An increase in the price of craft beer is brewing in Alberta
Global News
Buying your favourite craft beer may soon come at a premium price as many microbreweries across Alberta are dealing with soaring grain, shipping and packaging prices.
It’s beer week in Alberta, a time to celebrate and enjoy craft beer but not all those behind producing the brew are in a celebratory mood.
“Profitability is down, so the amount of dollars we’re making for every beer sold has actually come down quite a bit,” Analog Brewing Company co-owner Bryan Launier said.
Many micro-breweries across Alberta are dealing with soaring grain, shipping and packaging prices.
This could mean that buying your favourite craft beer may soon come a premium price.
“With how bad the droughts have been here in Alberta and other places in North America, we’re going to be seeing a massive increase in our barley prices moving forward,” Launier said.
Launier said while large brewing companies have already secured enough grain to weather the storm, it’s small breweries like his that are fighting for what’s left, and that drives up costs even more.
“We don’t have big investors behind us, we don’t have lots of money behind us like other big industries out there, so this is basically our livelihoods on the line here, our everything,” Launier said.
Food distribution and policy expert Sylvain Charlebois said that leaves many microbreweries with few options.