NB Brewer Frustrated With Ban on Craft Beer Sales at Farmers Markets – New Brunswick | The Canadian News

Anthony Maddalena, owner of Bagtown Brewing in Sackville, NB, was forced to come up with a creative solution when he learned he couldn’t sell craft beer at New Brunswick farmers markets.

He sold empty growlers at the Sackville Farmers Market with a coupon that customers could take to his brewery just a few blocks away to fill the growler with beer.

“At first we thought it would be a great idea to promote the brewery. It ended up being a nuisance, “he said.

Since then, he has given up on the logistically complicated solution. Instead, he opened the microbrewery early on Saturday mornings in hopes of attracting market goers.

Sackville Farmers Market Manager Michael Freeman says he would like to be able to allow craft brewers to sell at the market.

“Farmers markets exist to hatch all these little mom and dad businesses that are starting up in our communities,” he said. “To see someone excluded for legislative reasons is disappointing.”

Maddalena is on the board of directors of the market.

Meanwhile, Sackville is minutes from the Nova Scotia border, where craft beer is freely sold at farmers markets.

Interprovincial legislation prohibits Maddalena from selling New Brunswick beer in Nova Scotia.

But New Brunswick has the highest number of craft breweries per capita, with 9.4 breweries for every 100,000 adults of drinking age.

The province has no plans to change the legislation

Currently, only local wineries can sell their wares at New Brunswick farmers markets.

Maddalena says she has reached out to the Department of Public Safety and NB Liquor repeatedly over the years, but has never been able to get a clear answer on why this policy exists and how it could be changed.

In a written statement provided to Global News on Friday afternoon, a representative for NB Liquor said the crown corporation “had discussions with the Department of Public Safety about expanding the ability of local NB artisan products to sell. In a farmers market, however, there is no current plan for these changes. “

– with files from Callum Smith