Never has a generation been so derided as the Millenials. Not only are they the first generation in history to be worse off than their parents, they are constantly blamed for many of the ills in the world.
Hardly a week goes by without a new pundit or critic exclaiming that Millenials are killing the car industry, or the golf industry, or the marriage industry, or the not-having-crippling-student-loan-debt industry.
I heard a new one yesterday, recounting that Millenials are killing the beer industry, alongside an announcement that Molson Breweries were laying off 500 people in North America.
It is true that Millenials are the generation that have most fully embraced craft beers, making it not entirely surprising that purveyors of fizzy yellow macrobrews ike Molson Coors are seeing a drop in sales.
Unlike their beer-swilling older comrades in Generation X, the Millenials are less likely to go out on a raging bender every weekend, choosing to drink less, but drink better.
These are not good omens for the megabrewers of the world, which may be why Molson Coors Brewing Company just changed their name to the beer-less Molson Coors Beverage Company, thanks to their recent forays into kombucha, hard ciders, hard seltzers, canned wine, and even cannabis-infused non-alcoholic beverages.
You heard that correctly, the brewery that is nearly a century older than Canadian Confederation is trying to peddle all sorts of different libations, aiming to fuel the vices of more than just the beer drinkers of the world.
That is indeed quite the change from how John Molson opened a brewery in Montreal way back in 1786, eventually merging with Coors, a Colorado brewery started by Adolph Coors in 1873.
Edmonton’s Labatt brewery is the only remaining megabrewery here in Alberta, with the Molson brewery in Calgary operating from 1892-1994, and the Molson brewery in Edmonton operating from 1913-2007.
The Alberta market is serviced by a newly constructed Molson brewery in Chilliwack BC, after the aging brewery in Vancouver was shuttered earlier this year.
To the east of us, Molson also maintains megabreweries in Toronto, Montreal, Moncton, and St. John’s, so the shelves of liquor stores across the country are in no danger of running out of stock of Molson Canadian or Coors Banquet anytime soon.
However, the smaller craft breweries may not be so lucky. Despite a plethora of new craft breweries opening in Alberta in the past few years, the economic downturn may be taking its toll, with three different Alberta craft breweries closing their doors in 2019.
Wood Buffalo Brewing in Fort McMurray was the first, although it may not be entirely surprising given the work slowdowns in the oilpatch, as well as the great fire of 2016 that saw most of the population resettled away from the location of the brewery and taproom.
Calgary’s Red Bison Brewery, located in the so-called Brewmuda Triangle, also shuttered its doors over the summer, followed shortly by Edmonton’s Two Sergeants Brewing.
Even local legends Big Rock Brewing reported a loss of $1.7M in the first quarter of this year, resulting in their first ever layoffs since opening their doors in 1985.
Indeed, the outlook may not be rosy for the craft brewers of Alberta, much less the megabrewers like Molson, but it may be that the economic downturn is more to blame than Millenials not opting to swipe right on just one more pint of frosty goodness.
I predict that we will see more mergers and consolidation in the craft beer industry here in Alberta, similar to how local favourite Wild Rose Brewing was acquired by Sleeman Brewers back in May. Edmonton’s Alley Kat Brewing and Calgary’s Big Rock appear to be likely candidates, thanks to their long and sterling reputations in our fair province, which makes them attractive targets for a larger player looking for a foothold in the Alberta market.
Lest you think that your favourite local brewer could never sell out in such a fashion, it has already happened to many long-time craft brewers, including Granville Island Brewing and Creemore Springs, now both owned by Molson.
You can help keep your beer local by supporting your neighbourhood craft brewery. Remember that Chestermere’s own Township 24 brewery and tap room is open Tuesdays through Sundays, so pop into the shopping plaza on Rainbow Road for a frosty pint, and take home a growler or six-pack today!
