Mill Street Brewery

Lore & Background

The brewery was founded in December 2002 in Toronto by Steve Abrams, Jeff Cooper and Michael Duggan. It was named after its original location at 55 Mill Street in the historic Distillery District, the former industrial complex occupied by spirits maker Gooderham and Worts. In early 2006, all large-scale brewing of the major brands was moved to a larger facility in Scarborough, Ontario. The Distillery District location reopened in October 2006 as a brewpub, featuring a wide range of Mill Street beers on draught, including seasonal and other special releases. In 2007, co-founder Michael Duggan left to start his own brewery, feeling the company was diverging from its original vision.

In 2011, the company leased a historic grist mill building adjacent to the Chaudière Falls in Ottawa, converting it into a brewpub. The same year, Mill Street opened a pub in Terminal 1 of Toronto Pearson International Airport, becoming the first craft brewer to open a bar or restaurant in a major Canadian airport. In spring 2013, Mill Street expanded their Distillery District operation by adding a distillery that distilled schnapps from beer. In 2015, Mill Street was purchased by Labatt, which is itself owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. As part of the purchase agreement, Labatt agreed to invest $10 million into brewing operations to help expand into Quebec. Due to the takeover, the Ontario Craft Brewers removed Mill Street from its membership, no longer considering it an independent craft brewer. Large-scale brewing was moved from Scarborough to a facility in North York capable of producing 250,000 hectolitres per year. In 2021, another original co-founder, Steve Abrams, left the company. In March 2025, Labatt closed Mill Street's North York brewery, laying off 39 employees, and production of major brands moved to the Labatt brewery in London, Ontario.

Reader's Guide

Mill Street Brewery's significance lies in its trajectory from an award-winning independent microbrewery to a subsidiary of a global brewing conglomerate. During its first decade, it earned consistent recognition, including Golden Tap Awards for Best Toronto Microbrewery from 2004 to 2008 and Best Toronto Beer for its Tankhouse Ale from 2004 to 2007, as well as being named Canadian Brewery of the Year at the Canadian Brewing Awards in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Its purchase by Labatt in 2015 marked a turning point, leading to its removal from the Ontario Craft Brewers membership and a shift in production to larger facilities. The brewery's expansion into Ottawa and Toronto Pearson International Airport demonstrated its growth beyond its original Distillery District brewpub. The closure of its North York brewery in 2025 and the relocation of production to Labatt's London, Ontario facility further underscored its integration into the larger corporate structure. Mill Street's legacy includes its role in the Canadian craft beer movement and the subsequent consolidation of that movement under multinational ownership.

Did You Know?

• In spring 2013, Mill Street added a distillery that distilled schnapps from beer.
• The brewery's North York facility was closed in March 2025, with production moving to Labatt's London, Ontario brewery.