Brewer runs out of beer By Rohan Wade January 14, 2005
IN an even more drastic situation than the famous pub with no beer, Tasmanian brewer J. Boag & Son ran dry of two of its popular beer varieties during the peak Christmas period.
Several Launceston retailers were left without Boag's Draught Light cans and Boag's XXX Ale stubbies and cans for several days after the brewery's own supplies ran out.
J. Boag & Son marketing director Lyndon Adams said the brewery was also forced to reduce the amount of Boag's Draught it sent to its growing interstate market to ensure its local supply.
Mr Adams said the brewery knew it was facing shortages just before Christmas as orders threatened to soak up the stock it had on hand.
"We knew it was going to be tight, and then on the day before Christmas we had no XXX Ale left," he said.
He said he was not aware of any retailers running out of the varieties, which are both popular lines, particularly in the state's north.
But industry sources said most retailers in Launceston had run out.
Riverside Hotel licensee Tim Bond said the hotel's bottle shop ran out of XXX Ale, and had to wait until the 29th for more supplies.
"We didn't run out of the light, but there were quite a few (XXX Ale) drinkers who weren't too happy," he said.
Mr Adams said a new $17 million high-speed bottling line (part of the brewery's expansion into the interstate market) had come too late to avoid the problem.
"Had we been able to get that running six weeks earlier then we would have been able to get enough supply," he said.
He said the new bottling facility, which will double the Launceston brewery's production, would ensure the shortages did not re-occur.
"We did have similar problems last year. Sometimes retailers may run out of a line and rather than come and get more stock, they'll just wait until their regular weekly order, but at Christmas we were short of supplying orders in those few lines," he said.
Mr Adams said the brewer, owned by Philippine brewing giant San Miguel, was not prepared to sacrifice its traditional Tasmanian market, which is why it diverted Boag's Draught stock to local retailers.
The Mercury