In its early days, the brewery focused on Belgian-inspired beers. In particular, the brewery attracted both national and international attention for its flagship beer, La Buteuse, a Belgian-style tripel. The beers had a distinctive look, thanks to comic-book-style labels on custom 600-millilitre bottles.

Beer drinkers connected with Le Trou Du Diable’s irreverent, punk ethos and gained some notoriety when they released Shawinigan Handshake, a beer whose label alluded to an incident in which then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien choked an activist to whom Chrétien took exception. Even the name of the brewery is a bit irreverent. Le Trou Du Diable means “The Devil’s Hole”. It is a reference to a cave at the bottom of the Shawinigan Falls on the Saint-Maurice River.

A provincial focus

Le Trou Du Diable has won many local and international brewing awards, says Alexandre Lantheir, marketing manager. Those awards brought Le Trou Du Diable attention, and the beer was soon available across Canada and on several continents.

In 2013, Le Trou Du Diable opened a larger facility, though the original pub remains to this day. In 2017, Le Trou Du Diable was acquired by Molson Coors. Today, Le Trou Du Diable has chosen to focus its efforts on the local market, retreating from all international and provincial markets outside of Quebec. Its beer is now available in package and on draft only in La Belle Province.

Le Trou Du Diable’s core line-up, all brewed in Shawinigan, consists of 10 beers, ranging from the original Belgian-inspired beers to the various IPA styles that have captured the craft beer-drinking community since the brewery first started brewing. Today, about 40 per cent of Le Trou Du Diable’s production is IPAs.

In addition to those core beers, Le Trou Du Diable releases about eight seasonal and limited beers each year, including selections from the brewery’s extensive barrel cellar. “Innovation is still a big part of our DNA,” said Lanthier. That means that, while working primarily with Canadian-grown ingredients, brewers are allowed to be creative, collaborating with suppliers to source whatever ingredients excite them.

A community celebration

Building on their demonic name, Le Trou Du Diable celebrated its 20th anniversary on June 6, 2026. As the employer of about 50 of Shawinigan’s fewer than 52,000 residents, Le Trou Du Diable enjoys support from the local community.

For the 20th-anniversary party, the brewery closed the street, set up two stages and hosted a huge celebration. The City of Shawinigan used the event as the unofficial launch of the city’s summer festival season. The brewery also released a limited edition of its famed La Buteuse, aged in XO Cognac barrels. Of course, 666 hand-numbered bottles were available to local fans.

An eye to the future

Celebrating a landmark anniversary is also a good time to look to the future. “Part of our celebration is that we are using the 20th anniversary to create a new visual identity for our brewery,” said Lanthier.

Le Trou Du Diable never rests. Its commitment to continuous improvement has helped keep the brewery relevant in an ever-changing craft beer scene for over 20 years, even under Molson Coors’ stewardship. Despite initial success on the back of Belgian-inspired beers, Le Trou Du Diable shifted and built a reputation for hop-forward IPAs, which now account for almost half of the brewery’s sales.

Cans are the vessel of choice among craft beer drinkers.

Alexandre Lanthier, Le Trou Du Diable

They were also able to transition from their distinctive bottle to cans. “Cans are the vessel of choice among craft beer drinkers,” said Lanthier. Today, most beers are available in 473-millilitre cans, though mixed packs come in 355-millilitre cans. Le Trou Du Diable offers two of these mixed packs: one with four different IPAs and another with the brewery’s Irish red ale, Belgian white ale, American pale ale and Keller pilsner. A 12-pack of the brewery’s Mexican lager in 355-millilitre cans is also available.

To date, the brewery has eschewed the trendy but crowded non-alcoholic and seltzer markets, though it does offer a low-alcohol beer. Perroquet IPA, at just 3.5 per cent ABV, is a hoppy session IPA for drinkers seeking moderation without giving up alcohol entirely.

While four of the brewery’s beers are still available in the brewery’s custom 600-millilitre bottles, experiments are underway to allow them to be packaged in cans instead. These four beers are currently bottled because they are refermented in those bottles. With some research and development, Le Trou Du Diable hopes to soon be packaging these last beers in cans as well.

Staying true to its roots

Despite all the growth and changes, Le Trou Du Diable has remained true to its roots.

The original brewpub, located on the banks of the Saint-Maurice River, continues to brew seasonal and small-batch beers using its 10-hectolitre, two-vessel system built by DME. Although the original five founders of the brewery have moved on to other endeavours, there are staff at the brewpub who have worked with Le Trou Du Diable since Day One, serving the citizens of Shawinigan with the same passion and care that have brought the brewery success since it first opened its doors.

In part, the original brewpub maintains its connection with the community by functioning as an employee-owned co-operative, a unique business structure that keeps the brewery closely tied to the city and its residents. The larger production facility, just a two-minute drive or a 10-minute walk away, continues to produce most of Le Trou Du Diable’s beers in a 50-hectolitre, four-vessel brewhouse built by Newlands. The head brewer has been with the company for 13 years.

This larger facility also has an event space with room for up to 150 people and a stage. This event room at the production brewery hosts ticketed punk and alternative concerts, bringing world-class music to the city to enjoy alongside its world-class beer.

Molson Coors’ acquisition of Le Trou Du Diable occurred at a time when craft beer fans vehemently opposed brewery buyouts. But by allowing the brewery’s employees to carry on the founders’ original punk, irreverent attitude and by prioritizing the brewery’s role in the Shawinigan and Quebec communities, Molson Coors showed how a craft-brewery acquisition can be done right.

Located adjacent to Molson Coors’ Fraser Valley Brewery, the site will facilitate field trials of hop varieties developed through the B.C. hop variety development program, led by KPU’s Applied Genomics Centre (AGC) since 2019 in partnership with the BC Hop Growers Association and its members. It will also serve as a living library of genetically diverse hop plants and a dedicated space to advance applied research, supporting B.C.’s hop growers while providing students with hands-on learning opportunities.

“We’re excited to work with Molson Coors in supporting local farmers through this multi-year project,” said Paul Adams, PhD, director of KPU’s Applied Genomics Centre. “Partnerships like this really illustrate how cutting-edge research and innovation can address industry challenges and meet the needs of our local communities.”

Over the past year, researchers and students have been establishing the hop yard from the ground up, from prepping the field to planting the first experimental varieties developed at the AGC. Beyond testing new hop varieties, the field will also serve as a space to research best irrigation practices and more.

“Hops are a critical ingredient in brewing, and the Fraser Valley remains one of the country’s most important hop-growing regions,” said Graham Kendall, general manager, Molson Coors Fraser Valley Brewery. “We’re excited to partner with KPU on this initiative to support applied research and innovation while strengthening connections with local growers and providing students with hands-on experience that will help shape the future of agriculture and brewing in B.C. and beyond.”

“This project gives us a dedicated research field where we can grow things outside of the commercial scope and explore challenges that growers are facing in order make better-informed breeding decisions,” said AGC researcher Mathias Schuetz, PhD, who is leading the project.

Hops, which are the female flowers of the plant species Humulus lupulus, are used to provide flavour and aromas to beer while also functioning as a natural preservative. The Fraser Valley has a longstanding history of hop production, once having ranked as the largest hop-growing region in the Commonwealth in the 1940s. Using state-of-the-art DNA analysis and chemical techniques, KPU researchers are helping local hop production thrive again by creating new, climate-resilient varieties.

“We’re crossing different plants to create varieties with desirable traits, which we are then planting and evaluating in the field,” said Schuetz. “The idea is to create something that is resilient against heat and drought, while also being profitable and desirable for brewing.”

Hops research fueling hands-on opportunities for students

The hop yard also serves as a living classroom, with KPU students from multiple disciplines – including horticulture, biology and brewing – gaining hands-on experience each step of the way.

“I do a mixture of lab work and field work, which includes prepping the field, managing the irrigation system and collecting data on new varieties we’re trying out,” said Spencer LePage, an AGC student research assistant and third-year horticulture student at KPU. “I’ve had a really great experience so far, and feel like this work really helps bridge that gap between just learning about concepts in classes and actually doing them in real life.”

At the same time, KPU Brewing and Brewery Operations students are helping test how new varieties perform by transforming experimental hops into small-batch beers, one of which was served at the unveiling.

Supported by Genome BC and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the AGC is Canada’s first and only Technology Access Centre focused on applied genomics, and is nationally unique in its focus on serving the agriculture sector through direct, hands-on research support.

Poured Canada spoke with five Canadian colleges and universities about the different educational opportunities they offer for those interested in a career in the beverage-alcohol industry. Here’s what they had to say.

Brock University

The Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute was established at Ontario’s Brock University in 1996. The institute was formed in conjunction with the southern Ontario wine industry. Its three main mandates are to conduct research, provide outreach services to the local wine industry, and offer professional and continuing educational opportunities.

As part of its educational program, the institute offers more than 20 professional and continuing studies courses for people who want to enter the industry or upgrade their skills. These short-term courses, accredited through the province with micro-credential certification, range from foundations in winemaking, introduction to grape growing and using effective social media in marketing wines.

Additionally, Brock offers Canada’s only four-year university degree program in Applied Grape and Wine Science through its Department of Biological Sciences that focuses on winemaking, viticulture and marketing, including subjects such as wine chemistry and plant physiology.

For students with prior scientific training with a bachelor of science in a related field, a one-year certificate in grape and wine technology is also an option, where students take grape and wine-specific courses to be industry-ready. Both program options serve upwards of three dozen students in any given school year with a 96 per cent placement rate of graduates into the industry upon graduation.

Jennifer Kelly, the institute’s senior scientist of oenology, says part of what makes the school’s four-year degree program unique is the fact it’s been designed to be very hands-on. After gaining background education in relevant scientific disciplines such as chemistry and environmental biology in Years 1 and 2, students are given their own grapes as part of a wine processing course in which they will take those grapes from vine to wine. That includes everything from planning how they want to make their wine at the institute’s pilot winery to designing a label and bottling the finished product.

The institute also offers a co-op education stream as part of its four-year degree program, where students are provided three four-month work terms at wineries in the region and other parts of the country. “Students at the fourth-year thesis level get to engage in applied research projects, often partnered with industry members. The experience of solving real-world problems gives them an opportunity to work with different growers or winemakers. That sets them up for great success going forward with their careers,” Kelly said.

The institute’s first graduating class was in 2000. While many of those students have gone on to succeed in southern Ontario, British Columbia and other parts of Canada, a large number are now employed in other parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand and across the U.S. The best part, Kelly says, is that it’s a tight-knit group and they often share industry opportunities with fellow alumni.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) Brewing Program was launched in 2014. Hundreds of its graduates have gone on to work in the craft brewing industry in southern B.C., where the school is based, as well as in other parts of the country and around the world. The program accommodates up to 35 students per school year. The majority come from B.C., but the program also attracts learners from other parts of the country and even as far away as Switzerland, South America and Asia. They range in age from 19 to 60 years-plus.

Students receive a diploma in brewing and brewery operations as part of a two-year, full-time program or a three- or four-year, part-time program. The school also offers a one-year certificate program in brewing as well as micro-credential courses on subjects such as brewing science, beer sensory evaluation and the business of brewing, which are popular with people working in the industry seeking to upgrade their existing skills. The three foundational pillars of the program are: to provide students with the hands-on skills needed to work in a brewery, to teach them the science behind brewing, and to furnish them with the foundational information needed to operate or own a brewery.

Alek Egi, program chair and brewing instructor at KPU, says one of the things that makes the school’s brewing program unique is the emphasis it places on the science of brewing. The school has rigorous science-based requirements for student applicants. Meanwhile, instructors Egi and Dominic Bernard have master’s degrees in food science and brewing, respectively, while colleague Martina Solano Bielen holds a master’s in microbiology.

Another factor that sets the KPU brewing program apart is its standalone, registered manufacturing brewery located right on campus that was designed for teaching. It features a state-of-the-art, four-vessel pilot system that was donated by a local brewing equipment manufacturer, giving students the opportunity to work directly with professional-grade tools. It’s also home to a tap station, where the finished products from the program’s practical brewing courses are sold by students to customers every Friday afternoon, providing real-world experience in both production and customer-service aspects of the industry.

Kwantlen’s program has received numerous accolades from the brewing industry, including multiple B.C. Beer Awards and being named Brewery of the Year in 2019. It also won the U.S. Open college beer competition that same year.

Acadia University

Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., launched its Applied Bioscience program in fall 2024. A total of 12 students are currently enrolled in the program, and school officials expect that number to double in 2026. Students receive a bachelor of science upon graduation from the four-year degree program. Matthew Lukeman, an assistant dean and a professor of chemistry, says the program is a mix of biology and chemistry that aims to provide students with real-world work experience and research opportunities in the beverage industry as well as the biopharma sector.

“The program was actually created in response to economic demands within our province in two sectors,” he said. “One was beverage, not just wine, but also beer, craft drinks and all sorts of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. People from industry had been coming to us over the years, saying they would love it if we could have a program that would help people develop the skills that would aid in fuelling the growth of that industry.”

If you think of the top wineries in the province … like Stratus, Tawse, Inniskillin, these are all run by graduates of ours.

Craig Youdale, Niagara College

The program’s Science and Business of Beverage stream emphasizes beverage production, marketing and analysis. There is a heavy focus on biochemistry and organic chemistry, including cell and molecular biology. An embedded business minor provides students with an appreciation for the business realities that go along with the science side of things and includes a minimum of six courses in various business disciplines, such as marketing and accounting.

Part of what makes Acadia’s program unique is its built-in co-op placement component, Lukeman says. Students receive up to 12 months of co-op placements at local vineyards and craft breweries, where they work alongside experienced industry professionals to gain practical experience. They get to work side-by-side with researchers at the university on a variety of projects, including a study of grape varieties and chemical analysis of different wine products. The program also offers a course on sensory analysis, which is taught through the university’s Nutrition and Dietetics department. As part of the course, students learn how the different components of a wine can influence an individual’s sensory experience.

In addition to the Applied Bioscience program, the university is home to the Acadia Laboratory for Agri-Food and Beverage (ALAB), which is an ISO-accredited, fee-for-service lab that provides chemical testing of beverage products. Each school year, the lab employs three co-op students who receive an opportunity to work with the lab’s three technicians using an array of state-of-the-art instruments.

“What’s unique about it is that in bigger labs, the students often only ever work on one instrument. But in our lab, because it’s so small, most students have the opportunity to work with and be trained on ALAB’s instruments,” said Katrin Sommerfeld, Acadia’s manager of industry and community partnerships.

Niagara College

Niagara College’s School of Wine, Beer and Spirits is located on the institution’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. About 100 students take part in the program’s three disciplines each academic year. It has the distinction of being one of the first academic institutions in Canada to offer training specifically for the beverage-alcohol industry.

The school’s three core programs are its two-year Winery and Viticulture Technician program, the two-year Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program and the one-year Graduate Certificate in Artisan Distilling program. It also offers a one-year Beverage Business Management certificate program that provides an education on all aspects of the global alcoholic beverage industry, including business, retail, export, marketing and navigating a highly regulated environment.

Each of the three core programs has its own commercial production facility located on the university’s 125-acre campus. That includes:

• The Niagara College Teaching Winery, which was established in 2000 and offers students a chance to learn from industry. professionals and create up to 5,000 bottles of wine annually.
• The Niagara Teaching Brewery, a 1,500-square-foot micro-brewery facility.
• The Niagara Teaching Distillery, a 2,500-square-foot facility that features five stills, four mash tins and 10 fermenters used for on-site production of a variety of distilled spirits that produces 500 bottles of spirits each year.

The school is also home to a 40-acre, on-campus vineyard. In addition, it grows its own botanicals, hops and tender fruit for use in its distilling and brewing programs. Craig Youdale, the college’s dean of culinary, tourism and beverage, says what makes the School of Wine, Beer and Spirits unique is the fact that it provides students an opportunity to be involved in every aspect of production, from growing the grapes used in wine production and hops used in brewing to bottling the finished products and creating marketing campaigns for them.

“They are all really unique programs,” he said. “There aren’t any others in the country … like them that have the level of hands-on education. When I say hands-on, it’s the real deal. We’re even showing people how to drive a tractor.”

The school has also developed close relationships with several wineries, breweries and distilleries in the region and other parts of the country. That includes Labatt Brewing and Molson Coors on the beer side, and several of the most respected wineries in the region. As a result, students in the program are regularly placed at those facilities where they receive valuable, first-hand experience that can help propel their careers down the road.

“It’s actually pretty tough to find a winery in Niagara that doesn’t have one of our grads,” Youdale said. “If you think of the top wineries in the province … like Stratus, Tawse, Inniskillin, these are all run by graduates of ours. We have tons of graduates that have started their own brewery and they’re owner-operators. We also have a lot of head brewers in different operations across the system.”

Youdale says one of the school’s future priorities will be providing more people access to its programs. That could include opening it up to more people from other parts of the country as well as offering some form of online programming. Beverage Business Management is expected to become an online offering in 2026. Several courses within the School of Wine, Beer and Spirits are also open to part-time students – including Wines of Europe, Wines of the Americas and Southern Hemisphere, and History of Brewing and Beer for the Winter 2026 term.

Durham College

Durham College’s Whitby campus in southern Ontario is home to the Centre for Craft Beverage Innovation (CCBI), which collaborates with both established and novice craft beer, hard cider, kombucha and seltzer makers on everything from formulating new recipes to testing new ingredients and production methods. The centre’s mandate is to share its technical knowledge with beverage makers and provide entrepreneurial expertise to help industry partners turn technical innovation into business success.

Even though the CCBI is located on a college campus, it’s not a brewing school per se. Most of the people who work at the centre are paid staff. However, a small number of Durham students do take part in research projects at the centre each year. Those students receive instructions on lab protocols and how to conduct proper testing. The idea is to provide them with hands-on experience so they can learn to interpret test results.

With hands-on training, strong industry partnerships and impressive graduate placement rates, one thing is clear: the path to a career in beverage alcohol increasingly begins in the classroom.

The Centre collaborates with both established and novice craft beer, hard cider, kombucha and seltzer makers on everything from formulating new recipes to testing the new ingredients and production methods.

The CCBI was established in 2014 thanks to a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Since then, it has worked with dozens of beverage makers in southern Ontario and other parts of the country to develop new products, production tools and testing methods. Robin Young, the College’s director of business development and corporate training, says the CCBI’s purpose is two-fold. First and foremost, it’s there to share its technical knowledge with beverage makers. Secondly, it aims to share its entrepreneurial expertise to help industry partners turn technical innovation into business success.

One of the things that sets the CCBI apart from similar research centres is the fact that its home to a state-of-the-art testing lab and facility. That includes a commercial-grade pilot line, or “baby” brewing line, that features 100-litre hot liquor tanks, a 50-litre mash and lauter tun to release malt sugars and two 100-litre conical fermenters. It’s also home to an Anton Paar finished beer analysis system that provides real-time data on alcohol content, extract levels, carbon dioxide and other quality characteristics.

“We have a lab [that] I would say is arguably one of the best or among the best finished beer or beverage labs in Canada. We have full analytical and micro capability,” said Chris Gillis, the College’s manager of applied research business development, who helped found the Centre.

In addition to housing some of the latest in beverage making and testing technology, the CCBI also has a wealth of brewing expertise. Its brewing expert has more than 35 years of experience in the industry, while its fermentation expert is a doctor of philosophy on the subject and worked for decades with one of North America’s largest brewing companies. Gillis says the Centre works with between six and 12 industry partners in a typical year. Some are repeat customers looking to develop a new product on a large scale and want to produce a new batch or two every month. Others are newcomers to the business looking to develop a new recipe or test the impact of a new ingredient in a seltzer or kombucha on a one-time basis.

One of the CCBI’s most notable collaborations was with Partake Brewing, one of the first non-alcoholic craft brewers in Canada. Launched in 2017, Partake’s products are now available at major retailers in both Canada and the U.S., and they have won multiple brewing awards including multiple World Beer Awards. While he can’t share details of CCBI’s work with Partake, Gillis says the Centre “hit it out of the park” with that early collaboration.

“What I think is super important about that [collaboration] is it really identifies the value that colleges can bring to Canadian industry when you look at what [Partake] has done,” he said. “They’ve done a spectacular job to go from being on Dragon’s Den in 2015, barely a start-up, to basically going to nationwide distribution. They’ve really owned that category.”

The CCBI also partnered with Ontario Craft Brewers (OCB) and the Ontario Hop Growers Association as part of an Ontario hop terroir research project. The aim of the project was to analyze hops from different parts of Ontario to determine if where they were grown impacted their flavour profile and, if so, how that flowed into a finished beer. Gillis says the Centre was pleased with the results of the project, even though research ground to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Centre is currently working on another collaboration with the OCB which is focused on the roll out of a quality management system designed specifically for the craft brewing industry. Once it’s rolled out in Ontario, it’s expected the implementation system will be shared with other provinces, including Alberta and New Brunswick, both of which participated in the development. Gillis and Young both say the Centre’s collaborations with industry partners can be something of a balancing act. While its research work is important, the CCBI must also focus on developing solutions that help address the everyday challenges its partners face.

“We really focus on what the client’s needs are,” Gillis said. “We look at it as industrial problem solving. Fundamentally, it’s about the challenge our client company is having. Is it technical? Is it training? It’s really about trying to be outwardly focused on what the customer’s needs are and striking a balance.”

“We design everything with our partners, not for our partners,” Young said. “Whether it’s product trials or skills programming, you’re starting with the challenge and you’re working backwards from there together. That’s why everything the CCBI does is so relevant … it’s grounded in what the local businesses actually need.”

We design everything with our partners, not for our partners. Whether it’s product trials or skills programming, you’re starting with the challenge and you’re working backwards from there together. That’s why everything the CCBI does is so relevant … it’s grounded in what the local businesses actually need.

Robin Young, Centre for Craft Beverage Innovation

Even though the CCBI is located on a college campus, it’s not a brewing school per se. Most of the people who work at the Centre are paid staff. However, a handful of Durham students from a number of different faculties do take part in the Centre’s projects each year. Those students receive instructions on lab protocols and how to conduct proper testing. The aim is to provide them with hands-on experience so they can learn to interpret test results. That includes helping develop new recipes, and conducting testing and interpreting the results for industry partners.

While the number of students who take part in the CCBI’s efforts each year is relatively small, many move on to careers in the brewing industry. In one recent class, one student moved on to a full-time job with contract brewer Brunswick Bierworks in Toronto, another landed a gig with Equals Brewing Company in London, Ont., and a third was hired by Molson Coors to work at its brewing lab in Chilliwack, B.C.

“We’ve actually been pretty successful in that regard,” Gillis said. “They all [moved on] because of the hands-on experience they gained here and the equipment that they were able to use, and the understanding that they gained on what the results mean with respect to the process.”

It’s no secret the craft brewing industry has struggled of late. Razor-thin margins and increased production costs have forced some brewers to shut their doors. However, Gillis remains bullish about the industry’s future. One reason for his optimism is the increasing interest in low-alcohol beers and seltzers. Not only is it another market for brewers to tap, it’s also a great way for them to help reduce their production costs.

“If you take one of your really popular beverages that’s maybe five or 5.2 ABV and you cut it in half, lots of times you don’t lose very much in the way of mouth feel or taste that you might see in the [non-alcohols],” he said.

Young says the CCBI will continue to work closely with the College’s corporate services division to provide more training and consulting opportunities for business partners. Those opportunities will likely include a focus on corporate team development, improving production processes and guidance on how companies can remain competitive. Formerly known as the Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation, the CCBI was rebranded this past spring to better reflect the fact that its focus has expanded to include a wider range of beverages.

Gillis says the Centre will continue to investigate new products and production techniques. It recently partnered with the school’s AI hub to develop a new beer recipe that factored in several considerations, including water treatment. “It was quite instructive to go through that and see how [AI] works. And it turned out to be a pretty good beer,” he said.

Gillis is excited about the latest addition to the CCBI’s technology lineup. It recently purchased a second Anton Paar system known as the Animo 3100. It’s essentially a lab on wheels that looks like a cross between a lab cart and a shopping cart. The beauty of the machine is that it can be taken anywhere and can produce test results on the spot in a few moments.

“I think it’s going to be super interesting and beneficial. One of the tricky things for operations right now is if you’re trying to dial in your process controls at various stages, you have to take samples at the line and then take them into a lab … [and] there’s a time delay. With this piece of equipment, you can actually hook it up to an input or output line … and you get live, real-time results of ABV, carbon dioxide, oxygen, etc.,” said Gillis.

O’Brien is a senior executive with more than 30 years of experience in the consumer goods and retail sectors with significant expertise in customer experience, brand strategy, digital transformation and data-driven growth. She has held progressively senior positions at Canadian Tire Corporation over the past 17 years and is currently executive vice-president and chief transformation officer. Previously, she was executive vice-president, chief brand and customer officer with oversight of all aspects of Canadian Tire’s brand, aligning the customer experience across all channels and marketing programs.

Prior to joining Canadian Tire, O’Brien held marketing roles at Campbell’s Soup Company, and in beverage alcohol at Coors Brewing (Canada) and Moosehead Breweries. She also currently serves on the boards of Taymax Inc. and Enactus Canada.

“We are very pleased to welcome [O’Brien] to the board,” said Bruce McDonald, chair of the board of directors. “Her extensive leadership experience across marketing, brand management, digital and customer experiences will be a valuable resource for the Andrew Peller team as the company works to further elevate its brands and expand consumer-focused innovation rooted in data-driven insights.”

O’Brien added, “I’m incredibly excited by the opportunity to work with this team, to build on the company’s strong foundation built over 64 years and contribute to the next chapter of growth in a dynamic and evolving market.”

Rob Kelly previously owned a landscaping business and is one of the co-founders of Black Fly. He had originally been looking to start a craft brewery in London, Ont., as the only brewery there at the time was Labatt. However, his attention shifted and he hasn’t looked back since.

Cathy Siskind-Kelly, Rob’s wife and the other co-founder of Black Fly, joined the dream by helping with the business and regulation side. Originally, their plan was to use Canadian vodka that was already distilled along with Canadian juices, but they quickly realized this too required a distillery license. So, they started trying to source one. In 2005, they were successful and were awarded the first distillery license in Ontario in 100 years. Both Rob and Cathy were learning the business and regulations on the fly.

The first production facility they had secured was directly across from the thriving Canada Life Place where the London Knights play and many entertainment events take place. After a handful of years, they outgrew the location and moved into a 6,000 square foot facility just off Veterans Memorial Highway, allowing them to increase their lineup and their staffing capabilities.

After a few years at this location, Black Fly moved again due to growth. This move allowed for an expansion to include a 250-can-per-minute canning line in addition to their plastic bottling line. Today, they are housed in a 225,000 square foot facility that has a second canning line with the capability of producing 1,750 cans per minute, one of the fastest canning lines in North America. All of this significant facility growth has occurred since 2020, with a bag-and-box line being the final line installed two years ago. They are now serving as a co-packer for other brands in the beer, wine, ready-to-drink and non-alcoholic industries.

One of the things that set Black Fly Beverage Company apart early on was their innovative packaging, focusing on changing the landscape of what could be done in the cooler industry. They use wide mouth PET recyclable plastic bottles with resealable caps, becoming the perfect beverage for outdoor activities or anywhere requiring a non-breakable beverage container. Their addition of canned products and a boxed Spiced Rum Mulled Cider show they are open to pushing the boundary of what a ready-to-drink cooler might look like.

Employing over 300 staff, Black Fly Beverage focuses on keeping their craft vibe culturally, hosting seasonal parties and offering a profit share structure. They have many employees that have been with the company for more than 10 years. Cathy, who has always worn many hats in the business – including product innovation, overseeing brand management and meeting with key buyers across the country – leads many of the marketing initiatives. Martin Kamil is the chief financial officer, chief operations officer and managing director of industrial sales, meanwhile Mike Pearce is the vice president of sales and marketing and Isiah Kelly, Cathy and Rob’s son, is part of the marketing team. Rob and Cathy’s youngest son, Owen, is also working in the business as a sales representative in Toronto.

We want to make sure we can work with the smaller craft guys too, because that’s where we once started.

Mike Pearce, Black Fly Beverage Company

Black Fly Beverage Company’s growth focus is not only tied to their personnel, clientele and product diversification. The brand also keeps a keen focus on improving their efficiencies, with on-site testing occurring regularly to maintain high standards that allow them to be a key player in the co-packing market. “I don’t think any of us sat here and said we are going to service some of the biggest names in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in the world from London, Ontario, but here we are,” said Pearce.

Black Fly Beverage Company has won Co-Packer of the Year internationally twice in the last three years from Molson Coors and won various awards from the LCBO, including Medium Supplier of the Year in 2022/2023 with the Black Fly brand. In addition to these larger awards and partners, Black Fly believes it is important to have a diverse portfolio that includes smaller local brands and brands that are scaling up for growth.

“We want to make sure we can work with the smaller craft guys too, because that’s where we once started,” Pearce said. 

With one of the fastest producing bottling lines in North America, some state-of-the-art equipment would be expected. In addition to their production lines, Black Fly Beverage Company houses a double deck pasteurizer that can hold 75,000 cans at any given time. They also treat their water with a reverse osmosis system, first purifying it through UV and specialized filters. As their granulated cane sugar became increasingly more difficult to source in the quantities they needed, they made the shift to liquid cane sugar, which is also housed in large tanks. They call their production “pellet to pallet,” focusing on using their own injection and blower moulders.

Their gin and vodka are always sourced from Canada, but they bring in tequila from Mexico and their rum is sourced from the Caribbean through Amsterdam. “We see 22,000 litre tankers arriving daily on-site,” said Pearce. Their spirits are mixed with real fruit juices, never juice blends, and they stick to their mandate of only utilizing real cane sugar, never substituting or using high fructose corn syrup. 

The beauty of our products is we don’t have to distill, ferment or brew. We bring everything in, combine it and you can pop a bottle right off the line and it’s ready to go. We’re not stuck sitting and waiting on a lot of stuff or waiting for things to age,” said Pearce.

Currently, Black Fly Beverage Company’s products are available through every liquor board in Canada. In 2011, they won the Small Business of the Year award from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. That same year, they were also awarded an environmental award for their practices focusing on a reduction in packaging design, lighter bottles for a reduced carbon footprint and recycling initiatives at their plant.

What’s next for Black Fly? An expansion into malt flavours in Ontario and Quebec. “It’s the last channel for us to explore. We’ve worked through other areas of the ready-to-drink category already,” said Pearce.

Each year, approximately 20 students graduate from the program, having learned theory in the classroom and practice in the lab with over 950 hours of instruction. Class time covers everything from sales and marketing to reading a malt certificate of analysis. Lab time covers everything from brewing to operating quality assurance equipment. The first year is focused on the science of brewing while the second is focused on the beer and brewing industry. It is a comprehensive program, the only one of its kind in B.C., and the only one in Canada to be recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.

The program came about over 10 years ago, after KPU’s president and dean recognized that the craft beer industry was growing and would be in need of skilled people. Since then, the KPU Brewing & Brewery Operations program has added about 200 such skilled people to the industry, having learned from two full-time faculty, three contract instructors and three full-time laboratory instructors.

“The nice thing about our diploma program is we touch on everything,” said Dominic Bernard, brewing instructor and chair of the brewing department. “The first year is science-based, covering brewing and laboratory work, and the second year covers the brewing industry; everything from the Canada Revenue Agency to the Liquor Distribution Branch and regulations all the way to brewery management.”

Each semester involves improving the students’ brewing skills. The first sees students brewing one of KPU’s core beers, practice consistently make the same beer, learning the process and hitting original gravity, finishing gravity and other brewing targets. In the second semester, students are exposed to different beer styles, and in the third, they develop their own recipes. “Make your big mistakes on a small scale,” said Bernard of the program’s approach.

The two-year program culminates in students working in small groups in their last semester, releasing beers that will be commercially sold under KPU Brew Lab’s Student Signature Series. The beers are made on a two-hectolitre brewery donated by Newland Systems Inc. of B.C. (NSI has since been acquired by DME Brewing Solutions of Charlottetown, P.E.I. and then König Brewing Systems of Abbotsford).

Although it is a physically small brewhouse, it is a scaled down version of a four-vessel brewhouse, with touchscreen and other bells and whistles, not unlike those found at much larger breweries. KPU Brew Lab also has a 50-litre manual brewing system. “We teach for all sizes of systems,” said Bernard.

The nice thing about our diploma program is we touch on everything. The first year is science-based, covering brewing and laboratory work, and the second year covers the brewing industry; everything from the Canada Revenue Agency to the Liquor Distribution Branch and regulations all the way to brewery management.

Dominic Bernard, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Students must not only brew their Signature Series beer, but also design the label, develop a sales and marketing plan, register the beer and ensure everything is in accordance with regulatory requirements. The beer is then sold through the brewery taproom on the Langley Campus, in growlers or in cans filled through a Wild Goose Gosling 2.0 canning line. That canning line, obtained in September 2024, includes modern technology such as nitrogen dosing, allowing students to make lower carbonation, nitrogenated beers.

Given the small size of the brewery, the vast majority of its sales occur through the brewery taproom, which is open only on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The ever-evolving list of available beers sells quickly, and those interested in the program or seeing the brewery can pre-book a tour.

International exposure

Students in the Brewing & Brewery Operations program come from all walks of life and often come from abroad. Fifty per cent of the class is international students, hailing from China, Korea, Taiwan, Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Hungary. It speaks to the reputation of the program that students from around the globe come to learn at KPU, and diverse perspectives also enhance the learning experience for all.

“We have everyone, from 19-year-olds that are just of legal drinking age to 55-year-olds starting a second career. We have students with bachelor of science degrees, and we have students with just their high school diploma,” said Bernard. “It makes for interesting discussions in the classroom.”

A decade of influencing the beer world

In its 10 years, the KPU Brewing & Brewery Operations program has produced about 200 graduates. Those graduates have gone on to various careers in beer, from joining existing breweries as brewers or lab technicians, to starting their own breweries, to working at Molson Coors.

“I’m very passionate about sustainability and I try to put that lens into our projects,” said Bernard. “We talk about how climate change is impacting the malting industry, and brewing is a water-intense industry, so we make sure that is part of the conversation.”

Make your big mistakes on a small scale.

Dominic Bernard, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

The department of which the Brewing & Brewery Operations program is a part of is also trying to increase diversity in an industry which has historically been dominated by white males. “We are accepting of all,” said Bernard. “We have awards and scholarships tailored to under-represented groups. We are trying to encourage more diverse applicants – [people] from all over the globe.”

Diversity in the student body exposes all students to different ideas. Bernard says students have made beers with special varieties of rice, hops and other unique ingredients because diverse students have brought their individual backgrounds and knowledge to the program. It makes for better beer and understanding of different manners of thinking.

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the program, KPU Brew Lab made a collaboration beer. Students from every year came together to brew Odyssey Fresh Hop Pale Ale. The 5.2 per cent ABV beer was spearheaded by alumnus Sebastian Peterson, co-founder of Curious Creatures Beer, and made with Krush hops, a newly-named variety officially released in 2024 after 17 years of development.

“The most exciting thing is seeing graduates in the industry doing cool things. I’m very proud of our graduates,” said Bernard. “What I’m most proud of is to see how students build the industry after graduation. The most important thing to teach is a love of learning so that our students can continue to grow themselves and the community.”

How Beer Canada helps

“I think it’s great to see Canadian breweries united and having a unified voice,” said Bernard. “The challenges breweries are experiencing are across Canada and it’s important to see what breweries in other provinces are doing and what governments in those provinces allow.”

Through Beer Canada, Bernard is able to learn about the regulations in other provinces and what works and does not work in those other provinces. Empowered with this knowledge, Bernard and KPU Brew Lab can work with other B.C. breweries to affect change in local rules.

“By pointing out what is working in other provinces, it gives our voice more strength when speaking on behalf of our industry,” he said.

The importance of strong branding

A strong brand is essential for success in the beverage alcohol market. Branding encompasses everything from the name and logo of the product to the packaging, advertising and promotional materials. A well-crafted brand creates an emotional connection with consumers, making them more likely to choose that product over others. For Bry Simpson, national brand ambassador at Moët Hennessy, an alcohol brand must have a strong brand story if it is to break into the Canadian market.

“Recently, there has been a trend where brands aim to be seen as high-quality from the beginning by sharing a compelling story, usually about a specific person that is a part of their team. They do not focus too much on the place where the product was made, but they are still receiving praise from enthusiasts and making good sales. It is interesting to see how companies are diversifying their products, not by changing how they make them, but by having a unique story to set them apart from their other products,” he said.

The Canadian company Lot 40 is a prime example of a beverage alcohol brand that has successfully differentiated itself through strong branding. Lot 40 is a premium Canadian whisky that has become a household name in Canada, due to its unique flavour profile and distinct packaging. The brand has leveraged its Canadian heritage to create a strong emotional connection with consumers, and its commitment to quality and authenticity has helped to build a loyal following.

In addition, they have diversified their product portfolio to include different types of whisky and limited-edition releases, which have helped to create buzz and excitement among whisky enthusiasts. Its success highlights the importance of branding, marketing and diversification strategies in Canada’s competitive beverage alcohol market.

“We have invested a great deal of time developing the Lot 40 brand to be more than just a great whisky, but also a lifestyle brand that consumers can relate to and connect with on a deeper level,” said Dave Mitton, global ambassador for the brand.

As the beverage alcohol market in Canada becomes increasingly competitive, brands need to differentiate themselves through strong branding, marketing and diversification strategies. One effective branding strategy is to tap into the cultural identity of Canadians, while another is to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, as exemplified by Molson Coors.

Sustainability as a branding strategy

One of Molson Coors’ significant sustainability achievements is the reduction of its water usage in Canada. The company has set ambitious water reduction targets, and through innovative technology and efficient processes, it has reduced water usage by over 22 per cent since 2012. Furthermore, Molson Coors has partnered with local communities and organizations to protect watersheds and promote responsible water usage practices.

The company has also taken steps to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. Molson Coors has invested in renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines, solar panels and biomass boilers, to power its breweries.

“At Molson Coors, we are dedicated to constructing a sustainable future and recognize that it is our duty to safeguard the environment and preserve natural resources. We are pleased with the advancements we have made in the areas of sustainable packaging, renewable energy and water conservation. Working with our partners and stakeholders to improve the environment and the communities where we live and work, we will continue to advance sustainability in Canada,” said Frederic Landtmeters, CEO of Molson Coors Canada.

Véronique Gonneville, communication director Canada at Moët Hennessy, also emphasizes the importance of addressing eco-consciousness and ethical production for alcohol brands on the Canadian market.

“We also understand that we also need to do our part to reduce our overall environmental footprint. We have been doing this by eco-designing our packaging and marketing assets within an overall circular economy strategy, opting for low-carbon transportation, improving energy efficiency, accelerating the roll-out of renewable energies across our maisons, and reducing and recycling our waste. Most importantly, we involve our suppliers and partners at every phase of the value chain, from grapes and crops to communication and client consumption,” said Gonneville.

Tapping into cultural identity

Another successful branding strategy in the beverage alcohol industry is to tap into the cultural identity of Canadians. Brands that celebrate Canada’s heritage, landscapes and local ingredients have been able to differentiate themselves and create a sense of pride among Canadian consumers. For example, Moosehead Breweries leveraged its status as the oldest independent brewery in Canada and its use of local ingredients in its beers to create a strong brand identity that resonates with Canadian consumers.

The importance of marketing

In addition to branding, marketing is also crucial for success in the beverage alcohol market. One effective marketing strategy is to engage with consumers through social media and influencer partnerships. Social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter provide a stage for brands to showcase their products and connect with consumers in a personal and interactive way. Influencer partnerships, in which brands collaborate with popular social media personalities to promote their products, can also be effective for reaching a wide audience.

For Maria Sutton, group marketing manager at Campari Canada, which owns various Canadian spirits brands including Forty Creek and Ungava Gin, keeping up with social media trends is crucial.

“I always use social media as my culture thermostat, people are hyper-connected and never shy to share their opinions. On top of that, I have access to a lot of industry and market research, and I try to stay up to date at least with the newsletters of top insight outlets like WARC, IWSR, Mintel, etc.

No matter the agenda of the day, I make sure to dedicate the first 30 minutes of my day to read the news, industry headlines, and at least two or three industry articles. I find this exercise a good routine to stay up to date with the world and trends,” she said.

Hosting events and experiential activities is also an important step to follow for brands that care about keeping their buzz going. Unique and memorable experiences can create a sense of excitement and buzz around their products. For example, in 2019, Absolut Vodka launched a pop-up bar in Toronto that used facial recognition technology to recommend cocktails based on the customer’s mood. This innovative experience generated significant media attention and helped to build the brand’s reputation as a leader in innovation and technology.

Expanding product portfolios

In addition to branding and marketing, diversifying product portfolios has become an increasingly important strategy for beverage alcohol brands in Canada. Diversification involves expanding the range of products offered to include different types of beverages, flavours and packaging formats to appeal to a wider range of consumers.

One trend in Canada’s beverage alcohol industry is the rise of hard seltzers, which are low-calorie, flavoured alcoholic beverages that have gained popularity in recent years, particularly among younger consumers. Brands such as White Claw and Truly have become household names in the United States, and Canadian brands are starting to follow suit. For example, in 2020, Molson Coors launched Vizzy, a hard seltzer brand that uses real fruit juice and antioxidant vitamin C to appeal to health-conscious consumers.

Jazzing up product portfolios to appeal to a broader range of consumers, has been a successful brand diversification strategy. It is essential for companies to keep up with changing consumer preferences, emerging trends and new technologies to remain competitive. The beverage alcohol industry has witnessed significant changes in recent years and companies that can leverage these shifts to their advantage can create new opportunities for growth.

The beverage alcohol industry is dynamic and constantly evolving, and companies that can adapt, innovate and prioritize sustainability will be the ones that succeed.

“What we found through our research was the last two years were really a market correction after the high growth rates of alcohol consumption during the early days of the pandemic,” said Ryan Lee, a market analyst with IWSR. “Overall personal alcohol consumption is expected to remain above pre-pandemic levels into 2023, although less than those seen during the pandemic.”

Moreover, consumer habits developed during the pandemic have remained intact, even as more people venture to restaurants and bars.

“Many consumers purchased premium products during the height of the pandemic. So, it could entice them to spend more when they’re out,” said Lee. “At the same time, as the recession continues to impact Canadians’ financial situations, it could slow premiumization trends too.” Lee says the latest findings from consumer research in February 2023 show that Canadian drinkers are reducing their stated alcohol consumption and spending, though this is nuanced by specific category. “This change in behaviour has a lot to do with growing feelings of insecurity and apprehension, especially among younger adults,” he said.

IWSR insight shows that while drinking at bars and restaurants may see a decline, purchasing alcohol from liquor stores, in particular premium liquor, may remain steady or even increase. Lee says diversifying product selection can help navigate these uncertain times, but paying attention to consumer behaviour will help beverage alcohol producers focus on which brands to invest in. Here are three consumer insights to help navigate the 2023 landscape.

Any occasion to clink

While the total wine category is declining in volume, IWSR shows that sparkling wine continues to grow in Canada. “There’s a pent-up demand to celebrate weddings, holidays, gatherings and other personal milestones after the pandemic restrictions,” said Lee. “A key driver here is a change in attitude from these beverages being exclusively for formal events or special occasions. Now, people are enjoying Champagne and Prosecco in more relaxed contexts, and more frequently.”

The analysis shows strong demand from Canada’s southern neighbour, as premium and above sparkling wine grew in volume by eight per cent between 2019 and 2020 in the United States.

“People got used to working with premium products during the lockdown,” said Lee. “Higher-quality products mean higher expectations, and two effects of the pandemic on the alcohol market are expected to remain the same over the long term – higher e-commerce engagement and at-home cocktail culture – and drive spirit consumption.”

Protecting their body and wallet

Lee says health and wellness are on a lot of peoples’ minds. “In a recent IWSR survey, we discovered that around half of the adults we surveyed were more interested in moderating their alcohol consumption,” said Lee. “And younger adult consumers, like millennials and generation Z, are much more likely to moderate their drinking habits than older generations.”

Unlike the first insight, where some consumers opted for more premium beverages, others are turning to non-alcoholic ones. “Molson Coors Beverage Company, formerly Molson Coors, changed the longstanding company name to represent a shift toward a wider beverage portfolio outside of just beer,” said Lee. “The company has also invested in non-alcoholic beverage categories such as Zoa Energy, an energy drink created by a team that includes Dwayne Johnson, and VYNE, a botanical hop-infused sparkling water.”

IWSR found that beverages with no alcohol grew by nine per cent in 2022, increasing their volume share of the overall no- or low-alcohol space from 65 per cent in 2018 to 70 per cent across 10 key markets, including Canada and the U.S. “No-alcohol is growing faster than low-alcohol in most markets,” said Lee. “It has a lot to do with improved taste, production techniques and a diversification of consumption occasions.”

IWSR expects no-alcohol volumes to grow at a compound rate annually by nine per cent between 2022 and 2026 across key markets (including Canada, and the U.S.).

Spirit-based RTDs

Lee says in total volume terms in 2021, every major category except ready-to-drink (RTD) across all alcohol bases posted negative growth in Canada. However, it’s not the traditional hard seltzers he’s referring to in this instance. “Premium-priced RTDs have grown faster than any other segment over the past two years,” said Lee. “On a smaller volume base, but at increasingly higher prices.”

IWSR reports that consumers in some markets trade up to RTDs from categories like beer. In some cases, consumers pay roughly double for the same serving size of RTD as beer. Findings from IWSR show that across 10 key markets, spirit-based RTDs – especially those made with vodka – held 45 per cent of the volume share of the RTD category in 2021, driving most of the beverage industry’s innovation.

“With the RTD category firmly established in markets such as the U.S., and competition at an all-time high, brand owners continue to focus on innovative products and brand extensions or partnerships to drive greater awareness and distribution. The RTD innovation IWSR is tracking year-on-year clearly shows a rapid pace of product transformation to meet consumer demand,” said Lee. “There is no single dominant type of RTD globally, which makes the category uniquely positioned to capitalize on local tastes and trends.”

Diversifying a brand

With such an extensive array of directions, Lee says it’s never been more important for companies to review their portfolio and determine where gaps exist in consumer demand and opportunity. “Many brands across beverage alcohol are diversifying their portfolio to engage and take a share in high growth categories,” said Lee. “Diversifying also allows producers to reach a wider consumer demographic and maintain a portfolio to meet evolving consumer demands.”

Even traditional, non-alcoholic brands are moving into the market. “The Coca-Cola Company launched Topo Chico hard seltzer in partnership with Molson,” said Lee. “But the company’s first alcoholic product was a chuhai, which is a type of RTD called Lemon-Dou, that launched in Japan in 2018.”

One thing to remember, says Lee, is that companies are no longer selling products to groups of consumers. “Companies are now selling products that fit a variety of consumer occasions,” he said.