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Bistro is home to Oliver’s first brewery

Oliver has its first brewery, housed at the Firehall Bistro.

Oliver has its first brewery, housed at the Firehall Bistro.

Sid Ruhland announced the launch of Firehall Brewery to compliment the in-house family restaurant, the colourful downtown core, the rich farmland and the regional fruit/wine agri-tourism by producing, “the beer of wine country.” The brewery will be located in the cellar of the historic building working together with Bill and Dawn Reid, operators of the Firehall Bistro on the main floor. They hope to be pouring pints by the Fall of 2011.

Once the recipes are tweaked to perfection, with the help of patron feedback at the Bistro, Firehall brews will be distributed to local pubs and restaurants. Eventual expansion will allow for bottling/canning so the beers can be distributed to the region’s cold beer and wine stores. In addition, tasting samples, “growlers” (glass half-gallon jugs), and mini-kegs for special events (ex: staff parties, weddings, receptions, local events, et cetera) will be available downstairs in the brewery’s taproom.

In time, the product line will become diverse to accommodate a wide array of beer drinkers, reflecting the province’s growing demand for high-quality, locally-produced brews.

The Firehall Brewery’s passion for enjoyable beers will only be rivalled by its love for music and the outdoors. The Firehall Brewery will march to the drum of its own music: live studio recordings and musical performances will be hosted by the brewery. As well, the brewery will aim to brew organic beers and adopt sustainable business practices to support the longevity of our great Canadian backyard. Relationships will be built with local farmers to source specialty ingredients (ex: orchard fruit, spices, herbs, honey) and to recycle brewery by-products.