LCBO Spring release

[clasher]

I left 9 bottles at the Highland LC in Kitchener... I was surprised to see it there as it wasn't listed in the system. A couple of guys took 8 bottles too, claimed to have read about it in the star and decided it might be worth trying since I was cleaning them out. Grassroots beervangalism!

[JWalter]

Totals 1463 bottles, or 60.9 cases.

Grabbed 8 more today, getting nervous... LCBO website now has only 628 bottles left... Ouch! At this rate, they'll be sold out within a week...

[Jon Walker]

Funny, I've heard that prediction before.

[Steve-E]

The case I ordered from my local came in today. Based on the fact that so little DFH made it to the London area, I'm glad I grabbed a second case while I could. The website shows 1 more case in London, so I'll try to grab it as the summer release is so crap.

With my luck, by the time I get there this afternoon it'll be gone!

[Belgian]

The Spadina & Dundas location suddenly got some

Thanks Greg, I was going over there later myself!

Yep, I did get the extra case Spadina held for me. Pays to call ahead, folks.

--

Wow just in time too! Looks like Bay/Bloor Manulife has over ten cases though. At this hour, anyway...

[esprit]

I see that some has hit the Bank & Walkley store in Ottawa and I have now confirmed that the Ottawa warehouse received at least 80 cases which is in the process of going to stores in that area so keep a heads up. Right now there are over 100 cases back-ordered by various stores which they are not going to see and this is the first time we've seen something like this with one of our seasonal releases.

[GregClow]

Right now there are over 100 cases back-ordered by various stores which they are not going to see and this is the first time we've seen something like this with one of our seasonal releases.

Wow! That's good to hear.

Do you think anyone at the LCBO will take notice of this, Peter, and consider bringing in more 60 Minute and/or other US micros for future seasonal releases, or even (gasp!) the general list?

If the whole 'cans vs. bottles' things is a sticking point, there are a couple of US micros doing well-regarded canned beer, and I get the feeling that more may be following suit soon.

[Belgian]

FINALLY something for Peter to be less grim about, a "Successful Seasonal."

It must be kind on embarassing for the LC to sell out of something in a week and a half with NO idea of a plan to deal with it. WOW - a 20% shortage of supply to demand for a product that just barely hit the shelves!

They'd be nuts not to GL this product, could be a breakthrough for US micros. On the other hand, maybe they don't WANT a "breathrough for US micros." It could invigorate those talented (yet timid) Ontario Micros who would otherwise continue to play the game of just making Clone Lagers... to the detriment of the whole Macro power structure the LC is secretly in bed with. Conspiracy!!!

[esprit]

Another heads up, the LCBO tells me that as of today, the London warehouse still shows 5 cases in stock so you might get your local store to try to order some.

In regards to the future, who knows. We've had numerous successful seasonal releases which did not result in re-orders. We have given up trying to figure out the logic behind decisions as there truly does not appear to be any. In the overall scheme of things, these seasonal releases are a blip on the screen and I don't believe much thought is given to the process. As for the General List, again, I won't hold my breath. With only two SKU's that are U.S. micros (both from Anchor) and both underperforming and not meeting quota, the LCBO is probably not fired up about more U.S. micros. As much as Anchor is a great brewery, if they can't meet quota we'd like to see one of their beers replaced with another U.S. micro although Rogue would be our choice because they have committed so much time and effort to this market.

The canned issue is also problematic in that there is nowhere near enough volume for any U.S. micro to produce a Canadian-compliant can. That means strip-labelling and I can tell you that shuts the door almost immediatley as breweries do not want to take on this time consuming excercise for Canada.

Unfortunately, the seasonal program will be the only avenue for U.S. micros for a while. We've already lost Victory and Smuttynose because of no consistent volume and when we've addressed labelling issues with many other of the top micros, we get the door slammed in our faces.

[Belgian]

Wow, all we'd need to do is separate from Quebec and we'd get rid of the Strip Labelling issue.

No offense to any frogs, some of my best friends are French Canadians (I'm half frog myself.)

[BeerMonger]

Availability update...Applewood Plaza (QEW & Dixie)...lots of product on the shelves including Aventinus, Asam Bock, Goudenband to name a few but the Dogfish is gone...

[Zithal]

Another heads up, the LCBO tells me that as of today, the We've already lost Victory and Smuttynose because of no consistent volume and when we've addressed labelling issues with many other of the top micros, we get the door slammed in our faces.

GAH!! First time reading this, so my day will be spent a little more depressed than normal.

On my own update, I finally gave up with Kitchener, hopped in the car and drove to Mississauga and finally got a couple cases of the DFH 60min. It made a few of my friends VERY happy.

[esprit]

There's more to strip-labelling than French. For example, showing volume as 33cl is not acceptable, it must be 330ml or 330mL. Alcohol cannot be shown as alc. 5% vol., it must be 5.0% alc./vol. and, most importantly, the proper common name must appear and those are LIGHT BEER, BEER, STRONG BEER, EXTRA STRONG BEER because apparently you guys don't have the sense to figure out that 12% is an EXTRA STRONG BEER. If anything is added to the beer other than standard ingredients, an ingredient list is also required.

[Belgian]

There's more to strip-labelling than French. For example, showing volume as 33cl is not acceptable, it must be 330ml or 330mL. Alcohol cannot be shown as alc. 5% vol., it must be 5.0% alc./vol. and, most importantly, the proper common name must appear and those are LIGHT BEER, BEER, STRONG BEER, EXTRA STRONG BEER because apparently you guys don't have the sense to figure out that 12% is an EXTRA STRONG BEER. If anything is added to the beer other than standard ingredients, an ingredient list is also required.

Thanks for the edjumication. But then (rhetorically) why doesn't Budweiser say "This was made with rice and other swill" since it's NOT just made will all barley malt etc. ie the 'standard' ingredients?

And why don't Canadians, being SO educated in Metric (feh, in basic MATH even) understand what a "centiliter" is? Will we soon be seeing speed limits posted in "millimeters per hour", just because there are too many confusing multipliers to deal with?

And why is the exact decimal percentage ABV of such scientific significance to all Canadian people, yet at the same time they cannot figure out that a greater or lesser percentage alcohol (supposedly) means a beer is LIGHTER or STRONGER? Is the ABV/alcoholic strength connection that vague to begin with? And any case are not the words 'STRONG' and 'LIGHT' meaninglessly vague since they could also describe flavor, aroma and even colour intensity of beer?

Too much regulation, too few public hangings of wasteful bearocrats. Still I love this country.

[inertiaboy]

... and, most importantly, the proper common name must appear and those are LIGHT BEER, BEER, STRONG BEER, EXTRA STRONG BEER ...

That's weird, I thought the Beer Store was telling us that there are eight types of beer, as discussed here