Photography by Curtis Comeau
If you’re a brewery, being small can let you think big. While having a small operation can limit the total amount of beer a company brews, making it in small batches allows a brewery to experiment and regularly switch things up.
The folks at Town Square Brewing Co., which opened last fall, see their small collection of tanks as being metaphorically half-full – of possibilities.
“Here, you can push the boundaries,” said Drew Sinden, who left an established craft brewery, Lighthouse Brewing in Victoria, to join one of Edmonton’s newest start-ups as one of its two brewers.
Town Square had seven beers in a range of styles during a visit in November. A German-style rauchbier (smoked beer) had a good amount of smoke without being overpowering – not an easy thing to manage. An amber ale made with rye showed some nice complexity, with a pleasing combination of spicy rye, caramel sweetness and a hint of dark chocolate in the finish.
Specific beers may come and go, but co-owner and president Brandon Boutin said the roster will cover a wide spectrum of genres and flavours to ensure there’s always something on tap for everyone: An IPA for hopheads, a darker beer for people who like porters and stouts, and so on.
One beer that’s likely to stick around is 2919 Blonde Ale. With a pleasant bready malt profile and satisfying medium body, it’s an approachable beer for newbies that’s flavourful enough for an experienced palate to appreciate, too.
2919 Ellwood Dr., 587-335-8253, townsquarebrewing.com
This article appeared in the February 2018 issue of Avenue Edmonton.
This article appears in the February 2018 issue of Avenue Edmonton
