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Beau's and Steam Whistle Form Alliance

Discuss anything and everything about craft brewers from Ontario here.

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Cass
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Beau's and Steam Whistle Form Alliance

Post by Cass »

https://beaus.ca/steam-whistle-beaus/
TORONTO, November 16, 2021 – Steam Whistle Brewing and Beau’s Brewing Co. today announced an alliance that will see the two craft brewing leaders join forces to sell and distribute their pooled portfolios in Ontario. The new partnership is forged on Beau’s and Steam Whistle’s shared histories of brewing all-natural, best quality craft beer, deep-rooted company values, and of course, knowing how to deliver a great craft beer experience.
“We refuse to be slowed by the pandemic-based hospitality industry impacts. This new bold alliance between Steam Whistle and Beau’s gives us resiliency and capacity for growth,” says Beau’s co-founder and CEO, Steve Beauchesne. “Together, Beau’s and Steam Whistle are living the spirit of innovation and collaboration that the craft beer community is known for”.
“Steam Whistle and Beau’s are stronger together,” says Greg Taylor, Co-founder and CEO of Steam Whistle. “Our combined line-up of leading brands is, we believe, the most outstanding craft beer portfolio in the country. There’s a great future of quality craft beer for our beloved fanbase.”
Shared Values, Shared History
Steam Whistle and Beau’s are approaching this sales and distribution partnership with the advantage of shared values that include active employee ownership and a demonstrated commitment to leadership in environmental stewardship. Their common company cultures centred on sustainability have meant they have earned many of the same ecological awards and recognition. The two leading craft brewers share longstanding support of arts-based, charitable and community organizations, touching many great Canadian causes. Steam Whistle and Beau’s have each earned numerous industry accolades for innovation, unique packaging, and beer quality. Both have grown across Canada to share their beer country-wide.
Shared Portfolio for Sales and Distribution
Beau’s mainly-ale and Steam Whistle’s mostly-lager line-ups combined now position the pair to offer customers, together, a diverse and crowd-pleasing portfolio of loved and respected craft beer brands. A joined sales force will represent the duo’s products while Steam Whistle’s distribution team will handle warehousing and delivery to the province’s Licensed Establishments and Beer, Liquor and Grocery stores.
Their portfolio of extraordinary beers headline top-selling flagship products, Steam Whistle Pilsner and Beau’s Lug Tread Lagered Ale, alongside other exciting styles and seasonals:
Steam Whistle Pale Ale, Session Light Lager and Lemon Shandy.
Beau’s new Porter Porter (a dark ale brewed year-round in partnership with Porter Airlines), Beau’s Full Time IPA, Country Vibes Amber Lagered Ale, Good Time Session IPA, Beau’s Radler, Lug Tread 2.5% and Beau’s Local Organic.
Steam Whistle’s partner offerings from industry-leading craft compatriots, Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. and New Belgium Brewing.
“Our unity and strength serve Steam Whistle’s and Beau’s common purpose of offering exceptional beers to our partners and craft beer fans across Canada,” adds Taylor.
Beau’s Brewing Co. is a family-run, employee-owned Canadian brewery. Beau’s brews its award-winning flagship Lug Tread lagered ale, its certified organic & carbon neutral Local Organic ale, and its fine portfolio of other year-round and seasonal beers. As Canada’s very first Certified B-Corporation brewery, Beau’s meets very high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability – learn more at beaus.ca/sustainability. Founded in 2006 by father and son Tim and Steve Beauchesne, Beau’s is located in Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Beau’s has earned more than 125 awards for brewing, packaging design and business practices.
Visit: http://www.beaus.ca
Steam Whistle, known as Canada’s Premium Beer, crafts its products using only four natural ingredients with no additives or preservatives. With its distinctive packaging and celebratory nature, Steam Whistle has become a brand well-loved by Canadians, coast to coast. Steam Whistle brews and nationally distributes its iconic Premium Pilsner, Pale Ale, Session Light Lager, and seasonal Lemon Shandy. It is proud to offer Fat Tire Amber Ale and Voodoo Ranger IPA from American craft beer partner, New Belgium Brewing, and distribute a diverse line-up, including Electric Unicorn, from Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. Steam Whistle is located in the historic Roundhouse near Toronto’s CN Tower.
Visit steamwhistle.ca/

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Tapsucker
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Post by Tapsucker »

In the early days Beau's really worked hard to build their brand awareness, as did Steamwhistle. I'm sure they spent big too. Both really don't come to mind that much anymore, I guess this might be a way for them to economize on building some of that back.

Didn't Steamwhistle do some sort of similar marketing/distribution arrangement with Mill Street for Western Canada at some point?
Brands are for cattle.
Fans are cash cows.
The herd will consume until consumed.


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Craig
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Post by Craig »

Tapsucker wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 4:40 pm In the early days Beau's really worked hard to build their brand awareness, as did Steamwhistle. I'm sure they spent big too. Both really don't come to mind that much anymore, I guess this might be a way for them to economize on building some of that back.

Didn't Steamwhistle do some sort of similar marketing/distribution arrangement with Mill Street for Western Canada at some point?
I don't know if this is so much about brand awareness, as much as it is about logistics. These breweries don't come up for me a ton either, but I don't think we're really their market. I think they want to be on tap at all the Milestone's and Keg's and such of the world.

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Cass
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Post by Cass »

I have to think this is a partnership so they don’t have to compete with each other at the likes of Milestone’s & Kegs. I can imagine scenarios where corporate chains would take one or the other, or in the past replace one with the other. They just seem like very similar offerings in the eyes of a corporate buyer. This way they could focus their attention on having one or the other at every chain resto instead of fighting.

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Cass
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Post by Cass »

Well that settles that. Unsurprising after the news a few months ago.

https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2022/0 ... s-brewing/
TORONTO & VANKLEEK HILL, ON – Less than four months after they announced a partnership that was described as “alliance to sell and distribute their pooled portfolios in Ontario”, Toronto’s Steam Whistle Brewing has purchased all shares of Beau’s Brewing of Vankleek Hill.

The deal was approved earlier today by Beau’s 129 shareholders, with 99.99% of votes in favour of the sale.

Financial details of the purchase are confidential, but it has been confirmed that Steve and Jennifer Beauchesne of Beau’s have been appointed to the new subsidiary’s Board of Directors, where they will be joined by three directors to be named by Steam Whistle. Steve’s father and Beau’s co-founder Tim Beauchesne will be retiring at age 71.

“Succession planning for the brewery has been on the horizon for Beau’s, starting with the Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) we launched in 2016,” said Steve Beauchesne in a statement. “It has taken some time, as it was incredibly important to us to find new ownership that was value-aligned with Beau’s. Merging with Steam Whistle means that Beau’s continues to operate as an independent, Canadian craft brewery, which values quality, community and sustainability.”

“It is with great pride that we are now uniting the #1 and #2 premium, independent craft beer brands in Canada,” added Steam Whistle co-founder and CEO Greg Taylor. “In many cases we are seeing North American craft breweries being acquired by international conglomerates. The merger of Beau’s with Steam Whistle, two like-minded brewery compatriots, ensures all-Canadian ownership and keeps the spirit of craft alive. We see a bright future for our leading brands across Canada, and in the longer term, outside our borders.”

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