Ontario Craft Brewers
The Ontario Craft Brewers (OCB) is a trade association representing 37 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 | 37 |
| Website | http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com |
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 14th release of the Discovery Pack went on sale in November 2013.[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 Co.
- Big Rig Brewery
- Black Creek Historic Brewery
- Black Oak Brewing Company
- Block Three Brewing Company
- Cameron's Brewing Company
- Clocktower Brewpubs
- County Durham Brewing Company
- F&M Brewery
- Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
- Grand River Brewing
- Granite Brewery
- Great Lakes Brewery
- Highlander Brew Company
- Kichesippi Beer Co.
- King Brewery
- Lake Of Bays Brewing Company
- Left Field Brewery
- MacLean's Ales
- Mill Street Brewery
- Muskoka Brewery
- Neustadt Springs Brewery
- Niagara College Teaching Brewery
- Niagara Oast House Brewers
- Nickel Brook Brewing Co.
- Old Credit Brewing Co. Ltd.
- Railway City Brewing
- Ramblin' Road Brewery Farm
- Sawdust City Brewing Company
- Silversmith Brewing Company
- Skeena Brewing Company
- Sleeping Giant Brewing Company
- Steam Whistle Brewing
- Trafalgar Brewery
- Walkerville Brewery
- Wellington Brewery
References
- ↑ "About Us". Ontario Craft Brewers.
- ↑ "Ontario Craft Brewers Opportunity Fund". Government of Ontario.
- ↑ "25 Ontario Craft Brewers Form a Marketing Cooperative". Marketwire Incorporated.
- ↑ "Brewing Philosophy". Ontario Craft Brewers.
- ↑ "Microbreweries: Small brewers, good fighters". Canadian Business magazine. October 12, 2009.
- ↑ "Operational Report, 2008". The Beer Store.
- ↑ "Annual Report, 2008". Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
- ↑ "OCB Discovery Pack 14". Ontario Craft Brewers.
- ↑ "Raising a toast to local brew". The Toronto Star. June 15, 2010.