Beer in 1890's Canada

I'm straying a bit off-theme today. I usually limit myself to Europe. If I didn't, things would get just too crazy. But I couldn't resist these analyses of beer on sale in Canada.

Why were these analyses made? To check for adulteration. The book covers a variety of other products such as milk and butter. The beer came out very well. Only one of the 76 samples showed signs of adulteration. The other foods had a much poorer showing.

Anyway, here are the numbers.

Bottled beers analysed in Canada in the 1890's
Year	Brewer	country	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1897	A. Keith & Son, Nova Scotia Brewery	Canada	Keith's Ale	Ale	1052	1005	6.12	90.33%
1897	A. Keith & Son, Nova Scotia Brewery	Canada	XXX Porter	Porter	1062	1009.1	6.97	85.39%
1897	Beauport Brewery, P.Q.	Canada	Beer	Lager?	1061	1008	6.95	86.89%
1897	Blackwood Bros., Winnipeg	Canada	Porter	Porter	1065	1010.4	7.15	84.00%
1897	Blackwood Bros., Winnipeg	Canada	Ale	Ale	1061	1008.4	6.89	86.23%
1897	Boswell Bros., Quebec	Canada	Porter	Porter	1059	1010.6	6.34	82.06%
1897	Boswell Bros., Quebec	Canada	Ale	Ale	1056	1006.2	6.51	88.91%
1897	Carling, London, Ontario	Canada	Pale Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	1053	1010.5	5.59	80.34%
1897	Copland Brewing Co., Toronto	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1060	1012.4	6.18	79.26%
1897	Copland Brewing Co., Toronto	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1059	1007	6.78	88.07%
1897	Copland Brewing Co., Toronto	Canada	Extra Stout	Stout	1060	1006	7.12	90.03%
1897	Cosgrave & Co., Toronto	Canada	Porter	Porter	1054	1010.1	5.74	81.33%
1897	Coté & Lanyot, Quebec	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1060	1008.5	6.77	85.88%
1897	Dawes & Co., Lachine, P.Q.	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1057	1002.1	7.27	96.34%
1897	Dawes & Co., Lachine, P.Q.	Canada	Pale Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	1045	1014.5	3.95	67.78%
1897	Dawes & Co., Lachine, P.Q.	Canada	Best Stout	Stout	1062	1013.3	6.33	78.48%
1897	Devlin & Steel, Stratford	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1058	1017.6	5.17	69.39%
1897	E.L. Dewry, Winnipeg	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1043	1010.8	4.11	74.59%
1897	E.L. Dewry, Winnipeg	Canada	Porter	Porter	1066	1014.2	6.79	78.55%
1897	Eaton Bros., Owen Sound	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1055	1006	6.47	89.17%
1897	Eaton Bros., Owen Sound	Canada	XXX Porter	Porter	1049	1011.8	4.89	76.11%
1897	Ecker	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1048	1012.9	4.50	72.90%
1897	Geo Sleeman, Guelph, Ont.	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1049	1015.3	4.35	68.71%
1897	Geo Sleeman, Guelph, Ont.	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1052	1006.8	5.88	86.87%
1897	Geo Sleeman, Guelph, Ont.	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1044	1014.3	3.84	67.50%
1897	Geo Sleeman, Guelph, Ont.	Canada	Sparkling Ale	Ale	1053	1010.9	5.45	79.32%
1897	Grant Lottridge Brewing Co., Hamilton, Ontario	Canada	Dublin Stout XX Porter	Stout	1057	1006.9	6.56	87.89%
1897	H.A. Ekers, Montreal	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1042	1014.7	3.50	64.83%
1897	H.F. Brading, Ottawa	Canada	Brown Stout	Stout	1066	1010.1	7.38	84.79%
1897	Halifax Brewing Co. Ltd.	Canada	Light Ale	Ale	1058	1002.5	7.28	95.67%
1897	Halifax Brewing Co. Ltd.	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1048	1008.6	5.17	82.19%
1897	Halifax Brewing Co. Ltd.	Canada	XX Porter	Porter	1064	1010.3	7.03	83.91%
1897	J. McCarthy, Sons & Co., Prescott, Ontario	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1061	1009.5	6.78	84.50%
1897	J. Ready, Fairville, N.B.	Canada	Ale	Ale	1060	1006.8	6.91	88.57%
1897	J. Ready, Fairville, N.B.	Canada	Porter	Porter	1066	1019.8	6.03	70.09%
1897	J. Ready, Fairville, N.B.	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1051	1009.8	5.30	80.59%
1897	J.H.R. Molson Bros., Montreal	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1043	1016.3	3.41	61.83%
1897	J.H.R. Molson Bros., Montreal	Canada	Pale Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	1051	1007.4	5.71	85.52%
1897	L. Kuntz, Waterloo, Ontario	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1045	1008.8	4.67	80.31%
1897	Labatt, London, Ontario	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1056	1016.2	5.19	71.17%
1897	Labatt, London, Ontario	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1050	1014	4.64	71.89%
1897	Labatt, London, Ontario	Canada	XXX Porter	Porter	1065	1014	6.62	78.36%
1897	Labatt, London, Ontario	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1051	1008	5.55	84.16%
1897	Labatt, Prescott, Ontario	Canada	Porter	Porter	1053	1006.7	5.99	87.24%
1897	McDonagh & Shea, Winnipeg	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1043	1008.7	4.50	79.91%
1897	McDonagh & Shea, Winnipeg	Canada	Ale	Ale	1029	1001	3.68	96.58%
1897	O'Keefe Brewery Co., Toronto	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1043	1008.8	4.38	79.29%
1897	Ottawa Brewing & Malting Co.	Canada	Sparkling Ale	Ale	1058	1008	6.53	86.18%
1897	Ottawa Brewing & Malting Co.	Canada	XXX Porter	Porter	1061	1014.6	6.07	76.14%
1897	Proteau & Carignan, Quebec	Canada	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1052	1009.5	5.57	81.80%
1897	R. Davies, Dominion Brewery, Toronto	Canada	Export Ale	Ale	1059	1005	7.12	91.55%
1897	Reinhardt & Co., Toronto	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1053	1012	5.30	77.23%
1897	Reinhardt & Co., Toronto	Canada	Lager Beer	Lager	1050	1014.4	4.56	70.97%
1897	S. Jones, St. John, N.B.	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1056	1007.8	6.36	86.17%
1897	S. Jones, St. John, N.B.	Canada	Brown Stout	Stout	1057	1019	4.85	66.37%
1897	Toronto Brewing & Malting Co.	Canada	Amber Ale	Amber Ale	1058	1004	7.13	93.13%
1897	Toronto Brewing & Malting Co.	Canada	Extra Stout	Stout	1064	1011	6.96	82.87%
1897	W. Dow & Co., Montreal	Canada	India Pale Ale	IPA	1066	1008	7.67	87.95%
1897	W. Dow & Co., Montreal	Canada	Porter	Porter	1074	1014.9	7.71	79.81%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Guinness's Stout	Stout	1072	1013.3	7.66	81.48%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Stout	Stout	1070	1015.8	7.02	77.30%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Extra Stout	Stout	1071	1014.7	7.35	79.27%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Extra Stout	Stout	1067	1014	6.87	78.98%
1897	Guinness, Dublin	Ireland	Extra Stout	Stout	1068	1014.7	6.90	78.22%
1897	Bass & Co., Burton	UK	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1060	1004.1	7.41	93.21%
1897	Bass & Co., Burton	UK	Ale	Ale	1054	1007.1	6.16	86.90%
1897	Bass & Co., Burton	UK	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1063	1005.6	7.52	91.08%
1897	Bass & Co., Burton	UK	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1059	1005.4	7.03	90.83%
1897	Pabst Brewing Co, New York	USA	Pabst Lager	Lager	1053	1013	5.17	75.38%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1049	1016.1	4.28	67.28%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1051	1014.3	4.81	72.18%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1056	1014	5.42	74.87%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1050	1011.4	4.95	76.97%
1897	Pabst, Milwaukee, Wis.	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1050	1014.2	4.63	71.54%
1897	Schliz Brewing Co., Milwaukee (says "Achliz" in the original)	USA	Lager Beer	Lager	1048	1016.9	4.02	64.79%
Source:
"Report, returns and statistics of the inland revenues of the Dominion of Canada", By Canada. Dept. of Inland Revenue, 1898, pages 34-49

You've doubtless noticed the interesting combination of beers Canadian brewers were making: Ale, IPA, Porter, Stout and Lager Beer. One beer, an Ale brewed by McDonagh & Shea of Winnipeg, has a shockingly low OG of just under 1030. That's very unusual for this period.

The end of the table does have a few relevant entries: beers from Bass, Guinness and McEwan. I was taken aback to see samples of Guinness below 1070. I thought it was always 1074.

So many Pabst entries was a shock. I hadn't expected it to have been so widely available in Canada so early. Life's full of surprises.