Offering a gateway destination for new craft beer drinkers is arguably one of the most important things any beer scene can possess, and thankfully Ontario has Beertown. Jen Tamse jumps back on the pod to catch us up on what's been happening with Beertown in the 18 months since she was last on, their epic 12-location tap takeover with Bellwoods, how she thinks about her collaboration beers, her approach to structuring their beer menu, her trip to Belgium to brew a collab with Brasserie Huyghe (Deliria), the legend of Mikkeller's Beer Geek Breakfast, the sheer value of what Beertown brings to Ontario, she tells the story of becoming a Belgian Beer Knight, and the importance of Untappd. They got into four impeccable beers that had a direct tie-in with Beertown - Bellwoods x Beertown Beer Belly Pale Ale, Short Finger x Beertown French Fuse Saison, Brasserie Huyghe Deliria (2024), and Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast (brewed in Ontario by Craft Brand Co.). This was epic - cheers!

BAOS Podcast

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Florida is one of our favourite places on the planet, so it's always a treat to discover and chat with a brewery from the Sunshine State. Home State Brewing Co. is based out of Winter Gardens, FL, just outside of Orlando, and they've been knocking out some amazing liquid in their short existence. Marco Reyna and Tyler Rosenberg joined Cee to chat about their respective impeccable brewing histories, their approach to their beer and the experience of the taproom, the cafe side of their business via Filigree Coffee and their motto "Work from Home State", their love for lagers, what a Florida IPA is, how they got together with the biggest producer of Cuban bread in the world for a collab beer, what a "girthy" lager is, and how the Florida scene has changed over the years. They got into six killer Home State brews - Party Goblin American Lager, Oh My Gatos! Florida-Inspired IPA, La Segunda Pre-Prohibition Lager collab with La Segunda Bakery, Kokomo Radler with Pineapple, Ginger and Hibiscus, Doctor's Orders Hefeweizen, and Adults Are Talking Pilsner. This was super fun - cheers!

BAOS Podcast

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The most hyped new Quebec brewery of 2024 is absolutely Dunham, QC's Bad Bones, and these fellas have quite the origin story. Brothers Zack and Dave joined Cee and Nate to break down how they went from creating their Pourno travel YouTube channel to opening Bad Bones this past August, Zack's horrific and life-changing accident, their unique agreement with Brasserie Dunham that makes them a legit "brewery in a brewery", their future taproom plans, their approach to their Extra Hoppy Ales, how they handle distro, line-up culture and why they name their beers after bones. They got into five hazy bangers in the order they were released - Coma IPA, Clavicle Double IPA, Jaws of Life Double IPA collab with Le Ketch, Bedridden Double IPA and Pelvis Double IPA. This was such a great chat - cheers!

BAOS Podcast

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This past summer, we visited Indianapolis for the first time and thanks to reddit recommendations for the best haze in the city, the only brewery in town we hit was Guggman Haus. We enjoyed it so much that we had to get the folks behind the brewery on the pod! Derek and Courtney joined Cee to chat about their lengthy and rocky journey to opening the brewery, the impact their time in Germany had on their approach to their beer, the scene in Indiana, how they leveraged the full real estate of their property to get open sooner, why they turned their old brewery into a cafe, how they opened their second location, the Indy 500 and the impact on the city, their recent equipment upgrade, and why they don't really do much distro. They got into four fantastic Guggman Haus beers - Wilburs Prize Pils American Pilsner, The Riverside New England IPA, Guggenweizen Hefeweizen, and Into The Wild Sour (Strawberry, Raspberry and Blueberry). This was fascinating - cheers!

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Farm-to-glass breweries are a truly phenomenal experience as a drinker, so it was such a pleasure to chat with some folks who are doing one of the finest in the province. Phil and Gail of GoodLot Farmstead joined Cee and Nate to talk about their journey from leaving the city to buy a farm, starting to grow hops and learn about beer to becoming a full-fledged brewery, why sustainability is important to them, their approach to beer and why they focus on all-Ontario ingredients, the difference between organic farming and regenerative farming, how they've crafted their impeccable beer garden experience, their phenomenal food program via chef Phil DeWar of Soulyve, and the collaboration between the Caledon breweries. They got into some of GoodLot's amazing brews - Farmstead Ale Pale Ale, Philsner Pilsner, Highfalutin English Special Bitter, Yonder West Coast IPA, Stones Throw East Coast IPA, and Pippa Porter. This was a gem - cheers! 

BAOS Podcast

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Discovering new breweries is always super fun, so when Cee stumbled upon Dallas, TX's Celestial Beerworks at our fave WNY store, Brewed & Bottled, thanks to a suggestion from the owner, Chris, he immediately reached out to get them on the pod. Matt and Molly joined Cee to chat about their long craft beer journeys from the 1990s 'til now, how the lack of haze in Texas led to a solid homebrew scene following for Matt's murky beers, their fun and nostalgic approach to their branding and social media presence, why they make more triple IPAs than any other style, where the Texas craft beer scene is at now, how they've engaged their community, their fantastic connection with local boys Third Moon, and their barrel program. They got into some phenomenal Celestial brews - Jerzy Polish Lager, Ringback Tone Double IPA, Burn Out Triple IPA, Ube Piña Colada Tropic Smoothie Sour, and Dark Disco Barrel-Aged Stout. This was exceptional - cheers!

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Niagara Falls is home to one of the most versatile breweries in the province, who not only brew killer beer but their taproom experience and food is also top tier. Counterpart was our favourite discovery of 2023, so we were well overdue to catch up. Greg hung out with Cee and Nate to chat about their major Halloween drop for 2024 (7 beers!), their approach to distributing their products, the pros and cons of the convenience store system in Ontario, they did a deep dive into their barrel program and how they've delivered some of the best barrel-aged stouts in the country, Greg's experiences at some of the Western New York beer festivals and the love they get south of the border, and their brand new venue opening next door, Counterpie Pizza. They got into 5 of the brews from the Halloween drop - Monsters In My Head IPA, Where Dreams Go To Die Double IPA with Rouge River, Mars Roller Oatmeal Stout, Kit Kat Roller Oatmeal Stout, and The Kids Aren't Alright Fruited Sour. This was a phenomenal convo - enjoy!

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Ontario's Prince Edward County is a region we hype up on the pod regularly, so we were stoked to have the newest brewery in town hang out and crush some brews. Husband and wife team Colin and Steph VanderMeulen joined Cee and Nate to chat about the Dune Hopper story and Colin's history in craft beer, why they try not to fit in but offer something different to their neighbours, their approach to their impeccable branding and how that flows to their taproom and merch, why dogs and kids are encouraged, the importance of co-signs and working with other great breweries, why the County is such a great place for beer and wine tourism (and why Quebecois folks love it), and how they plan to slowly expand across the province. They got into some fantastic Dune Hopper brews - Tent Pitcher Craft Lager, Solo Trip (Simcoe) Single Hop IPA, Hatchet NEIPA, Adventure (Strawberry Passionfruit) Sour, and Hard Water (Banana Seltzer). Always fun to discover a phenomenal brewery - cheers! 

BAOS Podcast

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Fall is our favourite beer time of the year, and while in 2023 we did a deep dive into all things pumpkin ales, in 2024, we switched it up and dove super deep into Fest Biers! Cee and Nate picked up every Fest Bier available at the LCBO (the provincial liquor store in Ontario for those outside of the region) and ran through them while getting into the BJCP definitions of both Fest Biers and Märzens, the epic history of Fest Biers dating back to 1810 in Munich, Germany, all of the nuances that make Fest Biers so special and how they differ from Märzens, and they even wrapped it up with some legendary German Fest Biers for a true comparison. Here's the list of beers that you can grab yourself at most LCBOs in the province: Wellington Festbier Oktoberfest Lager, Samuel Adams October Fest, Left Field Mr. Oktober FestBier, Creemore Oktoberfest Celebratory Lager, Muskoka Stein Sized Fest Bier, Stockyard Festbier, Anderson Craft Ales FestBier, Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier, and Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier. This was a ripper - get some Fest Biers in ya!  

BAOS Podcast

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Quebec has been brewing some of the best beer in Canada for a hot minute, and one of the stars of the province is Sir John. Located around 45 minutes north of Montreal in Lachute, Sir John is renowned for their juicy, hazy IPAs and bold, pastry stouts, so we were stoked to finally get the fellas on the podcast. Joel and Simon joined Cee and Nate to chat about their humble homebrewing beginnings, the beer history in Lachute, how they've become friends with the breweries they looked up to, the ups, downs and inconsistencies that come along with craft brewing, how they've adjusted their processes over time, and reminisced on the good old days when Galaxy was good. They got into five Sir John gems - Petite Bulles [Jaune] American Light Lager, Bonheur En Canna 4 NEIPA, Un Gars En Jeans Pis Des Animaux NEIPA, Tie Wrap Double IPA, and Perdition Pastry Stout. This was a banger - cheers!

BAOS Podcast

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads