P.E.I. Craft Breweries Struggle to Meet Surging Demand

Tourism fuels record-breaking summer sales

Prince Edward Island breweries experienced an unprecedented surge in sales this summer, driven largely by a flood of tourists vacationing closer to home. Reduced bridge and ferry costs, along with international tensions, encouraged more Canadians and Americans to choose the Island.

Local brewers pushed to capacity

Evermoore Brewing Co. in Summerside reported demand like never before. Owner Alex Clark said customers packed the brewery from June onward, often forcing staff to turn people away. “We have not been great at keeping up with demand this summer,” Clark admitted.

Industry-wide sales boost

The P.E.I. Craft Brewers’ Alliance confirmed double-digit growth across several producers. Lone Oak Brewing Company, led by Alliance president Jared Murphy, even ran out of stock at its new Charlottetown location. Murphy called the surge “a good problem” for the local industry.

Tourists choose Canada amid tensions

Brewers noted an uptick in American visitors who cited trade tensions as a reason to seek out Canadian destinations. “We heard a lot of, ‘Canadians aren’t visiting us, so we’re going to visit you,’” Clark explained. The sentiment highlighted a shift toward domestic and cross-border tourism favouring P.E.I.

Multiple factors behind the boom

Kevin Murphy, chairman of Murphy Hospitality Group and founding partner of P.E.I. Brewing Company, attributed the growth to several factors. Lower bridge fares, declining interest rates, hot weather, and domestic travel trends all contributed to what he called “a very good year” for the Island’s tourism economy.

What’s next for local beer

With fall festivals like Fall Flavours, the P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival, and Sommo Festival on the horizon, breweries expect demand to continue. Clark added that traditional “slow seasons” have yet to appear. “We really haven’t seen the slumps that we’ve experienced in the past,” he said, urging breweries to adapt quickly to this new normal.

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