Between Two Fermenters

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...

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, 1...

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...

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...

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 fo...

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 oppos...

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 und...

In this episode, Troy sits down with Dan Johnston, VP of Sales at Equals and the man driving the bus at Collingwood's Side Launch Brewing Co. Known for his infectious energy, deep community roots, and a career that has taken him from the bars of Melbourne to the boardrooms of cannabis and back again to craft beer, Dan is one of Ontario's most recognizable faces in the industry - and one of...

In this episode, Troy sits down with Alex Diamandas, Regional Sales Manager at Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), to explore the world behind one of beer’s most important ingredients: hops. From collaborations like  Continental Rift  and  Karma Cryo IPA  to experimental Flight Series releases, GLB has worked closely with YCH over the years and this conversation pulls back the curtain on how those hops go fr...

In this episode of  Between Two Fermenters , Troy sits down with a true pioneer of Ontario craft beer:  Jim Brickman , founder of Brick Brewing. Long before hazy IPAs, tall cans, and hundreds of Ontario breweries, Jim took a risk on a simple idea - that Canadians might want something different from the handful of macro lagers dominating the market. In 1984, he opened Ontario’s first modern post-Pr...

In this episode, Troy sits down with Mandie Murphy, the marketing mind, industry advocate, and co-founder of Toronto’s Left Field Brewery. Widely respected for her leadership and voice in Ontario craft beer, Mandie shares her journey from corporate marketing to building a purpose-driven brewery rooted in community, independence, a love of baseball, and doing so alongside her partner in business an...

In this episode of Between Two Fermenters, Troy Burtch sits down with Cam Fryer, co-founder of Royal City Brewing, a passionate beer industry veteran whose story has seldom been told. From early days hauling kegs at Great Lakes Brewery to studying German history and falling head-over-heels for classic European beer culture, Cam’s path into brewing feels both intentional and serendipitous.  The con...

This week on Between Two Fermenters, we’re joined by two longtime friends, collaborators, and absolute heavyweights of Ontario craft beer: Steve “Bebo” Pilotto and Chris Steininger from Third Moon Brewing.   Before Third Moon became one of the most talked-about breweries in the province, Bebo was a homebrewer turning heads with hazy IPAs, and Chris was a GLB superfan lining up for releases, haulin...

On this episode of  Between Two Fermenters,  we   welcome a strong voice in global beer education - Mirella Amato.  Mirella is a trailblazing beer educator, sensory expert, author, and judge who has shaped beer appreciation worldwide, making history as the first and only Canadian to hold both the Master Cicerone and Grand Master BJCP Judge titles.   Reconnecting after nearly a decade, Troy and Mir...

2025 was a year of sharp turns and constant adjustment in the beer industry and early signs suggest 2026 isn’t here to slow things down. In this short kickoff episode,  we  reflect on the past year, the uncertainty ahead, and what it means to keep showing up in an industry that never stops changing. No buzzwords, no hype, just an honest check-in on beer, brewing, and the people behind it. Whether...

This week on  Between Two Fermenters , Troy is joined by Dr. Dan Malleck, Professor and Chair of Health Sciences at Brock University, author, and one of Canada’s leading experts on alcohol policy and regulation.  With decades of research into the history of booze, prohibition, and temperance movements, Dan brings crucial context to today’s debates around alcohol regulation. From the lingering lega...

Raise a pint - Between Two Fermenters hits episode 50! To mark the milestone, Peter Bulut, Owner and President of Great Lakes Brewery, joined the show.  Peter 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 dec...

In this packed episode of Between Two Fermenters, host Troy Burtch of Great Lakes Brewery sits down with one of Ontario’s most influential beer leaders: Todd Lewin, President and Partner at Muskoka Brewery. With nearly three decades spent in beer, Todd brings a wealth of insight, experience, and candor to the conversation.  From his early days teaching ski lessons, to cutting his teeth at Molson d...

On this episode of Between Two Fermenters, Brad Clifford of Clifford Brewing in East Hamilton, one of Ontario’s most respected and quietly talented brewers, joins the show for the first time for a frank and honest discussion.   From humble beginnings homebrewing in a 700-square-foot condo to building one of Ontario’s most award-winning, community-driven breweries, Brad shares the full journey. Hea...

Host Troy Burtch from Great Lakes Brewery sits down with Emma Hambrock, Inside Sales Representative and long-time team member at Fairweather Brewing in Hamilton, Ontario. Since Fairweather opened its doors in 2017, Emma has been at the heart of the brewery, helping shape its welcoming taproom, community-driven culture, and creative beer lineup.  In this episode, Emma shares her journey into the cr...

In this episode of Between 2 Fermenters, host Troy Burtch of Great Lakes Brewery sits down with Tomas and Julian Morana, the brothers who have redefined Toronto’s beer scene. From the legendary Bar Volo and Birreria Volo, to Keep Six Imports, Cask Days, and their latest venture Bottega Volo, the Moranas have built an empire that shaped Ontario’s craft beer scene while putting Toronto on the global...

Ontario’s craft beer scene is changing fast, very fast, and nobody knows that better than Jason Stein. When a large distributor of craft beer announced it was shutting down their beer operation, breweries scrambled to find new ways to get their beer to market. Enter FIL Delivery Inc., the logistics company Jason founded in 2020. In this episode, host Troy Burtch of Great Lakes Brewery sits down wi...

This episode of Between Two Fermenters welcomes Brad McInerney, Marketing Director at Wellington Brewery, to the show. With nearly two decades under his belt at one of Canada’s original craft breweries, Brad’s journey started on the packaging line and grew into shaping the brand’s creative vision, events, and community impact.  Host Troy Burtch dives into Brad’s story - from booking punk shows in...

Hilary Hoogsteen’s path in craft beer has taken her from British Columbia to Northern Ontario and now onto the national stage. After time spent at Fernie Brewing (BC) and Sleeping Giant Brewing (Thunder Bay, ON), she has taken on the roles as Competition Director for the Canada Beer Cup alongside the contributions she has made through her work with both the Canadian Craft Brewers Association and O...

In this episode of Between Two Fermenters , host Troy Burtch sits down with Great Lakes Brewery’s Experiences Manager, Nick Densmore, to talk about the second annual Brewed For You Festival, taking place Saturday August 30th at GLB in glorious Etobicoke. The fellas also discuss the upcoming 25th anniversary of opening the GLB retail store and what they will be doing to celebrate it. Troy and Nick...