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Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Presented x Mondial de la Bière [June 14-18, 2017 – Montréal]
In which city are you located?
Toronto
A word to define what kind of worker you are:
Detail-oriented
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Google sheets
What does your office space look like?
Very open-concept, I don’t really have a fixed office.
How large is the brewery?
It’s a 10bbl system.
The reason you started brewing?
I like building things myself and I love beer, so brewing just came naturally
What was the inspiration behind your brewery?
We were inspired by the experiences and the atmosphere of the German beer gardens, which bring people from all walks of life together through beer. Our idea was to create a brewery with that same relaxed, airy, comfortable, and inclusive beer garden atmosphere. Our decisions for the types of beer we make are a result of a lot of discussions amongst the brewing team and at the end of the day, we like to brew that we’d like to drink ourselves.
What are the biggest challenges for you as a brewer in Ontario?
The biggest challenge is probably getting the hops we need on time.
What kind of music do you listen to when you are working?
The music I listen to is pretty varied – everything from Classical music, to old french music and Bob Dylan.
Do you have a way to organize your days to optimize your work?
We have scheduled days for tasting, reviewing, and planning the products that help us keep track
What tips would you give to improve productivity?
A little bit of planning before any of my tasks goes a long way in eliminating wasted time down the line.
Don’t do it! So, I thought I should probably do it, right?
What is your routine start and end of the day?
coffee in the morning, checking emails, and then talking to the brewing team about the plan for the day.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not go without? My trusty notebook for jotting down notes.
3 Ontario craft beers that we must try?
It’s hard to only pick 3 beers! I’ve always been a big fan of IPAs, and Great Lakes Karma Citra – a very juicy citrusy IPA – as well as Sawdust City Lonepine IPA – very piny obviously – are awesome beers! I also like the Belgian yeast and the earthiness of the brett character these days, and the True Grit is a great example of this!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a brewery?
I would say reach out to the brewing community and ask as many questions as you can. Plan ahead as much as possible; as they say, “measure twice, cut once”. Be conservative in your assumptions. Make beer you love.
