When Pete Nguyen and Ian McIntosh co-founded Sea Change in 2017, they weren’t just helping launch another craft beer company—they were building a brand with soul. The early days were scrappy. Nguyen and McIntosh leaned on connections with other local brewers, releasing their first beer—a blonde ale—in December 2017. By the following summer, they had secured their own brewing space and opened the Edmonton Taproom in August 2018. That blonde ale, first poured at The Buckingham on Whyte Avenue, is still on tap today—refined over time, but true to its roots.
From the beginning, Sea Change was never just about what’s in the glass. As chief creative officer, Nguyen blended his background in music and design with a deep appreciation for community, turning Sea Change into one of Edmonton’s most distinctive breweries with marketing campaigns that keep the brewery’s identity sharp and playful. Sea Change emphasizes a holistic approach: balancing product quality, smart marketing, and a consumer experience that feels both personal and exciting.
What truly sets Sea Change apart, though, is how much it gives back. Their staple Prairie Fairy beer, brewed in partnership with the local 2SLGBTQIA+ group Fruit Loop, has raised more than $750,000 for community initiatives. They’ve also contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the Edmonton Food Bank and partnered with the Joey Moss Foundation to create a beer to support various charities.
Customers come from across Edmonton, but Sea Change’s reputation has spread well beyond, drawing craft beer fans from around the country and even abroad. At Sea Change, success means keeping things fun, fresh, and meaningful—for the team, for their customers, and for the community that has embraced them from day one.
