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Canada: Labatt Brewery has branched into print advertising pointing out that Carlsberg beer is no longer being brewed by Labatt — which, until January, had been the case for the past 15 years, The Star revealed on February 18 The ads reveal that more than 300 bars, pubs and restaurants have opted to stop selling Carlsberg.

Labatt director of public affairs Nigel Miller says the bars acted on their own volition and weren't pressured. "Carlsberg has been in a steep decline for a number of years. It's a very competitive market." Carlsberg Canada's general manager Michael Behrens was "shocked" by the ads. "I have never seen anything like this." The ads, which appeared in Toronto newspapers and alternative weekly magazines, were just pointing out to beer drinkers that the beer has changed, Miller says. "Regular beer drinkers really do put a lot of stake on where their beer comes from and who makes it. It's basically a way of passing along that information."

In January, the two companies were said to have amicably parted ways. Carlsberg set up its own company, Carlsberg Canada, for marketing purposes. It contracted the brewing out to Moosehead Breweries for the next five years, and the beer is now made in Saint John. Miller compares the situation to when Labatt brought B.C.'s home-grown Kokanee to Ontario — initially by brewing it in Ontario. "Authenticity is really important to consumers," he says, noting that Labatt learned its lesson after the backlash. "We learned from that."

The beer itself isn't changing, Behrens counters. He says Carlsberg is contracted out to be brewed in 49 countries, but the company always oversees the process, no matter who brews it. "Our position is a Carlsberg is a Carlsberg."


20 February, 2004