Manitoba brewery reinvents seasonal patio space with rooftop curling rink

People throw coloured water jugs on a rooftop curling rink at Interlake Brewing Co. in Gimli, Man., on Feb. 22, 2025. (Zachary Kitchen/CTV News Winnipeg)

When it comes to a beloved winter sport in Manitoba, a brewery in Gimli, Man., is breaking the ‘ice’ ceiling – or perhaps, flooding it.

This weekend, Interlake Brewing Co. unveiled its rooftop curling rink, complete with coloured water jugs as rocks.

Owners Graeme Maclean and Kristin MacCary said they were sad to close their patio space for the season, until they came up with a way to winterize it.

“We’ve got this lovely rooftop patio that we wanted to put to use,” said Maclean.

“We thought, why not embrace winter? We’ve got all these guests coming in, they’re all dressed for the elements, and they’re happy to come up here and take in a view of the lake and have more of an experience,” MacCary said.

From 2 to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, customers can grab a bite or a beverage and throw a rock during the brewery’s open ice period.

“For now, we’re letting people practice,” Maclean said. “We’re giving people a chance to try it out and get used to it and try it for the first time, probably. And as we get more and more interest and get more people involved, and more teams gathered, we’ll start getting a bonspiel together.”

While the rooftop rink sits atop a brewery, MacCary emphasized the sheet is for everyone to enjoy.

“I think Manitobans know that, you know, winter is long,” she noted. “You can’t really avoid it, so we need to just find ways to embrace it.

“We wanted to give people a destination to come in the winter and support the Gimli tourism in the winter, as well as the summer,” MacCary added.