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Today, Craftlab is taking you behind the scenes of one of the industry’s coolest social media presences: Backcountry Brewing, based in British Columbia, Canada. Here’s how they came up with their unconventional marketing strategy, and how it makes the lighthearted fun of social media convert to sales.

We interviewed one of the founders of Backcountry Brewing, entrepreneur Ben Reeder. For most of his career, Ben ran a media production company that he started shortly after college. When he saw the craft beer scene growing in his area, he decided to pursue growing hops on a small farm he owned on Vancouver island. The operation eventually expanded to include industry expert Marc Roberts and brewer John Folinsbee. Backcountry Brewery opened in 2017 and has continued to grow since opening.

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A local brewery is out with a new beer honouring the memory of late artist Chili Thom.

The annual special release features a can designed in collaboration with the estate of Chili Thom, a Sea to Sky artist who succumbed to cancer in 2016.

The Chili Thom artwork featured on this year’s ‘Suck It Cancer’ label is titled ‘What Lies Beneath’ and was inspired by a sailing trip Chili took on the North Coast of BC in 2012.

“It’s been amazing to watch the momentum build with this beer over the past two years,” says Ben Reeder, Marketing Director at Backcountry Brewing.

“BC beer drinkers are responding, and the support has exceeded our expectations.”

Hopped with Mosaic Strata and Citra, ‘Suck It Cancer’ also includes one of Backcountry’s favorite hops — Sabro.

Reeder says beer drinkers can expect big dank and tropical fruit notes with this double dry hopped pale ale.

Backcountry plans to brew back-to-back batches of ‘Suck It Cancer’ pale ale, available in cans and kegs across the province from September 16 through into November.

One dollar from each 4-pack, $.50 from each sleeve served in the tasting room, and $50 from each keg sold will be donated to the BC Cancer Foundation.

Backcountry Brewing has raised $26,000 from the sales of ‘Suck It Cancer’, all of which goes into care for the 80,000 British Columbians facing cancer this year, says Sarah Roth, President & CEO of BC Cancer Foundation.

Backcountry Brewing is also selling prints of Thom’s art, as well as stickers of the can label graphic at the Squamish tasting room to help raise more funds for cancer research.

A new veterinarian in town and a local brewery owner have come together to raise money for the local SPCA.

It was at a BBQ this summer that Dr. Fraser Davidson, the owner of the newly opened Sea to Sky Veterinary Clinic, spoke to Ben Reeder of Backcountry Brewing, about working together on fundraising for the local SPCA.

Dr. Davidson, who also used to own a bar in Vancouver, suggested that perhaps they could collaborate on a beer, the proceeds of which would go to SPCA.

“I have always donated to SPCA, and I wanted to try to do something together with Ben,” says Dr. Fraser Davidson.

Dr. Davidson suggested he would pay the cost of brewing the beer and the labeling, but Ben had already been working on a similar idea.

“It was synchronicity,” Ben Reeder says about the meeting with Dr. Davidson.

“We already had a beer coming where we took pictures of all the staff’s dogs and put them on the can, and supported the local BC SPCA with their Champion for Animals program,” he said.

Made for animal lovers, the Champion for Animals helps people raise money while participating in any way possible. It could be asking for donations in lieu of presents, to celebrating a puppy shower, or hosting a wine & cheese party, or collecting donations at a game.

The ‘Throw me a Fricking Bone’ beer has been very popular with locals. Backcountry Brewing plans to brew this every year, and help support the local BC SPCA.

Dr. Davidson is also excited about the collaboration as well as the new clinic, which he says the community has been very supportive.

“I have been really touched by how supportive this community is,” he says.

SILVER – Best Weird Beer // The Jeffery
BRONZE – Best East Coast IPA // Widowmaker
BRONZE – Best Branding/Packaging

Squamish’s Backcountry Brewing is known for some of the longest beer names in the business, and indeed, pop culture references abound. In fact, Growlie Winner, The Jeffery, was inspired by a memorable scene in the movie Get Him to the Greek (as if we needed to tell you!). Stroke the furry walls and see if you can nail down some of the other, more obscure nods in their line-up!

Available across the province, the Widowmaker IPA consistently stands out as Backcountry’s most awarded beer, taking home 2nd place in the 2017 BC Beer Awards and several Growlies in 2018 and 2019.

Heavily fruited sours have become a mainstay of Backcountry’s limited releases, selling out exceptionally quickly, with ridiculous amounts of fruit puree used to balance the tartness. With labels created by the talented Hired Guns Creative team from Nanaimo, Backcountry has a whopping 101 limited release beers planned for 2021! We can’t wait to see what they make next!

Backcountry Brewing is a 6000 square foot brewery, tasting room, and kitchen. Given the amazing interior design of their tasting room, you will feel like you are in a backcountry ski cabin circa 1975 as it has shingles, vintage decors, lanterns, and tabletops made of local trail maps.

With their new seasonal beers launching every week, there is a new flavor for any palate. What’s even better is that they have 20 tap towers that you can choose from.

Aside from beer, they make sure to also make cider, wine, bubbles, mead, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages available.

If you are looking for a hangout place with your friends, their beer alongside their complimentary menu will surely fulfill your cravings and make your bonding moment more memorable.

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Squamish based beer company Backcountry Brewing has released a limited edition batch of Suck It Cancer pale ale as part of a fundraiser for the BC Cancer Foundation.

This is the second year of the Suck It Cancer beer. In 2019, Backcountry Brewing raised $11,033. This year, they hope to raise $15,000.

“The support from BC beer drinkers was so overwhelming last year, we knew we had to do it again,” Ben Reeder, Marketing Director at Backcountry Brewing said.

Reeder said that the effort would not be possible without the support of generous sponsors and partners within BC’s craft brewing industry — Summit Labels, Hops Connect, Vessel Packaging Co, Rahr Malting, and BSG Canada.

Backcountry Brewing has produced 15,000 litres of Suck It Cancer and will donate $50 per keg ordered, $1 per 4-pack, and $0.50 for each sleeve sold in the tasting room.

“We are so grateful to once again partner with Backcountry Brewing to break down cancer across B.C.,” said Sarah Roth, President & CEO, BC Cancer Foundation. “This year, more than ever, British Columbians facing cancer need hope, and the brilliant teams at BC Cancer are determined to carry on with breakthrough research with the support of this campaign and our generous community.”

Each can of ‘Suck it Cancer’ features art from late Sea to Sky artist, Michael ‘Chili’ Thom. Reeder said that Backcountry Brewing was in discussions with Chili about using some of his art on their products before he passed away four years ago from complications with cancer. Reeder was a friend of Chili’s and said many of the owners at Backcountry Brewing were connected to Chili personally or through his art.

Chili’s mother Maureen Thom, who lives in Ladysmith, said that the ‘Suck It Cancer’ beer is a great way to honour Chili’s legacy.

“It’s absolutely fabulous,” she said. “Chili would be thrilled, I know he’s just thrilled.”

Backcountry Brewing is also selling stickers and limited edition prints of Chili’s art on their website.

Cans and kegs of the 2020 Suck It Cancer beer will be available at finer stores and establishments throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor, the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley as well as select spots in the Okanagan, Vancouver Island and the BC Interior. Cans are available at Oyster Bay Liquor Store just north of Ladysmith.

Chili’s estate continues to sell prints of his artwork. Proceeds from his art go toward supporting his daughter. Chili’s art is available at chilithom.com.

Squamish based beer company Backcountry Brewing has released a limited edition batch of Suck It Cancer pale ale as part of a fundraiser for the BC Cancer Foundation.

Image : Maureen Thom holds a can of Suck it Cancer Pale Ale and a heart created by her son Michael ‘Chili’ Thom when he was in kindergarten.

SQUAMISH, BC – Backcountry Brewing has announced the return of a charity beer to raise funds for the BC Cancer Foundation.

Suck It Cancer (5.5% abv) is a double dry-hopped Pale Ale that Backcountry master brewer John Folinsbee says has been “hopped with Mosaic, Citra and one of our favorite new hops Strata, so expect big dank and tropical fruit notes.”

The beer has been made and packaged with the support of sponsors including Summit Labels, Hops Connect, Vessel Packaging Co, Rahr Malting, and BSG Canada, and features artwork provided by the estate of Chili Thom, a local artist who passed away from cancer in 2016.

15,000 litres of Suck It Cancer have been produced, and the brewery will donate $50 per keg, $1 per 4-pack, and 50 cents for each glass sold in the tasting room, to the BCCF.

Suck It Cancer will be available at Backcountry and select liquor stores and bars in British Columbia while supplies last.

Building off the success of last year’s “Suck It Cancer” fundraising campaign, Backcountry Brewing is proud to release the 2020 “Suck It Cancer” Pale Ale on November 10, 2020. Collaborating once again on the can design with the estate of Chili Thom, a local artist who succumbed to cancer in 2016, Backcountry hopes to raise $15,000 this year to donate to the BC Cancer Foundation.

“The support from BC beer drinkers was so overwhelming last year, we knew we had to do it again,” says Ben Reeder, Marketing Director at Backcountry Brewing. “Almost everyone has been affected by or witnessed the tragic effects of cancer, and Chili was a local hero in the Sea to Sky so it’s an honour to have a new piece of his artwork for the label, and to be able to raise money in his name to help find a cure for this terrible disease.”

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Technically speaking, neither Squamish nor Whistler is considered a part of Vancouver, Greater or not. But if you think about it, much more so than Surrey, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Richmond, or Port Moody, both communities act as a major barometer of how far Lotusland has come as a world-class city.

As Vancouver’s stature has grown both in Canada and internationally, so has that of Whistler and Squamish.

Recall that once upon a time Canada’s third-largest city was considered a provincial backwater: a detached home in 1980 went for $90,000 (roughly $243,000 when adjusted for inflation). In that same period of time, Squamish was a solidly blue-collar logging community, and Whistler a destination for ski bums who paid for daily lift tickets by scrounging for change under the seats of their VW vans.

Today, the idea of owning a home in Vancouver is a pipe dream for anyone who hasn’t come up aces on Lotto Max. Squamish is booming as a funky refuge for anyone/everyone who can’t afford Vancouver, and Whistler is a destination for those living—or dreaming of living—the life of an international jetsetter.

All three communities have blossomed into thriving and vibrant hubs for arts, culture, and culinary excellence. And, more importantly, for craft beer. Vancouver has one of the most vibrant microbrew communities in the country. But don’t forget that the B.C. Ale Trail also snakes up the Sea to Sky. Here’s a six-pack of great craft breweries in Squamish and Whistler.

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WE’RE BACK! Introducing the Summer 2020 edition of Mountain Life Coast Mountains, and with it, we’re moving into a new realm of sensory ascendance in the form of a limited edition beer collaboration with our friends at Backcountry Brewing.

We’ve been delivering feasts for your eyes and hearts for over seventeen years, and now we’ve got a beer to pair it with. Take a seat and let the words and photos of our amazing contributors mix with some delicious hops, and we promise you’re in for a good time.

“This year has been a wild ride and we wanted to do something as cool as possible to get people stoked on getting out, camping and enjoying life in the mountains this summer.”

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