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Born in Ireland in 1803, John Kinder Labatt and his family settle near London, Upper Canada in 1834. Initially working as a farmer, in 1847 Labatt turns to brewing, entering into a partnership with businessman Samuel Eccles before becoming sole owner of the London Brewery in 1853. The arrival of the Great Western Railway later that year allows Labatt’s beer to be shipped as far away as Montreal, and by the 1860s, Labatt earns a reputation as a maker of the finest quality beer – the original craft brewer.
Learn MoreEliza Labatt (née Kell) assumes ownership of the London Brewery following the death of her husband in 1866. The matriarch of a brewing family, Eliza skillfully guides the family business through a crucial transitional period. Taking her son John as a partner, the pair continue the course of high-quality brewing begun by John Kinder Labatt and plan to expand the London Brewery in 1872. That same year, John Labatt II purchases the company from his mother, continuing the family tradition.
Learn MoreHaving completed an apprenticeship in Wheeling, Virginia prior to his father’s death, John Labatt II purchases the brewery from his mother in 1872 and leads the company through a period of stunning growth and prosperity. A visionary in the field of advertising, Labatt enters his signature India Pale Ale in a series of brewing competitions at World’s Fairs, winning numerous gold medals. John Labatt II capitalizes on these victories by incorporating them into print advertisements and beer labels, cementing the company’s reputation for producing the highest quality beer.
Learn MoreAssuming control of the family business following the death of their father in 1915, brothers John Sackville Labatt and Hugh Labatt guide the company through the perils of Prohibition, which forces most Ontario breweries out of business. In 1934, John is kidnapped (and ultimately released) in Canada’s first high-profile ransom kidnapping. Having transformed Labatt into a Canadian icon, John Sackville and Hugh Labatt’s fifty years of service are commemorated in 1950 with the launch of Anniversary Ale, now known as Labatt 50.
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