The Bar Towel

joey_capps · Post by **joey_capps** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 8:13 pm

I was us up at the Peterborough Craft Beer show today, and I got some bad new on KLB. Amsterdam has bought them, and it looks like they are going to relocated the brewery equipment to Toronto and shut KLB down. So we lose another one.

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 12:22 am

Crap. That sucks.

Anyone up for a KLB wake? We can get a 6-pack or two of each of their beers for one last taste before they disappear.

Greg

DAN-D-MAN · Post by **DAN-D-MAN** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 8:10 pm

Sad news indeed... my wife will lose her favourite beer, the Raspberry Wheat. I hope Amsterdam considers continuing some of KLB's beers.

Hey Greg, I'll join ya for a salute to KLB. I sure will be cleaning house at whichever LCBO or Beer Store I get to.

Publican · Post by **Publican** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:55 am

Greg, I'm up for it as well. I have never had enough of thier Pale Ale.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Publican on 2003-07-14 07:55 ]</font>

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 9:57 am

This has been rumoured for a while. I'm curious, however, since I thought that Amsterdam was going to move its equipment to Pbo instead. I have seen a "for sale" sign on their building on 600 King W. for some time, and I didn't think they were going to buy it.

I could be wrong though. I think if Amsterdam does move to Pbo they would meet with a bad local welcome if they discontinue all KLB beers!

Josh Oakes · Post by **Josh Oakes** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 10:28 am

I highly doubt they'd cancel the KLB Raspberry Wheat - that sucker is a cash cow. That might spell the end for the Amsterdam Framboise, however, which is a much superior brew.

PRMason · Post by **PRMason** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 10:53 am

Yes, KLB is gone for sure. Andrew's house is even up for sale! As for their product line, I'm sure the only one that will continue is the Raspberry Wheat. It accounted for most of their sales and was the real equity in the KLB name. The Pale Ale, while being a very good beer, was never that successful in the marketplace. I'm truly sorry to see this come to pass. The micro industry needs more players to make it a viable voice. Amsterdam, which itself is owned by Ball Beer( who has most of their product contract brewed at Brick-still following?)seems to be moving into the giggle and tickle marketplace, at least as far as their marketing is concerned.
Truly a sad day.

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 11:01 am

On 2003-07-14 10:28, Josh Oakes wrote:
I highly doubt they'd cancel the KLB Raspberry Wheat - that sucker is a cash cow. That might spell the end for the Amsterdam Framboise, however, which is a much superior brew.

Sadly, Josh, you're probably right. Given the choice between keeping one or the other, I could see an increasingly market-share-driven brewery like Amsterdam keeping the Raspberry Wheat over the Framboise.

But it's a pretty safe bet that they'll kill off the KLB Nut Brown and Lager in favour of their own Nut Brown and Blonde. And as for the Pale Ale, that could go either way, but if it does stick around I expect it'll be a dumbed down version, like what Brick did to Conner's Bitter.

Greg

A · Post by A » Mon Jul 14, 2003 12:04 pm

A sad day indeed....

Personally, I'd take the KLB Raspberry over the Framboise, although I do like both of them.

The KLB nut brown is great when fresh, but it seems to go downhill quickly.

The Pale is a really dry pale ale, although nowadays when I want to grab for a Pale ale I'm grabbing for something way more hoppy...

Let us salute one of (my) first good microbreweries. We used to make road trips to Peterborough and load up on the old cases of large bottles....

joey_capps · Post by **joey_capps** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 1:55 pm

At the festival, I was told that the Raspberry Wheat was probably going to be discontinued. My understanding was that all Amsterdam wanted from KLB was their equipment. Could be wrong of course, but my impression was that KLB is kaput.

Joe

rabbit · Post by **rabbit** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 2:06 pm

Raspberry Wheat a "cash cow"...yeah, right..I guess that was their problem, making too much money...that'll kill you every time.

rabbit · Post by **rabbit** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 2:09 pm

I should add that anyone who thinks either of these guy's versions of a raspberry beer are good needs a taste bud transplant....give me a Belgian lambic anyday! Frankly, with the takeover I hope Amsterdam invests in a new raspberry because the one that KLB has been using is very tired...how many batches of beer can you brew using only a single berry?

A · Post by A » Mon Jul 14, 2003 2:48 pm

Different beers for different occasions... Cant imagine sitting in the backyard having a BBQ with belgian lambics. I like the 'hint 'o raspberry' the KLB beer has.

Besides, give me a New Glarus Belgian Red over any of them. Not really a lambic (or Belgian), just damned tasty....

Josh Oakes · Post by **Josh Oakes** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 3:42 pm

Good thing rabbit knows so much about business. After all, he apparently thinks it's impossible for a company with one successful product to go out of business.

After all, it's not like there are any other factors to consider...you know, like the performance of other products, tax & regulatory considerations, competitive environment, debt load (small, capital-intensive businesses never have to worry about things like debt) or personal issues (no small business has ever closed because of personal issues). Look at Denison's - did they close because their beer was bad? Because they didn't have a marketable product? Absolutely not.

Truth is, I don't know why they went under, but it wasn't because of the Raspberry Wheat. That was a money maker.

A · Post by A » Mon Jul 14, 2003 4:49 pm

They should have never bothered to expand. I'm guessing they got greedy and collapsed under the weight of thier own financing.