Armstrong Wine & Brew Owner David, and Operations Manager Jess, at the Counter
Image Credit: Armstrong Wine & Brew
July 14, 2024 - 5:30 AM
The demographics of DIY wine and craft beer sales are changing. More and more young people are wanting to try their hand at home brewing. You can save money and find the perfect blend. Millennials and 30- to 40-year-olds are not afraid to let their artistic side take the driver's seat.
Armstrong Wine & Brew has a unique response: give the customer complete artistic license over the brewing process. From the moment their customers enter the store, they are encouraged to create – including wine varietals, beer styles, and the number of bottles needed. Owner David Wright takes that outlook very seriously; since he purchased the business a year ago, he has strategically revamped the products, supplies and onsite services that Armstrong Wine & Brew offers.
Creativity and Ingenuity Are Welcome
"We love it when our clients are keen to learn and experiment in the brewing process; they can be as involved as they want," says David. "We provide the expertise and - if you choose - the venue, and from there, we help our clients in crafting brews that are exactly what they want, full stop." The philosophy applies to their full range of products including wine, beer, ciders, and seltzers. With David's expert knowledge to guide them, customers are always delighted with the end result. While David notes that they still have customers who prefer the whole process to be managed for them right up to the bottling stage, Armstrong Wine & Brew is seeing a surge in home wine and beer making.
Armstrong Wine & Brew beer production
Image Credit: Armstrong Wine & Brew
Custom-Crafted Fun
David and his team know that great products start with the water. They use reverse-osmosis filtered water in-store for excellent tasting results. David has opened up to creativity in another way, too: batch configuration. Do you like creating a mix of beers, or more than one type of wine? No problem. Half-kits are a popular option now. Customers can also adjust their product to match their requirements, such as oak levels, sugar content, sulphite levels (including a no additional sulphite option), and the ABV percentage levels in both beer and seltzers. Ciders are very popular, including pear, mango, grapefruit, raspberry and other flavours.
When Armstrong Wine & Brew started getting inquiries for the purchase of half-batches, it was a sign of things to come. David sees more groups coming in to socialize during the brewing: mix-and-match brewing, where a group of friends custom-craft different varieties. According to David, he’s excited to see a more diverse and creative craft brewing industry emerging in the North Okanagan.
Staying ahead of market trends means adjusting the services offered, but Armstrong Wine & Brew is great at that. Tweaking things to match his client's requests comes easily to David. His engineering background (mainly in the petrochemical sector) means he is exceptionally good at finding creative solutions. David enjoys following market trends in the beverage industry and stocking the store accordingly - including alcohol-free sparkling white wines, low-sugar spritzers, espresso beer stouts, and their in-house custom blend (Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer and a French Rosé).
Armstrong Wine & Brew store entrance
Image Credit: Armstrong Wine & Brew
Craft Brewing Offers Interactive, Fun Outings
In chatting with the clients coming through the door, David noticed something interesting; a key reason his clients kept coming back to Armstrong Wine and Brew was the atmosphere – they love the fun atmosphere and chilled-out ambiance. The open-concept store, ultra-clean brewing facility, and creative environment are a big hit. Apparently, the ability to gather with friends and create a custom-crafted beverage has a strong appeal, and David has the perfect venue for that. He has some great ideas for this summer. Paint and sip nights are being planned, and brewing educational sessions are coming down the pike, too. This will help those getting into the competitive side of craft brewing.
What’s New In The Store?
Armstrong Wine & Brew now offers reduced sugar spritzers, low-sugar beer, low-alcohol wines, and near-zero beers. In season they offer locally BC grown apples for cider. "We even have clients asking me about courses on how to make a fruit wine," adds David.
Best Part: Top Quality That is Budget Friendly
The best part of brewing your own batches? The cost. These are zero-tax products. Craft brewing beer and wine are produced using ingredients that fall into the food category, so there is no liquor tax. Wine can be custom-brewed for as little as three dollars a bottle; beer is easily fifty percent less than liquor store prices. This is the top reason to try your hand at making your own.
Armstrong Wine & Brew assorted wines ready for purchase
Image Credit: Armstrong Wine & Brew
"We have clients that come from as far away as Revelstoke and Lake Country," David tells me. Try home brewing for your next big event and you can save a lot of money. His customers like the value they get, but with high-quality supplies they are also thrilled to bottle and serve the final results.
David also has clients who prefer to leave the brewing to the experts in the store. It takes as little as 10 minutes to start a batch of wine, and that is a big draw for many customers. Other clients drop by for supplies; Armstrong Wine and Brew is well-known to the DIY artist, supporting craft brewers up and down the valley with many wine and beer ingredients, such as hard-to-find beer malts. Top-tier wine kits, such as those from the Andrew Peller Estates’ Winexpert brand David carries, are a great way to get started.
Come Explore What Armstrong Wine & Brew Has to Offer
No matter which type of client comes through the door, David and his team love that they get to create cool things every day. And when clients drop in to brew a customized batch of beer or cider, he looks forward to chatting and learning how he can help.
To learn more about custom-crafting your own batch of wine, beer, cider, or seltzer, visit the Armstrong Wine & Brew team at 2545 Patterson Ave. in Armstrong, BC. They are open 5 days a week (Tuesday – Saturday) and will remain open late by appointment. For directions and product availability call 250-546-6954 or click here for their website and online shop.
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