Microbreweries and distilleries are quickly becoming more common across Alberta as the industry grows in popularity, and one group of brewer entrepreneurs is one step closer to opening their own brewpub in the Town of Rimbey.

Hawk Tail Brewery has submitted their application to open a brewpub, which passed first reading at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

A date has now been set for an information session and public hearing, so residents can express any concerns for or against the application.

Randall Vandenhoven is one of the owners, and he says a brewpub typically refers to a very small brewery that produces their beer for sale out of a taproom.

“Brewpub is typically refereeing to like nano-breweries, very small breweries that produce their beer for sale out of a taproom. That’s something where you are around 7-10 barrels of production. Our production facility will be approximately the same size that Blindman started with, so we’ll be a little bit bigger than a brewpub, but not a whole lot.”

They plan on hosting events such as yoga, live concerts and receptions, gatherings Vandenhoven says are a staple of small communities.

“Lacombe and Rimbey I find are two towns that really do a good job of coming together and doing business together as well, and having a great community that volunteers and takes part, and that’s really what builds communities.”

Vandenhoven says they plan on sourcing hops and barely from local farmers to help diversify the local agriculture economy.

If all goes well, they hope to have their doors opened by August, and four full time employees at start up, with the eventual goal being to employ 10 people full time in the next 2-3 years.

A public hearing is scheduled for April 10th at the Town of Rimbey, before 2nd and 3rd reading can take place.

(The outside of the building where Hawk Tail Brewery’s hopes to set up shop. Photo courtesy of the Hawk Tail Brewery Facebook page.)