Year End Summary by the Ontario Craft Brewers 2015

TORONTO (Dec. 29, 2015) – 2015 was an exciting year of evolution and progress for Ontario Craft Brewers, the industry association representing small independent brewers in Ontario.

“The craft brewing industry continues to grow in size, scope and popularity and, along with this, so has our membership,” says Cam Heaps, co-founder of Steam Whistle Brewing and Chair of Ontario Craft Brewers. “This growth means more breweries bringing more jobs into communities across the province.”

In 2015, OCB’s membership grew from 45 to 65 Ontario Craft Breweries, a record number of members for the 10 year-old association. In 2015, the following new members joined OCB:

Barnstormer Brewing Co – Barrie – http://www.barnstormerbrewing.com/

Bell City Brewing Company – Brantford – http://bellcitybrewing.com/
Boshkung Brewing Co -Minden Hills – http://boshkungbrewing.com/
Brimstone Brewing Co. – Ridgway – http://www.brimstonebrewing.ca/
Church Key Brewing Co. – Campbellford – http://www.churchkeybrewing.com/
Collective Arts Brewing – Hamilton – http://collectiveartsbrewing.com/
Double Trouble Brewing – Guelph – http://doubletroublebrewing.com/ (contract brewing at Wellington)
High Park Brewery – Toronto – http://highparkbrewery.wix.com/hpbrewery (contract brewing at Grand River)
Magnotta Brewery – Vaughan – http://www.magnotta.com/Brewery/
Manantler Craft Brewing Co – Bowmanville – http://www.manantler.com/
Niagara Brewing Company – Niagara Falls – http://niagarabrewingcompany.com/
Northwinds Brewery Ltd – Collingwood – http://northwindsbrewhouse.com/
Old Flame Brewing Co – Port Perry – http://oldflamebrewingco.ca/
Old Tomorrow – Toronto – http://www.oldtomorrow.com/ (contract brewing at Big Rig)
Refined Fool Brewing Co. – Sarnia – http://www.refinedfool.com/
Royal City Brewing Company – Guelph – http://www.royalcitybrew.ca/
Stack Brewing – Sudbury – http://www.stackbrewing.ca/
Silversmith Brewing – Niagara-on-the-Lake – http://www.silversmithbrewing.com
The Collingwood Brewery – Collingwood – http://www.thecollingwoodbrewery.com/
Whitewater Brewing Company – Foresters Falls – http://whitewaterbeer.ca/
William Street Beer Co. – Cobourg – http://williamstreetbeer.com/

CRAFT BREWING JOBS, SALES & MARKET SHARE: OCB estimates there are approximately 140 operating breweries and another 40 or so contract brewers, both of whom receive manufacturing licenses from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The contract brewers brew their product at the operating breweries and many are planning to build their own breweries.   Today, there are well over 1,400 direct brewery jobs (this includes a small percentage of value brand jobs) and over 5,600 indirect jobs (using a multiplier of four) in Ontario. These 1,400 direct brewery jobs account for about 30% of the direct brewing industry jobs in Ontario.   As of 2014, Ontario’s Craft Brewers’ share for premium priced brands was almost 5% of the total beer volume sold in Ontario. Annual sales growth has been in the low teens for the last four or five years, varying widely by retail channel, with the LCBO having very significant growth due to their consumer-friendly shopping environment. In 2014, OCB estimated there were approximately $290 million in sales in Ontario (including value brands).

BEER RETAIL CHANGES: The craft brewing industry expansion was supported by the important changes to retail brought in by the Government of Ontario, including: beer sold in grocery stores, a new Beer Framework and governance structure for the Beer Store, co-shipping amongst craft breweries and a minimum of 20% shelf space allocation in TBS and grocery stores. See OCB’s official response to these changeshttp://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/press-releases/ocb_press_beerRetailSystem.php

BEER IN GROCERY STORES: Ontarians received an early Christmas present when the first wave of craft beer arrived in 58 grocery stores across the province in mid-December. Loblaw led the charge by hosting a media launch event in Toronto with the Premier and Minister of Finance, and a commitment to stock approximately 50 per cent local, Ontario craft beer. In its first week, Loblaw’s interest exceeded expectations, representing more than half of its sales.  Several grocery chains and independents also began selling Ontario Craft Beers in stores across the province, for a complete list of grocery stores currently selling OCB beers, visit: http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/groceryStores.php

LCBO & CRAFT BEER ZONES: OCB continues to work closely and very successfully with LCBO, implementing merchandising programs and tasting opportunities in stores throughout the province. Craft beer sales continued to grow in the LCBO, exceeding $68 million in 2014-15, an increase of 36 per cent over the previous year. This year, LCBO opened its first growler station in the ‘Craft Beer Zone’ at Summerhill Store #10 in Toronto. The Craft Beer Zone is a dedicated section with 250 Canadian, U.S. and international craft beers – 169 from Ontario. The growler station features three Ontario Craft Beers on tap (not available in any other format) rotated on a regular basis. This is the first of 25 craft beer zones in LCBO stores across the province. See OCB’s news release http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/press-releases/ocb_press_craftBeerZone.php

OCB EXPORT PROGRAM: Exports of Ontario Craft Beer continued to grow, with many members selling their beer outside of the province of Ontario, including: Steam Whistle, Beau’s, Cameron’s, Flying Monkeys, Lake of Bays, Grand River, Black Oak selling in other Canadian provinces as well as Michigan, New York state and Ohio, Spain, Mexico and Taiwan.

FESTIVALS/EVENTS/AWARDS: OCB member breweries participated in hundreds of tasting events and festivals across the province. This year in particular saw a huge increase in the number of craft-focused festivals throughout the province. Like craft breweries, in future, there will be a festival in every community. Breweries and their brands also continued winning local, national and international awards, demonstrating their brewing creativity and expertise. For a list of awards, visit http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/awards.php

ONTARIO CRAFT BEER WEEK: The sixth annual Ontario Craft Beer Week was the biggest celebration of craft beer in the province to date with over 300 tasting events in 50+ communities across the province. This year, the week kicked off with a Real People, Real Craft Beer media launch and (first ever) OCB Week public sampling event at the Roundhouse at Steam Whistle Brewing. Approximately 200 people attended and enjoyed a stocked OCB bar, great local food, prizes and entertainment. OCB Week once again featured meet the brewer beer dinners, collaborative brews, keg swaps, pub crawls, musical performances, art shows, battle of the brewery bands and craft beer & food pairings held in communities across the province (www.ocbweek.ca). OCB Week 2016 will take place June 10 – 19, 2016.

LICENSEE LOVE: A substantial amount of OCB’s total sales comes from licensees where craft selection is getting broader, especially in the independent bars and pubs. With the buzz about craft beer and increasing consumer demand, Ontario Craft Brewers are also seeing larger chain accounts taking a greater interest in local craft products. Many more pubs and restaurants are intensifying the beer experience by offering a detailed beer menu, suggested food pairings, tasting notes, cask rotations and cellared beers.

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION: A recurring theme in the industry, collaboration between OCB members is one of the defining aspects of the industry. In 2015, craft breweries collaborated on various brews throughout the year, working together to share their passion, expertise and create delicious brews. Sales from the OCB Week collaboration brew (produced by 40+ brewers at Great Lakes Brewing in May 2015) helped raise over $12,000 for the Association of Food Banks of Ontario.

DIGITAL: OCB’s website (www.ontariocraftbrewers.com) remains the go-to place for craft beer lovers seeking information about OCB member breweries, brands and tasting tips. In 2015, there were 263,642 visits (up 77 per cent from 2014) and 24,311 downloads (up 54 per cent from 2014) of its monthly podcast series featuring Cicerone Mirella Amato’s interviews with Ontario beer writers. Have a listen at http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/blog/

SOCIAL: OCB social media channels continued to thrive in 2015 with 17,650+ followers on Twitter (@OntCraftBrewers), 8,320+ likes on Facebook (www.facebook.com/OntarioCraftBrewers). OCB also created its first branded content campaign with Fifth Story, which included a video, print articles about craft beer and a radio spot. Check it all out here http://fifthstory.com/en/ocb-branded-content-campaign/. See links to more dedicated videos featuring the ‘Real People behind the Real Craft Beer’ on the OCB youtube channel (www.youtube.com/OntarioCraftBrewers/videos):