r/torontocraftbeer • u/helikoopter • 3d ago

Continued Collabs with US Breweries

Is anyone bothered by the fact that Canadian (Ontario/Toronto) breweries continue to collaborate and include US breweries?

I received an email from Blood Brothers today, and within the email was an ad for the Spectapular Beer Fest. The beer fest is including 2 US breweries. While I don’t know what beers those breweries will bring, they may very well be collab beers, the idea of promoting US breweries right now feels off.

Bellwoods had a recent collab released, I see Counterpart at my local watering hole with collab beers. Just brewery after brewery that is promoting US breweries.

Can’t one of them take a stand? Can’t one of them say “if they’re in, we’re out”.

We see people making an increased effort to buy local, people supporting more local businesses with local products, and the breweries saying “yea, we don’t care about that…but please buy local”.

Just a rant, but it’s something I hope others can take a stand for. I hope people can start boycotting places that are promoting US breweries.

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u/emceecee23 3d ago edited 3d ago

Do you take the same hard line stance with breweries using US ingredients? Most Canadian breweries do use American ingredients you know. Especially if you like IPA's. I own a brewery with a focus on using Ontario ingredients when possible and Canadian when not (then european after that). I have had this stance as a brewery long before any talk of tariffs or this 51st state nonsense. I have no issue with there being 2 American breweries at this fest. The collabs were planned before any tarrifs, and as far as I know neither brewery outwardly supports their governments position. Also it is a festival with 38 collabs with small Canadian companies. It is actually possibly to go, enjoy the great Canadian beer and completely ignore the two American breweries if you wish. No one is making a ton of money having their beer at this event. I promise breweries don't get a cut of your ticket you buy. That isn't what this about.

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u/helikoopter 2d ago

So I can see I’m talking with a lot of very, very young people who lack critical thinking skills.

There is a difference between buying an item I can’t get without, and buying an item that I can.

If the majority of breweries are using US ingredients, there is probably a reason. However, it’s worth noting that Leftfield has made claims that they get all of their ingredients from Canada, and that’s been enough for me to begin scooping up their IPAs with more regularity.

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u/emceecee23 2d ago

So your take away from my comments is I’m very young. Cool. Might be the first to accuse me of that. I believe you missed my whole point. Keep buying up those IPAs without asking where the hops come from. Would love to find the farm in Canada growing all this Citra and Simcoe.

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u/helikoopter 2d ago

“Cool”, you don’t see the difference?

Here, I will spell it out for you.

On one hand, there aren’t other options (the hops), or very limited options.

On the other hand, there is an entire globe of options.

The LCBO had no issue pulling millions of dollars off of the shelf, yet a few brewers and a lame promoter can’t kick a few breweries to the curb.