Waterloo Brewing

Jim Brickman founded Brick Brewing in Waterloo in 1984, and it calls itself the first craft brewery to start up in Ontario. It grew into a regional brewer whose best seller is the low-priced Laker range, and it also brewed, blended and packaged coolers and cider for others. It renamed itself Waterloo Brewing in 2019 and brews in Kitchener. Carlsberg bought it for $4.00 a share, completing the deal on 7 March 2023; it had been the largest Canadian-owned brewer in Ontario. The Kitchener plant now also brews Carlsberg’s brands.