Releasing new, exciting products with the start of the new year has become something of a tradition at Westview U-Vin U-Brew, and that’s exactly what the brewery’s new owners have in mind for 2019.
New store owners Jeremy and Susanna East, who moved to Powell River from the Lower Mainland in the spring, bought the brewery in October from previous owner Jackie Marjerison. They have big plans for the store. Customers concerned about the changes have nothing to worry about, says Jeremy.
“Our game plan is to keep everything that has been getting done right the same and bring the business up to the next level,” he says.
The business will continue to sell Winexperts™ wine kits, products known for their richness and quality. The company is owned by Global Vinter Incorporated, a division of Andrew Peller Ltd. Peller Estates is a well-established commercial wine brand, adds Jeremy.
To ramp up, Jeremy plans on establishing in some new product lines, things that customers have not seen before at the shop.
“We are going to step up the level on the beer with the all-grain beer brewing and bring in fresh-pressed ciders,” he says.
Six new all-grain beer brew recipes will be unveiled in January. In the meantime, Jeremy is experimenting with a number of recipes, including a West Coast Pale Ale, a German Kölsch, a wheat beer, a simple lager, and a hazy India Pale Ale.
“I want to talk to my customers about what they want first and then we'll decide,” he says.
Jeremy explains that making a batch of beer from an all-grain recipe instead of using malt extracts gives the beer more of a craft-brewery taste and allows the brewmaster more control on the final product.
Westview U-Vin U-Brew has a fruit press, which is used in the production of fresh fruit wines and Jeremy says he is looking forward to helping his customers brew batches of ciders this year.
As a dedicated home brewer, Jeremy brings much passion for helping his customers fine-tune their wine and beer recipes.
“I encourage everyone who wants to learn more about brewing beer and making wine to come by,” says Jeremy. “What most people don’t know is that our recipes are customizable to a person’s tastes, that’s the beauty of making wine and beer at the u-vin u-brew.”
Both the wine and beer he produces are all natural and free of the many preservatives often found in commercial wines for sale at the liquor store, says Jeremy. The store is able to produce wine without sulfites, a common preservative in wine that causes some drinkers to have allergic reactions, he adds.
It could not be easier to make a batch of wine or beer than to come into the shop, says Jeremy. Customers can drop in to discuss what they like, place their order and then come back to bottle it when it’s ready, he says.
In addition to Westview U-Vin U-Brew’s variety of four-, six-, and eight-week regular Winexperts™ wine kits available year-round, the store is again offering Winexperts™ Limited Edition kits. This year’s offerings include five wine kits being released between January to April.
In January two wines, a Californian Black Cab and a New Zealand Fumé Blanc will be released; a Chilean Corazón will follow in February; a Californian Symphony Gewürztraminer in March, and then in April, an Italian Barbaresco-style wine will round out this year’s limited edition kits.
Customers interested in purchasing the limited edition kits need to place their order at the store by November 30.
For home beer and winemakers, Westview U-Vin U-Brew continues to sell all the needed supplies for producing its signature creations.
The store is open from 9 am to 5 pm from Tuesday through Saturday at 7030 Glacier Street.
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