Archive record · Brewery
Granville Island Brewing
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Founded
- 1984
- Archive ID
- TB-K7NQY7AC
- Last checked
- 2026-08-23
Who owns this brewery?
The direct owner is recorded. No company is held above it.
- Granville Island BrewingThis brewery
- Molson Coors Beverage CompanyConglomerate
Tally Answers Beta
- Who owns this brewery?
- Creemore Springs Breweries Ltd. (since 2009)Verified
From the record
Summary
Canada's first official microbrewery. Acquired by Andrew Peller Ltd and subsequently bought by Molson Coors' Six Pints division. Molson Coors-owned since 2009.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
Read the list and you have read a map of Vancouver: Brockton, English Bay, Kitsilano, Cypress, Spanish Banks, False Creek, Pemberton, the Sunshine Coast. Every beer is a place you can stand in, which is a strong idea and worth knowing was kept intact after Molson bought the brewery in 2009.
Ownership & corporate history
- Acquired by Creemore Springs Breweries Ltd.2009
What the sources say
Resolves held claim HOC-0011 ("Current parent/company owner"). The 2009 acquirer was Creemore Springs, then already a Molson Coors subsidiary — the direct owner, recorded per the direct-owner-vs-ultimate-parent rule.
- Subsidiary of Molson Coors Beverage Company2009
What the sources say
Resolves held claim HOC-0011 ("Current parent/company owner"). Ultimate parent via Creemore Springs, not the direct acquirer. Founded 1984; sold to Andrew Peller Ltd. 1989; Creemore/Molson Coors 2009.
Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1984Canada's first licensed microbrewery
"since 1984 when we first opened" on Granville Island — "It is Canada's first licensed micro-brewery, and introduced as an alternative to the big beer brands of the time"; Island Lager its first beer, brewed to the Reinheitsgebot. Founder Mitch Taylor is not named on the company's page (reported); brewmaster Rainer Kallahne (reported).
- 2005Andrew Peller, then Creemore / Molson Coors
Bought by Andrew Peller Ltd (accounts give 1989 for a first investment and August 2005 for the purchase — both kept), then in October 2009 by Creemore Springs, Molson Coors' craft arm, for an undisclosed sum. Production moved largely to Kelowna (2006); the island site remains the taproom.
- 2009Bought by Creemore Springs
Acquired in 2009 by Creemore Springs, itself a Molson Coors subsidiary since 2005 — so Canada's first official microbrewery ended up owned by a multinational through another craft brewery it had already bought.
The People
Behind the beer
Vancouver's iconic microbrewery under the bridge.
The Beer Library
Beers
English Bay Ale
English-style Ale
Molson Coors describes English Bay Ale as a classic since 1987. (CURRENT) [Canada Pass 102]
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Brockton WCIPA
West Coast IPA
Current Molson Coors Granville Island brand page identifies Brockton WCIPA and hop bill. (CURRENT) [Canada Pass 102]
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Follow the money
How it changed hands
1 recorded move- 1984Founded
- 2009Bought by Creemore Springs
Acquired in 2009 by Creemore Springs, itself a Molson Coors subsidiary since 2005 — so Canada's first official microbrewery ended up owned by a multinational through another craft brewery it had already bought.
Today the chain tops out at Molson Coors Beverage Company.
Show your working
Sources
- beersConfirmed
Granville Island Brewing publishes the beers listed on this page.
Granville Island Brewing — beer lineup · Granville Island Brewing
BreweryHigh reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-07Brewery-statedClaim last checked 2026-08-07
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 Granville Island Brewing
- Who owns Granville Island Brewing?
- Granville Island Brewing is owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company. Granville Island Brewing is based in Vancouver, Canada.
- Is Granville Island Brewing still independent?
- No. Granville Island Brewing is owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company and is no longer independent.
- When was Granville Island Brewing acquired?
- 2009. Acquired in 2009 by Creemore Springs, itself a Molson Coors subsidiary since 2005 — so Canada's first official microbrewery ended up owned by a multinational through another craft brewery it had already bought.
- When was Granville Island Brewing founded?
- Granville Island Brewing was founded in 1984 in Vancouver, Canada.
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