Alexander Keith's
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Alexander Keith's is a Canadian brewery founded in 1820 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by Alexander Keith, who emigrated from Scotland in 1817, where it is still the only location of an Alexander Keith's brewery. Today, the brewery is under the control of Labatt, a subsidiary of Interbrew. The brewery also produces Oland beers, distributed in Eastern Canada.
When ordering in Canada, one simply asks for a Keith's.
As of 2004-2005, Keith's is well known for their TV commercials, where a strongly patriotic Haligonian (with a Scottish kilt and accent) makes a big fuss about any perceived insult about Keith's brew, including spillages and shortages. On 15 February, 2006, the actor (Robert Norman Smith), in these ads was arrested on child pornography charges. Labatt has since pulled the ads.
Keith's most popular and most widely distributed beer is its India Pale Ale. While it is not a faithful recreation of an IPA, the title has added a credibility to the beer, especially outside of Nova Scotia, where it is seen as somewhat "exotic."
Alexander Keith's career as a politician, and the brewery's and Nova Scotia's Scottish heritage are used to market the beer. In 2002, Halifax mayor, Peter Kelly, included an invitation to visit Halifax in each case of beer.