Sleeman Brewery isn’t a stranger to the world of speakeasies. In the 1920s, as prohibition was inacted in the U.S., the Sleeman family established deals with bootleggers to get the beer across the border, an act that would result in the brewery losing its brewing license in 1933 when some of the gangsters bringing the brew into Detroit got busted. For working with criminals, it was banned from brewing for 50 years.

The brand was resurrected in 1988, and while the brewery has been adapting to the modern world, it still finds ways to embrace its past, most notably at a recent secret event that was like stepping back into the ’20s. Working with agency Vibrant, a prohibition-themed party was thrown in Old Montreal, open by invitation only to winners of a national contest. In true speakeasy fashion, those wishing to revel in the party were chauffeured in vintage Rolls Royce cars, dropped off at a back alley and made their way through the tunnels of Montreal’s underground before finding the entrance to the venue, which opened only with a secret knock. Once inside, partiers could find gambling tables, burlesque, musical performances by July Talk and The Damn Truth and, of course, lots of beer. And all without the fear of getting busted by the fuzz.

Credits:

Brand: Sleeman Breweries
Agency: Vibrant