Have an ‘Ankering for German brew?

Formerly Smithavens Brewing, Haven Brewing lies on the periphery of Peterborough and I and my partner in beer made an effort to locate it on a recent road trip.

I was very happy to have discovered their beer shortly after my return to Ottawa, finding it at a Farm Boy south on Bank St. It was there that I was excited to see a Dunkelweizen (a dark wheat beer) and their Kellerbier (cellar beer).

Kellerbier is a rustic style of lager wherein some of the residual yeast is held in suspension giving it a cloudy appearance. It’s a classic in the German province of Franken and commonly seen in beer gardens making this an ideal Oktoberfest brew. 

Haven makes the nicest version I’ve yet had in Canada. In terms of the beer I grew up with and love, I made the right choice coming back to Ottawa. We have a series of very good breweries making superb German style brews and Haven is a beacon showing the way.

I had occasion to ask CEO Nathan Anker a little bit about Haven Brewing.

Ralf Joneikies: What prompted the name change from Smithhaven to Haven?

Nathan Anker: My brother and I bought Smithavens in 2020 and always had the intention of updating the name. The Smiths were the old owners so dropping the Smith and changing it to Haven seemed like a natural progression. Haven was also easier to spell and market. It's a safe haven in craft beer by focusing on those European style beers, beers that have existed for 150 to 500 years. A haven is a beautiful serene place where you are most comfortable. Everyone has one, whether it's gardening, being at the cottage or whatever. We all have a haven and that just pairs so well with great beer.

RJ: You're in Peterborough. How did you land on a nautical theme?

NA : The nautical theme was something we always wanted to do. It makes sense when you consider our last name is Anker and our heritage from that name is both associated with working nautically or that an Anker is an old smaller size barrel of beer or distillates often used for smuggling (a small barrel hidden in a larger one). We always wanted to build on that heritage.

RJ: What inspired you to go into the brewing business?

NA: It really was just pairing my skills with those of my brother Andrew, the brewer. He'd been in the beer industry for 12 years, with the last four working as a consultant helping others start something like nine breweries and a cidery. He would always talk about how he wished he could make the final decisions on some of the building, branding and brewing aspects. I worked in the automotive sector for seven years and wanted out of the corporate world. I had always planned on starting my own company but wasn't always sure what was next. Andrew had gotten all the experience starting those breweries so we put our heads together and decided to go for it. 

Maybe it wasn't the best timing taking over a failing brewery two weeks into a global pandemic but, we're still here, have some big plans and are going to push onwards until we can make them a reality. Besides, who doesn't want to work in the brewing industry? As we always say, when people are happy, they drink and when people are sad, they drink. It's not completely recession proof, but there will always be customers.

RJ: You predominantly brew Belgian- and German-style beer, will that continue to be a focus or are there some surprises planned?

NA: As you may have seen we have our Havoc line of beer. These are small batches and we intend down the road to launch it as a second brand. Havoc will focus on trendy styles like IPAs and sours. The labeling and marketing of the brand will also be nautical and associated with our existing brand representing the wildness of the sea and the folklore. So we then can have Haven and not take away from the European-style brews, those beers you always come back to, but you can venture out of home port and experience the adventures (and maybe risks) of the wild ocean and all it has to offer in Havoc. 

You can order Haven beers online, find them at the Blossom Park Farm Boy or at the following Beer Store locations:

• 515 Somerset St. W.

• 1546 Scott St.

• 3500 Fallowfield Rd.