Published by Leonardo Calcagno
In collaboration with Keg Management | Can Management
How many members?
There are over 1,200 craft breweries and brewpubs in all thirteen provinces and territories in Canada. Our Association represents the interests of all of them. The CCBA-AMBC exists to promote and protect Canadian craft beer and craft brewers.
The primary activity of the CCBA-AMBC is lobbying the federal government in support of our members. We educate government decision-makers on the important role that craft breweries play in creating jobs and contributing to their local economies. We lobby for financial and legislative support for our industry.
The CCBA-AMBC also develops and delivers programs that help our members be better businesses. And we promote Canadian craft beer nationally and internationally.
Homebrewing & Industry 2021: 52 craft beer recipes from brewers
How’s everything? How has the covid-19 affected the Canadian Craft Brewers Association?
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the craft beer industry hard. Most of our members, and especially the smaller ones, rely on revenues from their taproom and onsite bottle shop. These are the most profitable channels, and they were the most adversely affected. Initially, craft breweries lost 50% of their revenue and had to lay off 70% of their employees on average.
However, public demand for our product did not decrease so breweries developed innovative ways to combat COVID restrictions. They ramped up their online sales. They delivered directly to consumers and established curbside beer pickup. They expanded their patios. And breweries that previously were not selling packaged products used mobile canning services to make their beer available through retail distribution.
All this hard work and creativity by our members allowed the craft beer sector to gain market share in 2020. Very few breweries closed permanently, while almost 100 new craft breweries have opened since this time last year. While overall profitability during the period was down, sales are now approaching pre-pandemic levels and some breweries are well ahead of that.
What are the challenges for the Canadian Craft Brewers Association?
Throughout all this the CCBA-AMBC, working together with the provincial and territorial Craft Brewers Associations, worked hard to convince governments to modify regulations to allow for the new sales channels. Some provinces and territories were more helpful than others.
Going forward our Association will continue to lobby for financial support for our members’ businesses. No other industry has opened more new manufacturing facilities in hundreds of locations all across the country in the past ten years. The federal government acknowledges the important role that craft breweries play in local economic development, especially in small and rural communities. We would also like the government to acknowledge the high capital costs and ongoing operating expenses of these small companies by decreasing the annual excise tax burden on our members.
Homebrewing & Industry 2021: 52 craft beer recipes from brewers
What’s next for CCBA?
The Canadian Craft Brewers Association is less than two years old, and we are still growing our resources base. Our aspirations are to increase our lobbying effort in Ottawa; provide more programs for our members to assist them in achieving operational excellence; provide more member benefits to our supplier partners; and increase public awareness of the quality of our products and the importance of our businesses to their communities.
image: facebook.com/craftbeercanada.org