The Bar Towel

kwjd wrote:If you think they serve the average beer drinker well, you should go accross the boarder and see how cheap the cases of Labatt Blue are. The LCBO sets the price floor for beer as a part of "social responsibility" (ie. people are too stupid, we need to raise prices to protect them from themselves even though alcohol sales are fairly inelastic)

I more sort of meant that the average Ontario beer drinker's needs are met in a satisfactory fashion by the LCBO and The Beer Store, and these people would probably not join in this type of protest.

When it comes to price, I've never bothered to look for myself, but I'll take your word for it that Labatt Blue is cheaper in the states. Conversely though, a six pack of Labatt Blue in New Zealand works out to about $20 CDN, about twice what it costs in Ontario. Beer prices there are insanely high. And within Canada a 12 pack of Molson Canadian goes for around $24 in Alberta. It's $19.95 at The Beer Store. So it could be better but it could be worse. In either case I'm assuming that the point of this protest isn't for lower beer prices but rather for more and better beer choices in Ontario. And I fear those of us who want this are in a vast minority.

TJ wrote:

kwjd wrote:If you think they serve the average beer drinker well, you should go accross the boarder and see how cheap the cases of Labatt Blue are. The LCBO sets the price floor for beer as a part of "social responsibility" (ie. people are too stupid, we need to raise prices to protect them from themselves even though alcohol sales are fairly inelastic)

I more sort of meant that the average Ontario beer drinker's needs are met in a satisfactory fashion by the LCBO and The Beer Store, and these people would probably not join in this type of protest.

When it comes to price, I've never bothered to look for myself, but I'll take your word for it that Labatt Blue is cheaper in the states. Conversely though, a six pack of Labatt Blue in New Zealand works out to about $20 CDN, about twice what it costs in Ontario. Beer prices there are insanely high. And within Canada a 12 pack of Molson Canadian goes for around $24 in Alberta. It's $19.95 at The Beer Store. So it could be better but it could be worse. In either case I'm assuming that the point of this protest isn't for lower beer prices but rather for more and better beer choices in Ontario. And I fear those of us who want this are in a vast minority.

I don't usually check out the prices of Labatt Blue in the US, but when I was in Seattle at a grocery store I just noticed that I could get a case of 24 for something like $15. Ya, Alberta just raised their liquor taxes in May... about a week before I visited. They went from the lowest price to the highest price of all provinces over night. At least at the time, people seemed to be upset with the prices.

I agree you won't motivate the average beer drinker with the selection argument, because if they want adjunct lagers they are more than satisfied here. The areas where you can convince them are in price and convienence. Liquor stores do not need to close at 5pm on a Sunday or even 9pm on a Saturday. Those are ridiculous and do not happen in Alberta. I went into a random corner liqour store in Lethbridge, Alberta at 12:15am and was able to buy over-taxed microbrews (they had a better selection of Ontario micros than many LCBO's even).

GregClow wrote: You could even set up a group blog (or use freeourbeer, if Cass is amenable to it), and have a post each day about different options that are available outside of the LCBO/Beer Store. One post about going to Buffalo or Michigan, one about going to Quebec, several about visiting different breweries, some about brewpubs, and perhaps even posts about homebrewing and brew-your-own shops.

That's a great idea.
Right now I'm happy with my one day futile protest, but in the near future perhaps more...

Tapsucker wrote:
I hate to spoil your well intentioned effort, but...

The handful of beer lovers here will hardly put a dent in the business of the TBS or LCBO.

I'm with you. But if there WERE a definite group set up doing this, a little media coverage of the group's efforts could actually be viable.

Then it becomes viral and gets into people's thinking just a little. An idea is a machine of incalculable force.

Belgian wrote:An idea is a machine of incalculable force.

Quote of the day.

Is that a quote? Or did you come up with it on your own?

Belgian wrote:

Tapsucker wrote:
I hate to spoil your well intentioned effort, but...

The handful of beer lovers here will hardly put a dent in the business of the TBS or LCBO.

I'm with you. But if there WERE a definite group set up doing this, a little media coverage of the group's efforts could actually be viable.

Then it becomes viral and gets into people's thinking just a little. An idea is a machine of incalculable force.

and I have planted the idea...


also, my effort is certainly not spoiled at all, as it is of little effort and quite enjoyable to do such a thing

Derek wrote:

Belgian wrote:An idea is a machine of incalculable force.

Quote of the day.

Is that a quote?

Paraphrased from "A New Model Of The Universe." Well worth one's reading time.

I'll boycott TBS on this particular day to show my support for the cause, but since I am working that day, boycotting the LCBO might be difficult.

I would participate if it was one organized group at a single location. 10 small groups of 2 is hardly going to be noticed.

Media coverage would be great as well.

I'm liking the idea of boycotting the LCBO and BS forever actually...

but for now, Oct 3rd is fine for me. Unless someone else wants to do more with this.

On Oct 3rd you can also make a private order for beer through an importer, that will count as buying beer from somewhere other than the LCBO.

The one day boycott is more of a statement than a boycott imho. Lets make it a significant period of time, like a year or something..."Ontario beer lovers fed up with state run monopoly, unite to boycott BS & LC for 2010" now that is a headline imvho.

Unfortunately we could hurt the Ontario Micros far worse than the LC and BS.

Up until this year I would estimate that I bought 80% of my beer through private orders and trips to Buffalo...so I could easily live without either of them.

But am with ya $...we beer geeks need to make a stand of some sort, and this is a good start.

I'm in, I'll make a beer run to Gatineau that day. But I agree with what a lot of people have said so far; I think we need to support the breweries we love at the LCBO so that they know a market for Ontario and imported microbrews exists. Also yeah, TBS is pretty unnecessary. I've been there once or twice in the past year, just to buy some Trois Pistoles.

Let's see how many people actually follow through with the Oct3rd date. It shouldn't be too hard to do.


I guess I never stated my purpose for doing this. It's to protest the government monopoly on beer sales. It is NOT to try and get the LCBO to have better beer.

So, for the comments about buying good beer at the LCBO, I would say, in the end, no, you should not be supporting good beer by buying at the LCBO. It defeats the purpose of having potential access to all the world's good beers in a more private system. In the end you have to suck it up, no matter how many amazing beers the government brings in to try and brake you down! No doubt, if a boycott of size ever evolves, that is exactly what the LCBO will try and do. They will say, these guys are unreasonable, we've brought in dozens of the world's best beers now since they started.
It's the difference between short term gain (you get excited because a good beer shows up for a month or two at the LCBO) and long term gain - which is the potential to have access to a larger number of amazing beers all the time. You've seen Premier Gourmet. You've seen Consumer's Beverage. The LCBO is pathetic next to them, no matter how nice they're made their stores. Oct 3rd the revolution begins!

Don't forget, this Saturday! stock up Friday night.. just kidding.

On Saturday, go somewhere else and buy beer, avoid the BS-LCBO!

This could be be VERY tough. I'm not sure how I will manage.