The Bar Towel

JaseWescott wrote:One place I would like to check out but haven't is a Walmart with alcohol.

I checked one of the Burlington locations. Nothing special at all.

Give it a couple years and I'm sure beer in grocery stores will be better.

However, right now its a disappointing shitshow. If you want fresh beer, do not ever consider the grocery store. Popped by the local today and came across multiple IPAs from August. Sadly, not a new experience...

Not sure where the pride is on the grocery store side, and don't the brewers have some sort of system in place to ensure that their product on the shelf is within a date range they consider acceptable. I know the hole setup is relatively new, but it has me disappointed in both our retailers and our brewers.

I don't think it's just grocery stores that have an issue. In the few walk in beer stores near me I've often come across Muskoka mix packs that are either overdue or so close to due (2 days out) that you don't want to buy them. I don't know if it is the beer store, a sales rep? etc that is supposed to police that but it is certainly buyer beware at this point.

Freshness is a problem all over. Even some high-end shops in the US stock old IPA.

For those in the West-end of Ottawa, Brown's Your Independent Grocer in Stittsville seems to be getting pretty serious with their beer inventory. They carry 270 beers, is starting to invite breweries in for tasting events and is a verified venue on Untappd so you can keep up to date with new beers they bring in.

bernarduswesty wrote:They carry 270 beers

And in Stittsville! Nothing against Stittsville, but how has this not happened in the middle of Toronto (or London or Mississauga or Hamilton or Ottawa)? All of our grocery store licences seem to have gone to chains who put forward a bland, broadly similar lineup. Maybe Farm Boy holds some promise?

I picked up Bellwoods Jelly King at the Superstore in Georgetown yesterday. Bottling date May 11. Never thought i would see that happen!

GtownRandy wrote:I picked up Bellwoods Jelly King at the Superstore in Georgetown yesterday. Bottling date May 11. Never thought i would see that happen!

Wow. This will be a notable shift away from LCBO (and even beer store) customers' buying habits towards grocery chains. Old inertia switching over to a new inerta.

If people are now used to getting reliably fresh beer where they buy groceries.. then why not? And to expand this idea, why not also have independent bottle shops that serve niche buyers in populations big enough to support them, I see an endless potential (and yes, regulatory resistance.)

I also envision grocery stores doing a better job of promoting good quality beer than TBS and LCBO. They're probably more interested in it because they don't take a captive market for granted. A store like Loblaw's is already marketing to a quasi-selective buyer that will really take a shine to a brewery like Collective Arts or Bellwoods. But I guess we'll see!

A friend in the industry expressed it as; "I am only willing to stand in one line-up so grocery wins"

The freshness is better at the LCBO ime. And much better in terms of new offerings.

maybethewater wrote:The freshness is better at the LCBO ime. And much better in terms of new offerings.

Check those date codes! There are occasionally some nice fresh offerings. But also the opposite, all too often.

I just got some Octopus at Superstore Georgetown dated June 16. Delicious

On the other hand there are some cans with 2019 dates!

I did finally give in this summer to convenience and have grabbed brews from my closest grocery store multiple times.
can see myself maybe getting more used to it when weather gets nasty and it's the closest option.