YELLOWKNIFE, NT – More than two years after it was originally proposed, the first brewery to open in the Northwest Territories in 20 years is getting close to launching – although exactly how close remains to be seen.
As NWT Brewing owners Fletcher and Miranda Stevens explain in an open letter published on Yellowknife news and culture website Edge YK, the brewery has at least one more hurdle to cross before brewing can begin:
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, the couple intends to open the pub side of their business, The Woodyard Brewhouse & Eatery, where they will offer “some of North America’s finest craft brews, as well as delicious fare alongside them” while sorting out the remaining brewery issues.
An exact opening date for The Woodyard hasn’t been announced, but it “could be open as soon as mid-October.” Watch the NWT Brewing Facebook page and Twitter feed for updates.