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We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
Breweries closing and/or restructuring and/or bought out
- MatttthewGeorge
- Bar Fly
- Posts: 973
- Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:45 pm
- Location: Woolwich, ON
- Contact:
Breweries closing and/or restructuring and/or bought out
Instead of starting a new thread for each brewery we hear in the news closing or otherwise that don't already have a thread dedicated to them, I thought I'd just start up a general one.
MacLean’s Ales Closes Brewery & Moves Production to The Collingwood Brewery
https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2023/1 ... d-brewery/
I'm going to guess this is Step One in Collingwood just buying out MacLean's. I can confirm that with this announcement Charles has retired.
MacLean’s Ales Closes Brewery & Moves Production to The Collingwood Brewery
https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2023/1 ... d-brewery/
I'm going to guess this is Step One in Collingwood just buying out MacLean's. I can confirm that with this announcement Charles has retired.
I used to sell beer. Now I don't.
- MatttthewGeorge
- Bar Fly
- Posts: 973
- Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:45 pm
- Location: Woolwich, ON
- Contact:
I found this, posted 2 days ago: https://www.kijiji.ca/v-commercial-offi ... 1674405674
This is the space Fixed Gear took over from StoneHammer (the original brewer of MacLean's, funny enough). So I don't know if Fixed Gear has left or what's going on, because I also found this: https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2023/1 ... h-ontario/ which is also in the same space. Something strange happening here.
This is the space Fixed Gear took over from StoneHammer (the original brewer of MacLean's, funny enough). So I don't know if Fixed Gear has left or what's going on, because I also found this: https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2023/1 ... h-ontario/ which is also in the same space. Something strange happening here.
I used to sell beer. Now I don't.
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- Bar Fly
- Posts: 944
- Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:55 am
- Location: Guelph
MatttthewGeorge wrote: ↑Fri Oct 13, 2023 1:15 pm I found this, posted 2 days ago: https://www.kijiji.ca/v-commercial-offi ... 1674405674
This is the space Fixed Gear took over from StoneHammer (the original brewer of MacLean's, funny enough). So I don't know if Fixed Gear has left or what's going on, because I also found this: https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2023/1 ... h-ontario/ which is also in the same space. Something strange happening here.
Wrinkly bear is a couple of store fronts down from the Fixed gear spot.
I’ve always thought Fixed Gear had been massively overstretching themselves with 3 locations.
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- Bar Fly
- Posts: 944
- Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:55 am
- Location: Guelph
That’s a shame. I remeber having a pint of Arkell Best on cask at the Wooly and chatting with Charles(I had no idea who he was at the time, until he praised my choice, and got me up to speed about his history). He was just in the very beginning planning stages of getting the spot opened in Hanover. I told him how happy I was to have somewhere to stop in, when visiting the in-laws in Hanover.MatttthewGeorge wrote: ↑Fri Oct 13, 2023 1:15 pm Instead of starting a new thread for each brewery we hear in the news closing or otherwise that don't already have a thread dedicated to them, I thought I'd just start up a general one.
MacLean’s Ales Closes Brewery & Moves Production to The Collingwood Brewery
https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2023/1 ... d-brewery/
I'm going to guess this is Step One in Collingwood just buying out MacLean's. I can confirm that with this announcement Charles has retired.
I'm surprised there is so little discussion about burnout in this business. I imagine it must be rampant. As a homebrewer I constantly get people telling me I should start a brewery. No bloody way. It's got to be the quickest path to taking something I enjoy and making it a misery. People really have some strange romantic ideas about this business. I'd say the same applies to opening a restaurant or bar. You have to be a certain kind of person.
Brands are for cattle.
Fans are cash cows.
The herd will consume until consumed.
Fans are cash cows.
The herd will consume until consumed.
- MatttthewGeorge
- Bar Fly
- Posts: 973
- Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:45 pm
- Location: Woolwich, ON
- Contact:
I don't think that's why MacLeans is closing, however I think the other investors might say otherwise. Maybe not burnout per se, but lost the love of it I'm sure.
That said, I think burnout was was one of the main reasons we lost Barncat.
That said, I think burnout was was one of the main reasons we lost Barncat.
I used to sell beer. Now I don't.
- S. St. Jeb
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1088
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:44 pm
- Location: Burlington, ON
- S. St. Jeb
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1088
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:44 pm
- Location: Burlington, ON
Muddy York' opened and second location....and will now be closing the original location. According to this story, the two events are not connected.
https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2023/1 ... -location/
https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2023/1 ... -location/
Just noticed that Little Beasts Brewery has been closed for 5 weeks now without an update. Doesn't look promising for them.
This isn't Ontario, but evidently Brasseurs du Temps (BdT) in Gatineau is closing. I know some beer folks had mixed feelings about it but I had some good times there and it was one of the first good beer places in downtown Gatineau, which IIRC didn't have much back in the day.
Not a brewery, but the Danforth location of Bar Hop closed last weekend.
Skeleton Park acquires both Signal and Spearhead:
https://thewhig.com/news/time-was-right ... ness-moves
https://thewhig.com/news/time-was-right ... ness-moves
This is another one where it surprises me a bit to see which brewery is doing the purchasing vs being purchased - I would have thought Spearhead was the bigger player. Will be interesting to see how this all works out.Cass wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2023 6:57 pm Skeleton Park acquires both Signal and Spearhead:
https://thewhig.com/news/time-was-right ... ness-moves
- S. St. Jeb
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1088
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:44 pm
- Location: Burlington, ON
Ha! The exact same thought came to my mind.JerCraigs wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2023 1:36 pmThis is another one where it surprises me a bit to see which brewery is doing the purchasing vs being purchased - I would have thought Spearhead was the bigger player. Will be interesting to see how this all works out.Cass wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2023 6:57 pm Skeleton Park acquires both Signal and Spearhead:
https://thewhig.com/news/time-was-right ... ness-moves
Yup, thought the same thing. Spearhead "felt" bigger but not sure that was based upon anything other than age and what I see at TBS/LCBO. The Signal property was a nice one being right on the river so that would be cool if it continues, but who knows what's actually viable these days.