What Last Best Brewing & Distilling does

Last Best Brewing & Distilling is a privately held craft brewery and distillery founded in May 2015 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The company operates a vertically integrated hospitality and production business from a single location at 607 11th Ave SW, Calgary, combining a restaurant serving Alberta-inspired cuisine, a taproom, offsales, and an on-site distillery equipped with a custom-designed 500L copper still used for small-batch spirit production. The product portfolio spans craft beer brewed on-site, three signature batch-distilled gins (Afterglow, First Love, and Fortunella) launched in 2020, and ready-to-drink canned cocktails (Gin-arita and Tom Collins). Gin distillation uses a proprietary process combining 12-24 hour steeping/maceration with simultaneous botanical distillation and vapour infusion in the copper still; all gins are distilled dry with no sugar added and bottled at 43-57% ABV.

The company's revenue model is multi-stream and predominantly direct-to-consumer: on-site restaurant and taproom sales, brewery offsales for takeaway, retail distribution through Alberta liquor stores (with a gin finder tool on the website), food delivery through DoorDash, Skip The Dishes, and Uber Eats, and branded merchandise through an in-store and online (Inksoft) channel. Distribution is geographically concentrated in Western Canada, primarily Alberta. Marketing relies on organic social (X, Facebook, Instagram), an email VIP club ('Last Bestie'), and food delivery platform listings.

Last Best has accumulated significant spirits awards including multiple Best in Canada titles and Gold medals at the World Gin Awards (2021-2024) and Double Gold and Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2022-2023), establishing product credibility in a competitive category. The company is part of an informal 'family of breweries' alongside Jasper Brewing Co., Banff Ave Brewing Co., Campio Brewing Co., and The Maligne Range. No external funding, parent company, or institutional investors are disclosed; co-founder Brett Ireland is identified in available leadership data, with no other executive team listed.

Name

Last Best Brewing & Distilling

Legal name

Last Best Brewing

Website

https://lastbestbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Last Best Brewing & Distilling is a Calgary-based craft brewery and distillery operating a restaurant, taproom, and on-site distillery that produces award-winning small-batch gins, craft beer, and canned cocktails for local consumers and Alberta retail distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery and Distillery

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC), Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Craft spirits distilling
• Ready-to-drink cocktails
• Brewpub restaurant
• Branded merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food Service: Restaurant and food service revenue from dine-in customers. Alberta-inspired cuisine served during operating hours. Takeout and delivery available through third-party platforms.
2. Beer and Spirits On-site Sales: Taproom and restaurant sales of craft beer and spirits directly to consumers. Offsales available for takeaway purchases.
3. Offsales/Retail Distribution: Beer and spirits sold at local liquor stores. Gin products distributed through retail network identified via gin finder tool.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online store and in-store merchandise sales including branded apparel and goods.
5. Canned Cocktails: Ready-to-drink canned cocktails (Gin-arita, Tom Collins) using award-winning gin, sold through retail distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Last Best Brewing & Distilling operates a craft brewery and distillery in Calgary that produces craft beer, three signature batch-distilled gins (First Love, Afterglow, Fortunella), and ready-to-drink canned cocktails (Gin-arita, Tom Collins). The company also runs an on-site restaurant serving Alberta-inspired cuisine, offers brewery offsales, distributes through Alberta liquor stores, and sells branded merchandise through an online store.

Product overview

Last Best Brewing & Distilling is a craft brewery and distillery in Calgary, Alberta, offering a portfolio of batch-distilled gins under the Last Best Distilling brand (First Love, Afterglow, Fortunella) and canned cocktails (Gin-arita, Tom Collins), alongside craft beers. The company operates a restaurant serving Alberta-inspired cuisine and sells merchandise through an online store. All gins are distilled dry (no sugar added) in small batches using a custom 500L copper still, with botanicals sourced globally and processed through steeping/maceration and vapour infusion methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• First Love Gin Batch-distilled London Dry gin with high juniper presence and punchy, floral personality. Botanicals include juniper, coriander, sweet orange, green cardamom, licorice root, angelica, lavender, sage, and lemon. Multiple award winner including Gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2022, 2023) and Best in Canada at World Gin Awards (2024).
• Afterglow Gin Batch-distilled contemporary gin with low juniper presence and fresh, lively personality. Botanicals include juniper, Thai basil, lemon verbena, lemon, bitter orange, green cardamom, long pepper, angelica, and wild cherry bark. Multiple award winner including Double Gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2022, 2023) and Best in Canada at World Gin Awards (2023, 2024).
• Fortunella Gin Classic gin with medium juniper presence and classic, juicy personality. Botanicals include juniper, coriander, angelica, licorice, orris, and bitter and sweet orange. Award winner including Silver medals at San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2022, 2023) and World Gin Awards (2023, 2024).
• Gin-arita (Canned Cocktail) Canned ready-to-drink cocktail using award-winning Afterglow gin with real lime, Thai basil, lemon verbena notes, and a hint of salt. Distributed through retail channels.
• Tom Collins (Canned Cocktail) Canned Tom Collins cocktail using award-winning First Love gin, featuring soft floral notes with classic lemonade flavor. Distributed through retail channels and awarded Gold at the 2021 Alberta Beer Awards in Seltzer and Ready-To-Drink Category.
• Last Best Craft Beer Craft beers brewed at the Calgary brewpub location, served at the on-site taproom and restaurant, and available for offsales and retail distribution through local Alberta liquor stores.
• Brewpub Restaurant Service On-site restaurant serving Alberta-inspired cuisine with a kids menu, highchairs, and changing tables. Open Sun 11:30am-10pm, Mon-Thu 11:30am to late, Fri-Sat 11:30am to late. Kids welcome until 10pm. Takeout and delivery available via DoorDash, Skip The Dishes, and Uber Eats.

Quantifiable outcome

• Afterglow Gin won Double Gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022 and 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partner allowing customers to order Last Best food for delivery through the DoorDash platform.
• Skip The DishesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partner enabling food delivery orders from Last Best Brewing & Distilling.
• Uber EatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partner for Last Best food delivery orders in Calgary.
• Jasper Brewing Co.minorOthersSister company/part of family of breweries - listed as part of the 'Meet the family' section on website alongside Last Best.
• Banff Ave Brewing Co.minorOthersSister company/part of family of breweries - listed as part of the 'Meet the family' section on website alongside Last Best.
• Campio Brewing Co.minorOthersSister company/part of family of breweries - listed as part of the 'Meet the family' section on website alongside Last Best.
• The Maligne RangeminorOthersRelated brand/part of family of breweries - listed as part of the 'Meet the family' section on website alongside Last Best.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. Western Canadian craft brewery and distillery with beer, spirits, and a hospitality component at similar independent craft scale. Comparable on combined brewery/distillery production, retail distribution, and taproom operations across the Canadian craft beverage category.
• Eau Claire Distillery: Calgary-based craft distillery producing small-batch spirits including award-winning gin, operating a tasting room and competing directly with Last Best for on-premise placements, retail shelf space, and Alberta consumer mind-share in the craft gin category.
• Banff Ave Brewing Co. Sister-brand Alberta craft brewery and pub located in Banff with the same brewpub + family-of-brands structure as Last Best. Operates an essentially identical go-to-market model (brewery + restaurant + retail) for the Alberta consumer base.
• Tool Shed Brewing Company: Calgary-based independent craft brewery at a comparable size with taproom and packaged retail distribution in Alberta. Provides a same-city, same-tier craft beer reference point against which Last Best's beer performance can be benchmarked.
• Sherbrooke Distillery: Alberta craft distillery producing small-batch gin and other spirits with direct distribution through Alberta liquor stores. Competes head-to-head with Last Best Distilling for shelf placement, bar program listings, and craft spirit consumer share in the same home market.
• Jasper Brewing Co. Sister-company Alberta brewpub operating a similar brewery + restaurant + taproom model under a shared family of brands, headquartered in Jasper. Directly comparable on business model, distribution footprint, and customer mix (tourist + local diners) in the same province.
• Campio Brewing Co. Edmonton-based sister brewery within the same family of Alberta craft beverage brands, operating a comparable brewpub/restaurant model with shared brand identity and management. Provides a directly comparable Alberta craft beer venue with similar scale.

Emerging players

• Bridgeland Distillery: Calgary-based craft distillery producing gin and other small-batch spirits for local on-premise and retail channels. A more niche emerging player whose product overlap (small-batch gin) is partial but in the same Calgary/Alberta craft spirit orbit.

Broad incumbents

• Big Rock Brewery: Largest Alberta-headquartered craft brewer with packaged beer distribution, hospitality venues, and significantly broader scale. Serves as the benchmark incumbent for craft beer retail penetration in Alberta and competes for similar retail and on-premise channels.
• Wild Rose Brewery: Calgary-based established craft brewery with packaged beer, taproom, and restaurant operations in Alberta. A broader-scale Calgary craft incumbent whose taproom, retail, and distribution footprint overlap directly with Last Best's beer business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lastbestbrew
• Facebookfacebook.com/lastbestbrew
• Instagraminstagram.com/lastbestbrew

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Last Best Brewing & Distilling