Welcome to GTA Brews

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We are Toronto’s local homebrew club and our goal is to help our members learn how to make the best beer/mead/cider possible! We run events, competitions, bulk buys, and lots more. Club Meetings are the 2nd Monday of each month. Join as a Member to get access to all our events and services. Keep up with our latest news:

Join on Facebook: GTA Brews Facebook Discussion Group
This group serves as the main discussion hub for over 2000 local homebrewers. Ask your brewing questions, and check out what others brewing to get inspired for your next brew!

Sign Up for: GTA Brews Mailing List
New members are automatically added to the mailing list, but anyone can sign up here. Emails consist of Monthly Newsletter and occasional reminders about events/sign-ups.

September Meeting: Saison Process & Brett Experiments!

News

Location: Rainhard Brewing Co.
Date: Monday September 14th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

Summer isn’t officially over, but our break is. It’s time to get back to business! After a couple of months of socials, we are incredibly excited to kick off our regular monthly club meetings this September. Mark your calendars for September 14th because we have a packed schedule that you definitely do not want to miss. We are diving deep into the world of farmhouse ales.

Join us for a presentation by Kym Watts, who is a true Saison and Farmhouse expert and does a lot of experimental Brett beers. He also brewed a saison in collaboration with Bickford Brewing Co.

Be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rainhard Brewing Co. offers a wide selection of fine beers to go, so don’t hesitate to grab some, especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading September Meeting: Saison Process & Brett Experiments! →

August Social: At Rouge River Brewing!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Rouge River Brewing Co.
Date: Monday August 10th, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

As promised, we will head north of the 401 for our August social! For this month, we’ll meet at Rouge River brewing with no schedule other than bonding over beers.

Since this is a casual social evening, there will be no guest speakers. However, please feel free to bring your own homebrews to share this time! We are excited to have a special guest from New Zealand joining us with some of his own homebrews.

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

While you are catching up with fellow club members, please remember to support our wonderful hosts. Grab a pint or two from Rouge River’s excellent draft lineup to enjoy during the night, and be sure to pick up some cans to go before you leave!

See you all there! Cheers!

Continue reading August Social: At Rouge River Brewing! →

July Social: At Bickford!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Bickford Brewing Co.
Date: Monday July 13th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

Congratulations to the Spiced Beer Competition winners!

With summer officially here, we’re taking a break from regular meetings but not from socializing. For this month, we’ll meet at Bickford brewing with no schedule other than bonding over beers.

Since this is a casual social evening, there will be no guest speakers and no official homebrew bottle sharing this time around. Just show up, grab a pint(s) from Bickford’s draft lineup, and catch up with fellow club members.

See you all there!

(And for everyone asking for a spot further north, I promise we will head north of the 401 for our August social!)

Continue reading July Social: At Bickford! →

June Meeting: Cider Mastery & Spice Competition Judging!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Rorschach Brewing Co.
Date: Monday June 8th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

Our June homebrew meeting is just around the corner, and we have a packed schedule that you definitely do not want to miss. Mark your calendars for June 8th because we are diving deep into the world of cider and finally seeing the results of our spring experiments.

Join us for a presentation by Alex who is a true cider expert and currently serves as a cider maker at Thornbury Craft Co. Once we wrap up the cider presentation, it’s time for the official judging for our Spice Competition.

Be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rorschach Brewing offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading June Meeting: Cider Mastery & Spice Competition Judging! →

Canada Homebrew Day Saturday June 6, 2026

Canadian Homebrewers Association, Community, Event, ,

You GOTTA See This Year’s Issue!!!!

We are pleased to announce that our 2026 edition of Canada Homebrew Day will be at Toronto Brewing!

Sat. June 6th, 2026
Toronto Brewing (3701 Chesswood Dr)
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

On Saturday June 6th, we will have two live brewing demonstrations.

  1. Eric Cousineau will be brewing outdoors on his “mobile” brewing rig; Eric may be brewing a Golden Ale as per, of all clubs, Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
  2. We expect Zack Weinberg, owner of Toronto Brewing, to dig into his bag of tricks to brew something unexpected…. terpenes perhaps?

Who’s beer will reign supreme? Be there to, at the very least, see who’s brewing process is the best (and also ask questions of our brewers)

To the winner goes the title of “Canada Homebrew Day Champion”!!! The loser gets to clean up after the brew day. (ok, who am I kidding, we all have to clean up after the brew day!!)

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

All are welcome and we hope to see everyone there!!

If you are also brewing that day, please take some pictures and share it with our community and beyond by tagging GTA Brews and #CanadianHomebrewDay in your posts!

Grain Buy – Spring 2026

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The GTA Brews Spring 2026 Grain Buy is open!

After some delays, the spring grain buy is finally open!!! Go and refill your dwindling malt supplies.

Thanks again to Toronto Brewing for hosting, please make sure to give them your love and make some purchases on pick up day! All questions should be emailed to grainbuy@gtabrews.ca.

This year, due to increased logistical and operational costs borne by Toronto Brewing, the gift card amounts are increasing. This is the first update to the gift card amounts in the 10 years that we have been running the grain buys. The new amounts are listed below.

Key Info:

    • Sign Up Open: Friday, May 15, 2026
    • Sign Up Close: Sunday, May 31, 2026 8:00 pm
    • Pick Up Day: Saturday, June 13, 2026 (11:00 am – 1:00 pm)
      • PICKUP LOCATION: Toronto Brewing (Chesswood Drive)
      • You MUST book a pickup timeslot
    • NO SPLITS - PURCHASE OF FULL BAGS ONLY
      • If you wish to split a bag, we encourage you to arrange  the split with other members on the GTA Brews Facebook group or Messenger chat.

Reminders

    • Updates are sent to the email registered with your GTA Brews membership account
    • If you didn't get the announcement email or order confirmation, check your spam!
    • You can find all your gtabrews.ca orders on your My Account page

This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today!

If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!

Annual General Meeting of GTA Brews – May 11, 2026

AGM

Please RSVP using the form below to help us track expected attendees and make sure we hit our required quorum!

Date: Monday May 11th, 2026 @ Rainhard Brewing Co.!
Time: 7 PM – 10 PM

GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.

The GTA Brews AGM will be held from 7 PM – 10 PM on Monday May 11, 2026. This year, AGM meeting is being hosted at Rainhard brewing! Please try to make an effort to attend this important corporate function. We will have a mix of important club business like electing Board members, reviewing the clubs financial position and getting an idea of how the organization is run! To reach the quorum required to hold the meeting we need 40+ members to attend, so please mark your calendars and plan to attend!

The meeting will be chaired by current President, David Chang-Sang.

Continue reading Annual General Meeting of GTA Brews – May 11, 2026 →

April Meeting: All About Dat Spice At Samara!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Samara Brewing Co.
Date: Monday April 13th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

You Drafted. You Didn’t. We All Drink.

Whether you went home with a bag of carrots, and a prayer, or wisely sat out and watched others make questionable life choices, we’re all about to level up how we use spices, herbs, and vegetables in our beer!

Join us for a presentation by an actual spice expert, who has no idea what we did at that draft and frankly might cry when they find out.

Come for the knowledge. Stay because your lemon pepper saison needs help.

Be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Samara Brewing offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading April Meeting: All About Dat Spice At Samara! →

The 2026 Spice Beer Draft & Competition!

News,

Are you ready to spice up your brewing game? Our next big club challenge is here, and it’s time to see who can master the art of the spice. Whether you are a seasoned pro or looking to try something new, this is your chance to showcase your creativity.

The Ultimate Prize

The stakes are high this year! The 1st Place winner will earn an incredible opportunity to collaborate on a brew with Andrew McCready at Bickford Brewing. Imagine seeing your recipe scaled up on a professional system!

How the Draft Works

This is a “Draft Style” competition. We will be drafting specific spices and beer styles to ensure a wide variety of unique entries.

  • When: Join us at the upcoming monthly meeting next Monday, March 9th at Rorschach Brewing Co.
  • The Deadline: Online sign-ups are open now, but you can also sign up in person at the meeting until 8:15 PM.
  • The Draft: At 8:15 PM sharp, we will randomly assign the draft order.
  • Can’t make it in person? No problem. You can join us virtually via Zoom (link also below) to participate in the draft. If you miss the draft entirely, you can still enter! Just check the “Draft Board” tab in the sign-up sheet after the meeting to select from the remaining spice and style combinations.

How to Sign-up?

Judging Dates and Info

📍 Location: Rorschach Brewing Co.
📅 Date: Monday, June 8, 2026
🕖 Time: Monthly Meeting Schedule | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

We’re looking forward to our Spice Beer Competition at Rorschach Brewing Co. on Monday, June 8. Competition judging will take place during our regular club meeting agenda. Please plan to bring 2 beers for judging, with any additional beers welcome to share afterward.

We’re also calling on any BJCP judges who are not participating in the club competition and would be willing to volunteer that evening. The goal is to keep the judging moving efficiently with 4 pairs/flights and a mini-BOS format to keep things snappy.

Cheers,

The GTA Brews Team

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GTA Brews Club Barrel Project

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Club Barrel Fill #6

That's right, we've brought it back! GTA Brews is the proud owner of a freshly emptied Wild Turkey bourbon barrel and with it we are re-opening the Club Barrel Fill Project! The barrel will be hosted by our generous partners over at Samara Brewing Company.

A few words about the barrel: It’s a freshly emptied, 53 gallon, Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel made of American White oak. The Wild Turkey that just left it was aged for 5 years. The barrel had been charred at the deepest level (No.4 “Alligator” char) to deliver Wild Turkey’s well known rich and full flavor.

We'll be brewing a strong Wee Heavy beer to fill this baby, affectionately dubbed: The Wee Turkey Barrel Project Beer! See below for more info on the recipe.

This is an exclusive, members-only project, where several GTA Brews members independently brew the same recipe, and then come together to add their creation to the shared bourbon barrel to let it age, mature and blossom into something awesome.

Want in on this fun members-only project? Tickets go on sale Sunday, March 15th at 12pm! It is first-come, first-served, so don't delay. The fee to participate is $12. Ticket holders get to participate in this exclusive event and will also get a sweet custom sticker for their kegs to immortalize The Turkey.

This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today!

If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!

March Meeting: Competition Draft At Rorschach!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Rorschach Brewing Co.
Date: Monday March 9th, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

For our March club meeting, we’re going to be back at Rorschach Brewing Co. This month, we have something special than a regular presentation. Follow along for more details.

Instead of our usual 7pm, the meeting would start at 8pm. There’s a country music event at History music venue near Rorschach. However, feel free to drop by at your usual times to grab a bite and/or beers and hang out with fellow club members.

Be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rorschach Brewing offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading March Meeting: Competition Draft At Rorschach! →

February Meeting: At Rainhard!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Rainhard Brewing Co
Date: Monday February 9th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

I hope everyone crushed their January fitness goals. Between the shoveling and the slip-and-slide walks, we’ve all trained for the winter Olympics! Hopefully, all that fun times is behind us and Wiarton Willie got it right!

For our February club meeting, we’re going to be back at Rainhard Brewing Co. This month’s presentation topic is still being worked on. This post will be updated as soon as we have confirmation. Apologies for the delay.

Also be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rainhard Brewing offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading February Meeting: At Rainhard! →

January Meeting: Water Chemistry with Eric Cousineau!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Rorschach Brewing Co.
Date: Monday January 12th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

Water: You’ve drank it, you’ve swam in it, heck, some of you have probably even BATHED in it (at some point in the distant past). But did you know you could BREW WITH IT TOO?!

It’s time for our annual January tradition of diving deep (see what I did there?) into the world of water chemistry, and we are happy to have GTA Brews Member (and former club President) Eric Cousineau back to give us an updated presentation!

Also be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rorschach offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading January Meeting: Water Chemistry with Eric Cousineau! →

GTA Brews Survey 2026 – Now Open!

Survey,
club survey - morpheus

Help us make the club better! Our club survey is now accepting submissions from now until 12pm Noon February 28th.  We use the results of this survey each year to help inform the direction of the club and identify areas of strength and opportunities to improve.

Your opinions really matter! Insight from previous surveys have kicked off initiatives like:

  • Blind Triangle Tests – interactive beer tasting to learn about and compare key brewing variables.
  • Alternating Meeting Locations – consistent East and West locations, consistent times for easier planning.
  • More Recipes –  increased integration of your excellent recipes into the club database.
  • Varied Events – Off-flavor classes, brewery meetups/presentations, Learn to Brew days are BACK!

This survey is open to both members and non-members, since we want to hear from everybody! The survey takes as little as 10 mins if you elect to answer only the mandatory questions, or a little longer if you choose to write more detailed answers (and we hope you do).

How can we make the best homebrew club in the world even better?!

This club belongs to all of us, and we want to make sure are all satisfied with the value you get for your membership. There will always be some challenges, but we are always looking for solutions and opportunities to improve. Please share your thoughts in as much detail as you are comfortable with, and we promise to read and seriously consider them.

Brew Slam 2025 – Award Ceremony Photos

Brew Slam

As promised here are the medal winner photos we took at this year’s Brew Slam Awards Party! A full wrap up post is still in the pipeline, but hopefully these will stave off those that are getting antsy!

You can also relive the magic by watching the YouTube recording of the Brew Slam 2025 presentation.

Big thanks to David Chang-Sang for taking these photos of our winners as they are awarded their medals!

  • Winners Photo
  • Crew Photo
  • Master of Ceremonies (Zack Weinberg of Toronto Brewing)
  • 1 – Light Lager
  • 2 – Pale Malty Lager
  • 3 – Pale Bitter Lager
  • 5 – Dark Lager
  • 6 – Bock
  • 10 – Amber & Brown British Ale
  • 11 – Amber & Brown American Ale
  • 12 – Porter
  • 13 – Stout
  • 16 – Hazy IPA
  • 18 – Wheat & Rye Beer
  • 19 – Belgian & French Ale
  • 24 – Specialty Wild & Sour Beer
  • 26 – Spice / Herb / Vegetable Beer
  • 28 – Specialty Beer
  • 29 – Traditional Cider
  • 30 – Specialty Cider
  • 31 – Traditional Mead
  • 31 – Traditional Mead
  • 32 – Specialty Mead
  • Best of Show Winners
  • Toronto Brewer of the Year (Shane Schlesinger)
  • Jon Mains Award for Top Brewer Winner (Matt McNair) – Presented by Roslynne Mains
  • Medals
  • Banner
  • Prize Bags
  • Bob (Eric) & Doug (Dave) McKenzie

2025 Homebrew Advent Begins!

Advent Calendar

A couple months ago we opened the sign up for our 12th annual GTA Brews Homebrew Calendar. The participation fee was $10/person, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Feed Ontario. We also included the option to donate extra (in $10 increments) to our charity to help us on our fundraising efforts.

We’re pleased to announce that (as of writing) we have raised $320 for Feed Ontario! There’s still time to donate using the following item. Donations will be accepted until Weds Dec 14th.

As is tradition, James Kennedy has designed a custom advent graphic showing each beer that is part of the calendar, pictured above.

How to Participate

Starting December 1st we’ll crack a new bottle each day. As we go, please share your experience on our WAYD (What Are You Drinking) – Advent Calendar Edition Facebook post. And if you post about the beers to Instagram, feel free to tag @GTABrews and we’ll try to repost you!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from GTA Brews!

December Meeting: Holidays Hoopla @ Bickford Brewing Co

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Bickford Brewing Co.
Date: Monday December 8th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

It’s been a very eventful year of beer brewing, competitions, club meet-ups, world events and happenings. We’ve come a long way, and now it’s [finally] time to chill out a bit, relax, and have a few beers with friends. That’s right, it’s the GTA Brew’s holiday social get-together. This is one you DON’T want to miss – fellow club member and homebrewer-gone-pro Andrew McCready has invited us into his dojo at Bickford Brewing for the celebration once again. Grab a beer on tap and some cans to go!

Also be sure to SIGN-UP FOR STRUCTURED TASTINGS if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew. This is a great way to get a judge’s feedback prior to (or without) the hassle of registering for a formal competition.

Other than that, there’s no presentation this month, this meeting is all about hanging out, reminiscing about old times, sharing brews and talking beer.

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass! And we’re giving out special bonus high-fives to anyone who wears something particularly festive to the meeting.

Continue reading December Meeting: Holidays Hoopla @ Bickford Brewing Co →

Brew Slam 2025 – Results Are Posted on torontobrewing.ca

Brew Slam, Competitions

The Award Ceremony has concluded for 2025, and the results have been announced! If you weren’t able to attend, your medal(s)/prizes will be shipped. If you are a local that couldn’t attend, please arrange to pick up your prizes directly from us.

Results

Click Here to view the Brew Slam 2025 Results

Scoresheets

Scoresheets have been uploaded to the entry software, all you need to do is login, go to your Account page, and look for the “scoresheet” icon next to each entry. You might also notice a miniBOS checkmark next to your entry, this means it was in contention for a medal. This will allow you to download the scoresheets for that entry. Direct link to profile

Scoresheet Icon: 

I will follow up with a more complete wrap up post, but for now, congrats to all the winners!

Cheers,
Eric Cousineau
Organizer, Brew Slam 2025

November Meeting: Brewing Sours w/ Adjuncts with Brandon Judd!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Avling Brewery
Date: Monday November 10th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

Hope everyone had a great time at Brewslam! After a break in October, we’re kicking things back off with our November club meeting at Avling Brewery.

This month we’re thrilled to have Brandon Judd from Avling Brewery joining us to share his brewing process for his sours and incorporating fruits, honey and botanicals. It’s a great chance to learn firsthand about the techniques behind one of the most refreshing and creative beer styles out there.

Also be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

Don’t forget to patronize our hosts! Avling offers a full kitchen, if you’re hungry and a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading November Meeting: Brewing Sours w/ Adjuncts with Brandon Judd! →

2025 GTA Brews Advent Calendar

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Exchange Date: Sunday November 30th, 2025 @ 1PMExchange Location(s): Rouge River BrewingParticipation Fee: $10 The Annual GTA Brews Advent Calendar is back for the 12th year in a row! On Sunday Novemb...

This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today! If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!

Grain Buy – Fall 2025

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The GTA Brews Fall 2025 Grain Buy is open!

The fall grain buy is here, and we've brought back Barn Owl malt, for those looking for more Ontario grown barley. Of course we will have Mississippi Mill, as well as all the other favorites.

And new this fall, is Escarpment Laboratories House Ale dry yeast. Note due to ordering times with Escarpment Labs, House Ale orders will close on Tuesday, October 14, 8:00 pm.

Thanks again to Toronto Brewing for hosting, please make sure to give them your love and make some purchases on pick up day! All questions should be emailed to grainbuy@gtabrews.ca.

Key Info:

    • Sign Up Open: Friday, October 3, 2025
    • Sign Up Close: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 8:00 pm
      • Sign Up Close for House Ale: Tuesday, October 14, 8:00 pm
    • Pick Up Day: Saturday, November 15, 2025 (11:00 am – 1:00 pm)
    • Pickup Location: Toronto Brewing (Chesswood Drive)
      • You MUST book a pickup timeslot
    • NO SPLITS - FULL BAGS ONLY
      • If you wish to split a bag, we encourage you to arrange  the split with other members on the GTA Brews Facebook group or Messenger chat.

Reminders

    • Updates are sent to the email registered with your GTA Brews membership account
    • If you didn't get the announcement email or order confirmation, check your spam!
    • You can find all your gtabrews.ca orders on your My Account page

This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today!

If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!

September Meeting: Gose Souring Process with Andrew McCready!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Rainhard Brewing Co
Date: Monday September 8th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

Hope everyone had a great summer break! We’re kicking things back off with our September club meeting at Rainhard Brewing Co.

This month we’re thrilled to have Andrew McCready from Bickford Brewing joining us to share his souring process for his award-winning Gose. It’s a great chance to learn firsthand about the techniques behind one of the most refreshing and creative beer styles out there.

Also be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rainhard Brewing offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading September Meeting: Gose Souring Process with Andrew McCready! →

New Guest Tap Release at Bickford Brewing: “Saison!” by Kym Watts – Launching August 29th

News

Location: Bickford Brewing Co.
Date: Friday, August 29th, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM EDT onwards

We’re thrilled to announce the latest release on the GTA Brews Guest Tap at Bickford Brewing Co.: “Saison!” by Kym Watts, launching Friday, August 29th.

Don’t let the simple name fool you, this beer is anything but basic. Saison is a complex and challenging style to brew, and Kym and Andrew seem to have truly nailed it. Expect a dry and peppery profile, balanced with medium to medium-low bitterness and bright citrusy notes of orange peel and lemon, all thanks to Ontario-grown Triple Perle hops.

Join us Friday night to meet the brewers, Kym Watts and Andrew McCready, and chat about all things brewing; especially Saison!

If you know Kym, you know his passion for this style. He’s been refining his Saison recipe year after year, always striving to stay true to style while elevating the experience.

But you probably also know Kym loves his Brett or Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus, a type of diastatic yeast that breaks down longer-chained carbohydrates. Those two, once in the brewhouse, always in the brewhouse. Andrew, knowing this, challenged Kym to design a Saison without using Brett or diastatic yeast. The result? You have to make your way to Bickford Brewing Co. and taste!

About the Guest Tap Program

Thanks to the generosity of Bickford Brewing Co., GTA Brews has a dedicated guest tap to showcase beers brewed by members of our local homebrew community.

The program is managed by Andrew McCready, owner and head brewer at Bickford Brewing Co. Here’s a look at the delicious beers that have flowed from the guest tap so far:

  • Chang-Sang Estates – Red: An IPA(IPA)
  • Josh Davis – Cumulus Lupulus (IPA)
  • Wuilmer Venegas – Steampunk Amber (California Common)
  • *To be released on August 29th* Kym Watts – Saison! (Saison)

Stay tuned for more exciting releases from Bickford and our members!

Brew Slam 2025 – Entry Registration Open!

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Entry registration is now open for Brew Slam 2025! Register and pay for your entries ASAP to avoid missing your chance to enter this once per year homebrew competition!

Go to the Brew Slam 2025 page

The entry registration and submission deadline is Saturday Oct. 18th. The fee to enter is $15/entry, or $12/entry for GTA Brews Members (see below). Visit our Rules and Submission Instructions page for all the details about submitting your entry.

GTA Brews Discount Code: ($3 discount per entry, must be logged-in to see)

As of today, we have over $10,500 in prizes up for grabs, and more prizes being secured by our Brew Slam Crew every day!

Here’s some highlights to help grab your attention!

We have some incredible medals designed by James Kennedy for 2025, and we can’t wait to award them to the winners!

In addition to an incredible prize pool for winners, here’s some other reasons you should enter your homebrew in Brew Slam 2025!

  • Quality feedback!
    • Canada’s largest BJCP judge pool
    • Including multiple National and high level ranked judges
    • Low flight size per judge to reinforce quality feedback
    • Long form scoresheets to reinforce meaningful and specific feedback
  • Award Categories announced in advance (Brew Slam 2025 Award Categories)
  • Toronto Brewer of the Year title awarded to GTA Brews member with most medal points
  • Jon Mains Award awarded to the top overall entrant with most medal points
  • Medal Categories sponsored by local breweries with expertise in that style of beer
    • Many of them also supplying Pro Brewer guest judge(s) to supplement BJCP judges for those categories
  • Entrant support available through our BJCP Competition Guide and over email at comp@gtabrews.ca when deciding how to register your entry!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,
Eric Cousineau
Competition Organizer, Brew Slam 2025

Inquiries about Brew Slam 2025 should be sent to: comp@gtabrews.ca

Click Here to go to the main competition page.

Announcing Brew Slam 2025 – Homebrew Competition

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Click Here to go to the main competition page.

Press Release

August 12th, 2025 – Toronto, ON

Inquiries about Brew Slam 2025 should be sent to: comp@gtabrews.ca

GTA Brews is excited to announce our eight annual nation-wide homebrew competition for beer, mead, and cider: Brew Slam 2025 (#BrewSlam)!

#BrewSlam is Canada’s largest homebrew competition, with hundreds of entrants from Canada and the USA. We can’t wait to build on 2024’s massive success. That competition saw 552 entries from 140 entrants representing 8/10 provinces, judged by 60 judges over just 3 days, which made it the largest homebrew competition in Canada!

As of Aug 12th, we have already secured over $8,700 in prizes from our fabulous sponsors. We expect this will increase significantly over the next few weeks leading up to the competition. We also have a brand new medal design to present to the winners!

To make this competition a success we need as many judges and stewards as possible. Please visit our Volunteer page to learn what is involved and for instructions on how to sign up.

Continue reading Announcing Brew Slam 2025 – Homebrew Competition →

Canadian Homebrew Day Saturday June 7, 2025

Canadian Homebrewers Association, Community, Event, ,

A Homebrew Battle
For The Ages

We are pleased to announce that our 2025 edition of Canadian Homebrew Day (CHD) will be at Toronto Brewing!

Sat. June 7th, 2025
Toronto Brewing (3701 Chesswood Dr)
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

On Saturday June 7th, we will have two live brewing demonstrations.

  1. Eric Cousineau will be attempting, again, to “hit his numbers” while brewing outdoors on his “mobile” brewing rig; Eric will be brewing a Saison!
  2. Josh Davis will be attempting retain his victor status from 2024 by beating Eric at the numbers game; Josh will ALSO be brewing a Saison!

Who will win? Who will be the victor? Who’s Saison will have the best carbonation? (judged by Darrell Kelly. . . . at some point)

To the winner goes the title of “Canadian Homebrew Day Champion”!!! The loser gets to clean up after the brew day. (ok, who am I kidding, we all have to clean up after the brew day!!)

Come One; Come All!!

All are welcome and we hope to see everyone there!!

If you are also brewing that day, please take some pictures and share it with our community and beyond by tagging GTA Brews and #CanadianHomebrewDay in your posts!

June Meeting: Back To Muddy York Brewing Co.!

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Muddy York Brewing Co.
Date: Monday June 9th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

Join us in June when we head NORTH of the 401. . . and NORTH of the 407. . . and even NORTH of Hwy 7 up to the wonderful town of Stouffville Ontario to triumpantly return, and celebrate, Muddy York Brewing’s new location! While we intend this to be a celebratory mid-year social meeting we may be able to convince Jeff Manol to say a few words about the brand new brew house, brewery and location!

Also be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

And, don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Muddy York offers an array of fine beers and it’s the perfect opportunity to grab a can or twelve on your way out.

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading June Meeting: Back To Muddy York Brewing Co.! →

Welcome Your New GTA Brews Officers!

AGM, Club Meeting

Our beloved club does what it can to give back to the brewing community and to enrich Toronto’s beer scene – but we must remember that we are entirely volunteer-run. Without dedicated volunteers, we cannot continue to offer the services that we do.

This is why we we had a number of members, at our recent AGM Meeting (held May 12, 2025 at Rainhard Brewing Co.) raise their hands to help out with managing the largest homebrew club in this great nation!

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Continue reading Welcome Your New GTA Brews Officers! →

IMPORTANT – Open Positions! Call for Dedicated Brewing Enthusiasts

AGM, Club Meeting

Our beloved club does what it can to give back to the brewing community and to enrich Toronto’s beer scene – but we must remember that we are entirely volunteer-run. Without dedicated volunteers, we cannot continue to offer the services that we do.

This is why we are putting out a CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS before our AGM meeting this May to step up and dedicate some of their time to the actualization of club activities, for the benefit of all. Below is a list of Essential and “Added Value” positions and their current status – if you spot a position that’s open that you can contribute to, email VP Josh at vice-president@gtabrews.ca! Volunteers will be given official GTA BREWS OFFICER positions, and be forever venerated in the pantheon of selfless brewers.

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Continue reading IMPORTANT – Open Positions! Call for Dedicated Brewing Enthusiasts →

Grain Buy – Spring 2025

Bulk Buy, Needs Current Membership, ,

The GTA Brews Spring 2025 Grain Buy is open!

You have been asking for it, and now the spring grain buy is open!!! Competiton season is underway, so here is your opportunity to stock up on malt, so you can get brewing and enter those comps.

Thanks again to Toronto Brewing for hosting, please make sure to give them your love and make some purchases on pick up day! All questions should be emailed to grainbuy@gtabrews.ca.

Key Info:

 

    • Sign Up Open: May 4, 2025 (May the Force be with you!)
    • Sign Up Close: Wednesday, May 21, 2025 8:00 pm
    • Pick Up Day: Saturday, June 7, 2025 (11:00 am – 1:00 pm)
      • PICKUP LOCATION: Toronto Brewing (Chesswood Drive)
      • You MUST book a pickup timeslot
    • Note June 7 is also Canada Homebrew Day. The club will be at Toronto Brewing for a combined Homebrew Day and grain buy pickup. Please come join us.
    • NO SPLITS - FULL BAGS ONLY
      • If you wish to split a bag, we encourage you to arrange  the split with other members on the GTA Brews Facebook group or Messenger chat.

Reminders

    • Updates are sent to the email registered with your GTA Brews membership account
    • If you didn't get the announcement email or order confirmation, check your spam!
    • You can find all your gtabrews.ca orders on your My Account page

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April Meeting: The St.John Zone at Rorschach Brewing

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Rorschach Brewing Co
Date: Monday April 14th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

Join us this April to be regaled by tales by none other than the legendary beer writer, beer judger, beer drinker and collab beer brewer Jordan St. John, on a meandering and highly entertaining talk about all things beer. You may have already read some of St. John’s work (perhaps here, or maybe here) but whether you’re familiar or not, this is a meeting you won’t want to miss.

Also be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

And, don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rorschach offers an array of fine beers and it’s the perfect opportunity to grab a can or twelve on your way out.

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading April Meeting: The St.John Zone at Rorschach Brewing →

March Meeting: Beer & Food Pairing with Mirella Amato

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Rainhard Brewing Co.
Date: Monday March 17th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

We are thrilled to announce that our March homebrew club meeting will feature a special presentation by one of the world’s foremost experts in craft beer, none other than Toronto’s own Mirella Amato! A Grand Master BJCP Judge, Master Cicerone, award-winning author, and leading educator in beer and food pairing, Mirella has dedicated her career to shaping the craft beer industry through her expertise, passion, and dedication.

You don’t want to miss this one!

Also be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rainhard offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading March Meeting: Beer & Food Pairing with Mirella Amato →

February Meeting: The Spice Must Flow w/ Kyle Kellam

Club Meeting, ,

Location: Rorschach Brewing Co
Date: Monday February 10th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET

“He who controls the spice rules the universe!” Is there such thing as too much vegetable/herb/spice beer? Probably! But GTA Brews Member and Spice Lord Kyle Kellam has a borderline unhealthy obsession with finding out where the limit is.

For our February meeting Kyle will be presenting about his experiences brewing spiced beers, including his inspirations, different methods for introducing adjuncts, lessons learned, and a tasting of two freshly canned batches!

To stretch people’s brewing creativity, members are also invited to join the “The Spice! It’s In Everything Here!” Challenge, in which participants will draft from a list of Base Beer Styles and a list of Spices, from which they’ll attempt to brew a beer. Then, they can share their bottle (or be judged? To be confirmed…) with others at a future meeting!

Also be sure to SIGN-UP for structured tastings if you’d like some feedback on your latest brew.

And, don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Rorschach offers an array of fine beers, and in keeping with the meeting’s theme, have an especially outstanding selection of adjunct stouts, sours and lagers!

Don’t forget to bring your tasting glass!

Continue reading February Meeting: The Spice Must Flow w/ Kyle Kellam →