Popular Canadian beer company announces major shift

A popular Canadian beer company has announced a big change.

Moosehead Breweries said in a statement Tuesday that it will soon no longer be selling its beer in bottles.

“When I started my career at Moosehead 32 years ago, 90 per cent of the beer being sold in Canada was in bottles. Today, consumer preference has shifted,” Moosehead president and CEO Andrew Oland said.

The company said that today, seven per cent of beer in Canada is sold in bottles, with 85 per cent sold in cans — an increase from 65 per cent five years ago.

“This decision to move away from bottles hasn’t been taken lightly — after all, the Moosehead green bottle has been an iconic symbol of our brewery for generations,” Oland said.

Moosehead also noted that cans require less material and energy to produce and transport.

The company said they also protect better against light and oxygen, which can degrade quality.

“The shift will also allow Moosehead to deepen their investment in the brewery’s canning capabilities in the coming years,” the statement said.

As part of the change, Moosehead is holding a contest called “The Last Bottle.” The winner will travel to Moosehead Breweries to watch the last-ever bottle run, get a tour, and take home that final bottle right off the line.

The contest closes on Oct. 27.

The final Moosehead bottles will be produced in December. They will remain in stores into early 2026 in limited quantities.

International shipments of bottles has already stopped, with them having ended this summer.

The Oland family has led Moosehead since 1867.

 

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