The Bar Towel

Eastern Ontario craft brewery benefiting from grocery store sales

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/on ... -1.3494389

Is there a site that tracks the grocery store stock?

It's absolutely ludicrous to have beer in grocery stores, only available during LCBO hours, while the rest of the store remains open. Just more infuriating nanny state politics and a likely preview to whatever mess they make with marijuana legalization. Ontario acts as if it's the only jurisdiction in the world to grapple with these questions and as if there are no successful models to follow.

anyone seen a beer at the grocery store that is not available at the lcbo/TBS? My local grocery stores seem to all carry the same old stuff. But I see product numbers for items such as these online:

Collective Arts Project Black Ipa 473ml
459016
3.45

Beau's Elephant Monsoon
459008
7.95

etc

are these beers at a grocery store somewhere?

spinrsx wrote:anyone seen a beer at the grocery store that is not available at the lcbo/TBS? My local grocery stores seem to all carry the same old stuff. But I see product numbers for items such as these online:

Collective Arts Project Black Ipa 473ml
459016
3.45

Beau's Elephant Monsoon
459008
7.95

etc

are these beers at a grocery store somewhere?

I picked up a can of CA Project Black IPA at the Musgrave Street Loblaws (Vic Park/Gerrard area). Also found Sawdust City's Skinny Dipping Stout there too, though I believe the latter is coming the LCBO, it won't be on shelves for a bit. That Loblaws has a pretty good selection of beer actually, and a number of other beers I've yet to see at the LCBO.

There must be different liabilities and allowances for on-site alcohol consumption that are simply part of the province's licensing mentality. You can't drink in a park or at a beach or anywhere without a permit, barriers, eighty cops in attendance etc.

Drinking at a Loblaws food court would be argued a liability to the store if they had to monitor and deal with underage drinking, excessive intoxication etc. the way bars do.

Necessary or not, and Europe indicates it's not, the whole authority structure is based on the assumption people consuming any alcohol are irresponsibly out of control without direct supervision. It's a little bit true but a whole lot of nanny state. Visit any city park, you'll see committed alcoholics are drinking cheap sherry or Listerine one bench over while the province is pretending the rules are protecting people from abusing stuff. And let's be honest the students there with one bottle of Bellwoods Monogamy aren't hurting anyone.

Longo's at the ACC has beer and wine for consumption on site...I've only delivered there and haven't seen it in person. It is possible.

so we have websites we can use to find lcbo products and TBS products.. any way to see which beers each grocery store has in stock?

spinrsx wrote:so we have websites we can use to find lcbo products and TBS products.. any way to see which beers each grocery store has in stock?

Don't think so...would be great if grocery stores kept inventory like that, so I wouldn't waste my time going out for TP when it's on sale only to find it sold out.

El Pinguino wrote: ... so I wouldn't waste my time going out ... only to find it sold out.

That's kinda what the stores are hoping - not the sold out part but - get you in for the beer, then sell you a bag of milk, some chips, ice cream .......

Finally hit up my local Sobeys beer selection. Glad to know if I ever REALLY need some Waterloo Dark in a pinch I have options.

noticed that the grocery stores have now added a cider section along side the beer

I was going to post a link to the LCBO Media Centre that had a story about accepting submissions for up to 70 more grocery stores this fall, but I see they've taken it down already.

Here's a link to the story though: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/lcbo- ... 00707.html

spinrsx wrote:noticed that the grocery stores have now added a cider section along side the beer

I was surprised by the number of new ciders (and a lot of flavoured alcopop calling itself cider) I saw in the LCBO yesterday. The wine kiosk in Metro across from my work was also pushing some cider I'd never heard of. It must be the cool new thing along with saisons and session IPAs.

I saw a number of new Collective Arts SKUs at Georgetown RCSS
all in 473ml cans:

Collective Arts Forge and Fire Amber Ale
Collective Arts Forge and Fire West Coast Pale Ale
Collective Arts Apple and Cherry Cider
Collective Arts Local Press Apple Cider
Collective Arts Gose (also in bottles in LCBO summer 6 pack)