Cosgrave Brewery (West Toronto Brewery)

The brewery of the Cosgrave who spent a year in partnership with O'Keefe in 1861, run by his son from 1878, Taylor's from 1934, merged with Dominion's production in 1936 and stripped of its own name in 1945. closedYear 1945 is the end of the Cosgrave identity; the plant went on as O'Keefe's West Brewery for an unknown span. Brands named in a forum post: India Pale Ale, Extra Stout, Lager Beer. Confidence C. Created INTERNAL 2026-09-24; not promoted. RELATED 2026-09-24: the plant Cosgrave's operated from 1910 or 1917 at Anderson and Simcoe is toronto-brewing-and-malting-co, later Canada Bud.

A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.

1. 1857
   Patrick Cosgrave begins at Pucky Huddle

   "In 1857, together with partner John Moss, Patrick established Cosgrave Brewery at Pucky Huddle, and specialized in a strong Irish porter"; "A few years later Patrick moved his brewery to nearby Toronto and purchased the West Toronto Brewery" — the founding year of the Toronto plant itself is UNKNOWN; 1857 is the enterprise's. The plant is 293 Niagara Street, south of Queen.

2. 1861
   A year with O'Keefe

   The same Patrick Cosgrave joined Eugene O'Keefe and George Macaulay Hawke to buy the Victoria Brewery in 1861: "Within a year Cosgrave left, but O'Keefe and Hawke continued in association as O'Keefe and Company." Later partners at Cosgrave's included Charles Sproatt, Eugene O'Keefe and Robert Elmsley.

3. 1878
   Cosgrave & Sons

   "In 1878 Lawrence Joseph Cosgrave took over management of the company, by then known as Cosgrave & Sons Ltd."; his brother John a partner too.

4. 1917
   Cosgrave Brewery of Toronto Ltd.

   "In 1917, the brewery was purchased by Cosgrave Brewery of Toronto Ltd., a family-run business operating on Niagara St. just south of Queen."

5. 1934
   Taylor takes control

   "Taylor made an unsolicited takeover offer to the Cosgrave Brewery and threatened a potential price war." Shares from 1933; "By the end of 1934, it had a controlling share of 80%." Heritage Mississauga dates the merger with Dominion to 1934; the Canadian Breweries and Dominion accounts to 1936. Both kept.

6. 1936
   Cosgrave's-Dominion

   "In 1936, Taylor moved production of Davies' beer to the Cosgrave Brewery" — Dominion's — and the plant traded as Cosgrave's Dominion. In January 1940 "the business of Toronto's Reinhardt Brewery Co. was acquired as a going concern by Cosgrave's-Dominion Brewery Ltd".

7. 1945
   The Cosgrave name ends

   "All Cosgrave brands were dropped in 1945" and the Niagara Street plant became O'Keefe's West Brewery — "first known as the West Toronto brewery but most famously known as Cosgrave's, Cosgrave's Export and Cosgrave's Dominion". When the plant itself stopped brewing, and what stands at 293 Niagara Street: UNKNOWN.