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January feels like the longest month of the year. The holidays are over, the decorations all packed up and the bank balance is hurting. We’ve been mired in a weeks-long deep freeze, having to layer up big time at the painful prospect of leaving the house. Perhaps you’ve also decided to partake in Dry January, making the month seem that much longer…
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January feels like the longest month of the year. The holidays are over, the decorations all packed up and the bank balance is hurting. We’ve been mired in a weeks-long deep freeze, having to layer up big time at the painful prospect of leaving the house. Perhaps you’ve also decided to partake in Dry January, making the month seem that much longer…
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/01/2026 (222 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
January feels like the longest month of the year. The holidays are over, the decorations all packed up and the bank balance is hurting. We’ve been mired in a weeks-long deep freeze, having to layer up big time at the painful prospect of leaving the house. Perhaps you’ve also decided to partake in Dry January, making the month seem that much longer…
Thankfully, the month is nearly over, the mercury is slated to tick up slightly and there are plenty of drinks-related events on the horizon to help you forget the slog that was January…
First up is Good Neighbour Brewing Co.’s Brûlée Fest, which takes place Jan. 31 from 3 to 10 p.m. at the brewery (110 Sherbrook St.). Essentially you buy a mug of beer (usually a stout or porter), and one of the folks at Good Neighbour stick a red-hot poker in your brew, which caramelizes the beer and gives it a richer, creamier texture. It’s a whole experience, well worth trying. In addition to a whole bunch of small-batch stouts and porters, the brewery will have non-alcoholic beers available for brûlée service (in the event you’re finishing up Dry January), while adjacent restaurant Next Door (116 Sherbrook St.) is serving up hot cocktails and featuring a fondue special.
The crew at Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St. N) and Snack Häus, the brewery’s in-house eatery, are serving up slider-sized fat boy burgers Feb. 1 from 1 to 7 p.m. (or until they sell out) for the second volume of Häus Party. The party will feature special guest Richard Caron, also known as the guy behind the Instagram account @fortheloveofallfatboys, where he posts video reviews of fat boy burgers from all corners of the province. (He’s well worth a follow.)
If you’re already thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day, a number of drinks-related events are on offer, no matter what you’re looking to do with your sweetie (or solo). On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Jones & Company is teaming up with Forum & Bistro for a four-course dinner at the Southeast Event Centre (321 Elmdale St. in Steinbach). The Amore e Vino event gets underway at 6:30 p.m. — tickets are $135 (including tax and tip) and are available online.
On Valentine’s Day proper, Sookram’s Brewing Co. (479-B Warsaw Ave.) is hosting a Raw Bar Oyster Company pop-up, which runs from 2 to 5 p.m. and will see the brewery tapping some small-batch brews for the event. Then in the evening, Sookram’s hosts a ticketed three-course lobster dinner, with two seatings (6 p.m. and 8 p.m.). Tickets are $100 and are available online for the 6 p.m. slot or the 8 p.m. slot.
Up in Gimli, Interlake Brewing Co. (72-A 1 Ave.) has a special four-course Valentine’s Day menu featuring the culinary stylings of guest chef Brad Joyce and music by Steffa Fridfinnson from 7 to 9 p.m. Dinner is $70 per person; while there aren’t tickets for the event, reservations are encouraged by calling 204-642-8313.
If Valentine’s Day really isn’t your thing, Patent 5 Distillery (108 Alexander Ave.) is teaming up with jeweler Silver and Stone for the “Charms for the Un-Charmed” charm bracelet workshop on Feb. 14. The event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the distillery, and includes supplies to make your own bracelet (with more than 400 charms to choose from), guidance on how to craft your bracelet, and a cocktail. Tickets are $84 (tax included) and are available online.
Later in February, Bordeaux winemaker Pierre-Charles Dartier returns to Winnipeg for a masterclass tasting of his Château Cailleteau Bergeron and Clos Mansio wines. The event takes place Friday, Feb. 20, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Piedmont Room at Piazza De Nardi (1360 Taylor Ave.). Tickets are $27, or $20 for members of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). To get yours visit this website.
Last call: Saturday, Jan. 31, is the last day to get early-bird pricing for tickets to the Winnipeg Whisky Festival before prices go up. The fest takes place March 6 and 7 at the RBC Convention Centre (375 York Ave.), and this year is featuring Canadian craft spirits producers.
First call: Tickets for the annual (and always excellent) Beer Is Art tasting, which features most of the province’s breweries, are now on sale. The event takes place Thursday, April 2, from 7 to 10 p.m. at WAG-Qaumajuq (300 Memorial Blvd.). Tickets are $65 plus fees, include all samples (and access to galleries), and are available online.
Wines of the week
Miguel Torres 2024 Gran ViñaSol Chardonnay on Lees
(Catalunya, Spain —$17.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)
This organic, vegan Spanish Chardonnay is pale straw in appearance, with lush peach, red apple and melon notes along with lemon meringue, bread dough and chalky notes on the nose.
It’s dry and light-plus-bodied, with a lovely creamy texture (thanks to the aging on the lees, the spent yeast cells) that comes with the red apple, peach and lemon-lime component.
If there’s oak, it’s minimal, while the acidity is modest and the 13 per cent finish offers decent length. Offers impressive complexity for the price. 4/5
Allan Scott 2023 Pinot Noir
(Marlborough, New Zealand — $21.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)
Reddish brick in appearance, this New Zealand Pinot Noir brings earth, cherry, plum, forest floor and black tea aromas.
It’s light-plus-bodied and dry, with juicy cherry and raspberry flavours coming with red licorice, white pepper, black tea and earthy notes, a hint of cola, medium acidity and, at 13.5 per cent, a modest bit of warmth on the finish.
Another wine that offers both ripeness and complexity at a good price. 4/5
Amatria 2024 Despistao Garnacha
(around $23, private wine stores)
This sustainably produced Spanish red is medium garnet in appearance, with blueberry, plum, ripe cherry, strawberry and subtle herbal notes.
It’s a medium-bodied, juicy red, with a decent dollop of acidity that delivers vibrant, slightly tart red fruit and a blueberry component that comes with a black tea note, while hints of white pepper arrive with the soft tannins before the medium-length finish (it’s 13.5 per cent alcohol).
Chill this lively, fresh red for 10-15 minutes and try with charcuterie, olives and cheeses. Available at Calabria Market, Kenaston Wine Market, G.J. Andrews and The Pourium. 4/5
winnipegfreepress.com/bensigurdson
Ben Sigurdson Literary editor, drinks writer
Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.
In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Ben Sigurdson Literary editor, drinks writer
Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.
In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Maureen Scurfield5 minute readYesterday at 2:00 AM CDT
DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I’m married to a woman who’s older than I am, and it’s the second marriages for both of us. She’s beautiful, even after having what she calls “a few nips and tucks.”
Seriously, it was more than a few.
Her former husband insisted she had to appear a lot younger than him — so ridiculous!
I’ve never seen even one picture of her when she was not wrinkle-free.
Alexis Enns left her guidance counsellor’s office empty-handed, but no less excited about starting Grade 12 — even though she still didn’t know how she would get there or her timetable — on Tuesday.
Mike McIntyre4 minute readYesterday at 10:14 PM CDT
THE ace did his part on the mound, save for a couple of costly mistakes.
Unfortunately for the Winnipeg Goldeyes and starting pitcher Landen Bourassa, a normally red-hot offence picked a bad time to go ice cold.
The end result was a 5-1 loss Wednesday night in North Dakota to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, a defeat that quickly put the Fish on the brink of playoff elimination.
Winnipeg trails the best-of-three first-round series 1-0 and will now have to rattle off two straight victories to keep its season alive.
A couple suing the city allege Winnipeg Police Service officers trying to execute a search warrant at their condominium complex rappelled down the side of the building, broke in their glass patio door and fired off a stun grenade before realizing they were in the wrong unit.
Saeid Ghavami and Shahla Shojaei, a married couple who are academics and scientific researchers at the University of Manitoba, filed the lawsuit in Court of King’s Bench last month over the Jan. 31, 2025 incident.
The claim names the City of Winnipeg and several officers involved in the operation, whose identities are, at this point, unknown to the couple, and are referred to as “John Does.”
Officers were attempting to execute the warrant on the third floor of the eight-storey Pembina Highway building, the court filing says. The couple lives on the fourth floor.
With Winnipeg’s free youth transit pass rolling out this month, the city should expect more young people to use the bus.
This is not a flaw in the program. It is one of the key benefits. I have spent more than a decade working on youth transit in Kingston, Ont., and more recently with communities across Canada. The lesson I keep coming back to is simple: when young people are given the chance to learn transit — use it and see it as a normal part of life — they become more confident riders. Over time, many become paying riders, too.
Even so, operational costs are a valid consideration. Winnipeg Transit runs a real system with real limits. Buses fill up. And if full buses are consistently passing people by, that hurts everyone.
The city knows this and is responding accordingly. September’s rollout will be staggered to give Transit a chance to watch where demand
appears and then adjust. According to the
Winnipeg School Division, older students are
expected to receive passes first, with other grades following through September. This is specifically to give the system more room to adapt.
DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I’m almost 40, and one of my closest friends who was jobless for three years is once again earning decent money again — but she’s still acting like she’s broke!
I don’t care how people spend their money, but she still expects me to pay for her. For instance, if we go out for lunch, she’ll ask if we can do a 75-25 split, with her paying the lower amount. She also comes to potlucks with nothing to share, and then has the nerve to ask to take food home. She will also ask me to cover something and promise to pay me back, but then I have to hound her for weeks to get the money!
But it really took the cake recently when we went to a concert and she asked me to cover her ticket. Then she bought two T-shirts at the merch table! It feels underhanded to me — and insulting to my intelligence. It also feels weird to have to bring it up to her. We’ve been besties since high school —many, many years ago. Please help.
