The tasting room of Calgary microbrewery Ol’ Beautiful Brewing, founded in 2018, went up in smoke Sunday, a major blow to the business just days before the Stampede begins.
In an Instagram post, the brewery described the loss as devastating, and said the location beloved
would be closed for a while.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our community and customers for their continued support.
the microbrewery claims in its message.
One of the co-owners of the microbrewery located on 12th Street Southeast, Chris Carrol, says he received several messages of support early Sunday morning. We feel that people are saddened by the news, but are willing to help us in any way they can.
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It took fire crews approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to bring the blaze at the Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company under control.
Photo : Dan Allard
The fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning, the Calgary Fire Department reported. Firefighters battled for more than two hours to bring the blaze under control. The roof collapsed. No injuries were reported. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the blaze.
A fire that occurs during the high season
Dan Allard, chairman of the Inglewood Neighborhood Business Improvement Area and owner of Cold Garden Brewery, located a stone’s throw from Ol’ Beautiful, says this is a blow to the community and the brewery’s staff.
What the owners of Ol’Beautiful have managed to build is incredible. They support the music scene and they have built an open environment where people can come together.
he testifies.
The Calgary Stampede was fast approaching and extra staff had just been hired and trained to work during the busy summer season, Allard said. He felt all the hard work put in by the neighbouring brewery went up in smoke overnight.
This is a very difficult situation for Ol’ Beautiful and I feel really sad for them.
A life-saving relocated production site
Despite the setback, Ol Beautiful co-owner Chris Carrol remains hopeful. The company invested eight months ago in a production facility far from the tasting room to meet growing demand for its products.
It allows us to develop in the market and continue to produce all our beers.
he explains. A great way to support us during this time is to continue purchasing our products and ask your favorite bar or restaurant to carry our products if they don’t already.
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Chris Carrol is one of the co-owners of the microbrewery Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Jo Horwood
Carrol said the company, which is considered a Calgary brewing institution, does not own the building that burned. He said he is unsure whether the place will be rebuilt.
We have a great landlord. It has been a family building for them for a long time and they are devastated by this news. So we will see what they want to do with the site. It is a great loss for them too.
he concluded.
With information from Jo Horwood
