Except we have direct evidence here of what the effects of privatization, both good and bad, were. We can compare selection from before and after, as well as between provinces that are private and state liquor stores. That is actual evidence.

I feel it's more anecdotal than actual correlating evidence, especially regarding something as hot a potato as privatization / state ownership. There are many good examples of previous state owned businesses which has been a huge success to the market and customers, while simultaneously there are also examples of privatized businesses which turns out extremely poor.

If we're debating "privatization works!" then that feels to me like a thin line of reasoning to go by saying that you've experience a "before/after" effect when I could just as easily say that "state ownership works!" and point to my experience. Hell, I don't even know where you're from for that matter.

But this requires that exception. Those breweries wouldn't get picked up without local support. The exception to the monopoly is what is getting them in business, not the monopoly.

To my knowledge, it's not about "getting popular support" rather than actually having capacity and wanting to get yourself into a national business structure. Ægir started out as a local sold beer to a hotel which was a very limited, very small market but decided they wanted to "up the ante" and then applied to be sold via Vinmonopolet and from there their sales and capacity skyrocketed. Getting distributors isn't easy in any business and I think a lot of wholly privatized markets would really want to have that option of having a state-owned (or really big) distributor and logistic business be able to distribute their brand so easily and cost-free. Kinn bryggeri for instance aimed straight to getting a regional market by going through Vinmonopolet as soon as they got their wares allowed.

What brand is it?

Yinpu. It's brewed in china but it's distributor is InBev so it shouldn't be so unlikely to see it in European market but for some reason I've only found in shops in Norway. Mind you, shops not Vinmonopolet where I don't actually think they have it in store.

The online store isn't as comprehensive, that's absolutely true. A reason for that is that they have a "select variety" which they try to have and changes on a yearly basis. But the possibility is very large as have you have the option of "private import" which means you just buy something via Vinmonopolet in just about any brewery you can find and you'll buy it for production fee and no delivery cost. It'll be a bit extra due to the VAT but it's actually hell of a lot more cheaper than buying directly from the brewery (due to toll regulations and delivery fees).