Page 4 of 7

Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 8:32 pm
by chico
Are you expecting the same problem for the second shipment?

Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 11:42 am
by esprit
We've put a hold on the second shipment pending resolution of these lab issues. If we don't get an exemption, the LCBO will either destroy the beers at the supplier's expense or ship them back to Belgium with the supplier picking up the tab for freight in both directions. Either way, if this happens, we'll never see Cantillon in Ontario again. As it is Cantillon is now refusing to sell to the LCBO and will only do so if I pay them in advance.

Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 11:45 am
by esprit
On a more positive note, anyone wishing to sample a Cantillon Gueuze can do so at Beerbistro and the Esplanade Biermarkt. I've never tasted anything quite like it short of the direct from barrel sample of an unblended straight lambic I once had at the Mort Subite brewery...pucker up guys!!!

Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 12:17 pm
by Wheatsheaf
Doesn't the LCBO give any consideration to the fact that these beers were essentially pre-sold to customers who were well-aware of what they were ordering? Is there a way for the people who ordered these beers to sign a waiver, or otherwise say to the LCBO "these traditional lambics may not meet your arbitrary standards for acidity but we want them anyway"? I've been waiting for the second shipment and would hate to lose it because of some bureaucratic nonsense.

Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 12:37 pm
by esprit
Although we did "pre-sell" these beers, the LCBO has no knowledge of that as we ordered under the Consignment program so they don't know who we're going to sell to. Worse case scenario would be if they refuse to approve them, we would get every consumer who ordered to sign a waiver and process orders for them only. Bars and restaurants are not allowed to sign waivers....I really hope it doesn't come to that. If it does, then we're unlikely to import Cantillon (or anything like it) again.

Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 1:11 pm
by Mississauga Matt
esprit wrote:... As it is Cantillon is now refusing to sell to the LCBO ...
Get in line, Cantillon. I seem to recall that Ayinger and Young's (for a time at least) were mentioned as breweries that will no longer sell to the LCBO.

Are there others?

Posted: Sat May 15, 2004 9:46 am
by esprit
Ayinger's decision was based primarily on the fact that they have limited export resources and wanted to focus on the U.S. markets. As the LCBO would only order small quantities every year or two, there was no continuity of business and little prospect for building any such continuity so they just opted not to sell here. Young's objection at the time(and they talked to me about it) was the issue of Canadian labelling. Their volume was small and inconsistent so they didn't want to go the the expense of a Canadian label.
Frankly, although we're still able to offer a great selection of products to the LCBO each time they make one of their seasonal calls, that selection will start to decline. The LCBO is now demanding almost full label compliance even on small first orders. Many breweries will simply not comply and therefore not sell. Those breweries who are selling now or may do so in the future, are primarily doing so in the hope of eventually having a permanent market presence. Unfortunately, almost all of them will be disappointed and many will drop out of the market...but that'll leave more room for Eurolagers on the shelves...how about a beer named Igor from Luxembourg in a 151ml bottle?

Posted: Sat May 15, 2004 4:17 pm
by esprit
Well, some good news today...the LCBO is going to release the Rose de Gambrinus so now we only have the Kriek to deal with and a chemical substance which comes from the cherry pits is currently considered a "contaminant" by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency so we now have to wait for a ruling from them. We hope they will rule in our favour as it's hard to imagine that real cherry pits pose a health hazard to consumers considering how much other crap we shove down our gullets every day. We'll keep you posted. Anyone who ordered the Guueze and Kriek only will hear from us soon.
I was at Beerbistro this afternoon (enjoyed a couple of great flatbreads) and they were frantically pouring their Cantillon Gueuze and are concerned that they didn't buy enough. Get down there when you have the chance or, if it's more convenient, the Esplanade who are also pouring it (at a great price I might add).

Posted: Sat May 15, 2004 8:24 pm
by Mississauga Matt
esprit wrote:... a chemical substance which comes from the cherry pits is currently considered a "contaminant" by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency ...
And yet those of the pips - not to mentioned the skins and stalks - from the grapes used in wine production aren't?

What a strange country we live in.

Posted: Sun May 16, 2004 9:43 am
by Josh Oakes
esprit wrote:Well, some good news today...the LCBO is going to release the Rose de Gambrinus so now we only have the Kriek to deal with and a chemical substance which comes from the cherry pits is currently considered a "contaminant" by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency so we now have to wait for a ruling from them. We hope they will rule in our favour as it's hard to imagine that real cherry pits pose a health hazard to consumers considering how much other crap we shove down our gullets every day. We'll keep you posted. Anyone who ordered the Guueze and Kriek only will hear from us soon.
I was at Beerbistro this afternoon (enjoyed a couple of great flatbreads) and they were frantically pouring their Cantillon Gueuze and are concerned that they didn't buy enough. Get down there when you have the chance or, if it's more convenient, the Esplanade who are also pouring it (at a great price I might add).
Well, you see according to the television ads the LCBO is so great that they make everyone happy and therefore we shouldn't privatize it. After all, without them, I could be drinking polluted beer in a style that in its 500 years of existence has yet to harm anybody!

But of course the beer gurus at the LCBO know better. To hell with what real, live beer drinkers have to say. BeerBistro will sell out in record time and the LCBO will have cost beer drinkers, and that establishment, and Esprit, a very successful product. There should be a lawsuit pending.

Posted: Mon May 17, 2004 9:25 am
by Bobbyok
a chemical substance which comes from the cherry pits is currently considered a "contaminant" by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
If that's the case, shouldn't the sale of fresh cherries be outlawed as well? It continues to amaze me that an entity can regulate something it clearly knows nothing about.

By the way, why exactly does the LCBO lab exist? Wouldn't breweries, wineries, and other LCBO suppliers have to have their products approved by the CFIA before ever being allowed to be sold in the country? I'm assuming that it's just because Molbatts and the equivalent wineries and distillers are so deep in the pockets of the LCBO that the LCBO feels it needs to set standards based on these suppliers, rather than genuine product standards. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Posted: Mon May 17, 2004 9:59 am
by Andicus
Not to be a wise-ass, but cherry pits do contain trace amounts of cyanide.

Posted: Mon May 17, 2004 10:03 am
by Bobbyok
Andicus wrote:Not to be a wise-ass, but cherry pits do contain trace amounts of cyanide.
That's fine, but if it's considered a contaminant in beer, or any other product, then should it not also be considered a contaminant by itself (i.e. fresh cherries)?

Posted: Mon May 17, 2004 10:26 am
by Josh Oakes
Andicus wrote:Not to be a wise-ass, but cherry pits do contain trace amounts of cyanide.
Also not to be a wiseass, but those cherries have been used in that fashion to make lambic for centuries. Surely someone would have carked it by now if there was a danger. But hey, what do beer lovers know about beer?

Posted: Mon May 17, 2004 10:55 am
by Andicus
Josh Oakes wrote: Also not to be a wiseass, but those cherries have been used in that fashion to make lambic for centuries. Surely someone would have carked it by now if there was a danger. But hey, what do beer lovers know about beer?
Yeah, I seriously doubt there would be any danger in the way they're used.

We do know one thing: All this lab BS is holding up our good beer, and seriously jeopardizing the chance that we'll be able to order it again. I can only hope this doesn't ruin the second Cantillon order.