It鈥檚 been said that despite being competitors, South Okanagan businesses always have each others backs. That sentiment was on full display Tuesday (April 13) at Bad Tattoo Brewing in Penticton.
When Firehall Brewery, a smaller Oliver-based brewery, was short on space to brew enough beer to meet their expected demand as summer approaches, the guys at Bad Tattoo stepped up and let Firehall use their larger equipment on-site at their brewery for the day.
In one day Firehall Brewery was able to brew approximately 40 kegs 鈥� or 4,000 pints 鈥� worth of their Backdraft Blonde Ale, an amount that would normally take them two weeks to brew, said Firehall owner Syd Ruhland.
As a small, family-run brewery, Firehall sometimes needs to brew off-site to meet demand.
The pubic鈥檚 thirst for beer, especially as the weather gets warmer, is something that should never be underestimated, said Ruhland.
鈥淏asically our demand just far outstrips our supply,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e more or less run out of beer in some fashion every year so we go to great lengths to make sure that doesn鈥檛 happen.鈥�
Without Bad Tattoo owner Lee Agur and head brew-master Liam Hutcheson stepping up to help out the smaller brewery, Ruhland doesn鈥檛 know what he would have done.
This isn鈥檛 the first time Bad Tattoo has stepped up to help Firehall, but it may be the last. In Bad Tattoo鈥檚 early days they had ample space in their brew kettles and could easily help out. But as Bad Tattoo has grown over the years, kettle space has become more limited.
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Allowing Firehall to use their brew-room for the day was really just a kind gesture, that Ruhland said he was extremely thankful for.
鈥淲hen they first opened up, as with any brewery, until they鈥檝e established themselves they鈥檒l tend to have a bit of extra capacity,鈥� Ruhland said. 鈥淭hat was their early days but now it鈥檚 much more difficult.
So, in many ways, it鈥檚 just because we have a good relationship that they took us in when they didn鈥檛 really have to. They did warn me that this potentially might not be able to happen again.鈥�
Firehall Brewery brewed their first beer in 2012 in Oliver and has kept things small and local ever since, said Ruhland.
Their most popular beer, , is always a hit with locals and tourists in the summer, Ruhland said he hopes Bad Tattoo鈥檚 favour allows the Backdraft Blondes to keep flowing late into the summer this year in Oliver.
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jesse.day@pentictonwesternnews.com
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