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Entries from December 2010

Time for a Canadian Craft Brewers Conference?

December 30th, 2010 · 6 Comments

As we reach the end of 2010 I’d like to discuss what I called the best event I attended this year – the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Chicago, Illinois. In April I went for the first time to the CBC, the annual conference of the Brewers Association (BA), a U.S. organization comprised of over […]

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Tags: Outside Ontario · Perspectives

The Beer Store’s Interpretation of Beer Merchandise

December 26th, 2010 · 23 Comments

What’s interesting now that Free Our Beer has been going for a couple of years (god, time has flown by) is to see how things have changed (or haven’t) over time. For instance, we’ve tracked the process to get Garrison’s Imperial I.P.A. onto LCBO store shelves as part of its Autumn Ales release.  This has been a […]

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Tags: Perspectives · The Beer Store

Alberta Gets Their Strong Beer Back

December 24th, 2010 · 3 Comments

As we mentioned earlier in December, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) strangely and for no apparent logical reason banned beers for sale in the province that exceeded 11.9% alcohol.  This quickly led to an outcry from many in the beer community – from drinkers and importers alike.  It certainly was a ridiculous policy […]

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Tags: Outside Ontario

When drinking in Ontario wasn’t so “Free”

December 20th, 2010 · 23 Comments

We often bemoan the state of drinking in Ontario – the selection, the policies, etc.  In fact, this site is dedicated to presenting arguments why the retail system does not suit the beer connoisseur.  However, I recently came across a fascinating web site that shows that things in Ontario were much stranger for drinkers. The […]

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Tags: Government · LCBO · Perspectives

Yep, California Can Be Frustrating

December 8th, 2010 · 8 Comments

Hugh MacIntyre has an editorial today in National Post where he questions some of the liquor laws in Ontario after a recent trip to California and Oregon.  In the editorial he touches upon beer availability, retail sales and direct shipping, all things that are challenging if not illegal in Ontario.  I feel your pain Hugh, thinking […]

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Tags: Government · Perspectives

Free Our Beer News Bites – Ontario, B.C. and Alberta

December 5th, 2010 · 9 Comments

It’s been a little while since our last post at Free Our Beer, but it isn’t due to lack of things happening. There’s lots going on and some interesting news will be announced soon.  But I thought I’d post up some quick tidbits of things on the radar in the Free Our Beer world across […]

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Tags: Government · Importing · LCBO · Media · Outside Ontario