Sponsored by NWT Brewing Co. | Photos courtesy Pat Kane Photo
Dear Yellowknife Beer Lover,
We’re writing to share an eagerly awaited update on The Woodyard. As many of you know, we’ve been working hard to renovate our Old Town space into a much-anticipated brew pub.
We have some good news, but also some complications, so let’s deal with the good news first. We’re VERY close to opening a relaxed, inviting and awesome space serving fine craft beer and delicious gastropub dishes.
The complication? Having our brewing equipment approved by the territorial government is taking longer than expected. We purchased the same system used by Vancouver’s Powell Street Craft Brewery to make award-winning beer with full confidence it would pass in our jurisdiction.
But here in the NWT, we’re the first business to install equipment of this nature, and something that must have been overlooked in BC isn’t going unnoticed here. Long story short, our system doesn’t meet the standards and local inspectors have requested further Canadian certification, which means a special inspection from outside the territory. This is something we’re happy to do, but also something we can’t schedule right away.
In the meantime, we’ll open our doors and serve YK’s beer-loving community some of North America’s finest craft brews, as well as delicious fare alongside them.
So, when are we opening? Well, to be perfectly honest, over the past year, we’ve learned project completion dates can be hard to estimate. So, instead of a specific date, we’ll tell you we could be open as soon as mid-October.
We’re thankful for everything the community has provided us during this exciting journey. This includes everything from enthusiasm for the idea to the NWT Brewing Co. t-shirts we see all over town. Now we’re asking for just a little more in the form of patience as we get ready for opening day, and then as we continue towards brewing the city’s only homegrown beer.
Looking forward to serving our friends and neighbours shortly,
Fletcher and Miranda Stevens
Co-owners NWT Brewing Co.
