[SIZE="3"][B]New Brunswick is rolling out its government-brand suds across the province on Thursday in a strategy to keep people from heading across the border in pursuit of discount beer.

The new brand is designed to staunch the bleeding of beer sales in border communities, but it is infuriating local brewers and at least one Quebec business owner.

The beers, Selection Lager and Light, are being brewed exclusively for the New Brunswick Liquor Corp., a Crown corporation, by Saint John-based Moosehead Breweries.

Dana Clendenning, the liquor corporation's president and chief executive officer, told a legislative committee in January that NB Liquor was losing about $12 million in sales annually, primarily to Quebec. Now he is boasting about the beer's New Brunswick roots as the first cases are being stacked on NB Liquor shelves across the province.

We are proud to launch these premium-quality, low-cost brands, which are brewed for New Brunswickers by New Brunswickers," Clendenning said in a press release on Thursday.

He described the beers as "using quality ingredients … slightly drier than the typical lager and light beers, with a crisp, dry taste. They are light-to medium-bodied in colour, with a clean, fresh finish."

Clendenning defended the enterprise on Thursday as the first cases were put on sale.

"As far as I'm concerned, nothing ventured nothing gained. We haven't invested in a plant or equipment, we don't have a sales team out there," he said.

"It's a minimal investment to launch these two brands."

New Brunswick's policy of socially responsible pricing means that the lowest allowable price for 12 cans is $18.67. That policy is designed to set a floor price for beer in the belief that any lower prices would lead people to buy too much and develop drinking problems.

But in Quebec, the lowest allowable price is much lower. Beer drinkers across the border can get 24 cans of beer for as little as $25.

The new Selection brands will be sold throughout the year for $18.67 for 12 cans. Other beer companies have to apply to sell at the minimum price for a limited time and can only do that a certain number of times each year.

While the beer may be cheap, Craig Pinhey, a New Brunswick wine and beer expert, said the product may be worth the price for some people.

"If you like mass-produced Canadian lager, this tastes just as good as the other ones. So why would you not save money?" he said.

The new beer wasn't winning immediate converts among some Saint John beer drinkers despite the lower cost.

"Well as far as I'm concered, Alpine was the provincial beer anyway," said Harold Defazio, a customer.

"I'll try it, but I can't see me switching my beer."[/B][/SIZE]
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12罐啤酒18.67加币。
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NB Liquor的新啤酒。

that's not bright idea, people still buy cheaper beer at quebec.

I wonder who came up this "good idea"

个人认为没什么竞争力。在魁北克省，相同的牌子都比在NB省便宜。新推出一款便宜的酒，并不能阻止人们去魁北克时买便宜酒的趋势。