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OUR JOURNEY
How Did We Get Here Today
1996
1996:
Gary McMullen starts his beer journey in home brewing in 1992, and in 1994, convinces Kirk Evans to join him in Muskoka to bring their dream to life. Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery is officially launched at 13 Taylor Road in downtown Bracebridge.
1996
1996:
Kirk Evans is involved in a fatal car accident. In August 1996, a sign to persevere comes in the form of a gold medal for Best Canadian Ale at the Canadian Brewing Festival for Cream Ale, Kirk’s recipe, and our first beer.
1998
1998:
Gary experiments with different beer styles, adding four new beers to the line-up, including today’s favourites, Craft Lager and Summerweiss.
2004
2004:
Our one millionth bottle rolls off the line
2008
2008:
Bob MacDonald, investor and Cream Ale fan, breaths new life into Muskoka as part-owner.
2011
2011:
Mad Tom IPA launches, leading the charge as one of the first IPAs in Ontario
2012
2012:
We move to our new home on Muskoka Beach Road, which comes with an increased capacity of 5x our Taylor Road location.
2013
2013:
We hit 25,000hL of beer brewed for the first time
2014
2014:
Detour hits the shelves as the first Session IPA in Ontario, quickly becoming our most popular beer.
2015
2015:
To promote beer education and innovation at the Brewery, we create our Moonlight Kettle Series limited release brew program.
2015
2015:
We launch Dockside Draught, delivering kegs of beer to homes and cottages across Muskoka.
2015
2015:
We dip our toes south of the border and begin distributing Muskoka brews in Western NY.
2015
2016:
Shinnicked Stout is born! Our first full time stout, showcasing a great local partnership with Muskoka Roastery.
2016
2016:
We reach 100 full-time employees, and announce Muskoka Brewery will be the first Canadian brewery to adopt a Living Wage for all staff.
2016
2016:
We partner with Evergreen and donate more than $40,000 to water conservation projects across Ontario.
2017
2017:
Gary leaves Muskoka Brewery to pursue new endeavors, and passes the torch to Todd Lewin, former VP Sales and Marketing, and current President of Muskoka Brewery. Together, Todd and Bob MacDonald are leading Muskoka Brewery to an exciting future.
2017
2017:
We’ve added Craft Lager and Detour 6x355mL packs to our lineup; Proud to be the first brewery in Canada using the CanCollar™
2018
2018:
Continuing on our spirits journey, we released our second Muskoka Spirits product: Meet Docker! A playfully refreshing and peacefully light gin & tonic.
TODAY
Today, we are constantly looking forward to support innovation and leadership within the industry. We are now sold in most provinces across Canada and are looking to widen our reach even more. We strive to lead the beer industry and freshness, and educate consumers on the importance of quality beer. We have taken steps through the years to reduce our environmental impact through sustainable packaging and continue to look for new innovations in this field. Programs like our Moonlight Kettle Series support brewery education and allow us to explore new styles and market trends.
We seek to better ourselves, to better serve you!
We are Muskoka Brewery. We are here to make our mark in beer and spirits. To make a difference in our communities. Proudly crafting iconic Canadian experiences, one glass at a time.
