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The Ontario Craft Brewers and LCBO Partner to Launch New Tourism Initiative to Position Ontario Craft Brewers as Daytrip Destinations

LCBO Supports the Launch of the Ontario Craft Brewers' Tourism Initiative during Beer Spoken Here Promotion

TORONTO, July 21 /CNW/ - The Ontario Craft Brewers and LCBO today jointly announced the launch of the Ontario Craft Brewers' tourism initiative by
encouraging visits to the 25 Ontario Craft Brewers located in communities throughout Ontario.

The initial phase of the Ontario Craft Brewers' tourism initiative includes the newly developed Ontario Craft Beer Route, featuring five craft
brewing regions in Ontario. Select LCBO stores across the province feature various in-store components, as well as permanent signage and displays supporting the Ontario Craft Brewers.

"The craft brewery tour map being released today contributes to the province's tourism goals by enticing visitors to communities across Ontario,
and supporting jobs and local businesses," said Ontario Minister of Tourism Jim Bradley.

"With this initiative, the Ontario Craft Brewers is fostering the growth of local business and creating hundreds of high quality jobs in dozens of
communities right across Ontario," said Economic Development & Trade Minister Joe Cordiano. "The McGuinty government is proud to help this niche industry succeed in an incredibly competitive global marketplace," he said.

As part of the month-long Beer Spoken Here promotion, currently in stores until August 13, the LCBO has produced 300,000 copies of an Ontario craft beer route map for consumers called "The Great Ontario Craft Brewers Tour Map"; 250,000 copies will be inserted in the Toronto Star on July 26 and 50,000 copies will be available in 130 LCBO stores across Ontario. During the beer promotion, the LCBO will feature more than 300 tastings of Ontario craft beers in select LCBO stores throughout the province. Information about the tastings and the Beer Spoken Here promotion are available online at www.lcbo.com.

"The LCBO is pleased to work with the Ontario Craft Brewers to raise awareness of the world class beers brewed here in Ontario and to encourage
people to visit local breweries, right in our backyard," said Andrew Brandt, Chair of the LCBO.

An LCBO-produced DVD called "Discover, Ontario Craft Beer" will be available for sale starting in late July in select LCBO stores and online at
www.lcbogifts.com for $9.95. The DVD showcases the heritage of Ontario's craft beer industry, the character of current day breweries, the passion of the brew masters and the variety of fresh, all-natural beer produced in Ontario's communities.

"Promoting tourism to the 25 Ontario Craft Brewers is an important part of raising awareness of our portfolio of award-winning beers, and the passion and care that goes into our beer. We'd like to thank the LCBO for their strong commitment and partnership in support of this phase of our tourism initiative, and the Government of Ontario for its continued support," said Cameron Heaps, Chair of The Ontario Craft Brewers.

The tourism initiative is part of the Ontario Craft Brewers' five-year strategic plan to increase awareness of the Ontario craft beers and grow their
share of the Ontario beer market from 4% today to 12% by 2014. The initiative is supported by $5 million in funding from the Ontario government, as
initiated in the 2004 Ontario Budget.

The Ontario Craft Beer Route consists of five regions: the Capital Region (Ottawa and surrounding area), the Golden Horseshoe (the area around Toronto from St. Catharines to Pickering), Lake Country (Barrie, Muskoka and the Kawarthas), Greater Southwest (Guelph to Windsor), and Toronto.

Starting in August 2005, the Official Guide to the Ontario Craft Beer Route, an in-depth guide to daytrips to the 25 Ontario Craft Brewers,
including maps, tour information and contact information for each brewer, will be available at breweries, provincial tourism information centres, LCBO stores, hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts and key tourism attractions. Produced by the Ontario Craft Brewers, more than 250,000 copies of the guide will be distributed in the first year and the guide will be updated annually. The Ontario Craft Beer Route will be featured on the Ontario Craft Brewers' website, www.ontariocraftbrewers.ca.

The Ontario Craft Brewers
The Ontario Craft Brewers are a group of 25 small brewers that are dedicated to making great tasting beer in Ontario. The 25 members of The
Ontario Craft Brewers brew their beers locally in communities throughout Ontario - from Carleton Place to Windsor and St. Catharines to Bracebridge. Ontario craft beers can be found at the breweries' on site retail stores, pubs, restaurants, and select LCBO and The Beer Store locations throughout Ontario. For more information on The Ontario Craft Brewers, visit www.ontariocraftbrewers.ca.

For further information: contact: Kristen Rector or Jennifer Kitchen,
JKR Communications, Tel: (416) 486-2286 or (416) 576-5892, Email:
krector@jkr.ca or jkitchen@jkr.ca; Alanna Schacht, LCBO,
Tel: (416) 864-6803, Email: alanna.schacht@lcbo.com

The Ontario Craft Brewers, in partnership with the LCBO, today announced the launch of a tourism initiative to encourage visitors to travel to the 25 Ontario craft breweries located in communities across the province. Pictured with the new Ontario Craft Beer Route Map are (l to r) Andrew Brandt, Chair and CEO, LCBO; Cam Heaps, Chair, the Ontario Craft Brewers; Hon. Joe Cordiano, Minister of Economic Development and Trade; and Hon. Jim Bradley, Minister of Tourism. (CNW Group/Ontario Craft Brewers)