Anthony Maddalena, owner of Bagtown Brewing in Sackville, N.B., was forced to come up with a creative workaround when he learned he couldn’t sell craft beer at farmers’ markets in New Brunswick.
He sold empty growlers at the Sackville farmer’s market with a voucher customers could take to his brewery just a few blocks away to fill the growler with beer.
“Originally we thought it would be a great idea to promote the brewery. It ended up being a hassle,” he said.
He’s since given up on the logistically complicated solution. Instead, he has opened the microbrewery early on Saturday mornings in the hope of attracting market-goers.
Michael Freeman, manager of the Sackville Farmers’ market, says he would like to be able to allow craft brewers to sell at the market.
“Farmers’ markets exist to incubate all of these small Mom and Pop businesses that are getting started in our communities,” he said. “To see someone excluded for legislative reasons is disappointing.”
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Maddalena is on the market board of directors.
Meanwhile, Sackville is minutes away from the Nova Scotia border, where craft beer is freely sold in farmers’ markets.
Interprovincial legislation prohibits Maddalena from selling New Brunswick beer in Nova Scotia.
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But New Brunswick has the most craft breweries per capita, with 9.4 breweries per 100,000 drinking-age adults.
Province has no plans to change legislation
Currently, only local wineries can sell their products in New Brunswick farmers’ markets.
Maddalena says he has reached out to the Department of Public Safety and NB Liquor repeatedly over the years but has never been able to get a clear answer as to why this policy exists and how it could be changed.
In a written statement provided to Global News on Friday afternoon, a representative for NB Liquor said the crown corporation “had discussions with the Department of Public Safety regarding expanding the ability for NB local craft products to sell at a farmers’ market, however, there is no current plan for these changes.”
— with files from Callum Smith
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