Support Canadian Craft Beer! Keep Tourism Dollars in Canada!

Support Canadian Beer & Travel – Expand Brewery Tourism!

Hello and thanks for checking out my GoFundMe.

My name is Drew Riley, I live in Calgary AB.

I started ABBeer - ca (ABBeer.ca) as a passion project—something to help Alberta’s craft breweries and small businesses thrive while encouraging people to explore their own backyard. Now, I want to take it nationwide.

Why This Matters

There are over 1,200 craft breweries across 600+ towns and cities in Canada—each one a cornerstone of its community. But small businesses face challenges, and with rising costs and economic uncertainty, keeping dollars in Canada has never been more important. Why spend your money elsewhere when you can support local?

What We’ve Built

ABBeer.ca isn’t just a brewery directory—it’s a custom trip-planning tool designed to create the perfect beer-centric road trip.

✔️ Find every craft brewery in Canada

✔️ Build personalized itineraries with breweries, local adventures & unique businesses

✔️ Match your journey to your taste—choose beer styles, skill levels & activities

✔️ Discover hidden gems—featuring thousands of must-visit points of interest

Why We Need Your Support

So far, I’ve built and funded this project on my own. But to expand it across Canada and make it the ultimate brewery travel resource, I need your help.

✅ Better servers – Right now, I’m using low cost & limited hosting. We need real infrastructure.

✅ Local insights – We’ll hire local contributors to crowdsource the best points of interest.

✅ More breweries & businesses – Help us map every Canadian brewery & nearby experiences.

✅ Upgraded Features – Help us make countless experiences tailored to individuals' specific needs and desires.

Support Local, Travel Local, Drink Local!

By backing this project, you’re not just funding a website—you’re investing in Canadian businesses, tourism, and craft beer culture. Let’s keep our dollars in Canada and help these small businesses thrive!

Every dollar helps. Every share spreads the word. Let’s make this happen!

How Your Support Will Be Used

Every dollar raised will go directly toward expanding and improving this project for the benefit of craft breweries, local businesses, and beer lovers across Canada. Here’s how the funds will be allocated:

75%+ to Local Contributors – The majority of funds will be used to pay people in communities across Canada to help grow and maintain the craft beer travel database, map out must-visit locations, and keep the platform updated with the best local insights.

Development & Hosting – Some funds will go toward further development to enhance features and improve the user experience, as well as upgrading to better servers to ensure smooth performance as more people use the platform.

Reducing Ads – Right now, ad monetization is necessary to keep the site running (it generates about a dollar per day), but with enough support, we can reduce the reliance on ads and keep the focus on a clean, community-driven experience.

This isn’t about profit—it’s about building something that helps local businesses thrive while making it easier for people to explore and enjoy craft beer across Canada. The goal is to have a federally recognized non-profit set up to maintain it in the future. Your support will help create something truly special!

A Personal Note from Me

I've been a passionate supporter of craft beer and the support local movement for as long as I can remember. Over the years, I’ve built several apps and websites to help grow awareness and appreciation for craft beer—first in Calgary, then Alberta, and now, across Canada.

This has always been a labor of love, never a business move. I’ve never charged breweries to be featured, and I’ve always done what I could to help—whether it was promoting them for free, buying and giving away their products out of my own pocket, or even volunteering my time at breweries to help them get started. I’ve designed custom apps, handed out stickers and swag, covered event tickets—whatever it took to support the craft beer community.

Beyond craft beer, I’ve also dedicated countless hours to volunteering for local initiatives, charity events, and community projects. I always step up when I can help—now, I’m asking for a little help in return.

This project isn’t just another website—it’s a way to connect people, support small businesses, and strengthen Canada’s craft beer scene. With your support, we can turn this into something truly special for beer lovers and local businesses all across the country.

Thank you for believing in this vision. Cheers!