56 min
65 - Derek Nordstrom (Hawk Tail Brewery) The Explore84 Podcast
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- Self-Improvement
Our central Alberta road trip continues, and this week takes us to the town of Rimby, Alberta for a chat with Hawk Tail Brewery’s Derek Nordstrom about supporting all things local and the importance of a diverse ownership group.
Hawks are wild, they’re free, and they’re a symbol of Alberta. They’re also found in regions all around the world, so a name like Hawk Tail resonates in almost any market where Derek and his co-owners would want to take the brand. For now that means locally in their taproom in the small town of Rimby, Alberta. Their taproom has become wildly known not just for their great beer but also for their fantastic food, with folks traveling from as far as Lethbridge just to try their charcuterie board.
The atmosphere of the taproom and the tasty food didn’t happen by accident, and had their ownership group been less diverse it may not have happened at all. Derek explains that the men in the group had a very simple vision: Beer. Would they have a taproom? Probably. What would it look like? Perhaps some 2x4’s for a bar and a few lawn chairs. Thankfully they weren’t in this alone and the women in their ownership group had a much clearer vision: a space and an experience that people would be willing to drive across the province for, and that’s exactly what they ended up with.
The experience that their loyal supporters come for is driven by Hawk Tail’s support for their own community. This starts with the food in the taproom, pretzels sourced from a local coffee shop, and ribs from a local butcher. It continues with how they’re giving back to their community, like donating 15% of their sales to the Rimby food bank during the COVID quarantine, or their Community Takes Flight initiative where they support a different community group every month using the proceeds from every flight of beers sold in the taproom.
“I'm just shocked that we built something that people want to drive for"
—
Let’s Meet For A Beer: website | facebook
Alberta Beer Festivals: website | twitter | instagram
Derek Nordstrom - Hawk Tail Brewery: website | instagram | facebook
Bud Kelly - Troubled Monk: website | twitter | instagram | facebook
Our central Alberta road trip continues, and this week takes us to the town of Rimby, Alberta for a chat with Hawk Tail Brewery’s Derek Nordstrom about supporting all things local and the importance of a diverse ownership group.
Hawks are wild, they’re free, and they’re a symbol of Alberta. They’re also found in regions all around the world, so a name like Hawk Tail resonates in almost any market where Derek and his co-owners would want to take the brand. For now that means locally in their taproom in the small town of Rimby, Alberta. Their taproom has become wildly known not just for their great beer but also for their fantastic food, with folks traveling from as far as Lethbridge just to try their charcuterie board.
The atmosphere of the taproom and the tasty food didn’t happen by accident, and had their ownership group been less diverse it may not have happened at all. Derek explains that the men in the group had a very simple vision: Beer. Would they have a taproom? Probably. What would it look like? Perhaps some 2x4’s for a bar and a few lawn chairs. Thankfully they weren’t in this alone and the women in their ownership group had a much clearer vision: a space and an experience that people would be willing to drive across the province for, and that’s exactly what they ended up with.
The experience that their loyal supporters come for is driven by Hawk Tail’s support for their own community. This starts with the food in the taproom, pretzels sourced from a local coffee shop, and ribs from a local butcher. It continues with how they’re giving back to their community, like donating 15% of their sales to the Rimby food bank during the COVID quarantine, or their Community Takes Flight initiative where they support a different community group every month using the proceeds from every flight of beers sold in the taproom.
“I'm just shocked that we built something that people want to drive for"
—
Let’s Meet For A Beer: website | facebook
Alberta Beer Festivals: website | twitter | instagram
Derek Nordstrom - Hawk Tail Brewery: website | instagram | facebook
Bud Kelly - Troubled Monk: website | twitter | instagram | facebook
56 min