Canada, NB: Happy Craft Brewing Co. getting closer to opening in Moncton

After working as a computer programmer for 20 years, Gregg Corrigan knew he was ready for a change of pace, and he’s getting ready to do that this month — by brewing his own beer, 919thebend.ca reported on July 11.

“I had considered a couple of options, one of them being going back to school, but I really wanted to open a business,” said Corrigan in an interview. “[But], I like craft beer and I love going to a craft beer brewery, so it was an easy choice.”

Happy Craft Brewing Co. is the brainchild of Corrigan and his business partner Sebastien Daigle. The pair have been renovating the old Paramount Theatre on Main Street in Moncton for a little more than one year to transform the space into a microbrewery.

But the idea itself is a three-and-a-half-year journey that will finally come to life when the location opens by the third week of July. One of the challenges Corrigan encountered while writing his business plan was finding a prime location large enough for his vision.

“I really wanted a downtown location, which in downtown Moncton, there aren’t a lot of large spaces on Main Street that could house a brewery easily,” said Corrigan. “I love the vibrancy that a downtown space has, just the people coming and going, I find it interesting.”

When customers walk into the space, they are greeted by a long corridor with a stainless steel front brewery on the left-hand side, the bar that opens up to a taproom on the right and a set of glass doors leading to a large patio in the back.

Corrigan says he and Daigle plan to make IPAs, snouts, pilsner and sour beers. The pair have brewed their own products off and on for several years and there was a lot of collaboration when coming up with recipes. Corrigan said they’ve always swapped recipes — like “pen pals.”

“It just came from 10 years of playing with different recipes and styles,” said Corrigan. “[Sebastien] likes more than traditional styles whereas I maybe bend all the styles a little bit towards the lower alcohol side, so it was just a combination.”

As the microbrewery gets closer to opening, more information will be shared on the company’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Corrigan said he’s looking forward to meeting customers and getting more physical interaction — something he didn’t really have at his old job.

“I was looking for a little more interaction with different people,” said Corrigan. “Serving top-quality beers and having conversations, that’s what it’s all about.”

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