RIVERHEAD BREWING COMPANY

Adventurously Brewed

Written By: Lori Sweet

Riverheadbrewing.com

Walking in the front door, you immediately notice the wood accents all around, the colourful paddles on the wall and of course, the large canoe placed near the ceiling. Welcome to Riverhead Brewing Company, located in historic Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The company itself, opened to the public June 2017, but the process started 30 years ago, with co-founder Richard Marzec.

Over the years, Richard spent time perfecting his home brewing. His friends, family and neighbours enjoyed tasting his home-brew and often commented on the fact that it tasted better than much of the beer they were buying. Enter friend and co-founder Jeff Hasken. In 2007, fate brought the two guys together by being employed at the same company. They became friends, and as friends often do, Richard introduced Jeff to his home-brew. Jeff was extremely impressed.

You need a special license to sell beer and selling it from your home is not an option. At least once a month, Richard would put a new batch on, experimenting with flavours along the way. His circle of friends could only drink so much, so one-night Richard and Jeff discussed the possibility of opening a brewery.

Fast forward and with the help of two buddies, who are silent partners, a new brewery was born. Jeff has a background in business and marketing. He wanted people to be able to take their beer on outdoor adventures, much like the canoeing and kayaking he had done in the past.

Richard, who has a real passion for the brewing process, is known to spend many hours researching things like water treatment, hops, and the history of beer. He is also more than willing to create new brews that include items such as blueberries or chocolate. He does a lot of traveling and beer drinking, so he knows what he likes.

Richard had spent time researching brewing equipment and building a top-notch system at home. When it came to be opening the brewery, they scaled up the size from what he had already developed.

good product.” Richard Marzec

The next step was picking a name. In Jeff’s opinion, choosing a brewery name and slogan were the hardest part of the process. After much deliberation and “market research” with their friends and family, Riverhead Brewing Company was the winner. Geographically, Kingston, Ontario lies at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and the mouth of the Cataraqui River, so the name felt right.

Now that they had the funding and the name, it was time to look for a location. Kingston is a historic city, dating back to the late 1600s. It was the first capital of Canada from 1841-1844.

They scoured the city, looking for a suitable place to set up shop. Many of the buildings in the downtown core have basements. Placing large tanks on the main floor would mean a costly reinforcement of the floor along with a host of other considerations.

Both live in the west end of the city where there were very few of this type of establishment. They were able to find a new development with lots of parking, a location that was easy to get in and out of and situated close to a large sports complex. The bonus is that the building is located very close to one of the main exits of HWY 401, one of the main highways that runs through the province.

A new building brings with it a blank canvas, one that allowed them to apply their own personal touch. Richard is very skilled at woodworking and has created beautiful wood tabletops throughout the seating area. Jeff’s wife is a graphic designer, who has created a logo and artwork that matches their vision.

They have seen their popularity grow and have now had to expand into the empty unit next door, to accommodate their increase in the number of customers. November 2018 saw the opening the new area, which they call Riverhead Lodge.

Their vision is ever expanding along with their selection of beer. They now host private events like business team building, presentations, chocolate and beer pairing workshops, paint night, card tournaments and adult birthday parties to name a few. Approximately 45% of their customers are women. Craft beer is becoming an art and is now winning over even diehard wine drinkers.

One of the creative ways to bring customers in is something they call “Firkin Fridays,” a play on the word firkin, meaning small cask. Twice a month, they announce a new release. This is where Richard, as well as their head brewmaster Aaron Martin, let loose with their creativity.

Riverhead Brewing Company is a licensed Tied House, meaning they can serve full glasses of their brew as well as sell it out of their front beer store. They also have a small menu of high-quality food that is tasty and complimentary to the drinks they offer. According to Jeff, they have a beer that will appeal to everybody, ranging from an easy drinking lager to their approachable tropical IPA, to a variety of dark and light brews and seasonal selections.

Jeff and Richard and their team have lots of ideas “brewing” in their heads. For now, they will concentrate on expanding the menu, offering a great venue, and of course continuing to produce quality craft beer with the adventurous spirit.

Address: 631 Fortune Cresent, Unit #10 Kingston, Ontario, Canada Phone Number: (613) 384-2337