Kichesippi Blog

Our AGCO licenses have been approved!!!!!!

Starting June 21, our retail store will be open everyday!

We will be open from 11am until 9pm seven days a week.

Our taproom and seating area are still not able to open as we are waiting for the city permits to allow for the change of use for that part of the building.  We will be sure to update everyone once we have this approved.

I would like to thank all of you who have stopped by the new location, called us, emailed us, and sent us messages through social media.

The question that all of you have asked is the same one - When are you opening?  For a while now, my response has been 2-3 weeks, we are just waiting on two pieces of paper, one permit and one license.  

The problem is that I have been providing people with the same response for almost two months now, so I am going to change my answer to:

I really hope we will be able to open in June, but I have no idea when we can expect to have these final two pieces of the puzzle in place.  

I am personally very sorry for this delay and would also like to apologize for giving any false hope or information.  This is our first time moving a brewery and I could never have imagined that it would have been this difficult from the point of administration and red tape.  

Lastly, yes we will soon have our signage up at the new location.  We are just waiting for 2-3 straight days of warm and dry weather for the installation.

Thank you all,

Paul

Kichesippi Beer Co. is in need of a few good people to help open and staff our new taproom in Bells Corners!

Applicants are asked to email their resume to careers@kbeer.ca prior to April 29th to be considered for our first round of hiring.  Please include part-time or full-time in the subject line of your email and attach a word, or pdf copy of your current resume and a brief cover letter explaining your knowledge of the craft beer scene in Ottawa; applications can be addressed to the Taproom Manager.

Shift Requirements:

• part-time applicants - availability of at least 2 shifts/days regularly between Friday and Sunday (10am to 10pm)
• full-time applicants - availability 7 days per week; will be scheduled 4 to 6 shifts between 35 and 42 hours per week.
• The tap room will also host private functions that could require occasional shifts outside of regular business hours,
• Off site event shifts will also be available to work from time to time.

Job Requirements:

• Must currently hold valid Ontario smart serve certification,
• A minimum of 1 year experience working in the restaurant industry,
• Must be able to lift up to 50lbs (merch, cases of beer, etc); comfortable using a dolly for moving kegs or cases of beer, and ability to be mobile/on your feet for prolonged periods of time.
• A basic knowledge of craft beer, beer styles, service of beer and a desire for further learning.
• Understanding of general restaurant service tools (POS terminals, payment systems, tray skills, draught systems, etc),
• Understanding of workplace safety and harassment laws; demonstrated ability to work safely and effectively in a team environment and follow workflow processes.

Additional desired qualifications:

• Attention to detail, effective communication in the application process and demonstrated exemplary customer service skills; we want people who LOVE craft beer and want to work on the service side of the industry.
• Safe food handling certification, first aid training, JHSC level 1 or 2 certification
• Beer specific training or certification, advanced knowledge of brewing processes.
• Conversationally multi-lingual
• Advanced restaurant/service experience (event/wedding service, hosting/coordinating events, cash management and end of day accounting, cooking/kitchen experience, etc.)
• Valid driver’s license

Why work for Kichesippi?

• We pride ourselves in being a community focused, family run business.  Every employee will have direct and open communication channels to management and will be involved in their career advancement within the company.
• We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage individuals from any race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis to apply.  All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
• Wage starting at general minimum wage ($14/h) plus equal share in the tip pool (based on hours/sales).
• We strive to provide hourly employees with set schedules 2 weeks in advance.
• Safe and happy environment with fringe benefits relating to craft beer and events.
• Opportunities to be involved with community events, event planning at the brewery, and potential further career growth in the Craft Beer industry.

Due to the volume of applications, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Thanks, we look forward to hearing from you!

Kichesippi is hiring!  We are looking for a professional and friendly, customer- oriented person to join our team as a delivery specialist.

Our new team member must:

-Be focused on providing exemplary customer service.

-Be flexible and able to work in a fast-paced and rapidly- changing environment.

-Be able to work independently.

-Be able to plan and execute delivery routes.

-Be able to comfortably lift a 150lb keg, several times daily.

-Hold a full Ontario G Driver’s Licence or equivalent.

-Please send a cover letter and resume to careers@kbeer.ca 

December 24 10am - 2pm

December 25 Closed

December 26 Closed

December 27, 28, 29 10am-6pm

December 31 10am - 5pm

January 1 Closed

After almost 9 years at 866 Campbell Avenue, we have decided that the time is right for a new location for our brewery. Our lease expires in March 2019 and we are just about to finalize plans for a new chapter for Kichesippi Beer.

Our reason for moving is simple, we want to be able to offer our customers a better experience with our brand.  Our current location has served us well and we are proud of the beer that we have produced at Campbell Ave since April 2010.  We have created a lot of great memories at this location and are very fortunate for all the customers who went out of their way to support us at our current brewery.

Our new location will feature the following:

• taproom
• beer garden
• tours
• event space
• lots of parking

We plan to announce the address for the new location later this week.

We will start moving in January and hope to be fully up and running by April 2019.

Brewed by and for Lindsay Sonnel-Hawn

Lindsay chose to create this Belgian Strong Ale for her staff pick.  True-to-style, Rebel Rebel is complex on the palate, and finishes with fruity esters from the Belgian yeast.  The name 'Rebel Rebel' is inspired by the Bowie song.  A huge fan, it also describes Lindsay perfectly.

• Style: Belgian Strong Ale
• Alc %: 7.0

The Ottawa Champions have recently announced that they will be partnering with Molson Coors as their official beer supplier for the upcoming 2018 season.  We have had a number of questions directed towards us in regards to this decision and want to clear up any rumours or misinformation.

In 2015, the beer available at the stadium was Kichesippi, Clocktower and Coors Light. We had a one year agreement in place at this time

In 2016 and 2017, we agreed upon a two year partnership and introduced Champions Light (to replace Coors Light) that we brewed in collaboration with Clocktower Brewing.  

In situations like this, in order to have the right to be the official supplier, you need to commit to a certain sponsorship level to the organization.  The challenge with committing to anything new like this, is that you don't have any data to determine if your business will get the necessary return on investment to justify the sponsorship commitment.  

So, after three years of sponsorship commitments, and three years of sales to the Ottawa Champions, we compared the numbers and determined that it was the right decision to not pursue this for 2018.  At the risk of using a tired cliche, it was a business decision on our part.  We had a lot of fun with the team and learned a lot, but decided to commit our resources to different opportunities in 2018.  As a family business, we have much tighter budgets and spending capabilities than a multinational corporation like Molson Coors.  We have always had open and honest discussions with ownership and management of the team and we wish them well for the upcoming 2018 season.  They were also kind enough to thank us for our commitments over the last three years.

Will Craft Beer be available at the stadium in 2018?

Our guess is no.

It was mentioned in the team press release yesterday that craft beer will continue to be available in 2018.  Although we do not know the exact beer menu, our assumptions are that Molson Coors will bring in Creemore and Granville Island products in an effort to answer the demand for craft beer. One of the main pillars of craft beer is being an independent company, and as a result, Creemore and Granville are no longer craft beer products since they were purchased by Molson Coors. We welcome any discussion as to whether or not Creemore or Granville make good beer, but there is no debate as to whether or not these are craft beers. 

Will Molson Coors and the Ottawa Champions be offering a local craft beer option to the fans in 2018?  We do not know, but will be pleasantly surprised if they do.

Apology

In 2016, our owner Paul Meek was invited out to a game to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.  Despite practicing this for hours with his son, he was unable to get the ball across the plate with out bouncing it once in the dirt.  We are truly sorry for all of you that had to watch this performance.  

We are very excited to announce the launch of our Online Beer Store featuring Home and Office Delivery in Ottawa.

We want to keep things as simple as possible for the online store, so here is how it works.

Option 1 - $10 delivery charge when you order 23 cans or less

Option 2 - Free delivery when you order 24 cans or more

-- 

Step 1 - go to www.kbeer.ca and select the beer that you would like delivered

Step 2 - type in your postal code to ensure you are in Ottawa.  All of the home and office deliveries are handled by our very own Kichesippi employees.  

Step 3 - select the day that you want it delivered. We deliver from Monday to Saturday.

Step 4 - (this is the cool part).  Pick the time of day that you will be home, so you don't miss us when we arrive to deliver your yummy local beer

Step 5 - choose your payment method

Step 6 - high five the driver when they deliver your beer

Step 7 - enjoy your beer

Step 8 - Repeat

We are working on setting up our delivery system for the rest of Ontario, but we don't currently have a launch date as of yet.  Please stay tuned.

We are looking for a passionate, reliable and hard-working individual to fill the role of Canning Line Operator. This job includes following standard operating procedures (SOPs); making sure quality, consistency and efficiency parameters are met every time.

Responsibilities include:

• Making sure the depalletizer is operating smoothly throughout the canning process.
• Making sure cans are filled to acceptable levels.
• Making sure the canning line is properly cleaned and sanitized.
• Maintenance of the canning line (most notably working on gears and the seamer).
• Regulating pressures.
• Being vigilant while working with chemicals.

Requirements:

• Brewery or packaging experience an asset.
• Ability to troubleshoot.
• Mechanical skills an asset.
• Ability to stand for 8 hours and move heavy objects.
• Being WHMIS certified an asset.
• Forklift experience preferable, but not necessary.
• Flexibility in scheduling.

If interested, please email resume with cover letter to drmalt@kbeer.ca

We first brewed our ESB in February 2017 and after countless requests we are bringing it back.  Here are the Top 10 things you need to know about the return of our ESB:

10 - Krista will be able to get back to doing other things in the office, other than telling customers that we will hopefully make this beer again some day

9 - April 7 2018 will be the 150th anniversary of his assassination, so let's have an Irish Wake to commemorate the occasion.

8 - D'Arcy McGees in Kanata will be pouring this beer

7 - Everyone in the brewery (except for Paul) has been begging for this beer to return

6 - It's always fun to ask people what they think ESB stands for

5 - the new D'Arcys location at Carling and Kirkwood will be pouring this beer

4 - Jeff O'Reilly approached us about this idea, and it is really hard to say no to ideas from Jeff O'Reilly

3 - Cans of ESB will be available at the brewery starting March 9th

2 - D'Arcy McGees on Sparks Street will be pouring this beer as of March 14th

1 - D'Arcy McGee would have been 193 years old on April 13th 2018, so let's raise a glass of ESB to celebrate!!!