It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Field House Brewing Co. The creativity of their flavour combos is hard to beat - often selling out before I can get my hands on a can - and their branding is some of my favourite on the shelves, instantly recognizable, thanks to designer Brittany Cardinal. I often find myself reaching for a Field House can before even looking at the other beers on display.
When I had a chance to take a wee tour of the Field House tasting room and get a glimpse of what happens behind-the-scenes, I jumped at the opportunity and am so excited to take you along with me!
Walking in from the cold, the Field House tasting room is instantly inviting with a sign proudly displaying their philosophy: Good Beers + Good Times. It has a bright interior. White tiles behind the shining taps, a fridge full of delicious beers, and a display of merch that almost made me empty my wallet. There's a distinct cabin vibe the further into the tasting room that you go, with a fireplace that brings all the cozy vibes and invites you to stay awhile. I was greeted by Joshua, their Director of Sales & Distribution, and a part of the Field House team since the near beginning, his depth of knowledge on everything Field House made him the perfect guide. He took me for a tour of their building. I learnt about it's history as a mechanic shop - the garage doors providing a backdrop for those big tanks in which the magic happens - in addition to the even bigger tanks outside, backdropped by blue sky. We then went around to the front of the brewery where the tasting room is a family affair, much like the pubs across the pond, with a play area for the kids and the famous Field House beer lawn. Joshua & I sat down by the fire to share a perogy pizza and some anecdotal stories, with a flight of good beer on hand.
I also asked when they're bringing the Dill Chip Dip back, iykyk!
Q&A
1. Your entire brand is based around the concept of Good Beers + Good Times. What was the inspiration behind that? "Going way back to when we started, we were always inspired by the hardworking community of Abbotsford and the lovely idea of a cold beer well-earned after a hard days work in the field - being that we're surrounded by so much farming and agricultural communities. It's a simple philosophy, we wanted to make the most delicious and exciting beer we could. We also saw a need for creating a great space for gathering together and that we could curate an experience like that. So Good Beers & Good Times really encapsulates that initial simple vision of gathering together with friends and family around the universal love of beer." 2. You've come out with some amazing beers, incorporating fun flavours and combinations. What keeps the inspiration fresh? Where do you go when looking for ideas? "Collaboration is definitely a big part of our inspiration. Both internally where we have structured meetings where our teams can deliberate on beer ideas and concepts, and externally where we work together with other breweries or ice creameries, coffee roasters, distilleries etc. to inspire us to think outside the box with beer and create familiar yet surprising concepts & flavours." 3. Are there any beers coming up that you are particularly excited about? What can we look forward to next? "Personally I'm really looking forward to our Czech Pale Lager & Czech Dark Lager mix pack. I'm a lager boy." 4. Do you have a favourite beer from Field House? "Field House Lager - Our 100 day pilsner was probably my favourite limited release." 5. What inspires your menu? And when will we see a return of the Dill Chip Dip? "Our menu is inspired by our team, our community and our farm. We integrate our farm into our menu as much as possible, letting seasonal produce dictate what we need to work with for creating new menu items and features. Our feature menu program changes regularly and is developed by our kitchen teams collaboratively. And as far as the Dill Chip Dip goes... I sure hope so. Look out for that when Spring rolls back around." 6. What are some of your other favourite breweries, local or otherwise? "Well we've got a lot of brewery friends across the province... it's hard to play favourites. As I'm Australian I take lots of inspiration from the craft brewery scene in Australia. Locally we're a part of a great community out in the Fraser Valley - Trading Post, Farmhouse Brewing, Ravens Brewing, Old Yale, Sidekick just opened in Chilliwack and some of our friends and past colleagues at Field House are doing great things - there's too many to mention. Everyone's learning from each other and making great beer out here."
