The trademark green Moosehead beer bottle will soon be no more in what some are calling the end of an era.

Starting early next year,

Moosehead Breweries Ltd.

will only sell its beer in cans and kegs in a move that chief executive

Andrew Oland

said reflects a long-term shift in customer tastes and something the company had been considering since 2019.

“This is something that we’ve been monitoring since 2019,” he said. “If you look at when I started in the

beer business

32 years ago, 90 per cent of the beer that was sold in Canada was sold in bottles. This year, it’s about seven per cent. There’s been a steep decline in the last 10 years.”

Oland projects the decline will continue and said money didn’t really factor into the decision, though there are some efficiencies in shipping cans instead of bottles.

The decision wasn’t an easy one for him and he ended up consulting with his father, Derek, before making the move.

“I remember when we broached the subject in 2019; I was trying to be objective, but in my mind I was thinking ‘No, way, this is part of us,’” he said. “As a family business … my father’s very much involved. (He’s) been very supportive.”

Moosehead said the shift will allow it to deepen its investment in its canning capabilities in the coming years and no layoffs are planned because of the transition away from bottles.

If you want a souvenir, you don’t have long to grab one of the green bottles since the final production run will be in December. Canadians can expect to see Moosehead bottles in limited quantities on store shelves into early 2026, but international shipments of bottles ended this summer.

Moosehead plans to give its bottles a proper send-off and has launched The Last Bottle contest, an opportunity for the brand’s biggest fans to own the final bottle ever made by the brewery.

Fans are invited to visit the brewery’s

website

to share their stories about what makes Moosehead the best until the contest closes on Oct. 27. The winner, who will be selected by Oland and his team, will get to witness the last-ever bottle run alongside the CEO and his employees, tour the historic brewery and take home the final bottle itself, directly off the line.

Oland said he wants the last bottle, a piece of Canadian brewing history, to find a worthy home with a fan who exemplifies Moosehead’s core values: passion, courage and respect.

The 158-year-old company has been led by the Oland family since 1867 and is the largest fully Canadian-owned brewer in the country.

Pub owners in the Maritimes are responding to the decision to get rid of the green bottles with shock and a bit of sadness. Brendan Doherty, owner of the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse in Halifax, said it’s the end of an era.

“We all grew up with Moose green bottles,” he said. “In our formative years, Moose green was a big part of growing up in the Maritimes and Nova Scotia. In an age where it’s hard to find your own identity, the green bottle really spoke out.”

But Doherty said he understands the company’s decision.

“As a restaurant owner, we have seen the trend towards cans and away from bottles. It’s economies of scale; cans are just cheaper to ship, cheaper to make, cheaper to reuse and more durable,” he said. “Still, it is sad to see. Maybe they’ll pull it back in the future.”

Todd Matheson, manager of Charlie’s Club in Halifax, said he’s shocked by the company’s decision to go bottle-less, a decision that also includes Alpine Lager, another iconic East Coast beer.

“Our clientele drink Moose green and Alpine; we sell like three flats of it a week,” he said. “It’s a retro drink. Moosehead green, that’s their established brand, so it’s just weird that they’re getting rid of the bottle.”

Matheson figures the move won’t be good for the company’s bottom line.

“When someone wants a Moosehead, they want it in a green bottle,” he said. “That’s the Moosehead identity, so I think their sales will drop.”

But Oland said he hopes that those who don’t like the change to cans might eventually subscribe to his grandfather Philip’s advice and pour the beer into a glass.

“As (he) would say, the best vessel to drink a beer out of is a glass,” he said.

  • The Beer Store announces seven more closures; launches new locator for empties returns
  • American booze won’t return to LCBO shelves yet, Ford says

• Email: arankin@postmedia.com