Introducing Dauphin’s new, award-winning craft beer haven

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This article was published 08/08/2024 (750 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DAUPHIN — In the heart of the community of Dauphin on an old trucking route, Obsolete Brewing Company is a recent yet celebrated addition to the community, dedicated to crafting remarkably exceptional beers that cater to diverse tastes.

Obsolete Brewing was founded by Ryan Vanderheyden, Steven Sobering, and Kevin Steinbachs, with head brewer Marco Bardelli overseeing the brewhouse. Despite being open for a relatively short time, the beers have already garnered significant accolades and awards including:

• The Canada Beer Cup 2023: Gold for Dial Up Altbier, Bronze for DIPA64 and Gramophone Music Machine Sour.

• At Mondial de la Bière in Montreal: Gold for Gramophone Catharina Sour.

• Prairie Beer Awards: Silver for Gramophone Catharina Sour.

• At the Canadian Brewing Awards 2024: Gold for Cavalry Soldier, Silver for Balloon Race.

• And from the Parkland Chamber: Startup Business of the Year.

The brewery’s mission is to innovate within the craft beer industry while creating strong community ties. The building has a squarish industrial-looking facade that oozes coolness, next to an enormous outdoor patio. But inside is warm, welcoming and spacious with games, odd obsolete décor, an impressive display of countless taps and clear descriptions of the brews offered.

This impressive selection of beers and non-alcoholic offerings are for enjoying on-site or takeaway and given time, they can tailor-make a batch of a thousand cans for events such as the local Filipino or Ukrainian Festivals. At several Manitoba Liquormarts, you can find some of their signature brews for sale, each with its own unique flavour profile, examples including: Dial Up Altbier, a traditional German-style beer; DIPA64, a double IPA bursting with complex hop flavors; Gramophone Catharina Sour, a tropical sour beer infused with guava, hibiscus, and passionfruit.

For my research, I found some cans of the Game Over Double IPA at 10.5 per cent and it was truly game over, head over heels in love with a happy huge mouthful of hoppy goodness. At the brewery, also in the name of research, I was given a tour and a flight of beers that were all so unique in flavour, texture and colours I found no favourite as each glass was so charming and yummy. If you visit the brewery, the flight of beers is a must do!

I had the pleasure of speaking with Ryan Vanderheyden, one of the founders, who shared the inspiration behind starting Obsolete Brewing Company.

“We wanted to create something unique in our city that offers a distinctive experience. We love our city and are dedicated to establishing a space that everyone can be proud of,” Vanderheyden said. “Given our passion for beer, starting a brewery was at the top of our minds.”

The name “Obsolete Brewing Company” came about quite by accident, he said.

“We were joking around, talking about doing a presentation on PowerPoint. One of our partners mentioned he would use a projector for his presentation. We kept saying the word ‘obsolete,’ and it just stuck. So, we decided to go with it, and Obsolete Brewing Co. was born.”

As part of their long-term vision for the brewery, Vanderheyden said they want to grow the space into something the community wants and needs. On the outside lot Vanderheyden says they plan to create what he called a “vibrant and welcoming environment” with exotic gardens, a stage and more.

“We’re also looking to add a variety of cuisines to enhance the overall experience because our beers are so easy to pair with so many kinds of food,” he said. “While our vision is locally driven, we aim to expand our reach for our beer. The more we grow, the more we can reinvest into the space, continually improving and evolving it to meet the needs and wants of our community.”

While only open since July of 2023, Obsolete Brewing is already deeply integrated into the local hospitality scene. The response from Dauphin and the nearby town’s citizens has been overwhelmingly positive. Ryan said the community has embraced Obsolete Brewing “with open arms.”

“Our flexible space allows us to host a variety of fun and engaging activities for everyone, including a wide variety of multi-cultural groups.”

Thus far, the brewery has regularly hosted events like Oktoberfest, concerts, puzzle races, Christmas photos, trivia nights, and Filipino nights. Collaborations with local organizations such as the Hero Club, the Ukrainian Festival and the Manitoba Agricultural Museum have also been significant.

“Our community is at the heart of everything we do. As we continue to grow, we look forward to sharing more ideas and creating even more opportunities for everyone to come together and enjoy.”

“As Dauphin is growing, so does the diversity, and this excites us all, because the vibrancy and livability of our city is on such a dynamically upward projection,” added Sobering. “It is truly a wonderful time and place to be in. We feel we are proud incubators and uniters, in this revival story.”

The journey of starting a brewery is not without its challenges. The brewing industry has recently faced significant cost increases, presenting challenges for the owners in finding a sustainable business model. Just don’t ask them to divulge those secrets.

“After a year in operation, we believe we have found a few key strategies that work for us, but these are trade-related secrets,” Vanderheyden said.

Despite these challenges, Obsolete Brewing has had numerous achievements to be proud of, including among their staff. The company’s brewer, Marco Bardelli, is from Brazil, and he brought his wife and two kids to the community.

“They love it here and have become an integral part of our brewery family. Our greatest achievement is undoubtedly bringing them to our community and watching them thrive. They are even in the process of buying a house, which makes us incredibly proud.”

Looking ahead, Obsolete Brewing has exciting plans for growth. They want to finish and even cover the outdoor space, add food, and expand locations where their product is served. Maintaining the quality and uniqueness of their beers as they grow is also a priority.

“Our goal isn’t solely to be unique; part of our mission is to craft traditional beers the way they were originally intended,” Vanderheyden said. “However, we also strive to stay ahead of brewing trends by continuously learning and innovating.”

Vanderheyden teased about upcoming beers and projects, saying, “These are all secrets!! One of the most exciting parts of launching a beer are the social media posts on our Facebook and Instagram pages!”

Sustainability is a key component of Obsolete Brewing’s practices. “We are an electric brewery which in Manitoba is a green way to brew,” Ryan said.

They also focus on innovative brewing techniques and technologies, although some advancements will need to wait for the future.

» Donald Berger is a Red and Gold Seal internationally acclaimed chef and restaurateur, a former hospitality and culinary arts instructor, with an MBA in community economic development and strategic leadership.