Moosehead Breweries

Name

Moosehead Breweries

Legal name

Moosehead Breweries Limited

Website

https://moosehead.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Alcoholic beverage production
• Contract brewing services
• Brewery experience services
• Branded merchandise retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint John

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales (Direct to Consumer & Retail): Moosehead generates primary revenue from brewing and selling its portfolio of beer brands (Moosehead Canadian Lager, Light, Radler, Cracked Canoe, Alpine Lager, James Ready, Small Batch) through retail liquor stores across all Canadian provinces and territories, and through its on-site Taproom.
2. Contract Brewing & Packaging Services: Moosehead offers end-to-end contract brewing and packaging services to third-party brands, with over 20 years of experience. The company brews, sources, packages, warehouses, and distributes products for partners ranging from global brands to regional domestic labels. Capacity: 25 million cases per year.
3. E-Commerce Merchandise Sales: Moosehead operates an online merchandise shop (mooseheadbeershop.ca) selling branded apparel and accessories such as hoodies, t-shirts, bucket hats, and limited-edition crowler caddies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Moosehead Breweries brews, packages, and sells a portfolio of beer brands (Moosehead Canadian Lager, Moosehead Light, Moosehead Radler, Cracked Canoe, Small Batch, Alpine Lager, James Ready) through Canadian provincial liquor boards, private retail, and its own on-site Taproom. It also offers end-to-end contract brewing and packaging services to third-party brands at its 25 million cases-per-year Saint John facility, runs guided brewery tours, and sells branded merchandise and e-gift cards through an online shop.

Product overview

Moosehead Breweries is a Canadian brewery owned by the Oland family since 1867, operating as a portfolio of beer brands and experience/services. The core product portfolio includes Moosehead Canadian Lager (flagship, 5% ABV), Moosehead Light (4% ABV), Moosehead Radler (fruit-infused), Cracked Canoe (100 cal, 3.5% ABV), and Small Batch (limited rotating batches). Sub-brands include Alpine Lager (New Brunswick heritage, 1937) and James Ready (multiple variants including Hard Seltzer). In March 2026, the company launched Space Beer, a limited-edition freeze-dried zero-ABV product. Beyond packaged goods, Moosehead operates a Taproom Experience with 10 rotating taps in Saint John, NB, offers guided brewery tours, provides contract brewing services (25M case capacity, Food Safety certified), and sells branded merchandise through its online shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Moosehead Canadian Lager: Award-winning flagship beer, 5% ABV, available in 355ml and 473ml formats.
• Moosehead Light
• Moosehead Radler
• Cracked Canoe
• Small Batch
• Alpine Lager
• James Ready

Products and services

• Moosehead Canadian Lager The award-winning flagship Moosehead brand, a 5% ABV Canadian lager with IBU 13, available in 355ml and 473ml formats and distributed across all Canadian provinces and territories with international export.
• Moosehead Light A 4% ABV light lager positioned for its crisp, refreshing East Coast character, sold as part of the Moosehead portfolio through Canadian retail.
• Moosehead Radler Award-winning lager infused with natural grapefruit, grape, and lemon juices, offering a refreshing and unique taste profile.
• Cracked Canoe An ultra-premium light lager at 100 calories and 3.5% ABV, positioned for relaxed, low-calorie occasions.
• Small Batch A line of limited-batch beers brewed for Moosehead's biggest fans, featuring rotating seasonal varieties including Irish Red Ale (5.2% ABV), East Coast IPA (5.9% ABV), Session IPA (4.7% ABV), Tmavý Pivo Dark Lager, Mistral Hop IPA (6.0% ABV), and Derek's Single Hop American IPA.
• Alpine Lager A classic European-style lager born and brewed in New Brunswick since 1937, positioned for outdoor lifestyle and authentic connections.
• James Ready A no-nonsense beer brand featuring variants JR 6.0 (high ABV, robust and malty sweet), JR 5.5 (most popular, dry and mildly spicy), and JR 4.0 (easy-drinking with fruity character), plus James Ready Hard Seltzer.
• Space Beer A limited-edition freeze-dried, zero-gravity-friendly, zero-ABV version of Moosehead Canadian Lager developed with Future Food Studio, inspired by a Canadian deep space mission.
• Taproom Experience On-site taproom at 89 Main Street West, Saint John, NB, featuring 10 rotating taps with craft beers and small-batch exclusives, open daily from noon to 10 PM, with monthly Cask Ale Nights.
• Brewery Tours Guided tours of the historic Moosehead Brewery in Saint John, NB, taking visitors through the brewing process from 1867 to present day, scheduled Monday–Friday (summer schedule 2/4/6pm) with reservations via Rezgo.
• Contract Brewing End-to-end contract brewing and packaging services for third-party brands, with 20+ years of experience, 25 million cases per year capacity, Food Safety certified facility, flexible packaging configurations including 30/36/48-unit large packs, and full brewing, sourcing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution services for partners such as Twisted Tea, Truly Hard Seltzer, Sun Cruiser, Angry Orchard, and Samuel Adams.
• Beer Gear Merchandise Premium Moosehead-branded merchandise sold online at mooseheadbeershop.ca via Shopify, including apparel (MH Lager Embroidered Hoodie $79 CAD, Moosehead Vintage Tee $26 CAD), accessories (Moosehead Lager Bucket Hat $35 CAD, MH Limit Edition Crowler Caddy $149 CAD), other brand tees, and E-Gift Cards starting at $10 CAD.

Quantifiable outcome

• Moosehead's brewing facility has the capacity to brew and package 25 million cases per year.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sun CruisercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Sun Cruiser is made with real iced tea and real vodka, positioned as an incredibly refreshing, smooth, and easy drinking beverage. Recently added to Moosehead's partner brand portfolio.
• Future Food StudiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Future Food Studio, led by Dr. Irwin Adam Eydelnant, was the food innovation partner that collaborated with Moosehead to develop Space Beer — a limited-edition freeze-dried, zero-ABV version of Moosehead Canadian Lager, inspired by an upcoming Canadian deep space mission.
• Twisted TeacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTwisted Tea is Canada's #1 hard iced tea. Moosehead distributes Twisted Tea as part of its partner brand portfolio, expanding its non-beer portfolio with a complementary ready-to-drink category.
• Truly Hard SeltzercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTruly Hard Seltzer is a refreshing vodka seltzer with real fruit flavour at 5% ABV, 100 calories, and 1 gram of sugar per serving. Distributed by Moosehead as part of its expanding partner portfolio.
• Angry OrchardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAngry Orchard has been perfecting hard cider craft for nearly 20 years, experimenting with apple varieties from around the world to develop complex cider recipes with body and mouthfeel.
• Samuel AdamscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSamuel Adams is a flagship American craft beer brand that helped birth the US craft beer revolution over 30 years ago. Distributed by Moosehead in Canada, representing a prestigious addition to its partner portfolio.
• Saint John EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaint John Energy partnered with Moosehead to install an Electric Vehicle Charging Station on-site at the Moosehead Taproom location in Saint John, NB, supporting sustainability and enhancing the visitor experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Direct peers

• Molson Coors Canada: One of Canada's two dominant national brewers, with comparable coast-to-coast distribution through provincial liquor boards and a similar multi-brand portfolio strategy. Direct head-to-head competitor for shelf space and consumer occasions across lager and mainstream beer segments.
• Labatt Brewing Company: Canada's other national-scale brewer (owned by AB InBev), competing in the same retail channels with overlapping brand portfolios including Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois. Most direct comparable in scale and distribution footprint.
• Sleeman Breweries: Was the last major Canadian family-owned brewery prior to its acquisition by Sapporo. Closely comparable business model: heritage Canadian brand portfolio, contract brewing for third parties, and national distribution — making it a structural and historical analog to Moosehead's independent positioning.
• Waterloo Brewing (Brick Brewing): Ontario-based regional brewer with a similar mix of owned mainstream brands (Laker) and contract brewing services for major partner brands. Comparable in scale and in its dual model of proprietary + contract production.

Broad incumbents

• Anheuser-Busch InBev: Global brewing conglomerate and parent of Labatt; the dominant multinational Moosehead competes against. Relevant as the parent of the largest direct competitor and as the structural counterweight to Moosehead's Canadian-ownership positioning.
• Sapporo Breweries: Owner of Sleeman Breweries and a multi-brand global brewer. Relevant as an example of a multinational that has used M&A to enter the Canadian market — the structural threat Moosehead faces of being acquired by a global player.
• Boston Beer Company: Operator of Samuel Adams and Truly Hard Seltzer — both distributed and contract-brewed by Moosehead in Canada. Highly relevant as a peer in craft-to-mainstream portfolio strategy and in seltzer/RTD diversification, and as a key Moosehead customer.

Regional players

• Creemore Springs: Ontario-based craft/heritage brewery (Molson Coors subsidiary) competing in similar premium and craft occasions with brewery taproom experiences. Comparable in heritage-brand positioning and on-site consumer engagement model.

Emerging players

• Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. Victoria, BC-based craft brewer with a rotating taproom and small-batch focus that mirrors Moosehead's Small Batch program. Relevant peer in the craft/innovation segment where Moosehead competes for on-premise and craft-curious drinkers.
• Steam Whistle Brewing: Toronto-based craft brewer with a flagship pilsner, brewery-taproom, and tour experience model that parallels Moosehead's Saint John taproom and tour operation. Comparable in craft positioning and experiential consumer engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/moosehead
• Xx.com/mooseheadlager
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mooseheadbreweries

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Moosehead Breweries