Upper Canada Brewing Company

Lore & Background

Upper Canada Brewing Company was founded in Toronto by Frank Heaps and Larry Sherwood, the latter having previously been involved with Granville Island Brewery. The brewery began operations in 1985 at 2 Atlantic Ave. in Toronto. It included a gift shop that allowed the brewery to sell alcohol on Sunday, a practice that the Beer Store chain, which held a virtual monopoly on beer sales in Ontario, was not permitted to do at the time. The company also provided private label brewing services for third parties; for example, Beaver Valley Amber Ale was brewed in conjunction with Thornbury Castle Brewing Inc. in Thornbury, Ontario.

The company was sold to private investors in 1995, went public in 1996, and was acquired by Sleeman Breweries in 1998 for $28 million. After the acquisition, Sleeman reduced the number of Upper Canada products because they were competing with the Sleeman line. The Toronto brewery was closed and operations were moved to Sleeman's facility in Guelph, Ontario. Two brands continue to be manufactured: Upper Canada Lager, a German-style lager, and Upper Canada Dark Ale, described as having a robust malty character and a rich chestnut colour.

After the sale to Sleeman, Frank Heaps provided some funding to his son Cameron and partners Greg Taylor and Greg Cromwell, all former employees of Upper Canada, who opened another Toronto-based brewery in 2000 called Steam Whistle Brewing.

Reader's Guide

Upper Canada Brewing Company holds significance as one of the largest independent breweries in Canada during its early years, and for its innovative use of a gift shop to sell beer on Sunday, a workaround to the Beer Store's monopoly on Sunday sales in Ontario. This practice highlighted the restrictive retail environment for beer in the province at the time. The brewery also served as a private label brewer for third parties, such as Thornbury Castle Brewing Inc., demonstrating a flexible business model. Its acquisition by Sleeman Breweries in 1998 for $28 million marked the end of its independence and led to the consolidation of its operations into Sleeman's Guelph facility, with only two brands—Upper Canada Lager and Upper Canada Dark Ale—remaining in production. The legacy of Upper Canada also extends to the founding of Steam Whistle Brewing in 2000, which was started by former employees with funding from Frank Heaps. This connection shows how the brewery's talent and entrepreneurial spirit continued in the Toronto craft beer scene after the sale.

Did You Know?

• Upper Canada Brewing Company was founded by Frank Heaps and Larry Sherwood, who was also involved with Granville Island Brewery.
• The brewery's gift shop allowed it to sell beer on Sunday, which the Beer Store chain could not do at the time.
• Upper Canada provided private label brewing services, including Beaver Valley Amber Ale for Thornbury Castle Brewing Inc.
• After the sale to Sleeman, Frank Heaps helped fund the founding of Steam Whistle Brewing by his son and former Upper Canada employees.