Work hard, Drink Easy at Snake Lake Brewing Co.
Tucked in the heart of beautiful Sylvan Lake, you will find a unique industry brewing. Snake Lake Brewing is an award-winning staple of the local craft beer scene, making beers inspired by Sylvan Lake’s rich history of work and play.
With a family friendly taproom that’s open seven days a week, Snake Lake Brewing Co. is a great watering hole for visitors and residents alike. Check it out with family for a board game or for live music nights, the Snake Lake Brewing Company is an iconic Sylvan Lake spot at 26 Industrial Drive.
The award-winning business started out as a hobby for founding owners Adam Nachbaur, Bill Beekman. The crew had a deep appreciation for a good beer and had dreams of brewing on a larger scale.
“We were working in the oil fields as a heavy-duty mechanic and an instrumentation technician while home brewing on the side. One night after a couple too many beers, we thought it would be great to build a brewery and move to Sylvan Lake,” said Nachbaur.
Sylvan Lake Brewery with big dreams
Too many beers or not, the guys knew they had a golden idea. It wasn’t long until business plans were in the works and Sylvan Lake’s newest craft beer brewery became a reality. The guys along with two other silent partners built a beautiful timber frame and stainless-steel brewery as a new start in the industry.
“We’d been around the Sylvan Lake area and it’s such a cool town with a great hospitality and recreation side. We were excited to open the doors here,” Nachbaur said. “Sylvan Lake has been so supportive of us and a place we were able to make our dreams come true.”
Snake Lake Brewing Co. believes in making good beer for locals and visitors alike. According to the Snake Lake website, Snake Lake prides themselves on producing an easy-drinking core lineup of beers guaranteed to excite the palate of even the most critical non-beer drinkers. It’s a philosophy that has turned a small central Alberta brewery into an award-winning business.
Snake Lake beer can be found in almost every restaurant in Sylvan Lake and throughout Alberta. Most recently, the brewery took home three medals at the 2023 Canadian Brewing Awards and Conference: a gold in the Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer category and two silvers in the American-Style and Session Ale categories.
“It’s insane how every single restaurant in town worked with us immediately. We’d had such awesome support. People drink our beer all over Alberta, which makes us feels amazing about the business,” Nachbaur said.
Snake Lake offers a variety of beer and spirits
Snake Lake keeps it local. The name itself is an ode to Sylvan Lake’s original name. Early settlers knew Sylvan Lake as Snake Lake, taken from the Cree name “Kinabik.” One of the brewery’s popular drinks is called Sidewinder IPA, named after Sylvan Lake’s old waterslides.
Snake Lake Brewery Company also expanded operations to include a distillery, taking possession of a former garage next to the brewery. The distillery produces small batch craft spirits such as Gin and Easy Vodka – a clean, neutral, wheat-based vodka made with Canadian grains.
“The distillery is an offshoot from beer in a bottle and has evolved our tap room. We have cocktails that we make in house so there is something for everyone,” Nachbaur said.
Snake Lake creations are also available for home delivery so you can get a taste of Sylvan Lake at home in Calgary or Edmonton. Home deliveries or kegs are easy to order by emailing hello@snakelake.beer
Since opening Snake Lake Brewing Co. has become known as one of the most innovative breweries around. Everything from the beer to, the names and even the packaging screams originality. Add Snake Lake to your list on your next trip to Sylvan Lake.
The B Nest Studio part of Sylvan Lake's business fabric
The B Nest Floral and Design Studio is part of Sylvan Lake’s growing and supportive business community.
“We’ve been blown away by the support we’ve received by other businesses downtown. If we all succeed, Sylvan Lake becomes more attractive for people to come.”