Cheers to community radio

West End

Winnipeg

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/05/2024 (816 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s something timeless about enjoying a cold one on a hot summer day.

But that’s only part of the idea behind Timeless, a new light lager from Bookstore Brewing Co. The new brew, which officially launched at the start of May, is also a fundraiser for CJNU 93.7 FM.

“It’s very simple, very drinkable, very refreshing. A summer, patio beer you can enjoy without getting drunk,” said Parris Filbert, owner of Bookstore Brewing and a CJNU volunteer on-air host. “CJNU’s call numbers are 93.7, so 93.7 cents from every can goes to them. $15 from every keg. This one batch, they stand to get almost $3,000. I’d love to make this a core, year-round beer. This fundraiser will be constant. This is just the first batch.”

“It’s vital when you are a non-profit organization to find as many creative sources of revenue as possible,” said Adam Glynn, station manager at CJNU. “We don’t have any regular government funding. We have no core, stable funding in any way. So to be able to partner with a local business is a win-win for everyone involved, while having fun while we do it.”

A technical artist by trade, Filbert travelled regularly in his previous job, which fuelled a pair of his passions.

“When I travel, I always do two things: I hit as many local tap rooms as I can, and also the local used bookstores, because I collect old pocketbook novels from the 1950s,” he said. “It’s through that travel for work that I developed my love of craft beer and these old books, which I love mostly for the art.”

Bookstore Brewing came about as a means of combining those two passions.

“I’d been thinking about opening my own brewery for a while,” he said. “There are local beers I like, but not some I’d seen enough.”

With a little money he’d saved, Filbert launched Bookstore Brewing in 2021, contracting the work to Oxus Brewing (1180 Sanford St.), which continues to brew, bottle, and store Bookstore’s beer today. Within a year, Filbert had quit his full-time job to go all-in on brewing. Now in its fourth year, Bookstore has created nine distinct offerings, including the newly launched Timeless light lager. A pair of them — Escape From Narrow City and Another Deadly Sin — have taken home silver medals at the Prairie Beer Awards.

“Sales over the past couple of years were 11 per cent higher, so it’s growing,” Filbert said. “Now it’s all about trying to reach into those community circles that don’t know I exist.”

Last October, Filbert decided to volunteer his time at CJNU, after hearing a call for volunteers over the airwaves.

“I’m a big fan of CJNU and have been listening to them for years, big fan of old jazz, lounge music, all that,” he said. “Now I’m co-hosting Swinging Sundays from 8 to 10 p.m., and I also fill in.”

Filbert pitched the station on a beer-based fundraiser following last year’s annual general meeting. It was on board, so the process of putting together a recipe and branding began. Now, Timeless light lager is available at Manitoba Liquor Marts across Winnipeg, as well as the Quality Inn Beer Store at 685 Weatherdon Ave.

“This is my way of doing advertising, but in a more noble way, I suppose,” Filbert said. “I want CJNU to benefit, too, and I hope this will help let them expand in ways they may not have otherwise.”

“I’ve seen the can, held it in my hand, but still don’t quite believe it’s real,” Glynn added. “But it’s a lot of fun to be able to do these creative partnerships. That’s one of the main reasons CJNU exists — to support the little guy.”