Hey,
Thanks to everyone who attended Burlywine Day. Our annual open house was a blast and we think it was made even better due to the new digs. As you can all see, windows in the brewery are a good thing, as well as a sweet Foosball table. Not to mention the increased space for everything which leads to a better working environment for all.

Nicole and I, along with the brewery staff - Matt, Kevin, Jeremy, Jarrod, Anthony, Will, Zach, Chris, Evan and Tom - think that you've all been pretty cool to us and we thank you for your continued support. Moving an existing business hasn't been easy, but as we work out the kinks in the new place, we think we can make you all proud that we're your local brewery.

For those of you who were worried we'd get too big for our britches, you can see we're still keeping the small brewery, BIG FLAVOUR mentality. It's what makes Half Pints the fun little craft brewery we always have been.

I'll post up pics in the next few days, and if you've got any you want to share, feel free to e-mail them to us at the brewery.

Cheers!
Brewmaster Dave

PS There's a digital camera that's been found in the upstairs tasting room. If you've mysteriously lost one, just call up and identify it. Thanks!

PPS Click here to check out the Free Press' Wine Writer Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson's review of the 2006 Burlywine as he drinks fireside a-la Stephen Colbert.

Labels: Burly Wine, Moving, Roseberry, The Story

Brewer Dave Gives The More Hops = Better Beer Speach.

Labels: Ramblings, The Story

Thanks for taking the time to read the continuing adventures of Half Pints Brewing Company.
The Story:
In 1999, my wife Nicole looked at my collection of home brewing books, equipment, and bottles stacked to the ceiling, and realized that I had a problem. Oddly enough, it was that I didn't drink enough - I brewed way too much. We're talking once a week, 23 liters at a time, and I'd only drink three or four beers a week. Storage for my hobby was becoming an issue and the discussion that followed ended in a mutual decision that I should brew beer for a living.

After researching my educational options, we decided that I should take the American Brewer's Guild course: Craft Brewing Science and Engineering. I started the course in February of 2000, and finished in late June of that same year. During the final week of the course, we spent time in Sacramento at Hoppy Brewing Company.

Upon our return home to Winnipeg, I farmed my resume out to 50 or so Canadian breweries. When the dust settled, we decided to move to B.C. where I started as an assistant brewer at Backwoods Brewing Company (who have since re-branded themselves to be Dead Frog). We weren't huge fans of the lower mainland, but enjoyed our time there as resident tourists and when the chance came up to move a little closer to home, we jumped on it.

Closer was Regina, where I was employed for about 3 1/2 years as the Head Brewer for the Bushwakker Brewing Company. During my time there, I took full advantage of the creative freedom I was afforded by working for one of the top brewpubs in Canada. I brewed plenty of new beers, enjoyed tweaking some of the regulars, and kept my mitts off of some of the classic beers (like Last Mountain Lager).

It was about half way through my tenure at the 'Shwakk that an idea was born. Half Pints Brewing Company was dreamed up as a way of life. Drinking beer by the half pint (10 oz. for those of you wondering) is a cool way to try multiple beers without getting fall down drunk. If we went to the pub for dinner, I might have 2 or 3 halves - all different, just to try a few of the beers. As time wore on, the idea began to wear a hole in my brain. I figured that a half pint of good beer is better than 6 pints of lousy beer any day. Quality not quantity.

So, Nicole worked for Canada Life in Regina, who got bought out by Great West Life. GWL came in and began laying off floor after floor of accountants, analysts, etc. When she went out to find work, she'd be interviewing for jobs that people with 20 years of experience were willing to take for less money. She came home one day and announced we'd be moving to home to Winnipeg.

What am I going to do? I can't very well work for the only remaining local brewery in Winnipeg, who were struggling at the time (they're alright now). And I certainly didn't want to switch careers. The decision was made - we're moving home, and we'll open a brewery.

On July 1st, 2005, I found myself driving to Winnipeg with a U-Haul full of furniture, and the nervous twitch of "how the hell are we going to pull this off?"

Roughly one year, countless bureaucratic nightmares, 3 engineer's schematics, and one lesson in the language of lawyer-ese later (thanks Alex!), Half Pints opened its doors. While this wildly simplified version of the actual nuts and bolts of opening a brewery makes it sound like we knew everthing there ever was to know about opening a business in Winnipeg, you can bet there were struggles. However, I'd rather not bore you with the details, and get on to what you're here for... the beer.

Labels: The Story