A career where you create different flavours of beer, taste them and then share them with the world might sound glamorous.

Spend five minutes with Clayton and Kari Stenson in their microbrewery, however, and reality quickly sets in.

The married couple own and operate Black Bridge Brewing in Swift Current. On Friday night, they are hosting a party to celebrate nine very busy months of brewing beer.

I'd like to think it's because we're brewing beer that's somewhat against the grain. - Clayton Stenson, co-owner of Black Bridge Brewery, explaining the brewery's early success.

"We had no idea what was going to happen," Kari Stenson said while sitting in the brewery's taproom. "The [craft brewing] industry was really starting to pick up in Saskatoon and Regina during the same time frame as us. We've just seen a huge increase in the interest of craft brewing."

Clayton and Kari Stenson grew up in Swift Current and are thankful for the local support. (Eric Anderson/CBC)

Kari handles the marketing side of the business while Clayton spends most of his days in the back of the brewery coming up with unique tasting ales and lagers.

The product seems to have struck a chord with beer drinkers across the province. Liquor stores carry three Black Bridge products and many pubs and bars in Regina and Saskatoon have it on tap.

"I'd like to think it's because we're brewing beer that's somewhat against the grain. Brewing beer that I would to drink and just knowing that there's a market out there for beers like that," said Clayton Stenson.

Not all smooth sailing

The world of craft brewery is not without its challenges, especially for a young company like Black Bridge. One of the biggest Kari mentioned is grabbing the eyes of customers.

Something as simple as can design can help a small brewery stand out amongst the crowd. (Eric Anderson/CBC)

"It's tough standing out on the store shelf for sure. We notice that in Alberta. We sell into a few stores in the province and there's a lot more craft beer available there."

Kari said Facebook and a good website are good ways to reach customers, but she admits it's difficult for a microbrewery to be noticed.

That's why even a simple thing like how a can is designed involves a great deal of careful thought.

"The key to having products stand out is repetitiveness and having cans that are easy to read," Kari said. "Our cans have three descriptive words of what the product is inside and what it should taste like. But marketing is a tough one."

Thanking local support

While it might be tough to convince someone in Alberta to order a pint of Black Bridge, beer lovers in Swift Current have been behind their local brewery since the taps were installed.

Those curious about craft beer can sample any of Black Bridge Brewery's products in their tasting room. (Eric Anderson/CBC)

That support is something both Clayton and Kari do not take for granted.

"It seems like day after day after day more people are supporting us. Looking to us to help them with events. I can't say enough good things about it," Clayton said.