Peller Brewing Company
(1947)
Much of what you see to your left as you travel down Burlington Street East is reclaimed land that was filled in during the last century from marshland and numerous inlets to meet the needs of 20th-century industrial expansion.
In 1947, Andrew Peller opened his new brewery just west of an inlet that extended almost all the way up to Barton Street East. Part of his “modern, streamlined” factory was covered by metal siding.
Peller’s employees were not allowed to take home free beer. He specified that they were entitled to six free bottles per day, to be consumed at work. In 1954, Brading Breweries took over the site. Through the 1960s, parts of the plant were used as a warehouse and gas station. In 1973, Henniger-Brau of Germany began brewing here. In 1981, Amstel Breweries of Holland took a turn. Amstel produced such memorable local brews as Hamilton Mountain and Steeler.
Between 1992 and 2010, the Hamilton-based Lakeport Brewing Corporation took over operation of the plant. In 2015, the factory was in the process of again being converted for use as a brewery and performance space.