The Bar Towel

GregClow wrote:

admviolin wrote:Kensington is contract brewed at Wellington (a member of the OCB) but yet they aren't part.

That's Kensington's own choice. Talk to Brock about it some time, he's got some strong opinions about the OCB.

Yeah, that's what I thought...admittedly I don't know alot about the OCB and assumed people would want to be a part of it.

I don't know why it should be any different than any other industry association. What's the % of restaurants that are members of the restaurant association. Chamber of commerce?

I look at OCB much like the VQA in many ways. Yes, OCB may attract you to a superior, Ontario-made product. But never IME has the lack of OCB designation made a beer any less potentially good.

In fact, I've had both OCB and VQA products that were let-downs. So we have these two semi-useful entitites which, really a good Ontario producer standing on its own merits of quality and brand appeal might do just as well without.

rejtable wrote:I don't know why it should be any different than any other industry association. What's the % of restaurants that are members of the restaurant association. Chamber of commerce?

It is a little different for me because they call themselves the Ontario Craft Brewers. The word craft is kind of a loaded word for me and implies a very high level of quality. It would be like if there was an association called the fine restaurants association, but a large number of the best restaurants in Ontario weren't members but places like Montana's and Boston Pizza were.

Speaking as an OCB member, one of the largest benefits to membership is through their LCBO marketing program. End aisle promos, mix packs, award cards in front of products. If you don't have product in the LCBO there is much less attraction to join.

Also let's not forget that OCB week is an OCB initiative as well.

There are a few things I take issue with them as well, however the benefits do out way the negatives, in our case.

^ My most memorable OCB experience was the mixed OCB pack #2 containing what would have been "Trafalgar Irish Ale" except it was far more like a flemish sour ale.

Vinegar-like and a gusher. That must hurt the 'brand' of the alliance.

I am certainly glad the mix-pack is dead (as far as I know), for what Belgian said, and other reasons.

MatttthewGeorge wrote:I am certainly glad the mix-pack is dead (as far as I know), for what Belgian said, and other reasons.

nothing like shipping 10s of thousands of bottles so they can sit in a warehouse for months and months while the packs are assembled and distributed

MatttthewGeorge wrote:Speaking as an OCB member, one of the largest benefits to membership is through their LCBO marketing program. End aisle promos, mix packs, award cards in front of products. If you don't have product in the LCBO there is much less attraction to join.

The LCBO thing is interesting. Although I find it intersting that in my local LCBO there is a big walk in cooler and on one of the shelves there is a nice sign that Ontario Craft Brewers. On that shelf is the usual suspects like Great Lakes and Muskoka, but also on that shelf are beers from Church-key and Juncion who are both not OCB members. Now most of this is because people stocking the shelves don't realize who is and who isn't a member, but if OCB membership fees are paying for that benefit, I wonder how they feel about nonmembers latching onto it?

Kel Varnsen wrote:The LCBO thing is interesting. Although I find it intersting that in my local LCBO there is a big walk in cooler and on one of the shelves there is a nice sign that Ontario Craft Brewers. On that shelf is the usual suspects like Great Lakes and Muskoka, but also on that shelf are beers from Church-key and Juncion who are both not OCB members. Now most of this is because people stocking the shelves don't realize who is and who isn't a member, but if OCB membership fees are paying for that benefit, I wonder how they feel about nonmembers latching onto it?

I don't think the general "Ontario Craft Beer" section at LCBOs is intended to have just OCB members. It's a section for any Ontario-brewed craft beer as far as I know.

It's just the special promotions, end aisle displays, etc. that are limited to OCB members.

GregClow wrote:I don't think the general "Ontario Craft Beer" section at LCBOs is intended to have just OCB members. It's a section for any Ontario-brewed craft beer as far as I know.

It's just the special promotions, end aisle displays, etc. that are limited to OCB members.

Greg you are indeed correct!