What started as a food truck in Fort McMurray, is turning into 琉璃神社鈥檚 newest brewery.

Back in 2015, 琉璃神社鈥檚 Liam Mitchell was working on a construction site in Fort McMurray, where a women named Crystal Cain, who was also just working in the town at the time, was running a food truck called 鈥楾he Grub Wagon鈥�. The two met, got married, bought the food truck for themselves and moved to Mitchell鈥檚 琉璃神社 home while continuing to operate the food truck. 鈥楾he Wagon鈥� has been a staple at the 琉璃神社鈥檚 Farmers Market since 2018.

On top of the food truck, Mitchell operates his own plumbing company in 琉璃神社 but since the start of 2022, they鈥檝e had the idea to expand and pursue their dream into opening a brewery.

鈥淲e were having to divide my time between helping operate the food truck business and my plumbing company and I was sort of falling out of love with plumbing,鈥� said Mitchell. 鈥淚 needed to start to think about a decision to make a career shift.鈥�

Mitchell started looking at commercial real estate in 琉璃神社 in Jan. 2022 for a place where he could have a kitchen with a small area to use as plumbing shop as well. After looking for more than six months, he had trouble finding a place because of bigger companies buying properties with knock-down clauses because they plan on building apartment buildings in the future.

鈥淥nce I saw the writing on the wall, I realized it wasn鈥檛 going to be as easy as I thought to just jump in,鈥� said Mitchell. 鈥淚 already made the decision that something was going to happen, and I kind of always had the idea that someday, maybe, I would turn the space into a brewery. I鈥檝e been home brewing for a couple years now and it鈥檚 one of those things where I wanted to pursue my dream job.鈥�

He ultimately decided to leave the plumbing shop area of the space behind and look for a place to build a brewery. The idea of having everyone all together in one direction was important to the family as well, instead of running between his plumbing company and the food truck.

In August, they were able to lock down their location at 105-1111 Gordon Drive. 鈥溾�淚t was a shoebox with a bathroom in it,鈥� said Mitchell.

The space helps extend 琉璃神社鈥檚 brewery district further east as it鈥檚 down the road from Railside Brewing, which opened last August.

鈥淚 think we鈥檙e pretty fortuitous that Railside opened up before us because it鈥檚 always good to have brewery neighbours,鈥� said Mitchell. 鈥淲e have good neighbours right in our building.鈥�

Around the same time, one of the other units in the building was leased to become a plant store, which opened recently. The area is growing, as Mitchell told Capital News a tattoo shop is also opening beside the brewery.

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While in the process of finding a place, they had the food truck open throughout the summer, which is entirely vegetarian and vegan, something they plan on keeping at the brewery.

鈥淭he Wagon is [vegan and vegetarian] so we鈥檇 be foolish to abandon the following that we鈥檝e amassed with the food truck,鈥� said Mitchell. 鈥淭o my knowledge, I鈥檝e been to a lot of breweries in the province but haven鈥檛 been to one that鈥檚 vegan or vegetarian, there鈥檚 definitely a nich茅 market there.鈥�

Mitchell and Cain eat mostly plant-based foods and live by the mantra 鈥榚at more plants鈥�.

As for a name, 鈥楾he Wagon鈥� name won鈥檛 continue. The brewery will be named Buffalo Rouge Brewing, and there鈥檚 a couple reasons behind it.

Something Mitchell and Cain have adopted in their life is the buffalo because they met in Fort McMurray, which is known as the municipality of the Wood Buffalo. Because of that, they buy each other buffalo-related gifts and art and even each have a buffalo tattoo. Then one day, one of Cain鈥檚 friends called Mitchell 鈥楶apa Rouge鈥� because of his red hair. His plumbing company was also called 鈥楻ed Giant Mechanical鈥�.

鈥淲e just sort of merged the two together,鈥� said Mitchell. 鈥淥ver the years of talking about a name, we decided that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 going to be. It stuck and it had a nice ring to it.鈥�

The couple鈥檚 goal is to have the brewery open in the spring. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to keep the pedal to the medal here,鈥� said Mitchell.

Mitchell has been homebrewing for a couple years and plans on having a little bit of everything at the establishment.

鈥淲e鈥檙e planning on having a bit of a mix of traditional craft beer offerings as well as experimental and seasonal beers that we鈥檒l rotate,鈥� said Mitchell, who loves making hazy IPA beers the most. 鈥淚 like making beers for occasions. The seasonality of brewing is important. If there鈥檚 something big or important in our lives or coming up for the brewery or the city, we鈥檒l have specific beers for those purposes.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to live our family mom-and-pop shop fantasy,鈥� said Mitchell. 鈥淚t seems like the universe wants this to happen. It鈥檚 nice to set down roots here.鈥�

READ MORE: Lower Mainland brewery expanding to Lake Country

READ MORE: 鈥業 sacrificed everything to get this going鈥�: 琉璃神社鈥檚 newest thrift store opening a success

jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.com
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