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By this time, brewing beer had become a Labatt family tradition, with John Labatt Jr. becoming involved at an early age. After an apprenticeship at a Wheeling, West Virginia brewery, John Jr. returned to Canada and, when his father died in 1866, he took over the family business.
A commitment to quality and innovation was not lost on John Jr., whose recipe for India Pale Ale (I.P.A.) won the 1876 silver medal at the Dominion of Canada Exposition in Ottawa. For the next 35 years, I.P.A. claimed prizes at competitions worldwide and was the first of many Labatt beers to gain international recognition.
By 1878, Labatt had appointed an agency in Montréal to distribute its products. In 1899, steps were taken to meet an increasing demand for Labatt products in the Toronto area, where subsequently a sales office and small warehouse were opened