Inspiring Women 'The Experience'

Manjit Minhas is 28 years old and was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. This Petroleum Engineer student turned beer baroness recently spoke at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and at the Haskayne School of Business at The University of Calgary where she shared the secrets of her success with aspiring MBA students.

Manjit started Mountain Crest Liquors Inc. (MCLI) at the ripe age of 19 in Alberta. MCLI produces, develops and markets 90 brands of spirits, wines, beers and cordials in Alberta. These products are manufactured for the company in Kentucky, New Jersey and Wisconsin in USA as well as in Holland and Germany. In late 2002 she entered the beer market in Alberta with her brother and gave the big boys a run for their money with Mountain Crest Classic Lager and became the first successful beer company to enter Canada in decades.

In 2005 she founded Minhas Creek Brewing Company and entered Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 2008 and now produces and markets 7 different brands in these provinces including her flagship beer, Minhas Creek Classic Lager. Manjit has single handedly caused a stir in the Manitoba and Saskatchewan beer industry by gaining huge market share in such a short amount of time with her aggressive marketing and advertising techniques and her pricing strategies. Many beer drinkers have welcomed her style of beer, as a tasty alternative to the higher priced domestic beers that presently dominate the market place. With the success of her first two ventures fuelling her continuing expansion, Manjit is now set to bring premium quality beers to Ontario this spring.

Manjit Minhas is the 1st brewer in Canada to voluntarily put a Management Warning on all her beer cans. The Management Warning on the cans reads as " MANAGEMENT WARNING: Please do not drink and drive - ever. Expectant mothers should avoid drinking alcoholic products. Enjoy this product responsibly - Respect yourself and others". She recently put this on all her products because she believes as a responsible brewer and citizen of this country it is important she does her part to educate Canadians.

Manjit and Ravinder purchased the 2nd oldest brewery in the United States in 2006 and renamed it The Minhas Craft Brewery, this officially made them the Youngest Brewery Owners in The World. Their brewery is now the 11th largest in the World. From this brewery, quality beers are shipped across the USA, to Canada and overseas such as Japan and Korea.

In late 2008 Manjit co-wrote a book on her remarkable story, business philosophies and the history of the brewery she bought. The hardcover 108 page glossy book is titled “Brewing Up a Damn Good Story”.

Last year Manjit’s companies had revenues in excess of $85 million.

Manjit has been nominated and has won several business industry awards. A few of them are listed below:

Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs in Canada (2004)
“Top Growth Entrepreneur” award, PROFIT magazine in Toronto (2004)
Ranked #6 in the “Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies” by Alberta Venture Magazine (2005)
Alberta Chamber of Commerce Marketing Award (2005)
Young Achiever Award from the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (2005)
Compelling Calgarian Award given by the Calgary Herald (2006)
Alberta Centennial Medallion (2006)
“Up and Coming CEO” from The National Post (2006)
Canada’s Women Executive Network Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs (2007)
Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 (2007)
Business in Calgary’s Leader of Tomorrow (2008)
India Abroad’s The Power List (2008)
Famous 5 Foundation Leader (2009)

Manjit and her story has been featured in many publications such as Macleans Magazine, Canadian Business Magazine, Alberta Venture Magazine, The National Post, The Globe & Mail, The Calgary Herald, The Edmonton Journal, The Toronto Star, The Toronto Sun, The Winnipeg Free Press, Bar & Beverage Magazine, Anokhi Vibe, etc. She has also been featured on TV in programs such as the CBC National News with Peter Mansbridge, CBC Venture, Money Wise, Careers TV, and many other news programs in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto.