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We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
"major initiative" to boost ontario craft beer....
- MatttthewGeorge
- Bar Fly
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- Location: Woolwich, ON
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I plan to quote you on this!Rob Creighton wrote:...If we (the royal "we") had 1 store in every major urban area that focused on craft, and all other C-stores sold BMC, we would still be so busy that we would never keep up. The number of manufacturing licences for beer is now over 100 and at least 40 more are about to open. The LCBO has already told us that they no longer have room on their shelves for all of the craft products and have turned us down for a number of releases...
- saints_gambit
- Bar Fly
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There's nothing inflammatory about it. They simply don't have the shelf space to be able to stock everything. They haven't for months. This is why single units are popular now and six packs are dying.zane9 wrote:I plan to quote you on this!Rob Creighton wrote:...If we (the royal "we") had 1 store in every major urban area that focused on craft, and all other C-stores sold BMC, we would still be so busy that we would never keep up. The number of manufacturing licences for beer is now over 100 and at least 40 more are about to open. The LCBO has already told us that they no longer have room on their shelves for all of the craft products and have turned us down for a number of releases...
saintjohnswort.ca
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Heard you on CBC Radio 1 this morning, good job!Rob Creighton wrote:The OCB head (John Hay) has already provided a dismissal of this effort which I assume means he is speaking for us though it is certainly not GRB.
I'm not sure what great fear this sparks in the heart of the average Ontarian but it strikes me as pathetic and cowardly. (Not something Canadians are renowned for)
We are a small beer producer looking to sell beer to a growing, interested population where even our town (which was not a craft beer market) is showing both support and pride in our work.
A trip into Buffalo, Syracuse or Niagara Falls shows me C-stores, large chains and liquor retailers where craft is thriving! The local Buffalo ball field has the craft beer corner where great beer is not only available but reasonably priced and the food was superior to anything in the sleazy, corporate monstrosity across from Steamwhistle.
What prevents the average Ontario resident from maturing into a normal, reasonably calm citizen of 2013? Fear of crazed craft beer drinking zombies aimlessly wondering the streets, smoking cannibus outside C-stores? Really? (This is not taking a shot at anybody from North York where this is common).
If we (the royal "we") had 1 store in every major urban area that focused on craft, and all other C-stores sold BMC, we would still be so busy that we would never keep up. The number of manufacturing licences for beer is now over 100 and at least 40 more are about to open. The LCBO has already told us that they no longer have room on their shelves for all of the craft products and have turned us down for a number of releases.
I'm not sure what the business model is for a number of new start-ups but we will not sit by and get steamrolled (Freudian?) into oblivion because we didn't "get permission" to sell beer in a government controlled autobot warehouse. It is the right time for change. The C-stores are only one option but we do not object to them. Screw the naysayers.
For those not in the industry, the predicted upcoming merger/buyout of ABInbev and SABMillerMolsonCoors has been announced with a pricetag of $100 billion. I love it. Bring on the evil empire and sharpen my light saber. Never tell me the odds!
- cratez
- Beer Superstar
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- Location: Brantford, Ontario
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Amen, Rob!Rob Creighton wrote: The OCB head (John Hay) has already provided a dismissal of this effort which I assume means he is speaking for us though it is certainly not GRB.
I'm not sure what great fear this sparks in the heart of the average Ontarian but it strikes me as pathetic and cowardly. (Not something Canadians are renowned for)
We are a small beer producer looking to sell beer to a growing, interested population where even our town (which was not a craft beer market) is showing both support and pride in our work.
A trip into Buffalo, Syracuse or Niagara Falls shows me C-stores, large chains and liquor retailers where craft is thriving! The local Buffalo ball field has the craft beer corner where great beer is not only available but reasonably priced and the food was superior to anything in the sleazy, corporate monstrosity across from Steamwhistle.
What prevents the average Ontario resident from maturing into a normal, reasonably calm citizen of 2013? Fear of crazed craft beer drinking zombies aimlessly wondering the streets, smoking cannibus outside C-stores? Really? (This is not taking a shot at anybody from North York where this is common).
If we (the royal "we") had 1 store in every major urban area that focused on craft, and all other C-stores sold BMC, we would still be so busy that we would never keep up. The number of manufacturing licences for beer is now over 100 and at least 40 more are about to open. The LCBO has already told us that they no longer have room on their shelves for all of the craft products and have turned us down for a number of releases.
I'm not sure what the business model is for a number of new start-ups but we will not sit by and get steamrolled (Freudian?) into oblivion because we didn't "get permission" to sell beer in a government controlled autobot warehouse. It is the right time for change. The C-stores are only one option but we do not object to them. Screw the naysayers.
"Bar people do not live as long as vegan joggers. However, they have more fun." - Bruce Elliott
seems Indie's in favour of the convenience store modelCass wrote:Yeah, but the OCB holds weight with the media. If Indie Alehouse and Bellwoods came out to support convenience stores (not that I suspect they would), it wouldn't have the same impact.Kel Varnsen wrote:On the other hand, there are a ton of Ontario breweries that aren't OCB members.Cass wrote:While it's commendable for the convenience store association to try to get the craft brewers on board, with the OCB so deeply embedded into the LCBO I would suspect they'll never publicly support it.
@indiealehouse
Beer and wine in corner stores in BC - Not in Ontario. Because the big brewers control this town and our politicians are their Bit$*&s.
Of course it's not inflammatory! It's a succinct sum-up of a problem. If the LCBO had a distribution model in which craft beer truly local to the local market was favored over shipped-in beer, the local breweries might find that there is more shelf space for their releases.saints_gambit wrote:There's nothing inflammatory about it. They simply don't have the shelf space to be able to stock everything. They haven't for months. This is why single units are popular now and six packs are dying.zane9 wrote:I plan to quote you on this!Rob Creighton wrote:...If we (the royal "we") had 1 store in every major urban area that focused on craft, and all other C-stores sold BMC, we would still be so busy that we would never keep up. The number of manufacturing licences for beer is now over 100 and at least 40 more are about to open. The LCBO has already told us that they no longer have room on their shelves for all of the craft products and have turned us down for a number of releases...
Article from the Star, with a bit more from John Hay.
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/ ... tores.html
As mentioned a bit already, I think a huge issue here is *where* all these new breweries are going to sell. There's only so many tap lines, the competition is fierce and there's not enough new ones to cover off everyone. Nobody wants to go to TBS and the LCBO is out of shelf space.
Indie & Bellwoods have what is likely the smartest model right now (for the right situation) - self-reliant tap lines & retail.
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/ ... tores.html
As mentioned a bit already, I think a huge issue here is *where* all these new breweries are going to sell. There's only so many tap lines, the competition is fierce and there's not enough new ones to cover off everyone. Nobody wants to go to TBS and the LCBO is out of shelf space.
Indie & Bellwoods have what is likely the smartest model right now (for the right situation) - self-reliant tap lines & retail.
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- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1318
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This seems to be the way things are going with Ottawa breweries as well. Centrally located with serious walk-up growler traffic (BtP, Broadhead, Kichessipi). I like it personally.Cass wrote:Indie & Bellwoods have what is likely the smartest model right now (for the right situation) - self-reliant tap lines & retail.
It was exciting when you could go to a new place and have new beer. I feel like we've moved too far away from that. This move back to local brewers providing beer to a certain neighbourhood is refreshing.
Craft beer hipster before it was cool
- saints_gambit
- Bar Fly
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To be fair, that seems to be happening organically. I'm writing a book at the moment about brewing history in Ontario. If you lay the map of current breweries over brewery sites from 1869, there's not a lot between them. I think Ontario was designed to be served locally.Bytowner wrote:This seems to be the way things are going with Ottawa breweries as well. Centrally located with serious walk-up growler traffic (BtP, Broadhead, Kichessipi). I like it personally.Cass wrote:Indie & Bellwoods have what is likely the smartest model right now (for the right situation) - self-reliant tap lines & retail.
It was exciting when you could go to a new place and have new beer. I feel like we've moved too far away from that. This move back to local brewers providing beer to a certain neighbourhood is refreshing.
saintjohnswort.ca
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- Bar Fly
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I like it too, but from what I have seen, it seems like it would be a hard way to make it. I mean I don't know all the details about how the business works but from BTP's point of view it would seem like your production costs would be higher (rent is higher per square foot than if you were in an industrial park, and ingredients would be higher since you can't buy as large of quantities). But you pretty much have to sell your product at close the same price as your competitors (especially for draft accounts) otherwise you can't compete. Plus with such a small set up, you can't relly afford to have tanks empty so you are working all the time.Bytowner wrote: This seems to be the way things are going with Ottawa breweries as well. Centrally located with serious walk-up growler traffic (BtP, Broadhead, Kichessipi). I like it personally.
It was exciting when you could go to a new place and have new beer. I feel like we've moved too far away from that. This move back to local brewers providing beer to a certain neighbourhood is refreshing.
As far as the corner store thing goes, maybe I am just getting old and jaded but part of me just doesn't really care what happens. Sure it would be nice, but I don't expect it to happen any time soon. Plus if it doesn't I live in Ottawa, between what is available at the LCBO/Beer Store, Local breweries, Quebec stuff in Gatineau and then US stuff in NY State (less than an hour away), I have access to more good beer than I could possibly ever try. On top of that I homebrew so I can try to make even more stuff that wouldn't be available to me in stores.
Guys, maybe venture into a TBS once in awhile, there is good beer available amongst all the "usual suspects". My local, self serve TBS has all the St Ambroise, Crazy Canuck, Muskoka, Unibroue, Flying Monkeys, etc. and is always in stock. Not so easy to find that stuff in the old conventional stores, but if you`re lucky enough to have a newer store, give it a shot!
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[troll="Lecocq"]
Guys, maybe venture into a TBS once in awhile, there is good beer available amongst all the "usual suspects". My local, self serve TBS has all the St Ambroise, Crazy Canuck, Muskoka, Unibroue, Flying Monkeys, etc. and is always in stock. Not so easy to find that stuff in the old conventional stores, but if you`re lucky enough to have a newer store, give it a shot!
[/troll]
Nice try...
Guys, maybe venture into a TBS once in awhile, there is good beer available amongst all the "usual suspects". My local, self serve TBS has all the St Ambroise, Crazy Canuck, Muskoka, Unibroue, Flying Monkeys, etc. and is always in stock. Not so easy to find that stuff in the old conventional stores, but if you`re lucky enough to have a newer store, give it a shot!
[/troll]
Nice try...
- saints_gambit
- Bar Fly
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Actually, now that I think about it, being unable to access the LCBO as a sales avenue because there are too many breweries more or less guarantees that you have to do business with the beer store making it defacto monopoly.
There's probably a significantly talking point in there somewhere, especially if the current ownership shares change like I think they're going to to give AB InBev a controlling interest.
There's probably a significantly talking point in there somewhere, especially if the current ownership shares change like I think they're going to to give AB InBev a controlling interest.
saintjohnswort.ca