150 Years of Canadian Beer Labels

April 5, 2017 By John Holl

150 Years of Canadian Beer Labels
By Lawrence C. Sherk
$29.95, TouchWood Editions

A coffee-table-worthy picture book that contains the collection of a serious breweriana collector. It starts in the late 1870s with two labels—mild and strong—from the William Dow and Co. brewery in Montreal. Largely text-heavy and simple in design, it does feature crossed mash paddles and stalks of malt and hop bines, images still common on labels today. Sherk guides us through trends, design improvements and a history lesson on what is often the last tangible reminder of what a beer was and how it was received. –John Holl