LUCKY LAGER OF CANADA

"Lucky Lager" was the flagship brand of the General Brewing Company of San Francisco, which was established in 1934. The brand was introduced into British Columbia thanks to Robert Fiddes and his group of investors.

In May of 1928, Robert Fiddes & Associates established Coast Breweries, Ltd. as a holding company to manage the assets of four independent brewing companies; the Rainier Brewing Co. of Canada Ltd., Silver Springs Brewery Ltd., Westminster Brewery Ltd., and Victoria Phoenix Brewing Co. Ltd.  This consolidation made Coast Breweries the largest brewing entity in the Province, controling approximately 50% of the B.C. market.

In early 1933, with U.S. Prohibition soon to be repealed, Fiddes traveled to Seattle, Wash. seeking to enter the U.S. market with the purchase of a brewery there. He made a tentitive agreement to purchase and re-equip the old Bay View brewery which had been converted to a feed mill. While this deal didn't materalize, Fiddes found another opportunity in Vancouver, Wash. where he managed to secure a major interest in the Star Brewery.

He then ventured to California where he closed another deal. This time he co-founded the General Brewing Corporation which was preparing to construct the Lucky Lager brewery in San Francisco.

The plant was completed in early March of '34, allowing brewing to commence, and after three months of aging (or lagering), the first draught (draft) beer was ready for consumption. As co-owner of the brand, Coast Breweries started brewing its own "Lucky Lager" in July and introduced it in British Columbia six months later, on 8 Dec. 1934.

The product was an immediate success and soon became the best selling bottled beer in British Columbia.

In November of '35, Coast Breweries, Ltd. received approval from Ottawa of a plan for capital distribution to shareholders. The plan would be effected through the formation of a holding company, Capital Estates, Inc. The new company would hold the assets of the Star Brewery Co. of Vancouver, WA, as well as the General Brewing Corp. of San Francisco. This would then allow Coast Breweries' investors to receive share for share in Capital Estates.

 

Coast Breweries renamed its New Westminster brewery, the Lucky Lager Brewing Co. Ltd. in 1950.

Coast Breweries president Robert Fiddies died in April 1954, and the board voted in October to change the company name to Lucky Lager Breweries (1954) Ltd. The New Westminster brewery then operated as Lucky Lager Brewing Co. (NW) Ltd., and the Victoria brewery as Lucky Lager Brewing Co. (Victoria) Ltd.

Labatt's bought the parent company in June 1958 and renamed it Lucky Lager Breweries Ltd. Labatt operated in BC under the Lucky Lager Breweries Ltd. name until 1967, when it changed its name to Labatt Breweries of British Columbia Limited, operating the two breweries as the Lucky Lager Division for a few years.

Coast Breweries' alliance with Lucky Lager ended in 1971 when Labatt sold Lucky Lager Breweries to General Brewing of Calif. Ownership of the brand has changed hands numerous times, but Lucky Lager is still available in Canada.

 

Article by Gary Flynn

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Special thanks to Doug Randall for the image of his Lucky Lager / Coast Breweries beer tray.

 

 

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