Craft beer brewing industry growing in New Brunswick
Weeklong festival had early start as a one day tasting event
NewBrunswick'scraft beer industry says craft brewing is one of the bright spots in a province that is struggling in other areas.
"We've beenstrugglingeconomy-wise inNewBrunswick," saidPeter Cole of Big AxeBrewery inNackawic.
"It's really exciting and New Brunswick really needs it."
The province now boasts more than 20 craft breweries, manyof which have hired staff to brew, bottle and transport their suds throughout the province and beyond.
"The industry here isonlysatisfyingabout 30 per centof the demand," said Cole. "So when we expand we'll have to look athiring more people."
That is good news in a province that is seeing its lowest unemploymentnumbers in a decade.
But Colesaysthe money is not just in the bottle. The brews are getting big bucks elsewhere as well.
This week Cole waskegging more of his beer in order to have more productavailablefor the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival underway Saturday.
"It's just a big event now. And the economic impact is huge," said LloydChambers,co-founderof the festival. "It's a lot of money coming into the province."
Tasting event has grown
The annual gathering of brewers and beer lovers beganwith a single beer tasting event in 2013 with around 550 tickets sold.
Saturday's festival is now just the highlight of aweek-long seriesof beer-related events that is expected to sell more than 1,500 tickets.
"Just the impact of dollars on hotel rooms is huge," said Chambers.
"But everyone is eating out, everyone is drinkingbeer.Peopleare coming into town for two or three days.Plus all the extra beer that gets sold that supports New Brunswick Craft Brewers isphenomenal."
TheCrowne PlazaHotel in Fredericton, across the street fromthefestival, isbookedto capacity. Chambers saysit's all because of beer.
Cole also says he sees revenue with people coming to the province for beer. He runs a bed and breakfast in tandem with his brewery.
"We have people that come from across Canada, the Statesand Europe every year to stay," said Cole.
"They choose us because of our location and because we have a taproom and we make our own beer."
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