Fredericton craft brewers bring new meaning to friendly competition

Grimross Brewing owner Stephen Dixon has been coordinatinghis brewing schedule alongsidecompetitor Gray Stone Brewing over the last few months, the latest good deed inFredericton's craft brewing industry.

Perhaps more accurately defined as a community, the brewers areopenly friendly to each other, lending and borrowing supplies as needed, and even sharing employees..

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After a long delay on Gray Stone's brewing equipment that was expected months ago, the new brewery and tap house needed a plan B in order to stay onschedule.

"A lot of different ideas came in our heads, what can we do, how can we set this up?" said Gray Stone assistant brewer Ryan Placktis. "We contacted Maybee and Grimross and they both said they'd be willing to help us, and it's been a great experience."

Placktis estimatedthey've done five brewing days at Grimross and two at Maybee in the last three months. The favours allowed them to ferment and serve their own beer at the tap house.

"We would have been ready to open, but we wouldn't have had our beer," he said, of the July 1 launch.

Paying it forward

Dixon saidthe favour is in line with craft brewing culture, at least in Fredericton.

"I think a lot of us began as hobbyists and home brewers," he said. "That social culture, that wanting to share and collaborate and everyone being exciting about what's happening in this industryis part of what makes someone like me want to help."

He saidcoordinating schedules isn't easy, but remembers being helped in a similar way when he got started.

Before getting its own set-up, Grimross brewed in the Picaroons' facility on Queen Street, which isnow being used by up-and-coming brewer Matt Corey, owner of Half Cut Brewing.

"We're the underdogs of the brewing world," said Corey about craft brewers. "Helping everyone else is very important."

Rising tide

Dixon agrees that there is a sense of community amongst local craft brewers, sincethere is still so much of the market to conquer together.

He saidthe craft brewing industry in New Brunswick only accounts for three per cent of beer sales, and New Brunswick craft beer, only one per cent.

"There's just so much opportunity," he said.

"If someone tries a Picaroons or a Maybee or Gray Stone or Trailwayand they say 'Wow that's good beer, that's craft beer,' the next time they're driving by Grimrossthey may say, 'Well I'll give that a try too.'"

Artists with a passion

General Manager of the King Street Ale HouseJason Rooneyhas seen that growth.

"Now the majority of our sales are local draft and it's definitely taken off," he said. "When we started doing this, craft beer was very much like a growing trend in its very early stages, and now it seems like they can't get enough of it."

He saidthe competition and collaboration will only better the products, and to the people who think it's strange that the brewers are so chummy he draws a parallel.

"It's people with passion," he said. "Theyvery much are like artists and they're just trying to bring out something peoplecan talk about and enjoy."

Dixon saidthe friendly relationship will continue, even when the market is getting saturated.

"The day may come when we're not brewing in each other's facilities," he said. "But I think there will always be a collaborative relationship between brewers I still believe that we're always going to want to share and collaborate to celebrate craft beer."

Gray Stone expects its equipment next week and will be doing its last brew day at Grimross this weekend.