SASKATOON, SK – Saskatchewan’s first Indigenous-owned brewery has announced the release of its initial pair of beers.
Minihkwe Brewing has been founded by Kelcey (KJ) Bird, and is operating as a contract brewery with production taking place at Better Brother Brewing.
The first two brands from Minihkwe are Minihkwe Blonde Ale (5% abv), which is “as crisp and refreshing as the prairies we call home”, Omawisow Raspberry Blonde Ale (5% abv), “an easy-drinking beer made with real raspberries”. They will later be joined by Otâskanaw Citrus Kettle Sour (<0.5% abv), “a non-alcoholic beer that might just change the way you drink”.
All Minihkwe beers feature Cree names – Minihkwe is “drink” or “cup”, Omawisow is “berry picker”, and Otâskanaw is “the road behind” – and labels with six colour stripes to represent the six treaty territories in Saskatchewan.
A launch event for Minihkwe took place over the weekend at the Sandman Signature Hotel, and the company’s beers will be available at local beer retailers starting March 1st. Partial proceeds from all sales will go to local mental health and addictions support organizations.
For more details, see the Minihkwe Brewery website and Facebook page, and coverage from Global News and CTV News.
Sources: Global News and CTV News
Photo: Minihkwe Brewery