Bottom.

"We are so excited to see our dream of opening a microbrewery in our hometown of Montague be realized," Condon said in a written release issued by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) Tuesday.  

"The support for this project has been overwhelming and we are delighted to contribute to the growth of our rural community through our passion for craft beer and music," she added. 

$400,000 in loans

ACOA has given the project a $216,000 loan while the P.E.I. government is giving $187,500 in loans for the purchase and renovation of the new facility and a $10,000 grant for equipment.

The couple plans to produce kegs of beer for local restaurants and eventually cans for sale at P.E.I. liquor stores. 

They also want to establish a taproom and entertainment venue at the brewery, creating a new live music scene with income potential in downtown Montague, the release states. 

The company is still deciding what its first beer offerings will be. Spears is currently experimenting with new beer recipes, said the release.