Jul. 13, 2011 - Issue #821: The Beer Issue
Alley Kat
The sweetest of back alley dealings
Becoming a very recognizable brand in Edmonton, Alley Kat has morphed into something special for the city—an imprint in the local beer scene that is a purveyor of something unique and something that is strongly identified with the city it's from.
"We had an interest in brewing," Herbst recalls. "We felt there was room for a new microbrewery in Edmonton—there was only one microbrewery in town, Flanagan and Sons. We thought there was room for a brewery with craft-brewed beers—beers with a bit higher flavour profile."
Since then, Flanagan and Sons has closed its doors—a development that, curiously, hurt Alley Kat because it made consumers less likely to wander to the local end of the beer aisle. The microbrewery persevered, however, and eventually found itself at the forefront of Edmonton's beer community. As of today, Alley Kat delivers its products throughout Alberta, into Saskatchewan, parts of Ontario and—somehow, through word of mouth—South Korea. It's the individuality the beer espouses that keeps Herbst focused.
"We try to make bigger tasting beers. From our point of view there's no point in making something that's really mild and non-distinctive because why would you buy it?" asks Herbst. "If you want a McDonalds hamburger, you go to McDonalds. Why would I try and make something that tastes like a McDonalds hamburger if I'm in a hamburger restaurant? Might as well make something that's distinctive and my own. That's what we're trying to do."
The hamburger analogy rings true for beer consumers tired of the often tasteless standard brews that dominate the shelves at liquor stores and the taps in bars. Akin to a watered-down beer in Herbst's eyes, he sees a trend happening for microbreweries and beer consumers in general—a drift that he can't help but smile about.
"Especially lately, people are understanding what the difference is between a microbrewery and a major producer," says Herbst about both flavour and marketing schemes. "At Alley Kat we do what we love. We brew beers that are distinctive, in the style we love and that we are proud to drink."
Alley Kat Brewery
Established: 1994, Edmonton
Notable products: Aprikat, Alley Kat Amber Ale, Charlie Flint's Organic Lager, Full Moon Pale Ale vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
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