“We cherish the traditions of brewing history, while being creatively innovative about the future of it.”

Kevin Somerville

Brewmaster/Partner

BEER. A word that is simplistic in its pronunciation, but yet a word that elicits copious amounts of stereotypical connotations when spoken.

For most, it is a cheap and inexpensive alcoholic treat that appeals to university students and blue collar/working-class aficionados infatuated by the notion of sporting events, video games and social events devoid of any sort of hors d’oeuvres.

You can blame the marketing agenda of beer advertisements for this sort of hazy-eyed perspective.

In reality, beer is rarely discussed in conversation as a beverage that can compare with the alluring seductiveness of wine or spirits.

Beer is, to put it simply, a beverage marketed to mass amounts of people rather than to a specific demographic. This general understanding of what a beer is typically supposed to represent (anti-elitist) only helps to undermine the vastness of what it is actually capable of.

Niagara Oast House Brewers is looking to alter this perception of what a beer has incorrectly been defined as.

Having just recently opened their doors in November of 2012, the diminutive microbrewery (located in a beautifully renovated, century-old red barn on 2017 Niagara Stone Road in Niagara-On-The-Lake) is investing a great amount of time and effort into the composition of flavourful craft beers that are produced in innovative and quality-driven ways.

Typically, a craft beer is formulated by a brewer that is small, independent and traditional. In other words, it has no affiliations with any major chain of brewery.

Niagara Oast House Brewers ownership consists of three partners, Mike Berlis (Manager of Finance), Cian MacNeill (Marketing Manager) and Kevin Somerville (Brewmaster).

All three men have extensive knowledge and experience within the wine and beer industries. Mike and Cian are highly-educated/certified sommeliers (Cian is  also a winemaker) while Kevin was trained for brewing in Germany and Chicago, and also helped found and write the curriculum for Niagara College’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program. He continues to teach for it, as well.

With this amount of educated intelligence circulating amongst the three of them, it’s easy to understand why the company takes great strides to incorporate quality-driven methods of production.

According to Somerville, “Our goal as a company is to create top of the line craft beers that simultaneously push the limits. Craft beer culture is exploding throughout North America at the present moment, and we wish to bring that sensibility here to Niagara. We brew in small batches, and use ingredients locally sourced by Niagara Farmers who work with us to produce the freshest ingredients possible. We’re attempting to embrace and to be highly representative of the Niagara region’s famous motto of ‘farm to table.”

Adds MacNeill, “We want to do everything the Niagara way. Our desire is to respect the roots of the region.”

The microbrewery initially launched with two beers in November. A Belgian-style Saison, which is the first in the Farmhouse Ale collection of bottle-conditioned beers (historically, Farmhouse Ales were produced during the cooler months so that they could be released during the summer work season on the farm), and a Barnraiser Country Ale, a hoppy and very citrusy beer that is aromatically strong.

In April, the group has plans to release the Biere de Garde. A member of the Farmhouse Ale family, it is darker than the Saison with more malt character stepping forward.

Niagara Oast House Brewers is dedicated to maintaining an aura of fresh and contemporary, and promises to consistently have something new and innovative lurking on the horizon. Thus the beer options will constantly be in a state of transition in an attempt to offer certain types of beer during particular points of the season.

With that being said, though, it still seems that opening any sort of business within the heart of wine country would be a stressful endeavour. But the company appears to be at ease with their positioning deep within the historical heart of wine country.

The fundamental reason being that the group believes they’re not in direct competition with the wineries, but rather are there to help compliment and exhibit how multifarious (in regards to agriculture) the Niagara Region truly is.

According to Somerville, “We are aiming to add further dimension to the Niagara-On-The-Lake community, and to provide the traveller lodging in the area with another option to experience. As well, we also wish to create a more diverse food and beverage industry in the region.”

At the present moment, the microbrewery currently offers tours, tastings, retail sales and event space for social outings.

In regards to the notion of culinary, Niagara Oast House Brewers will soon incorporate the use of local chefs to help prepare and pair food with particular beers.

Though the company is influenced by the winery model, they feel they provide an alternative experience.

“We may base our existing structure on that of the winery,” says MacNeill, “but we feel that we articulate a different sort of vibe. Our initiative is to provide an experience for our visitors that is both fun and upbeat. We wish to create an energetic environment for them to be a part of.”

As noted prior, they have also just recently formed a partnership with local farmers to supply the brewery with hops for their use (though, they do wish that more hops were grown since they believe the Niagara Region is a perfect climate for it), and for sourcing other key ingredients from nearby suppliers.

The importance of engaging with the local agriculture is of utmost importance to the microbrewery because it provides for them a label of genuine authenticity. To utilize elements from the surrounding area also helps to promote the perception that the region is brimming with unbridled possibilities in regards to cultivation.

Somerville notes, “The Niagara region is blessed with such a bountiful amount of components to play with that it would be a shame not to take advantage of what’s in our very own backyard.”

To note that the company is driven by a passionate thirst for success would be an understatement.

Says MacNeill, “Niagara Oast House Breweries will elevate the status of craft beer in Ontario through creating consistent top-quality artisan beers. We’ll be good environmental stewards and support our local communities through the creations of strategic partnerships.”

A company in its infancy, free to explore all the possibilities this area has to offer is a key ingredient in the invigorating pleasure of discovering something new.

“We love to tell stories, and are driven by that desire to do it for a living.”

Jason Lupish

Creative Director

Open Concept Films

…As the sweat rolls down my brow with relentless fury, I eye the surrounding locale with paranoid trepidation. With my vision shifting from left to right across the vastness of this foreign land, I become aware of one thing; I am not alone out here.

Something stirs in the distance. 200 metres to my immediate right, a movement drifts towards me. The wind, feverishly increasing in velocity, rips dust across the windows of my Audi R8 with a torrid intensity. My eyes squint with ambitious hope, but the images are jagged mirages of the mind.

I insert the key into the ignition and turn. But with the sound of cliché echoing amongst the hissing rattle of desert sand pelting away outside, the engine does not turn over…

The preceding story was written as mere entertainment, but was altered to incorporate one small, seemingly unimportant fact: The endorsement of an Audi R8.

A story can exist for many different reasons. In this regard, however, it comes to exemplify a growing trend in 21^st century marketing; the notion of brand marketing.

The idea is a fairly linear one: the fusion of creative storytelling with inconspicuous product placement–A concept that the St. Catharines-based Open Concept Films (OCF) has embraced since their inception in 2010.

Comprising of Jason Lupish, Adam Stephenson (co-Creative Director) and Ralph DeGroot (OCF Producer and Project Manager), the group firmly believes that the days of traditional commercial marketing are on the brink of extinction.

Says Lupish, “For all intensive purposes, corporate video, in its most traditional form, is dead. People want to be entertained. They don’t simply want to be provided with an answer, but rather desire to decipher it on their own.”

Adds Stephenson, “People identify with stories, and they identify with characters and situations. So, in essence, what we we’re doing is telling stories that have interesting and relatable characters. And then we attach a brand to these stories therefore allowing the brand to benefit from the exposure of the film. In essence, we are blending the creative with the commercial”.

Ultimately, this reads as a sincere renouncement of anything associated with the traditional modes of commercial production. Consequently, the company has become fully intent on focusing their energy and passion into the construction of 2-3 minute short films that aspire to advertise a particular product in a very nonchalant sort of way.

“The industry is still in its early stages. In fact, probably more in utero than anything,” says Lupish. “But we’re at the forefront—we’re literally writing the DNA for a new brand of what used to be called corporate video.”

Though seemingly still in a state of infancy, the company has already crafted brand films for such corporations as Halls XS and Brock University. In addition to this, they’ve also donated their time to community projects such as OneWorld Schoolhouse Foundation and the Niagara Catholic School Board.

But an important question does arise. If they’ve encountered such a vast amount of achievement over such a short period of time, why not expand to a major market along the lines of Toronto or Montreal?

The answer is a rather simple one.

“The Niagara Region is my home,” says Stephenson. “When I surround myself with the people that matter to me, I’m able to draw inspiration and feel better about the work I’m producing. I’ve spent years with this group of people and they are all as creative as I am. I don’t want to abandon that.”

Lupish readily concurs, “I’m from St. Catharines, and most of my family is situated here. “It’s not the best excuse but it’s a logical one…And realistically, what with technology being the way it currently is, I can do my job from anywhere in the world.”

It’s a telling statement about how the current technological climate of our society is influencing our methods of choice. With advancement progressing at such a staggering rate over the past 10-15 years, companies no longer fear the need to traverse to the larger cities for further employment. With potential jobs a mere click away, companies are now thriving in smaller markets.

Though the company has been profiting from their branded films (they also offer event coverage, web content production and  produce/direct music videos for local artists), it’s interesting to note that the original idea behind the formation of Open Concept Films had to do with Lupish’s and Stephenson’s other passion; feature films.

In 2010, they had just started work on a film entitled A Kind of Wonderful Thing, but needed a company name to place it under. Thus OCF was (un)officially born. Since then, the film has gone on to garner high acclaim, and in August 2012 had an official red carpet premiere at Brock University.

In October 2012, Open Concept Films continued their ascension as a relevant Niagara-based media group as they packed up and moved their headquarters to 1 St. Paul St. E.—becoming the newest tenant at nGen’s Generator at One Studio.

“This is a huge step for OCF,” says Ralph DeGroot. “All of a sudden, we have moved into the global market with projects for a Brazilian marketing firm, Espalhe, and Kraft Foods. Places like nGen are starting to help facilitate growth of the entertainment industry right here in Niagara, and we’re quite proud to be a part of that.”

But the notion of complacency has never found residency within the mindset of the creative team. Their aspirations are for continual growth, and to create content that is consumed by the masses. Whether that content be through traditional media sources (television, theatre, radio) or new media (Internet), the desire and drive continues to burn.

“We are driven by an innate creativity. Our professional drive has always stemmed from our fascination with the exploration of discovering/creating something new,” says Lupish. “Open Concept Films is, in its most basic sense, filmmakers and storytellers who are dedicated to bringing an artistic sensibility to our work.”

Openconceptfilms.com