At least one local microbrewery will not be participating in the buck-a-beer program.
As heard on AM800 News, Premier Doug Ford announced his provincial government will allow beer to be sold for a $1 through a number of incentives, instead of the current bottom of $1.25 per beer.
Jordan Goure is the head brewer at Brew Microbrewery on University Ave. E near Glengarry Ave.
He says the Microbrewery will begin canning its beer this fall and it's going to cost more than a dollar to get the beer into the can.
Goure feels the program helps larger breweries.
"As a little guy, and we're just getting into canning this fall actually, I mean it's tough for us to even get the liquid in a can for a buck," says Goure. "We pay a lot more for aluminium for our cans than the big guys do obviously. So I don't really think that we'll be able to take part in this initiative. I would have a hard time believing that most of the microbreweries that I know that I deal with would be able to. Like I said it costs us a buck just to get the product in the can and get it there."
Brew Microbrewery (Photo courtesy of Facebook)
Goure feels breweries were not looking for a price drop.
"I don't think anyone was really looking at lowering at this point and the second part of that is the little guys, not just us — everyone — I would be surprised if they can even get the liquid in the product and gets to the LCBO for a buck a can," says Goure. "We don't want to give beer away right?"
He believes Brew will not lose business by not participating in the program.
"I don't think it's going to have a huge impact," says Goure. "I think it's going to have bigger impact on the bigger independence maybe like a Steam Whistle those types of breweries that if they don't do this initiative, they're not going to be competing with the big guys on a level playing field like they're trying to."
Ford announced the buck-a-beer program will start by August 27.
The new price does not include draft beer.