Canadian brewery selling pack of 1,461 beers to cope with Trump's presidency

CBC

11-03-2025

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A beer a day keeps the chaos at bay.
OK, maybe not. But a long-running Canadian brewer hopes a massive crate of beer will help customers deal with the exhausting news cycle under U.S. President Donald Trump.
Moosehead's Presidential Pack contains 1,461 beers, in 473-millilitre cans — marketed as "just enough Canadian lagers to get through a full presidential term."
That works out to one can per day for the next four years, including the leap year.
Moosehead's marketing director Karen Grigg told CBC News Network the company wanted to tap into the Canadian pride it was seeing, and has received a flood of interest.
"We had no idea what would happen when we actually launched it, and the response has been overwhelming," she said.
Grigg said Moosehead initially made just five Presidential Packs, each priced at $3,490 plus tax and deposit.
The first one sold within 11 minutes on Friday, and all five sold within 24 hours. The company then made another five, which also sold out.
By late Tuesday afternoon, more than 100 people were on a waiting list for more.
Based in Saint John, N.B., Moosehead was established in 1867 — the same year as Canada's confederation — and bills itself as the country's oldest independent brewery and the largest fully Canadian-owned brewer.
Grigg says the company has been getting positive messages from people across Canada and the U.S. in response to the Presidential Pack.
Many have expressed amusement on social media, as well, though some have joked that one beer a day is not enough to cope.
Customers buying for Canada Day, other large events
Grigg says purchasers have so far indicated they plan to share the suds anyway, buying them for Canada Day celebrations and other big community events.
"There's parades, there's campgrounds, each one has a unique story."
That might be a better plan than spreading them out over four years, as beer connoisseurs say the drinks would start to decline in quality before a year is up.
The patriotic marketing tactic has also highlighted some complications with attempts to boost the country's economy in light of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods.
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Ontario pulls U.S. alcohol from LCBO shelves in response to tariffs
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The Presidential Pack is currently only available to residents of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario. Grigg says that's because those are the only three provinces Moosehead can retail in, due to interprovincial trade restrictions.
"We would love to have done this Canada-wide," she said.
That could soon change, however. Ottawa reached a deal last week with all provinces, except for Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, to remove obstacles preventing their alcohol from being sold in other jurisdictions.
The provincial governments are expected to seal the agreement in a framework within weeks. Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand told CBC News the move was part of an "unprecedented action to reduce trade barriers in Canada."
Meanwhile, provinces have been ditching U.S. booze.
B.C. and Ontario have pulled all U.S. alcohol from the shelves at government stores in response to tariffs, while Alberta has halted imports of American alcohol products.
Moosehead's final obstacle is actually delivering the massive crates of beer to individual customers.
Grigg says the company will make it happen one way or another.