I was tipped off to a story from Ottawa about Steve Beauchesne from Beau’s on the CBC this week (MP3 file) discussing their challenges with The Beer Store and bottle deposit returns.

Beau’s recently began offering their Lug Tread Ale in 750mL ceramic swing-top bottles at the LCBO.  This bottle is certainly a premium bottle and costs more than the standard beer bottle.  As we all know, bottles sold at the LCBO are only collected back and refund given at The Beer Store.

As Steve explains in the interview, The Beer Store is taking back the bottles when consumers are returning them, but they are refusing to give the bottles back to Beau’s.

Here is a case where our flawed beer retail system is causing harm to a local brewery.  Not only is The Beer Store discouraging innovation with their policies, but as Steve points out, they tout environmental responsibility yet the bottles are going to be destroyed rather than re-used.  Free Our Beer?  How about Free Our Bottles too.