Carling O'Keefe was a brewing company in Canada that is now part of Molson Coors. The company's origins can be traced to Canadian Breweries, which bought the Carling Brewery in 1930 and the O'Keefe Brewery in 1934. Canadian Breweries purchased numerous other brewers – some to shut down, and some solely for their brands. In 1969, Canadian Breweries was acquired by a subsidiary of Rothmans, which renamed the company as Carling O'Keefe in 1973. The company was sold in 1987, then merged with Molson in 1989.
Predecessors
Carling 1840–1930
In 1840, Thomas Carling began a small brewing operation in London, Upper Canada, selling beer to soldiers at the local military camp. When he died, his sons William and John took over, naming it the W & J Carling Brewing Co. John Carling became a prominent figure in Canadian business and politics; he was knighted in 1893 and died in 1911. The Carling Brewery then changed hands several times. In 1930, the Carling company was merged into the Brewing Corporation of Ontario, founded by E. P. Taylor.
O'Keefe 1862–1934
Eugene O'Keefe, a banker, purchased the Hannath & Hart Brewery in 1862. By 1864, one of his partners had died, while the other (Patrick Cosgrave) left to found his own brewery. The business was renamed O'Keefe and Company. It was the first to produce lager beer in Canada, along with the traditional ale and porter.[1] In 1891, the company was incorporated as O'Keefe Brewing Company Limited.
Carling O'Keefe 1973–1989
As a new venture, Carling O'Keefe began making Carlsberg and distributing Tuborg in 1973. The company continued the acquisitions of the Taylor era. The company bought two more brewers: Doran's of Northern Ontario, and National Brewing of the US.
In 1981, Carling O'Keefe, responding to the entry of Budweiser by Labatt's, licensed Miller High Life beer for production in Canada. The beer, unlike its other beers was not sold in the "stubby" bottle, instead, it was sold in the long-neck clear bottle. This began the decline of the stubby, which was phased out in the 1980s.
Carling O'Keefe was bought by Elders IXL of Australia in 1987. Carling O'Keefe began bottling Elders' Foster's Lager. Carling O'Keefe merged with Molson Brewery to form Molson Breweries Canada in 1989. At the time of the merger, Molson was the second-largest Canadian brewing company, while Carling O'Keefe was third. The merger put the combined company ahead of former market leader Labatt's and made it the sixth-largest North America brewery. Seven Canadian plants were closed due to consolidation.[3] Molson would later add US brewer
External links
References
- University of Western Ontario - Partial essay on the History of O'Keefe^
- Charles Millar Dies Suddenly At Office Toronto Star, November 1, 1926^
- CBC News^