G&M (paywall): Canada’s crowded craft beer industry is tapped out. What brewers say must happen to stay afloat

[JerCraigs]

Edit: This is my 3000th post on Bartowel! Wow!

Sorry dude, you are being moved over to the macro board now. Regulations, content rules, etc. etc....

heh. well played.

[Cass]

Edit: This is my 3000th post on Bartowel! Wow!

Congratulations! Thanks for sticking with the forum

[Cass]

Breweries roughly fall into these (over simplified) categories for me:
Top Tier - Are making good to great beer and are capable of competing on the basis of their product regardless of other factors.
Second Tier - Okay to good beer, brewery has established a market and reputation for themselves.
Third Tier - Okay beer, but brewery sells a decent amount, possibly largely to a local audience.
Fourth Tier - Beer is legitimately bad to just okay. Survives primarily on local sales and low operating costs outside of major cities.

Who’s up for naming names within the tiers? That would probably get some good action in the forum!

[MatttthewGeorge]

Breweries roughly fall into these (over simplified) categories for me:
Top Tier - Are making good to great beer and are capable of competing on the basis of their product regardless of other factors.
Second Tier - Okay to good beer, brewery has established a market and reputation for themselves.
Third Tier - Okay beer, but brewery sells a decent amount, possibly largely to a local audience.
Fourth Tier - Beer is legitimately bad to just okay. Survives primarily on local sales and low operating costs outside of major cities.

Who’s up for naming names within the tiers? That would probably get some good action in the forum!

I'll name the first one that pops into my mind for each tier just for shits and giggles.
Top: Sawdust
Second: Muskoka
Third: Lake of Bays
Forth: Bancroft

I'm going to Killarney this weekend. Based on my picks I obviously have the north on my brain, lol

[JerCraigs]

Who’s up for naming names within the tiers? That would probably get some good action in the forum!

You sir, are a troublemaker

[seangm]

Breweries roughly fall into these (over simplified) categories for me:
Top Tier - Are making good to great beer and are capable of competing on the basis of their product regardless of other factors.
Second Tier - Okay to good beer, brewery has established a market and reputation for themselves.
Third Tier - Okay beer, but brewery sells a decent amount, possibly largely to a local audience.
Fourth Tier - Beer is legitimately bad to just okay. Survives primarily on local sales and low operating costs outside of major cities.

Who’s up for naming names within the tiers? That would probably get some good action in the forum!

I'll name the first one that pops into my mind for each tier just for shits and giggles.
Top: Sawdust
Second: Muskoka
Third: Lake of Bays
Forth: Bancroft

I'm going to Killarney this weekend. Based on my picks I obviously have the north on my brain, lol

I generally feel bad dragging breweries, but agreed on Bancroft. Went there a few summers ago and the beers were just bad, many had outright flaws. It took everything I could muster to be polite during my tasting at their bottle shop, I think I left with a couple pity cans afterwards.

Focusing on Durham breweries since I live out that way:

Top: Little Beasts, Town
Second: Chronicle, 5 Paddles
Third: Brock Street, All or Nothing (just squeaked in because I've had some legitimately bad beers from them)
Fourth: I'll be nice to Durham, nothing comes to mind at the moment.

There are lots of third tier breweries in my eyes, many of them regional breweries that have probably succeeded thus far by being the local spot in any given town. There are also some breweries that I'd consider fourth tier based on limited sampling (1 or 2 of their offerings), so might be unfair to judge the entire brewery without trying more.

[JerCraigs]

It took everything I could muster to be polite during my tasting at their bottle shop, I think I left with a couple pity cans afterwards.

Oh the "pity cans" - It's always such an awkward moment of deciding if you actually want to buy anything after an underwhelming tasting at a brewery. I feel like wineries are more used to people just coming for a tasting and not buying stuff to take home.

We have been super COVID cautious so I am mostly getting beer to go when visiting breweries aside from a few patios so we have done "one of everything" a couple of times and regretted it. Having seven more beers from a brewery when the first three were not good is daunting! At least at home you can drain pour it without scrutiny vs. the super awkward "even between two of us we still don't want to finish this sampler flight".

[Tapsucker]

Oh the "pity cans" - It's always such an awkward moment of deciding if you actually want to buy anything after an underwhelming tasting at a brewery. I feel like wineries are more used to people just coming for a tasting and not buying stuff to take home.

Funny thing. a few years back I was in Calgary and one of the local breweries had a pop up stand in a downtown mall as part of a mini market of sorts. I think the brewery was Tool Shed, if I remember correctly. They had four beers on offer. I decided I would buy a can of two of them to try. I bought the two and in talking to the rep mentioned I was visiting from Toronto. He gave me a can of each of the other two and said take them, you're not going to be able to find these back home. They were the two less interesting looking offerings, that's why I didn't initially choose them. I was surprised to find out all four were pretty good beers. I woulda never known...

[JerCraigs]

Funny thing. a few years back I was in Calgary and one of the local breweries had a pop up stand in a downtown mall as part of a mini market of sorts. I think the brewery was Tool Shed, if I remember correctly. They had four beers on offer. I decided I would buy a can of two of them to try. I bought the two and in talking to the rep mentioned I was visiting from Toronto. He gave me a can of each of the other two and said take them, you're not going to be able to find these back home. They were the two less interesting looking offerings, that's why I didn't initially choose them. I was surprised to find out all four were pretty good beers. I woulda never known...

It definitely does go both ways. Flux Brewing is a good example where we got one of everything, and some of the beers I might not have normally prioritized based on the styles turned out to be solid. We had sampled a couple on the patio already so we knew they were decent / didn't have any obvious quality control issues based on those samples.

[MatttthewGeorge]

Oh the "pity cans" - It's always such an awkward moment of deciding if you actually want to buy anything after an underwhelming tasting at a brewery. I feel like wineries are more used to people just coming for a tasting and not buying stuff to take home. ... I am mostly getting beer to go when visiting breweries aside from a few patios so we have done "one of everything" a couple of times and regretted it. Having seven more beers from a brewery when the first three were not good is daunting! At least at home you can drain pour it without scrutiny vs. the super awkward "even between two of us we still don't want to finish this sampler flight".

Basically the same for me. If there's no option for a pint(s), or I don't have the time for one, I'll just grab and go over sampling. And I just grab the styles I like now too, no more "one of everything". That "tick" mentality has really gone by the wayside, which is good for palate, and pocket book.

[matt7215]

Funny thing. a few years back I was in Calgary and one of the local breweries had a pop up stand in a downtown mall as part of a mini market of sorts. I think the brewery was Tool Shed, if I remember correctly. They had four beers on offer. I decided I would buy a can of two of them to try. I bought the two and in talking to the rep mentioned I was visiting from Toronto. He gave me a can of each of the other two and said take them, you're not going to be able to find these back home. They were the two less interesting looking offerings, that's why I didn't initially choose them. I was surprised to find out all four were pretty good beers. I woulda never known...

It definitely does go both ways. Flux Brewing is a good example where we got one of everything, and some of the beers I might not have normally prioritized based on the styles turned out to be solid. We had sampled a couple on the patio already so we knew they were decent / didn't have any obvious quality control issues based on those samples.

Flux is pretty underrated IMO, everything Ive has from them has been super solid and they seemingly get very little love on the internet. Although that doesnt seem to matter since every time ive been there the place has been packed

[JerCraigs]

Flux is pretty underrated IMO, everything Ive has from them has been super solid and they seemingly get very little love on the internet. Although that doesnt seem to matter since every time ive been there the place has been packed

I assume they don't get much distribution outside their local area?

[seangm]

Oh the "pity cans" - It's always such an awkward moment of deciding if you actually want to buy anything after an underwhelming tasting at a brewery. I feel like wineries are more used to people just coming for a tasting and not buying stuff to take home. ... I am mostly getting beer to go when visiting breweries aside from a few patios so we have done "one of everything" a couple of times and regretted it. Having seven more beers from a brewery when the first three were not good is daunting! At least at home you can drain pour it without scrutiny vs. the super awkward "even between two of us we still don't want to finish this sampler flight".

Basically the same for me. If there's no option for a pint(s), or I don't have the time for one, I'll just grab and go over sampling. And I just grab the styles I like now too, no more "one of everything". That "tick" mentality has really gone by the wayside, which is good for palate, and pocket book.

Same here. I try to be selective and pick some cans based on what styles I prefer, and/or if I know enough about the brewery, what styles I think they'll be better at. Definitely trying to reign in the spending these days since and look for quality over quantity more than ever.

[distr0]

Funny thing. a few years back I was in Calgary and one of the local breweries had a pop up stand in a downtown mall as part of a mini market of sorts. I think the brewery was Tool Shed, if I remember correctly. They had four beers on offer. I decided I would buy a can of two of them to try. I bought the two and in talking to the rep mentioned I was visiting from Toronto. He gave me a can of each of the other two and said take them, you're not going to be able to find these back home. They were the two less interesting looking offerings, that's why I didn't initially choose them. I was surprised to find out all four were pretty good beers. I woulda never known...

It definitely does go both ways. Flux Brewing is a good example where we got one of everything, and some of the beers I might not have normally prioritized based on the styles turned out to be solid. We had sampled a couple on the patio already so we knew they were decent / didn't have any obvious quality control issues based on those samples.

Flux is pretty underrated IMO, everything Ive has from them has been super solid and they seemingly get very little love on the internet. Although that doesnt seem to matter since every time ive been there the place has been packed

GREAT spot to stop in for a couple beers too. Always lots of low ABV options available. Pretty special vibe siting on the patio, right on the pond, and seeing.... absolutely no hint of civilization. (maybe a barn)? The food truck there is just fantastic too. Apparently they are building out their own kitchen now though

Edit: Should add - every beer I've had there has been good. None have been fantastically great. I don't tend to buy beers to go, mostly because I'd rather just go back there to have more.

[sstackho]

https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/1 ... rothy.html

Future of Ontario’s craft brewery industry not so frothy
Experts expect more takeovers and strategic alliances especially for smaller craft breweries as effects of an overcrowded market and the pandemic playout.
Josh Rubin
By Josh Rubin Business Reporter
Fri., Nov. 4, 2022