Molson Will Sell a Variety Pack (for Charity!) Full of Canadian Craft Beer
Photos via Molson Canadian
Emerging in the wake of yesterday’s Canada Day celebrations is the fact that one of Canada’s largest macro brewers will be doing something surprisingly generous for the smaller guys, in the name of Canadian patriotism. Molson has created a new mixed variety pack that will contain only a single Molson Canadian lager. The rest? Canadian craft beers from a wide range of breweries in each of the country’s provinces, with each variety pack potentially being completely different.
The concept was originally born out of a planned promotion for the now-canceled Olympic Games, but after they were pushed back, the folks at Molson (acquired by Coors in 2005) decided to refocus the concept on Canadian beer itself, while also evoking the brand’s popular “I am Canadian” ads that ran from 1994-2005. The new cases of beer will indeed contain a single Molson Canadian lager, but the vast majority of attention will be on craft breweries that choose to participate from each region. Forbes reports, for instance, that the Ontario case included beer from breweries such as Creemore Springs, Hockley Valley Brewing, Lake of the Woods Brewing Co., Something in the Water Brewery, Radical Road Brewing Co. and Equals Brewing Co. Even another Ontario pack, however, would likely include beer from different breweries—or different beer selections from the same breweries.
“We wanted to do something in community and culture that really unites Canada,” said Joy Ghosh, marketing director at Molson. “Even though we’re more connected now with technology, people are more distanced socially than ever before. We’re proud of the great beers we have here. We’re the oldest brewer, not only in Canada but in North America, so we thought it was our duty to support.”