In 2007, Randy Lawrence opened the taps at Sea Level Brewing alongside The Port Pub and Bistro, in Port Williams. This was the beginning of a 17-year relationship pairing award winning craft beer with the delectable menu offerings at The Port Pub. With the focus of sourcing fresh local ingredients, both Sea Level Brewing and The Port Pub shared a mutually beneficial relationship which helped put Port Williams on the map as a destination to sit on the patio alongside the historic wharf, enjoying a plate of chicken wings and a pint of Blue Heron as you watched the ever-changing tides roll in and out of the Cornwallis River. The names of many a Sea Level brew have been inspired by its surroundings right there on this amazing tidal river. 

The benefits of this relationship allowed for an eventual expansion to a 10-barrel brewhouse and a proper retail storefront which increased the craft beer offerings; not just in the restaurant at The Port Pub, but also to the general public to take home in both cans and growlers. The increased production also allowed the brew crew team to grow as the workload had expanded so much that it could no longer be done by just one person.

 In addition to crafting all of the recipes and brewing all of the beer at Sea Level Brewing, Randy also had a hopyard at his home in Sheffield Mills. Here he lovingly grew many of the hops used in his beers. As the beer production grew, so did the need for more local inputs. That’s when he convinced family friends and neighbours, the Harvie family, to also get into hop growing. These hops were then added to the inventory and continue to be used in Sea Level brews today.

 In 2011, Nicole Harvie joined the team as the face of Sea Level Brewing’s retail space. Joe Schagen was brought on as Brewery Assistant in 2016. After a few years working as a team, Randy was entering the phase of planning for retirement. It was a natural progression for the Harvie family to consider taking over. So, in 2018, the Harvies bought Sea Level Brewing. Now a married couple, Joe has taken over the reins as Head Brewer and Nicole is the General Manager, together leading a team of 7.

 In 2019, after 12 years of brewing every drop of Sea Level Brewing craft beer in Port Williams, Sea Level moved its main production to Millstone Harvest Brewhouse on the Harvie Farm in Sheffield Mills. This new Brewhouse allowed for an expansion to a 25-barrel system, a taproom, and patio as well as an increase in production which would now allow Sea Level Brewing beer to be sold in NSLC stores across the province. With the purchase and move, the Harvies added malting barley to their farming acreage as well as expanding their hopyard. Today, over 90% of the inputs of every beer made at Sea Level Brewing is grown within just a few kilometres of the brewery.

 With this production move, Sea Level still maintained a small pilot brew system and the retail space at the original Port Pub location. We still provide the Pub with the fresh Sea Level brews their customers have come to know and love.

 That brings us to today. Like the tides, change is inevitable. Just as Randy started Sea Level Brewing in 2007 and then transitioned into retirement and sale to the Harvie family, The Port Pub and Bistro is now also changing ownership. After 17 years of having a business presence in Port Williams, the retail and brewery space of Sea Level Brewing will be taken over by the new owners of The Port Pub by the end of May.

 To our valued customers who regularly visit our Port Williams location, we hope you will continue to seek out your favourites, just a short 10-minute drive out to our location in Sheffield Mills (Blue Heron ESB and Blueberry Pale Ale seem to be most popular with our Port Williams customers). We apologize for any inconvenience this change will cause. We sincerely thank all of you for your many years of patronage and support. We hope that some of your Sea Level favourites will continue to flow through the taps at the Pub for you to enjoy while watching the changing tides from their patio.

 To the new owners of The Port Pub and Bistro, we wish you all the best and look forward to seeing what new and tasty menu offerings that you create.

To the fabulous staff at The Port Pub and Bistro, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for representing the Sea Level brand for 17 years and for being such huge supporters of our small family business.

 Cheers from the Harvie family and the team at Sea Level Brewing – we look forward to seeing you soon!