Ontario’s craft brewing industry boomed in the 2010s, rising from  50 breweries in 2010 to more than 350 today. Todd Lewin had a front row seat for it, and helped Muskoka Brewery scale into one of the leading Canadian-owned breweries in Ontario. In this episode, Todd discusses his beer career journey from selling Molson to leading Muskoka Brewery, the brewery’s evolving strategy as demand for beer has plateaued, and where he expects the industry to go from here.

• 00:00 Introduction to Ontario's Manufacturing Sector and Muskoka Brewery
• 04:30 Todd Lewin's Career Journey
• 07:33 Mergers, Acquisitions, and the Rise of Ontario's Craft Beer Industry
• 12:26 Muskoka Brewery's Growth and Strategy
• 17:42 Leadership and Challenges in the Brewing Industry
• 20:04 Investing in Growth
• 23:19 Ontario’s Craft Brewing Ecosystem
• 29:03 Tapping Into Evolving Consumer Demands: Beer, RTD, and Non-Alcoholic
• 39:58 The Future of Ontario's Craft Beer Industry

Find Out More about Muskoka Brewery

• Website: muskokabrewery.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/muskokabrewery
• Facebook: facebook.com/muskokabrewery
• Instagram: instagram.com/muskokabrewery
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@muskokabrewery

Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing Reports on Craft Brewing

• Good Things Brewing: Ontario’s Craft Beer Industry, 2010-2019 (June 2020) https://trilliummfg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Trillium_CraftBeerReport-June2020.pdf
• Ontario’s Craft Brewing Industry: Contributions, Community, and the Challenges Ahead (June 2022) https://trilliummfg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Ontario-Craft-Brewing-Industry-Report-2022.pdf

Find Out More About Trillium

• Trillium website: trilliummfg.ca
• Trillium GIS: trilliumgis.ca
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/trilliummfg
• X/Twitter: x.com/TrilliumMfg
• Instagram: instagram.com/trilliummfg
• Facebook: facebook.com/trilliummfg
• Old ‘Making it in Ontario’ Episodes: https://soundcloud.com/making-it-in-ontario-past

About the Making it in Ontario Podcast

Making it in Ontario is your window into what's next in manufacturing. Ontario’s economy depends on manufacturing, but the latest research reveals concerning trends that could undermine the sector’s strength—if we don’t address them. Join us as we talk to CEOs and other leaders at the forefront of the sector about productivity, strategy, talent markets and career opportunities, and the role of manufacturing in a prosperous and sustainable future.

This podcast is an initiative of the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing. It is produced by Storied Places Media.