Making Waves with Rising Tides Taproom
by Omanthi Pussepitiya
Artist rendering of the Rising Tides Taproom
Rising Tides Taproom is an upcoming taproom located in the heart of the Montgomery, Calgary neighbourhood. The business was born from their desire to create a safe and inclusive community space. We interviewed owners Katie McNeil and Ali Goulet to learn how progressing the culture of beer is the foundation of their business model.
Tell us a little bit about yourselves
We are Katie McNeil (she/her) and Ali Goulet (she/her). We have been doing life together for the past seven years and have been plotting to open a business together basically that entire time. We hail from finance and data backgrounds respectively, so this foray into the hospitality and beer industry is all a new adventure for us, but we love to learn and we appreciate a good challenge, so it has been a thrill!
Outside of a big passion for beer and craft beverages, we are big lovers of games of all kinds, most four-legged creatures, travelling (the ocean calls us), tasty vegetarian food, long nights around the fire, and a good cold plunge!
Where did the name “Rising Tides” come from?
Rising Tides is both a nod to the west coast aesthetic and vibe that inspires our atmosphere, as well as a reference to the well known economic phrase "rising tides lift all boats". On a particularly poignant trip to Victoria, we were chatting with our uncle about how collaborative the brewing industry seems to be within Canadian cities and he commented, "Well you know the saying, 'rising tide lifts all boats". In that instant in the car on our way to Ile Sauvage Brewery, we all looked at one another, communally acknowledging we had happened across the name for our future taproom!
Rising Tide co-owners Ali Goulet (left) and Katie McNeil (right).
As you know, Hop Forward is about creating a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible (DEIA) craft beer scene in Alberta. What are your thoughts on the craft beer industry's current state when it comes to DEIA?
One of the reasons we started Rising Tides was because we wanted to feel at home in our city in the way we had in so many other places we had travelled on our beercations. In our journeys, we found so many spaces that had this inherent sense of inclusion and abundance of acceptance and at the time it was something we didn’t feel reflected back to us in the same way in the Alberta Craft Beer scene.
We started this journey as consumers, armed with only our experiences from the outside, and from that perspective, it could be difficult to tell where breweries were in terms of inclusivity. I think that has come a long way; we see a lot more visible representation of that inclusivity now and when a space doesn't make that effort, that makes more of a statement than anything.
In our research, we asked a lot of queer folks their experience of seeing a rainbow/value statement on the front door of an establishment and the common answer was they didn't realize they weren't fully comfortable until they saw that, and then they could exhale.
The inception of Hop Forward is the ultimate touchstone of how inclusivity and diversity have become priorities of many of the producers in the province. We could not be more excited to have this lens on the industry and to be working with partners that are as dedicated to learning, growing and creating safe spaces as we are.
You joined Hop Forward as a community member even before you opened your brewery. Why?
Hop Forward's mission of focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion in the Alberta craft beer scene could not align more closely with our values, and we want to see this society thrive and support it in any way that we can. As we are not a producer ourselves, but rather modelled after the taproom/bottle shops of Portland, Victoria, Seattle, San Diego etc., it is especially important to us to align with and showcase producers who are moving the industry in the right direction and Hop Forward provides a platform to all collaborate together on that quest.
Are there any challenges you've experienced being a part of Alberta's craft beer scene?
When we first started out, we were keen on pursuing partnerships with brewers that were inclusive and had a similar ethos to us. It was our intention to work with primarily women, BIPOC and queer-owned and operated businesses. But coming in from outside the industry, it was challenging as we started out, to determine who exactly those businesses were and sort through some of the performative posting and actions to find who was actually doing the work and making the industry more inclusive. However, even in the 16 months since we got started, we have seen a massive shift and found a network of amazing industry champions.
That being said, [as a married couple who are part of the LGBTQ2S+ community] we have had nothing but really positive experiences in the industry. We say that creating an inclusive, safe, and thriving community is the reason why we exist and beer is the how. Because of that, we lead strongly with who we are and what we believe in and attract a lot of like-minded partners.
What can businesses in the craft beer industry do to ensure more queer inclusivity for front and back of house staff?
This space is new to us, so we're approaching inclusivity in beer in the same way as we have in life; not making assumptions, asking respectful questions, and creating a culture of acceptance. Simple things like sharing your inclusivity & diversity statement publically online and in your space, wearing pronoun pins, using neutral phrasing, not assuming sexuality or gender identity, educating staff on LGBTQ2S+ vernacular and definitions, not gendering front or back of house tasks - it all adds up.
Last question for fun, what are your favourite beers or styles to drink?
Katie loves an experimental Gose or a Mexican Lager right now. Ali is a big fan of a spicy Saison, a nutty Porter; and we both never miss with a juicy NEIPA.
The soon opening Rising Tides Taproom!