Brewing in Hamilton; 170 years of suds - When Lakeport Brewery closes next month, it will be the end of a fascinating and, at times, flourishing, brewing industry in Hamilton

IN 1867, the year of Confederation, there were five local brewers, according to Hamilton's city directory:

* Grant's Spring Brewery Co.

* Leopold Ontario Brewers

* Crystal Palace Brewers

* John Bell Brewer

* Hamilton Brewery

Of those, the largest was Grant's.

Proprietor: Peter Grant

Operated: 1842-1932

Location: Bay and Mulberry streets

Brands included: East India Pale Ale and Grant's Dublin Stout

Slogan: "When you hear a man smack his lips and exclaim: 'The best I have ever tasted,' you can be sure it's Grant's Spring Brewery Ale."

The company also claimed its beer would "invigorate and tone up the system much more efficiently than the majority of widely advertised tonics."

Prohibition years

During prohibition in the 1920s, brewing was allowed for the export market. Beer with up to 2 per cent alcohol could be sold domestically but in Hamilton it was said the beer "tasted just like a damn glass of bay water."