Waterloo Brewing Company Explained

Waterloo Brewing LTD.
Former Name:Brick Brewing Company
Location:400 Bingemans Centre Drive
Kitchener, Ontario
N2B 3X9
Founder:Jim Brickman

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.[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

Laker family of brands

Other products

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brick brewery CEO 'thrilled' with 2016 fiscal result - CBC News.
  2. Web site: Top 6 Local Craft Beers You Must Try in Waterloo Region. 8 January 2016. 10 July 2017. 27 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170427102552/http://www.explorewaterlooregion.com/2016/01/top-6-local-craft-beers-you-must-try/. dead.
  3. Web site: A Pair of Popular Porters from Waterloo Brewing Co.. www.newswire.ca. 2014-10-06. 2014-10-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20141009031218/http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1423266/a-pair-of-popular-porters-from-waterloo-brewing-co. dead.
  4. Web site: Name change on tap for Kitchener's Brick Brewing. 6 June 2019. Waterloo Region Record.
  5. Web site: Carlsberg To Acquire Waterloo Brewing In an All-Cash C$144 Million Transaction. 15 December 2022. www.newswire.ca.
  6. Web site: Carlsberg Canada completes acquisition of Waterloo Brewing. Cision Canada. 2023-07-19. en.
  7. Web site: Carlsberg completes acquisition of Waterloo Brewing in Canada. Carlsberg Group. 2023-07-19. en.
  8. Web site: Brickman lent expertise to Six Nations brewery plan. Terry. Pender. 5 February 2015.
  9. "Micro-brewer brings out new Pride". Vancouver Sun, July 18, 1992.
  10. Web site: Formosa Springs Brewery is now open. Jonathan. Zettel. 3 May 2018. 4 May 2018. 5 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180505065708/https://www.southwesternontario.ca/news-story/8586642-formosa-springs-brewery-is-now-open/. dead.
  11. News: Pender . Terry . January 5, 2017 . Brick Brewing expanding in Kitchener, closing Formosa Springs brewery . The Record . Kitchener . January 27, 2017 . January 26, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170126092315/http://www.therecord.com/news-story/7051086-brick-brewing-expanding-in-kitchener-closing-formosa-springs-brewery/ . dead .
  12. Web site: Historic Formosa Brewery Closing . Bernard . Kevin . January 6, 2017 . 560 CFOS Radio . Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation . January 27, 2017 . Kitchener-Waterloo's Brick Brewing is putting its 146 year old Formosa site up for sale. . February 2, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170202054945/http://www.560cfos.ca/news_item.php?NewsID=90148 . dead .
  13. Web site: Brick Brewing investing $9.6 million in Kitchener brewery. Davis. Brent. November 19, 2018 . Record. Torstar . 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. Web site: Waterloo Brewing Brings Back Double Double Doppelbock. 11 October 2016.

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