Archive record · Brewery
Blindman Brewing
Lacombe, Alberta, Canada
- Founded
- 2015
- Archive ID
- TB-RWYFC567
- Last checked
- 2026-10-02
Who owns this brewery?
Named in dated ownership records. No parent company is held, and each owner's sources are shown below.
From the record
Summary
A central Alberta craft leader, renowned for barrel-aging programs, sours, and sustainable canning practices.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
Barrel-aging and sours out of Lacombe, which is not where anyone expects a serious cellar programme. Central Alberta got one anyway.
Ownership & corporate history
- Founded by Kirk Zembal2014
What the sources say
Named as co-founder by Lana Michelin, Lacombe Express, 2024-02-14, which also states Blindman formed in 2014. Founding is not current ownership; no source yet states who owns the company today. Source: https://lacombeexpress.com/2024/02/14/lacombes-blindman-brewing-will-expand-its-production-capacity-through-new-partnership/
- Founded by Hans Doef2014
What the sources say
Named as co-founder by Lana Michelin, Lacombe Express, 2024-02-14; also 'co-founder Hans Doef' in Baron Mag, 2022-05-12, and a founder in Spotlight on Business (John Allaire, c. 2017). The archive's people entry says 'Hans Schooten' — no source found for that surname; treated as a contradiction to resolve, not overwritten. Source: https://lacombeexpress.com/2024/02/14/lacombes-blindman-brewing-will-expand-its-production-capacity-through-new-partnership/
- Founded by Dave VanderPlaat2014
What the sources say
Named as a founder with Hans Doef by John Allaire, Spotlight on Business Magazine (c. 2017: property secured June 2015, equipment August 2015). Spelled Vander Plaat in some sources. Source: https://spotlightonbusinessmagazine.com/blindman-brewing-great-vibes-great-beer/
- Founded by Shane Groendahl2014
What the sources say
Named as an owner/operator in Spotlight on Business Magazine (John Allaire, c. 2017) and as a co-founder in secondary summaries. Recorded as founder on the magazine's word; 'owner/operator' is not a dated control event. Source: https://spotlightonbusinessmagazine.com/blindman-brewing-great-vibes-great-beer/
- Owned by Dave Vander PlaatDate unknown
Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.
What the sources say
2025 case study explicitly identifies Brewery Owner. Source: https://engineeringpossibilities.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Blindman-5S-Transformation-Case-Study.pdf
- Owned by Shane GroendahlDate unknown
Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.
What the sources say
Historical co-owner; current President/current team. Exact 2026 equity not quantified.
- Owned by Kirk ZembalDate unknown
Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.
What the sources say
Co-founder/co-owner evidence through 2022 plus current Blindman/export role. Source: https://www.seed.ab.ca/three-albertans-picked-as-nuffield-scholars/
- Owned by Hans DoefDate unknown
Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.
What the sources say
Historical co-owner and current team principal; exact equity not quantified.
- Owned by Matt WillertonDate unknown
Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.
What the sources say
Explicit co-owner evidence in 2021; not on current Blindman team page. No share exit is inferred.
Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.
Where it is
52.46693, -113.70453
Supplied by the research pass; method not recorded
Open on a mapEvents
- Unity Brew 2018 brewed at Blindman: Alberta Maltsters Red Ale with five Alberta maltsters2018-09-28
COLLABORATION
- Blindman first brewery in Canada to capture and reuse fermentation CO22021-06-10
TECHNOLOGY
The Museum
Timeline
- 2015Founded in Lacombe
Founded in Lacombe, named for the Blindman River. Source: "Blindman Brewing is an award-winning brewery that was founded in Lacombe in 2015"
- 2020-12Co-founds Craft Beer Commonwealth
Blindman is a partner in the Craft Beer Commonwealth joint venture (with Red Hart and Red Shed Malting) at Gasoline Alley (rdnewsnow Dec 5 2020; open Feb 2021). Source: "Feb 22, 2021 Craft Beer Commonwealth Now Open in Red Deer County, Alberta"
- 2023Brewery of the Year and other awards
Won Brewery of the Year (2023 Canadian Brewers Choice Awards), Best of Show (2023 Canadian Brewing Awards), and 2023 Alberta Emerald Award. Source: "Blindman most recently won Brewery of the Year at the 2023 Canadian Brewers Choice Awards"
- 2024-02-14Minority stake in Dandy Brewing
Partnership with Dandy (not a merger): Blindman takes a minority stake and most Dandy production, sales and distribution. Same article says both breweries 'formed in 2014'; record says 2015. See the disputed founding-year claim. Source: "Published 4:50 pm Wednesday, February 14, 2024"
The People
Behind the beer
Lacombe craft brewery focused on regional ingredients.
Founding/core owner group; current team continuity, exact equity unquantified.
2025 case study explicitly identifies Brewery Owner.
2021 Alberta Farmer Express identifies co-owner; current equity unresolved.
Co-founder/co-owner evidence through 2022 and current Blindman/export role.
Current President/team continuity; exact current equity unquantified.
2017 atlas calls co-owner while contemporary reporting called him head brewer; do not carry to current ownership.
The Beer Library
Beers
Field-to-glass provenance: 4/7 · farm or grower known · every step an evidenced link, nothing inferred
Longshadows
Year-RoundIndia Pale Ale
A full-strength IPA from a central Alberta brewery better known for its barrel and sour programme. Lacombe is a town of thirteen thousand people.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →24-2 Stock Ale
Year-RoundEnglish Stock Ale
Blindman/Red Shed provenance record: malt-grade barley planted and harvested near Lacombe with horse-drawn equipment by 24-2 Draft Horses, cleaned by Clive Seed Cleaning Co-op, custom malted by Red Shed, then brewed by Blindman. (CURRENT / RECURRING) [Canada Pass 38]
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Travel Guide
Plan a visit
On the record
Awards
- 2025
Silver — Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison (Overall / Canada Beer Cup placement)
Canada Beer Cup
- 2025
Silver — Overall / Canada Beer Cup placement — Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison
Canada Beer Cup
- 2025
Silver — Overall / Canada Beer Cup placement
Canada Beer Cup
- 2025
Bronze — Best in Show / Light Lager — Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2025
Silver — Light Lager — Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2025
Silver — Imperial Strength — Perepllut Barley Wine
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2025
Silver — All-Alberta Malt — 24-2 Brett Stock Ale
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2025
Bronze — Specialty IPA — Belgian IPA
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2024
Gold — Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison (Mixed Fermentation Beer with Fruit)
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2024
Gold — Mixed Fermentation Beer with Fruit — Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2024
Bronze — Specialty IPA — Cascadian Double IPA
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2023
Gold — Fruit Beer or Field Beer — Dwarf Sour Cherry
Canadian Brewing Awards
- 2023
Best of Show — Best of Show / Canada's Best Beer — Dwarf Sour Cherry
Canadian Brewing Awards
- 2023
Unspecified medal — Barley Wine Style Ale — Perepllut Barley Wine
Canadian Brewing Awards
- 2022
Gold — Best in Show — 24-2 Brett Stock Ale
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2022
Honorable Mention — American Style Black Ale — Cascadian Dark Ale
Canadian Brewing Awards
- 2022
Gold — Fruit Beer or Field Beer — Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison
Canadian Brewing Awards
- 2021
Gold — Vestige (Trendy Beer of the Year: Low/No Alc)
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2021
Gold — Barrel Aged Beer — 24-2 Brett
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2021
Silver — All-Alberta Malt Beer — 5 Mile Rustic Saison
Alberta Beer Awards
- 2021
Gold — Trendy Beer of the Year: Low/No Alc — Vestige
Alberta Beer Awards
Only awards we could attribute to a named body and year appear here. An empty section means unresearched, not unawarded.
2 organisations
Connected suppliers & bodies
- canada beer cupAwarded2025Silver — Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison (Overall / Canada Beer Cup placement)
- alberta beer awardsAwarded2021Gold — Vestige (Trendy Beer of the Year: Low/No Alc)
- alberta beer awardsAwarded2024Gold — Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison (Mixed Fermentation Beer with Fruit)
What the archive does not know yet
Open questions
- DisputedfoundedFounding year DISPUTED. This record gives 2015, as does Sled Island ("founded in Lacombe in 2015"). The Lacombe Express (14 February 2024) says Blindman and Dandy "both formed in 2014". Neither year is chosen.
Know the answer? Write to [email protected] with a source, and the record is corrected and credited to you.
Show your working
Sources
- foundedDisputed
Founding year DISPUTED. This record gives 2015, as does Sled Island ("founded in Lacombe in 2015"). The Lacombe Express (14 February 2024) says Blindman and Dandy "both formed in 2014". Neither year is chosen.
Blindman Brewing: history · lacombeexpress.com
NewsMedium reliabilitySource accessed 2026-10-02Claim last checked 2026-10-02
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Drinking Blindman Brewing? Stamp it in your passport.
Discover it here — collect it in the Passport. Track every beer, earn stamps, and build your own beer passport.
Every brewery deserves its full story told.
If you're the owner or team behind Blindman Brewing, we'll build out your complete profile — history, the people, every beer — and feature you in a Tally's documentary. No cost, just your story.
No payment affects this record — editorial policy