Suds reforms have Stack owner smiling, hoping for more

The owner of Stack Brewing in Greater Sudbury is welcoming changes in the way beer is sold in the province, saying it's a step toward in leveling the playing field for smaller producers.

"Any change is good, and hopefully this is just the first step of a couple that the government takes to help small breweries out," Shawn Mailloux said. "The questions I have are will I be able to release beers that I don't have in the LCBO? So let's say I have Saturday Night in the LCBO. Can I release other products and how many in the Beer Store?"

Under sweeping reforms announced Thursday, the Beer Store must set aside 20 per cent of all shelf space, merchandising, marketing and promotional programs for small brewers. They currently have about seven per cent.

It must also establish “craft” as a category and scale costs of listing beers to the size of the brewery producing it. Small brewers across Ontario will also be allowed to sell beer on-site at all their locations, no matter how small, which was previously restricted.

The reforms will also bring beer into up to 450 supermarkets — roughly equal to the existing number of Beer Store outlets — and is in addition to the more than 600 LCBO stores across the province. The LCBO will also be allowed to sell 12 packs of beer, and will create new boutique formats for niche products, craft beer and specialty spirits within LCBO stores.

“These new store formats will cater to local communities; sell alcohol in different formats such as re-fillable beer containers called growlers; allow previously unavailable products to be purchased immediately at LCBO stores; and, be fully integrated with the LCBO's new e-commerce platform,” the province said in a release.

Mailloux said he was unsure if the reforms mean he can sell a wider selection of products at the liquor store.

"Right now, I have one product in the LCBO, because that's all I'm allowed,” he said. “Yet I have eight different styles of beers here at the brewery.

"That makes it kind of hard for guys like me to grow, when I have all these (beers) to offer to people, yet I'm only allowed to sell (one kind.) The bulk of the people only get to see a fraction, a little piece of the pie of what we can actually offer."

Mailloux also like to see the province make it easier to open new locations, where he could sell his full line of products.

"That way I can release any beers I want in a second location. And if I partner up with other Ontario craft brewers, they can purchase any product they want from me," he said.

"I'd really like to see it open up. Let Ontario craft brewers have other stores, let us have more control over our own businesses. But any change is good change. Hopefully the government realizes that, soon and gives us a little bit more control."

Under the reforms, Ontarians will pay the same price for the same beer, regardless of where is it sold. Under Ontario’s uniform pricing policy, the beer price that is set by the brewer is the price the consumer pays, whether the product is sold in the LCBO, the Beer Store, the brewer’s own on-site store, or, now, in a grocery store.