Abbie Speer
and Amanda Mead, founders of Spokes Mobile Canning
of Spokane, Washington, recently made a pilgrimage through Montana to visit
some of the state’s craft breweries and inform them about their business, which
offers canning services and solutions.
“We put out
a call to over two dozen Montana breweries,” says Speer, “and over a dozen
responded with interest in meeting us.” Over a week the duo met with breweries
as far east as Red Lodge, hitting breweries all along I-90, then north and
south of Missoula and Helena.
Launched in
February 2014, the mobile canning system, with its four-head filler capable of
canning eight barrels an hour, is a relatively newer trend in the craft beer
community.
“It’s great
for breweries that want to can regularly, seasonally, or need emergency canning
services,” says Mead.
Montana is
not new territory for Speer and Mead. Mead is originally from northeastern
Montana (Speer is from Pittsburgh), and the two met while teaching in Bozeman. After relocating for work
reasons into the Spokane area, Speer found herself with some unplanned extra
time when her job ended. Looking for work and while having a beer one afternoon
in the Iron Goat Brewing Co., Mead and
Speer were chatting with an employee there who mentioned needing a keg washer.
Speer jumped at the opportunity. She quickly moved up the ranks and now brews
beer at Iron Goat Brewing Co.
“We the only
mobile canner in the nation with an actual brewer owner,” says Speer.
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| Abbie Speer and Amanda Mead, left to right |
Everything
that is needed for canning shows up at the brewery’s doorstep in the company’s
18-foot trailer, which includes cans, lids, rings, or Spokes can fill a brewery’s
own cans.
From the
looks of it, Spokes Mobile Canning won’t be out of Montana for long, which
means more cans of Montana craft beer could be hitting the shelves sooner than
later.
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