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That means new beer, new branding, updates in the brewhouse, a revamped tasting room, and a whole new company culture symbolized by the brewery’s new tag line: “Where next?”

“We’re going from what was a very paralyzed company to one that’s always going to be exploring,” says Bjerrisgaard.

Much of that exploring is being done in recipe development by production manager and R&D brewer Danny Seeton, formerly of Vancouver’s Parallel 49.

Already, three “legacy” beers have been overhauled. The iconic Piper’s Pale Ale now tastes more in the vein of a classic English pale ale; Hermann’s Dark Lager is now called 48 Dark Lager; and SeaDog Amber Ale has become the super piney and dank Carmanah Amber Ale, stuffed with Simcoe hops.

Four further canned products — two lagers and two ales — will be released on March 1, the day of VIB’s full relaunch.

There is also going to be limited-batch releases aplenty, says Bjerrisgaard, who adds reassuringly that VIB’s craft favourite, the Hermannator eisbock, isn’t going anywhere.

“The nerds are going to be excited, too. We’ve got some fun ideas and we’re going to do some innovative stuff,” Bjerrisgaard says.

The first step of VIB’s great revival occurred last November with the release of 19 IPA (6 per cent ABV), the first West Coast IPA ever made by the brewery — which, in itself, is a sign of how much things were lagging.

“It’s a statement of where we’re starting to go. Its a transitionary beer between the old regime and the new,” Bjerrisgaard says, adding that the beer was an ideal test recipe for the brewing team to work with new ingredients.