Cocktail Bar · Hamilton, Ontario

Collective Arts

Hamilton brewery whose cans double as a rotating gallery for emerging artists.

Founded: 2013
Founded by: Bob Russell, Matt Johnston
Based in: Hamilton, Ontario

Making it since

2013

Their story

Collective Arts was started in Hamilton, Ontario, in 2013 by Bob Russell, who ran a design firm, and Matt Johnston, a former marketing executive at Moosehead. Their idea was to pair craft beer with the work of up-and-coming artists and musicians.

The first beers were brewed with Nickel Brook, and the two companies later moved into the former Lakeport Brewing site in Hamilton, which Collective Arts took over fully in 2017. The company has since added a brewhouse and taproom in Toronto and branched into spirits, cider and other drinks.

How it's made

The label art changes every few months. Collective Arts runs open calls, a jury reviews hundreds of submissions, and the chosen artists are paid for their work. The beer itself ranges from hazy IPAs to porters and sours brewed at the Hamilton facility.