In the two and a half years since the formation of the Ontario Craft Brewers, local beer drinkers who hang out on the The Bar Towel Forum and other online discussion groups have come up with numerous ideas on things we think the association could or should do in order to better promote Ontario beer. One of the more inspired ideas (and I’m not saying that just because I was one of the first to suggest it) was a mixed pack of various OCB beers intended to give people who may not be familiar with the province’s many craft brews a chance to sample a few without having to take a risk on full sixers or 12-packs.

Well, it’s taken a good deal of planning and negotiation, but this month sees the release of the first OCB Discovery Pack, featuring beers from a half-dozen OCB members. From Toronto, there is Mill Street Organic Lager and Great Lakes Red Leaf Lager, while the rest of the province is represented by Wellington Special Pale Ale, Walkerville Amber Lager, Lakes of Muskoka Cream Ale and Brick J.R. Brickman Pilsner.

As someone who has tried all but a couple of the dozens of beers available from the 29 members of the OCB, I must admit to being a bit underwhelmed by the contents of this pack. With four lagers and a cream ale, it leans heavily towards the mainstream side of things, and doesn’t really represent the full scope of styles available from the OCB in general, and the included breweries in particular. Why not include Mill Street Tankhouse Ale rather than their Lager, or Muskoka Hefe Weissbier instead of their Cream Ale to spice things up a bit?

That being said, I have to keep in mind that beer geeks are not the primary target market for this package, and while I may not agree with the approach, it’s common to ease mainstream beer drinkers into the craft beer scene with brews from the less esoteric end of the spectrum. I’m also pleased to see that the package includes a pamphlet giving a full listing of beers brewed by the OCB membership, sorted by style, which will hopefully encourage further experimentation.

In addition, the Discovery Pack page on the OCB website features a variety of recipes from chef Ezra Title using the beers in the pack to create a variety of winter-friendly dishes. And as indicated by the ‘No. 1′ that appears on the package, this is intended to be the first in a series of variety packs, with input on which beers to include being encouraged, so maybe we’ll see some dark ales or porters or IPAs appearing in future instalments.

Combined with other initiatives like their winter seasonal beer promotion and the local beer spotlights at selected LCBO locations, it’s obvious that the OCB is making great strides in turning more and more people on to Ontario’s craft brewed beers. So even though this isn’t my personal dream team of brews, the OCB Discovery Pack is still a step in the right direction for the province’s burgeoning craft beer industry.

The OCB Discovery Pack will be available exclusively at selected LCBO stores starting on November 12th for $11.95. A full listing of locations carrying the pack is available on the OCB website. Site visitors can also check out the OCB blog, which features news updates, a podcast series, and the often opinionated ramblings of the folks from some of the group’s member breweries.