Hydrate, Don’t Hibernate
Winterlong Strong Beer Festival
We chatted with Zach Mesman, Half Pints Brewing general manager and one of the Manitoba Brewers Association organizers behind the inaugural strong beer festival coming up February 16 at The Park Theatre.
Where did the Winterlong Strong Beer Festival idea come from? Summer in Winnipeg is crammed with events and stuff to do. Having a beer festival in the winter was a way to entice folks out from under their flannel sheets to do something fun and interesting. Beer is fun and interesting! The Manitoba Brewers Association (MBBA) is looking to create a roster of beer events throughout the calendar year. Winterlong follows the Prost! beer event this past September to further showcase the great breweries based here in Manitoba.
Why strong beer? Winter is often a time when breweries will make stronger, warming beers to contrast with cooler temperatures. Putting some parameters on the beer serves as a challenge that only helps stoke the creativity of the amazing brewers we have here in Winnipeg. Expect to see a number of brews that will be brewed exclusively for Winterlong.
What is a sample size? How will the festival mitigate any risk of people potentially over-sampling strong beers? We will be serving to 2 oz. samples at the festival. The intent of Winterlong is to showcase a wide variety of strong beer styles and flavours. Generally, people that attend beer festivals are looking to discover new and exciting beer – they are not challenging themselves to get wasted (and will not be served if they appear wasted). Food is included with each Winterlong ticket. As well, we’re offering a $10 Designated Driver ticket for DDs to enjoy the evening sans sampling.
Why was the Park Theatre chosen as the festival venue? The Park is a fantastic, community-minded venue that is centrally located and is a supporter of both local artists and local beer.
What’s lined up for entertainment? We’ll have music spinning throughout the evening. DJ Dad and DJ Co-Op will be making sure people are having a good time.
What’s new on the Manitoba brewing scene? It’s an exciting time for beer in Winnipeg! The number of breweries has exploded in the last few years. Not only has that given the beer-drinking public lots more local options, it has also created a community within the industry. While there are ways that we are in competition, local beer still only represents a fraction of all beer purchased in the province. There have been a number of occasions where one brewery has been willing to help another out, or where breweries have worked together to promote Manitoba beer with events such as Winterlong. The MBBA is a collection of this like-minded-spirit with the goal of raising the profile of locally brewed beer and making it the preferred choice for beer lovers in Manitoba.
