Phillips Brewing Acquires Lighthouse Brands as 27-Year Victoria Brewery Closes

Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. has purchased the beer brands and intellectual property of Lighthouse Brewing Co., a move that will keep Shipwreck IPA, Race Rocks Amber Ale and Company Lager being brewed in Victoria even as Lighthouse prepares to shut its doors after 27 years.

The transfer of the brands and IP took effect January 25, 2026. Phillips said it will immediately begin brewing, packaging, marketing and selling the Lighthouse portfolio so fans and retailers should see continuity in supply. No financial terms of the transaction were disclosed.

Lighthouse co-owner and general manager Ben Thomas announced the decision to close the brewery by the end of January and invited the community to a thank-you event at the Lighthouse tasting room at 836 Devonshire Road in Esquimalt on January 24. “After 27 years of serving the craft beer community here on Vancouver Island, it was important for us to find a craft brewery who could continue the legacy of the Lighthouse brands,” said Thomas. “Phillips is a recognized and respected leader in the B.C. craft beer industry and will be able to continue investing behind Lighthouse and uniquely position the beers amongst their own portfolio of brands going forward.”

Phillips framed the agreement as a way to preserve a local legacy. Jim Lister, president of Phillips Brewing & Malting Co., said, “Phillips believes in the power of our local Vancouver Island community, and this is yet another example of finding a unique way to ensure the pioneering Lighthouse portfolio of beers continues to live on. We are honored to add Lighthouse’s beers to our broader portfolio and appreciate their trust in us to steer and shape the brand’s continued success along with their time-honored traditions moving forward.”

The purchase covers brands and intellectual property only. The Lighthouse production facility at 836 Devonshire Road is listed separately for sale; the listing includes more than $2 million worth of brewing and packaging equipment and a 16,000-square-foot space built for large-scale production with capacity for cans, bottles and kegs, but it does not include the Lighthouse brand or IP. That separation leaves the question of the physical brewery’s future open even as the beers move on.

Lighthouse cited multiple economic pressures in explaining the closure, including the ongoing impact of the COVID pandemic, rising inflation, supply chain challenges, high provincial taxation rates, new tariffs and continued rising production costs. Phillips also said, “After several years of navigating economic challenges, the recent BCGEU strike this past fall impacted Lighthouse’s ability to continue operations and was the final straw that has led to shutting down the brewery and sadly saying goodbye to its people.”

For Victoria drinkers and local retailers, the practical takeaway is stability for familiar Lighthouse labels under Phillips’ stewardship. For the local brewing scene, the sale underscores how rising costs and labour disruptions can force long-running brewers to choose between selling brands and selling facilities. Watch for Phillips’ packaging and distribution updates as the company integrates the Lighthouse beers into its lineup and for developments on the sale of the Devonshire Road facility.