Some hot weather and a popular new flavour had Nova Scotians reaching for lots of beer this past summer – $88.5-million worth, to be exact.
The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation says a major boost in beer sales in its second quarter led to a seven per cent increase in the company’s net income for the period between July 1 and Sept. 27.
The NSLC’s second quarter results, released Friday, showed beer profits increasing by more than $6 million from the same period last year.
“New products and favourable weather in August contributed to these positive results,” said NSLC President and CEO Bret Mitchell in a release.
New lime-flavoured beers from both Budweiser and Moosehead proved especially popular in 2009, said the release, and the NSLC claims the “innovative” products even attracted some customers who don’t normally buy beer.
Second-quarter sales of wine, spirits and ready-to-drink cocktails were also up from last year, but the company’s sales to restaurants, bars, and specialty stores continued to show slower growth than the retail sector.
