Carleton students cozying up to the bar at Oliver’s Pub and Patio may have noticed a recent new addition to the menu.
Raven’s Ale was launched on Jan. 7, to coincide with the first Thirsty Thursday event of 2016 at Ollie’s.
“The intent was to launch it at the World Juniors final [on Jan. 5] when Canada was going to win but unfortunately they didn’t make it, so we instead bumped it from launching on that Tuesday to the first Thirsty Thursday,” said Craig Handy, vice-president (finance) for Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA).
To make the idea of a Ravens-themed beer a reality, Handy contacted the Molson Coors Brewing Company, which offers various beers that can be utilized as house beers.
“It’s nothing special,” Handy said. “It’s the cheapest beer in the bar, but the point of it is that it’s the beer you go to when you’re celebrating a victory or the pre- and post-game events for Capital Hoops or Panda Game, or if you’re on a student budget. Realistically it’s the most affordable option out there, and it doesn’t taste half-bad.”
Handy said he first thought about the possibility of having a Raven-branded beer after trying the University of British Columbia’s Thunderbird lager.
While at the university for the annual Student Union Development Summit last August, Handy said the lager caught his eye during a visit to the campus bar.
“Ollie’s is a really good bar, [and] there’s no reason why we shouldn’t have that, to get that kind of Ravens pride going,” Handy said.
Since unveiling the beer, Handy said the response from students has been positive.
“The first two days that it launched, the Thursday and Friday . . . it did 347 pints in the first two days, which is approximately three and a half kegs,” he said.
To compare, over two days in September, Ollie’s sold 172 pints of Molson Canadian and 22 pints of Coors Light.
However, Handy admits it’s tough to predict overall performance based on those statistics, as they are the two busiest days for beer consumption on campus.
Nonetheless, he added “it has been performing very well ever since and it seems to be very popular, a lot of people want to try it and I think are enjoying the Raven’s spirit and the brand that’s around it.”
Looking forward, Handy said he is exploring the possibility of partnering with Athletics for events such as pre and post-game celebrations.
“Or the more Raven related things that really address the fact that ‘I go to Carleton University, I’m a Raven and my bar is Ollie’s,’ and that’s kind of that culture,” Handy said. “By linking those two it kind of helps the university spirit-wise and also helps us with regards to business.”
