Beer with Canadian Character: 6 Surprising Facts

Beer is a mandatory and beloved part of any meal, walk, party, or camping trip in Canada. Local history has gradually instilled a love for this alcoholic beverage, so Canadians often buy beer at the store and store it at home for a convenient occasion. Citizens can buy canned and draft beer without restrictions, but it’s usually more expensive. People are accustomed to drinking it without thinking, but almost no one knows its characteristics, history, and interesting facts.

Beer Appeared In Canada Before Canada Itself

Beer was brewed on the territory of today’s Canada even before Canada was officially formed in 1867. Natives had been brewing the drink in the form of spruce beer since the arrival of Jacques Cartier in the 16th century, while European settlers began to adopt the brewing tradition. Missionaries and settlers had been brewing traditional beer in New France, but they did so secretly and at home. As this brewing culture developed, beer gradually became an important part of Canada’s beverage heritage and would eventually contribute to the country’s identity as a national beer culture. 

In 1668, Jean Talon founded La Brasserie du Roy (The King’s Brewery) in Quebec, which was the first brewery of this alcoholic beverage. Talon had practical reasons for brewing beer because he wanted to use up surplus grain, support local agriculture, and reduce the colonists’ reliance on imported brands. Canadians considered beer safer than water, which could be of poor quality in the settlements of the time. The brewery produced this drink for export, but it lasted only 3 years. Canada has more than 20 brands of beer today, but the beer culture in its territory arose two centuries before the world knew about the existence of this country.

An Integral Part Of Beer and Gambling

Prohibition in Canada made beer and gambling the most desirable things from 1918 to 1920. Locals secretly bought beer and gathered at friends’ homes to play blackjack, poker, and baccarat. This was noticeable in Ontario, which was close to American Detroit, where Canadians bought contraband. Illegal alcohol came across the border, while local establishments became popular places to sell and consume it. 90% of underground bars held card games, betting, and lotteries in the evenings.

Underground bar owners attempted to cover up evidence of their operations, but were issued fines and could be permanently shut down. Alcohol in bottles and barrels was stored in basements, under the floor, or in other hidden areas. The gaming tables and the roulette wheels were hidden behind false walls or panels to make it difficult to gamble, as compared to today, selecting online casinos or SlotsGem rewards for new players on the Casinos Analyzer website. Canadians try to drink alcohol 60% of the time when playing in a casino in 2026.

The John Molson Beer Empire

18-year-old John Molson moved to Montreal and decided to start brewing in 1786. He purchased some land on the banks of the St. Lawrence River and started making beer using his own recipes, which he sold to locals. This was a radical step for the young entrepreneur, as the brewing industry in the colony was not very popular. In 5 years,s his business became one of the most popular Canadian beer companies.

• The number of employees in his brewery was no more than 10 in the first 3 years of operation of the brewery.
• Molson came from England and arrived in Canada as a teenager with 500 USD.
• He used barley, hops, and water for beer, and some of the raw materials were obtained locally.
• The small brewery became the basis of Molson, which is still in operation today.

Molson did not limit himself to beer production and gradually expanded his business. He invested in transportation, real estate, and restaurants. His family became influential in Montreal, while the brewing business remained the main part of his business. It has been operating for 240 years, but Molson’s descendants have run it without selling anything.

The Number Of Taverns Exceeds The Number Of Streets In Canada

Canadian cities lived around taverns in the 19th century. Beer Wars website claims that Upper Canada had 1,999 taverns in 1851, offering one establishment for every 478 residents. Today, this number of bars in a city would appear large, but taverns were more popular than cafes, pubs, and restaurants 150 years ago. Its number is frequently referred to by locals,s and it is reported that there were more taverns than streets in Toronto. There were 2-3 taverns on one street, and a mug of beer was an integral part of life.

People not only drank beer at taverns, but they also talked about the news, met people, and made deals at these taverns. A tavern was a place for a traveller to stay and might serve as a bar, a hotel, and a type of community centre. Visualize a city that practically ended every couple of streets with a place to drink a mug of beer and talk to the locals. These, however, were favored by the workers, merchants, and travellers. 35% of taverns had the offer of continuing the evening with games of chance, meaning that some travellers could win more than they paid to travel. 

Beer War

In 1987, a beer war erupted in Canada between the two largest Canadian breweries, Labatt and Molson, starting with the former. The war broke out in 197, and began with Labatt, the two largest Canadian breweries. That’s because of the struggle for the Canadian Grand Prix to be Formula 1’s main sponsor role in Montreal. Labatt had the right to use the track, and Molson agreed to host the Grand Prix, sparking a legal battle between the two companies. The bizarre scenario was that the track was owned by one company, while the other owned the race rights.

The disagreement continued until Formula 1 organizer Bernie Ecclestone decided to cancel the Canadian race for the 1987 season. As a result of the battle between the two breweries in Canada, it became the first time in many years that the country didn’t host a Formula 1 race. Labatt suffered 26 million Canadian dollars in losses from its many years of sponsorship of the race at that time. But in December 1987, the company filed suit to reverse the decision, which was dropped, and Molson was granted control of the Grand Prix organisation. F1 came back to Canada in 1988. 

Canadian Prohibition Facts

The early 20th century saw the beginning of alcohol prohibition in Canada, with province-to-province differences in the laws. In Ontario, prohibition on the sale of alcohol was in effect throughout the 1910s and 1920s, but the government completely abolished the prohibition regime in 1927. But this did not lead to the elimination of beer from Canada; rather, its continued production and sales were sanctioned in certain cases. 

The prohibition did not wipe out the thirst for booze, and illegal bars and smuggling started to grow vigorously. These fast facts about Prohibition highlight how alcohol restrictions reshaped Canada’s beer industry and drinking culture during this period.

Consequences of Prohibition:

1. Prohibition was not implemented simultaneously, so many travellers arrived.
2. The government lost a lot of tax revenue.
3. Canada resumed beer production and began smuggling it into the United States.

Gambling establishments also tried to control alcohol, as the authorities sought to prevent the simultaneous combination of gambling and intoxication. Players could be prohibited from drinking beer while playing or from being at the gaming tables, even on their favourite day. Locals say that doctors may have recommended drinking beer to calm down and remove toxins from the body. Alcohol was also allowed to be used for scientific and industrial purposes, while wine served as a good attribute for religious ceremonies.