Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/1/2017 (1327 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Beer aficionados who would rather quaff a cold one later at night rather than first thing in the morning will soon get their chance.

The Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba is shifting the time period tasting rooms — or taprooms — at breweries can be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Liz Stephenson, a spokeswoman for the authority, said the change is being made after the fledgling industry reported few people were coming in during the early hours.

"When the licence first came in there was a push for it from a tourism point of view," Stephenson said on Monday.

"People would go on tour and then have a taste of a brewed product. The hours seemed reasonable. But, since July 2016, they showed us they were turning customers away in the evening."

Tasting rooms are different than regular bars and lounges because the beer has to be brewed onsite and the venue can only serve a maximum of 50 people at any time.

Currently, there are four licenced taprooms in Winnipeg — Torque Brewing, Barn Hammer, Half Pints and Little Brown Jug. Farmery in Neepawa is in the process of applying for a licence while a company which wants to distill liquor in Winnipeg, called K, has also applied for a licence.

Stephenson said none of the four taprooms are in residential areas so nobody will be affected by revellers leaving the establishments two hours later.

John Heim, Torque Brewery president and a spokesman for the Manitoba Brewing Association, said since his company opened its taproom doors last month they hardly saw anybody coming in the morning.

"You'd get the odd person coming in right after their night shift, but for the most part from 9 a.m. to noon there was nobody," Heim said.

"But then a lot of people would come to the taproom at 8 or 8:30 (p.m.) and then you'd have to get them out at 9."

Heim said the Brewing Association met with the authority last November and he is pleased the change appears to be going through so fast.

The licence, which came in along with other liquor act changes in 2014, also sets minimum pricing at $2.25 per 341 ml serving of beer, but the brewery may also offer free samples up to 120 ml.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca