Barn Hammer first to take advantage of taproom rules

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This article was published 14/07/2016 (3552 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the first time, Manitobans can enjoy a cool glass of locally brewed beer on the site it was brewed.

Barn Hammer Brewing Co., is a new Manitoba brewery that officially opened Wednesday. It’s the first brewery in the province to take advantage of new legislation allowing breweries to operate taprooms, on-site beer bars not to be confused with brewpubs, which are regular pubs on the premises of a brewery and can include food and other craft beers.

Barn Hammer, located at 595 Wall St., offers six varieties of craft beer brewed on-site. Owner Tyler Birch said it will soon expand to include seven standard beers and will offer seasonal varieties throughout the year.

Birch also owns TNT Fenceworks. He said Barn Hammer has been in the works for about two years, ever since he first heard rumblings about the changes to provincial laws prohibiting taprooms.

“I had travelled a bit and been to other (taprooms) in Minneapolis and Phoenix and Vancouver. It was just a really cool atmosphere, and the beer was always good,” Birch said.

Barn Hammer appears to be the thin edge of the wedge for an onrush of new breweries in the province, some of which will feature taprooms or brewpubs. Peg Beer Company, for instance, is set to start serving its own craft beer at a brewpub in the next week or so.

“There’s probably (going to be), I would guess, 10 (new breweries) within the next two years, whereas we are the first one in 10 years — the first new brewery in Manitoba in 10 years,” Birch said.