Signal49’s findings are clear: Canada’s automatic beer excise tax escalator is not working as intended. Since the policy was introduced in 2017, the federal excise tax on beer has increased by approximately 20 per cent. Yet, federal beer excise revenues have remained essentially flat since 2020.

“Automatically increasing taxes every April, without a vote in Parliament, also fails to account for changing economic conditions, pressures on Canadian brewers, or the affordability challenges facing consumers and the bars and restaurants that serve them. At a time when Canadian businesses are being asked to invest, grow and create jobs, automatically increasing one of the taxes they pay makes little economic sense,” said Richard Alexander, Beer Canada president.

The federal government has already recognized the escalator’s shortcomings by intervening to limit its impact in five of its first 11 scheduled increases. A tax mechanism that repeatedly requires government intervention needs to be reconsidered. Canada is also an international outlier. It is one of only three Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries that automatically index beer excise taxes, whereas other OECD countries set excise rates through legislative or budgetary decisions.

Beer is an overwhelmingly Canadian-made product. Approximately 90 per cent of the beer sold in Canada is brewed here, supporting Canadian workers, farmers, communities, restaurants and businesses across the country.

Budget 2026 allows the federal government to fix a policy that is not delivering its intended results. The automatic beer excise tax escalator should be permanently repealed, and future changes to beer excise taxes should once again be subject to transparent government and parliamentary review.

The full Signal49 Research report is available here.

Others are smaller, but just as familiar: neighbours pulling chairs into a Montreal laneway behind the houses on one of the first warm evenings of the year to watch hockey together, beer in hand, kids running around, conversations and cheers lingering long after sunset. Beer has always had a place in those moments. But its contribution starts well before the first drink is poured.

A Canadian industry

Beer is a uniquely Canadian product and industry. About 90 per cent of beer consumed in Canada is brewed domestically, supporting 23,580 direct jobs and 149,000 more across the national supply chain.

Made from Canadian-grown agricultural inputs and supported by local production, distribution and hospitality networks, beer’s economic footprint reaches well beyond breweries themselves. Nearly one in five beers sold is consumed outside the home, helping sustain local hospitality businesses and community gathering spaces. In summer, that local presence becomes easier to see.

Part of the summer experience

At festivals, concerts, sporting events and community celebrations, beer is often part of the broader event ecosystem. For organizers, revenues from concessions and sponsorships can help support programming, stages, artists, technical crews, security, site infrastructure, cleaning and visitor services.

Beer does not simply accompany these events. In many cases, it helps make the event model work. The same holds true on a smaller scale. A beer garden at a community festival. A local fundraiser. A patio that becomes part of a neighbourhood’s seasonal routine. A brewery visit added to a weekend trip. These are not always headline moments, but they are part of how Canadians experience summer in their own communities. That experience is also evolving.

Sipping outdoors

What began in many places as a temporary response to pandemic restrictions has, in several municipalities, become a more permanent recognition that parks and public spaces are also places where adults can gather responsibly. More than 25 municipalities now have permanent programs that allow responsible alcohol consumption in designated outdoor spaces, where permitted by provincial rules.

Montreal and Quebec City had already permitted alcohol consumption in parks with a meal before the COVID-19 pandemic, while cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary have since moved toward designated park or public-space models. That matters at a time when many Canadians are exploring more of their own country.

Big events, shared moments

From Atlantic Canada to the Prairies, from Quebec to the West Coast, breweries, patios, taprooms, beer gardens and public gathering spaces have become integral to local tourism and hospitality.

Canada’s beer tourism market is projected to reach approximately $1.5 billion by 2030, reflecting growing interest in local flavours and experience-based travel. This summer will also be marked by the excitement of Canada co-hosting the FIFA World Cup. Major sporting moments have a way of turning individual games into shared national experiences – in stadiums, bars, patios, fan zones and homes across the country.

Beer has long been part of how Canadians mark those occasions. The details vary from place to place. It may be a brewery visit on a weekend getaway, a beer garden after a bike ride, a patio before a concert, a park picnic with friends or a community celebration that brings together neighbours, volunteers, local businesses and visitors. The setting changes, but the role remains familiar.

Looking ahead to Canadian Beer Day

That same idea will be at the heart of this year’s Canadian Beer Day, taking place on Oct. 7 under the theme, “Brewed into Canadian Culture.” After a summer of festivals, patios, community events and everyday gatherings, Canadian Beer Day offers a moment to recognize something Canadians see throughout the season: beer is connected to local jobs, shared places and the communities that make those moments possible.

Summer reminds us that beer is more than a product. It is brewed into the moments, traditions and shared experiences that help define Canadian culture.

The assumption is that people simply like beer less than they used to. That explanation is incomplete.

A lot of the change we’re seeing isn’t about people liking beer less. It’s about people spending less time together, and beer has always been about connection. Across Canada, people are socializing less often. According to Restaurants Canada’s 2025 Foodservice Facts report, three out of four Canadians say they are eating out less due to the rising cost of living, and that figure increases to 81 per cent among those aged 18 to 34.

Housing costs, irregular work schedules, digital habits, and the lingering effects of the pandemic have also reduced opportunities for informal, in-person socializing. The “third places” that once anchored communities – neighbourhood pubs, local restaurants, community halls and gathering spots – are under strain. When communities gather less, beer is part of what gets lost.

For some, this may seem like a positive change. But in truth, it points to a deeper problem. This isn’t just about drinking habits, it’s about social infrastructure.

For generations, beer has been part of how Canadians connect after work, at community events, during major sporting moments and at family celebrations. These shared experiences help build relationships, reduce isolation, support mental well-being and foster informal exchanges where ideas, creativity and collaboration often emerge. Strong social connections are essential not only to personal health, but also to vibrant, innovative and resilient communities.

When gathering places and shared rituals weaken, the social fabric frays. People become more isolated, local businesses struggle and communities lose important spaces for dialogue, belonging and mutual support.

If we are serious about supporting healthy, connected communities, we need to look beyond individual consumer choices and address the structural factors that make gathering harder, from affordability and taxation to the sustainability of neighbourhood pubs, restaurants and community spaces.

Start with affordability

Affordability is now one of the biggest barriers to social participation. Nearly 46 per cent of the price of beer in Canada is made up of taxes and government charges. Automatic tax increases, mark-ups and layered regulatory costs make social occasions more expensive every year, even when household budgets are already stretched.

When meeting friends becomes unaffordable, people stop going out. They stay home. They disconnect. Keeping taxes and fees under control is not about encouraging overconsumption. It is about ensuring that everyday social interactions remain accessible to hard-working Canadians.

Restore balance in beer taxation

Canada’s beer tax system has become increasingly disconnected from economic reality. Automatic annual increases happen regardless of market conditions, sales trends or affordability pressures. Predictable, reasonable taxation allows brewers to invest, innovate and keep prices stable. It also helps ensure that beer remains a practical, social option rather than an occasional luxury. Smart tax policy supports moderation, stability and community life.

Protect bars and restaurants as community anchors

Bars, pubs and restaurants are not just businesses. They are social institutions. They are where neighbours meet, teams celebrate, friends reconnect and communities come together. They employ over one million Canadians and serve as a training ground for countless young people, anchoring main streets in towns and cities across the country.

For many of these establishments, beer is also a key driver of profitability, helping to sustain operations, support staffing and reinvest in their businesses. Yet these establishments are facing unprecedented cost pressures, from labour and rent to energy and insurance, on top of declining foot traffic. Protecting the hospitality sector is about protecting places where connection happens and opportunities begin.

Policy decisions that increase costs or undermine viability weaken the very spaces that foster responsible, social drinking, workforce development and community engagement.

Rebuild social infrastructure

Strong communities do not happen by accident. They depend on affordable places to gather, stable local businesses, supportive regulatory environments and policies that recognize social value alongside fiscal considerations. When we invest in this social infrastructure, we strengthen mental health, economic resilience and civic life.

Beer has always played a role in that ecosystem. When enjoyed responsibly, it brings people together, marks important moments and helps create shared experiences that reinforce community bonds.

A broader conversation worth having

Declining beer consumption should not be viewed in isolation. It is a signal of deeper shifts in how Canadians live, work and connect. If we want stronger communities, we must make it easier for people to spend time together. That starts with affordability and requires fair, predictable taxation. This means repealing the federal automatic annual beer tax hike and ensuring provincial governments steer clear of new mark-up and tax increases that further strain consumers and local businesses.

Beer is not just a product. It is part of Canada’s social fabric. Preserving that fabric benefits consumers, workers, businesses and communities alike.

“In my previous career, when I travelled, I always hit up brewery taprooms and used bookstores,” said Filbert. “I had a lot of conversations in those taprooms. I learned about what I was tasting and what I liked and didn’t like.”

Filbert worked for a banknote company as a technical artist. He says that a technical artist takes the work of a graphic artist and deconstructs it for the printing process. That graphics and printing training is why Filbert has a deep appreciation for book covers. In particular, he scours used bookstores for paperbacks from the 1950s because he likes the cover art. His personal collection includes about 200 such books.

“I think everyone should collect something,” he said. “And it should be something very specific. Then you leave it to chance when you find something to add to your collection. I like the discovery. I like the chase.”

The beer

To date, Bookstore has released 11 beers. If all goes to plan, the brewery will release three more this year. The first ever Bookstore beer was The Quick Fix Coffee Cream Ale, a 5.5 per cent ABV cream ale with locally roasted coffee beans added five days before packaging, to impart aroma and flavour without changing the blonde colour. “I wanted to start with something odd,” said Filbert.

However, that oddity is not without research and precision.

“I want my beers to fill a hole in the market,” he said. Having kept track of the flavours he likes and dislikes in beer, Filbert designs Bookstore beers based on the flavours he knows he likes, rather than strictly adhering to beer styles. “All my beers are novel,” said Filbert, pun intended.

Filbert delegates recipe development to his friend Ryan Fisher, a trained brewer. Then, the beers are brewed at Winnipeg’s Oxus Brewing on a 30-barrel brewhouse built by Newlands. “I’m a big fan of hiring people who know what they are doing, and letting them do it,” said Filbert. “I’m an idea guy, not a full-out story creator.”

Oxus Brewing also produces beer for six other brands. By combining efforts, the breweries can achieve economies of scale in raw material procurement and ensure the tanks are always full. This was a low-cost, low-risk way for Bookstore to enter the beer market, although a small brewery of his own is Filbert’s ultimate goal. Bookstore’s beers have been well received, not just by Winnipeg’s beer drinkers, but by critics as well. Bookstore’s awards include:

• 2024 Canada Beer Cup gold for A Brighter Shade of Doom, a 6.5 per cent black New England IPA
• 2024 Canadian Brewing Awards gold for Flirting with Goth, a five per cent dark ale
• 2023 Prairie Beer Awards gold for Another Deadly Sin, an English amber ale
• 2023 Prairie Beer Awards gold for A Brighter Shade of Doom
• 2022 Prairie Beer Awards silver for Escape From Narrow City, a 4.8 per cent easy IPA

“I try to focus on myself as the first customer,” said Filbert. “I’m just going with what I like and hope it works.”

The art

All of the label art is original, says Filbert. Having found a kindred spirit in Ontario-based artist Randy Preising, Filbert retained him to do all of Bookstore’s label art. Those labels have a lot of details.

“If you look at one of my cans, you’ll see a book cover, a spine and a back cover. Historically, these types of books had coloured page edges, so my labels have a strip of page edge colour as well,” said Filbert.

The back cover, in addition to satisfying required disclosures such as ingredients and alcohol content, always includes a tease to a story that doesn’t actually exist. It’s an homage to the books Filbert loves and collects. There are even recurring characters, “because that’s a lot of fun,” says Filbert. There are even consistent themes to Bookstore’s labels: ales have covers for detective mysteries, lagers and pilsners are westerns, IPAs have science fiction covers, sours are romance and dark beers have a horror look.

Filbert works with Preising to ensure the labels mimic shelf wear. Since these books would have been mass-printed, they often contained printing errors. Filbert and Preising carefully mimic these errors on their labels. “It’s a little Easter egg for drinkers to find, especially if they know about printing,” said Filbert.

Also similar to the books Filbert collects, each beer label includes a three-character catalogue number. The two digits are the year the beer was first released and the letter represents the number of the beer that year. For example, “24-B” was the second beer Bookstore released in 2024.

The community

For Filbert, it is important that Bookstore be part of the Winnipeg community. In 2024, Bookstore released Timeless, a light lager with proceeds assisting CJNU, Winnipeg’s community radio station. CJNU’s frequency is 93.7, so 93.7 cents from every can was donated to the station.

After the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter was robbed, Filbert helped organize a tap takeover of Bookstore’s beers so that money could be donated to replace the shelter’s losses. Each year on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Bookstore hosts “orphan parties” for those who feel loneliest during this time of year. “My parents died before I started Bookstore Brewing,” said Filbert, explaining his motivation. The annual parties help ensure nobody spends the holidays alone.

Bookstore also partners with local food manufacturers. Bookstore’s beer was used by Loaf and Honey, a Winnipeg fromager, to make cheese. Also, the company’s beer was used by Mr. Biltong to make South African-style beef jerky.

The next chapter

Filbert’s dream to have a physical space to call his own may soon come true. “If things go as planned, I hope to open this year,” he said. Unlike most brewery taprooms that look similar to bars, Filbert wants “a different kind of thing.”

“I want to take over a café with small menu items, with fancy coffee, and my beers on tap,” he said. “And it will be a bookstore. Customers can read a book and leave it there. We will make a note of the book and page number, so when the customer comes back, they can pick up where they left off. COVID-19 killed a lot of bookstores. I want to get people back into them.”

All my beers are novel.

Parris Filbert, Bookstore Brewing

For Filbert’s bookstore taproom to come to fruition, he will require some regulatory changes. While the café bookstore will have a small pilot brewery, current regulations prevent him from selling Bookstore’s contract-brewed beer without paying high levels of provincial government mark-ups. That’s where groups like The Manitoba Brewers Association and Beer Canada can help.

“I’m just a one-man show. I’m a sales guy,” said Filbert. “I took a distinct financial hit to leave my career and do this, but it’s better to be happy and pinching pennies than well-paid and stressed and unhappy.” After five years, Filbert says new customers are still discovering his brand. A café will help give his brewing company a face. Despite Filbert’s modest claim that he’s not a full-fledged story creator, through Bookstore, he is actually writing his own story.

Bookstore’s beers are available only in Manitoba, at Liquor Mart, boutique beer shops and on draught in the Oxus Brewing taproom and elsewhere.

In November, the prestigious Siebel Institute of Technology brewing school announced that it will relocate from Chicago to Montreal. In a press release, the school confirmed the move was effective Jan. 1, 2026, but didn’t provide a date for when classes would begin at its new location.

The Siebel Institute is the oldest brewing school in North America. It was founded by German-born chemist John Ewald Siebel, Ph.D., in Chicago in 1868. It was originally known as the John E. Siebel Chemical Laboratory before being renamed the Siebel Institute in 1872, and it has called Chicago home since its opening.

The new location will be at 3035 rue Sainte-Catherine near the former Molson Brewery site in downtown Montreal. That site is part of a planned $2.5 billion redevelopment aimed at revitalizing the city’s downtown core, which will also include a public park and waterfront walkway, retail spaces and some 5,000 new housing units. Siebel Institute, which is owned by Lallemand Inc., cited changes in the brewing industry, rising operational costs and challenges obtaining student visas to enter the U.S. as reasons for the move.

“Recent regulatory changes in the U.S. have made it much more challenging for many of our international students, who have become the majority of our student body, to attend classes in person. This relocation of North America classroom operations to Montreal allows us to pivot without sacrificing the student experience,” Siebel Institute’s general manager and director of education, John Hannafan, said in the news release.

Montreal’s brewing industry reacts

Philippe Roy, vice-president of Beer Canada for Montreal, says he was pleasantly surprised to learn Siebel Institute was relocating to Montreal. Neither he nor his organization had any advance knowledge of the move.

He says he has seen two reactions from those in the industry. “The first was to say that it’s very good news…. It’s the oldest school for beer in North America, so their coming to Canada seemed to send a message that brewing in Canada is going well. But at the same time, we all felt that it was kind of normal … because we all feel that Quebec and Montreal are the cradle of beer in North America.

“In Canada, beer is still the number one alcohol beverage that people consume. We feel it’s a special beverage that can define Canada so we’re very happy about the Siebel Institute coming and joining us here in Montreal,” said Roy.

We’ll have access to high-quality training, and that will benefit all brewers in Canada.

Philippe Roy, Beer Canada

Marie-Eve Myrand, executive director of the Quebec Microbrewery Association, says she, too, was surprised to learn about Siebel Institute’s move. “We were not part of the decision or the discussion around that, but we were pleased to be informed,” said Myrand, whose organization lobbies government, promotes the brewing industry and provides production support to member brewers. “It’s a very prestigious institute.”

Myrand says the addition of the Siebel Institute to Montreal’s brewing landscape will help to make up for the recent loss of the brewing sciences certificate program at Bishop’s University.

The Bishop’s program was established by chemistry professor Dale Wood in 2015 and offered a graduate opportunity that blended chemistry, creativity and entrepreneurship. During its time, the program and its students helped develop more than 500 recipes, several of which were in partnership with Quebec-based microbreweries.

While it’s difficult to determine what kind of economic impact Siebel Institute’s move to Montreal might have on the city, Roy predicts it could have a huge effect on the brewing ecosystem, not only in Quebec, but across the country. “We’ll have access to high-quality training, and that will benefit all brewers in Canada. We already have schools that offer brewers education, but having one more, and one more here in Montreal, that’s giving brewers new access to highly qualified people [who] are going to work in their breweries,” he said.

It’s always good news for brewers to have an opportunity to improve knowledge and be at the top of the best practices.

Marie-Eve Myrand, Quebec Microbrewery Association

Myrand says the move will benefit brewers in Quebec and other parts of the country by creating a larger pool of talent to draw from. “It’s going to be very exciting,” she said. “It’s always good news for brewers to have an opportunity to improve knowledge and be at the top of the best practices. I think there will now be more opportunities for brewers to be part of that kind of improvement.”

Roy says he hopes to speak with someone from the school soon to work out the details of a scholarship that Beer Canada is looking to offer to students there. He is also anxious to learn more about the academic programming Siebel Institute will offer once its Montreal campus is up and running.

“I’m sure they’re going to want to adapt. It’s the same product, it’s still beer, but the Canadian way is a little bit different than what we see in the U.S. brewing industry, so I’m sure they intend to adapt their information to being in Canada,” he said.

Myrand is also curious about how Siebel Institute will adapt to its new surroundings, especially regarding the province’s language laws. “A good beer is a good beer. But being in business in Montreal, I think it’s mandatory to have an offering in French. It’s a very personal opinion, and not the association’s position, but I would find it [difficult] to have just an English version of all the information,” she said.

Beer continues to be the top choice for drinking-age Canadians, accounting for almost 36 per cent of all alcohol sold in 2024. Yet, its resilience is rooted in far more than sales data. Beer’s enduring appeal comes from its deep cultural roots, its authentic craftsmanship and the social psychology that makes it unlike any other beverage.

Beer is woven into Canada’s social fabric

Beer is the beverage Canadians reach for in their everyday moments. After a long shift, at the rink, around the campfire or while meeting up with friends, it’s democratic, unpretentious and approachable. There’s no right way to drink a beer. No script, no ritual, just connection.

Canadian brewers, both large and small, have built that emotional connection over generations. With 88 per cent of beer consumed in Canada brewed domestically, Canadians know that the beer in their fridge supports Canadian workers, farmers, maltsters, taproom staff and the local pubs that act as community anchors. Beer’s story is local by nature, and drinkers feel that authenticity.

The spectrum of choice keeps expanding

If the last decade has taught us anything, it’s that beer is not one thing, it’s hundreds. From crisp lagers to barrel-aged sours, hazy IPAs to non-alcoholic stunners, Canadian brewers have expanded what “beer” can mean.

Consumers are exploring more than ever, often trying different options within the same occasion, and brewers are rising to meet that curiosity with new flavours and styles inspired by global trends, a wave of premium and craft-forward releases, an expanding range of options such as low-calorie and low-carb beers, and a booming non-alcoholic category that is redefining what moderation looks like. This evolution has kept beer culturally relevant while attracting new drinkers who may not have connected with traditional styles.

Beer signals relaxation and togetherness

Ask Canadians what beer means to them, and you’ll hear a similar sentiment: it’s relaxing, social and instantly recognizable. People reach for beer when they want to decompress or spend time together, not when they’re trying to impress. It’s a drink that makes moments feel easy. When consumers want something approachable and enjoyable, beer is the default, something other categories can’t quite replicate.

Beer’s economic footprint reinforces its cultural staying power

Beer is also a quiet economic engine. The industry supports 149,000 Canadian jobs and contributes $13.6 billion to Canada’s GDP. That footprint ensures that beer remains not only culturally relevant, but economically vital. Another reason Canadians feel a sense of connection and ownership over it.

A beverage built for modern Canada

Beer’s future in Canada isn’t about defending market share. It’s about evolving with consumers while staying true to what Canadians love about it: approachability, craftsmanship, community and choice. From coast to coast, brewers are innovating, investing and finding new ways to make beer part of Canadians’ lives. Whether that’s a classic lager after a shift, a cutting-edge sour on a patio or a non-alcoholic pale ale at the ski hill.

Beer isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it continues to reflect the values of today’s drinker better than ever: local, authentic, diverse and proudly Canadian.

Located about two-and-a-half-hours west of Toronto, and about 45 minutes north of London, St. Marys is home to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. One of the first recorded baseball games in North America was held not far away. Stratford, home of the Stratford Festival, and St. Marys Quarry, a former limestone quarry transformed into what claims to be the largest outdoor freshwater pool, are also nearby, making St. Marys a tourist destination.

For beer lovers, St. Marys is also home to Broken Rail Brewing. The location of Broken Rail merits a tourist stop itself, regardless of one’s affinity for beer, though hopefully everyone will stay for a pint or two as well.

Broken Rail is located in St. Marys Junction Railway Station, formerly part of the Grand Truck Railway and built in 1858. The building is protected, having been declared of national historic and architectural significance by Canada’s Historic Sites and Monuments Board. It is a stone building and lends credence to St. Marys’ nickname, “The Stone Town.”

The station is also where Thomas Edison worked as a telegraph operator for the Grand Trunk Railway. It is believed to be the only remaining structure in Canada in which Edison worked.

The Leamans’ lightbulb moment

Ryan and Erin Leaman were a beer-passionate couple. Ryan had been homebrewing for about 15 years. “You always dream of opening your own brewery,” said Ryan, “but you think it’ll never happen.” Eventually, personal circumstances steered the Leamans towards a career change and a shorter commute.

The couple combined Ryan’s homebrewing background and Erin’s experience in hospitality management with bootstrapped financing – the couple are the brewery’s only shareholders – along with the historic building which had been sitting empty since the 1970s to invent St. Marys’ first brewery.

Ryan says he was worried the building’s historic designation would be an impediment. “It’s funny to look back. I thought we wouldn’t have a chance in hell of opening a brewery in the building,” said Ryan. Instead, the Leamans found St. Marys’ town council, the heritage committee and Parks Canada, which oversees historic sites, to be great to work with.

Broken Rail Brewing was incorporated on Halloween in 2019 and opened its doors to thirsty customers on Valentine’s Day in 2021. The building is only about 1,500 square feet and the brewing equipment occupies about 600 square feet of that space. That leaves indoor seating for about 30 people and, weather permitting, outdoor seating for another 60 people on the pet-friendly patio. Broken Rail brews about 1,000 hectolitres per year in its two-vessel, seven-hectolitre brewhouse.

Their flagship beer is Tesla’s Revenge, an American-style IPA served in the brewery’s taproom. Other core beers available include Incandescent Blonde, Overnight Express Stout, Junction Square Nail Amber and Yellow Fizzy Stuff. About 20 seasonal or limited-edition beers make their way through the brewery’s taps in any given year, about one every two to three weeks.

Packaged beers, in 473-mL cans, are available at LCBO stores. Tesla’s Revenge is a permanent listing while Broken Rail also boasts the occasional beer through the province’s liquor stores. A second full-time listing at the LCBO is coming soon, says Ryan. Broken Rail beers can also be found in local bars and restaurants.

Invention is never easy

It is an oft-repeated legend that Thomas Edison failed repeatedly when trying to invent the lightbulb. However, rather than viewing those experiments as failures, Edison is said to have quipped, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

The Leamans have had to embrace a similarly positive attitude in building and running Broken Rail. “Homebrewing and commercial brewing are nothing alike,” said Ryan. “I’ve probably hit every problem you can hit along the way.” As a result, the Leamans hired a head brewer with commercial experience and will soon hire an assistant brewer, to allow Ryan to focus on running the business.

You always dream of opening your own brewery, but you think it’ll never happen.

Ryan Leaman, Broken Rail Brewing

Their original plan to build a restaurant in a train caboose were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep food options simple and within the building’s square footage, Broken Rail purchased a small electric pizza oven and imports fully assembled pizzas from Italy. “It is still a dream to have it happen someday,” said Ryan of the full restaurant.

Illuminating the community

The very existence of Broken Rail Brewing was an effort to support the community of St. Marys. “Broken Rail Brewing was established with the goal to keep this historic station and story alive, and why not make some damn good beer while we are at it!” says the brewery’s website. “The skilled craftsmanship is evident throughout the station, which is exactly the foundation of our brews and we can’t wait to share them with you.”

However, Broken Rail’s and the Leamans’ support of the town they call home goes far beyond the walls of the brewery. Broken Rail has teamed up with Boxer Rescue Ontario, a charity that places abandoned boxer dogs into forever homes and promotes responsible dog ownership. The organization is featured on the Broken Rail website, with links to donate and view the dogs available for adoption.

Boxer Rescue Ontario is near and dear to the Leamans, who have made their brewery patio dog-friendly. Indeed, that patio is located next to a dog park. The brewery even uses some of its spent grain to make dog treats. “Erin and I like dogs more than we like people,” joked Ryan.

Broken Rail also partners with Ronald McDonald House Southwestern Ontario. Working with a local running store and a local hop farm, and with support from New Balance, Broken Rail helps host an annual relay race that ends at the brewery, raising tens of thousands of dollars for the charity that supports families when children need hospital care.

However, supporting the community means more than charitable donations. Broken Rail brews with almost exclusively Canadian malt and sources “the vast majority” of its hops from the local hop farm, the Tavistock Hop Company.

Being a seasonal business, the brewery employs between eight and 12 people, many of whom return each year. Even if they don’t return as employees, they return as customers. In a small town, it is important to maintain good relationships with everyone. Many former employees now work for the town council or otherwise help to support the Leamans’ business. It is a full circle of support. Even all of the brewery’s used ingredients are upcycled as livestock feed for local farmers.

Working with the beer community

Broken Rail Brewing is a proud and active member of Beer Canada and of Ontario Craft Brewers. “It’s just great to get all of the news and insights,” said Ryan of the value of their membership. “Any information you can get to help run your business day to day is helpful. And we all benefit from the advocacy that Beer Canada does. Because of this brewery and the advocacy work we are involved with, I’ve formed friendships with our member of Parliament and member of provincial parliament. They’re amazing.”

Broken Rail Brewing has been crafting great beer since opening its doors almost five years ago. With brewery capacity set to increase soon, Broken Rail’s future is undeniably bright.

The Canadian beer industry supports 149,000 jobs across farming, brewing, distribution, retail and hospitality. Well beyond its direct tax revenue, the production, distribution and sale of beer generate billions of dollars in economic value for local economies. However, beyond its economic impact, beer is uniquely tied to history and culture. Everyone longs to share time with family, friends, neighbours or co-workers. Canadians feel at ease and at home when those times include a beer, whether at a corner pub, curling rink or a backyard.

The local thread in Canada’s social fabric

Few products can claim to be as “homegrown” as Canadian beer. Most Canadian brewers source nearly all their barley and other cereal grains from Canadian farms. Canada is recognized globally for growing high-quality malting barley, prized by brewers far beyond its borders. From its breeding varieties to its purity, quality control systems and ideal growing conditions, Canadian barley is one of the world’s most trusted sources for maltsters and brewers. This symbiotic relationship between Canadian barley and domestic brewers is a true farm-to-glass success story. Brewers, farmers and maltsters rely on and support each other to make some of the finest beers in the world.

Every Canadian beer carries within itself a story about farmers, maltsters, truck drivers and servers. These are neighbours whose livelihoods are connected to one another by and through beer. Beer is, in many ways, an economic ecosystem that doubles down as a social force.

Beer in Canada’s cultural life

Think of a few of the best moments that bring people together: cheering for the local sports team, celebrating life’s milestones or getting together at a community festival. Beer has been part of those great times for generations. Styles and flavours may evolve, but beer remains central to celebrations, big and small. Beer’s moderate alcohol content makes it a natural companion to Canadians’ social lives, where the point is enjoying one another’s company.

Canadian beer also carries a sense of heritage. Today’s diverse brewing landscape reflects that history while embracing innovation. From classic lagers to adventurous IPAs and an explosion in new non-alcoholic options, Canadian brewers marry Old World techniques with New World innovation to create a wide range of beer styles to satisfy Canada’s cultural diversity.

The role of breweries in communities

Breweries themselves often serve as community social hubs. Across the country, local breweries sponsor local sports teams, festivals and special events. As neighbours, brewers have frequently been among the first to offer support and assistance in times of crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to recent floods and wildfires.

Responsible enjoyment and shared experience

Most Canadians who choose to drink do so as part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. The Canadian brewing industry has long been a leader in promoting moderation and responsible drinking, reminding Canadians to always ensure a safe ride home, avoid underage or binge drinking, and savour beer’s great taste.

What makes beer particularly suited to responsible social enjoyment is its range of alcohol strengths and serving sizes. From low alcohol lagers to alcohol-free offerings, Canadian brewers provide options that allow beer consumers to participate in an active and busy social life without excess. It’s one of the few categories of alcohol that naturally fosters inclusivity and connectivity.

Beer as a bridge in a divided world

At a time when digital screens dominate, beer offers something profoundly analogue: human connection. Sharing a beer means putting down the phone, sitting across from someone and engaging in conversation.

Beer also has a unique ability to bridge divides. Different generations can sit at the same table with a pint, immigrants can introduce their brewing traditions into Canadian communities and neighbours who disagree on politics can still bond over their local brew. In a world where differences often keep people apart, beer has a unique way of bringing people together.

The policy connection: Protecting a community anchor

For policymakers, recognizing beer as a community builder means more than photo ops and election backdrops. It means supporting the operating conditions that allow brewers, pubs and bars to thrive. Sky-high taxes and automatic annual beer tax hikes undermine local businesses and jobs, and the social spaces that depend on them.

When nearly half the price of beer in Canada goes to the government in taxes (more than in any other G7 country), it weakens the ability of breweries and hospitality businesses to invest back into their communities. Every dollar squeezed in additional taxes is a dollar that isn’t going into sponsoring the local soccer team, hosting a festival or supporting the wages of local staff who keep neighbourhood pubs and restaurants thriving. Supporting the beer industry is about safeguarding a sector that helps create communities, jobs and culture.

Looking ahead: Beer’s place in Canada’s future

As Canada navigates demographic shifts, changing consumption habits and international trade pressures, its brewers will continue to evolve to meet the future head-on. Many younger consumers are more mindful of health and wellness, but also look for authentic, social experiences. Canadian beer can thrive in this new marketplace, as it offers lower-alcohol, non-alcoholic and sustainably produced options that meet the expectations of today’s adult consumers.

The Canadian beer industry has a tremendous opportunity to succeed in this future by telling its story not just as a producer of beverages, but as a builder of communities and a positive facilitator of social interactions.

Beer’s value goes far beyond the taproom. It represents a chain of connections, from farmer to brewer to consumer, from one neighbour to another. In a time when Canada needs more unity and shared spaces, beer remains one of its most enduring community builders.

Introduced under former prime minister Justin Trudeau in 2017, the escalator was designed to automatically raise federal beer taxes each year in line with the previous year’s inflation. Since its inception, federal beer taxes have risen by more than 18 per cent. With nearly 46 per cent of the retail price of beer going to taxes, Canada now has the highest beer tax burden among G7 countries.

While Beer Canada says it appreciates the excise duty relief measures included in the 2023 and 2024 federal budgets, the reality is that since then, Canada’s brewing environment and beer market have weakened. Tariffs have pushed production costs and retail prices higher, while consumers’ disposable income continues to erode. As a result, both retail and licensee beer sales volumes have fallen sharply in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.

By maintaining the Trudeau-era beer tax framework, the current Liberal government is effectively contributing to higher costs for consumers and challenges for small businesses that rely on beer sales for revenue.

“Affordability starts with ending automatic tax hikes on beer,” said Richard Alexander, president of Beer Canada. “Canadians already shoulder the highest beer taxes in the G7. The federal beer tax escalator keeps prices climbing and strains consumers, brewers and the hospitality sector at a time when affordability is a major concern.”

Beer Canada says it will continue working with the federal government to establish a predictable and competitive tax framework that supports investment, protects jobs and keeps beer affordable for Canadians, including a permanent repeal of automatic inflation-based increases to federal beer excise duties.

“The original Moen and Pederson homesteads were located nine miles apart in southwest Saskatchewan,” said Cassy Appelt, director of LGCY: Innovation Hub, a division of 9 Mile Legacy Brewing. Appelt is referring to 9 Mile Legacy founders Shawn Moen and Garrett Pederson, who have continued a family friendship now over a century long. “Through their business partnership, [Moen] and [Pederson] are the fifth generation to collaborate and work together, but the first to do so off the farm,” she said.

Moen, a lawyer, and Pederson, an environmental consultant, were lifelong friends and avid homebrewers, travelling the world to learn about brewing and business. In 2015, with stable careers and much travel now behind them, 9 Mile Legacy Brewing was born.

“[It]began as an exceptionally small nanobrewery focused on the production of high-quality craft beer,” said Appelt. “They got their start with a 100-litre brew kit with a storefront in Riversdale, one of Saskatoon’s original neighbourhoods and the heart of most city events and festivals. They purchased and restored a beloved business front in the same neighbourhood … and opened a taproom with a 600-litre brewery in 2018. In 2020, [they] expanded to a production facility just a few blocks away from the taproom. In 2023, [they] made the decision to close the taproom and focus on distribution out of [their] larger facility. That taproom is now a world-class comedy club known as Art Bar Theatre.”

A brewery for the community

The brewery has grown from its original one-hectolitre brewery to a two-vessel, six-hectolitre brewery and now to a modern, three-vessel, 20-hectolitre brewery. Both the six-hectolitre brewery and the 20-hectolitre breweries were made by Canada’s Ripley Beverage. They still use their 20-hectolitre brewhouse and tank complement their commercial operation, and the smaller, six-hectolitre brewhouse and tank completment form the basis of LGCY. Despite having grown by multiples, 9 Mile Legacy remains steadfastly tied to its community.

“[Moen] and [Pederson] are still actively involved in the day-to-day operation of the brewery, [Moen] as CEO and [Pederson] as COO and head brewer,” said Appelt. “They strive to continually incorporate their values of being authentic and engaged community members that foster interconnection, collaboration and innovation as 9 Mile grows and changes.”

To that end, 9 Mile Legacy has always collaborated with friends and neighbours. One of the earliest was a custom beer – still made today – for Odd Couple, an Asian fusion restaurant across 20th Street from the brewery taproom. However, that first collaboration has grown into many more, including an extensive Festival Series of beers, where collaboration beers are made in partnership with most of the festivals in Saskatchewan, with proceeds supporting the festivals.

The brewery is also the craft beer sponsor of Saskatoon’s new Minor League Baseball team, the Saskatoon Berries Baseball Club. It is because of this deep connection with the local community that, despite 10 years of operations and incredible growth and success, “we’re still seeing meaningful sales growth throughout Saskatchewan,” says Appelt. The brewery’s beers can be found in almost 300 locations across the province, with 9 Mile Legacy handling all of its own distribution.

“We’ve flirted with other markets in neighbouring provinces, but for the time being, we continue to see growth in Saskatchewan markets year to year and continue to focus our energy on the continued development of this market,” said Appelt.

A scientific approach to brewing

The brewery takes a scientific approach to brewing. “We follow a structured development approach we call nano-iteration: starting with small-scale, data-driven experiments, refining based on results and integrating new knowledge as we scale to meaningful commercial volumes,” said Appelt. “This approach allows us to innovate with confidence, balancing creativity with consistency.”

The top-selling beers are 9 Mile Legacy’s Ticket Belgian Blonde and their West Cast IPA, Rafiki Moja. “In designing our beer, we continue to prioritize the creation of balanced, interesting and unique products, combining the success of traditional, well-established beer styles with innovative brewing techniques and creative ingredients,” said Appelt. The brewery offers a core lineup including the aforementioned Ticket Belgian Blonde and Rafiki Moja IPA, along with Longview Pilsner, Eagles & Bulldogs Hazy IPA and Hybrid Vigour Amber Ale.

“We keep close to our roots as a nano brewery with our core seasonal lineup, offering our Straight Cut dry-hopped kettle sour, award-winning Angus Stout and the sought-after Ella Pacific Pale Ale. Our Nano-Select series features high ABV brews made in small batches with limited releases to highlight our take on premium experiences and traditional European styles with new world influence,” said Appelt.

Supporting the community means supporting the future

The brewery’s ties to the community are not limited to beer. In April 2024, 9 Mile Legacy created LGCY: Innovation Hub. “LGCY: Innovation Hub is many things, but one of the areas we’re passionate about is de-risking new ventures in the craft beverage space,” said Appelt. “We believe small businesses are a vital engine for innovation, and we know how challenging it can be to bring a new idea to market, especially when you’re starting out on your own.

“The Innovation Hub is designed to make that journey less risky and more accessible. We provide access to both startup and commercial-scale brewing equipment, available for rent, so entrepreneurs don’t need to make major capital investments before testing their concepts. Beyond equipment, we offer the support of skilled staff who can help fill knowledge gaps, whether that’s brewing operations, fermentation science or navigating the craft beverage industry for the first time. By pairing hands-on infrastructure with targeted expertise, LGCY gives local brewers and startups the tools and confidence to develop, refine and scale their ideas, turning early-stage concepts into viable, market-ready products.”

With LGCY just over a year old, it has been used to test specialty yeasts and enzyme-based process improvements to new prairie-grown ingredients. “There’s a lot of room to innovate in the craft beverage space, and we see beer not just as a product, but as a platform – an ideal way to test and prove new processes, ingredients and biotech initiatives under real-world production conditions,” said Appelt.

Moen and Pederson hold respective positions with the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute. With collaborations with the University of Saskatchewan, LGCY : Innovation Hub is having an impact beyond beer. Of course, supporting the future also means being environmental stewards, something particularly important to 9 Mile Legacy given the founders’ family farm backgrounds.

“Environmental sustainability is an ongoing priority for us. In 2024, we completed an environmental impact assessment to identify opportunities to reduce our energy use, carbon dioxide consumption and water footprint,” said Appelt. “We’ve made practical changes to reduce wastage in our day-to-day brewing. We time our water rinses, and we collect trub and yeast in grain sacks when draining fermenters and boil kettles. Our spent grain is 100 per cent dedicated to feeding cattle, and we’ve worked with local chefs to highlight the value of this circular economy approach, transforming brewing byproducts into food for livestock.”

Such environmentally-conscious activities are not uncommon to brewers, but 9 Mile Legacy goes a few steps beyond.

“We also explore innovative uses for brewing waste. Past collaborations have included creating alternative sugar syrups and bio-based fuels from spent grain. This fall, our LGCY: Innovation Hub will host a biotech startup project where we will be testing an existing malt syrup produced from spent grain as a potential malt replacement in brewing,” said Appelt. “In addition, through LGCY, this past year we’ve worked with Novonesis, a global leader in bio solutions – sustainable, biology-based technologies such as enzymes and microbes – to assess the use of their enzyme cleaners in our fermenters. These trials have shown potential to improve wastewater pH, reduce water consumption and lower the energy required for cleaning, aligning with our commitment to environmentally responsible operations.”

Being a part of the beer community

While supporting festivals, the broader business community and the scientific research community, 9 Mile Legacy supports the beer community as well.

“The majority of our ingredients are Canadian-grown. We source almost all of our malt from Prairie Malt and Maker’s Malt, a boutique maltster in Rosthern, Sask. Nearly all the inputs we use in the mash come from Saskatchewan, with a small portion from Alberta,” said Appelt. “Our yeast is supplied by RahrBSG and AEB. We mostly use dry yeast, but we’ve done a number of high-profile brew experiments this year using liquid pitch from Novonesis to reduce fermentation time and increase operational outputs.”

As an active member of Beer Canada, 9 Mile Legacy enjoys its access to comprehensive, cross-country economic data. “For a small business, that information is truly invaluable,” said Appelt. “It gives us a clear view of market trends and industry-wide performance, allowing us to make informed, strategic decisions. Whether we’re assessing growth opportunities, fine-tuning production or weighing the risks of entering a new market, this data helps ensure our choices are grounded in a strong understanding of the broader industry landscape.”