A major change in beer retailing in Ontario will bring the province closer to the American model. Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne says beer will be available in some grocery stores by Christmas, with more stores being added in the coming years.
Beer drinkers may be hoisting a few more in celebration over the news that beer will soon be more readily available. It's all part of the provincial government's plan, announced earlier this year, to open up how beer and wine are sold in Ontario.
Beer has always been sold at The Beer Store, a chain of retail locations and a virtual monopoly, owned by a group of large breweries. Micro-breweries can also sell direct to the public from their own operations.
The announcement by premier Kathleen Wynne to change that comes after a deal with major breweries.
"We're starting with up to 60 stores that we'll announce later this year and we plan to have up to 150 stores with beer on their shelves by 2017," Wynne said.
The agreement also means the big breweries will keep the same prices wherever beer is sold and they will free up 20 percent of the shelf space at The Beer Store locations for small brewers. Bars and restaurants will also be able to buy beer at retail prices instead of paying premium rates.
When the plan is fully phased in, sales from the grocery network could reach close to a half-billion dollars
