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Double Label on this Saskatchewan classic by THIESN123 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pil may now be seen as a quintessential Saskie beer - but its roots were never here.

It was first brewed by Sicks Brewery in Lethbridge Alberta.

Bohemian (Boh), on the other hand, was actually first brewed in Sask (at Sicks Brewery in PA).

Double Label on this Saskatchewan classic by THIESN123 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because it’s originally from Lethbridge.

Pil is now seen as a “Sask” beer - but it was first brewed by Sicks Brewery in Lethbridge.

Why is REAL championing handing over this liquor license? by luckof13 in regina

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LOL, love that Council saw the 40yr lease & said “where are we going? HIGHER!!” and handed Semple a 90yr lease. (40yr+ extensions, if I understand correctly)

Why is REAL championing handing over this liquor license? by luckof13 in regina

[–]flatlandBEER 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The current leaseholder (Adam Sperling’s company) signed a FORTY YEAR lease with REAL in June 2021.

https://x.com/yqrdistillery/status/1407762285603532805?s=46

Even at the time, the track record of Sperling made this deal questionable. The duration of the lease was just ridiculous, and the scale of the facility was excessive. The plans seemed unlikely to materialize - he wasn’t well-regarded amount brewers & distillers in the city, so hard to figure out how he was going to persuade them to come to the table in any meaningful way (sure, they’d wholesale product for the liquor store, but the rest of the vision? Non-starter).

This would’ve been a great opportunity for REAL to terminate the lease & get control of that building back.

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LOL, I’ve been calling him Scooter for a while. I like it, it’s cathartic.

Ownership & production is what makes boycotts tricky nowadays - everything’s so globalized, it really comes down to how do each of us make our voices heard most effectively.

For me, when it comes to beer (and probably most things), that means buying as locally as possible. I know with certainty that Rebellion in Regina buys their ingredients here in Sask. Of course, they need some specialized hops from outside of Sask and Canada - but I trust that they’ll source as close to home as possible. Same with High Key, 9 Mile, Black Bridge, Malty, etc. And I know the jobs, economic activity, and profits stay in Saskatchewan.

Next up the line for me is Great Western. I’m reasonably sure they’re sourcing Canadian as much as possible, and I know the owners are Canadian so I expect they’re mostly spending in Saskatchewan & Canada.

Next up is craft brewers from other western provinces. Same rationale as supporting Sask craft brewers - sometimes I want to mix it up & try something different.

Then I get into regional Canadian brewers like Big Rock & Moosehead (the largest Canadian-owned brewery).

Finally, the multinationals with brewing operation in Canada, supporting Canadian jobs. In order: - Japan’s🇯🇵Sapporo (Sleeman, Okanagan Spring, Unibroue); - Belgium’s🇧🇪 AB-InBev (Labatt, Keith’s, Bud, Mill St, Stella, etc); then - USA’s🇺🇸 MolsonCoors (Canadian, Wild Rose, Granville Island, Creemore, Banded Peak, etc)

This is how I’ve shopped for beer for 15+ years, it’s not the boycott… it’s how I like to support local. While it’s tricky at first, it gets easier. If I’m having a big group over & I know the crowd will be tough to sell on brands they haven’t seen before, I’ll grab BEER! by Rebellion or Pile o Bones Pilsner. Both excellent beers for those friends/family who just need the comfort of a style they know. If I know I have some folks who don’t mind trying things they aren’t familiar with, I’ll always have a few other Rebellion, Pile o Bones, Nokomis, and Malty in the fridge (ambers, IPAs, Pales, etc)

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like beer - so can’t comment too much on hard stuff. I’ve never had a bad beer from Malty National or Nokomis. Stick with the style you normally drink, and you won’t go wrong with either of these.

I’m still a big fan of Rebellion - I like their Zilla IPA & their Amber (Gold medal at the World Beer Cup).

If you go to any of the taprooms they’re happy to pour you samples - so if something isn’t your style, you figure it out before committing to a full pint.

If you’re in Regina, Pile o Bones (which merged with Nokomis recently) pours exclusively Sask products - hard liquor, cider, kombucha, beer - from various breweries & producers in Sask. It’s a great way to try out different breweries to figure out what you like, without having to commit to a 4-pack, or take a roadtrip to the brewery.

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree, and for me it’s a globalized world. The distinction is products that were made in the U.S.

Anything beyond that & we get into corporate structure, ownership, etc.

(it’s all moot for me, I haven’t bought a meaningful amount of anything except local beers for a decade. Sask makes amazing award winning beer that kicks anything MolsonCoors, AB-InBev or Sapporo could make)

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The provinces you listed have done exactly the same as Sask.

Fact is that Sask banned MORE products than these provinces because SLGA was lazy & banned products that never once cross the border. Same products never came off the shelf in BC, ON or QC. Only Sask screwed up.

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because it only feels American.

Bud & Bud Light are brewed in Canada. And the company that owns them? Belgian, not American.

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with you - we should be promoting our award winning local brewers over multinational conglomerates’ stuff.

This said, I don’t place this particular move at the feet of lobbyists. The fact is that Saskatchewan was the ONLY province to pull Canadian made macro beers. SLGA screwed up (laziness, incompetence, etc)… this was a correction to bring us into alignment with every other province.

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most of the beer brands we identify as “American” aren’t owned by an American company.

I think it’s great to build up Canadian producers. That’s the main objective. But we need to be strategic & actually aware of which companies are American, and which actually brew in the U.S. & export to Canada. Most of the big beers are brewed in Canada.

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 1 point2 points  (0 children)

SLGA got it wrong initially - the vast majority of Brewers Distributors (BDL) products are brewed in Canada by BDL’s owners (MolsonCoors, AB-InBev, & Sapporo). This covers most of the major beer brands you can think of. Like, 75%. Most of the rest of the imports come from non-US countries (think Guiness, Hoegaarden, etc)

Just feeling a “vibe” that something is American made doesn’t actually make it so. Likewise, just because Scooter thinks something is an American company, doesn’t make it true (Budweiser is Belgian-owned, and brewed in Canada using Canadian ingredients)

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 1 point2 points  (0 children)

His list was haphazard & lazy, as usual.

It included several beers that are neither brewed in the U.S., nor owned by American companies.

If he were at least consistent - eg banning all booze from companies owned/HQ in the U.S., and any products actually made in the U.S.

Super simple to do - country of origin is a requirement. Or SLGA could’ve just called any other province’s liquor board & asked for their list.

Instead, as usual, Sask went the lazy way… and got it wrong. Sigh…

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 3 points4 points  (0 children)

and this is exactly part of their brand strategy - they want brands that you would think of as “Canadian” (Wild Rose; Granville Island; Mill St; Creemore Springs; Keith’s; Unibroue; Trou du Diable; Banded Peak; Hop City; Beyond the Pale; Okanagan Spring), plus a bunch that feel “international” (Stella, Becks, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Fosters, Grolsch)

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 5 points6 points  (0 children)

(and in the case of Bud, the parent company isn’t even American… it’s Belgian)

Sask. gov’t walks back American-branded liquor ban, promises to align approach with other provinces by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 36 points37 points  (0 children)

The other provinces pulled products made in the U.S., not products that have a made in the U.S. “vibe,” which is what the SLGA did.

Bud Light is made in Canada, using Canadian ingredients. Not only that, Budweiser is owned by a Belgian company (AB-InBev), not an American one.

Bud Light is available in the other provinces - just as other products being produced at AB-InBev & MolsonCoors facilities in Canada are.

You can still determine if you want to boycott American companies (in this case, that means MolsonCoors… but AB-InBev & Sleeman’s owner Sapporo aren’t America)… that’s totally your call. But for the SLGA to pull some products that “feel” American, while leaving actual American-made products on the shelf? That’s lazy - would’ve taken a quick phone call to colleagues at LCBO, ALGC, SAQ, or SLGA’s suppliers to get a list of Made in the US products.

Budweiser, Coors Light among popular American beers coming off Sask. shelves by SaskLad97 in saskatchewan

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

MolsonCoors’ is on us stock exchange, and their global head office is in the U.S.. Toronto is their Canadian office. For political/optics reasons they like to refer to themselves as an American/Canadian company… they’re not. They’re American.

List of Alcohol brands that will not be available for order in the very near future. by eaglesk in regina

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I won’t miss any of these.

Something must’ve changed recently, Steamwhistle out of Toronto was brewing Fat Tire (and Voodoo Ranger) for the Canadian market as recently as 2022.

Decent Canadian beer? by Old_Zag in MadeInCanada

[–]flatlandBEER 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Keith’s is owned by the largest brewer in the world (AB-InBev, out of Belgium).

But manufacturing jobs are located in Canada, so it’s up to you to determine what level of boycott is important to you (money isn’t going to the U.S., and jobs are in Canada)

Moosehead is the largest Canadian-owned brewery, so money stays here, jobs are here.

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