The Saskatchewan Brewing Industry - Impact on the Provincial Economy - June 2025

Local support, government incentives, and product expansion helps the Saskatchewan brewing industry generate $122.9 million in gross economic output and support 739 jobs throughout the province.

• The brewing industry contributes $122.9 million in gross output and $59.8 million to GDP.
• It supports approximately 739 jobs and generates $33.1 million in labour income.
• The sector delivers $7.6 million in provincial and $8.2 million in federal government revenues, primarily through personal and corporate income taxes, sales taxes, and other levies.

Expansion through incentives is a key opportunity. The provincial government has introduced reduced beer markup rates and increased the production threshold for these rates to 500,000 hectolitres. This creates a strong incentive for breweries to scale up operations and increase output, especially for those nearing the new threshold. While many small breweries are not yet at the scale to fully benefit, those with growth ambitions can leverage these incentives to expand market share and production capacity.

Agricultural linkages remain strong. The brewing sector is closely tied to local barley producers. As craft beer production requires more malt than mainstream beer, there is ongoing demand for high-quality malting barley and opportunities for farmers to supply niche and specialty grains. The rise of small malting operations and demand for unique, customized malts present opportunities for new entrants and existing suppliers to serve the craft segment.

Economic benefits of the Saskatchewan brewing industry extend well beyond direct manufacturing, with substantial ripple effects across agriculture, services, trade, and several other key industries.