A November photo from Waterloo Brewing’s company blog promoting its “apple crumble porter” from its 2022 Signature Series Winter Collection. (WaterlooBrewing.com)

Carlsberg to buy Ontario’s Waterloo Brewing

Danish brewing giant paying $144 million to scale up Canadian business

One of the world’s biggest beer companies is moving to expand its brewing capacity on Canadian soil with a $144 million deal for Kitchener-based Waterloo Brewing. Carlsberg Group on Wednesday announced an all-cash deal worth $4 per share for all shares of Waterloo Brewing, which bills itself as the largest Canadian-owned brewery in Ontario and […] Read more

(Xinzheng/Getty Images)

China blocks Lithuanian beef, dairy, beer as Taiwan row grows

Canada seeks to join EU trade case against China

Beijing/Vilnius | Reuters — China suspended imports of beef, dairy and beer from Lithuania this week, Lithuania’s veterinary control agency said on Thursday, amid a growing trade dispute over the Baltic nation’s relations with Taiwan. China’s General Administration of Customs had informed the country it was halting the exports due to “lack of documentation,” the […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Canada’s small, high-protein malt barley crop poses challenges

MarketsFarm — The hot and dry 2021 growing season cut significantly into Canada’s barley production, with the weather also leading to higher protein levels for what was harvested. “It will be an extremely tight and difficult year for the malt processors and ultimately for the brewers as well,” said Peter Watts, managing director of the […] Read more

U.S. rapper B-Real (Cypress Hill, Prophets of Rage) has collaborated with Atlanta-based SweetWater Brewing on a variety of its ‘420’ brand of cannabis-scented beer. (Video screengrab from Sweetwaterbrew.com via YouTube)

Canadian pot producer Aphria to buy U.S. craft brewer

SweetWater's '420' beer would come to Canada

Reuters — Canadian cannabis company Aphria Inc. said on Wednesday it plans to buy craft brewer SweetWater Brewing for US$300 million as it looks to expand into the U.S. while becoming the first major pot producer to enter the alcoholic beverages market. The deal gives Leamington, Ont.-based Aphria a U.S. distribution point at a time […] Read more



(Split Second Stock/iStock/Getty Images)

With beer taps off, malt barley demand down

No significant drop in barley acres expected

MarketsFarm — Declining beer consumption due to the COVID-19 pandemic will also lead to reduced demand for the malt barley to brew it — but acreage to the crop is unlikely to see much adjustment on the Prairies. “I don’t think there’s any question — without sporting events, and festivals, and concerts – that beer […] Read more


(Rahr.com)

China-Australia row to reshuffle trade in bulging barley market

Gains for Canada, other exporters won't be 'magical'

Paris | Reuters — A prohibitive Chinese import tariff on Australian barley will benefit other suppliers without changing the bleak global outlook caused by large stocks and depressed beer demand, analysts and traders said. Beijing said on Monday it would apply an 80.5 per cent tariff on Australian barley imports for the next five years, […] Read more

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New federal standard to expand beer ingredient options

More variety in allowable ingredients and more requirements for declarations are now part of the federal rules on what can be called beer in Canada. The federal government on May 1 announced “modernized” beer standards under Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) — the rules laying out the requirements to be met by a product […] Read more