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It’s name literally means “the shakes” and apparently that image was all it took to get Delirium Tremens, a celebrated Belgian golden ale, banned from the shelves of the LCBO.
According to Paul Meek, the founder of Kichesippi Beer Co. and importer of Delirium, the ban on the beer in provincial liquor stores points to an anomaly in the way Ontario sells alcohol: Delirium can be found on draft in pubs, where it regularly sells out.
“It’s been doing great on draft,” said Meek. “We’ve had people … asking where they can buy this to take home with them.”
Meek has spent eight years trying get the brand back onto store shelves. He said the beer was sold at the LCBO until a complaint about its name and the funny animated characters on its bottle.
Finally, in late September he struck a deal with the private retailer owned by the major breweries, to get it stocked on The Beer Store shelves. The deal is costing Meek more than it would were the beer stocked on LCBO shelves, since The Beer Store charges a higher premium for shelf space. But at this point it’s the Ottawa entrepreneur’s only option.
“It has the proud distinction of being the most expensive two-four in The Beer Store,” added Meek.
The brew, which has an unusually high alcohol content of 8.5 per cent, sells for $3.95 a bottle or $89.95 for a case of 24.
Besides being the name of the brand, Delirium Tremens is a medical condition typically associated with heavy drinking and alcohol withdrawal. The bottles are decorated with colourful cartoon animals, including pink elephants, which is what one might see after overindulging.
However, as playful as the bottle appears, what’s inside is a seriously accomplished brew that was awarded the title of Best Beer in the World in 2008 at the World Beer Championships in Chicago. It routinely scores 90 per cent and higher in reviews.
“This is not beer from some big machine. It’s a small craft brewer from Belgium,” said Meek, adding that it’s the beer’s high quality that makes it desirable to beer drinkers, not the high alcohol content.
The issue of the name on a bottle is only one of many that brewers and importers complain about when it comes to selling alcohol in Ontario.
Last month, Ottawa microbrewery Beyond The Pale officially threw in the towel on its efforts to keep its Hintonburg location open as it moves into larger digs in City Centre. Ontario liquor laws don’t allow microbrewers to sell beer at more than one location.
At the time, Eva Innes, director of communications at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which regulates the production and sale of alcohol, said the commission had no idea why the law banning sales at two brewery locations is in place and was looking at the rule as it tries to update the province’s liquor laws. It’s not clear whether labelling restrictions are also being looked at by the AGCO, however the regulator has said it is looking at modernizing all of Ontario’s laws when it comes to selling liquor.
The ban on Delirium Tremens remains in effect even as other products such as Dead Guy Ale, Dead Arm Shiraz and Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon remain on LCBO store shelves.
Genevieve Tomney, a spokeswoman for the LCBO, said each product is carefully reviewed to ensure the information on the label is accurate and that it doesn’t have graphics or a name that people might find offensive. In the Delirium Tremens case, officials felt the reference to getting the shakes, usually associated with alcohol withdrawal, was pushing things too much.
“LCBO didn’t want to be seen as being offensive or be seen as making fun of a serious alcohol related medical condition,” she said. “We have a social responsibility mandate. Our aim is to promote social responsibility and to encourage moderate consumption.”
Meek started out in the beer business as an importer of niche brands such as Delirium Tremens, Erdinger and Stiegl, among others. As demand increased, Meek said, bars and restaurants started asking if he had any interesting local beers to sell to meet customers’ demands for locally produced suds. It was that demand that led Meek to create Kichesippi Beer Co.
vpilieci@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/Vpilieci
查看原文...
According to Paul Meek, the founder of Kichesippi Beer Co. and importer of Delirium, the ban on the beer in provincial liquor stores points to an anomaly in the way Ontario sells alcohol: Delirium can be found on draft in pubs, where it regularly sells out.
“It’s been doing great on draft,” said Meek. “We’ve had people … asking where they can buy this to take home with them.”
Meek has spent eight years trying get the brand back onto store shelves. He said the beer was sold at the LCBO until a complaint about its name and the funny animated characters on its bottle.
Finally, in late September he struck a deal with the private retailer owned by the major breweries, to get it stocked on The Beer Store shelves. The deal is costing Meek more than it would were the beer stocked on LCBO shelves, since The Beer Store charges a higher premium for shelf space. But at this point it’s the Ottawa entrepreneur’s only option.
“It has the proud distinction of being the most expensive two-four in The Beer Store,” added Meek.
The brew, which has an unusually high alcohol content of 8.5 per cent, sells for $3.95 a bottle or $89.95 for a case of 24.
Besides being the name of the brand, Delirium Tremens is a medical condition typically associated with heavy drinking and alcohol withdrawal. The bottles are decorated with colourful cartoon animals, including pink elephants, which is what one might see after overindulging.
However, as playful as the bottle appears, what’s inside is a seriously accomplished brew that was awarded the title of Best Beer in the World in 2008 at the World Beer Championships in Chicago. It routinely scores 90 per cent and higher in reviews.
“This is not beer from some big machine. It’s a small craft brewer from Belgium,” said Meek, adding that it’s the beer’s high quality that makes it desirable to beer drinkers, not the high alcohol content.
The issue of the name on a bottle is only one of many that brewers and importers complain about when it comes to selling alcohol in Ontario.
Last month, Ottawa microbrewery Beyond The Pale officially threw in the towel on its efforts to keep its Hintonburg location open as it moves into larger digs in City Centre. Ontario liquor laws don’t allow microbrewers to sell beer at more than one location.
At the time, Eva Innes, director of communications at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which regulates the production and sale of alcohol, said the commission had no idea why the law banning sales at two brewery locations is in place and was looking at the rule as it tries to update the province’s liquor laws. It’s not clear whether labelling restrictions are also being looked at by the AGCO, however the regulator has said it is looking at modernizing all of Ontario’s laws when it comes to selling liquor.
The ban on Delirium Tremens remains in effect even as other products such as Dead Guy Ale, Dead Arm Shiraz and Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon remain on LCBO store shelves.
Genevieve Tomney, a spokeswoman for the LCBO, said each product is carefully reviewed to ensure the information on the label is accurate and that it doesn’t have graphics or a name that people might find offensive. In the Delirium Tremens case, officials felt the reference to getting the shakes, usually associated with alcohol withdrawal, was pushing things too much.
“LCBO didn’t want to be seen as being offensive or be seen as making fun of a serious alcohol related medical condition,” she said. “We have a social responsibility mandate. Our aim is to promote social responsibility and to encourage moderate consumption.”
Meek started out in the beer business as an importer of niche brands such as Delirium Tremens, Erdinger and Stiegl, among others. As demand increased, Meek said, bars and restaurants started asking if he had any interesting local beers to sell to meet customers’ demands for locally produced suds. It was that demand that led Meek to create Kichesippi Beer Co.
vpilieci@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/Vpilieci
查看原文...
