Hogsback Brewing Company

Hogsback Brewing Company, also styled HogsBack Brewing, was an Ottawa-based Canadian microbrewery and craft-beer brand. The company began brewing in spring 2010 and concentrated its commercial activity on the Ottawa market. Its name referred to Hogsback Falls on the Rideau River, where a limestone ridge resembles the backbone of a hog. The name also acknowledged Philemon Wright, an early settler associated with the first permanent settlement in the National Capital Region and with the region's early brewing history. The brand was developed by four Ottawa-based owners who worked with an Ottawa brewer to create its principal recipe, Hogsback Vintage Lager. Rather than immediately constructing its own brewing plant, Hogsback arranged for the beer to be produced through Cool Brew, an Ontario microbrewery. This contract-brewing model gave the owners additional time to plan a future Ottawa brewery while establishing distribution and testing demand. A local distribution facility supported the company's emphasis on Ottawa-area sales. Hogsback Vintage Lager was positioned as a European-inspired lager rather than a conventional mass-market beer. Its flavour profile was built from a combination of three malts—2-Row, Munich, and Vienna—together with Saaz hops and German lager yeast. The beer served as the brand's flagship and its main point of differentiation. Hogsback's local identity was reinforced through the use of an Ottawa place name, regional distribution, appearances on the entrepreneurial television program Dragon's Den, and recognition in the Ontario Brewing Awards. At the 2012 Ontario Brewing Awards, Hogsback received a Gold award, a People's Choice award, and the Newcomer of the Year award. The brand also appeared in the film Jurassic Shark, where a case of Hogsback beer, its logo, and a T-shirt were used as product placements. These appearances gave the small regional producer visibility beyond its core retail and hospitality market. Hogsback announced on November 1, 2018, that it would cease production of its full-time product and shut down. The company's final public communication left open the possibility of a return at a later date, but the available reference material does not establish that production resumed. Hogsback is therefore treated here as a defunct Ottawa craft-beer company, with its documented legacy centered on Vintage Lager, local branding, contract brewing, and early recognition in Ontario's craft-beer scene.

Hogsback Brewing Company was established in Ottawa and began brewing in spring 2010. The enterprise was created by four Ottawa-based owners who developed a flagship lager recipe with the assistance of an Ottawa brewer. Its early operating model relied on production through Cool Brew, an Ontario microbrewery, rather than on an immediately completed Hogsback-owned brewing facility. This arrangement allowed the owners to bring the product to market while continuing to consider the planning and construction of a brewery in Ottawa. The company's identity was strongly tied to place. Hogsback Falls is a section of the Rideau River in Ottawa where a limestone ridge rises across the river and evokes the shape of a hog's backbone. The name also referenced Philemon Wright, who is associated with the first permanent settlement in the National Capital Region and with the first brewery in the Ottawa Valley. By combining this local geographic reference with a regional distribution operation, Hogsback presented itself as an Ottawa craft-beer company rather than a broadly distributed national producer. Its best-known beer was Hogsback Vintage Lager. The recipe used 2-Row, Munich, and Vienna malts, Saaz hops, and German lager yeast. The combination was intended to produce a lager with a European influence and a more distinctive flavour profile than standard industrial lager. The beer remained the company's full-time flagship product and was central to its retail, distribution, and promotional identity. Hogsback gained public attention through an appearance on Dragon's Den, a television program focused on entrepreneurs seeking investment and business exposure. The brand also achieved visibility through entertainment-related product placement: a case of beer and branded merchandise appeared several times in Jurassic Shark. These activities complemented the brewery's local-market strategy and helped establish a recognizable visual identity. The company received significant early recognition at the 2012 Ontario Brewing Awards. It was reported to have won a Gold award, a People's Choice award, and the Newcomer of the Year award. The awards indicated that the young brewery had achieved both judged and consumer recognition in Ontario's developing craft-beer sector. On November 1, 2018, Hogsback announced that it would cease production of its full-time product and shut down. The final message indicated that the company might return at some point, but the supplied reference material does not document a later restart, acquisition, or successor operation. The brand is consequently recorded as defunct. Its documented history is that of a small Ottawa brewery that used contract production to enter the market, built its reputation around a locally named European-style lager, earned provincial awards, and ultimately ended regular operations after eight years of brewing.

1. 2018Regular production ends

   On November 1, Hogsback announces that it will cease production of its full-time product and shut down.

   Source
2. 2012Recognition at the Ontario Brewing Awards

   Hogsback receives Gold, People's Choice, and Newcomer of the Year recognition at the Ontario Brewing Awards.

   Source
3. 2010Brewing begins

   Hogsback Brewing Company begins brewing in Ottawa in spring 2010, initially using production through Cool Brew in Ontario.

   Source

Ottawa-focused craft brewery offering a locally rooted, European-inspired lager.

• Hogsback Vintage LagerLager beer2010

  Hogsback Vintage Lager was the brewery's flagship and full-time product. It was described as a European-inspired lager whose flavour came from a blend of 2-Row, Munich, and Vienna malts, combined with Saaz hops and German lager yeast. The beer was developed by the company's Ottawa-based owners with an Ottawa brewer and was initially brewed through Cool Brew, an Ontario microbrewery, while Hogsback considered developing its own Ottawa brewing facility.

• Dragon's Den appearance

  Canada

  Hogsback was featured on the Canadian entrepreneurial television program Dragon's Den, bringing the young Ottawa brewery and its business concept to a national television audience.

  Outcome. The available source confirms the appearance but does not specify whether an investment deal was made.

  Source
• Jurassic Shark product placement

  Canada

  Hogsback beer and branded items were used as product placement in Jurassic Shark. A case of beer, the logo, and a Hogsback T-shirt were reportedly visible several times.

  Outcome. The placement increased the brand's visibility in a film context, although the source provides no audience or commercial-performance data.

  Source

• 2018Decision to cease regular production and shut downStrategy

  After operating as an Ottawa-focused microbrewery since 2010, Hogsback announced that it would discontinue its full-time product and close.

  What changed. The company announced on November 1 that it was ending production and shutting down.

  Aftermath. The final communication left open the possibility of a future return, but the available sources do not confirm that brewing resumed.

  Source
• 2010Use of contract brewing during market entryStrategy

  The company wanted to launch its beer while allowing more time to plan and consider construction of a brewery in Ottawa.

  What changed. Hogsback had Vintage Lager brewed through Cool Brew, an Ontario microbrewery, and operated distribution in the Ottawa area.

  Aftermath. The arrangement enabled the brand to establish its flagship product and local market presence without an immediately completed brewery of its own.

  Source

• 2018Hogsback Brewing Company announces the end of regular production and planned shutdown

  On November 1, 2018, Hogsback announced that it would stop producing its full-time product and shut down. Its final communication suggested that a future return remained possible, but no subsequent restart is established by the supplied sources.

  BankruptcyOther
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• 2012Hogsback receives multiple honours at the 2012 Ontario Brewing Awards

  The brewery was reported to have received a Gold award, a People's Choice award, and the Newcomer of the Year award at the Ontario Brewing Awards.

  Other
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• Hogsback Brewing Company appears on Dragon's Den

  Hogsback was featured on the Canadian entrepreneurial television program Dragon's Den, providing exposure for the developing brewery and its business proposition.

  Other
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• Hogsback products receive placement in Jurassic Shark

  A case of Hogsback beer, along with the company's logo and a branded T-shirt, appeared several times as product placement in the film Jurassic Shark.

  Campaign
  Source

1. Hogsback Brewing Company
2. Hogsback Brewing Company official website