The Story of Beer

Recognizing a plentiful supply of local beer kept money in the country instead of paying for liquor from France, Jean Talon established Canada's first brewery in 1668. For the next century, brewing existed as a cottage industry. As early as 1786, John Molson established his first brewery in Montreal – the first of the families traditionally associated with brewing. Alexander Keith & Son founded their brewery in Nova Scotia in 1829. Thomas Carling opened the doors to his new Brewing & Malting company in London, Ontario, in 1840. And the Labatt name enters the scene in London, in 1847.By the 1870s, brewing had come into its own with brewers as far west as Victoria, British Columbia and as far east as Saint John, New Brunswick. Despite occasional economic setbacks, sales grew up to the First World War.

With the outbreak of war, prices increased due to a doubling of the excise duty on malt, and many provinces decided to go "dry" as a war measure.In 1918, the federal cabinet decreed that no intoxicating liquor of any kind could be manufactured or imported until 12 months after peace was restored. Called the "Noble Experiment" by the Prohibitionists, this measure lasted into the 1920s, until consumer demand and common sense reasserted itself.

Not for long, though. The Dirty Thirties and its Great Depression once again hit the brewers, followed by World War II, which spawned more production restrictions.Today, there are breweries in every province except Prince Edward Island, and Canadians have come to view brewers as an integral part of their communities.