Tod MaffinCanadian Commentator, From Far and Wide · Emotional Support Canadian

Is your favourite beer actually Canadian (spoiler: probably not)

13 Feb 2025 · 1 min

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1:01

In this brief, informal lightning‑round video, the speaker surveys the ownership status of several well‑known beer brands that many Canadians consider "homegrown." He notes that Molson Canadian (now part of Molson Coors) is a multinational, Labatt’s was bought by Belgian giant InBev in 1995, and its subsidiary Kokanee is therefore Belgian‑owned. Moosehead remains 100 % family‑run Canadian, while Sleeman was acquired by a Japanese company in 2006. Budweiser is also under InBev. Red Racer, Big Rock, and some other brands stay Canadian‑owned. Alexander Keith is again under Labatt’s/Belgian control. The speaker ends with a personal plug for Cardinal Brewery, a Quebec‑based brewery owned by his brother, emphasizing its fully Canadian ownership. The tone is conversational, peppered with profanity, and the sentiment is critical of foreign ownership while proud of the remaining Canadian‑owned brands.

Chapters

Is your favorite beer actually Canadian? This is the lightning round of Is It Canadian? Beer Edition. Molson Canadian, which was merged with the Coors Company, and it is now essentially a multinational. So it's not Canadian, it's not American, it's kind of both. Labatt's was bought in 1995 by a company called InBev. That is a Belgian company. Labatt's is now Belgian. Kokanee, still brewed in British Columbia, but it was bought in 1974 by Labatt's, and Labatt's, as we now know, is Belgian. Kokanee is actually Belgian-owned. Moosehead was started in 1867 by the Oland family. 6 generations later, it is still run by that family. Moosehead, 100% Canadian. Sleeman Original Draft, bought in 2006 by a Japanese company. Sleeman is now Japanese. Budweiser is InBev again. Those damn Belgians. Red Racer was started as a brewpub in Surrey, British Columbia. It is still Canadian-owned. Big Rock Traditional Ale, still Canadian. I mean, at least any of these things are that are publicly traded, so still Canadian-run. The shares could be anyone, but still probably mostly Canadian. Alexander Keith is owned by Labatt's. Fucking Belgians. Cardinal Brewery in Hudson, Quebec, 100% owned Canadian by my brother, so go check it out.