Anyone here selling beer in Ontario?

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MikeICR

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
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Location
sudbury
My hobby has turned into an obsession. Now I'd like to explore options to turn my obsession into a part-time career.

A few small pubs here in Sudbury have expressed interest in serving my beer! I don't want to start a serious brewery here, just a small operation to supply 2 or 3 local pubs with 2 or 3 kegs once in a while. Where do I start? What do I do? Who do I talk to?
 
Within the last month or two someone from Canada started a thread looking into the laws to start opening a brewery in Canada. You guys have something similar to the TTB that we have in America, and they're site shows all the hurdles that you need to jump over.
 
If you are going to be making money from it you will have to get a licence of some sort from the ontario governement, and by get a licence, i mean pay for a licence. Your best bet is to contact the AGCO about what you can do.
 
The impression that I get from the local brewer here in St. Thomas is that unless you're pushing a couple thousand litres per week you're going to be swamped by the cost of licencing, inspection, audits, etc.
 
Good luck with the LCBO is all I have to say.

PS.. I went to Laurentian!

Haha, thanks. I just got off the phone with the AGCO. After about 20 minutes of waiting on hold and bounced around to 4 different representatives, I was told to "call Lynn at 416-XXX-XXXX". I did, and got her voice mail.
 
Do you have an AGCO office in town, we do but I think that's cause of Casino Rama.
 
1. I got the same when I called AGCO a few months ago. Good thing I wasn't holding my breath waiting for them to call back.

2. I, too, have heard that the LCBO is draconian in quashing ANY competition.

3. If you find anything out, please let me know!

B

PS Can I see your setup when my family zips to Sudbury in the next few weeks?
 
Good luck making a go of it in Soviet Canuckistan, where our motto is: "The Government Doesn't Work For You--You Work For The Government."

And you live in Manitoba which isn't nearly as bad.

For a little perspective, in Ontario if you are caught with a beer in a rubber dinghy with two paddles, you are facing a criminal code conviction and losing your licence for a year.

http://www.macleans.ca/canada/national/article.jsp?content=20060724_130717_130717

Our government decided that the minimum price that anyone should be allowed to pay for a case of beer is 28.35 (deposit in). Any less would encourage drunkeness. This is a part of the governments 'social resposibility mandate'.

http://www.globalnews.ca/Ontario+beer+expensive+Tory+leader+says/4245018/story.html

I can't really fault them on that though. That stupidity is what got me brewing in the first place, so I reallly ought to thank them.

Seriously, good luck dealing with the government of Ontario. You're going to need it.
 
And you live in Manitoba which isn't nearly as bad.

For a little perspective, in Ontario if you are caught with a beer in a rubber dinghy with two paddles, you are facing a criminal code conviction and losing your licence for a year.

http://www.macleans.ca/canada/national/article.jsp?content=20060724_130717_130717

Our government decided that the minimum price that anyone should be allowed to pay for a case of beer is 28.35 (deposit in). Any less would encourage drunkeness. This is a part of the governments 'social resposibility mandate'.

http://www.globalnews.ca/Ontario+beer+expensive+Tory+leader+says/4245018/story.html

I can't really fault them on that though. That stupidity is what got me brewing in the first place, so I reallly ought to thank them.

Seriously, good luck dealing with the government of Ontario. You're going to need it.

Out West here we just throw farmers in jail if they don't sell their malt barley through the Canadian Wheat Board...
 
1. I got the same when I called AGCO a few months ago. Good thing I wasn't holding my breath waiting for them to call back.

2. I, too, have heard that the LCBO is draconian in quashing ANY competition.

3. If you find anything out, please let me know!

B

PS Can I see your setup when my family zips to Sudbury in the next few weeks?

I'm not sure far I'll get with it, but I'll keep you in the loop for sure!

My wife and I have some traveling to do over the next little while. If you're here when I'm here I'd love to share a pint! My setup is pretty basic, but the beer is cold.
 
I'm not sure far I'll get with it, but I'll keep you in the loop for sure!

My wife and I have some traveling to do over the next little while. If you're here when I'm here I'd love to share a pint! My setup is pretty basic, but the beer is cold.

Any luck? Im extremely curious and its been a while. Im obsessed as well with the hobby and was thinking that maybe I can turn my passion into a source of income. In my country (Venezuela) people just make it and sell in stores even though its illegal. However I live in Ottawa and was looking for information on this topic.
 
Big cost barrier is paying rent on a building. If your only doing a few kegs. Probably won't cover the rent. Let alone all the other costs involved.
 
Well I contacted hired MikeICR in 2012 and hired him in 2013 to brew beer in my new brewery. In 4 years MikeICR has won 3 provincials awards (2 gold) and 3 national awards (1 gold and 2 bronze) . Not bad. Cheers guys and keep on brewing.
 
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