Vancouver city council is expected to amend bylaws on June 11 to allow breweries and distilleries that operate in industrial areas to sell their own products in compliance with new provincial laws.
Councillor George Affleck told Business in Vancouver June 6 that he believes most of his colleagues agree with his motion to change bylaws so the city’s burgeoning craft brewery and distillery sectors can flourish.
Rich Coleman, who was in charge of liquor regulations before the May election, changed provincial laws effective March 1 to allow brewers and distillers to be on a level playing field with wineries and sell multiple drinks to patrons.
Coleman announced the change after brewers such as Granville Island Brewing president Jim Lister complained to BIV that tourists get angry at what they assume is his policy: that they are only allowed to order a maximum of 12 ounces of beer per day.
“In industrial land, where we have a lot of microbreweries and distilleries, you’re not allowed to have tasting lounges or anything,” Affleck said. “So, this is really changing the zoning to allow the businesses to do what the provincial government has said that they can do.”
Affleck’s recommendation is that the pubs be allowed in industrial areas as long as the lounge portion of the operation is no larger than 861 square feet, is entirely contained within the building and is exclusively selling products made on site.
