Great Western Brewing
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn independent Saskatoon brewery producing beer and hard seltzer for Western Canadian markets.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Great Western Brewing Company is an independent brewery based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a regional producer whose portfolio includes lager, pilsner, light beer, ale, wheat beer, radler, stronger specialty beers and hard seltzer. Its principal brand families include Great Western, Original 16 and Brewhouse, while the company is also the authorized brewer and distributor of Olympia Beer in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The present company emerged from a long-running brewing operation in Saskatoon. The site was established in 1927 as the Hub City Brewing Company, renamed Western Canada Brewing Company in 1930 and renamed Drewery's Limited in 1932. O'Keefe Brewing acquired the brewery in 1956; O'Keefe later became part of Carling O'Keefe. During the 1989 merger between Carling O'Keefe and Molson, the merged business considered closing the Saskatoon facility and eliminating more than 40 jobs. A group of sixteen employees and managers instead acquired the brewery. The transaction led to the formation of Great Western Brewing Company, which began operating independently in 1990. The brewery serves primarily Western Canada rather than presenting itself as a national mass-market brewer. Its range combines familiar mainstream styles with regionally positioned brands and newer alcoholic beverages. Original 16 is one of its prominent product families, with Canadian Pale Ale, Canadian Copper Ale, Prairie White Belgian-style Wheat, Canadian Ultra Lager and hard seltzer variants. Great Western and Brewhouse provide additional lager, pilsner, light, ice and radler offerings. The company also produces products such as Gold, Olympia and 'Bertan, although availability can vary by market and product period. Great Western has reported annual production capacity of more than 300,000 hectolitres, making it one of the larger regional brewers in Western Canada. Several of its products have received recognition in international and Canadian competitions, including the World Beer Awards, Canadian Brewing Awards and Monde Selection. The company remains privately held and independently operated according to the cited reference material. No reliable public information in the supplied sources establishes a current chief executive, ownership structure, financial results or publicly traded securities.
History
Great Western Brewing Company's modern corporate history began with the survival and privatization of an older Saskatoon brewery. The brewing site dates to 1927, when it operated as the Hub City Brewing Company. It was renamed Western Canada Brewing Company in 1930 and became Drewery's Limited in 1932. These successive identities reflect the site's continuity as a local brewing facility rather than the creation of an entirely new brewery in 1990. In 1956, O'Keefe Brewing acquired the operation. O'Keefe subsequently became part of Carling O'Keefe, placing the Saskatoon brewery within a larger Canadian brewing network. The facility continued under that corporate ownership until the 1989 merger of Carling O'Keefe with Molson. The merged company retained the Molson name and considered closing the Saskatoon brewery, a decision that would have ended the jobs of more than 40 employees. A group of sixteen employees and managers responded by arranging to purchase the brewery from Molson. The acquisition was undertaken in 1989, and Great Western Brewing Company was formed as the operating company. The brewery began its independent period in 1990 and has continued as a regional brewer rather than being absorbed into one of Canada's largest national brewing groups. Under independent ownership, the company developed a portfolio organized around the Great Western, Original 16 and Brewhouse names. Its products cover mainstream Canadian beer styles, including lager, pilsner and light beer, as well as ale, Belgian-style wheat beer, radler and higher-strength offerings. The company later expanded into hard seltzer through several Original 16 flavours. It also became the authorized brewer and distributor of Olympia Beer for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, extending its role beyond its proprietary brands. The brewery's scale is significant within its regional category. The cited reference describes annual production capability above 300,000 hectolitres, placing Great Western among the larger regional brewers in Western Canada. The company has entered beer competitions, and products from its Original 16, Great Western and Brewhouse ranges have received awards or recognition at the World Beer Awards, Canadian Brewing Awards and Monde Selection's World Quality Selections. The available material does not provide a documented chronology of individual awards, ownership changes after the 1990 employee-led acquisition, financial performance or current leadership. Great Western is therefore best characterized as an active, privately held Western Canadian brewery with historical roots reaching back to 1927 and an independent corporate identity established around the 1989–1990 acquisition.
- 1990
Independent Great Western operation begins
[1]Great Western Brewing Company was formed and began operating the brewery independently.
- 1989
Employee and management acquisition
[1]Following the Carling O'Keefe–Molson merger and proposed closure, sixteen employees and managers acquired the Saskatoon brewery from Molson.
- 1956
Acquired by O'Keefe Brewing
[1]O'Keefe Brewing acquired the brewery, which later operated within the Carling O'Keefe organization.
- 1932
Renamed Drewery's Limited
[1]The Saskatoon operation changed its corporate name to Drewery's Limited.
- 1930
Renamed Western Canada Brewing Company
[1]The brewery adopted the Western Canada Brewing Company name.
- 1927
Saskatoon brewery established
[1]The brewing operation that later became Great Western was established as the Hub City Brewing Company.
Products and positioning
An independent Western Canadian regional brewer emphasizing locally based production, a broad accessible beer portfolio and established regional brands.
Beer and hard seltzer
Original 16
Original 16 is a principal Great Western brand family spanning several beer styles and hard seltzer products. Listed beers include Canadian Pale Ale, Canadian Copper Ale, Prairie White Belgian-style Wheat and Canadian Ultra Lager. The hard seltzer range includes Lemon Saskatoon Berry, Peach, Cranberry and Mixed Berry variants. The portfolio combines conventional beer with lower-alcohol and flavour-led alternatives.
Beer
Great Western
The Great Western range is the brewery's core regional beer family. Products identified in the reference material include Great Western Pilsner, Great Western Lager, Great Western Light, Great Western Classic and Great Western Radler. The range covers standard-strength lager and pilsner as well as lighter and fruit-oriented formats, supporting broad retail and hospitality distribution in Western Canada.
Beer
Brewhouse
Brewhouse is a separate beer family containing Pilsner, Light, Ultra, Ice and Radler products. Its lineup is structured around familiar Canadian beer styles, with variations in strength and taste profile. The reference material identifies Brewhouse Pilsner and Brewhouse Light among products that have received recognition in brewing competitions.
Authorized brewing and distribution
Olympia Beer
Great Western is identified as the authorized brewer and distributor of Olympia Beer for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Olympia is therefore a licensed or partner brand handled by the brewery in specified Western Canadian provinces rather than a proprietary Great Western brand family.
Beer
Other Great Western products
The company's broader listed range also includes 'Bertan, Gold and Olympia. The reference identifies Gold at 6.3% alcohol by volume, 'Bertan at 5.0% and Olympia at 5.0%. Product availability and current status are not fully documented in the supplied material.
Brand decisions
1989
Employee-led purchase preserves the Saskatoon breweryStrategyBackground
After the Carling O'Keefe–Molson merger, the merged company considered closing the brewery and ending more than 40 jobs.
Action taken
Sixteen employees and managers purchased the facility from Molson, creating the basis for Great Western Brewing Company's independent operation.
Aftermath
The brewery continued operating independently from 1990 and developed into a significant regional brewer in Western Canada.
Sources1 sources
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