About Us

We believe that a brewery is more than a place that makes beer, it is a place to gather and bring people together. That by supporting your local brewery, you're also supporting the many people in your community that support it - the farmers that grow the barley, the maltsters that turn the barley into malt, the yeast suppliers that help keep the conversion of sugars to alcohol consistent, and the hop growers that grow and harvest delicious hops. By purchasing Cold Bear beer, you are helping a whole community of hard workers in and around the Ottawa area. This is why we created a brewery centered around you, our customers. We believe that we are not only crafting high quality beers, we are crafting community.

Who We Are

Hugh Colbert - Co-Founder and Head Brewer

Hugh started his beer journey as a homebrewer trying to save a buck. He fell in love with the craft and travelled to California for the Master Brewer's program at UC Davis after finishing a Food Science degree at the University of Guelph. After several years in the brewing industry, he teamed up with family and friends to start Cold Bear Brewing in his hometown of Arnprior. 

Blair Colbert - Co-Founder and Head of Marketing

Blair has been a long time supporter of her brewing husband since his first batches of homebrew. She quickly developed into a craft beer enthusiast and helped improve test batches with her superior tasting abilities. She is the person you'll be speaking to behind social media as she heads up the marketing department. 

Bill Colbert - Co-Founder and Jack of All Trades

Ever since Bill learned about the perks of having a son in the brewing industry (free beer) he has been enthusiastically supportive of the family business. A former homebrewer himself, Bill will be applying his knowledge from the pharmaceutical industry to aid in production and quality control. 

Chris Toner - Co-Founder and Sales Manager

As a long time community leader, as well as a long time beer taster, Chris has seen the addition of a brewery in Arnprior as a community building opportunity for years. Now he has joined family friends to help make it happen. Chris will be heading up the sales team and working on various events throughout the community.