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]
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.[3] On March 7, 2023, Carlsberg completed the acquisition of Waterloo Brewing through its Canadian subsidiary.[5][6]
Overview
The company's administration currently consists of president and CEO George Croft and COO Russell Tabata. Founder Jim Brickman resigned in 2008.[7]
In the early 1990s, Waterloo briefly produced Pride Lager, Canada's first beer marketed specifically to gay consumers.[8] Pride Lager was not a new product, however, but simply one of the company's existing brews bottled and sold under an alternate label.[8]
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.[9]
Waterloo planned to consolidate its operations in Kitchener and expand the plant, at an estimated cost of $4 million.[10][11]
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. [12]
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
Laker family of brands
- Laker Lager
- Laker Light
- Laker Ice
- Laker Red
- Laker Strong
Other products
- Landshark Lager
- Seagram Craft Cider
- Seagram Wildberry Vodka Cooler
- Seagram Island Time Anytime
- Seagram Island Time Tiki Mule
- Red Cap Ale
See also
- Beer in Canada
External links
References
- Brick brewery CEO 'thrilled' with 2016 fiscal result - CBC News^
- Top 6 Local Craft Beers You Must Try in Waterloo Region 8 January 2016, retrieved 10 July 2017^
- A Pair of Popular Porters from Waterloo Brewing Co. www.newswire.ca, retrieved 2014-10-06^
- Name change on tap for Kitchener's Brick Brewing Waterloo Region Record, 6 June 2019^
- 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^
- Terry Pender. Brickman lent expertise to Six Nations brewery plan 5 February 2015^
- "Micro-brewer brings out new Pride". Vancouver Sun, July 18, 1992.^
- Jonathan Zettel. Formosa Springs Brewery is now open 3 May 2018, retrieved 4 May 2018^
- Terry Pender. Brick Brewing expanding in Kitchener, closing Formosa Springs brewery The Record, January 5, 2017, retrieved January 27, 2017^
- Kevin Bernard. Historic Formosa Brewery Closing 560 CFOS Radio, Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation, January 6, 2017, retrieved January 27, 2017^
- Brent Davis. Brick Brewing investing $9.6 million in Kitchener brewery Record, Torstar, November 19, 2018, retrieved January 27, 2017^
- Waterloo Brewing Brings Back Double Double Doppelbock 11 October 2016^