Coming Soon to the LCBO

[cfrancis]

If I'm the LCBO the this how the conversation goes with AB Inbev:

LCBO: We want your Bourbon County Brand products.

AB Inbev: Sorry, we can't send it to you.

LCBO: We, one of the largest distributors/retailers of your products in the world, are reducing the shelf space for your products in our retail outlets by 50%.

AB Inbev: How much Bourbon County would you like?

AB Inbev: You understand that we own a large percentage of the Beer Store don't you? and I control the Provincial government that pays you for making new laws. You may thank me for allowing you to have 12 packs of my beer in your store.
I'm also opening up a number of new sales outlets in grocery stores all over your province that will all carry my product. You are a joke if you think that you are that important to me. Piss off fly.

[DeMarco]

Having a sales guy from AB buy me a BCBS was a trip. That event was weird.

[jeremyg]

migration week or whatever

[jeremyg]

i'd love to see more GI stuff. Sofie, Matilda and their IPA are great. Sofie is one of my favorite beers you can get at the LCBO.

i'd line up if they brought any of the other sour sisters stuff in. had Lolita and it was amazing.

[AugustusRex]

Wasn't BCBS and BCBBW on tap somewhere in Toronto this year??

Yeah, they did a one-off event earlier in the year. The question is if that was a prelude to maybe a seasonal release of some sort, or if it was just a one-off never to be seen again.

Stone and Sierra Nevada started the same way, maybe AB has taken notice.

[atomeyes]

I honestly don't think the BO knows beer well enough to care about BC beers. It might be one of those strange world class beers we occasionally get it of the blue (FBS, Kuhnhenn 4d, A+T) but I kinda doubt it.

On the other hand, why would GI bother with the Bourbon county release party they did earlier this year if the point wasn't to bring it in for sale at some point in the future? I wouldn't be surprised to see it soon.

exactly.
if no one here's noticed, AB has a huge hardon for ontario. we're their next huge market. they're hoping to use Goose Island to peck away at micro growth. just look at the Rogers Centre as 1 example of the availability of GI. it's also on tap at most franchise restos and this is for a beer/brewery that went from zero presence on tap 1 year ago to now being at most chains.

BCBS will be a bone tossed the LCBO's way. limited winter release.
and if you don't think so, then ask why we'd get Matilda and Sofia in bottles 2 years before we got Honkers on tap? InBev's trying to drum up their craft side.

[Belgian]

Did Goose Island just recently start brewing Honkers and IPA in Ontario?

[Belgian]

… On the other hand, why would GI bother with the Bourbon county release party they did earlier this year if the point wasn't to bring it in for sale at some point in the future? I wouldn't be surprised to see it soon.

Same reason carmakers build a Chevy Corvette or an Acura NSX model. It doesn't sell the most revenue-generating units by far, but a 'flagship' premium product makes the whole brand more sexy and profitable.

(And I wouldn't be surprised, either.)

[Craig]

Did Goose Island just recently start brewing Honkers and IPA in Ontario?

I tried their support last year and they couldn't/wouldn't give me a straight answer on where their products are brewed. It would make sense to brew some of it in their facilities here, to avoid shipping and the border.

[jeremyg]

Honkers is so, so bad

[PeenSteen]

On the other hand, why would GI bother with the Bourbon county release party they did earlier this year if the point wasn't to bring it in for sale at some point in the future? I wouldn't be surprised to see it soon.

Hmmmmm you make some good points here

[Belgian]

Honkers is so, so bad

I was so, so hoping it wasn't bad, but was as advertised (HAH!) since I actually like the GI IPA very much and the GI Honkers is scribbled on draught blackboards everywhere!

I mean geese actually do honk, so brand-wise it's easy to remember and we even have our own goose/national symbol. Such a loss!

[alsiem]

There were a lot of reviews of GI IPA earlier. I'm sure one of them, perhaps Jordan's, mentioned it was being brewed in Montreal. No idea if Honkers is done there too but it wouldn't surprise me for training, Quality issues if it was.

[spinrsx]

Wonder if bcbs at the lcbo would result in people lining up to get it.. like with the westy 12.

On the other hand, why would GI bother with the Bourbon county release party they did earlier this year if the point wasn't to bring it in for sale at some point in the future? I wouldn't be surprised to see it soon.

Hmmmmm you make some good points here

[BakaGaijin]

Wonder if bcbs at the lcbo would result in people lining up to get it.. like with the westy 12.

Yes, it would.....which is why having a Bourbon County event in Toronto 2 or 3 years before BCBS is even available in Toronto has nothing to do with trying to sell BCBS in the future, and has everything to do with the GI brand in general IMO.