Great Lakes Brewery (Toronto)

Great Lakes Brewery is a craft beer brewery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2013 and 2014, Great Lakes won the top honour in Canadian brewing, named Canadian Brewery of the Year.

Great Lakes Brewery was started in 1987 in an industrial unit in Brampton by Bruce Cornish and four other silent partners, the group produced two beers, an ale and a lager, using malt extract, a far cry from all grain used by craft breweries throughout North America. The beer was packaged in 1 litre plastic home brew bottles with a focus on the home retailer. After four years of production, Cornish and the silent partners had run out of capital to keep the brewery functioning. A construction magnate in Etobicoke by the name Peter Bulut Sr. had been introduced to Cornish through respective business deals and plans were underway to sell the brewery to him. Bulut Sr. purchased the business in 1990, made the change from malt extract brewing to all grain and in the early months of 1991 moved the brewery to its current home at 30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd just off the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) where Cornish continued on as head brewer for a short time.

In 2009, with the health of Peter Bulut Sr. in decline, his children, Peter Bulut Jr. and his sister Anetta Jewell, took on more responsibility of the day-to-day operations. They, along with the brewing team, introduced new brands and marketing initiatives that led to increased sales through the LCBO, bars and restaurants. The brewing team experimented with flavours, named their beers weird and wacky names, and to showcase their creations with monthly Project X nights (no longer taking place). Bulut Sr. died in 2010, leaving the brewery to his family. Bulut Jr. took over the brewery, operating as President and Chief Brewing Officer.

The brewery currently employs approximately 40 people. For three years in a row (2014, 2015, 2016) Great Lakes Brewery has been named the "Best Brewery in Ontario" at the Golden Tap Awards as voted on by the citizens of Ontario.