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This article was published 19/12/2014 (2103 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The owner of Moonshiners Unlimited says he'll raise a glass of homemade hooch to the fact the Manitoba government is finally going to allow in-store wine- and beer-making.

Mineral Resources Minister David Chomiak, who is also responsible for liquor and gaming control, is expected to announce today the province will soon offer consumers a new way to make their own wine and beer.

The service is offered in other Canadian jurisdictions, including Saskatchewan and Ontario.

The changes would allow for in-store brewing, in which customers would be able to walk into a wine- or beer-kit store and have their brews brought to life on location. The service would allow for people without room for brewing equipment to enjoy the process of creating their own beer or wine, with access to the store's expertise, while being involved in the process.

The announcement is another step toward modernizing in tthe province's liquor laws. Earlier this week, the government announced it is looking at authorizing the establishment of tap rooms in the province.

"Manitoba consumers and businesses have expressed growing interest in craft beers and wines, whether enjoying them at a restaurant or bar, purchasing them at their local liquor store, or using kits to make them at home," Chomiak said in a statement. "We heard loud and clear from Manitobans who asked for this type of value-added and convenient service, and we've acted."

Armand Bedard, who owns Moonshiners Unlimited in Winnipeg, has been pushing for in-store brewing since the days of the Gary Filmon government. While he is happy to see progress being made in his fight, he is skeptical about what the province will hand down in terms of regulations.

"I would suspect and hope they model themselves after another successful province," Bedard said. "Why reinvent the wheel? The models that do exist mostly resemble each other, and by all intents and purposes, they're working."

The Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba will be in charge of authorizing and regulating the in-store brewing.

But homebrewers can already look forward to a couple regulations that will be implemented by the authority.

All beer and wine produced in-store must be for the customer's personal home use only. Beer and wine produced through in-store brewing cannot be served or sold at social-occasion permit events or at licensed premises.

Final regulations are expected to be in place by spring 2015.

"I've met with officials with the Filmon, Doer and Selinger governments," Bedard said. "We banged our heads against the wall, wrote letters, presented research, but nothing came of it."

Bedard's friend in the wine- and beer-making business, Francis Holmes, said Manitoba's wine- and beer-kit suppliers are losing out on a lot of business.

"A lot of people go to Kenora to get their wine made, and we could use the business here in the province and in Winnipeg," said Holmes, owner of Francee's Brew Hut on Grant Avenue.

"It makes me cry a bit. We've been at this for years and others have too, but a lot (of people) quit because they just got so discouraged. It's not good when people are buying wine or beer kits from guys like me and Armand and heading to Kenora to get them made."

Bedard said the process of in-store brewing is labour-intensive and would promote job creation and bring in taxes for the government.

"We stressed with the premier and the LGA that, at the moment, grape juice to make wine or malt to make beer are not taxable," he said. "The province and feds collect nothing because it's considered a food item. They could tax the service though and make a bunch of money.

"A guy I know who runs Wine Kitz in Regina has two full-time employees and seven part-timers. Right now, I have myself and one other employee. So there would be job creation."

Bedard said offering in-store brewing benefits consumers.

"Let's say someone decides to pick it up as a hobby 30 years ago when they were 40," he said.

"Now, they are 70 and room becomes a problem, as does health, they just can't do it themselves. Maybe they moved into a condo or an apartment or maybe they are in wheelchair. It's gives them the option to keep the hobby going."

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca