Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you and your current job?
My name is Hans Doef and I am co-founder at Blindman Brewing.
What was the inspiration behind your brewery?
Our brewery has inspiration on many levels: Local economy, place-based branding (named after the Blindman River near us), the agricultural movements in Alberta, Lacombe inspires us… We are also hugely inspired by breweries which push the limits and create awesome beer. This is a bit of what we’re about.
Can you give us a tour of your beer scene?
Our craft beer scene in rural Central Alberta & Lacombe is growing rapidly from its infancy fairly recently. Our taproom and such restaurants as Cilantro & Chive (downtown Lacombe) have helped this trajectory.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a brewery?
Lots of research/experience mixed with a healthy dose of ignorance (sometimes it’s good to not know how daunting it will be early on) is what I found helpful. Talk to people in the industry! There is lots of information and they’re your friends. Get ready to do lots of work on many levels you didn’t expect.