Great Western Brewing Company
Encyclopedia
The Great Western Brewing Company is an independent brewery
located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
, Canada
. The company currently produces several varieties of beer
, some of which have received international awards for excellence. With an output of 360 bottles and 480 cans per minute, it is one of the larger regional brewers in western Canada.
) and was operated under that name until 1989, when Carling O'Keefe was itself acquired by Molson
. Plans were initiated by Molson to close the brewery.
However, in 1989, a group of sixteen employees and management succeeded in purchasing the brewery from Molson, at which point the Great Western Brewing Company was formed. The brewery has operated independently since that time.
. These include:
In addition to its original products, the Great Western Brewing Company is the authorized brewer and distributor of Olympia Beer
for the provinces of Alberta
, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
.
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The company currently produces several varieties of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, some of which have received international awards for excellence. With an output of 360 bottles and 480 cans per minute, it is one of the larger regional brewers in western Canada.
History
The brewery's history extends back to 1927, when it was established as the Hub City Brewing Company. In 1930 the plant was renamed the Western Canada Brewing Company, and in 1932 it was changed again to Drewery's Limited. In 1956, the brewery was acquired by O'Keefe Brewing (which would later become Carling O'KeefeCarling O'Keefe
Carling O'Keefe originated from Canadian Breweries Limited which was the first brewing conglomerate in Canada and is now owned by Molson Coors Brewing Company.-Carling 1840-1930:...
) and was operated under that name until 1989, when Carling O'Keefe was itself acquired by Molson
Molson
Molson-Coors Canada Inc. is the Canadian division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Molson Coors Brewing Company. It is the second oldest company in Canada after the Hudson's Bay Company. Molson's first brewery was located on the St...
. Plans were initiated by Molson to close the brewery.
However, in 1989, a group of sixteen employees and management succeeded in purchasing the brewery from Molson, at which point the Great Western Brewing Company was formed. The brewery has operated independently since that time.
Products
The Great Western Brewing Company produces varieties of lagerLager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
. These include:
- Great Western Premium Lager (5.0% alc./vol.)
- Great Western Light (4.0% alc./vol.)
- Great Western Pilsner (5.0% alc./vol.)
- Great Western Pilsner Light (4.0% alc/.vol.)
- Brewhouse Pilsener (5.0% alc./vol.)
- Brewhouse Light (4.0% alc./vol.)
- Gold (6.3% alc./vol)
- Gold Extra (8.0% alc./vol.)
In addition to its original products, the Great Western Brewing Company is the authorized brewer and distributor of Olympia Beer
Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company is an American company that dates its origins to a brewing company founded in 1844 by Jacob Best and by 1889 named after Frederick Pabst. It is currently the holding company contracting for the brewing of over two dozen brands of beer and malt liquor from defunct companies...
for the provinces of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.