The Whistlebrewer

Charting the Origins of Whistle Buoy Brewery and Taproom

You might have already walked around Whistle Buoy without even knowing it.

“Market Square can be a tough spot,” says Isaiah Archer, joint-owner of Whistle Buoy. Despite its location right beside one of the busiest intersections in Victoria, the Square definitely bears the burden of being ‘hidden-in-plain-sight,’ as the fortress-like building effectively conceals its European-style courtyard from the steady stream of ‘Lo-Jo’ shoppers.

It’s a battle that Market Square’s ownership has entered into fervently over the past few years, renovating and brightening its physical space, while seeking young, relevant tenant businesses to bring new eyes (and wallets) to a retail court that had faded somewhat over the past decade.

Whistle Buoy might be the epitome of that ongoing process. Their funky micro-brewery replaced a long-incumbent costume-jewelry store in June of 2019. Their sun-soaked patio and coastal/nautical tasting lounge have brought new energy to the space, drawing crowds that might never have considered Market Square as a destination.

Whistle Buoy’s creation of a casual, accessible space, for everyone to enjoy quality provisions, has resonated strongly with their clientele since day one—and in many different ways, as Isaiah notes: “During the week we get a lot of midday to after-work traffic. People come to do their work here, like they would in a café—and then also post-work customers sharing beers with colleagues. It’s a great place to chill on the weekends, too. We encourage families, and you can even bring your dogs down.”

The concept for Whistle Buoy developed as a group of friends with diverse (yet complimentary) skillsets bonded through their passion for spearfishing—of all things. But what began as a ‘Wouldn’t it be cool?’ idea, rapidly evolved into ‘Are we all in?’, as their dream translated into a business model that actually showed promise on paper.

That dream was fueled by brewer Matt West-Patrick, who had been cutting his teeth in the Spinnaker’s brewhouse for several years, with his own designs to open and operate his own brewery and tap-room. Co-founder Iwan Williams applied his experience in business and property development, wrangling wild aspirations into tangible processes and financial documents. Isaiah handles their branding and marketing, after studying strategic leadership with a focus on the social and ecological impact of businesses, on the community and the world at large.

The only thing missing was the experience required to actually operate a hospitality establishment. For this they reached out to their long-time friends Colin Curtis and Nina Colovic, who had both accumulated years of experience working the front-of-house for some of Victoria’s most successful restaurants and bars. They had moved back to their East Coast origins when their friend’s approached them with the Whistle Buoy concept. It was effective bait, and Colin joined the team tasked with front-of-house management, while Nina handles all their HR requirements. But no team member is above slinging suds and bussing tables whenever it’s required.

With the full cast assembled and no shortage of energy and passion, they all got to work on putting their plans into action. After eighteen months, much sweat and many lessons learned, they welcomed the first guests into their newly commissioned brewery and fully renovated lounge. 

Through a large window beside the bar, you can clearly see that every inch of available brewing space has been claimed by the custom-designed, Island-built brewing system. Whistle Buoy’s initial beer line-up was mindful of their sunny location, and focused on lower-alcohol, easily-approachable styles. When asked about a ‘house style’ or general direction for their beer portfolio, the only constant appears to be change. While their ‘Coastality’ Pale Ale has made the cut year-round, there are taps dedicated to changing summer and winter beers, and three more taps for rotating, single-batch releases.

Past summer hits have included ‘Totally Pitted’ Golden Plum Sour, ‘Main Squeeze’ Raspberry Lemon Ale, and ‘Gulagubben’ Scandinavian Ale. Entering winter, “cosier” beers takeover the lineup, all of which can be sampled in 5oz flights, glasses (7oz, 12oz, 17oz) and taken home in 1-litre ‘crowlers’ (a huge aluminum can, filled and closed in very limited numbers, to ensure freshness.)

The Whistle Buoy experience was always designed to be beer-centric, as implementing a full food program presented spatial and financial problems. But it was always understood that providing customers with a quality dining experience was essential. So they looked to their business mantra, “facilitate positive interaction within our community,” which inspired a snack-tastic partnership with Fernwood’s Little June café.

If you’re visiting between Thursday and Sunday, and love fresh seafood, you’re in for a treat—local shuckers The Wandering Mollusk have an oyster bar setup on the patio, offering the finest fresh oysters around, and usually have other seasonal seafood offerings available.

Whistle Buoy also embraces their surrounding food vendors by encouraging hungry beer-drinkers to gather their meals from any of Market Square’s many restaurants, and bring them over to dine on-site, at no charge.

Whistle Buoy’s lineup of clean, experimental, and highly-sessionable beers are a top-level addition to the ‘embarrassment of riches’ already enjoyed by Victoria’s enthusiastic craft-beer audience. Their casual, quirky tasting room is a welcome splash of colour in Market Square’s continuing makeover. They’ll make your next detour through this historic quadrangle well worth your while.