The tiny home of Sea Level Brewing, tacked onto the side of the Port Restaurant.

In my latest Vue Weekly column, on racks and online (here) today, I take the opportunity to muse about something that has been perking in my mind for quite a while. I believe that the craft beer movement is beginning to reach out beyond the big cities of Canada. Of course, most microbreweries are located in or near our cosmopolitan centres, such as Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and so forth. That only makes sense, as that is where the people are. However, I have been noticing a quiet little trend in the past couple of years – the growth of very small breweries in very small towns.

When I was in Halifax I met Randy Lawrence who, along with his son, operate Sea Level Brewing in Port Williams (about an hour outside Halifax). Sea Level is small. Real small. Last year production hit only 50,000 litres – about one-tenth the minimum capacity required to get a brewery license in Alberta. The vast majority of their beer is sold right next door at the Port Restaurant. It is good, finely crafted beer. And you will likely never try it unless you happen to be in the Annapolis valley.

In the article I also mention Canada’s smallest brewery, Plan B in Smithers and give a nod to the about-to-rise Ribstone Creek operation in Edgerton. But they are only a couple of examples. From hoped-for community brewpubs in Brandon, to Hell Bay Brewing in Cherry Hill, Nova Scotia (I’ll let you google that one), to the smattering of breweries in small B.C. towns like Tofino, Invermere, Sorrento, Terrace and others, small-scale brewing is become big.

And I applaud it. It harkens back to pre-Industrial Revolution days when every village had a town brewer, and beer was consumed within metres of where it was made. And given the growing popularity of the 100-mile diet, small breweries nicely fit into that trend (although I am well aware the ingredients come from away, making it not truly 100-mile beer).

More importantly, I believe it is a sign that craft beer is bursting out of its urban box – and that people from all corners of the country are looking for more flavourful alternatives than what the big boys make. Of course, tiny breweries will only ever make the tiniest dent in the beer market – but that is beside the point. It is about serving local needs and giving people a sense of connection to the town they make home.

And I, personally, am going to enjoy stumbling into those small towns to sample their fine wares.