Eatdrink #42 July/August 2013

28 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 42 | July/August 2013
farmers & artisans
Crafting a Brighter Future
Railway City Brewing Company, in St. Thomas
By JILL ELLIS-WORTHINGTON
In one of the area’s towns hardest hit
by the economic downturn, a little
good news goes a long way. Plant
closings and downsizing is usually the
business news of the day, but here’s a tale of
a small local company that is expanding its
operations and hiring more staff.
Railway City Brewing Company in St.
Thomas has grown substantially since
its inception five years ago. It was born
as a partnership between Paul Corriveau
and Al Goulding who began brewing two
types of beer in a small 2,500 square-foot
space. There are now four partners, six
regularly brewed beers (along with several
seasonally brewed), and by the time this is
published it will all be housed in a 13,000
square-foot renovated space on Edward
Street, “just a couple of blocks from where
Jumbo was killed,” says Corriveau. The
latter point is particularly poignant, as
Railway’s most popular brew is called Dead
Elephant in honour of the felled beast.
Initially Iron Spike Blonde and Copper
were introduced, soon joined by Dead
Elephant, Iron Spike Amber, Honey Elixir
Paul Corriveau, Matt Janes and Railway City’s brewer Zach Trynda
and Canada
Southern Draft.
Seasonal offerings
include a winter
stout and a
summer wheat
beer. Honey
Elixir is partially
made from
honey from
Windermere
Manor’s hives.
According to Brenda Brandt,
corporate sales manager, the Manor’s
Honey Stung Ale (their name for Honey
Elixir) was previously produced by another
craft brewer with inconsistent results,
“but since we switched to Railway it’s been
consistent and delicious. It’s a real draw for
our café and has been really well received.”
“We’ve grown faster than anticipated
and [the current space] has limitations
that we didn’t foresee,” explains Corriveau.
Logistical issues necessitated moving to
a larger space and adding five positions
to the current 14 staffers. Happily, the
two acres surrounding
the renovated industrial
building will allow Railway
to have an open-air patio
out front and event space
in the rear for barbecues
and car shows benefitting
charities.
As part of the company’s
evolution, new investors
were taken on and are now
active in its management:
Matt Janes oversees
operations and company
finances; Al Goulding is
in charge of retail and
packaging, and John Peart
is company president.