Cliffside, Longwood, White Sails and Wolf are all offering home delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

hopping along

Brewery boon: home deliveries keep Nanaimo craft brewers afloat

May 3, 2020 | 8:06 AM

NANAIMO — Local breweries are humming along even as other industries are hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nanaimo’s four breweries: Cliffside, Longwood, White Sails and Wolf, all told NanaimoNewsNOW their home delivery services are keeping their employees at work, their beer tanks full and customers happy.

“We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the support and the positivity,” Longwoods brewmaster Harley Smith said. “It’s busier than our store normally is.”

All of the breweries managed to get online sales up and running around the same time, but Smith said they haven’t noticed any new competition.

“With more and more delivery options our orders maybe slowed down a bit, but that’s because all of Nanaimo is stepping up. We love the idea of supporting all the breweries.”

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At White Sails, the tap room was turned into a store front with physical distancing measures in place.

General manager Brian McCarthy said even with the option to order online and pick up beer in stores, their home deliveries still keep drivers busy.

“None of us had any idea of how it was going to look,” he said. “We realized right off the bat it was going to be a little more than we expected, which was awesome. You do the best you can and you keep going.”

Wolf co-owner Rob Regner said the breweries owners stepped into the world of home delivery with as few expectations as possible.

“I’d say we’re grateful. It’s been as good or better than what I would have expected.”

Co-owner Jody Regner said it’s invigorating to see how customers use home deliveries, such as sending beer to employees and clients, and also how they show their thanks.

One customer leaving a package of freeze-dried smoked salmon for them immediatedly came to her mind.

“It was such a sweet gesture,” she said.

Ordering beer online will also benefit others as many breweries start adding options for charitable donations.

Donations to the Nanaimo Hospital Foundation are recommended on Wolf orders and White Sails recently started including wing options from Coco Cafe down in Cedar.

Cliffside Brewing couldn’t be reached for comment about home delivery.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit