Growing up in Calgary, Alex Horner, Matthew Berard and Colin McLean, owners of Banded Peak Brewery, have fond memories of snowboarding on the Rocky Mountains, and hiking and camping at every opportunity. “We’re lifelong friends, Alex, Colin, and I,” says Matthew. It turns out their love of adventure and self-reliance were the perfect qualities for a new project, as well. “Colin and Alex started home brewing and I went over to help one day and then said, 'Let's start a brewery,'” says Matthew. “The first time I tried it, I thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing.'"
The trio were in the middle of creating a business plan when Alberta eliminated the minimum production requirements for Alberta breweries. The change meant they could start the company on their own, without the need for investors. No investors meant more independence – which is exactly what they wanted. “We don’t answer to anyone and don’t care about the cost,” says Matthew. “We want to make exciting, adventurous beer that we’d want to drink. We decided we’re going to make the best beer by using as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible.” Four years later, in 2016, Banded Peak Brewery was born.
