The story of Labatt 50, a working class beer

Labatt 50 was the best-selling beer in Canada for over 10 years, but nowhere has it had as much of an impact on popular culture as it has in Quebec. Here's an investigation of that legendary beer.

Pierre-Olivier Bussières

May 28, 2024- Read time: 9 min

Gilles Villeneuve at the Canada Grand Prix in 1979. |Photograph: Bernard Brault

In Quebec's brewing landscape, Labatt 50 occupies as special a place as Laurentide. Those who have never drank it know that it's emblematic of a bygone era, but having left its mark all the same, and those who have know this beer speaks of the toil of Quebec and the tenacity of its working classes.

In this article, we're taking a look at this beer that's been so dear to the generations of the 1960s and 1970s.

Labatt 50's origins

It all began with the founding of Labatt in 1847. The grandsons of Labatt's founder decided to celebrate 50 years of partnership with a unique brew. This anniversary beer, which was supposed to remain on the market for less than a year, quickly became a classic and was the best-selling beer in Canada until 1979 when it was dethroned by Labatt Blue.

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