Horizon Beers

What Horizon Beers does

Horizon Beers Inc. is a privately held Canadian specialty beer importer and e-commerce facilitator, incorporated in 2021 and headquartered at 822C 10th Street, Canmore, Alberta, with operations concentrated in Ontario. The company sources fine European beers, primarily Belgian Trappist and Abbey ales and German wheat beers, from approximately 18+ international brewery partners including Trappistes Rochefort, Westmalle, St. Bernardus, Orval, Schneider Weisse, Van Steenberge (Gulden Draak/Piraat), Oud Beersel, Lambiek Fabriek, Brasserie de Blaugies, and others, with recent additions extending into UK, Italian, and American producers. Horizon Beers does not directly sell beverage alcohol to consumers; under Ontario's regulated framework, it acts as a third-party facilitator that routes orders and payments to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and LCBO Specialty Services, which serve as the exclusive wholesale and retail channel for all transactions initiated through horizonbeers.com.

The business operates a relatively basic e-commerce website with cookies and standard web analytics tracking; there is no native mobile application, no proprietary technology platform beyond the storefront, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. The underlying fulfillment architecture relies entirely on LCBO infrastructure: general-listings products are delivered to a customer's local LCBO store on a 2-3 week timeline, while limited-quantity specialty and consignment products are delivered either to LCBO retail locations or directly to licensed establishments by Horizon Beers representatives. The product catalog is segmented into LCBO General Listings (regularly available Trappist and abbey staples), LCBO Specialty Listings (rare wild/sour ales, fruited lambics, oak-aged beers), and a Consignment Program exclusive to LCBO Specialty Services.

Horizon Beers monetizes through a 3% service fee applied to all purchases transacted through its website, with payments collected on the site forwarded to LCBO and LCBO Specialty Services on behalf of customers; the company retains neither inventory ownership nor the wholesale margin on the underlying beer in the standard sense. Customer segments bifurcate into Ontario Licensed Establishments (bars and restaurants sourcing specialty beer through the consignment program) and Ontario Home Consumers. Marketing is conducted through the company website, an email newsletter, and organic social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). The company is founder-operated with 11-50 employees, has no disclosed external funding, no subsidiaries, no patents or trademarks, no certifications, and no M&A activity, making it a small, narrowly scoped, channel-dependent specialty beverage business.

Name

Horizon Beers

Legal name

Horizon Beers Inc.

Website

https://horizonbeers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Horizon Beers Inc. is a Canadian specialty beer importer that facilitates Ontario sales of fine European ales, primarily Belgian Trappist and German wheat beers, through the LCBO and LCBO Specialty Services on a 3% transaction-fee model, serving both licensed establishments and home consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Beer Import & Distribution

NAICS

Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Retail (Bottle Shops & Beer Merchants) (CRANABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC), International DTC & Brand.com (Global Shipping) (CRAFAJAB)

Keywords

• Specialty beer import
• Beverage distribution services
• Craft beer wholesale
• Alcohol import facilitation
• Fine beer retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Canmore

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Service Fee: The company operates an e-commerce platform facilitating beer sales through the LCBO. All purchases made through the site are subject to a 3% service fee. Payments collected on the site are used to pay the LCBO and LCBO Specialty Services for goods on behalf of customers.
2. Import Facilitation: Horizon Beers acts as an importer of fine beers, working with brewing partners to bring specialty products into Ontario through LCBO distribution channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Horizon Beers is a Canadian importer of specialty fine beers (primarily Trappist, Belgian, and German) that operates an e-commerce platform facilitating sales through the LCBO and LCBO Specialty Services. The company curates a portfolio of renowned European breweries and offers two main channels: LCBO General Listings for regularly available imports and LCBO Specialty Listings for limited-quantity consignment offerings. A 3% service fee is applied to all transactions, with fulfillment via LCBO store pickup for home consumers and direct delivery by company representatives to licensed establishments.

Product overview

Horizon Beers is an Ontario-based importer and distributor of fine beers operating as a facilitation platform rather than a unified product. The company serves as an intermediary between international breweries and Ontario consumers, utilizing the LCBO and LCBO Specialty Services as the primary retail and fulfillment channels. Their product portfolio consists of three main categories: LCBO General Listings (regularly available imports including Trappist beers from Westmalle, Rochefort, St. Bernardus, and Orval; Belgian ales from Gulden Draak and Piraat; and German wheat beers from Schneider Weisse), LCBO Specialty Listings (limited quantity offerings featuring rare wild/sour ales, fruited lambics, and oak-aged beers from breweries like Oud Beersel and Lambiek Fabriek), and a Consignment Program exclusively available through LCBO Specialty Services. The company partners with approximately 18 Belgian and international breweries including Trappistes Rochefort, Westmalle, Orval, St. Bernardus, Van Steenberge, Oud Beersel, De Achelse Kluis, Schneider Weisse, Cantillon, Lambiek Fabriek, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LCBO General Listings Regularly available specialty beer products distributed through the LCBO retail network, including Trappist beers, Belgian ales, and German wheat beers from partner breweries such as Rochefort, Westmalle, St. Bernardus, Orval, and Schneider Weisse. Available to Ontario home consumers and licensees.
• LCBO Specialty Listings Limited-quantity specialty beer products available exclusively through LCBO Specialty Services, featuring rare and seasonal offerings including wild/sour ales, fruited lambics, and oak-aged beers from breweries such as Oud Beersel, Lambiek Fabriek, and Brasserie de Blaugies. Targeted at Ontario home consumers and licensees seeking hard-to-find products.
• Consignment Program Pre-order and consignment service for specialty beers exclusively available through LCBO Specialty Services, with delivery within a 2-3 week timeline. Enables Ontario licensees and home consumers to source limited-quantity and rare products through pre-orders.
• Westmalle Dubbel Trappist Dubbel (7% ABV, 24x330mL) — a dark, red-brown beer with rich, complex taste, re-fermented in bottle with caramel and sweet malt notes from Westmalle Brewery.
• Orval Trappist Ale (6.9% ABV, 330mL) from Orval Brewery with complex malty palate, fruitiness, earthy herbal peppery bitterness, and pleasant sour wild character.
• Westmalle Tripel Trappist Tripel (9.5% ABV) — complex strong dry ale with bright fruity flavors, nuanced hop aroma, and secondary fermentation lasting 5 weeks.
• St. Bernardus Abt 12 Quadruple (10% ABV) — fruity aroma beer with complex tastes, bittersweet finish, mild rounded taste and perfect balance from St. Bernardus Brewery.
• Rochefort 8 Trappist Brown Ale (9.2% ABV) from Trappistes Rochefort with herbal aromas, slightly sweet taste, milk chocolate character, malty bitterness with cloves and mild acidity.
• Rochefort 10 Trappist Brown Ale (11.3% ABV) — coffee and chocolate aromas, yeasty esters with autumn wood and citrus zest, sweetly sinful with bitter malt backbone.
• Original Weisse Weissbier (5.4% ABV, 500mL) from Schneider Weisse — traditional wheat beer brewed according to original recipe of Georg I. Schneider since 1872.
• Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock (8.2% ABV) from Schneider Weisse — Bavaria's oldest wheat Doppelbock brewed since 1907, dark ruby coloured, hearty and fiery with sweet malty aroma.
• Achel Tripel Abbey Tripel (8% ABV) from Achelse Kluis — mildly sweet and malty palate with fruity touches of pear and banana, balanced by crisp bitterness with gentle hoppy finish.
• Zeven Zonden Invidia Cacao Ale — chocolate, ripe and dried fruits with forest scents, round fused taste, stout bordering on quad with bitterness from roasted malts.
• St. Bernardus Kombine Unfiltered Helles Lager (6% ABV) — full-bodied blond beer with subtle hoppy aroma, clean crisp character, brewed according to German Reinheitsgebot.
• Bersalis Oak Aged Tripel Wild/Sour Tripel (10.5% ABV, 375mL) — complex wild sour ale with 22 months of spontaneous secondary fermentation in oak barrels.
• Monk's Cafe Grand Cru Flemish Red Ale (5.5% ABV) — complex Flemish Sour Ale with perfect balance of tart cherry and sweet malt, refreshing acidity and fruity finish.
• Brasserie Blaugies La Vermontoise Dry-Hopped Saison (6% ABV) — collaboration between Brasserie de Blaugies and Hill Farmstead Brewery, bridging Belgian farmhouse tradition with American hop character.
• Lambiek Fabriek Muscar-Elle Fruited Lambic (8.1% ABV) — unique unfiltered blend of home-brewed lambic with Muscaris grape maceration, aged in oak barrels.
• Baptist Wit Belgian Wit (5% ABV) — Belgian white beer coming soon.
• Achel Singel Abbey Patersbier (5.3% ABV) — abbey session beer from Achelse Kluis coming soon.
• Oud Beersel Oude Vieille Kriek Fruited Lambic — traditional Oude Kriek with immense fresh cherry flavor, made from real cherries and Lambic matured in wooden barrels.
• Schneider Weisse Hopfenweisse Weizen Doppelbock — hoppy, flowery, bitter and full-bodied wheat beer with sweet malty aroma, Schneider style.
• Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille Lambic Geuze (6.5% ABV) — traditional Lambic blend from different years aged on wooden barrels with notable fruity character and hoppy notes.
• Rochefort Triple Trappist Tripel — golden blond colour with lemony notes, spicy hop fragrance, smooth balanced bright flavor.
• SOSAB Flemish Red Flemish Red Ale (5.2% ABV) — aged for 12 months in oak barrels with green apple, redcurrant, caramel notes. World Beer Award winner for sour ales 3 years running.
• Rochefort 6 Trappist Brown Ale (7.5% ABV) — hints of mocha and caramel with herbal scents of cloves and pepper, biscuit and caramel flavors with mild roasted bitterness.
• Gulden Draak 9000 Quadruple from Brouwerij Van Steenberge — rich aromas of spice and malt with hints of dark fruits, deep malt presence, bright fruity accents, warming alcohol, long dry finish.
• Gulden Draak Original Strong Amber Ale — uses wine yeast in secondary fermentation with zesty apple and cherry aromas, caramel, toffee, roast malt and coffee flavors.
• Gulden Draak Imperial Stout Imperial Stout (11.5% ABV) — caramel, toasted malt and Belgian yeast aromas, flavors of plums, dates, raisins with dark malts and bitter cocoa-laced finish.
• Piraat Strong Golden Ale — full array of aromas including green apples, pears, banana, pepper, clove, coriander with floral hop aroma, apricot, peach and bread.
• Monk's Café Flemish Red Ale — Montmorency cherries, warm toasty malt, pronounced underlying sourness, sweet young beer overlaid on aged sour beer.
• Brett-Elle Lambic (7.1% ABV, 12x375mL) from Lambiek Fabriek — Oude Geuze, traditional unfiltered blend of home-brewed lambics from spontaneous fermentation, made with different vintages aged in oak barrels.
• Jart-Elle Fruited Lambic — Oude Kriek, traditional unfiltered blend of home-brewed lambic from spontaneous fermentation, aged in oak barrels with fresh cherry maceration for 6 months.
• Natur-Elle Organic Lambic (6.2% ABV) — Organic Geuze from home-brewed organic lambics with refermentation in bottle, completely organic, pure, unfiltered and not pasteurised.
• Black-Belle Fruited Lambic — unique unfiltered blend of home-brewed lambic aged in oak barrels with black currant maceration.
• Pluri-Elle Fruited Lambic (6.1% ABV) — unfiltered blend of home-brewed lambic aged in oak barrels with fine berry selection including black and red currant, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and wild blueberry.
• Achel Dubbel Abbey Brown Ale from Achelse Kluis — fruity aromas of pear, banana, raisin and plum with caramel, biscuit and fruit touches, fresh carbonation with hints of spice.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LCBOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) is the primary distribution partner for Horizon Beers. The company facilitates sales of beer, wine, and spirits through the LCBO and LCBO Specialty Services. All purchases through the website are processed by the LCBO, with goods available from LCBO warehouses or retail locations. This partnership is essential for regulatory compliance in Ontario's controlled alcohol market.
• LCBO Specialty ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLCBO Specialty Services handles the consignment program for products exclusively available through this channel. This enables Horizon Beers to offer limited-quantity specialty beers to Ontario customers including licensees and home consumers. Products ordered through this service are delivered within 2-3 weeks.
• Trappistes RochefortminorOthersInternational brewing partner whose products are imported and distributed through Horizon Beers and LCBO in Ontario.
• Westmalle BreweryminorOthersTrappist brewery partner importing fine Belgian beers to Ontario through Horizon Beers.
• St. Bernardus BreweryminorOthersBelgian brewery partner whose products including St. Bernardus Abt 12 and other abbey ales are distributed through Horizon Beers.
• Orval BreweryminorOthersTrappist brewery partner supplying specialty Belgian ales to Ontario through the Horizon Beers import network.
• Schneider WeisseminorOthersGerman wheat beer brewery partner whose products including Original Weisse and Aventinus are imported by Horizon Beers.
• Brouwerij Van SteenbergeminorOthersBelgian brewery whose products including Gulden Draak and Piraat are distributed through Horizon Beers in Ontario.
• Oud BeerselminorOthersBelgian lambic brewery partner supplying traditional Oude Kriek, Oude Geuze and other sour ales through Horizon Beers.
• Lambiek FabriekminorOthersBelgian lambic brewery producing specialty fruited lambics including Muscar-Elle, Jart-Elle, and Natur-Elle, distributed through Horizon Beers.
• Brasserie de BlaugiesminorOthersBelgian brewery partner whose La Vermontoise collaboration with Hill Farmstead is imported by Horizon Beers.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• LCBO (Vintages / LCBO Direct): Ontario's government-controlled alcohol retailer and Horizon's primary distribution partner. Both customer and potential substitute — LCBO's own specialty services and e-commerce channels overlap with Horizon's offering.
• The Beer Store: Ontario's primary beer retail channel, partly owned by Labatt, Molson Coors, and Sleeman. Overlaps with Horizon as the dominant physical distribution channel for beer in Ontario but operates at vastly greater scale.
• Craft Beer Market: Multi-location Canadian craft beer bar and retailer with broad import programs. Comparable in specialty beer positioning and Canadian footprint but operates as an on-premise retail chain.
• Drizly: North American alcohol delivery marketplace (now part of Uber). Comparable as an online alcohol delivery platform but operating at much larger scale and across multiple beverage categories.

Regional players

• Kensington Wine Market: Calgary-based specialty wine and beer retailer with a strong import portfolio. Comparable in specialty import curation but operating in Alberta rather than Ontario.
• Bier Markt: Canadian specialty beer bar chain with a Belgian and craft import focus. Comparable in emphasis on imported specialty beer but operates on-premise venues rather than e-commerce.

Direct peers

• Merchant of Wine: Ontario online wine and specialty beverage retailer using a curated import portfolio and e-commerce storefront. Comparable to Horizon in operating an online specialty beverage storefront targeting Ontario consumers.
• Brew Donkey: Ontario-based craft beer delivery service operating a curated e-commerce platform for consumers and licensed establishments. Directly comparable in hybrid B2B/B2C model, niche specialty focus, and Ontario-centric geography.
• WineOnline.ca: Canadian online wine and specialty alcohol retailer offering curated imports with national shipping. Directly comparable in online specialty beverage retail and import-led product mix.

Emerging players

• Indie Alehouse: Toronto craft beer bar and retailer with strong import and limited-release focus. Comparable in specialty beer curation within the Ontario market but operates as a single on-premise venue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Xx.com/HorizonBeersON
• Instagraminstagram.com/horizonbeers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horizon-beers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Horizon Beers