n THE CARILLON STEINBACH, MAN. C4
n www.thecarillon.com
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
LORI PENNER THE CARILLON
Dustin McCaughan and Scott Sawatzky of Trans Canada Brewery during their beer tasting even in the Village of Neubergthal.
From field to foam: Brewing beer from Manitoba’s bounty
by LORI PENNER I n the heart of Manitoba, a brew- ing revolution is quietly taking place—one that’s rooted in the province’s rich agricultural tradi- tions. Craft breweries like Trans Canada Brewing (TCB) are drawing inspiration from local ingredients to create beer that tells a unique story. For beer enthusiasts and agricul- ture fans alike, learning how beer is made—starting with the soil—is a truly fascinating experience. In early March, a beer-tasting event hosted by the Neubergthal Heritage Foundation provided an ideal platform for locals to connect with the agriculture behind Mani- toba’s craft beer scene. Held at the Neubergthal Commons Barn, the event featured Scott Sawatzky, head brewer at Trans Canada Brewing, as well as sales team member and certi- fied beer server Dustin McCaughan. Sawatzky, who has been with the brewery for seven years, took the guests on a detailed journey through the brewing process, emphasizing the importance of high-quality in- gredients. The evening’s focus wasn’t just on tasting the beer, but under- standing the care and precision in- volved in creating each brew, from the fields to the glass. While craft beer has become a growing trend across Canada, the brewing process itself remains steeped in tradition. For Sawatzky, it’s all about balancing the age-old techniques with modern innova- tions—and above all, paying atten- tion to every detail. He shares, “We are a proudly independent compa- ny. If we expect people to choose our product over multinational brands, it’s important they understand how we produce our beer and why we take so much care in crafting each recipe.” Much of that care starts with the ingredients, especially the grains. Sourcing ingredients locally isn’t al- ways an easy task, but it’s essential for creating a beer that represents the region’s unique terroir. “Sourcing malt barley is tricky,” he explains. “There’s not a lot of it grow- ing in Manitoba, and it all needs to be purchased by a malting facility. Most of our malt barley comes out of Calgary, but it’s originally grown in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Man- itoba.” For Sawatzky and his team, this is a constant effort. They work to find the best possible local sources for their ingredients—particularly bar- ley, which is critical to the brewing process. While Manitoba may not yet be a barley powerhouse on the same scale as Alberta or Saskatch- ewan, the craft beer industry here is showing a real commitment to
LORI PENNER THE CARILLON
Hops were on display at the event.
changing that. At its most basic level, beer is made from four main ingredients: water, barley (malt), hops, and yeast. Each plays a crucial role in shaping the flavor and character of the final product. However, to truly under- stand the magic behind a great craft beer, it’s important to explore how each ingredient is sourced, treated, and transformed throughout the brewing process. Water: the foundation of flavour You might not think of water as an ingredient with a lot of person- ality, but in the world of brewing, it’s the starting point for everything. Sawatzky emphasizes just how im- portant water quality is for brewing great beer. “The quality of water real- ly changes how your beer looks, how your beer tastes, the overall profile for it,” he explains. Fortunately, TCB is located in Win- nipeg, which is known for having some of the best water in Canada for brewing. “Winnipeg water is very good for brewing with,” he says. “Ide- ally, you want a generally very soft water. We run it through a filter just to remove all the chlorine.” Chlorine, even in small amounts, can severe- ly affect the beer’s taste. He uses a simple analogy to illustrate this: “If chlorine gets in our beer—like even a couple parts per billion—you’re going to get a beer that smells like
band-aids.” The city of Winnipeg’s water comes from Shoal Lake, where the water quality can vary throughout the year due to factors like algae blooms and temperature changes. That’s where the science of brewing comes in. “We have to manipulate our recipes based on how the water changes. If the city’s treating the water different- ly, we adjust accordingly,” he notes. This level of precision is a hall- mark of craft brewing. While many large-scale breweries might not fo- cus as much on the water composi- tion, smaller breweries like TCB have the flexibility and expertise to adjust their recipes as needed. This gives their beers a consistency and quality that can be tough to match. Malt barley: the backbone of beer Barley is the backbone of beer, providing the sugars that yeast will later convert into alcohol, as well as the flavors that give beer its depth and character. Sourcing barley is a bit more complex in Manitoba, where the growing season can be challenging, and the crop isn’t as widely cultivated as it is in other provinces like Alberta. However, this hasn’t deterred breweries like TCB from seeking out high-quality local sources.
LORI PENNER THE CARILLON Dustin McCaughan with some of the craft beers that are created at their Winnipeg brewery.
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