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We’re continuing our slowly rake the leaves from the lawn of 1960’s Canadian brewing. Now we’re going to have a look at on and off sales.

You’ll remember from last time that when prohibition was repealed, many provinces didn’t allow on sales at all. Some restrictions remained until after WW II.

“From "On-Premise" to "Off"
Between the two World Wars, only in Quebec were beer, wine and spirits for sale for consumption on the premises. Newfoundland, which was not in Confederation at that time, by 1935 had licensed outlets for the sale of beer, wine and spirits. Today such outlets exist in all provinces.

This has obviously played its part in the trend from draught to packaged beer, because the new bars don't serve draught. At the same time the great increase in home construction in Canada has meant more entertaining at home by Canadians. The advent of the "recreation room", the family room, the television room, the workshop, has meant that Canadians spend more time at home, follow their hobbies there, enjoy themselves there. This has meant that a greater proportion of beer is consumed at home than in licensed premises.

Figures for consumption on and off licensed premises are available for only three provinces, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba. The following table shows beer consumed on premises as a percentage of total consumption in these three provinces.

BEER CONSUMED ON-PREMISES AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL CONSUMPTION
Nova Scotia Ontario Manitoba
% % %
1949 n.a. 51 58
1950 n.a. 50.6 59.3
1951 n.a. 50.9 59.4
1952 34.7 49.5 58.7
1953 35.4 47.8 58.6
1954 36.5 47 59.3
1955 38.6 45.7 58.7
1956 38.5 44.3 56.2
1957 37 43.7 52.7
1958 36.6 44.5 53.1
1959 37.6 42.1 52.5
1960 36.1 41.5 51.2
1961 35.7 41.1 49.7
1962 34.4 40.2 49.1
1963 38.2(1) 39.8 47.6
(1) Increase probably due to issuance of more licences.
"Brewing in Canada", Brewers Association of Canada, 1965, page 42.
The trend of declining on sales has been repeated all over the western world since WW II. Will it ever stop? I guess it has to. There must be a base level below which sales can fall no more. Mustn’t there?

Do people really spend more time at home than they used to? I certainly do. When I was younger I’d be down the pub most days. Now it’s rarely more than once a week, unless I’m on holiday.

By comparing the figures for on sales and draught sales, it’s clear that a considerable amount of bottled beer was being drunk in bars. For example, in 1963 17% of sales in Manitoba were draught, but 47.6% on premises. The gap wasn’t quite so big in Nova Scotia and Ontario: 18% draught, 38.2% on sales; and 23% draught, 39.8% on sales.

What next? Bottles, perhaps.

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