Winkler’s first-ever brewery has officially opened its doors as of last week. Heritage Farms Brewery celebrated its taproom’s grand opening on Friday, and interested beer enthusiasts can check out the scene for themselves at 400 Memorial Drive.
Co-owned by 22-year-old Johnny Trinke, the brewery has transformed the former Twister’s building into something that looks and feels a little different than the retro diner motif that the place was known for.
“We first acquired the old Twister’s building on February 1st, and we've been working to renovate it ever since,” said Trinke. “First, we started off by renovating the main floor, which is where Dos Banderas currently operates their restaurant, and then in the basement… we’ve retrofitted it into a kind of speakeasy-style sports bar for farmers.”
Years and beers in the making
Heritage Farms began selling beer across Manitoba Liquor Marts in October 2024. “Prior to which we had been developing our recipes and getting our brand package in order for about a year before that,” said Trinke. “It feels like it’s all really coming to a head here… a couple of years of dreams and working hard and scrounging around to bootstrap your way into something. And now it’s coming together.”
Trinke shared that already, community support has been what he considers to be surprisingly strong.
“The reception we've already had from speaking to people in the community and then also interacting and engaging with our social media… people yesterday were already spamming my Instagram DMs trying to book reservations for today,” said Trinke. “We knew folks would be excited, but not even that much so.”
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Signature brews along with local collaborations
He affirmed that guests could expect a solid lineup of house-crafted drinks right at launch.
“We have our three core pours on tap right now, which are our Farmer’s Daughter blonde ale, our Harvest pale ale, and our Hired Hand brown ale,” said Trinke. “We actually just launched in our taproom here our lime blonde ale—it’s incredibly refreshing for a warm day.”
Trinke also shared exciting news for fans of Dead Horse Cider Company, noting that the cidery is offering an exclusive for patrons of the brewery. “It’s a rhubarb cider called Rhubarbed Wire, and it’s only available at the Heritage Farms Taproom.”
For those looking beyond beer, the menu includes a cocktail special as well. “Our Luke’s Peach Tea is named after my younger brother, who also works on the farm, and it is delicious.”
The Heritage Farms Brewery team is also looking ahead to grow, wanting to build their production facility in Winkler and expand the product line and capacity before long.
For Trinke, that’s something he is aspiring to do. “We’ll be able to bring good beer, good stories and a good brand,” he said, “and continue just creating jobs for the city of Winkler and supporting local suppliers as much as possible. Just being a hub for the community.”