Raise a glass for return of Half Pints
Half Pints Brewery is back in action, selling its beers in Winnipeg shops again. (MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS)
ON my way home from the *Free Press* office to my house in St. James, I've occasionally turned off Ellice Avenue and headed south down Roseberry Street to scope out developments at Half Pints Brewing Co., one of Manitoba's first craft breweries.
In early 2025, it was announced that Half Pints was for sale, but by May 2026 it seemed no buyers had materialized, and the brewery shut its doors.
Since that time, a sidewalk sandwich board has been propped up inside the brewery doors with a note that said "Closed :(". But last week the board sported a new, promising message: "Opening soon."
Then on Oct. 15, things really kicked off. I was perusing the "new arrivals" section of the Liquor Marts website and came across seven different Half Pints products listed as "coming soon." (As of this writing, the products — all of which were Half Pints staples — were still listed as "coming soon.")
That same day, pinball company Phantom Amusement posted on Instagram that a trio of the company's machines were back at the brewery, noting that details on Half Pints' re-opening would be "coming soon."
Later that afternoon came the bombshell in the form of an Instagram post by the Charleswood Beer Market (6600 Roblin Blvd.) showing a half-dozen Half Pints products that had been delivered and were for sale.
In the interest of, ahem, journalism, I popped into the Charleswood Beer Market that evening and there they were, in the cooler. Half Pints is indeed back.
On the bottom of my can of the Half Pints Little Scrapper IPA, the brew date looks to be mid-August, meaning there was plenty going on behind the brewery doors not visible in passing.
Ben Sigurdson
My colleague Aaron Epp has all the details on ownership, who's brewing the beer and other details on page B4 of today's *Free Press*.
In an industry that has navigated its share of downturns and hardships, it's nice to see one of Winnipeg's original craft brewers returning to store shelves.
More on the local craft beer scene in the shape of events coming down the pipes…
Gimli's Interlake Brewing Co. (72-A 1 Ave.) presents Forage Festival on Oct. 24, which will feature local beer, cider and mead producers pouring drinks featuring wild ingredients. Participating producers include Oxus Brewing, Brazen Brewing Co., Brat Cat Mead and Devil May Care Brewing Co., among others. There are two sessions — 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. — tickets are $52 each and include a sample glass. For more info and to get tickets, visit forageofest2026.eventbrite.ca.
Also happening on Oct. 24 is the annual Beastmas festivities at Sookram's Brewing Co. (479-B Warsaw Ave.). Beastmas celebrates the release of the brewery's Star Beast Imperial Stout, a heavy, high-octane dark brew; as per usual, the brewery has made a batch of the original recipe as well as variants, including peanut butter marshmallow, Dubai chocolate, neapolitan ice cream and the ominous sounding Mega Star Beast. The all-day event starts at noon, and features pop-up food from Mr. Max's Deli Cantina starting at 2 p.m. as well as live music. It's free to attend, with all manner of new and core beers available for purchase.
Also on the spooky side, on Oct. 30, Good Neighbour Brewing Co. (110 Sherbrook St.) transforms into Bad Neighbour for the brewery's celebration of all things sinister. The free event features the brewery's release of a range of imperial stouts and typically features plenty of fun, only slightly scary entertainment and special food offerings. Watch the brewery's website and social media for details closer to the date.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, Torque Brewing Co. (830 King Edward St.) celebrates 10 years of beers with special beer releases, music and games throughout the day. Keep an eye on the brewery's website and social media for details as the date draws near.