Tatamagouche Brewing Company is located in rural Nova Scotia. Co-owner Christiane Jost said that the brewery is an example of the wonderful things happening in Tatamagouche and along Nova Scotia’s north shore.
“Winning awards is about quality and fitting certain categories correctly. Our team are perfectionists including my husband, Matt, who heads the brewing department. Anything less than perfect doesn’t get released,” Jost said.
“Tatamagouche has long been a mystery in how it keeps succeeding and thriving despite the challenges other communities seem to face,” she said. “It’s sort of an anomaly that we’re happy to be part of. It must be something in the water, and we’re making beer with this magic water.”
Tatamagouche Brewing Company is an example of big things happening in small places in rural Nova Scotia. The Tatamagouche storefront is becoming a destination with visitors using it as a jump-off spot to support other businesses. Captured by Richard MacKenzie
The brewing company is the most recent example of business success in the community of just over 2,000. Back in March, Tatamagouche Ice Creamery announced plans to upgrade its production capacity and, thanks to a $7,500 grant from CUW, is investing in its ice cream pint filler and lidding machine, water recycler, freezer cargo van and water-cooled batch and blast freezers to increase production and reduce its carbon footprint.
“Tatamagouche has such a strong identity and there are so many people who connect with the community, whether by living here or knowing someone who grew up here. Plus, it’s a name you never forget,” Jost said. “It’s something people are very happy to be part of.”
“Our business plan is focusing on local, producing all our beer in one location, and how do we make this storefront a destination?” she said. “Once they stop and park their car to visit us, they don’t just come to us, they go to two or three, or four other places.”
Recently celebrating its eighth birthday, Tatamagouche Brewing Company launched the 2022 summer season with a trio of awards, including the Ketch Berliner Weisse winning gold from the Canadian Brewing Awards in Calgary.
“It was great having the opportunity to network and socialize with other industry members in-person again” Jost said. “The beer industry relies heavily on in-person socialization so this was a wonderful way to get back into it.”
“Winning three awards, including silver for Hierlihy Irish Stout, silver for Two Rivers Baltic Porter and gold for Ketch Berliner Weisse, with such stiff competition, is something we will never take for granted. It is a privilege to be recognized with Canada’s best” said co-owner Matt Kenny.
“We’re not a large province, but we’re putting out high quality award-winning beer on a regular basis. The quality of Nova Scotia beer is on par with others in Canada, if not better.”
“It was a necessity during last year’s pandemic regulations to increase patronage and we are fortunate to have the village and county’s support,”said Jost. “The patios have created a dynamic energy within the community, making the village even more of a destination.”
Photo credit: Phil Church