Archive record · Brewery
Excelsior / Anglo-Canadian / Fairall Brewery lineage
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Also known as Excelsior Brewery, Anglo-Canadian Brewing Co., Fairall's Brewery, Fairall Brothers Brewery and Soda Water Works
- Founded
- 1894
- Closed
- 1908
- Archive ID
- TB-VAXRM7SA
- Last checked
- Not yet checked
Who owns this brewery?
The archive is still digging. That is a gap in the research, not a finding of independence.
Know who owns it? Tell us, and we will correct the record.
From the record
Summary
SFU continuity row traces Excelsior 1894-97 → Anglo-Canadian 1898-1900 → Fairall 1900-05 → Fairall Brothers 1905-08. A separate Fairall's Brewery entity also existed 1895-97 and remains a future lineage question.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
Four names in fourteen years: Excelsior from 1894, Anglo-Canadian from 1898, Fairall from 1900, Fairall Brothers from 1905, finished in 1908. SFU traces the whole thing as one continuity row and the archive keeps it that way. There is also a separate Fairall's Brewery recorded from 1895 to 1897, overlapping the first two names — whether it belongs to this lineage or is a different business is an open question, and it is filed as one rather than quietly resolved.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1894Excelsior Brewery
The lineage begins.
- 1898Anglo-Canadian
Second name in four years.
- 1900Fairall
The name that stuck longest.
- 1905Fairall Brothers
Final name of the lineage.
- 1908Closed
Fourteen years, four names. A separate Fairall's Brewery of 1895–97 remains unresolved.
Show your working
Sources
- recordProbable
Brewery record taken from Tally's British Columbia master, Pass 57, which cited https://www.sfu.ca/archives/archives-program/research/bc-beer-history-archive/bc-beer-history-archive-resources/timeline-pre-prohibition.html for this entry. The cited page has not been opened by the archive.
Tally's British Columbia master, Pass 57 (research workbook) · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026
CommercialMedium reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-19Claim last checked 2026-08-19 - historyProbable
Lineage dates from SFU's BC Beer History Archive as recorded in BC Pass 57: 1894, 1898, 1900, 1905, 1908.
Tally's British Columbia master, Pass 57 (research workbook) · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026
CommercialMedium reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-19Claim last checked 2026-08-19
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 Excelsior / Anglo-Canadian / Fairall Brewery lineage
- Is Excelsior / Anglo-Canadian / Fairall Brewery lineage still open?
- No. Excelsior / Anglo-Canadian / Fairall Brewery lineage has closed (1908). SFU continuity row traces Excelsior 1894-97 → Anglo-Canadian 1898-1900 → Fairall 1900-05 → Fairall Brothers 1905-08. A separate Fairall's Brewery entity also existed 1895-97 and remains a future lineage question.
- When was Excelsior / Anglo-Canadian / Fairall Brewery lineage founded?
- Excelsior / Anglo-Canadian / Fairall Brewery lineage was founded in 1894 in Victoria, Canada.
Drinking Excelsior / Anglo-Canadian / Fairall Brewery lineage? 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 Excelsior / Anglo-Canadian / Fairall Brewery lineage, 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