Quebec 'separatist' beer sales lukewarm

MONTREAL, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A new Quebec beer whose goal is to raise money for the province's independence from Canada isn't experiencing stellar sales.

Retired high school teacher Jacques LeDuc is one of the co-founders of the fundraising beer called l'Independante, which went on the market this fall, the Globe and Mail reported.

He told the newspaper 22 investors each pooled $22,000 to get the beer made and marketed with an eye to raising money for separatist causes after paying manufacturing costs.

He said if 100,000 sovereigntists were to drink one Independante a month, $300,000 would go to the sovereigntist cause each year. However, so far 38,000 bottles have been sold since October, the report said.

The province will have an election next Monday and one poll conducted by the CROP surveying firm found Quebec residents ranked independence 14th out of 15 priorities, the Globe said.