“Opening up interprovincial trade of alcohol would have a very detrimental effect on the breweries that are here in Newfoundland and Labrador,” Mr. Farrell said in an interview Friday. “There’s no upside. You’d flood the market with trucked-in beer.”
Nah, you read me right. I’m absolutely ragging on Ontario beer, but ESPECIALLY so on LCBO.
You’re right, there are a few nice beers here and there. The pony sours are very nice. Left-field has some great stuff. Tooth and nail has had some fantastic colab beers, and their standard lineup is quite passable. But where are our Belgian style ales? Our west-coast style IPAs? Where are the Baltic porters and imperial stouts? I want a full bodied malty IPA. I want a double IPA with some seriously lacto funky notes, not just “this baby can fit so much hops”.
We’re just SO unadventurous, and I think a lot of it has to do with LCBO. I used to be able to get all that stuff, but selection has shrunk and shrunk.
Make Ontario craft work for their spot on the shelf. Too much protectionism is bad for consumers.