Alexander Keith's
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Alexander Keith's is a Canadian brewery founded in 1820 in Halifax, Nova Scotia making it one of the oldest commercial breweries in all of North America. It was founded by Alexander Keith who emigrated from Scotland in 1817. Today, the brewery is under the control of Labatt, a subsidiary of Inbev, formerly Interbrew. The brewery also produces Oland beers, distributed in Eastern Canada. To this date there is only a single brewery making the eponymous beer.
When ordering in Canada, one simply asks for a Keith's.
Keith's brewery produces Keith's India Pale Ale, Keith's Red, and Keith's Light. Keith's most popular and most widely distributed beer is its India Pale Ale. Keith's IPA has received some international acclaim, and its popularity outside Canada is growing. However, many beer aficionados are quick to note that Keith's version of an IPA lacks most of the qualities usually associated with the style: the alcohol percentage is too low (5% ABV vs. the expected 5.5% to 6.5%), as is the level of bittering hops (less than 20 IBU vs. the expected 40-100). It also lacks the fruitiness and heavier body found in most ales.
Alexander Keith's career as a politician, and the brewery's and Nova Scotia's Scottish heritage are used to market the beer. In 2002, the mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Peter Kelly, included an invitation to visit Halifax in each case of beer.
