Advertise on podcast: Between Two Fermenters

In 1933, the Sleeman name vanished from Canadian brewing. Fifty-one years later, an aunt John hadn't spoken to in 15 years showed up with a recipe book, an old bottle, and one demand: bring it back. Troy sits down with John Sleeman, the Founder and Chairman of Sleeman Breweries, founder of Spring Mill Distillery, and 2022 appointee to the Order of Canada. But this isn't the story you've heard. Before the brewery, John was a 16-year-old runaway who tried to buy an English pub with no money, built one in Oakville with a skill saw and a $50K loan, then talked the LCBO into letting him import draft Guinness when none of it was legal. Only then did he learn his family were privateers, brewers and Prohibition-era smugglers. In 1988 he revived Sleeman in Guelph - and within a decade it was Canada's third-largest brewer. This is PART ONE of his story - legacy. What's in this episode: The pre-brewery years: a pub, a rugby club, and cold-calling UK breweries to become their Canadian agentHauling Guinness, nitro cylinders and kegs down pub basement stairs at 3 a.m.Pirates, live chickens and Al Capone: the family history John didn't know until 1984Why cream ale, why a clear bottle, and why the recipe on page 64 wonStroh's, Okanagan Spring, Unibroue, Pabst - and the Upper Canada deal he admits he got wrongThe $400M Sapporo sale, and why protecting his people came firstThank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. Supporting local never tasted soooo good Hosted by Troy Burtch, Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.

Everyone else is dry-hopping the heck out of everything. Brandon Judd is still asking whether it's drinkable. Troy sits down with Brandon Judd, Brewmaster at Avling Brewery - Toronto's brewery, restaurant, and rooftop farm all under one roof in Leslieville. Brandon's path to beer ran through freelance journalism, restaurant bartending, and Toronto's early craft scene at Indie AleHouse before a personal-challenge move to VLB Berlin, one of the world's most respected brewing institutions. From there it was off to Godspeed Brewery for their startup before finally landing at a new brewery, Avling, in 2018. He's spent seven years at Avling, building traditional lagers, barrel-aged mixed fermentation beers, and rooftop-grown ingredients like marigolds and pineapple sage into beers designed to work as hard at the dinner table as they do on their own.German techniques, North American beers - and a brewer still chasing the beer he hasn't made yet.What's in this episode: The road from freelance journalism and Indie AleHouse to VLB Berlin, and why “tradition is a good guide, but it shouldn't be a religion”What German brewing school really changed: less an engineering degree, more a new way of solving problemsAssisting in Godspeed's beer program from poured concrete up, and the brew day that convinced he could go out on his ownAvling's rooftop farm: brewing with marigolds and pineapple sage, and the limits of “100% Ontario”A year into new ownership at Avling, and a deep dive on his beersRapid Fire: the business decision he'd redo, his favourite beer he's ever brewed, and what he's still trying to prove to himself after all these yearsThank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. Supporting local never tasted soooo good!Hosted by Troy Burtch, Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery where craft beer and conversation collide straight from the tanks to your ears.

From the Between Two Fermenters Archives, one of our favourites.... Peter Bulut first appeared on Episode 1, helping set the tone for this show dedicated to preserving the stories, voices, struggles, and triumphs of the Canadian craft beer industry. Now he’s back for a deep, unscripted conversation about nearly four decades in beer, leadership, family legacy, hard lessons, and the relentless spirit that built GLB into Ontario’s fiercely independent local brewery.

From the Between Two Fermenters Archives, one of our favourites.... In this episode of Between Two Fermenters, host Troy Burtch is joined by the dynamic Catherine Oppedisano, VP of Marketing at Steam Whistle Brewing. From a memorable one-night shift with Great Lakes Brewery in 2012 to spearheading major brand revivals across Ontario’s craft beer landscape, Catherine shares her inspiring journey through the industry. Catherine reflects on her early beer days, her pivotal introductory role in beer at Flying Monkeys, educational years at Mill Street, the huge growth experienced at Collective Arts, and now the fun she’s having at Steam Whistle. She dives into lessons learned while navigating takeovers, driving innovation, creating memorable campaigns, and leading one of the country’s most recognizable beer brands back to its roots. Get ready for a fun, fast-paced conversation full of branding gold, beer nostalgia, and candid insights from one of Ontario’s most respected marketing minds.

From the Between Two Fermenters Archives, one of our favourites.... On this episode of Between Two Fermenters, Troy Burtch is joined by someone who’s had a profound impact on his life – a mentor, pioneer, and dear friend: Ron Keefe, founder of Toronto’s family-owned Granite Brewery. If you heard Episode 15 with his daughter Mary-Beth, you’ll know how much the Keefe family means to Troy. Ron welcomed him into the world of Ontario craft beer back in 2007, answering every question with patience and generousity, and later entrusted me with his Beer Appreciation course at George Brown College. His quiet leadership, deep knowledge, and genuine kindness have shaped not just Troy’s beer journey, but the paths of countless others in the industry. In this wide-ranging and heartfelt conversation, we explore Ron’s life before the Granite, the origins of the brewery in Halifax (opened by his late brother, Kevin Keefe), and how it became a midtown Toronto institution. We talked about the joys and challenges of running a family business, what it means to build a legacy, and Ron’s role in pushing for licensing reforms that opened doors for so many Ontario brewers. We also discussed his battle with ALS and the powerful story behind Ron’s Lager. Ron may be modest, but his influence is undeniable – this is a conversation with one of Ontario’s true craft beer trailblazers.

From the Between Two Fermenters Archives, one of our favourites.... “My beers are the portfolio of my life.” In this episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Luc ‘Bim’ Lafontaine, the mastermind behind Godspeed Brewery, a “neighbourhood brewpub with an international reputation”, located at 242 Coxwell Ave in Toronto. Bim’s reputation as a world-renowned brewer precedes him, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with industry icons like Garrett Oliver, Yvan De Baets, Jan Van Roy, Sam Calagione, and others who define brewing excellence. From his humble beginnings as a teenage homebrewer to his transformative years at Montreal’s famed Dieu Du Ciel, Bim’s journey has taken him across the globe—from perfecting his craft in Japan to building Godspeed into a showcase of Czech brewing in Ontario. Known for his meticulous approach, unwavering commitment for perfection, and innovative yet traditional styles, Bim’s influence resonates throughout the beer industry, inspiring brewers and captivating beer lovers alike.

Between Two Fermenters is taking a little summer break. We're taking the month of August off... you could say we've gone drinking... hitting up our favourite pubs around the province. While we're taking a few weeks to recharge, we're not leaving you hanging. Over the next four weeks, we'll be revisiting some of our favourite episodes from the archives. Whether it's one you missed the first time around or one worth listening to again, we hope you'll enjoy them as much as we did. Then, in September, we'll be back with an incredible lineup of brand-new episodes featuring some fantastic guests. We've already got some great conversations lined up, and we can't wait to get into the studio to record their words. Thanks again for helping make Between Two Fermenters what it has become. We're proud to be a truly Canadian beer podcast, celebrating the people, stories, and breweries that make this industry so special. Have a safe and enjoyable August, support your local breweries whenever you can, and we'll see you back here in September. Until next time, please remember to keep tippin' your glass of #FreshGLB in the right direction.

Not every brewery closure is a eulogy. Sometimes it's just a brief intermission... but rarely.  Troy sits down with Carl Pratt, Co-Founder and brewer behind Beaches Brewing Co, the brewery that spent over a decade as a fixture on Queen Street East in Toronto's Beach neighbourhood. Carl's an accidental brewer - a self-described map nerd who traded a GIS career for weekend homebrew batches, then talked himself into opening a brick-and-mortar brewery just months before COVID hit. For years, he ran nearly every role himself: brewer, GM, and everything in between.  In December 2025, after watching the numbers for over a year, Carl made the call to close the doors for good and wrote a heartfelt, unfiltered public letter to the community explaining why - one that got the craft beer world talking. But the story didn't end there: months later, Beaches Brewing reopened under a new ownership group with a new menu, a new look, and Carl still behind the kettle, brewing every batch.  What's in this episode: Carl's path from a Mississauga map nerd to a homebrewer building Beaches Brewing from scratchContract brewing, chasing the LCBO, and the reality of running every role solo for yearsOpening weeks before COVID, a landlord lockout, and the toll of doing every job at onceThe December 2025 closure and the “Peace Out Homies” letter that had the industry talkingWhat the letter really meant to those that read itBeaches Brewing's rebirth: new ownership, a French-Indian-Southeast Asian menu, and a whole new lookThank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. Supporting local never tasted soooo good! Hosted by Troy Burtch, Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.

In a province obsessed with what's new, Erica McOustra has spent her career perfecting what already exists - and that's a much harder job than it sounds. Troy sits down with Erica McOustra, Brewmaster at Steam Whistle Brewing - the first woman to hold that title in the brewery's history. A Danforth kid who left university after first year, fell into homebrewing to save money, and never looked back. From a brew-on-premise shop to Magnotta Brewery, VLB Berlin, Amsterdam Brewing, and finally Steam Whistle in 2010 - where she worked her way from shift brewer to Brewmaster over a decade. In 2022, when Steam Whistle acquired Beau's All Natural Brewing, her role grew again: she now oversees brewing for both iconic brands, two very different philosophies under one roof. What's in this episode: How a homebrewer became one of Canada's most respected Brewmasters The philosophy of doing one thing brilliantly, and why chasing 0.1% better every day is anything but boringBeing the first female Brewmaster at Steam WhistleThe Beau's acquisition: stewarding a beloved brandWhen data and your palate disagree - which one wins?Rapid Fire: Godspeed, New Glarus, and why one shortcut gives everyone else on the floor license to take one

Most people in the beer business talk about legacy. Andrew Oland actually carries it. As the sixth-generation President and CEO of Moosehead Breweries - Canada's last major brewery still owned by Canadians - Andrew is the great-great-great-grandson of Susannah Oland, who started brewing on a family farm in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in 1867, the same year Canada became a nation. Six generations, 158 years, two world wars, the Halifax Explosion, Prohibition, devastating fires, a cross-province relocation, and more offers to sell than most people will ever know about. The answer has always been the same: not for sale.  Troy sits down with Andrew for a conversation about what it really means to steward something worth protecting. From growing up in the Oland household and working a Halifax shipyard before ever setting foot in the family business, to a Harvard MBA cold call that eventually landed Moosehead the Boston Beer import partnership in Canada - Andrew's path to the presidency was anything but a straight line. They get into the big decisions made on his watch: ditching bottles entirely for cans, the maple leaf tabs now quietly appearing on every Moosehead in the country, and the viral Presidential Pack that had Canada talking. And they go deeper - on the Ontario convenience store scramble that had Moosehead hiring 18 people in six weeks, the tax reality that makes beer far too expensive across this country, and what succession planning looks like when you're thinking in generations, not quarters.  What's in this episode:  The Oland family origin story - Susannah, the Halifax Explosion, the move to Saint John, and how the brand got its name Working outside the business first, the road to the presidency, and the four-minute meeting that changed everything Bottles to cans - what the data showed and what Andrew says to the fans still mourning the green bottle Beer tax, industry unity, and what it will actually take to move government The Mascot Brewery acquisition in Vaughan and what's next for Moosehead in Ontario  Thank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. Supporting local never tasted soooo good!   Hosted by Troy Burtch, Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.

Some places earn their reputation one pint at a time, and True History Brewing on St. Clair West (Toronto) is exactly that kind of place. Co-founders Matt Tompkins and Adam Shier have quietly built one of the most singular brewery experiences in the city - rooted in German and Czech lager tradition, housed in a soaring former 1920s cinema and designed around one simple idea: make you want to stay for the “whole shift.” No gimmicks, no province-wide retail push. Just beautifully made pilsners, Helles, and lagers, and a space worth settling into.  In this one, Troy sits down with Matt and Adam for their first in-person meeting and gets into the full story - from high school friends to contract brewing at Junction Brewery, to building a taproom they designed themselves, wallpaper and all. They cover their lager philosophy, the glassware obsession, the evolution of their kitchen, and their honest take on what it actually takes to build something genuinely special in this city.  What's in this episode:  How Matt went from film to beer via a Belgian brewing documentary, and how Adam quit private equity to home brew "Breaking Bad style" The contract brewing years at Junction Craft — what worked, what didn't, and why they eventually had to find their own space Finding the St. Clair West location, the hidden 20-foot ceiling discovery, and designing the space themselves Why Germany changed everything for Adam and how that shaped True History's identity Their lager philosophy — the diversity of styles, the obsession with quality, and why they think there's more variation in lager than IPA The glassware program and why they're not changing it anytime soon Handing off the kitchen and what Beisel's Viennese bistro food program has become Their candid take on the LCBO, expansion, and what's next for True History  Thank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. Supporting local never tasted soooo good!   Hosted by Troy Burtch, Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.

Tash Sundup has been quietly running one of Toronto's best craft beer pubs for over 25 years, and nobody's ever really told his story. The visor-wearing, sandal-loving, pug-admiring owner of Bryden's on Bloor sits down with Troy to talk about how a philosophy major from York University accidentally became one of the most respected licensees in Ontario's craft beer community.   From macro taps and Moosehead-loyal regulars to 17 taps of rotating Ontario craft, Tash walks us through what it takes to build a true neighbourhood third place. They dig into managing beer reps, the craft beer transition from the licensee side, the infamous Saloon League road rash incident, the decor and vibe at the pub, and why GLB Premium Lager will always be "Horseshoe" at Bryden's.  What's in this episode:  How a retired fireman convinced Tash to take over the pub The craft pivot: from Keith's, Coors, and Stella to 17 taps of local Ontario craft Tap selection philosophy, rep management, and why Guinness had to go What a couch meant to some regulars The importance of regulars and creating a place where people want to go Shared history with GLB: Lackey, industry holiday parties, and a lot of Sunnyside  Thank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. Supporting local never tasted soooo good! Hosted by Troy Burtch, Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.

Most people never think twice about the glass in their hand, or the one they're "taking" from their local pub. Dan Silva does - and then he shows up unannounced with 24 custom ones to prove it. In this episode of B2F, Troy sits down with Dan Silva, Co-Owner and VP of Sales & Procurement at Zenan Glass - Canada's largest glassware and ceramics decorator for the beverage and food service industry. Dan came up through nearly 11 years at PepsiCo before landing at Zenan in 2021, and the CPG discipline he brought with him shows. But what's really driven Zenan's growth under his watch isn't systems or scale - it's showing up. At trade shows, at taprooms, at anniversary parties and beer launches - just because - building relationships one pint at a time. Turning a supplier relationship into something breweries actually enjoy. It's the kind of unreasonable hospitality that sticks with you. Just ask Troy and the GLB team. What's in this episode: How Dan and his partner Luke transformed Zenan from a simple transactional vendor to true industry partnerWhy showing up - literally - has been their biggest growth driverThe full ordering experience: what happens when a brewery calls, from first conversation to finished glassServing everyone from multinational brewers to a two-person startup - and why small accounts are more funWhat breweries get wrong about glassware (and what the good ones get very right)Glassware as a brand touchpoint: why the glass in a customer's hand is part of your marketing budgetThank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. Supporting local never tasted soooo good!   Hosted by Troy Burtch, Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.

In this episode, Troy sits down with Mike Laba and Chris Goddard - co-founders of Craft Brand Co., and the new owners of Blackburn Beer Company in Niagara Falls. Two of Ontario craft beer's most restless minds, Mike and Chris have spent the better part of two decades putting together two of the more interesting careers in the Canadian beer industry.  They get into their origin stories on opposite ends of the Ontario craft scene, the back-of-napkin business plan that became Craft Brand Co., the legendary Michigan road trip that made it real, and the Brunswick Bierworks chapter that helped reshape what co-production could look like in this province. And they talk about what's next - Blackburn Beer Company in Niagara Falls, and a vision that goes well beyond just making great beer.  What's in this episode:  Mike and Chris's origin stories - from the taproom at Brick Brewery (Mike) and the Prince of Wales Theatre (Chris) to the forefront of Ontario craft How Craft Brand Co. was born, and the Michigan road trip that made it real The brands that worked, the ones that didn't, and what they learned from both Brunswick Bierworks - how it grew and why they moved on The leap to Blackburn Beer Company and the vision behind it What nearly 20 years of partnership actually looks like in practice

In this episode, Troy sits down with Chris Conway, General Manager of Old Credit Brewing Co. in Port Credit, a guy who traded in a PhD for a one-barrel brew system in a gastropub kitchen and never looked back. With stints co-founding Folly Brewpub in Toronto and building Landwash Brewery into one of Newfoundland’s fastest growing craft breweries, Chris is a builder and an operator. Someone who understands the romanticism of craft beer but also the hard math of making it work. And he's landed at exactly the kind of place where that blend of skills is needed most.  They get into Chris's unconventional path from St. John's to U of T to the tap handles of Port Credit, what it actually looked like to build a brewery from scratch in Newfoundland before the craft wave hit, and what drew him to a 32-year-old brewery that was quietly doing the craft thing before craft was cool.   What's in this episode:  Chris's origin story - from St. John's homebrew obsession to Toronto's emerging craft scene The Folly Brewpub chapter and everything farmhouse-style Why he left Toronto to co-found Landwash Brewery in Newfoundland - and how he saw the craft explosion coming Building Landwash into one of Atlantic Canada's most respected independent operations What he walked into at Old Credit, and the philosophy behind "thoughtful modernization" The history of Old Credit — 30+ years, one family, and a lot of beer Thank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. Supporting local never tasted soooo good!   Hosted by Troy Burtch, Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.