Real Talk with Melanie Macinnes
Melanie MacInnes is a Métis entrepreneur, and her mission is to facilitate connection to the land, ingredients, and people in which we source our food, by using the canvas of the farm in which she grew-up on. She leads Locality Brewing, a “Land to Glass” farm brewery with adaptability and creativity.
Recently, Locality Brewing received the honour of being awarded the 2022 Indigenous Led Business of the Year Award at the BC Food and Beverage Awards, and 2022 Innovator of the Year at the BC Beer awards.
How did you get involved in beer?
I’d love it to be a short answer, but it is not.
I grew up on the farm and we have done everything from being a dairy farm, we planted cottonwood trees, and boarded horses, and many more things throughout the years. Keeping a family farm is always a struggle. The dream was to figure out a way to make a full time living off the farm while at the same time sharing the unbelievable beauty with everyone.
We decided to plant barley to see if it would even grow. After hand-threshing it and hitting perfect malt specs, we decided to plant six acres. Back in 2015, we planted hops and with that, the brewery felt like the next step. We really wanted to focus on the full spectrum from land to glass. We grow, we malt, and we brew. Every step is done here.
What inspired you to create Locality Brewing?
The whole idea of farm-to-table that exists in restaurants. My husband is from Australia, so we have spent a lot of time there and travelling. There are a lot more places where you can see the ingredients grown around you and then enjoy the food. And we would go to wineries and the same thing; you would be surrounded by grapes and taste the wine. But you didn’t see a lot of breweries doing it. On top of that, the idea of being surrounded by these beautiful green spaces where kids can run around and as a parent, you can get a moment to yourself. All those layers inspired us toward that dream.
Do you have a favourite style of local beer that sparked your passion for the craft?
When we planted hops back in 2015, we decided to have a hop-picking party. The lupulin, the inside of the hop flower is like a resin, and it was everywhere. It was all over my hands, and it just smells incredible. It is very much like lavender with similar relaxing and calming effects.
At the time, I hadn’t really given much thought to my favourite types of beer. I drank them all from Lager to Saison, but I was brought back to this moment of picking hops and the smells and the feelings when I drank the Trading Post West Coast IPA. That was the moment I fell in love with the West Coast IPA.
As a brewery owner, what obstacles have you encountered in the industry?
As an owner, I am often looked over and many assume my husband is the sole owner. Many times, people would overlook me and ask my brother for beer recommendations. Or they would assume it was my dad’s business and I was just there to help out when in actuality it is the opposite. I do think things are changing. People are becoming more aware that they are making these assumptions and stereotypes. And the brewery industry is starting to become less of a male-oriented industry.
What do you think has to change for the next generation of women in beer?
We need continued visibility. As more women are becoming brewers the more we see the incredible talent that is out there. Next time you’re curious, just ask who the brewer is. Our brewer Karen is incredible and has a ton of education and experience. She is so talented and is really making a name for herself especially here in Langley. We need organizations to keep shining a light and continue to celebrate these amazing women.
Starting even at the university level. Introducing women who are in chemistry or other science programs that brewing is a potential career option.
We also need to create welcoming spaces for everyone. I know as a woman, sometimes you feel uncomfortable, or you feel like you are entering a man’s world. Creating spaces that are open and neutral is important.
Can you name another woman who has inspired you?
Definitely our brewer Karen. She has such a vision and great leadership skills. She can think under pressure. All the things that make a great brewer. I find her so inspiring because I could never do what she does. With all the chemistry, analytics, and science behind creating these amazing beers. She works incredibly hard and is very talented.