Province modernizes at a glacial pace
Only two craft breweries are selected to sell 12-packs in a few LCBO stores
The Province of Ontario wants you to know that you can now buy 12-packs of beer at the Barrhaven LCBO.
Of course, you’ve been able to do that already for the past six weeks — just don’t go hoping it’s coming to your local LCBO soon. This is a limited-time “pilot trial” to see if people actually want to buy these crazy oversized packages of beer.
And the initiative is so important to the province that it wants to see it at as many as 60 LCBOs. Of course, there are 650 stores across Ontario, and another 210 agency stores in small rural areas. So much for widespread change.
At a press conference on Thursday morning, Yasir Naqvi, Liberal MPP for Ottawa Centre, argued that the sale of 12 packs at the LCBO is an “opportunity” for Ontario’s craft brewers and that the addition of 12-packs in the liquor store is part of the largest modernization of Ontario’s liquor laws “since prohibition.”
That assertion might be easier to swallow if there were more than just two Ontario-brewed beers available in 12 packs during this trial. Nine major international brands are available.
The reason for so few Ontario beers? Naqvi explained that there aren’t many Ontario brewers producing 12-packs and that this LCBO initiative could spur more to start offering the popular larger format.
That’s not quite true. Ottawa Valley darling Beaus All Natural Brewing Co. said it wanted to have 12 packs at the LCBO but wasn’t selected for the trial. Apparently, it didn’t fulfil the requirements of the applications process.
Steam Whistle Brewing and Muskoka Brewery were selected, and that is great news for them. But, the other nine beers are large brands, including Labatt’s Blue and Molson Canadian. That means Ontario craft brewers account for 18 per cent of the offerings available, two per cent shy of the province’s publicly stated goal of ensuring 20 per cent shelf space for Ontario’s booming craft beer industry.
Really, it’s a bit of a shame, because Ontario’s craft brewers account for 33 per cent of all brewing jobs in the province. Yet they produce less than five per cent of all beer sold in the province on an annual basis.
Craft brewers have long argued for better access to consumers and the ability to offer more products to expand their market share. Despite what the government claims, selling 12-packs of beer at the LCBO isn’t a core demand of the group. What Ontario brewers want is more visibility in The Beer Store, where more than 79 per cent of the province’s suds are sold.
The larger packaging size is one that bars and restaurants have been pushing for, seeing as how old sale agreements between the LCBO and The Beer Store forced them to buy 12 packs and even larger flats of 24 from The Beer Store exclusively. But, that’s another story.
Another change that Ontario’s microbrewers are eagerly awaiting is the ability to sell beer in grocery stores. However, there’s been an uneasy silence from the government about that initiative.
Although he touted the Liberal government’s desire to help the Ontario’s micro brewers to get their products out to a wider audience, Naqvi couldn’t say when that would actually happen.
“Stay tuned. That announcement will be coming out very soon,” he said.
Changes to Ontario’s liquor laws as they affect beer and wine sales were announced in March.
The take-away from all of this is that something might be happening with the way the province allows beer sales.
Exactly what and how long this change will take is anyone’s guess, especially with terms like “pilot project” being tossed around.
But, hey. At least we know there are 11 different types of beer in a 12-pack format available at the Barrhaven LCBO while we wait.