Ontario Craft Brewers' Podcast

In this second Ontario Brewer podcast for April, Master Cicerone®, Mirella Amato chats with Niagara College Teaching Brewery Brewmaster Program student Jamie Shillow and with Phil DiFonzo, who is the brewmaster at King Brewery. Phil tells the group about an upcoming brand, Barn Door Brewing Company, and talks the group through a tasting of its first release: Toombstone India Pale Lager.  

In this Episode of Ontario Brewer, Master Cicerone®, Mirella Amato is joined by one of the students currently enrolled in the Brewmaster Program at The Niagara College Teaching Brewery, Jamie Shillow, as well as the brewmaster from King Brewery, Phil DiFonzo. Jamie has brought in one of her beers, called "Knowledge is Porter" for the group to sample. Find out: How home brewing can lead to professional brewing What brewing students learn in school How brewers choose the combination of malts that will go into their beer About a new brewery in the making...  

In this second Ontario Brewer podcast for March, Master Cicerone®, Mirella Amato is once again joined by Mark Campbell from Lake of Bays Brewing Co. and Sam Corbeil, from Sawdust City Brewing. The trio chat about the beer scene in Lake Country. Find out: How the beer scene in Muskoka has evolved in the past few years Where to find craft beer in Northern Ontario How beer can be compared to cheese What brewers do when they run out of hops Where the 'Bermuda Triangle of Ontario' is located

In this March Ontario Brewer Podcast, Master Cicerone®, Mirella Amato chats with Sam Corbeil, the head brewer at Sawdust City Brewing as well as brewer Mark Campbell from Lake of Bays Brewing Co. Sam and Mark have come in to share their experience collaborating on a special limited edition OCB Podcast brew and have brought the beer in for sampling. The beer, which is called Four Corners, is actually a ‘Black and Tan’ that combines a Witbier called Paris and a Chocolate Stout called Regent ... Find out: Which fun co-incidence inspired the three names for these beers How to get an intense orange flavour in your beer Where to shop for beer in Paris How to find the right ratio when blending two beers When and where the Four Corners limited edition brew will be released

In this second Ontario Brewer podcast for February, Master Cicerone®, Mirella Amato is once again joined by Black Oak Brewing Co. president, Ken Woods and Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co.brewmaster, Matthew O’Hara. This time, they are sampling St. Luke’s Verse — the latest release in Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company’s Wild Oats Series. Find out: The blend of spices used to brew St. Luke’s Verse Why young maidens would historically sip lavender tea The difference between beer and Gruit (with a little history!) How fermentation affects the flavours in beer Ingredients to avoid when brewing 

In this first Ontario Brewer podcast for February, Master Cicerone®, Mirella Amato chats with Ken Woods, president of Black Oak Brewing Co. and brewmaster Matthew O’Hara from Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co.Together, the trio sample the new Black Oak winter seasonal: Triple Chocolate Cherry Stout. Listen, and find out: How Ken and Matthew are connected How the old ceramic Beaus All Natural bottles were repurposed How chocolate is added three times to the Triple Chocolate Cherry Stout The therapeutic benefits of marshmallows How brewers experiment with new ingredients and spices  

In this second Ontario Brewer podcast for January, Master Cicerone® Mirella Amato is once again joined by brewer Rob Creighton from Grand River Brewing and Darren Smith, owner and president of Lake of Bays Brewing Co. This time, they are sampling the Grand River winter seasonal: Russian Gun Imperial Stout. Find out: How brewers in England stopped brewing with malt in the 1800s Why the label for Russian Gun Imperial Stout says it’s ‘Flavoured’ The crazy story behind the name Russian Gun How Lake of Bays brewing names their beers The challenges involved with brewing seasonal beer in Ontario Why canning is so popular in Ontario One of the perils of using bottling machines in the brewery

In this first podcast of the 2014 season, Master Cicerone®, Mirella Amato chats with Darren Smith, owner and president of Lake of Bays Brewing Co. and brewer Rob Creighton from Grand River Brewing. Together, the trio sample the first of Lake of Bay’s limited edition Signature Series lineup of tribute beers: China Wall Vienna Dark Lager. Find out: The various reasons why Johnny Bower might have been nicknamed ‘China Wall’ The ingredients in China Wall Dark Vienna Lager and how it’s different from a standard Vienna Lager What the next beer in the series will be How brewers can mask alcohol in high alcohol beers How the quality of local water affects brewing How the entire Baysville liquor was stolen and how it brought the community together The perils of creating custom brews for celebrities   … And find out more about Johnny Bower’s storied career at the Hockey Hall of Fame website

In partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Canada. In this second Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on the barrel aged beers of Amsterdam Brewery, Mirella Amato of BeerologyTM is once again joined by brewer Cody Nolan, who has brought along the Amsterdam De Wallen Barrel Aged Sour Framboise and Barrel Aged Rye Peppercorn Saison. Also in the studio is cheese educator Debbie Levy, representing Mountainoak Cheese. Debbie has participated in a number of Ontario Brewer beer and cheese pairing podcasts throughout the year and reflects on her experience with the podcasts and how it has sparked an interest in beer. The trio then embark on a beer and cheese pairing exploration, sampling the two feature Amsterdam beers with three Goudas produced by Mountainoak Cheese: Fiery, Wild Nettle and Fresian. When the group finds itself struggling to find a perfect pairing, Mirella finds a novel solution!

In this episode of Ontario Brewer, BeerologyTM’s Mirella Amato explores the topic of barrel aging beer with head brewer Iain McOustra and brewer Cody Nolan from Amsterdam Brewing Co. Cody and Iain both talk about the new brewing facilities that they’re working in. They then turn their attention to barrel-aged beers, explaining how they use barrels and the learning curve involved in working with new barrels instead of attaining barrel-aged notes using wood chips. They provide details on how they choose which beers to barrel age, how they decide the amount of time a beer will spend in a barrel as well as the various yeasts and bacteria that are involved in barrel-aging and souring beer. The two brewers then talk more specifically about the feature Amsterdam Beers for this month’s podcasts: Barrel Aged Rye Peppercorn Saison & De Wallen Barrel Aged Sour Framboise.

In partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Canada In this second Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery, Mirella Amato of BeerologyTM is once again joined by Experimental Brewer Sebastian MacIntosh. Also in the studio is Andrew Laliberte, from Glen Echo Fine Foods. This month, the three cheeses in the podcast are from different producers, all represented by the Dairy Farmers of Canada: Le Riopelle de l’Isle by Fromagerie Ile-aux-grues; Pacific Pepper by Natural Pastures and Applewood Smoked 2 Year Old Cheddar by Cow’s Creamery. Once Sebastian has talked the group through a tasting of this month’s two feature beers: Flying Monkeys City in Colour Imperial Maple Wheat and Ginger Bread Winter Warmer, the trio dives in to find their favourite beer and cheese interactions — they are surprised by the variety of great results! They also take the time to discuss potential pitfalls when pairing beer with cheese. Find out more about the Dairy Farmers of Canada at: dairyfarmers.ca

In this episode of Ontario Brewer, BeerologyTM’s Mirella Amato is joined by Head Brewer Paul Buttery and Experimental Brewery Sebastian MacIntosh from The Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery. Together, the trio discusses the use of spices in beer, using this month's two feature beers — Ginger Bread Winter Warmer and City in Colour Imperial Maple Wheat — as examples. Before diving in, the two brewers share their individual paths to becoming brewers as well as their current roles at the brewery. They then talk about the various techniques and pitfalls involved in adding spices to beer and the advantages of having pilot brewing systems at the brewery. Paul and Sebastian also talk about some of the other spiced beers they’ve brewed as well as their dream spiced beers.

In partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Canada In this second Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on Mill Street Brewery, Mirella Amato of BeerologyTM is once again joined by Brewmaster Joel Manning. Also in the studio is Debbie Levy, representing Ivanhoe Cheese. Debbie introduces the three Ivanhoe cheeses for the podcast: a Monterey jack and cheddar cheese with Salsa, a Smoked Gouda and a Vintage Cheddar. She explains how smoke is naturally added to the Gouda and details how salsa flavour is added to the Monterey Jack. Joel the shares his experience pairing beer with cheese. The trio speculates on how the pairings will work and then try the three cheeses alongside our two feature beers for this podcast: Mill Street Coffee Porter and Cobblestone Stout. Having sampled the different beer & food combinations on their plate, Mirella, Debbie and Joel each choose their favourite flavour interactions. A special thanks to our guest for this podcast: Ivanhoe Cheese.

In this episode of Ontario Brewer, BeerologyTM’s Mirella Amato explores the topic of carbonation with Brewmaster Joel Manning and VP of Sales Dave Mitchell from Mill Street Brewery. After covering the basics of carbonation and how he decides the amount of carbonation that should go into any given beer, Joel details how CO2 affects the aroma and flavour of beer. He outlines the basics of nitrogen-charged beer and the challenges and hilarity that were involved in figuring out how to package the nitrogenated Mill Street beers in cans. Joel and Dave then focus their attention on the two featured beers for this podcast, the Mill Street Cobblestone Stout and Mill Street Coffee Porter addressing how the gasses used in these beers are central to their flavour profile.

In partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Canada In this second Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on Black Oak Brewing Co. and ale yeast, Mirella Amato of BeerologyTM is once again joined by president Ken Woods of Black Oak Brewing Co. Also in the studio is Debbie Levy, representing Maple Dale Cheese. Debbie talks a bit about Maple Dale Cheese, introducing the three feature cheeses for this podcast, which all happen to be cheddars. Debbie therefore takes some time to outline how the flavours in cheddar evolve as it ages, and how the folk at Maple Dale Cheese prepare a cheddar for aging. As Debbie describes this process, Ken finds parallels between cheesemaking & beer making. Together, the trio then tries the three cheeses alongside our two feature beers for this podcast: Black Oak Nut Brown and Black Oak Pale Ale. Having sampled the different beer & food combinations on their plate, Mirella, Ken and Debbie each choose their favourite flavour interactions. A special thanks to our guest for this podcast: Ma

In this episode of Ontario Brewer, BeerologyTM’s Mirella Amato, chats with Ken Woods & Simon Da Costa, the president and brewmaster at Black Oak Brewing Co. Ken updates Mirella on the range of public events that are held at the brewery. The trio then dives into the topic for this podcast: ale yeast. Simon talks about working with ale yeast and how it’s different from working with lager yeast. He also describes the different character that these two kinds of yeasts add to beer and how a brewmaster’s job involves a lot of yeast wrangling to get the right flavours. He explains how the ale yeast comes through in this month’s two feature beers: Black Oak Pale Ale and Black Oak Nut Brown Ale. The Black Oak folk then bring out their latest seasonal offering, Double Entendre, to illustrate the range of character that ale yeasts can impart to beer. Ken talks the group through a tasting & insists that, contrary to popular belief, that’s not him on the label!

In this second Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on Cameron’s Brewing Co. and lager yeast, Mirella Amato of BeerologyTM is once again joined by brewer Kyle Smith of Cameron’s Brewing Co. Also in the studio is Debbie Levy, representing the cheeses of Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese. Debbie explains that Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheeses are Swiss inspired but completely different from the stereotypical Emmental style of cheese. She then takes some time to introduce the three cheeses that Gunn’s Hill produces: Oxford Harvest, Five Brothers and Handeck. Kyle then leads the group through a tasting of this month’s two featured lager beers: Cameron’s Lager and Cameron’s Dark 266. Together, the trio tries all of the different beer & food combinations on the table, with each of them choosing their favourite flavour interactions. A special thanks to our guest for this podcast: Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese.

In this episode of Ontario Brewer, BeerologyTM’s Mirella Amato, is joined by Kyle Smith, who is the brewer for Cameron’s Brewing Co. Kyle outlines the many different ales and lagers brewed at Cameron’s and then explains the difference between the two kinds of beer. Kyle then zeroes in on lager yeasts, sharing the challenges of including lagers in a brewery that also produces ales. Mirella and Kyle then discuss what lager yeast contributes to beer and how its character comes through in this month’s two featured brews: Cameron’s Lager and Cameron’s Dark 266. Kyle outlines the similarities and differences between these two beers, that are both brewed using lager yeasts, and then takes some time to share his favourite beer & food pairings and recipes….

In this second Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on the American style ales of Nickel Brook Brewing and American hops, Mirella Amato of BeerologyTM chats with brewmaster Ryan Morrow as well as Brad Quaile who is the production manager at Pine River Cheese. Brad talks about this month’s three feature cheeses, two of which he created himself: Monterey Jack Cheese with Salsa, Cheddar Cheese with Caramelized Onion Flavour and Extra Old Cheddar Cheese. Brad and Ryan then share their respective processes for creating a new recipe. Before diving in and pairing the three Pine River cheeses with Nickel Brook Naughty Neighbour American Pale Ale and Malevolent Imperial Black IPA, Brad takes a little time to explain the different between Monterey Jack and Cheddar… The trio then compare notes on the different pairings. Brad and Ryan then draw another parallel between their respective jobs… A special thanks to our guest for this podcast: Pine River Cheese.

In this episode of Ontario Brewer, BeerologyTM’s Mirella Amato, chats with brewmaster Ryan Morrow and co-founder Peter Romano, of Burlington’s Nickel Brook Brewery. Together, they explore West-Coast American hops and what these hops contribute to Nickel Brook’s Naughty Neighbour American Pale Ale and Malevolent Imperial Black IPA. Peter and Ryan discuss the popularity of American Style ales. Ryan lists the many different American hop varieties that he uses at the brewery, explaining how he chooses which one to put in any given American style ale. He then details which hops are in this month’s two feature beers, explaining which particular aroma and flavour each of them contributes to these beers. He also describes the hop selection process that brewmasters use to decide which new hop varieties they will use. Mirella then asks Ryan and Peter which is their favourite American hop …