BC Craft Brewers Guild Mobilizing: Great News for Consumers

Since I started posting on this blog about three years ago, a major source of frustration for me has been the inert and inept nature of the BC

Craft Brewer's Guild (BCCBG).

 Here in BC we have one of the quickest growing and most vibrant craft brewing communities in North America, possibly the world, despite the fact that the BC industry association itself has been fragmented, unorganized and one who, well quite frankly, couldn't organize a piss up in a brewery.

My frustrations have been well documented, and if you are so inclined you can read my rantings here and here, but this post is not about me pulling on my double-soled, steel-toed Dayton's to once again put the boots to the Guild.

No, this is a post is one of positivism and hope.

In August, with little fanfare, the BCCBG may have made a move that will change the face of the industry here in BC. Realizing that they were too busy and too disinterested to even change their website to reflect the fact they had changed their name from the BC Craft Brewer Association several years ago, the representatives from the few member breweries still involved with the BCCBG decided it was time to regroup, reorganize and hire someone to try to breath some life into the BC's craft brewery organization.

Enter Ken Beattie, the new Executive Director of the BC Craft Brewers Guild.

I have met face-to-face with Beattie and spoken to him over the phone and his enthusiasm and charisma are evident. But he is more than just a magnetic, people-person, having started in the BC beer industry in 1987 and having worked selling Molson Canadian, Okanagan Springs and Shaftbury brand beers. Beattie understands how to sell beer in this province, knows the system and knows how the big boys work. He has watched the craft side of the industry grow from infancy in BC, chipping away at the market share of those breweries he was working for.

He is no longer working for a particular brewery, having started, in 2012, his beer education company, Eureka Beer Guide, which represents the Prud'homme beer certification program in Western Canada. This means he has no vested in promoting one brewery over another, which, quite frankly, has been a major problem with the guild in recent years, at least in my opinion.

"My primary goal is to harness the entrepreneurial spirit, craftsmanship and innovation that the BC craft brewers exhibit in their individual success and to manage that success into one collective voice," wrote Beattie in a communication with VEBB.

"One voice will grow the BC craft beer industry into a sustainable business environment supporting each other. The power of the guild moving forward needs to showcase that the brewers all work together to educate and promote 'Made in BC' beer in the government stores, private retail stores and the on premise channels."

Music to my freaking ears!!!

Let us hope it is to those who represent the 55+ craft breweries that are now operating in BC, and the 15 or so who are slated to open their doors in the next 15 months, feel the same way.

In a few short months Beattie has not only managed to give focus to the BCCBG but has began galvanizing the industry members. He has reached out, on behalf of the guild, to all the BC craft breweries he could find contact info for. He has the website being reconstructed (with the proper name I might add). He held a meeting during the Great Canadian Beer Festival where 26 breweries were represented and has a goal of signing up 80% of BC craft breweries with the guild in the next year. He also helped put together a very slick and well thought out presentation (read here) which was submitted to the current BC liquor policy review  by the BCCBG.

Why is this important to me and other craft beer consumers you ask?

Well often, but not always, what is good for the industry is good for the consumer. If the guild can organize the industry and establish an all-for-one attitude, it could become a powerful voice, one the government cannot ignore, lobbying for changes to our liquor policies and laws. We may see many changes that benefit us, the consumers. Just look at their presentation to Yap and Company where the BCCBG pushed for more access to "Made in BC" craft beer in BC Liquor Stores (something CAMRA BC pushed as well),  removing mark-ups from products bought directly by consumers from brewery store fronts, supporting and encouraging tasting rooms and developing an education program for LDB employees to learn about BC craft beer to better serve consumers in BC Liquor Stores.

Who doesn't want more access to great BC brewed beers in local liquor stores, lower prices, more tasting opportunities and more knowledgeable sales people in retail outlets?

And there are times that a powerful industry voice can help support groups like CAMRA BC when it is in the best interest of both groups.

I am very excited about this prospect, but wish it had happened a few years ago so that both the industry and consumers could have been working together more leading up the the current liquor policy review.

Better late than never, I guess. For the sake of the BC craft beer industry, for the sake of BC craft beer consumers, I wish Mr Beattie well.

See below for his immediate plans for the BC Craft Brewers Guild

• Firstly we (BCCBG) need to increase membership, it is currently below 40 % and we need it to be over 80 % .We need the members to work together on committees focusing on achieving our goals. 
• We need to increase our visibility and relationship as a Guild with local and provincial government to work together as the review of the liquor policies in BC gets underway to encourage entry into the market and restrict red tape.
• We need to target and develop a Tourism based strategy that supports and promotes the BC Craft Beer industry in the marketplace.
• Design and implement a new social media program that will allow our messaging to gain greater access to the BC craft beer drinker.

A Look Forward to 2013

Now that 2012 is in the rear view mirror it is time to start looking forward to see what is in store for 2013 for the BC craft beer consumer. The past few years has seen the BC craft beer scene explode but I believe that what has transpired has just been the warm-up for the main event which will totally change the craft beer landscape here in BC over the next few years.

Okay, I will now put on my funny wizard hat, look into my crystal ball and channel my inner Amazing Kreskin to see what is in store for 2013 for BC craft beer consumers with a special focus on the Vancouver area as that is where I am based...

Changes to Laws in the Works
As I announced a few weeks back, it looks like the tied house and trade practice laws are going to be erased from the books and according to the intel I am getting, these changes are happening ASAP. How these changes, if they do indeed occur, impact the craft beer consumer is a point of heavy debate among those involved in the craft beer industry.

Tied Houses: In one camp there are those who believe allowing alcohol producers (i.e. breweries, wineries and distilleries) to also own distribution points (i.e liquor stores, pubs, clubs, restaurants) will allow for deep pocketed producers to buy up distribution and sell only their own product limiting the smaller, less financially able manufacturer from being able to get their products to their adoring public. In the other camp, some believe that by eliminating the tied house laws, consumers will have greater choices, especially in smaller markets, as manufacturers will then have the opportunity to create their own places to sell their wares and licensees will have the opportunity to get into the manufacturing game, producing unique alcoholic treats for their establishments.
Trade Practices: Again, there is one camp that believes that giving deep pocketed alcohol manufacturers the chance to basically buy shelf and tap space or allowing licensees to sell tap and/or shelf space to the highest bidder will cut down on consumer choice as money will dictate selection, not consumer desire-demand. Some also say this practice will drive up prices as manufacturers are forced to pay licensees for the right to sell their products. Others believe that changing these types of laws will have no impact because bribery is alive and well and a common practice here in BC.

To be perfectly honest, these laws (both tied house and trade practice but more so the latter) are being ignored and regularly circumvented in the BC beer industry so it is hard to say if making these common practices legit will really impact things. I think here in the big city, where craft beer has a strong hold, we will not see much change, but deregulating may stop to craft beer craze from growing as quickly in the smaller markets.

Another change to the liquor laws I think we are likely to see sooner than later is one that will allow breweries and distilleries to have licensed lounges and special events areas similar to those that wineries have been allowed for years.You can read about the proposed changes here. These changes are being highly anticipated by many and should allow for a lot more opportunity for craft breweries to market themselves and offer their beers right on-site. It will also allow for smaller, nano-style breweries to operate both in the bigger urban centres and smaller communities without having to worry about packaging or getting their beer to vendors. It might be time to start looking for growler companies to invest in as I think the current growler market, which Barley Mowat writes about here,  is going to take off and explode.

But without a doubt the biggest event in 2013 that will influence whether there are major changes in store for the craft beer consumers of BC is the Provincial Election, slated for May 14, 2013. If the current popularity polls are accurate, it looks like we are in for a change of government with the NDP Party taking the reigns for the next four years. I have heard both personally from a contact high up in the NDP party and from another source who also has NDP contacts, that if elected, the NDP will be looking at reviewing BC liquor laws. Whether this is a major review, which could result in widespread changes to laws that are hindering consumer choice, restricting consumer access, inflating alcohol prices, not supporting the growth of the craft beer industry and generally stifling good times, or just a few tweaks here and there, such as we are currently seeing with the Liberals, is yet to be seen. From what I am hearing now, pre-election, is that the NDP may be looking at a major review and fix of our broken alcohol system. I don't expect them to make that promise publicly, as it is a big one to keep, but lets keep our fingers crossed and hope that they truly have been listening to the BC public and have not just been spouting rhetoric in attacking the Liberals for not making these much-needed changes.

Breweries
A sign of how healthy the craft beer industry is here in BC is the seven craft breweries that opened their doors in 2012, five of those in the Greater Vancouver area, according to Thirsty Writer Joe Wiebe's recent Urbandiner.ca article . Joe is  wired into this type of thing through his constant research on BC breweries so I am going to go out on a limb and say his list is fairly inclusive.

The upcoming year looks to see even more craft breweries open their doors in BC. By my count, there are 10, seven in the Greater Vancouver area, who have announced plans to open and I know of at least four more that are in the planning stages, including the proposed brewpub or brewery at UBC. That estimate could be conservative as I am not as in the know about things that are happening outside of The Lower Mainland-Greater Vancouver and the South of Vancouver Island.

As well, many existing breweries are also expanding their brewing capacity to keep up with demands. Central City, Red Truck and Steamworks are all in the process of building new, bigger facilities. Driftwood has just gone through an expansion at their present sight that has increased production and Parallel 49, who opened last Spring, seem to be in a constant state of expansion to keep up with the demands for their beer. I know Townsite Brewing, in Powell River, is currently installing new fermenters, which will help them keep up with demand and the list goes on and on as to who is growing and expanding. And to make sure that all this increased beer production makes it to market, I have noticed that many of the craft breweries are increasing their sales and marketing teams and attempting to enlarge their distribution areas. This is great news for those craft beer lovers who live outside the craft beer hubs of Vancouver and Victoria. Lets hope these breweries pushing the borders of the craft beer market are successful in spreading the love.

What does all this mean...well, by the end of 2013 we should have much more production of some of the great beers we already love, meaning less shortages of the most popular brews and possibilities for these breweries to expand their distribution and sales. And with the new breweries up and running we will see new beers on the market competing for your craft beer dollar and, judging by the people I know who are getting involved in the brewing end of the industry, there are going to be some great new beers available in the market competing with the already great selection of BC craft beers.


Restaurants and Pubs
It seems everywhere you go these days, at least here in Vancouver, there is at least a few craft beer options on the menu. Rarely now do I need to produce my small bottle of hop oil to tart up my macro-beer because almost everywhere I go I can find decent beer. I was even in the lounge of the Hotel Vancouver the other day and found several Phillips and Driftwood beers on the bottle list. This is great news for consumers and I do not think this trend will slow down as business folks continue to clue in that craft beer drinkers are everywhere, have money and are willing to part with it while out on the town.

In Vancouver, the two most anticipated openings for me are the Craft Beer Market, to be located in the Salt Building at 85 W 1st Ave in the Olympic Village, shouting distance from The Tap & Barrel, the Daniel Hospitality Group's (DHG) dynamite False Creek BC craft beer hangout. The Craft Beer Market is planning on having 140 taps of  draft, many of the craft variety and the DHG are planning on opening a second Tap & Barrel location near the Vancouver Convention Centre, complete with another massive patio and I am told more great BC craft beers on tap.

Advocacy
 The last few years has seen CAMRA Vancouver really raise their game and their profile and I do not see this trend slowing down. I spoke briefly with newly elected President Adam Chatburn at CAMRA Van's AGM and he seemed to speak my language and quickly convinced me he wants to keep on fighting the good fight and keep CAMRA focused on pushing their advocacy and education agendas. This is great news for local craft beer consumers as this upcoming year could be CAMRA's big coming out party if they can manage to get themselves to the table if the NDP do get elected and do commit to a review of liquor laws.

I have also heard rumblings that the BC Craft Brewer's Guild is possibly looking at revitalizing and getting more active and focused. I have long said it is essential that the industry get organized and advocate and lobby hard for themselves in order to get the same treatment that the wine industry does and I really do hope that the rumours I am hearing are true and that we do get a more active and comprehensive craft beer, industry-oriented association because a strong craft beer industry means more growth, which should translate into more selection and more access for consumers.

With all these positive things in the works I believe it is going to be a banner year for the BC craft beer lover. As I said at the opening of this post, I think the explosion we have seen in regards to craft beer locally is nothing compared to what is going to happen over the next few years. Exciting times to be a craft beer lover here in BC!!

LDB Privatization - A Guide to Some Great Reporting

Since February, when Liberal  Finance Minister Kevin Falcon dropped the bomb that the Provincial Government were going to sell off the province's two liquor distribution centres, and with them, the province's warehouse distribution system, it seems everyone associated with the local liquor industry has been voicing concerns about how this is going to negatively impact the BC liquor landscape.

The Alliance of Beverage Licensees of BC, who represent more than 1,000 pubs, bars and private liquors stores has come out against the privatization. The BC Government Employees Union has come out against the privatization. The NDP have come out against the privatization, with NDP alcohol critic Shane Simpson stating in the BC Legislature "the whole process is tainted". CAMRA BC, on behalf of craft beer consumers, is about to officially come out agianst the privatization. Heck, even the mostly inert Craft Brewer's Guild of BC have gotten in on the action and gone public with their displeasure of how this will negatively impact the province's alcohol industry.

This sale is being fast-tracked, with the Request For Proposals (RFP) deadline coming up June 29th. The government hopes to have this whole sale wrapped up and signed by March 2013.

The simple fact is that it looks like the Liberals are ramming through the sale, which most likely is going to result in higher prices for alcohol consumers, without consulting those directly impacted or doing any sort of case study on how this move will be advantageous and impact the BC alcohol industry. 

I wrote a post a while back which highlights connections between Liberal insiders, our country's large national breweries and those vying to be the successful bidder but there are much more competent, and in-the-know-and-connected journalists than myself shedding light on all the cloak-and-dagger, shady, back-room goings-on in regards to this process.

Probably the most comprehensive and in-depth coverage I have found is provided by Bob Mackin, on his 2010 Gold Rush blog, with his series of posts called #LiquorLeaks.. The whole incestuous, sordid, complicated mess is being laid out for all to see and if you have any interest in how this move by the Liberals is shaping up, I would give Mackin's blog a read. He has gained access to many sensitive documents and memos that really highlight how this privatization process may rival the BC Rail scandal and in fact has many of the same players.


 The Province newspaper columnist Michael Smyth has also written quite a bit on the subject and exposed that cabinet minister, and the man ultimately responsible for the LDB, Rich Coleman, cannot 100% guarantee consumer prices would not rise with privatization. Smyth, in another column, also highlights how the Liberals have even stooped to 1950's- McCarthy-style "red baiting" and Communist bashing in attempts to discredit NDP and deflect attention away from the facts.


I know I am not really enlightening anyone with new information here, but I wanted to point those who are interested towards some informative sources and resources. I hope you take the time to read through the material, especially Mackin's posts and take the time to voice your concerns to Rich Coleman and LCLB General Manager Karen Ayers. 

Craft Beer Drinkers Getting Short Poured Again

About a month ago I wrote about the discussions being held by provincial politicians looking at possibly changing liquor laws to allow for a Bring Your Own Bottle-style program in BC restaurants.

In that post I pointed out that most of the focus was on including wine only to be allowed to be brought by patrons to participating restaurants and I have since had confirmed that the BC craft beer industry is once again being given no support by the Provincial Government while the wine industry is getting preferential treatment.

But this latest snub of the craft beer industry has a lot to do with the fact that the craft beer industry and the craft beer consumers of BC are just not as organized as their counterparts in the wine world.

NDP MLA and critic for the LCLB/LDB, Shane Simpson brought up the subject in the BC Legislature, prompted in part by discussions and email communications with CAMRA Vancouver who are pressing to have beer included in any BYOB discussions. When asked directly by Mr Simpson if beer, particularly craft beer, is being considered as a part of any future law reforms in regards to BYOB, Liberal Cabinet Minister Rich Coleman, the minister responsible for the LCLB/LDB, replied, "No. We (Liberal Government) have not even had any overtures from restaurants or bars in BC, with regards to that."

So, a combination of a lack of organization and desire to lobby on their own behalf by the Craft Brewers Guild combined with a lack of respect for the BC craft beer industry from the Provincial Government has once again placed beer lovers in this province in the role of second fiddle.

Those involved in and who support the craft beer industry and those who love craft beer need to get active and need to do it quickly. Check out what the wine folks have been doing to make sure the government knows they are interested in BYOB.  Sign the CAMRA Vancouver petition to show your support for craft beer and BYOB. Tweet Rich Coleman @colemancountry, email him at rich.coleman.mla@leg.bc.ca or contact LCLB General Manager, Karen Ayers at Karen.Ayers@gov.bc.ca to let them know we want craft beer included in BYOB talks.

If not, we craft beer drinkers are soon going to be crying into our pints about how the government has once again short-poured the craft beer community in BC while local wine lovers are busy enjoying their favourite BYOB wine while out enjoying a meal.