Andrew Bullied, The Annex Story: Passion, Practice, and Bold Flavours

In this episode of Collisions YYC, Tyler Chisholm welcomes Andrew Bullied, Co-Founder and Sales Director of Annex Ale Project, for an inside look at how one of Calgary’s most creative breweries became a beverage company to watch. While known for their beer, it’s their soda line—playful, nostalgic, and totally unique—that’s stealing the spotlight. Andrew explores how Annex’s non-alcoholic sodas went from taproom curiosity to a core business line, appealing to everyone from sober adults to soda-loving kids. They talk brand flexibility, beverage innovation, local sourcing, and how embracing fun can be a serious strategy. If you're interested in entrepreneurship, product expansion, or the future of craft beverage, this episode fizzes with insight.

In this episode:

• How Annex Ale Project has evolved its brand without becoming too precious about it
• The challenges and rewards of crafting non-alcoholic beer that actually tastes good
• Why today’s consumers crave novelty, creativity, and “weird” in their beer
• Balancing local identity with broader market ambitions
• Thoughts on taproom culture, pricing pressures, and pandemic pivots
• What it means to stay independent and inventive in a competitive craft beer landscape

Top 3 Wisdom Bombs

“The beer consumer that wants new and exciting bold flavours and they want to be challenged with the things.” - Andrew Bullied

“One thing that we've really focused on over the last years is not being too precious about a brand.” - Andrew Bullied

“The giant breweries like Asahi and Heineken and Guinness, they're driving the non-alcoholic beer market and they've invested in technology to make sure it actually tastes pretty good.” - Andrew Bullied

This episode is brought to you by clearmotive marketing. When it comes to marketing that truly matters to your business, clearmotive is your go-to partner. With a proven track record of more than 15 years, they understand what makes your business tick. Learn more at https://www.clearmotive.ca and discover how clearmotive can help your marketing thrive.

We’re on social media! Follow us for episodes you might have missed and key insights on Western Canada directly on your feeds.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collisionsyyc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collisions-yyc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@collisionsyyc

Website: https://www.collisionsyyc.com

Thank you for tuning into Collisions YYC!

Remember to subscribe and follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.

If you loved the episode, please leave us a 5-star review and share the show with your friends! These things really help us reach more potential fans and share everything that’s amazing about Western Canada.

We sincerely appreciate your support of our local podcast.

Host links:

Tyler’s website: https://www.tylerchisholm.com

Tyler’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerchisholm

Guest links:

Andrew Bullied’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bullied-031b33262

Annex Ale Project’s Website: https://www.annexales.com

Annex Ale Project’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/annex-ale-project/

Annex Ale Project’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annexales

Collisions YYC is a Tyler Chisholm original production // Brought to you by clearmotive marketing