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The Beer Store: Political Reasons to Keep/Kill It

W. K. Lis said:
The province of Ontario sells GM shares for $1.1B

See link.

How much would one of The Beer Store breweries go for these days? Would $1.1B do, and leave some change? Should Ontario buy a brewery and become part-owner of The Beer Store?

Nah!

Not if the province could buy a supermarket chain, and turn around and sell the beer there.
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Since we are going to play "what could we do with the $1.1B from sale of GM shares".....I say we just pay off the debt we incurred on the GTS since we don't have plans to run trains on it.
 
I don't like the government extortion practises here. Either the cartel is legal/ethical or not. If not, open it up and let the market in. Prices will settle eventually

... and while at it let's open the LCBO up too. Our government has no business trying to regulate alcohol while profiteering from it at the same time. It's a massive conflict of interest that is not in the interest of the electorate. Perhaps the added revenue from abolishing the catholic school board would fill in the revenue gap?
 
Opening it up won't do anything to the big 3 (in fact, it may benefit the big 3 if done wrong) - the only way to break the cartel is to increase the popularity and availability of non-cartel products in an asymmetrical manner.

AoD
 
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I, a long time beer drinker whose usual choice is Sleeman Cream Ale ventured into a few craft beers at the LCBO last week in a fit of xenophobia. Bottom line, 2 were quite enjoyable but the third was easily the worst thing to pass my lips ever, and I have experienced Buckley's potions.
 
Prevalent wisdom here is that all Craft Beer is good (some better than others) by virtue of the fact that they are not produced by the big 3 or 4 or 5 big guys. No?
 
Hey Spider: if two out of three were quite enjoyable, that sounds pretty good to me. Craft beer is all about variety and a range of distinctive tastes. They're not all going to please your palate.

And no, I'm quite sure not everyone here thinks craft beer is good simply because it's not from some megacorp brewery. So I'd say your assumption is pretty off. Drink what you like... but I'd say the whole point is to have a level playing field and that's certainly not what's going on now. The Beer Store is an anachronism that's smugly ripping off Ontarians while the pols look the other way.
 
spider said:
I, a long time beer drinker whose usual choice is Sleeman Cream Ale ventured into a few craft beers at the LCBO last week in a fit of xenophobia. Bottom line, 2 were quite enjoyable but the third was easily the worst thing to pass my lips ever, and I have experienced Buckley's potions.
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If your favourite beer is Sleeman Cream Ale, may I recommend:

Muskoka Cream Ale
Cameron's Cream Ale
Beau's Lug Tread Lagered Ale

Or for a similar, but more hopped style*:

Great Lakes Brewery Canuck Pale Ale
Nickel Brook Naughty Neighbour American Pale Ale

*more hopped, but not aggressively hopped like many IPAs.

Of those, I think that the GLB Canuck is the "best" beer and a bargain at $2.50 a can.

No, not all craft beers are good. Many are terrible. But the ratio of good:terrible weighs much more towards the former...and even if they don't suit your taste, most are objectively better beers.
 
Also, if you're used to a lighter beer like a cream ale (not making any value judgements on the style) and I gave you an imperial stout that's been sitting in bourbon barrels for a year and then bottle conditioned for another two...there's a good chance that your palette would be overwhelmed and reject it. Like anything, some of the more aggressive styles are an acquired taste.
 
spider said:
Prevalent wisdom here is that all Craft Beer is good (some better than others) by virtue of the fact that they are not produced by the big 3 or 4 or 5 big guys. No?
Click to expand...

There's a greater range of flavours with craft beer. You'll find flavours you'll enjoy and flavours you'll hate. Apricot beer or winter ale is more for women with that fruity or frosty-sweet taste. (I tried it all when I didn't know better.) St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout is one of my favourites. It has its range of rich flavours--coffee, cocoa and smoked meat being the most interesting. They appear separately in a progression of flavours so it's quite enjoyable to drink.
 
junctionist said:
There's a greater range of flavours with craft beer. You'll find flavours you'll enjoy and flavours you'll hate. Apricot beer or winter ale is more for women with that fruity or frosty-sweet taste. (I tried it all when I didn't know better.) St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout is one of my favourites. It has its range of rich flavours--coffee, cocoa and smoked meat being the most interesting. They appear separately in a progression of flavours so it's quite enjoyable to drink.
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That's the great thing about craft beer. There's lots of selection. Craft brewers are always coming up with new brews and seasonal brews, so there is always something new to try. With the popularity of craft beer today's consumers are demanding places to purchase a wider variety of specialty beers in a more consumer-friendly environment.

Ottawa microbrewers eagerly eye Ontario's Beer Store debate http://ottawacitizen.com/business/l...ye-ontarios-beer-store-debate?__lsa=a414-5625

Microbreweries looking to gain shelf space at The Beer Store have faced listing fees that are higher than those charged for the commercial brands produced by the chain’s owners. The Beer Store doesn’t break down the difference in fees for owners versus non-owners. Some microwbrewers argue that the major breweries are essentially paying themselves for retail space.
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