Gahan is a name unknown in Prince Edward Island today, but in the middle of the 19th century, John Gahan was a prominent merchant, an importer of teas, wines, and family groceries. His place of business was on the corner of Queen and Sydney Streets in Charlottetown; now known as The Gahan House.
The Gahan Brewery (formerly Murphy’s Brewing Co.) was established in March 1997 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The beer quickly became a local favourite and the brewery relocated to its current location on the corner of Queen & Sydney Streets in Downtown Charlottetown, thus doubling its production capacity and giving it a permanent home in Old Charlottetown. Murphy’s Brewing Co. was renamed The Gahan Brewery in November 2000.
On July 21st, 2008, The Gahan House Brewery; PEI’s favourite brewery, officially made history with the bottling of two of their handcrafted ales. Island Red Premium Ale and Honey Wheat Ale were launched as the first two flavours to be bottled by the brewery. The original brewer of Gahan Beer’s first in 1997 is still with us today, as our Gahan Breweries Operation Manager.
In September, 2014 the well-established pub decided to make its way across the Northumberland Strait and open up a sister location on the historic Halifax Waterfront and in turn creating the second Gahan House location, Gahan House Nova Centre.
The Gahan House family then turned it sights on New Brunswick, opening up Gahan House Port City in Saint John in 2017, Gahan House Riverside in Fredericton in 2018, and Gahan House Hub City in Moncton in May 2019. A sixth location opened in 2021 – Gahan House Harbourview in St. John’s, Newfoundland – expanding the Gahan House family into all four Atlantic Canadian provinces.
With a total of six locations across Atlantic Canada, The Gahan House has become an East Coast tradition dedicated to creating memorable experiences.
If you are looking to pick up our beer, we are located in all PEILCC stores and in selected liquor commissions and agency stores in Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland.
From our house to yours, cheers!
Trent Hayes
Original Gahan House Brewer
Trent is a born and raised Islander, who began his career as a brewer in 1997 at Murphy’s Brewery Co. and has been brewing since then at The Gahan Brewery and the Prince Edward Island Brewery Company. Trent is an avid golfer and lives in West Covehead. Any time you have a question about the brewing process, Trent can be found roaming around all of the Gahan Breweries in his role as Gahan Breweries Operations Manager. He is a tremendous asset to the company and enjoys brewing their signature Gahan beers, as well as creating unique seasonal’s that always capture the consumers’ attention and appetite.
