Holiday spirits in good supply

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This article was published 17/12/2021 (1776 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The global supply chain Grinch isn’t going to dampen holiday spirits — at least in the case of alcohol — according to local sellers and breweries.

The pandemic is causing a lot of disruptions in worldwide sales and deliveries. Closer to home, floods and fires on the West Coast are causing shipment delays.

A spokesperson for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries said they are closely monitoring the shipping backlog in British Columbia, but the corporation is prepared for the festive rush.

“Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries has built up a solid inventory supply, with most of our holiday stock already on hand. We have a robust assortment of everyday items to offer Manitobans in the event their preferred product is out of stock, and our knowledgeable staff are also available to help customers find the right alternative item or gift idea.”

The spokesperson acknowledged pandemic-related issues have caused disruptions across the global liquor supply chain and have impacted inventory at Liquor Marts over the last year and a half. The corporation is working closely with partners to minimize impact on customers. However, it does anticipate that supply chain and inventory issues will likely continue for the foreseeable future.

Outside of wine and spirits, some local breweries are saying now is a good time to think about craft beer, ciders and coolers. Black Wheat Brewing is offering a few holiday-themed options, as well as inviting everyone to come into their 10th Street taproom if they need a break from the stress of the season. Co-owner and president Ted Birch said the brewery has been doing fantastic business, and for the season they are offering Beer Santa, where a person can order beer or merchandise and have it delivered to whoever they want in the city.

Currently, they are focusing their market on Brandon, but the reception so far has been great and interest is growing.

“We want to let the city know we are the local guns and we have some great beer for them to try,” he said. “We’ve been brewing for more than a year and opened the taproom last summer. The summer was great, but we are still getting a lot of locals who haven’t tried us yet. Our beer flights are still one of our most popular offerings.”

Even with people turning to online shopping and food delivery platforms, Birch said they are relying on traditional sales methods: off-sales in their taproom, local vendors and the Liquor Mart. Local support has been gradual and they are growing, with plans to expand in the province and possibly Saskatchewan.

A place he would like to explore is the Winnipeg market, but with around 30 breweries already there, he said it’s a tough market to get into. He would also like to get into larger local venues, but many that offer beer are locked in contracts with larger beer companies and can’t buy anyone else’s product.

They do have to keep their eyes on global supply chains, though. Birch said there is a concern about a looming global shortage of aluminum cans. However, their beer is canned by Mammoth Canning in Winnipeg, so they are not overly concerned about running out of containers.

In Neepawa, Farmery Estate Brewery is having a good Christmas season and isn’t worried about any threat of a beer shortage. They have been offering holiday-themed 12 days of Christmas and beer advent calendar packs with a variety of the 30 beers they produce, as well as non-alcoholic sodas. They have proven so popular, they are selling as far as California.

They do sell their products online through their website and on multiple platforms, such as Amazon, Doordash and Uber Eats. Their market presence has grown to the point where they have a “fulfillment centre” they acquired last year just to fill online orders, and they hired an e-commerce manager.

This year, they stockpiled cans and cardboard in the event there is a shortage or delay.

“We were in lockdown last Christmas, and we saw people heading online to get their beer, so we had to pivot, as they say, and go to the customer,” said co-owner Chris Warwaruk. “It worked out for us because with our beer packs, they can sample a lot of our products and it has something for pretty much everyone.”

However, co-owner Lawrence Warwaruk said they have yet to make up for pre-pandemic sales in 2019. They are competing with the world for market share.

“Sales went way down in the pandemic, and 2020 was a pitiful year for us,” he said. “We are a local business, and it is very wise for people to support local, especially when we can produce a beer locally, of great quality.”

There has been an increase in online sales, although last year was their first year for that platform because of COVID. What they are seeing is people are shopping online for convenience and shipping costs are reasonable.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com