It was only six months after moving to Vancouver that I found myself in downtown Squamish for the very first time.
On a whim, I’d signed up for the Squamish50 50 km race. While the event usually takes place in August, COVID pushed it to October, when the weather can be less than ideal. And unfortunately, the forecast was looking bleak…
With an atmospheric river on the horizon and 50 kilometres of technical mountain bike trails ahead of me, I knew I was in for a long, wet day. I also knew I needed to be adequately fuelled.
My pal and I were on the hunt for an inordinate amount of carbs when Backcountry Brewing popped up on Google as one of Squamish’s top-rated spots. So we made the short drive from our hotel and walked into what looked like a cozy cabin.
The place was packed. Families, fellow racers, volunteers sporting their race gear, and Squamish locals enjoying pints and pizza on a Saturday afternoon. Despite the crowds, we were seated almost immediately.
We ordered a couple of pizzas, and while I wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary, I was absolutely blown away. Pizza, baked to perfection, with just the right amount of toppings and cheese. I happily loaded up on carbs and mentally bookmarked Backcountry as a Squamish gem I’d definitely be returning to.
And return I did.
Backcountry quickly became a must-stop on my trips to Whistler and an instant favourite. As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one who fell in love with the place.
In an interview with Backcountry co-founder Ben Reeder, I learned that he and his partners were equally surprised by just how quickly the brewery took off. When they raised money to launch the business, they’d set aside extra cash reserves, referred to as their “slush fund,” anticipating they’d likely lose money during their first three months of operations.
But when Backcountry opened its doors in April 2017, the response was so overwhelming that the founders never needed to touch the safety net of cash..
There were lineups out the door, three-hour waits on weekends, and revenue coming from unexpected places.
And it wasn’t just an opening-month hit. According to Ben, the partners had set an ambitious goal of doubling beer production each year for the first three years, and remarkably, they managed to hit those lofty targets.
How did a brand-new brewery achieve such extraordinary success in such a short period of time?
To understand the story behind this beloved Squamish brewery, we need to go back to the beginning.
From Media Company to Hop Farming
Ben Reeder started making videos when he was just 12 years old.
His passion for filmmaking eventually led him to launch BentMatter Entertainment, a media production company that initially created content for artists, bands, and DJs before expanding into corporate productions, high-end weddings, tours, and festivals. But BentMatter extended the scope of their services even further.
“We were a venue, we were a location for film, and then we were a music venue where we had a liquor licence to have four events per month. We would curate promoters to bring their events there, which was probably the most successful thing that we were doing because we would sell out every night,” Ben told me in an interview.
And his entrepreneurial ambitions didn’t stop there. Ben was also involved in real estate development, focusing primarily on smaller builds and heritage reconstruction.
As fate would have it, his partners in that venture would eventually become part of Backcountry’s founding team. At the time, Ben owned a property on Vancouver Island that he was renting out. He decided to try his hand at growing hops, with the longer-term vision of opening a brewery.
As he started putting together a business plan, the idea became increasingly appealing. Not wanting to tackle the venture alone, he approached his real estate partners to see if they’d be interested in jumping on board. The general consensus? Selling hops probably wasn’t going to make them rich.
But opening a brewery? Now that had potential. Around the same time, Ben reconnected with a beer representative who had previously supplied beer to his venue. Their partners knew each other, and during a Christmas party, the two got talking about business. As luck would have it, both men had been independently developing plans to open a brewery.
So they decided to join forces. They had the business plan. They had the vision. And now they were assembling the team to make it happen.
Putting the Gears in Motio
The partners began meeting every Thursday to work through their plans, but there was still one rather important piece missing: they needed a head brewer. And finding one was proving more difficult than expected. “We tried to [recruit] some brewers, [but] a bunch of them already had plans to [open] breweries of their own,” Ben recalled.
After some persistence, they connected with John Folinsbee, a former professional poker player turned brewer who had been living in Squamish for 13 years. At the time, John was working at Steamworks and commuting between Squamish and Vancouver along the Sea to Sky Highway.
The opportunity to help build something of his own was too exciting to pass up. With John joining the founding team, things started moving quickly.
Financing is often one of the biggest hurdles for entrepreneurs, but Backcountry’s timing couldn’t have been better. The craft beer industry was booming, and according to Ben, the partners were able to raise all the money they needed—and then some—without giving up ownership of the business.
“It was wild, actually, because getting money for a brewery at that time was [relatively easy]. We opened in 2017, and that was the peak of the craft beer industry. The bankers were all like, ‘Yes, yes, yes,’ saying that this is the best business plan they’ve seen in years.”
But here’s something I found particularly interesting: Squamish wasn’t actually their first choice. The partners initially had their sights set on Vancouver. They’d found what seemed like the perfect building and were excited about the prospect of opening there. But unfortunately, another brewery outbid them, and at the time, it was a devastating setback.
But what initially felt like a major disappointment turned out to be an enormous blessing in disguise. As Ben explained, the building had a rather serious structural problem. It was, quite literally, sinking. The brewery that secured the space subsequently faced major problems, delays, and unexpected costs. “It [was] a nightmare, really,” Ben recalled.
Not long afterward, the partners caught wind of another building becoming available, this time in Squamish. The location was more industrial, but the price was right. In fact, it was nearly half the cost of the Vancouver property. As they started researching Squamish, the opportunity became even more appealing.
Known as the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada, Squamish attracted an active, outdoorsy crowd—and, as Ben pointed out, plenty of beer enthusiasts. The town was also experiencing rapid population growth.
And the potential market extended well beyond local residents. Thousands of people travelled along the Sea to Sky Highway each year, with Whistler just up the road and opportunities to distribute beer throughout British Columbia and beyond.
The partners agreed that Squamish indeed, was the place to be.
And when Backcountry finally opened its doors in April 2017, the community welcomed them with open arms. Ben recalled customers thanking the team for “having faith in this community,” particularly at a time when the town had fewer dining options.
From the initial idea to opening day, the entire process took approximately two years and four months.
And as we already know, business took off almost immediately.
Early Challenges
Of course, rapid success comes with its own set of problems.
One of Backcountry’s biggest early challenges was that the taproom was initially limited to just 50 seats because of zoning restrictions. For a brewery with three-hour waits on weekends, that was a pretty significant problem. Ben remembered these early issues distinctly:
“The district was really weird with the zoning because they didn’t really know what to zone that area. They thought it was going to be heavy industrial, and then it ended up being all this sort of rec tech and mixed use, or something like us where you’re producing, manufacturing, and you have retail [stores].“
The lengthy process of securing approval for additional seating was frustrating for both the business and its customers.”We were suffering for quite a while because it was 50 seats max, and people were hating us,” Ben recalled.
Some locals were understandably tired of the long waits and the growing number of visitors. And while packed tables are a nice problem for any restaurant to have, they weren’t exactly ideal for local residents hoping to grab a casual pizza and pint after work.
Staffing presented another ongoing challenge. Recruiting employees, training them, and keeping them happy required constant attention, particularly as the business continued growing. After approximately three years, Backcountry finally received the green light from the District of Squamish. The expansion required several changes, including recalculating maximum occupancy and installing covered bike racks.
But they did what they had to do, and the brewery added 70 seats, opened an outdoor patio for the warmer months, and introduced the Barrel Lounge—a back room that can accommodate smaller events and private dinners.
Eats & Brews
Let’s talk about one of my favourite things about Backcountry: the food.
While Backcountry has built a reputation for its craft beer, I’d argue that the food is just as much of a draw. Because, god damn, these folks know how to make a good pizza, lemme tell ya!
And serving food was part of the business plan from the beginning. Ben initially took on the role of kitchen manager, overseeing equipment purchases and helping develop the menu. In the early days, the kitchen served dishes like wings, chicken burgers, and fries.
But eventually, they upgraded the kitchen and brought in a beautiful Italian electric oven, nicknamed “the Ferrari.” And that’s when things got particularly exciting for pizza lovers.
Today, the menu features a selection of small plates, salads, and, of course, the pizzas that Backcountry has become famous for.
Their pizza dough is made with organic, non-GMO 00 flour, and they offer vegan cheese substitutions at no additional charge.
As vegetarians, Kenz and I appreciate having plenty of options. Two of our favourites are the Killer Beez – Honey Soppressata and the Alla Ceres – ‘Nduja Stracciatella, both of which we order with vegan pepperoni instead of meat. The Alla Ceres is Backcountry’s take on a New York-style pizza, featuring long cold-fermented dough, California tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, house-made stracciatella, olives, aged Modena balsamic, oregano, and Parmesan, alongside its signature spicy nduja. We skip the meat, but the combination of flavours is still incredible.
And because I’m a gal who loves dipping sauce with her pizza, we always order their house-made ranch and garlic aioli on the side.
Backcountry is Kenz’s favourite pizza spot in Squamish, and whenever I suggest going there for
And as for the brews, their rotating taps feature a wide variety of styles, from German-style pilsners and pale ales to New England IPAs, lagers, bitters, sours, imperial IPAs, and can’t forget about the ol’ Irish stout. Cider is also available, along with non-alcoholic options (Kenz and I both love the cherry cream soda kombucha).
For anyone overwhelmed by the choices, Backcountry also offers tasting flights featuring four five-ounce pours. But beyond the variety and quality of the beer, there’s something else that makes Backcountry stand out.
Its personality.
A Beer With Personality
Coming up with original beer names proved to be surprisingly difficult in Backcountry’s early days. Every time the team thought they’d landed on something clever, they’d discover another brewery had already beaten them to it.
Back to the drawing board. Eventually, someone suggested a different strategy: Why not take inspiration from pop culture, songs, movies, and memorable quotes? So they gave it a shot. And according to Ben, “it worked great.”
One particularly memorable example was inspired by Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The passion fruit sour was given the gloriously ridiculous name taking up over half the can: Strange Women Lyin’ In Ponds, Distributin’ Swords, Is No Basis For A System Of Government! And people loved it. Ben recalled it becoming one of Backcountry’s longest-running limited-release beers.
That playful personality extends well beyond the names on the cans. With his background in filmmaking, Ben brought his creative skills into Backcountry’s marketing, producing entertaining videos and social media content that felt distinctly different from traditional brewery advertising.
As Instagram grew and video became increasingly prominent, Backcountry leaned into the opportunity to entertain its audience rather than simply sell to them.
“The thing is, marketing is hard because people don’t want to be sold to. So if you can do it in a way where you’re entertaining them and then you’re just reinforcing your brand at the same time, that is a good way for people to actually receive the information and kind of make their decision on what they think about you. When they research us, they’re like, ‘I like this. This is me.'”
And you can tell the team has fun with it. There’s humour, creativity, and a strong connection to the outdoor lifestyle that defines Squamish.
It’s a brand with character. And in an increasingly competitive craft beer market, that personality becomes increasingly important.
The Rewards of Serving the Squamish Community
For all the clever marketing, creative beer names, and delicious pizza, Ben says one of the most rewarding parts of running Backcountry is seeing people enjoy themselves.
“Walking through the taproom and it being full, and people just joyously eating and loving their experience. That’s definitely at the top of the list. Having the spot where everyone wants to go is a great feeling.”
There’s something pretty special about creating a place where people genuinely want to spend their time.
And Backcountry has managed to become that place for a wide range of people. Mountain bikers stopping in after a day on the trails. Families gathering for pizza. Friends catching up over beers. Couples enjoying a date night under the warm, moody lighting. It’s casual and welcoming, but there’s still something about the atmosphere that makes it feel like an occasion.
Ben also attributes much of Backcountry’s success to how involved the owners remain in the business. They’re in the taproom. They’re attending beer festivals. They’re talking to customers. And because they’re so closely connected to the product, they can speak about their beer with genuine enthusiasm and knowledge.
That passion is contagious. I think people can often sense when a business is owner-operated. There’s a certain level of care that comes through in the little things: the quality of the food, the service, the atmosphere, and the effort that goes into making people feel welcome.
Backcountry has managed to combine those things with a brand that feels approachable, fun, and unmistakably its own.
And judging by the crowds that continue to fill the taproom, it’s a combination that works very well.
What’s Next for Backcountry Brewing?
Well, for starters, you’ll be happy to know that Backcountry is getting a soft-serve ice cream machine.
Beyond the sweet treat, Ben says the partners have been discussing the possibility of another expansion, along with new additions to the beer lineup, including a lager. He was quick to acknowledge that not every idea will necessarily come to fruition. But the team is continuing to look for ways to welcome more people, experiment with new offerings, and keep the business evolving.
And after hearing Ben’s story, I think that’s one of the things I admire most about Backcountry. What started as an idea involving a hop farm, a few entrepreneurial friends, and a shared love of beer became one of Squamish’s most recognizable local businesses.
There were unexpected setbacks, fortunate turns, growing pains, and plenty of lessons learned I’m sure, but through it all, the team built something that people genuinely love.
If you’re a Squamish local, chances are you’ve already experienced Backcountry Brewing for yourself, and I probably don’t need to convince you why it’s such a great spot.
But if you haven’t been yet, I’d highly recommend stopping in for a pizza, a pint, or one of their non-alcoholic options.
And whatever you do, don’t forget the garlic aioli.
