The new Bellwoods brewery may not have a bottle shop

Among the things people generally expect from their neighbourhood nanobreweries, some way of buying bottles to bring home is pretty high on the list. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like that will be a feature of the new Bellwoods facility at Dupont and Dovercourt. According to local beer expert Ben Johnson, there’s a provincial rule that restricts small brewers—meaning those who produce fewer than 25,000 hectolitres of beer annually—from operating more than one retail bottle shop at a time. Since Bellwoods already sells bottles out of its Ossington location, and since its total beer production levels will likely never surpass the 20,000-hectolitre mark, the rule will probably prevent the new location from having a retail component. Johnson spoke with Bellwoods owner Mike Clark, who called the rule “crazy” and said he’s already met with area MPPs to try to get the current laws reviewed.