Its Teaching Brewery, which will also mark a decade of applied excellence in April 2021, also continues to raise the bar for the industry. Class after class of students answering their ‘call to the bar’ have been seeping into the craft beer scene.
We caught up with alumni from various classes over the past 10 years to find out where they are now, how they have been making their mark on their craft, and their hopes for the future of the industry. And we couldn’t resist asking them to reflect on the Teaching Brewery’s special milestone and their favourite memories.
Carly DeLorme
Class of 2020, Assistant Brewer, Blackburn Brewhouse, Niagara Falls
Rewards
Definitely brewing! But I enjoy Clean In Place (CIP) and cleaning too, believe it or not. You can never be too clean and organized.
Claim to fame
I made one recipe so far for Blackburn and that was for the Portage Porter; very happy with how it turned out.
Inspiration
The amount of creativity, hard work, and community in this industry is amazing.
Anniversary reflections
It’s a very rewarding and heartwarming feeling to be a part of this community. I met the most amazing people during my time at NC and many of which I still stay in contact with today. It’s also exciting to see how many women have found their interest in craft beer because of this program. The industry is ever changing and I think it has ignited a spark that was so desperately needed.
Favourite NC memory
Caps, Corks and Forks! This was a lot of fun. Seven of us from the beer program and six from the wine program went head-to-head with food and beverage pairings. Team Beer took the win in 2019 with our final dessert pairing of a chocolate orange meringue and a white stout.
Dream for the craft beer scene
More diversity (women, POC) and more brewery collaborations; I believe that helps strengthen and bring the industry together even more.
Kelsey Desnoyers
Class of 2019, Head Brewer, Flux Brewing Co., Scotland, Ontario
Rewards
Due to the smaller scale of the brewery I get to be involved in every aspect of the process – from brewing to packaging and everything in between. It is very rewarding to see customers enjoying the beer that you carefully monitored every step of the way.
Claim to fame
I received the award for best beer at the December 2019 Project Brew for my Cuckoo for Cocoapuffs chocolate milk stout. It was very rewarding to have all of the hard work that I had put into the program end with recognition like that.
Anniversary reflections
I feel like the Teaching Brewery has really contributed to the growth of the craft beer industry in Ontario. It’s pretty cool to be able to walk into a lot of breweries around the province and be able to talk to alumni from the program. It immediately gives you a connection that starts the conversation of sharing ideas and experiences.
Favourite NC memory
For our one-year wedding anniversary, my wife and I were allowed to brew a beer at the teaching brewery. We brewed a Blonde Ale called Love is Love. It was initially meant to be enjoyed with friends but I also put it on tap in the retail store during Pride Month to help celebrate.
Dream for the craft beer scene
Women are an underrepresented part of the brewing industry. I would love to see more independent women in the industry. I was part of a graduating class that had eight women in it so I know that this is a possibility very soon.
Michael Hueftlein & Meag Durkin
Class of 2015
Michael: Owner, Grey Matter Beer Company, Kincardine
Meag: Manager of Sales and Product Development
Rewards
Michael: Brewing beer is still my favorite job, but the most rewarding is getting the canning machine running smoothly for a full packaging run.
Meag: Community engagement and home deliveries, generally just being with the people. This answer may change once lockdown ends.
Career path
Michael: Neustadt Springs (2015-2017)
Meag: Perth Brewery (2015-2016), Collective Arts (2016- 2017)
Claim to fame
Michael: Checkmate Lager, a clean super crisp lager that is enjoyed by nearly everyone.
Meag: Our Age of Industry (Oatmeal Stout). It was my first recipe developed at GMBC and to date it has been my best. Peak early, they say.
Inspiration
Michael: The speed at which craft beer has infiltrated the macro market and how quickly the smaller breweries can diversify their product line-up to meet customer demand.
Meag: The new craft breweries popping up across the province taking big risks and working around the LCBO/Beer Store channels with local and province-wide delivery.
Anniversary reflections
Michael: Craft beer, especially in Ontario, has gotten so much better in the last 10 years. My goal in 2014 was to open a brewery of my own. Without the program at Niagara College, I would never have been able to do that.
Meag: I applaud the professors/instructors for how much they’ve been able to adapt to the changing nature of craft beer. There has been so much growth, in styles and technical knowledge, and the College is still doing a good job preparing students for the workplace.
Favourite NC memory
Michael: 9:30 a.m. sensory class.
Meag: I missed the pilot system so much, we got our own. How fun is it to brew 50L at a time.
Dream for the craft beer scene
Michael: I want to see the scene continue to evolve.
Meag: I am thrilled to see smaller craft breweries engaging with their communities and supporting local causes and I look forward to seeing breweries new and old continuing to giving back. Craft breweries are great little neighbour hubs and a great place to build community and belonging.
Zack Gagnon
Class of 2013, Brewmaster, Brimstone Brewing, Ridgeway
Rewards
I love the creativity that comes with brewing. The possibilities are endless and the market itself is always changing. I also love the community and camaraderie within the industry. Everyone is out to help one another more so than being looked at as a competition.
Career path
I started at Publican House in Peterborough but have always worked at Church Key, Flying Monkeys and Barnstormer.
Claim to fame
Although I have been part of some beers I am very proud of over the years, my claim to fame may actually be flip-flops. The College definitely taught me better, and it may not be the best claim to fame, but I have brewed, transferred, filtered and fulfilled many other brewery duties in flip-flops in my younger years. I am, of course, older and wiser now.
Inspiration
My main inspiration is to stay relevant and creative enough to get people to step outside of their comfort zone and venture into craft beer. Once you get people’s feet in the door, it’s a slippery slope and they are usually hooked.
Anniversary reflections
It is definitely very cool to be a part of the brewing program and to have gone through what I like to call ‘the guinea pig phase.’ It is amazing to see the growth and what it has become today. I may be a bit jealous of the personal fermenters and other perks today’s students have, but I am definitely grateful to have gone through the program and I feel like myself and my peers have definitely shaped the craft beer world, especially in Ontario. We seem to be everywhere and it is more rare for a brewery to not have someone from the program somewhere on staff. The other huge change I find over those years is the public awareness of the program and craft brewing in general. A lot of my family thought I was nuts or had no idea what I was getting into and I feel nowadays it is a lot more recognized and respected.
Favourite NC memory
I have many great memories from college, some of which probably shouldn’t be shared, but if I had to narrow it down to one I would have to say being on the Rick Mercer Report. It was a very cool experience to meet Rick himself, as well as seeing how the filming and everything comes together and what the final product actually looks like on TV.
Dream for the craft beer scene
I would like to see brewers better represented and compensated. We are, in my opinion, a skilled trade and, compared to other skilled trades out there, we are not treated in the same way.
Tanner Hinrichsen
Class of 2014, Brewmaster, Saulter Street Brewery, Toronto
Rewards
Being able to design new beers and seeing the customers truly enjoying what we do here.
Career path
Worked at the College for a year, then spent two-and-a-half years at Brock Street Brewing as the head brewer. Started at Saulter Street in June 2017 and have been here ever since.
Claim to fame
The English ale we produce here at Saulter Street. It’s called ‘It’s About Bloody Time’ and it was a complete history project to create. We found out there was a brewery not far from our current location back in the late 1800s, so it’s a recreation of one of their flagship brands. Being able to try and recreate something from over 100 years ago was a fun challenge.
Inspiration
It’s the creativity, being able to constantly create a new product and push myself as a brewer. Its that concept of trying to always make a better beer. Be happy but never satisfied, know that it can always be improved upon.
Anniversary reflections
Very lucky. I was fortunate enough to get into the industry very early in the current boom and watch it grow from 50 brewers to 300+. If it was not for the Niagara College Teaching Brewery, that type of growth with the quality of beer we have in the province would not have been possible.
Favourite NC memory
It’s got to be the Craft Beer and BBQ which was my class’ beer festival. It was the first one before it became known as Project Brew. The turnout was way bigger then anticipated. I think they brought in eight different pit masters from around the world, as well as invited 10 other breweries, on top of our 23 beers. It was the right way to end the brewery program.
Laura Milukow
Class of 2019, Brewer and Beer Ambassador, Wayne Gretzky Estate, Niagara-On-The Lake
Rewards
Following the process of a beer from idea, to test batches, to eventually production batches.
Career path
I worked for a year at Dillon’s Small Batch Distillery (starting while in school). I always wanted to work at a facility that makes both beer and spirits.
Claim to fame
Unfiltered ‘Hazy Pilsner.’ It is an unfiltered take on a German Pilsner, similar to a kellerbier. Meant to be drank fresh, this is a refreshing German beer with a North American twist.
Inspiration
I have always been inspired by how breweries incorporate local ingredients to make their beers a taste of place.
Anniversary reflections
Going through the program can fine-tune some already existing knowledge of brewing, but it can also take someone who knows very little and train them.
Favourite NC memory
I miss my class the most. They have become my closest peers in the industry. Also our trip to Guelph where we visited a malt supplier, yeast lab and a couple breweries.
Ram McAllister
Class of 2015, Co-owner/Head Brewer, Fairweather Brewing Company, Hamilton
Rewards
I love the creative element of my work. Brewing new beers, refining recipes, working with new ingredients, collaborating, solving problems. I also really enjoy the mechanical element of the brewery; building things as well as working with new tools and materials is something I get a kick out of. Our team is undeniably the best part of Fairweather. All that to say, I’m pretty into the whole thing.
Career path
Prior to starting Fairweather, I worked at Hoyne Brewing Co. in Victoria, B.C.
Inspiration
The same thing that inspired me as a home brewer, student, and beer geek: I like to experiment, and explore. I like beer to be playful and thoughtful; I try to incorporate those two elements into everything we do.
Anniversary reflections
The College has certainly left its mark on our industry and culture. Besides endowing many production teams with well-rounded, skilled, entry-level brewers, it has generated a sense of community among alumni.
Favourite NC memory
My time at the College was a blast. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of classmates. Sensory was a blast, as well as group homebrewing, and beers in Montebello Park.
Dream for the craft beer scene
I wish for everyone’s success and a speedy recovery for those who have been struggling through the pandemic. I feel that there has been some silver lining in the liberalization that has taken place in the past year. I wish for that trend to continue and that, in the coming years, we move away from the outdated, unproductive, pseudo-monopoly model we know and love. That would give our industry a lot of room to run.
Richard Park
Class of 2017, Brewmaster and Chief of Staff, Old Flame Brewing Company, Port Perry
Rewards
By far, my favorite part of the job is working with my team to create a product we are all proud of, for our community and fans. The reward comes from knowing that the money and time someone has dedicated to our product has met or exceeded their expectations.
Career path
Prior to NC, I graduated from business school and began my career at the world’s largest brewer – AB Inbev.
Claim to fame
For the past five years, we have competed in the Canadian Brewing Awards, of which we have won nine medals to date in the lager category. We have won across the entire spectrum of our lager brands which showcases not just the strength of an individual recipe, but the strength of our team and process. A beer crafted with sincere passion and care is hard to forget, a beer truly worth remembering.
Inspiration
I am inspired by my community and all the different types of people that build up the fabric of our society. For all our differences, I know that I am contributing to one of the few things that still bring us together. A good beer and a good time.
Anniversary reflections
There is a generous amount of gratitude I feel for being a part of the Teaching Brewery and its 10-year journey. For me, it opened the door to Old Flame and I haven’t looked back since. The impact of the school and its grads in the craft beer/beverage industry has been undeniable. At every turn, you will find an NC grad leading and innovating in the space.
Favourite NC memory
‘Brew Day Fridays.’ From Monday to Thursday, the Teaching Brewery would be filled with students from semester one to four, but on Fridays, the brewery would be left alone to the head brewer to manage the remaining priorities. There were always a handful of students, including myself, to come and volunteer to help on those days. We would grab coffees and a freshly baked loaf of bread at the student-run cafe and talk shop while we brewed. This was a critical experience for me because it has informed me of the culture I aspire to foster at my own brewery. A culture of hard work and one that inspires a deep desire to continue learning, while enjoying ourselves and having a good time.
Dream for the craft beer scene
There is a lot of reimagining happening at Old Flame, and I imagine the same is true for the rest of the industry. And while we continue to adapt, the magic has been in remembering what brought our brewery attention and praise to begin with: our commitment to quality, deep roots in the community and building a strong and resilient team to weather the storm.
Jeffrey Woodworth
Class of 2013, Co-founder/Brewmaster, Canvas Brewing Co., Huntsville
Rewards
The aromas and flavours of the ingredients throughout the entire brewings. Oh, and enjoying a cold glass of beer that I brewed.
Career path
I started, like many, by home brewing when I lived in Victoria B.C., and had a job with Vancouver Island Brewing in the packaging department. I got into Niagara’s course then I came back to Ontario. I landed my first production brewing job with Muskoka Brewery. After, I went to Barrie and I took the head brewer’s job at Barnstormers. Then, after many talks, I decided to pursue my goal of opening a brewery, and I am extremely fortunate to have open it in my hometown. It’s been a good ride so far.
Claim to fame
I am proud to have made Canvas Original, Kolsch-style Ale. I wanted to create a brew that would make anyone from Huntsville be proud to say: “This is Huntsville Beer and my hometown brewery.”
Inspiration
Constant creative engagement from recipes, processes to selling. It’s just fun.
Anniversary reflections
I feel proud to be a part of the second class graduating from this course and how it is providing great employment opportunities after graduation. It’s amazing to see how the program has grown and having educated and motivated people constantly entering this industry.
Favourite NC memory
Organizing the Beer Club – from trips to Buffalo to get all the top American craft breweries for tasting nights, to bringing in local Ontario craft breweries to feature their brews. They were fun tasting experiences.
Dream for the craft beer scene
I would like to see a reduction in the taxes on beer and beer produce, as it is more than half of the cost of the finished beer. This would allow more cash flow to smaller brewers to expand, grow and survive. I would also like a continuing leveling playing field through the retail sales channel systems, allowing for more growth opportunities for smaller and regional brewers.
Related article: Cheers to 10 years of NC beers
