Charles Bierbrier is brewing success
ConcordiaWORKS
Charles Bierbrier (MBA 2003) always knew what his future had on tap.
"My passion has always been beer and homebrewing," he said, adding that it has been part of his weekend ritual since he was old enough to hoist a glass himself (legally, of course).
Two years after completing his MBA at the JMSB, he realized the ultimate beer connoisseur's dream: He opened Bierbrier Brewing.
Now his extremely drinkable Bierbrier ale is in high demand at some of Montreal's most chi-chi nightspots, and as far downstream as Trois-Rivières and Quebec City.
"When I started, I had a phone and a folding beach chair. Now, we have three desks and multiple phone lines, so we're growing. People used to say, 'You have one phone and no desk.’ But it didn't matter. I had a brewery!" Bierbrier laughs. "I'm so excited just to be able to live my dream."
When he opened in 2005, Bierbrier brewed at his downtown facility in the morning, did deliveries in the afternoon and paperwork on weekends. The company has since grown to about seven full-time employees, and he has recently had to install several more fermenters (large vats used to produce beer) to meet demand for the coming summer alone.
"It's like a big snowball, and the management side is growing also. That's where the MBA definitely comes in handy," he explained.
Though Quebec is flush with great beer, Bierbrier says his stands out as authentic, premium ale — not the fizzier lager many drinkers are acquainted with — and his does not contain chemicals or preservatives.
While his company is poised for rapid expansion, Bierbrier says he prefers to conquer his home turf.
"The future holds a lot of potential, [but first] I want to be a household name in Montreal, and there's still much work to do with that."