Political Beer

[Kayriss]

I live on the east coast (of Canada), and we only recently got those new Molson Cold Shots - the beer in the tiny can that's marginally higher in Alcohol content than usual. They're very hip, and people are guzzling them as fast as they can get their hands on them. (I think they're a bit wankerish, but thats unimportant). I saw the commercials a long time ago, and checked the website to see when we'd get them. I just checked again after trying them, and found something kind of weird/interesting/cool.

 

The first page introduces you to the two different kinds of cold Shots - there's a different one available only in Quebec. What I noticed (It's obvious, I'm no genius)thats interesting about this is that on the PQ one, the maple leaf, and all referance to Canada are gone. What is there is an unfamiliar Molson logo, and the colors are changed to corrospond with the traditional Quebec flag colors. Maybe this is wholly uninteresting to most people, but I found it a neat, visible example of market targeting in Canada.

Check it out

 

http://www.coldshots.ca/

 

-Interesting sidenote: Last night on the hour, George Stromboulopoulos devestated me, because apparently it's a myth that canadian beer is stronger than american!

Edited January 19, 2005 by Kayriss

[Karin]

Yes, it is a myth that Canadian beer is stronger than American beer. It's because the US and Canada have a different system for measuring the alcohol content in beer. Therefore, even though beer from states shows a lower alcohol content, it's not really lower because of the difference in measurement.

 

That aside, even if our beer isn't any stronger, it still tastes better! ;)

[cavalier_eternal]

i think it's cool that you pointed out the target marketing.

 

and that is a kind of interesting way of highlighting the approach...

[ok_go_570]

i hate beer...its all disgusting

[Dookas27018]

Its good shit man and dont you forget it...

 

but on another note, here in the US those drinks like mike's hard lemonade and smirnoff ice, are all considered malt liquors here and get their alc from malt n shit, but i noticed when i was in BC that they get theirs from vodka and do indeed have higher alc...

[Mick]

At first I found this is be very insteresting that Québec's version of Coldshots do not have the the Molson Canadian logo, but after visiting the website I see that Québec only has Coldshots available for Molson Dry.

 

I think what the issue is here is that Molson Canadian brand Beer is not avalable in Québec, but Molson Dry is, regardless of its form (Coldshots or Regular Beer).

 

I live in Ottawa and I have noticed that only in some outlets near the Québec/Ontario border, will Canadian be available, but in any other place in Québec, Molson Canadian is unavailable. For what reason, I do not know, maybe something to do with the sovreignty movement and the Québec government wanting to restrict "pro-Canadian: symbols of identity. After all the sponsorship scandal was an issue of overspending with "pro-Canadian" advertising.

 

This is a very insteresting case with two versions of beer.

 

Yes, it is a myth that Canadian beer is stronger than American beer. It's because the US and Canada have a different system for measuring the alcohol content in beer. Therefore, even though beer from states shows a lower alcohol content, it's not really lower because of the difference in measurement.

 

Regardless of the way that the alcohol content is measured, I know I can say for all Canadians that our beer tastes much better and that American beer tastes waterey.