Mill Street Announces Major Growth in 2006

Congratulations to Mill Street Brewery who announced this week that they saw a sales increase of 115% in 2006, including a massive 178% growth in sales of their Stock Ale. Read on for the full press release…
Mill Street Brewery taps Ontario beer drinkers for increased sales
Year-end Sales Figures for Toronto-based Microbrewery Exceed Expectations; Numbers Demonstrate Consumer Appreciation for Premium Brews
TORONTO, March 13 /CNW/ – Mill St. Brewery, a leading Toronto-based microbrewery, today announced a year over year overall sales increase of 115% for the year ending December 2006. Mill St. has seen annual sales increases of 100% or better since the company’s founding in 2002, and it anticipates even greater levels of success in 2007, with the increased capacity of its new production facility in Scarborough.

“Once again we find ourselves in a growth position with only production capacity limiting sales opportunity,” says Michael Duggan, President, Mill St. Brewery. “As has been the case since we opened, every ounce of fresh, batch-crafted, flavour-forward beer that we brew, bottle and distribute has been swallowed by Ontario consumers. With the opening in late 2006 of our new brew facility and the enhanced production capacity it will allow for, we expect to see another dramatic increase in year over year sales”
The new brewing facility will allow Mill St. to grow annual production capacity to 5,000,000 litres (50,000 HL), further establishing the brand as the fastest growing batch-crafted beer in the LCBO system.
Mill St.’s popularity with beer drinkers is due in large part to the consumer’s appetite for the company’s meticulous batch-craft brew process and their range of refreshing, award-winning products.
Year over year comparisons across Mill St.’s four individual brands shows impressive growth. Comparisons between 2005 and 2006 sales figures demonstrate a 117% increase in the sales of Tankhouse Ale; 111% increase in Organic Lager sales; and an 83% growth in sales of the company’s Coffee Porter. The most significant improvement was shown in the sales of Mill Street’s Stock Ale, which showed a year over year growth of 178%.
Michael Duggan believes that these figures demonstrate that beers which appeal to beer drinkers “do not have to be mass marketed, mass produced products created by faceless global conglomerates. Instead, as our growth pattern demonstrates, honest premium beer made for beer lovers- by beer lovers- will find success in the market”
About Mill St. Brewery
Mill St. Brewery (www.millstreetbrewery.com) is East Toronto’s first commercial brewery to open in more than 100 years, producing handcrafted beers and ales in the historic Corktown area of the city.
Officially opened in December 2002, the brewery is housed in an original tankhouse within the historic Gooderham & Worts Distillery complex, now known as the Historic Distillery District. In the Fall of 2006 a $900,000 renovation of the original Mill St. Brewery was completed featuring a signature Brew Pub that serves 11 exclusive premium beers brewed on-site with 220 seats indoor and another 150 on two patios. The Mill St. Brewery has also recently completed building its Scarborough factory, which will increase overall brewing capacity 10 times, from 5,000 hectoliters to 50,000.
Mill St. Brewery produces a variety of award-winning beers, including small batches of seasonal brews. Mill Street currently offers Original Organic Lager (with 100% certified organic ingredients), Tankhouse Ale, Stock Ale and Coffee Porter (featuring roasted beans from Balzac’s Coffee, a Distillery District neighbour).