Brewery tapping into new market
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This article was published 30/07/2021 (674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Scott Tackaberry knew Friday the 13th was the perfect day to launch his new brew.
“I looked at my calendar and ‘Ding!’ That’s it,” Tackaberry said. “I just knew it had to be that day.”
Tackaberry is the owner and brewmaster of the new craft beer business Dastardly Villain Brewing Company. The pre-prohibition, steampunk villain-themed beer and brewery will be the first of its kind in Winnipeg. It’ll draw inspiration from villains of all genres — movies, television and beyond — while featuring beers that also share these sinister and devious themes.
Unlike the popular micro breweries scattered across the city, Dastardly will be a ‘nano brewery,’ which means a smaller-scale operation with more specialty beers and a frequently rotating tap selection.
“I already own the building, so I’m designing the brewery to fit it,” Tackaberry said. “We’re in a great residential area with walk-up traffic, so with a small brewery we’ll be able to brew two, three, maybe four times a week.”
The first release, Nefarious Plan A, will be “approachable and hoppy.” It has aroma hops that resemble a New England IPA, but without the acidity. It’s currently being brewed at Torque Brewing on King Edward St.
Tackaberry passed out samples of the beer to family, friends and neighbours interested in home brewing, who offered suggestions and helped him find the right balance for the company’s first release.
“I would go to anyone who’d be willing to drink beer to get an opinion,” Tackaberry said.
Dastardly Villain’s taproom is scheduled to open at 726 Osborne St. in the summer of 2022. Tackaberry hopes to have four core beers with eight or so rotating taps that feature seasonals or specials.
He says customers can expect “beer-flavoured beer.”
“I want to go back to classic styles,” Tackaberry said. “I want to make a red ale, a brown ale and a stout. I like flavoured beers, but I don’t think that’s going to be my thing.”
After Nefarious Plan A debuts, a darker ale will follow in the fall.
Tackaberry is familiar with running a small business; he also owns Grape and Grain, one of Winnipeg’s oldest home-brewing retailers, and GameKnight Games in South Osborne.
The new brew pub’s decor will circle back to the business’s steampunk theme: gears, pipes, copper and brass. Tackaberry keeps a list in his phone of the fun things they can do on a smaller scale, such as theme nights. He also hopes to add an outdoor patio in the parking lot, and possibly one on the roof.
Dastardly Brewing has partnered with Torque Brewing for its upcoming launch on Aug. 13. at 330-830 King Edward St.
Cans will also be available online at www.torquebrewing.beer and at select beer vendors and Manitoba Liquor Marts.
More information can be found at www.dastardlyvillain.com
Kelsey James
Community Journalist
Kelsey James was a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review in 2021 and 2022.