THE OFFICIAL FAUX CRAFT BEER?

As I have done many times since 1987, when Creemore Springs Brewery opened, I went to this year’s Copper Kettle Festival. Creemore Springs has long been the commercial engine of the village of Creemore, Ontario. Although the festival is centred on the brewery, it involves the whole Creemore area. Like the village, the festival has gentrified slowly and nicely over time.

Molson Coors Canada acquired Creemore Springs in 2005. From all outward appearances, it has let the Creemore Springs be the independent craft brewery it started out as^[1].

But this year’s festival had a distinctly more corporate feel to it. This was most evident when Creemore Springs representatives made announcements to the gathering around the live band stage. Of particular interest was the statement that,

The ‘Toronto Brewmaster’ comment is interesting in combination with the ‘official craft beer’ one. Could Molson Coors be planning to brew the official (high volume) craft beer in their Carlingview (Etobicoke, ON) brewery?

There is some history that supports this speculation. Molson Coors acquired Vancouver’s Granville Island Brewery in 2010/2011. By 2015, most Granville Island beer was being produced at Molson’s Burrard Street brewery, while the original Granville Island site became a taproom/brewpub concentrating on one-offs and small and/or seasonal releases. The brewery continues to call itself a craft brewery. Molson Coors does so as well, though often in a historical context.

Admittedly, there may be a simpler explanation—Kevin Clarke, the ‘Toronto Brewmaster’, was Creemore Springs Brewmaster for 10 years until 2025. There may have been a personal reason for him to be there, rather than a nefarious corporate one.

Does authenticity even matter?

We’ve talked about craft beer authenticity and Creemore Springs brand previously in Marketing Wilderness: CRAFT & AUTHENTICITY. This post leads us to conclude that if my recollection and interpretation of what was announced at this year’s Copper Kettle Festival is accurate, Creemore Springs should no longer be considered a craft beer. Just like its sister brand, Granville Island. And Steam Whistle can still call itself craft, even with its Evans Avenue (Etobicoke) facility given that the company brews only one original beer.

The contractual issue

The contracts for pouring rights and brand sponsorships at this level are complex, long term and shrouded in secrecy. A-B InBev currently holds those contracts with Rogers Communications, 100% owner of the Rogers Centre and the Toronto Blue Jays. Mill Street Brewery, now owned by A-B InBev and brewed at Labatt’s London Ontario facility, is the current faux craft beer available at Rogers Centre—in the form of a proprietary, co-branded ‘Mill Street Blue Wave’ brew. Significant brand capital expenditures were made at the venue as recently as 2024. One would assume that official faux caft beer status would only happen if the pouring rights at Rogers Centre moved to Molson Coors, which would be much bigger news than any of this.

Final thought

If what was said at Copper Kettle Festival is true, what a shame it would be. Molson Coors had 20 years to premiumise Creemore Springs. Instead, they’ve been on the long, slow, slippery path to commoditise it instead. This would be the final stage in that process.

1. An exception might be the 2019 ‘rebranding’ of Creemore that cause surprising customer backlash and ended up being an unsupported repackaging—meaning Molson Coors did not communicate the benefits of fire/flame brewing in any significant way.
2. I’m paraphrasing from memory and I did have a Creemore Pilsner under my belt at this point, so this isn’t an exact quote. The two individuals who spoke briefly after the announcer were Cory Jarvis and Kevin Clarke. Cory is Brewing Team Leader, Creemore Springs Brewery. Kevin is Brewmaster for Molson Coors, Toronto and was Creemore Springs Brewmaster from 2015 to 2025.