Vikings may have landed on P.E.I. after all, or at least that's the impression people will get when they step into Chuck Gallison's new craft brewery for the first time.
"I'm pretty excited. I feel a new chapter in my life," said Gallison, owner and president of Horns of Odin Craft Brewery Ltd.
And after a 32-year career as a wildlife and conservation officer on P.E.I., Gallison decided his first adventure in retirement would be to share the drink of the Vikings and their culture with Islanders.
LOCAL INGREDIENTS
The Horns of Odin (named after the Norse God) opened its doors in the Dunstaffnage area for the first time on Thursday after months of licensing and testing requirements. He had 25 bottles of cranberry and mountain ash melomel mead for retail at $13.50 each (taxes included). There are more batches on the way. In its simpliest form, mead is fermented honey and water. Gallison is quick to add that it isn't "honey wine" but a different beverage altogether. He plans to offer other flavours to customers - beetroot, raspberry, banana/cranberry, cherry, strawberry, blackberry, apple, coffee and mixed berry mead. He's also experimenting with a hops and potato mead.
Even though mead has been consumed for centuries in different parts of the world, including Eurpoe, China, India and Ancient Egypt, it is still relatively new to Islanders. Mead is popular in other parts of Canada. Most notably in Regina, customers line up on the street for several hours in frigid temperatures for Bushwakker pub's annual release of its mead. Gallison explained that one of the tasks of his new business is educating customers about the product and its benefits.
All of the ingredients are local and the honey and fruit naturally sweetens the mead. And since it's not made with grains, mead is gluten free.
Gallison, 63, also makes the batches of mead on-site. Similar to a bottle of wine, the alcohol content in a bottle of mead ranges from eight to 12 per cent.
VISIT TO ICELAND
About three years ago, Gallison and his wife Celie (the company's director) visited Iceland. One day, they were at a pub that served mead and a staff member showed them the operation. That peaked Gallison's interest, and even though he was still working, he stashed the idea in the back of his mind as something he could do in retirement.
Gallison was born in France. His father was in the air force, so he moved around a bit, first to Ottawa until he was around 12 years old, and then to Summerside.
The plan is to be open three days a week - Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays - 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
He said he might look into selling his mead at farmer's markets at some point. He could also pursue opportunities to have his products sold in licensed establishments. But growing the business will also require more space, more money, more equipment and more production. So for now, Gallison just wants to keep up with demand and meet people in the retail outlet, have them come in and get a taste of the mead as well as Viking culture and history with the battle shields, axes, swords and other decor on the walls. There is also a large, stuffed black bear in the middle of the room. The bear was already being stored in the room prior to Gallison moving in, so rather than move it, he decided to keep it and add to the experience of visiting the brewery.
FAIRIES AND ELVES
The craft brewery/retail outlet is located in the former canteen area attached to the Irving gas station and Lily's Convenience Store. It is about a 20-minute drive from Charlottetown on St. Peters Road at the Route 6 turnoff to Grand Tracadie.
In keeping with folklore, Gallison has some unique help making his mead.
"Just put your ear down," said Gallison as a batch of red plum mead in an 18-litre glass container emits popping sounds as the yeast interacts with the honey and other ingredients.
"They thought it was elves and fairies doing their work," he explained. "Did you hear that snap?"
Terrence McEachern is a local business reporter with the SaltWire Network.
