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.

Annoying Guy

Enough has been written and said by local scribblers and pundits about the Bombers' woes on the field this season. So this post will be a venting session of sorts about the irritating season ticket holder who sits directly behind my friend and I in Section T.

A bit of history first. 

I've been going to Bomber games for a long time. I had season tickets for a few years in the early 2000s and have gone to most Bomber home games since 2006. 

Prior to the 2011 season, my friend Daryl and I bought season tickets, partially to be "in line" to get seats at the new stadium, Investors Group Field.

We had no real complaints last year. We were pleased with where our seats were located and got to know the regulars in our section. For the most part everyone was cool. There was the odd person that would walk in front of us during a play - a major no-no - but we could deal with that.

This year it’s a different story. There was a loud-mouth behind us at the first regular season game but, because he wasn't a regular from 2011, we wrote him off to being a single game ticket purchaser and therefore wouldn't be at the next game or at least wouldn’t be sitting in the same seat. We soon realized we were wrong, as "annoying guy" (which he will now be called) was back in the same seat at the next home game.

This fan believes that his knowledge of football is superior to that of the coaches. Far superior. When a mistake happens on the field, "annoying guy" will yell out both what the mistake was and how he would have made the right call.

Occasionally, Daryl and I will mutter a sarcastic comment to each other in response to something "annoying guy" has just said. Usually it’s along the lines of: “odd that the Bombers haven’t hired him to coach”. As "annoying guy's" comments get more irritating, our comebacks get more vitriolic.

Now, I’m not objecting to fans who voice their opinions. I am objecting to "fans" who take more pleasure in pointing out the home team’s faults than actually cheering them on. When the Bombers are actually making some good plays (which, admittedly, is a rarity this year), "annoying guy" is conspicuously quiet.

So, two things to look forward to next year: a new stadium and sitting far, far away from "annoying guy" (I hope!). 

Bacon Maple Ale

This beer, brewed by Rogue Ales, is the liquid equivalent of a good batch of pancakes coated in maple syrup with a couple of strips of bacon on the side.

The colour of the beer is a cloudy, reddish orange. I noticed some sediment floating in the beer
just after it was poured but that was not unexpected as the beer is unfiltered.

Bacon Maple Ale (5.6% ABV) is quite malty with a sprinkling of hops. There's an intense bacon
scent on the nose and it has a slightly smoky, sweet taste. This beer would go well with a
maple dip.

Contrary to what I was expecting this beer does not have a super bold taste, even
though maple and bacon are intense flavours. The brewers easily could have gotten carried away and made this an in-your-face kind of beer, but instead the mixture of ingredients was done subtly.

You will not find Bacon Maple Ale at local Liquor Marts (a friend picked this one up at the
Happy Harry's in Fargo), although two Rogue beers are available, Dead Guy Ale and
Chipotle Ale, according to the MLCC website. Bottom line, this beer is well worth
trying if you can get your hands on one.

Initial Post

Hello everyone. This post is just to introduce my blog before I actually write any stories on specific topics. As the name of my blog suggests, I will be writing about the Blue Bombers, books, and the one thing that almost everybody likes, beer. Kind of a variety of topics but I didn't want to limit myself to just one thing. I don't profess to be an expert on any of the above but will be offering opinions and hopefully some unique insight.

Upcoming posts will include:

A piece about an annoying fan who sits behind me at Bomber games. 

A brief review of a beer that a friend has brought back from the States that has some intriguing flavours.

Possibly a review on the new Martin Amis novel.

Thanks for reading.