Waterloo Brewing LTD. (formerly the Brick Brewing Co.) is a brewery based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, with several divisions. The company is reportedly the largest Canadian-owned brewer in the province, and it was also Ontario's first modern craft brewery.[1][2]
 | |
| Formerly | Brick Brewing Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Alcoholic drink |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Jim Brickman |
| Headquarters | 400 Bingemans Centre Drive Kitchener, Ontario N2B 3X9 |
| Products | Beer |
| Owner |
|
| Parent |
|
| Website | waterloobrewing |
Waterloo's most successful brand is the Laker series. It also operates LandShark Lager Canada and Waterloo Brewing; the latter is their craft brewing division.[3] In mid-2019, the company announced that it would change the corporate name from Brick to Waterloo Brewing Ltd.[4]
In December 2022, the company announced that it was being acquired by Carlsberg Group.[5] On March 7, 2023, Carlsberg completed the acquisition of Waterloo Brewing through its Canadian subsidiary.[6][7]
Overview
editThe company's administration currently consists of president and CEO George Croft and COO Russell Tabata. Founder Jim Brickman resigned in 2008.[8]
In the early 1990s, Waterloo briefly produced Pride Lager, Canada's first beer marketed specifically to gay consumers.[9] Pride Lager was not a new product, however, but simply one of the company's existing brews bottled and sold under an alternate label.[9]
In January 2017, Waterloo put its Formosa Springs Brewery in Formosa, Ontario, up for sale; that resulted in the re-opening of the 40,000 square foot plant after the new owner was interested in retaining the facility. In addition to the Formosa brand, Waterloo also sold the Red Baron lines.[10]
Waterloo planned to consolidate its operations in Kitchener and expand the plant, at an estimated cost of $4 million.[11][12]
In late 2018, the company announced a plan to invest $9.6 million in a tasting room, small-batch brewhouse, expanded warehouse and production facility and an expanded retail store at its Bingemans Centre Drive operation. This is said to bring its investment to nearly $30 million CAD in five years. [13]
After all of the projects are completed, the company's investment over the previous six years will have totaled about $45 million.[4]
Waterloo Brewing brands
editLaker family of brands
edit- Laker Lager
- Laker Light
- Laker Ice
- Laker Red
- Laker Strong
Other products
edit- Landshark Lager
- Seagram Craft Cider
- Seagram Wildberry Vodka Cooler
- Seagram Island Time Anytime
- Seagram Island Time Tiki Mule
- Red Cap Ale
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Brick brewery CEO 'thrilled' with 2016 fiscal result - CBC News".
- ^ "Top 6 Local Craft Beers You Must Try in Waterloo Region". 8 January 2016. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ a b "A Pair of Popular Porters from Waterloo Brewing Co". www.newswire.ca. Archived from the original on 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
- ^ a b "Name change on tap for Kitchener's Brick Brewing". Waterloo Region Record. 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Carlsberg To Acquire Waterloo Brewing In an All-Cash C$144 Million Transaction". www.newswire.ca. 15 December 2022.
- ^ "Carlsberg Canada completes acquisition of Waterloo Brewing". Cision Canada. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ^ "Carlsberg completes acquisition of Waterloo Brewing in Canada". Carlsberg Group. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ^ Pender, Terry (5 February 2015). "Brickman lent expertise to Six Nations brewery plan".
- ^ a b "Micro-brewer brings out new Pride". Vancouver Sun, July 18, 1992.
- ^ Zettel, Jonathan (3 May 2018). "Formosa Springs Brewery is now open". Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Pender, Terry (January 5, 2017). "Brick Brewing expanding in Kitchener, closing Formosa Springs brewery". The Record. Kitchener. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
- ^ Bernard, Kevin (January 6, 2017). "Historic Formosa Brewery Closing". 560 CFOS Radio. Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
Kitchener-Waterloo's Brick Brewing is putting its 146 year old Formosa site up for sale.
- ^ Davis, Brent (November 19, 2018). "Brick Brewing investing $9.6 million in Kitchener brewery". Record. Torstar. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
The Kitchener-based company is adding a tasting room, small-batch brewhouse and a larger retail store at its Bingemans Centre Drive operation.
- ^ "Waterloo Brewing Brings Back Double Double Doppelbock". 11 October 2016.