Jul. 13, 2011 - Issue #821: The Beer Issue
Yellowhead Brewing
After attending the celebrated Doeman's Academy in Germany in the late 1990s, Harris was asked to help a team of brewmasters create beer for the Royal House of Bavaria—a rarity for a brewmaster in general, never mind a foreigner. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, Harris went on to work at a number of smaller and larger breweries in Germany, knowing that his true calling was at home in Alberta. Returning home to Yellowhead Brewing, Harris loves the ideas of the smaller brewery.
"I have worked at larger breweries, I just prefer to do something that I have more personal control over," says Harris. "I am a hands-on person—I prefer to open and close valves themselves as opposed to pushing buttons."
Currently focusing on only a single beer, Harris is personally devoted to each and every drop of his beloved Yellowhead Lager, with no current plans for other brews, but several ideas floating around his head. Yellowhead Lager, unlike high-quantity lagers, is preservative and additive free, something noticeable in every sip. Harris looks to Alberta's water supply, malt and discerning beer crowd for inspiration. Just the way he likes it, Harris directly influences each batch from Yellowhead, realizing that it's a giant task to get to mass-production levels.
"We care more about Edmonton than what people in Brussels or Argentina are going to care about. We believe in going the extra mile," says Harris. "I don't see within my own lifetime we'd be able to make Yellowhead into a huge national or international brewery. Prefer to stay local, prefer to stay top quality—the two just don't mix."
Staying local and staying small has always been in the cards for the brewery. Housed in the former Maverick Brewing Company building, the Yellowhead name is a nod to an early Edmonton-brewed beer. As another salute to the city, Yellowhead is focused on creating a beer experience, rather than just another drinkable thing. Harris notes that on Saturdays in the summer, citizens are invited to come by the brewery after the farmer's market.
"We try to make it a full experience here. Come by for a tour and you get a tour, there is a tasting room, many special events. We're very community-minded. And you can pick up a six-pack of Yellowhead for the rest of the week," he laughs.
Yellowhead Brewery
Established: 2010, Edmonton
Notable products: Yellowhead Lager
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