SAVOUR Manitoba

54 SAVOUR MANITOBA | FALL 24 Full Geek Of all the times to start a business, James Mont and Cory Bartell decided to start a craft beer brewing company during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. "at's when we got our start," Mont recounts. "We were bored and kind of going a bit crazy and had been making our own craft beers for around 17 years, so we came up with eight to nine polished recipes and decided to go pro." And while some companies have troubles coming up with a name, that wasn't the case here. "I tend to overcommit to things, something my wife calls going full geek," Mont says. "At the same time, both Cory and I like things like Star Wars and comic books, so we came up with Full Geek Brewlab. It's a fun, playful name that kind of sums up how we both approach life." Not surprisingly, that approach extended to the names of the beers that Full Geek has brought to market. ose names include Like Clockwork Lager, Modern Times Lager, Hyperion Pale Ale, Sublimey Bastard, e Blip, Helios Hazy and Stained Black. "We also have a black, smoky stout that we call 'Void,' which is a reference to the dark, black void that space is," Bartell says. "Our best- selling beer right now is our Sublimey Bastard Lime Cerveza, which is a Mexican-style lager with a tangy, bright taste that will transport you to the tropics and quench your thirst on a hot day." He adds that there's a method to the apparent naming madness. "It helps make our brand memorable and recognizable — not only the names, which come from our favourite movies, book and TV shows, but also the graphics on the cans. FULL GEEK GOES FROM LOCAL HOBBY BREWERS TO AWARD-WINNING CRAFT BREWERS BY TODD LEWYS

• Cover