Brad and Helen Hoffman were all smiles with their kids, Julia and Eric, as the couple talked about the 4th Meridian Brewing Company’s acquisition of Edgerton’s Ribstone Creek Brewery. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source
When it comes to craft beer, the Hoffmans have the hops.
The 4th Meridian Brewing Company family just got a whole lot bigger as the locally-owned and operated brewers recently purchased Ribstone Creek Brewery and will bring the brand’s line of award-winning beer back online after the company ceased operations last November.
The 4th Meridian Brewing Company was started by Brad and Helen Hoffman as a family-owned shop outside of Lloydminster in 2016.
Their current location/taproom, located at Unit 6 2626 50 Ave., opened in August of 2017 and the rest, as they say, is history.
“Ribstone Creek was one of the early breweries to start in Alberta, so they’re quite well established and had some award-winning products,” said Helen.
“When we heard they were down a brewer and eventually looking to close, we thought we could figure something out and find a way to keep them going.”
Negotiations began in the summer and with the final deal done, the Hoffman’s purchased all Ribstone Creek assets, brands and recipes. Carrying on the legacy left by the brewery in the town of Edgerton is also important to Helen and Brad.
“Ribstone Creek is an acclaimed brewery with award-winning products. They put East Central Alberta on the map of the craft beer world, and we didn’t want to see them go. We look forward to moving operations to Lloydminster, getting Ribstone products back on the market and picking up where they left off in Edgerton,” stated the business in a press release.
With the purchase comes expansion, which is something Brad is looking forward to.
“We’re definitely looking for a new space right now to grow what we already have here, and run with two lines of beer,” he said.
“It’s going to be nice having more space and being able to do more beer, and brewing all the time will be great.
“We are looking to hire staff to help us with the expansion, too, as we think we’ll need that.”
Not only have the Hoffmans been growing their business over the years, they’ve also been growing their family.
When the business first opened in 2016 the couple was still riding the wedding wave, and since then, they’ve had two kids, three-year-old Julia and 16-month-old Eric, who quickly became a part of the taproom’s charm.
“It’s been a ride,” said Helen with a laugh.
“It’s good, and I’m happy we have the capability to run our own business and be here day-to-day, while also having our kids around us and have flexible schedules that allow us to accommodate our children as well as the business.
“It’s been fun to grow here. We’ve met so many people that knew us before we had kids and seen us through the early stages of having kids, and now here we are today.”
“We definitely added another level of organization to our life when Julia was born,” added Brad.
Since opening its doors, the 4th Meridian taproom has become a popular spot for craft beer lovers and social butterflies of all ages.
Whether it’s a Wednesday open mic night or a community street party, the 4th Meridian is always kid-friendly, pet-friendly, and welcoming.
