The Mad Scientist & the $1000 Bottle of Beer

"It is the most interesting beer in the province right now."

A bold statement from any brewer plying their trade in a province with close to 100 craft breweries, but when it comes from someone as creative, innovative, and yes, as eccentric as Storm Brewing's James Walton, my curiosity is instantly piqued.

Whether Glacial Mammoth Extinction is BC's most interesting beer will cause debate among beer craft beer lovers, but what is not up for debate is that the $1000 price tag for a one-litre bottle makes Glacial Mammoth Extinction BC's most expensive beer! My research shows it is not only the most expensive beer on the BC market now, but that it is the most expensive beer ever sold in Canada.


Have I piqued your interest yet?

This beer is about more than what is inside the bottle, although the beer stands out as one of the most unique beers Walton has ever released from Storm Brewing, and that is saying something, but the hefty price tag has more to do with the packaging than it does the beer inside.

And that is no disrespect meant to the beer which is special.

In fact, Walton was so pleased with how the Glacial Mammoth Extinction turned out that he decided to give this beer special treatment, commissioning two East Vancouver artists to create unique works of art to package a limited release of 10, one-litre bottles from the 400 litres produced.

The Mad Scientist himself  & a $1000 bottle of beer

The beer comes packaged in hand-blown glass bottles created by Terminal City Glass Co-Op's Brad Turner.  These bottles are works of art in their own right but when you consider each bottle is adorned with a one-of-a-kind pendant, made by artist Richard Marcus, from 35,000-year-old mammoth ivory, you begin to understand why these bottles are Canada's most expensive beers.

"(It's) the only beer I have ever thought worthy of being treated that extravagantly," stated Walton when queried as to why he was moved to package his beer in such a unique and expensive manner.

Which brings us to the beer itself.

Walton, Storm's iconic owner-brewer, has earned the nickname of The Mad Scientist in BC craft beer circles and is well known for thinking outside of the box when it comes to brewing beer. From brewing and aging Belgian-style lambics close to 20 years ago, before anyone in BC but the ultimate beer geeks knew what a lambic was, to his current trend of creating weekly weird, wacky and delicious "Brainstorm" kegs for growler fills at the brewery, Walton has not let the restrictions of established beer styles or current brewing trends limit his imagination.

Art meets craft beer

The Glacial Mammoth Extinction is a prime example of how far Walton is prepared to push the limits.

Walton took his formidable Imperial Flanders Red Sour Ale, which is an 11% (a Storm 11%) sour bomb meant for those most adventurous craft beer drinkers, and froze it, in two stages over a month, to -30 Celsius. The high-octane, boozy liquid which remained was then placed into French oak barrels and aged for two years. What has come out of this intense and complicated process is a 25% ABV (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) nectar that tastes more like fortified wine or Port than beer.

In keeping with my philosophy of not rating beers, I will only say that I liked it when I recently had a wee nip at Storm.

Actually, I liked it a lot and yes, I would not hesitate to order and drink it again.

For those who tasted this beer last year, when Walton released a keg as a sneak preview of what was coming, the extra year in the oak barrels has treated this beer well, mellowing it out and allowing the more subtle flavours to come to the fore. It is highly drinkable even at 25%.

That is as close to a review as you will get from me.

The official description I received from Storm Brewing states that the Glacial Mammoth Extinction is, "a sweet, rich, viscous 100% malt beverage that resembles Port more than beer".

Glacial Mammoth Extinction tasting notes (from Storm):

• Colour
• dark brown
• Nose 
• raisins
•  prunes
•  black cherries,
• Sherry notes

• Taste
•  initial sweetness
• tang of acidity on the front
• umami
• prunes
• muscat grape
• soy sauce
• tannins from the base beer as well as tannins from in the barrel combine together to balance the sweetness

• Mouthfeel
•  thick with nice legs from the alcohol

For the majority who cannot afford $1000, Glacial Mammoth Extinction will be available for growler fills at Storm Dec 5th at a still-pricey-but-far-more-reasonable price of $40 for 0.5 litre or $80 for a litre.

Walton told me the Glacial Mammoth Extinction is "bullet proof" and "likely infinitely stable" in regards to cellaring, stating that the beer may go flat in the flip-top bottles but that it will not go off so if you can afford it, it might be worth the risk to put some of this away to see if and how it ages.

Help Feed Vancouver's Hungry by Drinking Craft Beer

If you are looking for a reason to justify a mid-week craft beer session, look no further than Liberty Wine Merchant's 2nd Annual East Side Beer Fest to be held Wednesday, March 5th at the WISE Hall, located at the corner of Victoria Drive and Adanac Street.

The event, organized by Liberty's Commercial Drive location, is donating all proceeds from the event to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and is asking all who attend to also bring a non-perishable food item to the event which will also be passed on to the food bank.

Last year's inaugural event was a sell out which helped Liberty donate $4,287 to the Food Bank along with the food items donated at the door by thirsty craft beer lovers. This year's event has a great line up of breweries and beer importing agents lined up (see list below).

"For the 2nd Annual we have decided to go with a mix of new vendors and old, half from B.C. and half agents importing world class beers," stated Liberty Commercial store manager William Ford. "Some notable new additions are recent start-ups Four Winds and Bomber Brewing and new agents UnTapped, Modern Malt and new-to-us Bravo."

As an added bonus, Liberty have confirmed that their own nano-distillery, The Liberty Distillery, will be pouring samples of their vodka and white whiskey.

Food will also be available from various Commercial Drive businesses to help soak up all the great craft beers and artisan spirits on offer. Don't wait until the last minute as last year's event had no tickets available at the door due to being sold out ahead of time.

The event runs from 7-9 PM with tickets running $24.99 each or 4 for $80. For more information on the event and where to get tickets check out Liberty's event page here.

List of confirmed breweries and agents
Breweries: Driftwood, Central City, Phillips, Howe Sound, Parallel 49, Four Winds, Mill St., Bomber

Agents: McClelland Premium Imports (Erdinger, Delirium, Rodenbach), Bravo (ie. Saison Dupont, Gulden Draak, Caracole), TruCraft (ie. Lagunitas, Super Bock, Brooklyn, Hopworks), Untapped (ie. Trou du Diable, Dieu du Ciel, Rev. Nat's), Modern Malt (ie. Occidental, Base Camp, No-Li), The Liberty Distillery (Vodka & White Whiskey), Peacock & Martin (ie. Westmalle, Tempelier, Fraoch)

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.

My Tribute to a Vancouver Legend - RIP Dan

I cannot remember the exact date I met Dan Small but I do remember the circumstances surrounding our introduction to each other and unlike many in the craft beer community who are currently mourning his passing, our meeting had nothing to do with brewing beer.

It was about 12 years ago and I was working for Storm Brewing, which was located in the same building as Dan's Homebrewing Supplies at the time, at the corner of Commercial and Franklin. I was busy loading up Storm's delivery van with kegs for the day's deliveries when I suddenly heard a voice yelling angrily, "turn that shit down, I am trying to run a business over here".

It was only my second or third day working at the brewery so I had no idea who was attached to the red, angry face that was poking through a two-foot square hole in the wall that stood between Storm Brewing to Dan's shop next door. I did not blame this person for yelling, as James, Storm's owner-brewer, had German techno music cranked to ear-splitting decibel levels, as was his habit at the time when brewing, and anyone within two city blocks would have been within their legal right to make a formal noise complaint.

"Who the fuck was that, James," I asked.

"Just Dan, don't worry.," replied James. "He is always complaining about noise."

Little did I know at that time I was being screamed at by someone who would go on to be one of the most, if not the most, influential people in the home brewing and the craft beer community in Vancouver. Dan's Homebrewing Supplies is on the radar of everyone who brews beer in the Greater Vancouver area and, in my opinion, the local craft beer scene and the current craft beer craze owes a lot to Dan and his staff who have guided, advised, encouraged and supplied the majority of home brewers in the Lower Mainland. I guarantee you that many who turned their passion for brewing beer from a hobby to a profession and who are now creating some of the great local craft beers at commercial craft breweries were once among them.

By encouraging home brewers to understand the science behind brewing beer properly, helping them understand the brewing process, helping them create their own recipes and supplying them with quality ingredients, Dan played a huge role in developing more sophisticated palates among local beer lovers. Dan convinced many lager drinkers, looking to make cheap imitations of the mainstream beers they were used to drinking, into trying to brew different beer styles and once many of them experimented and tried different beers than was their norm, they never looked back

It is no coincidence that Vancouver has the biggest home brewing club in Canada and a very vibrant home brewing scene. Dan's is not just THE place to get supplies, whether you are a novice looking to brew for the first time or an expert brewer looking to create a new recipe, but it is a place to gather, meet like-minded people and exchange ideas.

Back when working at the brewery, I used to love Dan's tastings, when he would invite his customers to come bring beers they had brewed of a particular style  so that they could share with others to get feedback, tips and talk about brewing beer. Mainly it was about drinking lots of beer, but that goes without saying. I wasn't brewing at the time, but Dan usually invited me over to the shop, or let me in on the fun if he was using the brewery space. One particular tasting I remember (up to a point) was a stout tasting that included oysters to pair with the home brewers' offerings, one being a Russian Imperial Stout that were superb...I don't remember who brewed the beer but I sure remember the beer itself!

Dan and I quickly got over our rocky introduction, although his angry face would often appear in the hole between his shop and the brewery, usually with good reason, and I soon found myself spending time hanging out in Dan's store, chatting, smoking and drinking beer either from the brewery or one of the two or three kegs Dan always had tapped in the back of his shop. Our talks were often about subjects other than beer and Dan always had an opinion or a story to tell.

Many people have described Dan as crusty, grumpy  and a curmudgeon, and yes, he was all those things at times, but he was also quick with a smile, and generous with his advice, time, smokes and beer and I was lucky enough to know that Dan more than the other. He had a love-hate relationship with us at Storm, screaming at us one day and helping us out one way or another the next. One of the things I liked about Dan was you always knew where you stood with him. He was straight forward and did not suffer fools lightly. If he had something to say, he would say it.

I got to know Dan quite well during time I worked at Storm. I meet and drank beers with his brothers Tom and Bill, went see Dan play music with his band and visited him at his apartment on Union St where he lived above a friend of mine who used to drive him nuts with loud music and noise as much as James did. I didn't see him around much after I left my job at the brewery to return to school to study psychiatric nursing. I saw him a few years after quitting, just after he had relocated his shop from Commercial Drive to 692 East Hastings in the Heatley Block building. He was closing up, but he invited me in, proudly showed me around his new store and it wasn't long before we were out back smoking, drinking beer and chatting away like old times on Commercial Drive. I ran into him again last year, again in his store, when I was picking up supplies to brew up an Imperial IPA. He looked great and as usual had time to stop and chat and laughed about some of the goings-on at Storm years before that had aggravated him to the point of almost having a stroke.

That was the last time I saw Dan. Like many, I did not know he had fallen ill again until I heard the sad news of his passing. And like many, I have hoisted a few pints in his memory.

Rest in Peace Dan. Your premature departure from this world leaves a huge whole in the Vancouver brewing community. Your legacy of helping create a passionate brewing community in Vancouver will be with us for many years to come. You were one of the good guys. A straight shooter. I hope, where ever you are, there is a great home brewing supply shop so you can carry on brewing the beers you love.

And when I think of you, I will always remember our long afternoon chats where we clouded up your shop to the point of it being inhabitable and drank copious amounts of great beer.

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

Love-In at City Hall

The smile on Mayor Gregor Robertson's face and sigh of relief from Brassneck Brewery's Nigel Springthorpe Tuesday night said it all.

Vancouver City Council had just embraced the idea of on-site lounges in breweries with open arms.

As most of you reading this know, Vancouver City Council voted unanimously to amend zoning and development by-law to accommodate lounges as an accessory use to breweries and distilleries. 

In layman's terms, they voted to change zoning by-laws to allow us to drink beer in lounges located on-site at breweries.

This massive step forward for the craft beer culture in Vancouver came at us travelling at lightening speed with the motion put forward April 23rd, a mere 11 weeks ago, by NPA Councillor George Affleck to have, "(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," which was debated and passed that night. Since that time city staff looked at what needed to be done, came up with recommendations, presented them to council who approved the recommendations and Tuesday the whole process came to and end with the public hearing.   

Much of the reason for this is that the City and brewery representatives have basically been on the same page since the motion was tabled. This fact was highlighted several times during the public hearing with Brassneck co-owner Conrad Gmoser thanking the mayor and his council for being so accomadating and with the Mayor Robertson and several councilors thanking the brewers for being so darn nice and easy to work with.

Both sides met twice in consultation meetings which by all accounts, went very smoothly and without much, if any, conflict. Even though I did not attend the meetings, I may have been the only source of aggravation, as I was told by a few who attended the first meeting that staff from the mayor's office asked the brewery contingent if any of them knew who Paddy Treavor was, probably as a result of my open letter to Mayor Robertson and City Council, which was described by Clr Affleck as "nasty", and my subsequent meeting with George Affleck who responded to my letter by contacting me.

It has been a pleasure to see all the Vancouver craft breweries band together and forget about competition for a few moments to work on getting this passed whether they were planning on having a lounge or not. 

It was great to see Vancouver City Council play nice with each other and work quickly to get this done.

And it was great to see the local craft beer supporters come out of the woodwork to support this motion  when possible opposition came into the picture this past weekend and myself, Barley Mowat and CAMRA Vancouver started rallying the troops. That cry for support resulted in 773 form letters, sent by supporters via Barley Mowat's blog, and 58 individual letters, sent in over a 48 hours, clogging up the city clerks in-box.

And as a result of everyone playing nice and getting along, almost everyone has basically gotten what they want in what I have described over and over as a win-win-win situation.

Clr Affleck, the only NPA councilor on City Council, received overwhelming support from the Vision Vancouver-heavy council and had his motion passed, which he joked, "hasn't happened very often".

Mayor Robertson, who was joking and laughing at the end of the meeting and his Vision council will be remembered as the gang that brought beer lounges to Vancouver.

The brewery owners and brewers, well, they are still pinching themselves to make sure this isn't still all a dream.

Consumers are giddy and just itching for these lounges to open.

The only group that really didn't get what they wanted were the "possible threat" I mentioned, Campaign for Culture, who although they support the idea of lounges in breweries wholeheartedly, did not support this motion as they felt it was too restrictive.  As a result of their opposition to some of the restrictions, they started an email campaign of their own which resulted in 70 form letters being registered in the "opposed" column.

But even they walked away from Tuesday's public hearing smiling as two of the three restrictions they want lifted, hours of operation and the amount of special events that can be held, are to be reviewed in a year's time and if things look good, could be made less restrictive. The only restriction CFC wanted lifted that council refused to look at was size of the lounges which will stay fixed at 80 sq metres.

Even I came out a winner, as Mayor Robertson thanked me for bringing this issue to City Council and did not throw one single brick or sick one single security guard on me during the evening.

But come to think of it, know he knows what I look like...

For those of you who have lots of time on your hands, I have added the links of the City's presentation to City Council, which outlines everything you need to know about this subject and the changes being made in a PowerPoint presentation. I have also linked the video broadcast of the whole public hearing where you can see exactly was said by all parties.

And on that note, I promise not to blog on this subject again until I actually have a beer in one of these highly anticipated lounges...

Presentation
http://former.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20130709/documents/phea4presentation.pdf

Video of meeting
http://cityofvan-as1.insinc.com/ibc/mp/md/open/c/317/1202/201307091745wv150en,005

Vancouver Approves On-Site Lounges in Breweries - Provincial Red Tape May Delay Openings For Several Months

Last night the City of Vancouver took a huge step forward in modernizing their liquor policies by unanimously approving zoning changes to allow breweries, distilleries and wineries to have small, licensed lounges on-site where they can sell their products to be consumed. 

The by-law changes removes the roadblocks (read here) in Vancouver that were preventing breweries from taking advantage of a recent provincial liquor policy changes allowing breweries and distilleries to apply for endorsements to their manufacturing licenses to run on-site, licensed lounges giving them equal footing with wineries who have had this opportunity for years.

As of today, breweries can apply to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch for their lounge and special event endorsements (see link above)| with the knowledge that they have clear sailing as far as Vancouver City Council is concerned.

That is the good news which has the local craft beer industry and craft beers consumers hoisting a jar of their favourite local brew in celebration.

The bad news is that according to a LCLB spokesperson, "(t)he application process for a designated lounge is similar to the application process for a bar or pub, in that it requires a resolution from local government and the gathering of views from the public.  A general estimate is 7 – 12 months from the time we receive a complete application."

Before we get all up in arms about the proposed 7-12 month wait, it was clear last night that  Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vancouver City Council are totally on board with these lounges and want to see them open ASAP, so there should not be any resistance in the process at the municipal level. But the application (see here) is a seven-page monster which outlines several steps that must be completed with reviews, inspections, more reviews, more inspections...you get the idea.

But for now, we rejoice!

It has been just over two months since NPA Councillor George Affleck met with yours truly (read here) and decided to put a motion together requesting City staff to look into what changes need to be made to allow brewery lounges to exist. In political time, two months is a blink of the eye to get such changes made and Mayor Gregor acknowledged this by thanking Clr Affleck for tabling the motion, Vancouver City city staff for their quick work in putting together the recommendations, the local craft brewers for working so amicably with the City to come to an agreement in regards to restrictions and Vancouver City Council for moving so quickly and to get things done.

Heck, he even thank me for bringing the issue to the attention of Clr Affleck and City Council.

Maybe I didn't have to move to Powell River after all?? 

Stay tuned for a full report about the Public hearing, reactions, restrictions etc...I have to hit the road right now to embark on a two-ferry journey with my wife and three-year-old to head home... I think I am going to need one of these beer lounges by the end of the day!

As a final word, thanks to all who made this happen: George Affleck, Mayor Robertson, Vancouver City Council, local Vancouver brewery folks who work together as a group and with City Hall, Barley Mowat who helped rally the troops, CAMRA Vancouver for getting word out support was needed and to all the craft beer lovers who took the time to write City Council and/or come out to the public hearing.

A job well done!!!

Opposition is Mounting Against Beer Lounge Recommendations - Public Hearing Tuesday, July 9

Ever since NPA Councillor George Affleck set in motion the chain of events that has Vancouver on the verge of allowing on-site lounges in breweries, distilleries and wineries, there has been overwhelming support for the idea.

Tuesday night the final step in the process takes place with a Public Hearing, held at 6 PM in the City Council Chamber, where submitted letters and emails will be reviewed and those who feel the need to voice their thoughts directly to City Council will have their opportunity to speak.

Despite the support, their are a few who do not like the proposed changes to Vancouver's by-laws and the restrictions being placed on the lounges outlined in a report received by Vancouver City Council from the Vancouver City General Manager of Planning and Development Services.

Campaign for Culture (CFC), who describe themselves as, "an association dedicated to the enhancement of the social and cultural fabric of British Columbia," believe the proposed changes don't go far enough and have started an email campaign in an attempt to get Mayor Gregor and his crew to lift some of the restrictions recommended for on-site lounges, specifically the size limit of 860 square feet, the 11 PM closing time and the limit of having only ability to host only 2 special events per month. CFC organizers believe that lounges should have the ability to be much larger, open later and host more events if they so desire, more in line with Provincial regulations.

At the time I am writing this post (Sunday, July 7) there are 13 items of correspondence related to this issue that have been sent for the Public Hearing and 12 of those are in the "oppose" column, all identically worded letters that have been generated by the CFC email campaign (read here). Despite the fact the CFC are not against the lounges existing, but instead are opposed to the restrictions being imposed on the lounge and special event areas, the letters are being considered by Vancouver City Council as opposition. Having spoken to the CFC folks, I have been told many more letters supporting their campaign are going to be sent to Vancouver City Council.

The problem with CFC trying to bring about these changes in this way is that by showing strong opposition to the recommended changes, especially when only one letter of support (read here) has been received, the whole process could grind to a halt and be rejected, meaning the status quo would remain and no on-site consumption lounges within Vancouver City limits even though Vancouver City Council passed Affleck's original motion and accepted the recommendations made by the General Manager of Planning and Development Services.

And although they have not made any official opposition known via the Public Hearing website, the Alliance of Beverage Licensees of British Columbia are not too keen on these lounges existing and could still mobilize their opposition. If ABLE gets rolling, it could be the death of the proposed changes as they are very well connected politically and have a lot of sway in the province when it comes issues related to alcohol.

Personally, I am okay with the regulations being proposed. I see these lounges as being small, intimate places, family friendly, where you go for to taste a few of your favourite brews right at the point of production, not places to go out with large groups of friends to get swacked on a Friday night until the wee hours.

I know the local craft beer industry is okay with moving forward as is in regards to the recommendations as they were part of the consultation process and were well aware of what was happening. For the first time in a long while those from the Vancouver craft brewing industry organized and worked together to help get Vancouver City Council to this point by making the Vancouver craft beer industry wants and needs known in regards to on-site consumption lounges. All brewery owners in Vancouver I have talked to do not want to have a lounge open until 2 or 4 AM at their brewery and would not staff one and stay open until those late hours even if they were allowed.

I am very disappointed that there has only been one letter of support and that did not come from any of the brewery owners who would benefit from these changes. I am also embarrassed to say that until I found out that there was no official support being shown for the changes save the one letter, I had not written in despite the fact it was my yelling and screaming about the issue that got the attention of George Affleck which resulted in a meeting between us and the motion that set all of this in motion.

I have rectified this and written my letter and if you love craft beer in Vancouver and want to support your local breweries and have the opportunity to enjoy some of their great beers in lounges at the breweries, I recommend you do as well. It takes 30 seconds to write an email of support that could result in permanent and positive changes to our local liquor policies. This type of thing is specifically what groups like the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) are designed for and members should get active and support the cause. Getting these recommendations through the Public Hearing and changes made is a win-win-win situation for Vancouver, the local craft beer industry and craft beer consumers.

Email mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca and let's get this thing done! Remember the hearing is Tuesday at 6 PM so emails should be sent before 4 PM on Tuesday.

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...

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.

Open Letter to Mayor Robertson & Vancouver City Council

Dear Mayor Robertson and Elected Vancouver City Councillors:

First of all I want to introduce myself as Paddy Treavor, a long-time Vancouver resident and one that takes his civic duty to vote in elections very seriously.

Democracy only works with participation and that participation, on both the voter and politician side of the equation, reaches beyond election campaigns and the act of voting. Once the votes are cast and the candidates chosen for public office, it is of paramount importance that those elected to office are held accountable by the citizens they represent and that the politicians take this responsibility seriously, and not consider themselves above the people who hold the power of returning the politicians to office or replacing them with other, more responsible and accountable candidates in the next election.

It is because of this concept of political accountability I am writing you all.

I recently sent an email entitled "Vancouver City's Lack of Support for Local Industry" outlining how supporting the new provincial liquor law allowing for on-site beer lounges at breweries could be a great way for the City of Vancouver to support local, small businesses, promote local tourism, provide more opportunities for local employment and attract businesses to locate in Vancouver in the future. The email was a follow-up on a blog post I wrote entitled "No Fun City Bureaucracy Stands in the Way of Beer Lounges", a story that highlights how current Vancouver City zoning by-laws and liquor licensing polices are prohibiting local breweries from taking advantage of this great opportunity. Even if you did not read my blog post, and I encourage you to do so, the story was picked up by The Province newspaper a few days later so you may be familiar with the problem.

Almost two weeks have passed and the only response I have received is one from the city clerk stating they had forwarded my email to Mr Mayor and City Councillors. This is not the first time I have received no response to emails sent to Vancouver City Hall regarding issues involving the rights of local craft beer consumers and the local craft beer industry, so I am beginning to think that Mayor Robertson's appearances at Vancouver Craft Beer Week, to tap the first cask, were more photo opportunities than a true desire to support the local craft beer industry and that Vancouver City Council does not take the craft beer industry and the consumers who support it, very seriously.

When I was president  (2011-2012) of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) BC - Vancouver Branch, a Vancouver-based consumer advocacy group which currently boasts a membership of close to 1000 members, either myself or a member of my executive sent several emails asking for City Council support on campaigns like Fess Up to Serving Sizes (FUSS), addressing the common practice of liquor licensees misrepresenting their draft beer serving sizes in your city and Bring Your Own Craft Beer (BYOCB), asking for your support to have beer included in changes to provincial liquor laws involving corkage which would have been great for craft beer consumers in your city and would help spur on the local hospitality and craft beer industries.

Silence. Not even the courtesy of an email saying, "not interested". That doesn't seem very accountable to me.

I understand you are all busy running our great city, but these issues have been important enough to illicit responses from other busy politicians such as Liberal Cabinet Minister Rich Coleman, and NDP Caucus Chair, Shane Simpson, to name but a few, as well as from Liquor Control and Licensing Branch General Manager, Karen Ayers. These issues I wrote you all about were also important enough to be brought up and discussed in the BC Legislature, but not important enough to get any response from yourselves even thought they are issues that impact the voters this city on a daily basis and which, with your support and attention, could be resolved here in Vancouver.

The only time I have received any response to emails sent to Vancouver municipal politicians was just prior to the last election when I sent out an email to all candidates asking them a specific set of questions regrading how they would support the local craft beer consumer and craft beer industry. During that pre-election period, when politicians are doing their best to connect with as many voters as possible in attempts to get their votes, I did receive email responses from several candidates, including current City Councillors:

•  George Affleck, who stated he "would be happy to take a lead" on the subject of allowing for "smaller pubs spread around the city like they are in the UK," which supporting beer lounges would do quite nicely.  
• Jerry Jang, who stated Vancouver City Council can, "encourage the establishment of the (craft beer) industry through zoning,", the same zoning that is prohibiting beer lounges at this time. He also stated, "neighbourhood pubs are important not only because they add to the character of a neighbourhood, but also prevents drinking and driving as one can walk home!". Hmmm, beer lounges are not neighbourhood pubs, as the legislation states they are "endorsements" on manufacturing licenses, but they sure would function in a very similar way.
• Heather Deal, who stated she would "like to see more small pubs in neighborhoods throughout the city.” Again, beer lounges could be a great way to have these small, licensed establishments dotted around the city. To Heather's credit, although she has ignored all emails sent post-election by myself or CAMRA when I was president,  has kept her pre-election promise to "work with" CAMRA, having just taken a meeting with current CAMRA Vancouver President, Adam Chatburn. Whether that meeting comes to anything is yet to be seen, but at least she responded.

I am a very active advocate, championing the rights of BC's craft beer consumers and the vibrant and growing craft beer industry here in our province. As I mentioned, I am a blogger, the author of the award-winning VanEast Beer Blog, the very blog you are reading now, a blog that reaches thousands of people each month, many of whom live in Vancouver and will be voting in the next election. I am not saying I can persuade these readers to vote one way or another, but I do think that those voters knowing you are ignoring these issues that they are so passionate about may cause them to rethink whether they want to re-elect politicians who so blatantly ignore their voices.

Yes, I am but one person, one vote, but there are thousands of others who think the same way as I do on these issues and these people are my readers.

And just to let you know that I was on to something when I wrote in my post that is Vancouver City does not embrace the idea of beer lounges ASAP, they will lose businesses to other municipalities,  the exodus has started. I already know of one person who has recently scrapped plans to open a small brewery in Vancouver, in favour of a neighbouring city, because of your restrictive zoning by-laws, stifling liquor licensing policies and unnecessarily complicated and onerous process of opening a brewery here in Vancouver City.

If you do not start paying attention to people like myself who are advocating on behalf of one of the most vibrant consumer markets and industry segments of this province, you are going to see many more breweries opening in neighbouring cities, paying their taxes and luring tourism and business away from Vancouver City. That would be a travesty as Vancouver, if politicians have enough vision, could become the Portland North, attracting millions of tourist dollars a year because of their great craft beer scene.

I can tell you, politicians at the provincial level are listening and meeting with people like myself and CAMRA Vancouver President Adam Chatburn and listening to what we have to say. I hope, for the sake of our great city, you all start to take some notice as well before it is too late for both the craft beer industry in this city and yourselves come the next election.