Julie Van Rosendaal visits Dandy Brewing Company in northeast Calgary

Calgary teacher Ben Leonand local chef Dylan Nosal were skilled hobby home brewers.

But that all changed in December 2013, when the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC)allowed Albertabreweries of any size to enter the market.

After looping in a few more palsliquor retailerMatt Gaetz andchemist Derek Waghraythegroup of friends decided to go pro.

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"We all went to the bar one night, and Ben said, 'I have this crazy idea: the AGLC just changed its laws, why don't we start a brewery?' " Gaetz said.

"So, we had more beers .. and by the end of the night,everyone thought it was a great idea."

Fast beginnings

In less than a year, that ideabecame reality.Between January and September 2014, the friends incorporated the Dandy name, signed a property lease, built their brewhouse, and had their first batch of beer on store shelves.

The company opened a small taproom in its brewery just10 weeks ago.

Its eighttaps offer a taste of the company's brews, including Dandy'sOyster Stouta beer that pairs well with the saltwater clam, butisn't made with oysters.

The Dandy taproom also featuresits English Pale Ale, along with seasonaland special one-off beers.

Past limitededition brews includelast summer's Bizarre Love Triangle,made fromsour hibiscus. And The Juliawas last fall's peach cobbler kettle sour, made with 90 pounds ofOkanaganpeachesseasoned with vanilla and cinnamon.

And let's notforget the snacks:Walker's Crisps, a ploughman's lunch supplied by the Peasant Cheese Company, Japanese bar-style grab bags, plusbrittles and toffees from Canada Sweet Shop.

Size matters

A true nanobrewery, Dandy's small size is a bonus, allowing for more creativity and experimentation.

"Breweries are 90 per centcleaning, 10 per centpaperwork, and somewhere, brewing falls in there," Leonjoked on a recent tour.

The friends designed the Dandybrewhouse themselves, equipping it with tanks first used at other breweries, likeYukon Brewing in Whitehorse, and Calgary's Wild Rose Brewery.

"We make more exciting smaller batches when we don't have to commit to two thousand or four thousand litres we can do four hundred litresand playwith that," Leonsaid.

"If it tastes like garbage, it isn't that big a deal."

Direct fire

Dandy is also a 'direct fire' brewery.The kettles are heated from underneath, rather than using steam. It's a brewing technique more common in England and Scotland, Leonsays.

"Sometimes it's tricky. But with things like our Scotch Ale, we can do things other breweries can't, like kettle caramelize. It gives itthese rich caramel notes you can't get out of grain itself. It's really true to the style."

'Naturally conditioned'

All of Dandy's ales arenaturally carbonated in the bottle, keg orcask, makingthe carbonation unique to each brew.

"Part of the process of real aleis having naturally conditioned beer," Leon says.

"It really adds to the experience,the flavour and the quality. Since our batches aren't huge, it allows us to store the beer here and allow it to carbonate. Not everyone can do that."

This past year, Dandy grewfrom fourto 12tanks.

Last month, the companyacquired a new bottling machine, so they no longer have to fill, cap and label each bottle by hand.

In stores, on menus, in-house

Dandy beers are nowsold in 130 stores across the province, and can also be found on the menus of Calgary restaurants like Anju, CHARCUT,charbar, Workshop and Proof.

They can also be purchased by the bottle or growler (airtight jugs used for transporting beer)from the Dandy brewery in the northeastCalgary neighbourhood of Vista Heights.

This past week, the four friends finally hung their sign,launched a snazzy website, and are inviting Calgarians in for a taste.