Agassiz Brewing
Encyclopedia
The Agassiz Brewing Company is based in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
. It is named for the prehistoric glacial Lake Agassiz
which once covered much of Manitoba
. Agassiz beer is available in Manitoba
, Ontario
, and British Columbia
.
Founded by the original Fort Garry Brewing Company
brewmaster, Gary De Pape, the Agassiz Brewing Company was established in Winnipeg in late 1998 and opened it doors on March 17, 1999.
Agassiz Brewing did very well during its first year. But after De Pape left to pursue other interests, the Company sales dropped and it had difficulty covering its operating costs because of the small volume. It was forced to operate its facility while producing a fraction of its 600,000 litre capacity. After considering several options, including approaching rival Fort Garry Brewing, it closed its Winnipeg operation on January 31, 2002, sold its assets and went bankrupt to re-emerge as a contract brewer, known as New Manitoba Brewing Ltd. New Manitoba Brewing handled all of the beer marketing, sales, and distribution, while leaving the brewing and packaging to Northern Breweries
, of Greater Sudbury, Ontario
.http://www.crocusfund.com/about/news.asp?action=40
On October 15, 2004, New Manitoba Brewing signed an agreement with its former Manitoba rival, Fort Garry Brewing, for that company to warehouse, distribute and market the Agassiz brands.http://www.fortgarry.com/pdfs/2004/3Q2004-Final.pdf
Agassiz was one of a trio of new microbreweries, including Fort Garry and Two Rivers Brewing, that burst onto Manitoba's beer scene in the late 1990’s to produce and bottle locally made beer. But Agassiz's volumes of its Catfish Cream Ale, Bison Blonde Lager, Premium Pilsner, Dark Lager and Harvest Haze Hefeweizen recipes weren't sufficient to sustain its plant and it was closed in 2002. Agassiz temporarily outsourced production to an Ontario brewery before coming to terms with Fort Garry on a co-packing arrangement in 2004.
Fort Garry Brewing ended that relationship in January 2010, citing that Fort Garry was too busy with its own brands to have any room in their tanks for Agassiz Brewing’s last brand, Catfirsh Cream Ale.
Joe Constant, a partner in New Manitoba Brewing Ltd., which has overseen the Agassiz brands since Gary De Pape’s departure, said he and his partners tried to get other small breweries to resuscitate Catfish, but to no avail.
Agassiz Brewing Brands - now no longer available:
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is named for the prehistoric glacial Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
which once covered much of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Agassiz beer is available in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Founded by the original Fort Garry Brewing Company
Fort Garry Brewing Company
The Fort Garry Brewing Company Ltd brews beer in Winnipeg, Canada. The company was bought by the Hoeschen family in 1930, and operated by them until it was sold to Molson in 1960. In 1994, Richard D...
brewmaster, Gary De Pape, the Agassiz Brewing Company was established in Winnipeg in late 1998 and opened it doors on March 17, 1999.
Agassiz Brewing did very well during its first year. But after De Pape left to pursue other interests, the Company sales dropped and it had difficulty covering its operating costs because of the small volume. It was forced to operate its facility while producing a fraction of its 600,000 litre capacity. After considering several options, including approaching rival Fort Garry Brewing, it closed its Winnipeg operation on January 31, 2002, sold its assets and went bankrupt to re-emerge as a contract brewer, known as New Manitoba Brewing Ltd. New Manitoba Brewing handled all of the beer marketing, sales, and distribution, while leaving the brewing and packaging to Northern Breweries
Northern Breweries
Northern Breweries was a Canadian brewery, with facilities in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.The Company was founded in 1907 by three families, the Doran family, the Mackey family and the Fee family. The organizer and operating head of the Company was J.J. Doran. Doran, together with...
, of Greater Sudbury, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.http://www.crocusfund.com/about/news.asp?action=40
On October 15, 2004, New Manitoba Brewing signed an agreement with its former Manitoba rival, Fort Garry Brewing, for that company to warehouse, distribute and market the Agassiz brands.http://www.fortgarry.com/pdfs/2004/3Q2004-Final.pdf
Agassiz was one of a trio of new microbreweries, including Fort Garry and Two Rivers Brewing, that burst onto Manitoba's beer scene in the late 1990’s to produce and bottle locally made beer. But Agassiz's volumes of its Catfish Cream Ale, Bison Blonde Lager, Premium Pilsner, Dark Lager and Harvest Haze Hefeweizen recipes weren't sufficient to sustain its plant and it was closed in 2002. Agassiz temporarily outsourced production to an Ontario brewery before coming to terms with Fort Garry on a co-packing arrangement in 2004.
Fort Garry Brewing ended that relationship in January 2010, citing that Fort Garry was too busy with its own brands to have any room in their tanks for Agassiz Brewing’s last brand, Catfirsh Cream Ale.
Joe Constant, a partner in New Manitoba Brewing Ltd., which has overseen the Agassiz brands since Gary De Pape’s departure, said he and his partners tried to get other small breweries to resuscitate Catfish, but to no avail.
Agassiz Brewing Brands - now no longer available:
- Catfish Cream Ale (5% alcohol by volume)
- Bison Blonde Lager (4.8%), a helles-style lagerLagerLager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
- Dark Lager, a Munich dark lager
- Winnipeg KolschKölsch (beer)Kölsch, also written Koelsch, is a local beer specialty brewed in Cologne, Germany. It is a clear beer with a bright straw-yellow hue, and it has a prominent, but not extreme, hoppiness. It is less bitter than the standard German pale lager. Furthermore, Kölsch is warm fermented at a temperature...
(available on tap only) - Harvest Haze Hefeweizen