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Managing Editor: Rod Jerred Phone: 905-337-5559 Fax: 905-337-5567 e-m ail: rjerred@hattonsearch.com \vi i >\i s i W'i m .\H ( 1 1 in. _>(hi; · n \ ( , i ; ( :s BUSINESS Brothers tap into popularity of micro-brewery market By Lawson Hunter SPECIAL T O THE BEAVER Family is at the heart o f successfor King Brewery ing. After less than a year in full operation. King Brewery is nearing its plant capaci ty of 144.000 litres per year. This is aver age for a micro brewery but much small er than that of a national commercial brewer's six million litres per plant annu al output. At King Brewery, each 6,000-litre batch is fermented for a full 45 days, much longer than the average Canadian beer. Most of King Brewery's output is packaged into kegs to be distributed to restaurants and pubs that cater to a dis criminating audience. Chris notes that King Brewery Pilsner is available in many establishments throughout the region, including: the King Edward Hotel, C'est What, the BierMarket. Rebel House, and the Bow and Arrow in Toronto; Pepperwood's Bistro in Burlington: the Winking Judge in Hamilton. Launches are planned soon in Oakville, Niagara and other locations in Burlington and Hamilton. The goal of King Brewery is to grow from being a micro brewery to a `region al' brewery serving a wider area around the GTA. Being strategically placed in King Township means that distribution, which the DiFonzos currently handle P hotos special to the O akville B eaver H ow far would you drive to get a premium beer? Chris DiFonzo leaves his Oakville home almost every morning and drives to King Township, 25 kilometres north of Toronto, to find a perfect brew waiting for him. O f course it doesn't hurt that his brother. Philip DiFonzo, is the brewmaster and co-owner of King Brewery. " Philip is the reason we're here," says Chris the other co-owner of the `craft' or micro-brewery. Philip, a long-time resi dent of the area, turned his amateur hobby into a full-time occupation last year with the opening of King Brewery. After brewing his own beer at home for several years, Philip joined the Canadian Amateur Brewers' Association. He also took two years to study for accreditation in the Beer Judging Certificate Program and has been actively judging since 1 998. Since then. Philip worked for a Niagara region winery in its original brewery operation to study brewing on a larger scale and to learn other details in a retail environ ment. Philip's recipes have won 16 awards and critical success from beer experts. Currently, King Brewery brews one brand, a Czech-style ultra-premium pil sner (lager). Modelling his beer after an original Czech beer, the business imports true Czech malt. hops, and yeast. King Brewery even distills its water and adds salts and minerals to duplicate the water from the Czech Republic region. The brewery uses a German-style decoction brew style with the brew vats and fermenters custom built to Philip's specifications. Chris, supportive of his brother's efforts and impressed with Philip's dedi cation to detail, put his career as a national sales and marketing executive (for companies like Frito-Lay and Duracell) aside, to direct the marketing and strategic planning of King Brewery. Chris' wife, Brenda, helps with the mar- themselves, can be easily accommodated beyond the Oakville to Oshawa area. London. Hamilton, Barrie and Kingston are in their sights. " Getting into the LC BO is the key to larger distribution," explains Chris. " We've been approved for LC BO distri bution. The challenge for us is to go into stores that arc constrained for space. Many stores may not be conducive to high-end wines and beers so we won't go there at first. We'll probably open in 25-50 strategic LCBO 's. That will be based on the best demographic match for the profile of the premium beer drinker." Chris notes with pride that after years ' of talking about King Brewery to family and friends in Oakville, they will finally be able to see the reaction of a larger beer-consuming public to his brother's dream to manufacture stylistically authentic premium beers. Philip says of the venture. " It has been a dream and passion for me to make the finest beer I can. Chris. Brenda and the rest of our families made that into a real ity." If you can't wait for King Pilsner to come to you, the King Brewery retail outlet is open Monday through Saturday at 5645 King Rd., east of Hwy. 27 in Nobleton. King Township, or call for information on where it is available near you at 905-859-KING. It's all in the family at King Brewery. Above, Philip DiFonzo, brew m aster and co-owner of King Brewery, turned his am ateur hobby into a full-time occupa tion last year. He is pictured with his brother and co-owner, Chris, right, who directs the m arketing and strategic planning for the business. keting. Philip's daughter, Christina, was brought in to use her experience in the food industry to handle the retail side of the operation. And if the company needs any more advice, the DiFonzos can turn to their father, with some 50 years expe rience in the auto repair business, or to Brenda's family, owners of Kerr Cadillac. Everyone in the operation is proud of the title `craft' brewery because of the hand-crafted approach Phillip uses to coax natural flavours and qualities from the four basic ingredients. The marketing strategy for King Brewery is to target beer drinkers over 25 years old who are looking for some thing a bit different than the mass pro duced beers that have cornered 90 per cent of the market. Two years of con sumer testing have led the DiFonzos to aim for the premium market, the only segment of beer drinkers that is expand- Sundays Metropolis SUNDAY NET RESULT rThc owner aims fo r p ro fit, t h e players aim tor |(1V V . pages f,nWUAW ». 2 O O 3* U H " l`,r . .hcstar.com M SECTION SENSELESS UGHT. SORT OF fun ^ p ri^ to n tanks offer from urban 2Sr» lo w -carb -PW 1 2 0«rstin'uteW on`