What does Winnipeg mean to you? Yes, gentle reader, this week’s column comes with an embedded quiz.
The geography majors in the audience are always quick to point out that Winnipeg is the geographic centre of North America, but to your humble narrator, Winnipeg is a shining beacon of delicious craft beer in the otherwise unremarkable provinces to the east of us.
Your humble narrator was on a business trip to Winnipeg a few weeks back, and made sure to stop for a tour and tasting at the Half Pints Brewery, conveniently located just a few blocks from the airport.
Started up by a longtime home brewer turned pro, the Half Pints Brewing Company released their first beer back in August 2006, and it’s been a wild ride since then, with growing demand forcing the brewery to expand twice several times since opening.
With 3.4 million litres of annual production capacity, Half Pints is the only craft brewer in Manitoba, as well as the only Manitoban-owned brewery. I like to think of it as an oasis of beery goodness in the beerless wasteland between Saskatoon and Toronto.
Since opening 7 years ago, Half Pints have been slowly expanding their distribution westward, so their fine brews can be found from Winnipeg all the way to the west coast.
Here in Alberta, you will find their brews at a well stocked booze merchant near you. Be advised that these are all flavorful and unfiltered beers, not for the timid, and definitely not for those who gravitate towards the Coors Lite side of the beer spectrum.
As luck would have it, I was visiting the brewery on August 1, which just happens to be International IPA Day.
Yes, gentle reader, the India Pale Ale style of beer that your humble narrator likes so much has its own special day. While IPA Day may not have the same advertising muscle as Valentine’s Day, your intrepid liquor reporter would certainly rather be on the receiving end of a six-pack of fine beer than a bouquet of roses.
To commemorate the occasion, Half Pints Brewing released a seasonal brew called Hoppenheimer, a large batch of which was shipped to Alberta for our enjoyment, and can be found at a store near you.
Hoppenheimer is a wheat-based IPA, which is fairly uncommon. The wheat base lends aromas of banana, while the Topaz hops add an oily slick feel of sharp fruit, providing a hoppy mouth feel without being too biting on the tongue.
Your humble narrator loves hoppy beers, so the samples I enjoyed at the brewery were enough to convince me to pick up a 6-pack when I returned to Alberta.
In addition to the constant stream of unique one-off seasonal brews from the mind of the crazed genius brewmaster, Half Pints also produces several flagship beers that are always available.
Their most popular brew is the St. James Pale Ale, made in the Kölsch style of medium-bodied German lagers. This is a solidly made beer with a nice flavour, and is an easy transition from a macrobrew for the novice drinker.
The Bulldog Amber Ale has a malty and nutty sweetness that makes it pair well with hot wings or a spicy Italian sausage. With very little hop bitterness, this is a highly sessionable beer that is fun to drink all night.
Moving on to the beer connoisseur styles, the Stir Stick Stout is just what it sounds like on the label; a dark and robust beer fortified with coffee beans during the brewing process. This beer tastes thick enough to drink with a spoon, and some enterprising folks even throw in a dollop of vanilla ice cream for beer floats.
For the hop-heads that love their insanely bitter beers, Half Pints does not disappoint. Their Little Scapper IPA started out as a one-off seasonal brew, but proved so popular that it was promoted to a full-time flagship brand. Plenty of malt is present in this brew, and is needed to balance the abundance of hoppy goodness.
Your intrepid liquor reporter generally keeps at least one 6-pack from Half Pints in the beer cooler of my worthy man cave at all times. With a roster of regular brews and a rotating selection of seasonals, there is always a good beer to be had from Half Pints!
