The Team

We are Bill Beekman, Adam Nachbaur, and Dean Beekman. We've spent our adult lives in the oil patch as an instrumentation technician, a mechanic, and a rig hand (respectively) and feel lucky to have had good careers there. While we'll always remain proud of that work, and loyal to the people who continue to do it, we are excited to transition to an alternative energy source: beer.

We love beer. It's introduced us to our best friends, given us our favourite stories, and taken the edge off our roughest days. Over cans, pints, and pitchers, we've laughed, planned, cheered, cursed, commiserated, reminisced, debated, and professed our love. Eventually we had to wonder, "Why aren't we making this ourselves?" A couple lessons and a kit or two later we were hooked on all-grain home brewing. What started as a hobby quickly escalated into microbrewery aspirations, and here we are.

We are thrilled to be doing this in Sylvan Lake. Born and raised nearby, we've been lucky to be a part of this town's rich history of work and play. We can't wait to sink our Alberta roots a little deeper as we source our ingredients from nearby producers, give back to the local economy, and invest in the growth of this impressive community. 

Head Brewer Octavio Pauley has been with us from the start, and can be credited with every recipe that made it’s way into a Snake Lake can or keg. Born and raised in Bellingham, Washington (a town the size of Red Deer, boasting fifteen breweries), Octavio’s exposure to craft beer started at an early age. As an adult he moved to Vancouver to study jazz, where he earned two degrees and started home brewing - becoming more serious about the craft as he met like-minded folks with similar passions. In 2015, he was hired by a struggling Vancouver brewery in an effort to revitalize their brand. A good move on their part, as within the year they were awarded Gold for Best IPA at the BC Beer Awards - the largest and most prestigious category in Canada! Hungry for new challenges and wanting to flex his skills as a Head Brewer, Octavio looked east to the fledgling Alberta brewing industry and made the move to join Snake Lake in September, 2017. He’s kept the pilot system cooking and the tanks full ever since. Keep an eye out for his next masterpiece! Favourite styles include saisons, hazy IPAs, and “stuff with barrels and fruit.”