Craft Brewers Happy To Be In Grocery Stores

New Brunswick craft beer producers are applauding NB Liquor’s decision to offer their products in grocery stores.

Craft beer and other brews became available at 66 Loblaw and Sobeys stores throughout the province Thursday.

Sean Dunbar, president of the New Brunswick Craft Alcohol Producers Association, said it is a big step for craft breweries, but they are up for the challenge.

“It’s a lot of work, a little bit of trepidation and logistical planning and things on all of our parts, but mostly a heck of a lot of brewing over the last couple of months as well all get ready to fill that channel,” said Dunbar, who also owns Picaroons Traditional Ales in Fredericton.

The brews are available in the same grocery stores which already sell wine and cider, including items produced in New Brunswick.

Dunbar said he thinks the local wine and cider producers led the way for local beer producers.

“Consumers really responded well to the New Brunswick products so that encouraged NB Liquor and the major grocery stores to include New Brunswick small brewer products in the selection, too,” he said.

Positive Economic Impact Anticipated

The initial product offerings include 10 craft beers from seven breweries: Graystone, Grimross, Maybee, Picaroons, Pumphouse, Trailway and Petit-Sault.

Dunbar believes selling craft beer in grocery stores will have a positive economic impact for brewers, their employees and the province.

“I think these will be what are called incremental sales, so they’ll be in addition to beer sales,” he said. “I think it’ll improve the sales numbers on beer provincewide for sure.”

Second-quarter results released Wednesday by NB Liquor showed beer sales were down 6.4 per cent — or $4.05 million — compared to the same quarter last year.

Dunbar said their goal now is to find a way to get more craft breweries and their products into grocery stores.

“We have to take these first experimental steps with grocery until they get used to us and we get used to them. We have to allow NB Liquor to adjust to the logistics of how this all works,” he said. It’s a very new thing for all of us.”

“We know we have the best consumers around and so we know those consumers are going to buy the beer off the shelves and keep us busy.”