r/AlbertaBeer 8d ago

Looks like Evil Corp Brew is closed.

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16 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

14

u/TurpitudeSnuggery 8d ago

Unfortunate but not a surprise. They had posted they were in financial trouble in the summer. 

7

u/brew_war 8d ago

I also imagine it’s hard to compete with Dandy basically right across the street too. Or with Cold Garden just a few blocks away.

Never like to see a business closed but this one struggled to open as well as struggled to stay open.

Hopefully everyone can find employment quickly.

10

u/alpain Morbidly Stout 8d ago

I am amazed they didnt get much of the overflow from dandy not having room, but their signage was shit due to the landlord not letting them put up more so people really forgot they were there, mixed in with a weak social media game i guess doesn't help.

1

u/Aleks192 8d ago

I'd tried to go a few times after some of the other breweries but they were never open early enough so it never worked out.

1

u/EvacuationRelocation 7d ago

it’s hard to compete with Dandy

They would have been better off working with Dandy rather than competing with them. I don't know if that really ever happened.

10

u/Stormraughtz 8d ago

That's rough, guess they didn't make the goal :(

9

u/Bushido_Plan 8d ago

Been there a few times. Cool vibes but that's basically it. The beers were fine but nothing really stood out for me. Eighty-Eight is just a few blocks south of them too, and you have Cold Garden that sees massive numbers every day just north of them. Also High Line a few blocks away from Cold Garden too. Dandy right across the street from them and every time we were at Evil Corp, there were only a few tables at most, meanwhile Dandy was packed.

It's a packed spot for breweries there. I hope their employees find something assuming this place will go under.

5

u/HelloMegaphone 8d ago

I'd go there when I was doing a brew hop but wouldn't have gone out of my way to just post up there. Sucks they've had to close but they were definitely not at the level of the breweries around them.

5

u/Gr1ndingGears 8d ago

This is unfortunate. I have to be really honest and say I didn't like their beer, at all. But now I'm disappointed that they won't ever be able or have an opportunity to change my mind. Which sucks. 

6

u/austic 8d ago

I always feel the places without food are destined to fail. Normally when I go to a brewery I want a place to eat like 88 with my beer.

5

u/wudrich 8d ago

If it isn't the beer bringing you in, food doesn't fix it. Any brewery that doesn't have/can't afford a kitchen let's you bring food.

2

u/austic 8d ago

Ya but I mean I bring my team to breweries a lot for meetings. The food is still a big thing for a lot of people. If I want takeout food I will just order in and pickup beer not the other way around but maybe other folks like the order in.

5

u/Drago1214 8d ago

Unfortunate they had a cool concept.

12

u/cunthulhu 8d ago

I really feel the lack of a bar to sit at there ruined things for how it feels with how empty it was.

sure there are other factors but putting something into a semi residential walking area and not having a bar to sit at seems like a bad idea if your not serving food, it helps to create a social place for people to come sit at and hang out.

7

u/Sanctuary_Bio 7d ago

Their beer was below average by Calgary craft scene standards. And yea the design of the taproom was odd and uninviting, as was their choice of glassware. I get they were going for an evil bond villian theme but doing stuff like serving beer in test tubes is a really bad idea as it messes with the carbonation and aroma.

I imagine a lot of people visited once and then never again. It was a novelty and there no way they were competing with 88, Dandy or Cold Garden. Even if they had left the theme strictly to the beer names and they would have struggled. Going all in on the concept in their taproom doomed them.

4

u/Drago1214 8d ago

All great reasons as well. Cool building but off the path hurts

2

u/EvacuationRelocation 7d ago

They had a great patio location. The inside was not welcoming.

3

u/jaaaawrdan 7d ago

Unfortunate, but in that stretch from Cold Garden to Eighty Eight, they were by far the weakest brewery, in terms of offerings, tap room space, and signage.

1

u/EvacuationRelocation 7d ago

Interesting - I was actually lined up to go on Thursday afternoon but decided on Dandy instead. Could have kept my streak of visiting breweries right before they close alive...

1

u/RR2moonshiners 6d ago

I’m not surprised, they never paid the contractor in full who did the reno. Lots of people out of money from this experiment.

2

u/pauliepervert 4d ago

Not surprising. I see people here saying the atmosphere there was cool but honestly I found the entire space off-putting, cold, and sterile. People like breweries to be warm, inviting spaces and this was definitely not that. They were between cold garden, dandy, and the rest of the Manchester breweries and really could have captured the summer bike traffic if they had a better concept.