Toronto: "Craft Beer Capital of the World"?

[Cass]

Didn't see this discussed so I thought I'd post it up as I just met with Councillor Layton today.

A couple of weeks ago Mike Layton submitted a motion to council "requesting that City staff take steps to help us better support our craft beer sector so that Toronto can claim its place as the craft beer capital of the world."

I met with Mike today as a representative of Toronto Beer Week, and he had a full day meeting with various other beer people.

I can say after meeting him that I believe he's genuine in his support to try to do more to help local beer. Obviously the city only oversees so much jurisdiction (no say on retailing, LCBO, TBS, etc.) but events, licensing and other city standards (which have clearly affected some of the brewers here) could see some brighter times ahead.

Any thoughts? Clearly Toronto would have a long way to go to be considered on the level of some other top beer cities in the U.S. and abroad. But friends in politics is always a good thing and if this can help get bars, events and breweries in the city a bit of an easier ride then all for it.

[saints_gambit]

It's not possible. We would need to have started caring about it about a decade and a half ago if we wanted a shot at it. When they announced the initiative, I sent both councillors Perks and Layton an email saying that Craft Beer Capital of the world was probably out of reach and something of a nonsensical proposition anyway because such titles shift around. I also said to them that if they were willing to try making the beer scene in the city more vibrant and more viable and have it maybe benefit the public good with more tourist dollars that I'd be willing to volunteer my services. Both councillors and the hizzoner the mayor were delivered copies of Lost Breweries of Toronto to help them understand where we came from.

The goal should be to improve the thing. Best in the world is a nice goal, but it's such a stupid napoleon complex Toronto thing to need to phrase it that way. Asheville has 42 breweries for 85,000 people. Portland has 53% craft beer market share. We don't need to be comparing ourselves to them in beer like we compare ourselves to Austin for music or New York for everything else. All we need to do is work diligently at the problem and make it a little better all the time. Eventually we'll have a great beer city, but who cares if we're the BEST.

[Belgian]

Wow, clever ideas there! It's like we all say Toronto has the Best Subway Transit in the World, then we don't have to even build it and it will be SUPER easy & fast to get around (by car, if you're a Councillor .)

I agree the city is transforming from a Nineties Toronto Beer Wasteland to a comparably good place you can take people around for some very good brews, I love that, but it means nothing put in scale vis-a-vis the far more developed beer places globally. "Craft Beer Capital of the World"? I might suggest that Mr. Layton is out of touch by such an order of magnitude that he might benefit from visiting another part of the planet, if he somehow amazingly has not (imagine the fun of doing all that beer research.)

I take this all back if Councillor Layton is simply not proficient in telling the 'not' joke, leaving out the important part at the end. I would then ask him not to be THAT hard on the city, Toronto is making great strides we can all be proud of & the improved beer scene has made this city a better place to live. Let's support THIS... and stop blowing smoke (I say that with love.)

[Craig]

He probably doesn't actually think Toronto is or will ever be the craft beer Mecca. Using that terminology just sounds like he's pitching it intelligently to get some news coverage. I think Toronto making special efforts to support craft brewers is great, so he's got my support.

[Belgian]

..Best in the world is a nice goal, but it's such a stupid napoleon complex Toronto thing to need to phrase it that way....

It's a myth that Napoleon was atypically short, his 'five foot two' in old French units was five-foot-seven inches in modern international units. Although point taken.

'Intelligently pitching' what Toronto is obviously not (?????), IMO that sounds more like glibness or desperation, or compensating for being a little small for our britches by acting a little too big for them. This is just asking to be made laughing stock at the moment we were garnering a glimmer of respectability, and a move I would expect to backfire at least in the great big world outside of our delusional & self-congratulatory regional bubble that really likes buying overpriced 750mls (google: 'cognitive dissonance'.)

[A]

There's nothing that can be done at the Municipal level. Things like restaurant/bar density are not the problem. I'm struggling to think of any levers at the municipal level that would matter. Everything is at the Provincial level.

[screw2000]

This Prairie boy will never understand the Ontario obsession with navel-gazing.

That being said, if the city is indeed serious about this... where would you start? I can think of two touch points that every visitor sees first:

1. Pearson does a horrible job in general of promoting local attractions, so you need to start here. Asheville does it right for beer, Kelowna does a great job for wine. Giant info desk right next to the baggage claim.

2. Outside of the Royal York, does any TO hotel actually have any local craft on tap?