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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!
Brick wins injuction
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Josh Oakes
- Posts: 480
- Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2001 8:00 pm
- Contact:
I am 100% on Brick's side with this. They're not small, and only make one interesting beer, but still you have to back them in their stand against BRI. BRI and the LCBO operate their businesses like African dictators, strongarming into submission anything that even remotely threatens their almighty power. But I still wonder how a government that purports to be capitalist can allow such a restrictive market structure to exist. The Big Three nationals will still have a lot of power if things were opened up, don't get me wrong, but at least that power will be legitimate, and not backed by legislation.
Go Brick, keep making BRI look like the assholes they are and put them all on the unemployment line.
Go Brick, keep making BRI look like the assholes they are and put them all on the unemployment line.
It is interesting that Josh identifies the big "three" nationals. When I started in this business, Creemore was roughly the same size as Sleeman.
Don't be too harsh on The Beer Store. We all recognize the problems, but (ironically) there wouldn't be an Ontario micro standing if it wasn't for The Beer Store system...Jim Brickman would be the first to agree.
Andrew at KLB identifies one of the two big problems. The first is that our commodity based taxes are 3 times the amount of small brewers in Quebec. That eats up margin.
The second is that imports still factor intensely into the LCBO marketing machine. We are working with the LCBO on an Ontario Brewers strategy, but at present it costs twice as much to distribute through the LCBO as it does through The Beer Store.
If you like the fact that Ontario seems to breed a hardy group willing to provide you with homegrown interesting beers, then continue to support them. I am proud that every drop I sell doesn't contribute to job creation in Belgium, the US, the UK or the Czech Republic. Talk to your MPP's about taking the choke hold off operators like KLB. To put it in perspective (and I am taking an educated guess), KLB likely sells 2-3 million dollars worth of beer, employs 10-15 people, and has built a brand family in the face of giants (domestic and imports alike). They probably cut the government a cheque for $250,000-$500,000 per year (before PST, GST or income tax) and yet can't make a return. This should be a small business success story and it would be if it was in any other business than beer.
The regulations and tax policies that frame this industry were designed to support a 2 or 3 brewery system. It is now time to re-write these to recognize the emergence and importance of the small independent brewers.
Talk about it. My sense is that people are now beginning to listen.
Don't be too harsh on The Beer Store. We all recognize the problems, but (ironically) there wouldn't be an Ontario micro standing if it wasn't for The Beer Store system...Jim Brickman would be the first to agree.
Andrew at KLB identifies one of the two big problems. The first is that our commodity based taxes are 3 times the amount of small brewers in Quebec. That eats up margin.
The second is that imports still factor intensely into the LCBO marketing machine. We are working with the LCBO on an Ontario Brewers strategy, but at present it costs twice as much to distribute through the LCBO as it does through The Beer Store.
If you like the fact that Ontario seems to breed a hardy group willing to provide you with homegrown interesting beers, then continue to support them. I am proud that every drop I sell doesn't contribute to job creation in Belgium, the US, the UK or the Czech Republic. Talk to your MPP's about taking the choke hold off operators like KLB. To put it in perspective (and I am taking an educated guess), KLB likely sells 2-3 million dollars worth of beer, employs 10-15 people, and has built a brand family in the face of giants (domestic and imports alike). They probably cut the government a cheque for $250,000-$500,000 per year (before PST, GST or income tax) and yet can't make a return. This should be a small business success story and it would be if it was in any other business than beer.
The regulations and tax policies that frame this industry were designed to support a 2 or 3 brewery system. It is now time to re-write these to recognize the emergence and importance of the small independent brewers.
Talk about it. My sense is that people are now beginning to listen.