Kyle Wudrich and David Schroter have been friends since they met at George McDougall High School.
They always wanted to start a company together centered around something they were passionate about. After years of friendship and subsequently learning about craft beer, they founded 948 Brewing Company in 2017.
“It was an itch that needed to be scratched and I was in,” said Schroter.
The duo started producing in 2018, contracting out of Calgary breweries. Within a year they moved production to Airdrie’s first craft brewery, Fitzsimmons Brewing.
They opened their taproom doors on March 14, 2020, and then immediately adapted to COVID-19 related closures.
The plucky pair kept their chins up, and appreciated the support from fellow breweries, which pointed them in the right direction to get cans and they borrowed a can seamer from a friend.
As of late March 2021, they’ve hand-sealed 25,000 cans, including a collaborative batch called Next Three Exits, produced with Balzac and Fitzsimmons breweries. That one sold out in less than two months.
“One at a time, hand sealed and labelled,” said Wudrich.
“With love of course,” chimed in Schroter.
948 Brewing produced 35 recipes in the last year, many based on local themes, like their Belgian series based on the four stages of Airdrie as it grew (1889 Siding, Belgian Blonde; 1909 Village, Belgian Double; 1974 Town, Belgian Tripel; and 1985 City, Belgian Quad).
Most of their grains come from Alberta, while hops are sourced from BC, the U.S. and New Zealand.
“It’s been exciting,” said Wudrich.
Between themselves, Fitzsimmons and Balzac Brewery, they want to make Airdrie a beer-tasting destination, and more collaborations are in the works.
They can be found in their Kings Heights taproom, or on their website, 948brewing.ca.