Sleeman Breweries Ltd.: John Sleeman Presents... Page 68 of the Family Recipe Book.

GUELPH, Ontario -- The Re-Launch of An Historic Beer... Sleeman Fine Porter

The rush is on as Sleeman Breweries Ltd. (TSX: ALE) today announced the launch of Sleeman Fine Porter, the first in a new series of limited-supply, seasonal brews called the John Sleeman Presents series. Each holiday season, John Sleeman, together with the Sleeman Brewmaster, will go back to the original family recipe book to select a unique, great-tasting brew, which will be produced in limited batches to enable Canadian beer lovers to sample some of the great beers from the past.

This year's selection, Sleeman Fine Porter, is based on page 68 of the original recipe book. The brew pays homage to the original Porters of Great Britain - dating back to the early 1700s at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Great Grandfather to John Sleeman, George Sleeman, first brewed the Porter way back in the 1800s.

"We introduced the John Sleeman Presents series because we really wanted to go back to our 'brewing roots' and let beer lovers sample some of the finest brews from the original Sleeman family recipe book," said John Sleeman, Chairman and CEO of Sleeman Breweries Ltd. "Porter is one of the richest, most uniquely-flavoured brews, variations of which have been enjoyed by beer lovers around the world for nearly three hundred years. We selected the Porter for this year's John Sleeman Presents series because we wanted to bring back a very old and traditional brew to the Canadian beer market. Based on the original recipe from page 68 of the Sleeman family recipe book, our rich, deep-flavoured, velvety Fine Porter is the ideal brew to enjoy with friends during the chilly holiday season."

Sleeman's introduction of the Fine Porter yet again demonstrates the brewery's commitment to staying at the leading edge of innovation. Sleeman was at the forefront of the market in introducing the very popular Cream Ale, Honey Brown and Steam styles of beer into Canada.

Last year, Sleeman enjoyed the explosive launch of Sleeman Clear, the first low-carb beer to be introduced in Canada, which soon became one of the company's best-selling brands. This year, the brewery has come full circle with the Fine Porter, which is the richest, most full-bodied product to-date. What makes the Sleeman Fine Porter launch even more exceptional is that it's only available for a limited time.

"Porter is definitely one of the more flavourful and deeply satisfying beers," commented Ed McCallum, Sleeman Brewmaster. "It has a highly distinctive, rather bold flavour with a rich malty taste. The Porter is characterized by a real depth of flavour and appearance, which comes from the use of black patent malts and roasted, malted barley. The Sleeman Fine Porter with its smooth, almost creamy texture is definitely a cool weather or winter variety of brew, which should never be served too cold. It's a darn fine brew!"

One of the more popular rumours is that Porter originally got its name from train porters in England selling it to passengers who shouted "Porter!" to buy the brew. The invention of the Porter brewing process is often attributed to Ralph Harwood from Britain, and was first applied to a beer produced by a brewhouse (and pub) called 'The Bellin Shoreditch' in London. The original Porters from the 1700s later evolved into milder ales as a result of the rising cost of malt. Brewers found less roasted malts produced more product, thus less was needed to brew the same amount of beer. Decades later, the brew was revived with the fuller-bodied versions which later become known as Stouts.

"We wanted to package this premium brew with the appropriate tradition and prestige to enable Canadian beer lovers to cherish (and enjoy!) a real taste of history. With all the approaching social occasions and gatherings for the goodwill season, the exclusive Fine Porter in its deluxe packaging makes an ideal gift for any beer lover, or just to cherish (the brew) yourself! But hurry, because it's going to go quickly, and once its gone, it's gone," continued John Sleeman.

The John Sleeman Presents series launches today across Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Quebec. The Fine Porter is available from today in premium packages of six at the LCBO and NSLC, and cases of twelve at The Beer Store. Sleeman Breweries is only brewing the Fine Porter in a limited quantity....so hurry, before it's too late!

About Sleeman Breweries Ltd.

Sleeman Breweries Ltd. is the leading brewer and distributor of premium beer in Canada and the third largest brewing company nationwide. The company has supplemented its core Sleeman brands, which are available in every province, with a family of exceptional regional brands. These include Okanagan Spring and Shaftebury in British Columbia and Alberta, Upper Canada in Ontario, Unibroue in Quebec and Ontario, and Maclays in Atlantic Canada. Sleeman entered the rapidly growing value-price category in 1999 by acquiring the Stroh portfolio of brands in Canada. The company also markets and distributes world-class imported products such as Grolsch, Samuel Adams and Pilsner Urquell, and provides contract production for Japan's Sapporo products in the United States. Sleeman is also available in selected U.S. and British markets. Please visit our website at www.sleeman.com.

For more information/product visuals, or to request an interview
with John Sleeman, Chairman & CEO of Sleeman Breweries Ltd. and/or
Ed McCallum, Sleeman Brewmaster, please contact:

Emma Capombassis
T: 416 924 5700 ext 4065
[e-mail]

Sleeman Breweries Ltd. (TSX:ALE)