Spotlight on Business sat down with Richard Fyk in Edmonton, Alberta to talk about the challenges and rewards of opening a brewery in Alberta, and the support that they received from the craft brewing industry and beer enthusiasts alike. We also talked about the brand that Richard and his partners, Andrea and Parker Pysyk, are looking to create with S.Y.C. Brewing Company as they get ready to celebrate their first of many years in business this January.
Ever hear the one about the banker and pilot? Probably not but here it is. They both turned a side passion project into a profession. Parker, the pilot, and Richard, the banker, have been friends for years. Pilot Parker, having already started a micro, at-home brew of his own, had his banker friend over one evening and they started chit-chatting over the homemade cold ones.
“That was the big tipping point,” Richard recalls. “When we had a couple beers and talked about where the industry was going with craft beer and knew there was an opportunity to take this to the next stage and that’s how we got onto this craft beer journey.”
Jump ahead to present day and meet S.Y.C. Brewing Company, who is about to celebrate its one-year anniversary this January.
The stars aligned after that fateful evening and three friends – and their skillsets – came together seamlessly. Parker brought his brewing knowhow out of the basement, his wife, Andrea, “the design genius” made easy work of their branding, and Richard rounds out the company overseeing the books; dotting I’s and crossing t’s.
“We all kind of have our strengths and come together and see what we can bring to the team and help us grow.”
True to craft culture, Richard and folks at S.Y.C. knew they needed to stay true to quality over quantity. Smaller batches that displayed simple flavours rooted in research of what could be found in their own backyard – a fact that many, as Richard explains, is hard for local Albertans to grasp.
“People don’t know what is actually found in Alberta. We know our farmers, where to get the best grains, and we know they ship these products to well-known brands right from our backyard,” Richard said. “Ask ‘where is best single malt whiskey from?’ You’ll know the country and region; it’s similar with red wine. It could soon be, ‘where do you get the best beer?’ It’s Alberta because that’s where the ingredients are grown. [Craft culture] is about breaking those paradigms, exciting people and getting them more engaged.”
To that end, the idea of a flagship beer is taboo in the craft beer industry. Gone are the days of having one-of-two options in a case or flat, now the market dictates what the brewer produces, as Richard explains.
“The market knows what they want and we aren’t a brewery that says, ‘this is the beer we made and you have to drink it,’ we say, ‘this is the beer we make and we see if the market likes it,’ so we don’t want to present a product like a flagship beer,” noting that of the constant rotation of products, the ones that spike interest of the customers are usually recreated but based, once again, on demand not necessarily the push to just blindly supply.
Further to that point, it’s been exciting for Richard to push the “beer drinker” and expand their taste buds; even going so far as to corralling those who have long deemed themselves not fans of the often one-note product.
“Much like the red wine versus white wine days, now you say cabernet sauvignon from western California,” he explains. “Everyone can be a beer drinker because there is a product that is better suited to their palette and that’s what we can focus on with craft beer.”
So, they got the science of finding the taste down, but what about making a name for themselves in a fast-growing and somewhat crowded market space? According to Richard, since they opened their doors in January of last year, there have been close to 30 additional craft breweries pop up around Alberta; not all are necessarily claiming to have reinvented the wheel, but all want to help move it in a similar direction.
Branding in any market is vital to help stand out in the crowd. Boasting great taste and local ingredients is all well and good in this arena but Richard knows that the product must be visually appealing. In house designs created by Andrea help round out the S.Y.C. (which stands for “show your colours”) experience. Every can is unique. Every beer has a story. Richard describes it as a dance with the product and brand experience.
“How do you maneuver and mold it while keeping a balance and not lose sight of who we are and bring that all onto the can?”
Complicated yet simple, Richard and his team stick to core principles to keep the status quo on par with both their and their customer’s expectations.
“Is the product familiar in both taste and branding? Do the quality ingredients showcase what’s best locally? Do we offer a sense of surprise – is the label eye-catching and the taste inviting? Is the actual product consistent with complex flavours that are full-bodied and exciting? That’s why it’s craft beer – the craftsmanship – it’s an art.”
Like any form of art, people will objectively pick and choose what they like. When asked who Richard considers his typical customer, he knows there is no set guideline or strict club that turn to craft beer as their ride-or-die drink of choice. He humbly recognizes that, “We’re not for everyone, but we open the door to say that we have elements that everyone can have an appreciation for,” he says. “And for people who have already walked through the door and want to try new things, how do we keep them excited?”
Alberta as a whole has bucked up against some political walls when it comes to beer in general; a hurdle that rather than jump over, Richard and the ever-growing and mutually supportive craft beer community, have adapted to working with. It’s about making a name for themselves through their own channels in a “collaborative environment” always focused on getting more people into the craft beer scene. Educating themselves about the different varieties, asking questions about how best to partner with vendors and network their way to stand toe-to-toe with household brands at festivals and on store shelves.
“You don’t go to Disney land for just one ride; you go for the entire experience and everything they have to offer,” Richard said. “It’s like what craft is like.”
Next steps in this fast-paced world of craft beer, Richard looks to make S.Y.C. a more relatable and recognizable brand outside the local market. He pushes by constantly staying ahead of the trend and trying to figure out what the market is craving next. It’s been one year and a constant education, he admits. Always focusing on what’s ahead.
“This taste over that taste, this can over that can; sustainability within our own business today and tomorrow,” he said. “You don’t want to be in business if you’re not constantly looking into tomorrow.”
by Jenna Conter