Talking with brewers and brewery owners, you start to realize that there is a vast diversity when it comes to backgrounds in the craft beer industry. People from all walks of life come together for great brews. That is exactly the case for the guys at the Broadhead Brewing Company in Ottawa, whose founders have roots in different engineering disciplines.

Like many craft breweries, Broadhead traces its origins to home brewing. Josh Larocque and Shane Matte teamed up with Jason Smale and Jamie White and began brewing together. With their engineering backgrounds Larocque (aerospace), Smale (electrical) and White (mechanical), not only did they start to brew together but enhance their basement operation.

“Between the three of us we had a 20L system, which evolved to a 80L semi-automated brewhouse, in the basement that we wired into the house,” remembers White. “We could get a clean batch of beer out in five and a half hours. That was enough to produce a keg and a half.”

The process outgrew the basement and they decided to buy a commercial space. They installed their brewhouse, got all of their licenses and opened the doors in 2011. “At the time, we were one of the smallest brewhouses at .7 barrel, which if we flipped it a few times, we could make 300L in a day, just enough to keep up with front-end traffic,” added White.

In 2013, the brewery moved to a bigger location and it was a chance for the engineers to really apply their craft to their venture. “Josh and I built the mash tub, which is a 7.5 barrel so it was a 10 times jump in size. The boil pot was a commercial cooking pot from an army barracks in Wisconsin. We put a burner and igniter, made out of a natural gas furnace on it, built a burner tube on the inside, then self-certified it electrically and mechanically and built our own plaque on the side to display that everything was certified.”

Their ingenuity didn’t stop there. Larocque even designed the brewhouse’s software that allows them to control temperatures and other aspects of the process right from their phones. “We can look at them at home or be on vacation and see all the temperatures in the coolers. We can essentially brew anywhere as long as we have reception,” said White.

Their own custom made technologies have helped Broadhead produce some tasty beers. They have six core beers: Backbone Standard, a golden ale; Long Shot White, with coriander and orange overtones; Grindstone Amber, a balance of base malts and finished with a strong but sweet sharpness; Wildcard Pale Ale, a lighter IPA, Underdog Pale Ale, a more hoppy IPA; and Dark Horse Stout, an oatmeal stout. “We have a beer for everyone. We try to pride ourselves in our beers being session beers, no matter the style, so people can have more than just one.”

Out of those beers, the most recognized has become their Underdog Pale Ale. It was the most researched and developed when Larocque was experimenting with recipes and what he and White enjoyed drinking the most.

Now, Broadhead is finding success with another beer. Their Blue Print Blueberry Blonde has become a favourite at their brewhouse and at retail outlets like the LCBO, Beer Store and grocery stores. “We knew it was good, but the demand just kept coming. We were doing 700L at a time, then got up to 1,800L. We started doing contract brewing with Big Rig and are now at 12,000L. It just took off on us and I think it is because it is a nice, crisp summer brew.”

In addition to the Blue Print, the Dark Horse Stout and Grindstone Amber are available at LCBO, Beer Store and grocery locations. They are now also well over 100 licensees around the province.

Broadhead is in the process of getting a bigger brewhouse. They are focused on getting larger tanks and their own canning line to keep more of the production in house. Still, their goals remain the same. They aim to continue experimenting with beers, be involved in their community, share those beers with the community, and of course see where their ideas take them. “Josh and I always liked building things so we will see what comes out of that,” added White. “What’s better than making new beers and putting them out for the masses to try?”

Cheers!

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