The End of Canadian Beer?

[August1991]

Is this proof of the true end of Canada? The beginning of a brave new world? Or an irrelevant factoid?

Canadian-owned breweries are disappearing faster than a cold beer on a hot day, and the president of one of the last remaining home-grown beer companies says it's happening with the tacit approval of Canadians.

Steven Poirier, president of New Brunswick-based Moosehead Breweries, says a huge slice of Canada's brewing industry has been swallowed by foreign interests - mostly U.S. brewing giants.

"Close to 90 per cent of all beer sold in Canada today is controlled by foreign brewers," Poirier says in a speech prepared for delivery on Monday in Saint John, N.B.

...

Labatt Brewing Co. was bought by Belgian-based giant Interbrew a decade ago. Interbrew merged with Brazil's AmBev in 2004, creating InBev, the world's largest brewery.

Molson, ironically brewers of the Molson Canadian brand, merged with U.S. giant Coors to form Molson Coors Brewing Co. (TSX:TAP. in 2005.

Other major players include Anheuser-Busch in the United States, Holland's Heineken NV, and SABMiller PLC in Britain.

Canoe

In fact, Canadians brew the beer on Canadian territrory and own parts of the companies that brew it. This is true "multiculturalism" or call it mutinationalism.

Now then, why can't we receive bank services, buy cheese and milk and fly on airplanes the same way.

[jdobbin]

Now then, why can't we receive bank services, buy cheese and milk and fly on airplanes the same way.

Why can't we get beer and cheese in a bank or bank services in the air? <heh>

I have no problem with foreign owned beer, banking or air services.

[geoffrey]

Tastes the same. I don't really care beyond that. I'm not a big fan of most Canadian beers anyways, the occassional Keith's, but the Brits/Irish do it better.

[White Doors]

I don't care who owns them - tastes the same as it did before.

I must admit that I am proud that Moosehead is the largest independantly owned Canadian Brewer though.

But really, they sell most of their beer in the states, so it doesn't really matter.

[Canuck E Stan]

I don't care who owns them - tastes the same as it did before.

"Canadian" beer is still here, lots of it.

Check out all the micro-brewskis in this country, they're all thriving quite well and it's probably why the likes of Molsons and Labatts have to go south for business.

The micros have done a great job on bringing "taste" into beer bottles.

The yellow pisz water the big guys sell is so close in taste to "American" beer it might as well be there.

Support the the micros, now that's good "Canadian" beer.

[GostHacked]

I don't care who owns them - tastes the same as it did before.

"Canadian" beer is still here, lots of it.

Check out all the micro-brewskis in this country, they're all thriving quite well and it's probably why the likes of Molsons and Labatts have to go south for business.

The micros have done a great job on bringing "taste" into beer bottles.

The yellow pisz water the big guys sell is so close in taste to "American" beer it might as well be there.

Support the the micros, now that's good "Canadian" beer.

This man speaks the truth. Microbreweries are where it is at. Many hotels I stayed at had micro's on the hotel itself. In some cases the hotel does very well. And with brewing all the beer on site, much money would have to be saved (I guess) and you get a better tasting beer. I have stayed away from Canadian, Blue, ect for the most part, they all taste the same. I want some beer with flavour. Sleeman's I like much. Keiths I enjoy. Although I am a fan of the cheap Pabst Blue Ribbon (26 bucks a case) it is lacking in bite.

German, Belgium and Holland all make great beers as well.

[theloniusfleabag]

As a regular beer drinker, I concur that micros are some of the best beers. There are also all sorts of imported beers from all over the world that are also of excellent quality. There are a few from India, such as Lal Toofan or Raj that are great, Tusker from Kenya, Efes from turkey, Almaza from Lebanon, etc that are well worth a few extra bucks. China, too, makes a few good quality brews. Ocikim Porter (from Poland) is one of the best Porter beers in the world. A local brewer in Calgary, Wild Rose Brewing, makes several fantastic beers.

To address August1991's OP, if any one of these brews were to capture x% of market share, they too would be 'bought out' by some or other brewing giant. Why, he asks, can't we let everything in Canada be foreign owned? I'd rather not see it, but if free enterprise is to be truly free, bring out the Monopoly [tm] board!

[geoffrey]

A local brewer in Calgary, Wild Rose Brewing, makes several fantastic beers.

Don't forget Big Rock! In fact, a trad might be in order right now...

[Leafless]

Is this proof of the true end of Canada? The beginning of a brave new world? Or an irrelevant factoid?

Canadian-owned breweries are disappearing faster than a cold beer on a hot day, and the president of one of the last remaining home-grown beer companies says it's happening with the tacit approval of Canadians.

Steven Poirier, president of New Brunswick-based Moosehead Breweries, says a huge slice of Canada's brewing industry has been swallowed by foreign interests - mostly U.S. brewing giants.

"Close to 90 per cent of all beer sold in Canada today is controlled by foreign brewers," Poirier says in a speech prepared for delivery on Monday in Saint John, N.B.

...

Labatt Brewing Co. was bought by Belgian-based giant Interbrew a decade ago. Interbrew merged with Brazil's AmBev in 2004, creating InBev, the world's largest brewery.

Molson, ironically brewers of the Molson Canadian brand, merged with U.S. giant Coors to form Molson Coors Brewing Co. (TSX:TAP. in 2005.

Other major players include Anheuser-Busch in the United States, Holland's Heineken NV, and SABMiller PLC in Britain.

Canoe

In fact, Canadians brew the beer on Canadian territrory and own parts of the companies that brew it. This is true "multiculturalism" or call it mutinationalism.

Now then, why can't we receive bank services, buy cheese and milk and fly on airplanes the same way.

What does this thread have to do with federal politics, outside of proving that Canada will 'soon be up the creek without a paddle' relating to the sellout of Canadian companies to foreign interest.

These foreign takeovers will only streamline companies resulting in throwing more Canadians out of work and working for less wages.

Is this supposed to be a good thing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_owner...anies_of_Canada

[August1991]

What does this thread have to do with federal politics, outside of proving that Canada will 'soon be up the creek without a paddle' relating to the sellout of Canadian companies to foreign interest.

Uh, that's a federal concern, no? Even from your viewpoint Leafless, it's of concern to all Canadians.

[Leafless, I'm sure you can find a way to blame Quebec/the French for foreign takeovers.]

----

I'll do a little little PR. There's a book titled Why Mexicans Don't Drink Molson which has for thesis that Canadians don't take risks and don't know how to manage global brands.

I laughed when I heard about this thesis since, I thought, only an urban English-Canadian could invent such a thesis, write such a book and only urban English Canadians would buy it.

Canadians are risk lovers because that's the nature of the country. But we don't have global brand names nor is that a measure of success anyway. Brand names are not our strong point and you have to be an urban English Canadian (likely a woman, let me say it) to believe brand names are a measure of success.

We have lots of land and thanks to glaciers, lots of accessible natural resources. Getting those resources is a risky business - and it's also very profitable. Louis Vuitton, we're not. And anyone who says you have to brand to get rich is probably bad at math and did a marketing MBA.

As a regular beer drinker, I concur that micros are some of the best beers.

...

To address August1991's OP, if any one of these brews were to capture x% of market share, they too would be 'bought out' by some or other brewing giant. Why, he asks, can't we let everything in Canada be foreign owned? I'd rather not see it, but if free enterprise is to be truly free, bring out the Monopoly [tm] board!

IME, good beer is like good bread or good tea. It should be fresh. Bottled beer is like bread in a plastic bag or tea in a bag - there are degrees of quality but all are a pale imitation of fresh.

The best beer that I have drunk was in small towns in Germany or Holland, made on site, and even at a micro-brewery pub in Quebec City where they usually got it wrong. Like warm bread, fresh tastes best. I spent time in Sri Lanka and tea fresh out of the factory is the same.

Bottled beer can go seriously wrong though. [Anecdote ahead.] On my first trip to the Soviet Union, I was with an American and stopping at a train station for about 15 minutes in Siberia, we decided to buy beer (unavailable in the resto wagon). The American used his height and dress to fight his way through the queue to the kiosk, and at the counter, turned and asked me by mouthing the words: "How much?" I yelled, "Five roubles." (I figured that at one rouble = one dollar, we'd get a couple of beers.) He came back with about 20 bottles of 500 ml each, as many as he could carry.

Sitting down in my second class compartment, the American and I sprung the top of one bottle and decided it was "off". And then another and another until we realized they were all "off". Offering the opened bottles, I was astonished when the Russians happily said "Pivo!" To the American and me, it was bubbly vinegar. I realized then that the Russians had never drank "beer" - or rather, their definition of beer was different from mine.

Now to the OP and Theloniuous' comment. I'm not so sure a genuinely Canadian brand won't survive. Why do you think Moosehead's PR have got this media quote? Many Canadians want to drink Canadian beer made by a Canadian employed by a Canadian.

[Canuck E Stan]

Many Canadians want to drink Canadian beer made by a Canadian employed by a Canadian.

Obviously you're not a fan of micro beweries.

It is Canadians, who make this Canadian beer right here in Canada with Canadian employees.These Canadians have given us Canadian beer drinkers more choice for the type of Canadian beer we have can drink.

Produced here in Canada,both at the local level and sold at the national level.

Canadian beer is now more than bland Molsons and Labatts and Canadians love it.

These micros are truly Canadian and it's refreshing to go to a pub locally and get a "fresh" beer,or to go to other parts of Canada and sample the beer made there.

Canadian micro beer is far more Canadian than you think.

[Leafless]

What does this thread have to do with federal politics, outside of proving that Canada will 'soon be up the creek without a paddle' relating to the sellout of Canadian companies to foreign interest.

Uh, that's a federal concern, no? Even from your viewpoint Leafless, it's of concern to all Canadians.

[Leafless, I'm sure you can find a way to blame Quebec/the French for foreign takeovers.]

----

I'll do a little little PR. There's a book titled Why Mexicans Don't Drink Molson which has for thesis that Canadians don't take risks and don't know how to manage global brands.

I laughed when I heard about this thesis since, I thought, only an urban English-Canadian could invent such a thesis, write such a book and only urban English Canadians would buy it.

Canadians are risk lovers because that's the nature of the country. But we don't have global brand names nor is that a measure of success anyway. Brand names are not our strong point and you have to be an urban English Canadian (likely a woman, let me say it) to believe brand names are a measure of success.

I agree with the book that Canadians don't take risk and is one of the main reasons our country has been stalled in park, while the U.S. has left Canada light years behind, relating to a complete lack of entrepreneurial vision on Canada's part.

This mostly always has been the case in Canada, with one of the root causes being that Canadians refuse to invest or take chances in Canadian business, unlike Americans.

If you want me to drag Quebec into this, then yes, I would say along with Liberal socialist ideologies, dwelling on culture and language and the constant perpetual unity issue, rather than focus more on the importance of encouraging Canadians to invest in Canadian business and manufacturing, Quebec and socialist government, solely has been responsible for the failure of Canadian business to succeed, on or near, the same level as our Southern cousins.

It's understandable why Canadian business lack the initiative to succeed and also depend on government to bail them out.

It has become part of Canadian culture to behave this way.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?con...7&articleId=197