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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Countless Podcast.
[00:06] SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to Calgary's podcast on Canada's podcast network.
[00:11] SPEAKER_01: I'm your host Mario Tonogusi and joining me today is Tyler Krautis,
[00:15] SPEAKER_01: who is owner of Bramble Sider in Calgary.
[00:18] SPEAKER_01: Thanks for joining us today Tyler.
[00:20] SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me.
[00:21] SPEAKER_01: Tyler, let's talk a little bit about Bramble Sider.
[00:25] SPEAKER_01: Just tell me a little bit about what you guys do
[00:27] SPEAKER_01: and we'll go from there.
[00:30] SPEAKER_00: Sounds good.
[00:31] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're based out of Sider.
[00:33] SPEAKER_00: We've contracted out of their warehouse here in Northeast.
[00:36] SPEAKER_00: And we wanted to start manufacturing some dry siders that we just didn't find in local stores.
[00:45] SPEAKER_00: So we just started playing at home and lots of home brewing, lots of trials.
[00:51] SPEAKER_00: And we came up with some recipes that we found were absolutely delicious.
[00:55] SPEAKER_01: Tell me a little bit of the history of how it came about that you started this.
[01:01] SPEAKER_00: Oh, so basically I was diagnosed with celiac disease.
[01:04] SPEAKER_00: I want to say eight to nine years ago now.
[01:06] SPEAKER_00: So that was the basis of it.
[01:08] SPEAKER_00: I just I miss beer at the underlying issues.
[01:12] SPEAKER_00: I miss beer.
[01:13] SPEAKER_00: So I'm trying to replicate some spear styles with using fruit.
[01:20] SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay.
[01:22] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[01:23] SPEAKER_01: So tell me like roughly how many siders do you have now?
[01:28] SPEAKER_00: We have three right now and we are going to be releasing another four in the next couple of months.
[01:36] SPEAKER_01: Okay, then and Barry, I'm very good mind everybody that we are taping this on on May the 20th.
[01:43] SPEAKER_01: So so by the time this airs these things these may be out there, I guess.
[01:48] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're just printing labels.
[01:50] SPEAKER_00: So as soon as we get those printed we can release a bunch of new flavors.
[01:55] SPEAKER_00: Okay.
[01:56] SPEAKER_01: How did you, well actually before I forget how did the name Ramble come about and what is Ramble staying for?
[02:05] SPEAKER_00: Good question.
[02:06] SPEAKER_00: So we we were struggling with that.
[02:07] SPEAKER_00: That was actually one of the hardest things we came up with.
[02:10] SPEAKER_00: We batted around numerous numerous names.
[02:12] SPEAKER_00: And my wife and I were walking around in Vancouver one day and there is a massive amount of Ramble berry bushes throughout Vancouver.
[02:25] SPEAKER_00: And we've lost to just it stuck.
[02:28] SPEAKER_00: It Bramble was it just it was a perfect name.
[02:31] SPEAKER_00: We want to use a lot of fruit.
[02:33] SPEAKER_00: We use apples mainly but our main cider or our core cider is a very, very, very, very, very cider.
[02:41] SPEAKER_00: So it pays homage to a ramble, a ramble, butch if you will.
[02:46] SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay.
[02:49] SPEAKER_01: The product itself where where can people get it?
[02:53] SPEAKER_01: Like where is it sold?
[02:56] SPEAKER_00: The main store will be sunny satyr off of their, they're basically through their liquor store there, front of house.
[03:05] SPEAKER_00: And they have all night deliveries right now as well.
[03:08] SPEAKER_00: And then all remaining in the particular stores like Okanvine and five finds all those.
[03:15] SPEAKER_00: Those mom and pop booty shops.
[03:17] SPEAKER_01: Okay.
[03:18] SPEAKER_01: Who do you know?
[03:20] SPEAKER_01: It's been a I guess in the last couple of years, there's been quite a portion quite a trend towards like craft breweries, for instance, right?
[03:30] SPEAKER_01: And distilleries, etc.
[03:34] SPEAKER_01: Why do you think people, the more and more people are looking for these craft type products, whether it's beer, whether it's whiskey or cider?
[03:45] SPEAKER_00: I guess you for myself, I wanted something with less sugar.
[03:50] SPEAKER_00: So a lot of mass produced products have the two are sugar.
[03:54] SPEAKER_00: So the trend is, just don't want to drink that sweet stuff anymore.
[03:58] SPEAKER_00: So we wanted to make something that was just full of flavor with no sugar using real ingredients is the baseline there.
[04:10] SPEAKER_01: Okay.
[04:11] SPEAKER_01: What were you doing before starting this?
[04:14] SPEAKER_00: So I was, I've been in the electrical consulting industry for about 15 years.
[04:20] SPEAKER_00: I recently just left.
[04:21] SPEAKER_00: So I am now full time cider making.
[04:24] SPEAKER_01: And I'm sorry, when did you start this?
[04:28] SPEAKER_00: I would have been, when did we start?
[04:30] SPEAKER_00: It's been a process here for I'd say over four years.
[04:33] SPEAKER_00: So we we shot for the stars of the moon and we failed actually.
[04:40] SPEAKER_00: We didn't we wanted a moral warehouse, all that kind of stuff.
[04:43] SPEAKER_00: And it just didn't work out.
[04:45] SPEAKER_00: So we ended up kind of going the contracting group and just renting some space out of an existing warehouse.
[04:52] SPEAKER_00: So it actually ended up being a better option for us.
[04:56] SPEAKER_01: Okay.
[04:57] SPEAKER_01: What was the toughest thing for you, you know, transitioning, I guess, in career, so to speak.
[05:05] SPEAKER_01: And becoming an entrepreneur full time.
[05:09] SPEAKER_00: It was to be honest, it's leaving the full salary.
[05:16] SPEAKER_00: The comfort of a salary to be honest.
[05:18] SPEAKER_00: So I'm still kind of reeling and try to figure all that out right now.
[05:23] SPEAKER_00: But we'll make it work.
[05:24] SPEAKER_00: We've made some changes at home that we can condate this.
[05:28] SPEAKER_00: And the hope is the cider blows up in a good way.
[05:33] SPEAKER_00: So.
[05:33] SPEAKER_01: Okay.
[05:34] SPEAKER_01: What, what do you like about being an entrepreneur?
[05:38] SPEAKER_00: The freedom.
[05:39] SPEAKER_00: I can take care of the kids in the morning and then go to work.
[05:43] SPEAKER_00: And it's, there's no structure.
[05:45] SPEAKER_00: I can, I can work whenever I want.
[05:49] SPEAKER_00: This is free.
[05:50] SPEAKER_00: It's absolutely amazing.
[05:53] SPEAKER_01: Along your journey, becoming an entrepreneur.
[05:59] SPEAKER_01: If you recall any words of wisdom by anybody that stuck with you about, you know,
[06:05] SPEAKER_01: what you need to do and what you know, what you need to be as an entrepreneur.
[06:10] SPEAKER_00: Oh, it's a great question.
[06:13] SPEAKER_00: Nothing sticks out to be honest, but I think the biggest thing for me is I realized very soon that I couldn't do it by myself.
[06:24] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[06:24] SPEAKER_00: And I needed, I needed help.
[06:27] SPEAKER_00: So I've, I've essentially kind of made, made some, how do I say it?
[06:33] SPEAKER_00: So it's instead of trying to go for the warehouse and go for the tap room and all that stuff.
[06:39] SPEAKER_00: I took a step back and had essentially a warehouse with all of the existing setup for me to, to do what we need to do.
[06:50] SPEAKER_00: So that was the biggest thing.
[06:51] SPEAKER_00: It's just, it's just a partnership.
[06:54] SPEAKER_00: Your name is, it's, it is tough by yourself.
[06:57] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[06:58] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[06:59] SPEAKER_01: Certainly, I was writing.
[07:00] SPEAKER_01: I think a lot of people don't realize that, you know, they can't, you can't do it all, right?
[07:06] SPEAKER_00: No, no, by the time you make the product and then try to sell it and there's just, there's so many layers too much going on.
[07:13] SPEAKER_00: So having, having other people kind of, helping out is absolutely massive.
[07:20] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[07:21] SPEAKER_01: What do you, do you, anybody inspire you like a, as entrepreneurs?
[07:28] SPEAKER_00: Oh, great.
[07:29] SPEAKER_00: No, we, we've kind of, through our travels, we've, we've loved kind of certain areas like New York, actually, was on the biggest.
[07:38] SPEAKER_00: There's a ton of, ton of craft going on over there.
[07:42] SPEAKER_00: Just the, what are you going to call it, right?
[07:45] SPEAKER_00: The, the piercing you alone.
[07:47] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[07:47] SPEAKER_00: Or there's a lot of great side result there as well.
[07:50] SPEAKER_00: So there was one in particular that we really, really fell in love with when we were out there about four years ago was also that kind of started us off on this.
[08:00] SPEAKER_00: Directory as well.
[08:02] SPEAKER_01: So that's cool.
[08:03] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[08:04] SPEAKER_01: And then what do you see into the future?
[08:07] SPEAKER_01: Like what, what do you hope to do with this company and the, and the brand?
[08:12] SPEAKER_00: This summer I want to, I think I want to release a insider at minimum, maybe two weeks, just to keep the buzz, the buzz going and people want new things all the time, even myself.
[08:23] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they get more, you want something new, right?
[08:25] SPEAKER_00: So that's the goal for this summer.
[08:27] SPEAKER_00: And then cast that is trying to expand and get into other markets and possibly a walkable, how do I say a new occasion that we can kind of help own a tap room.
[08:41] SPEAKER_00: Is the goal.
[08:43] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[08:44] SPEAKER_00: We'll see you happen to you in the next five years.
[08:46] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, when you're talking about other market, talking outside of Calgary and beyond.
[08:49] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
[08:50] SPEAKER_00: If we can expand here the next year inside Oberla, then we can start to looking into scapchery and beyond.
[08:59] Speaker UNKNOWN:
[08:59] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[09:00] SPEAKER_01: What do you, you know,
[09:01] SPEAKER_01: I know, and I know this personally because my daughter is a big fan of, of cider.
[09:09] SPEAKER_01: What is it do you think about cider that is attracting more people and to drink?
[09:18] SPEAKER_01: Are you cut out there enough?
[09:20] SPEAKER_01: Oh, basically.
[09:21] SPEAKER_01: What do you,
[09:24] SPEAKER_01: Sorry, go ahead, time.
[09:31] SPEAKER_00: Last year again, but I think I got the basis of the question.
[09:37] SPEAKER_00: Basically, I think, especially the craft stuff, we're doing things differently.
[09:43] SPEAKER_00: We were adding more fruit, the real fruit, and we ended up repurposing some grape skins from a urban winery here in town.
[09:52] SPEAKER_00: And we added those two adds more tangents to our, our, our cider.
[09:56] SPEAKER_00: So I think just variety and the styles, we can manipulate the apples in a certain way.
[10:03] SPEAKER_00: And I think that's the most attractive thing.
[10:07] SPEAKER_00: How do you come up with these different ciders?
[10:11] SPEAKER_00: Oh, it's a great question.
[10:13] SPEAKER_00: Basically, I, I should have been a chef back in the day.
[10:16] SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
[10:17] SPEAKER_00: I love the creativity of this.
[10:20] SPEAKER_00: I love layering flavors.
[10:22] SPEAKER_00: I want to start with a great base and kind of play on that base.
[10:27] SPEAKER_00: I do a lot of research outside of town.
[10:29] SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of inspiration in the West Coast.
[10:32] SPEAKER_00: And he's coast as well, to be honest.
[10:35] SPEAKER_00: Calgary is a little behind.
[10:38] SPEAKER_00: You can see trends kind of coming here about five years after they hit New York.
[10:43] SPEAKER_00: So you can kind of dig into what's going on outside of Calgary.
[10:48] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Calgary has always been in many ways still as sort of a beer.
[10:55] SPEAKER_01: Beer in West Coast town, right?
[10:58] SPEAKER_01: And even like wines and stuff like that, wines and ciders are slowly trying to catch up.
[11:06] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we can use, as a cider, we can play on wine styles or we can play on beer styles as well.
[11:14] SPEAKER_00: But we're kind of in the middle.
[11:17] SPEAKER_00: So we can steal techniques from all over.
[11:20] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[11:22] SPEAKER_01: When you look at things, you know, being entrepreneur, obviously, almost a 24 or 7 type job.
[11:31] SPEAKER_01: What do you, what do you do, sort of, to unwind or to get a stay away from work for a while?
[11:40] SPEAKER_00: It's taking care of the twins right now.
[11:44] SPEAKER_00: And we love going by grids.
[11:46] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we love to pull the two of you.
[11:49] SPEAKER_00: We recently just moved to closer to Los Hales so we can actually just ride a gold mountain,
[11:55] SPEAKER_00: hiking, walking on those.
[11:57] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's an important part, I guess, right, that take the time away and to do other things.
[12:04] SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
[12:05] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[12:06] SPEAKER_00: It's fine though.
[12:08] SPEAKER_00: I find myself at the side of the week quite a bit just because I truly do enjoy it.
[12:14] SPEAKER_00: I find it, yeah, it's a fascinating world.
[12:20] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[12:21] SPEAKER_01: What, you know, what makes it fascinating for you?
[12:26] SPEAKER_00: I think it's the creativity.
[12:27] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[12:28] SPEAKER_00: You're simply, there's so many different layers and options that you can come up with.
[12:35] SPEAKER_00: So I think that's what, that's what drives me.
[12:37] SPEAKER_00: There's just so many things you can do with it.
[12:39] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[12:40] SPEAKER_01: All right, super then.
[12:42] SPEAKER_01: All right, Tyler, well, I appreciate your time in Nelson and joining us.
[12:47] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thanks again, probably.
[12:49] SPEAKER_01: All right, super.
[12:49] SPEAKER_01: That was Tyler Crowdus, who is owner of Bramble Sider in Calgary.
[12:53] SPEAKER_01: This has been Calgary's podcast with Mario Tonoguzzi on Canada's podcast network.
[12:59] SPEAKER_01: Thanks for joining us today.
