Photo supplied
One of B.C.’s breweries is gifting Canada more beer for their buck to celebrate 15 years of producing craft beer.
Central City Brewers & Distillers will be the first brewery in North America to transition its entire core beer line-up from the industry standard of 355ml cans to 500ml cans.
While the original Red Racer logo and packaging is getting a makeover, the price tag and recipe of the product will remain untouched.
“We’re providing 41 per cent more beer without increasing the price as a thank you to our loyal customers,” Daryn Medwid, vice president of sales, told media at the brewery's downtown pub on May 29.
By June 2018, six-packs and 12-packs of the Red Racer IPA, Session IPA, Northwest Pale Ale, Pilsner and Super Solar IPA will transition to be solely sold in 500ml cans. Central City plans to have all Red Racer beers sold exclusively in the larger size before 2019.
supersolaripa Central City’s Super Solar IPA will be in The Reign of Hops mixed pack of 500ml cans Photograph By DAN TOULGOET
“We plan to maintain prices through the summer and will monitor market conditions in the longer term in order to continue to offer exceptional value to our customers,” said marketing director Dustan Sept.
He said it was challenging to actualize this concept, which has been in the works for about a year now, as most North American suppliers don’t produce 500ml cans.
“It’s more of an international standard but domestically no one’s every done a 500ml multi pack,” Sept said.
“The craft brewery industry has gotten noisy in recent years, so this is our opportunity to show our appreciation while also causing a bit of disruption.”
Brewmaster Gary Lohin is excited by the idea that this bold move will bring more people into the world of craft beer in general, but is confident new customers will stay loyal to Red Racer.
“Our IPA in Newfoundland is the same IPA in Rossland, B.C.,” Lohin said, noting that Central City is the only Canadian brewer of craft beer with products available in every province and territory.
“If you’re making consistent beer, people will come back to you,” said Lohin.
He answered the Courier’s question of whether people will miss the smaller cans with one of his own.
“If you see two loaves of bread being sold for the same price but one’s bigger, which loaf are you going to buy?”
No stranger to firsts, Central City will also be the first craft brewery in North American to sell beer in BPA free cans.
Lohin hinted that some future plans will likely require more press releases soon, but Medwid was able to give the Courier insight into an upcoming renovation that will add 53,000 square feet to the current 68,000 square foot “Death Star of breweries” operating with six tanks in Surrey.
“We’ll be able to do it all under one roof — the canning, bottling, packaging, cooling, and storage of everything including whiskey barrels, “ said Medwid. “The forethought that went into designing the facility in 2013 means that barely anything needs to be torn down in the renovation process.”
Not only will Canadians be spared the cost of bigger beer cans, Central City is also offering more job opportunities.
“When we started in 2003, there were only three of us. As we move forward, we’re able to employ hundreds,” Lohin said.
According to Beer Me BC’s website, there are 134 breweries in the province, with 70 of them in Metro Vancouver.
@bexinVity
bclarkson@vancourier.com
