LCBO 2012 summer release speculation

[Cass]

Here's how it works in many states: drive a truck to the brewery, pay them cash and take the beer away to sell in your own jurisdiction. This is a pretty big oversimplification but many craft breweries can just sell to distributors who come and pick up their beer and pay them right away.

In the LCBO you have complicated submission / evaluation processes, unfavourable payment terms and other things that just pose headaches. To many craft brewers in the states being "in Ontario" isn't much of a badge so the pursuit of it, considering (as already pointed out) they have a hard time supporting their own backyard, isn't worth the effort.

I for one would love to see more U.S. craft brewers and I know many agents have approached them to which the answer is often "no thanks".

[matt7215]

Here's how it works in many states: drive a truck to the brewery, pay them cash and take the beer away to sell in your own jurisdiction. This is a pretty big oversimplification but many craft breweries can just sell to distributors who come and pick up their beer and pay them right away.

In the LCBO you have complicated submission / evaluation processes, unfavourable payment terms and other things that just pose headaches. To many craft brewers in the states being "in Ontario" isn't much of a badge so the pursuit of it, considering (as already pointed out) they have a hard time supporting their own backyard, isn't worth the effort.

I for one would love to see more U.S. craft brewers and I know many agents have approached them to which the answer is often "no thanks".

which is why it would be nice if the OCB supplied si milar products to those produced in the states

[JeffPorter]

Here's how it works in many states: drive a truck to the brewery, pay them cash and take the beer away to sell in your own jurisdiction. This is a pretty big oversimplification but many craft breweries can just sell to distributors who come and pick up their beer and pay them right away.

In the LCBO you have complicated submission / evaluation processes, unfavourable payment terms and other things that just pose headaches. To many craft brewers in the states being "in Ontario" isn't much of a badge so the pursuit of it, considering (as already pointed out) they have a hard time supporting their own backyard, isn't worth the effort.

I for one would love to see more U.S. craft brewers and I know many agents have approached them to which the answer is often "no thanks".

It begs the question, why would breweries come here at all? Why does ST bother?

[Cass]

Because *some* do care. ST, Anchor, Brooklyn, Sam Adams, etc. have demonstrated over the years that they would like to be in Ontario.

Others don't, so as drinkers and agents we need to convince American brewers that it's a good place to be, regardless of the red tape.

[atomeyes]

Here's how it works in many states: drive a truck to the brewery, pay them cash and take the beer away to sell in your own jurisdiction. This is a pretty big oversimplification but many craft breweries can just sell to distributors who come and pick up their beer and pay them right away.

In the LCBO you have complicated submission / evaluation processes, unfavourable payment terms and other things that just pose headaches. To many craft brewers in the states being "in Ontario" isn't much of a badge so the pursuit of it, considering (as already pointed out) they have a hard time supporting their own backyard, isn't worth the effort.

I for one would love to see more U.S. craft brewers and I know many agents have approached them to which the answer is often "no thanks".

which is why it would be nice if the OCB supplied si milar products to those produced in the states

chicken vs egg.

if you're an Ontario craft brewer, arguably, your only competition are other ON craft brewers. either you're into beer (which means that you dig craft brews or hot imports) or you buy Coors Lite because you saw tits on their commercial and/or their can turns cold when its cold and it lets you drink a refreshing beer on a hot summer day.

give me a good reason, other than pride in your product, as to why Ontario craft brewers needED (past tense) to up their ante? you don't swoon at their products, then what are you going to buy?

hell, this is mostly why i started home brewing. unhappy with what the LCBO gives us, unhappy with what most ON craft brewers give us, so I'll try it on my own, see if i can come up with something that fills that void and run with it.

but now, there's a new sense of ambition and pride. the ante's being upped much faster than it was in past years.

i feel like there's a group of brewers that will push each other: Bellwoods, Great Lakes, *maybe* Ian at Amsterdam and the boys behind Volo's House Ales. Then you have guys like Zack from Toronto Brewing, who is collaborating w/Lackey and Volo. Neat things are coming out.

the question is: if we had a lot of American brews available, would we have this sudden growth?

[matt7215]

Here's how it works in many states: drive a truck to the brewery, pay them cash and take the beer away to sell in your own jurisdiction. This is a pretty big oversimplification but many craft breweries can just sell to distributors who come and pick up their beer and pay them right away.

In the LCBO you have complicated submission / evaluation processes, unfavourable payment terms and other things that just pose headaches. To many craft brewers in the states being "in Ontario" isn't much of a badge so the pursuit of it, considering (as already pointed out) they have a hard time supporting their own backyard, isn't worth the effort.

I for one would love to see more U.S. craft brewers and I know many agents have approached them to which the answer is often "no thanks".

which is why it would be nice if the OCB supplied si milar products to those produced in the states

chicken vs egg.

if you're an Ontario craft brewer, arguably, your only competition are other ON craft brewers. either you're into beer (which means that you dig craft brews or hot imports) or you buy Coors Lite because you saw tits on their commercial and/or their can turns cold when its cold and it lets you drink a refreshing beer on a hot summer day.

give me a good reason, other than pride in your product, as to why Ontario craft brewers needED (past tense) to up their ante? you don't swoon at their products, then what are you going to buy?

hell, this is mostly why i started home brewing. unhappy with what the LCBO gives us, unhappy with what most ON craft brewers give us, so I'll try it on my own, see if i can come up with something that fills that void and run with it.

but now, there's a new sense of ambition and pride. the ante's being upped much faster than it was in past years.

i feel like there's a group of brewers that will push each other: Bellwoods, Great Lakes, *maybe* Ian at Amsterdam and the boys behind Volo's House Ales. Then you have guys like Zack from Toronto Brewing, who is collaborating w/Lackey and Volo. Neat things are coming out.

the question is: if we had a lot of American brews available, would we have this sudden growth?

and the answer is "i dont think so"

but the answer doesnt solve the problem, this all started when you said

it would also be nice to let in some good US craft beer. while Brooklyn and Dog Fish are good, the guys at the LCBO don't seem to realize that other breweries do exist.

if the lcbo doesnt know about american craft breweries its because our importers arent submitting them

if our importers arent submitting them its either because they dont know about them, dont have the time too and/or dont want to deal with the american breweries, or they have approached them and have been turned down by the breweries

this results in the LCBO not carrying the type of products you wanted at the time of your post, so if we want products like that in the LCBO we either have to have agencies in this province that will import them from breweries in the states that want to be in this market or the OCB could just brew similar products.

what one of those 2 ways to get these types of products into the lcbo seems easier??

[JerCraigs]

Because *some* do care. ST, Anchor, Brooklyn, Sam Adams, etc. have demonstrated over the years that they would like to be in Ontario.

Anchor and Sam Adams are big enough to handle the bureaucracy and cash flow issues.

Personally I suspect ST and Brooklyn likely also gain at least a few NY state sales by being in the LCBO. It helps "build the brand" so that Ontarians pick up their products when they go stateside, as well as from the LCBO.

[Kel Varnsen]

[
Personally I suspect ST and Brooklyn likely also gain at least a few NY state sales by being in the LCBO. It helps "build the brand" so that Ontarians pick up their products when they go stateside, as well as from the LCBO.

I could see that happening. Plus for Brooklyn, a lot of their 12 ounce bottles (like Brooklyn Lager) are contract brewed at the FX Matt brewery in Utica (which is huge, at least by craft brewing standards), so the production issues that some other breweries have is probably less of an issue. Plus Utica is only like 2 hours from the Ontario border, so transportation probably isn't as much of an issues as it would be for a brewery from say California or Oregon.

The big bottles of Brooklyn are brewed at their Brewery in NYC. So if we started getting some bottles of Sorachi Ace or something, that would be really cool.

[Lukie]

Ok let's get this thread back on its track....I'd love to see Orval or Carolus Classic make a return or a debut of any of the big beers from Russian River in Cali.

[matt7215]

or a debut of any of the big beers from Russian River in Cali.

[JeffPorter]

My one *wish* is that the guys at R and R pull through with with some Saison Dupont...I will buy a hundred million of those...

[atomeyes]

or a debut of any of the big beers from Russian River in Cali.

the day that Russian River is brought up to Ontario is the day I offer to bang both Dalton McSquinty and Deb Matthews.

typing that before dinner made me feel very, very ill.

[Torontoblue]

or a debut of any of the big beers from Russian River in Cali.

the day that Russian River is brought up to Ontario is the day I offer to bang both Dalton McSquinty and Deb Matthews.

typing that before dinner made me feel very, very ill.

I'm not having a go here, but until we stop having unrealistic hopes & wishes (Russian River, Westy etc etc), Ontario drinkers are always going to be disappointed.

Besides, McGuinty & Matthews will be long gone & buried

[zachariaIPA]

Rumour has it Great Lakes will be releasing Dirtbag McQuaig in 40 oz clear bottles.

[BrausBackinTown]

also, though not a "summer release" it would be released in the summer: Spearhead is making a push to get into the lcbo for Canada Day.