Pint Post is hoping to expose more beer drinkers to the wealth of new brew being produced in B.C.
Starting in October – just in time for BC Craft Beer Month – the Vancouver startup plans to begin delivery of monthly curated packages of B.C. craft beer to customers.
Pint Post packages will contain approximately two litres of B.C. beer, which will be themed around seasonal trends and will arrive in an assortment of cans and bottles.
The company plans to deliver all over B.C. A corporate service available to Vancouver businesses will include a larger package of up to 7.8 litres of beer, with between six to eight different beers per month.
The subscription delivery model was developed by company founder Ryan Tessier and his business partner, George Danes.
The pair’s original idea was to create an “an Uber for craft beer,” delivering beer on demand, but B.C. regulations made that impossible.
“It got too complicated,” Tessier said. “It became really, really difficult for us to work around the regulations, and there wasn’t really a profit margin there.”
So they conceived of the subscription service instead, inspired by similar delivery services in Alberta and Ontario. The problem, though, is that Alberta and Ontario are relatively lax on alcohol delivery services. B.C., Tessier said, is “a little behind the eight-ball. It’s been a bit tricky to start out. I can’t warehouse anything – I need to be a distributor to do that.”
Pint Post therefore can’t buy any beer until a purchase order has been made, which means that Tessier must plan the monthly packages in advance. That makes acquiring limited or seasonal brews tricky.
But Tessier said there are workarounds, and he’s working with breweries on how to deliver the freshest product.
Tessier added that Pint Post’s plan is to build its subscriber base to the point where breweries will offer exclusive releases that won’t otherwise be available on the market.
Monthly individual subscriptions begin at $39.95; business subscriptions start at $149.95.
For more information, visit pintpost.com.
– Stephen Smysnuik, The Growler (www.thegrowler.ca)
