What happened to Celebrator Doppelbock?

Mississauga Matt · Post by **Mississauga Matt** » Fri Mar 22, 2002 11:38 am

I visit the 2 Cooper Street LCBO on a fairly regular basis. There was a long period of time where everytime I strolled in I would see tons of Celebrator Doppelbock, with a light dusting indicating no new bottles were being put on the shelf. I'd buy a bottle now and then, mistakenly thinking that I wouldn't have to stock up because it would always be there for me.

Then one day I walked in and it was all gone. Now as I said, there was always lots on hand, and no evidence that it was being depleted, let alone at a rapid rate.

I have developed this paranoid suspicion that the LCBO yanked it off the shelves, put it in the warehouse across the parking lot, and will re-introduce it the future as part of a new "release."

Am I out to (a liquid) lunch on this one? Can anyone supply a plausible explanation?

nb Same thing for Diebels Alt. They consistently had tons of it, then one day - gone!

PRMason · Post by **PRMason** » Fri Mar 22, 2002 11:52 am

Matt, the answer could be that someone else in the province was looking for the same beer. By calling 1-800-ONT-LCBO you can ask them to search all the stores for secret stashes of a particular product. If someone from Sarnia wants 20 Bottles of Celebrator, the LCBO will get your store to ship it to the Sarnia store.
Or, it could be that someone else with good taste bought it in your store.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: PRMason on 2002-03-22 11:53 ]</font>

Mississauga Matt · Post by **Mississauga Matt** » Fri Mar 22, 2002 1:04 pm

Thanks for your reply.

I can't find the beer listed at http://www.lcbo.com. Are you suggesting that the beer could be at another store and yet not on the web list?

joey_capps · Post by **joey_capps** » Fri Mar 22, 2002 3:43 pm

What probably happened was that either the beer was delisted, or, more likely, finally sold out. As I'm sure Esprit will attest,if a beer doesn't fly off the shelf, it's unlikely to be picked up regularly by the LCBO (Alas poor HopDevil). They bring in an order and just sell it until it's gone. I've not seen Celebrator at any of the stores I've been to in the last eight months.

In Sympathy,

Joe

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Sat Mar 23, 2002 7:58 am

We are the agents for the Ayinger brewery which brews Celebrator Doppelbock. The stock you were purchasing was the last of an order shipped to the LCBO some 3 years ago or so...it took that long for it to move. Needless to say, the LCBO has concluded that the Ontario consumer is not interested in Celebrator Doppelbock...c'est la vie!

Josh Oakes · Post by **Josh Oakes** » Sat Mar 23, 2002 9:08 pm

Three years...wow! Nobody told me in was vintage stuff. Seriously, though, if they aren't going to reorder something, I'd rather it sat around for three years so those of us who do like it can enjoy it for so long. Compare that with HopDevil which will disappear in what, a month from now? Two months?

Same thing with Smutty Robust. It sucks from the importer's perspective that it won't be back, but I kind of like knowing it will be there for a few more months yet so I can enjoy it some more.

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 10:35 am

Actually, Smuttynose Robust Porter has been re-ordered for a fall Ales, Porters & Stouts promo!

joey_capps · Post by **joey_capps** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 6:33 pm

It's a double-edged sword, really. If the beer doesn't sell well, it may be around for a year or two, but it will never return. If the beer does sell well, there's still a possibility that it won't be reordered.

The question here is twofold: (1) how do we maintain the cost-effectiveness of the LCBO (when all is said and done, we have very inexpensive imported beer.); (2) how do we increase selection. The privatization of the LCBO worries me. Yes, there might have more selection in Toronto, but what about Hamilton, Ottawa, Windsor, North Bay, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, etc.? And, the effeciencies of the LCBO would be lost. So, for most Ontarians that means less choice at higher prices.

I wonder though, is there a market for an LCBO-run premium beer store in Toronto? That is, a store like Premier Gourmet, that could bring in small quantities of beer at the required price. Many of us are willing to travel to Buffalo and pay $5-$10 CDN per bottle, could that business come home? (I know there is a perceptual argument $3 American seems less tht $5 CND regardless of the actual value)

The issue, however, is larger than the tyranny of the LCBO. How do we create a market for premium beer in Ontario without the economic resources of the Labatt's, Molson's, etc.?

Cheers, Joe.

PS I suppose this is not really a beer review

PPS Can you tell that I've discovered how to use the Smilies

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: jcappadocia on 2002-03-24 18:35 ]</font>

Mississauga Matt · Post by **Mississauga Matt** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 8:16 am

I too was dreaming that it would be nice to have a local premium beer store, either under the auspices of the LCBO, the Beer Store, or some semi-private venture controlled by the LCBO.

And, while I appreciate that we get imported beer at a good price, it seems to me that when under threat of privatization the LCBO brass is always crowing about the obscene profits they garner for the province (some people call it gouging). So surely they could afford to be a little more adventerous when it comes to stocking a wide variety of interesting beers, even at a loss. Their markups on other products would more than cover the shortfall.

PRMason · Post by **PRMason** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 1:25 pm

Another issue is freshness. Most beers, with the exception of very strong or bottle conditioned ones, are at their best when they leave the brewery. The long voyages, exposure to fluoresecent and daylight, handling and temperature changes really affect the long term keeping qualities of beer. This is doubly true of micro brews and craft brews which do not pasteurize or add stabilisers and preservatives. While it may be great to have Celebrator around for three years, the same could not be said for Pilsner Urquell or Anchor Liberty Ale. Ever notice the sediment in those beers? if they have some they've been sitting too long. Getting a stale or oxidised sample of a great beer is a major disapointment to say the least.