BC Business
The people behind Strathcona Beer Company are confident in the company’s expansion to a crowded North Vancouver market
The brewery sector has always operated on razor-thin margins. With the recent inflation rates and a tough economy, many breweries in B.C. have been forced to close over the last couple of years.
Some still spy opportunity, though. Take Strathcona Beer Company partner Adrian McInnes and culinary director Jonquil Parisian, who have just helped open the company’s second location, conveniently perched next to the seabus terminal on the Lonsdale Quay.
With its East Vancouver brewery still going strong after eight years, the team at Strathcona was looking for options when they were approached by Quay Urban North Development, the team behind the Lonsdale Quay Market, after the previous tenant, Green Leaf Brewing, vacated the space.
“It’s always been on our minds to open up a tied house,” says McInnes, who explains that, with a manufacturing licence, businesses are able to open up other restaurants and bars that are tied to that licence. “The owners of the Quay approached us, they literally cold called us and kind of offered it to us. And our beers have always had a strong following on the North Shore—it’s one of our best-selling areas as far as wholesale distribution. So we were like, ‘let’s go for it.’”
Because of the unique way its licenced—right now, patrons are only able to consume 24 oz. of alcohol per sitting—Strathcona North is decidedly food-forward. And that’s something that won’t change even when the licensing restrictions do (McInnes predicts that’ll happen later this fall).
“People are really careful with how they spend, but they want to have the full experience,” says Parisian. “The first phrase that came to mind when building this was ‘friends of Strath’—coming to a new community and building friends. That’s not only on how people come and sit in our bar and make new friends, but in how we work with other vendors in this area on our menu. So our bread is from Bad Dog Bread in North Van, we use Two Rivers Meats for our meat products and we work with local cheesemongers.”
The menu features traditional pub items like burgers and wings, but they’re elevated. The wings are made with duck, for instance, and are braised with the brewery’s popular Love Buzz sour beer. The muscles are made with the Beach Radler. “We wanted to have this balance of something that has integrity, is ethical and sustainable and is also something people can afford on a regular basis, I love those challenges,” says Parisian.
It’s a fairly big shift for the company, which prides itself on its pizza at its original location. The physical space itself is also striking. Carefully finished with wood and green accents, it’s easy to see the homage to its surroundings. “We wanted an inside/outside kind of vibe that would play on the North Shore mountains out front,” says Parisian.
As for whether the brewery can distinguish itself from a competitive brewery scene that McInnes calls “friendly,” the pair are hopeful. The Quay is still under a lot of construction—including building up a Metro Vancouver flagship location of Toronto juggernaut Kings Taps, which will open next door, likely in the spring.
“It’s been difficult for people in our industry who are trying to create good products,” says Parisian. “All the costs have gone up, but our clients are expecting beer prices to stay the same. We have to keep our integrity, that beer knowledge and that quality of product.”
The company’s new electrolyte tequila drink, Lolo, has also helped diversify its business. “The brewing staff have embraced it—they realized it was a delicious product,” says McInnes. “At first when we said we were buying a juicer, they were like, ‘Oh my gosh, another thing to have to do.’ But when we came out with the product using freshly squeezed juice, it was a game changer. Everyone is backing it and we’re excited to keep moving forward with it.”