New Brunswick microbreweries worry for future as N.B. Liquor slashes prices

Craft brewers are feeling left in the cold after their products won’t be receiving the price drop that the New Brunswick Liquor Corporation has announced.

“It’s good to know that (New Brunswick Liquor Corporation) is making an investment that will help retain some of the money spent out of province on beer,” said Wendy Papadopoulos, an executive with the N.B. Craft Alcohol Producers Association. “But its important that similar investments in creating a better environment for the development of N.B. producers is critical.”

Earlier this week, the NBLC announced that they will cut the price on certain beer products starting June 26.

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“This is not a promotion, this is an everyday offer on 24 pack cans on the big domestic brand,”said Mark Barbour, a spokesperson  with the NBLC, explaining the decision.

Barbour says that  the organisation does everything they can to help local producers create a healthy and thriving business.

“We dedicate about 30 percent of shelf space, we provide a subsidy of about $2 million a year and reduce mark ups for them,” he said. “We’ve never refused a listing, we also pay to test their product for them.”

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But Papadopoulos said that isn’t good enough.

“Part of the (NBLC)’s mandate is to participate in the development of the industry in the province and New Brunswick would realize a lot more economic benefit if the government and ANBL focused on economic development in our sector,”  she said. “It’s not only about price drop it’s about developing the sector as a whole.”