United Craft is a female-owned (50%) Ontario craft beverage company co-founded by mother-son team Pat and Ian Macdonald in 2014. It has successfully grown by creating and offering an array of award-winning beverages that are designed to fill flavour gaps in the marketplace and satisfy emerging consumer preferences. While currently active in the beverage alcohol space, United Craft is exploring functional and no alcohol beverages. The company recently launched 1) an innovation brewery and distillery in Niagara Falls and 2) a strategic alliance with Niagara Falls Craft Distillers -United Niagara Beverages -which aims to provide an accelerate path for product innovation, manufacturing, selling & distribution of made-in-Ontario craft beverages. www.UnitedNiagaraBeverages.com
United Craft makes/markets many of its own brands and is the licensed agent for some of Ontario's largest independent craft producers, including Big Rig and Triple Bogey.
The company’s primary focus is product innovation and flavour excellence that satisfies and delights.
Flavour & Quality - Top Priorities
United Craft seeks out the best players to partner with and currently works with some of Ontario’s top beverage makers/brewers/distillers, fruit/juice companies, flavour houses and testing laboratories. It actively solicits consumer input and evaluates all products on flavour, product style, shelf stability, aroma and appearance. It uses natural ingredients and Ontario fruits. All products are produced and tested in Ontario.
United Craft products have won numerous awards at the national and provincial level with YUP Light Lager recently achieving the GOLD medal at the 2021 Canadian Brewing Awards.
Innovation – A Driving Force
United Craft has been “first to market” with a number of style/flavour innovations and actively seeks collaborative relationships; e.g., in 2015, it began working with Jon “Monty” Montgomery, Olympic Gold Medalist and host of Amazing Race Canada, on its Monty’s Aged Ryed Ale, aged in whisky-infused oak wood, a real innovation in Ontario craft beer.
Innovation examples: Gold medal winner Honey Ginger Shandy was launched in 2016 using an all natural, botanically-based recipe for the ginger syrup; in 2021 the company introduced Ontario's first beverage alcohol product made with nutrient-rich Ontario maple water; in 2022 it launched a Korean BBQ Caesar product made with kokumi to enhance the complexity and body of the flavour.
Fostering Strong Retailer Relationships & Reducing Administrative Burden
During the pandemic, United Craft undertook business modernization plans focused on strengthening its CRM system and market intelligence to build more robust relevancy to retailer needs, capitalizing on the extensive beverage alcohol knowledge of its co-founders and their consumer packaged good experience. Through enhanced marketing tactics and real time data analytics, the UC team uncovers key consumer insights and builds compelling stories for LCBO and Grocery retailers.
Streamlining initiatives have increased the timeliness and accuracy of retailer order fulfillment while also providing client brand partners with real time live visibility to order/logistics data. United Craft is proud to offer retailers reliable, consistent delivery of the products their customers want.
The company also provides an array of sales/marketing/logistics services to other craft beverage companies while offering meaningful sales and productivity improvements, thus freeing them up to pursue their own growth initiatives.
Customizable Solutions
United Craft now offers customizable beer, cider & RTD products! Consumers or licensees like bars, restaurant, venues, hotels, clubs, etc. can supply their own art or United Craft can design a high impact label for you.
Brands: Yup, Mol, Flair, Turtle Bay, Hail Caeser, Hops & Robbers, Tomorrow Brew co.