Langley as BC’s Next Craft Beer Boomtown
– TIM LAHAY
Five Roads is just around the corner from Trading Post and has a cozy tasting room licensed for 50 seats. They will be brewing on a 10 hectolitre system and will have 14 fermentors so they can always offer a good variety of exciting beers. The plan is to always have 10 or 11 taps pouring their beer as well some local cider. They will also have a small kitchen and will have a menu of locally sourced cuisine. There is also discussion of putting in some shuffleboard and possibly some old arcade games. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner Aaron Fourt and brewmaster Patrick Moore who were nice enough to show me around and give me some insight on where they are at. After a very long journey, they anticipate being the first of the new breweries to open for business.
WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND YOUR BREWERY NAME?
“The name Five Roads Brewing was inspired by the historic Five Corners intersection in the Township of Langley. We wanted to incorporate something local that could also apply more broadly to anywhere but we discovered a Six Corners Brewing in Alberta so we decided on Five Roads, which in the end we like even more! Our thinking behind the name also came from the fact that there are five of us involved in the project and we thought it was a cool way to describe the space and our beer as a meeting point of sorts where roads and people intersect and the community can come together. Historically this was the case where crossroads brought people from far and wide together and remains true to this day. Langley is a place experiencing a great deal of change and growth in this phase of its history so what better way to signify this by creating a new community hub that allows everyone to come and meet. We want people to see our brewery as a welcoming space to cross paths with friends, both old and new! In the same sense, we incorporate both historic and contemporary elements of this area in our brand influence so we reflect the intersection of old and new, urban and rural, and past and future, all the things that make this community so vibrant and awesome!”
DOES THE OWNERSHIP HAVE A CONNECTION TO LANGLEY?
“We have all lived and worked in nearby cities but in the same way, as our name suggests, we found a happy meeting point and a place where things jelled right here in Langley. It wasn’t until we set up here that things really came together and we attribute that in huge part to the community and the Township. There is something special here and once we discovered it we knew we didn’t want to be anywhere else and so we have found a very happy home. We are looking forward to collectively raising the awareness that Langley is becoming the next craft beer boomtown and definitely the quality of brewers and breweries established already and in the process of setting up speaks to the great things that are coming for the region.”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BREWING PHILOSOPHY?
“In the dynamic craft beer market in BC, we want to do things well and stick to producing high-quality craft beer products. Importantly, we are focused on creating an environment and space that is both a reflection of the local community and brings people here to experience the uniqueness of Langley and the Fraser Valley. Our brewing philosophy aims to pair the products, the people, and the space into an experience that is more than the sum of these parts.”
WHO IS YOUR HEAD BREWER AND WHAT IS THEIR HISTORY IN THE INDUSTRY?
“Our head brewer is Patrick Moore who has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of the craft brewing industry from being an exceptional brewer to sales and marketing, and building and managing a range of breweries. He recently opened Crossroads Brewing in Prince George as head brewer and manager and was previously at Howe Sound Brewing for a number of years as well as R&B Brewing.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE GROWTH OF CRAFT BEER IN LANGLEY?
“It’s fantastic! Langley is a fast changing and growing community that deserves its own craft beer scene that reflects what’s going on here. The collection of breweries in Langley, both established and upcoming, will certainly inject some excitement into the local beer culture and carve out a place in BC for Langley’s craft breweries. It’s very exciting to be a part of this especially since a boom appears to be imminent and we have already established great relationships with the other breweries here. It does seem like something special is taking shape and with Langley already positioned as a culinary and winery hub, craft brewing is going to help round out this amazing diversity of food and drink available in the region.”
WHAT MAKES YOUR BREWERY UNIQUE?
“Definitely the space and environment we have created are conducive to socializing and being open to new things and that’s really what we want to enhance in the experience people have here. It’s a place where you will always be able to find a rotating lineup of great beers that offer up new tastes and certainly is a physical space that is a true reflection of a vibrant and growing community, full of life and always a place you can cross paths with friends and good times.”
Read the full article here
