Minhas Craft Brewery
A Monroe, Wisconsin brewery owned by siblings Manjit and Ravinder Minhas, producing beer and other alcoholic beverages for North American and international markets.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Minhas Craft Brewery is a privately owned brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin, operated by siblings Manjit and Ravinder Minhas. The business is associated with the broader Minhas Brewery group, whose origins date to 2002 in Calgary, Alberta, when the siblings established Mountain Crest Brewing Company. The Calgary operation began with value-oriented beer for the Western Canadian market and later developed into a wider beverage enterprise spanning beer, spirits, wine, malt beverages and contract or private-label production. The Monroe brewery was added to the Minhas business in 2006 through the acquisition of the historic Joseph Huber Brewing Company. The site has roots reaching back to 1845 and is described in reference material as the second-oldest brewery in the United States and the oldest brewery in the Midwest. Its history includes survival through Prohibition, the Great Depression and a major fire. After the acquisition, the facility was renamed Minhas Craft Brewery and became an important production and distribution base for the group’s United States business as well as products supplied to Canada and other markets. Minhas Craft Brewery makes a broad range of packaged beverages. Its portfolio includes traditional lagers and ales, light and gluten-free beers, seasonal and flavored products, malt beverages, hard seltzer-style or cocktail-inspired drinks, soda and selected private-label products. Brands associated with the brewery include Boxer, Lazy Mutt, Bad Hare, Uptown Girl, Mountain Crest, Huber, 1845 and Boatswain. The facility also produces or packages products sold under retailer labels, including Costco’s Kirkland Signature beer range and products associated with Trader Joe’s. Product formats have included aluminum cans, glass bottles and polyethylene terephthalate containers in multiple sizes. The brewery’s public-facing role extends beyond manufacturing. The Monroe site offers brewery tours and tastings and houses a large collection of brewing memorabilia. These visitor activities connect the modern Minhas operation with the historical identity of the former Joseph Huber brewery and position the site as both a production facility and a regional beer-tourism attraction. The Minhas group has expanded beyond the Monroe brewery through related operations including Minhas Micro Brewery in Calgary, Minhas Distillery in Monroe and Pizza Brew Restaurant in Calgary. Manjit Minhas has also become known in Canada as an entrepreneur, investor and television personality through CBC’s Dragons’ Den. The brewery remains privately controlled and is recognized for combining historical American brewing infrastructure with a cost-conscious, diversified and internationally distributed beverage portfolio.
History
The modern Minhas business began in Calgary, Alberta, in 2002, when siblings Manjit and Ravinder Minhas founded Mountain Crest Brewing Company. The company entered the Western Canadian market with affordable beer and developed a reputation for competing with established suppliers. In 2003, Mountain Crest challenged prevailing beer-distribution and pricing arrangements in Alberta. The dispute contributed to public and regulatory attention around the province’s beer-retailing framework and helped establish the young company as an independent challenger in the Canadian market. During the following years, the enterprise expanded its production and brand portfolio. Its strategy emphasized accessible pricing, multiple beverage styles and the ability to serve both branded and private-label demand. The business later became associated with the Minhas Brewery or Minhas Beverage Group name as the siblings added related operations in brewing, distilling, wine and hospitality. A decisive expansion occurred in 2006, when the Minhas family acquired the Joseph Huber Brewing Company in Monroe, Wisconsin. The brewery’s history extended to 1845, giving the site a substantial legacy in American brewing. The facility had endured Prohibition, the Great Depression and a fire. Under Minhas ownership it was renamed Minhas Craft Brewery and became the group’s principal American brewing site. The acquisition provided access to United States production, packaging and distribution while preserving the Monroe brewery’s historic identity. The Monroe operation subsequently developed a broad portfolio that included beer, malt beverages, soda and products made for retailers. Brands and product families associated with the brewery include Boxer, Lazy Mutt, Bad Hare, Uptown Girl, Mountain Crest, Huber, 1845 and Boatswain. The brewery has also been linked with retailer products sold through Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand and Trader Joe’s. Its packaging capabilities have included a range of can, bottle and plastic-container sizes, supporting both conventional beer and nontraditional beverage formats. The wider group expanded through Minhas Micro Brewery in Calgary, Minhas Distillery in Monroe, Minhas Winery-related activities and Pizza Brew Restaurant in Calgary. This diversification allowed the Minhas businesses to participate in several alcoholic-beverage categories rather than relying solely on beer. Products from the group have been distributed throughout Canada and the United States and exported to additional international markets. The Monroe site also operates as a visitor destination, offering tours and tastings and maintaining a substantial brewery memorabilia museum. The combination of historical architecture, brewing production and public programming gives the facility a distinctive position among Wisconsin breweries. Manjit Minhas later gained broader public visibility through entrepreneurship and her role as an investor on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. By the 2020s, Minhas Brewery remained privately controlled by the Minhas siblings and continued to operate across Canadian and American markets. Public reference material describes the Monroe facility as one of the largest craft breweries in the United States by production ranking, although detailed current operating and financial figures are not established here.
- 2015
National profile for the Minhas brewing group
[2]CBC coverage described the development of the siblings’ Calgary-originated brewing enterprise and its expansion into a broader beverage group.
- 2006
Acquisition of the Joseph Huber brewery
[1]The Minhas family acquired the historic Monroe brewery and relaunched it as Minhas Craft Brewery, establishing a major United States operating base.
- 2003
Challenge to Alberta beer-market practices
[1]Mountain Crest’s challenge to established beer suppliers brought attention to pricing and retailing practices in Alberta.
- 2002
Mountain Crest Brewing Company founded
[1]Manjit and Ravinder Minhas established the Calgary-based business that became the foundation of the Minhas Brewery group.
- 1845
Origins of the Monroe brewery site
[1]The brewery site later associated with Minhas Craft Brewery traces its brewing history to the founding of the Joseph Huber Brewing Company in Monroe, Wisconsin.
Products and positioning
An independently owned, value-oriented and diversified beverage producer that combines a historic Wisconsin brewery with broad-format beer production, private-label manufacturing, visitor experiences and international distribution.
Beer and flavored malt beverages
Boxer
A broad product family associated with Minhas production. Listed varieties include lager, light, blonde, gluten-free and ice beers, along with flavored or cocktail-inspired malt beverages such as watermelon, apple ale, bubbly, Moscow Mule and hard root beer.
Craft beer
Lazy Mutt
A varied craft-beer range spanning farmhouse ale, gluten-free beer, Oktoberfest, shandy, hefeweizen, Belgian white ale, traditional and India pale ales, winter bock, strong ale and flavored specialty releases including chocolate cherry, hazelnut dark and pumpkin ale.
Ale and stout
Bad Hare
A portfolio of seasonal and specialty beers that has included autumn ale, blonde ale, rum ale, rye ale, Scotch ale, light bock, oatmeal stout, espresso stout and white chocolate beer.
Light and flavored beer
Uptown Girl
A beer family associated with lighter and fruit-forward offerings, including premium light beer, cherry Belgian red and strawberry blonde.
Branded and retailer-label beer
Historic and private-label beers
The brewery has produced or packaged products associated with Mountain Crest Classic Lager, Kirkland Signature Light, Simpler Times Pilsner, Simpler Times Lager, Huber Bock, 1845 Pils, Boatswain ales, Minhas Swiss Style Amber, Axe Head Malt Liquor and Imperial Jack. Some products are retailer or private-label offerings rather than consumer brands owned solely by the brewery.
Brand decisions
2006
Acquire and rename the Joseph Huber breweryM&ABackground
The Calgary-based Minhas business sought a United States production and distribution presence while acquiring a brewery with a long-established Monroe history.
Action taken
The Minhas family acquired the Joseph Huber Brewing Company and operated the facility under the Minhas Craft Brewery name.
Aftermath
The Monroe site became a major American base for the group and supported branded, private-label and export production.
2003
Contest established Alberta beer-supply practicesStrategyBackground
Mountain Crest entered a Western Canadian market dominated by large suppliers and disputed aspects of prevailing beer pricing and retailing arrangements.
Action taken
The company challenged major suppliers and associated market practices in Alberta.
Aftermath
The dispute increased the company’s public profile and contributed to attention surrounding liberalization of Alberta beer retailing.
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