A Guide to Cheap Beer in Manitoba

I had originally planned the beer section of this blog to be about craft beers. This kind of beer is generally brewed in smaller batches and has more varied and complex flavours. It is sipping beer, not chugging beer.

But I also realize that craft beer is usually more expensive than standard, mass-produced beer. As many students will be reading this blog (maybe), they, like me, probably don’t have a lot of extra cash to spend on premium brews. So, here’s a guide to “economy-priced” beer that’s on sale in Manitoba. 

Unless otherwise noted, the prices that I list are before taxes and deposit. The prices listed below will also be for a six pack, with a few exceptions. All prices were obtained from the MLCC website.

Boxer Lager, a product of Minhas Creek, is the cheapest beer you can find at $6.16. It is not at all memorable, but I find it slightly better than Minhas Creek Classic ($6.83), which has an overly carbonated taste and did not sit well with my stomach on the one occasion that I tried it.

One of the better-known budget beers is Lucky Lager ($8.04) from Labatt. There is also a stronger version (6% ABV) called Lucky Extra. When I did drink Lucky, I preferred the latter as it didn’t taste so watered down and bubbly. 

There are a couple of inexpensive beers that come in plastic bottles, both brewed by Fort Garry. The first comes in a two litre bottle and is called Stone Cold ($6.74). This beer should be avoided. The second is called Two Rivers Lager ($2.72) and it comes in a 710 mL bottle. The lager is quite drinkable and the resealable cap makes this one portable as well.

The following beers are all brewed by Molson. Keystone and Keystone Light ($8.04) are, as the slogan goes, “always smooth”. Black Ice ($8.04) may have a similar price tag but the taste is much harsher and stronger. My preferred beer in this inexpensive category is, by far, Molson Dry ($8.04). As the name suggests, it’s an extra dry beer (5.5% ABV); the taste is crisp and refreshing. The official website notes that Dry “imparts a subtle impression of hops with no residual bitterness”. Frugal imbibers take note: bottles of Molson Dry are more expensive than cans, even though the cans contain slightly more beer. For example, a 24 pack of bottles costs about six dollars more than the same number of cans. The reason for this price discrepancy is unknown to me. 

As a side note, cheap beers taste best at very cold temperatures. I would advise chilling them as cold as you possibly can without actually letting them freeze. 

Now, I haven’t tried all of the cheap beers on offer so I welcome all comments and suggestions if your favourite low-priced beverage went unmentioned.