The little brewery that could

In 1997, John Allen took his love of beer and made it his profession.

After 15 years in the film business, Allen gave into a childhood dream and opened Propeller Brewery on Gottingen Street, where it still stands today, 14 years later.

“It seemed like a logical progression,” says Allen. “Every boy wants to own his own brewery and I was a long time home brewer. Film and beer went great hand in hand, as in the film business you’re so often unemployed, it kept me busy during all the time off.”

Propeller originally opened with just two beers on tap, their original bitter and pale ale. It wasn’t until two years down the road that they offered a third beer. Through the years they’ve grown to offer seven beers year round, three sodas and a variety of seasonal beers.

One of the keys to the brewery’s wild success was the introduction of the Growler in 2006.

“At the time, we knew we needed two things to get people into our store. We needed a unique beer and packaging that was only available in the store,” says Allen. “That’s when we introduced both the Growler and the IPA, a beer that is now our number one seller.”

The bottle is two litres and is essentially “a six-pack in a bottle,” says Allen.

“It makes economic and environmental sense, reducing packaging and the bottling process. We take a deposit for the bottle, but they can be brought back and refilled or returned for the customers money back.”

The Growler has become so successful that the store sells anywhere between 50 and 200 a day, charging a nine-dollar deposit for the bottle and then just nine-dollars to fill the jug each time.

This past fall, Propeller combined forces with Sea Level Brewing to provide Alpha%Dog Wet Hopped Collaboration Ale, a beer brewed with 100 per cent local Cascade and Willamette Hops.

“It was something exciting that we could really get behind and promote as a local product,” say Allen, “Who knew it would taste amazing too?”

With the brewery’s continued success, Allen says that he is focused on providing the best product possible to the local market. The Brewery will offer one new ‘One Hit Wonder’ on April 1, an English Mild, brewed with Maritime malt. But they will focus on their core line up during the busy summer months.

Wildly successful now, it’s shocking to think that Propeller Brewery almost didn’t happen.

When Allen first thought about getting started, he had some market assessments completed by students. They came back and told him that Halifax wasn’t a big enough market and so he put off the business plan. What made him change his mind was the opening of small brewery in Fredericton.

“I thought how could Halifax be too small if one can work there?” he says.

What started as John Allen’s boyhood idea has blossomed into a successful microbrewery whose products can be found from coast to coast.

“I thought it would be a great adventure and it would be fun,” he says. “My goals were modest, I just wanted out of the film business. And what better to do than beer?”

Propeller offers tours of its facilities everyday of the week. To book a tour for you and your friends (must be a group of 10 or more), call 422-7767. For $15 you’ll get access to eight beers on tap for two hours.