t’s Friday afternoon with only a few minutes left before the weekend starts. It’s time to rest and relax, so why not start it off right? I’d say it’s perfect day to stop at the local pub and have an ice-cold tap-poured pint. Our palettes have become accustom to what beer we like, but ironically, we are in an age where we are more willing to experiment with our beverage. It’s not all about the domestic or international big name brands and players anymore. Welcome to the age of unique taste and extraordinary quality of craft beer.
After twelve years of home brewing, three years of extensive business planning and research, the doors opened to Black Bridge Brewery, Swift Current, Saskatchewan ‘s newest and highly successful craft beer plant owned and operated by Clayton and Kari Stenson.
“The growth of craft beer in the United States was trending very high and research showed it to be a recession proof business,” Kari explained.
“This led us to believe that the craft boom was going to hit Saskatchewan eventually and [we] felt that we could offer some amazing beers.”
The passionate name behind the company arose from a small iron black bridge just outside the small town that became a local landmark to the citizens of Swift Current for its’ breathtaking beauty against the backdrop of the Saskatchewan prairies.
“It’s a place that many of us have built memories from,” Stenson said.
“The stories that we hear about the bridge range from ghost stories, to people taking their children to fish. A lot of people have great memories having their wedding photos taken on the bridge, too.”
Black Bridge Brewery offers a variety of unique tasting flavours with four-flagship beer in their lineup plus seasonal beer throughout the year.
“The names of the beers are very simple [and] easy for people to know what they are getting,” Stenson said. “We love the look of our brand because it is easy to understand and it is recognizable on the shelf.”
Though Black Bridge Brewery is one of the newest breweries in Saskatchewan, it didn’t take long for Canada to notice the gorgeous aromas and beautiful palate that caused one’s taste buds to dance.
“We were honoured to have our Milk Stout win a bronze medal at the Canada Brewing Awards,” Stenson said.
“We had only been up for eight months at that time, so it was a huge deal for us to be noticed.”
Black Bridge Brewery products reach a large audience throughout Alberta and Manitoba and have the “beer in all Saskatchewan Gaming and Liquor Authority (S.G.L.A.) liquor stores in Saskatchewan.”
The high-quality product shows itself off well with the freshness and availability that is always top for Black Bridge customers.
“[The] variety and different styles that we produce give customers new beers to sample and expand their knowledge of craft beer,” Stenson said.
“We love making beer and it shows up in each of our unique products.”