Together We're Bitter

[nms]

Has anyone been able to find out how many brewers were originally involved when Brewers Warehousing Company Ltd was established in 1927?  For instance, the Beer Store at King/Victoria is a legacy of the Lion Brewery (owned at one point by the Heuthers before it became the Ranger Brewing Company among other names) being on that site.  I would wonder if we will see a point where history comes full circle and Ontario once again has as many 'craft' (ie local) brewers as there were 100 years ago.

[Drake]

30. It is mentioned around the 15 minute mark of the documentary I had previously posted if you are interested. The journey is interesting. It ends up being ImBev, Molson-Coors & Sapporo that own it presently. I am going to suggest none of those are Canadian companies.

[DHLawrence]

Molson-Coors is marginally Canadian, but not by enough.

[BuildingScout]

There are so many things wrong with the present state of affairs. For example one problem is the one-size fits all nature of the LCBO distribution. It is impossible to open a beer store specializing in imported beers or a wine store specializing in French grand cru's. Another one is that if you want to import even from well respected country and manufacturer the LCBO people need to taste a few bottles for "quality control purposes".

The video linked lists some others. What is your pet peeve about the current liquor regulation laws?

[ookpik]

Today's G&M Editorial: The Beer Store: It’s Canada’s best political satire  

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne surprised many observers when she announced today that, after months of study, she has decided that rather than ending the private monopoly known as The Beer Store, her government will instead use it as an inspiration to revitalize the provincial economy.


“I originally thought it might be a good idea to scrap The Beer Store, or at least open the monopoly up a bit,” said the Premier, speaking at an impromptu press conference in front of a shopping mall in suburban Toronto. “But the truth is that monopoly works.”

She described The Beer Store as “a success story the entire world should be emulating.”

As part of the planned redesign of the provincial economy, Ontario’s three largest supermarket chains are to be merged into a single privately owned company. It will operate under the brand name “The Grocery Store.”...

[Drake]

The weirder the story, the more likely it's true.

[nms]

30. It is mentioned around the 15 minute mark of the documentary I had previously posted if you are interested. The journey is interesting. It ends up being ImBev, Molson-Coors & Sapporo that own it presently. I am going to suggest none of those are Canadian companies.

Ontario Craft Brewers represents 45+ brewers, so things have come full circle and then some.

[clasher]

Whatever they do they also need to open "The Drugz Store" and give control of that to the bikers, the triads and the mexican cartels.

[panamaniac]

Kidding aside, haven't there been suggestions of centralized control of sales (a la LCBO) should the day come when marijuana is legalized in Canada? The culture of substance control/prohibition still seems fairly strong in Ontario, although it is breaking down.

[ookpik]

Beer Store monopoly triggers legal actions 

The Ontario law that gives the Beer Store a private monopoly will be challenged in court at the same the time as a $1.4-billion class-action lawsuit against the major breweries and the LCBO is proceeding.


Michael Hassell, a lawyer and co-owner of Barge Craft Beer Distribution, a would-be independent retailer, has given the provincial government 60 days’ notice of an upcoming legal action before the Ontario Superior Court.

Hassell hopes the court will strike down the section of the Liquor Control Act giving Brewers Retail — the formal name of the Beer Store — monopoly status as the only private company allowed to sell beer to the public without brewing it on the premises.

His legal move comes as a class-action lawsuit filed by Burlington pub owner David Hughes against the Beer Store and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario was certified Monday and is moving forward.

also with respect to franchise fees:

Clark, the former chair of TD Bank, said last fall the government wants the Beer Store to pay a “franchise fee” to the government without raising beer prices for consumers. If they balk, he said that suggests they think monopoly is “valueless.”

“Then give it up and we’ll auction it off and see if people would pay something for it.”

[panamaniac]

Given the thorough deviation of this thread away from TWB, I'll just not that there is now also a law suit pending from a Toronto lawyer who wants to establish a chain of craft beer stores, which is impossible in Ontario at the moment. I wonder if that is what our future might hold - a Beer Store being milked for revenue by the Province, plus an opening to broader sales of craft beer? That wouldn't satisfy the food and beverage sector, however, nor those who want to pick up their brew at the supermarket or corner store.

By the way, I think the long-empty building at the Market (corner King E and Eby) would be a great location for TWB - its got the industrial look and big windows that would be ideal.

[clasher]

Yeah, that is a good location. The tanks are always nice by the window to draw people in

[Smore]

I thought the "Together We're Bitter" indicated unity of opinion towards the Beer Store!

[panamaniac]

Good one!

[Spokes]

This one's starting to slide off topic, let's shift back to Together We're Bitter.

The Beer Store is a great discussion piece and can be continued here: http://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/s...hp?tid=332