Our Story
Muskoka Springs Natural Spring Water Inc. dates back to 1873 when Dugald Brown started bottling natural spring water from his artesian well. He set up shop at 220 Bay Street in Gravenhurst, Ontario – our home for 150 years. To the best of our knowledge, that makes us the oldest continuously-running business in Muskoka.
Our brand stands for quality, purity, integrity, history, tradition, Muskoka, Canada, and peace of mind. Muskoka is an escape. For thousands of people, it’s their happy place. It is where families and friends come together. It’s fun. It’s solace. For fifteen decades, we have been bottling Muskoka and crafting seasonal sodas sourced from Dugald Brown’s historic little black book of recipes and bringing it to you. Muskoka is more than a place and more than a flavour. It’s a state of mind. Our goal is to help you Bring It With You™ - wherever you go.
Our branded division produces a variety of Muskoka Springs products throughout Central and Southern Ontario.
Our award-winning Natural Spring Water is available in thousands of retailers, resorts, and businesses across the province. Our Muskoka® Craft Beverages are available in 355ml-bottles everywhere.
For more information, check out the rest of our website or contact us directly. We are always happy to hear from interested parties.
Our Brand
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We have been bottling Muskoka for 150 years. In 1873, Muskoka was in its infancy. Through the decades, during war and peace, under different flags, as industries evolved, Muskoka and Muskoka Springs have grown together. Over time our company, our people, our products, our services, our brands, and our region, have changed dramatically, but Muskoka and Muskoka Springs have always embraced our history and traditions.
In the 1940s, we used tens of thousands of wooden crates to distribute our beverages; today, we keep the tradition alive, producing handmade limited edition wooden crates just like the ones you see in our board room and historic photos. In 1941, we purchased a Dodge pickup truck and customized it to transport our wooden beverage crates. “41” as we call her, has been in continuous operation ever since. In 2016, she celebrated her 75th birthday. You’ll see her on our craft beverage labels and all over Muskoka. Our heritage leaf has been used in our branding for over 100 years. It has been proudly displayed on Brown’s Beverages and Muskoka Dry® products since the turn of the twentieth century. Today, you’ll find it on all Muskoka Springs products, proudly embodying our long history with the words: “Est 1873.”
Our Home
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Muskoka Springs has been in the same spot for 150 years. Originally, the location now known as 220 Bay Street in Gravenhurst, Ontario didn’t have a civic address. The original wooden buildings were constructed from local Muskoka timber when Gravenhurst was a booming logging town. Our buildings and courtyards were teeming with horses, drays, carts, wooden crates, and hand-blown glass bottles.
Eventually, the wooden structures were replaced with the old brick building you see today. It’s relatively new, pushing 100 years old. Similarly, the horses were replaced with a fleet of trucks – one of which is still in operation. In our timeline above, you can see the 1940s fleet lined up on a dirt floor inside the current warehouse. Over the years, we’ve bottled more water, Coca-Cola, and our own sparkling beverages than anyone can count. 220 Bay has been home to horses, lumberjacks, vintage trucks, tractor trailers, bottling lines, brewing facilities, apartments, antiques, offices, and more. A walk through 220 Bay is a walk through history… and we’re just getting started.
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Our fleet is growing – and getting a makeover. You may have seen the new trucks and new look throughout the summer. The green landscape of our fleet is a mobile icon in Muskoka. We’re awfully proud of it here at 220 Bay.
While some things change and ‘improve’, others were perfect to begin with. That was the case with ‘41’, the pride of the fleet. Our 1941 Dodge pickup truck was factory-modified into a classic curved-bed beverage truck. Those wood planks carried wooden crates all over Muskoka in the midst of World War II. ‘41’ turned 75 in 2016, a birthday we celebrated with special edition crowns on our craft beverages.
Nowadays, ‘41’ and ’53’, our 1953 International still deliver ice-cold refreshment across Muskoka. Look for these beauties at fun-filled events throughout the area or make a request to have them add to the fun at your next event.
Our Fleet
We have been bottling sparkling beverages since the late 1800s. J.D. Brown took his natural spring water and turned it into something novel. He carbonated it and created a wide variety of flavours – some of which are commonplace today; others are relics of the past. Over the last 100 years, our craft beverages have been marketed under various brands, including: J.D. Brown, Brown’s Beverages, Nickel Dry, Muskoka Dry® and more. Our refreshing drinks included: Club Soda, Stone Ginger Beer, Lithia Water, Sparkling Tonic Water, Lithiated lemon, Lime Rickey, Pale Ginger Ale, Quinine Tonic, Lemon, Sarparsilla, Orange, and more.
Today, our sparkling beverages are still made with the finest ingredients. Jack Brown immortalized his iconic recipes in his little black book, which we still use today. Our original Pale Ginger Ale tastes the same as it did during the First World War. True to our original creative spirit, we are still crafting new beverages. Alongside our Pale Ginger Ale, you’ll find Old Tyme Orange – a century old Muskoka® classic, Stone Ginger Beer – resurrected from the little black book, Silver Birch Beer – a tribute to the original Brown’s Sarsparilla, and Maple Cream Ale – a new creation that literally bottles a piece of Muskoka.
Our Craft Beverages are designed to embody Muskoka. In floats, cocktails, and on their own, they have been pleasing Muskoka lovers for over a century. We love them, and we’re sure you will too.