Archive record · Brewery
Columbia Brewery (Kokanee)
Creston, British Columbia, Canada
Also known as Kokanee, Columbia Brewery
- Founded
- 1959
- Archive ID
- TB-5G4V2NAP
- Last checked
- 2026-10-12
Who owns this brewery?
At the top of the chain: Anheuser-Busch InBev. Every step is shown below.
- Columbia Brewery (Kokanee)This brewery
- Labatt Breweries of CanadaSubsidiary
- AmbevSubsidiary
- Anheuser-Busch InBevConglomerate
From the record
Summary
Home of Kokanee. Columbia Brewing Company formed in 1959 when four BC-interior breweries (Fernie, Nelson, Trail and Cranbrook) amalgamated at Creston; the site's heritage is traced to the Fort Steele Brewery of 1898. Kokanee launched with the new company and stayed a BC-interior beer for its first decade under provincial liquor rules. Labatt bought Columbia in 1974; by 1986 Kokanee held roughly 30% of the BC market. A 2012 investment added Budweiser production for the Labatt network; the bottling line closed in 2017 with bottling moved to Edmonton, while a canning line kept Creston brewing in cans and kegs. Brews the Kokanee family and other Labatt/AB InBev brands.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
The Secret 'Squatch: the hidden Sasquatch wasn't there on day one. In the early '90s, as market share slipped, a marketer noticed drinkers loved hunting the 'hidden rabbits' on Molson Old Style — so the design team tucked a tiny Sasquatch into the mountain art. The controversy: the modern label's mountain isn't even in the Kootenays — it's a Whistler backcountry cliff ~700 km from the glacier the beer is named after.
The founding thesisFour Kootenay-area breweries (Fernie, Nelson, Trail, Cranbrook) pooled resources as 'Interior Breweries' and built a central plant in Creston for access to pure Kootenay River watershed water.
Ownership & corporate history
- Acquired by Labatt Brewing Company Ltd.1974
Open questionRecorded, not yet proven. It stays open until a source settles it.
What the sources say
Federal/corporate evidence documents acquisition and current Labatt operation. PASS 07I: the evidence was already in the archive and had never been linked to the event it proves.
- Owned by AB InBevDate unknown
Open questionRecorded, not yet proven. It stays open until a source settles it.
What the sources say
Labatt is within AB InBev group; current site investment appears in AB InBev reporting.
Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1959Kokanee born
Kokanee Glacier Pilsner introduced to the BC interior market.
- 1974Labatt acquires
Labatt buys Columbia Brewery, scaling Kokanee from regional favorite to national brand.
- 1986Peak
The WestCan 'Kokanee Ranger' & Sasquatch ads drive a ~30% BC market share peak.
- 1996'B.C. or B.S.?'
Labatt brews Kokanee in Ontario to cut shipping; Molson attacks with the 'B.C. or B.S.?' campaign.
- 2001Home again
All Kokanee production moved back exclusively to Creston to keep it authentic.
- 1959Built by Interior Brewing
Interior Brewing Co., formed by the 1957 merger of the Cranbrook, Fernie, Nelson and Trail breweries, built the Creston plant in 1959. SFU dates the Columbia Brewing Co. name and Labatt's purchase to 1972; other sources give 1974.
The People
Behind the beer
From TV commercials to a hidden label Easter egg that moves depending on the region and packaging.
The Beer Library
Beers
Kokanee Original
Year-RoundNorth American Pale Lager
Clean, smooth, lightly hopped.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Kokanee Gold
Year-RoundAmber Lager
Fuller-bodied with a hint of caramel.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Kootenay True Ale
Year-RoundAle
Localized ale produced at the Creston facility.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Kokanee
Year-RoundPale Lager
Brewed by the Columbia Brewery in Creston, BC, and named for the landlocked sockeye salmon native to the province's interior lakes. Long before the Sasquatch became its full-blown ad mascot, western Canadian drinkers already swapped stories about the creature turning up around the label and the mountains it was brewed under.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Travel Guide
Plan a visit
- Seasonal guided tours (mid-May–mid-Oct)
- Official Kokanee Beer Gear Store
Follow the money
How it changed hands
1 recorded move- 1959Founded
Four Kootenay-area breweries (Fernie, Nelson, Trail, Cranbrook) pooled resources as 'Interior Breweries' and built a central plant in Creston for access to pure Kootenay River watershed water.
- 1974Labatt acquires
Labatt buys Columbia Brewery, scaling Kokanee from regional favorite to national brand.
Today the chain tops out at Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
Columbia Brewery (Kokanee) is controlled by Founder / family.
Anheuser-Busch InBev — SEC filing · U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · 2026-02
PrimaryHigh reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-05Claim last checked 2026-08-05
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Columbia Brewery (Kokanee)
- Who owns Columbia Brewery (Kokanee)?
- Columbia Brewery (Kokanee) is owned by Labatt Breweries of Canada. Labatt Breweries of Canada is part of Anheuser-Busch InBev, through Ambev, within the group. Columbia Brewery (Kokanee) is based in Creston, Canada.
- Is Columbia Brewery (Kokanee) still independent?
- No. Columbia Brewery (Kokanee) is owned by Labatt Breweries of Canada, ultimately Anheuser-Busch InBev, and is no longer independent.
- When was Columbia Brewery (Kokanee) acquired?
- 1974. Labatt buys Columbia Brewery, scaling Kokanee from regional favorite to national brand.
- When was Columbia Brewery (Kokanee) founded?
- Columbia Brewery (Kokanee) was founded in 1959 in Creston, Canada.
Drinking Columbia Brewery (Kokanee)? Stamp it in your passport.
Discover it here — collect it in the Passport. Track every beer, earn stamps, and build your own beer passport.
Every brewery deserves its full story told.
If you're the owner or team behind Columbia Brewery (Kokanee), we'll build out your complete profile — history, the people, every beer — and feature you in a Tally's documentary. No cost, just your story.
No payment affects this record — editorial policy