BAOS: Beer & Other Shhh Podcast

The winner of the 2023 BAOS Top Brewery in Ontario, Godspeed has been crafting elite-level beers for almost 7 years now. After an unusually large break of 6 years from the pod, Bim joined Cee and Nate live from Tokyo, Japan to chat about his journey in the world of Czech beers, his travels to Pilsen and around the world that inspired him, exactly how a LUKR works, what a pitch-lined barrel is and how he's the only brewery in the world to have one of Pilsner Urquell's famous barrels, how his collaboration with Czechvar (Budvar) came about, why he's splitting time between Toronto and Tokyo, how he became obsessed with smoked malts, and where he sees Godspeed going. The fellas cracked into a number of beers between them - Ibushi Godspeed-style Helles Lagerbier, Bière de Soif Everyday Lager collab with De La Senne, Sklepník Plzeň-Style Pale Lager (Stainless Edition), Bůh (Speciální Edice) collab with Czechvar (Budvar), Kemuri Godspeed-Style Porter, Irori Peated Scotch Lager, and Bim even cracked a Pilsner Urquell. This was 4 hours of gems - enjoy! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

It brings us a lot of joy to continue to shine a light on the amazing craft beer scene in Australia here on the pod, and the latest returning Aussie legend is Mirek from The Mill. First appearing on the podcast back in 2018, Mirek joined Cee to catch up on what's been happening for the last 5 years, the growth of the beer scene in Collingwood (a suburb of Melbourne where The Mill is based), their move into a production facility, how their brewpub has developed and the importance of their food partner, why it's key for them to deliver beer that everyone can enjoy, the state of the Aussie beer scene, a deep dive into both the Australian and New Zealand hop growing world, and their barrel program. Mirek crushed their Solana West Coast Pilsner and Haze NEIPA, while Cee cracked open a bottle of their 2018 variant of The Great Russian, a Starward barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout. This was a gem - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

One of the reasons the BAOS team started visiting Hamilton, ON was MERIT Brewing, and it's well overdue to have them on the pod. Co-Founder and Head Brewer Aaron Spinney, affectionately known as Spinney to everybody but his mother, joined Cee and Nate to chat about his beginnings in beer via Niagara College, his history with Sawdust City's Sam Corbeil (friend of the show), his passion for wine beer hybrids, how they approach distribution, why breweries should be able to ship country-wide, beer verticals, Spinney dove into some Hamilton history, and why Hamilton is such a great city. They cracked six huge beers - 107 Dortmunder Export Lager, Strange Animal IPA, Fine Line Orange Wine Lager, Happy Place Cab Franc Skin & Vine Saison, Nowhere Imperial Stout with Syrah, Malbec & Merlot, and By And By Belgian-Style Tripel with Pinot Noir, Gamay and Dornfelder. Almost 4 hours on this one - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Prince Edward County, an island on a lake in Ontario, is one of the most picturesque places in the province that just happens to have an impeccable craft beer (and wine) scene. Nestled in the quaint town of Bloomfield, Matron Fine Beer have really made a great home in PEC. Co-Founder and Head Brewer Justin joined Cee and Nate to chat about his brewing history in Ottawa and Kingston, the difficulties in making a great lager, why they chose Prince Edward County, the PEC beer world, their recent financial struggles and how the community is helping them overcome it, his fave packaging sizes, their summer LCBO drops and the future of Matron. They crushed six bangers: Yeasayer Lagerbier, Dapper Vienna Lagerbier, Muff Darkbier, Janky IPA, Bobo Farmhouse Wheat, Olde Pals Cream Ale (collab with Beyond The Pale). This was a long time coming - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Derrick is officially the guest that has appeared the most times on BAOS, tying with Shehan of Lost Craft, and with that milestone, we were stoked to get into this episode. Montreal's BreWskey is an institution in the city, so we were amped that Derrick came by to hang with Cee and Nate to chat about BreWskey's upcoming anniversary, whether they're the smoothie originators in Quebec, New Zealand hops and how the lots differ, their new space L'Annexe and how it fits in with their two other pubs, why they're so down for innovation, optimal packaging sizes for big ABV beers, and how they serve both beer nerds and tourists. They got into a slew of fire brews: Singularity Citra IPA, Cirrus EDS Oat Cream Double IPA, Emperor Nel IPA, and Brew Cake Bleuet Citron Smoothie Sour. Spectacular as always - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Sometimes when you're known for one thing, you gotta flex on 'em that you can do so much more. One of the globe's finest haze producers, Troy from Badlands joins Cee and Nate after 2 years to chat about what's changed since 2022, his love of lagers, the Mauvtare farmhouse side project, his approach to recipe improvement, his barrel program and why he's in no rush to release anything, whether they'll ever do a barleywine, his love of vanilla, his process with his hazy IPAs, and brewery growing pains. They crushed four Badlands bangers - CS Pils (2024 - Nate did 2023), Mauvtare Saison Mauv, Peach Nectar IPA, and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Tranilla Imperial Stout. Troy didn't disappoint - this was a gem, cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Any brewery that opened in 2020 deserves respect for making it through one of the toughest times in human history to open a brand new business. One such brewery is Aylmer, QC's 5e Baron, a two-time winner of our Quebec Brewery of the Year. Co-Founder Jacob Barrette joined Cee and Nate to catch up on what's been happening since his last pod appearance for 5e back in late 2020, he touched on their emphasis on lagers and West Coast IPAs, their unique approach to beer, why they're so impeccable at every style they attempt, how they've engaged their local community, why representation in beer is important, and his love of English and Belgian beers. They got into five amazing brews - Des Moines Helles Lager, Céleste New England Pale Ale, Route 66 American IPA, Winter Walks Double West Coast IPA (collab with NathanDoesBeer), and Lucide Dream (Sumatra) Breakfast Stout. Impeccable convo - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

The most epic podcast of all time was our first episode with (arguably) the most hyped brewery in Ontario, Third Moon, back in October of 2020. That episode came in at around 4 hours and 40 minutes, and Co-Founder Chris gave us a memorable tour of his incredible beer basement. We finally had them back on, and you already know we had to break some records. Landing at just over 5 hours, Bebo and Chris hung out with Cee and Nate to catch up on all things Third Moon since 2020, they dug into some newer styles that they've been doing (lagers, smoothies), their brewery and team expansion, how their barrel program has grown, the insane power of Untappd over the craft beer business, their approach to packaging, and they touched on the Ontario beer taxation issue. They cracked six absolute gems - Kills Pilsner, Rise Pale Ale, Midnight Kills Dark Lager, Love Lies Bleeding (Bulldog Comet), Barrel-Aged Kills (2023), and Quintuple Bone Tree IPA, fondly known as Quincy Bones. Epic af as always - we hope you make it through! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Whenever the pod comes full circle, it's a beautiful thing. We first had Brendo on the pod back in Episode #29 of the original series when he ran The Public Brewery in Melbourne, Australia. When we reached out to get Dereck of Bad Shepherd back on, we were stoked to learn that Brendo had joined the team. Dereck and Brendan hung out with Cee to chat about landing their Double Choc Hazelnut Brown Ale in the LCBO in Ontario, how the Aussie beer scene has grown over the years and comparisons with Canada, they broke down the voluntary administration process that the business recently went through, how Aussie consumer brands are commoditizing and how it relates to beer, and whether there will ever be a Bad Shepherd in Canada. They got into the Double Choc Hazelnut Brown Ale, of course, and two versions of their Alkonost Russian Imperial Stout - one from 2019 (Cee) and one from 2021 (Dereck and Brendo). This was a banger, cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

This episode was a milestone in a bunch of ways - it's the highest podcast episode number we've gotten to ever; it's the first in-person pod we've done in the Adjunct Series; and it was the first time a brewer came to our home for a chat. Love it. Troy Baxter of Badlands hung out with Cee and Tiff to talk about everything surrounding the costs of craft beer, including the hop and grain harvest issues, why beer prices rarely move, big beer costs vs craft costs, why some beers cost more than others, how inflation has affected beer, Ontario vs Alberta tax rates, beer sales over the years, and some deeper finance talk around CPI, economics and money supply. They got into some of Troy's home-roasted Brazillian coffee beans via Morning Roast, along with two Badlands beers - Badlands Pils and Bike Tree (2024). This was an extremely valuable pod - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

In almost 9 years of craft beer podcasting, we don't think we've seen a story quite like this one. Greg Thompson served 22 years in both state and federal prisons in the US for drug crimes and has come out the other side with a prison-themed brewery. Coming home in 2016, Greg has been working on Prison Break since then - an uphill battle for an ex-convict trying to go legit. Greg and Cee chatted about his wild story including some crazy moments in prison, whether the prison-focused TV shows are accurate, how Greg and his business partner came up with the idea to start a brewery, his wins securing tap handles in bikini bars around Riverside and the OC in California, how he got a brewer who worked on Firestone Walker's 805 Blonde Ale to help create his flagship beer Shanked, his work in music, film and books, and their funding campaign to grow the brewery. They cracked some Prison Break Shanked Blonde Ales for this gem of a conversation - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

One of our fave breweries back home in Australia is Banks Brewing (formerly known as Mr. Banks Brewing), and since it's been a few years since we last touched base, we were well overdue. Founder Chris and Cee chatted about Banks' recent name change and rebrand, the state of the Australian craft beer scene, why quality is the new hype, whether Australia has "hype chasers" like North America, the origin of the Oat Cream IPA in Australia, why LUKR pours are amazing, how the Aussie excise tax works, their shared love of third wave coffee, why breweries in Australia are closing, and how beer distribution works Down Under. Cee got into two beers from Banks - 60% Of The Time It Works Every Time Triple IPA, and Don't Chase Me I'm Full Of Chocolate Pastry Stout. Chris didn't drink as two double-digit ABV brews at 1pm wouldn't be so good on a work day. This was fascinating - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

A brewery owner who has to be one of the most featured guests on the podcast, Shehan De Silva is now the owner of not just one craft brewery but two, plus a new taproom. Shehan joins Cee and Tiff to discuss the recent acquisition of High Park Brewery and the merged taproom with Lost Craft, their foray into ready-to-drink beverages and spirits, why the liquor industry is one of the hardest to break into, the future of craft beer, the current Ontario beer taxation issue and his take on it all, the Beer Store Master Framework Agreement ending, why craft breweries should all be focusing on securing new drinkers rather than only appealing to the current crowd, and they answered some of the questions Tiff and Cee had from Episode #154. They got into six bangin' bevvies, including their Dejado Tequila Soda Lime, Dejado Tequila Soda Grapefruit, Pink Gin Fizz, Peach Gin Fizz, Dejado Spicy Margarita and Lost Craft Coastal Wave IPA. This was a great one - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

It's our favourite time of the year... Looking back at the year that was is always a blast, so when Cee and Nate got together to select, chat about and, of course, drink beers from their favourite breweries in 2023, they knew it was about to go down. Twenty-twenty-three was a spectacular year for Ontario craft beer, with some phenomenal new breweries opening their doors, some legendary breweries saying goodbye, and there were even some breweries that had been around a while but were new to BAOS. We announced our Brewery of the Year, too, which was a first for this amazing company. No spoilers here, just watch or listen and enjoy some Ontario craft beer. Cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Guelph, Ontario is a great hub filled with craft breweries that appeal to every palate, and we're stoked to finally hang with the legends from Royal City! Cam and Dan joined Cee and Nate to chat about the history of beer in the city of Guelph, Cee and Dan's history at BierMarkt, the Guelph.Beer bus, why super hazy NEIPAs never picked up in the area, alcohol taxation and the challenges of operating a brewery, the value of stories and experiences in beer, and how they plan to stick around for a long time. They got into six fantastic Royal City brews - Bootleg Cream Ale, Exhibition Session IPA, Goldie Pale Ale, Snowed In Tart Beer with cranberry and orange, Longest Night Strong Ale, and Mountain King Dark Ale. This was a fantastic chat - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

To kick off 2024, Cee and Tiff hung out for a deep dive into the multitude of reasons behind the alarming number of brewery closures that we've seen over the last 12-18 months. They looked at a number of the Ontarian and Canadian breweries that closed recently, and how several factors influenced where we're at currently including the pandemic and incessant shutdowns, a rise in operational costs (mostly rent and ingredients), market saturation and a change in drinking preferences, government regulation and taxation, the Master Framework Agreement, and products that don't seem to work. They also touched on opportunities for the future including regulatory changes, intentional marketing, diversity and equality initiatives, product diversity and how consumers can support. They cracked two brews from now-defunct breweries - Laylow's Zenith Belgian Golden Ale and Still Fields' Hoppy Saison. Tons of learnings here - cheers! Links as per the conversation: RTD Segment Growth Master Framework Agreement Changes Ontario Tax Reform Keep Craft Beer Local Ontario Beer Taxation OCB Advocacy BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

A brewery owner who has to be one of the most featured guests on the podcast, Shehan De Silva is now the owner of not just one craft brewery but two, plus a new taproom. Shehan joins Cee and Nate to discuss the recent acquisition of High Park Brewery and the merged taproom with Lost Craft, their foray into ready-to-drink beverages and spirits, why the liquor industry is one of the hardest to break into, the future of craft beer, the current Ontario beer taxation issue and his take on it all, why craft breweries should all be focusing on securing new drinkers rather than only appealing to the current crowd, and where his unique perspective comes from. They got into six bangin' bevvies, including their Dejado Tequila Soda Lime, Pink Gin Fizz, Lost Craft Root Beer Float Stout, Lost Craft Coastal Wave IPA, High Park Rings of Saturn, and High Park Black Magic Raspberry Dark Sour. This was a great one - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Now that Hamilton, ON is home base for BAOS, we have a goal to chat with all the craft breweries in the region, and the latest to jump on the pod is Clifford! Founder Brad Clifford joined Cee and Nate to chat about his early beginnings in Toronto, the history of downtown Toronto breweries, the challenges of opening a brewery in Hamilton, why he chose to brew almost exclusively English-style ales and lagers, how much the beer scene has changed since the early 2010s, whether Hamilton could handle more breweries, and why contract brewing is a great path to a brick-and-mortar facility. They got into a bunch of Clifford's amazing brews, including East Hamilton Lager German-style Pilsner, Pinball Wizard American Pale Ale, Nitro Porter, Dark Streets of London ESB, Devil's Punchbowl India Session Lager, and Artificial Paradise IPA. Such a great chat, cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

A brewery focusing almost exclusively on German and Czech-inspired beers is a true blessing to any city or town, and Toronto's True History are delivering just that. Co-Founders Adam and Matt joined Cee and Nate to chat about all things crispy, why they chose to focus on the beers that they do and how they've been introducing new drinkers, why time is the key ingredient, the intricacies of how a Czech LUKR tap works, the difference between a Festbier and a Märzen, why they focus on making the beers they make better rather than always brewing new beers, mliko pours and The Milk Man. They cracked six True History crispies - Just A Pils German-style Pilsner, Stones Festbier, Sticks Oktoberfest Märzen, After This After That Munich-style Dunkel, Mild Lockout Helles Lager, and The Twelve Czech 12˚ Pale Lager. Get a crispy in ya! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Kingston, ON has a fantastically bright craft beer scene, and no brewery has taken that more literally than Daft. Co-Founder Adam and brewer Rich joined Cee and Nate to chat about what's changed since we spoke to them last in late 2021, the move to cans from bottles, aging their dark beers, how amazing West Coast IPAs are, where the Kingston beer scene is at, the challenges of distributing beer, their LCBO switch out, and some of the stories behind their beer names. They got into a gang of Daft brews, including Barenaked Light Lager, Thirst Trap DDH IPA, Day Off Strawberry, Peach & Cream IPA, Throwing Shade Black Lager, Down By The River West Coast IPA, and Dad Bod DIPA. This was super fun, cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads