Brewery and Distillery Construction in Calgary

Brewery construction in Calgary is wet, heavy industrial work with a hospitality space attached. The brewhouse and tanks weigh many tonnes when full. The floor gets hot water, caustic cleaners and acid every day. The drains carry high-strength wastewater that the City cares about. And at the front, a taproom has to feel like a good bar. Distilleries add another layer: flammable vapour, which changes the electrical and fire protection design for the whole production area.

Licensing with the AGLC

Breweries and distilleries in Alberta need a Class E manufacturer's licence from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis. A taproom or tasting room that serves customers on site has its own licensing as well. The AGLC looks at the premises, so the layout, the storage and the separation between production and the public area should be planned with the licence in mind.

The building also needs the right land use. Manufacturing is allowed in industrial districts, and some commercial districts allow small-scale breweries with a taproom. Check the use with the City before you sign a lease.

Floors and trench drains

The production floor is the most important thing in a brewery build. It has to slope to drains everywhere, so water never pools around tanks. It needs a trench drain, usually stainless steel, along the tank line and under the brewhouse. And it needs a coating that survives hot water, caustic and acid, and thermal shock: a urethane cement or similar chemical-resistant system, not the epoxy you would put in a warehouse.

In an existing building, that usually means cutting out and repouring the slab in the production area with new slopes and drains. It is the largest single cost in many brewery fit-outs, and one owners often underestimate.

Full fermenters and brite tanks are heavy and sit on small feet. The slab under the tank line has to carry those point loads, and a structural engineer checks it.

Wastewater

Brewery wastewater is high in sugars, yeast and solids, and it swings between hot and caustic and acidic. The City of Calgary regulates what can be discharged to the sanitary sewer, and breweries often need a solids interceptor, pH neutralization or a sampling point, and may face surcharges for high-strength waste. Plan this with the City early, because adding treatment after opening is expensive.

Glycol, CO2 and utilities

Fermenters and brite tanks are cooled by a glycol chiller, with insulated glycol piping running to every tank. The chiller usually sits outside or on the roof and needs power and a structural support. Brewhouses need large utility connections: gas or electric for heating, a big water supply, compressed air and sometimes steam.

Carbon dioxide from fermentation and from CO2 tanks for carbonation and dispensing can build up in enclosed spaces. Install CO2 monitors with alarms, and ventilation, in cellars, cold rooms and anywhere CO2 is stored or used. It is one of the cheapest safety items in the building.

Distilleries: classified electrical and explosion control

Distilleries handle high-proof alcohol, which gives off flammable vapour. The areas around the still, receivers and spirit storage are typically classified hazardous locations under the electrical code, which means explosion-proof fixtures, sealed conduit and equipment rated for the area. Ventilation, explosion control and fire protection are designed by engineers for the volume of spirit stored.

That is why distilleries cost more per square foot than breweries of a similar size, and why a building's suitability for spirit storage is worth checking before signing.

The taproom

The taproom is where a brewery earns its best margin. It needs everything a restaurant or bar needs: washrooms for the number of seats, accessibility, a bar with draft lines and cold storage, and an AHS review if food is served. A glass wall between the taproom and the brewhouse is popular, and it works best when the production side is kept clean enough to be seen.

What breweries and distilleries cost

The range moves with the floor and drains, the utilities, the taproom finish and, for distilleries, the hazardous location design. Brewing and distilling equipment is usually separate.

Choosing a space for a brewery

The best brewery spaces have a strong floor, high ceilings for tall fermenters, a large overhead door for tank delivery, good water and sewer connections and enough electrical capacity. Industrial bays in Calgary often check most of those boxes, while retail units suit a taproom better than a production floor.

Ceiling height is easy to overlook. Tall fermenters need clearance for the tank, the manway and the cleaning equipment on top, and the clear height under joists, ducts and sprinkler pipes is less than the height to the roof deck. Measure the clear height before choosing tank sizes.

Check the sewer connection too. A brewery sends large volumes of hot, high-strength wastewater to the sewer, and the City will want to know about it.

Tank delivery and installation

Fermenters and brewhouse vessels arrive on trucks and have to be lifted into the building, often through an overhead door or a wall opening. Large tanks sometimes need a crane and a temporary opening. We plan the delivery route from the truck to each tank's final position before the walls and utilities are built around it.

The tanks then need to be anchored to the slab, connected to glycol, water, drains, compressed air and CO2, and the brewhouse to its heat source and exhaust.

Boil exhaust and ventilation

The brewhouse gives off steam and odour during the boil. It needs a vapour stack or condenser to remove the steam, and the production area needs ventilation to handle heat and humidity. In a mixed area with neighbours, the boil odour and the spent grain pickup can both cause complaints, so plan the exhaust location and the grain storage carefully.