I realize I have been under-reporting news from our sister provinces in recent weeks. In part because news has been slow coming out of the other flat provinces, but also because I have been distracted on my end as well. And maybe because of my neglect, the folks at Paddock Wood made sure that he did something significant enough that I couldn’t ignore it.

As of this week the Woods Alehouse has opened in Saskatoon (148 2nd Ave N). What is the Woods Alehouse, you ask? Well, it is Paddock Wood’s new pub and restaurant. Owner Steve Cavan describes it as something of a “fusion” – part beer bistro, part acoustic nightclub. He intends to have local acts play (not the loud, crunchy kind, he says). The food will be above your average pub fair – making it a destination for quality dining as well. Many of the dishes are made with Paddock Wood beer to make it more authentically a beer bistro. They first opened their doors on Monday.

As for the beer, Cavan says he intends to have a long list of craft beer along with some quality imports. And, of course, a full line-up of Paddock Wood beer. Due to a regulatory delay, for the first few weeks the beer menu is shorter than he would prefer (he has to work out a hiccup with SLGA), but he hopes to have the full gamut by mid-October.

This project is the latest in Paddock Wood’s determination to drag the Saskatoon beer scene kicking and screaming into 21st century. Cavan is, in my opinion, a one-man craft beer campaign.

Over in Manitoba Half Pints loves Oktoberfest so much they have decided to release, not one, not two, but three different beer to celebrate it. Last Saturday their traditional Oktoberfest was released and during the next month two more beer – PunkNfest (with pumpkin and spices) and Smoktoberfest (a Rauchbier) will also come out. No word on whether any last long enough to make their way westward.

In other Manitoba news, I have been sitting on a story that came out in August that a Brandon Sun reporter (half-jokingly) suggested the possibility of a community-based Coop Brewpub in a historic firehall in downtown Brandon (read his blog post here). It seemed like one of those “good ideas” that never go anywhere. However, in the weeks following his brash proposal, he has received a lot of community support and has decided to actually move forward with the idea with a pitch to city council (who is deciding on the future use of the building). It is, obviously, far too early to know if anything actually comes to fruition, but it is one of those cool little ideas that just might take hold. I will try to keep you informed.