Stateside Craft Does the Right Thing by Their Customers

At least one Commercial Drive beer joint recently caught short-pouring customers have made a considerable effort to "serve it right" to give their customers what they are paying for and as a result have received  #FUSS Approved status from the Vancouver branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) of BC.

Stateside Craft, located at 1st Avenue and Commercial Drive, have changed their glassware to a larger size in order to ensure they can fully deliver on their promised serving size of draft beer after it was posted on social media a few weeks ago that they were serving 12-oz pours when they were claiming serving sizes of 14 ounces.

Stateside had been advertising 14 ounces, but in fact, their glasses filled to the brim were capable of holding that volume so with head, as is essential with a good pour, and a little space to make sure the beer did not spill over when transported to the table, the pour came in at 12 ounces. This practice of advertising the glass capacity and not the actual volume of beer poured is a widespread practice in BC that actually puts licensees at odds with the law according to Measurement Canada.

I know 2 ounces does not sound like much, but for a 14-oz beer that is $7, which is not uncommon in craft beer places in Vancouver, being 2 oz short is the equivalent of short-pouring by $1  before tax and tip. Add that up over a year and see how much money for nothing you may be forking out at places skimming off the top of their beer servings.

Almost immediately after the short-pour video hit social media, Stateside representatives stated they would right the wrong and it appears they have followed through.

CAMRA Vancouver president, Adam Chatburn, who was on the original measuring adventure, went back to Stateside July 15th and found that the glassware had indeed changed. The measure posted also had changed from 14 oz to 400,000,000,000 picolitres, a cheeky but valid use of the metric system that is legal and works out to 400 ml or about 14 oz. Chatburn measured his beer and found the serving to be, "spot on." (see post here) He also found, that except for the cider, which is a very high quality and high priced item, the beer prices had not changed. 

Stateside have turned a negative into a positive by doing the right thing
and fixing serving size-pour issues. Lets hope they get consumer support
& other craft beer places follow suit

"It just shows that establishments that are committed to the craft beer community are prepared to do the right thing and give consumers the beer they promised," stated a very pleased Chatburn who posted here to give Stateside praise. "Congratulations to Stateside Craft and thanks for stepping up and doing the right thing for consumers, it’s businesses like this who are leading the way serving craft beer. 

Chatburn hopes this change to honest and accurate pours will garner consumer support and states in his post, 

"if you've not been there  (Stateside) yet I can give them the #FUSS seal of approval so you know that when you put your money down you’ll get every last picolitre of beer (or amazing cider) you paid for."

Stateside Craft was one of several Commercial Drive establishments found to be serving less beer than their serving sizes indicated when Chatburn and a friend headed out armed with a calibrated cup, high definition camera, their smart phones, a thirst for beer and a healthy curiosity on July 5th. The pair posted their findings, including videos (click here & go to bottom of page), immediately on social media which caused a bit of a stir in the Vancouver craft beer community. Out of all the tests posted that day from five different establishments, only one pour hit the mark, that being Tangent Cafe's 12-oz pour. The rest fell short of the promised volume including a "pint" at Vera's Burger Shack which measured only 16 ounces.

In Canada, if a pint is advertised, it must be 20 imperial ounces if ounces are used to indicate volume and that does not include head.

As a consumer, I know I will support the Hell out of Stateside for making this move, as long as they continue to offer up accurate serving sizes & pours and hope other craft beer consumers do as well. I also hope other licensees in the craft community take note of what Stateside have done and get on board with CAMRA BC's #FUSS Campaign and give their customers what they are paying for.

Chatburn is continuing to hit Vancouver area establishments who serve draft beer and carry out is "research". This move is apart of the CAMRA BC Fess Up to Serving Sizes (#FUSS) a consumer advocacy campaign aimed at getting licensees to post their draft beer serving sizes and then deliver the posted volume of beer. The #FUSS Campaign was mounted to try to combat the widespread practice of misrepresenting serving sizes and short pouring here in BC. The Campaign for Real Ale of BC are an independent, consumer advocacy group, with approximately 1,500 paid members, championing the rights of BC's craft beer consumers.

Justice Minister Brushes Off Beer Consumer's Complaints About Being Cheated

British Columbia's Attorney General and Justice Minister, Suzanne Anton, recently told craft beer consumer
advocates, the Campaign for Real Ale  (CAMRA) of BC, that consumers are on their own, as far as she is concerned, if they feel they are being cheated or mislead about the serving size of their draft beer.

In a response to a letter sent by CAMRA BC to Anton (read here), imploring her to endorse CAMRA BC's Fess Up to Serving Sizes (FUSS) Campaign and to consider making a few more much-needed changes to the Liquor Control & Licensing Branch (LCLB) policies to help protect consumers and promote public health and safety, Anton wrote, via e-mail,

 "If a customer is not pleased with the service in an establishment, they have the choice of raising the issue with the licensee or taking their business to other bars or restaurants"

As a BC consumer, it does not make me feel very confident when the province's Justice Minister appears to be condoning or ignoring business practices that see consumers being defrauded and purposely mislead and misinformed about what they are purchasing.

In their letter, CAMRA BC also suggested having a policy requiring certified marked glassware, with "fill to here" (plimsol) lines indicating the volume, and having the alcohol content of beer (ABV) added to the legally-required serving size list. CAMRA BC believes that by making these two changes to BC liquor policy, along with the enforcement of the serving size list requirement, consumers and servers will better know exactly how much alcohol is being served and consumed which will help them better monitor over-serving and over-consumption, important in BC with the popularity of higher alcohol craft beers, strict Serving it Right rules for alcohol and tough drinking and driving laws.

Anton's response, which you can read in full here, was, at best, a brush off and seems to indicate that the Justice Minister and/or her staff:

• did not read the letter
• read the letter and did not understand what CAMRA BC was getting at 
• read the letter and simply did not care that BC draft beer drinkers are being lied to, short-poured and defrauded when it comes to draft beer serving sizes in this province.
• have no real interest in truly striking a balance between consumer wants/needs and public health and safety

Even though the focus of the letter was on getting enforcement concerning serving-size-price lists, Anton did nothing more than point out what CAMRA BC already knew, that this legal requirement for a list exists, and stated, "beyond that, government's focus is not on the array of serving sizes found within the province."

It seems to me that the Justice Minister is saying, "yes, we have that law, but no, we are not going to enforce it. We trust you, licensees of BC." 

To borrow an analogy from CAMRA Vancouver president, Adam Chatburn, isn't that like posting a speed limit then nailing a sign below the posted speed saying, "but don't worry, we aren't enforcing this. We trust you to comply with the speed limit"? 

Justice Minister Anton says
no to gov't required plimsol
lines for draft beer glasses

In addition, Anton advised CAMRA BC the BC Liberals would not consider requiring the use of certified, marked glassware, stating, 

"Government's resources and focus lay heavily on public safety issues, such as over-crowding, minors accessing alcohol, public disturbance, illegal activities, and so forth.  It would be a burden for provincial liquor inspectors and police to measure glassware in addition to their other duties."

Would liquor inspectors and police not have more time on their hands to deal with public safety issues, like such as over-crowding, minors accessing alcohol, public disturbance, etc, because they would NOT be burdened with measuring volumes in glassware because those that certified the glassware and placed the plimsol (fill-to-here) lines had already done that!

With the minimum price of a glass of beer tied directly to volume, $0.25/oz or 28ml due to new BC minimum drink price legislation, would the government not have a vested interest in knowing if licensees are reporting proper serving sizes so that the government gets an accurate amount of alcohol tax?

I don't understand a government that passes a policy tying drink prices to volumes served when they have no interest in the volume of serving sizes in the first place.

I know many licensees who think marked glassware is a great idea and the perfect way to level the playing field between unscrupulous licensees and those who want to serve it right and be honest.

Although there is a cost attached to replacing glassware, if brought into effect over a period of time so glasses could be replaced through normal wear & tear & attrition, the cost would be less burdensome to licensees. And although there is a shortage of suppliers at the moment providing glassware with plimsol lines, I am sure some clever business  person would quickly fill the void if they new that using such glasses was going to be a legal requirement for all licensed establishments.

For those not familiar with CAMRA BC's FUSS Campaign, the consumer advocates have been pushing the LCLB, which Anton is currently responsible for, to enforce their policy that all liquor licensees, in the Justice Minister's own words, "must have a list available showing drinks, drink sizes and prices," in order to give consumers the information necessary to make informed decisions and to help eliminate the misrepresentation of draft beer serving sizes.

The campaign was started in 2011 by the CAMRA BC Vancouver branch who were being inundated with complaints from consumers (some members, some not) that there was wide-spread misrepresentation of draft beer serving sizes - being told they were ordering a certain volume of beer and being served much less - and that the serving size list requirement was basically being ignored so consumers had no idea what volume of beer they were ordering before it actually arrived at the table.

The government talks about striking a balance between consumers needs and public health and safety yet they continue to ignore and brush aside complaints about dubious practices by some licensees which impact public health and safety negatively and violate consumers' rights. This call to enforce the existing law and make these changes would benefit everyone...except the dishonest licensees whose practices are now forcing industry-wide fraud as everyone must complete in the marketplace and being honest puts a licensee at risk of looking bad and losing customers.

BC beer consumers should be outraged that the BC Liberal Government, via their Justice Minister-Attorney, are completely ignoring this issue. Not all consumers care, but there are a great many who do. Not all licensees are unscrupulous, but those who aren't are feeling pressure to use questionable methods of making their draft beer pricing more attractive to consumers.

For the life of me, I do not understand why the LCLB and the Provincial Government do not take this problem seriously.

Maybe if if 1/2-litre carafes of wine started arriving with 350ml in them or 1.5 oz servings of scotch were arriving in one-ounce measures we might see some action...

Shit Storm in a Beer Glass

This past weekend there was a shit storm that hit the Vancouver craft beer community.

Draft beer consumers, fed up with their belief that they are systematically being mislead about serving sizes, collided with liquor licensees who pour, in a way they feel is acceptable, the craft beers we so love. This collision had social media buzzing as folks weighed in on the differences of opinion which I will get into below.

I learned something during the course of the discussion that, naively, I had never thought of before; consumers and licensees define draft beer serving sizes differently.

Somewhere along the way it has become somewhat of an industry standard in Vancouver for licensees to use the size of a serving vessel as the serving size they post on serving size/price lists and/or convey verbally to consumers while many, if not most, consumers consider that actual amount of beer that arrives in the glass to be the serving size.

And this fundamental difference of opinion is causing some great unrest in some quarters of the tight-knit Vancouver craft beer community.

What is the difference you ask?

Well, consider if a bar uses 14-oz sleeves for their draft beer and post 14-oz as their serving size.

That glass would have to be filled to the brim, without any head, to achieve the advertised volume and would be so full it would be impossible for a server to carry without spilling all over the place.

No craft beer lover wants their beer served without the appropriate amount of head and no craft beer lover wants to see their favourite brew end up on a serving tray or the floor. And no craft beer licensee wants the spillage that accompanies filling a glass to the brim.

Realistically, that 14-oz sleeve, if poured properly, will arrive with about 12 oz of beer in it. In this example, approximately one/seventh, or  a little over 14%, of the advertised serving is not being delivered to the customer, which for a $7 sleeve works out to $1, before tax, being paid by the consumer for nothing more than foam and air.

If you take into consideration the 15% alcohol tax and a modest 15% tip you are looking at $1.30 vanishing into thin air for each beer you order using the above example.

Measurement Canada, who police this type of thing, told me in an e-mail a few weeks ago,

"Vendors are required by the Weights and Measures Act to deliver, within the applicable limits of error, the quantity of product they are claiming to sell.  This includes individual servings of beer sold in restaurants, pubs, bars, etc." 

The "applicable limits of error" mentioned in the e-mail is 2.5%. That is only 0.5 oz of error allowed for a pint and 0.35 of an ounce for a 14 oz pour.

It seems consumers legally, if they care about such things (and not all do), do have a legitimate beef.

In contrast, licensees, especially in Vancouver, are feeling pressure to do all they can to compete and attract customers in a highly competitive market.

I have been told by more than a few licensees that because using the glass size has become the "industry standard" in Vancouver for serving sizes, they are feeling compelled to advertise the glass capacity as the serving size is, even if they know that full measure is not arriving at the customer's table. They are feeling forced, they tell me, to make the decision to serve the way they are in order to compete with the next bar next door who is doing so. Being ethical and saying you serve 12 oz in a 14-oz glass for the same price as the bar next door who say they serve 14 oz in a 14-oz glass means the possibility of lost customers.

I don't think for the majority of licensees are dishonest and maliciously set out to cheat their customers - they are just doing what everyone else is doing in the Vancouver marketplace. I know some bar and restaurant owners very well; some are my dear friends, welcome in my home any time, honest and well-meaning and I support the Hell out of them and their businesses any time I can.

Unfortunately, the widespread practice, that has been adopted by even the most honest of folks out there, is illegal. It is not acceptable that consumers should be expected to donate money, from 15-20% at times, for goods they do not receive, to businesses so those businesses can compete in an industry that has little margin for error.

And it sucks that we have such a screwed up "industry standard" that forces honest, good-intentioned licensees to have to make this kind of ethical decision just to feel they can compete in the marketplace with unscrupulous types who operate with impunity due to government disinterest and consumer apathy.

Last Saturday a few craft beer consumers, including CAMRA Vancouver president, Adam Chatburn, who does care about getting what he pays for, headed out to a few of Commercial Drive restaurants and bars, armed with a calibrated glass and their cell phones, and proceeded to find out the posted or verbally conveyed serving size for beers, ordered those beers, measured the volume of beer they received, videoed the results and tweeted these videos and the numbers.

They found that most establishments- only Tangent Cafe was commended for their perfect 12-oz pour - served glasses of beer that fell short, well outside the legal margin for error, compared to the serving sizes promised. In one establishment they found a 20% difference between volume promised and volume delivered when the pint they ordered came in a sleeve.

The posting of these results initiated the above mentioned shit storm.

Some applauded, others booed. Some heaped praise on those posting, others called them down and got personal. I am not here to talk about the process, the reactions, the exact results or whether what these consumers did was right or wrong. You can go here to read CAMRA Vancouver President, Adam Chatburn's explanation of what went down, why they did it and what they found out from his perspective.

This whole thing has come to a head because of CAMRA BC's Fess Up to Serving Sizes Campaign (FUSS) which is nothing more than trying to get licensed establishments to accurately provide their draft beer serving sizes then deliver on that promise as required by both federal and provincial law.

That is what FUSS is - nothing more, nothing less.

I know because FUSS was an idea I came up with a little over 2.5 years ago.

I didn't just pull FUSS out of my ass; I came up with the idea when I was in the president of CAMRA Vancouver after receiving a bazillion complaints from members and non-members alike who believed they were getting much smaller measures in their glasses than they were being promised when they ordered. I thought it would be great for Vancouver craft beer consumers to get CAMRA friendly bars and restaurants to provide a list of their draft beer servings sizes, as required by law, and then lead the charge by producing said measures in hopes that craft beer consumers would be satisfied and these establishments would see increased business due to their transparency regarding what they were serving.

Easy, right? A win-win situation.

Well, not so much as this has turned into a mess with legal and consumer expectations conflicting with the need for licensees to compete in a very cut-throat and often dishonest market. There was, in fact, considerable push back from some on the industry side of the craft beer community, although I will say, most of the feedback was positive and in support of the campaign.

So how do we clean up this mess?

The best way would be for all bars to have marked glassware - glasses with plimsol (fill-to-here) lines so that both those serving and those being served could see that the promised volume was in the glass. CAMRA BC proposed this to John Yap during the liquor policy review and suggested it be phased in over two years so glassware could be replaced slowly when needed via attrition. BC used to have these types of glasses - I can remember them in my early days of going to the pub - but they have long since disappeared.

The government are not interested in legislating the requirement for marked glassware and I have been told by licensees that there is a problem with finding marked glassware and that these glasses are expensive.

The simple solution, which isn't perfect, but which could work, is for licensees to buy glassware that is larger than their planned serving size - i.e., a 16-oz sleeve for a 14-oz serving - leaving room for foam and eliminating the need to fill the glass to the brim.

It would mean eye-balling the amount going into the glass but it shouldn't take long for the bartenders of the city to figure out where on the glass they have to be to hit the mark.

Bars and restaurants who did this could then be uber-supported by CAMRA BC, CAMRA Vancouver, who could run campaigns lauding these places for their transparency and ethical choice to serve it right and be 100% honest about what they are serving. CAMRA could also continue to push the provincial government and Measurement Canada to nail places that do not comply with the law. The craft beer consumers and us who write about such things could support these places by tweeting, posting, writing and talking about them and more importantly, frequenting them over those establishments who choose the status quo.

I have heard that one of the bars called out on Saturday has, as a result of the incident, decided to go this route and order 16-oz glassware to properly fit the 14-oz pours they advertise. Good for them. I hope they follow through, I hope they get the recognition they deserve for turning a negative into a positive and I hope consumers and CAMRA BC support the Hell out of them to both reward them and encourage others to follow suit. I know when I find out they have followed through I will be giving them my support.

Something has to give as this issue is not going to go away and CAMRA BC and CAMRA Vancouver are not going to go away. It is a mess, caused by consumers not standing up for their rights for decades and government not giving shit, and it needs to be fixed.

Let's work together as a craft beer community, consumers and businesses together, to find a workable solution instead of pointing fingers at each other. It really sucks that friends are finding themselves on the opposite side of the fence on this issue when all can be on the side of fixing the problem.

I know some of you out there are going to bash me for this post...give er. This is how I see it and I think it is important. I don't like being expected to accept a situation that is fundamentally wrong and I won't.

If you don't care about this, good for you. Carry on paying for foam and air. But remember, that payment for nothing could be going towards your next, already-expensive sleeve.

This, at its core, it what CAMRA BC is all about. CAMRA BC is a consumer advocacy group, not a beer club or a kiss-industry's-ass club.

If you are a member and feel FUSS is misguided and wrong, get involved, get elected and change the course of your society.

CAMRA BC Craft Beer at Farmers Market Campaign Close to Reality

Yesterday, Premier Christy Clark made an announcement highlighting government support for 12 recommendations made by Parliamentary Secretary John Yap in his report to Justice Minister and Attorney

Clever CAMRA BC campaign, spearheaded by Vancouver
president, Adam Chatburn, put craft beer at farmers markets
on the Liberal radar

General Suzanne Anton related to liquor policy changes.

One recommendation endorsed by Clark's Liberals, the allowance of tastings and sales of craft beer at local farmers markets, has the executive for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) of BC smiling from ear to ear and I should know as I am one of those executive members.

In a press release from the Office of the Premier and Minister of Justice, it was announced that, "(m)anufacturers will be able to sample and sell their made-in-B.C. liquor at venues such as farmers’ markets, festivals and off-site tasting rooms."

This announcement, which the government hopes will help, "growth of the wine, craft brewery and craft distillery industries by allowing the sale of products at locations like farmers’ markets," and help promote BC tourism, as many visitors to our province take in local farmers markets and festivals, is one CAMRA BC has been pushing for and I do believe CAMRA's campaign to get BC craft beer into BC farmers markets has played a huge role in making this idea a reality.

It all started last March when CAMRA BC representatives met with several NDP MLAs in Victoria to present a list of wants to who CAMRA thought were going to be the ruling party after May's provincial election.

On that list was the idea of having craft beer and wine made available for sale at local farmers markets, an idea, that at the time, was a pipe dream at best.

Well, as we all know, the NDP failed miserably in the election, but that did not deter CAMRA BC, specifically Vancouver president Adam Chatburn who took this on and pushed further by securing booth space at several Vancouver-area farmers markets this past summer.

Chatburn cleverly drew people to the CAMRA booth by having an empty cask of beer on the table with a sign, "Free Samples", and once at the table, market goers could see in fine print, "not available here" at which time Chatburn and his CAMRA representatives educated their audience on how BC liquor policy made this sort of activity illegal and offered them form letters to sign requesting that craft beer be allowed for sale at farmers markets.

According to Chatburn, that letter writing campaign resulted in Yap and Anton receiving over 400 letters, a number large enough to immediately get the attention of any politician and in this time of liquor policy review in the province, I can guarantee you Yap and his team were looking at this idea before the consultation even began.

In fact, I had been told from a very reliable and well connected source that beer and wine in farmers markets had already been rubber stamped as a "go" before the consultation was even in full swing and that this would be one of the first announcements, something that appears to be true. The fact that Clark herself made the announcement tells me this is a done deal as Anton is not going to upstage and over-rule her boss by watering down the recommendation or by putting the kibosh on the idea.

The farmers market idea was also apart of the CAMRA BC presentation to Yap and his team during the stakeholder meeting phase of the review and I can tell you the idea was very well received and I, for one, was surprised when it became apparent that the Liberals were considering allowing free samples to be given out as well, which, as you can see by yesterday's announcement, seems to be what is coming down the pipe.

I know this is apparent victory is not 100% due to CAMRA BC and Chatburn pushing as the wine industry were advocating for BC wine sales at the markets as well, and now that Christy Clark is representing Westside-Kelowna, prime wine country, the wine folks will even have more influence on the Liberals than before. Having said that, CAMRA BC members should be proud of what their executives have done to put this on the Liberal radar, especially Chatburn and his Vancouver Executive who took this on and raised awareness by getting the booths at the markets.

This is why CAMRA exists, to advocate on behalf of the craft beer consumer of BC, and it appears they have chalked up one major victory for those of us who enjoy great BC craft beer.

Lets hope they have many more successes!

BC Liquor Policy Review Appears Genuine

right to left: myself, Adam Chatburn, Rick Green, John Yap, Ken Dawson
note the growler and Boston round we presented to the committee
& yes, they were full of  

Last Tuesday I was lucky enough to be invited to be a part of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) British Columbia team who took part in a face-to-face meeting with Liberal MLA and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Liquor Policy Reform, John Yap, as a part of the stakeholder meetings being held in during the current BC liquor policy review.

CAMRA BC President Rick Green, CAMRA Vancouver President, Adam Chatburn and myself, representing CAMRA Powell River, put together a 90 minute presentation (see bottom of post for CAMRA BC submission) which was heard by Yap, Ken Dawson, Cabinet Director in the Office of the Premier, and Suneil Karod, Executive Assistant in the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. To date, Yap's committee has met with 19 different "stakeholder" groups, a list of which you can see, along with their submissions, on the above linked government website. I am not going to go into details of what we presented, as you can see for yourself, but want to talk more about the tone of the meeting and the impressions I took away from it.

Going in, I saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak directly about liquor law reform to those who actually have the influence and power to make changes, but was sceptical about the process, with the cynic in me not letting me get my hopes up as to how well our ideas would be perceived and received. If you would have asked me before the meeting how confident I felt that our message would be received, I would have told you I was confident we were presenting solid suggestions based on solid reasoning but that I was more than expecting to meet glazed-over looks and yawns from Mr Yap and Company.

I can tell you, I came out of our meeting feeling optimistic as the great reception, feedback and engagement from the government committee beat my inner cynic into submission. I am here to say right now, I believe this policy review is real, genuine and that there is a greater-than-not chance we will see real and significant changes made to our liquor policies in regards to liberalization and modernization, bringing us in line with the rest of Canada and much of the world where alcohol is allowed and legal.

I was encouraged by the fact that intelligent questions where asked by the committee. I was encouraged by the fact they were taking what appeared to be detailed notes. I was encouraged and impressed that many points we made were said to be supported by submissions of groups like the police (supporting families in beer gardens/festivals) and health care who apparently pointed out, like we did, that alcohol abuse is a complicated issue and related to more than just availability and price and that factors such as mental illness, socio-economic issues and social issues enter prominently into the equation.

I was also impressed with the relaxed, yet professional, atmosphere and candid discussion we had.

And it was a discussion.

It was very much a to-and-fro conversation and, at times, the committee asked tough questions or asked us to give examples of what we were talking about to back up our arguments and we were able to respond intelligently and professionally, something that was commented on by Dawson at the end of the meeting. At times, we used strong language and examples that were not too complimentary to the government and the bureaucrats who work under them.

Despite this, it was a cordial affair, not us-against-them, which we joked about as we walked into the board room, at the Labour Relations offices, where we found a large table with a bible sitting on it where, no doubt, many adversarial hearings and meetings have been held. Maybe the relaxed atmosphere was a result of the growlers full of beer from 33 Acres Brewery that were plunked down on the table by Chatburn and the CAMRA BC membership he gave Yap as we were introducing ourselves.

It was also very interesting to hear how closely Yap and his gang are tracking social media. They were quite pleased (and surprised) at the massive amount of feedback they received in regards to selling beer and wine in corner stores and supermarkets and as a result of the this, I think this idea may not be as dead in the water as some think. Yap also mentioned to me, after I introduced myself, that he had noticed the long Twitter conversation I was involved in regarding serving sizes a few days prior to our meeting which tells me that he and/or his team are looking at what is going on on a broader scope than we may think.

As a result, I would really encourage anyone who has an idea or an opinion on BC liquor policy to get on the site and get involved. In my humble opinion, we are, for the first time in a long time, being listened to. Maybe the experience of the HST disaster has the government listening to its citizens.  Or maybe they realize that this past election has given them a very unexpected chance to redeem themselves.

Whatever the reason for this process, it really doesn't matter for it is happening and they appear to be listening. Let us just hope that they will indeed follow through.

It is a time of anticipation for those of us who having been pushing hard for liquor policy reform and an exciting process to be a part of.

CAMRA BC Submission to the BC Liquor Policy Review

CAMRA BC Has Something to Yap About

This past August the BC Liberal Government began what they are calling the "BC Liquor Policy Review"  headed up by John Yap, Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General and Justice Minister, Suzanne Anton.

According to the website, the consultation will be conducted in two phases, with Phase 1 having begun in August 2013,  when Yap, the Liberal MLA for Richmond-Steveston, sent letters "to key industry groups and stakeholders, and more than 10,000 liquor licensees and liquor agency stores, seeking input on making practical, common-sense change to B.C.'s liquor policy."

Phase 2, which began mid-September and runs until October 31, 2013, is where the general public have their say, with Yap asking for feedback from British Columbians, inviting them submit their "ideas and comments," with the website stating, "your ideas and comments will be considered in the final report to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice."

If you haven't checked out the policy review website, it is quite comprehensive and well thought out and worth a look.

And to further prove they have not already made up their minds as to what changes will be made, and are not just going through the motions, the Liberals are, according to their website, inviting "stakeholders from local governments, First nations, police, industry, health and social policy groups" to meet with Yap face-to-face. 

One of the "social policy groups" meeting with Yap is the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) BC after Vancouver Branch President, Adam Chatburn, contacted the consultation organizers and insisted CAMRA BC, who are now representing close to 1400 total members from five active branches, be heard. 

Next Tuesday, Sept 24th, Chatburn, CAMRA BC President, Rick Green, and myself, as CAMRA Powell River President, are meeting with Yap, along with other government types, Ken Dawson and Suneil Karod, who are representing the office's of the Premier and Attorney General respectively. It is our hope that we can get the government types to listen to reason and make some of the changes CAMRA has been pushing for in this province over the past few years.

Chatburn has submitted a brief letter outlining what CAMRA is aiming to talk about and our group will present our ideas for change in more detail, and reasoning for why they are good changes for BC and the BC craft beer consumer, during the meeting. You can check out CAMRA Vancouver's page dedicated to the process here.  

A few of the things CAMRA wants to push are not surprising, such as getting the growler mark-up reversed (lowered), trying to ensure consumer protection in regards to misrepresented serving sizes and allowing craft beer to be sold at farmers markets, all active CAMRA Vancouver campaigns. 

Another change we want to push for is ensuring greater consumer access to BC-brewed, craft beers by pushing for automatic listings for beers brewed in the province, if the brewery so wishes to sell their beer in their local BC Liquor Stores and having the BC Liquor Stores feature BC craft beer in a distinct section of the store similar to how wine is marketed. CAMRA is also looking at having the government allow licensees to be able to have the ability to change the price of their drinks throughout the day, something that was banned in the 1980's in this province but which is allowed, with government guidelines and restrictions, in most provinces.

For a complete list of what is on the agenda, look at the letter linked above.

I know some will disagree with our list or have their own spins on the issues we are addressing, but we came up with what we thought was best and, to tell you the truth, when we put out the call to members to give us feed back on what they wanted, we got very little feedback. 

Regardless if you agree or disagree with CAMRA's agenda, I encourage you to go to the site, post your comments and/or ideas and be heard.

This is probably the only chance, for decades to come, to be heard in regards to liquor policy and the government says they are listening, so speak. If you are like the majority of us who enjoy a drink here and there, you have most likely complained about our outdated and restrictive liquor laws so this is your chance to complain directly to those who have the power to make changes instead of whining to the barfly seated next to you at your local.  

If you do not get involved in a process you have been invited to participate in, you have no grounds to complain about the outcomes from that process later on if you ignore that invitation.

If Twitter is more your thing, look for the Twitter town hall meeting on Sunday, September 29, 2013 1800-1900 hours (6-7 PM) where you can tweet your suggestions and comments to @John_yap  

I'll let you know next week how our meeting went when I get back from Vancouver. I am hoping I can get a read on how Yap & Co feel about our ideas during the meeting and really hope we get lots of questions and feedback and not yawns and glazed looks.

In the meantime, make yourself heard.

BC Craft Beer News Publishes 1st Edition!!

British Columbia craft beer folks may have noticed  a new publication lying around their local craft beer friendly spots over the past few weeks with the BC Craft Beer News (BCCBN) having published
their first addition which is currently being distributed to as many craft beer friendly locales as possible around the province.

The publication, launched by craft beer lovers Kenn Dubeau and Julia Chalifoux, is, according to the introduction in the newspaper, "dedicated to the promotion, growth and enjoyment of craft beer and brewing culture in BC," and features contributions from many well-known personalities from the BC craft beer community including the Thirsty Writer, Joe Wiebe, who is currently touring the province promoting his new book, Craft Beer Revolution: The Insider's Guide to BC Breweries , and well-known beer blogger/rantmaster extraordinaire Chuck Hallett, better known as Barley Mowat.

See below for a complete list of contributors for the first edition.

"I think the timing for BC Craft Beer News is right," wrote Chalifoux in an email to VEBB. "There is a lot going on in the world of BC craft beer (and spirits and cider) at the moment. Having a dedicated source by which people can be informed, educated, entertained, heard and have the opportunity to connect is very important."

The BCCBN has printed 15,000 copies for their first edition, which, as the name alludes to, focuses on BC craft beer, but not exclusively so. Page 12 is dedicated to craft cider, with an informative article by Cinder Monger. Future editions will also include articles about the BC artisan distillery industry as well, as the newspaper understands that those who are interested in craft beer recognize quality products and most likely support the other local craft alcohol industries.

But make no mistake, this is a BC-based publication focusing on our vibrant and growing craft beer industry.

As Joe Wiebe states in his book's introduction, "welcome to the revolution".

BC Craft Beer News contributors (in alphabetical order):

Chris Blanchette, Joanna Chabot, Adam Chatburn, Lundy Dale, Ari Giligson, Rick Green, Chuck Hallett, Lynn McIlwee, Cider Monger, Paddy Treavor (VanEast Beer Blog), Joe Wiebe, Rebecca Whyman (Beck's Beer Blog), Kevin Wood

Communities where BCCBN can be found (complete distribution list will be made available ASAP)

Cranbrook, Creston, Fernie, Invermere, Kimberley, Nelson, Pemberton, Powell River, Rossland, Squamish, Trail, Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler

Interested in distributing the BCCBN, contributing, advertising or receiving a copy, contact julia@bccbnews.ca

Free Samples of Cask Beer!: CAMRA Vancouver Wants to Bring Craft Beer to Local Farmers Markets

Imagine ambling down to your local farmers market on a sunny Saturday afternoon and being able to taste one or two sample-sized beers from your favourite, local brewery before purchasing a growler of fresh craft brew to throw into your recyclable shopping bags along with your organic organic veggies, free range eggs and fresh baked whole grain bread.

Crazy talk, you say?

Well here in BC, where adult consumers of alcohol are treated like children and it is illegal to sell or give out samples of any type of alcohol at farmers markets, yes. Government liquor inspectors to toss and turn all night and politicians run for cover at such suggestions saying it is not in the interest of public safety.

But not so in a few places south of the border, such as Oregon, Washington State and New York State, where consumers can purchase and consume beer at farmers markets and in some cases wine and spirits (read here) and you know what, from the reports I have read and heard, there are no gangs of drunken youths or irresponsible adults overturning the organic apple cart. As a result, many other states are considering passing laws allowing booze sales at local markets.

In a bid to raise awareness about this issue, The Campaign for Real Ale BC - Vancouver Branch (CAMRA Vancouver), has struck a deal with the Vancouver's Farmer's Market to set up shop at community tables provided at five different markets over the summer.

To get market goer's attention, CAMRA are setting up a "pin" (20 litre cask) at their table with a sign saying "free samples". Once lured to the table by the thought of a free sample of cask beer, the consumer sees the fine print under the "free sample" sign explaining the illegalities of alcohol at farmers markets in BC and CAMRA representatives are there to answer questions and provide education about this issue and other CAMRA campaigns such as Fess Up to Serving Sizes (FUSS), Bring Your Own Craft Beer (BYOCB) and the Save Growler Campaign and about CAMRA Vancouver and what they stand for in general. If interested, people are also able to sign up for a membership onthe spot and join the CAMRA cause.

CAMRA is also encouraging those who support the idea of beer sales at farmers markets to write Attorney General Suzanne Anton and her Parliamentary Secretary, John Yap to inform them of their desire to be able to sample and purchase craft beer at Vancouver Farmers Markets. To help get the letter campaign going, CAMRA has been printing out form letters which they are offering to mail if signed at the markets. The letter can also be downloaded from their website (download here) and mailed in by the consumer.

Free samples! Not here in BC! Campaign For Real Ale Vancouver is asking the Provincial Gov't why beer samples and sales are
illegal in BC while legal in places like Oregon and Washington States

"All the people we spoke to knew it was illegal but didn't know why," states CAMRA Vancouver President, Adam Chatburn on CAMRA's website. "A couple of the people who signed letters were visiting from Seattle and Oregon and were surprised that it wasn't possible for local artisan alcohol products to be sold at farmers markets."

According to Chatburn, this is not a campaign pushing to have beer gardens and on-site consumption, other than limited samples and is about giving craft beer consumers the chance to purchase growlers from local craft breweries at Vancouver Farmers Markets. It is an idea that fits in with the concept of consumers buying locally produced products directly from the producer.

CAMRA has taken the idea to the BC Legislature, where they met with several NDP MLAs and according Chatburn, the idea was well received, especially supported by long-time NDP MLA Jenny Kwan. Chatburn has also met with Vancouver City Councillor Heather Deal where he brought up the idea of beer sales at Vancouver Farmers Markets.

CAMRA Vancouver has already attended two markets, in Kitsilano and the West End and the response has been good. 

"Everyone who we spoke to about it at the markets agreed to sign a letter and we quickly ran out of letters at our first market, we also ran out at the West End market and in total so far we have over 100 letters ready to go," reports Chatburn. 

They are scheduled to be at the Main Street Market, July 10th, Trout Lake, July 13th and Kerrisdale August 10th. So if you are a CAMRA supporter and in favour of beer sales at Farmers Markets, get out and support the cause.  Who knows, if enough people write letters at this time when liquor laws are being reviewed, reformed and modernized, we may soon be able to fill our growlers and buy great, locally-produced foods at BC farmers markets.

Vancouver Craft Beer Lovers Hold Fate of Beer Lounges in Their Own Hands

Vancouver-area craft beer lovers literally hold the fate of brewery lounges in their own hands and have the rare opportunity to be consulted directly in regards to liquor law changes as yesterday Vancouver City Council officially passed a report from the Vancouver City General Manager of Planning and Development Services recommending that changes be made to City zoning and licensing by-laws to allow for the sale and consumption of beer in lounges located within breweries.

That matter will now be referred to a public hearing, the final step in the approval process, which should be scheduled in a "few weeks", according to NPA City Clr George Affleck, whose motion (see here) started things moving forward. The public hearing is where those in the private and public sectors of the community get to come out and have their say on the matter directly to City Council so it is not just a rubber stamp type step in the process. If major opposition to beer lounges show up and successfully plead their case and those in favour are silent, or less prominent, the whole process could grind to a halt.

"Until the public have had a chance to speak to it, I would not want to speculate on what will happen. But thus far, we have seen very little opposition to this and a ton of support," stated Clr Affleck last week after seeing the report which recommends breweries, distilleries and wineries be allowed to have licensed, on-site lounges, no bigger than 80 m2. To give you an idea of the size, if you have visited Parallel 49's tasting room, it is well within this size limit.

Currently in Vancouver on-site (meaning at the brewery) patron consumption opportunities are limited to tasting rooms where breweries can charge for samples but are limited to selling 375ml per patron per day, otherwise samples can be offered to the public at no charge. Because of the fact that breweries cannot charge for their products in tasting rooms, few have bothered to build and staff them. 

This single change to Vancouver by-laws could change the face of the local beer scene in Vancouver completely and according to the report, gives breweries, "a more lucrative means of showcasing their product." It will help support small, local breweries and encourage new growth in the industry. 

You need to look no further in BC than to the wine industry who have been allowed this type of lounge for years. Areas like the Naramata Bench have taken full advantage of the lounge opportunity to draw tourists and locals alike to tour from winery lounge to winery lounge to try different wines from the source and purchase products. It is a far more intimate consumer experience and connects the consumer directly to the point of production. 

This type of lounge has has also helped make places like Portland Oregon and Seattle, Washington beer tourist meccas and they bring BIG dollars into the cities as beer lovers visit the breweries located within city limits to enjoy themselves.  Food and entertainment will be allowed as well and if Vancouver sticks to the intentions of the Provincial Government when they made changes to the laws March 1/13, minors accompanied by responsible adults will also be allowed, making these lounges family friendly.

This is the time for groups like CAMRA Vancouver to shine and make a difference by getting their members to come out to the meeting to ensure the pro side of the argument gets heard loud and clear. CAMRA Vancouver President Adam Chatburn has already been very involved in getting things to this point, having spoken to City Councillor Heather Deal a few months back in a private meeting and having spoken at the council meeting where the motion was presented. 

"CAMRA BC - Vancouver Chapter will be there all the way to represent the craft beer consumers of the city and we look forward to the public meeting where we will show just how important these positive changes are to the future of the city and the province," stated Chatburn last week.

Let's hope craft beer consumers and industry types are as committed as Chatburn to come out the the public hearing so we can get this passed and written into law as I would like nothing better than to sit in a local beer lounge by the end of summer to enjoy a fresh, locally brewed beer straight from the source.

I would hate to see the process get this far only to be scuttled by consumer apathy for getting involved in the political process.

Vancouver Beer Lounges One Step Closer to a Reality But Still Requires Public Support

Vancouver craft breweries are one step closer to being able to offer their thirsty and adoring customers the opportunity to purchase and consume fresh beers from the source in on-site (at the brewery) lounges.

In a report (read report here) received by Vancouver City Council from Vancouver City General Manager of Planning and Development Services, recommendations have been made to allow for amendments to the Vancouver zoning and development by-laws to permit licensed on-site lounges at breweries.

The report was generated as a result of a motion, tabled by NPA Councillor George Affleck, requesting city staff to look into what changes needed to be made to Vancouver by-laws to allow for licensed, on-site lounges in industrial zones. The motion was passed unanimously April 23rd by Vancouver City Council and the report was presented to Mayor Robertson and City Council last week.

In short, breweries located within Vancouver's city limits may be able to apply to have beer lounges by the end of summer, giving the Vancouver craft beer scene yet another boost and allow it to showcase fresh, local beers similar to how it is done in places like Portland, Oregon where beer tourism is BIG business for the city. 

March 1/13 BC liquor laws changed to allow breweries and distilleries to apply for endorsements to their existing manufacturer's licenses to allow them to have on-site lounges where they could sell their products directly to consumers to be consumed in the lounge, bringing them in line with wineries who have had that opportunity for years. Despite the ability under provincial laws, Vancouver City by-laws and regulations did not allow for the type of liquor liquor license required for lounges to exist in industrial areas that allow breweries, distilleries and wineries to operate.

Currently in Vancouver, breweries can have tasting lounges where they are permitted to sell only one 12-oz beer per person, per day but are permitted to give out multiple free samples. They cannot have entertainment or even televisions! They can sell beer to be consumed off the premises, such as growlers and packaged products.

I posted about the conflict here, a story that was picked up by mainstream media, and had attempted to get some response from Vancouver City Mayor Gregor Robertson and his City Council as to whether they had plans to make changes to support the desire by several local breweries to take advantage of the opportunity to apply to have lounges. After being repeatedly ignored by the mayor and his crew, I posted an open letter (read here), to Mayor Gregor and his council scolding them for their lack of accountability to the voters of Vancouver and as a result Clr Affleck, who described the open letter as "nasty", contacted me to take a meeting with him to discuss the beer lounge issue. After listening to what I had to say, Affleck saw how having such lounges in Vancouver would support the local craft beer industry and promote the city through tourism similar to what is seen in cities like Portland and Seattle.

Mayor Gregor and his Vision Vancouver gang quickly jumped on the band wagon and threw their support behind Affleck's motion, stating they had been working behind the scenes on resolving the issues before Affleck's motion was tabled. I am not saying they were not doing so, as I really have no idea, but I can say that they were given ample opportunity to let those interested in the issue know and remained silent. I am fairly confident that if Affleck had not pushed the issue with his motion that the wheels of City bureaucracy would have turned very slowly and we would not be at this advanced stage in the process so quickly.

"I am so pleased to see staff reporting back so quickly," stated Affleck. "The industry is on the verge of exploding in Vancouver. Changes like these, which help brewers and distillers succeed, is another step for Vancouver soon becoming an international destination for people passionate about beer and spirits."

The report will go before City Council this week I am told and if accepted, it will be referred to a public hearing where anyone who wants to speak about the proposed changes can have their say in front of City Council. Unless there is major opposition that sways City Council to rethink their position, the recommended changes will then be written into Vancouver City by-laws and will become law. All reports I am hearing is that the whole process should be completed by the end of July.

"I am hopeful that Council will pass this unanimously (Tuesday), thus sending it to public hearing process," says Affleck. "Until the public have had a chance to speak to it, I would not want to speculate on what will happen. But thus far, we have seen very little opposition to this and a ton of support."

If the recommended changes to Vancouver by-laws are made, breweries, distilleries and wineries located in areas zoned M-1, M-2, I-1, I-2, I-3, IC-1, IC-2 and IC-3 would be allowed to apply for endorsements to have on-site lounges to a maximum size of 80 m2. Currently it is virtually impossible to run a lounge in these types of industrial zones (read here). 

Special event area endorsements will also be allowed and breweries will be allowed to hold up to 2 special events, i.e. arts and cultural events, a month. 

Although the majority of work has been done by city staff, the public hearing is still a roadblock. City Council will need to see supporters of the changes out at the hearing and hear them speaking as to why they should be allowed. I know the local breweries are banding together and CAMRA Vancouver is fully behind the proposed by-law amendments. In fact CAMRA Vancouver President Adam Chatburn spoke at the original council meeting where Affleck's motion was passed.

"I'm pleased that the city council has moved forward on the issue of allowing beer lounges at breweries, there's still a long way to go but each step brings us closer to being a city that prides itself on our craft beer culture," stated Chatburn. "CAMRA BC - Vancouver Chapter will be there all the way to represent the craft beer consumers of the city and we look forward to the public meeting where we will show just how important these positive changes are to the future of the city and the province."

So CAMRA members stay up-to-date on this issue as I am sure President Chatburn will put out a call for supporters to attend the public hearing. You can be sure there will be opposition and possibly from very influential and organized camps such as the BC Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE), the industry association who represents BC liquor primary establishments, who have been making noises they are opposed to beer lounges at breweries, fearing competition. I have personally had a few on-line Twitter exchanges with ABLE's Executive Director Ian Baillie who seems very anti-lounge endorsements for breweries. 

So, stay tuned if you want to be able to amble down to your local craft brewery for a mug of your favourite brew. The ball is in our court and craft beer consumers and industry types can ensure these proposed changes get written into law by going to the public hearing to support the cause. 

It just goes to show you, it is possible to fight City Hall and win...

Unanimous Support From City Council Brings Beers Lounges Closer to Reality

The local craft beer industry was given a glimmer of hope Wednesday after Vancouver City Council voted unanimously to support a motion, tabled by NPA Councilor George Affleck, directing city staff to instigate what changes need to be made to city zoning and licensing regulations to allow for on-site beer lounges.

The motion, which directs Vancouver City, "staff report back to Council on the required changes to the relevant regulations within the City of Vancouver that would permit micro-breweries, wineries and distilleries on industrial land to sample products produced on-site, thus being consistent with provincial liquor policy," in itself does not lead local brewers out of the bureaucratic woods, but at least has given them some hope that a path will soon be available to sell their beers in on-site lounges for consumption beyond the currently allowed 12 oz per-person, per-day.

Recent changes to BC liquor laws have made it possible for breweries and distilleries to apply for endorsements to their manufacturing licenses to have on-site lounges, where patrons can purchase and consume products produced on-site, putting them in line with wineries who have been able to do so for decades, but Vancouver City zoning and licensing regulations have made it next to impossible for beer, wine and liquor producers in the city to take advantage of the on-site lounge possibility. Currently tasting lounges are allowed, but except for the one 12-oz beer which can be charged for, all other beers must be given away as tasting samples.

These types of lounges, which have helped cities like Portland and Seattle become Pacific Northwest craft beer tourist destinations, could set up a win-win-win situation for the local craft beer industry, Vancouver City and and local and visiting craft beer consumers. Existing and future breweries would have yet another way to market their products and produce revenue, the City would benefit from an increase in beer tourism and economic spin-offs of having a vibrant local industry and consumers would have greater access to world-class, locally produced beers.

After writing a blog post on the situation (read here), I attempted to contact Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vancouver City Council to try to start some sort of dialogue about how supporting these types of lounges could be a great move for Vancouver, but I received no response prompting me to write a scathing open letter voicing my displeasure at being repeatedly ignored by local politicians.

Clr Affleck was the only person to respond and after meeting face-to-face with me tabled the motion which since being passed officially signals Vancouver City Council's intent to look into how to align City by-laws and regulations with provincial liquor laws regarding on-site lounges.

After the motion was passed late Wednesday, Clr Affleck, the lone NPA representative on Vancouver City Council, stated he was "very pleased to get unanimous support," and believes passing the motion was, "an important move forward for Vancouver and sets us (Vancouver) up to be micro brewery tourism destination location."

After the motion was tabled last week, Mayor Gregor and Vision Clr Heather Deal immediately, via Twitter, made it be known they had been working with Vancouver City staff  on a solution to allow for the lounges, but if this was true, they were keeping their activities very quiet. When CAMRA Vancouver President Adam Chatburn met with Deal a few weeks ago to talk about the beer lounge impasse, Deal only stated "they would look into fixing the problem" and gave Chatburn no indication as to when or how and definitely did not offer to table an official motion before City Council.

Another positive to come out of the Affleck motion is that local, Vancouver-based breweries have banded together to create one, organized voice. This unofficial, and I stress unofficial, "Vancouver Craft Brewers Guild" is very significant as local brewery representatives are finally seeing the importance of forming a united front to advocate for the local craft beer industry, for the greater good, while still fighting it out in the marketplace with their brews as individual breweries. Thirteen signatures, from 11 different existing or soon-to-be-opened Vancouver breweries were present on a letter presented to City Council, "respectfully asking for the opportunity to consult with planning and building departments as they draft forthcoming regulations pertaining to brewery lounges." City representatives did in fact meet with local brewery representatives before Wednesday's debate on the motion to listen to their concerns and wishes.

The motion was also supported strongly by CAMRA Vancouver, with President Chatburn both sending a pre-debate letter outlining CAMRA's position supporting beer lounges and by speaking directly to City Councilors at the debate on behalf of Vancouver craft beer consumers.

No offical timeline has been set for the report to come back to City Council, but Affleck hopes "by summer" so hopefully we will have a better idea as to how much the City of Vancouver really supports this beer lounge idea or whether they were simply buying time to take off pressure in regards to this issue.

Time will tell, but I am cautiously optimistic as this is the first time in a long time the local craft beer industry and craft beer consumers have organized and worked together and have been successful penetrating the political process to bring about possible positive, meaningful; change.

Let us hope this trend continues.

VEBB Post & CAMRA Vancouver Campaign Prompts NDP Promise to Scrap Growler Mark-up Increase

Yesterday the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) BC - Vancouver Branch  scored what could become a major victory for BC craft beer consumers and craft breweries when NDP liquor critic Maurine Karagianis announced that if elected the NDP would scrap the increased mark-up for growlers being implemented by the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) as a result of them reclassifying the 1.8 litre, refillable jugs as "packaged" product.

Classifying growlers as draught would help
support small local breweries like Townsite
in Powell River

Growlers are, as mentioned, refillable jugs, used by consumers to buy fresh, draft beer directly from the brewery to be taken away for consumption elsewhere. Growlers date back to pre-Prohibition and have made a huge comeback in recent months with the opening of numerous small, craft breweries around the province. Growlers are unique in that consumers travel to the actual brewery to buy beer directly from the brewer and are usually cheaper than six-packs which are of comparable volume. The growlers are reusable, therefore great for the environment and cut down on a brewery's carbon footprint as the beer does not need to be transported to liquor stores, bars or restaurants to be sold.

The story of the reclassification and impending mark-up increase was first broken here on the VanEast Beer Blog and on the same day CAMRA Vancouver President Adam Chatburn launched the "Save the Growler Campaign" aimed at stopping the increase which will either result in less profits for breweries selling growlers or increased consumer prices, depending on whether the breweries decided to eat the increase or pass it on to their customers. 

The campaign quickly gained momentum as mainstream media picked up the story. CAMRA's "Save the Growler" petition has over 1900 signatures as of today, gathered in four weeks since the launch of their campaign. March 11th saw CAMRA BC President Rick Green and CAMRA Vancouver President Adam Chatburn travel to Victoria to join up with CAMRA BC VP Maureen Blaseckie, who had arranged for the three to meet with several NDP MLAs, including Karagianis, at the BC Legislature with the growler issue being front and centre of the issues they discussed. 

"This is unfair tax on small business and a sustainable industry has to go," stated Karagianis in a media release. "When it comes to liquor policy, this government (BC Liberals) just doesn't get it. Just weeks after a long-awaited announcement of a handful of liquor law changes, they are at it again, slipping through a tax that will make life harder for the growing (craft beer) industry."

To give a little back ground, breweries must pay a mark-up per litre of beer to the LDB and the amount they pay depends on their brewery's annual production levels and whether the product is sold as "packaged" product, which according to the LDB are "products that are packaged for customer consumption off-site," or "draught", which is product consumed at the point of purchase. 

Mark-ups as of April 1/13 (HL is 100 litres)

Breweries (>160,000 HL)

Packaged  - $1.63 

Draught - $1.12 

Breweries (>15,000 ≤ 160,000 HL)

Packaged - $1.08 

Draught -    $0.75 

Breweries (≤ 15,000 HL)

Packaged - $0.97 

Draught - $0.67 

For the most part, breweries that sell growlers are in the 15,000 HL or less category of production so the increase from draught to packaged is going to rise from $.67 to $.97 per litre. That may not sound much, but if you have a brewery that sells mainly growlers, which many new nano-breweries are planning to do, then this $.30 increase becomes thousands of dollars more being paid to the LDB each year, a number that can really impede small breweries operating on a tight budgets.

There has been mass confusion lately about how mark-ups regarding growlers are implemented, with some breweries being charged the lower draught rate per litre and some the higher packaged rate for growler refills creating an uneven playing field in the marketplace. Some brewery representatives were shocked when they found out they had been paying the LDB 30% more of a mark-up than some of their competitors, all at the direction of LDB officials.

It was obvious that the LDB had no handle on what was going on with breweries selling growlers. 

When I found out about this reclassification and put in a media request to the LDB for information about growler mark-up policy, I was told repeatedly for three weeks that no one from the LDB could supply me with an explanation as to how growlers were marked up, information that should be very easy to access and explain. 

When I finally did get an explanation in an email Feb 28/13, I was told, "currently, the packaged mark-up rate is applied to the first Growler fill and the draught mark-up rate is applied to refills," but that, "it was determined that Growlers, both the first fill and all refills, should be subject to the packaged beer mark-up rate because they are packaged for customer consumption off-site."  

In another email forwarded from LDB General Manager Blaine Lawson March 26/13, it was explained that, 

"Growlers were subject to the packaged beer mark-up rate for over a decade, until January 2012 when an error was made that created a distinction between the first fill and subsequent refills.  We recently reviewed the application of mark-up on Growlers and reaffirmed that the packaged rate is the correct rate that should be applied.  The packaged mark-up rate is applied to products that are packaged for customer consumption off-site. Growlers clearly fall within this category.  The Liquor Distribution Branch has a responsibility to apply mark-up equitably within product categories and the correction of this error was done for that purpose."

It seems that if the NDP are elected, all this will be a moot point as they have committed to lower the growler rate back to the draught rate in order to help support small businesses in one of BC's fastest growing industries and help promote the sale of these ecologically friendly jugs. But it is pre-election, so promises will be coming from all political sides at a fast and furious rate and we all know how many times these pre-election promises get forgotten about post-election.

If the promise is kept and the roll-back implemented, it will be the first major campaign victory for CAMRA here in BC and hopefully the beginning of CAMRA being included in any future consultations in regards to reviewing and reforming liquor laws. It may also help CAMRA get some support in regards to their other existing campaigns like FUSS and BYOCB, both of which the NDP have shown interest in  over the past year, or any future issues they see fit to tackle on behalf of the province's craft beer consumers.