VICTORIA – Timing is everything.
Especially in craft brewing, and Hoyne Brewing Company owner Sean Hoyne points out that the length of fermentation and aging a beer has a direct impact in the quality and crispness of their beers.
Hoyne has also introduced another timely product: In Good Time, a mix-pack of eight tall 473 ml cans, featuring two each of four different varieties: their brand new Italian pilsner Che Bello, a Mexican cerveza Por Favor, a Czech half-dark lager Svec and of course, their classic Hoyne Pilsner.
“In Good Time refers to the amount of time it takes to make a great lager,” says Hoyne, adding the company has always focused on making lagers. “If you’re going to make a lager well, it takes a substantial amount of fermentation and conditioning time. This mix pack represents a collection of our finest lagers, and the response from our customers has been amazing.
“We’ve had such a huge response for this, it is flying off the shelf. Craft beer drinkers are beginning to recognize the beauty and range of well-made lagers, something Europeans have known for ages. That’s what we do, and these are very fine beers. We import our hops and barley from Germany and the Czech Republic as we are doing our best to emulate some of Europe’s finest lagers. We’ve always believed our customers deserve that commitment to quality.”
Multi-award winning Hoyne Brewing has invested heavily in its latest expansion, adding a new 7,000 litre German-made brewhouse, specifically made to turn out high-end lagers.
“We’ve been working toward purchasing this brewhouse since the beginning,” Hoyne says, noting the company is celebrating its 13th anniversary. “We finally bought the brewhouse of our dreams, if you will, as kind of a birthday gift. We can now really refine the lager-making process.”
Not only that, but Hoyne Brewing has expanded further by adding five new, 21,000 litre outdoor fermentation tanks to increase their manufacturing capacity. They now have over 50 employees.
While other breweries in the region have recently been purchased by private equity firms and other ownership groups, and others have simply closed their doors, Hoyne continues to thrive and grow.
“It has been a very challenging couple of years and many breweries are struggling, due to a perfect storm of factors,” he observes. “One of those being inflation, as people have less money to spend on discretionary items, and some believe beer falls into that category.”
The costs to make products have also increased, but Hoyne states they’ve been hesitant to pass those costs on to consumers.
“We have been very fortunate over recent years, since the pandemic, as our customers have built up a trust in our beers and recognize the quality,” he notes. “When they’re spending their hard-earned money, we make sure they get exactly what they’ve been promised, and we deliver. That’s why Hoyne Brewery has managed to survive these challenging times. Instead of looking for ways to make cheaper beer, we are doubling down on quality, because in the end, we believe that is what people want.
Through it all, Hoyne’s passion prevails.
“We love what we do and have great passion for craft beer,” he states “We are dedicated to excellence, and we make beers that will prevail over time.”
Hoyne also encourages customers to frequent local establishments to imbibe.
“The restaurants and pubs in town need our love,” Hoyne says. “They have been struggling with many of these same issues financially, and while everybody is trying to look after their own personal finances, people are not going out as frequently as they once did.
“Your favorite pubs and restaurants need your support now, so please frequent them as you can, and while you are there ask for a pint of Hoyne by name!”