Will the ASBA soon be getting bigger?

An alert reader drew my attention to this Metro story from a couple of weeks back. It is mostly a fluff piece, but there is one very interesting, almost throw-away line in it: “Since the provincial policies changed in December, AGLC has had 40 people inquire, and 11 have asked for a license application package for craft brewers.”

So, in the past two months 11 people have been serious enough to pick up the package that needs to be completed to apply for a brewing license. Interesting. Very interesting.

Now a package does not a brewery make, and I am fully suspecting many, if not most, of those 11 packages never again see the light of day. But let’s say, just for a moment, that 3 or 4 are serious enough that they do apply for a license. That would be a 25% jump in Alberta-based breweries. Sure, it ain’t Quebec or B.C. yet, but it is a start. The key thing for me is that this is just a couple of months in. I will be curious how many packages go out by the end of the year.

My suspicion is that many of those inquiries are from restauranteurs intrigued by the possibility of adding a brewpub to their existing operation. It seems the least capital-intensive way to do it and the economics make sense. Obviously, no one is talking yet, lest they perk the ears of their competitors.

Since the New Year there have been lots of idle rumours – someone thinking about a brewery here or a a brewpub there, but I have not heard anything overly substantive yet. Probably because it is still too early.

However, I promise to keep my eyes open and let you good folks know as soon as I do. And, if any of you catch wind of something you think I should follow up on, fire me off an email.