Molson Limited Timeline
Molson Timeline
1786: In a January 18 letter to an English relative, John Molson writes: 'My beer has been universally well-liked beyond my most sanguine expectations'.
1788 : Brewery produces 258 hogsheads of beer (13,932 gallons).
1800: First use of glass bottles.
1821: John Molson is one of a group of private citizens who founded Montreal's first public hospital, Montreal General Hospital.
1844: Of 11,500 gallons of beer sold in May, 3,250 quarts are in glass containers. This signals beginning of change in marketing techniques, which later leads to packaging and branding.
1846: Brewery reaches 100,000 gallon production milestone.
1855: Molson's Bank receives financial institution charter. It later merges (1925) with the Bank of Montreal.
1859: Molson commences direct retail sales and introduces pint bottles.
1886: Brewery celebrates its 100th anniversary and a 175-fold increase in beer volume since founding year.
1900: Electricity replaces steam; refrigeration is introduced (allowing brewing to continue throughout the year for the first time); and packaging methods are modernized.
1907: Brewery reaches production milestone of 1 million gallons in one year.
1945: The company offers up public ownership in the brewery.
1949: First million barrel year (25 million gallons).
1957: Senator Molson and T.H.P. Molson purchase Canadian Arena Company (Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Forum).
1959: The Molson Canadian brand is introduced.
1971: Molson reaches the 100 million gallons production milestone.
1976: Molson becomes principal sponsor of Hockey Night in Canada.
1989: Molson Breweries merges with Carling O'Keefe, becoming Canada's largest brewer and the fifth largest brewer in North America.
2000: Molson enters the South American market by acquiring Bavaria, a leading beer brand in Brazil, formerly owned by Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (AmBev).
2002: With the acquisition of Cervejarias Kaiser, the second leading brewer in Brazil, Molson becomes the 13th largest brewing company in the world. Molson subsequently merges Bavaria, its existing operation in Brazil, with Cervejarias Kaiser and enters into a partnership with Heineken which acquires 20% of the newly formed entity.
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