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THE PROOF is a weekly roundup showcasing local creatives.  A column for creatives to share their story and work, in a unique, concise format: each creative shows 8 pictures and answers 8 questions. Past participants include ,Ìý,Ìý,Ìý,Ìý,  - all living in Vancouver. |
Josh is a man I am lucky enough to call my best friend, husband and love sincerely. He is someone who conveys passion in everything he is involved in and has an undeniable driving force behind him that keeps him going and trying when everyone else would have called it a day and sat down to rub their feet. He never complains, he just pushes on and inspires with his pure dedication to love, life and work.
Hailing from Saskatchewan he is a prairie boy through and through. He left for design school on the West Coast at the tender age of 18, and had a crazy fun time here in Vancouver. Shortly after entering the working world, he moved to London, England where he established his career. He then worked in Dubai, back in Vancouver, back to London and finally in Los Angeles. During this time Josh traveled and surfed extensively, met many treasured friends and gained a ton of life experience. We moved back to Canada to start Charlie & Lee, and this is when I truly got to know Josh's work ethic. He has pushed me and everyone involved to be as best as we can be and gained invaluable business experience. He then created This Space and 33 Acres Brewing, an ultimate testament to the perfectionist in him.
He is fiercely loyal, loves his family, friends and surfing. He is almost too modest, he lets his work speak for itself and is actually a pretty shy and private person. He is a bit of a performer but only to those he knows very well. Josh also tells it like it is. Sometimes you may not want to hear it but he is usually right. Yes I said it.
Kleah Michnik
Wife & Owner of (223 Union Street)
THE PROOF
1. Surfing
There is only a few situations I can actually shut my brain off from thinking about work. Relaxing after a long day of surfing is one of them.
2. Food Trucks
We've been recently getting a ton of food trucks down to the brewery. Its all I eat for dinner now.
3. Collaborations
33 Makers is a collaboration program. Was very excited to be involved with Baracuda Surfboards from Victoria. Hand shaped & Local. I'm currently working on getting this interview and process live.
4. Building
Something we do all most everyday around here. We're constantly adapting things, building and designing. These are food boards we made for the tasting room
5. Magazine and a Beer.
Its a very unique feeling to drink beer you had something to do with creating. I enjoy sitting in our tasting room and reading a magazine from time to time enjoying our beer.
6. Shelf
This shelf was designed by Makr, I saw it and had to have it. Its one of a few things in the brewery we didn't design or build ourselves.
7. My mornings
Every morning I've been finding myself away from my desk sitting in the tasting room with a coffee. Allows me to concentrate on any social media and catch up on emails.
8. Friends
These guys make coming to work easy. I love them. My best friends. Jon, Dave, Dustin & missing is Tim…he gets in a little later because he runs the tasting room.
Follow 33 Acres Brewing Company on ,Ìýand .
THE QUESTIONS
1. What neighborhood do you live in?
Chinatown
2. What do you do and where?
I own and operate in Mount Pleasant. 15 W 8th Ave. I used to be a motion designer / art director.
3. What are you working on?
Endless renovations. We've built the entire brewery ourselves and pulled every favour to get this place open. I did all the general contracting myself because we were on such a tight budget. I had to be creative where we put our dollars. We're still working on a ton of details. I want the entire space to be perfect, just like our beers Dave's creating. Other than that we're working on our food truck program, our in house food program, collaborations, new beer releases, ordering more equipment, and just having fun hanging out drinking beer coming up with new ideas.
4. Where can we find your work?
In kegs around Vancouver. We're hoping to launch bottles in early 2014. Check out our stockists list on our website. Or come see us at the brewery.
5. Who are your role models?
Anyone I work with. I feed off other peoples energy. Beer is a catalyst to collaboration and I love that aspect of our business.
6. What keeps you going in this industry?
I came from the design world. I left it to come to this industry so I could be creative for myself… best decision I've ever made. Now my clients are people, not brands, hopefully there is enough people that see what we focus on is worth supporting. Quality over Quantity.
7. If you had a chance to start your career all over again, how would you do it differently?
I wouldn't change a thing. I got to where I wanted to in the design world. Now I'm starting a new thing. Its allowing me to use what I've learnt in the last 10 years and put it towards something else. Something that actually means something to me personally.
8. What advice do you wish someone would have given you when you were young?
Well I only starting drinking craft beer about 10 years ago, lets just say I wish I would have discovered that earlier. Drink fresh local beer. Same goes for food and blogs. Fresh local blogs.
If you were going to recommend a creative to VIA, who would it be? (optional)
Kenta Goto from
