February 12, 2021 • 13 mins
There has been a lot of breweries opening in British Columbia over the last couple of years, and North Vancouver has been one of those hot spots. North Point Brewing is a cozy cabin themed brewery on a quiet street in North Van. I sat down with co-owner Liam Jeffries and brewer Paul Kovamees.
This episode was made possible by the BC Ale Trail
Podcast created and hosted by: Aaron Johnson
Recorded on location in North Vancouver, BC
Editing & mixing by: Aaron Johnson
Theme music by: A:M (Aaron Johnson & Danny Moffat)
Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/doublea
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Aaron Johnson (00:00):
Just before we get into today's episode, at the time
of release, the health measures because of the COVID- 19
pandemic has restricted travel in the province of British Columbia
between certain health authorities. So at this time, we kindly
ask that you respect the local health authorities, stay home,
and only do essential travel between health boards, if absolutely
(00:22):
necessary. However, you can still enjoy this episode and plan
your trip soon. Thanks so much. Now let's get into
it. This episode of the Cascadian Beer Podcast has been made possible
by the BC Ale Trail. New experiences are brewing nearby
at the bcaletrail. ca. Welcome to the Cascadian Beer Podcast.
(01:14):
My name is Aaron, and I'm a Cascadian. In this
podcast series, I highlight breweries around Cascadia, a region that
has a strong presence on the international beer scene. Cascadia
is a bioregion in the Pacific Northwest on the North American
continent. It's made up of the US states of Washington and
Oregon, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia.
If you're enjoying this episode, I hope you're subscribed on
your favorite podcast app. And please share it with a
(01:35):
friend. That really helps grow this podcast series. Now, it's
no secret that British Columbia has seen a huge boom
in breweries opening up over the past few years. And
one area in particular has seen a lot of growth,
and that's North Vancouver. Today, I'm at North Point Brewing.
It's a really cozy cabin- themed kind of brewery making
great beers, and on a quiet street in North Van.
(01:56):
A little bit later we'll be hearing from their brewmaster,
but I started with one of their co- owners.
Liam Jeffries (02:01):
Liam Jeffries, owner, and also operations manager.
Aaron Johnson (02:05):
All right. And we are at North Point Brewing here
in beautiful North Van. When did you guys open?
Liam Jeffries (02:11):
December six.
Aaron Johnson (02:12):
Right.
Liam Jeffries (02:12):
So coming up to our one year this Sunday.
Aaron Johnson (02:15):
Oh, right, as we're taping this, yeah. So, yeah, wow.
What a year it's been to open a brewery.
Liam Jeffries (02:19):
It's been wild times. Lots of plexiglass.
Aaron Johnson (02:23):
Yeah. So, really, I'd like to start with, how did
beer find you?
Liam Jeffries (02:28):
So, just the three of us. So I'm actually co-
owner. Sean Annable and Matt Legate, they own the business
as well. More silent partners, but also very involved. And
we just love... Well, first of all, of course, we
love beer. Also the vibe that breweries give off. Very
friendly environment, you have big tables where people sit together
(02:52):
that don't know each other, and soon they will know
each other. They just always start talking. So that kind
of vibe. And then going for a cabin- style brewery.
We grew up at Sean's cabin, and having lots of
beers there.
Aaron Johnson (03:06):
It's very sunny in here. Lots of wood.
Liam Jeffries (03:08):
Yeah. Yeah, cozy. Cozy cabin vibes is what we're all about.
Aaron Johnson (03:12):
Right. And so, how long was this idea incubating for
before you finally got a space?
Liam Jeffries (03:18):
20 years. I would say about, seriously, about three years.
Yeah, seriously three years. And then it came to, with
a year of construction and a year of getting permits,
it was serious within about a year and a half
of that.
Aaron Johnson (03:35):
Right, cool. And then, yeah, so the build- out didn't take
too long then?
Liam Jeffries (03:39):
I would say a year and a half. The build-
out itself was pretty quick, but getting the permits and
all the licensing is what took time.
Aaron Johnson (03:48):
Right, cool. And then, why did you pick North Van
to open up?
Liam Jeffries (03:51):
Just this area. We're all from North Shore. Love Lonsdale
and the booming area that it's becoming. And just saw
a good opportunity here. And also close to where we
all live.
Aaron Johnson (04:03):
Yeah. And then not only that, you're by the brewers
row that's set up here, but you're just one street
up. So, did you know that that was all happening down
below you, or was this just the perfect spot? What
was the decision process?
Liam Jeffries (04:19):
Real estate's not easy to come by around here. I
didn't know it's going to be what it is today, with
Shaketown opening and a couple more distilleries down there and whatnot.
It's about eight breweries in total coming in, and we'll
be here. So, didn't know it's going to be this big, but saw
the opportunity on this street, got the perfect property, and
(04:40):
ran with it from there.
Aaron Johnson (04:41):
Yeah. And even though it's a light- industrial area, it's
a pretty quiet street that you have out there.
Liam Jeffries (04:46):
Yeah. It's good foot traffic, too. It's the main road
from Moodyville, which is a new up- and- coming area,
as well, to Lonsdale.
Aaron Johnson (04:55):
Right. And then, yeah, you have a big roller door
here out to a patio. We have to talk about COVID
times, because you've expanded your outdoor space. What was it before, and then what have you done?
Liam Jeffries (05:05):
Yeah. So before, it was a lot more tables inside.
And we actually didn't even have our permanent patio till
recently. So yeah, a lot more tables and a lot
more seating before. And then-
Aaron Johnson (05:20):
I was here like February, I think?
Liam Jeffries (05:22):
Yeah.
Aaron Johnson (05:22):
And it was just before everything happened, it was just nice and
crammed in here. It was very cozy. I think that's where I
met you guys, was one of those crazy evenings with
everybody's kids in here and stuff.
Liam Jeffries (05:34):
Yeah, wild times before. It was hard to line up.
And then, when COVID hit, removing a lot of tables,
putting plexi up, making it safe for everyone. A lot
of plexi.
Aaron Johnson (05:48):
Yeah. And what would you describe as the beer styles
you focus on? What's the character?
Liam Jeffries (05:54):
Yeah, I'll let Paul get into that further. Paul was
big into hazy IPA's, and then once we got going
here, we got into a fruit series. And that's what
people seem to love about us. Our strawberry blonde is
our biggest seller. We just came out with a Sayulita
Sunrise, a mock- up of a Tequila Sunrise, the same
(06:16):
ingredients. So that's fruity lager. A lot of berry sours,
tropic sour. And yeah, lots of fruit. So it's kind
of the direction Paul's been going, but also loves his
IPA's, and hazy IPA's.
Aaron Johnson (06:33):
Right. So, congratulations on a year. Is there any ideas
of expanding? Do you have a kitchen? Do you want
a kitchen? What's happening there?
Liam Jeffries (06:42):
Yeah. So we just teamed up with Nook. So we
get pizzas from them. We've got this fancy oven that
cooks them in a minute and 30 seconds. So we
have a margherita, we got pepperoni-
Aaron Johnson (06:54):
Oh, so they're not coming hot up the street, they're actually-
Liam Jeffries (06:57):
They're prepped before and they're cooked here.
Aaron Johnson (06:58):
Awesome.
Liam Jeffries (06:59):
So yeah, we've had that going for three months now.
It's been a huge success. It keeps people in here
for lunch and dinner. And so, yeah, we've already got
our kitchen made, expansion, yeah. I won't give too much
detail yet, but always looking to expand tasting rooms.
Aaron Johnson (07:15):
Obviously, packaged is probably expanding more, right?
Liam Jeffries (07:18):
Yeah, packaged. Yeah. Right now with COVID, we have our
own canning line that we launched about two months ago
now. And that's helped a lot, canning whatever beer we
want, whenever we want to can. And especially right now
with a lot of off sales going out the door.
Aaron Johnson (07:37):
After a year of reflecting, and then probably the most
difficult thing that could have been thrown at you as
a business owner, if somebody was to open up a
brewery, what would be some advice you could give them?
Liam Jeffries (07:46):
Don't do it in (inaudible) . I'm kidding. Yeah, just
stick with it, and stick to your passion, and it'll
all work out. I've seen a couple breweries and distilleries
going through it right now, and they're still going full
steam ahead. It's a really fun business. I love it
(08:06):
personally and I have no regrets, even through COVID. So
just stick with it, yeah.
Aaron Johnson (08:11):
Cool. Well, thank you, sir.
Liam Jeffries (08:13):
Thank you.
Aaron Johnson (08:14):
Big thank you to Liam for his time. Really appreciate
it, dude. Now, before we continue, the COVID- 19 pandemic
has radically changed the way we are all living and
working. But now we are slowly starting to reopen our
small businesses here in British Columbia. Although travel is somewhat
limited throughout the province, there's nothing wrong with planning a
future trip. And that is what the BC Ale Trail
is perfect for. On the website at bcaletrail. ca, you'll
(08:37):
find recommended itineraries, a comprehensive list of every craft brewery
in BC, a calendar of beer events, and a blog
with lots of great stories. The regional ale trails include
local breweries, pubs, and restaurants, along with other activities the
area has to offer. So stay local for now. But
as you plan your post- pandemic trip, let the BC
Ale Trail guide you. New experiences are brewing nearby at
(08:57):
the bcaletrail. ca. All right. Time to talk to the
brewer at North Point Brewing.
Paul Kovamees (09:04):
My name is Paul Kovamees, and I am the head brewer
here at North Point Brewing.
Aaron Johnson (09:08):
All right, cool. And how did beer find you?
Paul Kovamees (09:10):
You know what, it's a long story. I spent a
lot of summers growing up in Estonia, where my family's
from. And between the summers of grade 11 and 12, which
was the summer of 2010, I believe, I was in
Estonia. And a friend of my brother's was traveling Europe
at the time. And he came to stay with me
(09:31):
in Estonia, and we were hanging out having some beverages.
Aaron Johnson (09:35):
Did you go to the Sori Brewery there?
Paul Kovamees (09:36):
I didn't. I don't think at the time they were around.
Aaron Johnson (09:39):
It was my favorite out there.
Paul Kovamees (09:41):
Oh really?
Aaron Johnson (09:41):
Yeah.
Paul Kovamees (09:41):
And yeah, he was telling me about how his friends
brewed beer back home in Vancouver, and how it's just
a cheaper way to drink beer, I guess. And so,
I convinced my mom to buy a home beer- making
kit for Christmas. And I started doing small batches at
home. Quite enjoyed the process. And that led me to
(10:03):
pursue a food science degree outside of high school. And
so, I did that. And at the tail end of
my degree, I got my foot in the door at
a brewery in East Vancouver at Parallel 49. And I
worked there for two and a half years, started off
packaging, and then got promoted to brewing. And then in
October of 2018, Liam got in touch with me, and
(10:24):
said he was opening a brewery with some friends. And he
wanted to know if I was interested in perhaps a
new opportunity for myself, and jumped on board.
Aaron Johnson (10:34):
Awesome. And here you are.
Paul Kovamees (10:36):
And here I am. Yeah.
Aaron Johnson (10:37):
So were the recipes all yours, or did the owners
come with their own things in mind, as well?
Paul Kovamees (10:44):
The owners had the idea, like for the strawberry blonde,
Liam had the idea of having a beer with strawberry.
And then, I just took that and decided to do
a blonde base for it. But the ideas, a lot of it
comes from the owners and stuff, but then I'll break it down
and I'll design it with the help of my assistants
and stuff.
Aaron Johnson (11:02):
And so, being from Estonia, have you been able to
incorporate any special ingredients from that region?
Paul Kovamees (11:09):
I'm trying to.
Aaron Johnson (11:10):
Okay.
Paul Kovamees (11:11):
I am going to do that. I really want to
do an Estonian- style farmhouse ale. But it's still in
the works right now.
Aaron Johnson (11:18):
How big's the system back there?
Paul Kovamees (11:19):
It's a 20 hec system. We have four 20- hec
fermenters, and two 20- heck bright tanks.
Aaron Johnson (11:24):
Right. And I bet that was just rip- roaring, summertime, just
turning that over and getting those into cans, right?
Paul Kovamees (11:29):
Yeah. Yeah. And we've changed a few of the tanks
to be unitanks, as well, so we can crank them out
faster. Yeah. Summertime was busy with four fermenters just trying to
keep them all topped up and emptied.
Aaron Johnson (11:42):
Right. So what's been your favorite brew to date?
Paul Kovamees (11:44):
My favorite brew to date. I'm definitely quite happy with
how the strawberry blonde has turned out. Strawberry's a tough one to-
Aaron Johnson (11:52):
That's a solid beer, man.
Paul Kovamees (11:55):
Yeah. Thanks. And I think I'm really happy with a
lot of them, but I think what really defines a good brewer
and a good brewery is how good your pilsner or lager-
based beverage is. And I'm really happy with how our
pilsners and stuff have been turning out.
Aaron Johnson (12:11):
Because, yeah, it's tough to make those beers.
Paul Kovamees (12:14):
You can really taste all the subtle nuances and stuff.
Aaron Johnson (12:18):
Right, cool. And if somebody was wanting to get into
brewing themselves, what would be some advice you could give them?
Paul Kovamees (12:22):
I would say, just get your boots wet, get your
hands dirty. You have to accept the fact that if you want to do this as a living, you're going to have to
wash kegs and do that kind of stuff for a
long time. And then, it pays to know people. You
got to get your name out there, and just talk
to everyone you can. And just try to get your foot in
the door as quickly as possible.
Aaron Johnson (12:42):
All right. Well, sweet, dude.
Paul Kovamees (12:45):
Yeah.
Aaron Johnson (12:45):
Yeah. (foreign language) .
Paul Kovamees (12:46):
Yeah.
Aaron Johnson (12:46):
Thank you, Paul. And once again, thank you Liam both
for your time. I really do appreciate it. Man, it's a
nice sunny spot too. And looking forward to warmer days
and getting back out on that patio. And at the
moment, too, I should mention, I did a virtual yoga
session with SHYpractice in North Van. And so, if you
go in and get the mixed taster pack at North
(13:06):
Point, you actually get a QR code to your own
on demand yoga/ beer tasting session. So, yeah, go by
and check that out. Big thanks to the BC Ale
Trail once again for making this episode possible. If you
want to find out more about them, and once we're
allowed to travel again more freely, you can plan your
weekend, or week, or however long with the different itineraries
(13:28):
at bcaletrail. ca. If you want to follow us on
social media, you can by going to facebook. com forward
slash Cascadian Beer. I'm on Twitter at Cascadian Beer, and
on Instagram at Cascadian Beer Podcast. I hope you're subscribed in
your favorite podcast appropriate, and I really do appreciate your time.
Thanks so much. And until next time, remember, support your local.
Just before we get into today's episode, at the time
of release, the health measures because of the COVID- 19
pandemic has restricted travel in the province of British Columbia
between certain health authorities. So at this time, we kindly
ask that you respect the local health authorities, stay home,
and only do essential travel between health boards, if absolutely
(00:22):
necessary. However, you can still enjoy this episode and plan
your trip soon. Thanks so much. Now let's get into
it. This episode of the Cascadian Beer Podcast has been made possible
by the BC Ale Trail. New experiences are brewing nearby
at the bcaletrail. ca. Welcome to the Cascadian Beer Podcast.
(01:14):
My name is Aaron, and I'm a Cascadian. In this
podcast series, I highlight breweries around Cascadia, a region that
has a strong presence on the international beer scene. Cascadia
is a bioregion in the Pacific Northwest on the North American
continent. It's made up of the US states of Washington and
Oregon, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia.
If you're enjoying this episode, I hope you're subscribed on
your favorite podcast app. And please share it with a
(01:35):
friend. That really helps grow this podcast series. Now, it's
no secret that British Columbia has seen a huge boom
in breweries opening up over the past few years. And
one area in particular has seen a lot of growth,
and that's North Vancouver. Today, I'm at North Point Brewing.
It's a really cozy cabin- themed kind of brewery making
great beers, and on a quiet street in North Van.
(01:56):
A little bit later we'll be hearing from their brewmaster,
but I started with one of their co- owners.
Liam Jeffries (02:01):
Liam Jeffries, owner, and also operations manager.
Aaron Johnson (02:05):
All right. And we are at North Point Brewing here
in beautiful North Van. When did you guys open?
Liam Jeffries (02:11):
December six.
Aaron Johnson (02:12):
Right.
Liam Jeffries (02:12):
So coming up to our one year this Sunday.
Aaron Johnson (02:15):
Oh, right, as we're taping this, yeah. So, yeah, wow.
What a year it's been to open a brewery.
Liam Jeffries (02:19):
It's been wild times. Lots of plexiglass.
Aaron Johnson (02:23):
Yeah. So, really, I'd like to start with, how did
beer find you?
Liam Jeffries (02:28):
So, just the three of us. So I'm actually co-
owner. Sean Annable and Matt Legate, they own the business
as well. More silent partners, but also very involved. And
we just love... Well, first of all, of course, we
love beer. Also the vibe that breweries give off. Very
friendly environment, you have big tables where people sit together
(02:52):
that don't know each other, and soon they will know
each other. They just always start talking. So that kind
of vibe. And then going for a cabin- style brewery.
We grew up at Sean's cabin, and having lots of
beers there.
Aaron Johnson (03:06):
It's very sunny in here. Lots of wood.
Liam Jeffries (03:08):
Yeah. Yeah, cozy. Cozy cabin vibes is what we're all about.
Aaron Johnson (03:12):
Right. And so, how long was this idea incubating for
before you finally got a space?
Liam Jeffries (03:18):
20 years. I would say about, seriously, about three years.
Yeah, seriously three years. And then it came to, with
a year of construction and a year of getting permits,
it was serious within about a year and a half
of that.
Aaron Johnson (03:35):
Right, cool. And then, yeah, so the build- out didn't take
too long then?
Liam Jeffries (03:39):
I would say a year and a half. The build-
out itself was pretty quick, but getting the permits and
all the licensing is what took time.
Aaron Johnson (03:48):
Right, cool. And then, why did you pick North Van
to open up?
Liam Jeffries (03:51):
Just this area. We're all from North Shore. Love Lonsdale
and the booming area that it's becoming. And just saw
a good opportunity here. And also close to where we
all live.
Aaron Johnson (04:03):
Yeah. And then not only that, you're by the brewers
row that's set up here, but you're just one street
up. So, did you know that that was all happening down
below you, or was this just the perfect spot? What
was the decision process?
Liam Jeffries (04:19):
Real estate's not easy to come by around here. I
didn't know it's going to be what it is today, with
Shaketown opening and a couple more distilleries down there and whatnot.
It's about eight breweries in total coming in, and we'll
be here. So, didn't know it's going to be this big, but saw
the opportunity on this street, got the perfect property, and
(04:40):
ran with it from there.
Aaron Johnson (04:41):
Yeah. And even though it's a light- industrial area, it's
a pretty quiet street that you have out there.
Liam Jeffries (04:46):
Yeah. It's good foot traffic, too. It's the main road
from Moodyville, which is a new up- and- coming area,
as well, to Lonsdale.
Aaron Johnson (04:55):
Right. And then, yeah, you have a big roller door
here out to a patio. We have to talk about COVID
times, because you've expanded your outdoor space. What was it before, and then what have you done?
Liam Jeffries (05:05):
Yeah. So before, it was a lot more tables inside.
And we actually didn't even have our permanent patio till
recently. So yeah, a lot more tables and a lot
more seating before. And then-
Aaron Johnson (05:20):
I was here like February, I think?
Liam Jeffries (05:22):
Yeah.
Aaron Johnson (05:22):
And it was just before everything happened, it was just nice and
crammed in here. It was very cozy. I think that's where I
met you guys, was one of those crazy evenings with
everybody's kids in here and stuff.
Liam Jeffries (05:34):
Yeah, wild times before. It was hard to line up.
And then, when COVID hit, removing a lot of tables,
putting plexi up, making it safe for everyone. A lot
of plexi.
Aaron Johnson (05:48):
Yeah. And what would you describe as the beer styles
you focus on? What's the character?
Liam Jeffries (05:54):
Yeah, I'll let Paul get into that further. Paul was
big into hazy IPA's, and then once we got going
here, we got into a fruit series. And that's what
people seem to love about us. Our strawberry blonde is
our biggest seller. We just came out with a Sayulita
Sunrise, a mock- up of a Tequila Sunrise, the same
(06:16):
ingredients. So that's fruity lager. A lot of berry sours,
tropic sour. And yeah, lots of fruit. So it's kind
of the direction Paul's been going, but also loves his
IPA's, and hazy IPA's.
Aaron Johnson (06:33):
Right. So, congratulations on a year. Is there any ideas
of expanding? Do you have a kitchen? Do you want
a kitchen? What's happening there?
Liam Jeffries (06:42):
Yeah. So we just teamed up with Nook. So we
get pizzas from them. We've got this fancy oven that
cooks them in a minute and 30 seconds. So we
have a margherita, we got pepperoni-
Aaron Johnson (06:54):
Oh, so they're not coming hot up the street, they're actually-
Liam Jeffries (06:57):
They're prepped before and they're cooked here.
Aaron Johnson (06:58):
Awesome.
Liam Jeffries (06:59):
So yeah, we've had that going for three months now.
It's been a huge success. It keeps people in here
for lunch and dinner. And so, yeah, we've already got
our kitchen made, expansion, yeah. I won't give too much
detail yet, but always looking to expand tasting rooms.
Aaron Johnson (07:15):
Obviously, packaged is probably expanding more, right?
Liam Jeffries (07:18):
Yeah, packaged. Yeah. Right now with COVID, we have our
own canning line that we launched about two months ago
now. And that's helped a lot, canning whatever beer we
want, whenever we want to can. And especially right now
with a lot of off sales going out the door.
Aaron Johnson (07:37):
After a year of reflecting, and then probably the most
difficult thing that could have been thrown at you as
a business owner, if somebody was to open up a
brewery, what would be some advice you could give them?
Liam Jeffries (07:46):
Don't do it in (inaudible) . I'm kidding. Yeah, just
stick with it, and stick to your passion, and it'll
all work out. I've seen a couple breweries and distilleries
going through it right now, and they're still going full
steam ahead. It's a really fun business. I love it
(08:06):
personally and I have no regrets, even through COVID. So
just stick with it, yeah.
Aaron Johnson (08:11):
Cool. Well, thank you, sir.
Liam Jeffries (08:13):
Thank you.
Aaron Johnson (08:14):
Big thank you to Liam for his time. Really appreciate
it, dude. Now, before we continue, the COVID- 19 pandemic
has radically changed the way we are all living and
working. But now we are slowly starting to reopen our
small businesses here in British Columbia. Although travel is somewhat
limited throughout the province, there's nothing wrong with planning a
future trip. And that is what the BC Ale Trail
is perfect for. On the website at bcaletrail. ca, you'll
(08:37):
find recommended itineraries, a comprehensive list of every craft brewery
in BC, a calendar of beer events, and a blog
with lots of great stories. The regional ale trails include
local breweries, pubs, and restaurants, along with other activities the
area has to offer. So stay local for now. But
as you plan your post- pandemic trip, let the BC
Ale Trail guide you. New experiences are brewing nearby at
(08:57):
the bcaletrail. ca. All right. Time to talk to the
brewer at North Point Brewing.
Paul Kovamees (09:04):
My name is Paul Kovamees, and I am the head brewer
here at North Point Brewing.
Aaron Johnson (09:08):
All right, cool. And how did beer find you?
Paul Kovamees (09:10):
You know what, it's a long story. I spent a
lot of summers growing up in Estonia, where my family's
from. And between the summers of grade 11 and 12, which
was the summer of 2010, I believe, I was in
Estonia. And a friend of my brother's was traveling Europe
at the time. And he came to stay with me
(09:31):
in Estonia, and we were hanging out having some beverages.
Aaron Johnson (09:35):
Did you go to the Sori Brewery there?
Paul Kovamees (09:36):
I didn't. I don't think at the time they were around.
Aaron Johnson (09:39):
It was my favorite out there.
Paul Kovamees (09:41):
Oh really?
Aaron Johnson (09:41):
Yeah.
Paul Kovamees (09:41):
And yeah, he was telling me about how his friends
brewed beer back home in Vancouver, and how it's just
a cheaper way to drink beer, I guess. And so,
I convinced my mom to buy a home beer- making
kit for Christmas. And I started doing small batches at
home. Quite enjoyed the process. And that led me to
(10:03):
pursue a food science degree outside of high school. And
so, I did that. And at the tail end of
my degree, I got my foot in the door at
a brewery in East Vancouver at Parallel 49. And I
worked there for two and a half years, started off
packaging, and then got promoted to brewing. And then in
October of 2018, Liam got in touch with me, and
(10:24):
said he was opening a brewery with some friends. And he
wanted to know if I was interested in perhaps a
new opportunity for myself, and jumped on board.
Aaron Johnson (10:34):
Awesome. And here you are.
Paul Kovamees (10:36):
And here I am. Yeah.
Aaron Johnson (10:37):
So were the recipes all yours, or did the owners
come with their own things in mind, as well?
Paul Kovamees (10:44):
The owners had the idea, like for the strawberry blonde,
Liam had the idea of having a beer with strawberry.
And then, I just took that and decided to do
a blonde base for it. But the ideas, a lot of it
comes from the owners and stuff, but then I'll break it down
and I'll design it with the help of my assistants
and stuff.
Aaron Johnson (11:02):
And so, being from Estonia, have you been able to
incorporate any special ingredients from that region?
Paul Kovamees (11:09):
I'm trying to.
Aaron Johnson (11:10):
Okay.
Paul Kovamees (11:11):
I am going to do that. I really want to
do an Estonian- style farmhouse ale. But it's still in
the works right now.
Aaron Johnson (11:18):
How big's the system back there?
Paul Kovamees (11:19):
It's a 20 hec system. We have four 20- hec
fermenters, and two 20- heck bright tanks.
Aaron Johnson (11:24):
Right. And I bet that was just rip- roaring, summertime, just
turning that over and getting those into cans, right?
Paul Kovamees (11:29):
Yeah. Yeah. And we've changed a few of the tanks
to be unitanks, as well, so we can crank them out
faster. Yeah. Summertime was busy with four fermenters just trying to
keep them all topped up and emptied.
Aaron Johnson (11:42):
Right. So what's been your favorite brew to date?
Paul Kovamees (11:44):
My favorite brew to date. I'm definitely quite happy with
how the strawberry blonde has turned out. Strawberry's a tough one to-
Aaron Johnson (11:52):
That's a solid beer, man.
Paul Kovamees (11:55):
Yeah. Thanks. And I think I'm really happy with a
lot of them, but I think what really defines a good brewer
and a good brewery is how good your pilsner or lager-
based beverage is. And I'm really happy with how our
pilsners and stuff have been turning out.
Aaron Johnson (12:11):
Because, yeah, it's tough to make those beers.
Paul Kovamees (12:14):
You can really taste all the subtle nuances and stuff.
Aaron Johnson (12:18):
Right, cool. And if somebody was wanting to get into
brewing themselves, what would be some advice you could give them?
Paul Kovamees (12:22):
I would say, just get your boots wet, get your
hands dirty. You have to accept the fact that if you want to do this as a living, you're going to have to
wash kegs and do that kind of stuff for a
long time. And then, it pays to know people. You
got to get your name out there, and just talk
to everyone you can. And just try to get your foot in
the door as quickly as possible.
Aaron Johnson (12:42):
All right. Well, sweet, dude.
Paul Kovamees (12:45):
Yeah.
Aaron Johnson (12:45):
Yeah. (foreign language) .
Paul Kovamees (12:46):
Yeah.
Aaron Johnson (12:46):
Thank you, Paul. And once again, thank you Liam both
for your time. I really do appreciate it. Man, it's a
nice sunny spot too. And looking forward to warmer days
and getting back out on that patio. And at the
moment, too, I should mention, I did a virtual yoga
session with SHYpractice in North Van. And so, if you
go in and get the mixed taster pack at North
(13:06):
Point, you actually get a QR code to your own
on demand yoga/ beer tasting session. So, yeah, go by
and check that out. Big thanks to the BC Ale
Trail once again for making this episode possible. If you
want to find out more about them, and once we're
allowed to travel again more freely, you can plan your
weekend, or week, or however long with the different itineraries
(13:28):
at bcaletrail. ca. If you want to follow us on
social media, you can by going to facebook. com forward
slash Cascadian Beer. I'm on Twitter at Cascadian Beer, and
on Instagram at Cascadian Beer Podcast. I hope you're subscribed in
your favorite podcast appropriate, and I really do appreciate your time.
Thanks so much. And until next time, remember, support your local.
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