British brewer Nicholas Horne moved to the Calgary area just as Hard Knox Brewery, in the town of Diamond Valley, was hiring a new brewmaster, and the rest is history. Now, just over two years later, Horne has already earned the brewery several major accolades, including the gold Alberta Beer Award for Burning Fuse, a pineapple-jalapeño IPA. Not content to rest on his laurels, Horne is always hard at work creating tasty brews and surprising patrons with something fresh.
What is the best thing about working at Hard Knox Brewery?
One of the things I love about this place is the people you meet. There’s a local crowd (we have people riding their horses up in the summer!), but then we also have tourists from all over the world passing through.
Do you have a favourite beer on tap at the moment?
It would probably be Dawgs Water, which we produced this summer for the Okotoks Dawgs baseball team. We did a Dawgs Water Blood Orange Blonde and it turned out really well — it’s one of our best sellers.
When you’re not working, where do you like to hang out?
I go for dog walks around Fish Creek Provincial Park.
What is your favourite beer and food pairing?
Being from the U.K., you can’t go wrong with a good stout with pie.
Where have you had the most epic pub experience?
The Augustiner-Keller beer garden in Munich. The brewery itself started in the 1300s and the beers basically haven’t changed. German oompah bands play during the day, and it becomes a party atmosphere in the evening.
Are there any breweries on your wish list to visit?
I would love to visit The Alchemist Brewery in Vermont. They’re regarded as the brewery that started the New England IPA craze.
Is there anywhere else you’re itching to go?
Japan. It looks like an absolutely incredible place to travel.
What are you most excited about at the brewery this winter?
I always look forward to producing our year-end special beer bottle called Frontier. It’s an exciting brew because we get to just go completely wild with it.