Page 33 - 04-June-2024

↖
YOU CAN FIND SNAKE LAKE BEER ON TAP AT A COUPLE OF
chain restaurants in Edmonton. But missing is the chance to follow it up with a dip at a nearby beach. For that, you go to the source.
Adam Nachbaur has lived in the Sylvan Lake area since he was 18 years old. He’s been an oilfield mechanic and a commercial pilot, and was enticed six years ago to sell nearly everything he had to bring locally made beer to the lakeside resort town. “It was well worth the risk,” says Nachbaur.
The success of Snake Lake — which borrows from
the area’s original name — owes to striking a balance. It’s growing annually and shipping beer outside the province. But the 75-seat taproom (the patio accommodates another 50) acknowledges the needs of locals for a good brew, a chat and pub snacks, and of tourists for a memorable getaway.
“We don’t have TVs [because] beer is for conversation,” says co-owner Nachbaur. Some nights, however, there may be live music or comedy.
While the brewery’s top seller is its citrusy-smooth Sidewinder IPA, Snake Lake also serves its own line of ready-to-drink mixes, thanks to a recent addition of a
still in an expansion involving the neighbouring building. The snappy vodka lemonade is a favourite, says Nachbaur, but he also notes the subtler green tea blend as evidence of the refinement of the brewing staff.
Tucked into a business park, Snake Lake offers a break from the bustle of the beach just a few minutes away. Other respite might be found in several hotels within walking distance of the brewery (the reliable Prairie Moon Inn is conveniently located 800 metres south). Local taxis can help as needed.
“It’s easy to figure out a way to get home safely,” says Nachbaur — for the night, at least. The hard part might be actually leaving.
WHERE TO STAY
PRAIRIE MOON INN
163 KM
FROM EDMONTON
ADAM
NACHBAUR
33