glennheinzel
Rukh
- Joined
- 6/7/06
- Messages
- 836
- Reaction score
- 15
Specialty beer takes off everywhere, except here; Ontario seemingly eschews renaissance in craft brewing
TORONTO
TORONTO - On a recent sunny weekday afternoon, customers on the small patio at Cafe Volo on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto could be seen drinking beers such as Sierra Nevada Porter, Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball and Dogfish Head IPA.
The names of the beers are somewhat unusual, as is the availability of these brands in Toronto and the rest of Ontario.
The renaissance in craft beer making that is taking place throughout the United States and in some Canadian provinces -- British Columbia and Quebec, in particular -- has been virtually ignored in Ontario. In fact, for beer aficionados, Ontario may sport the dubious distinction of having the largest selection of bland beer in North America.
The provincially controlled liquor stores and provincially licensed beer stores offer nearly 200 brands of lager. But there isn't one Double IPA for sale, the intensely hoppy and more bitter style of beer so popular among craft brewers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, California and B.C. that there are whole festivals dedicated to it.
There are hundreds of craft brewers in the U.S., many of whom produce innovative beers with unique flavours. Yet, the Ontario liquor board has only one 'seasonal slot' open for a U.S. craft beer, which is currently another lager. Cafe Volo is one of only a handful of bars in Ontario that sells U.S. craft beer.
Consumers who want to sample the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, named by Esquire magazine as the best of its kind in the U.S., are required to make a private order through the provincial liquor board, which may take several weeks to process. The same goes for award-winning Canadian beers such as the Phillips Amnesiac IPA, produced by Phillips Brewing Co. in Victoria.
There is a large craft brewing industry in Ontario, but some of its participants readily admit it could be doing more to match its West Coast and U.S. counterparts to produce more flavourful and innovative beers.
"There is a lot of me-too-ism," said Perry Mason, who founded the Scotch Irish Brewing Company in Ottawa. 'No one wants to stick their oar out' with a beer that might be less mainstream, he added.
There is also a healthy brew pub culture in places such as Montreal and Victoria that is not present to the same extent in any Ontario city, said Mr. Mason.
"Most of the beers seem to be very safe products in Ontario," said Gerry Hieter, chairman of the Great Canadian Beer Festival, which takes place in Victoria each September.
The success of the craft brewing industry in Washington state and Oregon has had a positive impact on smaller breweries such as Phillips, which Mr. Hieter suggested is 'leading the way' in producing innovative and flavourful beers in B.C.
"There is a different mindset out west. If you make a bland beer, you're crazy,' said Mr. Hieter.
One of the main obstacles for Ontario breweries is distribution, which also has an impact on the type of beer that is produced and sold, said Mike Arnold, founder of Trafalgar Ales and Meads in Oakville.
He praised the Liquor Control Board of Ontario for working with the craft brewing industry and seeking out a range of regionally produced beer. But he noted it has limited shelf space for these products. As well, the provincially licensed Beer Store, which is operated by Molson Canada, Labatt Breweries of Canada and Sleeman Breweries, charges a $50,000 listing fee per brand of beer that it stocks.
"That discourages distribution of unique, one-off beers," said Mr. Arnold.
More innovative beers are sold on-site at breweries, said Mr. Arnold, but the industry is hampered because it is only allowed to have a retail store that is attached to the brewery. Private retail stores that sold only craft beers would be a way for breweries to offer a range of brands for every beer taste, he added.
But that would require changes to provincial legislation and Mr. Arnold conceded that 'there does not appear to be any political will' for this to happen.
TORONTO
TORONTO - On a recent sunny weekday afternoon, customers on the small patio at Cafe Volo on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto could be seen drinking beers such as Sierra Nevada Porter, Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball and Dogfish Head IPA.
The names of the beers are somewhat unusual, as is the availability of these brands in Toronto and the rest of Ontario.
The renaissance in craft beer making that is taking place throughout the United States and in some Canadian provinces -- British Columbia and Quebec, in particular -- has been virtually ignored in Ontario. In fact, for beer aficionados, Ontario may sport the dubious distinction of having the largest selection of bland beer in North America.
The provincially controlled liquor stores and provincially licensed beer stores offer nearly 200 brands of lager. But there isn't one Double IPA for sale, the intensely hoppy and more bitter style of beer so popular among craft brewers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, California and B.C. that there are whole festivals dedicated to it.
There are hundreds of craft brewers in the U.S., many of whom produce innovative beers with unique flavours. Yet, the Ontario liquor board has only one 'seasonal slot' open for a U.S. craft beer, which is currently another lager. Cafe Volo is one of only a handful of bars in Ontario that sells U.S. craft beer.
Consumers who want to sample the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, named by Esquire magazine as the best of its kind in the U.S., are required to make a private order through the provincial liquor board, which may take several weeks to process. The same goes for award-winning Canadian beers such as the Phillips Amnesiac IPA, produced by Phillips Brewing Co. in Victoria.
There is a large craft brewing industry in Ontario, but some of its participants readily admit it could be doing more to match its West Coast and U.S. counterparts to produce more flavourful and innovative beers.
"There is a lot of me-too-ism," said Perry Mason, who founded the Scotch Irish Brewing Company in Ottawa. 'No one wants to stick their oar out' with a beer that might be less mainstream, he added.
There is also a healthy brew pub culture in places such as Montreal and Victoria that is not present to the same extent in any Ontario city, said Mr. Mason.
"Most of the beers seem to be very safe products in Ontario," said Gerry Hieter, chairman of the Great Canadian Beer Festival, which takes place in Victoria each September.
The success of the craft brewing industry in Washington state and Oregon has had a positive impact on smaller breweries such as Phillips, which Mr. Hieter suggested is 'leading the way' in producing innovative and flavourful beers in B.C.
"There is a different mindset out west. If you make a bland beer, you're crazy,' said Mr. Hieter.
One of the main obstacles for Ontario breweries is distribution, which also has an impact on the type of beer that is produced and sold, said Mike Arnold, founder of Trafalgar Ales and Meads in Oakville.
He praised the Liquor Control Board of Ontario for working with the craft brewing industry and seeking out a range of regionally produced beer. But he noted it has limited shelf space for these products. As well, the provincially licensed Beer Store, which is operated by Molson Canada, Labatt Breweries of Canada and Sleeman Breweries, charges a $50,000 listing fee per brand of beer that it stocks.
"That discourages distribution of unique, one-off beers," said Mr. Arnold.
More innovative beers are sold on-site at breweries, said Mr. Arnold, but the industry is hampered because it is only allowed to have a retail store that is attached to the brewery. Private retail stores that sold only craft beers would be a way for breweries to offer a range of brands for every beer taste, he added.
But that would require changes to provincial legislation and Mr. Arnold conceded that 'there does not appear to be any political will' for this to happen.
