BAOS: Beer & Other Shhh Podcast

Calgary, Alberta has been the biggest surprise of 2026 for us here at BAOS. While it's not exactly a secret that they have an incredibly vibrant and supportive craft beer scene, it's kind of blown our minds just how good the liquid is. Co-Founder Mike of The Establishment jumped on the pod with Cee and Nate to talk about his move from homebrewer to pro with no other brewery experience, the lessons and challenges that came with that, how they do their fresh hop beers and how they work with the hop farmers, their impeccable barrel program and how they...

The first Business of Beer episode in 2026, Tiffany Alexis of High Season (and BAOS' Co-Founder) jumped back on the pod to cover all things craft beer marketing to set breweries up for success in 2027. Tiffany joined Cee to get into the opportunities that breweries are missing in their marketing and how to help their audience experience their brewery before they visit, how the environment is more competitive and while beer sales and production are actively declining, why your brewery's culture is your competitive advantage and how to showcase it, how to set up and leverage AI as a marketing tool...

Kingston, Ontario's Fine Balance just wrapped up their sixth year in business, and good lord, what a run they've had so far. Founder Andrew and Head Brewer Mitch joined Cee and Nate to chat about what's been happening since they were last on the podcast in 2023, their glorious Lager program and their dedication to creating beer series, their sixth anniversary drops and how they all came about (especially the collab with Savannah, GA's Two Tides), how they get their beers into Europe and their experiences at festivals in The Netherlands and beyond, Andrew and Cee's connection with La Binouze...

The West Coast and American IPA has had a resurgence this decade, and it's an exciting time to be a fan of clear and piney India Pale Ales. Cee and Nate made a list, headed out to respective LCBO stores in Hamilton and Ottawa, and grabbed a bunch of readily available West Coast and American IPAs. While crushing the beers, they got into the actual WC resurgence as a pendulum swing to the over-abundance of hazy IPAs, how many breweries are now introducing a West Coast IPA as a SKU in the LCBO (when traditionally it had mostly been...

Prince Edward County is fast becoming one of the most exciting craft beer destinations in Canada, and one brewery arguably set off this latest wave. Slake have been going from strength-to-strength over the past six years, so Co-Founder and Head Brewer Nick Bobas jumped back on the pod to hang with Cee and Nate. They got into their growth over the past two years since they were on the podcast, their recent sixth anniversary and the three beers they dropped to celebrate, how their taproom and lineup have changed over the years, their approach to LCBO and pricing, their...

One of our oldest friends of the show is Simon Livingstone, Co-Owner and Head Brewer at Hochelaga institution, L'Espace Public. Simmo (as Cee calls him) jumped back on to hang with Cee and chat about what they've been doing since his last time on the pod over four years ago, the success of their low ABV Lager, the move to tall cans to please retail stores and how that affects their production, their dedication to short cans amidst a tall can-friendly market, how "the beer that built the house" - Bière de Balcon (affectionally known around the brewery a...

Arguably the most well-known craft brewery in Canada, Montreal's Messorem Bracitorium have absolutely dominated the global landscape over the past seven years. Co-Founder and Graphic Designer Marc-André Filion jumped back on the pod for the first time in over two years to chat with Cee and Nate on our longest podcast of all time, spanning over 6 hours!! This broke the Third Moon record of just over 5 hours that held for 2.5 years - incredible. Filion talked about their brand visuals update, how they've taken the brand global so fast, their dedication to quality, their killer Lager program, why they've ran w...

One of our big goals for 2026 and 2027 is to expand the pod to breweries in regions that we haven't typically covered, and this one is certainly a first. Hailing from Whitehorse in The Yukon in North Western Canada, Woodcutter's Brewing has been doing some super unique stuff for the last six years and change. Founder and Head Brewer Scott Shailer sat down with Cee to chat about their "only brew it once" approach to their beers, his eclectic career that took him to Ottawa, Gatineau and Whitehorse, what a hop rocket is and how they use it to maximize...

Toronto's Smallest Brewery, Bickford Brewing, jumps back on the pod just in time for their second anniversary. Founder and Head Brewer Andrew McCready joins Cee and Nate to chat about what's been happening since we last spoke, their Best New Brewery award from the CBAs, their growth into the LCBO with core brands, how they continue to remain experimental and fun, why they brew collab beers at other breweries, we discussed all five of their second anniversary collab beers (and drank three of them on the pod), Untappd beer ratings and Google Reviews and their impact on breweries, his...

One of the most legendary and impactful Ontario breweries for us from around the time the podcast began is Toronto's Burdock Brewery, and it's kinda wild this is only their first appearance. Co-Founder Matthew Park and Head Brewer John Jenkinson joined Cee and Nate to talk through both of their histories in beer (including John's first ever Head Brewer job and Burdock's Edinburgh roots), why they decided to focus mostly on Lagers and Saisons, how their wine beer hybrid obsession began and their partnership with Pearl Morissette winery in Niagara (and the BUMO series), the process of making a...

Alberta is one Canadian craft beer scene that we haven't tapped into enough, so we're fixing that right now - we were stoked to sit down with one of the most hyped breweries in Calgary. Production Manager and Head Brewer Donovan Fast leads the liquid for Eighty-Eight Brewing Co., and he joined Cee and Nate to chat about his international craft brewing career that took him from Manitoba to Germany to Alberta, what he learned from the classic German brewers, how he landed the Head Brewer job before Eighty-Eight opened (and has been the sole Head Brewer in their...

One of the newest breweries in Ontario (at the time of recording) is Prince Edward County's Aurum. Meaning "gold" in Latin, their slogan "Drink Gold" is incredibly appropriate for a brewery that focuses mostly on German and Czech-style Lagers and Ales. Co-Founder and Head Brewer Prat joined Cee and Nate to chat about his eclectic beer history - from India to Ontario, how he met his Co-Founder Joe and how they came across the space that turned into Aurum, why they chose the County and why they focus on the styles that they do, Prat's experiences in Germany and...

It feels like almost every year we end up taking some sort of a short pause over the summer for obvious reasons, but in 2026, it was a little longer than usual. Both Cee and Nate were off galavanting across the globe, so we figured the best way to ease back into the pod was to run through all the shenanigans they got up to. Here's some teasers to get you going: Nate spent time in glorious Mexico soaking up the few beer options available, along with sampling a much wider variety of fire in Rimouski and Saint-Flavie in Quebec...

With their Cream Ale outselling all of the biggest beers in the LCBO by around 3-4x in the area, Anderson Craft Ales seem to have the unofficial craft beer of London, ON on their hands. Founder Gavin Anderson jumped back on the pod after three and a half years to chat about what's been happening since we last spoke, their upcoming 10th anniversary and some of the craziest beers they've ever done (including glizzy, roast chicken and pizza beers), all of the Anderson classics that they're bringing back from the archives for the anniversary, the evolution of their...

It's not every day we get to speak to someone as accomplished as Christian Klaus Riemerschmid von der Heide. Co-Founder of The Paris Beer Co. in Paris, ON, Christian joined Cee to chat about his upbringing in a small town in Bavaria and how the local brewery is a key part of life, why most German breweries had their own malting facility, his unique beer journey from his first apprenticeship to his Head Brewer position at the esteemed Augustiner-Bräu, his work with Labatt, Diageo and even Guinness, what brought him back to Canada, why they choose to grow an...

One of the coolest and most innovative brewery collaborations this decade is Vancouver, BC's Threefold. A shared taproom comprised of three independent breweries - Temporal Artisan Ales, Slow Hand Beer Co., and Boombox Brewing - Threefold is the perfect manifestation of what combining your powers in the craft beer industry can look like. We had a bit of a podcast party, featuring Tristan Stewart of Temporal, Kurtis Sheldon of Slow Hand, and Phil Spurgeon + Kent Courtice of Boombox, and we got into each brewery's origin story and what they all specialize in, how the idea of Threefold came together, t...

Our Brewery of the Year for 2024, Niagara Falls, ON's Counterpart has just kept on winning, dropping world-class barrel-aged beers, impeccable hazy IPAs and offering some of the best food options in a brewery in the country. Co-Founder Greg Gnyś jumped back on the pod for the third time to catch up on what's been happening since his last appearance, the opening of their sister pizza spot, Counterpie, how their Flow Fest craft beer festival went down in 2025 and what to expect in 2026, the evolution of their barrel program and how exceptional it is, their recent seventh anniversary releases, why t...

One of the blessings of living in Hamilton is the proximity to the US border. Since relocating in 2022, Cee has been digging into the Western New York craft beer scene, and the latest discovery might be the fave yet. Based in beautiful Orchard Park, Wayland Brewing doesn't feel like a suburban brewery - the taproom is a stunning 20-foot-plus atrium with floor-to-ceiling windows, a killer patio with a full-size bocce court, boasting an impeccable kitchen, four LUKR taps and a beer lineup to satisfy any craft beer fan. Co-Founder and Head Brewer PJ Dunn joined Cee to chat about...

There's no better feeling than having no expectations for a brewery visit and being blown away. That's exactly how Cee felt after visiting Thirty Eight O Six during a recent trip to his motherland of Australia. Nestled in the South Eastern suburb of Berwick in Melbourne, Co-Founders Lachie (Brewer) and Zac (Chef) have turned their industrial unit into something you'd be more likely to find in hipster city neighbourhoods like Collingwood or Fitzroy. The fellas jumped on the pod to chat about their connection to Berwick and how proud they are to bring their idea to life where they...

Guelph, Ontario, boasts one of the coolest and arguably most underrated craft beer scenes in Canada. Cam and Dan of Royal City jumped back on the pod after two years to catch up on what's been happening, their massive non-alcoholic beer program, their new pasteurizer and how they contract NA beers for other breweries, why they chose short cans for their flagship Lite Lager, their killer Lager and IPA tap takeovers and the challenges with running events, their new sparkling water and soda program, what an 80 Shilling is and why they decided to do one, the price of beer...

One of Cee's major bucket list items is to get out to Europe and experience the rich beer heritage firsthand. In the meantime, the next best thing is to hang out at the satellite brewery for Bavaria's Hofbräuhaus just over the border in Buffalo, New York. During our last visit in December, we connected with Braumeister Scott Shuler for a tour, which of course turned into a podcast. Scott and Cee chatted about their unique 450+ year history, why it's government-owned and Bavarian laws apply to Hofbräu beers anywhere in the world, the arrangement between Munich and the sat...

While we talk about hops on essentially every episode, we rarely get to do a deep dive into the topic with someone who actually works in the field (get it? field? hop field? ha). Alex Diamandas of Yakima Chief Hops joined Cee and Nate to chat about his transition from home brewing to professional brewer to hop slanger, the big hack of Idaho 7 in the whirlpool, how hop extracts are actually made and the fundamental differences between Dynaboost and Hyperboost, how the HBC program works to transition new hops from the farm to the market, how you can add...

From a strong start that landed them New Brewery of the Year for 2024, to now clearly making it inside our annual Top 10 Breweries in Ontario for 2025, Dune Hopper is going from strength to strength. Co-Founders Colin and Steph joined Cee and Nate to chat about what's been happening since their last appearance on the pod, the importance of collabs and how they can help grow the presence of a brand, how their community rallies around them during the slower months, how they do "the sofa test", how they sour beer with yoghurt, what it means to them to have...

Northern California's Fathers Brewing has only been on the scene for less than 6 months, and is already making a splash. Co-Founder Conor Begley joined Cee to chat about his looping journey from software to beer and back again, their plans to grow the brand, why they decided on making organic, clean beer, why bottles are superior to cans, their lab reports that break down the insane amounts of toxins like arsenic and microplastics in most beers, his random meeting with the king of craft beer Jim Koch (of Samuel Adams), why business is a fun game to him, how...

For the first interview pod with Nate back in the co-host chair, we had to time it so it was with one of our favourite breweries in the province of Quebec. Guillaume Savard of Le Ketch joined Cee and Nate to catch up on what's been happening the last couple of years, their taproom and patio improvements, how Eggers Hops changes the names of their hop varieties and Guillaume's love of NZ hops, the different styles that they're expanding into (including some nano beers), why they use local honey in basically all of their beers, their insane volume of...

Vermont has been one of our favourite places on earth for over a decade now, so it was phenomenal to finally have a VT brewery back on the pod! Jonathan Mogor of Soulmate joined Cee to chat about the origin of the brewery and their lengthy construction, how the name came about, their unique crowdfunding approach to their business (you can become a co-owner via the link below), how they got over 500 5-star Google Reviews, the wide range of beers, why they use their tongue-in-cheek beer names, his love for Quebec and Quebec craft beer, why their community is...

Our biggest surprise of 2023 was Scotland, ON's Flux Brewing - we knew their branding and social presence was awesome, but damn, their beers were impeccable. Brewer Aidan Grummett joins Cee back on the pod to catch up on what's been happening for the past two years, their new enclosed patio, why they opened themselves up to collaborations and what that's meant for them, what a Zoiglbier is, how they crafted their own image and brand, their move to 16oz cans, his disdain for growlers and flights, their potential barrel program, the fact he's never had a Guinness, the lactose...

The second of our two biggest and fave podcasts of the year, Cee and Nate sat down to celebrate Ontario craft beer in 2025. It's always super dope to reflect on the year that was - we talked about some of our favourite Ontario experiences, beers and taprooms. We also showed extra love via the awards, including Hidden Gem, Glassware, Community, Gone But Not Forgotten, and the coveted Best New Brewery. Just like 2024, we leveraged the points system - #1 gets 10 points, #2 gets 9 points, etc. We've enjoyed having a new Brewery of the Year for each Top 10 to date, and we're...

For the first time ever, the Top 10 Breweries in Quebec is now officially an all-BAOS experience - from the podcast to the video to the blog! Twenty-twenty-five marks our seventh year of collating the best of the best breweries in the glorious province of Quebec, with Matt McGachy of Vox&Hops and Noah Forrest of Beerism joining Cee and Nate of BAOS to celebrate the top producers in the region. For the second year running, here's how the point system works: each of the four hosts prepares their Top 10 list of favourite Quebec breweries they consumed in 2025, with #1 receiving 10...

We love a destination brewery here at BAOS, and one Ontario space had been generating a ton of praise, to the point where we had to get them on the pod. Located a little over an hour north of Toronto in Oro-Medonte, ON, Quayle's have been quietly delivering phenomenal beer, a legit sense of community and impeccable vibes since 2020. Co-Founders Graydon and Catherine, and Head Brewer Scott, joined Cee on the pod to chat about their unique story of loss and strength through adversity, how they've used their 87 acres to create a memorable experience for their guests, the approach...

One of the oldest friends of the show is Drew Stevens of Kahnawake Brewing, the first brewery on a First Nations reservation in Canada. Drew joined Cee to catch up on what's been happening with the brewery these last few years, how the laws work between Kahnawake and the province of Quebec, how they've gotten around the rules that stopped them from distributing their beers across QC, the BAOS x Kahnawake tap takeovers we threw in 2022, how their beers have been received around Quebec and what's it been like contracting out some of their beers, their recent win at...

Long-time BAOS BrewHeads would be familiar with the fact that Miami, Florida is one of our favourite cities on the planet, so when the opportunity came up to connect with a legendary Miami brewery, you already know we jumped at it. Marketing Manager Stefano Medina, CEO Luis Brignoni, and Head Brewer Mauricio "Mori" Arratia of The Tank joined Cee to chat about their amazing beer histories (including Luis' iconic Wynwood Brewing business), why they choose to make crushable, approachable beers, their focus on the local Florida market, the full rebrand and repositioning of The Tank, their charity work including...

Ontario is home to some phenomenal breweries, but only one is widely known as "The Destination Brewery". Head Brewer Jeremy Moore of Blyth, ON's Cowbell joined Cee on the pod to chat about his eclectic history in the craft beer industry, the story behind the epic campus that is Cowbell Brewing, their killer brewhouse and the challenges that come with 150 and 300 hectolitre fermenters, how their community makes them what they are, their approach to non-alcoholic products, their spirits brand 12 Apostles, how they've diversified their product offerings, their cider and how it compliments their beers, their Winter Mix Pack, Jeremy's...

Pairing craft beer with craft glassblowing is a unique combination, and that's exactly how Merrickville, ON's Gather is making a name for themselves. Co-Founder Mike Gray joined Cee to chat about the story of going from a glassblowing establishment to a craft beer bar to a craft brewery, how Gather has become a real pillar of their community with a full restaurant and regular events, how their brewing started from contracting to brewing their own stuff in-house, why they always need to keep their Amber Ale on, the help they received from the craft beer community, the killer collabs...

Building hype for a new brewery project is one of the most difficult tasks in the game, but the champs behind Herman made it happen. Nestled in the Laurentians in Prévost, QC, Herman has cemented itself as a leading purveyor of crispies (primarily), haze, sours and farmhouse in the province. Co-Founders Fréd and John joined Cee to chat about their origin story, why they keep making gorgeous farmhouse ales in bottles, the labour split between the partners and why that works, their love of coffee, their approach to their beer, how they handle collaborations and why collabs he...

Quebec has one of the most exciting craft beer scenes in the country, and no new brewery has made quite the splash in the past year and change that Bad Bones has. Launching in the Summer of 2024, Bad Bones has dominated end-of-year lists and become a must-stop for any Quebec visit thanks to their murky, creamy New England IPAs. Co-Founder Zack and Brewer Ryan (who's also a fellow Southern Hemisphere kid) join Cee to chat about everything that's happened in the past year, their expansion with a new taproom in Dunham, their shared time spent learning from Derrick at...

This is an episode we'd been trying to make happen for well over a year, but the timing ended up being perfect. Anyone paying attention to the global craft beer industry over the past few years will have noticed breweries either closing or merging/being bought up. Long-time friends of the show Sam Corbeil of Sawdust City and Aaron Spinney of MERIT joined Cee to talk about the recent merger of both of their breweries with Lake of Bays, how it all came about and how they felt about such a large change, the challenges they're both experiencing with regards to...

Nothing beats a contract-to-brick-and-mortar success story, and Lovebird is the latest brewery to do just that. Their beautiful location in Meaford, ON is in partnership with Chef Ryan Praskey of Belle Marche, and boasts a full kitchen, eclectic bar, cozy patio and a vibe that feels more like Montreal than Meaford. Co-Founders Alex and Emily joined Cee to chat about their long and unique journey through the beer industry, how their first business (a beer and wine bar called Lovebird Snack Club) kicked off their journey in Collingwood, ON, Emily's approach to the design of the space and their...

One of the most impressive breweries you'll find in the glorious province of Ontario is Beamsville's Bench Brewing. Nestled right along King St. on the famous Niagara wine route, their imposing campus is a beacon of beer in a land of grapes. Founder Matt Giffen joined Cee to chat about his origins in the beer business, his time overseas and the impact on his beer journey, why he chose the Niagara wine region for his brewery, their dedication to sustainability with their impressive (and complex) waste reduction and energy capturing systems, their expansion into cider, wine, non-alcoholic and Ready-To-Drink pr...

Sitting just outside of Montréal in Pointe-Claire, QC, one of the newest breweries in Québec is Folklore, which took over the space from the recently shuttered Labrosse. Co-Founder Alex Arsenault joined Cee to chat about how it all came together (and how fast it happened), how they got their brand identity, labels and beer recipes ready to go, the support from the community, how Untappd affects breweries and some best practices, the inspiration for their beers, why they've ventured out to meet other brewers and creators (like to the Get It In Ya® SpecTAPular), their connection to the...