Test beer on tap at The Common?

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This article was published 19/11/2018 (2590 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Beer guzzlers who like to experiment may soon have a chance to try experimental brew at The Forks.

Discussions are underway between the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), a non-profit research centre, and The Forks to bring test suds to a tap at The Common craft beer and wine kiosk. The centre evaluates the quality of Canadian malting barley and produces batches of beer to test. It would involve the technical centre moving from its current Main Street location to the Market building at The Forks.

“It really is considered one of the world’s greatest research stations in that brewing industry. It’s really based on we grow the best barley in the world right here,” Paul Jordan, The Forks’ CEO, said in a phone interview Sunday.

“Part of The Forks’ mandate is to help tell the stories of this place, and that’s what The Common is doing with the craft brewing industry. We’d like it to also tell the story of barley. The great beers you can get all over the world, a lot of the barley is coming from Manitoba.”

As part of the testing process, the technical centre makes high-quality, small-batch beer, Jordan said. Right now, that beer is simply disposed of, but Jordan wants to put it on tap at The Common, in addition to having the centre’s research facility become a tenant.

“They would continue to be research scientists, and that’s really the interest for us, and part of telling that story is to sell the beer at The Common as a tester, or an example, when you’re testing other beers including local craft beers. It’s just a great way of getting the word out that the barley is made right here in the Prairies,” Jordan said. “What a great opportunity to tell that story at The Common by having a tap that would be dedicated to the CMBTC.”

While no one from the technical centre could be reached Sunday for comment, it stated in previous media reports that a move to The Forks would make sense, provided funding could be secured for the move.

Manitoba Brewing Association president John Heim said Manitoba’s craft breweries are already under-represented at The Forks, so the association would be in favour of the move if it motivated The Forks to increase the amount of local crafters’ products on tap in The Common.

Right now, only five local craft beers are among 20 types of beer on tap at The Common. There are 15 local breweries in Manitoba that rotate among the five taps designated for local craft beer.

“Those 15 local breweries available now make multiple different styles of beer, and The Forks is a gathering place. It’s where people go for local Winnipeg and Manitoba products,” he said. “The Forks is a privately run company, so it’s up to them what they carry, but the expectations are to promote Manitoba and all the good things that can happen as a result of purchasing from Manitoba companies.”

Heim, also the president of the local company Torque Brewing, said his product has been on tap at The Common only twice in the past six months.

“There are a series of taps that are rotated with the craft breweries and a series of taps that are rotated with the world’s best breweries, and the whole idea is to compare,” Jordan said. “You can compare these local breweries, which have only been around for a few years, with some beers that have been produced for 1,000 years and you can see how we’re doing.”

Jordan would not say if the CMBTC brews would take over one of the five local taps or if it would take one of the 15 other taps.

“We haven’t even gotten that far,” Jordan said, noting the discussions of a move are still in the early stages. “But we have absolutely no interest in hurting the local craft brewery business. It’s the complete opposite. The rising tide floats all boats, is the way we look at it.”

Jordan said the CMBTC would use space on two levels at The Forks, including the northwest corner (the former home of the Sushi Train) as well as the area above.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca