Molson Brewery facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | 1786; 239 years ago |
| Founder | John Molson |
| Headquarters |
Montreal, Quebec
,
Canada
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| Products | Beer |
|
Number of employees
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3,000 |
| Parent | Molson Coors Beverage Company |
The Molson Brewery is a famous Canadian company. It started in Montreal way back in 1786. An English immigrant named John Molson founded it. In 2005, Molson joined with the Adolph Coors Company. Together, they became a bigger company called Molson Coors. Even today, Molson Coors still makes beer at the very first brewery site. This site is located on the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal.
Contents
A Long History of Brewing
The Molson Brewery is the oldest brewery in North America. It started in 1786 and still makes beer where it first began.
On May 2, 1782, John Molson left England. He was only 18 years old. He arrived in Montreal on June 26. Soon after, he started working at a brewery. John Molson saw a great chance to make beer in Canada. People wanted beer, and its price was going up. Many English and Irish immigrants loved beer.
In January 1785, John Molson bought the brewery. He used money he got from his parents. The brewery was on the banks of the St Lawrence River. It was just outside Montreal's city walls. In June 1785, he went back to England. He bought new equipment and ingredients. When he returned, he gave seeds to local farmers for free. They agreed to grow them for the brewery's needs. In 1786, just six weeks later, Molson made his first batch of ale. It sold for five cents a bottle and was very popular.
John Molson was good at finding new business ideas. He also started a lumber yard. He even gave loans to merchants in Montreal. In 1816, his three sons joined the business. Their names were John Jr., Thomas, and William. This is when the family business really grew.
Making beer was Molson's main business. But they did other things too. Molson was the first company to own steamboats. These boats carried people and goods between Quebec and Ontario. John Molson and his sons also started the Molson Bank. This bank later joined with the Bank of Montreal.
Thomas Molson followed in his father's footsteps. He continued the Molson brewing tradition. In 1903, his grandson Herbert Molson created Molson Export. This was an authentic ale made in the classic style.
The Molson family also helped their community. They were leaders in steamships and hotels. They supported the Montreal General Hospital. They also helped McGill University and the arts. They were even involved in banking until 1925.
Molson Brewery grew a lot in the 1900s. In 1945, the family made the company public. This meant people outside the Molson family could own parts of it. This helped the company expand. They started making lager beer. They also opened a new brewery in Toronto in 1955.
Two years later, in 1957, the Molson family bought the Montreal Forum. They also bought the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. The company kept growing. In 1958, they bought six more breweries. This gave Molson a presence all across Canada. In 1989, they joined with Carling O'Keefe. This made Molson the biggest brewery in Canada. It was also the fifth largest in the world.
Molson also owned home improvement stores for a while. These included Beaver Lumber and Aikenhead's Home Improvement Warehouse. But they later sold these businesses.
In 2005, Molson joined with Coors from the U.S. They formed Molson Coors Brewing Company. In 2007, they opened a new brewery in Moncton, New Brunswick. Eric Molson, a sixth-generation family member, retired in 2009. However, his sons Andrew and Geoff Molson are still active. They are members of the company's Board of Directors.
In 2016, Molson Coors gained full ownership of the Miller beer brand. This happened when they bought out their partner in a joint venture.
By 2018, Molson Coors made many popular beers in Canada. Some Canadian brands include Molson Canadian, Molson Export, and Old Style Pilsner. They also offer international brands. These include Coors Light, Miller Genuine Draft, and Heineken. Molson employs 3,000 people in Canada. They have five breweries across the country.
How Molson Coors Operates
Molson Coors Canada is a part of Molson Coors. Its main office is in Toronto. They also have several breweries across Canada. Molson Coors Canada partly owns The Beer Store in Ontario. This is a big chain for selling and distributing beer. Molson Coors Canada also sells Heineken in Canada.
In 2019, Molson Coors announced a big change. They would change their name to Molson Coors Beverage Company. This shows they are focusing on more than just beer. They also reorganized their global business. Molson Coors Canada became part of Molson Coors North America.
Molson Coors has breweries in these Canadian cities:
- Longueuil, Quebec
- Toronto, Ontario
- St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Chilliwack, British Columbia
- Creemore, Ontario – Creemore Springs
- Granville Island, British Columbia – Granville Island Brewing
- Shawinigan, Quebec – Trou du Diable
- Montreal, Quebec – Brasseur de Montréal
Some former Molson breweries include:
- Molson Brewery, Montreal, Quebec (closed in 2022)
- Molson Brewery, Barrie (closed in 2000)
- Molson Brewery, Edmonton (closed in 2007)
- Molson Brewery, Vancouver (closed in 2019)
- Molson Brewery, Toronto (closed in 1999)
Popular Brands
Some well-known Molson brands are Carling Black Label, Molson Export, and Molson Canadian.
Molson and Hockey
On June 20, 2009, brothers Geoff Molson and Andrew Molson bought most of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. Their father, Eric Molson, was also part of this. The Canadiens are one of the most successful teams in the NHL. They last won the Stanley Cup in 1993. The Molson company has owned parts of the team for a long time. In 2009, the Molson brothers bought the rest of the team.
Molson and Coors also have special rights to sell their drinks at many NHL arenas. This includes the home arenas of the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Maple Leafs. They also sell at arenas for the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, and Detroit Red Wings.
Images for kids
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Brewer and businessman John Molson and his wife, at the family brewery and distillery which was razed to the ground in the second phase of the 1852 fire.
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Molson family brewery after the fire of 1858.
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de Salaberry artwork, beer that your great-grandfather drank
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Chariot à bière de la Brasserie Molson, Montréal, Québec, Canada, vers 1908
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Brasserie Molson, Montréal, 1930: détail de plante bouteillage
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Molson's sponsored the Grand Prix in Montreal during Senna and Prost's day
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Molson Dry bottles in refrigerator
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Bierflasche der Marke "Molson Canadian", August 2013
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New-look Molson Canadian beer can superimposed on a Canadian flag, July 1, 2014
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Molson Export beer bottle label
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Molson's agent distribution truck somewhere in America, dated 2010, rear 3/4 view
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Molson's agent distribution truck somewhere in America, dated 2010, rear view
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1815: Le détail de cette carte nous montre les installations de l'industriel John Molson dans le secteur Est de l'ancien faubourg Québec dans le premier quart du XIXè siècle - detail of urban plans
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1846: Le nom de rue Érié n'est pas mentionné ici mais son tracé est nettement représenté: il bornait au Nord, un domaine aménagé, où la famille Molson avait fait construire une résidence cossue, détruite lors du grand Incendie de 1852. À droite, on voit la prison "Au Pied du Courant" où on pendit les "Patriotes" de 1837 - detail of urban plans
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1879: Outre les installations de la Brasserie Molson, un atelier de fabrication de pipe (probablement celle de Robert Bannerman) formaient le paysage urbain du secteur de la rue Érié à cette époque - detail of urban plans
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Former Molson brewery in Montreal
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See also
In Spanish: Molson para niños
- Canadian beer
- Labatt
- List of breweries in Canada
- Ken Westerfield, Molson Frisbee Team
- Molson family
- Molson Coors Beverage Company
Archives
You can find historical records about Molson at Library and Archives Canada. The reference number is R3088.
