Upper Canada Brewing Company
Encyclopedia
Upper Canada Brewing Company is a brewery
that is currently located in Guelph
, Ontario
, Canada
. Founded by Frank Heaps in Toronto, they started brewing beer in 1984 and grew became one of the largest independent breweries in Canada.
Their location on Atlantic Ave. in Toronto included a "gift shop" that allowed the independent brewer to sell alcohol on Sunday, something that Ontario's licensed outlet store chain, which had a virtual monopoly on beer sales, was not permitted to do at the time.
They were acquired by Sleeman Breweries
in 1998. Soon afterwards, the Toronto brewery was shut down, and production of all Upper Canada brands was moved to the Sleeman facility in Guelph. Sleeman also discontinued several lower-selling Upper Canada brands, and altered the recipes of others.
UCBC products are found at most Beer Store
outlets in Ontario
, as well as some locations of the government owned LCBO liquor store chain.
Frank Heaps' son Cameron Heaps and two other Upper Canada employees, Greg Cromwell and Greg N Taylor, went on to create Steam Whistle Brewing
at a location just a short distance down the same train tracks from the former Upper Canada brewing plant.
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
that is currently located in Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, 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....
, 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...
. Founded by Frank Heaps in Toronto, they started brewing beer in 1984 and grew became one of the largest independent breweries in Canada.
Their location on Atlantic Ave. in Toronto included a "gift shop" that allowed the independent brewer to sell alcohol on Sunday, something that Ontario's licensed outlet store chain, which had a virtual monopoly on beer sales, was not permitted to do at the time.
They were acquired by Sleeman Breweries
Sleeman Breweries
Sleeman Brewery Ltd. is a brewery located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. John H. Sleeman originally began brewing beer in 1834. By 1933 the Sleeman brewery had ceased operations when their liquor licence was revoked for bootlegging, specifically, smuggling beer into Detroit, Michigan. The brewery was...
in 1998. Soon afterwards, the Toronto brewery was shut down, and production of all Upper Canada brands was moved to the Sleeman facility in Guelph. Sleeman also discontinued several lower-selling Upper Canada brands, and altered the recipes of others.
UCBC products are found at most Beer Store
Brewers Retail Inc.
The Beer Store is the trading name for Brewers Retail, a privately owned, joint-venture chain of retail outlets in Ontario, Canada, founded in 1927. The articles of incorporation stipulate that Brewers Retail cannot sell "hard liquor" , or consumer goods...
outlets in 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....
, as well as some locations of the government owned LCBO liquor store chain.
Frank Heaps' son Cameron Heaps and two other Upper Canada employees, Greg Cromwell and Greg N Taylor, went on to create Steam Whistle Brewing
Steam Whistle Brewing
Steam Whistle Brewing is a brewery in Toronto, Ontario. The company produces a premium pilsner lager packaged in distinctive green glass bottles and a non-twist cap. They only use four natural ingredients: spring water from Caledon, Ontario; hops from Germany; two-row barley; and yeast. In 2004,...
at a location just a short distance down the same train tracks from the former Upper Canada brewing plant.