Nønsuch Brewing Company, Winnipeg

 

A funky, but elegant, brewpub wedged between the River Walk and Chinatown section of the city. After checking my vaccination record and identification, the female server commented that it must be my first time visiting given that I was from Pennsylvania. COVID protocols meant that ordering and serving was done through a phone app, but the service, nonetheless, was kind and friendly. I ordered deviled eggs and Baltic Porter. At first one might think that the combination was strange, and I would tend to agree. However, a commercial during the hockey game on television the night before, from Canadian egg producers, argued that having a egg as a snack was not weird. And it was weird to think otherwise. No doubt that I was primed by the commercial, but I also remember that in the early twentieth century it was common for bars in the United States to serve hard boiled eggs as well.

Despite the rather plain exterior, the interior of Nønsuch is lavishly decorated in soothing colors. Comfortable tables and couches, with soft lighting set a mood. A small after work clientele made up most of the patrons. Most of the tables would turnover before a Friday night rush. Electronic music played in the background, capping off a sophisticated, cool ambiance.

The Baltic Porter was described as, “A deceptively smooth gateway to the dark side.” At 6.8% abv it certainly was. After asking how I liked it, I told my server that the description was accurate. Without know the alcohol content, it would have been very easy to have another one or two. With a mile and a quarter walk back to the hotel, and at 5:30 in the afternoon, a second beer would likely have meant an early night for me.