LONDON, ON – In what is being called a precedent-setting decision for Ontario’s craft breweries, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has approved the request of Forked River Brewing to relocate its retail store to a space not directly connected to its brewing facility.
As first reported back in April, Forked River planned to move its retail outlet to another unit in the industrial plaza where the brewery is located in order to increase brewing capacity, something that appeared to be allowable under AGCO rules which state that “the brewery retail store must be located on the same parcel of land as the production site of the manufacturer.”
However, once construction on the new store was underway, the AGCO denied the application due to the fact that the brewery and shop were not in adjacent units, saying that this constituted an off-site retail store which was not allowed.
However, after months of negotiations and discussions with representatives of provincial and federal government agencies, Forked River was given approval for the relocation this past weekend.
The new store will open to the public on Wednesday October 28th, with a grand opening party set for Saturday October 31st.