Winnipeg breweries teaming up to help Ukraine

Eight breweries in Winnipeg are collaborating on brewing an international beer to help the people of Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Torque Brewing, Nonsuch Brewing, One Great City Brewing, Barn Hammer Brewing, Devil May Care Brewing, Stone Angel Brewing Company, Trans Canada Brewing Company, and Lake of the Woods Brewing have all partnered to help brew a beer using a Ukrainian brewery’s recipe.

The proceeds of the beer are going to a humanitarian relief fund to help Ukraine.

Matthew Wolff, the operations manager with Torque Brewing, said the initiative is part of a larger worldwide initiative among the brewing community. Pravda Brewing in Ukraine has shifted to producing Molotov cocktails to help Ukraine, and has released recipes for its beers to allow other breweries to make their own for funding to help support both Pravda and Humanitarian Relief Fund for Lviv.

“It's a global effort, global collaboration throughout the world that is helping to raise funds for humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian crisis,” Wolff said.

In Winnipeg, the Pravda beer being brewed is an American ale named Red Eyes.

Wolff said a small batch of the beer was recently brewed, and they sold out of it almost immediately.

“So you can see the want to help and support and it's an interesting way too,” he said. “It's beer, right? You think of beer as being your summertime weekend beer or drink. Here we're doing something that's going to help on a global level.”

Wolff said 3,000 cans will be produced, which will be available in the Torque Brewing Taproom on Monday. He expects the cans to sell quickly, and depending on demand more beer could be brewed.