BAOS: Beer & Other Shhh Podcast

Our Brewery of the Year for 2024, Niagara Falls, ON's Counterpart has just kept on winning, dropping world-class barrel-aged beers, impeccable hazy IPAs and offering some of the best food options in a brewery in the country. Co-Founder Greg Gnyś jumped back on the pod for the third time to catch up on what's been happening since his last appearance, the opening of their sister pizza spot, Counterpie, how their Flow Fest craft beer festival went down in 2025 and what to expect in 2026, the evolution of their barrel program and how exceptional it is, their recent seventh anniversary releases, why they worked with Western New York breweries for their last anniversary and why they rocked with Quebec breweries this year, the Counterpart x BAOS 10th anniversary collaboration, bottle shares and how Greg gets hold of the best stuff in the US, and how they're growing their footprint across the province. We cracked the entire seventh anniversary lineup - Folklore Czech-style Amber Lager collaboration with Jackalhop, Seven New England Pale Ale, Dead Sea 2 NEIPA collaboration with Le Ketch, Dream Taker Double NEIPA collaboration with Brasserie Sir John, Strange Beast Triple NEIPA collaboration with Nano Cinco, Empire (Macadamia Nut) Imperial Pastry Stout collaboration with Brasserie du Bas-Canada, Empire (Hazelnut Coffee) Imperial Pastry Stout collaboration with Brasserie du Bas-Canada, Zombie Party (Smooth Libre) Smoothie Sour collaboration with Brasserie du Bas-Canada and Brasserie Sir John, and Zombie Party (Tropics Syrup) Smoothie Sour collaboration with Nano Cinco and Jackalhop. This was a banger - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

One of the blessings of living in Hamilton is the proximity to the US border. Since relocating in 2022, Cee has been digging into the Western New York craft beer scene, and the latest discovery might be the fave yet. Based in beautiful Orchard Park, Wayland Brewing doesn't feel like a suburban brewery - the taproom is a stunning 20-foot-plus atrium with floor-to-ceiling windows, a killer patio with a full-size bocce court, boasting an impeccable kitchen, four LUKR taps and a beer lineup to satisfy any craft beer fan. Co-Founder and Head Brewer PJ Dunn joined Cee to chat about how the brewery came about, the WNY craft beer scene and the history of their direct area (Orchard Park and East Aurora), how Buffalo has grown into a super cool city for beer and food, his aspirations with the brewery, the history of the building and how they went from hot dogs to a full kitchen, his accomplished business partners (in the restaurant and design world), his connections with Australia and Canada, and their upcoming taproom location in Lancaster, NY. They got into six Wayland gems: Especial Mexican Lager, Waylander German Pilsner, Errant Path Czech-style Pale Lager collaboration with Strangebird, Weissbier Hefeweizen, Case Study West Coast IPA, and Full Send NEIPA. This was such a phenomenal chat - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

There's no better feeling than having no expectations for a brewery visit and being blown away. That's exactly how Cee felt after visiting Thirty Eight O Six during a recent trip to his motherland of Australia. Nestled in the South Eastern suburb of Berwick in Melbourne, Co-Founders Lachie (Brewer) and Zac (Chef) have turned their industrial unit into something you'd be more likely to find in hipster city neighbourhoods like Collingwood or Fitzroy. The fellas jumped on the pod to chat about their connection to Berwick and how proud they are to bring their idea to life where they grew up, how Lachie went from an electrician to a full-time brewer and business owner, Zac's harrowing story of losing a pinkie during the build of the brewery, how they connect with their neighbours (shout out Bermuda Coffee Studio!), their lineup of beers and why they have so many core brands, the popularity of Pale Ales and Xtra Pale Ales in Australia, their approach to their food program and why it's so exceptional, Cee's incredible experience at the brewery with the food, why they attract such a diverse crowd, why they chose shared tables for the taproom, and where they plan to take it from here. They got into five 3806 bangers: Hazy Pale Ale, West Coast IPA, Hazy IPA, Pale Ale, and Oat Cream IPA. This was such a gem - cheers! Where To Drink Craft Beer In Melbourne vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGI6Lu8Gb5w BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Guelph, Ontario, boasts one of the coolest and arguably most underrated craft beer scenes in Canada. Cam and Dan of Royal City jumped back on the pod after two years to catch up on what's been happening, their massive non-alcoholic beer program, their new pasteurizer and how they contract NA beers for other breweries, why they chose short cans for their flagship Lite Lager, their killer Lager and IPA tap takeovers and the challenges with running events, their new sparkling water and soda program, what an 80 Shilling is and why they decided to do one, the price of beer in Canada, the US and Australia and why it's important to keep craft beer as an affordable luxury, how they feel about the new sales channels in Ontario (grocery, gas, convenience), the dope BAOS 10th anniversary Schwarzbier collab, their volcano beer, how the Guelph.beer team of Guelph breweries work together and why the beer bus is so successful. They got into six Royal City bangers - Lite Light Lager, The Big Lubelski Polish-style Lager, Dry Run Non-Alcoholic Nitro Stout, 80 Shilling, Goldie Pale Ale, and Longest Night Strong Ale. Such a great convo, cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

One of Cee's major bucket list items is to get out to Europe and experience the rich beer heritage firsthand. In the meantime, the next best thing is to hang out at the satellite brewery for Bavaria's Hofbräuhaus just over the border in Buffalo, New York. During our last visit in December, we connected with Braumeister Scott Shuler for a tour, which of course turned into a podcast. Scott and Cee chatted about their unique 450+ year history, why it's government-owned and Bavarian laws apply to Hofbräu beers anywhere in the world, the arrangement between Munich and the satellite locations to brew their classic beer in very specific ways, the freedom Scott has with other related seasonal beers, why altering the water profile breaches the German Purity Law of 1516, his eclectic beer history from Tampa to Buffalo, the impeccable and authentically German food program at the brewery, and why he'd love a trip out to Bavaria. They got into five crowlers straight from Buffalo: Hofbräu Original Premium Lager, Hofbräu Münchner Weisse, Dunkel, Hofbräu Schwarzbier, and Hofbräu Doppelbock. This was a fascinating convo - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

While we talk about hops on essentially every episode, we rarely get to do a deep dive into the topic with someone who actually works in the field (get it? field? hop field? ha). Alex Diamandas of Yakima Chief Hops joined Cee and Nate to chat about his transition from home brewing to professional brewer to hop slanger, the big hack of Idaho 7 in the whirlpool, how hop extracts are actually made and the fundamental differences between Dynaboost and Hyperboost, how the HBC program works to transition new hops from the farm to the market, how you can add hops to the mash for a unique flavour, the marketing value of putting the hops on the label, how they're the only hop vendors globally that are grower-owned, how hop selection works, why harvest is the funnest and busiest time of the year, the new Cryo Fresh product for fresh hops, and the tariff situation along with the Canadian warehouse. The beers for this episode all featured Yakima Chief Hops, and all of the Town beers were supplied by Jeff Talmey of Town: Town Square Wheels Hazy IPA, Fairweather High Grade NEIPA, Town Better Days West Coast IPA, Slake Slow Slow NEIPA, Sawdust City Lone Pine West Coast IPA, Town Neon Trees Hazy IPA, Town Motel Royalty Hazy IPA, and Town Double Wheels Double NEIPA. This was fascinating - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

From a strong start that landed them New Brewery of the Year for 2024, to now clearly making it inside our annual Top 10 Breweries in Ontario for 2025, Dune Hopper is going from strength to strength. Co-Founders Colin and Steph joined Cee and Nate to chat about what's been happening since their last appearance on the pod, the importance of collabs and how they can help grow the presence of a brand, how their community rallies around them during the slower months, how they do "the sofa test", how they sour beer with yoghurt, what it means to them to have made the BAOS lists two years in a row, their love of animals, what's going on in The County with all the incredible breweries, Colin's travels for beer, and some of their favourite beers that they brew. They all got into seven killer Dune Hopper beers - Drift Light Pale Lager, Tent Pitcher Craft Lager, Fox Trot Hazy IPA, Solo Trip - Riwaka Single Hop Hazy IPA, Adventure Blueberry Cheesecake Pastry Sour, Wild Life Czech-Style Dark Lager collaboration with Pierced Mug, and Raspberry Moon Pastry Stout. This was a gem - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Northern California's Fathers Brewing has only been on the scene for less than 6 months, and is already making a splash. Co-Founder Conor Begley joined Cee to chat about his looping journey from software to beer and back again, their plans to grow the brand, why they decided on making organic, clean beer, why bottles are superior to cans, their lab reports that break down the insane amounts of toxins like arsenic and microplastics in most beers, his random meeting with the king of craft beer Jim Koch (of Samuel Adams), why business is a fun game to him, how they currently sell their beer and the move into a distribution partnership, the rules of shipping beer, how they met their brewer, where they plan to take the company, their unique approach to social media (and how they ship free beer to anyone who wants to try it if they follow them on Instagram!), and how they like to work with creators. They got into the two beers from Fathers - their Clean American Light Lager, and their Clean American Lager. This was shorter than usual but a banger of a chat - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

For the first interview pod with Nate back in the co-host chair, we had to time it so it was with one of our favourite breweries in the province of Quebec. Guillaume Savard of Le Ketch joined Cee and Nate to catch up on what's been happening the last couple of years, their taproom and patio improvements, how Eggers Hops changes the names of their hop varieties and Guillaume's love of NZ hops, the different styles that they're expanding into (including some nano beers), why they use local honey in basically all of their beers, their insane volume of collabs, why Guillaume travels so much to grow the brand, his experience in Europe and the response to his brews, and their festivals in the US. We got into four killer Le Ketch brews: Easy New Zealand Lager, Dock 139 NEIPA with Freestyle Nectaron, Oscar Dry Stout, and Dock 137 Triple IPA with Citra, Eggers Lily (Riwaka) and Nelson Sauvin. This was a gem - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Vermont has been one of our favourite places on earth for over a decade now, so it was phenomenal to finally have a VT brewery back on the pod! Jonathan Mogor of Soulmate joined Cee to chat about the origin of the brewery and their lengthy construction, how the name came about, their unique crowdfunding approach to their business (you can become a co-owner via the link below), how they got over 500 5-star Google Reviews, the wide range of beers, why they use their tongue-in-cheek beer names, his love for Quebec and Quebec craft beer, why their community is everything and how they've managed to stand out in such a phenomenal beer state, his thoughts on Untappd, and his future plans for Soulmate. They got into nine Soulmate bangers: Cheesus Christ Hefeweizen Ale, Pre-Prohibition American Lager, Hops On A Bike Cold IPA, Hops In Bed With Strangers India Pale Ale, I'd Drink Me Irish Red Ale, I'm A Keeper Vienna Lager, Shaved Beaver English Brown Ale, 2 Night Stands Oatmeal Stout, and Miss Steaks Imperial Stout. Such a bomb conversation, enjoy! WeFunder: https://wefunder.com/soulmate.brewing.company. BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Our biggest surprise of 2023 was Scotland, ON's Flux Brewing - we knew their branding and social presence was awesome, but damn, their beers were impeccable. Brewer Aidan Grummett joins Cee back on the pod to catch up on what's been happening for the past two years, their new enclosed patio, why they opened themselves up to collaborations and what that's meant for them, what a Zoiglbier is, how they crafted their own image and brand, their move to 16oz cans, his disdain for growlers and flights, their potential barrel program, the fact he's never had a Guinness, the lactose trend, Session IPAs vs Pale Ales, and Flux consumer drinking habits. They got into six bangin' Flux brews: Day Job Premium Lager, Fever Dream Session IPA, Vultures Fresh Hop Rustic Lager, B.A.A.D NEIPA with Elora Brewing, Old Sport Amber Lager, and Sundance Stout. This was a gem of a chat - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

The second of our two biggest and fave podcasts of the year, Cee and Nate sat down to celebrate Ontario craft beer in 2025. It's always super dope to reflect on the year that was - we talked about some of our favourite Ontario experiences, beers and taprooms. We also showed extra love via the awards, including Hidden Gem, Glassware, Community, Gone But Not Forgotten, and the coveted Best New Brewery. Just like 2024, we leveraged the points system - #1 gets 10 points, #2 gets 9 points, etc. We've enjoyed having a new Brewery of the Year for each Top 10 to date, and we're stoked to continue the run. We say it every year, but 2025 was the hardest batch of decisions to date - it's safe to say that Ontario craft beer has never been better. Let us know if there are breweries we need to check for in 2026. Cheers to Ontario beer! 🍺 BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

For the first time ever, the Top 10 Breweries in Quebec is now officially an all-BAOS experience - from the podcast to the video to the blog! Twenty-twenty-five marks our seventh year of collating the best of the best breweries in the glorious province of Quebec, with Matt McGachy of Vox&Hops and Noah Forrest of Beerism joining Cee and Nate of BAOS to celebrate the top producers in the region. For the second year running, here's how the point system works: each of the four hosts prepares their Top 10 list of favourite Quebec breweries they consumed in 2025, with #1 receiving 10 points, #2 getting 9 points, and so on. All of those numbers are added up, and bam, you get the collective Top 10. One thing to note is that these are ALL just opinions, and are based on the beers that the boys actually drank over 2025 - if they didn't drink it, they don't include it, period. With that said - who do you think landed the coveted Brewery of the Year spot? Fetch some of your fave QC brews and hit play! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

We love a destination brewery here at BAOS, and one Ontario space had been generating a ton of praise, to the point where we had to get them on the pod. Located a little over an hour north of Toronto in Oro-Medonte, ON, Quayle's have been quietly delivering phenomenal beer, a legit sense of community and impeccable vibes since 2020. Co-Founders Graydon and Catherine, and Head Brewer Scott, joined Cee on the pod to chat about their unique story of loss and strength through adversity, how they've used their 87 acres to create a memorable experience for their guests, the approach to their beers and food program, why leaning into local ingredients is key for them, why they always keep new and fresh beer on tap, how Scott's Aussie roots influence the beer, and the whole process of being hop farmers. They got into nine (yes, 9!) killer Quayle's brews: Line 12 Helles Lager, Right Bauer German-style Pilsner, Quayle's Gold Mid-Strength Lager, Keller Door Oktoberfest Lager, Hayloft Hoppy Saison, Grinch Vs Scrooge Hazy IPA, Salted Caramel Ripple Ice Cream Stout, Last Tree On The Lot Bière De Noël, and Big Chute West Coast IPA. This was a brilliant chat - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

One of the oldest friends of the show is Drew Stevens of Kahnawake Brewing, the first brewery on a First Nations reservation in Canada. Drew joined Cee to catch up on what's been happening with the brewery these last few years, how the laws work between Kahnawake and the province of Quebec, how they've gotten around the rules that stopped them from distributing their beers across QC, the BAOS x Kahnawake tap takeovers we threw in 2022, how their beers have been received around Quebec and what's it been like contracting out some of their beers, their recent win at the Canada Beer Cup, their crazy collabs with creators and why they like to try new things, why THC is still illegal on the res, and a hyped discussion about Kanye West and Lil' Wayne. They got into six killer K-Town brews: Boot Pre-Prohibition Lager, Column Climber Vienna Lager, Alabaster Wings Hoppy Saison collab with La Memphré, 3 Hops This Time Remix IPA, Booming Out IPA, and Dockside Oyster Stout collab with Lone Oak. This was a ripper - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Long-time BAOS BrewHeads would be familiar with the fact that Miami, Florida is one of our favourite cities on the planet, so when the opportunity came up to connect with a legendary Miami brewery, you already know we jumped at it. Marketing Manager Stefano Medina, CEO Luis Brignoni, and Head Brewer Mauricio "Mori" Arratia of The Tank joined Cee to chat about their amazing beer histories (including Luis' iconic Wynwood Brewing business), why they choose to make crushable, approachable beers, their focus on the local Florida market, the full rebrand and repositioning of The Tank, their charity work including their 5k beer run, their partnership with The Alliance for Florida's National Parks to help the Everglades, and the Thanksgiving food drive, the importance of their community and how the beer represents it, the real people in Miami vs what you see online, how they work with other breweries, their take on the THC market, and the dedication and loyalty of their team to the business. They got into the three rebranded flagships - La Playita Pilsner, Shark Valley IPA, and Freedom Tower American Amber Ale. This was a banger - cheers! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads

Ontario is home to some phenomenal breweries, but only one is widely known as "The Destination Brewery". Head Brewer Jeremy Moore of Blyth, ON's Cowbell joined Cee on the pod to chat about his eclectic history in the craft beer industry, the story behind the epic campus that is Cowbell Brewing, their killer brewhouse and the challenges that come with 150 and 300 hectolitre fermenters, how their community makes them what they are, their approach to non-alcoholic products, their spirits brand 12 Apostles, how they've diversified their product offerings, their cider and how it compliments their beers, their Winter Mix Pack, Jeremy's take on Untappd and the recent changes, and what's to come in 2026. They got into six Cowbell bangers - Cencerro Cerveza Mexican Style Lager, Donny Brook Easy IPA, West Coast IPA, Original Fresh Pressed Apple Cider, Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake Stout, and Chocolate Imperial Nitro Stout. This was a really fun and engaging chat - enjoy! BAOS Podcast Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube | Website | Theme tune: Cee - BrewHeads