year and the year before we did 14 of those. So, it keeps our brewing
team busy creating and brewing different beers,” said Baxter.
“We spend a lot of time reading about the beer world, looking
for opportunities to try something different. For example, a couple
of us just returned from a few days in Vermont and New York, visit-ing
breweries and tap rooms, seeing what’s out there that’s good.”
Yukon Brewing sells its beer in both bottles (in 341 ml and 650
ml sizes) and in cans (in 355 ml and 473 ml sizes). “In fact, we were
the first small brewer in North America to can our beer, in 2000,”
said Baxter.
According to Baxter, Yukon Brewing beers are available in
B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and even “at
a bar in Tokyo, should you seek it out.”
Baxter says the biggest challenge operating a a craft brewery
in the Yukon is the small size of the home market. Just under 36,000
live in territory, with almost 22,000 of those residing in Whitehorse.
“Even other markets, like Alaska, B.C. or Alberta are nowhere
close to us. Our business plan noted how important exports to
those places would be. We quickly learned that we are only the
home team at home, and developing those exports has been — and
continues to be — our biggest challenge,” Baxter said.
“Having said that, the local support we have garnered has
been phenomenal, and our local market share is no doubt way in
excess of small brewers in most other places. And, the pure image
of the Yukon does not hurt in the area of beer and spirits.”
More choice for beer drinkers
The first brewery to operate in the territory since the Prohibition
era, Yukon Brewing was established in part to provide beer drink-ers
in the Yukon with more options.
“When we opened, this was Budweiser territory. They do a
great job of making a consistent, but light beer. While we will never
have their quality control resources, we felt that it was important
to also provide a consistent, quality product – just not so light.”
Baxter said.
He adds his company was the only brewery in the Yukon until
about three years ago, when their first competitor opened.
“Now there are four, counting us, with another apparently on
the horizon. There are also two other distillers in the Yukon,” Baxter
said. “I am sure that, on a per capita basis, the Yukon has the most
alcohol manufacturers in Canada.”
According to Baxter, Yukon Brewing is dedicated to giving
back to its home community, and actively supports many events
and causes each year.
“We make a lot of our revenue from tourists, and we become
the conduit between their spending and community needs. In fact,
we sell tours/samples year-round, and 100 per cent of that revenue
goes back into the community to support non-profits and fund-raisers,”
said Baxter.
“We have had locals ask us: ‘Is there anything you don’t spon-sor?’
Of course there is, but we sure like to hear that we have cre-ated
that impression.”
Yukon Brewing joined Beer Canada within months of open-ing
in 1997.
“Beer Canada is important to us. We fight our own fights
when they are ours to fight – but many issues come up that are
industry issues, and that should be addressed as a united industry,”
said Baxter. “Our business and the multi-nationals are very differ-ent,
but we often share concerns that are best addressed by the
industry as a whole. Hence, Beer Canada.” n
B R E W E RY
30 § POURED CANADA § www.poured.ca
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