Fostering Community and Careers at Eighty Eight Brewing Company

by Andrew Bardsley

We chatted with the Marketing and Community Manager at Eighty-Eight Brewing Company, Becky Saracini about their “why” in becoming Hop Forward members and the impact they hope to make through learning and connection.

Why did Eighty-Eight Brewing decide to become a member of the Hop Forward Society?

We want to attract more people into craft beer and let the community know what a great place it is to foster and build a career. It’s become a great community industry here in Calgary and Alberta and we want more people to know about the types of jobs available and the growth that is possible. We were most excited about the Hop Forward grant program as something that could support folks in the brewing/beverage industry and continue to build a diverse industry that includes the voices and perspectives of everyone. 

We were most eager to meet and share experiences among businesses and members of Hop Forward. In 2022, we were able to host a member event to discuss the variety of non-production careers and opportunities in brewing, and our team has helped to raise money to support the org. We look forward to some fun events in 2023! 

How did Eighty-Eight Brewing get its start?

Eighty-Eight Brewing started in 2018 after a long stint of home-brewing among friends! In the city where we grew up and continue to call home, we wanted to create a fun (and retro!) space where we would enjoy sipping a pint…and we wanted there to always be something new on tap to try. 

Named for those infamous ’88 Olympics, we wanted to create something with that same spirit of fun, inclusivity and community.  

After 4.5 years of brewing, we hope we’ve created some memorable experiences and beers for folks, as well as highlighting and supporting so many great events, organizations and businesses in this province.  

How does Hop Forward help you as a member?

Hop Forward helps us with great resources (providing online seminars etc.); it’s a great way to way to keep learning and education at the forefront of our business. Hop Forward also introduces our brewery to new folks and we are always eager to get more people interested in craft beer! 

Hop Forward is absolutely of value for breweries – providing and supporting opportunities for equity-deserving communities will continue to better our industry and foster it as an equitable space for careers, partnerships and sharing pints.