I don’t know what the exchange rate is, but those yeast prices sound average or low for the US.
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That’s quite an unjustified stretch
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i did not give the context of canada’s current situations, but thats entering the realm of politics in a way.
but based on govt regulations past and on-going and media reports (our largest media outlet is a government corporation btw) i think its inarguable that people in power in canada are trying to discourage all alcohol consumption. the reasons are many and varied, but thats what i wont get into.
i would say the first intoxicant (other than say caffeine) that a young person would try in the 2020s would be either marijuana in some form or nicotine likely in vape format. not alcohol.
so -related to the subject of the thread - i do have concerns that my ability to get homebrew ingredients here may be reduced in the future. re: this - not through restrictions but by a lack of public demand for homebrewing and beer in general.
Things are getting rough here in Denver and we’re still a pretty big craft beer metro. The homebrew shop I used to hit also brews beer but they seem to be temporarily closed with no real info on the website or social media. That’s where I would buy supplies and refill tanks. The next closest shop to my house is a 30-40 minute drive. There’s one about 15 minutes from work but I can’t tell from their website if they fill/swap CO2. I also used to be able to fill tanks at a paintball arena near my house but they moved too far to go. There are grow shops here that sometimes sell but none are super close and often it requires dropping the tanks off and picking them up a day or two later. I guess I need to get on the phone and start looking for other options.
When MyLHBS closed they referred me to a local place that supplies hospitals and other medical facilities.
Given the massively increasing cost of physical retail space in cities like mine (Seattle), as well as the diminished profit margins of not being able to compete with online vendors who order in bulk, I greatly fear that my one local homebrew store will go under. I don’t even want to think about the potential negative impact the impending threat of tariffs will have, given how much of the grain is from other countries, as well as the equipment is either manufactured in China or manufactured in the US from imported steel. The next closest store is 20 miles away (often a 45 to 60-minute drive in Seattle), and I don’t want that to end up being my closest.
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This makes me sad …
I live in the northeast PA area and my closest HBshop is about 35 min away. Great staff and has an option if I order by Wednesday evening to have my order at a local brewery near me on Saturday at noon for pickup. This is a great option if I am not wanting to make the drive there and do not need it immediately. It also “forces” me to enjoy some great beer from the pickup location. My affiliation with my local homebrew club also gets me a perk of a discount whenever I order online or in store. Great perk there as well.
I believe that homebrewing is down but as we are a larger club we are always open to have new “friends” come to the monthly meetings. We do community serving events and also run a homebrew competition. It is a lot of work to keep it all current but it is worth it in the end to keep the love and interest alive in our hobby.
Where in NEPA? I’m in the North Pocono area and consider Simply Homebrew in Drums the closest to me. ≈ 40-45 minutes.
I am down in the Lehigh Valley area. About 45-60 min from the Pocono area.