B.C. brew jumps into flourishing Ontario craft beer market
Kelowna, B.C.-based brewery Tree Brewing enters a popular Ontario craft beer market this month with the introduction of its Hop Head India Pale Ale (IPA) product to LCBO stores.
The company bills its Hop Head IPA as a “west coast-style” IPA distinguishable by its hoppy flavour. The beer has previously been available in B.C., Alberta and the Yukon.
Tod Melnyk, president of Tree Brewing, said his company was encouraged by the results of a limited-edition Ontario promotion last February, during which LCBO stores stocked the brewery’s Hop Head Double IPA product.
Browning said the success of that program, along with a mature craft beer market built by Ontario’s craft brewers and the LCBO, convinced Tree Brewing that Ontarians would be receptive to Hop Head IPA.
“Craft beers in Ontario are doing really well, as they are right across North America, and the Ontario Craft Brewers Association and all the craft brewers have done a really great job of marketing craft beers in conjunction with the LCBO,” said Melnyk. “It’s a great opportunity for us to come in there now and be part of that and introduce something that’s a little bit different than what’s there today.”
Melnyk said Tree Brewing has no plans for a media advertising campaign to support the Ontario launch and that the brewery would use social media and in-store and event-based sampling initiatives to build awareness of the beer.
Hop Head IPA is distributed in Ontario by craft brewing agency North American Craft, which will also handle sampling programs for the product.
