Craft brewery brings unique flavour to Kamloops dining scene

By Michael Potestio

Until last year, if you were a fan of the brewpub scene and a Kamloops resident, you were out of luck.

David Beardsell, Brew Master of the Noble Pig, changed all that when he opened Kamloops' first brewpub. When asked why, he replies: “Because the beer here in town sucked.”

Originally from Vancouver, Beardsell came to Kamloops in 1993 and launched the Bear Brewing Company, which was sold to Big Rock Brewery in 2003. He then spent a couple years travelling with his family before coming back to Kamloops and doing volunteer work for almost four years. In 2010 Beardsell decided to open the Noble Pig and has been making and selling his in-house brews ever since.

He said he wanted to start something that was unique compared to the corporate, casual dining restaurants here in town.

“I wanted to see something different, that’s all,” said Beardsell.

He said he wanted to get back to a whole foods type of mentality, as the Noble Pig does not buy anything premade. Aside from the ketchup and mayonnaise, everything is made from scratch.

What sets Beardsell’s beer apart from commercial beers is that it’s fresh and not manipulated by chemicals and filters. Beardsell said big-box breweries usually have a production time of around a week, whereas the beer from the Noble Pig takes three weeks to seven months to make. He said commercial breweries also usually use enhancements to speed up the fermentation process, use centrifuges, and heavily filter the beer, all of which leave it tasteless.

Maeghan Summers, general manager of the Noble Pig, said she used to just drink commercial beers, and quickly noticed the difference one night after trying the beer Beardsell brews.

“I had that moment where I realized that I’m really fortunate to try beers that are of a totally different caliber and of a different quality,” said Summers.

One of the benefits of running a brewpub is the ability to be creative and experiment with different flavours. Beardsell has used many different items in his beers such as orange peel, lemon grass and even pumpkin.

“We just did a pumpkin ale, and a pumpkin went into the mash; [it] actually went in with the barley, which is a little different,” said Beardsell.

Since opening, Beardsell has created 18 different beers, 11 of which are seasonal brews. Beardsell said one of the most interesting parts of his job is having the ability to produce beers that people appreciate because they are so unique.

Beardsell said when he was trying to get the brewpub off the ground, most of his potential investors told him he didn’t have a hope in hell of making it. One concern was that opening up a restaurant is always a risky venture. Another concern some had was selling only beer made on the premises. Beardsell said some people told him a place that only sold craft beer, and didn’t sell any commercial beer, would never survive in Kamloops.

“So when I heard that I said ‘fine that’s exactly what we’ll do’ and you know what, from the day we opened we’ve been busy, so it just goes to show you that not everyone knows what they’re talking about,” said Beardsell.

He looked at 35 places before choosing the location downtown which is just less than 9,000 square feet, and was the biggest place they could get their hands on, said Beardsell.

But size hasn’t mattered as he’s proven his critics wrong and created what is arguably Kamloops’ most unique and innovative establishment. The public seem to have fully embraced the Noble Pig and its design, as the brewpub continues to attract large crowds.

Tammy Robertson, business and client cervices manager at Kamloops City Hall, said the Noble Pig is a great addition to the city.

“It’s a unique offering, in that it’s a brewpub. It’s offering unique entertainment and dining experience for our residents and that’s always welcome,” said Robertson.

Beardsell said he also believes people are interested in supporting local businesses.

“I think that the reality is that people are becoming more and more aware of their sphere that they’re living in, and that the more they think about it the more comfortable they are with supporting very, very local and regional producers,” said Beardsell.

Noble Pig customer Mark Wallin said Beardsell offers a great balance of different beer styles.

“He’s a traditionalist in the sense that he’s gone back with each one of the styles of beers that he’s doing," said Wallin. "He’s modeled it after an old country style.”

Working in the brewpub has been both interesting and challenging for Brew Master assistant Gino Bonanno. He used to brew beer in his basement, using garbage cans for fermentation. Once joining the Noble Pig, Gino was able to experience the craft of brewing on a much different scale.

Bonanno said there are a lot of different machines, valves, and transfers and doesn’t think many people realize just how much work goes into the process.

“It’s a long process, whereas in my garage it took me 20 minutes,” said Bonanno.

On the day of the interview, Beardsell and Bonanno began brewing at 6 a.m. and finished around 2 p.m.

Beardsell said the craft brewing industry has undergone a transformation, as brewpubs have become increasingly common and popular since the first one opened in Horseshoe Bay, B.C.

“Since then, what’s happened is that we’ve had this evolution where all these small breweries became fairly well known, they all got bought up by big breweries, disappeared, and it’s all started again,” said Beardsell.

He said there are around 1,600 breweries in North America, and predicted craft breweries will continue to grow. He said a town such as Kamloops could support two or three brewpubs.