More news about brews

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/07/2016 (3668 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Well, I thought I could get all the latest Manitoba brewery news into two neat little columns. Oh, how wrong I was.

Here are updates on almost all of the rest of the new/budding Winnipeg breweries and brew pubs. And I haven’t forgotten Manitoba’s three established breweries — I’ll have updates on upstarts One Great City as well as Fort Garry, Half Pints and Farmery next week to round things out. And no, I haven’t forgotten about wine…

Little Brown Jug

Brewing Co. 336 William Ave.

Among the budding breweries, Little Brown Jug’s been keeping the lowest profile, keeping its head down and focusing on getting the brewery done. The 20-hectolitre Exchange District brewery will include a tap room that will allow those enjoying a pint or filling a growler to see the brewing process in action. “It’s really about the grain-to-glass experience, the transparency in manufacturing,” says founder Kevin Selch during a tour of the facility.

Selch was an economist with the federal government in Ottawa who had long wanted to return to Winnipeg. He enjoyed Ottawa’s beer culture and surrounding areas, and saw an opportunity to start something similar in Winnipeg when the provincial government relaxed its laws surrounding breweries and brew pubs.

“It was important for me to be downtown,” says Selch of the brewery space, a former bus storage facility. “I wanted to do urban manufacturing and urban brewing. Part of coming back to Winnipeg was being able to benefit from, and contribute to, all the great things that have been happening downtown.”

Little Brown Jug will produce just one beer to start — a Belgian pale ale. The recipe was developed by brewmaster Bernhard Wieland, formerly of Kenora’s Lake of the Woods Brewing Co. and Winnipeg’s Half Pints. “It’s kind of the Steam Whistle theory,” Wieland says, referring to the downtown Toronto brewery that focuses on Steam Whistle pilsner. “Do one thing and do it perfectly.”

Initial plans are to produce kegs for restaurants and bars, hand-bottle four-packs of the brew and offer growler fills at the brewery before hopefully setting up a canning line.

Selch hopes Little Brown Jug will start brewing in September, and to start selling the beer shortly thereafter.

Stone Angel

Brewing Co.

location TBA

Not much to report on this end as of yet — when asked for an update, the response was “Currently deciding between two locations and finalizing finance for purchase of the brewing setup.”

Peg Beer Co.

125 Pacific Ave.

The first of the new wave of breweries and brew pubs to open earlier this year, Peg Beer Co. has been featuring a rotating selection of guest beers with their food menu until they’re able to brew — which founder Nicole Barry says should be this coming week.

The initial wave of beers will include an India pale ale, an India session ale, a red rye ale, a saison, a Berliner weisse with a rhubarb syrup and a stout, all of which thirsty Winnipeggers will be able to enjoy on Peg’s new patio. They’ll be announcing the names of their brews via social media.

Brazen Hall Kitchen

and Brewery

800 Pembina Hwy.

Owner Kristjan Kristjansson indicates the target opening date is mid-October — that story pretty much synch with the countdown clock on their website (brazenhall.ca). Kristjansson also notes they are “waiting for permit approval before starting demolition and construction in three weeks.”

Located in the former Round Table/Brogue Gastropub space, equipment for the 10-hectolitre brewery is expected to arrive in mid-August.

La Brasserie Nonsuch

Brewing Co.

location TBA

Matthew Sabourin of Nonsuch checked in by email, noting a downtown location should be announced shortly, with architects and engineers currently in the process of checking out the proposed site.

“I really think Manitobans will be surprised and excited about where we will be setting up shop,” says Sabourin. “It aligns so well with our vision, our tie to the city’s history and the message we’re trying to communicate with our brand. We felt that placing ourselves in the downtown, particularly the Exchange area, was an important piece for Nonsuch, and we feel absolutely privileged to have found a location where we can bring that vision to life.”

uncorked@mts.net

Twitter: @bensigurdson