Interlake Brewing Company offers a range of craft beers and runs a popular brewpub in Gimli, about 90 kilometres north of Winnipeg in Manitoba’s Interlake region. Located a stone’s throw away from Lake Winnipeg, business at the brewpub is always brisk during summer, but less so during the winter months, as one could expect in a tourist beach town like Gimli.

The young married couple who owns Interlake Brewing, Graeme Maclean and Kristin MacCary, have come up with innovative ways to embrace winter, not only to bolster their business, but also to help support their community. This includes seasonal beverage offerings, fun activities like outdoor curling and tapping into Gimli’s reputation as an ice-fishing mecca.

“The advice we got when we first opened was just close down in the winter, like what a lot of businesses here still do. We don’t want to do that. We want to be part of the community all year long, just like many of our customers,” said MacCary. “Winter is longer than summer, so we really need to lean into the off-season. Offering community-driven events and experiences and giving people something to do, not just something to eat or drink, is a huge component of our business that people here need in the winter.”

Rooftop attractions

One of those experiences has been outdoor milk jug curling, a winter activity where frozen milk containers replace curling stones on a sheet of ice. Last winter, MacCary and Maclean decided to keep the brewpub’s rooftop patio open year-round and built a small ice sheet for customers willing to give milk jug curling a try. To ensure their safety, patrons didn’t step onto the ice itself, but instead either tossed the milk jugs or pushed them out with a broom. The curling proved to be a big hit with patrons.

“We definitely had a lot of people coming in just to check it out, and they had a blast,” said Maclean. “People were saying, ‘Well, there’s nothing more Canadian than curling above a brewery next to a frozen lake.’” The curious included out-of-town tourists, many of them avid ice fishers from south of the border. “People who perhaps didn’t have any experience curling were interested in trying it, and this was a way for them to kind of see what it’s about in a fun, relaxed way,” said MacCary.

The patio at Interlake Brewing also featured some novel ice bars constructed out of winter snow accumulating on the rooftop. “We had quite a bit of snow last season, so we were able to push it around and sculpt it into a few different things,” said Maclean. “We placed several of them around the roof, so people could stand and socialize in different areas up there.”

The ice bars were a convenient place for patrons to set their food and drink while trying milk jug curling or just taking in the view of the interesting goings-on on nearby Lake Winnipeg. “You’re overlooking the lake and see a village of ice fishing shacks on the ice and lots of snowmobiles whizzing around and all that stuff. It’s just a really nice atmosphere,” said Maclean.

The outdoor patio attracted folks angling for pickerel underneath the ice as well as snowmobilers traversing trails on the frozen lake. “We are in a prime location for them to hop off the ice and come in to get a drink or a snack and warm up for a bit before they go back out,” MacCary said, adding many snowmobilers opted for the rooftop because it meant they didn’t have to remove their heavy gear. “Especially on a nice day, if they’re dressed for it, they almost preferred to just eat outside,” she said.

Interlake Brewing is keeping its rooftop patio going again this winter and plans to create the curling rink again, weather permitting. Like last year, the patio features a heated covered area as well as heated washrooms to help keep customers comfortable. Maclean says frigid winter weather common on the Prairies can make it challenging to operate an outdoor venue, which is why the rooftop patio was only open during milder periods last season.

“It gets to be pretty complicated, with the weather the way it is. If it’s going to be brutally cold, there’s not a whole lot we can do,” said Maclean. “In winter, you have to be flexible and ready to adapt. That could mean moving furniture around or bringing in extra staff, if the weather suddenly improves and it turns out to be a gorgeous day.” MacCary added, “You can’t really trust the weather predictions, so we always have a backup plan.”

Leaning into ice fishing

Interlake Brewing’s strategy of embracing winter also involves ice fishing, a strong ecotourism attraction that seems to grow every year as Gimli’s reputation for fishing excellence spreads.

“It’s a lot of locals who’ve been doing it out there a very long time mixed with a lot of travellers, people from the United States or other parts of Manitoba or other provinces, coming in and experiencing some of the best ice fishing you’ll find,” said Maclean. All those people and their ice fishing shacks form a veritable village out on the ice, complete with cleared ice roads and road signs.

“We have some time on our hands in the winter. It’s not like the summer, where it’s go, go, go. We were brainstorming some ways to have some fun [in] the winter. Curling was one, and ice fishing is just such an obvious complementary opportunity for us,” said Maclean. “In the winter, it really is the fishing that keeps this place moving. Foot traffic in February would be pretty much non-existent if ice fishing wasn’t such a major component of the culture here,” said MacCary.

People were saying, ‘Well, there’s nothing more Canadian than curling above a brewery next to a frozen lake.’

Graeme Maclean, Interlake Brewing

Maclean and MacCary started catering to the ice fishing industry in earnest last winter, when they chose to set up a place where people could buy bait and other supplies. “We opened a retail store in January and had live minnows for sale. That was a new product that we were able to offer, realizing what a boon the ice fishing brings to this town and us being in a position where we are the closest business to the ice offering live minnows,” said MacCary.

“As soon as the word got out, people were coming in at all hours looking to get minnows from us. We also sold hot coffee, fresh sandwiches, snacks and basic fishing gear that people could grab on their way out to the lake.” Maclean and MacCary also decided to use the business’s branded minivan to deliver provisions right out to the ice fishing village. “Everybody seemed to really appreciate the fresh food. It added to their experience to get hot, beer-battered pickerel while they’re fishing for pickerel,” said MacCary.

“We think it’s this kind of stuff that is really authentic to this place in particular.” Maclean added, “Lake Winnipeg is one of the biggest sources of pickerel in the country, so it’s been really fun to highlight that in our menu.” The brewpub will be among the local vendors providing food and drink offerings during Gimli Ice Fest, an annual event held the first weekend of March that celebrates the community’s culture and distinctive approach to winter.

Interlake Brewing continues to look at ways to expand its winter-centred offerings. One is setting up its own branded ice fishing shack for the season and utilizing it during Gimli Ice Fest and other key weekends. Another is a “Winterlake Weekend” event was planned for January to feature fun activities, live music and food and drink specials. “Think of it as a chalet party, Manitoba-style,” said MacCary.

Interlake Brewing recently purchased the building where it was leasing space for its brewpub. It includes a three-bedroom residential suite, which Maclean and MacCary plan to use as an Airbnb rental unit, enabling the business to continue growing its brand while expanding its offerings. “It’s perfect for families and groups, and we will be creating packages that include the ice shack rental, brewery tour, etc. We have lots of big plans on the horizon now that we have control of the building,” said MacCary.

Winter sports like hockey are another important aspect of Gimli’s culture, with large contingents of players, coaches and parents regularly descending on the community to participate in tournaments. MacCary and Maclean strive to tap into that by getting the word out to teams and parents that their brewpub, with its ample space, family-friendly atmosphere and wide diversity of food and drink offerings, is a great place in town to come and eat.

Building partnerships

Interlake Brewing’s owners believe there is strength in numbers, which is why they’ve been busy forming partnerships with other Gimli businesses aiming to make the most of winter. The goal is to provide more events and attractions that benefit residents and visitors alike once the summer crowds dissipate. MacCary, who recently joined the board of the Gimli Chamber of Commerce, says one example is a pub crawl following the town’s annual Christmas parade in December that she helped organize.

“It hasn’t been done before, and it’s something I think the other bars may have been reluctant to do in the past. We thought, there are five bars in town, so why not do a pub crawl and get everyone involved?” said MacCary. “By collaborating this way, we can all benefit. I see a lot more potential for that happening in the future. I think we’re all really excited about pumping business up in the off-season.”

The advice we got when we first opened was just close down in the winter, like what a lot of businesses here still do. We don’t want to do that. We want to be part of the community all year long, just like many of our customers.

Kristin MacCary, Interlake Brewing

Interlake Brewing emphasizes local ingredients in its beer-making, and in November, it teamed up with some like-minded craft breweries for the inaugural Forage Fest, an event hosted by the brewpub aimed at boosting winter tourism in Gimli. For the event, Maclean and MacCary, and seven of their brewing industry friends, showcased beers inspired by and including flavourful ingredients that can be foraged in Manitoba, like spruce tips, highbush cranberries, chaga mushrooms, saskatoon berries, dill and others.

“I think it’s good for the craft beverage industry, but it’s also good for the town because it’s bringing in a lot of people who perhaps only think about Gimli as a summer town and don’t think about it as having a lot going on otherwise,” said MacCary. “People seem pretty excited about it. We can see how it could grow in the future into being a full weekend event and maybe getting some other businesses to lean into this theme as well.”

Like many craft breweries, Interlake Brewing produces seasonal beer offerings that broaden taste experiences for their customers. Night Walk, a porter introduced last winter, is on tap once again, and Maclean and MacCary are also hoping to unveil a new strong, dark Scottish ale befitting the season later this winter.

The brewpub also offers a slate of classic warming cocktails, such as apple cider with cinnamon whisky, or hot chocolate or coffee with Irish cream liqueur, for customers coming in from the cold.

The place is packed during summer months, which of course is a boon to a business like Interlake Brewing Co., a family-friendly brewpub that’s a recent addition to Gimli’s lakeside restaurant row.

Summer, however, only lasts so long. So, how does Interlake Brewing keep their taps flowing and the brewpub buzzing during the off-season? Well, thanks to the owners’ ingenuity and a warm welcome from the people of Gimli, it’s been easier than one may think.

Gimli: A gem in Manitoba

The owners of Interlake Brewing are Graeme Maclean and Kristin MacCary, a young Manitoba couple whose shared love for beer led them to found the brewery in 2021. The building housing the brewpub required extensive renovations, so it wasn’t until the summer of 2022 that it opened its doors for business.

Since then, they’ve been tremendously busy, raising two small children – a three-year-old and a six-month-old – while juggling multiple roles at the family business. However, for Maclean and MacCary, starting and running their own craft beer business has been a labour of love.

They are long-time home brewers and have spent time learning about and working in craft breweries in places as far afield as Japan. When they decided to take the plunge and establish their own craft brewery business, they chose their favourite place to do it.

Maclean, who is Métis, has many memories of cottaging in Manitoba’s Interlake region, which includes Gimli. After scouting for locations in the Interlake area, the couple decided Gimli was where they wanted to set up shop.

“This is such a special place. I think people in Manitoba don’t even realize what a gem we have here in Gimli,” said MacCary. “When we decided to settle down and start our family and our business, we realized this is the place for us. It’s the lifestyle we want and the community we want to be a part of.”

Maclean notes there were good economic reasons to settle in Gimli as well. “Personally, this is a very important place to us. We did the math, and it made sense to be opening a business out here,” he said, adding that Gimli has a more consistent year-round population compared to other communities in the area, which helps keep the taps flowing.

“We’re right across from the beach and [the Lakeview Gimli Resort], and [we’re] on a street full of restaurants,” he said. “There’s lots of foot traffic… to make a business like this viable.”

A drinking town with a fishing problem

According to MacCary, what also made Gimli the logical choice to set up shop was the fact that it’s chock-full of people looking for fun things to do.

“The joke Gimli people say is that ‘it’s a drinking town with a fishing problem.’ We find it a very social town. People want to go out and meet their friends. They want something to do, somewhere to go, and they’re happy to do it here,” she said. “Year-round, we do trivia, we do live music, we do karaoke, we do craft nights. We’re bringing in different types of people for different reasons.”

MacCary says since they introduced live music at the brewpub, every Friday night is booked throughout the summer.

This is such a special place. I think people in Manitoba don’t even realize what a gem we have here in Gimli.

Kristin MacCary, Interlake Brewing Co.

“Bands are approaching us all the time. It’s been fun to tap into that community of musicians. The word gets out and lots of people want to play here. Then, they want to come back and play here again,” she said. “They say our customers are just so friendly, our servers are so positive, so that’s a huge compliment. People just like the vibe. That’s a big thing we hear a lot: ‘You’ve got such a good vibe.’”

What’s on tap

There are nine types of Interlake Brewing beer currently sold in Manitoba liquor stores. They include pale, red and blonde ales as well as wheat and Kolsch beers and an assortment of others.

“It’s nice to be offering more and more varieties. Our first and second releases are still some of our most consistent sales, and we’re getting offered on tap at more and more locations,” MacCary said. “Most of our recipes come from our home brew days, when we were first learning. We’d say, ‘okay, I like this flavour.’ We’d make the same thing over and over again, but tweaking it with different flavours or different effects, playing with different hops and that kind of thing.”

All the Interlake Brewing beer styles are brewed in partnership with Oxus Brewing Company, another craft brewery located in Winnipeg, although the plan is to have a 500-litre microbrewery operating at the brewpub location soon. Maclean and MacCary point out it isn’t usual for businesses like theirs to start off this way, using contract breweries.

“At Oxus, they’re brewing up to 6,000 litres, so their capacity is way bigger, and they can package all of that. They can can it, they can warehouse it, they can distribute it,” said MacCary. “We knew as we grew, Oxus would be able to grow with us and support us with bigger and bigger batches.”

It’s kind of like a scaled-up version of home brewing, where we can see what we have or try what we’re curious about. There’s that creative aspect, which you’re less able to do when you are mass producing for a huge market.

Kristin MacCary, Interlake Brewing Co.

She notes some smaller batches are also being brewed at Oxus, which are Gimli exclusives available only at the brewpub. “One was so popular that we did scale it up and package it. It’s our newest release called Foxtail Blonde. We tested [it] here in Gimli, and people liked it so much that we decided we would can it for the wider market,” said MacCary.

Small batch brewing

Maclean and MacCary say once their microbrewery is set up in Gimli, it will be used for brewing small, 500-litre batches just for the brewpub location. “We’ll still have Oxus-produced beers for the wider market, [since] they’ve got the scale,” MacCary said.

One advantage of small batch brewing, she says, is “everything’s fresh. That also means there’s a wider variety of ingredients we can use, since we don’t need beer that has to be shelf-stable for six months if it’s going to be consumed quickly and stored cold instead. It’s in kegs and it’s here, on site.

“We can play a little bit more with ingredients that don’t necessarily scale. There’ll be lots of local things. We already work with wild rice and rhubarb and highlight some Manitoba ingredients that way. We also want to work with chokecherries and Saskatoons,” MacCary said. “It’s kind of like a scaled-up version of home brewing, where we can see what we have or try what we’re curious about. There’s that creative aspect, which you’re less able to do when you are mass producing for a huge market.”

Beyond beer

The innovation taking place at Interlake Brewing extends to their menu served up at the Gimli brewpub. “We’re a restaurant as well. People are happy to drink here, but I think people are really excited to have our food offerings too,” MacCary said, adding their food not only caters to different tastes, but to different food requirements as well.

Most of our recipes come from our home brew days, when we were first learning. We’d say, ‘okay, I like this flavour.’ We’d make the same thing over and over again, but tweaking it with different flavours or different effects, playing with different hops and that kind of thing.

Kristin MacCary, Interlake Brewing Co.

“Our customers can still enjoy the Manitoba craft experience without having beer. Mead and cider are good options for that, and we have a full bar of wine as well. I like having something on tap that’s gluten free. I think it is the future, too – I mean, we get so many requests for gluten-free [food and beverages]. There’s a huge market for it,” she said.

“We want to be inclusive, and that means having non-alcoholic options, having kid-friendly options, gluten-free options, all of that.”