{"id":61482,"date":"2025-08-18T11:48:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T18:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bcaletrail.ca\/?p=61482"},"modified":"2025-08-18T15:58:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T22:58:17","slug":"the-patch-brewery-in-maple-ridge-celebrates-their-first-year-in-beer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bcaletrail.ca\/the-patch-brewery-in-maple-ridge-celebrates-their-first-year-in-beer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Patch Brewery in Maple Ridge Celebrates Their First Year in Beer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cYou are about to be hit by a tsunami of people. You have no idea how much Maple Ridge needs this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Those were the words spoken to Michael Friesen, head brewer at The Patch Brewery<\/a> in Maple Ridge, by a fellow brewer shortly before their grand opening in August 2024. One year later, as the brewery celebrates its first anniversary, that brewer\u2019s words seem prophetic. I sat down with Michael and co-owner Rebecca Laity to chat about The Patch\u2019s first year and plans for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"an
The Patch Brewery in Maple Ridge (photo: City of Maple Ridge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Slow Burn: Opening a Farm-Based Family Brewery<\/h4>\n

Rumours of The Patch were circulating years before their opening day. As other farm brewery owners will understand only too well, the bureaucratic hurdles required to open The Patch were substantial.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Laity family has lived and run businesses in the area for generations. However, it wasn\u2019t until around 2017 that brothers Doug and Jeff Laity, along with their wives Kaitlyn and Rebecca, considered the possibility of a farm brewery.\u00a0 The <\/span>hard work<\/span><\/a> that Persephone Brewing<\/a> in Gibsons did to change the laws around agricultural land use inspired them. \u201cWe have this land, <\/span>we <\/span><\/i>could start a brewery!\u201d Rebecca remembers the family thinking.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t happen right away. They planted barley and hops and hired an architect to design the brewery buildings, but had to contract-brew out of Taylight and Locality while they slowly hacked away at bureaucratic red tape. At last, in summer 2024, they received final approval for opening their brewery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This delay wasn\u2019t all negative, though. Rebecca recalls how those years of planning revealed the welcoming and collegial nature of the craft beer community. She and Jeff visited almost every brewery in the lower mainland \u2013 and others overseas \u2013 and at each one, Jeff would try to talk to the owner. \u201cEveryone was so open and collaborative,\u201d Rebecca says. \u201cThey were all willing to help us out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n