Taxes and beer - Canadian perspective

[limoges]

Parhaps this will interest a few:

http://www.brewers.ca/UserFiles/Documents/pdfs/eng/12%20The%20Second%20Most%20Highly%20Taxed%20Beer%20in%20the%20World.pdf

 

[boo boo]

Be glad you don't live here.

We pay $24 for a 12 pack of BMC vs <$18 everywhere else on the mainland.

 

[phishfood]

Time for a Beer Party, perhaps?

 

[limoges]

Be glad you don't live here.

We pay $24 for a 12 pack of BMC vs <$18 everywhere else on the mainland.

True but you have dominion ale... In any case, this just makes us become homebrewers. I was amazed we where #2 in the world though.

 

[boo boo]

True but you have dominion ale... In any case, this just makes us become homebrewers. I was amazed we where #2 in the world though.

And don't forget Jockey Club. The hoppiest macro beer I know of.
Yeah the prices here initially drove me to brew, but now I stay for
the taste and enjoyment.

 

[limoges]

And don't forget Jockey Club. The hoppiest macro beer I know of.
Yeah the prices here initially drove me to brew, but now I stay for
the taste and enjoyment.

dido

Do you get garrison beer from NS? If so try the hop yard ale.

 

[Montanaandy]

Interesting - a 50% tax on Canadian beer. I remember when I used to coach ice hockey the coaches on the Canadian teams that we were playing would always ask me to bring cases of American beer for them. Was puzzled (American beer?) until I hit the liquor stores and saw the price of Canadian beer. Even when the US Dollar was strong the beer was not cheap. I can't imagine what it would be now. At least it is good beer albeit expensive. Montanaandy

 

[limoges]

Interesting - a 50% tax on Canadian beer. I remember when I used to coach ice hockey the coaches on the Canadian teams that we were playing would always ask me to bring cases of American beer for them. Was puzzled (American beer?) until I hit the liquor stores and saw the price of Canadian beer. Even when the US Dollar was strong the beer was not cheap. I can't imagine what it would be now. At least it is good beer albeit expensive. Montanaandy

I think a 24 goes for around 40 bucks now.

I found another report saying we export more beer then we import. Only by 1.2%. However, the USA imports 23% more then they export.

I admire the micro-breweries of the states. I live in Ontario, yet we only have 25 craft brewers. Registered with the OCB anyway.

To top it off people are used to the mega-brand taste and will stick with it, there is, in general, a lack of "I'll help the little guy" attitude when it comes to beer.

Quebec in my eyes have more ambraced the micro brew world.

-way of topic

 

[Jimmies]

You gotta pay for all that "free" healthcare somehow

 

[bierhaus15]

I visit Nova Scotia pretty regularly and while I really love the place, the cost of beer and liquor there is completely outrageous. I don't know how you guys do it.

It's almost as bad as buying beer in Norway. :cross:

 

[boo boo]

dido

Do you get garrison beer from NS? If so try the hop yard ale.

No, but I have a bottle of Garrisons " Yippie IPA " screaming from my beer fridge to be drank. A gift brought back to me.

A friend from NS is doing up a sample pack to send me, and I do believe quite a few of Garrisons will make it in there.

 

[Conehead]

This is why I rarely buy beer. I think the cost of beer in Canada is not worth the product you get. If I do find a good beer, the price is even higher. I am drinking an IPA I brewed for $7.00 a case. You just can't beat that. The cost of beer in Canada has been crazy for years, and I am glad I brew my own.

 

[FlyGuy]

This is why I rarely buy beer. I think the cost of beer in Canada is not worth the product you get. If I do find a good beer, the price is even higher. I am drinking an IPA I brewed for $7.00 a case. You just can't beat that. The cost of beer in Canada has been crazy for years, and I am glad I brew my own.

I wish I could say that I rarely buy beer, but otherwise I agree with you.

What baffles me is that we have such ridiculous beer prices, yet Canadians truly love their beer. Why on earth don't we have more homebrewers?? Why don't we have at least ONE killer homebrew shop in every major center, or at least, one great online shop? Instead, everyone in the business is struggling just to keep afloat. Bizarre, when you compare to the popularity of homebrewing in the US, or the popularity of wine-making in Canada.

 

[gannawdm]

I visited Vancouver for the first time last summer. I was amazed by the prices. Absolutely ridiculous. It's probably good for affecting social behaviour, but somehow I don't think that's their intention($$$$).

 

[limoges]

I wish I could say that I rarely buy beer, but otherwise I agree with you.

What baffles me is that we have such ridiculous beer prices, yet Canadians truly love their beer. Why on earth don't we have more homebrewers?? Why don't we have at least ONE killer homebrew shop in every major center, or at least, one great online shop? Instead, everyone in the business is struggling just to keep afloat. Bizarre, when you compare to the popularity of homebrewing in the US, or the popularity of wine-making in Canada.

For some reason most people that I "make" drink my homebrew always say. Wow that's pretty good, I thought it would taste like moose piss eh?

I alway reply, that's what you WHERE drinking before trying this...

I do feel however we are slosly morphing into homebrewers... Or was it like this in the 70's to then it died down again? I do meet previous old all-grain brewers.

 

[Erythro73]

That's why we pay about 24$ for a 24 of Budweiser...and 15-16$ for a Unibroue's six pack.

 

[DizzyPants]

Yeah, coming from Wash which isn't cheap, but I was up in Vancouver and to see the prices on a tall can (24oz) at $5.

And furthermore each one had a electronic tag on each one for stealing.

WoW!!!!

I do love Canadian brew....but come on.....

 

[Conehead]

I find all of my friends and relatives here in Canada don't have a hobby. I make beer. Sure, the odd person has a hobby, but most of them just work a lot. I think our useless HBS should advertise more often. You never see an advertisement on tv or hear one on the radio about homebrewing. They should also promote the hobby just like they do in the US. Bring people in, teach them the right way to make beer and sell them everything to make good beer. Get rid of the 5 year old can of Brew Canada kits for starters. I still shake my head when I go into a Canadian HBS. It is depressing, just like going into a beer store.

Conehead

 

[seanybubbles]

Beer prices in Canada are nuts. I lived in toronto for 3 years and it was crazy what the "Beer Store" charged for 24 bottles of generic crap. You would think things like beer would be cheaper considering everything in toronto was so expensive. I know live in MTL where beer is cheaper but they tax you to death (take home pay= 55%). You just can't win...

 

[david_42]

Interesting that the taxes on wine seem to be lower (by volume) in many countries. Oregon was going to jack up the beer tax 1900%, but not change the wine tax. Looks like Canada takes a similar approach. If cheap beer is the problem, why do they call the drunks "winos"?

 

[Montanaandy]

It is ironic that there is not more homebrewing in Canada given that it produces some of the best grains on the planet and the taxes on beer are so high. I recall the many times that I have driven though southern SK and there was nothing but wheat, rye, barley fields as far as the eye could see. It also can be a PITA to even get beer because the government stores are limited and only open at certain times. Montanandy

 

[Conehead]

I have wondered that myself many times. High beer prices should make Canadians want to make their own beer. Nope. They bitch and complain about the price of beer, but line up in our ( Ontario ) so called beer stores which resemble Russian bread lines and pay huge prices for bland and boring lagers. I can't figure that part out. On the other hand, I don't know why homebrewing is so popular in the US with your cheap beer. If I lived in the US, I would brew my own beer for the joy of brewing only. I wouldn't brew beer because I have to like I do here in Canada.

Conehead

 

[Montanaandy]

"ut line up in our ( Ontario ) so called beer stores which resemble Russian bread lines". Oh man did you hit the nail on the head - Fri. night in any province at the liquor store everyone is lined up with their beer, rye, etc. no smiles, kind of hunched over awaiting their "fate" (i.e. the bill). Montanaandy

 

[limoges]

I have wondered that myself many times. High beer prices should make Canadians want to make their own beer. Nope. They bitch and complain about the price of beer, but line up in our ( Ontario ) so called beer stores which resemble Russian bread lines and pay huge prices for bland and boring lagers. I can't figure that part out. On the other hand, I don't know why homebrewing is so popular in the US with your cheap beer. If I lived in the US, I would brew my own beer for the joy of brewing only. I wouldn't brew beer because I have to like I do here in Canada.

Conehead

Dead on! And the worst part as everyone knows the beer Stores are controlled by the major 4 but, really 2 because molson and labbatt owns sleeman and what the other one?

complete bull!

By our manufactured product in our stores! At least I am close to a few borders here but I can feel for someone in butt-*** sudbury!

 

[FlyGuy]

"ut line up in our ( Ontario ) so called beer stores which resemble Russian bread lines". Oh man did you hit the nail on the head - Fri. night in any province at the liquor store everyone is lined up with their beer, rye, etc. no smiles, kind of hunched over awaiting their "fate" (i.e. the bill). Montanaandy

Well, I wouldn't say ANY province. Surprised you haven't been north of the border to see the Alberta liquor stores. Even if it is expensive, we get some great beers, especially European imports (American imports are still lacking). No government liquor dictatorship here.

And Quebec is freaking awesome (man they have some good breweries!).

 

[Montanaandy]

I have spent quite a bit of time in Southern AB (Medicine Hat, Calgary, etc.) and I am there regularly. I am a very short distance from Lethbridge. Don't recall seeing much if any imported beer in the liquor stores in AB but frankly I don't have any interest in imported beer when I am in Canada since I can get everything I would possibly want here. Very good selection of imported wines though (mainly from Australia, Chile). Most of the liquor stores in AB that I have been to were govt run stores. Don't recall being able to purchase beer or wine at the grocery (kind of like North Dakota). Montanaandy

 

[seanybubbles]

I don't remember alberta have a wide selection of beer, but I do remember the "beer store" really sucked. What a crappy selection. Might as well call it the labatt blue/ molson canadian store. A case of six of big rock tradional ale was 12$! It's not even imported, it comes from calgary.... A case of 24 of blue was 40 bucks! You got to be rich to have a good time there...

 

[FlyGuy]

I don't remember alberta have a wide selection of beer.

At the moment, Alberta far and away has the least restrictive import regs in Canada, and has access to the greatest selection of beer in the country. But the liquor stores are all privatized, so selection at a given shop varies greatly. If you know where to look, you can find great selection.

Still sucks compared to the US market though.

 

[Hemsworth]

Anyone tried a bottle of Beau's Lug Tread in Ontario yet? Man, what a good beer. It's a craft beer and it costs about $8 for a 750ml bottle. Expensive as hell...but I feel the need to support them as they aren't far from where I live. At least you get a beautiful, ceramic flip-top bottle out of it!

 

[limoges]

Anyone tried a bottle of Beau's Lug Tread in Ontario yet? Man, what a good beer. It's a craft beer and it costs about $8 for a 750ml bottle. Expensive as hell...but I feel the need to support them as they aren't far from where I live. At least you get a beautiful, ceramic flip-top bottle out of it!

The brewery is near by... So yes. If you have the chance, you can pick-up growlers there for 15-18 (4 bucks depot). They also make seasonnals and are gearing up a bottling line.

So the plan is to bottle the lug thread in 4*600 ml packs and perhaps seasonnal's also.

Currently seasonnal's are only available at the brewery.

If this means anything. Please bring your clay bottles back to the beer store! They need them back!!! Or check out operation go home, good cause and get monay for your empties!