The Bar Towel

Man, is it slow around here! Maybe this will get some conversation started. Here's the lineup for the LCBO's Spring Release:

Liefmans Kriekbier 375 mL
Munchner Kindl Weissbier 500 mL
Floris Ninkeberry Gardenbeer 300 mL
Floris Passion Gardenbeer 330 mL
Mort Subite Framboise Lambic 375 mL
Christoffel Blond 330 mL
Holsten Citrus Fusion 275 mL
Edelweiss Weissbier Hefetrueb 500 mL
Jenlain Biere Blonde Speciale 650 mL

I'm happy to see the Liefmans back, it's always been a favourite of mine. Curious about that "Citrus Fusion" beer...

Fusion is a line of "fruit beers" which Holsten has launced in Europe...lager with syrup...tres chic and right up there with Smirnoff Ice as a quality beverage.

Why is there no Pale Ale or Bitter in the release ? I know we can't get Brakspear bitter back but how about St. Peter's Best Bitter and Rouge Brutal Bitter. Cass are you sure this is the spring release it sure looks a lot like the summer release ?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Publican on 2002-12-20 09:18 ]</font>

They are trying not to overwhelm any one segment of the market - the beer lovers, the casual beer appreciators, and the swillers. I like the Mort Subite, and am glad to see the the Liefmans and Christoffel Blond.

"Citrus Fusion"... that name sounds more appropriate for an alco-pop.

Gotta chuckle everytime I see Floris Ninkeberry. In Calgary last week (vacation), the local beer retailer (small hole-in-the-wall store I visited) seemed to have a disproportionately large inventory of Ninkeberry and Dead Guy Ale (strangely, no other Floris or Rogue varieties) -- in fact, those two products comprised 80% of the import selection in that store!).

In response to your comment, Publican, this year the LCBO made a single call for submissions of "Summer/Fruit Beers" and once the selections were made decided that there would be two separate releases, one in the spring and the other in ths summer. Other products of ours which were selected and will be in the summer release are Hook Norton Haymaker (a strong pale ale (5%) from a 150 yr. old UK brewery), Samuel Smith's India Ale, Samuel Smith's Organically Produced Lager, St. Peter's Lemon & Ginger Spiced Ale, St. Peter's Summer Ale (Suffolk malt, Hereford and Worcester hops...6.5%), and last but not least, Raison d'Etre from Dogfish Head Brewery of Delaware. For those of you who don't know this one, it's a deep mahogany ale produced with Belgian yeast, beet sugar and green raisins. 8% 36 IBU's and "American Beer of the Year" in 2000 as selected by Malt Advocate Magazine.

Peter,

Will you be taking consignment case orders for other products offered by those breweries? I'm chiefly asking in regards to Dogfish Head's 60 minute and 90 minute IPA's, Worldwide stout and Immort Ale.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jon Walker on 2002-12-22 20:48 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jon Walker on 2002-12-22 20:51 ]</font>

Jon, I'm not sure if we will but it's unlikely due to the 5 case limit before lab fees kick in. I can sell 5 cases of anything to one establishment but the moment I open up purchases to others, I would need to sell 30 cases or so of a product to make it worthwhile and that's just not going to happen...at best, there would be demand for a few more cases than my base of 5 so it just doesn't pay.

Peter

What if I bought 5 cases? Not an idle offer, I am prepared to do that.

As we will probably be bringing in 5 c/s of each for one of our clients based upon an existing commitment, your additional 5 cases of one product results in a $135.00 lab charge on that product...do you want to pay the $135.00 on top of the cost of the beer? If so, then no problem. Again, if we can find more people to order, the lab cost per case will go down but I doubt we're going to get a lot of takers...

No not really thrilled with taking the lab fee hit by myself on top of what will undoubtedly be a pricey per case order. If you get a flood of interest from other folks that'd offset that then let me know. But, like you, I doubt that'll happen.


Merry Christmas

I'd be in for the World Wide Stout (1 case). The others I'd prefer to travel to the States. Besides Perry's brew will be available soon.