Who owns WATERLOO BEER?

WATERLOO BEER is owned by

CARLSBERG GROUP

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Waterloo Brewing was founded in Kitchener, Ontario in 1984, originally as Brick Brewing, by Jim Brickman. It was the first craft brewery in the province of Ontario, and quickly achieved success with Waterloo Dark, introduced in the first year of its business, leading the company to popularly be known as Waterloo. In 1990 the company went public.

Waterloo Brewing acquired Formosa Springs Brewery in nearby Formosa, Ontario in 1997. The brand name had been in use on and off since 1870, and had recently been revived with the growth of craft brewing in Ontario in the 1990s. Brick Brewing retained the Formosa Springs brand, and used the brewery for production of Waterloo beers as well, until it sold the brewery in 2017.

In 2008, Brickman retired, and the following year the company sued him for misrepresentation of his employment contract. The lawsuit claimed that Brickman’s wife was given a salary despite not performing any work for the company, and that Brickman claimed business expenses that were actually personal expenses.The case was settled out of court.

In 2019, the company officially changed its name to Waterloo Brewing to align with the brand of its main series of beers. In 2022, Carlsberg announced its intention to purchase the brewery at $4 per share (a 19 cent premium), at a valuation of $144 million. The deal closed in early 2023.

Waterloo also produces Land Shark Lager in Canada on behalf of the Margaritaville estate (in contrast to the United States, where it is produced by Anheuser-Busch InBev), as well as Seagram drinks in partnership with the spirits company.

Popular Beers by this Brand

• Dark
• Amber
• IPA
• Craft Lager
• Grapefruit Radler
• Guava Lime Radler
• Tart Cherry Radler
• Field Berry Radler
• Grapefruit Hibiscus IPA
• Saison
• Passionfruit Wheat

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