On Edge Brewing: Edmonton bar broken into twice ahead of grand opening

It’s been a bumpy road for the folks at On Edge Brewing, from months of construction right at their front door to a series of break-ins, but the bar is finally preparing for its grand opening later this month.

The bar, which took over the building formerly occupied by Situation Brewing, soft-opened in May. It serves a variety of local brews, including Sea Change and Talking Dog Brewing out of Spruce Grove, and it’s getting ready to pour its first in-house beers this weekend, with four different brews: a hazy IPA, a light IPA, a stout, and a brown ale. 

Khushbir Rana

Things went well for the bar initially in the spring, according to owner Khushbir Rana, but it has dealt with a series of setbacks since. First, construction on Gateway Boulevard and 81st Avenue hindered access to the bar. Then, two break-ins happened within days of each other.

Khushbir Rana

Edmonton police confirmed that two break-and-enters were reported at the bar on October 25 and 27. They also told Daily Hive that a total of three break-and-enters are being investigated at the location, which may be related. Police are currently reviewing evidence from the scene.

Rana said that taking time out of their day to deal with vandalism and theft leaves little time to focus on the other sides of the business.

“They took iPads, all the booze. I was like, ‘Oh, great, okay…’

“So you know, then we are busy with all these things, and we don’t have time to work on beers.”

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“It’s expensive, you know? It’s somewhere from six to eight grand for three glasses.”

The Old Strathcona Business Association offers a grant program to assist business owners with broken windows due to vandalism. The Window Repair Program is a one-time funding program covering up to $2,500 to assist with eligible repairs.

Beyond the struggles, Rana said things are going well for the brewery. In addition to serving local brews, On Edge offers a variety of traditional pub far, as well as Indian and Italian dishes, reflecting the head chef’s specialties.

Khushbir Rana

Its grand opening will be on Friday, November 10, but you can stop by and check it out before then!

On Edge Brewing

Address: 10308 81st Avenue NW

Website