Labatt rejects Minhas Creek Brewing Company offer to purchase the Lakeport
Brewery in Hamilton

CALGARY, April 28 /CNW/ - With the untimely closure of the Lakeport Hamilton Brewery by Anheuser-Busch InBev Labatt on April 16th, Ravinder and Manjit Minhas, the brother sister team of young entrepreneurs declared their interest in acquiring the Hamilton Brewery, its 143 full time union employees and taking over the lease on the building (approxiately $1,000,000/year).

The Minhas Creek Brewing Company belives this could be a winning scenario for Labatt, Minhas Creek, the employees and their families as well as the City of Hamilton.

As stated in their letter to AB InBev Labatt the Minhas Creek Brewing Co. said that they would be willing to purchase the majority of the brewery assets from Labatt. The offer to purchase did not include the equipment Labatt declared they would be moving to another facility as well as any of the trademarks associated with the Brewery. The Minhas' also stated they would pay fair market value for this equipment and had already budgeted up to $50 million for this expansion.

The Minhas' received a response this week from AB InBev Labatt stating they would not sell any of the equipment and would be using it in their other facilties. From Minhas Creek's experience in the brewing business they simply don't believe it is practical to retrofit this equipment; rather they suspect the vast majority of this brewing equipment will sit in the Hamilton facility and will simply collect dust until it is cut out for scrap metal.

The Minhas Creek Brewing Company is horribly disappointed that Labatt didn't feel it was worth their time to explore any possibility of a deal, expecially considering the impact on the 143 full time employees and their families as well as numerous local suppliers.

Despite the Labatt rejection to making a deal, the Minhas' have decided to pursue the potential of placing a brewery in Hamilton to continue its brewing legacy. Especially after the outpouring support they have recived from the Ontario consumers. A website has been launched at www.BoxerOntarioBrewery.ca or via Facebook at Boxer Ontario Brewery to show the support for the brewery as well the potential to invest in a new brewery.

BACKGROUND:

In November 2007, Manjit and Ravinder Minhas introduced the Boxer Lager product into the Western provinces. In November 2009, they introduced it in Ontario. This was a bold expansion move for the sister-brother team, who, in their late 20s, have already shaken up the beer business in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba by capturing a significant market share of the take home beer business. This introduction was welcome news for the Ontario beer consumers who have been hit hard by the deep economic recession. Manjit and Ravinder currently own the Minhas Craft Brewery which was struggling to survive before there arrival and now is a bustling and thriving brewery.

Boxer Lager with 5% alc./vol. is available in all 444 "The Beer Stores" throughout Ontario. Our strategy is different from other "value" brand brewers in Ontario in that we sell our beer at the "Lowest Legal Price" and only in cans.

We entered the Alberta liquor business in 1999, when Manjit and Ravinder were just over the legal drinking age of 18 years. The commercials are now airing on major networks and specialty channels and will generate 100 million impressions over the next 6 months in the Ontario market.

In response to the great demand, this week we are now adding Boxer Ice in single serve 710 mL monster cans at all 444 The Beer Stores. We are also will be launching our Boxer Lager in the LCBO Stores in the coming month.

For further information: Media inquiries may be directed to: Mr. Ravinder Minhas, Minhas Creek Brewing Company, Cell. [phone]