N.B. Liquor is suffering its second week of digital payment issues, limiting pubs and restaurants to buying alcohol on tap from a small number of breweries. On January 7, the Crown corporation described the situation as a “potential cyber threat,” and businesses remained open but only accepted cash payments. Since then, Alcool N.B. Liquor has released little information about the problem and is working tirelessly to repair its systems.

This week, only New Brunswick’s 1,400 licensees may temporarily order alcohol kegs from a corporate list of 13 companies. All orders must go via N.B. Liquor. The spreadsheet allows licensees to acquire alcohol kegs from Pump House, Graystone, Picaroons, Trailway, Grimross, PEI Brewing, Long Bay Brewery, York County Cider, Half Cut Brewing, Big Axe Brewery, Labatt, Molson, and Moosehead.

Craft Alcohol NB says the province has over 100 craft alcohol producers offering beer, wine, mead, spirits, and cider. Six of the 13 breweries on the N.B. Liquor list are in the capital city, while the remaining three are not from New Brunswick. 

Stephen Legacy, co-owner of Four Rivers Brewing in Bathurst, stated that it is difficult for local pubs to serve local beers on tap since the macro-breweries on the list, Moosehead, Labatt, and Molson, are purchasing full new tap systems for a bar to gain exclusive tapping with them.

Red Rover Cider in Fredericton did not make the interim list, and Adam Clawson, Red Rover’s co-founder, explained that the system issues have occurred during a traditionally sluggish month for sales. Furthermore, recent payments from N.B. Liquor to producers have not been completed, and many producers are concerned that the issue has disrupted their usual stream of revenue.

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SOURCE: CBC News
PHOTO CREDIT: On File