Beer tastes better at the lake

Three of Winnipeg’s newly opened breweries are teaming up to support the Lake Winnipeg Foundation in the hopes of preserving one of Manitoba’s favourite attractions.

Barn Hammer Brewing, Peg Beer Co. and One Great City are working with LWF this summer, each brewing up a specialty beer for the months of July, August and September and donating part of the proceeds to LWF.

LWF executive director Alexis Kanu said it’s an opportunity for their organization to celebrate Lake Winnipeg as well as raise some money for the environmental challenges that face the region, such as eutrophication and more recently, zebra mussels.

"We were thinking about summer in Manitoba and taking note of the amazing craft brewery scene that was picking up momentum and it seemed like a perfect match," Kanu said. "What’s better than a cold beer on a hot day at the lake?"

The money raised will go directly towards the Lake Winnipeg Health Plan, a set of scientifically recommended actions that aim to reduce the algae blooms and slow the invasion of mussels.
Barn Hammer owners Tyler and Sable Birch said they felt it was an important cause for their business to support.

"The lakes are really important for our culture and Manitoba in general," Tyler said.

"I grew up going there every summer," Sable added. "Cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents all had cabins all around the same area in Grand Marais so it’s a place we go to kind of reconnect with our family… it’s like a summer home."

Barn Hammer is offering up a gose-style beer — a light, wheat beer with a hint of coriander that has its origins in Germany. The couple says it’s a refreshing beer perfect for drinking at the cabin.

"It’s a good intro if you’re not sure about (gose)," Sable said.

A dollar from every bottle (sold at the tap room) will be donated to LWF.

One Great City brewmaster Josh Berscheid said their lake-themed brew depends on whether they get their brew house system in place by that time. He’s hoping to do something light with cherries.

Owner Tim Hudek said he has many memories of growing up on the lake, and this cause spoke to him and his staff.

"My grandparents had a cottage up at Albert Beach and I spent a lot of summer up around Gimli," he said. "I lived in Toronto and there was a generation that was scared of Lake Ontario, even though it had been cleaned up, so it would be nice to see the same thing with us, so our children aren’t scared of Lake Winnipeg the way we hear about the contaminants."

Peg Beer Co. has been making an effort to support different community organizations since it opened its doors last April, and sales and events manager Dot Ball said they were excited to work with an environmental group.

"It is a part of our community, the whole concept that beer tastes better at the lake," Ball said. "It’s a cause we would all get behind.

"It’s neat that it’s bringing together the local brewery scene because some people think you need to have an alliance with one brewery, but Winnipeg’s too small of a town for that."