RURAL BREWING MEETS SMALL TOWN CULTURE by Aaron Norris
This week on the blog we have our pals from Ribstone Creek Brewery. Ribstone Creek Brewery shares their story about being one of the first breweries in Alberta to open up outside of the concrete jungle.
A pioneer in rural brewing, Ribstone Creek Brewery takes us through the pits and the peaks of being a small-town brewery. Keep reading to find out why Ribstone Creek Brewery celebrates the small-town culture and how they foster community throughout the province.
Where in the Hell is Edgerton?
If you have ever been to a local beer festival, you know the drill. You have a couple of hours, a 5 oz plastic cup, and a long list of Alberta breweries that you’ve yet to learn about. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Edgerton’s Ribstone Creek Brewery for the past four years and there have been many occasions where I’ve been lucky enough to at these work these beer festivals. Sure, there are always the people that are just interested in trying whichever beer has the highest alcohol content. However, there are many patrons that are genuinely interested in our brewery and I am there to help educate these guests and enlighten them with all the magnificent qualities of our microbrewery.
I don’t normally get too far into my spiel before I am posed with a very common question:
“Where the hell is Edgerton?”
Well, let me tell ya!
With a population of 400 people, depending on the day, Edgerton (pronounced edge-er-ton) is located about two hours east of Edmonton and in the heart of the prairies. When Ribstone Creek Brewery first started crafting our beer in this quintessential and picturesque village in 2012, we were one of the first Alberta breweries to open up outside of a metropolitan area.
Brewing in a small town can present some difficulties, but the benefits greatly outweigh any challenges. Small towns, although often remote, have a great sense of pride and community. Being Alberta’s pioneer in rural brewing, we have been blown away by the support we receive on a daily basis. Not only are we the local brewery to the 400 people that call Edgerton home, but we like to think of ourselves as the local brewery for anyone that lives within a 100 km radius. We are proud to celebrate small-town culture and help foster a sense of community within our local markets.
It’s no secret that small towns don’t experience the same economic traffic that they did 50 years ago. Although businesses have been shifting to larger markets over the last couple of decades, we are incredibly proud to have our business firmly rooted in Edgerton. We are honoured to give travellers another reason to visit Edgerton and absolutely love being a central location where our neighbours and tourists alike can sit down and connect over a pint of craft beer.
Ribstone Creek Brewery has always been proud to showcase that great things are “brewing” outside of big cities. We have come a long way since we first opened our doors and we could not have done it without the support of our village and community. In an effort to share the great stories of Edgerton, we have dedicated a section of our website where we proudly celebrate and profile some of the amazing people that make Edgerton such a great place to call home. I highly encourage anyone that has a few minutes to spare to take the time and check out these heartwarming profiles.
If you ever find yourself in East Central Alberta or at a local beer festival, I highly encourage you to make Ribstone Creek Brewery one of your destinations. Even if you already know where Edgerton is, it is a truly authentic experience AND we have fantastic beer….. but I’m a little biased.
- Aaron Norris, Ribstone Creek Brewery – Small Town Living, Small Batch Brewing
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