SHAUNAVON — Two boys from the heart of the prairies are building a legacy that will last a lifetime. Shawn Moen and Garrett Pederson, co-founders of 9 Mile Legacy Brewing, continue to tell a Saskatchewan story through their craft beer, embracing the uniqueness of the province along the way.
The legend of their company's existence can be traced back to Moen's and Pederson's strong connection to the land and their family roots in the Â鶹´«Ã½AVwest, near the towns of Cabri and Abbey.
The brewing company's name itself pays homage to the fact that their families homesteaded just nine miles apart.
Their interest in brewing was sparked by a homebrew kit that Moen inherited from his family. The longtime friends, who shared a love for beer, were soon experimenting with different styles, and it wasn't long before they moved to an all-grain brewing format.
Later, the duo explored their brewing interest further, with Moen spending time in Wellington, New Zealand, working with Garage Project, and Garrett working under Cedric Dauchot of Townsite Brewing in Powell River, B.C.
Armed with their growing experience and determination to create a top-notch product, Garrett and Moen's dream eventually brought them to Saskatoon, where they developed 9 Mile Legacy Brewing.
They initially launched a 120L nano brewery – about 10 to 15 times smaller than a typical craft brewery – at Saskatoon Ideas Inc. in April 2015.
The company has expanded steadily since that time, and soon outgrew its capacity, forcing them to move to a much larger building, while also continuing its focus on quality, innovation, and great relationships.
As production and capacity expanded, so did the ideas.
They've developed different aspects of their business, including what Pederson calls "The LGCY: innovation hub" L - Learning, G - Growth, C - Creativity and Y - Why. The Hub is dedicated to ag-value innovation, fermentation, product development, education and research. One area they are looking to develop is the newest craze of non-alcoholic drinks. "We want to do it in the right way that tastes great and stands up to our quality of products."
"We have a lot of ideas in the works," added Pederson. "We're always looking for ways to innovate and improve."
Growth has also brought opportunities, including their involvement in events like Canada's Great Kitchen Party regional qualifier in Saskatoon, featuring musical guest Johnny Reid, where they were the only beer sampler at the event. These types of events serve as a great showcase for the company's line of products, which include a dozen different beer styles, including their Gold medal winners - 9 Mile Ale and Angus Stout.
Their best-selling beer, however, is The Ticket, a Belgian-style Blonde Ale.
They recently just brought back their No. 1 Durum German Wheat ale, made from the best durum wheat in the world, sourced from the Â鶹´«Ã½AV West Terminal.
"We're committed to using Saskatchewan products and showcasing the care and quality that goes into our beers," Pederson commented.
This attention to detail has given them opportunities to collaborate with other projects, developing beers with specially designed cans, such as the Ness Creek Music Festival and Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. They're also releasing a special canned beer for the North Saskatchewan Regiment called Iron Sight in time for Remembrance Day.
This Italian-style Pilsner commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Allies' Italian campaign during World War II. A portion of the funds generated from the sale of this beer will go towards helping veterans.
The release of the Remembrance Day beer starts this month, and like everything else on their production line, "quality is the name of the game," stated Pederson.
They hope this legacy can continue to show even more of what can be accomplished through a little pioneer spirit.
For further details on this beer made for Remembrance Day, you can contact 9 Mile Legacy at [email protected] or call 1-306-373-2337 (BEER).
