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To the delight of fraternities and mono-brand beer drinkers, Costco warehouses in Ontario have entered the fray of suds sales in a big way.
Cases of 60 cans of major brands (for example, Molson Canadian for $85) mix with a smaller number of smaller cases from craft brewers including Steam Whistle, Muskoka and Flying Monkeys. The mix varies by warehouse.
Each of Costco’s 31 warehouses now sell beer, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails, as will the 32nd Costco when it opens soon in Brantford.
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There is some price confusion as, unlike the LCBO, price signs at Costco don’t include tax and deposit. Beer’s cheaper at Costco, but how much depends on the brand and size of case you buy. The beer’s also warm, but I suspect cooler space will be built as space allows.
London’s Labatt brewery is a player with Bud, Bud Light and Corona and Black Fly is on the list but wasn’t yet on the shelf at the north London Costco.
Southwestern Ontario’s breweries aren’t (yet) represented, but opportunity knocks if Costco decides to sell its house brand Kirkland beer in Ontario like it does in the United States. Thanks to Equals Brewing, London is a major contract brewing centre.
SLAM DUNK PARTNERSHIP
London Brewing dons sneakers for its newest collaboration beer, a light lager for the London Lightning of the Basketball Super League.
Lightning Lager, which officially launches Nov. 12 at the brewery, starts with a base of organic pilsner malt from Malterie Caux LaFlamme of Quebec followed by a side cereal mash of organic cornmeal which lightens the body and colour but adds flavour depth, brewer Aaron Lawrence said. The hop is organic Triple Perle from Saint Eugene on the Ontario-Quebec border.
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“It’s a bit of a labour of love, but interesting to brew and enjoyable to drink,” Lawrence said.
It’s not at Canada Life Place, where the Lightning play home games. While the arena’s name has changed, the pouring rights belong to AB InBev. Independent craft beer fans can get their thirsts satisfied nearby at Pub Milos and Beerlab London (soon rebranding as Supply and Demand Beer and Pizza).
London Brewing previously brewed a beer for the London Nationals of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, which play near the brewery at Western Fair.
NEW AND NOTED
The best-selling craft beer multipack in Ontario comes from Sarnia and it’s back with a new mix of IPAs. Refined Fool’s Fun Box, now in its ninth iteration, packs the mango-loader Death Row, sessionable I Wish Doug Was More Like Gary, the New England style Hazy Roy: A Hazy Boy, the famous Van Full of Weirdos featuring Simcoe hops, a double IPA christened Terry’s Obnoxious Windbreaker and Tracksuit, a Smash IPA brewed with Nectaron hops.
Cowbell Brewing of Blyth has a new mix pack that plays like its greatest hits. The six are Hazy Days, Absent Landlord (the brewery’s original beer), Cencerro Cerveza Mexican Lager, the light Smooth Sailing, Chocolate Mint Stout and Citrus IPA.
There’s a new sour at Upper Thames Brewing and Brickhouse Brewhouse in Woodstock. Making Waves with Pineapple is 4.3 per cent alcohol and delivers pineapple juiciness with sour tang.
Into beer, Sunday football and pig roasts? Powerhouse Brewing is hosting fans of all three Nov. 17 in a ticketed event in a tailgate-esque experience.
Wayne Newton is a freelance journalist based in London.
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