Waterloo Brewing Company

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 Brewing LTD.
FormerlyBrick Brewing Company
IndustryAlcoholic drink
Founded1984 (1984)
FounderJim Brickman
Headquarters400 Bingemans Centre Drive
Kitchener, Ontario
N2B 3X9
ProductsBeer
Owner
  • Carlsberg Canada Inc. (2023–present)
Parent
Websitewaterloobrewing.com
Cans of Waterloo beer

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

The 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
  • Waterloo Craft Lager
  • Waterloo Amber
  • Waterloo Dark
  • Waterloo IPA
  • Waterloo Grapefruit Radler
  • Waterloo Raspberry Radler
  • Seasonal/limited beers: Waterloo Double Double Doppelbock; Waterloo Salted Caramel Porter; Waterloo Pineapple Radler; Waterloo Citrus Radler; Waterloo Vanilla Porter[14][3]

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

References
  1. "Brick brewery CEO 'thrilled' with 2016 fiscal result - CBC News".
  2. "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.
  3. "A Pair of Popular Porters from Waterloo Brewing Co". www.newswire.ca. Archived from the original on 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
  4. "Name change on tap for Kitchener's Brick Brewing". Waterloo Region Record. 6 June 2019.
  5. "Carlsberg To Acquire Waterloo Brewing In an All-Cash C$144 Million Transaction". www.newswire.ca. 15 December 2022.
  6. "Carlsberg Canada completes acquisition of Waterloo Brewing". Cision Canada. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  7. "Carlsberg completes acquisition of Waterloo Brewing in Canada". Carlsberg Group. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  8. Pender, Terry (5 February 2015). "Brickman lent expertise to Six Nations brewery plan".
  9. "Micro-brewer brings out new Pride". Vancouver Sun, July 18, 1992.
  10. Zettel, Jonathan (3 May 2018). "Formosa Springs Brewery is now open". Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. "Waterloo Brewing Brings Back Double Double Doppelbock". 11 October 2016.
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