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The LCBO’s Social Responsibility group is in the news again, this time for the rejection of the Flying Monkeys Smashbomb Atomic IPA. Torontoist has an article posted today about the story, with examples of some of the past controversies of other products that aren’t on LCBO shelves due to similar issues. Over at The Bar Towel there is a discussion forum thread where beer lovers in the province have piped up, including Flying Monkeys owner Peter Chiodo himself. Both are worth a read to learn about this important issue and how the LCBO continues to flex their muscle in the beer world in Ontario – when beer itself isn’t even concerned. I’ve said it before folks, don’t forget the “C” in LCBO stands for “Control”. Extra shout out to Torontoist for recalling and linking to our Buffalo/Blue Monk bus trip article, in which Free Our Beer was discussed.
In similar news, and which shows a total contrast in brewery attitude in the United States, the Flying Dog brewery of Frederick, Maryland has sued the Michigan Liquor Commission over their banning of their Raging Bitch brand, citing freedom of speech rights. Looks like numerous flying animal breweries are having issues with the regulators this week.
As much as we applaud the efforts of Ontario brewers to push things further, the moves by Flying Dog are certainly ballsy and we probably wouldn’t see this kind of manoeuvre by a brewer here. As the LCBO is the only (realistic) channel for craft beer, if bridges are burned in Ontario, which could be entirely possible with a Flying Dog strategy, a brewer here could be out of luck with no other options. And that’s really the core problem with our retail system in this province.
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5 responses so far ↓
1 Taste T.O. – Food & Drink In Toronto » Bottoms Up! – Thursday, March 31st, 2011 // Mar 31, 2011 at 11:01 am
[…] Monkeys Brewery would not be allowed onto store shelves. They've been called out on it here and there, but as with anything at a massive government agency, any changes in policy are bound to be a long […]
2 Bill (AshburnStadium) // Mar 22, 2012 at 6:30 am
Michigan must be stuffy. We have a wine which is sold by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (which is my employer) called “Royal Bitch.” We also carry another wine called “Fat Bastard.”
3 Beezlegrunk // Jul 16, 2012 at 7:17 pm
So much for this one then:
http://www.grandtetonbrewing.com/BC.html
4 jeffery // Feb 18, 2014 at 12:25 pm
As someone who moved to Ontario from California about a year ago and is just finally catching on to the “Control” the LCBO has and the absurdities of the Beer Store monopoly the most depressing thing is to find that this site is no longer active. Craft beer in Ontario is stifled by these agencies. If we do nothing we can expect nothing in return.
5 Todd // Apr 24, 2014 at 6:34 am
Check freeourbeer.ca and the Facebook site. Travelling each year in the States, I’ve seen great prices for craft beer and selection that is taking off. Here in Ontario, we have some absolutely fantastic small brewers… hamstrung by TBS, and the Provincial govt. I hear that in the UK, which we think of as pretty regulated, that small breweries sell in local stores… what a sensible idea, almost a no-brainer. See CAMRA. Some associated organizations here. Also see The Bar Towel here in Ontario.