New Display Downtown! Hops & History

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Jul 17

Written By Rossland Museum

The Ale of the Golden City

The Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre has a brand new outreach exhibit at the Prestige Resort!

Hops & History: The Rossland Breweries explores both Rossland's historical and contemporary brewing history. Hops & History is an expansion of the Museum's permanent Vices display and allows visitors to learn about the breweries themselves, not just the history of alcohol in Rossland.

The history of Rossland's breweries is as old as the town and its mines. Rossland's brewing history started in 1895, and for more than 20 years, the local breweries dominated the market. The breweries closed in 1917 when Prohibition swept through Canada. While Prohibition only lasted until 1921, Rossland was without a brewery until the Rossland Beer Company opened in 2012. From brewers to bootleggers, Rossland's brewing history is a heady mix of trials, success, community, and a delicious legacy.

Rossland had four historic brewing companies - the John Murphy or Spring Brewery, the Columbia Brewery, the Lion Brewing Company, and the Le Roi Brewing Company. The Le Roi and Lion Brewing companies were the prominent breweries that competed to supply Rossland's hotels and saloons. The Le Roi Brewing Company was Rossland's longest-running brewery, with an impressive 20-year reign.

Like many other breweries in Canada, the Rossland breweries did not reopen after Prohibition ended in 1921. Rossland spent almost a century without a brewery. Since 2012, the Rossland Beer Company has filled that void. The brewery not only creates a wide selection of beers but has become a gathering place for locals and visitors alike.

Congratulations to Petri, Ryan, and the whole Rossland Beer Company team for their 8th anniversary this past June. Here's hoping they last much longer than the Le Roi Brewing Company's 20-year record!

Hops & History: The Rossland Breweries is currently on display in the front window of the Prestige Mountain Resort in downtown Rossland. A big thank you to Joel and the Prestige Resort for their continued support of our outreach display program and helping us bring Rossland's history to the downtown core!