- Ontario Craft Brewers
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The Ontario Craft Brewers (OCB) is a trade association representing 27 small, independent breweries in the Canadian province of Ontario.
Ontario Craft Brewers Type Trade Association Industry Beer Brewing Founded 2003 Headquarters Toronto, Ontario, Canada Number of members 27 Website http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com Contents
Origins
The OCB was originally founded in 2003 as the Ontario Small Brewers Association to work collectively on marketing and communications programs to promote local breweries and the craft beer being brewed in Ontario.[1] The OCB is funded by member dues and grants provided by the Government of Ontario.[2] The association adopted the name Ontario Craft Brewers and launched their first marketing campaign under that brand in Spring 2005.[3]
Craft Brewing Methods
As proponents of the North American craft beer movement, the Ontario Craft Brewers have published a formal OCB Brewing Philosophy mandating members to employ traditional brewing methods, including: brewing in small batches; the use of natural quality ingredients; fermentation to final gravity without dilution; and the avoidance of preservatives or additives.[4]
Market Position
Since the OCB formed and launched its marketing campaigns, there has been a reported growth in the sales of craft beer within the Ontario market.[5] Craft breweries still currently control less than 5 percent of the provincial beer market. Over 89 per cent of beer in Ontario is sold by The Beer Store, which is owned by AB InBev, Molson Coors, and Sapporo.[6] The remainder of beer in the province is sold by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), a provincial crown corporation solely responsible for the sale of liquor and spirits in Ontario,[7] and by licensed bars and restaurants.
OCB Discovery Pack
In 2007 the Ontario Craft Brewers began selling its own branded product — the OCB Discovery Pack — in LCBO stores. The Discovery Pack is a mixed sampler containing 4 to 6 different beers from OCB member breweries. The contents, and sometimes the format, of the Discovery Pack changes with each edition. The seventh release of the Discovery Pack went on sale in November 2010.[8]
Ontario Craft Beer Week
In June 2010, the Ontario Craft Brewers initiated the first annual Ontario Craft Beer Week, a festival featuring events taking place at OCB breweries, as well as various bars and restaurants around the province.[9]
Member Breweries
The members of the Ontario Craft Brewers are:
- Barley Days Brewery
- Beau's All Natural Brewing Company
- Black Creek Historic Brewery
- Black Oak Brewing Company
- Cameron's Brewing Company
- County Durham Brewing Company
- F&M Brewery
- Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
- Grand River Brewing
- Granite Brewery
- Great Lakes Brewery
- Heritage Brewing
- King Brewery
- Lake of Bays Brewing Company
- MacLean's Ales
- Mill Street Brewery
- Muskoka Cottage Brewery
- Neustadt Springs Brewery
- Niagara's Best Brewery
- Nickel Brook Beers
- Old Credit Brewing Co. Ltd.
- Railway City Brewing
- Scotch Irish Brewing
- Skeena Brewing Company
- Stratford Brewing Company
- Trafalgar Brewing Company
- Wellington Brewery
References
- ^ "About Us". Ontario Craft Brewers. http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com.
- ^ "Ontario Craft Brewers Opportunity Fund". Government of Ontario. http://news.ontario.ca/medt/en/2008/09/ontario-craft-brewers-opportunity-fund.html.
- ^ "25 Ontario Craft Brewers Form a Marketing Cooperative". Marketwire Incorporated. http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/25-ONTARIO-CRAFT-BREWERS-FORM-A-MARKETING-COOPERATIVE-559705.htm.
- ^ "Brewing Philosophy". Ontario Craft Brewers. http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/content2.php?nextpage=brewphilosophy.
- ^ "Microbreweries: Small brewers, good fighters". Canadian Business magazine. October 12, 2009. http://www.canadianbusiness.com/managing/strategy/article.jsp?content=20091012_10013_10013.
- ^ "Operational Report, 2008". The Beer Store. http://www.thebeerstore.ca/TBSopreport2008.pdf.
- ^ "Annual Report, 2008". Liquor Control Board of Ontario. http://www.lcbo.com/aboutlcbo/annualreport2008.shtml.
- ^ "OCB Discovery Pack 6". Ontario Craft Brewers. http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/DiscoveryPack6.php.
- ^ "Raising a toast to local brew". The Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/824012--raising-a-toast-to-local-brew.
External links
Categories:- Beer and breweries in Canada
- Beer organisations
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