Great Western Brewing Company Celebrates Founders’ Legacy With New Premium Brew

Original 16 Canadian Pale Ale honours employees who saved the regional brewer from wrecking ball more than 20 years ago. This week, to celebrate the commitment, dedication, and determination of its original sixteen founders, Great Western Brewing Company will unveil its new premium beer brand, Original 16. The new brew, which will arrive on shelves on March 20, is a crisp, refreshing Canadian Pale Ale.

More than twenty years ago, the brewery’s previous owner (one of the big national  brewers) had slated the city-block-sized facility in downtown Saskatoon for closure. Sixteen employees decided they weren’t going to let that happen. With determination, commitment, passion, and the personal risk that came with taking on such a large-scale facility, they saved the brewery. It was renamed Great Western Brewing Company, and began producing high quality beer. Original 16’s March 20 launch date is timed to celebrate the anniversary of when the first bottle of Great Western beer came off the production line.

“In 1990, we were striving to keep a great Western Canadian brewing tradition alive. All sixteen of us embarked on a single-minded journey to make the highest quality beer available, right here in Western Canada,” said Don Ebelher, one of the original Great Western Brewing Company founders and current Director of Operations. “Original 16 Canadian Pale Ale celebrates that legacy and honours the spirit of the company’s founding.”

Original 16 is made with 100 per cent two-row prairie barley (widely considered to be the best in the world) and produced via a double-aging process through which the beer is matured for seven days, then chilled to minus 1.5 Celsius and held for a 24 day (minimum) cold-aging period. The beer then undergoes final filtration at this temperature to ensure maximum clarity.

“The result is a perfectly-balanced, exceptionally smooth-tasting Canadian Pale Ale with a delicate citrus hop flavour and fruity aroma,” said Viv Jones, Brewmaster, Great Western Brewing Company. “This pale ale is refreshing and highly drinkable and will leave a sparkle on your tongue.”

“Listening to our customers has always been a cornerstone of our success, and we heard loud and clear that there was a demand for premium beer that is truly Western Canadian,” said Michael Micovcin, CEO, Great Western Brewing Company. “Great Western Brewing Company is proud of the way Original 16 Canadian Pale Ale honours our brewery’s founders by staying true to our Western Canadian roots."

Original 16’s premium packaging is silver and white with gold accents. The beer is available in four-pack 473 ml cans, six-pack 341 ml bottles, twenty-four 341 ml bottles, and draught.

Original 16 Canadian Pale Ale will be available from March 20 at liquor stores, in select privately-owned cold beer and wine retailers, and in select re   restaurants, pubs, and lounges in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Original 16 Canadian Pale Ale will be priced in the domestic premium category.