Beer to be sold in select New Brunswick grocery stores this fall

New pairing: beer with groceries NB Liquor says it will expand to put beer and other ready-to-drink products on store shelves this fall. Eilish Bonang reports.

New Brunswickers will soon be able to stop by the grocery store to pick up a cold one.

NB Liquor has announced it will start selling beer in select grocery stores across the province starting in October.

The Crown corporation says ready-to-drink products, an updated wine selection, and local products will also be available.

“Based on the wine sales we've seen over the last couple of years, the opportunities it’s incremental,” said NB Liquor spokesman Mark Barbour.

A limited number of grocery stores started selling wine in 2014 as a pilot project. Now, there are 66 grocery outlets offering cider and wine, including locally-produced items.

“It's allowing a shopper and a customer to do an occasional buy -- you're getting ready to go to a party or a graduation or those kinds of things, it's a one-stop kind of opportunity to allow you to purchase what you need to get to that occasion and not interrupt your flow of traffic if you're running late,” Barbour said.

NB Liquor says locally-produced beer will be available in grocery stores on a phased-in basis.

New Brunswick Finance Minister Ernie Steeves says the decision shows NB Liquor is “adapting and responding to consumer demands.”

But some Maritimers disagree.

“From what I saw it's a little more expensive and there’s less choice,” said Richard Poirier.

When asked about the expansion, Wade Keller of Labatt's Breweries of Canada said:

“We aren't for it or against it. We have been satisfied with the current system, but if the people of New Brunswick, through their elected officials and the ANBL, want to change, then we will work with both to make that transition.”

Along with the addition of beer, NB Liquor says they'll be expanding their current assortment of drinks as well.

“We're gonna offer a product in a smaller pack size,” Barbour said. “You will see mainstream and you will see some of the local NB craft stuff but it's not to replace our stores it’s to be able to give the customer a different opportunity.”

Some residents say they're concerned about how accessible alcohol is becoming.

“They should keep the alcohol in separate stores because there's too much around for the people to grab,” said Ronald Allaine.

Others feel people will buy alcohol no matter where it's sold.

“If someone wants to buy beer, they're going to buy it whether it's in the grocery store, liquor store, or bootlegger -- it's available,” said Kevin Godin.

The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation says they actively monitor national retail models for alcoholic beverages, but they have no immediate plans to change their existing retail model.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Eilish Bonang.