General LCBO Debate & Discussion Thread

[PeenSteen]

Any beer in an open format, with the exception of St. Ambroise Pale and Lug Tread, can be sold individually. There are single codes for all of these beers. If the employee rings it up correctly there will be no inventory discrepancy. I'm pretty sure that new rules thing is a bunch of bullshit because the LCBO has a whole "mix and match" program designed for people to buy singles. The LCBO makes more money on people buying 6 single different beers than a six pack of one item anyway.

So you say, and I have absolutely no reason to doubt you, but I've had the same experience as Lister on more than one occasion. Why can't the majority of LCBO employees be even slightly trained to do their job properly?

So I say? no actually those are all facts. I'm not making assumptions about any of those things unlike your response. I'm sorry you have such a tough time buying singles in this province.

[Kel Varnsen]

For anyone in Ottawa a new LCBO opened up in the west end at Carling and Fairlawn. Went last night since it was the grand opening and I live just a few blocks away. It is actually super nice. They have a pretty big walk in beer cooler area with automatic sliding doors, which was full of a bunch of intersting stuff that I have never seen before (first time I have ever seen Duggans #9 in Ottawa). Ouside of that they had a whole other shelf with more imports and another shelf with chrsitmas gift packs. If they keep up with this selection it may be the best LCBO in Ottawa.

[zane9]

... I'm sorry you have such a tough time buying singles in this province.

The problem with buying singles is one that never goes away, it seems. Months ago I reported on the same problem with the same store as Lister. It took three tries to get singles of Rogue. The advice from Bartowlers who work at the LCBO was not to give up and escalate the issue. I did.

But nothing seems to stick at that LCBO location. I am in there frequently, and the staff has not changed. same CSRs, same problem.

So PeenSteen, if you are an LCBO employee, how about doing us a favour and talk to the store manager to straighten this out.

[lister]

So I sent an email off to LCBO customer service with essentially what I wrote here detailing the woes of trying to buy a particular single bottle from an open-style six pack.

This is the response:
-----
All products sold by the LCBO must have effective tamper-evident packaging to ensure product integrity.

Any product participating in the Mix and Match Program must have a vendor-applied tamper evident seal. This policy represents the LCBO's agreement with Canadian Association of Liquor Jurisdictions (CALJ) national standards.

Information pertaining to types of acceptable tamper-evident packaging is detailed in the LCBO’s Product Packaging Standards, available online at www.lcbotrade.com.

Beer and / or coolers with twist off caps are not to be sold individually unless an LCBO Tamper-Evident Seal is applied.

No undamaged case of domestic beer is to be opened for the purpose of selling single units that are not in the Mix and Match Program. This policy represents the LCBO's agreement with the CALJ national standards for tamper-evident packaging.

Tamper-Evident Strip Seals are to be placed over any item being sold as a single unit that does not have a tamper-evident seal. This includes the remaining units from damaged / broken packages that are not normally available as single units.

Unfortunately, sealed packages are opened either intentionally or in error by our customers and is not be sold if the above criteria is not followed.

All Stores will be reminded of the proper procedures when dealing with domestic and imported beer and cooler units when not properly affixed with tamper evident packaging.
-----

Nothing like cutting and pasting various canned responses that have really nothing to do with the issue. I don't know if I'm more or . Time to follow up...

[Belgian]

Any beer in an open format, with the exception of St. Ambroise Pale and Lug Tread, can be sold individually. There are single codes for all of these beers.

Why not post codes for all beers of interest.

Here on BarTowel.

Then, we could print that off & show the codes to the person at checkout.

[Belgian]

So I sent an email off to LCBO customer service with essentially what I wrote here detailing the woes of trying to buy a particular single bottle from an open-style six pack.

This is the response:
-----
All products sold by the LCBO must have effective tamper-evident packaging to ensure product integrity.

I see your point. Open six packs already HAVE so-called tamper-evident packaging, because they are generally always pry caps. So what the f-ck? No difference if they sell you one or six or eleven or twenty-seven, it's the same safety level. It is exactly like ALL SINGLES - there is no additional protection.

It's also very funny they will refuse to sell a single THEY put in the singles basket, then put it right back in the basket for somebody else to try buying it - but still with no safety seal. Just for fun I've tried to buy the same bottle 2 or 3 times.

By the way, I have been able to pry off a cap intact and then put it back on, without the use of a bottle capper - the bottle still seals OK.

[rejtable]

For anyone in Ottawa a new LCBO opened up in the west end at Carling and Fairlawn. Went last night since it was the grand opening and I live just a few blocks away. It is actually super nice. They have a pretty big walk in beer cooler area with automatic sliding doors, which was full of a bunch of intersting stuff that I have never seen before (first time I have ever seen Duggans #9 in Ottawa). Ouside of that they had a whole other shelf with more imports and another shelf with chrsitmas gift packs. If they keep up with this selection it may be the best LCBO in Ottawa.

I spotted Duggan's at the Innis LCBO on the weekend.

Innis is also slated to undergo that kind of reno, I think, even though it is only a few years old.

[zane9]

So I sent an email off to LCBO customer service with essentially what I wrote here detailing the woes of trying to buy a particular single bottle from an open-style six pack...

Good on you, Lister. Too bad the Orwellian Department of Double-Think replied to you.

I think we should take our chances with OccupyLCBO! We're the 99% (as in 99% of the time we can't buy singles) and we demand our rights!

[PeenSteen]

Any beer in an open format, with the exception of St. Ambroise Pale and Lug Tread, can be sold individually. There are single codes for all of these beers.

Why not post codes for all beers of interest.

Here on BarTowel.

Then, we could print that off & show the codes to the person at checkout.

Yeah I can do that, i'll get them all for you guys but here are the ones that I know by heart:

Anchor Steam 622274
Brooklyn Lager 615898
Hoptical Illusion 168377
Dead Guy 617100
Southern Tier IPA 622258
Mad Tom 263004

[TheBeeraholic]

My LCBO in Whitby just uses the generic single code of 896571. Charges $2.00. Curious to know the prices of the ST IPA and Mad Tom.

Any beer in an open format, with the exception of St. Ambroise Pale and Lug Tread, can be sold individually. There are single codes for all of these beers.

Why not post codes for all beers of interest.

Here on BarTowel.

Then, we could print that off & show the codes to the person at checkout.

Yeah I can do that, i'll get them all for you guys but here are the ones that I know by heart:

Anchor Steam 622274
Brooklyn Lager 615898
Hoptical Illusion 168377
Dead Guy 617100
Southern Tier IPA 622258
Mad Tom 263004

[PeenSteen]

My LCBO in Whitby just uses the generic single code of 896571. Charges $2.00. Curious to know the prices of the ST IPA and Mad Tom.

Why not post codes for all beers of interest.

Here on BarTowel.

Then, we could print that off & show the codes to the person at checkout.

Yeah I can do that, i'll get them all for you guys but here are the ones that I know by heart:

Anchor Steam 622274
Brooklyn Lager 615898
Hoptical Illusion 168377
Dead Guy 617100
Southern Tier IPA 622258
Mad Tom 263004

2.10

[Wray77]

Just got back from the Beer Store. It was the first time since spending two and a half months in Oregon. Even though I've be going to Oregon for 15 years I'm still shocked by the difference.

[shintriad]

The Toronto Sun slams the LCBO with an editorial out of left (or right) field: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/01/19/bo ... s-on-shots

Meanwhile, NUPGE claims that agency stores cost the province millions because they haven't been appropriated by the LCBO: http://www.nupge.ca/content/4768/lcbo-a ... sion-hears

[TheSevenDuffs]

The Toronto Sun slams the LCBO with an editorial out of left (or right) field: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/01/19/bo ... s-on-shots

That was a terrible article.

He rants and rants without even providing one single fact to support his rant.

Sure, beer nerds understand the basis for his editorial. We are all too familiar with the extensive lab testing that keeps out-of-province kegs away and gets less-than-fresh products to the consumer. We are also familiar with the a focus that seems to reward terrible local products (Trafalgar) at the expense of superior products (like Half Pints for example).

We are familiar with the red tape involved with an Ontario brewery trying to list a new product or an importer trying to do the same and having to face everything from the "tasting panels" to "social responsibility".

If the author of this article would only bother to take the time to mention a few of these facts to support his rant, it would make this a worthwhile article that could actually make the average person stop and think; and possibly gather some support for his stance.

Oh well, better than nothing I suppose.

[sprague11]

Anyone who reads the Sun for anything outside of sports coverage is usually reading bunk, and often poorly written bunk at that.