History buff? Well read on friend...HISTORY

It all started back in 1898 when entrepreneur Abraham Kingdon opened the doors to the original Lake of the Woods Brewing Company in downtown Kenora. The brewery closed for a period during prohibition but was soon re-opened by Stanley Drewery in 1927. Unable to compete with the emergence of large national breweries, the original brewery closed its doors in 1954.

June 29th, 2013 marked the opening of Kenora’s first brewery in 59 years. Local, fresh, handcrafted beer returned. Proud of Kenora’s brewing heritage, Lake of the Woods Brewing Company uses the same simple ingredients used by the brewers of the past… fresh, Canadian Shield water, malt, yeast and hops. That’s it. We encourage you to pay us a visit and experience craft beer at its finest.

The prohibition of alcohol in Canada arose in various stages, from local municipal bans in the late 19th century, to provincial bans in the early 20th century, and national prohibition (a temporary wartime measure) from 1918 to 1920. Re-opening in 1921, the brewery couldn’t compete with the emerging breweries and had to close its doors.

When the City of Kenora issued an RFP (2009) to the public to find a good use for the building, Taras and Audrey Manzie had an idea for the space. Serial entrepreneurs, the Manzie’s experience in the restaurant industry (Southview Inn & Bistro & Nourish) ignited the idea of a micro-brewery and taproom. After developing a concept and business plan, the Manzies submitted an RFP and won. The rest they say is history… Lake of the Woods Brewing Company was born.

Working with local architect David Nelson and local contractor, Jarnel Contracting, the old firehall was brought back to her original glory with a complete renovation. Everything had to be redone… wiring, plumbing, hvac, structural repairs… all while maintaining the buildings Ontario Heritage status. Retrofitting an operating brewery to fit within the walls of the fire hall was a challenge to say the least. Finally, after almost three years of renovations and brewery installation, the brewery and taproom opened in late July, 2013.

Lake of the Woods Brewing Company has brewed upwards of 100 different beer styles since opening and many of those beers were inspired by local ingredients from wild rice to blueberries to spruce tips. Brewing on the shores of Lake of the Woods, we have always aspired to one-day bring our beer to all those that touch on the shores of this amazingly beautiful body of water. So, in 2019/2020 we did just that, opening a brewery in Warroad Minnesota on the southern shores of Lake of the Woods and another brewery in Winnipeg (Manitoba also touches the shores of the lake and draws its city water from it.)