Labatt Brewing Company Ltd. is the Canadian subsidiary of AB-InBev and controls roughly 40% of the Canadian market. Created in 1847, when Irishman John Kinder Labatt took over a small brewery in London, Ontario, Labatt now has six brewing facilities across the country, ranging from Creston, British Columbia, in the west to St. John’s, Newfoundland, in the east. Labatt produces over 60 brands in Canada, including Labatt Blue, which for many years was the company’s flagship product. Originally launched in 1951 as Labatt Pilsner, it was renamed Blue in 1968. Today, the best-selling beer produced by Labatt is Budweiser, also Canada’s top-selling brand.
In recent years Labatt has been broadening its Alexander Keith’s range of beers. Originally a regional East Coast brand, Keith’s has grown into a nationally recognized name. In addition to its flagship India pale ale (which despite the name has precious little hop character), the Keith’s brand now includes a dark ale, a wheat beer, a red ale, and a light ale. While a bit more flavorful than Labatt’s main products, the Keith’s line has nonetheless been met with little acclaim from craft beer drinkers.
In 2007 Labatt took over discount brewer, Lakeport Brewing Company. In 2010 Labatt shifted production of the discount brands from the original Lakeport facility in Hamilton, Ontario, to a Labatt plant in London, Ontario, and closed the Hamilton location.
Labatt started broad distribution of Belgian imports such as Stella Artois, leffe, and hoegaarden after being taken over by Interbrew in 1995. Interbrew (including Labatt) was taken over by Brazil’s AmBev in 2004, forming InBev, before the combined company bought Anheuser-Busch in 2008. In addition to AB-InBev products such as Budweiser and Bud Light, Labatt also brews other beers under license, including Guinness Extra Stout.