Best Beers Not Available in Ontario

jmcnally · Post by **jmcnally** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:03 am

I'm interested in what you consider the best beers not currently available in Ontario. Just as important, which beers do you think would sell well if they were available here?

Just putting out some feelers...

detritus · Post by **detritus** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:19 am

Any authentic gueuze/lambic: Cantillon, etc.

-Josh

lister · Post by **lister** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:00 pm

My girlfriend would say the sour lambics as already mentioned. She'd also love to be able to pick up Brussels White at the LCBO. Currently that's only available via private ordering with Esprit. Same deal (for me) with Chapeau Banana though I don't know who the agent is.

I've never tried these save for the Rogue Kells and the Beer Works Watermelon but I'd love to get my hands on them here:

Charles Wells Banana Bread
Town Hall Banana Bread Beer
Kuhnhenn B-Rads Banana Stout

Rogue Kells Irish Style Lager
Rogue Honey Cream Ale

Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock
New Glarus Raspberry Tart

Carlyle Vanilla Creme Ale
Flying Fish Vanilla Ice
Prairie Rock Vanilla Cream Ale

Beer Works Watermelon Ale

I've no idea if they'd sell well or not save for me buying them...

Zithal · Post by **Zithal** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:08 pm

jmcnally wrote:I'm interested in what you consider the best beers not currently available in Ontario. Just as important, which beers do you think would sell well if they were available here?

Just putting out some feelers...

Wow. Where do you even start with this??

I'll start with the second question first. Stone Brewey would kill the Ontario beer market. Right now, the craft brewers in Ontario all play nicely along and try to get a small share of the small craft market. Some of them put out decent brew, but everyone's branding is simply awful.

Take Wellington County, for example, they put out some great stuff, but what Molbatt drone is going to want to take a chance with some snooty duke. Chances are that his football friends will kick him in the nads.

Now, take the same Molbatt drone and put a bottle of "Arrogant Bastard" in his hands and suddenly he's the "cool kid" (never mind that he also has an incredible beer in his hands.) He'll start making fun of his fellow drones and their pussy beer. The market then slowly transforms.

This is the problem, no Ontario craft brewer has the balls or branding to break into the Molbatt market. Take a big beer, put a kick ass brand behind it and it will dominate. There's nothing like it in the province, and the first person with a lot of money and the desire to create this will be rich.

First question, there really is too many to count. The American beer market pnws Ontario. Off the top of my head..

Stone: Arrogant Bastard, Russion Imperial, RUINATION!!!, Stone IPA, Smoked Porter, Anniversary Edition Ales
Alesmith: Speedway Stout, Wee Heavy, Grand Cru, Yulesmith
Great Divide: Hercules, Titan, Oak Aged Yeti,

Dogfish Head, Three Floyds, Avery... the list goes on and on.

Hamilton Brian · Post by **Hamilton Brian** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:32 pm

Geary's Pale Ale, Geary's London Porter, Seadog Blueberry Ale, the Flying Dog series (Scotch Porter, etc)... Shipyard Fuggles

There are too many...why oh why can we not get a system that promotes diversity? I'm trying to remember how it all happened in New England.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:03 pm

We are severely lacking in cheezy, watery East-European lagers. Maybe someone should contract-brew a beer here and sell it under dozens of east-euro labels.

So that, and regular good, interesting Belgian brewers like Achel, would be desirable. Rather than Seasonals wasting shelf space on J Gingembre or Boon Eau De Gueuze, lets see them read up on premium beer for once like they do on wine! Keep those emails flying in, encourage positive change.

Oh and of course (I realized while hauling home another super-cool looking case of Dogfish Head) USA micros will kick bloody ass here if given a proper chance. Not that they really need our market, but hey... could work out for some of these brewers.

jmcnally · Post by **jmcnally** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:18 pm

Thanks for your answers so far, but stuff like Dogfish Head doesn't really count, because they DO have an agent (and great work, Esprit, for getting the beer to us!).

I'm thinking of beers that are not represented in Ontario at all yet. I saw the big order for Great Divide and thought that if there was that much interest in the brewery, someone should be representing them in Ontario.

Since I work for a wine agency and we haven't yet made any forays into beer, I thought if I got some feedback, I could have some discussions with the boss about starting to bring in some beers. No promises, of course, but it's something a few of us here have considered.

lagerale · Post by **lagerale** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:24 pm

I realize you're not into the beer importing business (yet), but it would be interesting to know if it is easier to import from another province as opposed to from another country? If so, there must be some quality Quebec or BC breweries ripe for distribution in Ontario

Philip1 · Post by **Philip1** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:12 pm

Dominion Pale Ale from Old Dominion in Virginia.

It's not as well known as other American Pale Ales and not as "brash". Indeed maybe the fact that it is not insanely hopped - it isn't lacking for hops either - might explain why the Americans don't rank it as highly. At Beer Advocate someone from the West coast made fun of it as it lacks the robust flavour of a west coast pale ale. But last time I tried it, a few years ago before I really got into the beer style, it was better balanced with a subtle pleasant taste.

I think most Canadians would like it, more so than Sierra Nevada or Yellow Snow, but being an American beer they probably wouldn't give it a chance in the first place.

detritus · Post by **detritus** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:42 pm

How about Southern Tier? They're close, and doing some great stuff.

-Josh

John Aitken · Post by **John Aitken** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:53 pm

Propeller in Halifax brews some nice products. They may be represented though, as we have seen them here before.

iguenard · Post by **iguenard** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:21 pm

Best beers not available in Ontario that Id love to see on LCBO shelves:

- Victory, Hop whallop
- Victory, Prima Pils
- Victory, Golden Monkey
- Victory, Storm King
- Anchor, Porter
- Stone Brewing Company, IPA
- Stone Brewing Company, Porter
- Stone Brewing Company, Imperial Stout
- Alesmith, Old Numbskull
- Alesmith, IPA
- Moretti, La Rossa (I love this one)
- Gouden Carolus Noel
- Gouden Carolus Cuvee de l'empereur
- Cantillon, Gueuze
- Girardin Kreik
- La Trappe Quadrupel
- La Trappe Dubbel
- Dogfish head World Wide Stout
- Dogfish head Raison D'etre
- Leffe Vieille Cuvee (such an easy, fruity drink)
- Hoegaarden Speciale
- Duchesse de Bourgogne
- Rodenbach Alex
- Phillips Amnesiac IPA
- Khunhenn Raspberry eisbock
- DeDolle Stille Nacht

... and the list goes on and on and on....

iguenard · Post by **iguenard** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:37 pm

A few more obscure ones I have never seen in canada...

- WEIHENSTEPHANER, the clasic dunkelweizen, when fresh.
- AYING BRAUEREI, good ur-marzen!
- HOFBRAU STAATLICHES, classic hefe, again when fresh
- BROOKLYN BREWERY, choco stout is great and Weissbier was awesome!
- SIERRA NEVADA, easy drinking, would sell well I'm sure
- BROUWERIJ BOSTEELS S.A., good belgian ales
- LA CARACOLE, nostradamus, saxo, amber ale...
- BREWERY OMMEGANG
- SCWABEN-BRAU, good selection of german styles, from bavaria

Ian

Al of Kingston · Post by **Al of Kingston** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 6:19 pm

I'd take just all the microbrews from Maine and Pennsylvania. Is that too much to ask???

Jon Walker · Post by **Jon Walker** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 6:57 pm

jmcnally wrote: Since I work for a wine agency and we haven't yet made any forays into beer, I thought if I got some feedback, I could have some discussions with the boss about starting to bring in some beers. No promises, of course, but it's something a few of us here have considered.

When you start looking into it you'll see why so few importers bother with beer. Whether you like it or not you'll have to deal with the LCBO and all their bureaucratic nonsense. I've heard many stories of well meaning orders being placed by local bar owners, through agents (or not), and the whole thing came to a crashing halt as a result of LCBO bungling. Sometimes they bill lab costs back to the brewery, sometimes they drop the "strip labelling" bomb on them only after the order has been processed...I could go on (I'm sure Peter @ Esprit could elaborate). Many great breweries will no longer deal with the LCBO at all (either an order from them or through them). Victory would be a prime example of this. Both Stone and Alesmith are similarly reticent.

Then there's the issue of the LCBO's rules about shipment pickup/delivery and who's on the hook for what. That often screws things up as well.

Bottom line, I selfishly ENCOURAGE you to start importing great beer...I just caution you that it'll be far harder work than importing wine and probably less of a money maker for the company.

The Bar Towel

Best Beers Not Available in Ontario

Best Beers Not Available in Ontario

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