Steelback is Dead

[Duct Tape]

According to Josh Rubin, the plant has been closed and the equipment is being sold off. It looks like the saga of Frank D and the Steelback Brewery may finally be at an end. If you're a rater you'd better get out quick if you are missing any of the current 5 Steelback Brews.

Last call for Steelback: Report
February 04, 2010
Josh Rubin
http://www.thestar.com/business/article ... ack-report

The long, strange saga of Steelback Brewery has apparently come to an end.

An online report says the brewery founded in 2002 by colourful but controversial businessman Frank D'Angelo has shut its doors for good, and several industry sources say some of its equipment is already being put up for sale.

Owner Jonathon Sherman, who took over in 2008, did not return calls and emails seeking comment Wednesday.

Calls to several other numbers at the brewery in Tiverton, 150 kilometres northwest of Toronto, were not returned.

A blog report posted Friday said employees were informed of the shutdown last Thursday.

A brewery source confirmed that the equipment is being sold off, and said: "We're winding down."

Steelback's demise won't have a great effect on the Ontario beer market, experts say.

While it had the capacity to brew roughly 70,000 hectolitres of beer a year, none of its brands was among the top sellers at The Beer Store or the LCBO.

Sherman took control of Steelback in May 2008, six months after the company was given court protection from its creditors.

Among the creditors was Wasanda Enterprises Inc., owned by pharmaceutical magnate Barry Sherman, Jonathon's father.

Wasanda was owed more than $100 million by Steelback and D'Angelo Brands, a juice and sports drink company, according to court documents.

While D'Angelo stayed on at first after the bankruptcy, he left the company in June 2008.

Sherman brought in industry veteran Ian MacDonald as president and cut down Steelback's brands to five from 11. He also tried to reposition Steelback as a craft brewery, focusing on quality beer rather than the flashy prime-time ad campaigns that were a hallmark of D'Angelo's time at the company.

Despite those efforts, Steelback did not sell enough beer for its shutdown to have an impact on the market, according to Michael Krestell, managing director of equity research at M Partners.

"They were in the early stages of relaunching their brands, and they didn't have enough time to build up any significant market share," said Krestell.

MacDonald parted ways with the company last summer, shortly after Steelback cut its staff from 15 down to a skeleton crew of four.

At its peak, Steelback had roughly 40 employees.

John Hay, president of Ontario Craft Brewers, said the Steelback closing should not be taken as a sign that craft brewers are in trouble generally.

"This is a growing, healthy industry, but there will always be some companies that for whatever reason, just don't succeed," said Hay.,

He added that the craft beer industry in Ontario generates roughly $100 million in sales per year and employs about 600 people.

[SteelbackGuy]

I don't know why I didn't post this a couple months ago when I found out. Thanks for posting it in any event. I doubt any of us will miss them.

[Bobsy]

I don't know why I didn't post this a couple months ago when I found out. Thanks for posting it in any event. I doubt any of us will miss them.

After reading the thread title I thought you were dead. Now I have a floral display that reads 'Len' - what the hell am I going to do with that?

[SteelbackGuy]

I don't know why I didn't post this a couple months ago when I found out. Thanks for posting it in any event. I doubt any of us will miss them.

After reading the thread title I thought you were dead. Now I have a floral display that reads 'Len' - what the hell am I going to do with that?

Eric likes flowers. Give them to him.

[Duct Tape]

I don't know why I didn't post this a couple months ago when I found out. Thanks for posting it in any event. I doubt any of us will miss them.

After reading the thread title I thought you were dead. Now I have a floral display that reads 'Len' - what the hell am I going to do with that?

Send it to Len and let him know you care, its a shame we wait for people to pass before we send them flowers anymore.

And Len, i agree, i never did have any of the re-constituted Steelback, i'm not sure i ever even saw it for sale anywhere, so i know i at least won't miss it.

[SteelbackGuy]

I don't know why I didn't post this a couple months ago when I found out. Thanks for posting it in any event. I doubt any of us will miss them.

After reading the thread title I thought you were dead. Now I have a floral display that reads 'Len' - what the hell am I going to do with that?

Send it to Len and let him know you care, its a shame we wait for people to pass before we send them flowers anymore.

And Len, i agree, i never did have any of the re-constituted Steelback, i'm not sure i ever even saw it for sale anywhere, so i know i at least won't miss it.

There's no doubt that the quality of the beers had improved. Heck, I'd order the dark lager if I saw it on tap. And the red maple was quite good too, but the article says it all, they just couldn't recover.

[matt7215]

After reading the thread title I thought you were dead. Now I have a floral display that reads 'Len' - what the hell am I going to do with that?

Send it to Len and let him know you care, its a shame we wait for people to pass before we send them flowers anymore.

And Len, i agree, i never did have any of the re-constituted Steelback, i'm not sure i ever even saw it for sale anywhere, so i know i at least won't miss it.

There's no doubt that the quality of the beers had improved. Heck, I'd order the dark lager if I saw it on tap. And the red maple was quite good too, but the article says it all, they just couldn't recover.

i totally agree about the new product, the light was quite drinkable last summer. and there is no way that anyone could have recovered using the steelback name, keeping it was a huge mistake (as others have previously said).

so now the question is, who buys the equipment?

[Tapsucker]

Damn! The were just about to roll out he mythical West Coast Destroyer Quadruple IPA that all the hopheads said could never be brewed in Ontario!

[Belgian]

I don't know why I didn't post this a couple months ago when I found out. Thanks for posting it in any event. I doubt any of us will miss them.

After reading the thread title I thought you were dead. Now I have a floral display that reads 'Len' - what the hell am I going to do with that?

You could encourage Len to drink the stuff! Shame to waste a nice funerary bouquet...

[matt7215]

Damn! The were just about to roll out he mythical West Coast Destroyer Quadruple IPA that all the hopheads said could never be brewed in Ontario!

Steelback - Trafalger Colaboration

West Coast Destroyer Quadruple IPA

4.9%
21 IBU

[Belgian]

No chance. Everyone knows Trafalgar would be better at making Flemish Red Ales.

[Bobbyok]

Damn! The were just about to roll out he mythical West Coast Destroyer Quadruple IPA that all the hopheads said could never be brewed in Ontario!

Steelback - Trafalger Colaboration

West Coast Destroyer Quadruple IPA

4.9%
21 IBU

Nah, that's more like a Steelback Keith's collaboration. Trafalgar would throw a ton of honey in or blend it with their mead and it would be an 18% alcohol bomb. Still 21 IBUs though.

[lister]

No chance. Everyone knows Trafalgar would be better at making Flemish Red Ales.

By accident, not on purpose. Based on history, I suspect an intentionally made Flemish ale would turn out to be a sugar bomb somehow.

[Belgian]

No chance. Everyone knows Trafalgar would be better at making Flemish Red Ales.

By accident, not on purpose. Based on history, I suspect an intentionally made Flemish ale would turn out to be a sugar bomb somehow.

I swear the one they put in the Discovery pack last year was Petrus Oud Bruin, but with a more volcanic attitude. Someone shopping in the store even told me 'I bought that, one of those beers was just foul!' and I would hardly need to guess...

As amazing as a SteelFalgar collaboration sounds, this is a Steelback RIP thread... let's pay our respects.

[Ale's What Cures Ya]

Took long enough. It won't be missed.

Let's have a moment of remembrance whilst enjoying one of the greatest musical creations of mankind: