Three cheers for award-winning ciders and beers

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This article was published 01/06/2024 (817 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba brewers have been busy raking up some serious hardware as of late.

On May 25 the Canadian Brewing Awards handed out trophies at a ceremony held in Hamilton, with five Manitoba brewers bringing home a total of 10 awards. Low Life Barrel House nabbed three awards — two golds and a bronze — while three other breweries each picked up two prizes: Kilter (one gold, one bronze), Nonsuch (two golds) and Dauphin’s Obsolete Brewing Co. (one gold, one silver). Contract brewer Bookstore Brewing Co. also nabbed a gold. (For all the local award-winning brews, visit wfp.to/yb6 and enter “Manitoba” in the search field.)

More recently, judges from across North America convened in Winnipeg from May 27-29 to judge at the third annual Prairie Beer Awards, which sees Manitoba and Saskatchewan breweries compete in a range of categories. In total, 13 Manitoba producers — 12 brewers and Wooden Gate Cider out of Pilot Mound — nabbed trophies, which were handed out in Winnipeg on May 31. Eleven golds, 10 silvers, nine bronzes and one honourable mention were won by local producers, with Little Brown Jug winning five golds and landing the brewery of the year award. And in the head-to-head Border Battle Cup, which tallies up the points garnered by Manitoba and Saskatchewan breweries, the home team once again came out on top.

For a complete list of Prairie Beer Award winners, see the competition’s Instagram or Facebook pages (@prairiebeerawards) — and if your favourite local brewery isn’t among the award winners, keep in mind that not all breweries enter competitions.

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While May was a good month for local brewers, June is shaping up to just as tasty for local beer drinkers.

On June 7 and 8, the Flatlander’s Beer Festival returns to Canada Life Centre, with more than 300 products (beers as well as ciders, canned cocktails and other “refreshment beverages”) being poured throughout the arena. Tickets are $44.95 plus fees for the Saturday matinee tasting (1-4 p.m.) or $49.95 plus fees for the Friday or Saturday evening tastings (7-10 p.m.). There’s also a VIP option for Friday evening that gets you in at 6 p.m. as well as some food and a swag bag. For more info (including a list of bevvies being poured and for tickets) see flatlandersbeerfest.com.

On June 8 Kilter Brewing Co. celebrates six years of beers at its annual Kilterpalooza festival at the brewery (450 Rue Deschambault). The free kid- and pet-friendly event takes place from noon until 11 p.m. and will feature seven new beers being released, as well as games, live music, local vendors, food and more. For details see their social media pages or visit wfp.to/ybW.

The following weekend (June 14 and 15), the Beer Mkt. (6600 Roblin Blvd.) is holding a little shindig of its own, as Charleswood Beer Fest returns. The free event takes place June 14 from 3 to 7 p.m. and June 15 from noon to 4 p.m. and will feature samples from 20 producers, as well as food, prizes and more.

Saturday, June 15, also sees the return of the Winnipeg Beer Festival to Le Patio (340 Provencher Blvd.), with more than 20 local producers sampling 60-plus products over two two-hour tasting windows (5-7 p.m. or 7:30-9:30 p.m.). The event features live music, food for purchase from food trucks and more. Tickets are $50 plus fees for either time slot, and include unlimited samples — get yours at wpgbeerfestival.com.

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Beers of the week

All of the award-winning beers below are made in Winnipeg and available at the brewery where they were made, as well as Liquor Marts and some beer vendors.

FullGeek BrewLab Modern Times Lager ($3.99/473ml cans — made at Oxus Brewing)

This year’s top drop in the international-style lager category at the Prairie Beer Awards, this lager’s medium gold and clear in appearance, offering up-front malt and oat aromas, as well as floral and subtle chalky notes. It’s mainly dry and light-bodied, delivering fresh malt and cracked oat/biscuit flavours with some subtle citrusy hops, an underlying herbal (but not bitter) component and a crisp, clean finish (it’s five per cent alcohol). A solid lawn-mowing beer. 4/5

Little Brown Jug Hefeweizen ($3.96/473ml cans)

Medium straw in colour and quite hazy, this wheat beer nabbed gold in the European-style beers category at the Prairie Beer Awards. Pretty banana candy, clove and earthy notes show well aromatically alongside fresh malt, bread dough and a subtle peppery note. It’s medium-bodied and off-dry, with the wheat and banana candy flavours front and centre, the clove and peppery notes providing added complexity, practically no bitterness and a relatively short finish (at 4.7 per cent alcohol). 4/5

Nonsuch Raspberry Sour ($4.50/473ml cans)

Pale orange-pink in colour and hazy, this brew took top honours in the American-style sour ale at the Canadian Brewing Awards. Aromatically there’s a subtle saline note that comes with the tart raspberry and citrus rind notes; on the lively and dry, light-plus-bodied palate, that saline note works well with tart citrus and raspberry candy flavours and a hint of bread dough, providing plenty of zip in a refreshing package, while the 5.6 per cent alcohol seems just right. A solid summer sipper. 4/5

Kilter Waves Pale Ale ($3.99/473ml cans)

Winner of the gold medal in the New England style pale ale category of the Canadian Brewing Awards, the Waves is pale straw in colour and hazy, with ripe tropical fruit aromas and fresh malt and subtle herbal hops notes. It’s light-plus bodied and mainly dry, with the tropical fruit flavours coming with a secondary malt component and modest bitterness before the modest five per cent alcohol on the finish. It’s crushable on a hot day, but also brings some decent complexity. Very well done. 4.5/5

Low Life Barrel House House Saison ($2.99/355ml cans)

A gold medal winner at the Canadian Brewing Awards in the French- and Belgian-style saison category, this brew is medium gold and hazy in colour, with citrus rind, herbal, floral and earthy notes on the nose. It’s light-plus bodied and dry, with the earthy and citrus rind notes showing well along with subtle malt notes, a dash of spice that comes with modest bitterness and a moderate finish (it’s 5.2 per cent alcohol). Plenty to like here. 4.5/5

One Great City XxX Cascadian Dark IPA ($4.50/473ml cans)

Made using 10 different kinds of hops and 10 different malts, this cola-brown IPA with a beige head picked up a silver medal at the Prairie Beer Awards. Rich roasted malt and secondary Tootsie Roll, white pepper, herbal and pine notes are compelling aromatically. It’s rich and medium-plus bodied on the palate, with chocolate-covered espresso bean and roasted malt flavours coming with white pepper, herbal and slightly bitter citrus notes before a medium length finish (it’s 6.5 per cent alcohol). 4.5/5

 

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