One of the early pioneers of the craft-beer movement in Victoria has made its last batches.
Swans Brewery, which had been producing its own recipes for more than 35 years, is focusing on serving products from other craft brewers at its downtown pub.
“Swans Pub remains very much open and we are actually increasing the number of beers and ciders we have on tap … probably up to 40,” said Mike Boyle, who operates the pub, hotel and liquor store on Store Street.
Boyle said he heard from patrons that they wanted a larger selection.
He said shuttering in-house brewing was a difficult decision, but indicated it was necessary as craft brewers are flooding the local market.
Boyle said dozens of craft brewers have opened since Spinnakers, Canada’s first craft, house, and then others, including Swans in 1989, blazed a trail for consumers wanting something different than their parents’ beer.
“Micro-brews didn’t really exist and brew pubs were suddenly very new and different than the industrial beers. But over the years the landscape has changed,” said Boyle.
“There are so many brewers making great beer now. You can’t walk 10 feet without finding one,” said Boyle.
“So the things that made Swan’s Brewing unique is no longer true.”
According to the Vancouver Island Ale Trail, which promotes craft breweries, there are 23 craft brewers on the South Island — and about 50 overall on Vancouver Island.
Paul Hadfield, a former architect who went out on a limb with Spinnakers in 1984 and still operates what is considered Canada’s oldest brewpub, said he was saddened to hear Swan’s wasn’t brewing anymore.
“Obviously the landscape has changed dramatically,” said Hadfield. “Now there is such an abundance of choices for consumers and it’s become a much more crowded market place.”
Hadfield said operators of food and beverage in general are being “squeezed” and seeing declining revenues amid tighter economic conditions and changing consumer tastes and choices.
“We all do what we have to do to adapt,” said Hadfield.
Joe Wiebe, who runs the Great Canadian Beer Festival for the Victoria Beer Society, agrees brewers are seeing declining sales due to economic conditions and many are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic. “But I don’t think the market is crowded,” he said. “There’s room and we’ve had new breweries opening in the last few years.”
Wiebe said this year’s 30th annual Great Canadian Beer Festival on Sept. 6 and 7 at Topaz park will feature 200 brewers from across Canada and ticket sales are picking up as the event tries sets up at a new venue. The festival had to be moved from Royal Athletic Park because of the city’s decision to hosts a CFL game there.
Boyle, who operates the Swans Pub and 29-suite hotel with his wife, Kira, said while they won’t be making their own beers, Swans will now be able to support other brewers and ciders.
“We’ve got so many great beer and cider makers all over the city and Peninsula and we’re very fortunate to have that,” he said. “We want to continue to support the craft brew market.”
Boyle said Swans also has its own cocktails on tap, which the pub produces in a barrel-aged process. Drinks like the old fashioned are made in oak barrels and aged for 90 days.
Boyle said the brewing operation, although closed now, will remain intact and could be rented out to a new craft brewer who may want to get their start.
He said there is enough Swans-branded beer in the tanks to last until the end of October and is encouraging fans to come in for some of the last glasses off the tap.
Swans produced several award-winning beers over about three decades and won brewpub of the year at the Canadian Brewing Awards in 2006. Sean Hoyne, the original brewmaster, went on to create his own successful local brewery, Hoyne Brewing Co.
“Every business has an evolution,” said Boyle. “Swans has been around for 36 years and we plan on being here another 36 … this is part of an evolution of that story.”
Boyle said there was a substantial renovation at Swans just prior to the pandemic that highlighted much of the beam and brickwork of the 1913 building, which he calls a city treasure.
The University of Victoria owns the building under its wholly owned subsidiary, University of Victoria Properties, which manages a portfolio of 135 commercial and 45 residential properties on Vancouver Island.
Businessman and philanthropist Michael Williams, who died in 2000 while on a flight to England, left Swans and other properties to the university
Williams opened Swans in 1989 in the building at the foot of Pandora Avenue at Store Street originally built as a granary and feed store in 1913 by Scott and Peden. Buckerfields resumed supplying farmers from the site in 1953, and Williams bought the rundown property in 1987, opening Swans two years later
