Beer cartel raises prices

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Montreal denizens, scenesters and other bon vivants take note: for the second year in a row, the pending arrival of terrasse season has wrought an increase in the price of beer.

Late last month, Molson and Labatt both upped their prices: a case of 24 Molson Export went up by about 55 cents, for example, while the price of bar kegs also went up. Two weeks later, the micro-breweries followed suit. A case of Belle Gueule (made by GMT) now costs an extra 80 cents, while a keg of St-Ambroise (brewed by McAuslan) has gone up by $5. "The micro-brewers only do it in reaction to the big breweries," claims one jaded depanneur owner. "They don't want to appear as cheap as Molson Export, so they jack up their prices too."

McAuslan spokesperson Tristan Tiffay admits that everyone raises prices at the same time. "Spring is coming, it's the beginning of high season, that's when prices go up."

Tiffay could neither confirm nor deny that market prices for barley and hopps have increased in the last year. : --Philip Preville

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