Starbucks in Canada to serve beer

[northyorksammy]

They are rolling out locations with taps as part of their continuous test marketing

Source: CTV News
I have no further details, but you would think craft

Let the guessing begin!

[Craig]

Why are we thinking craft? I would think they'd go with someone set up to distribute to all their stores.

[TheSevenDuffs]

Why are we thinking craft? I would think they'd go with someone set up to distribute to all their stores.

Because Starbucks is all about high-quality/trendy products? It makes sense to me. I could see faux craft options, like Hop City or Big Rock.

[Craig]

Why are we thinking craft? I would think they'd go with someone set up to distribute to all their stores.

Because Starbucks is all about high-quality/trendy products? It makes sense to me. I could see faux craft options, like Hop City or Big Rock.

Uh, Starbucks is the Heineken of the coffee world. The coffee world is very much like the beer world, the small guys are the ones selling the high quality stuff.

[TheSevenDuffs]

Uh, Starbucks is the Heineken of the coffee world. The coffee world is very much like the beer world, the small guys are the ones selling the high quality stuff.

Maybe to those who live in major urban centres like downtown Toronto or Montreal. But to the masses in suburbia, sadly Starbucks in the high quality option.

That being said, that wasn't even my point. I was arguing the image from Starbucks' point of view, not from the consumers. Starbucks very much thinks they are a high-end, trendy alternative in the coffee market. I just can't see them selling Coors Light. I could be wrong though, it's happened before

[cfrancis]

Why are we thinking craft? I would think they'd go with someone set up to distribute to all their stores.

Because Starbucks is all about high-quality/trendy products? It makes sense to me. I could see faux craft options, like Hop City or Big Rock.

Exactly.

Granville Island
Creemore Springs
Shock Top
Rickards

You probably won't find Coors or Canadian but it will be a something like the above. I highly doubt you will find a local craft with non national distribution.

[Craig]

Uh, Starbucks is the Heineken of the coffee world. The coffee world is very much like the beer world, the small guys are the ones selling the high quality stuff.

Maybe to those who live in major urban centres like downtown Toronto or Montreal. But to the masses in suburbia, sadly Starbucks in the high quality option.

That being said, that wasn't even my point. I was arguing the image from Starbucks' point of view, not from the consumers. Starbucks very much thinks they are a high-end, trendy alternative in the coffee market. I just can't see them selling Coors Light. I could be wrong though, it's happened before

That's really not how Starbucks view themselves. It's how they market themselves, sure, but they knowingly made a shift away from quality coffee like a decade ago. I drew the comparison to Heineken for that reason, they're sometimes marketed as high-end, but their actual product pales in comparison to the craft options. Now that I think about it, Stella Artois is a better comparison. Stella is sometimes the best beer option in the suburbs too, you know?

I'm not saying they definitely won't sell craft. In the US they do, but craft is a lot further along as an industry in the US than it is here. You don't find Molson/Coors-dominated tap lines in bars there, it's expected that any decent pub has a few craft options. But maybe Starbucks will bring that US perspective on craft and make sure to include some on their menu?

[MatttthewGeorge]

Sapporo/Sleeman/Unibroue/Ok Springs
Moosehead/Samuel Adams/Hop City

[Craig]

I bet they actually have Stella. All the pictures I could find from the US had Stella right at the top of their beer list.

They might go with Rogue too. Seems like that's on all the lists in the US too and they might have a good relationship that goes back a ways.

[Kel Varnsen]

Too bad they just closed a crapload of Starbucks locations. Having a beer while my wife shopped at Target would have been awesome.

[Cass]

The beer section of their "Evenings" menu in the US gets an "Ask your Barista". However as the cities that have the booze in 'Bucks are for the most part a bit more beer forward than Toronto we probably couldn't use them as an exact gauge for what to expect here.

http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/st ... nings/menu

As is the case with many things up here, I'd suspect they'd do a centralized deal with larger breweries with brands that fit with their own identity, but not go all the way to hyper-local craft, as has been already suggested. Would be happy to be proved wrong though.

[TheSevenDuffs]

I bet they actually have Stella. All the pictures I could find from the US had Stella right at the top of their beer list.

They might go with Rogue too. Seems like that's on all the lists in the US too and they might have a good relationship that goes back a ways.

That's not a bad comparison. Makes a lot of sense, actually.

[northyorksammy]

SBUX is always opening and closing locations

why would they not carry stone? southern tier?

[Craig]

SBUX is always opening and closing locations

why would they not carry stone? southern tier?

Those brewers don't have Ontario distribution networks.

[northyorksammy]

SBUX is always opening and closing locations

why would they not carry stone? southern tier?

Those brewers don't have Ontario distribution networks.

so those bringing in stone and ST in Ontario could not also deliver to SBUX?