Ontario Craft Brewers' Podcast

In the second Ontario Brewer Podcast on English hops, featuring Granite Brewery beers, Mirella Amato, of BeerologyTM and Mary-Beth Keefe from Granite Brewery are joined by cheese educator Debbie Levy. Together, the trio of women embark on a beer and cheese exploration, featuring Granite IPA and Peculiar Strong Ale as well as three cheeses from Black River Cheese: 1 Year Aged Cheddar, Maple Cheddar and Dill Mozzarella. Debbie shares the story of Black River Cheese as well as the "barley days" of Prince Edward County. Debbie also explains why there are so many herbed cheeses in Ontario. Mary Beth talks the women through a tasting of the Granite Peculiar Strong Ale and IPA and the trio then dive into the pairing, discussing their preferred tasting technique and choosing their favourite Black River cheese to go with each of this month’s two feature Granite Brewery beers.

In this episode of Ontario Brewer, BeerologyTM’s Mirella Amato, continues to explore the different kinds of hops that can be used in beer and turns her attention to English hops. Ron Keefe and his daughter Mary-Beth Keefe, from Granite Brewery, join Mirella in the studio having brought along two Granite beers that are brewed with English hops: Peculiar Strong Ale and Granite IPA. Ron shares the history of Granite brewery and Mary Beth, who is now the head brewer at the Granite, explains how she became involved in the family business. The brewing team then explains how English hops come through in their beer and what constitutes a traditional British style IPA, lingering on traditional dry-hopping techniques. Ron also details the inspiration behind the Peculiar Strong Ale. Ron and Mary-Beth then explain how hops change the character of beer as well as what gives Granite beers a signature flavour.

In the second Ontario Brewer Podcast featuring the beers of King Brewery and Noble Hops, Mirella Amato, of BeerologyTM is joined by King Brewery brewer, Matt Tweedy as well as Eric Leveille from Upper Canada Cheese. Matt has brought in the King Vienna Lager and King Pilsner and talks the group through a detailed beer tasting, lingering on the character that Noble Hops add to beer. Eric shares the story of Upper Canada Cheese, describing the Guernsey Cow milk that they use at Upper Canada, and what it contributes to cheese. The trio then dives into beer & cheese pairings, with Upper Canada Guernsey Curds, Comfort Cream as well as Guernsey Girl, a grilling cheese made in the tradition of Finnish Bread Cheese. Both Matt and Eric have an idea of the pairings they think will work, and find themselves surprised by the results of the tasting!

With this episode of Ontario Brewer, Mirella Amato, of BeerologyTM begins an exploration of the third beer ingredient featured in this podcast season: hops. Mirella is joined by Matt Tweedy and Doug Hyatt from King Brewery, where Noble Hops are used. The pair shares their experience with the two different kinds of Noble hops that are used to brew their King Vienna Lager and King Pilsner. Matt and Doug also explain why these hops are key in brewing authentic European style beers. Matt explains what Noble Hops are and what it’s like to brew with them. He also talks about the current advances that are being made with hops in Germany. The pair then share their perception of the aromas and flavours that Noble hops impart to beer and share some of their favourite food pairings…it might be time for a King & Pizza party!

In the second Ontario Brewer Podcast on the beers of the Lake of Bays Brewing Co., Mirella Amato, of BeerologyTM, and Darren Smith from Lake of Bays are joined by beer educator Debbie Levy, representing Thornloe Cheese. Debbie shares the story of Thornloe Cheese and addresses the fact that Ontario cheesemakers produce a lot of cheddar. Darren then leads a tasting of the two featured beers for this month Sparkhouse Red and Old North Mocha Porter. The trio mix-and-match, sampling these beers alongside the Thornloe 3yr cheddar, Temiskaming and Devil's Rock Creamy Blue cheeses. Darren concludes the podcast with a very amusing story about grains! A special thanks to our guest for this podcast: Thornloe Cheese.

In this first episode of Ontario Brewer for 2012, Mirella Amato, of BeerologyTM, is joined by Lake of Bays Brewing Co. owner and president, Darren Smith. Darren explains how roasted grains are used in this month’s two featured beers: Lake of Bays Sparkhouse Red and Old North Mocha Porter. He also explains when the brewery chooses to use roasted unmalted grains and when they use roasted malted grains and what each of these two roasted grains contributes to beer in terms of flavour and mouthfeel. He also goes into detail about how each of these grains affect the colour of different beers. In partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

In the second Ontario Brewer Podcast on the beers of the Clocktower Brew Pub, Mirella Amato, of BeerologyTM and head brewer Patrick Fiori explore the aromas and flavours in this month’s two featured beers: Winstons Dunkel and Wisharts E.S.B. Debbie Levy, who is representing St. Albert Cheese Co-operative Inc., joins the Patrick and Mirella for this podcast and has brought in three St. Albert cheeses to sample alongside the two featured beers: Extra Old Cheddar, 4yr Old Cheddar and Onion Cheddar. As the trio mix and match, discovering a range of interesting pairings, Debbie shares some interesting stories on the production and history of cheddar cheese in Ontario. A special thanks to our guest for this podcast: St. Albert Cheese Co-operative Inc.

In this episode of Ontario Brewer, Mirella Amato of BeerologyTM is joined by head brewer Patrick Fiori and brewer Justin da Silva from the Clocktower Brew Pub in Ottawa. Together, the trio explores specialty malts and what they contribute to beer. Patrick and Justin list the various specialty malts that they use at the brewery, paying particular attention to the ones that go into their Wisharts E.S.B. and Winstons Dunkel. The two brewers then describe their favourite specialty malts as well as one “specialty malt” that they could both do without!… 

In partnership with the Dairy Farmers of CanadaIn the second Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co., Mirella Amato, of BeerologyTM and brewmaster Matthew O’Hara are joined by cheese educator Debbie Levy, who is representing Glengarry Fine Cheese Co. Matthew takes a moment to describe the aromas and flavours in Beau’s Lug Tread Lagered Ale and Vassar Heirloom Ale, the two feature beers for this month. Debbie takes a moment to introduce the Glengarry Fine Cheese young Lankaaster, Fleur-en-Lait and Big Brother cheeses. Matthew, Mirella and Debbie then sample these three cheeses, pairing them with the three featured beers and pick their favourite pairing.A special thanks to our guest for this podcast: Glengarry Fine Cheese.

With this edition of Ontario Brewer, Mirella Amato of BeerologyTM begins a three-part exploration of the various malts in beer. With the assistance of Steve Beauschenes and Matthew O'Hara, from Beau's All Natural Brewing Co., Mirella delves into pale malts and what they contribute to beer as well as the brewing process in general. Matthew and Steve discuss the two types of pale malts that they use at the brewery and then zero in on two Beau's All Natural Brewing Co. beers: Lug Tread Lagered Ale and Vassar Heirloom Ale, both of which feature one of these pale malts. The gang get sidetracked along the way, when Mirella asks the Beau's crew to explain what is meant by a "Lagered Ale"...

In partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Canada In the second Ontario Brewer Podcast for October, Mirella Amato, of BeerologyTM and Jay Burnett from Grand River Brewing are joined by Adam van Bergeijk from Mountainoak Cheese. Adam shares his experience as a dairy farmer and cheesemaker, and describes the three featured cheeses for the podcast: Mountainoak Cumin, Mountainoak Black Truffle and Mountainoak Wild Nettle. Adam, Jay and Mirella then sample the three featured cheeses alongside the Grand River Hannenberg Pils and Pugnacious Pale Ale and zero in on the best flavour combinations. A special thanks to our guest for this podcast: Mountainoak Cheese

This podcast marks the launch of the 2012-2013 Ontario Brewer Podcast season. This year will be all about discovering the fresh ingredients that make Ontario Craft Brewer beers taste so good. In the first podcast this month, we are exploring water with the fine fold at Grand River Brewing. Brewer Rob Creighton and sales rep Jay Burnett chat with Mirella Amato of BeerologyTM about the role that water plays in creating the flavour profile of the Grand River Pugnacious Pale Ale and Grand River Hannenberg Pils.

For part two of the Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on Wellington Brewery, Mirella chats with Sharon Shoot, who is the owner of Chocolate by Wickerhead. Sharon shares the story behind the name of her chocolate shop. The pair then turn their attention to food pairing, lingering on the fact that texture plays an important role and discussing how some of the food pairing theories don’t always translate into practice. The two featured beers for this podcast are Wellington Boot Chuck IPA and Wellington Imperial Russian Stout. They are paired with two of Sharon’s chocolate treats:  Artisan Rind Ginger Chewy   A special thanks to our partner for this podcast: Chocolate by Wickerhead Now in its second year in the Beach area of Toronto, Chocolate  by Wickerhead retails delectable hand-crafted Belgian chocolate creations and gifts, made on the premise daily using the freshest ingredients.  Since Shoot conceived her now famous, signature, hand-dipped Belgian chocolate popcorn in 1988, the name Wickerhead Co. has become

In the first of two podcasts this month, featuring Wellington brewery, Mirella chats over the phone with brewer Marvin Dyck. Marvin delves into the Wellington Imperial Stout, detailing some of its ingredients and explaining how it's made as well as why it's the most complex beer in the Wellington Brewery portfolio. The pair then chat about Wellington's Boot Chuck IPA, which was released as a seasonal this year. Marvin mentions the annual boot toss event at Wellington brewery, which inspired the name of this IPA. Mirella then inquires about the style of this beer, and learns that this particular IPA is a hybrid. Marvin and Mirella then turn their attention to cask-conditioned ale and how its popularity has fluctuated over the years. Marvin talks about why he likes making cask-conditioned ale and then shares some of his other favourite projects.

In this second Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on Railway City Brewing, Mirella and lead brewer Michael Gardner are joined by Chef Howard Dubrovsky. Michael’s brought in two of Railway City Brewing’s beers: Dead Elephant Ale and Honey Elixir. Chef Howard has designed two great dishes to pair with these beers. Recipes for these tasty treats are available on the recipe page of the OCB website. As the trio samples the pairings, they discuss the ingredients in the Railway City brews and how they come through in the flavour as well as how these flavours interact with the food. Chef Howard shares the method he uses to come up with his pairings. He also shares a special technique he uses to infuse dishes with hop aromas. A special thanks to our partner for this podcast: Howard Dubrovsky At the age of 10, able to copy dishes he saw prepared on TV, Howard Dubrovsky was already experimenting with foods and flavours. It was not long before Howard realized that making great food would be his life’s calling. Howard is a p

In this month’s first Ontario Brewer Podcast on Railway City Brewing, Mirella Amato, of Beerology, chats with the brewery’s co-owner, Paul Corriveaux, as well as lead brewer Michael Gardner. Paul and Michael share some of the history of St. Thomas, the city in which the brewery is situated as well as the crazy stories behind the names of Dead Elephant ale and Double Dead Elephant Ale. Who knew that an elephant could die twice? Michael shares his journey at the brewery, starting as a delivery driver and keg washer and working his way up to professional brewing. The pair then talk about some of the brewery’s seasonals and how the brewery likes to include local ingredients in their beers as much as possible. They also touch on Railway City’s Dead Elephant Ale and Honey Elixir, the two featured beers for our August podcasts.  

For part two of the Ontario Brewer Podcast feature on Amsterdam Brewery, Mirella and Amsterdam Brewery Brewmaster Jamie Mistry are joined by Chef Matt Kantor, who is the chef behind the Secret Pickle Supper Club, Little Kitchen and Ghost Chef. Jamie leads a tasting of the Amsterdam 416 Urban Wheat and Boneshaker IPA, providing a lot of detail on the ingredients used as well as the laborious process involved in getting hop complexity and bitterness into the Boneshaker IPA. Chef Matt brings in two summer treats: an ice cream made with the 416 Urban Wheat and a beer float made with the Boneshaker IPA. He discusses some of the challenges of making ice cream with beer and Jamie provides some insight into the issue. Taste along as Mirella and Jamie discover these refreshing beer-based desserts. Recipes are available in the recipes section of the OCB Website. A special thanks to our partner for this podcast: Chef Matt Kantor Chef Matt Kantor is a graduate of the culinary institute of America in New York and has work

For the Ontario Brewer Podcast on Amsterdam Brewery, Mirella Amato, of Beerology, chats with Brewmaster Jamie Mistry as well as Blake van Delft, who is the Media and Marketing Director at Amsterdam. After sharing a bit about their previous experience, Blake and Jamie discuss the brewery’s latest wins at the Canadian Brewing Awards as well as the World Beer Cup. They then explain how the brewery’s pilot system has allowed the brewing team to brew a wider range of styles and they spend some time describing one of the more obscure traditional styles that Amsterdam has released: a salty Leipziger Gose. Jamie and Blake then turn their focus to the two featured beers for this month’s podcast, the 416 Urban Wheat and Boneshaker IPA. The pair also mentions an upcoming collaboration brew and Jamie shares some of the challenges of brewing so many different brands at the same time. Blake also proposes an unusual food pairing…

For part two of the Ontario Brewer Podcast on Barrie’s Flying Monkey’s Craft Brewery, Mirella and Brewing Alchemist Aaron Spinney discuss The Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion and Smashbomb Atomic IPA. They are then joined by Michael Simpson, of Leslieville Cheese Company, who has brought two cheeses to pair with these Ontario Craft Beers: Piave. Lattebusche: Italy Ossau-Iraty. Onetik: France Having tasted through both beers, the trio samples the combinations and discusses how the flavours in the beer mesh with those in the cheeses. Michael and Aaron then discover an interesting coincidence… A special thanks to our partner for this podcast: Leslieville Cheese Market. With two stores in Toronto and one in Flesherton, Leslieville Cheese Market endeavours to provide a wide selection of cheeses from across the world and find foods to accompany cheese. The Leslieville Cheese team regularly runs a Beer School for Cheese Fans. Find out more at: www.leslievillecheese.com

For the first Ontario Brewer Podcast about the Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery, Mirella Amato of Beerology chats with Flying Monkeys Founder, Beer Whisperer & Lion Tamer, Peter Chiodo as well as Brewing Alchemist, Aaron Spinney. The two brewers share how they first got into brewing, and Aaron explains how he went from knowing very little about beer to becoming a professional brewer in a very short time. Peter then talks about how The Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery was conceived and stresses the importance of brewing what you love. The pair then lingers on the two featured beers for this month’s podcasts: Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion and Flying Monkeys Smashbomb Atomic IPA. Peter provides some technical details, while Aaron shares food-pairing ideas.