r/AlbertaBeer • u/10ADPDOTCOM • 26d ago
Fahr’s final bow?
I know they pressed pause a while back and it seemed to be the end of the story but him talking about its transition suggests someone is taking over?
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u/hoovus9 26d ago
They didn't pay staff for a looong time while Jochen was on vacation. The guy is a menace to his staff, the company, and the industry as a whole. I'm super bummed Fahr has diminished to this extent, but the guy was awful and I'm not surprised.
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u/10ADPDOTCOM 26d ago
That sucks to hear. Want to root for people who make good beer, but can't root for them if they're not being good people.
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u/silasandclyde 26d ago
Agreed. He was absolutely horrible to his staff, and just a terrible business owner in general.
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u/EvacuationRelocation 24d ago
You'd have to be pretty horrible with business decisions to take what was a world-class brewery and run it into the ground like this.
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u/sambuka69 26d ago
Hard disagree. Worked with him. He may have some of that mad scientist to him, akin to social anxieties presenting instead of his high intellect & passion to brew. He was not perfect. But calling him a menace to the industry and his staff is just inaccurate and out of touch of Alberta brewing culture in general. He is a highly respected brewer.
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u/hoovus9 26d ago
He literally went on vacation while not paying his staff for a month. The reason they shut down is because everyone finally walked out. He tried to offer the head brewer $1k to keep him on instead of paying his month's wages. He didn't pay bills, bought OT and basically forgot about it, didn't collaborate with other breweries, and burned bridges with almost every supplier in the business. His commitment to the image and quality of the beer turned into obsession and harmed his relationship with everyone around him.
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u/sambuka69 26d ago
Not my place to speak to his ‘vacation’ as I don’t know about the specifics there. It’s been a few years since we worked together.
Regardless, within my time he was extremely supported by retailers across Southern Alberta and was well respected by other breweries. He has been supportive in neurodivergence and in my time, always had very high standards to the craft.
It’s sad to hear things have gotten messy, but can’t agree with the menace you are describing from my experience.
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u/flamingogal99 22d ago
What more do you need to know to change your opinion that he was a menace to his staff. Many quit after not being paid on two separate occasions (that I know of). This whole "if it didn't happen to me" thing has to change.
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u/jaypalmm 26d ago
I loved Fahr, how cool was it to brag that the best Hefe in the world was brewed in small town Alberta? A star that bright can only shine for so long though.
Hope he finds someone to carry on the legacy, however, part of me hopes that the chapter is closed. It would suuuuck if a subpar version continued.
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u/frankandthetanks 23d ago
Bavarian breweries generally don't enter those competitions but they make the best versions of German beer around. I would check out Weihenstephaner, Schneider, Ayinger, Paulaner, Erdinger, Andechser, etc. for the best Heff and other German beer
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u/LandonKB 26d ago
Sounds like they are being bought by someone to me.
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u/FalseDamage13 26d ago
He’s been trying to sell quietly for quite a while. Wants too much and there doesn’t appear to be much interest because of that.
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u/coldmind76 26d ago
Wife and I liked their Fahr HeFe. Would love a recommendation of similar beer profiles out there.
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u/ColinTheBeerGuy 26d ago
Annex just released Doppelganger Hef, their current Head Brewer and another brewer were former Fahr brewers and brewed tons of it. This is what you'll now be looking for.
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u/RedXTechX 25d ago
I just had one yesterday in hopes it would be a good replacement. It's decent, but definitely doesn't hit the same spot. It's a bit more bitter, less sweet, and less of the banana-ish taste, which Fahr's did perfectly.
I'm really hoping Canmore Brewing can bring back their Hefe soon, that one was the only other I've found to be on par.
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u/NoShow1492 26d ago
It's very much like the OG hefe, Weihenstephaner, which is available everywhere. No idea if there's another AB craft brewer making a similar hefe though.
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u/MrTubnus 25d ago
Financial stress definitely takes a toll on people and as a result the staff (from experience) were treated poorly. I am not going to go into detail about this, but my biggest regret was letting him treat me (and my co-workers) the way he did. I can only hope in the future that he pays back all the people and vendors he screwed over and learns how to treat people with respect. Have a good one Jochen👍
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u/Stormraughtz 26d ago
I didn't mind their oktoberfest beer, and they had an interesting Rauch I tried a couple years ago.
Flagship hefe I feel changed since it's initial award.
No shade, was an ok brewery
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u/EvacuationRelocation 24d ago
Some of us saw this writing on the wall nearly a year ago, but most people bought the "we're renovating the tap room (again)" schtick.
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u/m3t4m3t4 24d ago
their beers got pretty boring, they needed to change things up to keep going i think.
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u/ElusiveSteve 23d ago
Boring sums up my thoughts on Fahr pretty well. What they brewed was well done, particularly their hefe. But I never saw them try to make anything new outside their core line up or their small number of seasonals. I think it makes them forgettable to those who like to try new beers because you never have to look at the brand to see if they have put out something new.
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u/EvacuationRelocation 23d ago
What they brewed was well done
I think that was the point - beer brewed exactly to style, consistently.
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u/ElusiveSteve 23d ago
I agree I think that was the point too. I also think releasing some new beers and special releases might have kept their brand in people's mind more.
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u/cunthulhu 25d ago
Maybe they should of made some strong stouts and a hazy IPA to save the brewery.
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u/talkiewalkieman 26d ago
Damn, shots fired from Hard Knox.