A change made in the new Liquor and Gaming Control Act is now allowing patrons to produce their own wine and beer in select Manitoba Liquor Mart stores.
Manitobans will be able to make their own wine and beer through the use of home-brewing kits and leave it in the store until it is ready to be moved.
There are currently two stores in Manitoba that offer this service, but Flin Flonners would have to drive to Winnipeg to test it out.
A Manitoba Liquor Mart spokesperson says Flin Flon won’t be on
the list anytime soon.
“It’s not for retail right now in Flin Flon,” said the spokesperson.
For the two locations in the south, Mineral Resources Minister Dave Chomiak, minster responsible for liquor and gaming control, officially announced the opening just prior to Christmas.
“In our consultations on modernizing liquor laws, Manitoba consumers and businesses expressed interest in establishing in-store wine and beer making,” he said.
For those looking for the home-brewed experience, Chomiak says they will have to purchase their own kits and bring them to one of the two locations in Winnipeg.
The consumer must be involved in the process of making the wine or beer, according to a news release from the Government of Manitoba.
“The customer has access to the store’s expertise, and must be involved in the process before returning to bottle the product and taking it home,” read the release.
Manitoba currently only offers this opportunity in two locations, but the idea of making wine and beer in store isn’t new to the rest of Canada.
Final regulations are expected to be completed by spring 2015 at which time other stores within Manitoba would be entitled to apply for the wine and beer service.
