Sleeman's Cream Ale: A Favorite, Not So Hard To Find Beer... In Canada.Jul 29 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Spirits and Beers
The Bottom Line I've always been a sucker for a good story with a happy ending. Although the Sleeman Breweries story seems to be just getting started.
Sleeman's Cream Ale, "a lighter, livelier beer", brewed with fresh spring water and family recipes dating back 150 years. It's delivered in a distinctive clear glass bottle, embossed with the family's historic logo. If Molson's and Labatt's are two of the best known breweries in Canada, with origins dating back to the 1700's and 1800's respectively, Sleeman Breweries Ltd., is one of Canada's best kept secrets in the American market. Which is really a pity, since, until you've sampled a Sleeman's Cream Ale, you might be fooled into thinking that a Bud is a real beer. John H. Sleeman had been brewing beer in Guelph, Ontario, since his arrival from England in 1834. He turned it into a commercial enterprise, as The Sleeman Brewing and Malting Company, in 1851 and that is when Sleeman's was born. Although Sleeman's Cream Ale wasn't to be formulated until 1898. 151 Years after John H. Sleeman's arrival in Canada, John Sleeman is still winning awards for his family beer recipes and for his management style. John Sleeman is of course, not the original John, but, the great, great grandson of the founding brewmaster. There's an excellent story within the history of this extremely successful brewery and I've always been a sucker for a good story with a happy ending. It seems that John H. Sleeman's son George did a pretty good job of running his father's brewery through the latter part of the 1800's and even had to build a second brewery in Guelph to meet the growing demand. In the early 1900's George's son George A. Sleeman and his brothers were helping with the distribution of their family brews throughout Ontario and Quebec. Relief Efforts To Dry Americans During Prohibition Didn't Pay Off. As with most of the Canadian brewers and distillers during prohibition in the United States, George A. and his brothers couldn't resist the lure of a very illegal but, rewarding demand for their products south of the Canadian border. Detroit is, after all, only a short drive from their brewing operations in Guelph. Unfortunately, George A. and his brothers were caught in the act of their relief efforts, delivering Sleeman Cream Ale to the thirsty throngs of parched Americans who were still placing their orders. The cost of the taxes they were required to pay for their entrepreneurial spirits, forced them to close down their operations in 1933. The Resurrection Of A Family Tradition I suppose that should have been the end of the Sleeman Brewing and Malting Company story and it's fine ales would have been a footnote in a few local history books. However, in 1984, 51 years after they had closed their doors, and exactly 150 years after John H. Sleeman's arrival in Canada, John W. Sleeman, his great, great grandson, was given George's original brewery recipe book. John W. seems to have had no doubts about what he was going to do with the family recipe book. Especially since the fresh spring water from Guelph's deep wells was still running pure and waiting for John to turn it into something better. In 1985 John W. re-incorporated the Sleeman Brewing and Malting Company Limited and by August of 1988 Sleeman Cream Ale was once again flowing, using the very same recipes and techniques that his great, great grandfather had devised and his great grandfather had recorded for him. John even purchased special small batch brewing vessels from Europe, in order to simulate, as closely as possible, the equipment used by his ancestors. It isn't surprising that this tried and true, premium ale, re-introduced to the public a short 14 years ago, quickly re-established itself with the beer loving public. When you pop the cap on a bottle of Cream Ale, you will find the number 64 stamped on the inside. It signifies page 64 of his great grandfather, George's leather bound, recipe book for Sleeman's Cream Ale. Growth and Recognition Within three years (1991) Sleeman's had captured 1% of the Ontario beer market and Sleeman Cream Ale had won the Gold medal at the International Monde Selection in Belgium, while their Silver Creek Lager won the prestigious Grand Gold medal at the same event. The Sleeman Original Dark went on to win the Grand Gold in Belgium in 1994 and Sleeman Premium Light took the Grand Gold the following year. The magnitude of Sleeman's product growth, recognition and success, in such a short period of time, is unprecedented. It also speaks volumes about the quality of their products and the success that a well managed company can achieve, when they remain true to their roots and focused on their core business. When I finally managed to snag a case of Cream Ale for myself, a few years after it's inaugural release, it was considered liquid gold, the yuppy beer of choice and the only beer to serve or to order when you were trying to impress someone. The nice thing about Sleeman's Cream Ale, is that its appeal was not and is not all based on marketing hype. It really is a good smooth tasting, livelier, cream ale. INTERMISSION: A gorilla walks into a bar, pulls up a stool, and orders a beer. The bartender pours him a tall, froth mug and says "That'll be five bucks." As the gorilla is paying for his beer, the bartender adds "You know... we don't get many gorillas in here." To which the gorilla replies, "At five bucks a beer, it's no wonder..." Meeting Mr. John W. Sleeman: As for the present day John W. Sleeman, he has stayed true to his heritage, closely following the recipes handed down to him, as well as, the processes that make them special. On a personal note, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. John Sleeman about four years ago. At the time of our meeting I was aware that his relatively young company of 10 years had flourished, Sleeman Breweries Ltd. was reporting annual production at about 400,000 hectolitres (120 million bottles), up from 220,000 hectolitres the year before. The company had just gone public in 1996 and was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol, "ALE". Under his guidance, the company had introduced their Silver Creek Lager, Original Dark, Premium Light, Honey Brown Lager and they were just gearing up to introduce Canada's first authentic steam beer, conveniently named, Sleeman's Steam Beer. I found John Sleeman to be an engaging, enthusiastic, and energetic man with a terrific sense of humour and yet soft spoken. He has a vision for his company and he's working towards that vision methodically. I suppose I had expected to meet a guy who fit the business tycoon image that the newspaper articles often conjured up about him. However, my impression was one of a man who was thoroughly enjoying himself, simply recreating the company and doing what his great, great, grandfather and his heirs had done. John Sleeman is very accessible to the public, preferring to personally deliver radio and other media advertisements. His advertisements come across as honest, straightforward and sincere, which I believe reflects the man behind the company. While he and his brewery can walk with the kings of the brewing industry, he has retained the common touch. It's easy to see why his company has also won a number of awards for their management style over the years. Today, you can find the Sleeman brands throughout most of North America, however in Canada, you would be hard pressed to find a pub or a licensed dining room that doesn't stock Sleeman's Cream Ale and other Sleeman products either in bottles or on tap. The Honey Brown is a special treat with a twist of lemon, but that's another story. I know I've written complimentary reviews on Labatt's Blue and Molson Canadian, which are both fine beers for certain events. As I've said, I like a cold Molson's Canadian when I watch a hockey game, I enjoy a cold Labatt's Blue when I am watching a ball game and Sleeman's Cream Ale, is my beer of choice, when I'm treating friends and family to one of my culinary delights from the barbecue, on a warm summer evening. Everything has it's place in the world. So go ahead and treat yourself to a Sleeman's Cream Ale, and if you haven't already destroyed your taste buds with too many "Buds", you'll be writing to thank me for this advice. Like I said above, I've always been a sucker for a good story with a happy ending. Although the Sleeman Breweries story seems to be just getting started. Take care, and drink responsibly. Regards, Gasman  |
| Read all comments (8)|Write your own comment |
- Top 200|
Ads by Google
|
